This story follows Heaven, who at six months old, was the sole survivor of a deadly plane crash. The Press had named her Heaven, because it seemed that she fell from the sky. Soon after, she was adopted by the powerful Kogo Family and lived a very privileged life. But then, 19 years later, things take an unexpected turn, when her wedding is attacked and her brother, Hiko, is killed trying to save her, not before warning her that the Yakuza have infiltrated her family. So she breaks free from her family and begins training to be a samurai and fight back against the Yakuza.

I am looking forward to watching this mini-series and hope that it is a sign of the times. We rarely see Asian-Pacific Islander (API) faces on prime time television and this can only lead to more opportunities for API actors/actresses.  I am however a little ambivalent that the faces are being portrayed in this type of story line.   There is more to the culture and history of Japan then just a Samurai saga. It makes me wonder if the entertainment industry believes American audiences will only watch API faces wield a samurai sword in order to keep their interest. 

I hope that this main stream format inspires more people to educate themselves about the culture and may they find a new appreciation and respect for the country as well as the people of Japan. 

Samurai Girl is a six-hour mini-series set to air over a three-day weekend on ABC Family beginning on September 5, 2008. The event, which is based on the popular young-adult novel series will star Jamie Chung, Brendan Fehr, and Stacy Keibler. The premise is based on a series of fictional books written by Carrie Asai.

(pic above posted at www.seat42F.com, Samurai Girl cast at 2008 Comic Con in San Diego, CA)