The Masked Girl (2008): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2008, The Masked Girl is an action and drama film directed by Isao Kaneko, running about 44 minutes.

What it’s about. Released as part of a Neo Action double bill with Tsujimoto Takanori's Hard Revenge, Milly, Kaneko Isao's The Masked Girl follows the giddy action adventures of a high school superheroine called upon to battle supreme evil. On the way home from school one day, high school girl Hoshino Ai (Shimizu Yuki) gets kidnapped by an evil crime organization called Joker, led by devil incarnate Black Maria (Sato Aiko). Ai manages to escape with the help of teacher Aoyama (Kida Tsuyoshi), but realizes she's gained superhero powers after being genetically modified by Joker. She reveals her problems to friend Yumi (Nakamura Shizuka), only to discover that Yumi also been genetically modified and brainwashed to serve Joker. Friends become foes as Ai is forced to fight Yumi, but that's only the beginning of the battle. To take down Black Maria and Joker, Ai must trade in her sailor skirt for superheroine threads, and become The Masked Girl!

Who’s in it. The Masked Girl stars Shizuka Makajima, Aiko Sato, Yuki Shimizu and Tsuyoshi Kida.

How it landed. With an audience score of 3.7/10, The Masked Girl has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Masked Girl page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Masked Girl tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.