Demekin is a fantastic delinquent movie based on a true story!

 

There aren't many movies in recent times that have piqued my interest quite like the subject of today's blog post. For those that don't know, I have a soft spot for delinquent and gangster movies. My father lived a youth that was very much like a delinquent and had several run ins with the law. Having said that, the focus of today's post is a movie that is based on a true story. The movie's title is Demekin! 

Demekin follows the story of Masaki Sata, a real-life figure who wrote the novel the movie was inspired by. The movie begins by introducing Sata and his friend Atsunari as kids. The two bicker and fight, but eventually become great friends. Both were bullied as kids and vow to never allow that to happen again. At some point in time, after junior high, Atsunari drops out and makes Sata vow to take over his school. I love the fact that the pair fight without a clear victor before this promise is made. It may seem dumb to some, but it's awesome to me. 

The school is question isn't quite a delinquent's paradise unlike a certain Suzuran high. It's less riddled with graffiti and less grungy. Sata's biggest obstacle comes in the form of a blonde senior and his minions. They trap Sata in the toilets and proceed to beat him up 6 to 1. Sata appears to be beaten until the blonde calls him Demekin. That word triggers past memories within Sata who manages to pick himself up and he knocks out the blonde before a teacher finally intervenes. We then see Sata rally his friends and a brawl ensues between the rival students in which Sata's group emerges victorious and thus, the school takeover is complete. 

                          

This story doesn't end with the school takeover however, as soon after eating ramen at the restaurant in which Astunari works, the later suggests starting a motorcycle gang. Masaki gleefully approves and thus, a new gang is formed with their friend group. Later, Sata meets the dangerous yet ambitious delinquent, Oya Makoto, who reminds Sata of someone both he and Atsunari looked up to. 

Being taken under Makoto's wing, Sata's gang join a large union of biker gangs united with the common goal of conquering Fukuoka. As time passes and the union strengthens its numbers, Makoto eventually decides to retire upon turning 18. In what comes as a shock to our red-haired protagonist, Masaki Sata is named the new leader. Unfortunately for Sata, Makoto left him a very large problem in the form of a large rival gang, the Demon Dragons. Things get personal with the Demon Dragons, and they force Sata to engage in an epic showdown in what appears to be an empty club. 

What this movie lacks in cinematographic flair, it makes up for in violence. There's a lot of fight scenes in the movie making it action packed. The choreography isn't too bad, in fact it's quite chaotic during the large gang fights and that's a good thing. Real fights are chaotic. There's some brutal stuff, a certain emotional hospital sequence in particular left quite an impact on me as a twisted, cowardly attack on an already injured main cast member. There's also a glorious takedown of a villain wherein the good guy utilises a beautiful spinning kick to nearly decapitate him. On the other hand, there's a pivotal scene in which a thrown punch sends the recipient flying back 10 or more feet. It has emotional impact but isn't really realistic. 

As previously mentioned, the cinematography is solid and yet, often lacks flair. The movie is shot competently enough and there are a few stand out shots. These standout shots include the gang heading into the union meeting with the headlights of the motorcycles silhouetting them beautifully. The movie also makes great use of wide shots in general, with a nice panning shot framing the hospital rooftop scene between Sata and Aki. I'm a sucker for a rooftop wide shot and this movie provides more than one with a beautiful shot happening for the final showdown which I won't spoil here.

In terms of performances, I'll admit that Ito Kentaro surprised me. When I first saw that he was cast in the lead role as Masaki Sata, I was flabbergasted. He just didn't seem like the type who could pull off the necessary aggression and violence needed for such a role. Not only did he exceed my expectations, but he also seemed to really excel and did a tremendous job. He made Sata a very likable character and brought charisma to the role. He excelled specifically in the emotional scenes. 

Yuki Yamada was splendid as Atsunari. He brought real emotion to some of the toughest scenes in the movie. I really felt everything he said and was blown away with his mature acting. He and Ito worked magnificently together, and they felt like they had a genuine friendship. He also worked tremendously well with Imada Mio and the two felt like a genuine couple. 

Imada Mio did excellently with the screen time she was given. She came across as a very sympathetic character and not just an annoyance. Her emotional scenes are actually a standout with the hospital rooftop scene in particular being a memorable one. 

Kuroishi Takahiro was immense as Makoto Oya. He brought a real grand, threatening presence to the role and is responsible for one of the tensest scenes in the movie. His facial expressions were a joy to behold, and he brought the right blend of menace and likability. 

Overall, I wouldn't state that Demekin is a better movie than Crows Zero and Kentaro Ito isn't as charismatic as Shun Oguri however, Demekin is a splendid movie. It does however exceed in the theme of the bonds of a friendship. The brotherhood of Sata and Atsunari carries the movie in a thematic sense. It's worth a watch in terms of seeing that beautiful friendship play out on screen as well as for the many glorious fight scenes and the delinquent themes. If you like delinquents, chances are you'll love it.

As for the fact that it's supposedly based on a true story, that's certainly a bonus positive. I do believe that a lot of artistic licence was used for the movie which detracts a little and yet, I can't help but love the story anyway.