Golden Boy

Kintarou Ooe is a specialist in part-time work, riding all over the highways and byways of Japan on his trusty steed, the Mikazuki 5, and finding employment wherever he can. His adventures bring him knowledge and experience that can't be taught in a classroom, from political corruption to the delicacy of a young woman's heart. With nothing but the open road before him—not to mention the many beautiful women along the way—Kintarou pursues his spirit of education while attempting to hold down his various odd jobs, however undignified they may be. As he learns from each task he takes on, who knows what could happen? He might even be able to save the world one day. One thing is for sure—this will all be very educational!

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Ooe, Kintarou Main

Iwata, Mitsuo Japanese

Madame President Supporting

Tsuru, Hiromi Japanese

Hayami, Ayuko Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko Japanese

Terayama, Reiko Supporting

Tamagawa, Sakiko Japanese

Katsuda, Naoko Supporting

Minaguchi, Yuko Japanese

Chie Supporting

Kanai, Mika Japanese

Employee A Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko Japanese

Employee E Supporting

Kanai, Mika Japanese

Noriko's Father Supporting

Matsumura, Hikojiro Japanese

Employee D Supporting

Shimakata, Junko Japanese

Greenfield, Matt Producer, Script, ADR Director

Kitakubo, Hiroyuki Director, Sound Director, Episode Director, Storyboard, Theme Song Lyrics

Kikuchi, Yasuhito Episode Director, Storyboard, Animation Director, Key Animation

Abe, Masashi Episode Director

Reviews

Nov 20, 2025

Shiota

Recommended

I should get the mandatory public service announcement out of the way first: This is a 90s ecchi anime through and through. If the idea of a protagonist with a single-minded, comically exaggerated obsession with the female form makes you uncomfortable, you might want to pedal right on past this one. The camera lingers, the reactions are over-the-top, and the visuals are… well, let's just say they're not subtle.

Now, if you’re still reading: Golden Boy is a hidden, and utterly bizarre, gem. It’s a six-episode OVA that manages to be both one of the funniest and most unexpectedly heartfelt comedies of its era, all while ... wearing its perverted heart proudly on its sleeve.

Meet Kintaro Oe: Sage, Slacker, and Super-Pervert

Our main character is Kintaro Oe, a 25-year-old genius who dropped out of a top university because, frankly, he already knew more than his professors. His new mission? To study the great university of life itself. He travels across Japan on his trusty bicycle, taking on odd jobs as a janitor, a noodle chef, a swimming instructor, and more.

Kintaro’s "studies" are documented in a notebook filled with earth-shattering observations like, "The human head cannot turn 360 degrees"—a fact he learned empirically, and painfully. He’s a whirlwind of nervous energy, muttering to himself and ogling every woman he meets with the unbridled enthusiasm of a teenager.

But here is the show's brilliant, secret weapon: Kintaro Oe is a genuinely good person. For all his lecherous pantomiming, he is kind, empathetic, and impossibly competent. In almost every episode, he stumbles into the life of a woman (always a beautiful archetype—the Ice Queen CEO, the Rebellious Biker, the Innocent Swimmer to name a few) who is facing some personal or professional crisis.

The Magic Formula

The structure is mostly predictable:

1. Kintaro takes a job and immediately acts like a total creep.
2. The female lead is (rightfully) disgusted by him.
3. Through a series of events, Kintaro’s hidden genius and profound empathy shine through.
4. He solves her problem, saves the day, and earns her awestruck gratitude.
5. Having completed his "research," he hops on his bicycle and rides off into the sunset, a nomadic sage in a tracksuit.

It’s this perfect contrast that makes the show so enduring. The ecchi comedy is the bait, but the character of Kintaro is the hook. He’s a paradox—a man who looks at a woman and sees both an object of desire and a soul worth saving. He learns from them, helps them grow, and then moves on, leaving everyone (including the viewer) a little bit better than he found them.

The Final Verdict

Golden Boy is a cult classic for a reason. It’s unapologetically of its time, and its humor is as brazen as it is effective. But beneath the 90s-era fan service lies a surprisingly sweet core about the joy of learning and the hidden depths of people. If you can navigate its… enthusiastic approach to anatomy, you'll find one of anime's most unique and unforgettable characters. Just be prepared to explain yourself if someone walks in at the wrong moment.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Dec 23, 2025

Quixnny

Mixed Feelings

Golden Boy is one of those shows where you can’t really pretend it’s subtle — it’s basically powered by sexual desire half the time — but I still ended up having a good time with it. The biggest thing it has going for it is that it’s genuinely funny when it wants to be, and the comedic timing still lands.

I love the old-school animation style. It has that classic 90s look that makes everything feel more expressive and alive, especially when the show goes full cartoon with reactions and exaggeration. And honestly, the main character’s willingness to learn new things is weirdly wholesome in the ... middle of all the chaos — he’s a mess, but he’s also curious and committed in a way that makes the episodes easy to watch. Some of the cut-offs and sudden endings to jokes are hilarious as well.

Overall I’d give it a 7/10: not something I’d recommend for the story or depth, but if you want a wild, old-school comedy with memorable moments, it delivers.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jul 8, 2025

TCaveiras

Not Recommended

Funny

It's fanservice. It's fanservice with no substance made by an extremely weird author who is a sex maniac (proven by the garbage source material that is the manga).

The anime is not much better, considering we have to follow the POV of a degenerate 25-year-old protagonist, that stalks women, makes sexual remarks about them and is also into minors like Naoko (a high school girl).

And no, trying to justify this type of content by saying how it's an "older series, so it's fine" is not okay and is an invalid argument.

Comedy IS subjective, but criminal behavior isn't.

In the end, this series presents itself as this creepy ... author's fever dream and he did not try to hide it AT ALL how much he wanted to self-insert into this.

It's weird, way too weird for anyone with normal standards to somehow enjoy this, so don't waste your time with this.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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