Gals!

Gals!
File:Gals!.jpg Gals!
Genre	Comedy, Romance, Drama
Manga
Written by	Mihona Fujii
Published by	Shueisha CMX Manga
Anime
Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran
Directed by	Tsuneo Kobayashi
Studio	Studio Pierrot

Gals! is a shōjo manga written by mangaka Mihona Fujii. The manga was serialized in Ribon and published in the U.S. by CMX.

An anime adaptation, Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran (超GALS!寿蘭, Sūpā Gyaruzu! Kotobuki Ran), aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between 2001 and 2003, running a length of 52 episodes. The anime series was produced by Studio Pierrot, and the first season (episodes 1-26) has been licensed for North American distribution by ADV Films under the name Super Gals!. Distributor The Right Stuf International announced that they have licensed the second season (episodes 27-52) at Anime Expo 2006 and will release a boxset containing all 26 episodes on January 10, 2007.

Plot

The series revolves around the kogal (also known as "gal") subculture in Japan. The title character, Ran Kotobuki (Kotobuki Ran in the English manga: CMX uses Japanese order while ADV uses Western order), is the self-proclaimed "world's greatest gal." As a teenager in Shibuya, she's determined to live out the gal lifestyle for the rest of her life, and she has gained a reputation as the most respected gal in all of Shibuya. However, she comes from a family of police officers - her grandparents, her parents, and her older brother are all officers, and her younger sister is set on following in their footsteps. Only Ran has other dreams, but even she has acquired their sense of justice and spirit.

But the show doesn't always show Ran's point of view. It really consists of teenagers who live the same life as regular students and kogals in Japan. There's romance, troubles, and insecurities, especially Miyu and Aya's (since they take their relationships more seriously than Ran).

As a result of its reference to this lifestyle, ADV has given the series a 15+ rating (since many Americans unfamiliar with Japanese culture might see the lifestyle, especially the part of it pertaining to "enjo kōsai" as nothing more than prostitution, which is illegal in Japan).

Songs

"A-I-TSU" by Dicot is the opening theme song of the anime, while "Dakishimetai" by Jungle Smile is the closing theme song.

Characters

Names are in Western order, with the surname. The Japanese order name (family, given) is used in CMX's manga release, while the Western order name used in ADV's release.

Main Characters

Ran Kotobuki (寿 蘭, Kotobuki Ran)

• Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese); Luci Christian (English)

She is the titular character of the series and its main protagonist. She is a very strong-willed, athletic, and attractive gal who rules the streets of Shibuya. Although she comes from a long line of police officers, she is ditzy and absent-minded when it comes to school and the only subject she gets good grades on is physical education and her poorest subjects are mathematics and literature and has trouble even solving problems from lower grade levels. When she was in elementary school, she was actually enthusiastic to become a police officer, but quit the ambition after learning that if she becomes one, she won't be able to wear her favorite accessories or dye her hair. She is usually obsessed with anything that is trendy or catches her eye, usually brown-nosing guys who find her cute to buy them, and is also quite gluttonous. But inside her heart, she has a strong sense of justice that runs in her blood and is extremely intimidating and tough when she's in combat mode. She is a role model to the junior students at Hounan High for her social status as a magnificent gal for justice and her very understanding nature for teens who are learning to cope, but there were some who looked upon her with jealousy and anger. Despite being an underachiever (barely being able to graduate in the manga), Ran is actually pretty smart and has a good memory on what she is interested in (like shopping). There is a running gag in the manga that some of her friends say, "If only she used that (memory, concentration, etc.) on studying...". Her boyfriend is Tatsuki Kuroi, who is as ditzy and dumb as she is. Their love life is complicated (but strangely comedic at times), since Ran doesn't really care about boys, but she does like her boyfriend, and kissed his cheek (only in the manga). Also, she has a foreign friend, Vivian Lin, a Taiwanese celebrity who looks amazingly like her, whom she met during a school trip to Taiwan (only shown in two stories of the manga). After the series was over, Ran eventually did become a police officer (As was shown in Mihona Fujii's page in the KochiKame Anniversary Book).

Miyu Yamazaki (山咲 美由, Yamazaki Miyu)

• Voiced by: Haruna Ikezawa (Japanese); Kira Vincent-Davis (English)

Miyu is an independent, headstrong, and very kind classmate of Ran and one of her closest friends. However, behind her romantic and cute cover lies a dark past. When she was in third grade, her parents divorced (her father is currently remarried) and she lived with her mother, who paid more attention to looking for a new man rather than to see Miyu grow up (she despised Miyu because she reminded her of her divorced husband). She once was the leader of a street gang called the "Resistance", often wreaking mayhem and irritation during middle school and had a rough-mannered and threatening personality that Ran despised. One day, Yamato (by then a rookie cop) saved her from a tough situation, and his dedication to helping with Miyu's problems made her fall in love with him. Because of that, she left the life of crime and became a much more polite girl after Yamato told her his wish for her to be good and eventually became great friends with Ran. However, she remains an incredible fighter and can get back to her bullying self when someone completely upsets her and when she becoms uncharacteristically furious. In conversation, she has a habit of referring to herself in the third person, as many 'cutesy' characters tend to do. Ran often remarks how Miyu is "lovey-dovey" with her older brother and there is a running gag on both series when they interrupted when they are trying to kiss, usually by Ran. When her mom eventually moved out, she moved into a new apartment and married Yamato in Hawaii in the manga.

Aya Hoshino (星野 綾, Hoshino Aya)

• Voiced by: Oma Ichimura (Japanese); Kim Prause (English)

Aya is one of the top students in Ran's class, but she was secretly doing enjo kōsai to earn money (only announced in the first chapter and episode), since her parents were very stringent about her being in number one in academics and wouldn't let her do any part-time jobs. Ran found out and confronted her about it, making her realize that she was doing the wrong thing (she insists she never "did it" with anybody) and, since then, Aya became good friends with Ran and Miyu. She is a shy but honest and studious individual who enjoys academics while also longing for excitement every now and then, which is thankfully provided by Ran. As the series progresses, she develops a huge crush on the popular but cold Rei and has a difficult and awkward time at attempting to confess her feelings to him. At the end of the series she is dating Rei, and succeeds in going to the same college with him in the manga.

Yamato Kotobuki (寿 大和, Kotobuki Yamato)

• Voiced by: Hiroki Takahashi (Japanese); Paul Locklear (English)

Yamato is Ran and Sayo's older brother (Ran by nine years and Sayo by ten years) and unlike Ran, he has a sensitive and passionate personality that shows through his job as a cop, and is usually on duty at the Shibuya "koban". The only thing that annoys him is when Ran causes trouble in Shibuya and he has to bring her to the police station. His love interest is Ran's best friend, the much-younger Miyu Yamazaki, whom he first met when he was a rookie cop and when Miyu was a troubled and violent gangster. It was he that helped her to be good, since he was the only one who believed in her. In the end, he helped Miyu move into her new apartment and married her after high school graduation (the marriage was only seen in the manga).

Rei Otohata (乙幡 麗, Otohata Rei)

• Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese); Chris Patton (English)

Rei is a student at Meisho Daichi High School (Champion High School in ADV's dub). He is also known as "#1", due to the fact that he was featured in a magazine as being the coolest and most handsome teenage guy in the area. He rides a motorcycle and is good friends with Yuya. He has a cold and detached demeanour, but seems to act warmly towards Aya and is constantly annoyed by Ran. He has trouble expressing his feelings towards others (especially Aya). Aya develops a strong crush on him. At first he seems sypathetic towards her probably dating her out of pity and feels guilty that he can't return her strong feelings for him. But near the end of the series, in vol. 8 he starts to recipocate Aya's love and even tries to kiss her but is interrupted by Naoki who also has a crush on Aya. He has some feeling for Ran too,for example, once Aya asked him if he liked her and he answered with this he reasoned "yes". However in the end those feelings seem to fade away as he starts falling for Aya.

Yuya Aso (麻生 裕也, Asō Yūya)

• Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese); Greg Ayres (English)

Yuya is also a student at Meisho Daichi High School, and he is known as "#2" or "second place"; (he was the runner-up to Rei, but is friends with him). He develops a crush on Ran, but she is oblivious to the fact. Although he considers Tatsuki as a rival, they are sometimes as close as brothers and is pretty good friends with Aya. In the manga, after seeing as how Ran and Tatsuki were so close together, he finally decided to give up and move along in his relationship with Mami. At the end of series, he is still with Mami, and from the way things are said in the anime, he might be marrying Mami in the future.

Sayo Kotobuki (寿 沙夜, Kotobuki Sayo)

• Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese); Hilary Haag (English)

Sayo is Ran's younger sister. She dreams of being a detective like the hero of her favorite television show, Detective Kudou of Odaiba Cop. Sayo and her boyfriend Masato often roleplay as conspicuous detectives, drawing the attention of onlookers and inciting frustration from Ran who is bothered by their antics. Tends to add the phase "You bet" (or datchu だっちゅ in the Japanese version) into her statements. In the end of the series she is still with Masato and they both go the same high school that Ran goes to.

Taizo Kotobuki (寿 泰三, Kotobuki Taizo)

• Voiced by: Ginzō Matsuo, Fumihiko Tachiki (Japanese), John Gremillion (English)

Taizo is Ran's father. He is Chief of Detectives. He disapproves of his daughter's lifestyle. He tries his best to make Ran say that she wants to be a police officer, and often tries various tactics to get her to do various jobs helping the people (like not giving her money).

Kiyoka Kotobuki (寿 清香, Kotobuki Kiyoka)

• Voiced by: Yuko Kobayashi (Japanese); Christine Auten (English)

Kiyoka is Ran's mother. She is also a police officer. It is a running gag throughout the series about her mysterious age, as she appears to be much younger than her husband.

Mami Honda (本多 マミ, Honda Mami)

• Voiced by: Aya Ishizu (Japanese); Allison Sumrall (English)

Mami is a rival of Ran, known as the "Queen of Ikebukuro". Later on in the series, Mami falls in love with Yuya. She also develops a truce with Ran in Volume 5 of GALS!; It's okay to have a change of heart. In the anime, she comes from a very rich family.

Harue Kudou (工藤 ハルエ, Kudō Harue)

• Voiced by: Reiko Takagi (Japanese); Cynthia Martinez (English)

Harue is Mami's best friend. She was once a member of a "team" called the "Eagles", which was broken up by Miyu (when she was still part of "Resistance"). She once sent in a nasty email about Miyu and her past. Her name means "owl" in Japanese.

Tatsuki Kuroi (黒井 直樹, Kuroi Tatsuki)

• Voiced by: Yukimasa Obi (Japanese); Jason Douglas (English)

Tatsuki (known as Tatsukichi to Ran) is a wild and kind student at Machida West High School, and he calls himself "the parapara king of Machida" (also known as "Machida Black", since the "kuro" in his last name means "black"). In the manga he is also called Blackwell (the literal translation of his surname). He is often nicknamed "Monkey Boy" since his personality is very similar to that of a monkey. He becomes Ran's boyfriend, although she studiously avoids anything remotely approaching intimacy. Because of this, at times Tatsuki feels that he should not be Ran's boyfriend, and often feels that Ran does show it that she's his girlfriend. He likes to use English words and phrases in his conversations. Sometimes he says a phrase in English then he will say then same phrase in Japanese, or he will say a phrase that the first part is in Japanese, and then the second part in English, and then he will say the same phrase again, but switch what is in Japanese and what is in English (example: "Black nichiyōbi", "Black Sunday", and then "Kuroi Sunday"). He also likes to call Yuya "brother" in English.

Naoki Kuroi (黒井 直樹, Kuroi Naoki)

• Voiced by: Daisuke Sakaguchi (Japanese); David chadwick (English)

Tatsuki's little brother, who appeared later in the season. He's a street-smart, outgoing, but good-hearted boy who like his brother, thinks of himself as a ladies man. He used to have a crush on Ran, then Miyu, and then to Sayo, until he found out that Sayo and Masato had been dating ever since the beginning of junior high! At the end of the TV series, he has a crush on Kasumi. In the manga, he was so optimistic that he had crushes on Ran, then Sayo, then Miyu, then Aya! He's a pro skateboarder and carries around a skateboard all the time. Nevertheless, he's cool yet a bit weird, just like his brother. He works at their father's ramen shop every now and then, and someday wants to run the business. At first Naoki is upset that Tatsuki will not take over the business but Tatsuki tells Naoki that he wants to follow his own path.

Masato Iwai (祝 匡人, Iwai Masato)

• Voiced by: Kouki Miyata (Japanese); Clint Bickham (English)

Sayo's partner/boyfriend ever since the beginning of junior high. He fell in love with her as "the cute girl who always wore a hat" (she actually wore hats to school because she cut her bangs too short). From then on, they were a steady couple. He's a bit fun-loving and kind of weird like Sayo and imitates as a junior cop with her, but very just and gallant, especially to Sayo. At the end of the series, he goes to the same high school as Sayo, and they are still a couple.

Anime only characters

Kasumi Tsukino (月野 霞, Tsukino Kasumi)

• Voiced by: Yuko Sasamoto (Japanese); David chadwick (English)

A young girl who comes on the show around the later part of the series (start of 2nd Season). At first, she appears to be in Ran's fan club. Her dream is to be the number one gal in Shibuya and overthrow Ran. Her reasons for becoming a gal is because, when she was younger, she was picked on by some guys. A gal (who appears to have been Towa) saves her from being bullied. Her and Ran have a strong rivalry and she tries her hardest to do something that would cause Ran to leave Shibuya and thus pave the way for her to be number 1. However all of her plans against Ran usually fail, and either she says who she is, or Ran and her friends figure out her disguise. She also finds out Ran's secret from Towa, although it's never revealed what Ran's secret is. She also has a strong sense of right, when needed. When her and Ran where trying to save up enough money to buy a jacket that each of them badly. Kasumi sells items at a flea market in order to raise money, but when a boy wants a refund for a toy that does work, she gives back the money to the boy. In the end she goes to the same High School and as Ran. Also Naoki falls for her, when she tells him not to cry.

Towa Himejima (姫島 永久, Himejima Towa)

• Voiced by: Eri Saito (Japanese); Felicia chadwick (English)

A young woman who runs the Palm Tree Cafe. She is friends with Yamato and the actor who plays Detective Kudoh. She has known Ran since Ran was just a little girl, and they used to play together. Towa was the one of the first gals in Shibuya, and was the number one gal back in the day, before Towa passed the title to Ran. She overreacts at times, and when Ran upsets her, she says that she will tell her friends her secret (which is never revealed in the show, but according to Kasumi isn't actually very interesting). She also has a black belt in Karate, and is also kind hearted. When Miyu needs a place to stay, she lives in the empty room at the Palm Tree Cafe. At the end of the series she gives the manager job to the actor who plays "Detective Kudoh", as she quits her job.

Episode List

1. SuperGAL! - Get Going! -- Ran!
2. Downtown Shibuya - Nerve Shaking! - A Drag Net!
3. A Girl's Heart♥Beating→Red Mesh Hair
4. Good Good?♥Bad Bad?→Luck With Boys?
5. Aya's Heart - Falling Apart! - Breaking Off with Ran!
6. Let's go to Pool! - Heart Bubbling! - Mini-Detectives!
7. Black Shadow♥Haunting→Targeted Miyu
8. Frightened Heart - Stinging! - Miyu's Past!
9. Memories - Tearing! - Sayo's kidnapped!
10. Dear Yuuya! - Restless! - A Rival in Love appears!
11. Cross Shibuya - Tiki-Tiki! - Grand Prix Race!
12. Promise - Bye-Bye - "Kendo" Girl!
13. Super Young Lady! - Fuming! - Ran Herself!
14. Maki - Shining! -- Fresh Gal, First Grade!
15. Revenge! - Blazing! - Snowboard Race!
16. Sunbeams through the trees -Tinkering! - Anniversary of Love!
17. A Loving Heart♥Flickering→Aya Confesses!?
18. Sea Front - Crucking! - Great Battle!
19. Sun - Shining! - A Gal of Summer!
20. Mami-rin♥Melting→The Boy of Her First Love
21. Certain Victory! - Go! Go! - The Athletic Meet!
22. School Festival - Scattering! - Beauty Contest!
23. Peel Off! - Ripping! - Pretense of Teacher!
24. To Machida City - Going! Gone! - Tatsukichi loses Love!?
25. Yamato - Serious! - Proposing Miyu!?
26. Super Cop - Happening! - Ran Kotobuki!
27. Brother Monkey! - Naoki Is Here!
28. Yuuya - Cry! Cry! - Talks About Manhood!
29. Mami-rin - Love! Love! - Falls In Love With Yuuya
30. Running Around in Bukuro! - Mysterious Hair Extension!
31. Welcome! - Exciting Opening of Palm Tree!
32. Frustrated Ran-pyon! - New Rival?!
33. Kasumi Is Mad! - Her Revenge Strategy!
34. Aya-ppe Cries! - Otohata Sick!
35. Fuzzy Romance In the Air! - Katase After Otohata?!
36. Hot Spring! Viva! Viva! - Gal Crime in Northern Bath Steam!
37. Secrets Revealed! - Mami-rin's Crisis!
38. Heart-Felt! Otohata's Word!
39. Holy Night! - Ring! Ring! - Emergency Bell of Love!
40. Ran-pyon Faints! - She Turns Into Sayo?!
41. Mysterious Shibuya Fighter, Maru-Kyu-Moon!
42. Taizo Is Excited! - Cop Training Project!
43. So Pure! So Shy! - Rie's *Koibana! *love story
44. Killed In Duties! Cry! Cry! - Last Day of Odaiba Shark
45. Different Romantic Forecasts! - Valentine's Day!
46. Crash! Slurp! Slurp! - Ramen Battle!
47. Kasumi Is Cozy! - Dream Coat!
48. Gal Battle! Tough! - Mami-rin Breaks Up?!
49. Broken Heart! Ouch! - Miyu's Home
50. Love Suspicion! Rustling! - Cold Spring Wind
51. Friendship! Smile! - ID Plate From The Heart
52. Good-Bye, Ran-Ran! - Shibuya's Sky Stays the Same

See also

• Para Para, a dance often seen in this series, is a type of dancing where the dancers perform preset movements, usually unique to the song.

External links

• Super GALS! Second Season (Rightstuf microsite)
• Enoki Films USA Super Gals page