"Pikanchi: Life is Hard but Happy is a Japanese film produced in 2002 and released on October 18th, marking Arashi's first group film. It was also the first film distributed by J Storm.

The film is based on the youth of Yoshihiko Inohara (20th Century), chronicling the romantic, family, and school experiences of high school students living in Yashio Danchi, Tokyo's last mammoth housing complex. Inohara's hometown, Yashio, served as both the model for the setting and the film's location. DVD and VHS versions were released, and the limited edition green case included a strap featuring "Danchichi," a character from the film.

"Pika☆nchi" is a portmanteau of "Youth is the best and most shameless" ("「青春とはピカイチでハレンチ") and the "Danchi" (housing complex), the setting of the film. The sequel, "Pika★★nchi LIFE IS HARD Dakara HAPPY," follows the group three years later.

Okano Shun - Masaki Aiba
Nicknamed "Shun." He lives in Building 5 of the Yashio Housing Complex, also known as the "Normal Building."
He calls himself "the epitome of an ordinary high school senior," and has a hard time dealing with his father, who acts like a DJ on pirate radio.

Futaba Rentaro - Jun Matsumoto
Nicknamed "Bon." He lives in Building 33 of the Yashio Housing Complex, also known as the "Rich Building."
His father runs a traditional Japanese izakaya called "Motoya" in Kawasaki. He's a rich kid who wears shorts all year round (only in the novel).

Onda Takuma - Kazunari Ninomiya
Nicknamed "Takuma." He lives in Building 12 of the Yashio Housing Complex, also known as the "Poverty Building."
He was the first to bring skateboarding from Harajuku to Yashio. Young people call him "Yashio's young Francis Xavier."

Takada Haruhiko (played by Satoshi Ohno)
Nicknamed "Haru." He lives in the fifth building of the Yashio housing complex, also known as the "regular building."
A high school student with a special ability to quickly find the hiding places of pornographic magazines and adult DVDs, and a troubled expression suits him perfectly.

Kamogawa Tadashi (played by Sho Sakurai)
Nicknamed "Chu." He lives in the slightly dangerous ninth building of the Yashio housing complex.
A delinquent and the 25th generation leader of the "Samezu Ikka," a long-established moped motorcycle gang exclusive to Yashio. That's why he always wears a pompadour hairstyle. He's secretly studying to get a crane license, but isn't making much progress.

Kamogawa Kagome (played by Yoshihiko Inohara (20th Century))
Chu's older brother. The former head of the Samezu Ikka, currently a pizza delivery man for Yashio Ikka.

Okano Katsuyuki (played by Hajime Yamazaki)
Shun's father. He likes to act like a DJ.

Tachibana Miku - Ban Anri
Shun's girlfriend. Aspiring to become a groomer. A huge fan of Sarugan Seki.

Takano Kimie - Akiyama Natsuko
Has a family, but is having an affair with Haru.

Bon's father - Tayama Ryosei

Takuma's father - Hankai Kazuaki

Takuma's mother - Imae Fuyuko

Chikage Shigemori - Obayashi Takeshi

Sugawara Yoji - Nozoe Yoshihiro

Music teacher Saotome - Ginpocho

Sarugan Seki - (originally Sarugan Seki (Moriwaki Kazunari and Ariyoshi Hiroiki))

Hoshino-san - Shibuya Momoko
A classmate whom Chu has a crush on.

Harry Ranmaru - Kitamura Eiki
He meets Takuma during a pilgrimage to Harajuku. He is Takuma's rival.

• Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
• Story: Yoshihiko Inohara (20th Century)
• Screenplay: Masahiko Kawahara
• Music: Akira Tsuji
• Lighting: Kenji Ishida
• Theme song: "PIKA☆NCHI" by Arashi (J Storm)
• Insert song: "Michi" by Arashi (J Storm)
• The film's DVD/VHS was released on June 25, 2003, and on Blu-ray on August 27, 2014. Initially, it was available in four formats: a regular DVD/VHS and a limited-edition DVD/VHS. A regular Blu-ray version was later released. Some DVDs sold or rented contained errors in the cast list; Sakurai's name as Kamogawa Tadashi was missing, and Ninomiya's name as Onda Takuma was written as "和成" instead of "和也"

"THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK Pikanchi LIFE IS HARD DAKE HAPPY" is the soundtrack for the film. It was released by J Storm on October 30, 2002.

01. MALIDULA / YANAGI
02. LITATY / YANAGI
03. monday night / SUGI-CHANG
04. eternity / TAICHI-MASTER
05. 童夢ZERO / Rock-Tee
06. チチ / DJ TATSUYA
07. drive away / TAICHI-MASTER
08. マイルド / DJ TATSUYA
09. ニューライト / DJ TATSUYA
10. CONFUSION / GM-KAZ
11. ORANGE LIGHT / DJ SHUHO
12. OUT OF THE SHOT / DJ TATSUYA
13. MONKEY WOMEN / DJ SHUHO
14. SHOCADELICA / YANAGI
15. 15th elements / SUGI-CHANG
16. THE ピカ☆ンチ -special edit- / DJ SHUHO
17. 道 / 嵐

Produced by DJ SHUHO (DJ of KICK THE CAN CREW)