Having seen over 20 Miike films, I expected "Kishiwada shonen gurentai: Chikemuri junjo-hen" (or, as the American release is called, "Young Thugs: Innocent Blood") to be a good movie, but I didn't expect it to be this great! From beginning to end this film kept me involved, laughing at the many hilarious scenes and empathizing at the many dramatic scenes. Unlike many Miike films, this movie carries with it a sense of innocence. Sure, it has some outrageous violence, but it is all in fun, like kids playing. There is no nudity or sexual misconduct (i.e. "Visitor Q" or "Ichi the Killer"), just a pure heartfelt story of young adults growing up (or refusing to grow up). Now that this movie is easily available (thanks to the great folks at ArtsMagicDVD), I would have expected more votes and reviews on here by now. I definitely recommend this film for Miike fans and haters alike. Just a great movie all around.
9 Reviews
coming of age Miike style
movieman_kev25 May 2005
Three teenagers in Osaka, two boys and a girl, attempt to deal with life after recently finishing high school. They deal with break-ups, new love, beatings, happy times and sad in a more personal tale than Takashi Miike is usually known for. Esentually a slice-of-life coming of age movie with little Miike touches so you can tell it's one of his films. "Young Thugs: Innocent Blood" seems to get a bit of a short shift among certain Miike connoisseurs, but it's a pretty good film in it's own right.
My Grade: B-
DVD Extras: Takashi Miike interview; Osaka's History and culture; Bio/Filmographies; and original Trailer
My Grade: B-
DVD Extras: Takashi Miike interview; Osaka's History and culture; Bio/Filmographies; and original Trailer
An entertaining film occasionally marred by anti-climatic pacing
sc803112 August 2008
This is a pretty entertaining Miike film which suffers mainly from an anti-climatic and slow storyline. It is still quite entertaining and contains several distinct Miike touches, but the compelling nature of the characters and their locale is somewhat hurt by the strange pacing and repetitive activity. The storyline centers around Riike and his relationship with his high-school sweetheart, Ryoko, soon after the two leave high-school. Riike is now a petty street-mobster who makes a living protecting street vendors and low-level gamblers while Ryoko works in a hair salon. The film investigates how the violent side of Riike's personality is necessary for him to maintain close relationships with his friends and girlfriend.
The movie takes place in a neighborhood of Osaka, Miike's hometown, and is shot mostly with local actors. It's interesting that most of the guys in this film are notably un-handsome, while the girls are typically attractive. The film actually comedically riffs on this a couple of times.
And the comedy here is pretty good. The movie is a weird mix of slapstick and goofy comedy, non-lethal violence and occasional tragedy -- typically eccentric Miike. No single element is too affecting and perhaps that is why the movie falls a little short. I do admire Miike's versatility and ability to play each angle against each other -- at times it is even reminiscent of Takeshi Kitano's direction. This is not a total surprise considering Kitano has appeared in at least a couple of Miike films.
The acting here is competent, but not exactly powerhouse stuff, but then again I wouldn't expect that from the material. It's an entertaining look at the lives of several mischievous teens after they've left high school and the story contains some auto-biographical elements of both the director and writer (Osaka natives). It's entertaining but the pacing holds it back occasionally. Still Miike proves himself pretty versatile and the charming jokes and random Dada-esquire vignettes won me over (the search for 67 degrees, for instance). I'll certainly be interested in checking out the other films in the same series.
The movie takes place in a neighborhood of Osaka, Miike's hometown, and is shot mostly with local actors. It's interesting that most of the guys in this film are notably un-handsome, while the girls are typically attractive. The film actually comedically riffs on this a couple of times.
And the comedy here is pretty good. The movie is a weird mix of slapstick and goofy comedy, non-lethal violence and occasional tragedy -- typically eccentric Miike. No single element is too affecting and perhaps that is why the movie falls a little short. I do admire Miike's versatility and ability to play each angle against each other -- at times it is even reminiscent of Takeshi Kitano's direction. This is not a total surprise considering Kitano has appeared in at least a couple of Miike films.
The acting here is competent, but not exactly powerhouse stuff, but then again I wouldn't expect that from the material. It's an entertaining look at the lives of several mischievous teens after they've left high school and the story contains some auto-biographical elements of both the director and writer (Osaka natives). It's entertaining but the pacing holds it back occasionally. Still Miike proves himself pretty versatile and the charming jokes and random Dada-esquire vignettes won me over (the search for 67 degrees, for instance). I'll certainly be interested in checking out the other films in the same series.
One of Miike's best.
antiheroripper13 February 2005
I am not to sure why this movie isn't looked at more positively. I think it is one of Miike's best. Miike is good at making a movie that is serious but also looks like a manga (characters getting their faces bloodied up only to cover their wounds with band-aids).
The movie revolves around Koji Chihara's (1-ichi, 9 Souls) character who becomes the towns enforcer right after highschool. Protecting small business's and helping people if they get screwed out of their money. Out of stupidity he cheats on his perfect girlfriend with a girl he knew from his childhood, which becomes a big mistake. The hardest part about his new girlfriend is she doesn't want him to fight, but that is how he makes his living. This allows the people that he beat up in the past to come and beat him up without him defending himself. After taking a bad beating he begins to realize how great his girlfriend was, who used to look up too him when he got into fights.
This movie shows the struggle he has wanting to return to his old girlfriend, and how he realizes the mistake he made. The movie shows pictures of their past to give you the nostalgic feeling that the characters wish to return to but can't. It becomes very emotional until the Koji Chihara and his two friends go on a road trip which seems similer to the road trips you see in Beat Takeshi movies.
The movie is a perfect mix of violence, drama and comedy, as Miike does best. With great music throughout the movie and in the credits. I personally like this one better than it's sequel, "Young Thugs: Nostalgia", which is not what the majority seems to think.
The movie revolves around Koji Chihara's (1-ichi, 9 Souls) character who becomes the towns enforcer right after highschool. Protecting small business's and helping people if they get screwed out of their money. Out of stupidity he cheats on his perfect girlfriend with a girl he knew from his childhood, which becomes a big mistake. The hardest part about his new girlfriend is she doesn't want him to fight, but that is how he makes his living. This allows the people that he beat up in the past to come and beat him up without him defending himself. After taking a bad beating he begins to realize how great his girlfriend was, who used to look up too him when he got into fights.
This movie shows the struggle he has wanting to return to his old girlfriend, and how he realizes the mistake he made. The movie shows pictures of their past to give you the nostalgic feeling that the characters wish to return to but can't. It becomes very emotional until the Koji Chihara and his two friends go on a road trip which seems similer to the road trips you see in Beat Takeshi movies.
The movie is a perfect mix of violence, drama and comedy, as Miike does best. With great music throughout the movie and in the credits. I personally like this one better than it's sequel, "Young Thugs: Nostalgia", which is not what the majority seems to think.
Miike's Childhood
dawnceleste10 August 2007
I have just received both Young Thugs Innocent Blood and Young Thugs Nostalgia, i have just watched Innocent Blood and have yet to see Nostalgia so that film may blow this one out of the water! hahaha! But yeah, a brilliant film, it's full of things of interest and is of the more 'nice' films that Miike does, like DOA2. It's a really warm film with some really nice subtle cinematography that breathes life into the images that Miike constructs. It has a really nice golden colour through out which isn't too over the top that it gets in the way but clear enough as to explain the film on a purely colour basis, this is a film of memory and childhood, it really doesn't deserve the 18 rating it has, it's insane that it has that to be honest! The one thing i'd say is a little off putting, which is the music, it's VERY cheesy and genetic and pulls the film down in respects, but on the other hand it very much fits in with the innocence of the whole movie.
It's a movie that, although very 'easy' and innocent, it has a lot of depth and aspects of interest such as the construction of the film and how it is told, the editing, the characters, and how it relates to other films by the director. I'd really really really recommend this title to anyone who doesn't just take Miike as a place to be horrified, he's never been about exploitation and hey, this is pretty far away from that sort of thing.
It's a movie that, although very 'easy' and innocent, it has a lot of depth and aspects of interest such as the construction of the film and how it is told, the editing, the characters, and how it relates to other films by the director. I'd really really really recommend this title to anyone who doesn't just take Miike as a place to be horrified, he's never been about exploitation and hey, this is pretty far away from that sort of thing.
Wow, sentimentality?
Polaris_DiB29 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
20 movies into his oeuvre and I still never know what to expect. Miike makes a sentimental nostalgia flick? REALLY? According to the ArtsMagic DVD edition summary, this movie is loosely autobiographical, and set in Miike's place of origin. This could explain the warm quality and lighthearted sentiment of the film. I also think that some of it was some rather good decision making on his part because it's a coming of age story that seeks optimism beyond the perverse. However, that does make the trademark violence and death stick out a little awkwardly in this particular one.
Three friends graduate school after playing a prank on and robbing their teacher. One, the fire-hearted Riichi, basically drives the drama as a young man who doesn't fully understand himself and expresses himself with violence and a domineering attitude. After he breaks up with his long-time girlfriend, the people who love and care for Riichi have to grow up and take care of themselves while looking out for Riichi, who spirals through depression and passivity as he is finally confronted with life in the real world.
This movie has some very unique use of music that I think is what really pulls it together. I also like how Riichi's violence is considered the optimistic and productive side of growing up as opposed to his reticence. Such a reversal of explicit content to reflect conservative values would later be put to an extremely higher level in the much more famous (and much better done) Visitor Q.
--PolarisDiB
Three friends graduate school after playing a prank on and robbing their teacher. One, the fire-hearted Riichi, basically drives the drama as a young man who doesn't fully understand himself and expresses himself with violence and a domineering attitude. After he breaks up with his long-time girlfriend, the people who love and care for Riichi have to grow up and take care of themselves while looking out for Riichi, who spirals through depression and passivity as he is finally confronted with life in the real world.
This movie has some very unique use of music that I think is what really pulls it together. I also like how Riichi's violence is considered the optimistic and productive side of growing up as opposed to his reticence. Such a reversal of explicit content to reflect conservative values would later be put to an extremely higher level in the much more famous (and much better done) Visitor Q.
--PolarisDiB
good, but could be better
Quinoa19848 November 2014
Young Thugs: Innocent Blood is too disjointed to really be enjoyed as anything great, but Takashi Miike's film - the first of a two parter (the other being a prequel) - has enough moments to get by.
It's really a lot of parts more than the whole as far as the entertainment ratio goes, but I'll remember some of those parts well, like a frustrated beaten young man punching his hand on a steel bar out of romantic frustration, or a woman yelling about wanting to just cry while totally drunk, or a man having fun with his friend as he removes part of a tattoo.
I just wish there was more of a thru line with the characters and its a case where some of its episodic-ness isn't to its benefit. And the ending is just flipping crazy, going from action, suspense, comedy and then bizarre tragedy. I shouldn't like it and the humor is sophomoric, but it is maybe the most Miike-esque part of all. plus dramatically it's always well directed, confidence of someone not a director of only a few films as he was up till this point
It's really a lot of parts more than the whole as far as the entertainment ratio goes, but I'll remember some of those parts well, like a frustrated beaten young man punching his hand on a steel bar out of romantic frustration, or a woman yelling about wanting to just cry while totally drunk, or a man having fun with his friend as he removes part of a tattoo.
I just wish there was more of a thru line with the characters and its a case where some of its episodic-ness isn't to its benefit. And the ending is just flipping crazy, going from action, suspense, comedy and then bizarre tragedy. I shouldn't like it and the humor is sophomoric, but it is maybe the most Miike-esque part of all. plus dramatically it's always well directed, confidence of someone not a director of only a few films as he was up till this point
Good Miike
zetes31 July 2006
Despite the title and the mean-looking cover art, Young Thugs: Innocent Blood is one of Miike's gentlest and sweetest films. That's not to say that it is entirely free of nastiness. The protagonists spend a lot of their free time getting into violent brawls. But the story is one of friendship and romance. The film follows four friends, three guys and a girl, as they exit high school. As time goes on, and as new romantic relationships arise, the friends grow apart. It's kind of like Take Care of My Cat, except for every once in a while someone gets beaten with an aluminum baseball bat. It's actually quite touching, and frequently very funny. The climactic event in the film is extremely goofy in a way that only Miike could accomplish it's not quite on the level as the end of Dead or Alive 1, but it's something you're guaranteed not to see outside of this man's filmography.
By no means Miike at his best
lleeheflin23 January 2005
In the last 3 months I have bought and watched 21 Miike films. I am a FAN!! I just watched this one tonight, and so far it, and FULL METAL YAKUZA are my least favorites. In general I am not a fan of movies about the trials and tribulations of 18/19 year olds, and to my mind the ones in this film were more boring than most. Only a couple of them (2 of the guys) had any real 'character' to speak of. While the girls were, for the most part, all hair and blank stares. Their lives started out 'no where' and ended 'no where' with very little in between. For a Miike film, even the cinematography was rather boring. On the other and the use of 'Western' music to try and give some 'life' to all the non-action was very well done. (Miike uses Western music to great effect in many of his films.) Which brings me to the one scene that totally transcended the rest of the film and made watching the whole thing worth the time spent. Having broken up with the least interesting of the 3 young men, one of the girls is forlornly riding a street car to the sound of flamenco guitar. The scene cuts to the bar/café where one of the other young men works as a cook. An older woman we had seen incidentally early in the film comes out from behind a curtain dressed in black sequins and rhinestones and starts to dance to the guitar music (which has continued to play), much to the amazement of the others in the bar. Her moves are OK but not great. The scene continues to cut back and froth from the girl on the street car becoming more and more despondent, to the woman dancing. Each time it cuts to the dancer her costume has become more and more authentic as does her dancing. Finally she has become totally transformed into an astonishing dancer of great power, while the young girl has become totally lost. The finale of this sequence is classic Miike!!! The whole thing was mesmerizing! But then we are dropped right back into the land of the boring. For another 30 or 40 minutes. Towards the end, Miike does throw in a moment of great fun, a kind of gloss on the American wild boys in a car theme. But that then trails off into the sappiest ending one could possibly imagine. If you want to see Miike do 'young people' and do it brilliantly then watch LEY LINES, CITY OF LOST SOULS, and BLUES HARP. These are some of his best films. Only if you are a die-hard Miike fanatic should you bother with this one.
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