Anime: Golden Boy

shinta

23 Apr 07, 21:38

a manga series by Tatsuya Egawa about a 25-year-old freeter, pervert, and "travelling student" named Oe Kintaro. The manga was originally serialized in Shueisha's Super Jump starting in 1992, with the first collected volume released the following year. Parts of the manga were adapted into a six episode OVA series produced by Shueisha and KSS in 1995, which was subsequently released through ADV Films in North America.

Kintaro, despite having met the requirements for a degree, left Tokyo University without graduating. Golden Boy depicts his living the life of a free spirit, roaming Japan from town to town, job to job. During his travels, Kintaro meets several women whose lives he dramatically changes, despite poor first impressions. He constantly observes and studies the people and events around him, recording his findings in a notebook he carries on his belt.

The Golden Boy OVA has been positively received by English-language reviewers, but it is widely known for its mature content: while the OVA is not strictly a hentai animation, it does feature instances of partial female nudity, orgasms, and female masturbation. In contrast, the manga, which has not been released in English, becomes almost pornographic starting in the second volume.[1]

shinta

23 Apr 07, 21:39

Each volume and episode of Golden Boy places Kintaro opposite a young, beautiful woman, whose interest or disdain for him acts as the conflict of the plot. Some of these women initially dismiss Kintaro as an idiotic and clumsy pervert, and either give him or accept from him some challenge to prove their superiority. Kintaro invariably lusts after these women, but he is principally driven by his desire to be of actual service to them and to thereby learn more about the world. Despite his outward appearances, Kintaro is an incredibly clever and resourceful individual, and consistently exceeds what the women in his encounters thought possible, winning their hearts despite his outward awkwardness. But due to chance, necessity or a sense of honor, Kintaro never takes advantage of these newfound feelings.

Much of the humor derives from situational elements, such as encounters between Kintaro and the women gone awry, and interactions between Kintaro's libido and imagination. Recurring gags include Kintaro's fetish for toilets (especially those recently used by beautiful women), his exaggerated facial expressions, and comical entries in his notebook. The last include explicit drawings of the women he encounters and bits of wisdom such as "'C' is not sex", and "The human head cannot turn 360 degrees." Regarding the series, Tatsuya Egawa writes: "Before leaving kindergarten, I wrote these words in my notebook: 'I really like to study.' Often I wonder when it was that our schools forgot the true meaning of 'study.' Something which is now so often misunderstood by teachers and parents. Learning ought to be both stimulating and entertaining."[2]

stellazio

23 Apr 07, 21:39

i only watched ther 6 episodes i think.. darn hilarious.. Laughing

shinta

23 Apr 07, 21:40

SPOILERS!!!!

"Computer Studies"
Kintaro obtains a janitorial job at an all-woman software firm led by the Ferrari-driving, skimpily-clad Madame President (voiced by Hiromi Tsuru and Tiffany Grant). An electrical accident jeopardizes the firm's future, allowing Kintaro to put his newly acquired programming skills to the test.

"Temptation of the Maiden"
Working as a campaign staffer for a mayoral candidate, Kintaro is assigned to tutor his boss' attractive teenaged daughter, Naoko Katsuda (voiced by Yuko Minaguchi and Allison Keith), who wants more from him than help with her math homework.

"Danger! The Virgin's First Love"
A car accident has left the owner of a soba restaurant temporarily handicapped, and Kintaro is helping out and learning the trade. The owner's daughter, Noriko (voiced by Yuri Shiratori and Kim Sevier) has a well-heeled boyfriend, but a series of events leads Kintaro to doubt his sincerity.

"Swimming in the Sea of Love"
Kintaro has challenged the local swimming coach (and former Olympic athlete) to a race, but he first needs to learn how to swim. While training, however, his situation with the coach, Ayuko Haramizu (voiced by Kikuko Inoue and Sue Ulu) is compromised.

"Balls to the Wall"
Kintaro becomes a servant in a traditional-style mansion of a wealthy family, but is quickly dismissed. He then challenges the daughter Reiko Tarayama (voiced by Sakiko Tamagawa and Laura Chapman), who has a fetish for her motorcycle, to a race.

"Animation is Fun!"
Chie (voiced by Mika Kanai and Yvonne Aguirre) is a cel-painter at the animation studio where Kintaro works as an errand-boy. Production difficulties ensue, and Kintaro must rely on old friends to pull things through. An animated rendition of Tatsuya Egawa, voiced by the author himself, makes a cameo appearance in this episode.

shinta

23 Apr 07, 21:42