In Okayama in the mid-1930s, Kiroku attends high school and boards with a Catholic family whose daughter, Michiko, captures his heart. He must, however, hide his ardor and other aspects of his emerging sexuality, focusing his energy on a gang he joins, breaking school rules, and getting into scuffles (he tells her, "Oh, Michiko, I don't masturbate, I fight"). He comes under the influence of a young tough nicknamed Terrapin, and together they lead fights against rival gangs. Gradually, Kiroku and Terrapin align themselves with the right-wing Kita Ikki, and Kiroku becomes a stand-in for the attitudes of Japanese youth who embraced the imperialism leading to World War II.
What I like most about Seijun Suzuki is he is willing to do different things in his pictures. I described the dual images on screen in GATES OF FLESH and in this he did the same. In one particular scene in a classroom a teacher is on the left side of the screen and the students are on the right. As the teacher and students interact, the person speaking is visible while the other is blacked out. I thought it was very original and worth a shot so my hat again goes off to Seijun Suzuki for his originality. The story was also in some scenes the funniest I've seen in Japanese cinema. However, from only 2 pieces of his work, I'm not overly impressed with Seijun Suzuki.
