Shonan Bakusozoku
Shonan Bakusozoku: Bomber Bikers of Shonan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Satoshi Yoshida. It was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's Shōnen King magazine from 1982 to 1987 and published in 16 volumes. A prequel has been serialized in Young Champion No. 3 since January 2022, with its individual chapters collected into three volumes. The series has been adapted into 12 OVAs and a live-action film.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Satoshi Yoshida, the series originated as a one-shot published in Shōnen Gahōsha's Shōnen King magazine in August 1982. The one-shot was turned into a full series, which was serialized in Shōnen King from 1982 to 1987. Shōnen Gahōsha collected the series' individual chapters into 16 volumes. The series has been re-released by Kodansha, Akita Shoten, and Shogakukan. A new one-shot for the series was published in Shogakukan's Big Comic in 2017.A prequel series, titled Shonan Bakusozoku First Flag, began serialization in Akita Shoten's Young Champion No. 3 magazine on January 11, 2022. As of November 2024, Akita Shoten has collected its individual chapters into four volumes.
Anime
12 original video animation episodes, animated by Toei Animation, were released from 1986 to 1999. AnimEigo released the first OVA in North America on VHS.Live-action
A live-action film adaptation, directed by Daiki Yamada and starring Yōsuke Eguchi and Yūji Oda, was released in 1987.Reception
Mike Toole of Anime News Network described the series as a "hit" and "major phenomenon" in Japan. However, he also noted that "Shonan Bosozoku completely failed to resonate with American fans".The series has 29 million copies in circulation.