Here’s a beautiful tatekan sized promo for the pinky violence flick Kyôfu joshikôkô: bôkô rinchi kyôshitsu, known in English as Terrifying Girls’ High School: Lynch Law Classroom, which is a movie we discussed briefly way, way back in 2009. We shared the standard promo and commented on the movie’s reputation as a lesser effort by director Norifumi Suzuki, but we didn’t get around then to confirming that ourselves. We fixed that last night.
At a reform school called the School of Hope for Girls, not all is education and affirmation. The place is informally known as a cemetery for delinquent girls, and inside there’s a disciplinary committee that’s in reality just a violent gang. Run by Ryôko Ema, the committee has been charged with safeguarding the school’s reputation as its anniversary approaches, and they’ve been given total leeway by the vice principle—even if their methods are dangerous or cruel.
When Miki Sugimoto, Seiko Saburi, and Misuzu Ôta are sentenced to the school for various juvenile offenses they don’t easily accept the iron discipline of their new surroundings, but it’s Miki who’s the real trouble. In the outside world she’s the Boss with the Cross, head of a Yokohama girl gang, and has deliberately gotten herself sent to the school to investigate the mysterious death of her trusted lieutenant—who viewers have seen killed by the disciplinary committee during the film’s opening.
A twist is thrown into the plot when Reiko Ike shows up about halfway through the movie. She’s an accomplished sukeban, controlling thirty-eight girl gangs in the Kantō region. That area includes Tokyo, so you know she’s badass. She’s there to challenge Miki to a duel, seeking revenge for past transgressions out in the real world. Miki accepts, but asks a favor—time. Reiko gives her five days to settle her affairs at the school. After that, the two are throwing down.
So is Kyôfu joshikôkô: bôkô rinchi kyôshitsu really a below average pinky violence flick? People far more informed than us seem to think so, but we felt that the movie was perfectly serviceable. It is the best of the genre? Not in our opinion, but it’s also probably mandatory viewing for fans of these films. And really, with Miki and Reiko in it, can it be anything but a success—if a qualified one? No—it can’t. See another interesting piece of art related to the film here.
