The years is 2016: we find ourselves in the booming nation of Alte-Koniggratz; a colossal, cultured nation ruled by Emperor Stein with a firm but even hand from the capitol city of Konigsberg. We begin with the camera moving through the city, highlighting different monuments, important buildings, and perhaps even some of the important government officials. The camera slows to a stop in front of a large marble-pillar gate, impressive buildings seen off in the distance. Before the gate lie two large, sandstone lions: a symbol of this place; the Lions Guard Academy.
Its Motto: "Men make History, but we make the men."
The Lions Guard Academy, on the outskirts of Konigsberg, has one ultimate purpose: to house, groom, train, and ship out the nations future leaders. Here, boys are turned into men, and men into leaders. Jungemann are forced to compete in everything they do, and if they don't, they face the consequences. Relentless hazing, most notably physical male-on-male violence, is outright smiled upon in this extremely competitive school, whose outlook on the subject is that it either builds its students up or weeds out the weaker ones.
The saying 'everyone is good at something' is brought to the extreme here: mostly because you must be the best at something to even gain entrance, not meeting up to your expectations results in not only ridicule and scolding, but physical punishments and perhaps even expulsion. Even in relation to the arts, music, you are forced to compete. Everyone has a position, even young people, and the better you are the higher in ranking you are.
Our story follows Friedrich, whose boxing abilities gained him entrance into the elite, one of a kind academy. Publicly, he joined against his parents wishes because of their opposing political convictions and his hoping for a better life away from the farm he grew up on. Privately, he left the countryside because of his desire for more freedom and a place with people more like him. Well, that and his disclosing his sexuality to his parents resulted in a massive fight between he and his father. That night, he forged his father's signature on the acceptance letter to the academy, packed a suitcase and headed off for the capitol city, hours away.
The Lions Guard Academy was supposed to have everything, little did Friedrich know it had more than he could ever imagine: violence and hazing on a scale unimaginable to most, a rigid military structure favorable to those related to those already in power, and even blatant cover-ups of crimes. It wasn't all bad, though: tough fights and hard fought victories, close friendships and even closer romance made it all worthwhile. And, hey, you were guaranteed a shiny government position later in life for graduating here, right?