One-Pound Gospel
Encyclopedia
is a manga
series created by Rumiko Takahashi
, author of Maison Ikkoku
, Ranma ½
, and InuYasha
. The series was serialized periodically in Weekly Young Sunday
from issue 9 in 1987 to issue 3/4 in 2007. Released in North America by Viz Media
, it is a fusion of the sports (specifically, boxing
) and romantic comedy
genres. The pop music group KAT-TUN
's Kazuya Kamenashi
starred in a live-action television drama series adaptation, and Meisa Kuroki
co-starred. Takahashi finished the manga after twenty years and four volumes in March 2007. Viz published the manga in English, an anime
OVA
in 1988. Nippon Television ran the drama for one quarter of a year, and it aired on Saturdays at 9:00 PM. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-11-05/rumiko-takahashi's-one-pound-gospel-dramatized-for-tvhttp://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-2123
of the series is , the pride of for the most part. He went pro in only two bouts after leaving high school, and his strong punches are universally recognized by his opponents. While he is a natural at boxing, he can't control his voracious appetite. Not surprisingly, Kōsaku eats anything and everything. As a result, he has been forced to change his weight class since high school. Going from flyweight, all the way up to feather weight, something his trainer tells him he doesn't have the frame for. On top of this he accepts challenges from higher weight classes, giving his coach
(and himself) constant trouble.
Into this picture steps , a novice nun
who takes Kōsaku on as a personal project, determined to set him on the right path and break his habit of gluttony
. She constantly encourages him, making sure that he stays in shape while staying away from food. Unfortunately, closeness can sometimes breed feelings of affection, which Kōsaku begins to develop. Even worse, Sister Angela realizes she's beginning to have the same problems as well.
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...
series created by Rumiko Takahashi
Rumiko Takahashi
is a Japanese manga artist.Takahashi is one of the wealthiest individuals, and the most affluent manga artists in Japan. The manga she creates are popular worldwide, where they have been translated into a variety of languages...
, author of Maison Ikkoku
Maison Ikkoku
is a Japanese seinen manga written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi and serialized in the manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1980 through 1987. Maison Ikkoku is a bitter-sweet comedic romance involving a group of madcap people who live in a boarding house in 1980s Tokyo...
, Ranma ½
Ranma ½
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi with an anime adaptation. The story revolves around a 16-year old boy named Ranma Saotome who was trained from early childhood in martial arts...
, and InuYasha
InuYasha
, also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It premiered in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on November 13, 1996 and concluded on June 18, 2008...
. The series was serialized periodically in Weekly Young Sunday
Weekly Young Sunday
was a weekly manga magazine published by Shogakukan in Japan since the first issue on April 10, 1987. It replaced Shōnen Big Comic in Shogakukan's lineup of shōnen titles, and many of the titles in Shōnen Big Comic were continued in Young Sunday...
from issue 9 in 1987 to issue 3/4 in 2007. Released in North America by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
, it is a fusion of the sports (specifically, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
) and romantic comedy
Romantic Comedy
Romantic Comedy can refer to* Romantic Comedy , a 1979 play written by Bernard Slade* Romantic Comedy , a 1983 film adapted from the play and starring Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen...
genres. The pop music group KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates in 2001. The group's name is an acronym based on the first letter of each member's family name until the departure of Jin Akanishi in 2010. As of 2010, KAT-TUN stands for Kazuya KAmenashi, Junnosuke Taguchi, Koki Tanaka, Tatsuya Ueda,...
's Kazuya Kamenashi
Kazuya Kamenashi
, often called Kame, is a Japanese idol, singer–songwriter, actor, television personality, producer, radio host and occasional model. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, he joined the Japanese talent agency, Johnny & Associates, at the age of 12 and was drafted as a member and co-lead vocalist of...
starred in a live-action television drama series adaptation, and Meisa Kuroki
Meisa Kuroki
, better known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress, model and singer born in Nago, Okinawa, Japan. She is represented by the agency Sweet Power and is signed to Sony Music Japan. She made her acting debut in 2004. She has modeled for the popular Japanese fashion magazine JJ, among others, and...
co-starred. Takahashi finished the manga after twenty years and four volumes in March 2007. Viz published the manga in English, 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....
OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
in 1988. Nippon Television ran the drama for one quarter of a year, and it aired on Saturdays at 9:00 PM. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-11-05/rumiko-takahashi's-one-pound-gospel-dramatized-for-tvhttp://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-2123
Brief Overview
The protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the series is , the pride of for the most part. He went pro in only two bouts after leaving high school, and his strong punches are universally recognized by his opponents. While he is a natural at boxing, he can't control his voracious appetite. Not surprisingly, Kōsaku eats anything and everything. As a result, he has been forced to change his weight class since high school. Going from flyweight, all the way up to feather weight, something his trainer tells him he doesn't have the frame for. On top of this he accepts challenges from higher weight classes, giving his coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
(and himself) constant trouble.
Into this picture steps , a novice nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
who takes Kōsaku on as a personal project, determined to set him on the right path and break his habit of gluttony
Gluttony
Gluttony, derived from the Latin gluttire meaning to gulp down or swallow, means over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, intoxicants or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste...
. She constantly encourages him, making sure that he stays in shape while staying away from food. Unfortunately, closeness can sometimes breed feelings of affection, which Kōsaku begins to develop. Even worse, Sister Angela realizes she's beginning to have the same problems as well.