Osu!! Karate Bu
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series by Koji Takahashi
. The long running manga was published in Weekly Young Jump
from 1985–1996 and centers on the misadventures of the various thugs and delinquent students that make up Kangokou High School's infamous Karate
Club.
As the pair grow increasingly tired of being victimized they decide to join the titular Karate Club, which is notorious throughout Osaka's
youth gangs for training and producing the city's most hardened and toughest teenage thugs while maintaining the facade of a legit school sports club. But when they join the club, they find themselves picked on just as much if not worse by the club's current members. But as the story progresses they grow to be increasingly capable fighters.
These early volumes of the series focused more on satirical jabs at the subculture of student gangs in Japanese high schools, as well as Osakan stereotypes (Osakans are often stereotyped as being loud and quick-tempered yokel
s). As the series went on it gradually changed its tone to a more serious and violent martial arts manga, with the narrative shifting from the perspective of Matsushita to Takagi Yoshiyuki, the smart mouthed, tough-as-nails captain of the Kangokou Karate Club.
In the early Matsushita-centered stories Takagi was more of a supporting character, but quickly grew to become such a fan favorite that he soon wound up as the main character for the rest of the series. While Karate Bu maintained much of its Osaka-related humor (particularly with the characterization of Takagi), the student gang element of the story was treated with increasing seriousness.
Along with the manga's change in attitude and central character, the various teenage fighters throughout the series grew increasingly stronger and even began to tap into superhuman ki
abilities, putting Osu!! Karate Bu in the company of other similar epic Shōnen fighting manga such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, and Fist of the North Star
.
Osu!! Karate Bu was wildly popular in its native Japan, but is otherwise almost completely unknown in most other countries. It spawned a four episode OVA mini-series released over a period of two years from 1990–1992, a 1990 live action movie, and a 1994 Super Famicom
fighting game.
There is often some confusion as to the title's English
translation, as the word Osu!! has several meanings: it normally translates to Go!! or Push!! (to be used in the context of "to push through and endure any hardship" as the character can be transliterated
as "pushing patience"), but it's also used as a Japanese kiai
phrase in Karate (and various other martial arts), something very much in keeping with Karate Bu's subject matter. It can also be used as an informal greeting (roughly the equivalent of yo!!) as it is an abbreviation of Ohayou gozaimasu which means Good Morning.
The main character and narrator for much of the first volumes (that make up the less serious portion of the series). He is a 2nd year student at Kangokou High School and a walking target for beatings at the hands of the school's numerous youth gangs. He is rarely seen without his close friend Saitou at his side. His growing frustration at being the gang members' punching bag leads him to join Kangokou's "Karate Club", a fighting school for Osaka's toughest delinquents, gang members, and other unsavory teenagers that covers as a typical school sports club. At first he is picked on and harassed even worse by the club's members, but gradually learns a great deal about fighting and standing up for himself from his time with the club. In spite of his newfound confidence and abilities, he still has absolutely no luck with girls, as they tend get frightened off or quickly lose interest when he mentions which school club he belongs to. As the series goes on it shifts the focus off Matsushida and he becomes more of a supporting character. Matsushita is voiced in the OVAs by Honori Matsumoto.
Takagi Yoshiyuki
The central character of the rest of the series after the first few volumes, Takagi started out in the early volumes as a mentor character to the protagonist Matsushita. But his never-say-die attitude, penchant for exaggerated macho posturing, and over the top Osakan sensibilities won over readers, and he quickly became the most popular character in the series. And as his popularity grew, the series became more and more centered on him, until he replaced Matsushita as the series main hero (or rather in his case anti-hero
). He is the successor to Morigami Shingo as the Karate Club's captain. Morigami also passed onto him the mantle of "The Soul of Osaka III", a title which essentially means he oversees all the youth gangs in Osaka, and that all the other gang leaders answer directly to him. This title is obviously widely coveted by the other gangs, and Takagi is challenged for it frequently throughout the series. As a gang lord Takagi certainly can't be called a "hero", but he does have his own set of principles and a personal code of honor, making him fall more in line with a traditional anti-hero. Takagi grew up an orphan and doesn't really know who his real family was, but he strongly suspects Jinrai Isao (the original Soul of Osaka) to be his brother. As the series continues, Takagi finds himself forced to defend his title again and again from other ambitious would-be gang lords which takes a toll on him. So much so that at one point he finds himself re-evaluating his life and decides to leave the gang wars of Osaka behind him and start a new life in Tokyo
. But even there he cannot escape getting involved in the raging battles between the Tokyo youth gangs, and it isn't long before he is forced to return to Osaka. But through it all he never loses his trademark goofy sense of humor. He is prone to making ridiculous and often corny Engrish
puns, which only he himself finds hilarious. He also has a soft spot for Matsushita, and will come to his defense when he's getting picked on or losing a fight. Takagi is voiced in the OVAs by Tesshō Genda
.
Saitou Takaaki
Matsushita's fellow classmate and constant companion, he is like Matsushita in that he is always targeted by the school bullies and hooligans. However unlike Matsushita he is far more quick tempered and less willing to take the beatings lying down. Later in the series an old junior high classmate of his named Yamane Junji reveals to him that he's joined the Yakuza, and forcibly steals the Karate Club's money from him. Saitou is voiced in the OVAs by Ryō Horikawa
.
Morigami Shingo
The original captain of the Kangokou Karate Club, as well as the second Soul of Osaka. He shares the same star shaped buzz cut
as Takagi (the trademark of the Soul of Osaka) and has an enormous scar over the right side of his face which he got from his battle with Jinrai, when he became The Soul of Osaka II. He is one of Takagi's mentors (his "senpai
of Soul") as he was the first to see potential in him, and appointed him both the new Karate Club captain and The Soul of Osaka III. Unlike the outrageous Takagi, he is a very calm and level headed fighter.
Honda Momochiyo
The main female character of Karate Bu, she is the manager of the Kangokou Karate Club, and Takagi's love interest. She is extremely loyal to him, so much so that when Takagi left Osaka for Tokyo, she went with him. Takagi has also trained her to fight so she could handle herself if threatened. She once attempted to adorn the Karate Club's uniforms with hearts. Honda is voiced in the OVAs by Megumi Hayashibara
Kabada Wasaku
Kabada is the vice-captain of the Kangokou Karate Club. He is mean and sadistic, but also very weak and overweight. The only reason he earned the position of vice-captain is because he came to the club every day, even on holidays. He initially entered the Karate Club because he worshiped his senpai, Morigami. In spite of the fact that before he joined the club he was as bullied as they were, he enjoys picking on Matsushita and Saitou when Takagi isn't around. Kabada is voiced in the OVS by Yō Yoshimura
.
Andou Makoto
Imawara "Kira" Takashi
Jinrai Isao
. It was unique in that instead of fighting traditional best of three round bouts, the fights would be one continuous round. But when a player loses all their health, rather than being defeated then and there, they are given a three count similar to wrestling
. Within that three count they could get back up and have some health restored to continue the fight, depending on how much energy they have left in their ki gauge. The more ki they have left, the more health is restored. However if they don't have enough ki, or fail to get up before the count down reaches zero, they lose the match. The player is also only given three chances at this. In other words, after three knock downs they lose regardless of how much ki they have left.
Character roster
There are also two hidden characters (Honda Momochiyo, and a powered up version of Takagi) who can be unlocked with a code.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Koji Takahashi
Koji Takahashi
is a Japanese actor. He was born in Tōkamachi, Niigata, in 1935, and attended Niigata Prefectural Tōkamachi High School and later Toyo University.-Career:...
. The long running manga was published in Weekly Young Jump
Weekly Young Jump
, launched in 1979, is a weekly Japanese magazine that publishes various seinen manga in each issue. It is published by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines.- History :...
from 1985–1996 and centers on the misadventures of the various thugs and delinquent students that make up Kangokou High School's infamous Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
Club.
Background
The series began as a fairly humorous and lighthearted satire of Japan's teenage delinquent-gang subculture told from the perspective of Matsushita Tadashi (who also narrates these early Karate Bu stories), a 2nd year student at Kangokou High and a constant target of Kangokou's numerous bullies who beat him up routinely after school. He is almost always accompanied by his best friend Saitou Takaki, who is also constantly harassed.As the pair grow increasingly tired of being victimized they decide to join the titular Karate Club, which is notorious throughout Osaka's
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
youth gangs for training and producing the city's most hardened and toughest teenage thugs while maintaining the facade of a legit school sports club. But when they join the club, they find themselves picked on just as much if not worse by the club's current members. But as the story progresses they grow to be increasingly capable fighters.
These early volumes of the series focused more on satirical jabs at the subculture of student gangs in Japanese high schools, as well as Osakan stereotypes (Osakans are often stereotyped as being loud and quick-tempered yokel
Yokel
Yokel is a derogatory term referring to the stereotype of unsophisticated country people.-Stereotype:In the US, it is used to describe someone living in rural areas...
s). As the series went on it gradually changed its tone to a more serious and violent martial arts manga, with the narrative shifting from the perspective of Matsushita to Takagi Yoshiyuki, the smart mouthed, tough-as-nails captain of the Kangokou Karate Club.
In the early Matsushita-centered stories Takagi was more of a supporting character, but quickly grew to become such a fan favorite that he soon wound up as the main character for the rest of the series. While Karate Bu maintained much of its Osaka-related humor (particularly with the characterization of Takagi), the student gang element of the story was treated with increasing seriousness.
Along with the manga's change in attitude and central character, the various teenage fighters throughout the series grew increasingly stronger and even began to tap into superhuman ki
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
abilities, putting Osu!! Karate Bu in the company of other similar epic Shōnen fighting manga such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, and Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...
.
Osu!! Karate Bu was wildly popular in its native Japan, but is otherwise almost completely unknown in most other countries. It spawned a four episode OVA mini-series released over a period of two years from 1990–1992, a 1990 live action movie, and a 1994 Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
fighting game.
There is often some confusion as to the title's English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation, as the word Osu!! has several meanings: it normally translates to Go!! or Push!! (to be used in the context of "to push through and endure any hardship" as the character can be transliterated
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
as "pushing patience"), but it's also used as a Japanese kiai
Kiai
is a Japanese term used in martial arts. There are numerous examples of the battle cry in other cultures: kiai is perhaps primarily a development of this. In the representation of Asian martial arts in cinema and in animated cartoons, Modern Kiai are often written by westerners in Romaji as...
phrase in Karate (and various other martial arts), something very much in keeping with Karate Bu's subject matter. It can also be used as an informal greeting (roughly the equivalent of yo!!) as it is an abbreviation of Ohayou gozaimasu which means Good Morning.
Characters
Matsushita TadashiThe main character and narrator for much of the first volumes (that make up the less serious portion of the series). He is a 2nd year student at Kangokou High School and a walking target for beatings at the hands of the school's numerous youth gangs. He is rarely seen without his close friend Saitou at his side. His growing frustration at being the gang members' punching bag leads him to join Kangokou's "Karate Club", a fighting school for Osaka's toughest delinquents, gang members, and other unsavory teenagers that covers as a typical school sports club. At first he is picked on and harassed even worse by the club's members, but gradually learns a great deal about fighting and standing up for himself from his time with the club. In spite of his newfound confidence and abilities, he still has absolutely no luck with girls, as they tend get frightened off or quickly lose interest when he mentions which school club he belongs to. As the series goes on it shifts the focus off Matsushida and he becomes more of a supporting character. Matsushita is voiced in the OVAs by Honori Matsumoto.
Takagi Yoshiyuki
The central character of the rest of the series after the first few volumes, Takagi started out in the early volumes as a mentor character to the protagonist Matsushita. But his never-say-die attitude, penchant for exaggerated macho posturing, and over the top Osakan sensibilities won over readers, and he quickly became the most popular character in the series. And as his popularity grew, the series became more and more centered on him, until he replaced Matsushita as the series main hero (or rather in his case anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
). He is the successor to Morigami Shingo as the Karate Club's captain. Morigami also passed onto him the mantle of "The Soul of Osaka III", a title which essentially means he oversees all the youth gangs in Osaka, and that all the other gang leaders answer directly to him. This title is obviously widely coveted by the other gangs, and Takagi is challenged for it frequently throughout the series. As a gang lord Takagi certainly can't be called a "hero", but he does have his own set of principles and a personal code of honor, making him fall more in line with a traditional anti-hero. Takagi grew up an orphan and doesn't really know who his real family was, but he strongly suspects Jinrai Isao (the original Soul of Osaka) to be his brother. As the series continues, Takagi finds himself forced to defend his title again and again from other ambitious would-be gang lords which takes a toll on him. So much so that at one point he finds himself re-evaluating his life and decides to leave the gang wars of Osaka behind him and start a new life in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. But even there he cannot escape getting involved in the raging battles between the Tokyo youth gangs, and it isn't long before he is forced to return to Osaka. But through it all he never loses his trademark goofy sense of humor. He is prone to making ridiculous and often corny Engrish
Engrish
refers to unusual forms of English language usage by native speakers of some East Asian languages. The term itself relates to Japanese speakers' tendency to inadvertently substitute the English phonemes "R" and "L" for one another, because the Japanese language has one alveolar consonant in place...
puns, which only he himself finds hilarious. He also has a soft spot for Matsushita, and will come to his defense when he's getting picked on or losing a fight. Takagi is voiced in the OVAs by Tesshō Genda
Tessho Genda
is a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
.
Saitou Takaaki
Matsushita's fellow classmate and constant companion, he is like Matsushita in that he is always targeted by the school bullies and hooligans. However unlike Matsushita he is far more quick tempered and less willing to take the beatings lying down. Later in the series an old junior high classmate of his named Yamane Junji reveals to him that he's joined the Yakuza, and forcibly steals the Karate Club's money from him. Saitou is voiced in the OVAs by Ryō Horikawa
Ryo Horikawa
is a Japanese voice actor. He is married to fellow Japanese voice actress Hitomi Oikawa, whose birth name is also . His former stage name is also Ryo Horikawa, which has his given name, Makoto, pronounced as Ryo.-Career:...
.
Morigami Shingo
The original captain of the Kangokou Karate Club, as well as the second Soul of Osaka. He shares the same star shaped buzz cut
Buzz cut
A buzz cut, induction cut or wiffle is a very short haircut.The cut is usually performed using hair clippers without a comb guard. The sides are cut closely and then the top is either shaped or cut to the same short length all over. The cut takes just a few minutes to perform. A buzz cut can...
as Takagi (the trademark of the Soul of Osaka) and has an enormous scar over the right side of his face which he got from his battle with Jinrai, when he became The Soul of Osaka II. He is one of Takagi's mentors (his "senpai
Senpai
and are an essential element of Japanese seniority-based status relationships, similar to the way that family and other relationships are decided based on age, with even twins being divided into elder and younger sibling...
of Soul") as he was the first to see potential in him, and appointed him both the new Karate Club captain and The Soul of Osaka III. Unlike the outrageous Takagi, he is a very calm and level headed fighter.
Honda Momochiyo
The main female character of Karate Bu, she is the manager of the Kangokou Karate Club, and Takagi's love interest. She is extremely loyal to him, so much so that when Takagi left Osaka for Tokyo, she went with him. Takagi has also trained her to fight so she could handle herself if threatened. She once attempted to adorn the Karate Club's uniforms with hearts. Honda is voiced in the OVAs by Megumi Hayashibara
Megumi Hayashibara
is a Japanese voice actress, singer, radio personality, and lyricist from Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Aksent. Her nicknames include: Megu-san, Megu-nee, Bara-san, Kakka, and Daijin...
Kabada Wasaku
Kabada is the vice-captain of the Kangokou Karate Club. He is mean and sadistic, but also very weak and overweight. The only reason he earned the position of vice-captain is because he came to the club every day, even on holidays. He initially entered the Karate Club because he worshiped his senpai, Morigami. In spite of the fact that before he joined the club he was as bullied as they were, he enjoys picking on Matsushita and Saitou when Takagi isn't around. Kabada is voiced in the OVS by Yō Yoshimura
Yo Yoshimura
was a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. As a youth, he was a member of a performing arts troupe. Yoshimura died at age 37 from a subarachnoid hemorrhage in 1991.-TV:*Aoi Blink *F ...
.
Andou Makoto
- Captain of the Kangokou High Boxing Club and one of Osaka's five most powerful gang leaders. Andou once beat Takagi in a fight, but only because Takagi had bought some baby chickens that morning and was keeping them in his pockets. Later that day, Takagi defeats Andou soundly. As the chickens grow up, they become recurring sight gags, popping up in random, inexplicable locations. As with most of Takagi's defeated opponents, Andou subsequently becomes a trusted ally and teaches Takagi his fighting techniques.
Imawara "Kira" Takashi
- Takagi's childhood friend and training rival, Kira always harbored a secret and bitter jealousy of Takagi. Takagi would usually receive praise and accolades for his fighting skills that Kira felt entitled to, as he was usually a more technically skilled fighter than the hotheaded Takagi. This envy spurns Kira to challenge Takagi for the mantle of Soul of Osaka, adding to the number of thugs and gang leaders vying for Takagi's head. He uses an anonymous and cryptic letter sent to much of Osaka's gang leaders warning of an invasion that will "reign blood on Osaka" as an excuse to challenge Takagi's authority, claiming that Takagi doesn't have the nerve to hold the gangs together against the threat. It's when Takagi is knifed by a random thug seeking a reputation in killing him that Takagi is moved to deeply reassess his choices in life. He decides to leave Osaka and disappear to Tokyo to start over, faking his own death in the process (the truth only known to Momochiyo, Morigami, Matsushita, and Saitou) and leaving his title to Kira. As the fourth Soul of Osaka, Kira quickly realizes that while he possesses the fighting skills to be the next Soul, he cannot command the respect of the other gangs the way Takagi could.
Jinrai Isao
- The original Soul of Osaka and mentor to Takagi and Kira (and possibly Takagi's brother). Jinrai lost his title to Morigami Shingo, whose face was scarred in the fight. Afterward, he disappears from Osaka altogether for some time, but re-emerges as the leader of a new and rapidly growing gang known as the ShikokuShikokuis the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
Alliance. He is the one who sends the letter threatening much of Osaka's gang leaders of a coming invasion in order to weaken their confidence and instigate infighting. He then intends to use the Alliance's vast numbers to undermine the authority of the Soul of Osaka, thus reclaiming absolute control of the gangs. His reappearance is another factor in Takagi deciding to leave Osaka; he has no wish to fight his former mentor, friend, and suspected brother. When Takagi eventually returns to Osaka after being trained in the art of T'ai chi ch'uan and ki manipulation by an old martial arts master named Kou Ryuun, he defeats Jinrai in an epic fight. In latter volumes he and Jinrai slowly rebuild their friendship and Jinrai saves Takagi's life on several occasions. Like Morigami and Takagi after him, Jinrai sports a buzz cut in a "star" shaped pattern, the signature of a Soul of Osaka.
Video game
Only one video game was created for Osu!! Karate Bu, a 2D fighting game for the Super Famicom developed by Culture BrainCulture Brain
, formally known as , is a small Japanese video game developer and publisher founded on October 5, 1980.Culture Brain's first arcade video game was Monster Zero, released in . In North America, Culture Brain is mostly known for its six video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System and its three...
. It was unique in that instead of fighting traditional best of three round bouts, the fights would be one continuous round. But when a player loses all their health, rather than being defeated then and there, they are given a three count similar to wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. Within that three count they could get back up and have some health restored to continue the fight, depending on how much energy they have left in their ki gauge. The more ki they have left, the more health is restored. However if they don't have enough ki, or fail to get up before the count down reaches zero, they lose the match. The player is also only given three chances at this. In other words, after three knock downs they lose regardless of how much ki they have left.
Character roster
- Takagi Yoshiyuki
- Andou Makoto
- Suenaga Zen
- Ryuuryuu/Koryuu
- Tanaka Hiroyuki
- Kou Ryuun
- Rick Powered
- Sakuma Jujirou
- Sotogawa Tetsuya
- Kira Takashi
- Nakai Touru
- Jinrai Isao
There are also two hidden characters (Honda Momochiyo, and a powered up version of Takagi) who can be unlocked with a code.
See also
- Cromartie High SchoolCromartie High Schoolby Eiji Nonaka, is a Japanese comedy manga, which was subsequently adapted into an anime and a 2005 live-action movie titled Cromartie High - The Movie directed by Yūdai Yamaguchi. It follows the everyday life of Takashi Kamiyama and his odd classmates at Cromartie High School, an infamous school...
(A parody of the Japanese juvenile delinquent genre, with many overt similarities to Osu!! Karate Bu) - Sakigake!! OtokojukuSakigake!! Otokojukuby Akira Miyashita is a comedy martial arts manga that was originally serialized at the Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1985 to 1991. It is staged in a private boy's school that teaches ōendan to troubled teenagers. The students are trained to "revive the Spirit of Japan" and mainly engage in fighting or...