Both movie/drama are about weak high school boys who are bullied and how they start to fight with the bullies and gangsters. It also takes place in 1970s and 80s with retro style and nostalgic vibes.
Recommended by rainbowdays
They are set in near the same time period, and there is fighting in this as well. However, this one is more of a coming of age story rather than Friend.
Recommended by Makemesmile23
The story revolves around Kira and Rei, two high school students. Kira is an extremely introverted artist, and Rei is an outgoing playboy with a frightening violent side. The two start a friendship and eventually a romance after Rei sees a drawing that Kira drew on the back of a map she gave him. However, both Kira and Rei are hiding troubled pasts, and through their relationship they confront their past demons. Masao, a student at Kira and Rei's school, has a connection to Rei's violent past. He enters Kira and Rei's lives to try to force Rei to return to the person he used to be.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
The story revolves around Kira and Rei, two high school students. Kira is an extremely introverted artist, and Rei is an outgoing playboy with a frightening violent side. The two start a friendship and eventually a romance after Rei sees a drawing that Kira drew on the back of a map she gave him. However, both Kira and Rei are hiding troubled pasts, and through their relationship they confront their past demons. Masao, a student at Kira and Rei's school, has a connection to Rei's violent past. He enters Kira and Rei's lives to try to force Rei to return to the person he used to be.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
"Hot Road" depicts sad and fierce love between 15-year-old Kazuki and 16-year-old Hiroshi.
Kazuki Miyaichi lives with her mother. Kazuki does not like her mother’s boyfriend and she feels that she is not loved by her mother. This leads Kazuki to get into trouble.
Hiroshi Haruyama is a troubled kid who does part-time jobs for a living instead of going to school. He is a member of the motorcycle gang “Nights”.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
Kang Bok Gu is a tough guy and a K-1 Fighter. Bok Gu is a character who is dynamic in nature and grew up in a foster home. He falls in love with a woman whom he should not love. It was because of the woman, his emotionally-wounded brother fell off from the rooftop and became a nursing case. So, his love is forbidden and inevitably tragic.
The woman is Cha Eun Seok, who is a TV talent and movie actress. It was not that she jilted his brother on purpose, but upon a basis of misunderstanding, his hatred toward Cha Eun Seok grows more and more burning.
By becoming Cha Eun Seok's private bodyguard, Bok Gu keeps concretely practicing his revenge upon her. He only desires 'to bring his brother's woman to her knees. He is gradually taking Cha Eun Seok to destruction while he feels his love toward her growing deeper and deeper in his heart.
Bok Gu is a cold guy character without any special concern for women. The martial art of hand-to-hand fighting was just kind of his escape he chose from the shock of a spinster's death whom he loved from a distance.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
Both are coming-of-age buddy-type films focusing around poorly-off characters.
Recommended by AodhanKingkiller
A Ryong, a daughter of a giant Mafia group in Hong Kong, is wrongfully accused of killing the boss of Black Dragon, the biggest rival and is threatened to leave the country. Missing her mother, who had to leave the family for some reason, so deadly, she insists going to Korea, where her mother might be now until things get settled.

Arriving Korea, she is guided by Gi Chul, who is given a mission to protect her by his boss, but it's not easy for them to get harmonized. Meanwhile, an assassin named Yang Be is sent to Korea to kill A Ryong and there seems to be no choice for Gi Chul but to take her to his hometown disguising that he's got a wife. What will happen to this Chinese gangster wife?
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
A model student transfers to the notorious Jungmoon High School known for its severe corporal punishment by teachers and power struggles between school gangs.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
After graduating from the "New Emperor" high school, which was famous for its legendary fists, he receives a secret offer from an old friend. After entering the dark world, his hidden ambition awakens, and he is strongly attracted to Joo Mi Ran, the woman of the boss. If there's no turning back, we'll go to the end!
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
A model student transfers to the notorious Jungmoon High School known for its severe corporal punishment by teachers and power struggles between school gangs.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
Kim Hyuk lives a fast life as a high-ranking mobster in the port city of Busan, South Korea. His closest friend is fellow mobster Lee Young Choon. Even though Kim Hyuk seems to be on top of the world, he is haunted by the memory of leaving behind his younger brother, Kim Chul, and mother as they attempted to flee into South Korea from North Korea. Kim Hyuk's mother was beaten to death, and Kim Chul was imprisoned after they were caught by North Korean authorities.

Kim Hyuk then travels to Thailand with new gang recruit Jung Tae Min for a meeting with Thai gangsters. The meeting turns out to be a set-up, planned in part by Jung Tae Min. Kim Hyuk is able to shoot his way out of the meeting, but he is later caught by the Thai police and imprisoned. When good friend Lee Young Choon hears of what happened to Kim Hyuk in Thailand, he goes to the Thai gang's holdout in Pusan to kill their boss. During the shootout, Jung Tae Min is shot in the leg.

Three years later, Kim Hyuk is finally released from prison and travels back to Busan. He finds his close friend Lee Young Choon washing cars now and has a limp leg. Jung Tae Min, the man that betrayed him, has climbed up the mob ranks and is now a feared crime boss. Furthermore, Kim Hyuk's younger brother Kim Chul has arrived in Busan and works for the Busan Police Department. Meanwhile, Kim Chul keeps close tabs on Jung Tae Min as he attempts to take down their gang.

When Jung Tae Min attempts to take out Kim Hyuk's younger brother, Kim Hyuk throws himself back into the gang world to exact revenge.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
A model student transfers to the notorious Jungmoon High School known for its severe corporal punishment by teachers and power struggles between school gangs.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
Without spoiling anything, both movies humanize gangsters. Despite the fact that the main leads have very reprehensible actions, the movies manage to build empathy for these characters. The movies both show the gritty realities without any glamorization.
Recommended by 73n5h1k015h173
Overall environment at school/youth correctional training place is filled with crooked officials.

A lot of fighting, and both protagonists seek revenge.

Endings are similar.
Recommended by yannie_alienates
Once Upon a Time in High School (2004) poster

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