MarketHi Score Girl
Company Profile

Hi Score Girl

Hi Score Girl is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rensuke Oshikiri that ran from October 2010 to September 2018. The story revolves around the life of gamer Haruo Yaguchi, the arcade game scene of the 1990s, and his relationship with quiet gamer Akira Ono, as we follow the characters from about age 12 to about age 17. Known as a 1990s arcade romantic comedy, the series is notable for its unique art style, and very precise depictions of the multitude of gaming software and hardware featured. An anime television series adaptation by J.C.Staff and SMDE aired from July to September 2018. A second season aired from October to December 2019.

Plot
Haruo Yaguchi, a loner elementary school student in 1991, finds refuge in video games, particularly arcade games. Having no friends in school, he barely has relationships with anyone. This begins to change when, one day, he sees his classmate Akira Ono playing Street Fighter II at an arcade. Having only known Akira as a rich girl of few works, he is shocked to see her not only playing games but also being good at them. After challenging her to multiple games of Street Fighter, where she wins 30 times, he vows to beat her one day. However, after the incident, the two polar opposites find themselves becoming close friends, with the two finding a shared interest in gaming despite their differences. ==Characters==
Characters
;/ : (Japanese); Johnny Yong Bosch (English) :A young man with an affinity for gaming, nicknamed "Beastly Fingers Haruo". He met his match during a fateful encounter with Akira Ono while playing Street Fighter II. Undeterred after losing, he still sees her as an opponent he must challenge and eventually beat. While he starts as a snarky brat with an ego, he eventually grows out of it. However, he never abandons his dedication and love for gaming, which almost borders on unhealthy obsession. On the bright side, this pure passion for gaming is what leads him to find some of his closest friends. : ; : (Japanese); Christine Marie Cabanos (English) : ; : (Japanese); Erika Harlacher (English) :Late in season one, Haruo is shocked to learn that Akira has an older sister, the similar-looking but very different college-age Ono Makoto. Makoto, both flakey and defiant, explicitly rejects the harsh responsibilities of the Ono family. Those responsibilities fall to Akira, when Akira is just a grade-schooler. Conflicted by the effect of her actions, Makoto interacts with the three main characters, the school-friends, and Haruo's mother, in Makoto's attempts to support Akira's side in the final years of the love triangle. The Makoto character oscillates between broad comedy and the most intense moments of the story. ; : (Japanese); Joe Ochman (English) :A guidance counselor at Haruo's middle school, who likes to play video games as well. He resembles Lau Chan from Virtua Fighter series. ; : :Daughter of an arcade proprietor, Felicia is the head of the "Mizonokuchi Force", a band of gamers who operate in Kawasaki City. She takes Koharu under her wing after witnessing her skill. ;Aulbath Ōimachi : ;Sagat Takdanobaba : ;Blanka Kuhombutsu : ;Sasquatch Tamagawagakuenmae : Video game characters Various video game characters were credited for redubbing for the television series, except for Phobos/Huitzil, Driver, Hell Chaos, EDI.E, Holmes, Watson, and Geese. Street Fighter ; :A USA fighter introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. The voices of 'Sonic Boom' and 'Faneffu' were dubbed for the television series. ; :A Soviet Union fighter introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, and Akira's favourite character. ;/Akuma :A hidden character from Japan, introduced in Super Street Fighter II Turbo. ; :A Japanese fighter introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. ; :An Indian fighter introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. ; :A Brazilian fighter introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. ; :A Chinese fighter introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. ;/M.Bison :A fighter from the Thailand stage, introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. ;/Charlie :A USA fighter introduced in ''Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams''. Final Fight ; :A Final Fight Round 1 boss. ; :A Final Fight Round 3 boss. ; :A Final Fight playable character. Darkstalkers ;/Huitzil :A Darkstalkers fighter, and Koharu's favourite character. ; :A Darkstalkers fighter. ; :A Darkstalkers fighter. ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'' ; :The player character from ''Ghosts 'n Goblins''. Out Run ; :The driver from Out Run. Puzzle & Action: Tant-R ; :A detective from Puzzle & Action: Tant-R, resembles Sherlock Holmes. ; :A detective from Puzzle & Action: Tant-R, resembles Dr. Watson. Genpei Tōma Den ; :A Genpei Tōma Den character. ; :A Genpei Tōma Den stage 46 (Kamakura) boss. Puzzle Bobble ;/Bub :The green dinosaur player character in Puzzle Bobble. Fatal Fury ; :A Fatal Fury fighter. Splatterhouse ; :The Splatterhouse stage 7 final boss. ''Hammerin' Harry'' ;/Harry :The player character from ''Hammerin' Harry''. Gaming machines ; ; ; :Haruo's video game devices. ==Media==
Media
Manga Oshikiri launched the manga in Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan on October 25, 2010, and ended its serialization on September 25, 2018, in the tenth 2018 issue of the magazine. The series has been published in ten volumes, with the first volume released on February 25, 2012, and the tenth and final volume released on March 25, 2019. Square Enix Manga & Books licensed the manga in English, with the first volume released on February 25, 2020, and the last on January 17, 2023. A spin-off, titled Hi Score Girl Dash, focusing on Koharu Hidaka, now a middle school teacher, started in Monthly Big Gangan on December 25, 2019. Volumes ; Anime Monthly Big Gangan announced in December 2013 that an anime adaptation was green-lit. In March 2018, the anime adaptation was confirmed to be a television series animated by SMDE, The series runs at 60fps (mainly for the game footage, due to having a 60hz rate) in selected scenes, as opposed to 24fps (although it was encoded at 30fps). The series' opening theme song "New Stranger" was performed by Sora tob sakana, while the series' ending theme song "Hōkago Distraction" was performed by Etsuko Yakushimaru. Netflix streamed the anime on December 24, 2018, with an English dub. The series received three OVA episodes titled Extra Stage that premiered on March 20, 2019. A second, nine episode long season aired from October 25 to December 20, 2019, with the staff and cast reprising their roles. The second season's opening theme song "Flash" was performed by Sora tob sakana, while the second season's ending theme song "Unknown World Map" was performed by Etsuko Yakushimaru. Season 2 premiered on Netflix on April 9, 2020, outside of Japan and China. ==Reception==
Reception
Hi Score Girl won the Tokyo News Services' TV Bros magazine Bros. Comic Award 2012. It was number two on the 2013 Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Top 20 Manga for Male Readers survey. It was also nominated for the 6th Manga Taishō and the 17th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. It was number nine in the 2013 Comic Natalie Grand Prize. As of December 30, 2012, volume 3 has sold 59,016 copies and as of July 7, 2013, volume 4 has sold 103,734 copies. ==Legal issues==
Legal issues
On August 5, 2014, Osaka District Police searched the offices of Square Enix, the publishers of Hi Score Girl, acting on an IP violation claim by SNK Playmore stating that the manga allegedly features over 100 instances of characters from The King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, and other fighting games. In response, Square Enix voluntarily recalled all printed volumes and temporarily suspended publication of future volumes and digital sales. However, the manga continued its run in Monthly Big Gangan. In August 2015, it was reported that Square Enix and SNK Playmore had reached a settlement, cancelling the lawsuit and enabling the manga to be sold again in different formats. ==See also==
tickerdossier.comtickerdossier.substack.com