Bishojo Kamen Poitrine

So recently over on deviantArt, I've had the chance to talk about the live action magical girls that have come down the pike in Japan. Probably my favorite (based on limited exposure) is BISHOJO KAMEN POITRINE. And the reason boils down almost entirely to star Yuko Hanashima.

Hanashima wins out over many more "mainstream" Japanese superheroine actresses for me because she has a presence that is absolutely amazing. While certainly attractive, it's not her looks that draw my attention; it's her attitude. I have described Poitrine as "arch", and I can't think of many other Japanese superheroines who fit that description at all. Yuko Hanashima is a talented actress, especially considering she was only 18 when this show was filmed.


Another point in Hanashima's favor is that she's actually a pretty good singer. Usually, when the stars are allowed to sing, it's more...well, that's nice. But no, I really like her vocals regardless of whether she's the star or not. Here she is with the original end theme of the show.



But possibly even better is the second end theme, "Anata dake Change me". Here is a recap of the first half of the series set to it.



And this is from the series' final episode.



For those of you who read the Return of Jetman stories, everything you need to know about Green Wyvern in my head is encapsulated at 1:38 in that last video.