Sugarless (2012)

"Every time like a soldier."

Directed by Takashi Kubota and written by Hiroyuki Yatsu and Kei Watanabe, Sugarless is a Japanese yanki/delinquent series based on the manga of the same name written by Masami Hosokawa.  Sugarless follows Gaku Shiiba, a freshman at Kushima High School AKA "The Windmill" - named after the windmill which sets atop the main building, but also a symbol of greatness as the strongest fighter of the school displays his name across the windmill signifying themselves as the TOP of Kushima. The current TOP of Windmill is a well-known senior revered by all - the man they call Shake. Shake conquered Kushima in only his first year and has been the TOP of Windmill ever since. While many have tried to overtake him no one has ever come close. Gaku Shiiba enters Kushima and vows to be the first student to defeat Shake and take the TOP for himself. To do so he'll have to contend with powerful rivals such as the leader of Hydra Osamu Urabe, the undefeated first year Shiro Mukai, and the monstrous Taiji Marumo. Shiiba may aim for the TOP of Kushima, but the question is whether or not he'll even survive the journey to get there.

 

"Anytime like a fighter."

If you've read my reviews on Crows Zero, Bad Boys J, or Kamen Teacher then you know I'm a big fan of the yanki/delinquent genre where high schools operate via survival of the fittest and students compete to be the manliest of manly men. These works tend to be filled with BADASS fight scenes and characters often overcoming adversity through strength. When that's the genre in a nutshell you have to ask "how does Sugarless stand out from the pack?" The uniqueness of this series lay in its characters.

A wild dog appears.

Played by Alan Shirahama, Gaku Shiiba is a character who is best summed up in a quote from Mark Twain: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." From the opening scene Shiiba is in way over his head. He's far from being the strongest freshman, he doesn't know the pecking order of the school and quite frankly he doesn't care. In Shiiba's mind he's going to be the TOP of Kushima and he won't stop fighting until he achieves his goal. His determination sets him apart from many of the other characters and serves him well throughout the series as it makes up for his most dire flaw: he can't fight. Unlike his manga counterpart who is a total badass, this take on Gaku Shiiba is a hilariously terrible fighter. Even so, regardless of how many times he's beaten he's never defeated because he never gives up. I found Shiiba's "flavor" of determination to be not only inspiring but humorously underhanded because Shiiba claims he's undefeated. Despite losing pretty much every fight, Shiiba believes he's never been beaten because he's never given up. He makes up for his dearth of physical strength with his strength of character and he inspires many of the students around him. Even Shake comes to view Shiiba as a threat because of his charisma. Shirahama's portrayal of Shiiba paints a much kinder and in some ways more admirable character than his manga counterpart and he humanizes the other characters.

Hail Hydra

Keita Machida plays Osamu Urabe, the leader of Hydra and one of my favorite characters in the series. Urabe is a complex character. Once one of the most powerful fighters, he lost his old gang as well as a his pride. Believing that victory or defeat is decided by numbers, Urabe resolved to make it to the top his way. Rather than relying on his own strength he monopolizes the power of others and overwhelms his enemies with sheer numbers. In only a single month he has amassed the largest gang in Kushima and nearly all of the first year students give him a wide berth. He's an excellent foil to Shiiba because they have different beliefs not only in how a person should fight, but how a person should live.

The Beast

Nobuyuki Suzuki plays Taiji Marumo, the sleeping monster of Kushima. When Shiiba first meets Marumo, Marumo is essentially just meandering without any real purpose. He doesn't aim for the TOP and doesn't really have anything in his life outside of his routine. Of course Taiji Marumo is carrying a huge weight on his shoulders that none of the other characters can really understand and he appears to have good reason for removing himself from the battle against Shake. That is until he meets Shiiba who points out that in hiding his power, Marumo is actually hiding his true self from the world. Shiiba inspires Marumo to live up to his full potential not just in fighting to claim Shake's position, but to be all that he can be. He proves himself to be a fierce fighter and the vanguard of Shiiba's own ever-growing army. Despite being a nice guy his raw power makes him a devastating fighter.

The Undefeated First Year

Reo Sano plays Shiro Mukai the strongest first year at Kushima who currently stands undefeated. Shiro is at odds Shiiba, Marumo, and even Urabe all for different reasons. Contrary to Urabe who believes strength in numbers holds the key to taking the TOP, Shiro believes power can only flourish in solitude. Perhaps even more so than Marumo, Shiro walks the path of a lone wolf and he believes he doesn't need anyone or anything to succeed. When compared to Shiiba, the two are as different as night and day. Shiiba is more hot blooded, tending to act on his emotions and will go out of his way to help others. Shiro is cold, calculating and he would sooner step over someone than help them on his way to the top of Kushima. He sees his goal and nothing else in between and lays waste to his competition with merciless efficiency.

The man they call "SHAKE".

SHOKICHI of the Japanese supergroup EXILE plays Shake, the ruler of Kushima. I feel he was a perfect choice for this role because much like SHOKICHI himself, Shake has a unique allure and is quite charismatic even though he's rarely seen. The students of Kushima both admire and fear Shake and whether they bow to him or challenge him, everyone is drawn to him. He radiates an aura of power and even the toughest students make a path for him when he goes for a walk - assuming they're not paralyzed with fear. Interestingly enough Shake doesn't control the school with an iron fist. Despite being the TOP of Kushima he's easy-going and seems more bored of the students' antics than anything else, but when Shiiba's arrival at Kushima shakes up the status quo (no pun intended), Shake takes a keen interest in him.

Shiro vs Marumo

Any yanki title worth its name has to have badass fight scenes and Sugarless has that in spades. These fights are easily on par with, if not better than the fights in Bad Boys J. These are some fierce knock-down, drag-out fights and even the fights themselves have personality. The battle between Marumo and Shiro stands out because it's not only a fight between the strongest first years, but their personalities could not be anymore different and this can be seen in their attacks. Shiro almost seems dead-set on not only beating Marumo but injuring him as well because to Shiro anything less than a complete victory is unacceptable, while Marumo only wishes to end the battle quickly before Shiro forces him to cut loose. After all Marumo may seem like a gentle giant, but if pushed too far no one can stop him.

Rest in peace K. You are missed.

As you can tell from the fight scenes the music goes a long way in giving each fight a life of its own. Alternative rock group Pay Money to My Pain provides the soundtrack for Sugarless and I felt these tracks really added an emotional weight to almost every scene. I was really impressed by these songs and how well they were used which says a lot because I'm not a fan of alternative rock.

Brave It Out

Of course the series has its flaws. Fans of the manga may take issue with the show as most (if not all) of the events in the drama are different. Shiiba's antics may irritate some viewers and the show does suffer from a mild case of Naruto syndrome - every character is cool but the main one essentially. Some of the episodes do require quite the suspension of disbelief as some developments are absurd even for this genre. For example, Shiiba's friends almost always being in the right place at the right time to bail him out of a jam - even if they were clear across town and had no idea where he was. These flaws aside I found Sugarless to be quite fun to watch and a really BADASS show every action fan should watch.

Kamen Teacher (2013)

"So, let's begin the extracurricular lesson."

Written by Junpei Yamaoka Kamen Teacher is a 2013 Japanese drama based on the Kamen Teacher manga series written by Tooru Fujisawa. The year is 20XX and teachers are no longer allowed to use corporal punishment. For this reason schools have fallen into disarray and delinquency is on the rise. Students neither fear nor respect authority and for all intents and purposes the inmates are running the asylum. In response to this growing wave of youth degeneracy, the Japanese government has decided to employ an education reform program to correct the behavior of problem students and get schools back on track. The government dispatches superhumans called Kamen Teachers throughout Japan to crush rebellious youth and discipline them by any means necessary. After an accident which involved the death of a student, Kamen Teacher Gouta Araki tries to turn his back on the program and begins life as a normal teacher - hoping to instruct students through compassion rather than force. He comes to Kaku High School - one of the worst schools in the region to try and make a difference, but when a brutal gang called M4 stands in his way he'll find that he can't abandon the path of violence even if he wants to.

Just an ordinary lunch break.

Played by Taisuke Fujigaya of the band Kis-My-Ft2, Gouta Araki is a character whose effort to break free from his past is constantly undermined by his present. As a teacher at Kaku High School he is the victim of abuse from his own students and while he could easily beat them to a pulp - which is best practices for the Kamen Teacher program, he tries to find an alternative to violence. Araki believes that violence only brings violence and most problems would be best solved through compassion and understanding. This ideology is a central conflict in and of itself because not only do Araki's beliefs contradict what he has been taught, but his environment necessitates the need for violence. Even so, he tries to look for alternatives to "treat" his students because he believes that it's not too late for the students of Kaku High School. Fujigaya does a great job balancing the contrasts of pain and happiness, regret and hope that are major elements of Araki's character. There's also a childlike side to him as he's greatly influenced by Jinpatsu-sensei who is essentially a Japanese Mr. Rogers. Araki's beliefs inspire fellow teacher and "possible" love interest Miki Ichimura. Played by Aya Omasa, Ichimura-sensei is Araki's experienced co-worker who knows her way around Kaku High School. Contrary to Araki, there is a professional aloofness to Ichimura's personality which has been affected by the school.

M4

Kaku High School's most dangerous gang is M4. Led by Kinzo Takehara, M4 keeps the school under their control through intimidation and fear. Let it be said that despite their outward appearance there is a method to their madness and several have really dark backstories that explains why they're so screwed up. Many of them have been abandoned by society and some have been scarred forever because of this and other traumas. There's duality here as they're all monsters in their own right, but at the same-time they're still kids. M4 constantly tests Araki's commitment to change and whether or not he can truly solve conflicts through compassion rather than force. Araki deals with each of them in different ways, sometimes changing their lives for the better and proving that some people don't need force, they need help. I found myself detesting these characters at first, but was compelled by their stories and I really appreciated them. This is true more so of Mad Man than the others who was particularly aggressive, but became more humane. Unfortunately, Kamen Teacher doesn't always help these kids in time.

Kamen Teacher Black

The Department of Education wants results and they want them fast. When Kamen Teacher's "order through compassion" approach proves to be too time-consuming, they send out Kamen Teacher Black. Kamen Teacher Black shows no hesitation in using force to control the students of Kaku High School and there's no method too violent. Even if he has to fight his fellow Kamen Teacher, he'll do what it takes to get the results their employers demand. In many ways Kamen Teacher Black isn't just Araki's rival, he's also a reminder of his violent past. When the two meet it's not just a battle between men, but a war of ideologies with regards to how society should be run.

"If you use your heart, a heart will come back to you." - Gouta Araki

The series is entertaining, but not perfect. The show gets fairly cheesy toward the end and the conclusion to the final battle was so cliche I half expected Kamen Teacher to throw a Spirit Bomb. The fight scenes are very well done, but there aren't many fights where Kamen Teacher is fighting an opponent on his level so most battles are a curbstomp. They're very cool to see and quite stylish, but lack tension until you get further into the series. Personally I felt there was a large thematic issue in the very existence of the Kamen Teachers in that a lot of the problems with the gangs and delinquents in this series could be solved with a phone call to the police. Unless Kaku High School is a private school which limits what the police are allowed to do, it wouldn't be remiss of the teachers to just call the cops and let them handle things. I liked the ending, but it did leave at least two major issues unresolved.

Overall I had a lot of fun watching Kamen Teacher. It pays homage to my all-time favorite television series Kamen Rider, but it also has its own identity. The bands (indeed the cast) from Bad Boys J did the music for the show which was also a plus. Interestingly enough the show makes me want to go back and read the manga which I found to be quite boring at first. The show has its flaws, but you should give it a shot even if it may not be something you're normally into.

Bad Boys J (2013)

Whatcha goin to do?

Bad Boys J is a 2013 Japanese drama series based on the manga "BADBOYS" by Hiroshi Tanaka which ran from 1988 to 1996 in Young King magazine. The manga was quite popular and was later turned into a five episode OVA, a drama series, and a full-length movie. Bad Boys J follows Yōji, Hisao, and Eiji - a young group of friends who are members of the Gokurakuchou on their quest to become the number one gang in Hiroshima. Unfortunately, whether it's due to bad leadership, poor planning, scarce resources, or overwhelming competition the Gokurakuchou have had a run of bad luck and one more defeat could lead to the entire gang dissolving. Their luck changes when a transfer student by the name of Tsukasa Kiriki shows up in their town. To the gang and pretty much everyone else, Tsukasa looks like a textbook errand boy and his passive nature doesn't help that image. However, when he gets serious he's a force to be reckoned with. After KOing the leader of the Gokurakuchou over a misunderstanding, Tsukasa becomes its new leader, but the fight to the top of Hiroshima won't be easy. Gokurakuchou will have to contend with the Nights - Hiroshima's gang of vanity-obsessed pretty boys who sent more than a few gangs to the hospital, and Hiroshima's number one gang BEAST which has 3,000 members.

 Strap in kids. This gets complicated.

As you can see from the relationship chart, Bad Boys J has a huge cast of characters that the series utilizes remarkably well. Despite having a large cast, every gang gets a few episodes in the limelight and character development is consistent. Some members of Gokurakuchou have a history with the other gangs and often times this history stems from old friendships and rivalries. While it's inevitable that these gangs would face off, every conflict stems from a different reason so the encounters remain fresh and the outcomes are mostly unpredictable.

 

Shiro of Nights, Tsukasa of Gokurakuchou, and Danno of BEAST

Another point in the show's favor is that it constantly defies convention where tropes and story-telling are concerned and this is due in no small part to the great writing and equally great acting. Kento Nakajima (Sexy Zone) plays our main character Tsukasa Kiriki and delivers a passionate performance with a lot of emotional range. Tsukasa is essentially a fish out of water in Hiroshima's underworld and we see this in Tsukasa's compassion towards friend and foe alike and his desire to seek a common ground. Ryosuke Hashimoto (A.B.C-Z) who plays Nights leader Hiro comes off as a shallow pretty boy, but he clearly cares for his gang and follows a strict code of honor. Despite his host club good looks he's surprisingly strong, but prefers partying over fighting. My favorite character was BEAST leader Hidenori Danno. Played by Takashi Nikaido (Kis-My-Ft2), Danno is a stoic character who radiates power. At the same-time he quietly commands respect from all of BEAST's 3000 members. Since becoming the number one gang in Hiroshima, Danno seems bored almost disenchanted with the yanki life, but the arrival of Tsukasa seems to breathe new life into him. It says a lot about our cast as several of them are singers from boy bands, but also have some acting chops to boot.

Shiro defeated?!

As mentioned, the show does a good job of avoiding tropes where character development and story-telling are concerned. It would have been easy to make Tsukasa another boring invincible main character, but he isn't. Not only that, but defeat doesn't mean friendship in this show partially because there are some guys so tough that even Tsukasa just cannot beat them. Alliances - when made are mostly temporary. The top of Hiroshima is a position that only one gang can hold and it doesn't look like BEAST is giving it away anytime soon. The show deals with universal themes such as growing up and leaving one's past behind, whether or not a person should do the right thing if it hurts someone close to them, upholding duty or friendship, and even dilemma's specific to yanki or delinquents such as if society labels you a thug or criminal you don't have to wear that label just because someone assigned it to you. The show does get fairly dark which is the norm for this genre, but it inserts comedy at just the right times so it doesn't become too much.

I could go on all day about why you should watch this series. It oozes style, has good music, excellent pacing, and some really badass fight scenes. The show is about manly men doing manly men things. It's not afraid to wear its machismo on its designer sleeves and it's very refreshing in that regard. Bad Boys J is a must-see especially if you're a fan of Crows Zero or just looking for a badass show different from the norm.