Ganbare Gombe: A thorough analysis of the touching story and the appeal of its characters

Ganbare Gombe: The charm of a nostalgic comedy anime and its historical background

Introduction

The 1980s was a golden age for Japanese animation, producing many masterpieces. Among them, "Ganbare Gonbe," based on the gag manga by Shunji Sonoyama, was extremely popular among children. In this article, we will delve deeply into the appeal of "Ganbare Gonbe" and its historical background, provide detailed information and reviews of the work, and introduce recommended points from a modern perspective.

Overview

"Ganbare Gombe" is a TV anime series that aired on Tokyo 12 Channel (now TV Tokyo) from April 14 to August 19, 1980. It is based on the manga of the same name by Shunji Sonoyama, and a total of 63 episodes, totaling 77, were broadcast during the broadcast period. When it first aired, it was aired in a 15-minute slot from 7:15 to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, but from July 1980, it was changed to a 30-minute slot from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. every Tuesday.

story

The story of "Ganbare Gombe" begins when Gombe, a mountain monkey who claims to be a descendant of Son Goku, comes from deep in the mountains to Tokyo to train. Gombe ends up staying with Mr. Oyama, who works at the zoo, and forms a trio of mischievous kids with two mischievous elementary school students, Santaro and Benkei. They cause a lot of trouble at the Oyama household, school, and around town.

character

The main character, Gonbe, is a mountain monkey who lived deep in the mountains and is a descendant of Son Goku. He lives in a house in Tokyo and plays pranks with human children, causing trouble for the adults around him. Santaro is Gonbe's friend, a mischievous elementary school student, and one of the three bad boys. Benkei is also a friend of Gonbe and plays an active role as one of the three bad boys.

Cast and crew

The role of Gombe was played by Yamamoto Keiko, Santaro by Tsukase Noriko, Benkei by Sawada Kazuko, Monko by Kawanami Yoko, and Fuko by Mita Yuko. The main staff included original author Sonoyama Shunji, producer Gotsu Heita, production manager Mogaki Hiromichi, chief directors Mitsunobu Hiroaki and Kondo Eisuke, character designer and animation director Kanazawa Hiroji, art director Hando Katsumi, cinematographer Kaneko Jin, music by Hirose Kenjiro and Kai Masato, and sound director Yamazaki Akira. Production cooperation was provided by Tsuchida Productions, and the copyright was handled by Tokyo 12 Channel (now TV Tokyo).

episode

"Ganbare Gombe" has a wide variety of episodes, each with a different theme and joke. Here are some examples:

• Episode 1: The Fat Swan (1980/04/14)
• Episode 2: It's Spring, Gerosuke
• Episode 3: The Scary Lucky Draw Jackpot
• Episode 4: "Spring is a Lullaby"
• Episode 5 "Grandpa's Friends"
• Episode 6: Helping Out is a Life-Risk
• Episode 7: Shiratori's One-Day Admission
• Episode 8: Flowers from the Mountains
• Episode 9: Goodbye, Gataro and his son
• Episode 10 "Attack on Fuuko"
• Episode 11 "The Mole's Lullaby"
• Episode 12: A Week of Sunshine
• Episode 13: Beware the Hidden Microphone
• Episode 14 "Benkei's Psychic Powers"
• Episode 15: "Hooray for the Gourmets"
• Episode 16: "Hometown Express Whirlpool"
• Episode 17: Oh no, it's the exam
• Episode 18: A Long, Painful Day
• Episode 19: Protect the Silver Seat
• Episode 20: Transform into a Genius
• Episode 21: Sleepy, Sleepy, Sleepy
• Episode 22: "My uniform number is 110"
• Episode 23: The Trouble at Home Sitting
• Episode 24: Don't laugh at bedwetting
• Episode 25: Crybaby Freshman
• Episode 26: It's tough being a senior
• Episode 27: A Friend in Trouble
• Episode 28: Go Sarutobi Sasuke
• Episode 29: The Missing Baby Carriage
• Episode 30: The Wind and the Mountain Mother
• Episode 31: I'll teach you how to play
• Episode 32: "Doing One Good Deed a Day is Hard"
• Episode 33: The Strange Incident at Benkei Temple
• Episode 34: I'll teach you how to remove a rotten tooth
• Episode 35: Reading with Sutras
• Episode 36: Trumpet Rhapsody
• Episode 37: Defeating the Demon with a Mysterious Flute
• Episode 38: "Happy, I'm Alive"
• Episode 39 "Monko's Piano"
• Episode 40: "My patience is running out"
• Episode 41: Monko is a Big Star
• Episode 42: One Pure Vote - Secret Plan
• Episode 43: Who is the Pure and Righteous?
• Episode 44: The Lost Child's Marathon
• Episode 45: Give Gerosuke a Loving Hand
• Episode 46: Aim for the Plum Wine
• Episode 47: Investigate the Incident
• Episode 48: The Intriguing Transfer Student
• Episode 49: "The Triple Love Strategy"
• Episode 50: I don't need a report card
• Episode 51: I want to catch a cold
• Episode 52: The Strange Umbrella Ghost
• Episode 53: Pool Opening, Everyone Gather
• Episode 54: Swim, Tonkichi
• Episode 55 "Camping is fun"
• Episode 56 "Challenging the Heat"
• Episode 57: The Mud Fight
• Episode 58: Octopus commotion at the beach
• Episode 59: The Frog Chorus
• Episode 60: "I'll teach you how to keep a diary"
• Episode 61: The Test of Courage at Benkei Temple
• Episode 62: Crazy Bon Dance
• Episode 63: "Hot, Hot, Endure Meeting"
• Episode 64 "Mountain Mother"
• Episode 65: The Popular Tonkichi?
• Episode 66: Kaminari Boy's Rampage
• Episode 67: Where is the Sea?
• Episode 68 "Mokubee's Home"
• Episode 69: The Last Day of Summer Vacation
• Episode 70: I'm a Great Detective
• Episode 71: It's tough being a man
• Episode 72: Shopping with Mom (Part 1)
• Episode 73: Shopping with Mom (Part 2)
• Episode 74: Rolling, Rolling, Chaos
• Episode 75 "Daddy's Sunday"
• Episode 76: Who is the culprit?
• Episode 77: Tonkichi's Unrequited Love (1980/08/19)

Theme songs and music

The opening theme "Ganbare Gombe" was written and composed by Masayuki Yamamoto, arranged by Masaaki Jinbo, and sung by Koorogi'73. The ending theme "Itazura Sanningumi" was also written and composed by Masayuki Yamamoto, arranged by Masaaki Jinbo, and sung by Koorogi'73. These songs were very popular with children at the time.

Appeal of the work

The biggest appeal of "Ganbare Gonbe" is its humor and the individuality of the characters. The pranks and antics of Gonbe and other characters provided laughter for children and entertained viewers. In addition, each episode included different themes and gags, so it was fun to watch without getting bored.

Historical Background

Japan in the 1980s was on the eve of the bubble economy, and economic prosperity and cultural diversity were widespread. Many animations were produced during this period that appealed to a wide range of audiences, from children to adults. "Ganbare Gombe" was one of them, and was enjoyable not only for children but for the whole family. Many episodes also reflected the social issues and customs of the time, which resonated with viewers.

Evaluation and recommendation points

"Ganbare Gonbe" was highly praised by children at the time. Its humor and the charm of its characters are still loved by many fans today. In particular, Gonbe's pranks and friendship with Santaro and Benkei gave children dreams and hope. In addition, the themes and gags of each episode provided viewers with fresh surprises and laughter.

Even from a modern perspective, "Ganbare Gombe" can entertain many people with its humor and charming characters. It is especially recommended as a comedy anime that the whole family can watch. Also, the episodes that reflect Japanese society in the 1980s are interesting from a historical perspective.

Conclusion

"Ganbare Gombe" is a comedy anime that represents the Japanese animation world of the 1980s. Its humor and charming characters are still loved by many fans today. The content can be enjoyed by the whole family, and the episodes that reflect Japanese society in the 1980s provide fresh surprises and laughter for modern viewers. Please give it a watch.