Golden Boy

Summer is here and the school semester is finally done; what better way to celebrate than reviewing a six episode masterpiece.

Golden Boy is based on the manga of the same name written by Tatsuya Egawa. The story is about Kintaro Oe, a 25 year old freeter, pervert and so-called "student of life". For those wondering what is a freeter, it is a Japanese term used to describe people who are unemployed. The story follows him as he travels around Japan on his bicycle working at various odd jobs, interacting with his co-workers and taking "studying" to a whole new level.

Each episode of the show is completely unrelated to each other; the only recurring character is Kintaro himself. In each episode, Kintaro works at his job and frequently interacts with a woman who he is attracted to but they usually don't think very highly of him. The girl in each episode is a different character like how a Bond girl is different in every movie. He tries to impress but then makes himself look like a clumsy pervert that urks the ladies the wrong way.

The thing about Kintaro is he is not actually an idiot but a genius of sorts; he did go to Tokyo University and he met all the requirements to graduate but he left before doing so. So while the ladies think he is nothing but a moron, he does something that changes their opinion of him making them want him.

This show is a guilty pleasure and you will find yourself bursting into laughter. Kintaro is an charming character and he's fun to watch even if he has strange tendencies like studying and sketching the female anatomy or having a toilet fetish. The way he interacts with the women he is surrounded by and dramatically changes their lives despite horrible first impressions is a joy to watch.

One thing that I love about the show is the over the top facial animations especially of Kintaro, you can't help but laugh. Another is that this is an rarity; the American dub is far better than the Japanese voices. Something about Kintaro's voice makes him sound much more goofy in English. Lastly, the final episode itself is more than worthwhile; the icing to an already delicious cake.

Fair warning before you decide to check out this show, Golden Boy is extremely perverted and for mature audiences only. While there is nothing pornographic in nature; there are a couple of instances where it comes pretty damn close to crossing that line.

Nevertheless, this show is a classic and is more than qualified to go into the Anime Treasures Vault.