B.B. BURNING BLOOD - The appeal and reviews of hot-blooded action

B・B BURNING BLOOD - B・B BURNING BLOOD - All-round review and recommendation

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

April 25, 1990

■Release and sales

Bandai

■Frequencies

40 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 3

■Original Story

・Original work by Osamu Ishiwata

■ Director

・Director: Osamu Dezaki

■ Production

Produced by Bandai, Magic Bus

■ Story

Takagi Michiru is a high school student nicknamed "B.B." (Burning Blood), which means "he has burning blood." In the middle of a fight in the streets of Yokosuka, B.B. meets his fateful nemesis, Moriyama Jin. B.B.'s rough fighting techniques don't work at all on Moriyama, who has boxing experience, but this is what awakens B.B. to boxing. Eventually, B.B. creates a special move that no one can imitate, the "10cm Bomb," and Moriyama also acquires a "body of steel." The two fight hard, aiming for the day when they will exchange punches.

■Explanation

A video animation adaptation of the popular boxing manga by Ishiwata Osamu. Three volumes of the video software have been released: "A BOY MEETS A BOY," "ENTER THE RING," and "END OF SUMMER." The original manga began serialization in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 1985, and won the 34th Shogakukan Manga Award in 1988. The original story revolves around a boxing match between a high school student, Takagi Michiru, nicknamed "B.B. (Burning Blood)," and his nemesis, Moriyama Jin, but the setting has expanded from high school boxing to the world of the mafia and even to war zones where conflict continues.

■Cast

・B.B. (Takagi Maki) / Kazuhiko Inoue / Jin Moriyama / Sho Hayami / Koyuki Matsubara / Noriko Hidaka / Koichi Wakabayashi / Hideyuki Hori / Minoru Kato (Sorry) / Toshihiko Seki / Su-chan / Yuko Mizutani / Gentaro Takagi / Masaru Ikeda / Makoto Otodo (Otose) / Tesshō Genda / Foxfire Head / Akio Otsuka

■ Main staff

Original author: Osamu Ishiwata; Director: Osamu Dezaki; Screenplay: Machiko Kondo; Character design and animation director: Akio Sugino; Director: Takaya Mizutani; ★★★(illegible)
Art Director: Chitose Asakura Production: Magic Bus Production: Bandai

■ Main Characters

Takagi Manabu: A high school student with a powerful punch. He fought Moriyama during a fight with some delinquents and lost, which inspired him to take up boxing. His special move is the "10cm Bomb", a punch delivered at an extremely short range.
Moriyama Jin: A high school student who excels in both academics and sports, and B.B.'s fateful rival. Although he and B.B. clash at times, they eventually come to recognize and respect each other through boxing.

■Subtitle

・1／(1990/04/25)

■Detailed evaluation

"B.B. BURNING BLOOD" was released as an OVA in 1990 and is based on the popular boxing manga by Osamu Ishiwata. The work was released in three volumes in the form of a video animation, faithfully recreating the passionate story and characters of the original. Below, we will evaluate this work in detail from various perspectives, including the story, characters, production, music, and visual expression.

story

The story of "B.B. BURNING BLOOD" revolves around the confrontation between high school students B.B. and Jin Moriyama. The story begins with a dramatic turn of events in which B.B. meets Moriyama during a fight in the streets of Yokosuka and awakens to boxing. The original manga is a grand story that stretches from high school boxing to the world of the mafia and the battlefield, but the OVA only condenses some of it.

The appeal of this work lies in the rivalry between B.B. and Moriyama. The scene where B.B.'s violent fighting techniques are defeated by Moriyama's boxing skills leaves a strong impression on the viewer. Also not to be missed are the process by which B.B. creates his special move, the "10cm bomb," and the process by which Moriyama masters his "body of steel." These elements combine to form a story that draws the viewer in.

character

The characters in "B.B. BURNING BLOOD" retain the charm of the original manga. In particular, the performances of Kazuhiko Inoue as B.B. and Shou Hayami as Jin Moriyama vividly express the personalities of the characters. B.B.'s hot-blooded side and Moriyama's calmness and strength are further enhanced by the performances of the voice actors.

In addition, the supporting characters, such as Noriko Hidaka as Koyuki Matsubara and Hideyuki Hori as Koichi Wakabayashi, are also attractive. In particular, Koyuki Matsubara's character plays an important role in supporting B.B.'s growth, and her presence adds depth to the story.

Production

"B.B. BURNING BLOOD" was produced by Bandai and Magic Bus. The director is Osamu Dezaki, the script is by Machiko Kondo, and the character design and animation direction is Akio Sugino. This staff worked together to recreate the worldview of the original work in animation.

In particular, Osamu Dezaki's skill as a director is superb, and various ingenuity has been put into the film to visualize the passionate story of the original work. Machiko Kondo's script also captures the essence of the original work well, while being skillfully adapted to suit the OVA format. Akio Sugino's character designs also faithfully reproduce the characters of the original work, while bringing out the unique charm of animation.

music

The music in "B.B. BURNING BLOOD" is an important element in adding excitement to the film's passionate story. In particular, the selection and use of the background music is skillful, and has the effect of drawing out the viewer's emotions. In the confrontation scene between B.B. and Moriyama, music that heightens the tension is used, drawing the viewer into the story. Additionally, in scenes depicting the characters' feelings, emotionally rich music is used, eliciting empathy from the viewer.

Visual Representation

The visual expression of "B.B. BURNING BLOOD" reproduces the power of the original manga through animation. In particular, the depiction of B.B.'s special move, the "10cm bomb," and Moriyama's "steel body" have a huge visual impact. In addition, the speed and strength of the movements in the boxing match scenes are depicted realistically, giving the viewer a sense of presence.

In addition, art director Chitose Asakura has realistically recreated the atmosphere of Yokosuka's streets and boxing gym. These visual effects combine to create a work that leaves a strong impression on viewers.

■Recommendation

"B.B. BURNING BLOOD" is a work that has a passionate story with a boxing theme and attractive characters. In particular, the rivalry between B.B. and Moriyama and the story that depicts their growth leave a strong impression on viewers. In addition, fans of the original manga will enjoy a new perspective depicted in the OVA format.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

Hot Story

The story of "B.B. BURNING BLOOD" revolves around the rivalry between B.B. and Moriyama, and has the power to draw viewers in. In particular, the scene where B.B. discovers his love for boxing and the scene where he creates his special move, the "10cm bomb," leave a strong impression on viewers. Also, don't miss Moriyama's process of acquiring his "body of steel." These elements combine to form a story that draws viewers in.

Charming characters

The characters in "B.B. BURNING BLOOD" retain the charm of the original manga. In particular, the performances of Kazuhiko Inoue as B.B. and Sho Hayami as Jin Moriyama vividly express the personalities of the characters. In addition, the supporting characters such as Noriko Hidaka as Koyuki Matsubara and Hideyuki Hori as Koichi Wakabayashi are also attractive. These characters liven up the story and leave a deep impression on the viewers.

Excellent production

"B.B. BURNING BLOOD" is produced by Bandai and Magic Bus, and Dezaki Osamu's directing skills are superb. In particular, various ingenuity has been put into visualizing the passionate story of the original, leaving a strong impression on viewers. In addition, Kondo Machiko's script and Sugino Akio's character design have firmly captured the essence of the original while bringing out the unique charm of animation.

Inspirational Music

The music in "B.B. BURNING BLOOD" is an important element in adding excitement to the film's passionate story. In particular, the selection and use of the background music is skillful, and has the effect of drawing out the viewer's emotions. In the confrontation scene between B.B. and Moriyama, music that heightens the tension is used, drawing the viewer into the story. Additionally, in scenes depicting the characters' feelings, emotionally rich music is used, eliciting empathy from the viewer.

Realistic visual expression

The visual expression of "B.B. BURNING BLOOD" reproduces the power of the original manga through animation. In particular, the depiction of B.B.'s special move, the "10cm bomb," and Moriyama's "steel body" have a huge visual impact. Also, in the boxing match scenes, the speed and strength of the movements are depicted realistically, giving the viewer a sense of presence. Furthermore, art director Chitose Asakura has realistically recreated the streets of Yokosuka and the atmosphere of the boxing gym. The combination of these visual expressions creates a work that leaves a strong impression on the viewer.

■ Summary

"B.B. BURNING BLOOD" is a work that is appealing for its passionate boxing-themed story and attractive characters. In particular, the rivalry between B.B. and Moriyama and the story that depicts their growth leave a strong impression on viewers. Fans of the original manga will also enjoy the new perspective depicted in the OVA format. This work is recommended not only for boxing fans, but for all viewers who are looking for a passionate story and attractive characters.