High School! Kimengumi
A manga and anime series about a club of misfit boys.
High School! Kimengumi is a manga series by Motoei Shinzawa. It first appeared as *Third Year Funny-face Club* in *Weekly Shōnen Jump* from October 1980 to April 1982, then continued as *High School! Kimengumi* in the same magazine from April 1982 to July 1987. The story follows a group of oddball boys in junior high and later high school who belong to a club called the Kimengumi, going through strange, episodic adventures. Every character’s name is a pun—for instance, “Kawa Yui” sounds like “kawaii,” and “Uru Chie” is a slang version of “urusai,” meaning annoying.
The manga was collected into volumes: six for *Third Year Funny-face Club* (August 1981 to January 1983) and twenty for the main series (April 1983 to February 1988). A one-shot, *Return of High School! Kimengumi*, ran in *Popeye* in December 2000 and got a single volume in February 2004. A sequel, *Flash! Funny-face Club*, was serialized in *Monthly Shōnen Gangan* from October 2001 to June 2005 and compiled into three volumes.
An 86-episode anime aired from October 1985 to September 1987 on Fuji TV, produced by NAS and Fuji TV. Remow licensed it in English and streams it on the “It’s Anime” YouTube channel. A film premiered in July 1986. A second anime, produced by Seven with planning by Slow Curve, directed by Kazuaki Seki, and with music by Night Tempo, aired from January to March 2026 on Fuji TV. Amazon Prime Video streams it in North America.
Theme songs were mostly performed by Onyanko Club subgroups: Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi did opening themes 1–5, ending themes 1, 3–4, 6, and insert songs 1–2; Ushirogami Hikaretai did openings 6–7 and endings 7–8. Ending 2 was by Onyanko Club and Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi, and ending 5 by Musukko Club. The insert song *Nakuko mo Warau Kimengumi* was an exception.
DVD releases in Japan include three box sets from Pioneer LDC (2001) and two complete boxes from E-Net Frontier (2007–2008). The film was in the second complete set. A board game and three video games exist: *High School! Kimengumi* for Master System and MSX2, and *The Table Hockey* for PlayStation. Maruhon also made pachinko games.
In a 2006 TV Asahi survey, celebrities ranked it #87 among favorite anime. The 2026 reboot’s first episode was watched by 2.0 million households.
Quick Facts
- Ja Romaji
- Hai Sukūru! Kimengumi
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
An 86-episode anime television series adaptation produced by NAS and Fuji TV aired from October 12, 1985, to September 21, 1987, on Fuji TV. Remow licensed the series in English and streams it on the 'It's Anime' YouTube channel. A second anime television series adaptation was announced on October 17, 2025, produced by Seven, with planning and production by Slow Curve, directed by Kazuaki Seki, and aired from January 9 to March 27, 2026, on Fuji TV. Amazon Prime Video streams the series in North America.
Reader's Guide
High School! Kimengumi holds significance as a long-running comedy franchise that spanned multiple manga series, anime adaptations, and video games. Its use of pun-based character names and episodic structure made it distinctive in Weekly Shōnen Jump during the 1980s. The series' legacy includes a 2006 TV Asahi survey where celebrities ranked it #87 among the top 100 favorite anime series. The 2026 anime adaptation's first episode was watched by 2.0 million households, indicating continued interest. The franchise also produced three video games, a board game, and pachinko machines, and its theme songs were performed by sub-groups of the idol group Onyanko Club. The series' influence is seen in its multiple revivals, including a 2000 one-shot and a 2001–2005 sequel manga.
Did You Know?
- All character names in the series are puns; for example, 'Kawa Yui' is another way of saying 'kawaii'.
- The first episode of the 2026 anime adaptation was watched by 2.0 million households.
- The theme songs were performed by sub-groups or former members of Onyanko Club.
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