Crows Zero

[2] It is based on the manga Crows by Hiroshi Takahashi and stars Shun Oguri, Kyōsuke Yabe, Meisa Kuroki and Takayuki Yamada.

The plot serves as a prequel to the manga and focuses on the power struggle between gang of students at Suzuran All-Boys High School.

During the freshman orientation assembly, the yakuza arrive at the school seeking vengeance on third-year Serizawa Tamao for assaulting some members of their gang.

Tokio tells Genji that if he really wants to make an impression then he should begin by defeating Rindaman, a legendary fighter at the school.

Genji succeeds in rallying several strong members, including Tamura Chūta, Makise Takashi and Izaki Shun.

One of Serizawa's lieutenants Tokaji Yūji is not so ambivalent and begins covertly attacking members of the GPS, severely beating Chūta and putting Izaki in the hospital.

Tokaji approaches Bandō Hideto, who is leader of "The Front of Armament" biker gang, with a plan to kidnap Ruka and further aggravate Genji.

Genji gets a call from Ruka, who tells him that she is being held hostage by men with skulls on their jackets, and that her captors mentioned the name "Bandō".

Bandō demands an end to fight, revealing that he had ordered the skulls to be removed after part of The Armament aligned with Tokaji.

The next day as the battle begins, the tide seems to be in Serizawa's favor, but after Bandō's faction of The Armament arrives and joins the GPS, the odds are evened out.

Najib Zulfikar of Total Film gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Miike amps it all up to 11 in his inimitable style, as impossibly coiffured pretty boys duke it out and the Yakuza take an interest in the outcome.

"[4] David Brook of Blueprint Review gave the film 2.5/5 stars indicating, "Teenage boys will lap up every minute of it (other than the songs which probably won’t appeal to many Westerners) and the lack of obviously ‘bad’ and ‘good’ guys means the conclusion wasn't always going to be clear cut (after an hour or so you can see where its heading though).