# Last of the Wolves (孤狼の血 LEVEL2)
*Last of the Wolves* (孤狼の血 LEVEL2, *Korou no Chi LEVEL2*) is a 2021 Japanese crime thriller directed by Kazuya Shiraishi (白石和彌) and the second installment in the film series adapted from Yuko Yuzuki's (柚月裕子) *Korou no Chi* novels. It follows the detective Hioka Shuichi, played by Tori Matsuzaka, as he manages Hiroshima's underworld three years after the first film, *The Blood of the Wolves* (2018), and confronts the newly released gangster Uebayashi Shigehiro, played by Ryohei Suzuki[1](https://jfdb.jp/en/title/9514). The film was produced by the "Korou no Chi LEVEL2" Production Committee, distributed by Toei, and released in Japanese theaters on August 20, 2021, with a running time of 139 minutes and an R15+ rating[2](https://eiga.com/movie/94173/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | August 20, 2021 (Japan); 139 minutes; R15+; distributed by Toei[2](https://eiga.com/movie/94173/) |
| Director and writer | Directed by Kazuya Shiraishi; screenplay by Junya Ikegami; based on Yuko Yuzuki's novel series[1](https://jfdb.jp/en/title/9514) |
| Story status | Set three years after the first film and developed as an original story not depicted in the novels[3](https://www.korou.jp/) |
| Lead cast | Tori Matsuzaka (Hioka Shuichi), Ryohei Suzuki (Uebayashi Shigehiro), Nijiro Murakami (Chikada Kota), Nanase Nishino (Chikada Mao)[1](https://jfdb.jp/en/title/9514) |
| Japan Academy Prize | 45th ceremony (2022): Ryohei Suzuki won Best Supporting Actor and Nanase Nishino won the Newcomer Award; the film received the Excellence Award for Picture and numerous excellence prizes[4](https://secure.eiga.com/movie/94173/) |
| Festivals | 2021 Udine Far East Film Festival, 2021 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, 2021 Sitges-Catalonia International Film Festival[5](https://jfdb.jp/title/9514) |
| Setting | The fictional city of Kurehara in Hiroshima, three years after the events of the first film[2](https://eiga.com/movie/94173/) |
## Spoilers
### Story and setting
The film is set in Kurehara, a fictional city in Hiroshima Prefecture that also served the first film's depiction of the contest between police and yakuza[2](https://eiga.com/movie/94173/). Three years before the story begins, the legendary violent-crimes detective Ogami was killed after being caught up in a gang feud. Hioka Shuichi, the young detective who appeared as a rookie in the first film, has taken over Ogami's role and governs Hiroshima's underworld using his authority over the criminal organizations[6](https://www.justwatch.com/jp/%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB/gu-lang-noxie-level2-2021).
**The destabilizing return.** The fragile order collapses when Uebayashi Shigehiro, the boss of the Uebayashi gang, is released from prison. The official synopsis describes him as an overwhelming "devil" whose existence drives Hioka into a desperate predicament, as gang warfare, police corruption, media leaks, and threats from within all converge on him[3](https://www.korou.jp/). In the sequel Hioka also keeps the two largest yakuza clans in check, until a gangster just released from prison begins planning a murderous vendetta[7](https://db.nipponconnection.com/ja/film/2236/level2).
The source material is Yuzuki's *Korou no Chi* series, a trilogy of novels, but this installment's plot was written for the film rather than adapted from any volume[3](https://www.korou.jp/). Shiraishi described his ambition for the character in an interview context quoted by the production, asking that Uebayashi be made "a villain that will remain in Japanese film history"[3](https://www.korou.jp/).
## Production
Shiraishi returned as director from the first film[2](https://eiga.com/movie/94173/). Junya Ikegami, who wrote *The Blood of the Wolves* and won the Excellence Award for Screenplay at the 42nd Japan Academy Prize for it, wrote the sequel's screenplay as well[3](https://www.korou.jp/). The creative team again included cinematographer Kohei Kato, editor Hitomi Kato, composer Goro Yasukawa, lighting designer Minoru Kawai, and production designer Tsukasa Imamura, all of whom had received Japan Academy Prize recognition for the first film[4](https://secure.eiga.com/movie/94173/) • [3](https://www.korou.jp/).
According to a Matsuzaka interview published by Cinema Today, Toei informed him of the sequel's production on the opening day of the first film, May 12, 2018[8](https://www.cinematoday.jp/interview/A0008003). The production committee combined Toei with the Kinoshita Group, TV Tokyo, KADOKAWA, Toei Video, Dentsu, Asahi Shimbun, and other partners, with KADOKAWA credited for planning cooperation[9](https://www.kinenote.com/sp/public/cinema/detail.aspx?cinema_id=95083).
## Cast
Matsuzaka Tori plays the detective Hioka Shuichi, and Ryohei Suzuki plays the gang boss Uebayashi Shigehiro[1](https://jfdb.jp/en/title/9514). Nijiro Murakami plays Chikada Kota and Nanase Nishino plays his sister Chikada Mao[1](https://jfdb.jp/en/title/9514). The supporting cast includes Goro Yoshida, Takuma Otoo, Umenosuke Nakamura, Kenichi Takito, Shido Nakamura, and Tsuyoshi Saito, among others[2](https://eiga.com/movie/94173/). Reviewers at Cinema Today highlighted the central confrontation between Matsuzaka's wilder version of Hioka and Suzuki's psychopathic Uebayashi, while noting the absence of Koji Yakusho's character from the first film as a loss for the film's rawness[10](https://www.cinematoday.jp/movie/T0025796/review).
## Reception and awards
At the 45th Japan Academy Prize, held in 2022, the film was among the five nominees for the Excellence Award for Picture, alongside *Drive My Car*, which took the top prize[11](https://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=45). Its haul of recognitions covered the major creative departments: Excellence Awards for Direction (Shiraishi), [Screenplay](https://www.edgepedia.org/screenplay) (Ikegami), Lead Actor (Matsuzaka), Supporting Actor (Murakami), Supporting Actress (Nishino), [Cinematography](https://www.edgepedia.org/cinematography) (Kato), Lighting (Kawai), Music (Yasukawa), Art Direction (Imamura), Sound Recording (Kazuji Urata), and Editing (Kato)[4](https://secure.eiga.com/movie/94173/). Suzuki took the Outstanding Supporting Actor category outright, and Nishino received the Newcomer of the Year Award[4](https://secure.eiga.com/movie/94173/).
Internationally the film screened at three genre and Asian-cinema festivals in 2021: the Udine Far East Film Festival, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and the Sitges-Catalonia International Film Festival[5](https://jfdb.jp/title/9514). On the review aggregator eiga.com, reader reviews average 3.7 out of 5 across 566 reviews[4](https://secure.eiga.com/movie/94173/), and Kinenote users give it 77.4 points from 867 voters[9](https://www.kinenote.com/sp/public/cinema/detail.aspx?cinema_id=95083).
## Home viewing
The film streams on subscription services in Japan, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and U-NEXT, with rental options on Amazon Video, the Apple TV Store, and FOD[6](https://www.justwatch.com/jp/%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB/gu-lang-noxie-level2-2021). It has also aired on Japanese television, including the Nihon Eiga Senmon Channel[12](https://www.nihon-eiga.com/timetable/pdf/202412.pdf).
## References
1. [JFDB – Last of the Wolves (English entry), Japan Film Database](https://jfdb.jp/en/title/9514)
2. [孤狼の血 LEVEL2 : 作品情報・キャスト・あらすじ, 映画.com](https://eiga.com/movie/94173/)
3. [映画『孤狼の血 LEVEL2』公式サイト](https://www.korou.jp/)
4. [孤狼の血 LEVEL2 受賞歴, 映画.com](https://secure.eiga.com/movie/94173/)
5. [JFDB – 孤狼の血 LEVEL2](https://jfdb.jp/title/9514)
6. [孤狼の血 LEVEL2 – オンライン視聴・配信, JustWatch Japan](https://www.justwatch.com/jp/%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB/gu-lang-noxie-level2-2021)
7. [Nippon Connection – 孤狼の血 LEVEL2 film database](https://db.nipponconnection.com/ja/film/2236/level2)
8. [『孤狼の血 LEVEL2』松坂桃李 単独インタビュー, シネマトゥデイ](https://www.cinematoday.jp/interview/A0008003)
9. [孤狼の血 ＬＥＶＥＬ２, KINENOTE](https://www.kinenote.com/sp/public/cinema/detail.aspx?cinema_id=95083)
10. [孤狼の血 LEVEL2 (2021)：映画短評, シネマトゥデイ](https://www.cinematoday.jp/movie/T0025796/review)
11. [第45回日本アカデミー賞 受賞結果一覧, 日本アカデミー賞公式サイト](https://www.japan-academy-prize.jp/prizes/?t=45)
12. [日本映画専門チャンネル 2024年12月番組表](https://www.nihon-eiga.com/timetable/pdf/202412.pdf)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Action, thriller, and crime series film entries › Entries released 2020s and later*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license