Be-Bop Highschool

DISCLAIMER: This is a review I did on anilist just copy pasted here. It is spoiler-free as well.

The delinquent/yankii subculture was very popular in Japan during the 1970s-1990s, which in turn became reflected in its pop culture during this time. The delinquent manga was a very popular sub-genre during the 1980s-1990s being reflective of its era, with its pompadour worn protagonists and side characters exploring the lives of their youth as they get into fights with rival gangs, experience romance, form stronger comradery with their friends, among many other exciting adventures. This subgenre created many popular series that stand as some of the most iconic ... and best-selling manga to this day such as Rokudenashi Blues, Crows, Bad Boys, and the title I'm reviewing right now, Be-Bop High School. Despite being hugely popular, almost all of the manga in this sub-genre never got TV anime series (The only examples of tv delinquent anime are Otoko Ippiki Gaki-Daishō from the late 60s, Hareluya Boy from the late 90s, and just recently Tokyo Revengers which will be getting a TV anime next year) only ever getting live-action (Film series and TV series) adaptations. This is due to a variety of reasons like underage smoking being banned on TV which is a common trope in these series, delinquency being a big social problem in Japan during this time, the success of the live-action market, among many other reasons. With the success of the OVA market starting in the later part of the 80s, a lot of popular delinquent manga managed to get adapted as OVAs (In this case there was a lot more creative freedom, and they wouldn't have to deal with strict guidelines/censorship adapting these series as OVAs in comparison to attempting to do the same as a TV series). Now, this brings us to Be-Bop High School, which was adapted by Toei Animation (Who also did other delinquent OVAs) as 7 50 minute OVAs (Except the last one which was 40 mins) between 1990 to 1998.

Compared to the other delinquent OVAs I have watched this is one of the better adaptations that is decently well made and treats its source material with care. This is a pretty great delinquent OVA series that encapsulates a lot of the qualities that I love so much about the genre. It has great humour/funny gags, a good cast of characters with their own interesting chemistry/behaviour, natural world-building, and just some very fun hijinks/adventures we get to enjoy. I also feel like it understands the appeal and charm of its genre very well, managing to avoid a lot of the cliches/pitfalls and annoying writing you might come upon in some delinquent manga (Ex: Protagonist being a superhuman who never loses, lack of focus on the characterization or the lives of the characters with gang fights occurring all the time, style over substance).

I say this as on the surface it may appear repetitive and lose its charm very quickly with this duo of characters (Hiroshi and Tooru) trying to get girls while running into hijinks with rival gangs. But as mentioned before it understands the appeal/popularity of genre very well, adding a lot of variety to these adventures. Instead, focusing time to explore the daily lives of these cast of characters, which also organically help build into larger world-building (Our protagonists occasionally travel to other prefectures/cities going about their lives/to pick up girls and running into minor characters or antagonists who soon become a major part of the cast and become more fleshed out, as well as the setting they come from), characterization, as well as the larger conflict with gangs/romance and its use of humour. Episode 5 is my favourite episode in this series and very clearly highlights what I'm talking about, as with some other delinquent series it would have resulted in some generic gang fight but goes in very interesting/funny directions I didn't expect.

The character design for this series is great, a very effective art style that manages to capture the various moods and expressions of these wacky characters. The art direction and direction of these episodes are fine, they're nothing special but certainly not bad (There are some standout moments though like the beginning of episode 6 or the use darkness/light in some episodes to highlight the tense mood/danger of a particular scene like the dart gamble scene from episode 2 or the train shot during the night in episode 6 reflecting the protagonists piercing eyes in the shadows during a fight). The fights themselves were fine, some were very great, particularly those from the earlier episodes. However a good chunk of them in the later episodes definitely could have been improved as after a while, some of them looked less unique (Particularly due to the direction and perhaps a tight budget in some areas with the use of close/limited shots). Overall, this is a great delinquent anime, and I highly recommend it to fans of this genre and people who have some interest in it. It sucks that it ended kind of abruptly but I'll take what I can get (Especially since the manga is still being translated to this day and probably won't be finished for well over a decade lol).

Episode ranking: 5>6>4>3>2>1>7

This is a very good and well executed old-school anime about high-school delinquent gangs and all the cliches in terms of portrayal you would expect from that sort of premise and age of animation.

Unlike other delinquent anime, this one focuses more on conflicts and fighting, yet there are still elements of comedy and goofiness, which lighten the mood. But do not expect Cromartie High School tier of comedy. It is episodic, which means that each 1-hour episode is a self-contained story, however, it's chronological so the outcomes of one episode carry to the next.

Episode 5 is probably the funniest one. Overall, a very good ... delinquent series recommended to all fans of the delinquent genre.

Rokudenashi Blues, Shakotan Boogie, Taiman Blues Hen... If you take a close look at most of the Yankee animes, it seems like there is no shortage of these titles branded with music genre typology. Turning an uninterested head, video distributors never distributed completely any of these. During their heyday, little was known about their high growth character in the market, so they never knew an overseas release past an episode or two. Yet, it is not a sub-genre as monolithic as one could think, because creators may decline it enough tonally, to preserve its founding spirit while still introducing some variety: for instance, directing it ... around a gang rivalry with narration taking side for nobody, a raunchy process around a couple of car jackers, a serious tale about street's code of honor or, in the case at hand, a comedic foray into the lives of a tough duo of goons. Obviously, breaking apart comedy is a risky exercise but at least, the present review's humble ambition is to enlighten you about whether "Be-Bebop Highschool" is satisfactory as a delinquent student title.

Indeed. Very often, you hear people telling that comedy is difficult to apprehend objectively. It is not something you can break into a basic formula working all the time. However, centering sense of humor around a keen observation of the surroundings often leads to conclusive outcome. So does B-BH fully succeeds in that regard? Assuredly. Its firm stance is to paint its characters with unembellished colors, making their everyday adventures all the more natural looking. Toru Nakama is a mischief maker who seems innocent but love to bamboozle his people, as for Kato Hiroshi he is seemingly an impulsive guy prone to terrible fits of anger, which never turn into grudge. Their chemistry at screen is remarkable as they play each others out, through squabbles and moments of complicity. They're larger than life, and yet their approach of the world isn't dumbed down in a stereotypical fashion. While they appreciate to be dignified as strong brawlers, on the surface they're mostly unruly clowns chasing for fun and skirts... Like almost any bully idiot you have probably seen in your school years. The characters, while rowdy and cocky, are all far from the caricature of the seedy sadist we often see in the medium. The only thug matching this description is Kameman, and is consistently portrayed so while others are played out differently. Whereas the characterization absolutely does not allow for depth (it would be beside the point, anyway), it features a diverse and properly fleshed out cast... The crazy weasel so afraid of Toru he can turn into a beast if pushed in a corner, The capable right hand man who cannot help but stay under his leader, The tough dull witted guy with a funny moniker, the sukeban who enjoys to tease Kato, the biker highly protective of his girlfriend, the temperamental gang leader who gets riled up every time his shameful nickname is brought up, the boisterous tailor with a knack for brawls even though it is past his prime, you name them and they brandish their enthusiast fists before your eyes. Also, all of them are not bunched together in one town. It is Nobuo, at the beginning of the series, who suggests to grope around the JR lines to see what really lurks in the area. Once Toru and Kato meet all of them, they appear as recurrent parts which, as stated above, get them to be more explored along the way.

So, character writing and world building are sturdily laid out. However, in a Yankee anime, there are still three easy temptations. Does B-BH avoid them all? Firstly, turning the main characters into invincible steam rollers for the rule of the cool. They are not. In the second episodes, the duo ends in a place so packed with delinquents they have to flee and kick their way out in extremis. Or in the one where Kato faces the biker as he is sorely humiliated, left tied with his brief showing... What also makes a difference, is how items as knife or knuckle-dusters are presented dramatically. The anime does not joke around with their dangerous nature when they are brought up. As a result, the odds never are completely rigged in favor of our good Joes. Secondly, over reliance on fight scenes. Here again, B-BH shows how interested it is in being an opened window in the daily routine of its cast: they do nanpa with differing degrees of success, they go to the Pachinko parlor to try their luck, they head into another city to buy discounted tuxedo pants or they fool a naive brute into going to a perilous location only for amusement. In fact, past the initial introduction of the strongest students of the sector, the direction even completely changes focus as scenes of fisticuffs are barely shown. Thirdly? Overstaying its welcome. In the case of this 7 episodes long OAV of 50 minutes each, you get too little to ever get bored from it. If anything, the abrupt conclusion of the last one makes you wish for three more. It is difficult to reproach it as it is as if the spectator barged into the protagonists' daily lives to begin with, though.

Now that it is out of the way, let us talk briefly about Art and Sound; chara-design is solid and functional. The mood is perfectly conveyed in their expressions during the intense or lighter moments. There is appropriate diversity in translating the beauty of the feminine cast, as well. With her pulpy lips, among other assets, the biker's girlfriend is a different type of cute than the low-key girl Kato falls for, for example. The action sequences animated by Toei, giving their age away, sometimes in a slightly stilted manner but not to an unforgiving extremity. Art direction is competent. Nothing to write home for its dazzling creativity but fair enough. The soundtrack is your typical Yankee anime fare. Its Rockabilly coloration burst with the energy necessary to bolster the narrative. These departments don't exactly struggle for uniqueness but tonal consistency and it works just fine.

All in all, there is little negative to hold B-BH accountable for. A true genre classic brimming with infectious effusiveness, which in return makes you more receptive to its sense of humor. Whereas high profile action staging is definitely not its primary focus, the colorful storytelling is self sufficient enough. Seasoned anime watcher or beginner, it strives to be a straightforward experience, so even somebody not completely familiar with the socio-cultural backdrop presented is not left clueless as about what is going on. As such, it is then warmly recommended as a gateway into the sub-genre. Unlike what the others preliminary reviews suggest, "Be-Bop Highschool" was finalized as a project in January 2019, so you may now watch it in entirety, courtesy of Saizen-Fansubs and Hokuto no Gun. These lines are dedicated to the fruit of their investment...
Praise be unto Sacred Geometry~

..| Colophon |..

This section is dedicated to content indication in order to inform audience in a practical way. On the next paragraph, the buzzwords offer hints about the title's strong suits and drawbacks.

Ketchup meter: Nothing too objectionable, the violence in this anime is present but never displayed under a shocking or a mean-spirited light. It is more as if you witness a bunch of unruly brats battling for the last remaining pork dumpling. There is a little blood, indeed, but if it makes you turn the eye, just grow a spine...
xXx meter: It is not a graphic anime but it is certainly not shy when it comes to tackle certain topics in a salacious way, such as when Chappie is affected with a venereal disease and Kato proceeds to shame him in front of everyone.
Fishing scene(s): More like fishing for trouble!


POSITIVE aspects:
+ A fairly realistic and yet entertaining take on the delinquent student fringe
+ The main cast's chemistry
+ The sheer variety in episode direction
+ Organic world building
+ The effort put into avoiding reliance on power scale

NEGATIVE aspects:
- Not as keen to depict exciting action scenes past the third episode
- A little too short in regards of the sheer potential