Monkey Turn

Monkey Turn (Japanese: モンキーターン, Hepburn: Monkī Tān) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsutoshi Kawai. It was serialized in Shogakukan magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from August 1996 to January 2005, with its chapters collected in 30 tankōbon volumes. The manga spawned two anime television series adaptations, Monkey Turn and Monkey Turn V, which were both produced by OLM and aired on TV Tokyo in 2004, totalling 50 episodes.

Monkey Turn
Manga volume 1 cover
モンキーターン (Monkī Tān)
Genre	Sports[1]
Manga
Written by	Katsutoshi Kawai
Published by	Shogakukan
Imprint	Shōnen Sunday Comics
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Sunday
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	August 21, 1996 – January 1, 2005
Volumes	30
Anime television series
Monkey Turn / Monkey Turn V
Directed by	Katsuhito Akiyama
Written by	Atsuhiro Tomioka
Music by	Daisuke Ikeda
Studio	OLM
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original run	January 10, 2004 – December 18, 2004
Episodes	50

Monkey Turn won the 45th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2000.

Plot

The series follows Kenji Hatano, a young man who sets out to master the world of kyōtei (hydroplane racing). Over the course of the series he develops a serious rivalry with fellow racer Hiro Doguchi.

Characters

Kenji Hatano (波多野 憲二, Hatano Kenji)

Initially a high school student who was dreaming of being a professional baseball player, Hatano quits after losing a match against another school. His coach, who sees talent in Hatano, then introduces him to the world of motorboat racing. Hatano promises to become the top racer in Japan within three years. He realizes this feat by mastering the "monkey turn," a high-speed cornering technique used in boat racing.

Takehiro Doguchi (洞口 雄大, Dōguchi Takehiro)

Hatano's principal rival. His style of racing is much reviled by other racers on the circuit.

Sumi Ubukata (生方 澄, Ubukata Sumi)

Hatano's childhood friend and romantic interest. She is very supportive of Hatano and attends all of his races.

Media

Manga

Monkey Turn was written and illustrated by Katsutoshi Kawai. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from August 21, 1996, to January 1, 2005.^[2][3] Shogakukan collected its chapters in thirteen tankōbon volumes, published from February 18, 1996, to February 18, 2005.^[4][5]

Anime

Monkey Turn was adapted into a 25-episode anime television series by OLM, Inc., which aired on TV Tokyo from January 10 to June 26, 2004.^[1] A second 25-episode season, titled Monkey Turn V, was broadcast from July 3 to December 18, 2004.^[6]

Reception

The manga series won the 45th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2000.^[7]