There are very few ratings on this and no reviews, which I find a bit odd.
It is certainly a unique movie, but then again, many Japanese movies of this genre are. The synopsis doesn't really capture the idea. Danda is not a very large part of the movie, as you'll notice by the fact that he isn't in the top cast.
The movie revolves largely around the mask maker, the groups who oppose each other, who Hiroku truly is, and the phenomenon itself. The wearing of masks extends into other schools and eventually becomes somewhat of a fad. Many people choose to be "reborn" into a new person by shedding their personality and using the mask to reveal their new one. This leads to unhinged behavior, including violence in some cases.
It definitely has the message of who a person becomes when they become anonymous. Much like how anonymity on the internet tends to allow for more freedom of speaking one's mind. There is a lot going on, but I don't feel like it is hard to take it all in. Certainly some elements could've used more screen time, but dragging the movie out probably would've been difficult. For an hour and a half watch, it is pretty good and keeps you fairly interested in figuring out what exactly is going on in terms of who is who, and what not. In some ways, it is predictable, but in other ways it can be a bit elusive and has a different ending than expected.
As for the cast, you'll certainly notice some fairly popular people on the Top Cast section. They've also worked together in other movies, so seem to do well on screen together.
