Reviews

I’m Biased, But Hear Me Out: I Loved This!

Folks, I’m biased—I’ll say that right away. I absolutely loved Wang Yuwen and Wang Anyu in Such a Good Love as Zhou Shui and Dai Daji, and I needed to see them play a couple again. I knew they wouldn’t be Shui and Daji this time, but honestly, that didn’t stop me from treating them like the couple whose story I had already fallen in love with. So I went into this knowing that, no matter how much I might not like it, I was probably going to love the experience simply because they were in it.

That said, I always try to evaluate a drama on its own merits and say when something doesn’t work for me. So take my opinion knowing I came in predisposed to like this movie, but I still tried to evaluate it honestly.

As neutral as I can be, I genuinely enjoyed the storytelling. I had been waiting for it since it started filming, and it did not disappoint. For me, much of the experience came down to the characters and following their lives. Their personalities, development, and the progression of the story made me invested in two people struggling with their own failures and social circumstances, desperately trying to survive while also trying to build a fulfilling and happy life.

I especially enjoyed how well these two characters complemented each other. They seemed so free in the way they lived, even though you could still see the constraints surrounding them. I loved their tenacity and aspirations, and I loved that they relied on each other without becoming dependent on or enabling one another. I also loved the passion they had for each other and how much they wanted to share that passion. More importantly, I enjoyed watching them navigate conflict as individuals on a learning curve, trying to find a way forward as a couple—acknowledging each other’s needs and wants while remaining true to their own.

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EW

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The coming of age of underclass teenager in Japan

This is a coming-of-age story based on a novel written by Kenta Nishimura about a young man who has been shunned by society for crimes he did not commit; accused, outcasted, and never given a chance. Growing up without any prospects, Kenta embodies the struggles of the underclass, a person who cannot even dream of improving his life. After a long journey, he finally finds the motivation to pursue his dream of becoming a writer.

Now this is the type of movie that is more for an older audience and it's a type that has more to do with quiet reflection than a boastful storyline, and I do think these are the kinds that you either like or do not like.

The story follows Kenta, a middle school drop-out who has been ostracized by society due to his father's heinous crimes. This association has branded Kenta's family as perpetrators, forcing them to flee. Since the age of 14, Kenta has worked as a day laborer, surrounded by adults who constantly reminded him that he would never amount to anything as a mere middle school graduate. As a result, Kenta grew up engaging in destructive behavior such as smoking, drinking, and frequenting massage parlors and peep shows.

Kenta is a nonconformist and contrarian, not by choice but because society pushed him away for a crime he did not commit. He represents the opposite of the hard-working individual that Japan prides itself on producing; instead of becoming a productive member of society, he rejects the norms. While children are taught from their first day of school to be polite and diligent contributors, Kenta exemplifies the opposite. He doesn’t pay rent, lives at the mercy of his landlords, ignores societal expectations, and constantly finds himself in situations where people remind him of his status as a middle school drop-out.

When he meets Shoji, a peer who also works in day labor but embodies the qualities of a disciplined and conscientious worker, their contrasting personalities highlight Kenta's excessive lifestyle and refusal to grow. Despite their differences, the two become friends. Unlike others, Shoji never blames Kenta or reminds him of his educational shortcomings; instead, he becomes an ally. However, over time, the differences in their lives come to the forefront, and even Shoji starts to drift away.

The movie takes you through a less glamorous view of the underclass society, highlighting their struggles, habits, and aspects of life that you might want to ignore or remain unaware of. A reality that many would rather not discuss. Overall, I enjoyed this movie. It’s always hard to watch films that are challenging, but they serve the purpose of exposing what lies beneath the surface or around the corner.

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Premise may be cliché, but the execution makes it work.

I thought this was a really great horror watch. I watched this initially because I saw it on viki and it game me Gonjiam vibes, boy it did indeed feel like that after i watched it. SO first, the idea is super overused but thats why it works, I think the executes the ghost in the mountains really well.

The parts where the ghost possesses Yu Xin were genuinely horrifying. The ghost itself is creepy and unsettling, and there are several moments where it really gives you that feeling of tension and thrill that you want from a horror movie. It was unsettling and creepy, just what one needs from a good horror film.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a good horror. Don't go into it expecting a new concept expect cliche—but the atmosphere, the ghost, and especially the possession scenes make it a really enjoyable and genuinely creepy watch.
I watched this in the middle of the night as well, made a good atmosphere. But alas its good wether you want to watch it at night or in the middle of the day its creepy nonetheless.

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Better Than the First, Still Not High&Low

📝 So... How Did I Feel About This One?

⚠️ WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Emotional Damage

Crows Zero 2 is where the connection between this world and The Worst becomes a little more obvious.

Not because the movies suddenly become part of the High&Low franchise.

They don't.

It's really because Housen Academy is involved this time.

And if you've watched High&Low: The Worst, you already know that Housen is a pretty important part of that world.

So watching this one after getting into High&Low was definitely interesting.

It was like finding another little piece of the puzzle.

But once again, that's pretty much where the connection begins and ends for me.

This is still very much Crows Zero.

Same general tone.

Same cast.

Same world.

And, unfortunately for me...

Same music problem.

The J-rock isn't bad.

But it still doesn't quite fit the way I want it to.

There are moments where the music should be making the scene feel bigger, more intense, more badass.

Instead, I'm sitting there thinking:

“Okay, this is a perfectly respectable song, but why does it feel like we're about to have an emotional breakup instead of a school-wide beatdown?”

Maybe that's just me.

But after experiencing the High&Low soundtracks, I definitely noticed the difference.

That said, I did enjoy this one more than the first movie in some respects.

The battles were better.

The Housen conflict gave the story a bigger sense of scale.

And having the two schools finally come together for a massive confrontation was definitely one of the more entertaining parts.

💕 Things I Loved

The biggest thing for me was getting to see Suzuran and Housen finally go at each other.

Because let's be honest.

That's what I came for.

These two schools have history, and putting them on opposite sides of a giant conflict gives the movie a much bigger feeling than the first one.

The battles were also noticeably better this time around.

There was more going on, the confrontations felt bigger, and the action had more weight behind it.

Still not quite High&Low levels of insanity for me, but definitely an improvement.

I also liked having the same cast return.

After the first movie, it would have been weird to suddenly lose half of these characters, and thankfully, we get to continue with the people we've already met.

There's something satisfying about watching the rivalry between Genji and Serizawa continue while a much bigger threat is closing in around them.

And finally, the Housen connection.

As someone who came to Crows Zero through High&Low, seeing Housen here made the whole thing much more interesting.

It really did make me understand why this school keeps showing up in conversations surrounding The Worst.

😭 Things That Hurt My Feelings

I still had questions.

And one of them involves the kid connected to the Housen student who was killed.

I'm sitting there trying to figure out exactly what his relevance is supposed to be.

Because honestly?

I wasn't entirely sure.

He felt like he should have been more important to the story than he actually was.

Instead, I was left wondering:

“Okay... so why are you here?”

And yes, he's pretty.

We can acknowledge that.

But pretty does not automatically equal plot relevance, sir.

I wanted more explanation about his role and why his presence mattered to the larger conflict.

It felt like there was supposed to be more there, and I just wasn't getting it.

🔥 And Then There Was THIS...

The fact that these two schools basically have generations of beef.

Suzuran.

Housen.

Years of grudges.

Dead students.

Revenge.

And somehow everyone still thinks the best way to resolve all of this is to assemble several hundred teenagers and let them beat the hell out of each other.

Which is apparently the educational philosophy of this entire universe.

I will say, though...

Watching Suzuran and Housen finally collide was worth it.

The battles in this movie were better than the first one, and the scale of the conflict made the action much more satisfying.

This was definitely the moment where I could see the DNA that eventually made Housen such an important part of The Worst.

🫠 Final Mood

Crows Zero 2 was an improvement for me over the first movie.

It had better battles, a bigger conflict, and the introduction of Housen into the story made it much more interesting, especially after watching High&Low: The Worst.

This is really where I started seeing how the different schools exist within the same larger world.

But again, I wouldn't really call it part of the High&Low franchise.

It's more like they're neighboring pieces of the same delinquent-movie universe.

And honestly, I'm okay with that.

The cast was good.

The story was decent.

The battles were better.

But the music still didn't quite work for me, and I still had questions about certain characters that the movie never really answered.

Overall, though?

I enjoyed it more than the first one.

And now that I've seen both Crows Zero movies, I can definitely appreciate the Housen connection to The Worst a little more.

But if I'm being completely honest...

If you gave me a choice between watching another Crows Zero movie or another High&Low installment?

I'm picking High&Low.

Every.

Single.

Time.

Started: Curious to see where the Crows Zero story went after the first movie.

Finished: Better than the first one, especially the battles, but still firmly in the “good, not great” category for me.

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Good, But High&Low Has Ruined Me

📝 So... How Did I Feel About This One?

⚠️ WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Emotional Damage

So, Crows Zero.

This is one of those movies where I can absolutely understand why people like it.

It's entertaining.

The cast is good.

There are plenty of fights.

The characters are memorable.

And the whole idea of Suzuran High being this legendary school full of violent little psychopaths is honestly pretty damn entertaining.

But after falling down the High&Low rabbit hole?

I couldn't help comparing it.

And that's where things get a little complicated.

Based on how these movies connect to the larger universe, you could probably look at Crows Zero as a predecessor of sorts to The Worst.

But honestly?

Not really.

They're connected through the world and the schools, but Crows Zero doesn't feel like part of the High&Low franchise itself.

And after watching everything I've watched in the High&Low universe so far, I'm actually glad it doesn't.

Because while I enjoyed Crows Zero, it just didn't hit me in the same way.

It was good for what it was.

But it wasn't good enough for me to think:

“YES. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF HIGH&LOW.”

And that's okay.

Not everything needs to be absorbed into the cinematic universe.

Sometimes a movie can just exist over there doing its own thing.

💕 Things I Loved

The cast was definitely one of the strongest parts for me.

There's a lot of recognizable talent here, and everyone does a good job making their characters memorable.

I also liked the overall concept of Suzuran.

The entire school is basically organized around strength, reputation, and which group of idiots can beat the other group of idiots.

Which, admittedly, is not exactly revolutionary territory for me anymore.

Apparently I've watched enough Japanese delinquent dramas that this is now a legitimate genre of interest.

The rivalry between Genji and Serizawa also gives the movie a solid central conflict.

You know where this is going.

You know these two are eventually going to have to face each other.

And the movie takes its time building toward that confrontation.

The action is also good.

It's not High&Low levels of “HOW DID THAT PERSON SURVIVE THAT?” but there are definitely some solid fights.

And honestly, watching everyone fight over who gets to be king of Suzuran is entertaining enough to keep things moving.

😭 Things That Hurt My Feelings

Okay.

Let's talk about the music.

The J-rock itself wasn't bad.

I actually like J-rock.

But the way it was used here leaned much more toward the ballad side, and it just didn't always fit the aesthetic for me.

After getting used to the High&Low soundtracks, this felt noticeably different.

High&Low's music has this energy that makes the fight scenes feel even bigger.

Here, there were moments where I was sitting there thinking:

“Okay... this is a perfectly decent song.”

But also:

“Why does this feel like it belongs in an entirely different movie?”

And then there was the R&B/pop music from the live house.

Girl.

Can we not?

I am trying to watch teenage delinquents destroy each other.

Please give me something with a little more bite.

🔥 And Then There Was THIS...

Suzuran High School.

Because good lord.

This school is a whole damn ecosystem.

You've got the Serizawa Army.

You've got Genji building his own faction.

You've got individual class leaders.

You've got the Armored Front.

You've got the Ebizuka Trio.

You've got Rindaman wandering around being treated like some kind of urban legend.

And somehow everyone knows exactly who everyone else is supposed to be afraid of.

At one point, I was mentally trying to keep track of all the different groups and realized I was basically watching a high school political thriller where the primary form of diplomacy is punching somebody in the face.

And honestly?

That might be the most Crows Zero thing imaginable.

🫠 Final Mood

I liked Crows Zero.

I thought it was entertaining, the cast was good, the story was solid, and there was plenty of delinquent-school chaos to keep me occupied.

But after getting completely swallowed by High&Low, I can definitely see why I prefer that franchise.

Crows Zero is good for what it is.

It just didn't have that same spark for me.

And honestly, I'm glad it stayed its own thing rather than becoming another branch of the already enormous High&Low universe.

Because at this point, I already have enough schools, gangs, factions, characters, rivalries, and emotionally complicated men punching each other to keep track of.

I do not need another twelve tabs open in my brain.

Still, I'm glad I watched it.

Especially because now I have a better understanding of where some of those connections to The Worst come from.

And apparently, this is what happens when you casually watch one Japanese delinquent movie.

You end up researching an entire cinematic ecosystem.

Again.

Started: Curious about the movie connected to the High&Low universe.

Finished: It was good, but I'm perfectly happy keeping Crows Zero in its own corner of the delinquent-movie universe.

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I Loved It, But Something Was Missing

📝 So... How Did I Feel About This One?
(⚠️ WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Emotional Damage)
High&Low: The Worst X is the second movie in The Worst Saga, and this time we're dealing with one very overzealous guy who wants to take Oya High's spot in S.W.O.R.D.

And apparently, his strategy is:

Pay other people to punch their way through every high school standing between him and Oya High.

Honestly, I respect the commitment to a terrible plan.

Meanwhile, Fujio is off meeting Misaki Mario, the head honcho of his school, while everything around Oya High is starting to fall apart.

This one wasn't bad.

Not even close.

I actually really enjoyed the movie.

But...

Something was missing.

And I cannot quite pinpoint what it was.

The previous installments had this particular energy to them. There was a certain spark, a certain rush that made me sit there completely absorbed in whatever ridiculousness was happening on screen.

The Worst X didn't quite hit me with that same feeling.

I still loved the movie.

I still enjoyed the characters.

I still enjoyed the fights.

I still loved the music.

But I wasn't sitting there with the same adrenaline-fueled excitement that I had with its predecessors.

And that's what left me wanting a little more.

💕 Things I Loved
First of all, I still love this cast of characters.

Fujio continues to be a great central character for The Worst Saga, and I like seeing him grow into someone who's willing to stand up for the people around him.

I also really like that we're continuing to get familiar faces mixed in with the new generation.

That connection to the earlier movies is important because it keeps The Worst Saga from feeling completely detached from everything that came before.

And then, of course...

THE MUSIC.

Ten out of ten.

Again.

I don't know what High&Low is putting into these soundtracks, but apparently I'm legally required to love all of it.

And the action?

Still damn good.

There are fights in this franchise where I'm pretty sure my brain temporarily forgets that people cannot actually absorb that many punches to the face.

But I don't care.

It looks good.

😭 Things That Hurt My Feelings
Honestly?

This one didn't hurt my feelings nearly as much as the previous movie.

And that might actually be part of the problem.

There were moments I enjoyed, and there were characters and relationships I was invested in, but I didn't feel that same emotional punch that some of the earlier installments delivered.

It was missing that little something that made the previous movies feel bigger.

More intense.

More emotionally charged.

I kept waiting for that moment where I would be completely sucked into the chaos.

And it never quite happened.

Which doesn't make the movie bad.

It just means it didn't hit me in quite the same place.

🔥 And Then There Was THIS...
The whole three-school alliance.

Because apparently Senomon looked at Oya High and thought:

“You know what would make this easier? More schools.”

So now we've got Senomon, Kamasaka, and Ebara teaming up to take down Oya High.

And somehow this entire situation escalates into another massive showdown for the title of Teppen.

At this point, I've learned not to question the logic.

You want to know who is stronger?

Fight.

You want to take over a school?

Fight.

You want to establish yourself as the strongest person in the area?

You guessed it.

Fight.

High&Low has a very simple problem-solving philosophy.

And honestly?

It works for them.

🫠 Final Mood
I really enjoyed High&Low: The Worst X.

It was a solid continuation of The Worst Saga, and I liked seeing Fujio and the new generation continue to establish themselves.

But compared to the movies that came before it, something felt missing.

I can't quite put my finger on exactly what that something was.

The story was good.

The cast was good.

The action was good.

The music was, naturally, still fantastic.

But it didn't have quite the same luster as its predecessors.

I wasn't getting that same adrenaline rush.

That same feeling of being completely sucked into the madness.

And that's what keeps this one from being quite as memorable for me as the others.

Still, I enjoyed it.

Still worth watching.

Still absolutely rewatchable.

And now I'm looking toward the next installment and hoping they manage to bring some of that original High&Low energy back.

Especially since there's supposedly another movie coming in 2027, and apparently that one is supposed to be the final installment of the franchise.

If that's actually true, then I'm hoping they go out with a damn bang.

Because after everything we've been through with this franchise, I want that original vibe back.

Give me the chaos.

Give me the ridiculous fights.

Give me the soundtrack.

Give me the emotional damage.

Just don't give me a quiet ending.

Started: Ready to see what Fujio and the new generation were getting themselves into.

Finished: Still loved it, but something was missing, and I desperately hope the next one brings that old High&Low spark back.

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