In this Depression-era satire on college life, our heroes concentrate less on their studies than on a unique shuffle they have perfected-just as Ozu delights in running gags, simultaneity, and other comic details more than plot. Takahashi and his pals, facing “exam hell,” come up with some innovative techniques for cribbing. It all comes out in the wash, however-literally-and the cheaters are back next year as cheerleaders while their earnest graduating compatriots hopelessly scan the want ads. The wistful melancholy of many of Ozu's films of the period is found in this film's central irony: since there are no jobs, the boy who flunks is more secure than the boy who graduates.