Be-Bop High School

Be-Bop High School (Japanese: ビー・バップ・ハイスクール, Hepburn: Bī Bappu Hai Sukūru) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuhiro Kiuchi. It was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine from 1983 to 2003, with its chapters collected in 48 tankōbon volumes. It has been adapted into seven live-action films, a video game, and an original video animation (OVA) series.

Be-Bop High School
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Toru Nakama (left) and Hiroshi Kato (right)
ビー・バップ・ハイスクール (Bī Bappu Hai Sukūru)
Genre	Yankī^[1]
Manga
Written by	Kazuhiro Kiuchi
Published by	Kodansha
Imprint	Yanmaga KC Special
Magazine	Weekly Young Magazine
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	1983 – 2003
Volumes	48
Further information Live-action film Directed by Hiroyuki Nasu Released December 14, 1985 Runtime 90 minutes Live-action film Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Aika Directed by Hiroyuki Nasu Released August 9, 1986 Runtime 95 minutes Live-action film Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Kōshinkyoku Directed by Hiroyuki Nasu Released March 21, 1987 Runtime 96 minutes Live-action film Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Kyōsō-kyoku Directed by Hiroyuki Nasu Released December 12, 1987 Runtime 90 minutes Live-action film Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Ondo Directed by Hiroyuki Nasu Released August 6, 1988 Runtime 90 minutes Live-action film Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Kanketsu-hen Directed by Hiroyuki Nasu Released December 17, 1988 Runtime 90 minutes Game Be-Bop High School: Kōkōsei Gokuraku Densetsu Developer Data East Publisher Data East Genre Adventure Platform Nintendo Family Computer Released JP: March 30, 1988 Original video animation Directed by Toshihiko Arisako (1–2, 6) Hiroyuki Kakudō (3–5) Junichi Fujise (7) Written by Kazuhiro Kiuchi (1–3) Kazumasa Kiuchi (1–3) Tatsuhiko Urahata (4–5) Sara Uemura (6) Studio Toei Animation Released January 26, 1990 – December 11, 1998 Episodes 7 Live-action film Directed by Kazuhiro Kiuchi Released February 19, 1994 Television drama Original network TBS Original run June 16, 2004 – August 17, 2005 Episodes 2

The manga has sold over 40 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 1988, the series won the 12th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category.

Story

The series revolves around the lives of two rough-and-tumble high school friends, Hiroshi Kato (加藤 浩志, Katō Hiroshi) and Toru Nakama (中間 徹, Nakama Tōru), who frequently cause trouble and start fights. Toru and Hiroshi style their hair in punch perms and also adopt exaggerated swaggering gaits. The manga also features an assortment of outlandish characters who also sport unusual fashions and hairdos.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Kazuhiro Kiuchi, Be-Bop High School was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine from 1983 to 2003.^[2] Kodansha collected its chapters in 48 tankōbon volumes, released from March 17, 1984,^[3] to January 6, 2004.^[4]

A spin-off parody, titled Be-Bop Kaizokuban (Be-Bop 海賊版), Memeoka Manhiru, was serialized in Bessatsu Young Magazine,^[5] and its chapters were collected in six tankōbon volumes, released from January 1990 to January 1996.^[6][7]

Live-action films

There are seven live-action films based on the manga; six films directed by Hiroyuki Nasu and released between 1985 and 1988, and a 1994 film directed by the own manga author, Kazuhiro Kiuchi.

1. Be-Bop High School (ビー・バップ・ハイスクール) (December 14, 1985)^[8]
2. Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Aika (ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎哀歌) (August 9, 1986)^[9]
3. Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Kōshinkyoku (ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎行進曲) (March 21, 1987)^[10]
4. Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Kyōsō-kyoku (ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎狂騒曲) (December 12, 1987)^[11]
5. Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Ondo (ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎音頭) (August 6, 1988)^[12]
6. Be-Bop High School: Kōkō Yotarō Kanketsu-hen (ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎完結篇) (December 17, 1988)^[13]
7. Be-Bop High School (ビー・バップ・ハイスクール) (February 19, 1994)^[14]

Video game

A video game, titled Be-Bop High School: Kōkōsei Gokuraku Densetsu (ビーバップハイスクール 高校生極楽伝説, Bi-Bappu Hai Sukuru: Kōkōsei Gokuraku Densetsu), was released on March 30, 1988, by Data East for the Nintendo Famicom console.^[15]

Original video animation

A seven-episode original video animation (OVA) adaptation, animated by Toei Animation, was released between January 26, 1990,^[16] to December 11, 1998.^[17] A three-episode OVA, based on Be-Bop Kaizokuban, was released between 1991 and 1993.^[5]

Drama

A special television drama adaptation of two episodes was broadcast on TBS on June 16, 2004,^[18] and August 17, 2005.^[19]

Reception

The manga has sold over 40 million copies.^[20] The series' eighth volume had a first print run of 2.27 million copies in 1987, making it the publisher's highest first print run of all time; the record was broken by Attack on Titan's 13th volume in 2014, which had a first print run of 2.75 million copies.^[21][22]

In 1988, alongside Bonobono, Be-Bop High School won the 12th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category.^[23]

References

1. Chavez, Ed (February 7, 2008). "Yanki Doodle Dandy!". Otaku USA. from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2020. The yanki ideal made popular by titles Be-Bop High School, Shounan Bakusouzoku, Bukkomi no Taku, and Rokudenashi Blues was especially appealing to me. Yanki are basically Japanese juvenile delinquents, prone to fighting over turf, foxy girls, and imitating the honor-bound world of the yakuza on their own troubled-teen terms
2. 『ビー・バップ・ハイスクール』の登場キャラ人気ランキングTOP29！ 第1位は「加藤浩志」！【2021年最新投票結果】. Netorabo (in Japanese). ITmedia Inc. April 14, 2022. from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
3. (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
4. (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
5. ＢＥ‐ＢＯＰ海賊版 アニメセレクション (in Japanese). Toei Video. August 5, 2008. from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
6. BE-BOP 海賊版 [pt.1]. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
7. BE-BOP 海賊版 [pt.6]. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
8. ビー・バップ・ハイスクール. Eiren Database (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
9. ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎哀歌. Eiren Database (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
10. ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎行進曲. Eiren Database (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. from the original on February 5, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
11. ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎狂騒曲. Eiren Database (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
12. ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎音頭. Eiren Database (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
13. ビー・バップ・ハイスクール 高校与太郎完結篇. Eiren Database (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. from the original on July 4, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
14. ＢＥ－ＢＯＰ－ＨＩＧＨＳＣＨＯＯＬ ビー・バップ・ハイスクール. Eiren Database (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
15. BE-BOP-HIGHSCHOOL 高校生極楽伝説. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
16. 1*ビー・バップ・ハイスクール. suruga-ya.jp (in Japanese). from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
17. "BE-BOP・HIGHSCHOOL(7)". suruga-ya.jp (in Japanese). from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
18. （水曜プレミア特別編）BE-BOP-HIGHSCHOOL ビー・バップ・ハイスクール(1). TV Drama database (in Japanese). from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
19. （水曜プレミア特別編）BE-BOP-HIGHSCHOOL ビー・バップ・ハイスクール(2). TV Drama database (in Japanese). from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
20. (in Japanese). Toei Video. March 21, 2006. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
21. 進撃の巨人13巻は初版275万部！講談社で26年ぶり記録更新. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 7, 2014. from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
22. Komatsu, Mikikazu (April 6, 2014). ""Attack on Titan" Manga 13th Volume Gets 2.75 Million First Print Run". Crunchyroll. from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
23. Joel Hahn. "Kodansha Manga Awards". Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2022.

External links

• Be-Bop-Highschool (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia