Well, that was educational.
Kintaro Ooe- Goofy, clumsy, idiot, complete moron, incorrigible pervert, and endlessly entertaining protagonist. You know, Kintaro sounds a lot like きんたま, or kintama- which means BALLS! And boy, does the Golden Boy ever have a pair of big brass balls. (He also eats the booty like groceries) This is a story about a man that pulls hoes wherever he goes, leaves a trail of wet panties behind, and only calls back once- when he needs the help of the whole harem!
He is... the Golden Boy!
Prepare your lungs, because the laffs coming are going to destroy them like 40 years of cigarette smoking in deep space.
See, what makes Golden Boy so great is the blend of juvenile, irreverent sexual comedy that totally appeals to your inner middle schooler self, combined with this lovable goon of a main character that you just can't help but guffaw at. Kintaro is such a klutz and moron that there's no possible way he can screw anything else up harder than he does- ruining software development, animation, food, you name it, but the idiot savant has another facet to him- he's genuinely interested in helping the ladies that he's smitten with at first sight. His awkward, goofy, spoony self is always getting him into trouble with whatever part time job he manages to ingratiate himself into before screwing everything up... but, like the moments of brilliance that Patrick Starr occasionally shows that cover up his asininity, Kintaro always manages to save the day, fix everything up, and swerve on them hoes!
The episodic setup of Golden Boy is perfect for the comedy that they're selling, and it's even self aware at times- which takes it to the next level. The basic idea is that Kintaro gets a new part time job in a different city, runs into a hot chick, and does his best to impress her, while being an enormously clumsy idiot that eventually lands him fired or on the run... but he always saves the day and fixes everything, because, after all... he's the Golden Boy.
That's right- despite his intense perversion and fetishes (every episode, you just know that toilet worship is right around the corner, and it gets funnier every time), he's a selfless and helpful person at heart- and never takes advantage of the women who throw themselves at him through some circumstance- whether he's on the run, dippin out, or just not there- he ends up building a true harem, and all the ladies are after that D. This all leads up to the ending, where they really pull the rug out from under the viewer with how you expect Kintaro to go after the girl-of-the-episode, but it turns out entirely differently, and with hilarious results.
As a friend of mine here said, "Golden Boy predicted the fetishes of the 21st century with total accuracy tho". And he's right. At times, Golden Boy almost reaches into the hentai realm, but quickly falls off a cliff, and into the next dimension with some ludicrous scenarios that are so off the wall batshit crazy that you can't help but fall out of your chair gasping for air.
The people behind the show, studio APPP and Tatsuya Egawa (who even fictionalizes himself in the anime (trademark of his) in a ridiculous caricature of himself) are also a bit of an interesting history tidbit. APPP made only a very small handful of anime (were mostly auxiliary producers for other shows), including the old school Jojo OVAs, Roujin Z, and Now and Then, Here and There, but they did have one real, honest to goodness hit, and it has stood the test of time well (hey, something to be said for going out on top). Tatsuya Egawa, the writer and illustrator of the Golden Boy manga, was also a college math professor before he turned to manga, and later, even directed several porno films. Safe to say the man has had an interesting career.
Art-wise, Golden Boy looks solid for a mid-90s anime, but what really sets it apart is another trademark of Tatsuya Egawa- FREAKING INSANE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS! Anyone who's seen the show knows exactly what I mean- hyper detailed, grotesque, wacky, goofy, and zany are the myriad of faces- which only add to the hilarity. Perhaps Steven Hillenburg took a few cues from Egawa, because Spongebob makes EXCELLENT use of the grotesque/weird stillframe shots of extremely detailed closeups of the characters.
Sexual comedies and toilet humor might not be the average viewer's fetish in their anime, so what would make anyone want to watch this show, anyway? It's old. It doesn't look like Akira or anything, and there are only 6 episodes, so what gives?
The English dub. That's what. ADV had a number of impeccable dubs in their time, like Kanon 2006, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Grave of the Fireflies, but Golden Boy stands proudly among them as one of the best they ever did.
The star of the show though, Doug Smith, who regrettably only ever did 3 other anime roles, absolutely slays at making Kintaro the most awkward, goofy, and raucous protagonist ever. He somehow brings out new levels of craziness and gonzo and the bizarre voice really gives the character life, and takes the breath out of your lungs in the form of near constant laughter... AND HE'S ALWAYS SHOUTING!
DAMN GOLDEN BOY IS A LOUD ANIME, BETWEEN ALL THE MOANING AND SCREAMING AND EVERYTHING, BUT HOLY COW, IS IT EVER GREAT! This is truly an anime classic- and is probably the absolute best example of a pure, non-disgusting wish fulfillment ecchi with actual humor that's ever been made. I've been singing the praises of Golden Boy for about 911 words now, but lord help, I haven't laughed at an anime this hard in years. I don't think there was much better of a series for me to come back to after having not watched anything in months- and I can't recommend it enough.
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That was very educational.
