High&Low The Worst is a 2019 Japanese action film directed by Shigeaki Kubo. With collaboration with Hiroshi Takahashi's manga Worst, it told the stories of the war between Oya Koukou (Oya High School) from the world of High&Low and Housen Academy from the world of Worst and Crows. It's the sixth film of the High&Low franchise and a spin-off that renews the franchise by adding a dozen new characters to the world of High&Low.
The idea of the High&Low The Worst was first revealed at the end of the previous High&Low film, DTC -Yukemuri Junjou Hen- from High&Low, with a small video clip revealing that there will be a war between Oya High and Housen Academy. It was officially announced on February 19, 2019, with its release day set to be October 4 of the same year. Before the release of the film, a TV series, High&Low The Worst Episode.O, was aired on NTV from July 17, 2019, to introduce the world of High&Low The Worst.
High&Low The Worst 's ensemble cast includes a few members of the Jr. Exile, including Kazuma Kawamura, Hokuto Yoshino, Ryu, Hayato Komori, and Yuta Nakatsuka, while actors like Jun Shison and Yuki Yamada and also joined the cast.
High&Low The Worst premiered in Tokyo on August 19, 2019. It grossed 1.25 billion yen in Japan.
Contents
Plot
Yoshiki Murayama has been the leader of Oya High for a while and is now bored without any challengers inside the ferocious school. Like an answer to his boredom, Fujio Hanaoka, a new student transferred to the Full-time School of Oya High, has ambitions to challenge Murayama to a man-to-man fight once he acquires the position of leader of the Full-time School. However, there are many other people at the Full-time School aiming for the same leadership position. They are the top-ranked team of Yosuke Todoroki, Shibaman, and Tsuji; Nakagoshi and Nakaoka, who are leading the second-year and first-year students, respectively; the Yasu-Kiyo faction led by Yasushi and Kiyoshi, who rise to prominence through their crazy fighting style. As the new generation, Fujio, together with his childhood friend Tsukasa and his minion Jamuo, has entered the Warring States period of The Full-time School.
Meanwhile, in the somewhat distant city of Toarushi, the Housen Academy, the strongest skinhead army, led by its leader Sachio Ueda, is gaining strength. The Housen Four Heavenly Kings (commonly known as Ozawa Hitoshi), Odajima, Sawamura, Jinkawa, and Shida, along with the young and resourceful minion Sabakan, has assembled the strongest Housen army ever. One day, Housen's students were suddenly attacked by men who claimed to be students of Oya High, while at the same time, a student from Oya High was also attacked by men who claimed to be Housen's. As a result, the two schools become hostile toward each other.
The two schools, Oya High, being very individualistic but overwhelmingly strong, and Housen Academy, which is organized in a monolithic fashion, clash on the bank of a river at dusk and the summit battle of the century is about to begin. Upon finding out by Murayama and Sabakan that they were being played by a group called Kidra, who are a group of addicts who sell a drug that once circulated in the SWORD district called Red Rum, knowing the truth brings the two schools together to face them.
Character
Kazuma Kawamura as Fujio Hanaoka, the good looking boy aiming for the top of Oya High. He grew up in Kibogaoka Danchi (a.k.a. Zetsubou Danchi) with Seiji, Shinya, Masaya, Madoka, and Shinta, forming a strong bond with each other. He is small in stature, but boasts outstanding power and speed, and was in charge of all the schools in the area when he was in junior high school. He enrolled in Oya High after graduating from junior high but transferred after two weeks due to his family moved to live with his grandfather. He transferred back to Oya High in senior year, three after his family moved back to town. He has an innocent and curious personality, which enables him to make friends easily with everyone, attracting everyone to gather around him. On the other hand, he also has an appetite to compete with his enemies when he meets them.
Hokuto Yoshino as Tsukasa Takajo, a childhood friend of Fujio. Growing up in Kibogaoka Danchi and going to the same junior high school as Fujio, he spends most of his time with Fujio as his fighting partner. After Fujio departed Oya High, he lost his enthusiasm and decided to limit himself, and acted cool in the factional warfare of Oya High. He finally decided to do something after a talk with Murayama, and moved by his followers, he went to find Fujio in the village and challenged him to a man-to-man fight, which cleared all his depression. Since he is not good as forming a group, he supported his best friend Fujio to win the title of Oya High after he returned.
Jun Shison as Sachio Ueda, the leader of killer army of Housen Academy. He may look slender, but with his power, speed, technique, and well-judgment, he is rumored to be the most powerful fighter in the history of Housen. He is a quiet and stoic man with a calm and collected personality, and with his strong sense of responsibility, he repeatedly asks himself if he is really worthy of being at the top. He doesn't like useless disputes, and therefore when one of his men gets into a dispute with another school, he often goes to the other side by himself to settle the situation. On the other hand, he does not hide his anger when his friends are treated unreasonably, and he will do his best to fight against any strong enemy. He lives with his mother and sister, protecting his younger sister Yui instead of their father.
Yuki Yamada as Yoshiki Murayama, the unshakable leader of Oya Koukou's part-time school. He is slender but tough, and no matter how badly he is beaten, he will resurrect like a zombie. He survived a tradition of taking a rough beating of 100 hits by the delinquents of Oya Koukou's part-time school in the past then beat them all back. As a result, he unified the Oya High for the first time in history, which was once just a collection of delinquents, and pushed it to the top of the SWORD. Through working together with other SWORD gangs, he has grown greatly as an adult. He looks at Todoroki, the head of the Oya High's full-time school, who is strong in fights but doesn't let others get to him, as if he were his old self. He is aloof and self-paced, but he can be harsh with anyone who disturbs the discipline.
Production
High&Low The Worst is the sixth installment in the High&Low film series and is a collaboration with manga artist Hiroshi Takahashi 's manga of Crows and Worst, linking the world of High&Low with the world of Crows and Worst.
Hiroshi Takahashi designed and drew the illustrations of the new-generation Housen Academy characters for the film, as well as promotional visuals that contain both new Housen characters and Housen Academy characters who appeared in Crows and Worst.
Marketing
The idea of the High&Low The Worst was first revealed at the end of the previous High&Low film, DTC -Yukemuri Junjou Hen- from High&Low, with a small video clip revealing that there will be a war between Oya High and the Housen Academy. On February 19, 2019, High&Low The Worst was officially announced during the live concert of The Rampage from Exile Tribe, with its release day set to be October 4 of the same year and the introduction of actors who will portray characters of Oya High. On March 20, the actors for students of the Housen Academy were announced as the film released its first trailer and one of its soundtrack. On June 5, a TV drama, The Worst Episode. O was announced, which is produced to introduce the world of the film. After its first poster released on June 13, another two soundtracks were released along with the announcement of actors for the people living in Kibogaoka Danchi (a.k.a. Zetsubou Danchi). On July 26, an exhibition of the film's original scenes was set up at the Shiodome public underground walkway in Tokyo, Japan. The official trailer and poster of the film were released on August 1, while a special version of trailer and poster that focus on Kibogaoka Danchi (a.k.a. Zetsubou Danchi) was released on August 17. On August 19, a red carpet with the main cast was held in Tokyo. On August 16, another special version of trailer and poster that focus on the Housen Academy was released. On September 17 and 18, High&Low THE WORST VS THE RAMPAGE from EXILE TRIBE Premiere Screening Event & Premium Live Show was held in Makuhari Messe.
Reception
Box office
High&Low The Worst grossed more than 310 million yen in its opening weekend, and placed third at the Japanese box office. The film grossed 1.25 billion yen in total.
Critical response
Japanese film critic Kentaro Muramatsu described the film as "imaginative and action-packed film", writing that "In contrast to the hard-grounded action in the confrontation between Oya High and the Housen Academy, the clash with the Oya High and the Housen Academy. vs. the drug gangs has some three-dimensional action that incorporates vertical movement set in Kibogaoka Danchi (a.k.a. Zetsubou Danchi), and you can feel the atmosphere of the film changing completely from an action perspective." He also pointed out that the film is also "a very skillful film", "cleverly blending the world of High&Low and that of Hiroshi Takahashi's manga Worst as well as Crows into one. Besides, he praised the acting, commenting that "with actors like Haruma Miura and Go Ayano already portraying students of the Housen Academy in Crows Zero 2, they have left a strong image for the audiences and set a very high bar for future characters from the Housen Academy, but these actors playing the students of the Housen Academy in High&Low The Worst still well worth the praise!"