Dear Boys


Dear Boys is a Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Hiroki Yagami. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Magazine from June 1989 to January 1997, with its chapters collected in 23 volumes. The story concerns the progress of the Mizuho High School basketball team as it attempts to win the prefectural championship. It also deals with the relationship between the players on the team, especially the two main characters Kazuhiko Aikawa and Takumi Fujiwara.
Dear Boys has spawned other manga series, also published in Monthly Shōnen Magazine: Dear Boys The Early Days ; Dear Boys Act II ; Dear Boys Act 3 ; Dear Boys Over Time ; and Dear Boys Act 4.
A 26-episode anime television series adaptation of the original series, produced by OB Planning and animated by A.C.G.T, was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April to September 2003. In North America, the series was licensed by Bandai Entertainment and released under the title Hoop Days.
By March 2019, the overall Dear Boys manga series has sold over 45 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 2007, Dear Boys Act II won the 31st Kodansha Manga Award in the category.

Plot

The Mizuho High School basketball team faces dissolution due to insufficient players after their coach departs following an altercation with Fujiwara. The team's fortunes change when Kazuhiko Aikawa transfers to the school, inspiring the remaining members through his passion for basketball. With only five players and no substitutes, they convince the girls' team coach to take on their training. Initially stern in her methods, the coach gradually develops a strong bond with the team. Through determined effort, the players work to overcome their numerical disadvantage and compete at the prefectural level.

Characters

;Kazuhiko Aikawa
;Takumi Fujiwara
;Ranmaru Miura
;Tsutomu Ishii
;Kenji Dobashi
;Tōya Takashina
;Mutsumi Akiyoshi
;Mai Moritaka
;Keiko Ōgami
;Masato Sawanobori
;Satomi Anzaki
;Kyoko Himuro

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Hiroki Yagami, Dear Boys was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Magazine from June 1989 to January 1997. Kodansha collected its chapters in 23 volumes, released from 16 December 1989 to 17 March 1997. Other related series and sequels, published in the same magazine, have been released:
  • Dear Boys The Early Days
  • Dear Boys Act II
  • Dear Boys Act 3
  • Dear Boys Over Time
  • ''Dear Boys Act 4''

    Video games

A video game, published by Yutaka for the Super Famicom, was released on 20 October 1994. Another video game, titled Dear Boys: Fast Break!, published by Konami for the PlayStation 2, was released on 18 September 2003.

Anime

A 26-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by OB Planning and animated by A.C.G.T, aired on TV Tokyo from 8 April to 30 September 2003. Da Pump performed the opening theme "Sound of Bounce", while performed the ending theme "Baller no Shōgō".
In North America, the series was licensed by Bandai Entertainment in 2004. They released it under the title Hoop Days; episodes were partially released on two DVD sets on 28 June and 23 August 2005 and a "Complete Collection" was later released on 5 June 2006. The series was licensed in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment, who released a Complete Collection set on 6 September 2006. Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia and was broadcast on Animax Asia.

Episodes

Reception

By March 2019, the overall Dear Boys manga series had sold over 45 million copies.
In 2007, Dear Boys Act II received 31st Kodansha Manga Award in the category.