Jamie Chung in "Samurai Girl"
courtesy of ABC Family Channel
“Samurai Girl” (ABC Family)

The ABC Family Channel is billing “Samurai Girl” as a special television “event.” It is a mini-series of sorts that will play over a three night period. It is not a series in the traditional sense but you know if the ratings are good this “girl” could come back for more adventures.

Jamie Chung stars as Heaven, a Japanese girl who is soon to be married in an arranged wedding. She does not love the man to whom she is betrothed but dares not disappoint her father. Her best hope for avoiding the wedding is her brother Hiko who adores her. He is at odds with their father and is dedicated to protecting Heaven.

At the wedding a band of Ninjas disrupt the ceremony. One member of Heaven’s family is killed and another is wounded. She flees the scene and goes to her brother’s best friend Jake (Brendan Fehr) for solace. Jake is trained in the martial arts and instructs Heaven in ways that enable her to protect herself.

As time goes by Heaven learns that she is viewed by some as a person with a higher purpose than others. She is supposed to possess skills that are out of the ordinary, and have more clarity in her observations. 

Chung is perfect in the title role. She is beautiful to say the least and an adequate actress which is even more surprising. She also handles the physical requirements of the role with grace and athleticism.

Fehr is a rather ordinary leading man. I only viewed the first segment of the “event” and in it he was rather bland. It is hoped that he will become more dynamic as the show progresses.

Both Saige Thompson and Kyle Labine are assets as good friends of Heaven. They each have a dry wit about them and make the most of their brief time on screen. Stacy Keibler is scheduled to appear in the latter episodes as a romantic rival with Heaven for Jake’s attentions. She did not appear at all in the first segment and that is a real disappointment.

As “events” go, “Samurai Girl” is rather routine. It is doubtful it can generate enough interest with the first episode to draw back a larger audience for the next two. But time will tell.

“Samurai Girl” will air on the ABC Family Channel on September 5, 6 and 7 from 8 to 10PM. 
 

 

 

 

 

©2008 Jackie K. Cooper

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