Ranked #8070

Shounan Bakusozoku

Before there was a great teacher named Onizuka or a school called Cromartie, before the crows of Suzuran battled it out or Kishidan held a one night carnival, and before Yankee-kun met Megane-chan or Oga Tatsumi found a naked baby by the river- there was a notorious bike gang called Shonan Bakusozoku. At first glance one might dismiss Shonan Bakusozoku as a generic 1980's anime. But to do so would be to overlook an extremely influential, fun and downright enlightening series.

Eguchi Yousuke is the second generation leader of the small, but infamous Shonan Bakusozoku bikers. The series revolves around the lives of Eguchi and the entire Bakusozoku gang, in and out of school. In doing so Shonan Bakusozoku maintains a great balance between the comedy, romance, and drama that make up most high school students' lives. However, whereas an average student's hobbies usually include sports or the arts, Eguchi and company sport pompadours and ride especially loud motorcycles. While this hobby affords it's own series of unique conflicts and adventures, it's not to say there's nothing normal about their lives- they have jobs, girlfriends and belong to school clubs (Eguchi is president of the school's embroidery club).

As for the technical aspects, Shonan Bakusosoku shines in every aspect. The production values are surprisingly high. The animation is slick and beautiful, especially considering its 1986 release date. The rock soundtrack fits the subject matter and time period perfectly. Though the voice acting is great, some of the high school students' adult voices take some getting used to. But then again these are tough, sometimes bearded and mustached students, so how can anyone complain? It may be worth noting that each episode runs about an hour long, usually combining two stories from the manga. So although Shonan Bakusozoku will take a little more time than the average 22 minute episode, it's well worth it.

Perhaps Shonan Bakusosoku's greatest strength lies in its depiction of the bosozoku and yanki subcultures. In the book "Kamikaze Bikers," Ikuya Sato argues that Japanese bosozoku and yanki were not the extreme menace that the Japanese media had portrayed them to be. He concludes that most were in it for fun, friendship and as a last hurrah before settling into adulthood.

If Mr. Sato is right, Shonan Bakusozoku is an extremely accurate portrayal of these subcultures. The series creates a sense of the youthful lust for fun, style and recklessness. Unlike some of its successors, Shonan Bakusozoku never limits its focus to the exploits of bike gangs nor simple fights. Instead, it presents various aspects of the gang members' personal lives throughout the series. The characters are high schoolers in a bike gang, not simply bike gang members. The result is a multidimensional experience, offering insight into rare aspects of Japanese culture- far more so than any of its successors.

Although almost forgotten in Japan and nearly non-existent overseas, Shonan Bakusozoku's influence cannot be denied. If Crows is the "Yanki Bible," then Shonan Bakusosoku must be... the Bible's Bible? Bottom line is it's a must see for anyone interested in the Japanese yanki, bosozoku or delinquent subcultures. And considering the genre's renewed popularity, there is a huge audience just waiting to check it out. read more