Harenchi Gakuen
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese media franchise created by Go Nagai
. Harenchi Gakuen was one of the manga serialized in the very first issue of Shueisha
's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
. The series was the first big success for Go Nagai. It is also considered as the first modern erotic manga, sometimes considered the first Hentai
manga, though Nagai never used explicit sexual situations in the original run of the manga.
There are many works around Harenchi Gakuen, including numerous manga series, one live-action TV series, five live-action movies and one anime
OVA. The first manga series was not adapted into an anime, but rather a live-action TV series; only the opening sequence to this television series was animated. This isn't the only show of Go Nagai where live-action and anime are combined: Pro-Wres no Hoshi Aztecaser
features completely animated action sequences when the hero uses his powers, even though the show itself is tokusatsu
.
Many comedies of Go Nagai use a similar setting as Harenchi Gakuen, while changing the situation. An example of this is his series Supeope Chu Gaku, a space school modeled in a similar fashion as Star Wars
.
was getting prepared to launch its first manga publication, Shōnen Jump, in order to compete with other magazines from rival companies (like Shōnen Magazine from Kodansha
and Shōnen Sunday
from Shogakukan
), Nagai was invited to be one of the first manga artists publishing in the new magazine. He contemplated this, since he had to design a long running series instead of the autoconclusive short stories that he had been developing until that point. He accepted and the series became a big success, being the first for Nagai
and making Shōnen Jump sell more than one million copies.
With Harenchi Gakuen, Nagai became the originator of ecchi manga,
opened the door for a series of taboo-shattering gag comics
and also became the symbol of an entire generation.
This work has influenced Japanese society radically, effecting both social mores and what was considered appropriate for manga.
Harenchi Gakuen started with the idea of making a manga around a school. Nagai liked the word "Harenchi" (scandal), used commonly to advertise adult movies. For him, scandal and school were like oil and water, and he thought that mixing them would be funny. That's how the name Harenchi Gakuen came to be.
At first, Nagai didn't have an idea of what stories to develop, but his assistant at the time was boasting about how he had peeped on the girls during their physical examinations from a hole in the roof of his school. That gave him the idea of what would be the stories.
Originally, open erotic references didn't appear in Harenchi Gakuen. The first physical examination scenes only showed from the shoulders up. But the many girls that appeared and their images became popular. The editor asked Nagai to go further, which Nagai was eager to do.
The inspiration for Harenchi Gakuen came from the West
. Nagai liked foreign movies, and used to read Playboy
magazine, where the women had gorgeous and well-balanced bodies, unlike Japanese women of that time. For the depiction of breasts, he took particular inspiration from the Venus de Milo
.
According to Nagai, what he in fact drew was not about eroticism per se, but about Japan's culture of shame. He wanted embarrassment to be the eroticism of the stories.
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
. Harenchi Gakuen was one of the manga serialized in the very first issue of Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Weekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
. The series was the first big success for Go Nagai. It is also considered as the first modern erotic manga, sometimes considered the first Hentai
Hentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
manga, though Nagai never used explicit sexual situations in the original run of the manga.
There are many works around Harenchi Gakuen, including numerous manga series, one live-action TV series, five live-action movies and one anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
OVA. The first manga series was not adapted into an anime, but rather a live-action TV series; only the opening sequence to this television series was animated. This isn't the only show of Go Nagai where live-action and anime are combined: Pro-Wres no Hoshi Aztecaser
Pro-Wres no Hoshi Aztecaser
is a Japanese pro-wrestling-themed tokusatsu/anime superhero television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions, and created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa. Nagai and Ishikawa created three manga series, simply named , published in different magazines by Shogakukan. None of them are related between...
features completely animated action sequences when the hero uses his powers, even though the show itself is tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
.
Many comedies of Go Nagai use a similar setting as Harenchi Gakuen, while changing the situation. An example of this is his series Supeope Chu Gaku, a space school modeled in a similar fashion as Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
.
Origins
In 1968, while ShueishaShueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
was getting prepared to launch its first manga publication, Shōnen Jump, in order to compete with other magazines from rival companies (like Shōnen Magazine from Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
and Shōnen Sunday
Shonen Sunday
, first published on March 17, 1959, is a weekly shōnen manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan. Contrary to its title, Weekly Shōnen Sunday issues are released on Wednesdays.- History :...
from Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
), Nagai was invited to be one of the first manga artists publishing in the new magazine. He contemplated this, since he had to design a long running series instead of the autoconclusive short stories that he had been developing until that point. He accepted and the series became a big success, being the first for Nagai
and making Shōnen Jump sell more than one million copies.
With Harenchi Gakuen, Nagai became the originator of ecchi manga,
opened the door for a series of taboo-shattering gag comics
and also became the symbol of an entire generation.
This work has influenced Japanese society radically, effecting both social mores and what was considered appropriate for manga.
Harenchi Gakuen started with the idea of making a manga around a school. Nagai liked the word "Harenchi" (scandal), used commonly to advertise adult movies. For him, scandal and school were like oil and water, and he thought that mixing them would be funny. That's how the name Harenchi Gakuen came to be.
At first, Nagai didn't have an idea of what stories to develop, but his assistant at the time was boasting about how he had peeped on the girls during their physical examinations from a hole in the roof of his school. That gave him the idea of what would be the stories.
Originally, open erotic references didn't appear in Harenchi Gakuen. The first physical examination scenes only showed from the shoulders up. But the many girls that appeared and their images became popular. The editor asked Nagai to go further, which Nagai was eager to do.
The inspiration for Harenchi Gakuen came from the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. Nagai liked foreign movies, and used to read Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine, where the women had gorgeous and well-balanced bodies, unlike Japanese women of that time. For the depiction of breasts, he took particular inspiration from the Venus de Milo
Venus de Milo
Aphrodite of Milos , better known as the Venus de Milo, is an ancient Greek statue and one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture. Created at some time between 130 and 100 BC, it is believed to depict Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty. It is a marble sculpture, slightly...
.
According to Nagai, what he in fact drew was not about eroticism per se, but about Japan's culture of shame. He wanted embarrassment to be the eroticism of the stories.
Characters
- AKA . The violent yet pure hearted protagonist. He is the son of a butcher. He is assumed dead at the end of the 1st series, but is alive in part 2.
- AKA . The beautiful descendant of the Yagyū ninjaNinjaA or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
family and the heroine of the story. Like Yamagishi, she is assumed dead at the end of the 1st series, but seen alive in part 2.
- AKA Yamagishi’s subordinate. During the Harenichi War, the harsh situation forces him to experience shell shockShell ShockShell Shock, also known as 82nd Marines Attack was a 1964 film by B-movie director John Hayes. The film takes place in Italy during World War II, and tells the story of a sergeant with his group of soldiers....
and he commits suicide.
- AKA . He greatly resembles a cavemanCavemanA caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
, sporting a bushy beard around his mouth, wearing tiger pelt, and usually carrying a clubClub (weapon)A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
. A teacher at the school, he speaks in a style of Japanese typically used by women. At the end of the 1st series he is seen severely wounded and crawling away from a pile of dead bodies.
Cast of Harenchi Gakuen (film 1970)
- Miyuki Kojima as Mitsuko Yagyu
- Shunji FujimuraShunji Fujimurais a Japanese actor from Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. He appeared in the second series of Monkey as the horse. He appears in the Death Note live-action movie as Quillsh Wammy A.K.A...
as Hige Godzilla - Jo Shishido as Macaroni
- Hosei Komatsu as Marugoshi
- Toru Yuri
- Bokuzen HidariBokuzen Hidariwas a Japanese actor and comedian born in Kotesashi Village , Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, The Lower Depths and Ikiru...
- Osami Nabe
- Midori Utsumi
Cast of Harenchi Gakuen: Shintai Kensa no Maki (film 1970)
- Miyuki Kojima as Mitsuko Yagyu
- Shigeo Takamatsu as Hige Godzilla
- Jo Shishido as Macaroni
- Konpei Hayashiya as Marukasa
- Hiroshi Kondo as Marukoshi
- Masahiro Oyake as Yasohachi Yamagishi
- Ruriko Ito as Keiko Yoda
- Bokuzen HidariBokuzen Hidariwas a Japanese actor and comedian born in Kotesashi Village , Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, The Lower Depths and Ikiru...
as Jinbei - Jun Otani as Fukurokoji
- Ichiro Attack as Kazama
- Midori Hoshino as Ayuko
- Hiroko Masuda as Hiroko
- Akemi Kurata as Akemi
- Kacho Tsukitei as Kacho Tsukitei
- Anne Mari as Sister Antoine
- Kazuko Miyagawa as Sister Emily
- Osami Nabe as Tadanori Yagyu
- Hyoei Enoki as Katsuko Yagyu
- Toyoko Takeche as Yayoi Yagyu
- Kin Ishii as Daihachi Yamagishi
- Kyoko Kozakura as Hana Yamagishi
- Hiroko Ikeda as Mami Yamagishi
Cast of Harenchi Gakuen: Tackle Kiss no Maki (film 1970)
- Miyuki Kojima as Mitsuko Yagyu
- Shinji MakiShinji Makiis a Japanese comedian who plays the ukulele.- History :Shinji was born in Meguro, Tokyo on 26 September 1934. His real name is . His appearance in the live vaudevillian show, "Shirouto Yose" featuring amateur entertainers established his career as an independent comedian...
as Hige Godzilla - Jo Shishido as Macaroni
- Bonta Seshi as Marukoshi
- Taro Tairabon as Marukasa
- Hiroshi Chiba as Yasohachi Yamagishi
- Kishiro Kawakami as Munenari Yagyu
- Toyoko Takeche as Yayoi Yagyu
- Hyoei Enoki as Katsuko Yagyu
- Akira Oizumi as Tadanori Yagyu
- Jun Otani
- Bokuzen HidariBokuzen Hidariwas a Japanese actor and comedian born in Kotesashi Village , Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, The Lower Depths and Ikiru...
as Jinbei - Keisuke Otori as Kyota
- Utako Kyo as Torako
Cast of Harenchi Gakuen (TV series 1970)
- Miyuki Kojima as Jubei (Mitsuko Yagyu)
- Shiro Otsuji as Hige Godzilla (Yurio Yoshinaga)
- Shobun Inoue as Marugoshi sensei (Matagoro Araki)
- Eiji Go as Macaroni sensei
- Kokan Katsura as Parasol sensei (Marudan Marukasa)
- Bokuzen HidariBokuzen Hidariwas a Japanese actor and comedian born in Kotesashi Village , Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, The Lower Depths and Ikiru...
as Yomuin Jinbe - Fumihiko Kobayashi as Yasohachi Yamagishi
Cast of Shin Harenchi Gakuen (film 1971)
- Yayoi Watanabe as Jubei Yagyu
- Shigeo Takamatsu as Hige Godzilla
- Jo Shishido as Gebageba
- Eric H. Eric as Silkhat
- Katsuwo Umino as Kotaro
- Straight Combi as arufata
- Akira Oizumi as Shungiku
- Hiroshi Chiba as Yasohachi Yamagishi
- Machiko Nakajima as Mami
- Jun Otani as Ikidomari
- Ichiro Attack as Fusen
- Chieko Harada as Tomoko
- Tomoko Aki as Yoshiko
- Hiroko Masuda as Hatsugo
- Bokuzen HidariBokuzen Hidariwas a Japanese actor and comedian born in Kotesashi Village , Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. He appeared in such films as Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, The Lower Depths and Ikiru...
as Jinbei - Susumu Abe as Kabagon
- Toyo Fukuda as Hana
- Kensuke Tamai as Haitatsu Yubin
Cast of Heisei Harenchi Gakuen (film 1996)
- Senna Matsuda as Little Jubei
- Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi as Yasohachi Yamagishi
- Rika Harada as Jubei
- Sugisaku Imagawa as Koji Fukuro
- Kei MizutaniKei Mizutaniis a Japanese adult film actress. She has appeared in multiple photo books, movies, and TV series in Japan and her DVD sets are popular in Japan, the United States, and Europe.-Career:...
as Sexy Hygiene Teacher - Nobuyoshi KuwanoNobuyoshi KuwanoNobuyoshi Kuwano is a Japanese television performer, former member of Rats & Star. His nickname is "Kuwa-man" . In Rats & Star, he took charge of the trumpet and vocal...
as Hige Godzilla - Daijiro Harada as Chief of the Section of Bureau Education of the Intelligence Cabinet
- Moe Ishikawa
- Natsuko Tohno
External links
- Harenchi Gakuen (TV series) at allcinema
- Harenchi Gakuen (Live-action movie) at allcinema
- Harenchi Gakuen: Shintai Kensa no Maki at allcinema
- Harenchi Gakuen: Tackle Kiss no Maki at allcinema
- Shin Harenchi Gakuen at allcinema
- Heisei Harenchi Gakuen at allcinema
- Heisei Harenchi Gakuen at the Japanese Movie DatabaseJapanese Movie DatabaseThe , commonly referred to as JMDB, is an online database of information about Japanese movies, actors, and production crew personnel. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database, but lists only those films originally released in Japan. The site was started in 1997, and contains movies from Meiji...
- Harenchi Gakuen ~The Company~ official webpage at Business JumpBusiness Jump, is a Japanese seinen manga anthology published by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. It publishes various Seinen manga series in Japan. The manga of Business Jump are published under the "Young Jump Comics" line.- History :...
website (Shueisha)