#Gu-Gu Ganmo 1985

[obscureanimeoftheday]

Obscure Anime of The Day:

Gu-Gu Ganmo

Aired: 1985

Genres: comedy, Shounen

[dorothydalmati1]

Obscure Animation Subject #65: Gu Gu Ganmo

Originally posted on Twitter on April 25, 2023.

Based on the manga series by Fujihiko Hosono, its produced by Toei Animation and aired on Fuji TV from March 18, 1984 to March 17, 1985, with most episodes containing two 11-minute segments. It originally aired on Sundays at 7 PM.

The series follows in the footsteps of manga such as Doraemon and Obake no Q-Taro in that the alien Ganmo sets out to help his adopted human friend Hanpeita. The series follows the antics of the duo as they find themselves in the middle of much comedic mischief.

Although inspired from the works of Fujiko Fujio, the series is aimed at an older demographic, which means it has raunchier humor when compared to the Fujiko works. This is also apparent when Déjà Vu comes into play, which made the protagonists lives more messed up.

There isn’t really much else I could say. It isn’t subbed in English, though it was successful enough to get home media releases. Hosono would later gain more success when the Gallery Fake manga began publishing, and is still running with an anime adaptation in 2005.

[dorothydalmati1]

Obscure Animation Subject #66: Touch

Originally posted on Twitter on April 26, 2023.

Based on the manga series by Mitsuru Adachi, its produced by Group TAC and aired on Fuji TV for 101 episodes from March 24, 1985 to March 22, 1987. It’s considered one of the highest-rated anime television series from the time when airing.

The show aired on Sundays at 7:00 PM, shown after Sazae-san and replacing Gu Gu Ganmo, our previous subject, in its timeslot. Three theatrical anime films were produced, with two anime television specials which take place after the events in the television series.

Touch follows twin brothers Tatsuya and Kazuya Uesugi, along with their childhood friend and nextdoor neighbor Minami Asakura. Tatsuya, a naturally gifted athlete whose raw skills exceeds Kazuya's, has always allowed his hard-working younger brother to take the spotlight.

However, as the two of them near high school with Minami, Tatsuya realizes he does not want to lose Minami to his brother after all. When Kazuya got into a traffic accident on the morning before the final game of the regional tournament, Tatsuya takes over as ace pitcher.

He utilizes his natural talent to complete his younger brother's goal of fulfilling Minami's dream of going to the Koshien. During its run, episodes were consistently rated a 30+ percentage points. In a 2005 poll by TV Asahi of the top 100 anime TV series, Touch was ranked 9th.

One of the greatest animated series of the 1980s with its heart, clever humor and a cast of developing characters, this show is a definite must watch. The pieces of theme music are also awesome and the animation is absolutely beautiful with wonderful lighting and shading.