Review of "Kouha Ginjiro": A thorough explanation of the charm of the manly protagonist and the depth of the story

"Kouha Ginjiro": A story of youth and friendship

■Overview of the work

"Kouha Ginjiro" is an anime released as an OVA in 1991, based on the manga of the same name by Hiroshi Motomiya. This work, which consists of three episodes, is a coming-of-age story that depicts the exploits of Ginjiro Yamazaki, the leader of Tencha Junior High School. Although Ginjiro is a junior high school student, he works part-time as a newspaper deliverer to support his late brother's son. Filled with a sense of justice, he faces off against strong opponents who bully the weak and devotes himself to sports every day. During this time, he meets a transfer student, Takako Ozawa, and the friendship between them is depicted.

■ Story

Ginjiro Yamazaki, the leader of Tencha Junior High School, is an orphan who works part-time delivering newspapers to raise his late brother's only son, Mamoru. Ginjiro is good at fighting and has a strong sense of justice. Together with his subordinates Norio Koorogi (nicknamed "Koorogi") and Katsuya Takei (nicknamed "Katsu"), he challenges tough opponents who bully the weak and spends his days playing sports. Meanwhile, he meets the fearless transfer student Takako Ozawa, and the story depicts how they deepen their friendship despite being pushed around by her.

■Explanation

"Kouha Ginjiro" is an anime adaptation of a youth comic by Hiroshi Motomiya that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. It depicts the thrilling exploits of Yamazaki Ginjiro, a small-sized but righteous junior high school student, with warm feelings, friendship, and action. The anime is made up of three episodes, each with the subtitles "The Boy with the Child," "The Man with the Hawk's Eyes," and "The Man's Departure."

■Cast

• Ginjiro Yamazaki: Kappei Yamaguchi
• Takako Ozawa: Miki Ito
• Kinta Sasaki: Yasunori Matsumoto
• Professor Hirata: Hideyuki Tanaka
• Mamoru's Mother: Naoko Watanabe
• Cricket: Wataru Takagi
• Winner: Masami Kikuchi

■ Main staff

• Original author: Hiroshi Motomiya
• Director: Koichi Ishiguro
• Screenplay: Koichi Mizuide
• Storyboard: Masaharu Okuwaki
• Directed by: Yuji Himaki
• Character design: Kazuya Takeda, Akihiro Kanayama
• Animation Director: Atsuo Tobe
• Art Director: Torao Arai
• Director of photography: Seiichi Morishita
• Sound Director: Jun Watanabe
• Production cooperation: Visual 80
• Production: Animate Film
• Produced and written by: Shueisha, Bandai, Movic

■ Main Characters

• Ginjiro Yamazaki, nicknamed "Gin-chan". He's not good at studying but is good at sports and is a middle school student with a strong sense of justice. He's good at fighting but weak with women, and is constantly being bossed around by the transfer student Takako Ozawa. His trademark is the scar he got on his forehead when he was a child.
• Takako Ozawa A girl with excellent grades and good looks. She looks after Ginjiro and they soon become aware of each other. Her nickname is "Taka-chan."

■The appeal of the work

"Kouha Ginjiro" is a work with themes of youth and friendship, depicting the protagonist Ginjiro as he faces difficulties and the bonds he forms with his friends. Ginjiro's sense of justice and strength, as well as the relationships he has with others, are particularly appealing. Also, because it was produced in the form of an OVA, each episode has a different story, making it well worth watching.

■Charm of the characters

Ginjiro is a middle school student who is good at fighting and has a strong sense of justice, but he also has a weakness for women. In particular, his relationship with Takako Ozawa is an important element of the story, and he is depicted deepening his friendship with her even as he is manipulated by her. He also has deep friendships with his subordinates Koorogi and Katsu, and the bonds he forms with his friends add excitement to the story.

■Production Background

"Kouha Ginjiro" is a popular manga originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, and its anime adaptation was eagerly anticipated. In order to maximize the appeal of the original work, director Koichi Ishiguro provided viewers with fresh surprises by telling different stories in each episode. In addition, the character designs and animation directors faithfully reproduced the atmosphere of the original work while incorporating expressions unique to anime, enhancing the appeal of the work.

■ Evaluation and acceptance

"Kouha Ginjiro" was highly praised by fans of the original work, and its production in the form of an OVA allowed for a deeper story and the appeal of the characters to be brought out. It was also loved by many viewers as a work with themes of youth and friendship. In particular, the scenes depicting Ginjiro's sense of justice and strength, as well as the bonds he has with his friends, left a strong impression on viewers.

■ Recommendation points

"Kouha Ginjiro" is a work with themes of youth and friendship, depicting the protagonist Ginjiro as he faces difficulties and the bonds he forms with his friends. Ginjiro's sense of justice and strength, as well as the relationships he has with the people around him, are particularly appealing. Also, because it was produced in the form of an OVA, each episode has a different story, making it well worth watching. This is a work that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes stories about youth and friendship.

■ Related works

"Kouha Ginjiro" is based on the manga of the same name by Hiroshi Motomiya, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. Hiroshi Motomiya's other works include "Otokogumi" and "Big Wing," which also feature stories about youth and friendship. For anime fans, these works are also recommended.

■How to watch

"Kouha Ginjiro" was released as an OVA, so you can watch it on DVD or Blu-ray. It is also available on some video streaming services. If you're interested, be sure to check it out.

Conclusion

"Kouha Ginjiro" is a work with themes of youth and friendship, depicting the protagonist Ginjiro as he faces difficulties and the bonds he forms with his friends. Ginjiro's sense of justice and strength, as well as the relationships he has with the people around him, are particularly appealing. Also, because it was produced in the form of an OVA, each episode has a different story, making it well worth watching. This is a work that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes stories about youth and friendship.