A School Where Students Can Start Over begins by showing a man named Kiyama Shoichi who will start
his new job as a teacher at Makio High School. That morning, Kiyama seemed to be in a hurry
to go to school because he thought he was late. On the other hand, a woman named Okabe Kaoruko
is seen calling her mother. Just like Kiyama, Okabe is also a new teacher at Makio High School.
While in the women's restroom, Okabe met three students who didn't care at all.
Even she caught one of them bringing cigarettes to school. Meanwhile, Kiyama, who had just arrived at
school, caught three students bullying an old man who was a janitor. The students didn't even
hesitate to take the old man's onigiri who turned out to be the Principal. Kiyama, who just found
out that the old man standing in front of him was the Principal, then bowed respectfully to him.
After that, the students are gathered at the school gym, where Kiyama and Okabe will deliver
their welcome remarks as new teachers at the school. However, the students were engrossed in
their respective activities and completely ignored Kiyama and Okabe who were standing on the podium.
Even though Kiyama and Okabe already know the bad reputation of the students attending
Makio High School, they don't think that the students really disrespect their teacher.
However, what surprised Kiyame and Okabe was when the Principal only asked the students
to come to school the next day, and didn't mind the students' bad behavior at all.
A male student named Rikuya entered the school gym not long after by riding his scooter.
Rikuya seemed relaxed, knowing that he would not be scolded. A male teacher named Harada,
then scolded Rikuya for bringing his motorbike to school and told him to immediately park his
motorbike in the schoolyard. However, what made Kiyama even more surprised was that Harada was
relaxed like the Principal, who seemed relieved and happy that Rikuya came to school today.
Kiyama thought that it was not only the students who had problems at the school
but also the teachers acting strange and unusual. Generally, the teachers will give a stern warning
if there are students who violate. But at Makio High School, the teachers don't seem to mind it
and instead ask their students to come back to school the next day with a big smile.
After school, the Principal invites the entire teaching staff to celebrate Kiyama and Okabe's
arrival at their school with drinks at a bar. Kiyama and Okabe were then asked to share their
first impressions of the students at Makio High School. They also asked openly why the teachers
let the students do whatever they wanted, such as coloring their hair, getting piercings,
wearing excessive make-up, and even driving a motorbike into the school's indoor area.
The Principal and the teachers did not deny that they were problematic students.
However, the disciples had no other purpose as all the schools had rejected their presence.
If Makio High School enforces strict rules like other schools, then those students will no longer
come to school and have no other purpose. A male teacher named Yamano told Kiyama and Okabe that
many of the students at the school came from poor families and had to work hard to help the family's
economy. Therefore, the Principal only applies one rule at Makio High School, namely as long as
students come to school and wear school uniforms, then they are free to do anything at school. The
Principal then asked Kiyama and Okabe to support their way and try to familiarize themselves
with the students so that they can understand the situation faced by the problem students.
The next day, Kiyama then tried to do what the Principal said by greeting three male students
who were relaxing. However, they didn't recognize him, so Kiyama introduced himself as the new gym
teacher at the school. Kiyama then asked the three of them to take gym lessons. However,
a student named Kakeru said that he did not like sports lessons.
After that, Kiyama met with Rikuya and greeted him in a friendly manner.
However, Rikuya apparently didn't recognize Kiyama either and instead just walked away.
On the other hand, Okabe, who was teaching English in class,
seemed annoyed that a group of girls did not seriously pay attention to the lesson. When she
reprimanded them, a student named Misaki then left the class just like that. Misaki's friends told
Okabe that Misaki had been feeling nauseous since this morning and asked Okabe to check on her.
When Okabe caught up with Misaki who was in the toilet, she was surprised when she
found a pregnancy test pack in the trash and realized that the test pack was Misaki's. Okabe
immediately took the test pack and handed it over to Harada as the vice principal.
Harada then asked Okabe to help Misaki and deal with the problem. Meanwhile,
during sports lessons, Kakeru was seen sitting on the sidelines. Kiyama then approached him and told
him to join sports lessons. But then, Kiyama gets hit by a basketball throw instead. It didn't stop
there. The students also pranked Kiyama by gluing his shoes, making him fall down and hit his head.
On the other hand, Okabe meets Misaki, who is smoking in the
toilet and scolds her for smoking is not good for the fetus's health.
Misaki seemed surprised by Okabe's words asking her to tell her her problem. Misaki then asked
Okabe to go into the toilet cubicle and reasoned that she wasn't comfortable talking to someone
when that person could see her face. Thinking that Misaki would really tell her, Okabe obeyed
Misaki's words. But apparently, Misaki locks Okabe in the toilet instead and throws water on her.
Meanwhile in the teacher's room, Kiyama had already written his resignation letter and
was preparing to hand it over to the Principal. However, Okabe, who came behind, dripping wet,
instead preceded him by expressing her desire to transfer to another school.
Harada and the other teachers later shared that they had also experienced pranks by the students.
But they chose not to worry about it because the students might find it
difficult to express the problems they were facing because of their unstable emotions.
After hearing Harada's advice, Kiyama and Okabe finally gave up their intention to resign.
After that, Harada told Kiyama that Kakeru was actually really good at sports when he
was in middle school and asked him to secretly follow Kakeru. Kakeru has three younger siblings,
and he has to pick them up from school every day. When following Kakeru who was about to go home,
Kiyama saw Kakeru's little sister who was whining about buying food. Having no money,
Kakeru tries to persuade his sister by giving her an onigiri he took from the Principal.
Kakeru then divided the onigiri among his three younger siblings.
Arriving at home, Kakeru then cooked for his three younger siblings with makeshift food ingredients.
In fact, it is not uncommon for him to be willing to not eat as long as his three younger siblings
don't feel hungry. That night, when Kiyama and Okabe went home together, they accidentally ran
into Rikuya whose face was battered like he had been in a fight. Seeing Rikuya who was shaking
with fear, they then approached him and asked what had happened. However, Rikuya reasoned
that he had just fallen, and with a wide smile, he said he was fine and would soon return home.
Kiyama told Harada and the other teachers the next day at school about Rikuya's condition.
Hearing this, the teachers immediately acted sympathetically and showed their concern for
Rikuya. Meanwhile, Okabe returns to see Misaki, and suggests that her pregnancy be checked by a
doctor. Okabe was even willing to go into the toilet cubicle, so Misaki would talk to her.
Okabe said that she had been researching pregnancy-related things to help Misaki.
Not only that, but she also offered to accompany Misaki to
the obstetrician when Misaki said that she wanted to give birth to the baby.
On the other hand, Kiyama returned to Kakeru, who was reluctant to attend gym class, and
reasoned that his stomach was hurting. However, Kiyama later found out that Kakeru was starving,
and he never wanted to take gym classes because he didn't want to do strenuous activities that
made him hungry. Knowing this, Kiyama gave Kakeru bread. But Kakeru threw it away instead. Kiyama
then picked it up again and gave the bread to Kakeru while saying not to waste food.
After that, a female teacher named Reiko told Kiyama that there was writing on the
blackboard mentioning Kiyama. Kiyama rushed there and found an inscription
that said that he would give bread to anyone who was hungry. Not long after,
Kiyama was surrounded by students who claimed to be hungry and asked him to give them bread.
After school, Rikuya meets Kiyama and calls him a hypocrite and loves to pity others,
which he hates the most with such people.
After that, Rikuya came home and found his mother in a very drunk state, and the house was a mess.
Rikuya tries to stop his mother from drinking too much, but his mother kicks him out of the
house instead. Having no place to spend the night, he decided to sleep on a park bench.
The next day, the school gets a call that Rikuya's wallet was found in the park.
Because Rikuya did not attend school, and also could not be contacted,
Kiyama took the initiative to return the wallet to him. However, upon arrival in
front of Rikuya's house, Kiyama saw Rikuya who came out of the house with a battered face.
Realizing that Rikuya had been abused, Kiyama forced his way into his house to meet his parents.
But Rikuya argued that he just fell, and his mother didn't do anything to him at all.
Kiyama then took Rikuya to the park, and asked him to tell him what really happened. After that,
Kiyama invited him to eat ramen noodles, and they had quite a pleasant conversation.
Arriving at home, Rikuya told his mother that he had been treated to ramen by his teacher.
He then told his mother that he would take his mother to eat ramen noodles
after getting his salary from a part-time job. However, his mother said that she
would be blamed for not taking care of him properly and instead abandoned him too often.
Some time passed after the incident, Kiyama received news that Rikuya's mother had died
by ending her life. Rikuya looks so sad and devastated because he lost the only family he had.
He then reads his mother's last message on his cellphone,
in which his mother apologizes for being a cruel mother to him and always abandoning him.
On the other hand, Kiyama is very surprised when he finds out that Rikuya will change schools
because he will be living with his aunt outside the city after his mother dies.
Kiyama then met Rikuya, and helped him pack his things.
After that, he then apologized to Rikuya for not being able to help him when he really needed help.
But Rikuya doesn't mind it and instead asks Kiyama to be more caring and considerate
because many students at their school are in far more dire circumstances and need help.
On the other hand, Makio High School has a new teacher, a woman named Tachibana Kumiko,
who will become the librarian. Kumiko tries to revive the library by redecorating the layout
and preparing food from donations for the welfare of the students.
Entering the start of a new semester, Kiyama was finally appointed as a
homeroom teacher in Kakeru's class. He then asked his students to fill
out a questionnaire about the career they wanted to pursue in the future. However,
few of the students did not write anything down on the questionnaire or fill it in carelessly.
Harada then told Kiyama that most of the students who attend Makio
High School have done a lot of part-time jobs to help support the family's economy.
They may feel pessimistic about achieving their dreams and pursuing the career they want
because the family's economic conditions do not allow it.
After getting a little advice and direction from Kumiko, Kiyama then held a career consultation
session for the students in his class. Initially, the students were reluctant to participate in the
consultation session. But because Kiyama tried so hard to persuade them, the students were melted.
Kakeru is the first student to go for a consultation, telling Kiyama
that he wants to add a part-time job after graduating from school to earn more money.
Because Kakeru is good at cooking, Kiyama then suggests that he try to learn to be a
chef and start at the restaurant where he works as a dishwasher.
After that, two girls named Lulu and Himeki attend a consultation session,
and tell Kiyama about their respective dream careers, where Lulu wants to be a beautician while
Himeki wants to be a nanny. However, their dreams were hindered by the exorbitant cost of training.
Elsewhere, Misaki is determined to drop out of school after giving birth, although Okabe tries
to persuade her to continue her studies until graduation. However, Misaki said that Makio High
School had a bad reputation, so graduating or not from that school would be the same.
Shortly afterward, Himeki got the opportunity to be an intern as a nanny at a daycare center.
But because she had a part-time job until late at night, Himeki often overslept and was eventually
fired. Seeing this, Kiyama realized that it would be difficult for Makio High School students to
do unpaid internships because they were too busy doing part-time jobs to help support the family's
economy. Therefore, he and the other teachers tried to find an internship that could be a
place for students to earn money at the same time. However, in the end, their efforts were useless.
One day, Kiyama attended an educational seminar and had the opportunity to deliver a speech on the
podium. He then took the opportunity to tell about the real situation of Makio High School students,
where eighty percent of Makio High School students had to work hard to help support their families.
Because of this, their grades in school plummeted, and they often got into unwanted trouble.
But actually, they are children who need help and care from the
community to achieve their dreams and live a better life in the future.
Hearing Kiyama's very humane speech, not a few of the business owners gave him a business card,
and offered to help the students so that they could do internships and earn a living.
Long story short, the students finally managed to get internships that match their passions and
dreams; Kakeru is a cook at a restaurant, Lulu is undergoing training to become a beautician,
and Himeki is a babysitter. The film ends by showing Kiyama visiting Rikuya
at an auto repair shop, where Rikuya is now working as a mechanic. Rikuya seemed
happy to see his arrival and then treated him to eating ramen noodles.
The moral that can be learned from this movie is that whatever form it takes,
genuine care and concern we give to others will greatly influence and impact that person.
Through this movie, we are shown teachers who really understand and accept the situation of
their students as they are, which in the end makes the students more confident in achieving
their goals and realizing their dreams even though they come from poor families.