Adapting manga to film is nothing new for Takashi Miike, nor are films based around rival factions going to war. What is new to Miike however is the backing of big studios and being given a large budget to work with. Crows Zero is backed by Toho, one of Japan’s biggest film studios. I’m sure many were wary of Miike working with a big studio, as much of his work is fiercely independent. I’m happy to say that even working commercially, Miike can still pump out a film that’s wildly entertaining without sacrificing much of what makes his films so special.

Suzuran High is not a school most would choose to attend willingly. Renowned for its out-of-control alumni and violence, it’s much more of a battleground than an institute for higher learning. Suzuran is comprised of several rival student gangs, openly battling one another on a daily basis for sole control of the school. In all its history, no one has ever been able to gain complete control over Suzuran and its gangs. Genji, son of a Yakuza boss who once attended the school, willingly decides to attend Suzuran to prove to his father he could do what he couldn’t. Genji will soon realize however that gaining complete control over Suzuran is just as difficult as everyone has made it out to be, and he’ll need to endure much more than he could have imagined to achieve his goal.

As surprising as this may sound, I feel that Miike has only gotten better working alongside the bigger Japanese film system. His creativity really hasn’t been compromised, and with bigger budgets he can tread familiar ground in new and fresh ways. While in the hands of Miike you may think such material would resemble that of Tae-gyun Kim’s Volcano High, it’s actually much more reminiscent of Toshiaki Toyoda’s Blue Spring, albeit with a few more fantastic battles to set it apart. Given a more stable working environment, it seems as if Miike has been able to delve deeper into his characters than he usually has before in an action film. He’s shown he can do it in non-action fare such as The Bird People in China and Blues Harp, but this is probably the finest balance he’s ever achieved with well-rounded characters in an action film.

This isn’t to say that the film isn’t without Miike’s trademark quirkiness. While much of the film is certainly played more “mainstream” than much of his work, there are moments when the cult director’s roots shine through, such as an utterly bizarre bowling sequence. You also get the usual cast of oddball characters that we’ve come to expect from his work, as well as some subversive comedic moments. From a technical standpoint, the film is wonderfully realized, featuring amazing cinematography and some nice stylistic touches. The final battle in the pouring rain is a sight to behold, and is one of the more pleasing finales to an action film I’ve seen in some time. Fans of modern Japanese cinema will likely also get a kick out of the sprawling cast of familiar faces, many of which are Miike regulars, more proof that he’s not selling-out to the pressures of big business.

The film isn’t perfect, however. With such a grand cast of characters, there’s a few that get lost in the shuffle, and as a result aren’t as well rounded as they could have been. There’s a romantic subplot with Genji and a girl named Ruka that feels crowbarred into the film just for the sake of having a female character among an otherwise all-male cast. Having never read the manga the film is based on, these gripes could be the seeds to something much bigger, and with a sequel already in the works, they could indeed be explored to a better extent.

If Crows Zero is any indication, I think anyone on edge about Miike venturing out into the world of big budgeted films can breathe a sigh of sweet relief. With amazing action sequences, compelling characters, a focused story, and Miike’s trademark style still intact, Crows Zero turns out to be one of his most refined works to date. Apparently, selling-out isn’t in the future for Mr. Miike.