[Editor's Picks] What Is an Anisong? A Look Back from the Past to the Present

A Peculiar Tie-Up: High School! Kimengumi and the Idol Industry

Let me briefly mention a rather unusual example that combines Japan's unique entertainment industry, mass media, and anime. That example is high school! Kimengumi.

This series is probably not well-known outside of Japan. Many readers may not be familiar with it. Kimengumi was a gag manga that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from September 1980 to 1987. The story follows the protagonists from junior high through high school. It was published under two titles: Third-Year Kimengumi and High School! Kimengumi.

When we talk about the history of anisongs, this series is not often mentioned, but it is actually notable for its very irregular tie-up strategy. I didn't watch it live, but I came to like a lot of the songs they used for it when I saw it again later. As a child, these songs had a big effect on me.

■Here's how it works
・Anime: Kimengumi
・Singers: Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi and other smaller groups that are part of Onyanko Club.
・The opening and ending themes were performed by groups that were formed within Onyanko Club.
・At the same time, a new TV variety show called Yuyake Nyan Nyan began airing in Japan. The show was designed to promote Onyanko Club, a large idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto.

In other words, Kimengumi was being used to promote Japanese idols. The songs were all about teen romance, which didn't seem right for a slapstick gag manga.

But it worked. Maybe it was the talent of Akimoto and composer Tsugutoshi Goto.

The reason is that the story's beginnings and endings weren't written from the male student protagonists' point of view. Instead, they focused on the emotions of the heroines and other girls. As a result, the animation sequences functioned almost like well-crafted music videos that matched surprisingly well with the songs.