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Ikebukuro West Gate Park [池袋ウエストゲートパーク]

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Drama Details
Title:Ikebukuro West Gate Park
池袋ウエストゲートパーク
IWGP
Telecast:2000-04-14 to 2000-06-23
Season:Spring 2000



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TV Station:TBS
Duration:11 Episodes
1 Special
Viewership:14.86%



Synopsis
This story follows a young man named Makoto who lives in Ikebukuro West Gate Park, an area known for youth delinquency and gangs. In fact, one of Makoto's best friends from high school, Takeshi, is the "king" or leader, of one such gang, called the G-Boys. Makoto is known for being tough and smart, and while trying to solve the mystery of a friend's death, he finds himself a somewhat unwilling helper in many mysteries and problems of IWGP inhabitants. All the while, gang tension is mounting between his best friend's gang (which Makoto refuses to join) and a new gang, the "Black Angels."
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Soundtrack and Theme Songs (1)
1. Boukyaku no sora 忘却の空 [SADS]

Actor/Actress Cast (26)
Nagase Tomoya
長瀬智也
Majima Makoto
Watanabe Ken
渡辺謙
Yokoyama-san
Kubozuka Yosuke
窪塚洋介
Takashi "King"
Kato Ai
加藤あい
Hikaru
Sato Ryuta
佐藤隆太
Masa
Yamashita Tomohisa
山下智久
 
Morishita Aiko
森下愛子
Majima Ritsuko
Sakaguchi Kenji
坂口憲二
Yamai
Yazawa Shin
矢沢心
Chiaki
Koyuki
小雪
Matsui Kana
Kitaro
きたろう
 
Takahashi Issei
高橋一生
Kazunori
Tsumabuki Satoshi
妻夫木聡
Saitou Fujio
Sugita Kaoru
杉田かおる
 
Abe Sadao
阿部サダヲ
Hamaguchi
Watanabe Tetsu
渡辺哲
 
Maehara Kazuki
前原一輝
Sakurai
Waki Tomohiro
脇知弘
 
Nishijima Kazuhiro
西島千尋
 
Sakai Wakana
酒井若菜
Nakamura Rika
酒井若菜
Kawasaki Mayo
川崎麻世
川崎麻世
Kawamata Shinobu
川俣しのぶ
Iwabuchi
Haga Kenji
羽賀研二
早乙女アツオ
Endo Kenichi
遠藤憲一
氷高
Oguri Shun
小栗旬
Yoshikazu (epi 2)
Murasugi Seminosuke
村杉蝉之介
Satou Tsukasa aka Gomi-san (the stalker) (epi 5)
 

Drama Reviews (19)
!!WARNING!!
The review section may contain spoilers! Please understand
that you may find out about this drama's endings and plots!


1. All Hail the King! [Rating: 10/10]
I thought this drama was great. It was so layered and I had a lot of fun wading through it all.

I�fm a fan of dark humour done well, and of storylines that play with your mind, and of raw characters, and of controversial themes in general. Hopefully this helps explain why I like this drama so much, because I�fm not quite sure I can justify it otherwise.

Nagase Tomoya was really in his element in this drama, and I can see how, through the experience with this role, he was able to play Tora in Tiger & Dragon to perfection. I found that nearly all actors/actresses cast for the secondary characters were perfect – a rarity. My favourite character by far was Takeshi, played by Kubozuka Yosuke. He was brilliant and I was amazed at how flawlessly his could manipulate his character. Kato Ai really made me shiver, which reveals just how well she played the part of Hikaru. A pleasant surprise was the appearance of Koyuki. I�fve never seen her in such a role before and I thought she was great. Sakaguchi Kenji was brilliant (and really creepy), as was Watanabe Ken, who really made it hard for me to sympathize with his character. I love that.

The drama was raw and I loved how the plot folded out smooth before me. The directing was interesting and appropriate. It seemed to be an extension of the theme and purpose of the show. That�fs hard to do, and it was done well. I really felt for the characters and I found myself understanding how the minds of the characters worked. Even with the surprising deaths of certain character, I found myself accepting them and agreeing with the actions that were then inspired.

On the whole, excellent drama and highly recommended.
Reviewed by Wynter on 23 February 2008
2. Why are final episodes always the worst? [Rating: 6/10]
I finished watching this drama last week. I thought for the most part it was very funny and entertaining. Nagase Tomoya definitely does a good job. Though it was never really explained why he could only get hard with Kana. Anyway in terms of storyline and what not, the first few episodes set up for disappointment because they don't really talk about Rika's murder til the end. Watanabe Ken was also pretty good but practically bipolar. G-Boys too! They'll look for you if you've been kidnapped, otherwise they'll threaten to beat you up if you don't give them stuff.

What really bothered me was the ending. Why is it always like this? Who the hell waits around for a 5 yr old girl to walk 10 meters with her hand behind her back to approach Takashi and stab him? No one saw the big ass knife? Its half her size not to mention the fact where she got it and how she got to the fight. And Hikaru jumps off a building. I'm fine with Takashi living, but c'mon...who here thinks it made sense for Hikaru to still be alive? It would've been a pretty good ending had she actually died. Seriously. It sucked the Shun got killed. Didn't really expect that and I was kinda disappointed.

I give it a 6, meaning its decent enough to take the time to watch. Its good enough til the last few episodes.
Reviewed by himitsu-kun on 14 August 2007
3. Interesting material, but overall a letdown. [Rating: 6/10]
This drama had some interesting and controversal material to work with, such as gangs, violence, and prostitution, but the writers were confused with what direction they wanted to take the show. The first two episodes were suppose to be about the murder of Makoto's friend, which leads you to believe that the main plot revolves around this storyline. Yet this plot is completely ignored until it's brung up again in the last episode. The writers also didn't do enough to explore the gang lifestyle. Along with poorly executed humor, this drama is boring most of the time.

As for the actors, Watanabe Ken's and Nagase Tomoya's talents aren't used to their full potential. Neither of them are bad in this drama, but both of them have put on much better performances in their careers. On top of that Kato Ai was annoying. Yamapi's character didn't require a lot of acting ability, and just relied on his "cuteness." Kubozuka put on the best performance in this drama, bringing his character to life and the only one who actually managed to be funny.
Reviewed by mrsmith10 on 6 November 2011
4. Like nothing else out there... [Rating: 10/10]
Kudo Kankuro written dramas have always been fun to watch but I have also always felt that they lacked some focus. This being due to him making his stories creative above anything else. IWGP has been the first exception from this where you feel like the story is kind of all over the place and then the last couple episodes bring everything together BEAUTIFULLY, really it was incredible to see it all come together.

The drama was original from the direction to the music to the casting(amazed Sakaguchi Kenji could pull his role off, didn't know he had that in him). Although it stars a couple very popular Johnny's members, don't let that turn you off(or on if you are a fangirl) as this is totally a drama catered to guys with some brutal violence and crude humor(nothing beats seeing Koyuki participate in the sick fantasies of a gang leader).

This is the kind of show you need to watch once in awhile to realize why you started watching dramas in the first place, fantastic.
Reviewed by sucigam on 1 February 2007
5. Ikebukuro West Gate Park [Rating: 10/10]
Some viewers seem to believe this is a gang drama, but actually this is an anti-gang drama. The leading character, Makoto, refuses to be a gang member despite threats and invitations. Makoto is not particularly smart (some viewers wrote he is �gcool headed�h), but his innate warmth and curiosity lead him into numerous gang-related troubles. The theme is serious (murders, gangs, extortion, drug, incest, poverty, sex industry, etc), but hilarious at the same time. Kudo-Kan�fs multi-layering technique of comedy and tragedy works very well here too.
One translation error I noticed was in the scene where the young gang head, Takeshi, explains that his nickname �gKing�h was taken from �gthe Reverend King (King Bokushi).�h This is translated as �gthe King of Boxing.�h
Reviewed by Tokumei on 23 March 2007
6. Very interesting series and funny at unusual momen [Rating: 8/10]
Pretty interesting... the series seemed to be the work of a spaced out director at first, but got focus later... and hilarious a lot of times... definitely worth a watch - and made me a fan of Nagase Tomoya, because he's a pretty good actor - despite the unusual hairstyle.

Other cast was interesting as well - I especially liked that gang leader. Or maybe its just my natural affinity towards weird characters :D

But well, I wasn't entirely happy with the way people kept getting chopped off and the way the drama turned out wasn't what I quite expected. I will give it an 8 however, because the rest of the episodes make up for my disappointment with how they executed the last few episodes.
Reviewed by sword_of_heaven on 30 September 2007
7. West SIDE! [Rating: 10/10]
Hmmmm, this was the first show i saw with nagase tomoya in it, i saw it by chance, cuz yamapi was in it and i had just seen a great performance from him in nobuta wo produce...after i saw this i was happy, it had everything i could ask for a drama to have in it, nagase became my favorite actor after watching this, what happened in this show is still fresh on my mind and i saw this half a year ago......the fighting, the twist at the end, the acting the story line, if your not sure about jdramas, then make this the 1st one that you watch, after i saw this show my love affair with japanese dramas began....yosh!
Reviewed by compaqmac321 on 21 January 2009
8. disappointing [Rating: 5/10]
This just did not click with me. I enjoyed the direction and cinematography but the writing was very weak. Some of the characters were interesting and some of the humor worked nicely but the general plot made little sense. I guess I was expecting a bit more realism but much of the story seemed to take place in an alternate reality. Too many overly dramatic moments with no purpose; mostly a bunch of immature guys trying to act manly. I just couldn't much care about the characters and I really hope the police in Japan aren't as pathetic as they are portrayed here.
Reviewed by johnjeon on 5 May 2007
9. Seriously Underrated Drama [Rating: 9/10]
Personally, I believe this drama should be up in the top 10 dramas list, because it is a hard, no-balls type of drama which profoundly exceeded my original expectations of it. It is an excellent drama that combines a strong plot, with an excellent, star-studded young cast including nagase, kubozuka, kato ai, sato ryuta (who is a seriously underrated actor) - all of which can be seen here during the early part of their careers. This drama is never boring, and although some of the middle episode may seem like fillers, the end of the story is satisfying and realistic.
Reviewed by dekatrain on 14 July 2007
10. Creatively entertaining [Rating: 9/10]
This drama is unlike the rest in it's storytelling format as well as its directing style. Definitely geared towards a younger audience. The direction of the story takes on turns as well. Creatively entertaining to watch. Although it appears to be headed in no particular direction, there is actually a well planned plot in all of this, and doesn't escape from the usual dramas of providing viewers with some form of morale issues and/or life lessons. Does a really good job of capturing today's youth in parts of Japan
Reviewed by Hiro Toyo on 14 December 2003
11. G-boys rule! [Rating: 8/10]
this was a very interesting dorama done very similarly in style to tiger & dragon and kisarazu cats eye. tomoya nagase definitely excelled in this role although i still prefer his performance in tiger & dragon over this one. the supporting characters, while endearing, don't really allow for much in terms of developing a real attachment for them. while the dorama had a single storyline tying the series together, each episode very much had an independent feel to it. overall, IWGP is a fun and decent dorama.
Reviewed by Shindou on 3 February 2007
12. Ikebukuro West Gate Park [Rating: 10/10]
By far the best drama at my video store, IWGP was apparently so influential on youth culture that they were unable to make a sequel due to the massive number of gangs that sprang up modeled on the color gangs in the series. The source novels are fine, but don't hold up to the drama; credit must be given to directors Tsutsumi Yukihiko and (uh, I so can't find his name, but he later directed Kisarazu Cat's Eye) and screenwriter Kudoh Kankurou, who also wrote the movies Go and PingPong.
Reviewed by eirias on 21 June 2003
13. creative [Rating: 7/10]
A very creative drama, with unusual plot and good acting. Some parts are also funny. I should have rated it 9, but on a personal level, I did not enjoy watching the show because it is too bloody to my liking. I have a hard time finishing it. I also want to comment that Yosuke's acting is fantastic, he is a very versatile actor.
Reviewed by ladyelf on 17 December 2003
14. :) [Rating: 10/10]
This is definitely one of my fave doramas because it does not feel like any dorama I've ever seen. It does not feature any stilted romantic leads, terminally ill lovers nor any other cliche bullshit. It's just great characters and great acting and a fantastic directing style that fits the story oh so perfectly.
Reviewed by ninjavsself on 30 May 2007
15. EXCELLENT~ [Rating: 10/10]
the issues in this dorama were very violent but very much real. the cast in this was incredible and most of the scenes were HILARIOUS. this dorama is not going to make you forget it very easily and i also would like to reccommend the special. VERY NICE......the cast in this were very well chosen
Reviewed by cola_cherry on 17 November 2003
16. Excellent!!! [Rating: 10/10]
I totally love dis drama, eventhough it is quite violent, wiv blood abd stuff, but i hav 2 admit dat the storyline is veri gd... there's a little bit bout love, friendship , basically a bit of everything... it bases on the teenagers nowadays...totally recommend!!
Reviewed by princess on 14 July 2002
17. sugoi! [Rating: 9/10]
nagase tomoya, kato ai, yamapi, kubozuka yosuke, watanabe ken, morishita aiko, koyuki, satoshi tsumabuki, sato ryuta, oguri shun and many more. BTW is also a cool drama
Reviewed by oberon on 16 August 2006
18. Ikebukuro West Gate Park (I.W.G.P.) [Rating: ?/10]
Very good drama! One of my favorites! Great pick of actors/actress' to portray the characters!
Reviewed by ahochaude on 17 November 2003
19. Ikebukuro West gate Park [Rating: 9/10]
1st to last episodes,but the last i diden't even blink beleve it!
Reviewed by G-coy on 29 January 2004

Comments From Users (186)
!!WARNING!!
This section may contain spoilers! Do not proceed if you
do not want to read about this drama's endings and plots!


1. Comments by Inujun [Rating: 9/10]
I found this drama very refreshing and entertaining, full of violence, black humour and loads of weird people, yet extremely realistic of modern day japanese youngsters. Following the protagonist Makoto, who to the record is a very amusing protagonist (neither a goody-2-shoes nor a jerk), we are exposed to the young gang members GBoys lead by Takeshi (also an extremely amusing character, of course brought further to life by the amazing yousuke), the mafia, the police plus various other youngsters. Hey even Makoto's mum is not your average mum. The beginning does take time to get used to though, since the camera angles, hippy music and frequent flashes might get on your nerves, but keep on with it and you'll get an excellent original work hard to find in most j-dramas. Excellent acting as well in which most of the side characters even seem like the main ones. Highly recommended.
2. Comments by Eyrien* [Rating: 10/10]
Another one of my personal favorites. A controversial drama about gang life in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Nagase Tomoya, Kubozuka Yosuke, Kato Ai, Yamashita Tomohisa, and Koyuki star in this drama. Nagase Tomoya plays the role of a Makoto, a 20 yr. street punk with connections to the leader of an uprising gang, G-Boys, lead by Takashi, Kubozuka Yosuke. One day Nagase and his friend run into Kato Ai, her friend, and Yamashita Tomohisa. After a week of hanging out and doing all sorts of nefarious things, Rika (Kato Ai's friend) makes a move on Nagase, they sorta start dating, and then Rika shows up dead at a love hotel. Makoto, using his connections, attempts to find Rika's killer, and things get crazy from there. This drama I HIGHLY recommend! To me the drama flows smoothly, it's not boring at all, and the last few episodes are a huge surprise. Watch it!
3. Comments by Kitsuchi [Rating: 10/10]
Oh, just finished watching this and I liked it alot. It was both a very excellent dorama and scary at the same time. Nice theme-song and the plot is very interesting.

At the beginning, I felt like too much was happening all the time, almost like "fillers", and not taking up the real story too well.. But then, when the episodes went by.. I understood the real story better and also got to know that those "fillers" weren't fillers, but they WERE part of the plot. That was really good, I thought. I never got bored of this dorama. Never too slow or too fast. Things happened all the time and got you excited.

The dorama is a bit bloody, but also very sad and even funny! There's love, hate, friendship, hardship, death, playful times.. Everything. I liked it alot ^_^.
4. Comments by Amano_Tsukiko [Rating: 6/10]
I was expecting something like Young And Dangerous. Silly me. But it turned out to be different. It has mature content (not much) and yet, it's a light drama.

For 3/4 of the drama, I did not see any particular direction with it. But near the end it starts to be a bit interesting. Some early parts can be shortened or omitted to make space for something more meaningful. Overall, a decent drama. I'm bias towards it because I like wierd girl (in IWGP, it's Hikari).

Mostly disappointed that Hikari's 2nd personality is only shown near the end of the drama. I guess they did that to keep the mystery going though I think that the drama still fail to deliver the mystery feel by doing that.
5. Comments by kneehard [Rating: 10/10]
Only watched it in 2007 eventhough the dorama has been out since 2000/01. As usual, I absolutely love the work of the director (who directed Kisarazu Cat's Eye and Tiger & Dragon). Great potrayal from Tomoya Nagase and everyone else. Quite surprised to see Ken Watanabe for I had never seen him in a dorama before. Of course I must mention that this dorama rekindled my flame for Yosuke Kubozuka who was my first Japanese actor crush (first saw him as Kikuchi in GTO, my first j-dorama!!). Anyway, highly recommended although I think Cat's Eye and Tiger & Dragon would probably be more worthwhile because the director has matured so much in both shows.
6. Comments by Sorata [Rating: 8/10]
One of the best doramas i watched, the most impressive thing in this is the cast: Nagase Tomoya, Watanabe Ken, Kubozuka Yosuke, Sato Ryuta, Yamashita Tomohisa, Koyuki and all the others were all very impressive. I love stories about yankees and delinquents, but as far as j-dorama is concerned this is the best concerning that matter, i loved every second of it and the last 4 episodes were pure gold.
But the one thing that i really loved in this was Kubozuka Yosuke�Ls performance as "The King" Takashi, he�Ls one of the greatest characters i have ever witnessed in a j-dorama, a stelar performance by Kubozuka as the awesome "King".
7. Comments by mmyy [Rating: 10/10]
IWGP knows its extremities best and does not try to hide its vulgarity, which resulted in the most splendid rough series I've ever watched! The huge cast is full of wacky personalities that will either make you laugh silly or twitch in uneasiness, but a great job done by everyone nonetheless. Kubozuka Yosuke is the most outstanding actor here imho, perfect as the weirdly charismatic fun leader of the G-Boys. This drama is exceptionally funny and twisted and full of violence; defintiely not for the faint-hearted but highly recommended to everyone searching for a great hellride!
8. Comments by dekatrain [Rating: 9/10]
Personally, I believe this drama should be up in the top 10 dramas list, because it is a hard, no-balls type of drama which profoundly exceeded my original expectations of it. It is an excellent drama that combines a strong plot, with an excellent, star-studded young cast including nagase, kubozuka, kato ai, sato ryuta (who is a seriously underrated actor) - all of which can be seen here during the early part of their careers. This drama is never boring, and although some of the middle episode may seem like fillers, the end of the story is satisfying and realistic.
9. Comments by Angry Machines [Rating: 9/10]
Nagase in his best role to be seen. If you read my other reviews for shows where Nagase stars in, u can see my mutual dislike for him. But in this show, I have to admit that he shined and I was surprised for the well-acted character he impersonated on-screen. Although I have to say that he takes after kimura takuya in the cockieness and the indiferrent attitude played along the show, still Nagase kicked ass here and I've got to give top score for this new formula of teen gangs and real life in tokyo streets. Watch with ur buddies! best of I've seen lately.
10. Comments by yume [Rating: 10/10]
This has got to be the only drama I 100% couldn't believe I was so fortunate to see! It doesn't wind down until the very very second of the last episode! It deals with serious issues like violence, drugs, sex (hooker bars, high school "prostitutes"), post-high school life, and gangs but it's never preach-y. If anything, it's a straight look at a fictional story about all of those things in Japan, with some comedy thrown in. This is definitely an entertaining show, from beginning to end--I wanted more, but it's an "ikenai koto."
11. Comments by ffrostte [Rating: 7/10]
Tomoya was so cool in it. The story was kind of new to me (quite unlike those mainstream Japanese dorama) and it does make me wanna visit Ikebukuro one day.

I won't say it is one of my favorite though. Mafia, blood, violence, detective stories and the Japanese sex industry just isn't my thing.

Plus...there really are too much blood in it. Argh...I can't bear to watch a Tomoya who speaks foul language, and who got hurt in such a way that his whole face and body was covered with BLOOD. yuck...
12. Comments by Nermal [Rating: 7/10]
IWGP was at first a fairly interesting drama. With it`s cast of young and refreshing actors (Nagase Tomoya, Kato Ai, Kobukuza Yosuke, Yamashita Tomohisa, Sato Ryuta, Tsumabuki Satoshi, and more) and of veterans (Watanabe Ken, Morishita Aiko, Haga Kenji, etc..) this was bound to have very interesting moments.

A very interesting look into street gangs although a little bit cliche at parts. The ending was unexpected but a little bit of a downer at other parts. Therefore 7/10.

Recommended!
13. Comments by moonchyld [Rating: 7/10]
the best thing abt this drama is its cast. eventually most of the stars in this drama will become the biggest names (watanabe, yamapi, koyuki, kubozuka, sakaguchi, tsumabuki etc..), and it was interesting to see them when they were still doing supporting roles. unfortunately, their acting here simply sucked. lol. tears were unquestionably eyedrops & the main actress was simply ineffective. i liked the directing though, and the story's quite different from other jdorama.
14. Comments by Ralbol [Rating: 8/10]
Un drama tres puissant, avec de l'humour, du serieux, de la violence, du sexe, des gangs et meme des shibuya girls. Ca part tres tres fort, mais au final ca donne une petite impression de trop: on ne peut pas explorer tous les genres a la fois sans se disperser, ca manque de coherence.
Cela, dit je conseile IWGP a tout le monde, c'est une experience peu commune qui vaut tres certainement le coup. Et les acteurs sont excellents.
15. Comments by Kotori [Rating: 10/10]
I just looooooooooooooooooooooove this dorama! One really unique dorama, that I can't let it go from the first episode up till the last. The special is cute, too. But I can't recomment it to any Yamapi fans... gosh I was in a shock that I never had in any of the doramas. All these pictures of his death just couldn't go of my mind! But still really really good, good story.. not just a little shojo thing with cute guys.
16. Comments by Susan [Rating: 10/10]
Despite the fact that I am not a fan of Nagase Tomoya, I checked out this drama... and it was GOOD! Hilarious, but also with an awesome ongoing plot and really intelligent, interesting mysteries in each episode. I especially enjoyed Kubozuka Yosuke as "King." He was crazy! The role really suited him. From the very beginning In was totally engaged and the ending couldn't have been better. IWGP... SAIKOU!
17. Comments by Aunty Coco [Rating: 10/10]
Simply awesome... However it should be rated NC16 cos of the violent and explicit contents... The murder & fighting scenes are brutal but realistic... Reminds me of the movie Young & Dangerous by Ekin Cheng but with more depth... Definately well deserved in winning the best drama of the season... Wonder why Nagase didn't clinch the best actor award? This is certainly one of my favourites...
18. Comments by Susie [Rating: 8/10]
Another really odd dorama (I guess I like the strange ones a lot, too!) but handled well. I'm not sure about what it was all about, but at least from what I could see it was sort of about turf wars (but I can't explain the dead girl or the possesion of her friend). Nagase and Kubozuka both are wonderful in it, and like Love Complex, it is directed and edited very uniquely. I like it!
19. Comments by shizuyo [Rating: 10/10]
Personaly, this is my favorite drama at the moment and probably will stay that way. How many jdramas deal with sex, drugs, murder, transsexuals, yakuza nobility, police corruption, prostitution, love, bosozoku, rape, immigration, multiculturalism, Japan's unique dating culture, and the strength of friendship all in one series?

Plus, chibi-Yamapi! No one can resist the chibiPi.
20. Comments by nienna [Rating: 9/10]
Kyaaaaaaaa~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!! Nagase!!!!!!!!! actually, i watched this because i wanted to watch Nagase but then, when i actually did, i began to actually enjoy the movie. it's funny, interesting and full of things we should and shouldn't leave. too bad they didn't do a sequel... but then again, there are some elements that shouldn't be taught to youngsters...^^
21. Comments by meiohsetsuna [Rating: 8/10]
This drama is a little bizarre and creepy at times. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the camera angles and the plot development. And who wouldn't want to watch Nagase? :) I heard that Yamapi got an award for his acting in this one. I can't see why, because he's so quiet and you barely hear from him at all. It's a good murder mystery story with a bunch of fun on the side.
22. Comments by gaijinmark [Rating: 3/10]
I had heard this drama was funny. So, in episode 1 after seeing a young girl attacked and a dog killed, I thought to myself, "Oh yeah, this is going to be a real barrel of monkeys."

I'm giving it a 3 because if you took out every scene where somebody was getting beat up, stabbed, bleeding, or dying, you might have enough material for three episodes.
23. Comments by Viirastus [Rating: 10/10]
It's violent but interesting. It doesn't try to hide it's vulgarity and seems like if it's real life. Very exiting plot and good cast. Kubozuka Yosuke who plays the King of the G-boys Takashi acts so well and young YamaPi is kakkoii also as a painter and anime freak. : D Very freaky but exiting series. Ending was disappointing, though.
24. Comments by EstherM [Rating: 9/10]
One of my favourite shows, which I still recommend to all my friends. I can�Lt really explain why I like this so much, but the plot is tight, the actors deliver and even though it�Ls a bit violent I find it very touching. It has a certain "this is OUR youth" vibe going on and it makes me for some freaky reason feel young again.
25. Comments by keikotl [Rating: 9/10]
So bloody but I really like the characters in here. Makoto was funny and I just luv the first scene when they started showing Mizuno in the bookstore. But I just didn't like the ending for Mizuno. But afterall, this drama deals with lots of different themes. Violence, friendship, romance, case-solving, and a hint of comedy.
26. Comments by ben_soh23 [Rating: 7/10]
pretty interesting drama but wasnt as good as i thought.... the comical parts n serious parts juz don mix well together, thus making this drama seem pretty distorted..... but the G-boys r pretty cool n i love Kato Ai and Koyuki characters in the show... the twist abt Kato Ai character was the highlight of the show to me...
27. Comments by michiru3 [Rating: 10/10]
What a great great drama. I liked the whole story & that everything was so fast paced. Kubozuka & Nagase were so great. I hated Kato Ai, thought she was most annoying person ever. Also, Yamashita's role was so small & barely had any range. I wonder why he won an award for this. Kubozuka should get the award.
28. Comments by Hinano [Rating: 7/10]
I saw 1 episode but...it like scared me. It really reminded me a lot of Kisarazu Cat's eye (especially since the cast was like the same), but it reminded me of like some kind of Japanese ghetto and I figured if I conitnued to watch it I'd get more fearful of going to Japan so I didn't go past ep 1 ^^;
29. Comments by Cerebus [Rating: 8/10]
I nearly didn't get past the first two episodes as I don't think I liked a single character, but it improved greatly after that. Stylish, dark, comedic, violent, bizarre and definitely not your average Japanese drama. The ending was a little weak and the acting variable, but it was highly enjoyable.
30. Comments by strawberrynkiwi [Rating: 9/10]
This drama is underrated. I haven't watched such a good drama in such a long time. Even though it was too violent and bloody for me, it was awesome. My favorite boys were in there. The storyline is entertaining. There was a lot of randomness, but I enjoyed that. Nagase is truely a wonderful actor.

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Users who voted for this drama (65)
1. mmyy
IWGP knows its extremities best and does not try to hide its vulgarity, which resulted in the most splendid rough series I've ever watched! The huge cast is full of wacky personalities that will either make you laugh silly or twitch in uneasiness, but a great job done by everyone nonetheless. Kubozuka Yosuke is the most outstanding actor here imho, perfect as the weirdly influential fun leader of the G-Boys. This drama is exceptionally funny and twisted and full of violence; defintiely not for the faint-hearted but highly recommended to everyone searching for a great hellride!
2. zushan
It's a massive change from the cliche high school/comedy/romance J-doramas. Obviously they never get you bored, but this is brilliant! Nagase Tomoya is great, but my favourite award must go to Kubozuka Yosuke, he's truly brilliant. It even has Ken Watanabe! And he puts on a great performance. All in all, a show worth watching, one of the most under-rated doramas on here!
3. keikotl
I thought this drama was interesting and the main lead is pretty funny in here. My favorite character here would be Mizuno (Yamapi). The only thing that I didn't like about the drama was of what happened to Mizuno at the end. I was shocked when Makoto and his friends found him in the locker. Hooh-hooh, it was a heart-wrenching scene for me.
4. himura_kenshin
This is my favorite dorama! Nagase Tomoya character is so cool and Watanabe Ken character is very well played by him... The king character is so funny and crazy... About the girls, Hikaru is beautiful but Kana is the most prretty of this series! Great serie with some cool action scenes, yakuza and gangs,etc...
5. ahochaude
Excellent! The life of Yankees in Japan. I think Nagase Tomoya did an excellent job as Makoto. Although a bit violent at times, I would still recommend this drama to people who want to see GOOD dramas.
6. bettebogart
Compared with other Jdramas, this is about as gritty as they get. A crime drama about gangs, not your usual drama but well done with some great performances, especially from Kubozuka Yousuke.
7. saya317
this drama has style! the editing, the music, the feeling you get from watching this show. i just love it for its youthful and edgy atmosphere. we need more dramas like this out there.
8. siaoliao
One of my favourite shows ever! I love how the tension actually rises in each episode all the way till the end. Plus the characters were varied and so well played out. Just fantastic!
9. ichiban_noodles
Hilariously irreverant & violent. So cutting edge, it's hard to believe it's 7 years old. Definitely a time capsule dorama, like something that was created in the future.
10. windrider
This is the most unique drama i've seen. Its almost film style. There's of cool teen attitude is overflowing in this show, which is a good thing :>
11. Blood_Berry
i think i'm in love with everything about this dorama! well except for the hikaru? hikari? girl... her cutesy voice & antics were annoying. XD
12. polarp
i really haven't seen anything like I.W.G.P. It is entertaining, eccentric and scary all at the same time. It is an odd drama in a stylish way.
13. williu
Great storyline, acting and directing. It keeps you hooked and waiting for more. Simply an amazing, but different, drama.
14. Mugen
I've been waiting for a Yakuza/Bosozoku drama and finally i've found IWGP,Tomoya Nagase is very good and his friend too.
15. oberon
really cool drama, i'm glad sars subtitled this. This drama is deals with real things and has a awsome cast
16. Yuna
Dioxxxxxxxxxxx un drama buenisimooooooooooooo pero un mal final!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! buaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa T_T
17. jjpsychic2
2nd best drama i've watched, behind GTO..
story and lifestyle is just magnificent
18. cola_cherry
excellent it!!!! cried really hard wen yamaP was found. so sad~ very good cast!!
19. sasukekun6
Probably my favorite drama. The cast is fabulous and the plot is awesome.
20. vega12
Hilarious drama! Cast was great, and script was highly entertaining.
21. arashimania
Love the book, and love the drama! Nagase Tomoya did a great job !!
22. Dreamchaser
It's so damn crazy and has often great suspense. Makoto is great!
23. xuanie
cool, street ganster drama! different from those love n romance!
24. Limes
Unconventional storyline; superbly acted and directed drama.
25. kesusita
The drama has a great atmosphere and even better cast. :)
26. jdoramafreaks
Excellent! read the novel first then watch the drama.
27. Seghal
great combination of comedy, thriller and drama
28. lucy_monostone
Wow I love the violence!!! and Yamap!!!!
29. jpopfanatic
Dark, humorous, and a definite must see.
30. yume
Unneccessarily AMAZING drama! So funny.

Read all 65 votes from users