The Gutsy Frog (Japanese: ど根性ガエル, Hepburn: Dokonjō Gaeru) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasumi Yoshizawa. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from July 1970 to June 1976, with its chapters collected in 27 tankōbon volumes. A 103-episode anime television series by Tokyo Movie was broadcast on ABC and TBS from October 1972 to September 1974; a second anime television series, titled The Gutsy Frog 2 (known in Japan as New Gutsy Frog), was broadcast on Nippon TV from September 1981 to March 1982. An anime film was released in March 1982. A ten-episode television drama aired on Nippon TV from July to September 2015.
Contents
Premise
While frog Pyonkichi is hopping in an empty lot in Nerima, Tokyo's Shakujii Park, middle schooler Hiroshi trips over a rock and squashes him. However, Pyonkichi is reborn as an imprint on the front of Hiroshi's shirt and now gives him advice and commentary on his life.
Characters
Pyonkichi (ピョン吉)
Voiced by: Sachiko Chijimatsu (anime), Hikari Mitsushima (drama)
A frog who is crushed by Hiroshi, but his spirit lives on as a talking frog on his shirt, becoming a "Flat Surface Frog" (平面ガエル, Heimen Gaeru). Because said shirt is Hiroshi's only good shirt, he is always forced to travel around and interact with Hiroshi. They are equally obstinate and gluttonous and are always arguing like siblings. He is capable of jumping around and forcing Hiroshi to come along with him. He possesses incredible strength, and through his arms and teeth he is able to lift extremely heavy objects. Hiroshi's mother treats Pyonkichi as her own child. Pyonkichi is attracted to females of all species, including cats, frogs, and humans. His title comes from his frequent acts of "gutsiness".
Hiroshi Kaizuka (貝塚 ひろし, Kaizuka Hiroshi)
Voiced by: Masako Nozawa
Portrayed by: Kenichi Matsuyama
The middle schooler who fell on Pyonkichi. He is never seen without his sunglasses, which he wears perched on his head. Though his school has a uniform policy, he is, for some reason, allowed to wear his one good shirt. He is not good academically or in athletics (except bowling). He frequently engages in duels with other boys, including Gorilla-Imo. Hiroshi is recognised as the class comedian due to his mischievous acts, and consequently is scolded often by his teachers. His girlfriend is Kyoko, whom he stays with most of the time. However, he still does not miss an opportunity to see other women, especially older ones. Pyonkichi and Hiroshi behave like siblings; encouraging, quarrelling, and caring deeply for each other. Married to Kyoko in the Solmac advertisement series produced by the original animators.
Kyoko Yoshizawa (吉沢 京子, Yoshizawa Kyōko)
Voiced by: Yōko Kuri (1st series), Jun Tomii (2nd series; #1–26), Kaoru Kurosu (2nd series; #27–60)
Portrayed by: Atsuko Maeda
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Yasumi Yoshizawa, The Gutsy Frog was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from July 27, 1970, to June 14, 1976. Shueisha collected its chapters in 27 tankōbon volumes, released from February 28, 1971, to October 9, 1976.
Anime
A 103-episode anime television series (consisting of two segments of 15 minutes each), produced by A Production, Tokyo Movie, and Asahi Broadcasting, was broadcast on ABC and TBS from October 7, 1972, to September 28, 1974.
Another 30-episode anime television series (also consisting of two segments of 15 minutes each), titled The Gutsy Frog 2 or New Gutsy Frog (新・ど根性ガエル, Shin Dokonjō Gaeru), was broadcast on Nippon TV from September 7, 1981, to March 29, 1982. An anime film, titled Shin Dokonjō Gaeru: Dokonjō Yumemakura (新・ど根性ガエル ど根性夢枕; "New Gutsy Frog: The Gutsy Pillow"), premiered on March 13, 1982.
The original anime series aired in the United States on United Television Broadcasting (UTB) in 2014.
Other media
In 2013, an American TV-movie remake of The Gutsy Frog was reported to be in development, presumably as a pilot for a new TV series. The pilot film was to contain both live action and CGI animation and to feature a cast including Frankie Jonas, Maxwell Perry Cotton, and Mischa Barton.
A live-action dorama version of the story premiered in Japan in July 2015 on Nippon Television. The series is set in 2015 Japan and features a grown-up Hiroshi and Kyoko and a computer-generated Pyonkichi. The cast included Kenichi Matsuyama as Hiroshi and former AKB48 singer Atsuko Maeda as Kyoko.
A sequel manga, written and drawn by Yasumi's daughter Yuuko Ootsuki in collaboration with Sanrio, was released on August 5, 2016. Titled Dokonjō!! Kero Kero Keroppi (ど根性!! けろけろけろっぴ), it is about Hiroshi's daughter Hiroko and Keroppi in a situation similar to that involving Hiroshi and Pyonkichi.
Reception
In 2005, Japanese television network TV Asahi conducted a "Top 100" nationwide survey; The Gutsy Frog placed 100th. In 2006, TV Asahi conducted an online poll for the top one hundred anime, and The Gutsy Frog placed 56th in the "Celebrity List". In 2013, animator Masaaki Yuasa recommended among other anime, The Gutsy Frog, highlighting episodes 145 and 146.