Best Student Council

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Best Student Council
極上生徒会
(Gokujō Seitokai)
Genre Comedy, Slice of life
TV anime
Director Yoshiaki Iwasaki
Studio J.C. Staff
Licensor Flag of the United States ADV
Network Flag of Japan TV Tokyo
Original run April 6, 2005 – September 28, 2005
Episodes 26

Best Student Council (極上生徒会 Gokujō Seitokai?) is an anime series produced by Konami and J.C.Staff, which started airing on TV Tokyo in April 2005. The anime is based on the dating sim game of the same name also made by Konami. The development staff includes composer Yoko Shimomura of Kingdom Hearts fame.

It has been licensed for North American release by ADV Films. The release date for the first DVD was January 9, 2007.

Contents

[edit] Story

The story takes place at Miyagami Academy, a mysterious all-girls high school, its student council, the Miyagami Academy Maximum Authority Wielding Best Level Student Council, also known as the Gokujou Seitokai (Best Student Council), having Assault and Covert divisions. The council has more authority than even the faculty and staff.

All Gokujou Seitokai members have some kind of special ability, which helps them to make Miyagami Gakuen a place where students are not restricted by the outside (adult) world.

Gokujou Seitokai features wacky humor and a notable amount of yuri (subtext and canon). It can be seen as a mixture of elements from Mai Otome and Maria-sama ga Miteru. Gokujou Seitokai's emphasis is humor, but more profound subjects like finding one's way in life and friendship come into the focus on occasion.

Rando Rino, who is on her own since the death of her mother, transfers to Miyagami Gakuen, on the recommendation of her penpal, Mr. Poppit. Shortly after her arrival, Rino surprisingly becomes a member of the Gokujou Seitokai, the prestigious student council of Miyagami High. Rino learns that Jinguji Kanade founded Miyagami Gakuen as a place where students can live free from restrictions and that the Gokujou Seitokai was formed to ensure that freedom.

The Gokujou Seitokai is divided into the three main divisions: Executive, Assault and Covert plus the Vehicle Squad.

Each of its members has her own special ability, such as special fighting techniques or weaponry such as cards and a yo-yo, or, in Rino's case, a living hand puppet called Pucchan.

Rino's life at Miyagami Gakuen is paved with hilarious events, but every now and then, the series undertakes a much more serious and philosophical undertone.

[edit] Gokujou Seitokai Members

All spellings of the names below are retrieved from the show's opening sequence.

[edit] Executive Members

Jinguuji Kanade (神宮司奏 Jinguuji Kanade?)
Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame
Kanade is the executive director and founder of Miyagami Gakuen, president of the Gokujou Seitokai, and the successor to the Jinguuji conglomerate. She takes a special interest in Rino and takes care of her, later found to be at the request of Rino's mother, a relative of hers. She is able to telepathically communicate with other people. Also of note is that Kanade is later revealed to be Mr. Poppit, Rino's penpal at the beginning of the series. When she was just a kid, she had a wish to go to school and so Miyagami High School was built.
After her graduation from high school, Kanade returns in the last episode as the director of the school.
Kinjo Nanaho (金城奈々穂 Kinjō Nanaho?)
Voiced by: Junko Noda
Nanaho is one of the two vice presidents of the Gokujou Seitokai and also the leader of the Assault Squad, using a yo-yo as her weapon. She is very afraid of lighting as she flinches horribly when it strikes and cries out causing people to look at her strangely to which she responds yells "What?!". She secretly has a great love for "girly" things, which can be seen from the decor of her room. This provides a stark contrast to her tomboyish outer appearance and behavior. She was first skeptical by the idea that Pucchan was magical, but later learns that he can talk on his own hand. Nanaho is also an old friend of Kanade and protects and advises Kanade in various matters by her own free will, and not because of the obligations that have been bestowed to the Kinjo family to protect Jinguuji family from generations ago. She has 6 brothers and she is the youngest child of her family. Since childhood she was trained to protect Kanade, which caused her to bear a grudge towards the other girl until Kanade told her that she was free to do as she wanted.
Ginga Kuon (銀河久遠 Ginga Kuon?)
Voiced by: Kaori Shimizu
Kuon is the other vice president and oversees the Covert Squad. During the Kuon-centered episodes (15 and 16), it is revealed that she is actually a spy for another organization, on a mission to discover the hidden powers of the Jinguuji family. However, this was actually forced on her as the company run by her father was supported by the organization. She is a specialist in gathering information, surprising Nanaho during her transfer interview to Miyagami Gakuen. Kuon is also well-trained in self-defense, as can be seen when she performs throws on attackers larger than her during the series.
Kuon is also one quarter non-Japanese (unspecified from Konami's website) on her paternal grandfather's side, and comes from a wealthy family.
Randou Rino (蘭堂りの Randŏ Rino?)
Voiced by: Yukari Tamura
Rino is the main character of the series and, on her first day, is given the title of Secretary of Gokujou Seitokai. She has inherited the powers of the Jinguuji family but does not know about it. She is almost always seen with Pucchan, her hand puppet companion. She is also capable of sending her voice outwards to everyone in a large radius around her, when her "powers" awaken late in the series. Her mother was a member of the Jinguuji family but ran away because she disliked the ways of the family.
Ichikawa Mayura (市川まゆら Ichikawa Mayura?)
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro
Mayura is the overstressed accountant for the Gokujou Seitokai. She is usually busy trying to fit all the needs of the council into the budget, and has appeared in almost every episode working with an abacus. She is always pleading with the rest of the Executive members not to ignore her about the needs of the budget, but is not successful in getting them to listen until one episode centered on her.In short the rest of the Best Student Council (excluding President Kanade) had forced a break up between Mayura and a boyfriend. This was justified since the man was known to date many girls at the same time.They then realized she did it for her friend to see if he was a nice guy. But in order to keep Mayura happy, they all began doing nice things for her, the best thing being that making sure the budget was secure for the next month.

[edit] Assault Squad

The Assault Squad (遊撃部 Yŭgekibu?) is in charge of the safety of the school by eliminating any potential threats.

Hida Sayuri (飛田小百合 Hida Sayuri?)
Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi
Sayuri fights with her wooden sword using the Hida Kasseiryuu. She is an old friend of Rein. Before she was invited to Miyagami Gakuen, she was referred to as a genius swordsman who inherited the pure blood of Hida. An incident that caused her to leave a senior swordsman permanently injured caused her to feel deep guilt ever since, and she sends him flowers daily.
When Sayuri's glasses are taken off, she has a hard time seeing, and ends up muttering "megane, megane..." ("glasses, glasses") without ever being able to locate them.
Sayuri is noted as having a particularly ample bust, something that her best friend Rein is often envious of.
Tsunomoto Rein (角元れいん Tsunomoto Rein?)
Voiced by: Yuki Matsuoka
Rein uses playing cards as her weapon and is a childhood friend of Sayuri. The Hida family took her in after her father disappeared. She enjoys playing card games and does not mind gambling, due to her familiarity with handling cards. Rein also has a love of words,and many times, she is heard speaking a sentence using one word and splitting it three ways though they all mean the same thing, such as when she called Sayuri "an idiot,a moron, and a complete dingdong".
Rein has an extremely maternal side that is shown when an abandoned baby turns up at Gokujou-ryou. This is said to be due to the fact that her father abandoned her when she was very young, making her understand well how it feels to not be loved by anyone. Sometimes Pucchan refers her as little kid senpai due to her childish acts and nature. Rein also cheats quite a lot because she doesn't want to lose (consecutive losses means separation).
Though she has expressed a dislike for her father, claiming she would hit him if her ever showed up, she actually still loves him deep in her heart. Rein finally sees her father during episode 25. Rein strongly resembles Irma from W.I.T.C.H.
Izumi Kaori (和泉香 Izumi Kaori?)
Voiced by: Chiwa Saitō
Kaori fights bare-handed and is a classmate of Rino and Ayumu. There are many strong hints that she is a lesbian as she has a crush on Kanade and resents Rino because of her close relationship with her.
She has two brothers and one sister, which is why she does not live in the Gokujou-ryou like the other members of the student council. She has been seen out on the streets early in the morning walking to the school, while the rest of them are already in the dining room eating breakfast,indicating that she doesn't live in the dorm rooms with the rest of the Best Student Council. This is only clearly made known to the rest when a series of events cause them to stumble upon her house and see Kaori's siblings.

[edit] Covert Squad

The Covert Squad (隠密 Onmitsu?) specializes in gathering intelligence and performs espionage and surveillance operations. An example is seen in Episode 15: When a new student plans to transfer to Miyagami Gakuen and there is reason for suspicion, a background check is conducted by the Covert Squad.

Katsura Seina (桂聖奈 Katsura Seina?)
Voiced by: Kumi Sakuma
Seina is the captain of the Covert Squad and Minamo's elder sister. Constantly seen smiling, she can also be very serious when necessary. Seina is first known simply as an old friend of Kanade, but is revealed later in the series to be a relative of hers. While Seina is of Jinguji blood, she did not inherit any powers, and as a result, had her last name changed.
Near the end of the series, she is revealed to be the new chairman of V, a group that oversees the workings of the Jinguuji family and controls even the family's leader (which was the main reason that Kanade had trouble rebelling against the family). This position was taken by Seina in an effort to help Kanade.
Kutsugi Kotoha (矩継琴葉 Kutsugi Kotoha?)
Voiced by: Kana Ueda
Kotoha is the best member of the Covert Squad and uses shurikens as her weapon of choice. She views Kuon with great suspicion and as a threat when her identity is revealed, but later comes to accept her as her leader once again. She is said to never smile, but did towards Kuon at the end of episode 16.
Kotoha is also a master of unarmed combat and disguise, posing as the caretaker of Gokujou-ryou in episode 11 during a soccer match between the Gokujou Seitokai and the student council of another school. The game was later won almost single-handedly by her, despite the other team possessing a huge lead in the earlier parts of the match.
Ohme Ayumu (桜梅歩 Oume Ayumu?)
Voiced by: Eri Sendai
Ayumu is Rino's best friend, classmate and the one to introduce her to the Gokujou Seitokai. She is later found to be from the Ohme clan of ninja, who left them because she disliked the rules and policies that prohibited her from acting or dressing how most girls would. She has a twin brother named Urato. In an episode centered on her, Ayumu is discovered by a talent scout and planned to enter showbiz as AYU-AYU. In this same episode, it is also revealed that she is a member of the Covert squad as well.
Katsura Minamo (桂みなも Katsura Minamo?)
Voiced by: Ayumi Tsuji
Minamo is Seina's little sister and also inherited no powers from the Jinguji blood within her. She is physically very weak, though this is hidden by her constantly playing pranks and general acts of mischief (this has included making a mess of the seitokai hostel and throwing Nanaho's foreign-imported teddy bear into pouring rain). She likes doing scripts and drawings and was the one behind projects such as the Gokujou Seitokai card game featuring the members of the student council and the (poorly received) play Space Alien. Even though Minamo has a weak heart, she doesn't want others to feel pity for her, causing her to constantly push herself to the extent of danger to her health.

[edit] Vehicle Squad

Manabe Cyndi (シンディ真鍋 Shindi Manabe?)
Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami
Cyndi is the only shown member of the Vehicle Squad and speaks in a combination of English and Japanese, though her lines have usually been short, such as "me too" and "roger". She addresses Kanade as "Boss".
She is in love with Pucchan, and later confesses this to him (it should be noted that Pucchan never turned her down). Everyone else, however, does point out that "He's a puppet!"
Cyndi is later found to be, in fact, quite adept and aware of the situation around her. In episode 25, Cyndi can speak Japanese fluently but it is later revealed that she never spoke it properly because her mother (who speaks in a highly rude manner much like gangsters picking a fight) told her she was not speaking it right.

[edit] Episodes

Episode English Title Japanese Title Original Airdate
1 Dear, Mr. Popit 拝啓、ミスター・ポピット April 6, 2005
2 Gushing Youth ほとばしる青春 April 13, 2005
3 Payapaya in the Best Dorms 極上寮でパヤパヤ April 20, 2005
4 A Brilliantly Clear-Headed Way 素晴らしく冴えたやり方 April 27, 2005
5 A Beautiful battle 華麗なる対決 May 4, 2005
6 A Great Terror! Pucchan's Curse 大恐怖！プッチャンの呪い May 11, 2005
7 We Love to Help Out おせっかいが好き May 18, 2005
8 Farewell! Best Student Council さらば！極上生徒会 May 25, 2005
9 Love Never Ends 好きはとまらない June 1, 2005
10 Don't Let Her Put On Her Swimsuit! 彼女に水着を着せないで June 8, 2005
11 Winning Five ウイニング・ファイブ June 15, 2005
12 It Happened on a Rainy Day それは雨の日に June 22, 2005
13 Is Minamo-chan an Enemy or an Ally? 敵か味方かみなもちゃん June 29, 2005
14 Destitution Student Council 極貧生徒会 July 6, 2005
15 The Reason I'm Here 私が此処にいる理由 July 13, 2005
16 I Want You to Come Here あなたに此処にいて欲しい July 20, 2005
17 Maintain the Lie! 嘘をつきとおせ！ July 27, 2005
18 Hitoshi Satou, 28 years old, Occupation: Lawyer, Parents are Rich, and Even More Good Qualities to Make Him a Favorable Partner 佐藤仁史、28歳、職業弁護士、両親は資産家、これ以上にない好条件なお相手 August 3, 2005
19 Farewell My Beloved Friends さらば愛しき友よ August 10, 2005
20 Ayu-chan Becomes an Idol アユちゃん、アイドルになる August 17, 2005
21 It Always 'Reins' On Fine Days 晴れの日はいつもレイン August 24, 2005
22 Gokujou Card Battle 極上札戦闘（バトル） August 31, 2005
23 Extraordinary Girl Detective Team 怪傑少女探偵団 September 7, 2005
24 Wanting to See You あなたに会いたくて September 14, 2005
25 The Voice that Rode the Wind その声は風にのって September 21, 2005
26 A Gokujou Day, as Usual 今日も極上日和 September 28, 2005

[edit] Openings & Endings

[edit] Openings

[edit] Endings

  • "偶然天使 (Guuzen Tenshi)" by Gokujou Seitokai Shikkoubu
  • "恋する奇跡<ミラクル>(Koi suru miracle)" by Gokujou Seitokai Yuugeki+Sharyoubu

[edit] Gokujo Drama & Gokujo Soundtrack Vol.1

  1. Avant Title
  2. Koi se yo Onna no Ko (TV size)
  3. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Shuugakuryokou' Prologue ~Kaigi nite~
  4. Haikei, Mister Puppet
  5. Tsutaetai Koto
  6. Aru asa no Hitokoma
  7. Namida mo Kanashimi mo
  8. Sono Yasashisa wo Mune ni
  9. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Shuugakuryokou' Episode # ~Mottomo Kouka na Survival~
  10. Chotto Matte!
  11. TROUBLE HOLIDAY
  12. Shinkoku na Jitai
  13. Rino to Pucchan
  14. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Shuugakuryokou' Episode # ~Itsuka Bijou to Yajuu to Ouji-sama ga~
  15. Kyokudai Kengen Hoyuu Saijoukyuu Seitokai
  16. Guuzen to Hitsuzen
  17. MISSION -Activation-
  18. MISSION -Strain tail-
  19. CHASE AND FIGHT!
  20. Moshimo Anata ni Aeta nara
  21. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Shuugakuryokou' Episode 3 ~Shika Senbei ni Ki wo Tsukero!~
  22. Guuzen Tenshi (TV size)
  23. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Shuugakuryokou' Epilogue ~Shuugakuryoku no Omoide~
  24. Ichikawa Mayura Image Song 'ONLY PLACE'

[edit] Gokujo Drama & Gokujo Soundtrack Vol.2

  1. Avant Title
  2. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Arbeit' Prologue ~Kinkyuujidai~
  3. Shutsudou! -Gokujo Seitokai no Theme-
  4. Kokage no Shita de
  5. Uwasa Hanashi wa O-suki_
  6. Sono Mune no Oku no Jijitsu
  7. Nodoka na Hirusagari
  8. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Arbeit' Episode # ~Sousama no Restaurant~
  9. Oshaberi no Yukue
  10. Ano Oka made Ikou
  11. Todokanai Tooi Yume
  12. Sorya nain janai!_
  13. Itoshisa mo Yasashisa
  14. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Arbeit' Episode # ~Wakana to Shitagi to Yasashii Yatsura~
  15. SECRET MANEUVERS
  16. A TENSE ATMOSPHERE
  17. BE ACTIVE
  18. CRISES!!
  19. Sore wa Suteki na Ketsumatsu
  20. Komorebi no Mukou ni
  21. HAPPY, LOVE, AND DELICIOUS!!
  22. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Arbeit' Episode 3 ~Rino yori, Ai wo Komete~
  23. Koi Suru Miracle (TV Size)
  24. Gokujo Drama 'Gokujo Arbeit' Epilogue ~Yosan no Yukue~
  25. Izumi Kaori Image Song Precious Moment

[edit] Trivia

  • In the opening sequence, Kuon and Seina are originally accompanied by two shadows, signifying the secrecy of the Covert Squad. In episode 16 and onward, the right side is revealed to be Kotoha, and from episode 21 onward, the left side is revealed to be Ayumu.
  • Also in the opening sequence, Itami Yukimi's name is originally spelt Itam Yukina. Also, Katsura Minamo's name is spelt Minamo Katura. These errors are only present in the first episode.
  • In episode 23, near the end of the episode when Rino goes out to find the Landlady (the scene after she exits Cyndi's car), she passes a person on a bicycle who has an uncanny resemblance to Takemoto from the anime Honey & Clover during his soul-searchin cycling trip across Japan. J.C. Staff animated both Honey & Clover and Gokujou Seitokai and they were both aired during the same time.
  • In Episode 7, Rein and Sayuri make a comment about the man Mayura goes to meet, who is named Shimon. This is likely a reference to the protagonist named Shimon (or Simon in the English) in the game franchise Castlevania by Konami. It is interesting that Konami was also the main sponsor for Gokujou Seitokai.
  • Episode 11 is called Winning Five. This is a reference to Winning Eleven, a football (soccer) video game made by Konami. Winning Eleven is known as Pro Evolution Soccer in certain countries.

[edit] External links