Gals!, a cute shojo anime series about the gyaru subculture
ギャルズ！ (aka “Super Gals” in the anime)
Move over, Bratz. I’ve got something here to spread some cuteness on Substack since I’ve talked about anime series about female leads who fight enemies and monsters, but I want to try something different that defines “cute.” It’s about a shojo comedy anime series based on the manga series written and illustrated by Mihona Fujii. This manga was published by Shueisha and serialized in Ribon shōjo manga magazine from 1998 to 2002. The manga was also published in the U.S. by the now-defunct CMX, and before there was PreCure… then there was Gals! In 2019, Mihona Fujii, the manga series’ creator, announced that the series will continue from November 5 on Shueisha’s Manga Mee app, taking off from the manga’s ending… and spring has sprung!
An anime television series adaptation produced by Studio Pierrot titled Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran (超ギャルズ！寿蘭, Sūpā Gyaruzu! Kotobuki Ran) aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between April 1, 2001 and March 31, 2002, running a length of 52 episodes. The first 26 episodes had been licensed and dubbed for North American distribution by ADV Films under the title Super Gals! and was distributed on DVD from 2003 to 2004. The Right Stuf International announced at Anime Expo 2006 that they had licensed all the episodes, including 27-52, and released a subtitled box set containing the remaining 26 episodes on January 16, 2007. A box set containing all 52 episodes was also released in 2010.
The series revolves around Japan’s kogal (generally known as gyaru, or “gal”) subculture. The title character, Ran Kotobuki (Megumi Toyoguchi1 JP, Luci Christian EN2), is the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest gal.” As a teenager in Shibuya, she is determined to live out the gal lifestyle for the rest of her life, and she has gained a reputation as the most respected gal in all of Shibuya. However, she comes from a family of police officers—her grandparents, her parents, and her older brother are all officers, and her younger sister is set on following in their footsteps. Ran has other dreams for her future, but as frequently shown, she has acquired the family’s sense of justice and spirit. Her two friends, Miyu Yamazaki (Haruna Ikezawa3 JP, Kira Vincent-Davis EN) and Aya Hoshino (Oma Ichimura JP, Kim Prause EN), also have their own problems and circumstances.
The sequel manga follows the original manga's ending storyline. Ran, Miyu, Aya, and their friends still hang out in Shibuya after graduation. Ran is still deciding on her career, and Miyu is now part of the Kotobuki family after she marries Yamato. Miyu decides to search for her missing mother along with her friends, Yamato and his family, so she can tell her that Miyu will always love her and showing her new life. Aya is now a university student, alongside Rei, who attends the same campus.
And guess what? Super Gals is available to stream on Crunchyroll! Right Stuf, the anime series’ American video publisher and distributor, was merged into Crunchyroll. The anime series’ official website is still up (alternate Wayback link), but most of the pages have been removed in their current state and can only be accessed through the Wayback Machine. Though this newsletter on Substack is a hobby blog, not intended to make a profit, and is run by one person… that, my friends, is how we describe cuteness and the gyaru subculture on Substack. Don’t forget to subscribe and…
Awwwwwww… how cute! See you later!
The same Japanese seiyuu behind Black Lagoon’s Revy, Pokémon’s own Hikari (known as “Dawn” in the English-speaking world), Rival Schools’ own Chairperson (“Iincho” in Japan), and HagaRen/FMA’s original Winry Rockbell.
JP = Japanese CV, EN = English CV.
The same Japanese seiyuu behind The King of Fighters’ Athena Asamiya (since 1998) and Gō Seiba in Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!!.