






The school that took Japan's throwaways—and somehow made them whole again.
In 1988, Hokkaido's Hokusei Yoichi High School became the first high school in Japan to accept students who had previously dropped out of high school from nationwide. This special follows Yoshiie Hiroyuki (based on a former graduate of Hokusei Yoichi) and his friends from the time they enroll in the school during it's first year accepting delinquents. This is a brilliant tale of troubled youths trying to break free from their former lives- fighting through various gut-wrenching challenges on their way- while the teachers struggle to help them every step of the way.
Acting
Sho Sakurai's quiet fury—restraint that hits harder than shouting.
Writing
True-story weight without the usual biopic sugar-coating.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes