Pop idol, actress and former Nogizaka46 member Marika Ito stars as a highschooler nick-named “Barefoot” (hadashi in Japanese, also meaning “superior to”), a precocious chanbara-obsessed teen who spends her days poring over classic Raizo Ichikawa and Zatoichi films with her two best friends: kendo enthusiast “Blue Hawaii” and sci-fi geek “Kickboard.” Ready to finally produce her unrealized script, Samurai Spring, Barefoot jumps into action, resolving to make her dream come true over the course of one summer—and go head-to-head with her rival, the film club’s darling rom-com director—with her friends and a ragtag crew that includes a mysterious classmate whose love of samurai films matches her own. A charming girl group-focused coming-of-age comedy that at times recalls Linda Linda Linda (2005), It’s a Summer Film! offers an endearing tribute to the life-affirming power of cinema.
Available streaming territory: U.S. only
Japanese
English