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hamliet · 9 months

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It's A Boys' Love Story, Your Honor: Be Gay, Do Crimes

This review is often satirical and sometimes facetious. Or is it?

Anyways I got dragged into watching HIGH&LOW, a Japanese action show full of pretty boys punching each other. Aside from me wondering how all of them don't have CTE and screaming CHEST COMPRESSIONS when one character codes and the nurse like... walks away (he's ok the power of friendship is stronger than any defibrillator), it turned out to be a surprisingly excellent, enjoyable, and even poignant watch.

The plot is vibes at best and the narrative ideas are less formed than, say, those of Kinnporsche. But, what it does have down pat is characters. Pretty much every character is compelling from their introductory scene (except for the Mighty Warriors who exist purely to suck). The characters may not necessarily be the most complex or psychologically challenging, but they come across as intriguing enough, flawed enough, to carry series on their own. Like, I would honestly watch a full series based on any one of them.

To be honest, this show does more to establish who a character is, what they want, and make them interesting within a character's first 30 seconds than some high-brow directors do with three hours of film. I would honestly recommend it to anyone trying to understand how to characterize.

Also, it's basically a yaoi but with fighting instead of f*cking. It's just dripping in homoeroticism that they infuse with just enough plausible deniability that insecure straight guys can watch it too!

Although, being straight in this 'verse is pretty much a misery sentence for everyone except Kizzy and Kaito. I haven't seen such flagrant use of bury/break up your straights since Togashi.

But:

It's not a yaoi! you say.

To which I shall respond with numerous examples of what the f*ck is this then? The power of (b)romance?

Doubt. (Heh ifkyk.)

Cobra + Murayama

The same episode we get a girl having a crush on Murayama he's shown as completely disinterested because he's too hung up on Cobra. This leads to him seeking Cobra out. And also to him having realizations about himself. He's then kind to the girl, but not romantically interested. The framing of this Cobra-Murayama realization about himself with the episodes opening with a girl pining and ending with his kindness to her is clearly to get the audience thinking about romance and the other interactions in light of that.

Murayama embarrassingly asks to join Cobra in front of all the other gangs.

Murayama calls him Cobra-chan and sides with Cobra when all the other leaders of SWORD refuse. All three others have left but Murayama still tells Cobra he has his vote, even though it's not going to do anything, just so Cobra knows Murayama's on his side.

In End of Sky Murayama literally going behind Cobra's back to get Hyuga to agree to join Cobra's alliance to protect him, at personal risk to Murayama, even though Cobra will never know what he did for him, when even those most loyal to Cobra have abandoned him, is literally a romance trope as old as time. And it's literally set to inspirational music.

At the end of the movies, Murayama gets a motorcycle and is implied to join Sannoh eventually with clever color symbolism as @eatprayworm points out.

As if we didn't get it, The Worst literally shows us Murayama calling Cobra-chan on his phone and tells us that he frequently drunk calls Cobra by having him say that he's not calling about bikes... this time. This phone call shows 0 narrative purpose besides reminding us that Murayama's endgame is with Cobra.

Chiharu + Yamato

Yamato saves his life and then is told he has to "take responsibility for" Chiharu, which is totally not a reference to the common idea of a guy taking responsibility for knocking a girl up--

except it is explicitly because even Yamato's mom directly asks if he knocked someone up when she hears that he has to "take responsibility" for someone.

When they finally reconcile after Chiharu confesses to drugs Tetsu tells them "you look good together."

Chiharu then takes a bullet for Yamato. I mean, not actually, because it was a blank, but no one, not even the person firing the gun, knew it was a blank.

Tetsu + Dan

Whenever Dan expresses interest in a girl Tetsu gets mad at him and when Tetsu cuts off his dreads to be more appealing to girls Dan gets mad at him. They're in love your honor.

They'll leave a gang for one another.

They exist only in proximity with each other.

Tatsuya/Kohaku/Tsukumo

These old men are so gay. They started the fall. And by old I mean they're supposed to be like 26 but they are clearly played by actors in their mid-40s and so I'll just pack off and head to the Villages then.

Smok(e)y + Hiroto

Ah yes when you're wandering around Nameless Street looking for your older brother and he's not there so you and your other brother decide to leave but then! then! a sickly man wasting away everywhere but his hair (which remains luscious) walks in front of you, barely glances at you, and you instantaneously walk away from your brother and your life to go follow the twink. Much straight.

Rocky + Koo

Here.

They also use "anata" for one another. Which means "you," but also is frequently translated as "dear" because it's what married couples often refer to each other as.

The manga also implies they live together.

Yasushi + Kiyoshi

Everyone in canon refers to them as "Yasukiyo." They exist in a state of symbiosis with weird hair and insanity.

If anyone implies Yasushi was involved with drugs Kiyoshi will fight to defend his honor.

"He sacrificed himself for me!" ?????? That's a love trope, Your Honor. Don't worry, though. They're gay, so Kiyoshi survives his sacrifice.

Odajima + Todoroki

Fellas is it gay to spot a man across a battlefield and be so in awe you run over to him right away?

Is it gay if you then ask said man "you're different from the others. Want to play with me?"

Tsukasa + Fujio

Tsukasa mopes around like Bella after Edward left after Fujio moves away for like a week.

Tsukasa takes a bus ride across the country for the chance to fight his BFF again in the rain (wet, what is symbolism) and then tells him "I'll be waiting for you." And also "I should move here because it's boring without you."

Tsukasa might be held as a hostage but he knows Fujio will come for him. In fact his relationship with Fujio is explicitly paralleled with Amagai and Suzaki's.

Amagai + Suzaki

The redemptive power of love, as beautifully written by @eatprayworm here.

I mean Suzaki literally can barely stand and limps over to protect Amagai when Amagai is experiencing the consequences of his actions and then saves Amagai from himself.

At the end of the day all he wants is to be boyfriends with Amagai.

Probably my favorite ship because it's everything I love, meaning one of them is too good for this world and one is a bastard.

Nakagoshi + Nakaoka

Nakagoshi sacrifices himself for Nakaoka even in a parallel to Yasushi and Kiyoshi (don't worry, they're gay, so they live too).

Tsuji + Shibaaan

Do I even need to comment here?

And I didn't even get into Sachio's sunset conversation with Fujio, in which you visibly see the twink fall and then they, not knowing who the other is, subsequently meet and recognized each other on the battlefield like Mr and Mrs Smith.

Themes Too!

High&Low isn't exactly an uber-deep thematic exploration of what it means to be gay and do crimes, but the themes it does do it does pretty well.

One of those is indeed the redemptive power of love, which involves being seen and known. Y'know, that mortifying ordeal. Because love itself leads to freedom. It's true for Chiharu, it's true for Noboru, it's true for Arata.

Rocky and Kizzy/Kaito's story is kind of one of the best examples of the redeeming power of (platonic) love leading to freedom, and it takes like... 3 minutes? of the story. And it's not left unexplored; it's just succinct. Kizzy and Kaito are trafficking women and Rocky comes to stop them, and when fighting, notices that Kizzy is actually a transwoman. He stops the fight and says that he doesn't fight women. That's enough for Kizzy and Kaito to follow Rocky, giving up their life of cruel crime and atoning--truly atoning--by spending the rest of their lives doing exactly the opposite of their crimes: fighting to free women from traffickers and protect them.

The significance of that moment is that by seeing Kizzy as she really was, Rocky pointed out to Kizzy that she was engaging in self-harm, keeping herself trapped (symbolically) and never able to live as she could. But for Kizzy, to be truly free to be herself means helping other women also be free. It's also, even if unintentional, a good twist on the transphobic trope and conservative talking point of a transwoman trying to harm women (cough, she who shall not be named).

Kizzy also never styles herself super feminine even after gender confirmation surgery (as implied by Rocky that she received), but she still is a woman, and her being herself leads to redemption and freedom for everyone around her. We stan Kizzy and her loyal boyfriend (husband?) Kaito in this house.

Another theme, and connected to the idea of self-discovery and freedom and love and all that, is how to handle the past, a question everyone is always asking because as long as we're alive, we're evolving. Obviously we see that with the Amamiya brothers and the Mugen backstory, and we also see that in the present with Murayama and Todoroki. But we also see this most sharply highlighted in the conflict between Cain and Smokey.

Cain is not subtly named after the first murderer in the Bible, who kills his brother. Cain, of course, kills Smokey in cold blood, with Smokey asking him "did you come here to kill me?" and Cain affirming that he did indeed because if he doesn't, he won't be able to completely erase his past.

But the thing is, you can't kill your past without killing yourself. You have to embrace it and let it live. And something as precious as a life won't be so easily destroyed. To live, you have to live with all of yourself, the past and the present and the hope of a future. It's a struggle, it's a fight--but with people beside you, it's worth it. Almost like the fights in the series are a metaphor for struggling through life or something.

And then we have gentrification. Let's just say the horrors of it are not exaggerated. Smokey's death--and life--offer poignant social commentary on what happens when people treat others like they don't deserve to live, like they are forgotten, like they don't exist. Because they do exist, because they love.

When Cain kills Smokey, Smokey tells him--in all sincerity, despite being abandoned by his parents, living in a homeless slum, and being terminally ill his entire life because the rich poisoned the people in the slum--that he lived "the best life." Why? Because the scenes flash back to him meeting his adopted sister Lala, caring for Eri, meeting his gang. He had a family, and he loved them, and they loved him. When he dies, he's buried in that same slum and Takeshi comments that "to Smokey, this [place] is heaven." And it is, because heaven is love.

(Also, the "rich poisoning people by being careless because these people don't matter" is hardly unrealistic. Bhopal would like a word with you, Dow Inc, you sh*theads.)

In Conclusion

Things you'll have to endure: multiple Mighty Warrior music videos.

Things you get to enjoy: Hyuga being a Barbie girl in a Barbie world who shows up to fights with all the Durama Ikka and planned choreography and bespoke songs.

Things you get to enjoy: multiple twinks needing rescue from being dragged into the drug trade to save their loved ones only to get whumped in true hurt/comfort fanfic fashion before sobbing in the arms of their friends who welcome them home.

Things you have to endure: Noboru trying to convince Cobra et al to join the Mojo Dojo Casa House Kuryu Group.

Things you get to enjoy: The power of friendship saving Noboru from himself, Rocky from dying alone, Smokey from having no meaning to his life, Amagai from himself, Murayama from himself, Todoroki from himself, Arata from himself, setting captives free, and rich bastards who trod all over the poor getting what they deserve.

Things you have to just not think too hard about: gangs seeing drugs as the biggest taboo which I'm pretty sure is not usually the case but hey, hoodlums have standards, and also the evil guys keeping their secrets in a folder literally stamped with the label TOP SECRET.

Things you have to endure: Smokey dying. I'm not over it. Someone fight me to bring him back. But also it's one of the most beautiful death scenes in fiction.

Things you get to enjoy: Generally no one, unless you're Smokey, straight (Takeru), or yakuza (no one cares).

Things you have to ignore: why no one ever studies at these high schools and why they all look like they're in their 30s-40s.

Things you get to enjoy: pretty great rep of a trans woman that directly counters some of the most harmful tropes.

Things you have to endure: Noboru being resurrected by the power of True Love's Handholding, because the nurse literally RAN AWAY from a coding patient to "get the doctor" but it's okay, his friends beg him to live and he does.

Things you get to enjoy: a series that founds its premise in action and violence that offers a surprisingly wholesome, kind message on relationships, humanity, redemption, and love... whether that love is platonic or romantic.

But, I mean, Final Mission literally ends with the gangs defeating the evil corporation with a rainbow-colored smoke that takes over the sky of the city. So it's gay.

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murayamasbandana · 6 months

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"think this'll get Cobra to forget that we took off on a road trip without telling him?"

"not at all but worth a shot"

#high&low #Tetsu #Chiharu

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hyugaruma · 4 months

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#high&low #high & low #high and low #kazuya dan #tettsu #chiharu #high&low the worst #high&low the worst x #high&low the worst cross #hilo

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eatprayworm · 9 months

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thinking about murayama & chiharu tonight. murayama loses to cobra, and thus essentially loses chiharu to him. i don't think murayama cared about that aspect all too much. he didn't know the kid, and he lost in a fair fight.

but watching the scene where chiharu returns the badge or w/e to murayama? with sannoh - with cobra - watching on the other side, i wonder if murayama felt upset about how readily sannoh accepted and cared for chiharu. they could provide something he couldn't. chiharu received the love and acceptance of cobra, which murayama couldn't achieve either.

chiharu leaves murayama and crosses the fence, returning to sannoh; murayama remains on the other side, staring at cobra, who looks back. murayama wants to cross too.

then, at the end of the first movie, murayama asks in front of all sword if he can join sannoh after he graduates. he wants to be on the other side, with cobra - but cobra defers to chiharu, who rejects him. murayama is clearly hurt. not only has chiharu succeeded where murayama could not, but chiharu is now directly blocking murayama from his goal. embarrassed and dejected, he goes home.

at the end of the third movie, however, cobra has come around a little - and so has chiharu. he doesn't reject murayama when he asks about wanting to buy a bike - clearly a lead-in for him joining sannoh, or at least associating with them on a more personal level. chiharu then bridges the two worlds, the two men, together by offering to ride with murayama when he gets his license.

cobra and murayama's story started with chiharu, the boy who fled from murayama to find refuge and family in sannoh. it only makes sense that their story ends with chiharu extending friendship to murayama; the roles have switched, the outcast welcomes the leader, and only now can relations flourish with cobra and sannoh.

and just in case we had any doubts about murayama's future with sannoh/cobra? when chiharu makes the offer, murayama's surrounded by orange-yellow scenery.

sannoh's color on the sword map? you guessed it. orange.

#high&low #murayama yoshiki #cobra #chiharu #cobramura #just thinking thoughts is all #their relationship is so fascinating and i wish we got to see more of it #but i'm here to break down the parts we did get to see!

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moonsvillain · 4 months

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something or other about both cobra and yamato projecting noboru onto chiharu but with yamato that manifests as him wanting to protect chiharu vs cobra avoiding him and not wanting to get involved (only for his real feelings to come out when he's drunk) (slapping chiharu for good luck the way he used to do noboru and hugging him after deciding he's fit for sannoh)

#high & low #road to high & low #hilo #cobra #chiharu #yamato #rewatching the series with a friend and having many thoughts while i do so #something or other about cobra feeling a lot of things but not being very emotive #which is a shame bcz he used to be before noboru was arrested

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cute-girls-from-vns-anime-manga · 4 months

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#Musuko ga Kawaikute Shikataganai Mazoku no Hahaoya #Chiharu #Manga #Manga Cap #Greyscale #Short Hair #Thigh Highs #Legs #Thighs

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gojou-violin · 4 months

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High & Low Announcement

Hi, everyone! I know that I have been MIA for a hot second (tbh, will prob continue to be until my interest in anime is back), but I wanted to announce that I will be accepting requests for characters in the "High & Low" series! I know that this fandom is lowkey dead, and it was small to begin with, but for anyone who is still around and interested, I am writing for it! I'm currently in the process of writing a Ryo Suzaki x OC short story (about 10 chapters), which I'll be posting on here and AO3 inevitably, but in the meantime, I'd love to talk about the series and write some drabbles, so please send some asks my way! <3 <3

Characters I'd love to specifically write for (not limited to them ofc): SUZAKI, TSUKASA, COBRA, Yamoto, Todoroki, Amagai, SMOKEY, Chiharu, Noboru, Murayama, Fujio, TAKESHI, Sachio, Rao.

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secretgardenasia · 1 year

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#chiharu

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insideliascrazyhead · 10 months

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Sannoh Rengokai shenanigans aka Tetsu´s Instagram

Tetsu:Celebrations in Sannoh´s Hoodlum Squad

Murayama:Those are huge ass shot glasses!You might wanna gulp the entire tequila in one go.

Rocky:That´s a new definition of party.

Hyuga:Who would´ve thought Sannoh Rengokai´s full of party animals?

Shiba:We do!When we find them all nearly dead spread through the Diner in the morning.

Oshiage:Next time I swear we´re gonna get buckets of ice water.

Smokey:You sadists really wanna fight with that nasty hangover? Yamato:Nooo.The only ones with nasty hangover will be the kiddos

Chiharu:That´s just because you and Cobra are literally the last man standing each time.

Junko:Poor Naomi gotta clean your mess....

Naomi:No.Party´s in the diner mean you vomit,you clean.You break shit.You clean.

Tetsu:Our Itokan´s Sweetheart <3

Naomi:My local Hoodlum squad dumbasses <3

Oshiage:That´s our bestie,find your own.

Yamato:Nope.:)

Shiba:Poor woman gotta deal with you dumbasses.

Dan:Oh shut your cakehole Shiba you deal with Oya guys on a daily.

Shiba:Because we´re literally blood related!You wanna deal with my brother and his crazy friends?Then be my fucking guest Dan!

Murayama:Oi!You wanna take one full timer then you gotta keep them all!There kinda a shitty package deal over here.

Yamato:Don´t.Cobra won´t take more strays.

Dan:You heard the man.You can keep your strays.Don´t wanna get any fleas.

Chiharu:C´mon Dan!You can have my Oya fleas instead!

Rocky:Naomi the leader of the local loony bin escapee hideout.

Noboru:We´re just gonna peacefully share out emotional support Naomi!

Hyuga:Never thought anyone could come close to my insanity.Suprise I guess...

Tetsu:Painkiller giggles from Cobra!

Murayama:Cobra can smile?!That´s crazy!

Naomi:Can we keep him like this?He´s adorable!

Smokey:Until your precious Cobra-san turns to Cobra twisting.

Noboru:No he´s peaceful like that.He used Yamato as a pillow.

Chiharu:So what?!He said he´s squishy.

Junko:He does eat enough to be squishy.

Yamato:Oi!A hug is better then being Cobra twisted to death!

Tetsu:We also needed to stop at the grocery store because he wanted candy!That´s how dangerous Cobra is medicated Yamato.Not at all.

Noboru:Don´t forget that the day of Sannoh Rengokai´s leader ended in a blanket burrito.

Rocky:Don´t give him any tequila on those meds.someones gotta have a braincell here.

Dan:Well at least sleeping beauty slept peacefully on the way back to Sannoh.

Naomi:Until Yamato and Noboru dropped him brutally on his pretty face.

Tetsu:On the road

Yamato:Cobra says he´s not gonna bail anyone outta jail.

Murayama:Oh Sannoh´s little guys go into big boy prison!

Hyuga:You´re gonna have a great time in prison guy´s I´ve been there.

Noboru:You gotta save money for therapy after jail later

Dan:Cobra can tell me himself if he´s making himself an account like a normal person

Naomi:The world of instagram wouldnt be ready for that

Junko:man probably has onlyfans anyways already that gas station is normally empty as fuck and Cobra never fucking works!

Shiba:Oh shit!That´s crazy.You´re right.I´ve never seen him work...

Hyuga:So Cobra´s gonna retire as leader for onlyfans now?

Rocky:Naah man can multitask

Murayama:Don´t mind me I´m just gonna wait for the link to drop...

Tetsu:Art.I call it Party Hoodlum Squad Style

Murayama:No what´s art would be Cobra-chan drunkenly passed out with lipstick and a cheap wig cuddling tequila as painted portrait.

Smokey:I would love that kinda art.

Oshiage:I mean I did find him passed out next to a dumbster once because he couldn´t find the diner

Naomi:Yes.The dumbster literally behind the damn diner.

Dan:Or when Cobra woke up on the billiard table holding a halloween deko head filled with candy and a bottle of vodka

Hyuga:Oh great.Now I wanna party with Sannoh.Great.Fuck you.

Tetsu:Or the one where Cobra and Yamato woke up bikini tops and covered in body paint.

Noboru:Who tells u all these crazy stories?! Chiharu:Kohaku-san and Tsukumo-san.We learned a lot.

Murayama:I could kiss them

Shiba:We now see Cobra and Yamato in a new light.

Junko:Naah my expectations where pretty low already.

Tetsu:Yeah the glorious light of dumbasses

Yamato:Excuse you?

Chiharu:Dumbassess we love and respect very much as our leaders.

Tetsu:Sannoh Rengokai is back from the dead!Time to celebrate!

Rocky:Not to rain on your celebrational parade but have you told your leader that too?

Smokey:Cobra looks like he´s heavily debating to pretend not to be able to read.

Naomi:At least the others are happy

Yamato:Happy?!They´re in extacy.

Noboru:Cobra just needs a little shove in the right direction sometimes

Hyuga:No my man needs a kick.

Oshiage:At least we´re all semi fluent in Cobra grumble by now!

Tetsu:Violence is Cobra´s love language.

Noboru:He must love me very much then.I´m bruising

Chiharu:Cobra can´t give other love bites he´s poisonous

Naomi:he´s kinky if he loves to bite but not poisonous.

Smokey:Whyyy

Rocky:That info wasn´t necessary

Murayama:No,yeah it was!

Dan:At least Yamato had a great time

Yamato:Yeah I can still hear Noborus;Cobra no!

Tetsu:The minute Cobra-san adopted Chiharu!

Chiharu:I´m not a pet.

Yamato:You´re out Oya stray though.

Naomi:That´s cute though.

Rocky:Yeah tiny Chiharu warmed up Cobra´s heart

Smokey:That ain´t a christmas story.Cobra just recently discovered emotions,he´s still learning

Junko:Then he should stop dissosiating in the corner in the diner and interact with humans that don´t wanna kick his teeth outta his head.

Tetsu:Yamato,what the fuck?!

Smokey:Probably the stool he fell of earlier.

Shiba:Scolding a chair?

Murayma:Bad chair!Go now!Put it in the nearest corner so it can be ashamed of himself.

Naomi:Oww look how emo nemo he looks though poor baby....

Noboru:Didn´t he throw it at Cobra?!

Rocky:Understandable

Hyuga:Wanna do that too,not gonna lie.

Yamato:Screw you guys....

Tetsu:We love you too.

Dan:Cobra caught it anyways and Cobra-Twisted him nearly to death.

Junko:Probably caught it because it looked like a bottle of tequila in his drunken haze.

Tetsu:S.W.O.R.D´s greatest most wanted poster.Shut up Dan,it´s great.

Smokey:You´re gonna search yourself a woman like that?!

Rocky:They got apps for that now kid

Noboru:No it´s not

Shiba:My guy....Nooo

Naomi:That´s cute.I mean a bit pathetic but cute

Tetsu:Thanks.I guess?

Tetsu:Whatever sugary stuff he´s drinking,this man gotta have a fucking sugarush by now cant´s stop giggling.

Naomi:Or he put tequila in it.

Hyuga:Naah this man mentally broke after all this time

Shiba:Sniffed the gas he´s selling.

Smokey:Isn´t it wrong as fuck to drug your leader?

Noboru:Against popular opinion yeah Cobra can smile.

Yamato:Ladies and gentleman the grown man with eating habits of a toddler!

Junko:Great decision.Offing your leader by giving him diabetes.

Tetsu:At least someone thinks we´re funny!

Naomi:No you´re entertaining.

Noboru:Also Yamato fell of the bar stool.

Chiharu:Face planted on the floor.

Shiba:Don´t be mean guys!He probably lost his last brain cell!

Yamato:Oi!It isn´t funny!

Chiharu:Sure and Cobra-san didn´t nearly piss himself laughing

Cobra:Quite emberassing actually.

Murayama:COBRA-CHAN!

Rocky:Today in S.W.O.R.D,Cobra´s new adventure with electronic.

Tetsu:Fucking finally Cobra!

Cobra:You threatened to break into my damn house at night to install it on my damn phone you lunatic

Tetsu:Never been puplicly stated,gonna contact my lawyer.NOBORU!

Noboru:Ain´t gonna do it.Never finished university anyways.Dan in a cheap suit doesn´t count either.You lost.

Tetsu:Excluding Cobra from date night isn´t enough anymore.Dan´s gotta go to!Sorry man.

Naomi:You excluded Cobra from date night?

Noboru:Maybe it´s a mistake to get 3 guys to a date that are all insane.Crazy idea I know.

Cobra:Wow Bastard got lucky.She gotta be in for a great dissapointment tonight.

Dan:What the fuck are you talking about playboy I´m a snack!

Cobra:Yeah a sugar free one.Great hopes,miserable dissapointment.

Shiba:Would anyone else wanna know why the fuck Cobra got excluded in the first place.

Hyuga:He looks so shocked by his own success it´s hilarious.

Rocky:Sannoh´s Hoodlum Squad,chronically single.

Smokey:That´s kinda sweet.They´re gonna grow old together and share a elderly home.

Murayama:Yeah beat each other with their canes and loose their teeth on the way.

Yamato:Great visual,thanks.

Tetsu:„How do you drink fancy wines?!Like tequila?!Fucking help me!“The great leader of Sannoh´s hoodlum squad hissed like a feral kitty cat.

Yamato:I loved Noborus:“Cobra for the love of god behave like a normal adult for once.“

Naomi:No Cobra´s sorry not adulting today was a lot more hilarious

Rocky:Man looks a few wines deep already anyways

Shiba:Get yourself a man that looks at you like Cobra looks at any kinda liqour and you´re great off

Murayama:Isn´t he like super old anyways.

Cobra:You´re grounded then you rugrat.

Noboru:No fighting till you learn to respect your elders.

Hyuga:Yeah like those that could be your grandparents.

Yamato:What´s wrong with you?!

Tetsu:Cobra´s in his early twenties?!

Smokey:Ancient!

Rocky:Ancient but in fancy leather today.At least he now doesn´t look like a crazy person.

Murayama:Yeah hot leather Cobra is better.

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hamliet · 8 months

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Musings on Free Will: Cobra vs Smokey

Thoughts (not organized enough to be a meta, more like a tumble of ideas) brought to you by this post about High&Low. Soz to all who follow me for serious literature; this silly yet compelling story has me in its vice grip.

Cobra always wants to save his friends no matter what. Smokey says they can't always save people, and his first scene is him refusing to save someone (granted, someone who was like, human trafficking, so). On the surface that seems like it's different, but actually their underlying philosophies are more similar than they are different.

Shion vs Chiharu

Smokey and Cobra's philosophies appear to contrast. This is driven home when, in the same episode, both Shion and Chiharu are caught making drugs for the Iemura group. Cobra forgives Chiharu. Smokey exiles Shion. On the surface, it looks like they have opposite responses.

However, that's not actually the case. The underlying principle of what both Smokey and Cobra are acting on is the same--free will and a desire to save the people they love. Smokey is saving Shion's life by exiling him, and Shion still refuses to abandon Smokey, as we see him slipping Takeshi money for Smokey's medical treatment in season 2. If Smokey told Shion to stay, he would, but he'd certainly be hunted down.

When Cobra forgives Chiharu, he does so in response to Chiharu essentially exiling himself. He tells him that Chiharu is free to leave if he wants to, but that they are his friends and will help him decide; he doesn't have to leave just because he thinks others want him to leave.

Shion, Takeru, & Kohaku

While Shion vanishes for a bit, he does show up again in the first movie, where he helps save Smokey after he gets his back slashed, and then fights on his behalf alongside the Rude Boys at the final battle. Shion showing up there puts him as a parallel to Kohaku, who also joins Kuryu, and a foil as well (Shion originally worked for Iemura to save someone, while Kohaku wanted to destroy someone). It also shows us that there isn't just one way to save someone.

Kohaku has to be beaten into agreeing to come back (thanks to guilt and self-destructive tendencies). What ultimately gets through to him is Tsukumo reminding him that Tatsuya's wish is for them "to ride freely." He has a choice. Tatsuya wanted him to be free, not bound to a revenge quest.

(It's not a coincidence this is also the film that introduces Hiroto and Masaki's search for Takeru, who has, surprise, also joined Iemura with the self-destructive aim of revenge.)

Noboru vs Kain

Kain and Noboru are introduced practically together, when Kain urging Noboru to destroy his past. Whenever Noboru hesitates and tries to give Sannoh another chance, Kain lashes out at him--violently so.

Why? Because Kain is self-destructive and lashing out at himself in Noboru. He wants to erase his past and justify himself in doing so. This is made especially clear when he gives Noboru a gun and his "last meal." Although Noboru takes that gun to Sannoh, and it was never loaded, it's also implied Kain is telling Noboru to either kill Sannoh or kill himself. Kill your past, or kill your fugure.

Noboru has a choice to make. Free will. He chooses at first to try to kill his past, only to realize it's pointless (shooting blanks) and the person he almost killed wasn't even someone from his past (since Chiharu jumps in front of Yamato).

In contrast to Noboru, Kain makes the wrong choices throughout the series. At the end, Smokey asks him about his choice:

Are you here to kill me?

And Kain responds with a lie. He tells Smokey that it's not personal, that he's following orders. He refuses to admit that he has a choice, in other words, while Smokey, Cobra, et al have always affirmed personal choice.

Smokey then brings up Shion, who hasn't appeared in two movies. In some of his last words, he affirms Shion's goodness to Kain and reminds Kain of what he could have if he chose differently.

Shion looked up to you like a brother... you did not deserve that.

Then Smokey turns to face the horde and says that he had truly lived "the best life" (I don't like how netflix translates this as "a good life;" he's saying "best"). Basically Smokey's emphasizing that it’s not just a good life for him in spite of his circumstances, but the best life anyone could have lived. The quality of Smokey's life was determined by Smokey's choices, not by the horrid circumstances of it, not by the poison, not by its end.

I also kinda like how Kain disappears from the narrative after Smokey's death. Yeah, dropped plot point, but it’s kinda fitting bc we don’t know if Smokey killed him (unlikely), if the others did, if he’s sent to jail, if he's on the down and outs again. The thematic implication here fits whether it was intentional or not: it doesn’t matter what happened to Kain, because his life was made irrelevant once he killed Smokey. He wanted to wipe out his past to become someone great, and in doing so he wiped out himself, but made Smokey's influence linger.

It also contrasts him with the choice he offered Noboru of killing his past or his future. By killing his past, Kain ensured he had no future.

He's honestly very tragic.

Smokey and Rocky as Jesus

Through living, Smokey ensures his legacy lives on. He is buried under a cross in a place that Takeshi points out Smokey truly believes is "heaven" to him. Smokey's death brings life to everyone around them and ensures that no one else will die how he has.

(Smokey's also the second Christ allusion in the narrative. Rocky is the first and most obvious one--owner of Club Heaven, a friend to women, refers to himself as "the carpenter," gets stabbed through the palm crucifix style, and invites people like Kizzy and Kaito to leave their life of sin and follow him.)

#high&low #smokey #nikaido #cobra #high&low meta #kinda #not really meta just meta-ish #rocky #white rascals #rude boys #shion #chiharu #noboru #sannoh rengokai

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