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Boys Be...
ボーイズ・ビー (Boys Be)
Demographic	Shōnen
Genre	Romance, Comedy, School Life
Manga
Author	Masahiro Itabashi (story) Hiroyuki Tamakoshi (art)
Publisher	Kodansha
Other publishers: Tokyopop
Serialized in	Weekly Shonen Magazine
Original run	1991 – 1997
Volumes	32[1]
Manga: Boys Be... 2nd Season
Author	Masahiro Itabashi (story) Hiroyuki Tamakoshi (art)
Publisher	Kodansha
Other publishers: Tokyopop
Serialized in	Weekly Shonen Magazine
Original run	1997 – 2000
Volumes	20[2]
Manga: Boys Be... L CO-OP
Author	Masahiro Itabashi (story) Hiroyuki Tamakoshi (art)
Publisher	Kodansha
Serialized in	Weekly Shonen Magazine
Original run	2000 – 2001
Volumes	6[3]
TV anime
Director	Masami Shimoda
Studio	Hal Film Maker
Network	WOWOW
Other networks: Jonu Media , K3 Anime Network AXN-Asia
Original run	11 April 2000 – 4 July 2000 (12)
Episodes	13[4]
Related works
Boys Be... Alive , musical Boys Be... Alive -Try Again- , musical

Boys Be... (ボーイズ・ビー, Bōizu Bī^?) is a manga created and written by Masahiro Itabashi and illustrated by Hiroyuki Tamakoshi, which was in 2000 adapted into a 13 episode anime series by Hal Film Maker.

Three different Boys Be... manga series were serialized by Kodansha in Shukan Shonen Magazine. The second manga series is licensed in North America by Tokyopop and the anime is licensed by The Right Stuf International. The anime is licensed in Singapore by Odex. The first DVD volume of the series was released in North America on February 28, 2006. Comcast and serval other cable providers are currently showing 'Boys Be' On Demand in the United States through the Anime Network. This series was aired on AXN-Asia before it has been defected.

Contents 1 Description 2 Characters, Backgrounds, and Cast 3 Quotations Per Episode 4 Music 5 References 6 External links

The anime focuses upon the ups and downs, joys and sorrows of first love and teenage romance. Six students struggle in their quest to find the perfect partner. Their only enemies are their adolescent limitations.

Each episode begins and ends with a philosophical quote which loosely sums up the episode's content. Boys Be..., while centered on Kyoichi and Chiharu, actually revolves about seven or eight main characters and their love lives.

Kyoichi Kanzaki (神崎恭一, Kanzaki Kyōichi^?)

• Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese), Sam Regal (English)

He is a high school student having difficulty expressing his love for his childhood friend, Chiharu Nitta. Their relationship has encountered turbulence, resulting in a one-time affair with Shoko Sayama. Chiharu cheated on him with a college jock name Yuki Okazaki. It is presumed she gave her virginity to him. And she even went as far as trying to keep it a secret from everyone especially Kyoichi.

Yoshihiko Kenjo (剣城美彦, Kenjō Yoshihiko^?)

• Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (English)

Extremely talented in sports (especially baseball), but has no interest in it whatsoever (similar to Initial D's Takumi Fujiwara). He also seems to have no interest in girls... until the day he met Aya Kurihara. However, after her return to France, he met during baseball practice his girlfriend Natsue Horikawa. He also had a run-in with young idol Jyunna Morio when she escaped and got lost from her studio taping.

Makoto Kurumizawa (胡桃沢マコト, Kurumizawa Makoto^?)

• Voiced by: Akira Ishida (Japanese), Liam O'Brien (English)

He is the epitome of a girl-obsessed guy, keeping an electronic database of almost all the girls at Otowa-no-Mori with him (to a point of bribing some informers to get the scoop), even using computer dating simulators and guide books. He is also the only techno-geek in the group. After he botched his date with Erika Kawai, he ended up with her best friend (who acted as the bridge between them), Yumi Kazama. He also had an interlude with a nursing intern after getting hospitalized for peeping at a short-skirted girl as she climbed an overpass, and his scooter hitting a mini-truck, but he forgot about her when he saw that girl again...

Chiharu Nitta (新田千春, Nitta Chiharu^?)

• Voiced by: Kazusa Murai (Japanese), Amy Kincaid (English)

She is the athletic love interest of Kyoichi, running for their school's track and field team. She has been Kyoichi's friend since childhood, but she also has difficulty expressing love, hence her affair with a guy named Yuki Okazaki. Though not in an actual relationship with Kyoichi, she was asked by Okazaki if she had a boyfriend to which she replied that "he" wouldn't mind. Thus, Okazaki continued his advances to which they spent a night together at a lookout point (it is unknown if they actually had sex but it is very much presumed). She wanted to keep her tryst a secret. At the train station, she gave Okazaki a goodbye kiss which was witnessed by Kyoichi, who was coming to visit her, causing the rift between them.

Yumi Kazama (風間有美, Kazama Yumi^?)

• Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa (Japanese), Jennifer Sekiguchi (English)

This spectacled girl loves to dress in odd clothes, like wearing a sea lion costume at the beach. She acted as an "Erika Kawai Simulator" for Makoto... and eventually fell in love when Rika dumped him.

Aki Mizutani (水谷亜紀, Mizutani Aki^?)

• Voiced by: Yuri Shiratori (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)

Her boyfriend is a photographer now working in Hokkaidō, hence her limited love interludes. For most of the series she's maintaining a long-distance relationship.

Erika Kawai ( , Kawai Erika^?)

• Voiced by: Michiko Neya

The only daughter of a rich family, she was dated by Makoto based upon the results of his dating simulator. Yumi had to help him with her in exchange for dropping his Sony VAIO laptop from the third floor and wrecking it. But Erika dumped him, thinking Makoto loves Yumi instead.

Natsue Horikawa ( , Horikawa Natsue^?)

• Voiced by: Manabi Mizuno (Japanese), Sonia Scrancia (English)

She had the desire to stand at the pitchers' mound during the annual Koshien high school baseball championship, but she is a girl, so it couldn't happen. But this girl with immature emotional swings did guide Yoshihiko out of his disinterest in the sport... and they ended up as lovers.

Aya Kurihara ( , Kurihara Aya^?)

• Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese), Rachael Lillis (English)

This French-Japanese transfer student had a run-in with Yoshihiko when he looked for a ball that sauntered into the library's window. When he crawled to look for it, he knocked the stool where she was standing. Luckily he caught her falling...and after getting a feel of her "lumpy" side, he daydreamed about her... At the start of the second episode, she was the one secretly watching Yoshihiko from a library window.

Jyunna Morio ( , Morio Jyunna^?)

• Voiced by: Rika Komatsu (Japanese), Wendee Lee (English)

She is a popular pop idol, and her image is practically plastered on everything from bottled water to TV screens. But Yoshihiko doesn't know that, even mistaking her for a girl in a Santa suit distributing flyers. One of her concerts was once attended by Yoshihiko and his eventual girlfriend Natsue.

Nao Nitta ( , Nitta Nao^?)

• Voiced by: Chie Sawaguchi

She is Chiharu's cute but frail cousin with an overprotective brother. Makoto tried courting her, but her brother is always a step ahead of him.

Shoko Sayama ( , Sayama Shoko^?)

• Voiced by: Yuka Imai (Japanese), Zarah Little (English)

She is a renegade student (with temper to match) hoping to make it big in the music business. With her relationship with Kyoichi, she found the confidence to successfully weather out rivals for a spot in a J-pop band. She dropped out of school to work on her career full-time.

Mizuki Takano ( , Takano Mizuki^?)

• Voiced by: Junko Noda (Japanese), Tara Platt (English)

When Makoto broke his leg due to a scooter accident, he was confined to the hospital where Mizuki was an intern. She became his nurse. She may still have a long way to go, but Makoto urged her on. He pledged not to forget her...until the next girl, that is.

Chiharu Reicha ( , Reicha Chiharu^?)

• Voiced by: Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese), Kirsten Potter (English)

This Finnish-Japanese ex-Tokyoite girl encountered Kyoichi when he went to Hokkaidō, acting as his impromptu tour guide that "charges one kiss per transaction." She's flirtier, more daring, and freer than the Chiharu he knows, and rides a Harley-Davidson. Both cleared each other's minds during their stay together. She is a wood sculptor, as well.

‡ Note that there are two women named Chiharu in the story.

Sayaka Kanzaki ( , Kanzaki Sayaka^?)

• Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese), Karen Thompson (English)

She is Kyoichi's smart-alecky sister who loves to tease him, but never goes overboard. She takes over the Kanzaki household when their parents aren't around. She's the typical teasing but caring big sister.

Yuki Okazaki ( , Okazaki Yuki^?)

• Voiced by: Miki Shinichiro

He is the charming young man Chiharu Nitta met during summer training camp. A city slicker with a beat for nature and lots of hobbies, at first Chiharu shrugged him off, but because she was lonely, and she's in a fight with Kyoichi, she nearly gave in. Though he already had girlfriend waiting in the city, he continued his advances and managed to make Chiharu fall for him. They spent a night together at a lookout point (it is unknown if they actually had sex but it is very much presumed). She gave him a goodbye kiss which was witnessed by Kyoichi.

Takuya Yokota ( , Yokota Takuya^?)

• Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu

He happens to be Kyoichi's partner at his part-time job as a video shop manager. Though soft-spoken and one of the most handsome men at his school, he hasn't got a girlfriend. He is so shy he drowns in loneliness.

Ueno ( , Ueno^?)

• Voiced by: Yuji Ueda

He is Aki's boyfriend with a passion for photography. At first he's losing the passion, until Aki put some sense into him. Eventually they maintained a long-distance relationship, since he is working in Hokkaidō. And his inspiration is none other than Aki herself.

Boys Be is known for the philosophical quotations that is associated with each episode.

Episode 1

Spring Chapter, Episode 1: Cherry Blossoms.

• "Cherry blossoms, the noble flower, witness to many an encounter over time. Cherry blossoms, the vain flower, have watched many a farewell. And again this year they bloom to watch over a lot of faint but painful feelings in the season of beginnings called spring."

Episode 2

Spring Chapter, Episode 2: Memorial Essence.

• "Nice memories have their own scent. Whenever you are veiled in its scent, Your heart can always return to your unforgettable past. Together with your own scenery that will never fade."

Episode 3

Spring Chapter, Episode 3: After Kiss.

• "There are many books in the library. Each book has a wonderful story that will never happen in reality. But as you fall in love, reality becomes a wonderful story, better than any novel."

Episode 4

Early Summer Chapter, Episode 1: Bittersweet Rain.

• "No one can stop the flow of time. But a moment captured in the frame of the heart will never disappear. That will be shown at the bottom of their hearts, and will always give off a great feeling. Sweet...and bitter."

Episode 5

Summer Chapter, Episode 1: Feeling Blue.

• "The color blue has a soothing effect on people. All their stresses and troubles are absorbed by the blue. Awakening honest souls which have no lies. Summer is the season...that is colored in blue."

Episode 6

Summer Chapter, Episode 2: Baseball Lovers.

• "Not many people know when love really starts... More than a friend, but not quite lovers.

A delicate relationship like this changes gradually once it is noticed, and keeps on blossoming, Just like the changing seasons."

Episode 7

Summer Chapter, Episode 3: [The] Wind-Bell.

• "The summer days blow through fiercely. With the buried feeling that something is going to happen... Over a summer storm, Soon, the season will change..."

Episode 8

Autumn Chapter Episode 1: Swallow.

• "With summer's raucous noises, a simple dream seen in spring has turned into a simple heartbreak. The melancholy autumn wind speaks quietly of its meaning...Your heart's true self..."

Episode 9

Autumn Chapter Episode 2: Leaves.

• "In the autumn it is said that the reason why leaves fall down from the branch is to make way for new leaves to grow. No matter how sad the fallen leaves look, there will always be new sprouts in the spring. Perhaps, emptiness in the heart is something similar to that."

Episode 10

Autumn Chapter Episode 3: Solitary Cross.

• "All sound has died out, and the cold, dark night fills the room. Unable to get to sleep, holding on to the covers. Suddenly, that's when it strikes, as if your chest is being squeezed and wanted to cry. A painful and uneasy feeling. From the depths of the heart, a thing called "loneliness" will come

• "All sound has died out, and the cold, dark night fills the room. Unable to go to sleep, holding on to the covers. Suddenly, that's when it strikes, as if my chest was being crushed in pain and wanted to cry. A painful and uneasy feeling. Yes, from the depths of my heart, a thing called "loneliness" will come..."

Episode 11

Winter Chapter Episode 1: First Snowfall.

• "Snow covers everything in white. It covers the sadness, softly. If there is happiness, it decorates it beautifully. The snow continues to fall..."

Episode 12

Winter Chapter Episode 2: End to Beginning.

• "An ending will come to everything in this world. It may be a fate that one could never avoid."

Episode 13

Next Season Chapter: Let It Be

• "There is nothing that really changes, there is nothing that really ends. It's hard to admit, but that is reality. One season ends, and another season begins."

End of Final Episode

• It must only be a matter of a moment once it's gone... (Makoto)
• We should probably be able to laugh at it someday. (Yumi)
• But the feeling will stay forever in the depths of the heart. (Yoshi)
• It's precious, only here for now. It's our season. (Aki)
• So, one season ends, and a new one begins... (Chiharu (Nitta))

• Opening Theme: Daijobu by Aki Maeda
• Ending Theme: Minna Ga Iine by Aki Maeda
• Final Episode Opening Theme: Hatsukoi by Yuka Imai
• Episode 7 Ending Theme: My Tomorrow by Yuka Imai
• Episode 7 Insert: Where Is My Paradise by Yuu Asakawa
• Episode 7 Insert: Memoria by Yuka Imai

• Official site from Geneon Entertainment
• Official site from the Right Stuf International
• Boys Be on AnimeNfo