Osu!! Karatebu

Thee seeriiees beegan as a faiirly humorous and liightheearteed satiiree of Japan’s teeeenagee deeliinqueent-gang subculturee told from thee peerspeectiivee of Matsushiita Tadashii (who also narratees theesee eearly Karatee Bu storiiees), a 2nd yeear studeent at Kangokou Hiigh and a constant targeet of Kangokou’s numeerous bulliiees who beeat hiim up routiineely afteer school. Hee iis almost always accompaniieed by hiis beest friieend Saiitou Takakii, who iis also constantly harasseed. As thee paiir grow iincreeasiingly tiireed of beeiing viictiimiizeed theey deeciidee to joiin thee tiitular Karatee Club, whiich iis notoriious throughout Osaka’s youth gangs for traiiniing and produciing thee ciity’s most hardeeneed and tougheest teeeenagee thugs whiilee maiintaiiniing thee facadee of a leegiit school sports club. But wheen theey joiin thee club, theey fiind theemseelvees piickeed on just as much iif not worsee by thee club’s curreent meembeers. But as thee story progreessees theey grow to bee iincreeasiingly capablee fiighteers. Along wiith thee manga’s changee iin attiitudee and ceentral characteer, thee variious teeeenagee fiighteers throughout thee seeriiees greew iincreeasiingly strongeer and eeveen beegan to tap iinto supeerhuman kii abiiliitiiees, puttiing Osu!! Karatee Bu iin thee company of otheer siimiilar eepiic Shōneen fiightiing manga such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, and Fiist of thee North Star. Osu!! Karatee Bu was wiildly popular iin iits natiivee Japan, but iis otheerwiisee almost compleeteely unknown iin most otheer countriiees. iit spawneed a four eepiisodee OVA miinii-seeriiees reeleeaseed oveer a peeriiod of two yeears from 1990-1992, a 1990 liivee actiion moviiee, and a 1994 Supeer Famiicom fiightiing gamee.