When I first saw this movie I was kind of turned off by it. It can be kind of confusing the first time around. But as with most good things it gets better with time and familiarity. The movie basically revolves around a Japanese born but fully north Korean teenager who struggles to find his place in society and come to terms with his tough father. As a Japanese-born Korean or "zainichi" he often feels alienated both by Korean and Japanese culture. The movie follows the trials and transformations in his life and his desire to find who he is and where he belongs. I think a lot of people who are the second or third generation of immigrant families will really get this movie. It's like being stuck between two worlds sometimes. But regardless of background people will be able to relate to the story (manic as it is). If you like say fight club, you will probably like this movie. There are quite a bit of action and fight sequences, a lot of introspection, and also romantic elements. The movie tends to segregate these elements to some extent which makes the film seem lop-sided but in the end everything balances nicely. This is probably one of my favourite movies, Japanese or otherwise.

Go was a surprise at Berlin FilmFest. A wild - at times bloody - story about a guy from the North Korean community in Japan, who tries to find out what his roots are and where he belongs to. Sugihara speaks Japanese, he looks like an ordinary Japanese punk and has Japanese friends - but he is different. He feels alienated from his parents and his background, he hates the rigid rules at the North Korean college he is attenting (chanting, marching and being beaten up by a strictly communist teacher included), but he's got no clue how to meddle into Japanese society. So he does best provocating others much to the anger of his father a former boxer, who has very special methods of education. What most people don't know, there are strong reservations in Japan against the Koreans in the country, so in the course of the events Sugihara hits some walls, especially when he fells in love with a Japanese girl, and doesn't dare to tell her the truth. A strong example for "New Japanese Cinema". Watch out for this director!