Yukio is your average high school student who spends his days going to class and avoiding bullies. That is until he meets Ryusuke, a guitar prodigy. Together with Taira, Chiba, and Saku they form the rock band BECK. As their popularity increases so does the danger as Ryusuke's past catches up with him.
Acting
Takeru Satoh's nervous energy vs Hiro Mizushima's damaged cool
Sound
Original tracks that actually slap, rare for a movie band
Cinematography
Gritty live venues that feel authentically sweaty
Director
Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Hiro Mizushima
Ryusuke Minami
Takeru Satoh
Yukio 'Koyuki' Tanaka
Kenta Kiritani
Chiba
Aoi Nakamura
Saku
Osamu Mukai
Taira
Shioli Kutsuna
Maho Minami
Cunning Takeyama
Keichi Saito
Kensei Mikami
Eiji Kimura
Yuta Furukawa
Yoshito Shoseki
Dori Sakurada
Masaru Hyodo
Naoki Kawano
Togo
Tsutomu Takahashi
Rikiya Kitazawa
Naoto Takenaka
Yuki Matsushita
Kazuo Sato
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The manga's creator Harold Sakuishi refused film adaptations for years until Tsutsumi convinced him; the 145-minute runtime was his non-negotiable condition for approving the project.
Released during Japan's "band boom" resurgence, the film captures a specific moment when indie rock venues like Shimokitazawa's Shelter became mythologized spaces for suburban teens chasing authenticity.
JP
