Boys Be... (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese anthology manga series written by Masahiro Itabashi and illustrated by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi. Three different manga series were serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine: Boys Be... (1991–1996), Boys Be... 2nd Season (1996–2000), and Boys Be... L Co-op (2000–2001), totaling 58 volumes. Four other manga series have been published: Boys Be... Pre-season (2009), Boys Be... Next Season (2009–2012), Boys Be… Adult Season (2012–2013), and Boys Be... Young Adult (2017–2018). In North America, the second manga series was licensed by Tokyopop. A 13-episode anime television series by Hal Film Maker was broadcast on Wowow in 2000. The anime series was licensed for English release in North America by The Right Stuf International.

Overview

Boys Be... is an anthology series of short romantic comedy stories. The title refers to the quote "Boys, be ambitious", said by William S. Clark, which has become a popular motto in Japan. The series focuses upon the ups and downs, joys and sorrows of first love and teenage romance. While several characters are taken from stories in the manga series, the story of the anime is unrelated to the manga. Each episode begins and ends with a philosophical quote which sums up the episode's content. The anime, while centered on Kyoichi and Chiharu, revolves around seven or eight main characters and their love lives.

Characters

Main characters

Supporting and guest characters

Media

Manga

Written by Masahiro Itabashi and illustrated by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi, Boys Be... was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from August 7, 1991, to November 13, 1996. Kodansha collected its chapters in 32 volumes, released from January 17, 1992, to January 17, 1997. A second series, titled Boys Be... 2nd Season, was published in the same magazine from November 20, 1996, to February 23, 2000. Kodansha collected its chapters in 20 volumes, released from April 17, 1997, to July 17, 2000. A third series, Boys Be... L Co-op, was published in the same magazine from March 21, 2000, to March 14, 2001. Kodansha collected its chapters in six volumes, released from August 10, 2000, to June 15, 2001. An additional volume, titled Boys Be... Last Season, was released on June 23, 2001. In North America, the second part of the manga, Boys Be... 2nd Season, was released by Tokyopop; according to Tokyopop's Jake Forbes, the published licensed the second series due to its "more contemporary, mature, and compelling" subject matter. They released 17 volumes from November 9, 2004, to August 13, 2008, before Tokyopop confirmed in August 2009 that their manga licensing contracts with Kodansha had expired.

Other series

A special one-shot was published in Magazine Special on March 19, 2009. Boys Be... Pre-season (firstly published as Boys Be… 2009 1-Gakki (BOYS BE… 2009年1学期)) was serialized on Kodansha's MiChao! manga website from April 24 to October 9 of the same year. It was collected in a single volume released on January 15, 2010. Boys Be... Next Season was serialized in Kodansha's Magazine Special from October 20, 2009, to February 20, 2012. Six volumes were released from April 16, 2010, to April 17, 2012. Boys Be… Adult Season started in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Evening on August 11, 2012. Its latest chapter was published on June 25, 2013. Boys Be... Young Adult' was serialized in Fujimi Shobo's Monthly Dragon Age from September 8, 2017, to July 9, 2018. Two volumes were released on April 9 and October 9, 2018.

Anime

A 13-episode anime television series produced by Hal Film Maker was broadcast on Wowow from April 11 to July 4, 2000. The opening and ending themes, "Daijobu" (だいじょうぶ) and "Minna Ga Iine" (みんながいいね), respectively, are both performed by Aki Maeda. The ending theme for episode 8 is "My Tomorrow" by Yuka Imai; she also performed the opening theme for the final episode, "Hatsukoi" (初恋), which is a cover of Kozo Murashita's 1983 song. The series was licensed in Southeast Asia by Odex, who released the series in Japanese with English subtitles in 2001. In North America, the series was licensed by The Right Stuf International in 2004. It was released on four DVDs from February 28 to June 27, 2006. A complete DVD set was released under Right Stuf's division Nozomi Entertainment on March 11, 2008. A DVD box set was released on December 7, 2010.

Video games

Two video games for the PlayStation were released by Kodansha: Boys Be... on March 28, 1997, and ''Boys Be.. 2nd Season'' on September 22, 1999. Another video game, Typing Renai Hakusho: Boys Be... (タイピング恋愛白書 BOYS BE…), was released by Sunsoft for the PlayStation 2 on March 14, 2002.

Reception

Manga

By 2022, the manga had over 25 million copies in circulation. Reviewing Tokyopop's first volume for Anime Fringe, Patrick King commended the realism and depth of the characters and Hiroyuki's art style as well, stating: "Boys Be is a refreshing series that was written for guys seeking a little romance manga of their own. In that regard, it is easily worth a look if you're one such guy", noting, however, that the stories could appeal to female readers as well. In Manga: The Complete Guide, Jason Thompson commented: "Most of the stories involve kisses or love confessions, or are excuses for women to pose in scanty outfits, but the hero does not always get the girl, and a few of the stories are impressively funny." Thompson also said that the art "improves as it goes on," adding, however, that "the repetitive character designs make it difficult to tell one girl from the others." In a more negative review, Johanna Draper Carlson of Comics Worth Reading criticized the series for its repetitiveness, formulaic stories and fanservice, stating as well that the female characters, except for hair length, look alike.

Anime

Writing for Anime News Network, Patrick King commented that the series is "frequently tender, but never mushy. Its female stars are attractive, but they're not pin-ups, nor do they jiggle without reason. Romance and humor are deftly intertwined in this series, but it is not a standard romantic comedy," adding that the series "depicts the "normal" world quite well, but this show is far from average." Theron Martin from the same website, said that it is "hardly a dynamic series, and doesn't have much for ongoing plot," but highlighted the "honest, character-driven stories which feel real and avoid going to silly or angsty extremes". Martin said that the series' called the series "unsuitable for anyone who doesn't have a fair amount of patience, but those that do will find a pleasant and likable slice-of-life series free of the normal anime gimmicks." Chris Beveridge of AnimeOnDVD, made a positive review of the series, stating that it "consistently brought a smile to our face throughout it. Remembrances of experiences past and the ring of real world truth to much of it makes this something that people can connect to in a way they can't with a lot of other anime." Enoch Lau of THEM Anime Reviews praised the stories and characters, stating that while they are "slightly stereotyped", they have a "down-to-earth appeal to the viewer." Lau also commended the soundtrack and varied range of music. On the other hand, he criticized the art, stating that it is "rather inconsistent when it comes to character design and sometimes gets a bit too simple," and its short duration. In a more mixed review, Jeff Harris of IGN stated that the series' relationship drama is at times "seriously overdone and rather sappy," and that it "disappoints more often than not." Harris concluded: "Boys Be is a pretty harmless but overall, a rather tame and vanilla romance anime. The show leaves way too much unsaid, and it feels like barely any progression is made in the story."