Shonan Junai Gumi
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| Shonan Junai Gumi | |
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| 湘南純愛組 (Shonan Pure Love Gang) |
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| Genre | |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Tohru Fujisawa |
| Publisher |  Kodansha  Tokyopop |
| Serialized in | Shonen Magazine |
| Original run | March 1991 – December 1996 |
| No. of volumes | 31 |
| Shonan Junai Gumi dorama | |
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| TV anime | |
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| Original run | – |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
Shonan Junai Gumi (湘南純愛組! Shōnan Jun'aigumi?) is a manga by Tohru Fujisawa which was published from March 1991 to December 1996, and initially released in 31 volumes. It has subsequently been released in a deluxe edition of 15 volumes, from May to December 2000, and the pocket-size print run, which began in May 2005, is currently at the 8th volume. A series of six anime OAVs was released in the early 1990s, and a live action drama was also created, but information is virtually impossible to find. There were also a few movies released under the name in Japan. This is the manga that originally featured the character Eikichi Onizuka, who would later go on to appear in the worldwide hit Great Teacher Onizuka (or "GTO" as it is often called).
The deluxe edition has been licensed for North America by Tokyopop, who have retitled it GTO: The Early Years, although they retain Shonan Junai Gumi as a subtitle. The first volume was released in June 2006.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
[edit] Story
The story of Shonan Junai Gumi deals with the Onibaku (Demon Explosion) duo, consisting of Eikichi Onizuka and Ryuji Danma, and their quest to lose their virginity and reach maturity. They are widely feared bosozoku, and are known for their tenacity and viciousness in a fight. However, this lifestyle does not exactly endear them to the opposite gender, so they decide to change their ways. However, this is easier said than done. As the story unfolds, we meet the Onibaku's wide range of friends and foes, and the crazy situations they all get into. The story is initially a gag manga, but more serious issues present themselves as it continues, eventually striking a balance similar to that of GTO (which this manga predates).
[edit] Characters
[edit] Onibakugumi and friends
[edit] Eikichi Onizuka
Eikichi Onizuka (鬼塚 英吉 Onizuka Eikichi) is a former member of the Bousou Tenshi (Running Wild Angels) biker gang, otherwise known as the Midnight Angels, Eikichi looked on the leader Kyousuke Masaki as an elder brother. He met Ryuji Danma at Junior High (see Bad Company), where there was animosity between them, but it settled down into the strong friendship they now share. Deadly in a fight but not so skilled when it comes to dealing with women, Eikichi is a nice guy at heart (as seen in GTO) and despite his rowdy behaviour, he always manages to help people out of trouble. He lives with his mother in an apartment. Eikichi rides a Kawasaki Zephyr 1100, but is also the owner of Masaki's ZII.
[edit] Ryuji Danma
The other member of the Onibaku duo, Ryuji is taller and maybe slightly more restrained than his partner, although get in his bad books and you're in for big trouble. He has more luck with women, having had a relationship with his teacher Ayumi, and later Nagisa (seen in GTO). Ryuji's family are nice, normal people, who appear quite wealthy, who totally disapprove of his 'bad behaviour', however his elder sister allows him to stay at her home when he needs to. Ryuji rides a Honda CBX-400F, as seen in Bad Company.The earrings he carries in GTO are Shinomi's gift before her left
[edit] Toshiyuki Saejima
Along with his partner Kamata, he is feared as Kamakura no Kyouken (The Mad Dogs of Kamakura). This duo were renowned for their brutality, including shoving pencils through people's noses. (Which proves to be very ironic). However after being beaten by the Onibaku, the pair decided to join their gang. Saejima has a malevolent face, so much so that girls are afraid of him and assume he is a Yakuza. He, like Ryuji, comes from a fairly well-to-do family, who are terrified of him- his sisters speak to him through a lock on her bedroom door, and his parents jump at his slightest movement. Saejima rides a Kawasaki.
[edit] Jun Kamata
Kamata first appeared as a bad guy with his buddy Saejima, but when the Onibaku beat them they changed their ways. Kamata is shown to be incredibly strong, beating whole gangs when he's in a bad mood. He has a younger sibling, Kaoru, who causes all sorts of misunderstandings. Kamata has a painful history- he spent his childhood with his best friend Natsu and his older sister, but her rape at the hands of a vicious gang caused her to commit suicide. Natsu then killed the perpetrators, but Jun had arrived with some adults who took him away, shouting 'Traitor!' at his former friend. Jun leaves Shonan for the United States, honouring a promise he made, but makes an appearance in the final volume working in a bar. Kamata rides a Honda Steed.
[edit] Hiroshi Abe
From Iwamisawa in Hokkaido, Abe appears as a serial womaniser, attracting the girls left right and centre with his expensive clothes and confident personality. This understandably irritated the Onibaku, until they persuade him to reveal his secrets. He joins the gang, and is a loyal friend in numerous situations, such as the Midnight Angels affair and the fight with Kamata and Saejima. Abe vanishes midway through the manga, but since no mention is made of it, he is probably supposed to still be around but not in the spotlight. Abe apparently rides a Honda CBX 1000.
[edit] Tsuyoshi Tsukai
A student at Enoshima Yonchuu Junior High School before coming to Tsujidou, Tsukai was a member of the 'Shitennou' (Four Heavenly Kings, meaning the strongest guys at the school). He was also a kohai of Kunito Nakajou, meaning he has knowledge of things other members of the Onibaku gang don't. He has a crush on Yui Itou, and later in the series she becomes his girlfriend (In GTO, they are married). Tsukai is a strong fighter, and often has to overcome harsh odds to win, but always seems to come out on top. That said, he is not quite in the Onibaku's league.
[edit] Makoto Hashiri
Makoto is a loyal member of the Onibakugumi and despite his reasonably limited fighting skills he is always there to support his friends. He is very successful with women, and later settles on a girl called Mami. He was bullied by Saejima and Kamata before their reformation and was later manipulated to betray Eikichi when the Kamakura and Shonan gangs first met. However, he was brave enough to remain loyal to his friends. Makoto is notable for being one of the few characters to actually change their hairdo over the course of the series, which he does a number of times.
[edit] Katsuyuki Tsumoto
Katsuyuki is the leader of the K.T. Butai (Katsuyuki Tsumoto Fighting Group), a kind of ‘sub-unit’ of the Onibaku gang, consisting of Yasuo, Atsushi, Saegusa, Kitamura and numerous other students. He has a hair-trigger temper, and as such can cause a lot of trouble without thinking about it. He has a rivalry with Tamura, and a long-standing grudge against Kenkichi Hino. He once fought Eikichi, but was beaten and decided to adopt him as a role model. He is loyal to the Onibaku and will fight anyone who badmouths them, but his main allegiance is to Eikichi.
[edit] Yasuo
A member of Katsuyuki's gang, Yasuo is incredibly loyal to 'Kacchan' (as he calls him) and therefore also to Onizuka (although he initially disliked the Onibaku's control over everyone in their school). He holds a major grudge against Enoshima Shogyou (Enoshou) students, and is mainly seen in conflict with them. Although not a major character, Yasuo appears fairly often, even having starring roles in certain chapters. He rides a Yamaha XJ-R, and has a girlfriend called Mayumi.
[edit] Saegusa
Bearing a resemblance to both Saejima and Makoto, Saegusa is another member of the K.T. Butai. He is not a major character, but appears with his 'boss' and his friends at various times. Saegusa is not afraid of a fight, as shown by his actions in a cafe full of Enoshou students while being vastly outnumbered, and appears in many fights as backup. He rides a Honda CB-SF.
[edit] Kitamura
The least regularly seen of the K.T. Butai, Kitamura is still present from time to time as a minor character. He is present when the Onibaku meet Saejima's new partner Kiwamezawa, and is jumpy at his every move (considering Kiwamezawa is 6'8" tall). Besides his appearances in minor capacities, Kitamura is not a very important character.
[edit] Atsushi Honma
Yet another member of the K.T. Butai, Atsushi is the recipient of numerous injuries at the hands of the Onibakugumi's enemies- he is attacked by the zombie-like Yagyou Atsuki, and later is smashed in the throat by one of Joey's DOA gang members with a piece of wood. However, he is present in the major fights, and always remains loyal to his senpai Onizuka, and his friend Katsuyuki.
[edit] Yui Itou
Itou first appears to clue the Onibaku in on their opponents Kamata and Saejima. She graduated from the same Junior High as they did. She develops a crush on Eikichi, but he is too busy fighting with the others over Kaoru, and this leads to a fight between Tsukai and Onizuka. She is Tsukai’s girlfriend for the duration of the series and in GTO we learn from Saejima that the two are married.She is the first girl to be considered a part of the Onibakugumi, and mainly appears in later volumes at their gatherings.
[edit] Shinomi Fujisaki
Formerly a fat and rather unattractive girl who was defended by Eikichi in the past, Shinomi reappears as a beautiful young woman who is involved with Takezawa Akira of the Idaten gang. After Takezawa is hospitalised after fighting Eikichi and he breaks up with her, she dyes her hair blonde and befriends the Onibakugumi. She has an attraction to Eikichi throughout the series, but since he sees her more like a sister he is reluctant to embark on a relationship with her. She becomes a friend of Nagisa’s, and is often seen hanging around with her. Shinomi is feisty and packs a good punch, and personality-wise is the female Eikichi, so they are pretty well suited. Shinomi appears in GTO as Tomoko's makeup artist, and at the end of the series seems to catch on to the identity of Tomoko and Mayu's teacher.
[edit] Nagisa Nagase
Nagisa first appears working in the Marine House seafood restaurant as a waitress, catching Ryuji's attention with her t-back bikini. However, although she seems sweet and innocent, she actually suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, and has an evil side who calls herself Yasha. She is a member of the Midnight Angels gang under Junya Akutsu, and is his girlfriend. Her mental disorder arose after he raped her in the past. Ryuji saves her life, and she eventually overcomes her problems and becomes his girlfriend. They are still together in GTO.
[edit] Yoshio Tamaru
Inspired by his grandfather's dying words to become a 'strong man', the small and bullied Yoshio decides to change his life by joining the Onibakugumi. However, his overzealous approach to fighting gets him in trouble with Eikichi and Ryuji. He then takes control of the Atsuki Yagyou gang, who have been ruining the Onibaku's reputation, leading to a confrontation. He pulls a gun on Eikichi, but because it is old it misfires, injuring his hands. He never appears again after this.
[edit] Foes
[edit] Machida
An eyebrow-less boxing champion who tricks Eikichi with a knuckle-duster and evasive manoeuvres- he finally wins by smashing Eikichi with a street sign. While a reasonably good fighter, he only won because Eikichi wasn’t expecting him to be trained- the next time they cross paths, Ryuji takes down the whole gang singlehanded while Eikichi beats Machida’s teeth out, taking the boxer’s punches and hitting him back harder.
[edit] Takashi Yokokawa
A moustachioed yakuza successor, and formerly the Onibaku’s sempai. They totally dominated him and made his life hell (we also see this in Bad Company) but really he just gets what he deserves most of the time. He doesn’t really appear much after this, but we see his reaction to the Onibaku's fate in the final volume- he is, unsurprisingly, not too saddened by the news.
[edit] Mitsuaki Ookubo
Formerly of Kyokuto High School, Ookubo (known as Eguriya (Slasher) Ookubo because of his vicious use of a knife in fights) of the Madara gang causes trouble for the Onibaku when he appears- it turns out he had previously attacked Eikichi and stabbed him in the back during a fight, and wants to finish him for good this time. However, Eikichi gets the better of him in their fight, and beats him to within an inch of his life despite having a broken foot.
[edit] Fumiya Shindouji
The younger brother of Ayumi's deceased fiancé, Fumiya wants to destroy her new relationship with Ryuji. A student at Kyokuto High school, Fumiya has a large gang who do his bidding, one member of which is Asakura Yoshiaki. Fumiya is defeated by Ryuji after kidnapping Ayumi, and later appears as an ally. He rides a Yamaha V-Max.
[edit] Junya Akutsu
The second leader of the Midnight Angels gang, Akutsu was a friend and kohai of Kyousuke Masaki, and was jealous of Eikichi taking some of Masaki's attention years before. He reappears full of plans to reclaim the Midnight Angels' place as the greatest of all Shonan gangs, with the Idaten (previously led by Akira Takezawa) under his control. He is also in control of Nagisa, and tries to get her to kill Ryuji, although she ends up injured herself. Akutsu has a penchant for setting petrol fires, and has made a nemesis of Toshiki Kamishima of the Satsuriku Butai (Butcher Fighting Gang) for causing him serious injuries in this way. He is beaten by Onizuka and Kamishima, and returns later in the series assisting the Onibaku in times of need.
[edit] Junji Kashiya
Leader of the Blue Rose gang, Kashiya is a Yakuza successor. He is always smoking, and is known as the 'Tobacco Guy'. He controls a lot of smaller gangs such as DOA, and never directly gets involved with fighting himself if he can avoid it. He has a history with Kunito Nakajou, and the two often clash over events in Shonan.
[edit] Akira Takezawa
The leader of the Idaten gang, Takezawa is the boyfriend of Shinomi Fujisaki. However, after being hospitalised by Onizuka he disappears and breaks up with her. His gang fall under the control of Akutsu and the Midnight Angels, but he returns to reclaim leadership and despite Akutsu's orders the gang will not attack Takezawa. He later appears when Eikichi finds a new girlfriend in Misato Hazuki, recognising her as a former Idaten member, even though she is now very different than she once was.
[edit] Joey
Leader of the DOA gang, who operate as part of the Blue Rose coalition, Joey is impervious to pain as a side effect of the medicine he takes to counteract his illness. He previously had a girlfriend Yoko, who met a tragic end, and this haunts him even now. Joey comes up against the Onibaku in a fight, which ends in a stalemate, and races Onizuka, but crashes and falls into the ocean. His brother saves him, and he appears to gain some sense of the mistakes he had made in his life.
[edit] 'Shinigami' Natsu
Natsuki Fuyuka-Smith, half American and half Japanese, was the best friend of Jun Kamata when they were young, until his elder sister Miyuki committed suicide after being violently attacked and raped by a gang of thugs. Natsu went and slaughtered the perpetrators, but a worried Jun had gathered some adults to help find him, and they took Natsu away, calling his friend a traitor. Over the next few years, Natsu viciously beat and killed any who opposed him, earning the hatred of the Yokohama Kihei. This ultimately caused his death, as Nakagaki shot him in the back as he was helping Kamata up. Honouring a childhood promise to Natsu, Kamata left Shonan for the United States soon after.
[edit] Nakagaki (Yokohama Kihei No. 1)
First appearing in Volume 8, Nakagaki is a nasty piece of work whose aim is to simply prove that his gang are more powerful than the Shonan gangs. He interferes in a fight between Katsuyuki and Tamura, and with Mauchi beats them both down. The two of them also take out a diner full of Enoshou students with no assistance. Nakagaki has a grudge against Natsu (a flashback in volume 8 explains his facial scar), and kills him during the fight with the Onibaku and Nakajou’s gang with a bullet in the chest. Eikichi then beats Nakagaki to a pulp.
[edit] Mauchi (Yokohama Kihei No. 2)
Mauchi is not a very talkative character (and often wears a surgical mask) so it’s easy to underestimate him and assume he’s just a lackey for Nakagaki. However, he beats up numerous gang members through the Yokohama arc and while Nakajou is able to take him down with ease, Nakagaki summarily beats Nakajou by smashing a chair over his head. They operate well as a unit, as seen when they beat up Katsuyuki and Tamura. Mauchi is quite resilient, since he takes a blow to the neck with an iron bar and gets up shortly after and fights Ryuji. Kamata beats him down after Onizuka obliterates Nakagaki.
[edit] Toshiki Kamishima
Formerly of the Inamurashibu, now the leader of the Satsuriku Butai, an Enoshima-based gang under the control of Nakajou, Kamishima is obsessed with destroying his nemesis Junya Akutsu, who caused the scars on his face and body by dousing him in petrol and setting him alight during a fight some time previously. He is also against the Onibakugumi, making the fight three-way. He is thoroughly beaten by Akutsu, and later caught in an explosion the latter caused. He rides a Kawasaki GPZ900R. Kamishima later appears in the conflict with the Atsuki Yagyou gang, who are ruining the Onibaku’s reputation with violent attacks. Here he is wrapped in bandages, and has not fully recovered from his recent injuries, but appears at the end of the series in an institution fully healed save for his original scars. However he does appear to have been driven totally insane.
[edit] Other characters
[edit] Ayumi Murakoshi
The Onibaku meet Ayumi and Mariko at Yoron Shima in volume 1; while Eikichi sees it as a chance to ‘get lucky’, we get the impression that Ryuji is greatly taken with Ayumi. Despite the revelation that the two women are not students as they claim, but are actually teachers at their new school, the romance continues for a time, despite Fumiya Shindouji’s attempts to break them up (it turns out Ayumi was engaged to his brother, who died). However, when the pair decide to marry Ayumi realises that she would be ruining Ryuji’s life by denying him the experiences of youth, and she leaves on a train. Ryuji is understandably heartbroken by this turn of events. Well, at least until he meets Nagisa. But even then Ayumi, in her rare appearances, manages to turn his head, to Nagisa’s extreme consternation.
[edit] Mariko Izumo
The Onibaku meet Ayumi and Mariko at Yoron Shima in volume 1; Eikichi sees it as a chance to ‘get lucky’ and is constantly trying to grope Mariko. With the revelation that the two women are not students as they claim, but are actually teachers at their new school, Eikichi initially seeks revenge on Mariko but eventually they get along. When Ayumi leaves, Mariko remains an occasional member of the SJG cast and mainly helps the pair out of difficult situations. She is also the daughter of a Yakuza boss.
[edit] Nao Kadena
A former car club member and street racer, Kadena is a teacher at Tsujikou, taking over from the absent Nanno. She uses her beauty to inspire her male students to work hard, and entices the girls with attractive university guys. She feels responsible for her younger brother Kazuhito being in a coma, because he crashed his car in a race with her. Onizuka lifts her out of her bad mood by racing her, showing that it can be fun if you aren't too reckless. She later 'helps' set Shinomi up with Eikichi, but things don't quite go right.
In the animé adaptation of Great Teacher Onizuka, Nao Kadena takes the role of the school nurse played by Naoko Moritaka in the manga. Her techniques and past are remarkably similar to her character in Shonan Junai Gumi - though she was clearly introduced as a brand new acquaintance to the existing cast. In later storylines her actions were adaptations of Moritaka's from the manga.
[edit] Youko Minamino (Nanno)
Minamino, or ‘Nanno’ (meaning ‘nothing much’) as he is universally known, appears in volume 5 as a yakuza-esque teacher recruited to whip the delinquents into shape, which he does quite a good job of until he is challenged to a one-on-one fight against Ryuji, who refuses to accept his bullying tactics. Eikichi, Abe and Saejima, who know that even Ryuji is no match for Nanno’s ‘Hokuto Shin Ken’ style martial arts, dig around until they find an incriminating fact- Nanno has a lolita complex and bring the girl that got him in trouble, Myou-chan (who always has a black strip over her eyes) to the fight, and threaten to tell everyone if he doesn’t lose to Ryuji. So Ryuji wins, and Nanno is forced to be the Onibakugumi’s slave. He leaves the school after fighting Kiwamezawa and trying to escape the police.
[edit] Masami Sato
A friend of the Onibaku since their Midnight Angel days, he runs the Sato family garage and repair shop. He first appears to tell Eikichi that his car design won’t win the exhibition, and gets taken hostage by Yokokawa until his KS Benz is repaired. He later appears in the Akutsu affair, and at various other times when someone needs a bike fixed, or Onizuka wants to use Masaki’s ZII.
[edit] Kunito Nakajou
Nakajou is the main leader of all the Enoshima gangs, he is a student at Enoshima Shogyou High School. He was Tsukai’s senpai at Enoshima Yonchuu Junior High. Nakajou has numerous facial scars, and works at the Select petrol station. In the past, the Onibaku beat his entire gang, which means there is some tension between them, but Nakajou is a useful ally in many conflicts, such as against the Yokohama Kihei and the Atsuki Yagyou. Despite the constant ill will between the Enoshima and Tsujikou students, Nakajou remains detached from most of the fighting until later volumes, and at the end of the story he challenges Eikichi to a one on one fight.
[edit] Akimitsu Tamura
Tamura first appears as the second-in-command of Toshiki Kamishima, in the Satsuriku Butai of Kamakura. Here his rivalry with Katsuyuki begins, as the two clash with each other on numerous occasions. He is fighting Katsuyuki when the two are thoroughly thrashed by Nakagaki and Mauchi, the leaders of the Yokohama Kihei. The resulting hospital stay sees the two fighting over the attentions of the pretty nurse Nene Mihara (formerly a member of a widely respected gang), but in dealing with Sakaki Ashiyura they put aside their differences. Later Tamura is Nakajou’s assistant, and still rivals with Katsuyuki.
[edit] Onizuka's mom
The long suffering Mrs. Onizuka tries her hardest to tolerate Eikichi’s punkass behaviour, but eventually has to kick him out to keep her apartment. She herself is rather a tough lady, and apparently had her son at a young age. Eikichi’s dad is never seen, but he doesn’t seem to live with them. Mrs. Onizuka is still an attractive looking woman, with long brown(?) wavy hair. She does seem to dress older though.
[edit] Yoshiaki Asakura
An underling of Fumiya’s (and therefore a Kyokuto student), Yoshiaki is beaten when the Onibaku take Fumiya down. He appears in the next volume under the control of Ookubo, and is a reluctant pawn because Ookubo kidnaps his girlfriend Natsumi. He turns on Ookubo and helps Onizuka by getting Ryuji and the Onibakugumi to come to his aid (he was already suffering a broken foot, which had him at something of a disadvantage against an entire gang of armed punks). He appears after these events with Natsumi, and they appear to have returned to life as normal, and is seen during the Midnight Angels conflict causing problems for the police with his gang.
[edit] Usagi Kiwamezawa
2m (6’8) tall, Kiwamezawa first appears purchasing Sailor Moon magazines. He is a student at Kamakura Ryokuryou Kou, and Saejima recruits him as part of the ‘New Kamakura Combi’ after Kamata leaves. We also see his family, consisting of 5 siblings (all of whom look exactly like him, including the girls) and his attractive young looking mother, who is married to a 4-foot tall, amiable looking man who cannot possibly have fathered the enormous Kiwamezawa clan. When a delivery man arrives who looks identical to Kiwamezawa, however, Saejima puts two and two together. It doesn’t seem like any of the family have done the same though. Kiwamezawa also appears when Saejima is hospitalised after a second altercation with some pencils.
[edit] Ashura Sakaki
Sakaki transfers to Tsujikou from Asahikawa Nanryou High School in Hokkaido, and calls himself ‘Kita no Shogun’ (The General of the North), ‘Hokkai no Maou’ (The Demon King of the North Sea) and ‘Okhotsk no kaidanji’ (Okhotsk's 'Mr. Nice Guy'). He seems to be impervious to pain, (even though he bleeds) since he takes numerous beatings to no real effect. It appears that he takes down Onizuka and Tsukai, and Katsuyuki and Tamura try to get revenge on him for this, however Tamura is injured and Katsuyuki has to find Ryuji. When they confront him, a huge gang of Asahikawa Nanryou High School students, led by Higashida, arrive, but they beat Sakaki up for causing trouble and apologise to the Onibaku for his behaviour. It also turns out that he hadn’t beaten Eikichi up, but Katsuyuki stabs him repeatedly anyway. He later appears during the Atsuki Yagyou crisis as a new student at the Onibaku's high school, where he is ignored by everyone (save Saejima, who finds him incredibly annoying).
[edit] Kaoru Kamata
She is Jun Kamata’s younger sister. She first appears when the Onibakugumi arrange their ‘get-together’. Her brother bumps into her and recognises her (apparently they haven’t seen each other for a while) and spends the whole evening trying to keep the others away. Eikichi is obsessed with Kaoru and doesn’t pay any attention to Itou at all, which results in a fight with Tsukai. In actuality, however, ‘she’ is really male, which shocks Onizuka when he finds out. Kaoru appears during the Natsu saga, and tells Eikichi about her brother’s predicament. She is something of a minor character.
[edit] Hazuki Misato
Misato appears at the karaoke club where she meets Eikichi, who has been left by the group of girls who were in his booth and is now feeling sorry for himself. They get along well, and Eikichi naturally falls for her. She cooks for him, and she offers to have sex with him, but he refuses (basically since he’s too nervous). The two of them come across Shinomi and Takezawa, and he recognises her- she was a member of his gang in the past, but as a man. Naturally this is bad for Eikichi, and when she reveals the truth to him, he can’t handle it and she leaves. Eikichi does seem to have rather bad luck when it comes to women.
[edit] Kenkichi Hino
A kohai of Ryuji’s from junior high (but apparently the one from which he transferred, since Hino is not familiar with Eikichi), Hino has an intense hatred of Katsuyuki, who gave him the scar on his right eyebrow. Their feud almost separates the Onibaku duo, despite Tsukai’s efforts to get everyone to get along, culminating in a fight on the beach where Tsukai beats the crap out of both of them; however by this time the Onibaku have already made up. Joey of DOA later beats him up for being in his territory putting up Onibaku stickers, but Ryuji forgives him after beating the crap out of about 20 DOA gang members. In the 'feud' in the final volume, he is (obviously) on Ryuji’s side.
[edit] Saya Minazuki
The leader of the Enbutou female biker gang in the Blue Rose coalition, Saya appears in volume 11 after spotting Eikichi and the gang escaping from the police after fighting Joey at the railway. She runs into Eikichi when buying some porn and beers, and the two get talking. She then rides off with her gang. She turns up in volume 12, and clashes with Shinomi over her attempts to seduce Eikichi. In volume 15 she is present at the final fight on the rooftop, and she is one of the few people to stay and mourn the Onibaku’s passing. She is surprised to learn that the knife used was fake.
[edit] Nozomi Takagi
This 3rd Year Hatsuchuu Middle School student has a major crush on Ryuji, even collecting photographs in a series of scrapbooks. (Her friends are lusting after Eikichi at the same time) Her ambition is to get into Tsujikou, despite her brother pointing out the sub-standard school records. She decides she wants to be Ryuji’s girlfriend (obviously she doesn’t know him at all, or she’d have known about Nagisa…) and follows him around, ending up sitting next to him in a pachinko parlour. He helps her win a big payout of balls, but when she goes to thank him he’s already gone. She watches the Onibaku clowning around for a while, and somehow gets over her crush. The next day, she receives her results and finds that she can now go to Tsujikou.
[edit] Manabu Midouji
A senior member of the Bousou Tenshi/Midnight Angels (Kanburen= Executive Members’ Group), Midouji appears near the end of the Midnight Angels affair with a group of senior members, which shocks Akutsu. They watch the fight between Onizuka and Akutsu, and are present at the conclusion of the race, when Akutsu is carted off to hospital. He also appears at the climactic rooftop battle, and pays his respects later on. Midouji also appears in Bad Company, and is apparently rather humourless and taciturn, as he finds the youthful antics of the new members rather annoying, particularly when the Bousou Tenshi are trying to conduct a serious biking run.
[edit] Machiruda
Formerly a member of the Speed motorcycle gang, Machiruda knows Eikichi from the past somehow and is on good terms with him during the DOA crisis despite never appearing before then. He now owns a café/restaurant, named after his old gang, with his partner Misako. He is involved in the business with Mafuyu and Zelda.
[edit] Misako
Misako is formerly of the Speed motorcycle gang, and appeared to be rather intimidating in the past. She co-owns/manages the Speed café with Machiruda, and now appears very good natured and relaxed (almost stoned, in fact).
[edit] Kyoma
The possessor of mighty ‘Chounoryoku’ or psychic powers, Kyoma appears when Harumurata of Gochuu Middle School and Samehara of the Satsuriku Butai, in an attempt to find Makoto, turn up at Tsujikou. They first attack a teacher but are threatened by Kamata and Saejima, but Kyoma turns up and scares them off, since they’ve heard of his reputation. However, it turns out that his powers are limited to lifting girls’ skirts and bursting buttons off people’s coats, which annoys Saejima because such a big deal has been made of it all.
