This review may contain spoilers
Sneaky Little Bastard, This Actually Matters
(WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Any Emotional Damage)
The Red Rain is definitely a little different from the main High&Low storyline, because instead of continuing directly with the S.W.O.R.D. factions and their ongoing war, it pulls us away and puts the Amamiya Brothers front and center. And honestly, I think that's a good thing. After spending so much time following all five factions, the Mighty Warriors, the Kuryu Group, and everybody else who keeps throwing themselves into the chaos, getting a story that focuses more closely on one family gives the franchise a chance to breathe a little.
The main story here is Masaki and Hiroto searching for their older brother Takeru, who disappeared a year earlier. And obviously, because this is High&Low, Takeru hasn't just been sitting somewhere drinking tea and waiting for his brothers to find him. He's been working behind the scenes, taking on one of the families connected to the Kuryu Group, which is where this seemingly separate story starts tying itself back into the larger franchise.
And that's probably the biggest thing I appreciated about this movie.
At first, it feels like we're stepping away from the main storyline, but the further the story develops, the more you realize that this actually matters. What happens here, and what Takeru has been doing behind the scenes, connects back to the larger conflict and gives us more information that will become important in taking down the Kuryu Group.
So while I rated the story itself a 9/10, that's not because I disliked it. It's more that, compared to the main High&Low storyline, this one naturally feels a little more contained. We're following the Amamiya family rather than watching all the factions collide, and that changes the overall feel of it.
But as a piece of the franchise?
I still absolutely love it.
The Amamiya Brothers have always had this larger-than-life presence hanging over the story, especially after everything we've already learned about them, Mugen, and their history, so finally getting to spend more time with them and understand more of their family story was worth the detour.
And then there are the connections back to the main storyline, which I really appreciated because it means this isn't just some completely disconnected side quest that we're expected to watch and then forget about. There are details here that matter.
Which, considering how much information High&Low throws at you, is probably a good thing because Lord knows I'm already keeping track of enough gangs.
The movie also doesn't completely abandon the rest of the franchise, which I loved. We get familiar faces popping up throughout the story, and even when they're not the focus, their appearances remind you that we're still firmly inside the same universe.
And yes, that includes the RUDE BOYS.
You already know I'm going to be happy when Smoky shows up.
The music is also once again fantastic. At this point, I don't even know why I bother mentioning it because High&Low has repeatedly proven that they know exactly what they're doing with their soundtrack. 10/10. The music is practically another character in this franchise.
And the cast?
Also a 10/10.
There is something about this franchise's casting that just works. Whether they're playing the main characters or popping up for a smaller appearance, everybody fits into this ridiculous, beautifully chaotic world.
What I especially liked about The Red Rain, though, is that underneath all the gang wars and larger franchise machinery, this is ultimately a story about three brothers who lost their parents young and built their lives around each other.
That family connection gives the movie a different emotional weight than the main storyline, and it makes the search for Takeru more personal. Masaki and Hiroto aren't just trying to track down some missing guy because they need another piece of information for the next gang war.
That's their brother.
And they want to know why he left.
So while I wouldn't rank this above the main storyline when it comes to pure High&Low chaos, I still think it was a worthwhile addition to the franchise, especially because of how much it eventually feeds back into the larger story.
Basically, The Red Rain showed up looking like a side quest and then quietly handed me plot information I actually needed.
Sneaky little bastard.
The Red Rain is definitely a little different from the main High&Low storyline, because instead of continuing directly with the S.W.O.R.D. factions and their ongoing war, it pulls us away and puts the Amamiya Brothers front and center. And honestly, I think that's a good thing. After spending so much time following all five factions, the Mighty Warriors, the Kuryu Group, and everybody else who keeps throwing themselves into the chaos, getting a story that focuses more closely on one family gives the franchise a chance to breathe a little.
The main story here is Masaki and Hiroto searching for their older brother Takeru, who disappeared a year earlier. And obviously, because this is High&Low, Takeru hasn't just been sitting somewhere drinking tea and waiting for his brothers to find him. He's been working behind the scenes, taking on one of the families connected to the Kuryu Group, which is where this seemingly separate story starts tying itself back into the larger franchise.
And that's probably the biggest thing I appreciated about this movie.
At first, it feels like we're stepping away from the main storyline, but the further the story develops, the more you realize that this actually matters. What happens here, and what Takeru has been doing behind the scenes, connects back to the larger conflict and gives us more information that will become important in taking down the Kuryu Group.
So while I rated the story itself a 9/10, that's not because I disliked it. It's more that, compared to the main High&Low storyline, this one naturally feels a little more contained. We're following the Amamiya family rather than watching all the factions collide, and that changes the overall feel of it.
But as a piece of the franchise?
I still absolutely love it.
The Amamiya Brothers have always had this larger-than-life presence hanging over the story, especially after everything we've already learned about them, Mugen, and their history, so finally getting to spend more time with them and understand more of their family story was worth the detour.
And then there are the connections back to the main storyline, which I really appreciated because it means this isn't just some completely disconnected side quest that we're expected to watch and then forget about. There are details here that matter.
Which, considering how much information High&Low throws at you, is probably a good thing because Lord knows I'm already keeping track of enough gangs.
The movie also doesn't completely abandon the rest of the franchise, which I loved. We get familiar faces popping up throughout the story, and even when they're not the focus, their appearances remind you that we're still firmly inside the same universe.
And yes, that includes the RUDE BOYS.
You already know I'm going to be happy when Smoky shows up.
The music is also once again fantastic. At this point, I don't even know why I bother mentioning it because High&Low has repeatedly proven that they know exactly what they're doing with their soundtrack. 10/10. The music is practically another character in this franchise.
And the cast?
Also a 10/10.
There is something about this franchise's casting that just works. Whether they're playing the main characters or popping up for a smaller appearance, everybody fits into this ridiculous, beautifully chaotic world.
What I especially liked about The Red Rain, though, is that underneath all the gang wars and larger franchise machinery, this is ultimately a story about three brothers who lost their parents young and built their lives around each other.
That family connection gives the movie a different emotional weight than the main storyline, and it makes the search for Takeru more personal. Masaki and Hiroto aren't just trying to track down some missing guy because they need another piece of information for the next gang war.
That's their brother.
And they want to know why he left.
So while I wouldn't rank this above the main storyline when it comes to pure High&Low chaos, I still think it was a worthwhile addition to the franchise, especially because of how much it eventually feeds back into the larger story.
Basically, The Red Rain showed up looking like a side quest and then quietly handed me plot information I actually needed.
Sneaky little bastard.
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