Tsuide ni Tonchinkan, The Burning Wild Man, City Hunter, Fist of the North Star, Patalliro!
High School! Kimengumi(Japanese: ハイスクール!奇面組,Hepburn: Haisukūru! Kimengumi) is a manga series written by Motoei Shinzawa which ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1982 to 1987. The title literally translates to High School! Funny-face Club or High School! Weird Face Club. An anime TV series (1985–1987) and movie (1986) based on the series were also released. The High School! manga series was preceded by Third Year Funny-face Club(3年奇面組,Sannen Kimengumi) (1980–1982), and followed by Flash! Funny-face Club(フラッシュ!奇面組,Furasshu! Kimengumi) (2001–2005).
Kimengumi is an episodic chronicle of the bizarre adventures of a group of misfit junior high school (and later, high school) boys who form a club known as the "Kimengumi". All of the character names in the series are puns. For example, "Kawa Yui" is another way of saying "kawaii", and "Uru Chie" is a slang form of "urusai", meaning "obnoxious" or "annoying".
Other romanizations of the title include High School! Kimen-gumi and Highschool! Kimengumi. In a 2006 survey of celebrities by TV Asahi, Kimengumi was listed as #87 on a list of the top 100 favorite anime series.
Books
Kimengumi was originally published in Japan and has been re-released several times. Sannen began in issue 41 of Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1980 and ran through issue 17 in 1982, with High School! picking up in issue 18 of the same year. The last chapter of High School! was released in issue 30 in 1987, just about two months before the TV series finished.
On December 1, 2000, Popeye/Magazine House released an overview softcover volume titled Return of High School! Funny-face Club(帰ってきたハイスクール!奇面組,Kaettekita Haisukūru! Kimengumi, ISBN 4-08-859419-3). The book covers the first two manga series as well as the anime. It also contains interviews with Shinzawa and others connected to the series.
Manga
Following is a list of the Japanese volumes published so far in the three series comprising the Kimengumi universe.
Third Year Funny-face Club(3年奇面組,Sannen Kimengumi), 1980–1982, Weekly Shōnen Jump
Tankōbon are the standard collection volumes:
Volume 1, ISBN 4-08-851341-X
Volume 2, ISBN 4-08-851342-8
Volume 3, ISBN 4-08-851343-6
Volume 4, ISBN 4-08-851344-4
Volume 5, ISBN 4-08-851345-2
Volume 6, ISBN 4-08-851346-0
Reprinted through Homesha:
Volume 1, ISBN 4-8342-1421-4
Volume 2, ISBN 4-8342-1422-2
Volume 3, ISBN 4-8342-1423-0
Volume 4, ISBN 4-8342-1424-9
Bunkoban are smaller, pocket-sized editions the same size as most novels published in Japan:
Volume 1, ISBN 4-08-617741-2
Volume 2, ISBN 4-08-617742-0
Volume 3, ISBN 4-08-617743-9
Volume 4, ISBN 4-08-617744-7
High School! Funny-face Club(ハイスクール!奇面組,Haisukūru! Kimengumi), 1982–1987, Weekly Shōnen Jump)
Tankōbon:
Volume 1, ISBN 4-08-851347-9
Volume 2, ISBN 4-08-851348-7
Volume 3, ISBN 4-08-851349-5
Volume 4, ISBN 4-08-851350-9
Volume 5, ISBN 4-08-851351-7
Volume 6, ISBN 4-08-851352-5
Volume 7, ISBN 4-08-851353-3
Volume 8, ISBN 4-08-851354-1
Volume 9, ISBN 4-08-851355-X
Volume 10, ISBN 4-08-851356-8
Volume 11, ISBN 4-08-851357-6
Volume 12, ISBN 4-08-851358-4
Volume 13, ISBN 4-08-851359-2
Volume 14, ISBN 4-08-851360-6
Volume 15, ISBN 4-08-851365-7
Volume 16, ISBN 4-08-851366-5
Volume 17, ISBN 4-08-851367-3
Volume 18, ISBN 4-08-851368-1
Volume 19, ISBN 4-08-851369-X
Volume 20, ISBN 4-08-851370-3
Aizoban are more elaborate collector's editions, often with fancier covers, better paper, and extras not included in the standard tankōbon and bunkoban releases:
The Kimengumi TV series began airing in Japan on October 12, 1985 at 7:30pm on Fuji TV Network. The series ran for two years, with episode 86 airing on September 21, 1987. It has also been broadcast multiple times across Japan on the satellite television network Animax. At present, the only country outside Japan with an official release of the TV series is France (under the title Le college fou fou fou).
Cast
High School! Kimengumi features a large recurring cast. The main focus, however, is on the five members of the Kimengumi and the two girls who hang out with them.
Kimengumi and friends
Ichidō Rei (一堂 零)
Kimengumi leader and protagonist of the series. Nickname: Mayunashi no Rei (まゆなしの零,No-Eyebrows Rei). His family runs a toy store, he lives with his father and younger sister (his mother has already died). Considered a "High Class Buffoon", he retains the same simple-mindedness he had as a child and is quite the hentai (as in "weirdo" rather than "pervert"). It took him three tries to pass the high school entry exam. Voiced by Shigeru Chiba.
Reietsu Gō (冷越 豪)
Kimengumi member #2. Nickname: Manako no Gō (まなこの豪,Eyeballs Gō). His family runs a sake store. He lives with his uncle's family. Despite being underage, he is occasionally drunk. He is a huge pro wrestling fan and can walk on water. He is very kind hearted and does not allow others to make fun of his friends. It took him three tries to pass the high school entry exam. Voiced by Tesshō Genda.
Shusse Kiyoshi (出瀬 潔)
Kimengumi member. Nickname: Mukiba no Kiyoshi (むき歯の潔,Toothy Kiyoshi). His family runs a bathhouse. He is a lecher and often peeks on the women's side of the bathhouse. However, he is actually pure-hearted and is the brains of Kimengumi. His best friend is Jin. It took him three tries to pass the high school entry exam. Voiced by Issei Futamata.
Daima Jin (大間 仁)
Kimengumi member. Nickname: Ebisu no Jin (えびすの仁,Savage Jin). His family runs a cake shop (bakery & cake shop in anime). He loves to just eat and sleep and will often doze off during class. He is very lucky and has excellent mimicry skills. It took him two tries to pass the high school entry exam. Voiced by Naoki Tatsuta.
Monohoshi Dai (物星 大)
Kimengumi member. Nickname: Ochobokō no Dai (おちょぼ口の大,Small Mouth Dai). His family runs a bookstore. He is an okama and is very feminine and weak but is brave when he needs to be. He frequently cries and frequently undresses. It took him two tries to pass the high school entrance exam. Voiced by Kaneto Shiozawa.
Kawa Yui (河川 唯)
The pink-haired classmate of the Kimengumi. Yui transfers into the school at the beginning of the series. She is in love with Rei, but is embarrassed to come right out and say it. Voiced by Miki Takahashi.
Uru Chie (宇留 千絵)
The green-haired (blue-haired in the anime) classmate of Kimengumi and best friend of Yui. Her family runs a flower shop. She has a crush on Gō. Voiced by Naoko Matsui.
Lassie
Rei's dog. Named after the famous Lassie character from the show by the same title. Voiced by Naoki Tatsuta.
Songs
The theme songs, with the exceptions of the fifth ending and insert Nakuko mo Warau Kimengumi, were performed by various sub-groups or former members of Onyanko Club:
Original: studio live, whole house brother, Jungle, Yamashita professional, studio Musashi
Video Check: Yamada Takaya, Akiko Matsumoto, Abe Ichirou, Itou Yukiko, Kii Shigeru chestnuts, et al.
Video: Tiger Pro, Pro Yamashita, Tamazawa videos, live studio, whole house brother, Jungle, Wombat Studios, Musashi studio, live studio, production Kino
Backgrounds: Atelier ll, loft studios, production Kobayashi, Uni Studio Sutajioteikuwan
Directors of Photography: Hitoshi Kaneko, Yoshiaki Kikuchi
Art Director: Akira Furuya
Editor: Hajime Okayasu
Music: Shunsuke Kikuchi
Audio Director: Shigeharu Shiba
Animation Director: Mitsuru Nasukawa
Chief Animation Director: Hiroshi Kanazawa
Video releases
Kimengumi has been released on DVD in Japan in two different box set releases. The movie was released as part of the second DVD set in 2008.
High School! Kimengumi DVD Box 1
Pioneer LDC, 2001-05-25
High School! Kimengumi DVD Box 2
Pioneer LDC, 2001-07-25
High School! Kimengumi DVD Box 3
Pioneer LDCA, 2001-09-21
High School! Kimengumi Complete DVD Box 1
E-Net Frontier, 2007-12-21
High School! Kimengumi Complete DVD Box 2
E-Net Frontier, 2008-02-22
Games
There is a traditional boardgame based on the series titled High School! Kimengumi Game, released by Bandai. Three video games have been based on the series:
High School! Kimengumi for the MSX2, an adventure game
High School! Kimengumi for the Sega Master System, a port of the MSX 2 game
High School! Kimengumi: The Table Hockey for PlayStation
There is also a series of pachinko games based on the series manufactured by Maruhon
