akari takaishi and saori izawa are an unstoppable duo, the awkward chemistry they share on and off the battlefield is what makes the baby assassin trilogy more than just catnip for action fans, these are extremely enjoyable workplace comedies that always skirt the boundary of being just mean and violent enough to give them an edge that isn't blunted by the presence of jokes. nice days is the 'working on your vacation' episode, and our lazy hitwomen have graduated out of being teenagers and settled into the comfortable routines of their friendship -- this is the most relaxed out of the films so far, the villain is a weirdo loser and the 'lore', such as it is, continues to be…

There have been plenty of exciting action movies released so far during the 2020's, particularly in the Direct to Video scene, but how many of them boast characters that prove genuinely memorable, characters that you actually come to love and look forward to following from adventure to adventure? As much as action designer Kensuke Sonomura's blistering fight scenes remain a clear highlight of the "Baby Assassins" films, this third installment boldly underlines the fact that leading ladies Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa are the beating heart of this series. From their quirky wardrobe to their penchant for delicious-looking pastries, these slacker hit girls remain two of the most endearing protagonists the genre has seen in ages.

And my first inclination…

New York Asian Film Festival World Premiere

The first Baby Assassins didn’t blow me away, I found the leads a bit annoying, the action sparse, and the structure needlessly elliptical. But this second sequel, set in resort city of Miyazaki, is a significant improvement in every respect. The badinage and dynamic between the lead girls Chisato and Mahiro is growing on me, and the balance of action to humor is more even, with a real sense of menace mixed into the slacker comedy. And the fighting, the fighting is all on par or better than the finale of the original, with Kensuke Sonomura’s unique blend of Wickian gun-fu and intense close quarters jiu jitsu-influenced grappling hitting an apex in three…

i remember realising what BABY ASSASSINS was all about, whether i was right or wrong it's continued to colour my read on these films. chisato and mahiro are forcibly intertwined as a pair of newly graduated teen assassins. only problem is; they need day jobs, and they aren't particularly good at anything other than killing. girls with hyper-specific interests and skills, struggling to exist socially – i knew they were supposed to be seen as neurodivergent. both individually different in handling the real world, but both sharing a common interest. from there a love blossoms. that bond they formed, that support is so strong – so important. connections keep us grounded, even in the tiniest ways, a bond can be life-saving.…

My first Baby Assassins. Really great hand-to-hand fights. Very interesting choreography, solid gun fu, just the right touch of tubi digital muzzle flash and blood splatter. Foley artist whipping and rustling that clothing all day.

A working class Gen Z dramedy about life as a gig-economy contract killer with none of the of the complicated ethical implications that premise should imply. It’s cozy violence, but because it’s Japanese, it still goes hard.

The leads are crazy watchable. They have great chemistry. Mahiro seems to be the quiet one who feels things and is maybe a little better at the job. Chisato the wide-eyed white-knuckling outgoing sociopath who gives Mahiro's life meaning. You really believe they love and need each other.…