Kyojo: Reunion (2026) Review: Class 205, Tozaki Hunt, and Ending Before Requiem

Sponsored

source: tv.lk21

Published: Febuary 18, 2026 | Edited: September 21, 2026

Synopsis:

Kyojo: Reunion (2026) is a Japanese psychological thriller film directed by Isamu Nakae and written by Ryoichi Kimizuka. The film is also an adaptation of the novel "Kyojo" by Hiroki Nagaoka. Kyojo: Reunion has a duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes and was released on Netflix on January 1, 2026, this film is the first part of the Kyojo film project, which is followed by Kyojo: Requiem in theaters on February 20, 2026.

Set in an elite police academy. The film tells the story of instructors and trainees who are reunited under extreme conditions, where past secrets, guilt, and unresolved trauma resurface. The film has 2 parallel storylines.

Storyline 1 – The Class 205. The 205th class enters the police academy. They are led by the legendary cold-hearted instructor Kimichika Kazama (prosthetic right eye, whitening hair) who is famous for being able to see even the smallest lies. One by one the dark secrets and dark sides of the students are revealed, and those who do not meet the requirements are forced to resign.

Storyline 2 – The Reunion. At the same time, the alumni who were once trained by Kazama and are now police officers in the field — they gather again. Their mission is to hunt down Haru Tozaki, Kazama's archenemy who once stabbed Detective Tono to death and stabbed Kazama's right eye before fleeing.

This film is NOT a heroic police film, this film is a continuation of the Kyojo series which is famous for its cold atmosphere and cruel storytelling. Here, weakness is punished, mistakes are not forgiven, and survival depends on mental strength.

This film is fan service for those who follow the series. If you watched from Kyojo (2020), Kyojo 2 (2021), and Kyojo Zero (2023), you will be happy to see alumni such as Shota Sometani, Eiji Akaso, Yui Aragaki reappear as active police officers. The focus is not on shootouts, but on mental warfare. Each student is tested mentally and emotionally, one wrong step and a career can be over forever.

If you haven't watched Kyojo Zero, you will be a bit confused about who Tozaki is and why Kazama is so obsessed. This film is truly a bridge to part 2: Requiem. The pacing is slow in the first 1 hour due to the many introductions of the characters from class 205.

This film stars: Eiji Akaso, Atsushi Arai, Haruka Fukuhara, Gaku Hamada and more.

In my opinion:

Sponsored

Yes, as I suspected, it seems there is a predecessor film, because I read some synopses that this film mentions the words 'return to the Police Academy...'. So I assumed that there is a predecessor film and in this film it uses the POV of its instructor, Kimichika Kazama. I honestly don't really understand what the genre of this film is. On several platforms, this film is labeled 'Crime' and 'Mystery'. However, what I witnessed, the content of this film is a depiction of the discipline of the Japanese police academy. It can be said that this is a tutorial film on how to be a proper police officer, Japanese style.

When I saw the opening scene of this film, I assumed that there would be a murder case that would be investigated by the Japanese police. I was very excited, because I know the quality of Japanese films when they are in the criminal and murder genre, it must be thrilling. But as the film went on, I only saw some prospective police officers who failed to undergo their training. Not only were they undisciplined and incompetent, but they failed because of X factor in themselves. And at the end of the film, I was even more confused because what on earth was happening?? I admit, maybe it's me who doesn't understand and didn't see its predecessor film. Sorry if there is any wrong opinion from me.

Visuals, audio and cinematography I rate as quite good. The actors portray their characters well, but for the plot, a deeper understanding is needed. Suitable if you like Japanese films that are slow-burn, hard discipline, and mind games. Just think of it as whiplash version of a police academy. Don't watch it as an action film, watch it as a psychological drama about how fear and absolute authority shape a police officer. You must continue watching Kyojo: Requiem in February to complete it. For me? I don't think I'm too interested.. sorry.

For me this one is 6.5/10.

Knowledge Center:

The Koban System: Community Policing at Its Finest. Japanese police officers at a Koban (police box) in Tokyo. Known for maintaining one of the lowest crime rates in the world, Japan's success comes from close community ties, rapid lost-and-found service, and proactive crime prevention rather than reactive enforcement.

Sponsored

The Japanese police is one of the best police forces in the world, why is that? The police have a system called Koban which means "small police posts at every corner of the city". Japan has more than 6,000 Koban. Police at the Koban not only guard, but help lost people, find lost items, to giving address information. This is what makes the image of the police there not "feared enforcers" but "reliable neighbors". This system has even been exported to Brazil and Singapore. Koban police are the police closest to the residents.

Japan consistently ranks in the top 10 safest countries. The homicide rate is only 0.2 per 100,000 population (compare to the US ∼6.0). This success is not because of weapons, but because of prevention. Their focus in the Kyojo film is real: "preventing crime with mental discipline since the academy".

Japanese police hold the number 1 service in the world regarding lost items, this is the most mind-blowing. In Tokyo alone, every year more than 3-4 million lost items are reported and the return rate is above 70%. Even lost cash often returns intact. This is because the police have a very detailed database of lost items and citizens are very honest to report.

No wonder the police members have great quality, they undergo super strict academy training. In the Kyojo film you see the cruel instructor Kazama? In the real world, Japanese police training is indeed 6-12 months full dormitory. They are taught ethics, kendo, judo, even how to bow correctly. The goal is not militaristic, but to build unwavering mental strength and a sense of shame if making a mistake. Japanese police are also at the forefront of disaster management. During the great Tohoku Earthquake in 2011, they were at the forefront of evacuation, identifying victims through fingerprints and DNA, and their system is still the world standard until now.

Japanese police prove that the best police force is not from weapons or numbers, but from trust. When citizens believe that the police exist to help find lost keys, they will also believe to report major crimes.