That’s Cunning! Shijo Saidai no Sakusen?

Set in contemporary times on a Japanese university campus, the story follows exams, dorm life, and office politics. The atmosphere reflects present-day academic pressure, student activism, and the murky intersection of education and industry. The technology and social dynamics point to a current-day setting rather than a distant past.

Primarily set on a university campus, the action unfolds in a tense final exam hall and the adjacent Sigma dormitory where residents live. The hall becomes a pressure-filled arena for cheating while the dorms symbolize a close-knit community under corporate threat. The setting blends academic rigor with underlying corruption that threatens student housing and futures.

🕵️ Corruption

A central thread is the corruption within the university’s leadership and a conglomerate that schemes to demolish dormitories for a hotel. The plot reveals stolen papers and plagiarism used to justify unethical plans. As students uncover the schemes, the story explores accountability, legal action, and the consequences of greed on education.

📚 Cheating Culture

The Sigma dorm students devise and execute a cheating strategy to secure top grades, prompting a tense clash with an ostensibly righteous professor. The film chronicles how academic pressure and manipulation normalize deceit, then reveals the vulnerabilities and resilience of the students. The final exam chaos exposes the fragility of integrity and the ingenuity they muster to survive.

🤝 Solidarity

Despite competing motives, the Sigma dorm residents rally together to defend their future and expose corruption. Their cooperation in gathering information, sharing resources, and supporting each other demonstrates the strength of collective action against a corrupt system. The friendship bonds formed during hardship shape their choices and futures.

❤️ Love

A romantic thread develops as Kenji confesses his feelings for Morishita, complicating the group’s dynamic. The relationship influences decisions about participation in cheating and personal futures. In the end, Morishita chooses a path of teaching, signaling growth and sacrifice beyond romance.