"BADBOYS" review: A masterpiece anime depicting the roughness of youth and the depth of friendship

BADBOYS - Reviews and Recommendations

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

September 25, 1993

■Frequencies

46 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 5

■Original Story

・Original story by Hiroshi Tanaka (serialized in Shonen Gahosha's Young King magazine)

■ Director

Osamu Sekita

■ Production

・Production cooperation: JCSTAFF
Produced by Animate Films, produced by Shonen Gahosha, Tanaka Productions, Toei Video

■Works

©Hiroshi Tanaka/Shonen Gahosha, Toei Video

■ Story

Hiroshima in the 1990s, where many motorcycle gangs are fighting for supremacy. Kiriki Tsukasa, who grew up as the son of a wealthy family, finds his way as a man in a motorcycle gang and runs away from home to become a delinquent. There, Tsukasa meets three gang members, Eiji, Yoji, and Toshio, but by chance he gets caught up in a conflict between the Hiroshima Knights and Gokurakuchou gangs. Tsukasa then ends up going one-on-one with Sugimoto Kazuhiro, the leader of the Knights.

■Explanation

The land of Hiroshima is constantly shaken by the ambitions of the many teams trying to take over the world, including Ikuto, said to be the strongest in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Knights, who are in the top three, and Gokurakuchou VIII. In the midst of these fierce battles, Tsukasa grows, friendships are forged, love is nurtured, and tears are hard to hold back... This is a youth graffiti story that is different from the raging biker gangs... That is "BAD BOYS"!

■Cast

・Tsukasa Kiriki/Mitsuaki Madono・Kumi Yumoto/Megumi Hayashibara・Yoji Kawanaka/Kenyu Horiuchi・Tosao Nakamura/Nobuyuki Furuta・Age Iwami/Nobuo Tobita・Hirokazu Sugimoto/Shigeru Chiba・Toshimasa Harabe/Tomoyuki Morikawa・Erika Sato/Masako Katsuo・Hidenno Hidenori/Tetsuaki Genda・Makoto/Yuka Koyama・Nao James/Masami Kikuchi・Member A/Hiroshi Tanaka・Uesu/Osamu Hiyama・Funaki/Kazunari Miyazaki・Old Lady/Naoko Ishii・Mama/Yayoi Jinguji・Woman A/Mizue Otsuka・Yankee A/Ken Hiyama・Middle-aged man/Yasuhiko Kawazu

■ Main staff

Produced by Shonengahosha, Tanaka Productions, Toei Video Planning by Toda Rikichirō Original story by Tanaka Hiroshi (serialised in Shonengahosha's Young King magazine)
・Producers: Tomiro Kuriyama, Takehiko Shimazu, Nagateru Kato ・Screenplay: Tomoya Miyashita, Kaori Takada ・Character design: Hiroshi Tanaka ・Character animation director: Mitsuharu Kajitani ・Mecha animation director: Masafumi Yamamoto ・Art director: Yuko Fujii ・Director of photography: Takashi Azuhata (Azuhata Productions)
・Sound Director / Honda Yasunori・Production Producer / Yoritsugu Yasushi, Abe Michihisa・Production Manager / Kawasaki Tomoko・Production Manager / Sato Takashi・Key Animation / Endo Eiichi, Yamamoto Masafumi, Kikuchi Toshihiro, Wada Takashi, Oki Ryoichi, Yamauchi Kimiko, Watanabe Kazuko, Takanori Yoko, Saito Kazuya, Nakamori Ryoji, Itou Misato, Matsumura Kazuko, Senbon Keigo, Kajitani Mitsuharu・Video Checker / Ogino Nobuko, Saito Kazuya, Nakamori Ryoji・Animation / Miyamae Shinichi, Kitazawa Noriko, Isoda Tomomi, Shiba Minako, Yokoyama Kyoko, Kono Takako, Masuda Hiroshi, Tanaka Kentaro, Maeda Kotomi, Takaoka Naomi, Nakata Tetsuya, Konno Junko, Okamoto Hiroki, Kazue Yoshida, Keizo Ichikawa, Masaki Nakaya, Aya Yoshino・Color setting／Sayuri Tanabe・Color designation／Mari Higashihara・Finishing and inspection／Miwa Nagakura, Fumiko Nakamura, Yukiko Ito, Mieko Maruyama, Junko Yokoo, Yoko Ikeda, Naoko Kitamura, Atsuko Moriyama, Tomomi Hashimoto・Background／Hisae Saito, Noboru Yoshida, Yoshito Watanabe, Masahiro Sato, Kaoru Chiba, Rie Yoshida, Yasunari Usuda, Hideaki Fujita, Noriko Nakata・Photography／Studio Boston, Shinichi Sasano, Toyomitsu Nakajo, Masaaki Fujita, Yutaka Kurosawa, Seiji Uchida, Miyoko Tamaki, Akihiko Takahashi・Photography cooperation／Adoribu, Tsugio Ozawa, Mayumi Yamazaki・Special effects／Go Abe (Krell Koubou)
Editing: JAY FILM, Toshio Hemmi, Shigeyuki Yamamori Music: Kazutoshi Yamazaki Music producer: Torao Hosoi (OFFICE NEWMAN)
・Sound production: Arts Pro ・Sound effects: Daisuke Jinbo (Swatz Pro)
・Sound recording: Yukio Abe ・Recording studio: Abaco Creative Studio ・Publicity manager: Motohiro Oda ・Title: Maki Pro ・Development: Toei Chemical Industry ・Director: Osamu Sekita ・Production cooperation: JCSTAFF
・Production: Animate Film

■ Main Characters

・Tsukasa Kiriki: Formerly a rich kid from a wealthy family. After he ran away from home, his parents disappeared and he was left alone. His fighting skills are on a par with Danno's - "When he loses his temper, he's the strongest in Hiroshima" - and his friendliness has made him a favorite of many people, who flock to Gokurakuchou.
・Yoji Kawanaka: The elder brother who looked after Tsukasa, who had run away from home. The eighth generation executive of Gokurakuchou.
・Iwami Eiji / Eighth generation executive of Gokurakuchou. He acts together with Yoji and Toshio. He is the best motorcyclist on the team.
・Nakamura Toshio / Eighth generation leader of Gokurakuchou. He was originally a member of the Hiroshima Knights, but joined Tsukasa and the others.
・Harabe Toshimasa / The seventh head of Gokurakuchou. He handed over the position to Tsukasa and married her. He was a classmate of Eiji and the others in middle school.
・Kumi Yumoto: A very ordinary girl. However, after meeting Tsukasa, she makes a sincere effort to become a woman worthy of him.
・Danno Hidenori: Head of the largest and strongest team in Hiroshima, Iketo. A fearsome man who is also said to be the strongest fighter in Hiroshima.
・Takama Kazutoshi / A member of the Ikuto group and Danno's right-hand man. He used to hang out with Yoji and the others.
- Nakai Kaori: Long ago, Danno saved her when she was being attacked by some delinquents, and she has been his girlfriend ever since.
・Hirokazu Sugimoto: Leader of the Hiroshima Knights, one of the top three in Hiroshima. He is an unrivaled womanizer, but he cannot stand up to Erika.
・Erika Sato / Sugimoto's girlfriend. She is beautiful and strong-willed, and is the epitome of a Hiroshima woman. She is like an older sister to Kumi.
Akira Iwata: The first president of Gokurakuchou, currently a member of the Traffic Police. He finds meaning in life in cracking down on motorcycle gangs.
- Kotorida Shinji: He believes that Tsukasa's father was responsible for his parents' suicide, and targets Tsukasa to get revenge.
Yutaka Nomura: Danno's rival in judo during their junior high school days. They respected each other, but he left for Osaka before graduation to study judo abroad. He is being pursued by the police for murder.
・Chiharu Ishimoto / He supports Yutaka and forms a crazy alliance. He is ambitious to conquer Hiroshima. He is a despicable and vile man.

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・SUGAR BABY'S GROWIN'
Lyrics: Naoko Hamasaki; Music: Shingo Kamoshita; Arrangement: Fujimaru Yoshino; Singer: REPLICA
・ED1
・Stop the World・Lyrics by Hisashi Kato・Composition by Hisashi Kato・Arrangement by The Collectors & Jin Yoshida・Singer by The Collectors
・IN
・Pieces of Love・Lyrics by YANG-G
・Composer: YANG-G
・Arrangement/REPLICA
・Song: REPLICA
(Published by Nippon Columbia)

■Review

"BADBOYS" was released as an OVA in 1993 and is based on a manga serialized in Shonen Gahosha's "Young King" by Hiroshi Tanaka. The story is set in Hiroshima in the 1990s and depicts the struggles of motorcycle gangs and the youth of today, and continues to be loved by many fans.

The protagonist, Tsukasa Kiriki, grew up as the son of a wealthy family, but he finds his way as a man in a biker gang and runs away from home. He meets Eiji, Yoji, and Toshio, and the story depicts how he gets caught up in the conflict between the Hiroshima Knights and Gokurakuchou. The story, which intertwines Tsukasa's growth, friendship, love, and tears, is not just a story about biker gangs, but is depicted as a coming-of-age story.

The appeal of this work lies above all in the depth of the characters and the realism of the human relationships. Tsukasa's fighting strength - "When he loses his temper, he's the strongest in Hiroshima" - and his friendliness attract his comrades who admire him. Furthermore, his friendships with Yoji, Eiji, and Toshio give the impression of unshakable bonds even in the midst of conflict. Furthermore, his romance with Yumoto Kumi is an important element that symbolizes Tsukasa's growth.

In addition, the one-on-one fight with Hirokazu Sugimoto, the leader of the Hiroshima Knights, is a scene that symbolizes Tsukasa's growth and determination, and leaves a strong impression on viewers. Sugimoto's incomparable love of women and his inability to stand up to Erika also deeply portray his humanity.

This work was produced in collaboration with JCSTAFF and Animate Film, and was directed by Osamu Sekita. The character designs were done by the original author Hiroshi Tanaka, the character animation director was Mitsuharu Kajitani, and the mecha animation director was Masafumi Yamamoto. Professionals from various fields, such as art director Yuko Fujii, cinematographer Takashi Yasutsubatake, and sound director Yasunori Honda, have come together to raise the quality of the work.

The music is also an important element, with the opening theme "SUGAR BABY'S GROWIN'" sung by REPLICA and the ending theme "Stop the World" by The Collectors. The insert song "Pieces of Love" is also sung by REPLICA, and the music with a 90's feel adds to the worldview of the work.

"BADBOYS" is a story about biker gangs set in Hiroshima in the 1990s, but it also depicts the brilliance and suffering of youth. Through Tsukasa's growth, friendships, and love, viewers can empathize with and be moved by his life. Although this work is in the form of an OVA, it continues to be loved by many fans for its deep storyline and attractive characters.

■Recommendation

"BADBOYS" is a story about biker gangs set in Hiroshima in the 1990s, but it also depicts the brilliance and suffering of youth. Through Tsukasa's growth, friendships, and love, viewers can empathize with and be moved by his life. Although this work is in the form of an OVA, it continues to be loved by many fans for its deep storyline and attractive characters.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

1. **Deep story and character development**: The protagonist Tsukasa finds his way as a man in a biker gang and grows as a man, which deeply moves viewers. The realistic depiction of human relationships through friendship and romance is also appealing.

2. **90s atmosphere**: This work is set in Hiroshima in the 90s, and the music, background, fashion, etc. are realistically depicted to evoke the atmosphere of that time. In particular, the opening and ending songs create a 90s atmosphere.

3. **Professional production**: With the cooperation of JCSTAFF and Animate Film, direction by Osamu Sekita, character design by Hiroshi Tanaka, and other professionals from various fields, the production team has enhanced the quality of the work.

4. **Seishun Graffiti**: This is not just a story about biker gangs, but a work that depicts the brilliance and suffering of youth, allowing viewers to empathize with and be moved by Tsukasa's life.

"BADBOYS" is a story about biker gangs set in Hiroshima in the 1990s, but it also depicts the brilliance and suffering of youth. Viewers can empathize with and be moved by Tsukasa's life through his growth, friendships, and romance. Although this work is in the form of an OVA, it continues to be loved by many fans for its deep storyline and attractive characters. Please watch this work and experience the graffiti of Tsukasa's youth.