Crows Zero 2

Crows Zero 2 (クローズZERO II) is a 2009 Japanese action film directed by Takashi Miike with a screenplay by Shogo Muto. It is the sequel to Crows Zero, where Shun Oguri, Kyōsuke Yabe, Meisa Kuroki and Takayuki Yamada reprise their roles from the first film.

Crows Zero 2 was released in Japan on April 11, 2009.

Plot
Eight months after triumphing over Serizawa Tamao, Takiya Genji still struggles to attain supremacy at Suzuran All-Boys High School. Following a decisive defeat at the hands of the legendary Rindaman and on the verge of graduating without fulfilling his goal, Genji grows desperate and begins challenging Rindaman regularly, but consistently suffers defeat by his hands.

Genji's situation escalates when he unwittingly breaks a non-aggression pact between Suzuran and a rival school, Housen Academy, by coming to the aid of Kawanishi Noboru during a heated confrontation. Genji learns that the agreement between the two schools was established two years prior when Noboru violated a gang law due to a skirmish and used a weapon to fatally wound Housen's former leader Bitō Makio. Suzuran had subsequently sworn not to interfere with Housen's retribution upon Noboru's release from prison. Now that the pact is broken because of Genji's stubbornness, his alliance, mainly Serizawa, asks him to be prepared for the upcoming tension that will be created between the two schools.

Genji's protection of Kawanishi provokes Housen's current leader Narumi Taiga to declare war against Suzuran. Genji and his allies engage in several violent conflicts with Housen's "Army of Killers". One such incident leads to the destruction of Suzuran by the foolishness of Gota Washio. Washio was previously affiliated with Suzuran but was banned by Genji, which leads to him joining the rival Housen Academy. In an attempt to take revenge on Genji, Washio burnt down the entire Suzuran school. This leads to the GPS being united for one final stand against Housen Academy.

Both the gang leaders decide to meet at the top of Housen Academy for the final fight, where Genji finally defeats Narumi and his Army of Killers. On his last day at school, Genji challenges Rindaman again, where Genji manages to land a blow on Rindaman, much to everyone's happiness. Rindaman then noted people like him are the reason why Suzuran is interesting. They subsequently resume their fight, with the outcome left ambiguous.

Cast

 * Shun Oguri - Takiya Genji
 * Takayuki Yamada - Serizawa Tamao
 * Kuroki Meisa - Aizawa Ruka
 * Kyōsuke Yabe - Katagiri Ken
 * Kenta Kiritani - Tatsukawa Tokio
 * Suzunosuke Tanaka - Tamura Chūta
 * Sōsuke Takaoka - Izaki Shun
 * Goro Kishitani - Takiya Hideo
 * Motoki Fukami - Hayashida "Rindaman" Megumi
 * Shunsuke Daitō - Kirishima Hiromi
 * Tsutomu Takahashi - Makise Takashi
 * Yusuke Kamiji - Tsutsumoto Shōji
 * Yutaka Matsushige - Ushiyama
 * Yusuke Izaki - Mikami Manabu
 * Hisato Izaki - Mikami Takeshi
 * Ryō Hashizume - Honjō Toshiaki
 * Yu Koyanagi - Sugihara Makoto
 * Kaname Endō - Tokaji Yūji
 * Shinnosuke Abe - Kawanishi Noboru
 * Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi - Bitō Makio
 * Nobuaki Kaneko - Narumi Taiga
 * Kengo Ohkuchi - Kumagiri Rikiya
 * Tomoya Warabino - Shibayama Hayato
 * Gō Ayano - Urushibara Ryō
 * Kazuki Namioka - Washio Gōta
 * Haruma Miura - Bitō Tatsuya

Release
The film was released in Japan on April 11, 2009. It was also screened internationally in Singapore, Russia, and Hong Kong throughout 2009, and in the United States at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 6, 2010.

Box office
The film grossed US$29,893,636 worldwide.

Critical response
Niels Matthijs of Twitch Film gave it a positive review and wrote "Visually Crows Zero II is still looking incredibly slick. Maybe not as many landmark shots, but the dense and graffiti-laden backgrounds make for a tasty looking film alright. The fighting scenes are still a blast to behold too, with strong, intense and action-driven camera work and some tight editing to keep the adrenaline flowing." Likewise, Mark Schilling of The Japan Times gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Miike directs with an energy, velocity and cheeky bravado that are pure punk. He also understands why his Suzuran toughs fight as easily as they breathe - it’s not just a release for their raging hormones, but a way of being with their friends and telling the world they exist."

Sequels & adaptations
The film was followed by a sequel, Crows Explode, in 2014. It was also adapted into a manga entitled Crows Zero II: Suzuran x Housen, illustrated by Hirakawa Tetsuhiro (writer of Clover) and published in Bessatsu Shōnen Champion magazine.