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Gals!

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Gals!
File:Gals!.jpg
Gals!
GenreShojo, Comedy
Created byMihona Fujii
Manga
Written byMihona Fujii
Published byShueisha
Anime
Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran
Directed byTsuneo Kobayashi
StudioStudio Pierrot

Gals! is a shōjo manga written by mangaka Mihona Fujii. The anime series, Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran (超GALS!寿蘭, Sūpā Gyaruzu! Kotobuki Ran), aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between 2001 and 2003, running a length of 52 episodes. The anime series was produced by Studio Pierrot, and the first season (episodes 1-26) has been licensed for North American distribution under the title Super Gals! by ADV Films. The Right Stuf International announced that they have licensed the second season (episodes 27-52) at Anime Expo 2006 [1] and will release a boxset containing all 26 episodes on December 1, 2006.

The manga was serialized in Ribon and published in the U.S. under the title Gals! by CMX.

Note: Even in Japan, the original manga is called simply "GALS!". In both countries, the "Super GALS! (Kotobuki Ran)" title applies only to the anime.

Plot

The series revolves around the kogal (also known as "gal") subculture in Japan. The title character, Ran Kotobuki (Kotobuki Ran in the English manga: CMX uses Japanese order while ADV uses Western order), is the self-proclaimed "world's greatest gal." As a teenager in Shibuya, she's determined to live out the gal lifestyle for the rest of her life, and she has gained a reputation as the most respected gal in all of Shibuya. However, she comes from a family of police officers - her grandparents, her parents, and her older brother are all officers, and her younger sister is set on following in their footsteps. Only Ran has other dreams, but even she has acquired their sense of justice and spirit.

As a result of its reference to this lifestyle, ADV has given the series a 15+ rating (since many Americans unfamiliar with Japanese culture might see the lifestyle [especially the part of it pertaining to "enjo kosai"] as nothing more than prostitution, which is illegal in Japan).

Episode List

  1. SuperGAL! - Get Going! -- Ran!
  2. Downtown Shibuya - Nerve Shaking! - A Drag Net!
  3. A Girl's Heart♥Beating→Red Mesh Hair
  4. Good Good?♥Bad Bad?→Luck With Boys?
  5. Aya's Heart - Falling Apart! - Breaking Off with Ran!
  6. Let's go to Pool! - Heart Bubbling! - Mini-Detectives!
  7. Black Shadow♥Haunting→Targeted Miyu
  8. Frightened Heart - Stinging! - Miyu's Past!
  9. Memories - Tearing! - Sayo's kidnapped!
  10. Dear Yuuya! - Restless! - A Rival in Love appears!
  11. Cross Shibuya - Tiki-Tiki! - Grand Prix Race!
  12. Promise - Bye-Bye - "Kendo" Girl!
  13. Super Young Lady! - Fuming! - Ran Herself!
  14. Maki - Shining! -- Fresh Gal, First Grade!
  15. Revenge! - Blazing! - Snowboard Race!
  16. Sunbeams through the trees -Tinkering! - Anniversary of Love!
  17. A Loving Heart♥Flickering→Aya Confesses!?
  18. Sea Front - Crucking! - Great Battle!
  19. Sun - Shining! - A Gal of Summer!
  20. Mami-rin♥Melting→The Boy of Her First Love
  21. Certain Victory! - Go! Go! - The Athletic Meet!
  22. School Festival - Scattering! - Beauty Contest!
  23. Peel Off! - Ripping! - Pretense of Teacher!
  24. To Machida City - Going! Gone! - Tatsukichi loses Love!?
  25. Yamato - Serious! - Proposing Miyu!?
  26. Super Cop - Happening! - Ran Kotobuki!
  27. Brother Monkey! - Naoki Is Here!
  28. Yuuya - Cry! Cry! - Talks About Manhood!
  29. Mami-rin - Love! Love! - Falls In Love With Yuuya
  30. Running Around in Bukuro! - Mysterious Hair Extention!
  31. Welcome! - Exciting Opening of Palm Tree!
  32. Frustrated Ran-pyon! - New Rival?!
  33. Kasumi Is Mad! - Her Revenge Strategy!
  34. Aya-ppe Cries! - Otohata Sick!
  35. Fuzzy Romance In the Air! - Katase After Otohata?!
  36. Hot Spring! Viva! Viva! - Gal Crime in Northern Bath Steam!
  37. Secrets Revealed! - Mami-rin's Crisis!
  38. Heart-Felt! Otohata's Word!
  39. Holy Night! - Ring! Ring! - Emergency Bell of Love!
  40. Ran-pyon Faints! - She Turns Into Sayo?!
  41. Mysterious Shibuya Fighter, Maru-Kyu-Moon!
  42. Taizo Is Excited! - Cop Training Project!
  43. So Pure! So Shy! - Rie's *Koibana! *love story
  44. Killed In Duties! Cry! Cry! - Last Day of Odaiba Shark
  45. Different Romantic Forecasts! - Valentine's Day!
  46. Crash! Slurp! Slurp! - Ramen Battle!
  47. Kasumi Is Cozy! - Dream Coat!
  48. Gal Battle! Tough! - Mami-rin Breaks Up?!
  49. Broken Heart! Ouch! - Miyu's Home
  50. Love Suspicion! Rustling! - Cold Spring Wind
  51. Friendship! Smile! - ID Plate From The Heart
  52. Good-Bye, Ran-Ran! - Shibuya's Sky Stays the Same

Characters

Names are in Western order, with the surname. The Japanese order name (family, given) is used in CMX's manga release, while the Western order name used in ADV's release.

  • Ran Kotobuki (寿蘭 Kotobuki Ran) -- She is the title character. Although she is a gal and dislikes authority, she has a strong sense of justice and affection for her friends. She has gained the reputation of being the fiercest gal in Shibuya, and she takes it upon herself to defend her territory against criminals, rival gals, and inconsiderate men. Not to mention the fact that she was once a good girl, but she changed. She stands up to jerks and perverts. The reason why she became violent was because of all that training her dad gave her.
Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
  • Yamato Kotobuki (寿大和 Kotobuki Yamato) - Yamato is Ran's older brother. He's usually on duty at the Shibuya koban. He's a sensitive character, but he's passionate about his job and his relationships. The only thing that annoys him is when Ran causes trouble in Shibuya and he has to bring her to the police station.
Voiced by: Hiroki Takahashi (Japanese), Paul Locklear (English)
  • Miyu Yamazaki (山咲美由 Yamazaki Miyu) - Miyu is one of Ran's classmates and closest friends. She once was the leader of a street gang called the "Resistance," often wreaking mayhem and irritation for Ran during middle school. One day, Yamato saved her from a tough situation, and his dedication to helping with Miyu's problems made her fall in love with him. Because of that, she left the life of crime and became a good girl in order to be Yamato's girlfriend. But still, she remains an incredible fighter and can get back to her bullying self when someone really upsets her. In conversation, she has a habit of referring to herself in the third person. Ran often remarks how Miyu's "lovey-dovey" with her older brother.
Voiced by: Haruna Ikezawa (Japanese), Kira Vincent-Davis (English)
  • Aya Hoshino (星野綾 Hoshino Aya) - Aya is one of the top students in Ran's class, but she was secretly doing enjo kosai to earn money, since her parents were very strict and never let her do anything a gal would do (like making Aya's cerfew at six and not allowing her to do part-time jobs, and worst of all, being furious at her if she's even a few points off on being number one in academics.). Ran found out and confronted her about it, making her realize that she was doing the wrong thing (she insists she never "did it" with anybody), and since then, Aya became good friends with Ran and Miyu. She is characterized as a shy but honest and studious individual who enjoys academics while also longing for excitement every now and then, which is thankfully provided by Ran. Has a difficult and awkward time at attempting to confess her feelings to Rei. The "goodie-goodie" of the gals threesome.
Voiced by: Oma Ichimura (Japanese), Kim Prause (English)
  • Rei Otohata (乙幡麗 Otohata Rei) - Rei is a student at Meisho Daichi High School (Champion High School in ADV's dub). He is also known as "#1," due to the fact that he was featured in a magazine as being the coolest and most handsome teenage guy in the area. He rides a motorcycle and is good friends with Yuya. He has a cold and detached demeanor, and he is constantly annoyed by Ran. Aya develops a strong crush on him. He has secret feelings for Ran.
Voiced by: Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese), Chris Patton (English)
  • Yuya Aso (麻生裕也 Asō Yūya) - Yuya is also a student at Meisho Daichi High School, and he is known as "#2" or "second place"; (he was the runner-up to Rei, but is friends with him). He develops a crush on Ran, but she is oblivious to the fact.
Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese), Greg Ayres (English)
  • Sayo Kotobuki (寿沙夜 Kotobuki Sayo)- Sayo is Ran's younger sister. She dreams of being a detective like the hero of her favorite television show, Detective Kudou of Odaiba Cop. Sayo and her boyfriend Masato often roleplay as conspicous detectives, drawing the attention of onlookers and inciting frustration from Ran who is bothered by their antics. Tends to add the phase "You bet" into her statements.
Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English)
  • Taizo Kotobuki - Taizo is Ran's father. He is Chief of Detectives. You could say he disapproves of his daughter's lifestyle, if you were prone to extreme understatement.
Voiced by: Ginzō Matsuo, Fumihiko Tachiki (Japanese), John Gremillion (English)
  • Kiyoka Kotobuki - Kiyoka is Ran's mother. She is also a police officer. It is a running gag throughout the series about her mysterious age, as she appears to be much younger than her husband.
Voiced by: Yuko Kobayashi (Japanese), Christine Auten (English)
  • Mami Honda (本多マミ Honda Mami) - Mami is a rival of Ran, known as the "Queen of Ikebukuro." Later on in the series, Mami falls in love with Yuuya. She also develops a truce with Ran in Volume 5 of GALS!;It's okay to have a change of heart. She comes from a very rich family.
Voiced by: Aya Ishizu (Japanese), Allison Sumrall (English)
  • Harue Kudou (工藤ハルエ Kudō Harue) - Harue is Mami's best friend. She was once a member of a "team" called the "Eagles," which was broken up by Miyu (when she was still part of "The Resistance"). She once sent in a nasty email about Miyu and her past. Her name means owl in Japanese. She is also known for saying "Kick that bitch's ass, Mami." ep.5 Aya's Heart - Falling Apart! - Breaking Off with Ran!
Voiced by: Reiko Takagi (Japanese), Cynthia Martinez (English)
  • Tatsuki Kuroi (黒井直樹 Kuroi Tatsuki) - Tatsuki (known as Tatsukichi to Ran) is a student at Machida West High School, and he calls himself the parapara king of Machida (also known as "Machida Black," since his last name 'kuroi' means 'black'). He becomes Ran's boyfriend, although she studiously avoids anything remotely approaching intimacy.
Voiced by: Yukimasa Obi (Japanese), Jason Douglas (English)
  • Masato Iwai - Sayo's partner/boyfriend
Voiced by: Kouki Miyata (Japanese), Clint Bickham (English)

Trivia

  • Para para, a dance often seen in this series, is a type of dancing where you use your hands, as well as almost every other part of your body at times, to dance.
  • Ginzo Matsuo, the original voice of Taizo Kotobuki, passed away in 2001.
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