Between the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we present to others, somewhere in the middle lies the truth of who we are, that part of ourselves that we either can’t bear to put into the light of day or the one that we’re afraid for others to see. But, if the confidence can be found to be exactly who we are, we can withstand the storm (metaphorical or otherwise). This is what courses through the new Takashi Miike (First Love; 13 Assassins; Audition) film Blazing Fists, having its Canadian premiere in the Selection 2025 section of Fantasia International Film Festival 2025, a martial arts crime drama that centers the friendship of two boys whose respective pasts not only are the cause of their meeting, but are, perhaps, the ruination of their present. A story of fellowship, redemption, and absolution, Blazing Fists is a multi-layered tale whose careful threading of journeys amid tropes results in quite a few emotional surprises within the expected martial arts action.
L-R: Kaname Yoshizawa as Ryoma and Danhi Kinoshita as Ikuto in BLAZING FISTS. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival/Well Go USA.
While serving their respective sentences in juvenile detention, Ryoma meets Ikuto (Kaname Yoshizawa and Danhi Kinoshita, respectively) and they form a bond that enables them to survive the frequent harshness of the environment. Things change for both of them when a former juvie resident and founder of program Breaking Down, a fighting competition whose gimmick is “one-minute, one-round,” Mikuru Asakura (playing himself), comes to speak to their group of inmates, inspiring within the duo a desire to win the competition. Once freed, the two find a gym and begin training, but the future is only as bright as the past allows it to be and both Ryoma and Ikuto have unfinished business that refuses to stay that way. Soon the two friends will find themselves faced with a choice that will redefine their futures and even their friendship.
Center-Right: Kaname Yoshizawa as Ryoma in BLAZING FISTS. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival/Well Go USA.. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival/Well Go USA.
Formerly titled Blue Fight: The Breaking Down of Young Blue Warriors, the script from Shin Kibayashi (The Files of Young Kindaichi: Lost in Kowloon) is a push-pull in terms of narrative structure, following a precise course that’s littered with over-explanation in some areas and suggestion in others, resulting in an experience that will frustrate unless you can see what Kibayashi is trying to accomplish. Organized like a spiral moving outward, Blazing Fists is a story about each boy, their relationship, the conflicts that come to find them, and the “boss” of the film, Mido (Gackt), who operates a feared gang called Krishna. The film is absolutely at its strongest when it’s kept simple, the focus being on Ryoma and Ikuto as the two try to reinvent themselves, moving their paths from one of criminality to decency; yet, Kibayashi keeps inserting ways in which the two central figures are bound, how their lives were intricately linked before they ever met, and, perhaps in a condemnation of the justice system of Japan, the terrible cultural belief that once a criminal, always a criminal. In some cases, it’s truly compelling, especially as the audience discovers the crimes that each boy was convicted of and whether or not they were guilty. One would think this would elevate the dimensionality of the characters — when, in fact — what does shift the view of them is how each responds to the way their reputations are impacted. This makes each central figure fascinating and asserts definition upon each character before the actors even add their delivery. For Ryoma, it’s about finding a way to stop being a victim, to rend control away from those who are stronger than he, so that he can control his narrative. For Ikuto, it’s about no longer borrowing from the reputations of others unto himself, but building something of his own. The latter bit is a presumption on this reviewer’s part because one of the more complex/less filled-in elements is why Ikuto has the reputation he does as a brutal fighter (both in juvie and out). There’s a suggestion that, as strong as he is and as capable as he is, some of his reputation may be stolen valor that he’s just never argued against. This, of course, feeds into the themes of the film regarding reputation and living a life of your own versus what others think, because taking on the reputation of another is merely just allowing others to tell your truth instead of living your own. Without getting into spoilers, Blazing Fists may be overly complicated, but the film manages to bring everything — the action, the drama, the themes — together in such a way that the end points appear natural and, looking back, you can see how the films setup a series of revelations (some setups seeming cartoonish in the moment).
Center: Gackt as Mido in BLAZING FISTS. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival/Well Go USA.
One view of the film is of a sport underdog story with these two kids using mixed martial arts as the vehicle to a new life. With this in mind, we need to believe in Ryomo and Ikuto as they begin, but also along their progression. With the script so interested in exploring the stories that surround us, much of the enjoyment of Blazing Fists rests on the shoulders of Yoshizawa and Kinoshita. Can we believe that Ryomo, the audience’s proxy, is capable of pulling himself up and walking a straight path? Can we believe that the rumored ferocious Ikuto, whose reputation precedes him inside the juvie building and outside, can pull himself back from what other see for him? Because of the sports film inclusion, the presumed answer is “yes,” but that would be too simple for a Miike film. Instead, Blazing Fists keeps throwing land mines into the narrative for the two to navigate, whether it’s by demonstrating the differences in the boys’ home lives (supportive single moms who handle each boy with clear variances that imply how they ended up where they are), the inclusion of local gang leader Jun (Chikashi Kuon) who has ties to both boys, and then Mido himself. To surpass everything doesn’t necessarily mean to defeat an opponent through physical combat, which is the subversion of the expectation that makes Blazing Fists transform from rote drama into a philosophical surprise and by which several outstanding combat sequences take place. Yoshizawa and Kinoshita, each relative newcomers with only a few other projects under their belts outside of Blazing Fists, carry it all with relative ease. There’s a naturalness in their performances that makes the moments of melodrama feel authentic, enabling the emotion to come through. Almost as important, their physical performances make the various action sequences believable, even given their slight frames and seemingly larger opponents, giving a perpetual sense (metaphorically and literally) that these two are constantly fighting outside their weight class.
L-R: Kaname Yoshizawa as Ryoma and Danhi Kinoshita as Ikuto in BLAZING FISTS. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival/Well Go USA.
Blazing Fists tackles a great deal of material from start to finish and the best parts about it are the scenes with Yoshizawa and Kinoshita, though Gackt chewing the scenery is a close second. Though a little rough around the edges, ultimately, the film achieves what it seeks to accomplish, driving home that not all battles are against true villains, but ourselves. Admittedly it may seem a little simplistic to boil the film down to an idea of “to thine own self be true,” but it’s pretty accurate all the same. Even Gackt’s Mido, a proper horror show of a person, lives a life of authenticity and has garnered loyalty from his crew as a result. Those who can dial-in to both Miike and Kibayashi’s frequency will find themselves richly rewarded both in entertainment and emotional resonance.
Screening during Fantasia International Film Festival 2025.
For more information, head to the official Fantasia International Film Festival Blazing Fists webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, In Theaters, Recommendation, Reviews
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