What do you think?
Rate this book
GALS! #3
Gals! 3
Aya está muy deprimida porque Rei le ha dado calabazas. Así que Ran le enseña uno de los principios de las gals: ¡hay que ser fuerte!
He aquí el principio de las nuevas aventuras de las gals.
¡Preparaos para una historia de pasión y sentimientos!
He aquí el principio de las nuevas aventuras de las gals.
¡Preparaos para una historia de pasión y sentimientos!
192 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2000
3 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Mihona Fujii
27 books34 followersMihona 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
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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 18, 2019
It's been a while since I did a review for Gals!, and honestly, despite having bought copies of all 10 volumes, I have to really pace myself with this series. It's that easy to fly through; the characters are charming and memorable, the stories shift rather seamlessly between pure fun and hard-hitting issues, and they read so fast they're easy to devour in a short time.
We pick up in this volume with Ran and company getting convinced to participate in their school's sports festival at the behest of Nakanishi-sensei, who (post-typical berating of Ran for forgetting to participate in her mandatory remedial class) mentions a rivalry with Gunjo-sensei, the teacher of Class 4. He promises to overlook Ran's tardy absence if she assists in rallying their class for a possible win in the sports festival, and naturally she's driven to accept if it means avoiding additional consequences from her parents. Unfortunately, this garners the attention of Gunjo, who we learn quickly is nothing short of a scummy human.
The majority of this volume's conflict is a slow-burn, centered around the reveal that Gunjo as a teacher, is abusive to his students. Typically the abuse is verbal, but when he loses his temper, things get physical as well. (We see this predominantly when Ran provokes him for verbally putting her down in front of an entire class, though there is an earlier instance in which he gets rough with her and breaks a beaded bracelet Aya made for her. Naturally, Ran isn't the sort of person to take this standing down, and she hits back eventually, but it's implied that this might have happened to other students of his as well.) He controls them through a combination of fear and abuse, to the point several of the students in his class start to mirror his behavior and lash out at one of the less physically-talented students they blame their loss in the sports festival on.
Conflicts and moments like this are a big part of why I feel like Gals! is so important as a series for people to read. This is a blatant commentary on treatment of students by their teachers when any behavior of the teacher goes unchecked by other adults. True, in the USA, we've been making strides to combat this as an issue, though it still happens. And yes, perhaps the age on the series plays into this a little, as it was started in the late '90s-early '00s era in Japan. But that's another thing, that the series is set in Japan, and as American readers, we can only really view this from our own perspectives and experiences. Even as recently as the early '00s, American schools continued to face this as an issue, where teachers abuse their power to abuse or bully students, and it continues to exist, no matter what laws we might have in place regarding physical harm coming to a student. And if it still exists here, there's not a doubt in my mind it exists in other places, including Japan. I would also make mention that it seems to be primarily the female students that Gunjo visits his wrath upon in this volume, and Japan is a country that still expects young women (and women in general) to fall into a role of behavior that American audiences would find archaic. Because of this, students like Ran fighting back are probably a huge shock (even in-narrative, her classmates are utterly stunned when she punches Gunjo right after getting up from being struck so hard she hit the floor bleeding.)
But if you think it's all edge and grim tone, I'll remind you all that this is Gals!, and there's more to the story than just that. We also see more of the slowburn, fluffy romance between Miyu and Yamato, more of the drama between Aya and Rei, and of course more of Yuya pining hopelessly after Ran. Ah, but this is also one of my favorite volumes of the series, because it's in this one that we get to meet Tatsuki, who becomes Ran's boyfriend with a simple, straightforward confession by being himself. The two are peas in a pod and just made for each other, and I absolutely love their dynamic. (Hey, perhaps instead of "opposites attract", this is a case of "like calls to like"!)
And of course, the volume wraps up with a lighthearted, goofy side story where we see the trope "knock on the noggin = personality switch" come into play with Ran, leaving her younger sister Sayo distressed by the abrupt change and revealing in the process just how much she loves her older sister the way she is. I'm a sucker for family dynamics and playing with a trope like that one just for fun is entertaining, so I enjoyed even this silly little side story.
Again and as always, I highly recommend this series. It makes you think and it stays fun all at once, and really, what more could you ask for?
We pick up in this volume with Ran and company getting convinced to participate in their school's sports festival at the behest of Nakanishi-sensei, who (post-typical berating of Ran for forgetting to participate in her mandatory remedial class) mentions a rivalry with Gunjo-sensei, the teacher of Class 4. He promises to overlook Ran's tardy absence if she assists in rallying their class for a possible win in the sports festival, and naturally she's driven to accept if it means avoiding additional consequences from her parents. Unfortunately, this garners the attention of Gunjo, who we learn quickly is nothing short of a scummy human.
The majority of this volume's conflict is a slow-burn, centered around the reveal that Gunjo as a teacher, is abusive to his students. Typically the abuse is verbal, but when he loses his temper, things get physical as well. (We see this predominantly when Ran provokes him for verbally putting her down in front of an entire class, though there is an earlier instance in which he gets rough with her and breaks a beaded bracelet Aya made for her. Naturally, Ran isn't the sort of person to take this standing down, and she hits back eventually, but it's implied that this might have happened to other students of his as well.) He controls them through a combination of fear and abuse, to the point several of the students in his class start to mirror his behavior and lash out at one of the less physically-talented students they blame their loss in the sports festival on.
Conflicts and moments like this are a big part of why I feel like Gals! is so important as a series for people to read. This is a blatant commentary on treatment of students by their teachers when any behavior of the teacher goes unchecked by other adults. True, in the USA, we've been making strides to combat this as an issue, though it still happens. And yes, perhaps the age on the series plays into this a little, as it was started in the late '90s-early '00s era in Japan. But that's another thing, that the series is set in Japan, and as American readers, we can only really view this from our own perspectives and experiences. Even as recently as the early '00s, American schools continued to face this as an issue, where teachers abuse their power to abuse or bully students, and it continues to exist, no matter what laws we might have in place regarding physical harm coming to a student. And if it still exists here, there's not a doubt in my mind it exists in other places, including Japan. I would also make mention that it seems to be primarily the female students that Gunjo visits his wrath upon in this volume, and Japan is a country that still expects young women (and women in general) to fall into a role of behavior that American audiences would find archaic. Because of this, students like Ran fighting back are probably a huge shock (even in-narrative, her classmates are utterly stunned when she punches Gunjo right after getting up from being struck so hard she hit the floor bleeding.)
But if you think it's all edge and grim tone, I'll remind you all that this is Gals!, and there's more to the story than just that. We also see more of the slowburn, fluffy romance between Miyu and Yamato, more of the drama between Aya and Rei, and of course more of Yuya pining hopelessly after Ran. Ah, but this is also one of my favorite volumes of the series, because it's in this one that we get to meet Tatsuki, who becomes Ran's boyfriend with a simple, straightforward confession by being himself. The two are peas in a pod and just made for each other, and I absolutely love their dynamic. (Hey, perhaps instead of "opposites attract", this is a case of "like calls to like"!)
And of course, the volume wraps up with a lighthearted, goofy side story where we see the trope "knock on the noggin = personality switch" come into play with Ran, leaving her younger sister Sayo distressed by the abrupt change and revealing in the process just how much she loves her older sister the way she is. I'm a sucker for family dynamics and playing with a trope like that one just for fun is entertaining, so I enjoyed even this silly little side story.
Again and as always, I highly recommend this series. It makes you think and it stays fun all at once, and really, what more could you ask for?
August 3, 2025
¡Uno de mis tomos favs de momento! El novio que se ha echado Ran es maravilloso, le amo. Y los comentarios de la mangaka son geniales, me está encantando leerosss
October 2, 2011
Gals! is not your average shoujo manga. The lead character, Ran Kotobuki, is a) hyper and agressive and b) not crushing on some bishi. She's crazy, kicks ass and it's refreshing. To keep it from going completely OTT, she does have her heart in the right place, especially when it comes to "fighting injustice": she has inherited more from her all-cop household than she likes to admit.
And then there is the fact that she and her friends are kogals. This means they're constantly sporting tons of flashy clothes, accessories, (platform) shoes, and elaborate hairstyles. This manga series started in '99. At the time I was in high school, and I was wearing similar stuff like ridiculous oversized animal print platforms and day-glo green nailpolish. Well, at least as "extravagant" as you can get in small-town Flanders. If I'd had Shibuya outside my doorstep I could have ended up looking like Ran and her gang. Or maybe not at all, I wore that stuff to set myself apart from the rest, not to be part of some movement. In any case, I do have a soft spot for the kogal subculture so that makes this series enjoyable for me too.
And finally there's the art. I have to add an extra star for the art, it's so vibrant, strong and consistently great.
And then there is the fact that she and her friends are kogals. This means they're constantly sporting tons of flashy clothes, accessories, (platform) shoes, and elaborate hairstyles. This manga series started in '99. At the time I was in high school, and I was wearing similar stuff like ridiculous oversized animal print platforms and day-glo green nailpolish. Well, at least as "extravagant" as you can get in small-town Flanders. If I'd had Shibuya outside my doorstep I could have ended up looking like Ran and her gang. Or maybe not at all, I wore that stuff to set myself apart from the rest, not to be part of some movement. In any case, I do have a soft spot for the kogal subculture so that makes this series enjoyable for me too.
And finally there's the art. I have to add an extra star for the art, it's so vibrant, strong and consistently great.
May 30, 2024
We continue to follow our three favorite GALS as they experience more challenges and new romances. After winning the sports festival Ran tries to help a classmate who is being bullied by the teacher. Ran is successful in stopping the bully teacher and standing up for her classmate. Ran also gets a boyfriend which really upsets Second Place because he was too shy to tell her his feelings. Aya and Rei also begin dating although Rei tries his best to be a good boyfriend he's actually doing better than expected and making Aya happy. This manga is so funny and cute I really adore it!
August 19, 2017
Will always be a favorite ♡
December 14, 2023
Aya jadian ama Otohata! Whaaaaaat? Apa alasan Otohata Rei nerima perasaannya Aya? Cuma karena tersentuh lihat cewek itu nangis di hadapannya sambil meluapkan perasaannya? Soalnya Rei juga ga keliatan beneran suka sama Aya gitu, sih.
Terus Ran musuhan sama Gunjou-sensei. Guru olahraga sekaligus wali kelas 2-4 yang mendewakan kemampuan olahraga. Ceritanya Ran lupa kalau dia harus ikut kelas tambahan di musim panas. Akhirnya biar wali kelasnya berhenti mempermasalahkan, Ran bilang dia bakal bikin kelasnya (2-2) menangin festival olahraga, dan itu berarti ngalahin kelasnya Gunjou. Ran berhasil melatih dan menyatukan teman-temannya sehingga memenangkan semua cabang lomba di festival olahraga. Gunjou nggak terima, dia lalu nge-bully salah satu murid ceweknya yang dianggap sebagai biang kekalahan kelas cuma gara-gara dia yang terakhir kali hadapan sama Ran di permainan kuda-kudaan.
Ran langsung stand up dong. Tapi jadinya dia musuhan frontal sama si guru. Dan si guru ini busuknya bukan main. Kata-katanya ke Ran tengik tenan. Ada ya guru sebusuk ini? Ya Allah. In the end dia nampar Ran di depan semua orang dan Ran balas nonjok. Ran diskors lima hari dan si Gunjou dipindahkan ke... tebak... sekolahnya Honda Mami di Ikebukuro! Wakakakakak! Lolos dari sarang harimau, masuk ke sarang buaya! Cerita Ran vs Gunjou inilah yang bikin aku kasih volume ini rating bintang lima.
Nah terus hal menarik lain dari volume ini adalah Ran akhirnya dapat pacar! Cowok berkulit gelap bernama Kuroi Tatsuki yang image-nya mirip monyet. Ran deket sama dia karena cowok ini jago para-para dance kayak dirinya. Uuuffh, kasihan si Asou Yuya alias Si Nomor Dua, harapannya untuk bisa bersanding dengan Ran di malam natal langsung runtuh. Tapi ntar dia dapat cewek pengganti yang lebih tergila-gila sama dia di volume selanjutnya kok. Hahaha.
Terus Ran musuhan sama Gunjou-sensei. Guru olahraga sekaligus wali kelas 2-4 yang mendewakan kemampuan olahraga. Ceritanya Ran lupa kalau dia harus ikut kelas tambahan di musim panas. Akhirnya biar wali kelasnya berhenti mempermasalahkan, Ran bilang dia bakal bikin kelasnya (2-2) menangin festival olahraga, dan itu berarti ngalahin kelasnya Gunjou. Ran berhasil melatih dan menyatukan teman-temannya sehingga memenangkan semua cabang lomba di festival olahraga. Gunjou nggak terima, dia lalu nge-bully salah satu murid ceweknya yang dianggap sebagai biang kekalahan kelas cuma gara-gara dia yang terakhir kali hadapan sama Ran di permainan kuda-kudaan.
Ran langsung stand up dong. Tapi jadinya dia musuhan frontal sama si guru. Dan si guru ini busuknya bukan main. Kata-katanya ke Ran tengik tenan. Ada ya guru sebusuk ini? Ya Allah. In the end dia nampar Ran di depan semua orang dan Ran balas nonjok. Ran diskors lima hari dan si Gunjou dipindahkan ke... tebak... sekolahnya Honda Mami di Ikebukuro! Wakakakakak! Lolos dari sarang harimau, masuk ke sarang buaya! Cerita Ran vs Gunjou inilah yang bikin aku kasih volume ini rating bintang lima.
Nah terus hal menarik lain dari volume ini adalah Ran akhirnya dapat pacar! Cowok berkulit gelap bernama Kuroi Tatsuki yang image-nya mirip monyet. Ran deket sama dia karena cowok ini jago para-para dance kayak dirinya. Uuuffh, kasihan si Asou Yuya alias Si Nomor Dua, harapannya untuk bisa bersanding dengan Ran di malam natal langsung runtuh. Tapi ntar dia dapat cewek pengganti yang lebih tergila-gila sama dia di volume selanjutnya kok. Hahaha.
October 20, 2018
this series has so much girlpower i fucking love it. in this volume ran takes down an abusive teacher and continues to struggle with financial issues (same)
October 21, 2020
Buku Favorite yang bisa di baca berulang kali..
August 11, 2019
2019.08.11
Ma davvero avevo comprato l'intera serie di seconda mano? Non me lo ricordo neanche. Pensavo di aver comprato i volumi man mano che uscivano in fumetteria. Però questo spiega come mai alcuni volumetti fossero in condizioni non ottimali.
Anche questa volta ci ho messo quasi quattro giorni a leggere il volumetto. Non è brutto in sé, povero. È solo completamente privo di contenuti. Un po' conta anche che le pagine sono fitte di linee e testo. Faccio un po' fatica a leggerle.
Un po' mi dispiace per numero due. Il di Ran sembra ancora più insulso di lui. Otohata si rivela il protagonista maschile più interessante e, di conseguenza, sta con la gal che sembra aver un briciolo più di sale in zucca rispetto alla amiche.
Va beh, con la calma cercherò di finire anche questa… Un volumetto alla volta per non esagerare!
-----
2013.07.09
Chissà, magari bisogna essere di un umore particolare per leggere Gals!... Perché, davvero ci ho messo sei giorni a leggermi il volumetto.
Certo, Ran è ben decisa come carattere e sa il fatto suo. Ma allo stesso tempo è così vapid che mi verrebbe da prenderla e scrollarla per bene per farle entrare un po' di sale in zucca. Non tanta roba, giusto quel po' per farla tornare tra i comuni mortali.
E i commenti dell'autrice sono così superficiali. Lo so che i commenti dei mangaka sono raramente trattati di fisica quantistica ma questa parla solo e unicamente di vestiti. SIGH!
Mi son comprata l'intera serie di seconda mano, quindi continuerò a leggere.
Ma davvero avevo comprato l'intera serie di seconda mano? Non me lo ricordo neanche. Pensavo di aver comprato i volumi man mano che uscivano in fumetteria. Però questo spiega come mai alcuni volumetti fossero in condizioni non ottimali.
Anche questa volta ci ho messo quasi quattro giorni a leggere il volumetto. Non è brutto in sé, povero. È solo completamente privo di contenuti. Un po' conta anche che le pagine sono fitte di linee e testo. Faccio un po' fatica a leggerle.
Un po' mi dispiace per numero due. Il di Ran sembra ancora più insulso di lui. Otohata si rivela il protagonista maschile più interessante e, di conseguenza, sta con la gal che sembra aver un briciolo più di sale in zucca rispetto alla amiche.
Va beh, con la calma cercherò di finire anche questa… Un volumetto alla volta per non esagerare!
-----
2013.07.09
Chissà, magari bisogna essere di un umore particolare per leggere Gals!... Perché, davvero ci ho messo sei giorni a leggermi il volumetto.
Certo, Ran è ben decisa come carattere e sa il fatto suo. Ma allo stesso tempo è così vapid che mi verrebbe da prenderla e scrollarla per bene per farle entrare un po' di sale in zucca. Non tanta roba, giusto quel po' per farla tornare tra i comuni mortali.
E i commenti dell'autrice sono così superficiali. Lo so che i commenti dei mangaka sono raramente trattati di fisica quantistica ma questa parla solo e unicamente di vestiti. SIGH!
Mi son comprata l'intera serie di seconda mano, quindi continuerò a leggere.
June 20, 2016
It's so much fun to see how different the manga is from the anime.
I'm not going to be posting any spoilers but I kind of wished that I would've made a list to make better comparison.
Oh, well. That just makes me motivated for the next series that I start. Maybe I could do that.``
I'm not going to be posting any spoilers but I kind of wished that I would've made a list to make better comparison.
Oh, well. That just makes me motivated for the next series that I start. Maybe I could do that.``
December 15, 2007
the story about a gals girl name Kotobuki Ran from Hounan High School in Tokyo that really energic and a little deliquent. She have a big brother name Yamato, he is a police officer.
May 8, 2020
2,5 stars
July 19, 2012
Kotobuki Raaaan!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews