Overview of “Genki Go for it”
”Genki Go for it”
*Broadcast period:July 16, 1980 to April 1, 1981
*Number of episodes:Total 35 episodes
*Production:Toei Animation
Produced by Toei Animation and broadcast on Fuji TV. The production team included Rintaro, Kazuo Komatsubara, and Takamura Mukuo, and Shunichi Yukimuro wrote the entire script by himself. This work is expected to become a long-term series, and with the hope that it will become a hit and be broadcast over a long period of time, original anime episodes were included to keep up with the original work. Rintaro and Kazuo Komatsubara originally wanted to depict a cheerful childhood, but due to the wishes of sponsors and other people involved, they decided to have the character grow up to be a middle school student. At that time, Komatsubara resigned, and the character design and animation director were replaced by Takao Kozai.
Through the introduction of original episodes and ingenious production, the “humid human drama” of the original work was alleviated, and the depiction of the story with a sense of life was praised. However, the story progressed up to the episode of Eiji Mishima’s death, but was then discontinued. In the final episode, the story ended with hints of a battle between Genki and Seki after they moved to Tokyo.
Story of “Genki Go for it”
At the age of five, Genki Horiguchi lived his life as a boxer, moving from place to place with his father, Shark Horiguchi. One day, my father decides to resume his career as a professional boxer and wins consecutive victories in the unaccustomed featherweight division, but after a fierce battle with the genius boxer Kenji Seki, he is killed. . After his father’s death, Genki was taken in by his grandparents, who were wealthy, and grew up without any problems, receiving lavish love. As time passes, Seki, who became a world champion, reigns in the boxing world as an undefeated champion, while Genki is taken in by his maternal grandparents and lives a rich life in the countryside, but secretly tries to fulfill his father’s dream. I practiced a lot.
Just before graduating from junior high school, he moved to Tokyo by himself to fulfill his promise to his father and joined Nagano Gym. He trained alone for a while, but before his debut match, he hired Tsuyuki as his trainer. His special move is the “Upper Straight,” in which he bends down greatly and uses the momentum of standing up to aim at the opponent’s chin. He learned it on his own when he was 5 years old, and continued to use it often in the mountains.
While living alone in the city, he challenges the world of professional boxing and aims to defeat Seki. Since childhood, he has had feelings for Yuko Ashikawa, his homeroom teacher at elementary school, and continued to communicate with her even after she moved to Tokyo, providing emotional support.
“Genki Go for it” review
Source: Amazon
The anime was canceled just as it was about to become a full-fledged series, and it ended without even being able to compete with Kenji Seki. Although it is a boxing drama, the main character, Genki, doesn’t have much of an active role, and it ends up being like a home drama that only depicts Genki’s growth. Therefore, as a boxing drama, it is an incomplete work. On the other hand, in the original story, the story unfolds unexpectedly, with Kenji Seki, his nemesis, competing for Yuko Ashikawa, Genki’s former homeroom teacher. If you are interested after watching the anime, please pick up the original work and you will be able to discover a deep and human story.
Above all, the animation was so stable that it was hard to believe that it was produced by Toei Animation. Combined with the high-grade background art, I think this shows a milestone for TV anime.
In terms of casting, the cast includes Yoshiko Fujita, who plays the lead role, as well as mid-career to veteran voice actors such as Kazuko Sugiyama, Hiroshi Masuoka, and Ichiro Nagai, which gives a good impression.
It’s not too late now, so I want a sequel to be made until the original story is completed. It can’t be helped that some voice actors have passed away.
lastly
The original story, ”Genki Go for it” is a story about a young 5-year-old Genki who remembers the image of his father who died in a match and aims to become a professional boxer. The story depicts Genki Horiguchi’s life up to the age of 19. Most of the people who appear in the story have emotional scars and suffering, and no one truly laughs. There is always a gloomy atmosphere behind the bright surface. A dark and heavy atmosphere surrounds the work throughout. This is the story of a 5-year-old boy, Genki, who completely burns out his feelings for his immediate family at the age of 19.
It seems that only the first episode can be watched for free on YouTube official website.
▽If you want to watch the anime “Genki Go for it”, check out 『Toei Anime Channel』
▽Image reference source
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