Golden Boy (manga)
Golden Boy is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Egawa. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Super Jump from 1992 to 1997, with its chapters later collected in ten bound volumes. The series follows Kintaro Oe, a 25 year old freeter and university dropout who roams Japan working various odd jobs. During his travels, Kintaro meets several women whose lives he dramatically changes, despite his invariably poor first impressions.
The series was adapted into a six-episode original video animation produced by Shueisha and KSS that was released in 1995. A sequel to the manga, Golden Boy II, was serialized in Business Jump from September 2010 to May 2011.
Plot
Kintaro is a freeter, and has done various jobs as he quests around Japan in pursuit of knowledge. His ventures include computer programming, housekeeping, teaching, the culinary arts, and most of all, studying. Kintaro is also often seen demonstrating the skills he has learned in previous chapters to overcome challenges faced in the current one. He is also adept in martial arts, but does not fight unless he is angered, and ordinarily just takes a beating. Much of the humor derives from situational elements, such as encounters between Kintaro and the women gone awry, and interactions between Kintaro's libido and imagination. Recurring gags include Kintaro's fetish for toilets, his exaggerated facial expressions, and comical entries in his notebook. The notebook entries include explicit drawings of the women he encounters and bits of wisdom such as "'C' base is not sex", and "The human head cannot turn 360 degrees." Regarding the series, Tatsuya Egawa writes: "Before leaving kindergarten, I wrote these words in my notebook: 'I really like to study.' Often I wonder when it was that our schools forgot the true meaning of 'study', something which is now so often misunderstood by teachers and parents. Learning ought to be both stimulating and entertaining".Characters
;Kintaro Oe;Madame President
;Naoko Katsuda
;Noriko
;Ayuko Hayami
;Reiko Terayama
;Chie
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Tatsuya Egawa, Golden Boy was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Super Jump from 1992 to 1997. Shueisha collected its chapters in ten volumes, released from June 4, 1993, to January 9, 1998. Egawa initially planned to conclude the manga after the Kongouji story arc, coinciding with the third volume. However, its popularity in Super Jump led the editorial department to insist that he continue the series. Egawa agreed on the condition that he be given creative freedom for the remainder of the series, but its popularity waned due to his shift in tone and focus. By 1997, Golden Boys popularity was waning, and Super Jump editors informed Egawa that the manga was to be canceled, giving him three chapters to end the story abruptly. Angered by the sudden cancellation, Egawa concluded the story abruptly on a cliffhanger and provided an author's note alongside the final chapter stating that he would likely "never draw for Super Jump again."A sequel to the manga, Golden Boy II – Sasurai no O-Benkyō Yarō: Geinō-kai Ōabare-hen, was serialized in Business Jump from September 15, 2010, to May 18, 2011. Shueisha collected its chapters in two tankōbon volumes, released on February 18 and July 19, 2011.