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Crows Zero is a loose adaptation of the manga Crows which takes place in the rough and tumble world of Suzuran All-boys High School. The school earns the nicknamed 'The Crows School' from the delinquents and hang-abouts that fit the image. Classes hardly fit into this anarchistic microcosm where factions fight for king of the hill. Enter Genji, a transfer student who has but one mission: to rule Suzuran. Genji seems more than up to the task, but he realizes very quickly that he is going to have to do more than just bang a few heads together to earn the respect and the momentum needed to take down Suzuran's reigning gang lead by the more-than-meets-the-eye Tamao. Genji enlists a two-bit yakuza and Suzuran alumni, Ken, to help him out on some of the more diplomatic nuances of becoming number one.
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Despite the violence, the film is much more tender than you might expect. Self-destruction aside, the heart and soul of the film are boys struggling to become men. Genji is a boy in the shadow of his yakuza father (a minor role played by the excellent Goro Kishitani.) His father has promised him the family business if he can truly rule Suzuran High, a set-up that is no doubt more of a learning experience than a real possibility for Genji. Likewise, the characters are not one-dimensional brutes without feelings. Genji's insecurities are in full view as his friendship with Ken develops with genuine trust and respect. Conversely, Ken's weakness as a yakuza gives over to admiration of Genji's youthful pursuits of respect and honor. Miike refuses to trivialize the male bonding as anything other than part of a right of passage to adulthood. He even goes so far as to create a triangle involving Tokio, Tamao's rock solid number two man, who used to be good friends with Genji in junior high. In Crows Zero, love exists outside of gender in loyalty and who you are willing to cut off an ear for.
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Crows Zero doesn't necessarily mark new territory for Miike. Substitute the yakuza for the yankii, and there are a good dozen films that explore similar themes. The success of Crows in Japan probably has less to do with Miike himself, than the familiarity of the manga and the popularity of the young cast. Specifically, Shun Oguri, Takayuki Yamada, and Sousuke Takaoka, all young actors greeted by young girl's squeals. Their characters may be ready to bust some heads, but they will not do so with out looking really good. When Crows opened at number one in Japan last year, it was reported to many people's surprise that the audience ratio was 43 males to 57 females. For a film that is clearly directed at the young men, it is no wonder it did so well.
Crows Zero was Miike's biggest hit so far in Japan (Crows Zero II is now in post-production), but don't expect that to translate into anything on these shores. Miike had his breakout film nine years ago with Audition, and interest in his films seems to have plateaued. His fans, your truly included, will no doubt be loyal to a fault, taking in the good with the bad, but being exhilarated every step of the way.
Crows Zero is currently available as a Region 3 DVD from Taiwan, and is slated to get a US release via Media Blasters.
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