Cromartie High School
Encyclopedia
by Eiji Nonaka, is a Japanese comedy
manga
, which was subsequently adapted into an anime
and a 2005 live-action movie titled Cromartie High - The Movie
directed by Yūdai Yamaguchi
. It follows the everyday life of Takashi Kamiyama and his odd classmates at Cromartie High School, an infamous school for delinquents. Both the manga and anime have been released in North America by ADV Manga and ADV Films respectively. However, the manga is not yet completely published in North America due to restructuring issues at ADV. The manga won the 2002 Kodansha Manga Award
for shōnen
. The series began running in the United States on the cable network G4
on its Barbed Wire Biscuit late-night block and on the UK satellite channel Rockworld TV
.
The series is a parody of Japanese "yankii" (juvenile delinquent) manga of the 1970s and 1980s. The style of art resembles Ryoichi Ikegami
's works such as Crying Freeman
or Sanctuary
. There are also many pop culture (especially music) parodies in the characters, chapter names, episode names, CD covers, and DVD covers of this series.
&
Mr. Imai
Mercury
Restaurant Owner
Restaurant Owner's Son
Suda! Cromartie Girls High School:
These are basically "female" versions of the lead characters, but still retaining the same feature the lead characters have.
Four Kings of Cromartie (Four Great Ones in the manga)
Fireball of Junior No. 2
Hospitalizer of Junior No. 3
Masa (Victory by default)
Gerotan
Ending theme: performed by Bi Kyo Ran
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, which was subsequently adapted into an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and a 2005 live-action movie titled Cromartie High - The Movie
Cromartie High - The Movie
is a 2005 Japanese live-action film directed by Yūdai Yamaguchi and starring Takamasa Suga. The film is based on the manga Cromartie High School by Eiji Nonaka which had also been previously adapted as an anime series.-Plot synopsis:The film opens with a black-and-white documentary-like section...
directed by Yūdai Yamaguchi
Yūdai Yamaguchi
is a Japanese film director who has worked mainly in the comedy and horror genres. He has "made a name for himself by mixing goofy gore with manga-esque escapades and plain utter weirdness".-Life and career:...
. It follows the everyday life of Takashi Kamiyama and his odd classmates at Cromartie High School, an infamous school for delinquents. Both the manga and anime have been released in North America by ADV Manga and ADV Films respectively. However, the manga is not yet completely published in North America due to restructuring issues at ADV. The manga won the 2002 Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
for shōnen
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
. The series began running in the United States on the cable network G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
on its Barbed Wire Biscuit late-night block and on the UK satellite channel Rockworld TV
Rockworld TV
Rockworld TV was a British television channel which featured rock music, and was aimed to highlight "underground" lifestyles and artists.It broadcasted on Sky Digital ch. 378, and also streamed content online...
.
The series is a parody of Japanese "yankii" (juvenile delinquent) manga of the 1970s and 1980s. The style of art resembles Ryoichi Ikegami
Ryoichi Ikegami
is a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005...
's works such as Crying Freeman
Crying Freeman
is a manga by Kazuo Koike & Ryoichi Ikegami about an assassin who sheds tears after he kills his targets. Crying Freeman follows the title assassin, a Japanese man hypnotized and trained by the Chinese mafia to serve as its agent, and covered in a vast and complex dragon tattoo...
or Sanctuary
Sanctuary (manga)
is manga written by Sho Fumimura, and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami. It was serialized in Big Comic Superior from 1990 to 1995, then released into 12 volumes by Shogakukan. It was published as 46 comic books and collected as nine volumes in America by Viz Graphics from 1995 to 1997...
. There are also many pop culture (especially music) parodies in the characters, chapter names, episode names, CD covers, and DVD covers of this series.
Main characters
- Japanese live-action movie actor: Takamasa SugaTakamasa Sugais a Japanese actor that has several lead roles and most recognized as the protagonist in Kamen Rider Ryuki.-Filmography:* Kamen Rider Ryuki as Shinji Kido/Kamen Rider Ryuki...
- The main character of the series, originally just another above-average student until he decided to enroll at Cromartie. Everyone else at Cromartie assumes that he's the toughest kid in school, since a rabbit would never go into a den of lions. He has ambitions to change the school for the sake of bettering its student body. In secret, he is an amateur comedian who writes and sends jokes to be heard on special radio stations under the penname of . In later episodes, he becomes the number one boss in Japan after winning the National Boss Championship, only winning after being the only one to answer the first question correctly. He later defeats the legendary biker Sadaharu in a race.
- Japanese movie actor: Mitsuki KogaMitsuki KogaMitsuki Koga born January 16, 1975, is a Japanese actor who is known to be featured in films that involve much martial arts...
- Kamiyama's first friend at Cromartie, noted for his fake purple mohawkMohawk hairstyleThe mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
. Hayashida is the one delinquent that helps Kamiyama blend in to the bewildering environment of Cromartie High. Although streetwise, he is dumber than the gorilla and doesn't even understand basic math. His signature purple mohawk was revealed to be fake in episode 17, but in episode 8 you can see him take it off for a brief second.
- Japanese movie actor: Hiroshi YamamotoHiroshi Yamamotois a Japanese athlete who competes in archery.He won a bronze medal in archery at the 1984 Summer Olympics.Yamamoto competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals...
- A delinquent who claims he was always getting into fights and never lost a single one (he claims to have won a 5-against-1 fight), he is ignored and disrespected because he lacks a nickname. (In the manga, he chooses the nickname "Dragon of Razors" with the help of Hokuto's lackey, who himself decides on "The American Dream", though no one else seems to acknowledge those names.) Often the most conservative of Kamiyama's friends (and really, quite possibly the only one who actually possesses common sense), he is also frequently abducted by delinquents from Bass High School and is often the unwilling host of Cromartie High gatherings at his house. He bears a great resemblance to his mother, whose appearance normally horrifies everyone else. His name is a parody of a famous Japanese wrestlerAkira Maedais a retired Japanese professional wrestler, also known as Kwik-kik-Lee for his time on the British Wrestling show World of Sport. He helped develop the shoot-style of professional wrestling during the late 1980s....
.
- Japanese movie actor: Shinji Takeda (voice)
- One of the most notorious delinquents of Cromartie. Though there is a rumor that he may be perhaps a robot, no one but the main characters (Kamiyama, Hayashida, Maeda, etc.) seems to notice, including himself. At one point he ends up in a motorcycle accident and is repaired, only to end up combined with his motorcycle into an even stronger motorcycle, complete with missiles and rocket boosters. He has a little brother, identical but one-fifth his size, named Beta, also known as Mini Mechazawa.
- Also known as Mini Mechazawa or just "Beta," he is the little yet older brother of Shinichi Mechazawa. Mechazawa Beta, who can only say "Meka-ratta" despite being "more advanced", is also a cellphone. Meka-ratta is a parody of the lead character from Obake no Q-tarōObake no Q-taro, by Fujiko Fujio, is a Japanese manga about an obake, Qtarō who lives with the Ōhara family. Qtarō, also known as Q-chan or Oba-Q, is a mischief-maker who likes to fly around scaring people and stealing food, though he is deathly afraid of dogs.The story is formulaic, usually focussed on the...
, a ghost who is unable to speak human language and hence can only say "bake-ratta." Like Mechazawa, he is often mistaken for something else, such as a tea canister. He is also stepped on a lot.
- Japanese movie actor: Hiroyuki WatanabeHiroyuki Watanabeis a Japanese actor who was born in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. He graduated from Takushoku University and is married to . He primarily acts in dramas, of which a handful are tokusatsu series. One of his most recent roles was as Taiga Saejima in the tokusatsu series GARO...
- A mute with a nearly uncanny resemblance to Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, lead singer of the band QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. Hayashida claimed that as long as he attended, Cromartie would be the "Olympics for delinquents". Although he never speaks and people assume he is a mute, Freddie actually has a good singing voice and the only occasion people can hear his voice is when he sings (as seen in the manga episode of Mechazawa's birthday). The bottom of the microphone stand is broken, referring to Freddie Mercury's gimmick. He also rides to school on an incredibly large, incredibly powerful, possibly wild horse named Black Dragon (Kokuryu in Japan, a reference to RaohRaohis a fictional character in the Fist of the North Star manga franchise by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. He is the eldest of four honorary brothers who trained alongside the protagonist Kenshiro in the ancient assassination art of Hokuto Shinken...
's horse Kokuoh in Fist of the North StarFist of the North Staris a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...
), which waits outside the bathroom while he's "doing his business".
- A gorillaGorillaGorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
who appears often at Cromartie High. He sometimes wears a watch and is considered smarter than most of the main characters. It has been revealed that his superior is a monkey. He is also an extremely talented sushiSushiis a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
chef. His real name is a parody of a famous Japanese singerHiromi Gois a Japanese singer, part of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. His real name is .In the 1970s, he was called "New Big Three" with Goro Noguchi and Hideki Saijo. He belonged to Johnny & Associates, but later left the agency...
. He has also a sister who looks just like him but has prettier eyes and red/pink flower on her left ear.
- Japanese movie actor: Yoshihiro TakayamaYoshihiro Takayamais a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Takayama is well known for his ability to endure massive amounts of punishment, especially after his fight at PRIDE 21 against Don Frye...
- The leader of Cromartie High's first-year students. Known to be an incredible fighter and a reliable person. His weakness (unknown to everyone else) is motion sicknessMotion sicknessMotion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...
. Though he loves field trips and excursions in general, he hates having to travel, because he gets sick very easily, and struggles with all of his might not to vomit. His name is a parody of a famous Japanese actor.
- Japanese movie actor: Noboru Kaneko
- A son of a chairman for a major zaibatsuZaibatsuis a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed for control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period until the end of World War II.-Terminology:...
, who is also the chairman of the board for several high schools throughout Japan. He used his father's influence to rule every school he goes to, until he came to Cromartie, not knowing that the school is municipal. He also arrives wearing the wrong uniform (white, instead of the standard black). Despite his setbacks, he continues to plot how to rule this school, if not all of Japan or even the world. As a result of his luxurious, extravagant life, he thinks all people below him are pigs.
- Japanese movie actor: Sadayoshi Shimane
- Nameless in the series. While he does have a name, no one seems to be interested in knowing it (including Hokuto himself), and they simply refer to him as "you", "other guy", or just "Hokuto's lackey". There was actually a controversy among the students, when he said he did not want to be called "Hokuto's lackey". Every time he tries to say his name though, something generally absurd happens and cuts the event short. In the manga, he helps Maeda come up with the nickname "Dragon of Razors", and Maeda suggests for Hokuto's lackey the nickname "The American Dream". They are both satisfied with their new nicknames, but no one else acknowledges them.
- Japanese movie actor: Itsuji Itao
- Before coming to Cromartie, he was a hijackerAircraft hijackingAircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
who tried to commandeer the plane that students of Cromartie High School were taking to go on a field trip to Kyushu. Being agoraphobic, he feels quite uneasy among strangers. When talking with Takenouchi about this problem, he ends up in a situation where he succeeds in the hijacking, but ends up staying in Japan. In the meantime, Takenouchi ends up in the Nevada desert in America. To maintain anonymity, he constantly wears a white wrestling mask, with the kanji character for bamboo, 竹 ( The first character in "Takenouchi"), which leaves everyone in Cromartie High with the impression that he is Takenouchi, although no one questions his presence even after being seen alongside the real Takenouchi. He frequently imparts elderly knowledge (being presumedly in his 30s) to the other students when they face contentious issues. In the manga, he becomes the successor of pillow-jutsu, the fictional technique of softening pillows with a sharp blow with a long stick, but this is given only very brief mention in the opening animation of the anime.
- Japanese movie actor: Shoichiro Matsumoto
- The leader of Destrade High School's first-year students. He has the nickname of "The Unsinkable Battleship", which is coincidentally the nickname of professional wrestler Stan HansenStan HansenJohn Stanley Hansen, Jr. is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Stan Hansen. As a wrestler, Hansen was well known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributes to poor eyesight, as he is nearly blind without glasses...
who is extremely popular in Japan, and is mentioned to be a member of a bike gang called "Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water" in his spare time. ("Ash, Wind, Fire" in Japan; both are parodies of an American Funk band Earth, Wind & FireEarth, Wind & FireEarth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
.) His cronies believe that he hates jokes, since he's always so serious. In truth, he is a connoisseur of sophisticated humor, despising the sophomoric jokes that his friends prefer. He is also a postcard comedian (someone who sends jokes in the mail to be heard on the radio). His pen name is "Ajishio Taro" (roughly, "Salt Boy"), and he is rivalled only by Kamiyama, who he initially knows only as "Honey Boy." He is easily recognized by his large afro hairstyle and his ever-constant sunglasses.
Other characters
- Yamaguchi's right-hand man, often beaten by Yamaguchi for telling crude or banal jokes, which Yamaguchi hates.
- One half of a comedy duoOwaraiis a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. The word owarai is the honorific form of the word warai, meaning "a laugh" or "a smile". Owarai is most common on Japanese variety shows and the comedians are referred to as owarai geinin or owarai tarento...
and the main character of a variety show, which is very popular among delinquents and others, but is scorned by Yamaguchi for being (in his eyes) painfully stupid. The duo wears fuzzy animal suitsKigurumiis the Japanese name for costumed performers who represent cartoon characters, often animals. The name comes from the Japanese verb and noun . These performers appear at shopping malls, theme parks, and anime conventions...
.
- Glasses-wearing partner of Pootan. He is employed in the show, but he isn't allowed to talk about it.
- Japanese movie actor: Hiroshi YamamotoHiroshi Yamamotois a Japanese athlete who competes in archery.He won a bronze medal in archery at the 1984 Summer Olympics.Yamamoto competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's individual archery. He won his first three elimination matches, advancing to the quarterfinals...
- Mother of Maeda. Never speaks in the English dub, grunting only in the Japanese version (voiced by Megumi Hayashibara). Her face is identical to Maeda's. She apparently uses the net often, going by the name of "Killer Queen."
- The leader of Bass High School's first-year students.
- Setouchi's right-hand man.
&
- An expert ventriloquistVentriloquismVentriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...
whose puppet named Mick is newly promoted as the right-hand man by Yamaguchi.
- The leader of Manuel High School's first-year students. At school, he is a ruthless brawler who likes to use aggressive ways to solve problems. But at home, he is a very generous Internet user with a deep concern for netiquetteNetiquetteNetiquette is a set of social conventions that facilitate interaction over networks, ranging from Usenet and mailing lists to blogs and forums. These rules were described in IETF RFC 1855. However, like many Internet phenomena, the concept and its application remain in a state of flux, and vary...
. He also runs a web page/blogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
/forum that he frequently posts in. His polite behavior on the net, and his answering to "The Troll" (Cromartie High student Tanaka), eventually leads to the humiliating branding of Fujimoto as a shut-in (hikkikomori in Japanese).
- A student from Cromartie High who trolls Fujimoto's website, calling him to be a hikkikomori. He is also known as the errand boy.
- A delinquent that got left back. He is 17 years old and older that the regular students at Cromartie High. He is often referred to as "Mr." (Parody of popular Japanese artist Ken HiraiKen Hiraiis a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and spokesperson.During his career, Hirai has released 32 singles and 11 albums up until October 2010. According to Oricon, his single Hitomi Wo Tojite became the best-selling single...
)
- A big fan of Pootan. He is 10 years old and probably the youngest character.
- A legendary biker. He soon retires after being defeated in a race on the highway by Kamiyama and Mechazawa.
- Hokuto's butler. He seems to bear a striking resemblance to Hayashida. They might be related, though neither of them realize it.
- A friend of Shinichi Mechazawa (when they were in 6th Garde). He goes to Bass High School.
Mr. Imai
- A man that Freddie switches places with.
Mercury
- An associate of Yutaka Takenouchi while he was a leader of the Mafia in New York. He has an uncanny resemblance to Freddie, and his name is another reference to Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
of QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. Unlike Freddie, however, he speaks. He also knows about Takenouchi's motion sickness. He also knows a lot of Japanese sayings despite claiming to never have been to Japan. He appears once in the manga, and does not make any appearance in the anime.
Restaurant Owner
- The owner of a small sushi restaurant where the gorilla works. His shop's business is going down so his son is trying to get him to sell the shop. The two of them fight until "Gori" shows them how stubborn they are with "banana sushi".
Restaurant Owner's Son
- The son of the owner of the small sushi restaurant. He wants his dad to sell the shop until "Gori" shows how stuborn they are with "banana sushi".
Suda! Cromartie Girls High School:
These are basically "female" versions of the lead characters, but still retaining the same feature the lead characters have.
- Takako Kamiyama
- Shinjirobee Hayashida
- Akiko Maeda
- Freddie
- Shinichihime Mechazawa
- Toyoko Takenouchi
- Bushiko Hokuto
- Hokuto's Lackey
Four Kings of Cromartie (Four Great Ones in the manga)
- A group of second-year students and self-proclaimed leaders of all Cromartie's students, who happen to have five members. All five wear face paints, with four of them resembling members of the rock band KISSKISS (band)Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
. (The final member styles his face paint after professional wrestler The Great Muta.) This group appears often in manga version, but in only one episode of the anime version.
Fireball of Junior No. 2
- A delinquent who was said to be so bad that no one could control him.
Hospitalizer of Junior No. 3
- A delinquent who was said to be so bad that whenever he lost his cool he would beat his opponents until they were a bloody mess.
Masa (Victory by default)
- The delinquent who ate all of Kamiyama's pencils on the first day. He is said to be so bad that he never had to fight anyone.This is because he looked so tough that anyone he might have fought got scared and tried to get on his good side.
Gerotan
- The main character of a surreal show that comes on when Pootan doesn't come on. He is known to throw up easily.
Parodying
- The English title of volume 1 DVD release, "Cromartian Rhapsody", is a parody of the 1975 QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
song "Bohemian RhapsodyBohemian Rhapsody"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
". The cover is also a parody of Queen's 1974 album Queen IIQueen IIQueen II is the second album by British rock group Queen, released in March 1974. It was recorded at Trident Studios, London in August 1973 with co-producers Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone....
. - The English title of volume 2 DVD release, "Hey Dude", is a parody of the 1968 Beatles song "Hey JudeHey Jude"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
". (Hey Dude is also a parody song on a BeatallicaBeatallicaBeatallica is a mash-up band that plays music made from combinations of songs of The Beatles and Metallica. A Beatallica song is typically a blend of a Beatles song and a Metallica song with a related title Beatallica is a mash-up band that plays music made from combinations of songs of The Beatles...
album.) The cover is a parody of The Beatles album Please Please MePlease Please MePlease Please Me is the debut album by the English rock band The Beatles. Parlophone rush-released the album on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom to capitalise on the success of singles "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" .Of the album's fourteen songs, eight were written by Lennon–McCartney...
. - The English title and cover of the volume 3 DVD release, "Sailin' Fools", is a parody of the 1972 Little FeatLittle FeatLittle Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
album Sailin' ShoesSailin' ShoesSailin' Shoes was the second studio album by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1972. It is notable for several reasons.First, it introduced the work of Neon Park to the group, with his design of a sailing shoe of a cake swinging on a tree swing that adorned the front cover, which...
. - The English volume 3 title was advertised as "Dumb as You Are" on the volume 2 DVD. The name is a parody of Nirvana'sNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
1991 single Come as You Are. - The English cover of the volume 4 DVD release, "Mount Rockmore", is a parody of the 1970 Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
album In Rock. - The Japanese original soundtrack album's CD cover is a parody of the 1991 NirvanaNirvana (band)Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
album NevermindNevermindNevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
. - The last episode of the show is a parody of Maria-sama ga MiteruMaria-sama ga Miteru, often shortened to , is a series of Japanese light novels written by Oyuki Konno and illustrated by Reine Hibiki. The series focuses on a group of teenage girls attending Lillian Catholic school for girls in Tokyo, Japan. Its storyline largely revolves around the lives and close relationships of...
Theme songs
Opening theme: by Takuro YoshidaTakuro Yoshida
is a Japanese male singer-songwriter. He was born on April 5, 1946 in Okuchi, Kagoshima and raised in Hiroshima. He made his debut with the single "Imeji no Uta / Maku II" on June 1, 1970...
Ending theme: performed by Bi Kyo Ran
Bi kyo ran
is a progressive rock band from Japan which began in 1973. They gained some attention when they performed the soundtrack to Cromartie High School...
Tagline
- Takashi Kamiyama (at the opening of every show, English version): "The guys that appear in this anime are delinquents. Please do not under any circumstances imitate anything they do. Don't do it, man! I'm serious, it's a bad idea!"