This was basically the kiddie version of the High&Low franchise. Oh, don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it was basically a rehash of the old plots just with high school protagonists. Genius friend studying in a good school, sister doing drugs, best friend falling in with the wrong crowd for the right reasons, big fight to bring said bestie back to his senses... yup, it was all there before. And it wasn't bad, it just wasn't, well, fresh.

That's why my favorite moments were the bits that actually did feel fresh. Like Fujio and Sachi's relationship that started with them as complete strangers becoming friends becoming enemies becoming friends again, relieved that the other wasn't a bad guy, after all. That was cute! Also, the way Fujio looked at Sachi? Hot damn!

Also, Murayama's graduation. It pretty much mirrored Tatsuya's departure from Mugen, true. But I loved that it showed that change doesn't need to be bad, that when something ends, something else begins and it might be just as good. And that there comes a moment when you feel that, yeah, this is it, it's time to move on now. And you are happy about that closure, not sad.

My favorite scene of all? When Murayama called Cobra and asked him to hear him out this time because he just needed someone to talk to, an equal. That just gave me warm fuzzies.

I wish we got more info on Sachi, though. Because he was a badass and I'm not saying that just because Shison Jun is my favorite actor. Sachi was... hot damn! But he and his sister and Housen in general felt underdeveloped because most attention was given to Fujio and his gang. Luckily, Shison Jun could carry the part with what little he was given. Oh well...