is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series written and illustrated by Rensuke Oshikiri that ran from October 2010 to September 2018. The story revolves around the life of

gamer A gamer is someone who plays interactive games, either video games, tabletop role-playing games, skill-based card games, or any combination thereof, and who often plays for extended periods of time. Originally a hobby, gaming has evolved in ...

Haruo Yaguchi, the arcade game scene of the 1990s (particularly

fighting game The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...

s), 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 Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

, the series is notable for its unique art style, and very precise depictions of the multitude of gaming software and hardware featured. An

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series adaptation by

J.C.Staff is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986 by Tomoyuki Miyata, who previously worked at Tatsunoko Production. The studio's first release was '' Yōtōden'' in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as '' Aria ...

and SMDE aired from July to September 2018. A second season aired from October to December 2019.

Characters

;/ : (Japanese);

Johnny Yong Bosch Johnny Yong Bosch (born John Jay Bosch; January 6, 1976) is an American actor. His first major role was the portrayal of Adam Park, the second Black Power Ranger and later, the Green Zeo Ranger and first Green Turbo Ranger in the ''Power Rangers ...

(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 is a 1991 fighting game developed and published by Capcom for arcade game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter (video game), Street Fighter''. Designed by Yoshiki O ...

''. 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 Christine Marie Cabanos is an American voice actress of Filipino descent. Some of her roles include Azusa Nakano in ''K-On!'', the titular characters in ''Squid Girl'' and ''Puella Magi Madoka Magica'', Mako Mankanshoku in '' Kill la Kill'', ...

(English) :A daughter of the Ono

Zaibatsu is a Japanese language, Japanese term referring to industrial and financial vertical integration, vertically integrated business conglomerate (company), conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed control over signifi ...

, Akira is rich, popular, and multi-talented – the polar opposite of Haruo. To escape the strict educational regimen she faces at home, she sneaks away to play in arcades where she showcases her exceptional gaming ability. She initially encounters Haruo during a match of ''Street Fighter II'', and bonds with him over their love for gaming. She never talks and communicates solely through gestures and facial expressions. She also appears as a guest support character in '' Million Arthur: Arcana Blood''. : ; : (Japanese);

Erika Harlacher Erika Lynn Harlacher-Stone (; born August 29, 1990) is an American voice actress who has provided voices for English dubbed Japanese anime shows and video games. Some of her major roles in anime include: Ami Kawashima in '' Toradora!'', Mimo ...

(English) :Introduced as a junior high classmate of Haruo, Hidaka was introverted, lonely and mainly studied. However, during the years when Ono is forced to be overseas by the Ono family, Hidaka begins spending time with Haruo after Hidaka's family store adds arcade machines. Hidaka's natural instinct for fighting games proves to be almost as remarkable as Ono's. As the third person in the love triangle, her battles with both Haruo and Oono are eventually realized as fateful video game battles. Nikotama, leader of the local gaming team, mentors Koharu. In ''Hi Score Girl DASH'', a spinoff manga, we meet Hidaka as a mature woman who has become a middle-school teacher. ; :Hidaka Shop's operators. ; : (Japanese);

Lucien Dodge Lucien Dodge (born June 24, 1984) is an American voice actor who does work in animation, anime and video games. He is mostly known for his characters in anime such as Waver Velvet in ''Fate/Zero'', Maron and Chili in ''Pokémon'', K1-B0 in '' Dan ...

(English) :One of Haruo's classmates during junior high and high school who is his best friend. He also enjoys arcades, though not to the same degree as Haruo. He has a knack for attracting the ladies, and is quick to pick up on the bizarre love triangle formed by his classmates. ; :Haruo's middle school years classroom 2-3 teacher. ; : (Japanese);

Kyle McCarley Kyle McCarley is an American voice actor known for his work in video games and anime. In anime, he is known as the voice of Shigeo Kageyama from ''Mob Psycho 100'', Mikazuki Augus from '' Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans'', Shinji Mato f ...

(English) :Haruo's classmate in classroom 6-2 and again in high school. A snobby kid who tries to come off as cultured and suave, his attempts to woo Akira are met with failure. During high school, he begins to hang around Haruo and Miyao. : ; : (Japanese);

Cherami Leigh Cherami Leigh Kuehn (born July 19, 1988)Birthday references: * * is an American actress. She has provided voices for a number of English-language versions of anime series and video games. Early life Leigh began acting at the age of six. Lei ...

(English) :The bespectacled official instructor of the Ono household. A totalitarian authoritarian who will stop at nothing to make sure Akira is nothing short of perfect and worthy as an heir to the Ono family name, she is absolutely against any kind of fun within the Ono household, which creates friction amongst its inhabitants. After seeing the effect Haruo's had on Akira and the error of her ways, she begins to relent a little, with emphasis on the word "little". If one doesn't work hard enough, she piles on more work. If one works too hard, she rewards them by piling on more work. ; : (Japanese);

Cristina Vee Cristina Danielle Valenzuela (born July 11, 1987), known professionally as Cristina Vee, or Cristina "Vee" Valenzuela, is an American voice actress. She provides voices for English dubs of anime, animation, and video games. Early life and ed ...

(English) :A girl who went to school with Haruo from elementary to junior high, then seen at the same all-girl high school with Koharu. She is grotesque in appearance and crass in demeanor, though she apparently isn't self aware of that. She also has a noticeable

lisp Lisp (historically LISP, an abbreviation of "list processing") is a family of programming languages with a long history and a distinctive, fully parenthesized Polish notation#Explanation, prefix notation. Originally specified in the late 1950s, ...

. ; : (Japanese);

Cindy Robinson Cindy Robinson (born April 7, 1969) is an American voice actress who voices in animations and video games. Some of her major roles are Makoto Nanaya and Gii from the '' BlazBlue'' series, Betty Boop in commercials, Queen Beryl in ''Sailor Moon ...

(English) :Haruo's energetic mother. (The disposition of Yagouchi's father is unknown and deliberately never mentioned in the show or anime; he may be deceased, divorced or perhaps simply absent due to work.) Despite his shortcomings, she's very supportive of her son in her own quirky and loving manner. Whenever there's company, she's quick to offer her special stack of "Hotcakes Straight from a Manga". ; : (Japanese);

Joe Ochman Joe Ochman is an American actor who is most active in voice over roles in various animation shows, films, and video games. He is the fourth and current voice of Jiminy Cricket since 2014. Filmography Live-action * '' Adventures in Voice Acting'' � ...

(English) :An elderly man that works as Akira's chauffeur. He is a self-proclaimed pachinko addict, and has a nasty habit of running over Haruo with the family limousine. ; : (Japanese);

(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);

(English) :A guidance counselor at Haruo's middle school, who likes to play video games as well. He resembles Lau Chan from ''

Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games created by Sega AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The original ''Virtua Fighter (video game), Virtua Fighter'' was released in December 1993 and has received four main sequels and several spin-offs. The highly influential ...

'' 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 ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo'', released in Japan as is a 1994 fighting game developed and published by Capcom for arcades. It is the fifth installment in the '' Street Fighter II'' sub-series of ''Street Fighter'' games, following '' ...

''. ; :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 ''Final Fight'' is a series of beat 'em up video games by Japanese publisher Capcom, which began with the arcade release of '' Final Fight'' in 1989. Set in the fictional Metro City, within the '' Street Fighter'' universe, the games focus on ...

'' Round 1 boss. ; :A ''

'' Round 3 boss. ; :A ''

'' playable character.

''Darkstalkers''

;/Huitzil :A ''

Darkstalkers ''Darkstalkers'', known in Japan as , is a fighting game series and media franchise created by Capcom. The series is set in a pastiche gothic fiction universe with characters based on monsters from international folklore, and features a stylized ...

'' fighter, and Koharu's favourite character. ; :A ''

'' fighter. ; :A ''

'' fighter.

''Ghosts 'n Goblins''

; :The player character from ''

Ghosts 'n Goblins ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'', known in Japan as , is a series of Shoot 'em up, run-and-gun Platformer, platform video games developed and owned by Capcom. The first entry in the series was ''Ghosts 'n Goblins (video game), Ghosts 'n Goblins'', release ...

''.

''Out Run''

; :The driver from ''

Out Run (also stylized as ''OutRun'') is an arcade driving video game released by Sega in September 1986. It is known for its pioneering hardware and graphics, nonlinear gameplay, a selectable soundtrack with music composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi, and ...

''.

''Puzzle & Action: Tant-R''

; :A detective from '' Puzzle & Action: Tant-R'', resembles

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...

. ; :A detective from '' Puzzle & Action: Tant-R'', resembles

Dr. Watson Dr. John H. Watson is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). "The Adventure of Shosc ...

''Genpei Tōma Den''

; :A '' Genpei Tōma Den'' character. ; :A '' Genpei Tōma Den'' stage 46 (

Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...

) boss.

''Puzzle Bobble''

;/Bub :The green dinosaur player character in ''

Puzzle Bobble internationally known as ''Bust-A-Move'', is a 1994 tile-matching puzzle arcade game developed and published by Taito. It is based on the 1986 arcade game ''Bubble Bobble'', featuring characters and themes from that game. Its characteristicall ...

''.

''Fatal Fury''

; :A ''

Fatal Fury ''Fatal Fury'', known as in Japan, is a fighting game series developed by SNK, first released on the Neo Geo system. Gameplay The original ''Fatal Fury'' is known for the two-plane system. Characters fight from two different planes. By step ...

'' fighter.

''Splatterhouse''

; :The ''

Splatterhouse is a beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Namco in 1988. It was the first in a series of games released in home console and personal computer formats. This game would later spawn the parody '' Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti'', the ...

'' stage 7 final boss.

''Hammerin' Harry''

;/Harry :The player character from '' Hammerin' Harry''.

Gaming machines

; ; ; :Haruo's video game devices.

Media

Manga

Oshikiri launched the manga in

Square Enix is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing video game, role-playing game franchises, such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', and '' ...

's ''

Monthly Big Gangan is a manga imprint owned by Square Enix Holdings. It originated as a manga imprint for Enix before the company merged with Square to form Square Enix. It publishes manga in several anthologies aimed at different reader demographic groups in t ...

'' 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 ''

tankōbon A is a standard publishing format for books in Japan, alongside other formats such as ''shinsho'' (17x11 cm paperback books) and ''bunkobon''. Used as a loanword in English, the term specifically refers to a printed collection of a manga that w ...

'' 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. The December 2019 issue of ''Monthly Big Gangan'' announced that a spinoff manga titled ''Hi Score Girl DASH'' focusing on Koharu Hidaka, now a middle school teacher, would be in the magazine's next issue on December 25.

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, with production by

J.C. Staff is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986 by Tomoyuki Miyata, who previously worked at Tatsunoko Production. The studio's first release was '' Yōtōden'' in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as ''Aria ...

. It aired from July 13 to September 28, 2018. It is directed by Yoshiki Yamakawa and written by Tatsuhiko Urahata, featuring character designs by Michiru Kuwabata, and music by

Yoko Shimomura is a Japanese composer and pianist primarily known for her work in video games. She graduated from the Osaka College of Music in 1988 and began working in the video game industry by joining Capcom the same year. Shimomura wrote music for severa ...

. The series runs at 60 fps (mainly for the game footage, due to having a 60 hz 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 is a Japanese singer, producer, composer, lyricist, arranger and artist. She is broadly active, from pop music to experimental music and art. Her output has also included drawing, installation art, media art, poetry and other literature, and reci ...

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

streamed the anime on December 24, 2018, with an English dub. The series received 3 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

''Hi Score Girl'' won the Tokyo News Services' ''TV Bros'' magazine Bros. Comic Award 2012. It was number two on the 2013

Takarajimasha is a Japanese publishing company based in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It is known for publishing subculture-oriented fashion magazines aimed at teens, fashion magazines in general, as well as guide books. History The company was founded on September 22, ...

's ''Kono Manga ga Sugoi!'' Top 20 Manga for Male Readers survey. It was also nominated for the 6th

Manga Taishō The is a Japanese List of comics awards, comics award recognizing achievement in manga. It is awarded annually to a manga series published in the previous calendar year of eight or fewer Tankōbon, collected volumes in length. The Manga Taish� ...

and the 17th

Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Named after Osamu Tezuka, the is a yearly manga prize awarded to manga artists or their works that follow the Osamu Tezuka manga approach founded and sponsored by Asahi Shimbun. The prize has been awarded since 1997, in Tokyo, Japan. Current ...

. It was number nine in the 2013

Comic Natalie is a Japanese entertainment news website that debuted on February 1, 2007. It is operated by Natasha, Inc. The website is named after the song of the same name by Julio Iglesias. ''Natalie'' has been providing news for such leading Japanese p ...

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

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 is a Japanese video gaming and interactive entertainment company. It was founded in 1978 as by Eikichi Kawasaki and began by developing arcade games. SNK is known for its Neo Geo arcade system on which the company established many franchises ...

stating that the manga allegedly features over 100 instances of characters from ''

The King of Fighters ''The King of Fighters'' (''KOF'') is a series of fighting games by SNK that began with the release of ''The King of Fighters '94'' in 1994. The series was initially developed for SNK's Neo Geo (system), Neo Geo MVS arcade hardware and received ...

'', ''

Samurai Shodown ''Samurai Shodown'', known in Japan as is a fighting game series by SNK. The series began in 1993 and is known for being one of the earliest in the genre with a primary focus on weapon-based combat. Plot The stories in the series take place i ...

'', 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.

Notes

References

External links

*
Hi Score Girl
' on

''High Score Girl''
at

*Square Enix Manga and Books page
Hi Score Girl
*J.C.STAFF page
''Hi Score Girl''
Anime Official Site * {{Street Fighter series Comics set in the 1990s Gangan Comics manga J.C.Staff Netflix original anime Romantic comedy anime and manga Seinen manga Shogakukan franchises Square Enix franchises Tokyo MX original programming Works about video games