“MY QUUUUUUEEEEENNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

[Spoilers]

Meet Kintaro, a lovable 25-year old freelancer fresh out of college, on a mission to learn everything he can about the world. With emphasis on making sure every new odd job is “educational.” And let the record show he’s also a massive horndog, finding himself surrounded by a plethora of babes during his travels. Specifically: the busty blonde boss, the mayor's high school daughter, the daughter of a restaurant owner, a swim instructor, a horny biker girl, and a colorist for an anime studio. Complete with jiggle physics and that vintage sauciness (uncensored tiddies, bro!) that gives these 80s-90s OVAs their edge (pun semi-intended). Except for Noriko and Chie, who are drawn much more conservatively (look, there's a beauty to plainness, I'll stand by it). That said, design-wise, I can't get over how derivative some of these characters look. Naoko is straight-up a brunette Misato Katsuragi, and the biker chick looks like Faye Valentine (hell, this predates Cowboy Bebop, which is the crazier part).

GB’s most impressive feat for me is how it manages to make a helplessly perverted main character actually…endearing? Kintaro has his occasional sus moves (like when he swims straight into the swim instructor’s vag), but for the most part, is a lovable goofball who’s too damn energetic and happy-go-lucky to truly hate. He drives the women around him like crazy, but rarely because he wants to; in fact, he's often unaware of it. And it's through that innocent sort of cluelessness that these women end up humbled. Well, more that they think he's more of a secret genius than he actually is (though he was an honest-to-god good student who aced his courses, so he's definitely not a blockhead. Except with women anyway. Usually).

Towards the final act of the episodes when there’s some sort of misunderstanding do they realize how he's actually a well-meaning, sincere lad. With the final episode being the exception, as it serves as a satisfying little closer bringing all these women together to help get an anime finished on time. It ends the OVA on a very feel-good note, and I'd be lying if it didn't feel a little inspirational in terms of making you want to go outside and try your hand at something new and exciting to make your life more colorful. To go where the wind takes you.

As a comedy, while I can’t say it’s that out-of-this-world funny (save for Kintaro worshiping the toilet in ep. 1, that got me good), there's still this raunchy charm and energy to all the gags. Like when Madame President is about to spit on Kintaro, except he gleefully lets it fall into his mouth. The man is the embodiment of "joke's on you, I'm into that!" Or a full-blown make out session between him and a douchey rich guy, where the guy never finds out it was Kintaro. The funniest parts are simply when Kin lets his enthusiasm run wild, and gives off a very hammy yet uplifting presence. To which is accredited to Doug Smith in the English dub for clearly having a blast with the character. He's like a 5th-grader who hit puberty early, and is easily amused by everything, which in turn, helps us, the audience be easily amused alongside him. It's infectious. It's this raspy, deep, but also youthful kind of yell that you can't stop smiling at.

One complaint is that the episodes can feel a little slow at times. The aforementioned misunderstandings start getting predictable, and I typically like my humor to be more faster-paced and/or deadpan. GB's comedy works primarily because of Kintaro's entire presence, and is accompanied by lewd-fuel. I mean, I'm not complaining (biker girl's great), but it still means it's not super accessible.

If you're up for a light-hearted 3-hour long horny romp with some heart in it, definitely give it a watch. It had no right being as feel-good as it was. And I dunno man, there's something about freelancer-based premises that make for great comedy. If only because of how many possibilities that opens up. Just look at Gintama (only watched season 1, and y'all better not be lying about how it only improves with time).

Thank you Sage for the recommendation.

Song of the day: “She is Beautiful” by Andrew W.K.