The Kirishima Thing
Year: 2012
Runtime: 103 mins
Language: Japanese
Director: Daihachi Yoshida
A story about the disappearance of Kirishima, a star athlete of the volleyball club, and how his disappearance affects every person in school.
The Kirishima Thing (2012) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview
Get a spoiler-free look at The Kirishima Thing (2012) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.
In a bustling high‑school where achievement and popularity intersect, the sudden disappearance of Kirishima—the charismatic second‑year captain of the volleyball team, top student and boyfriend of the school’s most admired girl—creates a ripple of uncertainty that touches every corner of campus life. His absence is felt not only on the court but in the whispered corridors, where rumors begin to swirl and friendships are quietly tested.
The volleyball squad must adjust to new roles, with a smaller teammate stepping into the libero position and the team’s competitive spirit strained by the loss of its leader. Meanwhile, the film club, still reeling from a humiliating assembly mock‑ery, decides to channel its energy into an ambitious zombie‑movie project, seeking both creativity and redemption. Across the hallway, the brass band’s ambitious captain, Sawajima, practices saxophone melodies in hopes of catching the eye of a fellow musician, unintentionally intersecting with the film crew’s chaotic rehearsals.
At the same time, the badminton club offers a different kind of focus. Maeda, the film club’s head, encounters Kasumi, whose respect and curiosity about the zombie film ignite a subtle attraction, even as he discovers her secret relationship with Ryuta, one of Kirishima’s close friends. The social circles surrounding Risa, the missing star’s girlfriend, and Sana, the popular girl who dates Risa’s boyfriend, begin to fray, revealing hidden jealousies and alliances that ripple through the student body.
Against this backdrop of teenage ambition, looming expectations, and the lingering mystery of a beloved peer’s vanishing, the film blends humor with tension, capturing the pulse of a school teetering between ordinary routines and the unsettling possibility that something deeper lies just out of sight. The atmosphere is one of restless curiosity, inviting viewers to wonder how the intertwined lives will respond to the silence left behind.
Last Updated: September 26, 2025 at 04:38
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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Ripple effect social dramas like The Kirishima Thing
Stories where a single event fractures a community, forcing emotions to the surface.If you liked how The Kirishima Thing explored the fallout of a disappearance on a high school, you'll enjoy these movies. This section features stories where a single event fractures a community, revealing hidden tensions and the fragile nature of social order in movies with similar anxious and raw moods.
Narrative Summary
These stories unfold through multiple perspectives, using a central catalyst—a disappearance, a rumor, a tragic event—to explore the interconnected lives within a community. The narrative structure is often fragmented, weaving together different character arcs that collectively paint a portrait of a group under stress, moving towards a climax of emotional confrontation rather than a tidy resolution.
Why These Movies?
Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on social ecosystems in crisis. They share a tense, observational tone, a steady pacing that builds anxiety, and a thematic interest in how pressure reveals the true nature of relationships and individual character.
Claustrophobic high school movies like The Kirishima Thing
Films that capture the intense pressure and fragile social hierarchies of adolescence.Fans of The Kirishima Thing's portrayal of high school anxiety will find more to explore here. Discover similar movies that capture the tense, fragile atmosphere of adolescence, where peer pressure, rumors, and social dynamics create a claustrophobic and emotionally raw viewing experience.
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Narrative Summary
Narratives in this thread often focus on the breaking point of characters trapped within the rigid social structure of a school. The journey involves navigating invisible rules, confronting peer pressure, and experiencing the painful process of identity formation under the watchful, judgmental eyes of classmates. The setting itself becomes a character, symbolizing constraint and anxiety.
Why These Movies?
These films are united by their specific setting and the intense, specific mood it generates. They share a grounded, often bleak or tense tone, a focus on nuanced social dynamics, and a palpable sense of anxiety that comes from being constantly observed and evaluated within a closed system.
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The Kirishima Thing Summary
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The Kirishima Thing Timeline
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