| Sakigake! Otokojuku | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Tak Sakaguchi |
| Produced by | Keiko Kusakabe Koichi Kusakabe Toshiki Kimura |
| Written by | Tak Sakaguchi Akira Miyashita (original manga) |
| Starring | Tak Sakaguchi Shōei Hiroyuki Onoue Shintaro Yamada Hideo Sakaki Akaji Maro Gō Ayano Shuya Yoshimoto Taketari no Yamaguchi Yoshiaki Yoza Tetsushi Tanaka Shun Sugata Kentarō Shimazu |
| Music by | Junichi Soga |
| Cinematography | Shinichi Fujita |
| Editing by | Seiji Harimoto |
| Distributed by | There's Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | January 26, 2008 |
| Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | |
| Language | Japanese |
Be A Man! Samurai School (魁!!男塾 Sakigake!! Otokojuku, lit "Charge!! Men's Cram School") is a 2008 Japanese film written, directed by and starring Tak Sakaguchi in his directorial debut. It is based on Akira Miyashita's manga Sakigake!! Otokojuku. The film's ending theme was Yaiba (刃 Blade) by The Back Horn.
The film begins Ryuuji Toramaru (Shintaro Yamada) running through the woods on his way to the Otokojuku entrance ceremony, surviving being hit by a car and well enough to flirt with the driver afterwards. Genji Togashi (Shōei) visits his brother's grave and informs him that he too will be enrolling in Otokojuku. Young yakuza successor Hidemaro Gokukouji (Hiroyuki Onoue) runs into thugs from Kanto Gogakuren while partying, but is saved by Momotaro Tsurugi (Tak Sakaguchi). When Hidemaro asks for Momo's cell number, Momo informs he has no such thing and tells him to find him at the Otokojuku entrance ceremony. As it turns out, Hidemaro's mother (Tomoko Nakajima) already plans to send him to Otokojuku in order to become a man. She tells him that if his father had only gone to Otokojuku, he'd still be with them today.
At the enrollment ceremony, Hidemaro is assaulted by head intructor Oni-Hige (Shun Sugata) for not getting in line properly. After he finds Momo and meets Togashi, Oni-Hige introduces the principal, Heihachi Edajima (Akaji Maro). Edajima gives his introductory speech, "I am the Otokojuku headmaster, Heihachi Edajima!!" so loudly he shatters the windows of Otokojuku. He then says "That is all" and dismisses all the first years to clean up the glass in the hallways. Soon after, they are told to report outside to receive orientation from the 2nd years. At orientation, 1st years Tazawa (Taketori no Yamaguchi) and Matsuo (Yoshiaki Yoza) are forced by Tange and the 2nd years to perform ridiculous tasks and manly performances. Togashi and Toramaru stand up to Tange (Masaki Miura) and a brawl breaks out and Momo gets involved. The fight is interrupted by 2nd year leader Gouji Akashi (Tetsushi Tanaka), who challenges Momo to a sword fight, which itself is interrupted by Oni-Hige before a true victor can be decided.
After finding a pair of underwear, drill instructor Iron Helmet (Kentarō Shimazu) summons all the students for a uniform inspection. He informs the students that all real men wear a fundoshi and that the owner of the briefs will be punished. Togashi can see from his face that they belong to Hidemaro, so he confesses to preferring briefs. Iron Helmet decides to test Togashi's toughness by forcing him to endure one of Otokojuku's specialties, the Oil Bath. He is placed in a tub of oil with a candle on a leaf while wearing just a fundoshi. As the oil gets hotter, Togashi perseveres until the candle goes out as a message of manliness to Hidemaro. Hidemaro can't take it anymore so he runs away in the middle of the night. After words of encouragement from Shioya (Tatsuo Yamada), the last remaining member of the Gokukouji clan, he returns to Otokojuku just as Momo is being scolded by Oni-Hige for letting him escape. The two of them are placed inside twin cells, one of which has a 500 kilogram collapsable ceiling that Momo must hold up by chain in the other cell in order to keep Hidemaro from being crushed. Not long after the punishment begins, Hidemaro begins crying at his fate, and Momo tries to remind him that men don't cry. After several days, Momo's arms begin to lose their strength, so Hidemaro begs him to just let go and crush him. With this, Momo finds the strength to hold the ceiling up for the remainder of the punishment. They are released and have a newfound feeling of trust in each other.
In a side story, Togashi receives a paper airplane message during class. After reading it, Tazawa "deduces" that it is a love letter. Matsuo and Toramaru joke that any girl interested in Togashi must be a dog, but nonetheless follow him (with Hidemaro) when he goes to meet her. The girl, Erika-chan (Kaoru Hirata), turns out to be a pretty high school student and Togashi is instantly smitten. He treats her to gyūdon, and although he makes a pig of himself, she seems to find it cute. However, it turns out the date was just an initiation for Erika to join a gang, and the girls laugh at Togashi for actually thinking anyone could like him. Toramaru tries to slap Erika, but Togashi stops him and instead tells her that today has been the best day of his life. Momo finds him crying and sits next to him. before Togashi can say much, Momo suggests that they return to their home at Otokojuku, and are joined along the way by the others.
One day, Otokojuku is invaded by Kanto Gogakuren, a group of delinquents led by Omito Date (Hideo Sakaki), a former Otokojuku student who was expelled for killing an instructor for forcing him to undergo the twin solitary cells punishment. He and his two right hand men, Hien (Gō Ayano) and Gekko (Shuya Yoshimoto) defeat most of the students. Akashi challenges Date and is nearly killed before being saved by Momo. However, before things can go further, Edajima interrupts and demands they settle things in the 3 Great Astonishing Assaults tournament. Date agrees and Momo, Togashi, and Toramaru are chosen to represent Otokojuku. Togashi again visits his brother's grave when Oni-Hige suddenly appears. He tells Togashi of how his brother was a real man and gives him his brother's dosu knife. As Momo trains his sword, Toramaru wrestles a bear, and Matsu practices his ōendan, Hidemaro and Tazawa both wonder what they can do to help.
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