Reference
This is a great film for middle and high school students, and can be used with either only short clips or in its entirety. Teachers should know something about high school education in contemporary Japan, however, to effectively use this film in the classroom. Many features of Japanese teen life appear in the film: the hard work students put into school events like festivals, the sense of ganbaru (to do one's best) expressed by the students as they practice a musical piece and try to work together as a band, the universal teenage angst experienced by boys and girls who like each other, etc. Images of the school building and uniforms, the teachers' room, and story line about the difficulties a Korean exchange student has in "fitting in" all add to the usefulness of this film. Thus film also has funny and touching moments, plus good music and a feel-good ending.
