Gals! Vol. 1

GALS! #1

by Mihona Fujii

16-year-old Kotobuki Ran has turned to the kogaru lifestyle out of rebellion, vowing to stay tanned and bleached until her parents get off her case. The only thing saving sassy and savage Ran from a run-in with the law is her big brother, Officer Kotobuki Yamato. But despite herself, Ran has inherited some of her family’s sense of justice and civic duty, and gives romantic counsel to a reformed kogaru, Miyu, and also tries to save fellow classmates from the dangers faced by GALS! Age 14 and up.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Komik, Romance, Shojo, Fiction, Graphic Novels

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 1999

About the author

Mihona Fujii (藤井みほな in Japanese) is a Japanese shōjo mangaka. Her debut work was Mujaki na mama de, published in the 1990 autumn issue of Ribon Original. Her works have been published in Ribon and, recently, Margaret, where her latest series, Tokyo Angels runs.
She is best known for her manga GALS!, which was adapted into a TV anime series under the name Super GALS! Kotobuki Ran

From Wikipedia

Reviews

[☾❀Miriam✩ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Jae's Manga Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series Review: 5/5
I just love this series so much. I own it and don't get sick of it, even though it's pretty dated by now. It's just so funny! And the English translation is amazing! Ran's a kick-ass girl who doesn't take any sh*t from anyone and I love her. Definitely different than most shoujos, I'd say.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this manga so far. I saw the show first and I wanted to see how similar and different they are from each other. The manga is just as great as the show. While the manga is funny with exciting adventures and plots it also has touching and serious moments. The book sends out a good message for girls to follow their hearts and respect themselves. Ran is a true role model for girls. Sure she's lazy, but she doesn't let others push her around or pressure her. She enjoys being herself and having fun while she still can. While this manga sends out a good message it's also fun and exciting for the readers. In the first book Ran and Miyu are already great friends due to who Miyu was in the past (gang leader). With the help of Ran and Ran's older brother Yamato who never gave up on Miyu she has turned her life around. Yamato knows Miyu's dark past and her good qualities and they are slowly dating. A nasty rumor spreads about an overachieving student Aya Hoshino which happens to be true. Before Aya can fall harder into a black hole Ran smacks sense into her and befriends Aya. Together in the book these three help another girl out of a controlling relationship. They also help Miyu get rid of a stalker and stick together. I adore this cute series about friendship, love, and standing up for what's right.

[˗ˏˋ✰ s y l v i e ✰ˎˊ˗ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7 stars ✨
this manga is so fun! and so feminist! i love it

[ninapasta · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐ This series is for the Dork Diaries kids!!!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Archie comics with street fighting. I LOVE the art!!
Some of the best cartooning out there.

[Lake County Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and fun stories about a group of three girls involved in the "gal" subculture of Japan.

-- Paige, Merrillville Branch

[MarinaNiv · Rating 5 out of 5]

No puedo explicar con palabras lo importante que fue para mí este manga cuando tenía catorce años. Más allá de la moda ko-gal y de los amoríos, conocer al personaje de Ran fue una bendición y una confirmación. La certeza de que estaba bien ser así, de que podías ser gritona, fuerte y no tener miedo a nada, de que no hacía falta la aprobación de todo el mundo para seguir siendo tú. Ran tiene muchos defectos, pero tiene tres virtudes que me siguen maravillando hoy en día: su férreo sentido de la justicia, su carácter fuerte y su integridad. Nada puede detenerla, y eso hace que siempre consiga llegar a mi vida cuando más la necesito. A ella, y también a sus plataformas, sus mechas rojas y sus hibiscos.

Mihona Fujii, te estoy eternamente agradecida <3

NEVER FORGET! El genialísimo opening del anime interpretado en catalán por las Charm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Fet...

[Lucía · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bastante cute pero a ver los siguientes tomos, imagino que empezará a tener más profundidad con el tiempo.
Igualmente el dibujo es precioso ~
Algunas cosas son súper cuestionables hoy en día tho lol (lo de que el hermano de 25 salga con una de 16, por mucho que no hagan "nada"... la hermana de 14 o así hablando de que si su novio quiere hacer cosas... las chavalas con cuchillos en la escuela... qué miedo daban los 90 en verdad uh)

[Dorotea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used to be a teen favourite of mine, though I've always been disappointed by the end pairings.

[LeatheHatless · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing funny story about an unusual group of friends. Ran is the best protagonist ever! :D

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let those stats fool you; I've read this series before! But it's so good to start reading again, and especially to read it now that I own copies of all ten volumes!

GALS! is a manga I would recommend to anyone and everyone, and I absolutely do. Whether you're a shoujo fan or not, whether you like the art style of the series or not, you should absolutely give this series a chance. It's a lot harder to track down since it's gone out of print and your best bet for getting to read it probably lies with looking for online scans, but you should invest the time and either a search for free online scans or putting money into buying secondhand copies, because this series is absolutely legit and worth reading, especially if you're a fan of contemporary stories, shoujo, real life teen girl problems in what you read, and Japanese subculture. Plus protagonists who are fashionable and kick ass, to boot!

We open with a very memorable introduction to our main protagonist, Ran Kotobuki, gradually meeting her elder brother Yamato, and her best friend Miyu (who is also Yamato's girlfriend) in the process. Ran is the middle child of three children in a family of hardcore law enforcers, and she is determined to never become a cop (because it would mean she wasn't allowed to color her hair) but sometimes you just can't un-learn concepts of justice. As she does everything in her power to live the kogal subculture lifestyle and have the best time being a self-confident teenage girl, she's also dispensing her own unique brand of justice and encouragement on the streets of Shibuya.

In this first volume we join Ran and Miyu as they befriend Aya, a girl in their school known for her stellar academic record but also for the sudden reputation that she's allegedly going out with older men for money. Ran and Miyu go out of their way to set her back on the straight and narrow, reminding Aya that she has worth as a person and she should treat herself as such, and this cements Aya's place as the third girl to round out their teenage kogal trio. Along the way we also meet two guys who will become long-term side characters, known as minor celebrities in the locale for being the most attractive boys in their school, who constantly seem to get roped into Ran's high-energy antics as well. We deal with a few more hard stories, as well as a flashback chapter wherein we learn how Miyu and Ran met, how Miyu used to be in junior high, and what it was exactly that caused her to make such a one-eighty in her lifestyle and personality.

I've said it once already and I'll say it again: I highly recommend this series. It's funny, it's smart, it's heart-breaking, heart-warming, and very fun but real all at once. Back when I first read it, I hadn't anticipated liking it because the art style seemed just a little too shoujo for me, but it is one of my most favorite manga series of all time. Please, do yourself a favor and give GALS! a shot.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

woah, old times, old times.
the Para Para Dance! XD

ahahahahahahahahahahah....

[Marianna Rainolter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ran Kotobuki è una gals, una ragazza alla moda che preferisce dedicarsi più allo shopping e al divertimento che allo studio. E dire che viene da una ligia famiglia di poliziotti, ma la ragazza studia solo se viene ripagata (monetariamente e non). Al suo fianco la ex ribelle Miyu, fidanzata del fratello poliziotto, e la timida Hoshino che proprio grazie a Ran si rende conto che può essere una buona studentessa ma anche una ragazza carina e divertirsi ogni tanto. Cosa succederà alla nostra Ran e alle sue amiche? Tanti casini, tanta energia e il non arrendersi mai che la caratterizza, e il combattere le ingiustizie che affliggono lei e le persone che incontra. Io quando ero piccola adoravo il cartone Super Gals, mi divertita tantissimo e adoravo il peroanggio di Ran e tuti i suoi amici. Non conoscevo bene l’inizio della serie, ma fatti più in là, quando poi Ran inizia ad avere un fidanzato e pure la timida Hoshino si innamora e cerca di confessarsi al suo amato mentre Miyu si ribella suo povero fidanzato. Insomma ho preso questo volume per nostalgia, per vedere come è il materiale originale di questo cartone che ho adorato e mi ha accompagnato per tanti giorni. Devo dire che mi è piaciuta l’atmosfera che è la stessa, insieme all'allegria e pazzia del personaggio di Ran, protagonista indiscussa della storia. Una particolarità è che questa edizione abbia una lettura occidentale e che quindi non si legga all’incontrario come siamo abituati per i manga, ma come un normale fumetto e mi ha molto stupito perché poi parliamo dei primi anni duemila e non è tanto vecchio... Ho avuto qualche difficoltà a leggere alcuni balloon per via della rilegatura ma per il resto visto il prezzo scontato e per il fattore nostalgia sono felice di questo acquisto e di questa lettura.

[jules ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 5 out of 5]

new favorite manga!! <3 i loved everything about this volume; the art, the characters, the plot, the outfits especially! most of all, ran is my new favorite female character. she's strong, stands up for herself, protects her friends, and doesn't let anyone (especially boys) walk all over her. put her in a typical shoujo and she'll smack anyone who gets in her way :D

[Harumichi Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ran rules Shibuya!

Awal pertemuannya dengan Otohata Rei.

Awal pertemanan Ran dan Miyuki dengan Aya, si gadis pintar yang diam-diam jadi escort.

Awal pertemanannya dengan Miyuki. Ternyata dulu Miyuki mantan preman, brutal, dan musuhan sama Ran loh. Dia pertama kali kenal kakaknya Miyuki pas masih kelas 8. Kakaknya Miyuki udah 23 tahun. Wait... Age gap-nya gede banget!!!

[TT · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I didn't read but the first volume of the manga series but that's because I watched the entire anime series and LOVED it! Very funny stuff, although I do think Rin and Ran (hope I got the names right) should have ended up together!!

[Aulia · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Blue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh

[Fia Anjani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read

[Vilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

no thoughts head parapara

[Alana Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku Favorite yang bisa di baca berulang kali..

[Nayrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Kyra Theurge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuando te pones a leer mangas que querías leer hace 15 años atrás

[Laetitia F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cela faisait des années que je n'avais pas lu cette série et contrairement à beaucoup de manga, j'aime toujours autant les personnages, le style et le côté gnangnan de toute l'histoire.

[Andrea Díaz Díaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me leí toda la colección de niña y me encantó. Solo voy a guardar este porque es una tortura buscar todos los volúmenes.

[Delphine B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un mangu lu adolescente que j'ai adoré découvrir à nouveau.

[Mayta Fit · Rating 5 out of 5]

seri komik dan anime paling membekas semasa kecil,seru banget dan suka dengan karakter ran yang punya semangat dan pendirian yang kuat.

[Alaiel Kreuz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm aware this is not a new manga but hey, what can I say? Gals! is one of those mangas that won a place in my heart years ago.
Since it has already been completely published I'm just going to write a review for the whole series.

Ran Kotobuki is a gal. And what is a gal you may ask? Good question! Well, you see, if by any chance you go to Japan and visit the popular place known as Shibuya you will find yourself surrounded (mark my words: SURROUNDED) but tons of girls dressed in the height of fashion in Japan. And they know it.
But don't fool yourself, these girls are tough. And they are diverse: from the ones that only use sport clothes to the ones that wear everything posh and chic. You can find them with their skin as white as a porcelain or so tanned that you will wonder if they went recently to the Sahara's desert.

But in general gals have a bad reputation: most of them are known for exchanging their bodies for money and clothes (so they can keep up their gals status). Also they are kind of dangerous, specially if you mess with their territory and friends. A good gal knows how to fight, remember that.

And maybe this is one of Ran's worst problems because yes, she is a gal -and very proud of it- BUT she doesn't sell her body, she doesn't do drugs and doesn't fight... Scratch that, she does fight, a lot. But only for good reasons.

Ran is loyal, strong and never backs away from a challenge or leaves a friend in the stakes. She is also full of charisma, confidence and pride. But at the same time is shy and very clueless in love.

Her best friends are Miyu (sport gal) who has a relationship with Ran's brother, Yamato; and Aya (elegant gal) who is top of her class and has a crush with Rei.

Rei (AKA #1) and Yuya (AKA #2) were featured in a magazine as the hottest guys in the area. Somehow they end up being friends with Ran & Co. and the whole gang begin a live of adventures that has Shibuya as the main background.

Personal opinion:
If you like fun reads full of meaning, purpose and lessons this is certainly your manga. I loved every tome of this series, they made me burst of laughter and cry like an idiot with every single page.

You will laugh when Ran throws her high-heeled boots to some idiot that tries to touch her, you will cheer for Miyu and Yamato's relationship. You will want to fight alongside them to defend some girl from her problems.

And this is the main reason of why I love Gals!: Mihona Fujii does an amazing job portraying the difficult situations a teenage girl goes through: drugs, prostitution, abuse, bullying... But she portraits it with humor and makes sure that by the end of the chapter your heart if full of hope.
Of course I can't forget the fact that Gals! is a fun read, you will smile when Ran is crying for not having a cent to buy clothes and when the whole gang goes to a waterpark you will want to call your friends and go too. In Valentine's Day I'm sure you will remember them also.

The drawing is simple but neat and it evolves in every tome. And one thing I liked the most is that the character' expressions are reaaaally good. Hilarious to say he least.

[Soobie is expired · Rating 4 out of 5]

E così, per la terza volta, provo a rileggere GALS!. Ho tentato nel 2003, appena uscito. Ci ho riprovato nel 2013... E adesso mi metto d'impegno.

Non è la storia che mi ha sempre messo in crisi, bensì la qualità del volumetto. Per più di tre quarti di albo, infatti, l'impaginatura è sbagliata e si manga un sacco di battute. Roba che bisogna aprire al massimo il volume e indovinare ciò che c'è scritto. Nell'ultima parte, invece, le parole vengono tagliate dal bordo pagina.

É una storia un po' stupidotta e la protagonista è assurda! Figlia e nipote di poliziotti, non ha alcuna intenzione di continuare con la tradizione di famiglia. Al contrario, si è autonominata la gal numero uno di Shibuya.

Tutti i capitoli fanno storia a sé - cosa che di solito non apprezzo molto - e c'è tantissimo testo. Però fa sorridere!

Speriamo che questa sia la volta buona! Di finire la serie intendo.