🎬 Subtitles and Bad Decisions Presents:
🫰 Because I have feelings, subtitles, and no self-control.
High&Low: The Story of S.W.O.R.D. Season 2 (2016)
🌙 Watch Log
Started: “Season 1 introduced me to five factions, a ridiculous amount of hot men, phenomenal music, and fight scenes that had me forgetting I was supposed to be doing anything else. So obviously I was watching Season 2.”
Finished: “I'm already two seasons deep into this wonderfully crafted madhouse, and apparently I'm not stopping anytime soon.”
🇯🇵 Japan • 2016
🎬 10 Episodes (Standard Series)
📺 Available on: Bilibili
✨ Why I Picked This Up
After Season 1 basically threw me headfirst into the High&Low universe, there was no chance I wasn't continuing. I had already fallen down the rabbit hole of S.W.O.R.D., and now I needed to know what happened next.
Especially after the introduction of the Mighty Warriors at the end of Season 1.
Because of course they couldn't just show up and then politely leave.
Nope.
Season 2 picks up the chaos and starts bringing all five factions more deeply into the action, while the Mighty Warriors slowly begin making their move. We also get more of the history behind the characters and factions, which gives the whole thing more depth as the stakes start getting higher.
Basically, I was already invested, so naturally I hit play.
🎭 The Premise (Spoiler-Free)
Season 2 takes everything established in the first season and starts widening the world.
The five S.W.O.R.D. factions are all becoming more involved in the growing conflict, while the Iemura Group becomes another major piece of the chaos. At the same time, the mysterious Mighty Warriors, who appeared at the end of Season 1, begin moving into the picture.
And while all of this is happening, we get more of the characters' histories, giving us a better understanding of how some of these relationships and grudges came to exist in the first place.
So basically:
More factions.
More fighting.
More history.
More chaos.
And, thankfully, more RUDE BOYS.
👥 The People Responsible for My Emotional Stability
💫 Hino Junpei / Cobra (Iwata Takanori)
Cobra is still one of the central figures of Sanno Rengokai, and at this point I'm fully invested in watching him try to navigate everything happening around him.
He's still got that quiet, controlled presence, but Season 2 starts pulling him deeper into the larger conflict.
💫 Asahina Yamato (Suzuki Nobuyuki)
Yamato remains one of Cobra's closest friends, and we get more of his personal history this season, including his relationship with his mother.
He's loyal, protective, and once again right in the middle of all the chaos.
Because apparently these men don't know how to have a quiet weekend.
💫 Miura Tatsuomi / Kohaku (Akira)
Kohaku becomes much more important this season as we get deeper into the history surrounding Mugen and the events that led to the current situation.
And honestly, getting more of the past was one of the things I enjoyed about this season. It makes the whole S.W.O.R.D. universe feel less like five random gangs fighting and more like there's an actual history connecting all of them.
💫 Takamura Tsukumo (Aoyagi Sho)
Tsukumo is another important connection to Mugen and Kohaku's past, and his presence helps fill in more of the story behind everything that happened before S.W.O.R.D.
💫 Tatsuya (Iura Arata)
Tatsuya becomes another important piece of the story as the season digs further into the past and the relationships surrounding Mugen.
⚡ The Mighty Warriors
💫 Ice (ELLY)
The leader of the Mighty Warriors, Ice is one of the major new forces introduced this season, and this group definitely makes its presence known.
💫 Sarah (Kana Oya)
💫 9 (Anarchy)
💫 Bernie (Shirahama Alan)
💫 Pearl (Nogae Shuhei)
💫 Ryu (Saotome Taichi)
The Mighty Warriors bring an entirely different energy into the S.W.O.R.D. mess, and watching them slowly move into the conflict was one of the things that kept me curious about where this whole thing was going.
🐍 The Iemura Group
💫 Iemura Tatsumi (Nakamura Tatsuya)
The president of the Iemura Group and another major player in the growing chaos.
💫 Kawada (Matsuzawa Kazuyuki)
💫 Ishii (Nishioka Tokuma)
💫 Nikaido (Tachibana Kenchi)
💫 Kirinji (Onozuka Hayato)
Because apparently S.W.O.R.D. needed another organization thrown into the mix.
Sure.
Why not?
🔥 Sanno Rengokai
💫 Harada Noboru (Machida Keita)
💫 Dan Kazuya (Yamashita Kenjiro)
💫 Kurosaki Teppei / Tettsu (Sato Kanta)
💫 Kataoka Chiharu (Sato Taiki)
The Sanno crew is still very much involved, and with everything happening around the different factions, their role becomes increasingly important.
⚪ White Rascals
💫 Rocky (Kuroki Keiji)
💫 Koo (Endo Yuya)
💫 Kizzy (Inaba Yu)
💫 Kaito (Yanagi Shuntaro)
The White Rascals are back, bringing their own particular brand of style and attitude into the growing conflict.
🏫 Oya High
💫 Murayama Yoshiki (Yamada Yuki)
Murayama remains the leader of Oya High, and every time this school appears, I know I'm probably about to get another ridiculously entertaining fight.
💫 Todoroki Yosuke (Maeda Goki)
💫 Tsuji (Suzuki Takahide)
💫 Shibaman (Ryu)
💫 Furuya Hideto (Suzuki Takayuki)
💫 Seki Kotaro (Ichinose Wataru)
And yes, Oya High still brings the chaos.
Also, I need to mention this because it made me ridiculously happy: whenever Oya High shows up, a Japanese cover of “Jump” by House of Pain plays.
It basically becomes their signature song.
And honestly?
Perfect choice.
🏃 The RUDE BOYS
💫 Smoky (Kubota Masataka)
Still my favorite faction.
Still the coolest.
Still bringing the parkour.
Need I say more?
💫 Takeshi (Sano Reo)
💫 P (ZEN)
💫 Shion (Nagase Tasuku)
The RUDE BOYS continue to be one of my favorite parts of this entire franchise, and every time they show up, I am absolutely locked in.
🔥 Daruma Gurentai
💫 Hyuga Norihisa (Hayashi Kento)
💫 Ukyo (Endo Kaname)
💫 Sakyo (Abe Ryohei)
💫 Kato Shu (Ozawa Yuta)
Daruma Gurentai is still right there in the middle of the growing mess, with Hyuga's revenge-driven storyline continuing to add another layer to the conflict.
📝 Review
(WARNING: Potential Spoilers — I’m Not Saving You from Any Emotional Damage)
So Season 2 basically takes everything I loved about Season 1 and says, “Okay, now let's make it bigger.”
And honestly?
I'm not mad about it.
In the first season, we were introduced to the five factions and the basic history of how S.W.O.R.D. came to exist. Season 2 starts letting us see those factions really move into action, and the storyline gets deeper while the stakes start getting higher.
This season feels less like an introduction and more like we're finally getting into the meat of the story.
The chaos between the different factions and the Iemura Group keeps everything moving, while the Mighty Warriors slowly make their way further into the action. They were introduced at the end of Season 1, so obviously I was curious about what they were going to do, and watching them gradually become part of everything was a great way to build them up.
We also get more of the past this season, which I really liked. Getting more history behind the characters and their relationships makes the whole universe feel more connected. There are all these different factions running around, but they're not existing in completely separate little bubbles. Their histories overlap, their grudges overlap, and eventually all those connections come back around.
And then there's the soundtrack.
Still fricking amazing.
Seriously, the music in this franchise is ridiculous. I thought Season 1 had a phenomenal soundtrack, and Season 2 absolutely keeps that going. And I already mentioned the Oya High “Jump” situation, but I have to say it again because it is just such a perfect choice for them.
Every time that song starts playing, I know Oya High is about to bring some nonsense.
And I am here for it.
The fight scenes are also still a class act. High&Low has figured out exactly what kind of action it wants to deliver, and it does it ridiculously well. The fights aren't just there because the story is about gangs; they're a huge part of the identity of the series, and they continue to be some of my favorite moments.
And yes, before anyone asks:
The RUDE BOYS are still my favorite faction.
The parkour remains fantastic, and every time they come on screen I'm still watching like 👀.
At this point, I'm two seasons deep into this wonderfully crafted madhouse filled with hot men, killer soundtracks, and epic fight scenes, and I have absolutely no intention of stopping.
Because apparently I live here now.
📊 Damage Report
🎭 Story: 10/10 — The story gets deeper, the stakes get higher, and we're finally seeing all five factions become more involved in the larger conflict. The added history also gives the world more depth.
💫 Acting & Cast: 10/10 — This franchise has an enormous cast, but everyone brings their own energy to their faction, and the characters continue to be entertaining to watch.
🎧 Music: 10/10 — Still fricking amazing. And the Oya High “Jump” theme? Perfect.
🔁 Rewatch Value: 10/10 — Absolutely. Two seasons in and I already know I'll be going back through this chaos again.
🏆 Overall: 10/10 — It takes everything that worked in Season 1 and expands it, with more history, more faction conflict, more action, and more Mighty Warriors.
💭 Final Mood
Season 2 basically confirmed what Season 1 had already started: I am fully invested in this ridiculous universe.
The story gets bigger, the factions become more involved, the Mighty Warriors finally start making their moves, and we're given more of the history behind the people we've already met. And somehow, despite the increasingly ridiculous number of factions and characters, I'm following along and having a fantastic time.
The soundtrack is still phenomenal, the fights are still spectacular, the RUDE BOYS are still my favorite, and Oya High showing up to the sound of a Japanese “Jump” cover will never not make me happy.
So yes, I'm officially two seasons deep into the wonderfully crafted madhouse.
Hot men?
Check.
Killer soundtrack?
Check.
Epic fight scenes?
Absolutely check.
Would I rewatch it?
Hell yes.
In the end, I finished feeling like I'd barely scratched the surface of this franchise.
