Summary
While frog Pyonkichi is hopping in an empty lot in Nerima, Tokyo'sCharacters
; : :A frog who is crushed by Hiroshi, but his spirit lives on as a talking frog on his shirt, becoming a . Because said shirt is Hiroshi's only good shirt, he is always forced to travel around and interact with Hiroshi. They are equally obstinate and gluttonous and are always arguing like siblings. He is capable of jumping around and forcing Hiroshi to come along with him. He possesses incredible strength, and through his arms and teeth he is able to lift extremely heavy objects. Hiroshi's mother treats Pyonkichi as her own child. Pyonkichi is attracted to females of all species; including cats, frogs and humans. His title comes from his frequent acts of "gutsyness". ; : : :The middle schooler who fell on Pyonkichi. He is never seen without his sunglasses, which he wears perched on his head. Though his school has a uniform policy, he is, for some reason, allowed to wear his one good shirt. He is not good academically or in athletics (except bowling). He frequently engages in duels with other boys including Gorilla-Imo. Hiroshi is recognised as the class comedian due to his mischievous acts, and consequently is scolded often by his teachers. His girlfriend is Kyoko, whom he stays with most of the time. Though he still does not miss an opportunity of seeing out other women, especially older ones. Pyonkichi and Hiroshi behave like siblings; encouraging, quarrelling and caring deeply for each other. Married to Kyoko in the Solmac advertisement series produced by the original animators. ; : : :Hiroshi's girlfriend. She is the daughter of a rather wealthy family, yet is a strong minded girl who will stand up for herself and participate in pranks despite being kind-hearted. She initially pretends to dislike Hiroshi, but harbours feelings for him since their first encounter, as she wants Hiroshi to propose to her on their first date. Becomes friends with him after he meets Pyonkichi, whom she believes is a cute shirt design. She gets good grades in school, and her hobbies include ice skating. Kyoko does not always respond to Hiroshi's advances, especially in the public, and is often linked with other boys. But at the end of the day it's a two way-street, as she is seen getting immensely jealous when Hiroshi is seen with other girls; and there is a mutual understanding with Hiroshi about them dating. She spends most of her time with Hiroshi, and is married to him in the Solmac advertisement series produced by the original animators. ; : : :Hiroshi's sidekick. Despite his diminutive size, he is actually only a year younger than Hiroshi, who he addresses as senpai. His girlfriend is Misaka. ; / : :The school bully, and Hiroshi's rival for Kyoko's attention. Initially he spends most of his time bullying others and duelling with other boys, but gradually reduces the degree of his acts. Hiroshi and Gorira become friends later on, becoming partners in numerous pranks. He loves cats, and his family business is a fish shop. In the Solmac CM, he has taken over the fish shop. ; : : :Addressed as "Ume" by everyone, he is an earnest young man who works as a sushi chef. Having grown up at the local orphanage, he cares deeply for the children there and plays Santa for them every Christmas. He is very much in love with Miss Yoshiko, which puts him at odds with Mr. Minami. At the end of the original, Yoshiko and Ume-san are linked together. Repeated acts include teasing couples while delivering sushi and subsequently getting injured; and peeping into Yoshiko's classroom with the help of a ladder. ; : :The new boy at school, he is completely selfish and rude towards everyone. Umesaburo initially believes that Shimpachi's bad behavior is because his family is extremely poor, but it turns out that his family is actually rather wealthy and of high social standing. ; : : :The English teacher at Hiroshi's school. Both Umesaburo and Mr. Minami are in love with her, which annoys her. ; : :Hiroshi's childhood sweetheart. It was she who gave him the sunglasses that he wears constantly. Kuniko is a flirtatious girl who charms all the boys, saving most of her attention for Hiroshi, which, naturally, does not sit well with Kyoko. ; : : :A teacher at Hiroshi's school. He references his 25 years' teaching experience in nearly every episode of the anime. ; : :Another teacher at Hiroshi's school. He is constantly dueling with Umesaburo for Yoshiko's affection. He is proud of his car, the Buran-go, and often offers to drive Yoshiko around in it. ;Mrs. Kaizuka : : :Hiroshi's long-suffering mother. Because Hiroshi's father is deceased, she is the money earner for the family, working as a tailor and seamstress out of the modest home where she and Hiroshi live.Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by , ''The Gutsy Frog'' was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from July 27, 1970, to June 14, 1976. Shueisha collected its chapters in twenty-seven '' tankōbon'' volumes, released from February 28, 1971, to October 9, 1976.Anime
A 103-episode anime television series (consisting of two segments of 15 minutes each), produced byOther media
In 2013, an American TV-movie remake of ''The Gutsy Frog'' was reported to be in development, presumably as a pilot for a new TV series. The pilot film was to contain both live action and CGI animation and to feature a cast including Frankie Jonas as "Frankie" (Hiroshi) as well asReception
In 2005, Japanese television network TV Asahi conducted a "Top 100" nationwide survey; ''The Gutsy Frog'' placed 100th. In 2006, TV Asahi conducted an online poll for the top one hundred anime, and ''The Gutsy Frog'' placed 56th in the "Celebrity List". In 2013, animator Masaaki Yuasa recommended among other anime, ''The Gutsy Frog'', highlighting episodes 145 and 146.References
External links
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