Beautiful and grotesque at the same time. I didnt think a movie would deliver the same punch as Zebra. Both movies are brutal but I still feel the cruelty of Zebra is more scarring and nihilistic where Grasshopper feels more sad and at least Ikuta's character will bring you some respite. That said I still prefer the starkness of Zebra's grotesque world and theres a fundamental difference between Aka and Semi -- Semi is more self-mutilating, kills because it's a job, where Aka is more self-aggrandizing, kills because it's also fun. But both Aka and Semi still clearly have their own version of morality. And that's why they don't feel like villains but heroic in a world that has very different rules. Semi also had the same unconditional genuine love and loyalty for Iwanishi that Aka had for Zebra even though to an outsider their relationship would be nothing more than abuse. Grasshopper is a story about changing humanity. When you get engulfed by the darkness it's no longer you, but something mutated and that's how it will remain, that's the message of the story. So, if you get a chance, to stay human, take it.