Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- gritty
- visceral
- late night anime viewing
- adult animation marathon
What critics said
Critics generally praised the film’s story, character development, animation, action, suspense, and gritty realism while noting its short runtime and extreme sexualized violence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sawa is trained by the detective who adopts her as a covert instrument against criminals escaping the justice system.
The film combines adult anime, film noir, neo-noir, and violent crime action with an emphasis on gritty realism.
Sawa is presented as a seemingly naive college student while secretly operating as a cold-blooded assassin.
Sawa is orphaned after her parents are brutally murdered and is shaped into an instrument of vengeance.
Films like Kite, and why
Ninja Scroll
shares adult animation, female assassin, revenge, graphic violence, and neo-noir atmosphere
Afro Samurai: Resurrection
shares stylized anime action, morally compromised killers, sexual violence, and grim noir intensity
Lady Snowblood
shares female-led revenge, exploitation aesthetics, guns, and brutal action
Wicked City
shares adult animated crime storytelling, violent vigilantism, and dark urban thriller tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Yasuomi Umetsu
- Release Date
- 1998-02-25
- Runtime
- 50 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (189)
Cast
- Konami Yoshida
- Kousuke Okano
- Kinryu Arimoto
- Rokuro Naya
- Dai Matsumoto
- Rei Igarashi
- Naho Hirokawa
- Itsumi Sawada
- Hiroshi Aida
- Nobuyuki Takano
Common questions
- What is Kite about?
- A traumatized young assassin becomes a detective’s lethal answer to criminals escaping an imperfect justice system.
- What is Kite like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kite as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Kite violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Kite as graphic.
- What did critics think of Kite?
- Critics generally praised the film’s story, character development, animation, action, suspense, and gritty realism while noting its short runtime and extreme sexualized violence.
- Which films are like Kite?
- Films with a similar feel include Ninja Scroll, Afro Samurai: Resurrection, Lady Snowblood, and Wicked City.
- How long is Kite?
- Kite runs 50 minutes.
