Fast on the heels of Tower of God, Crunchyroll's first major collaboration with WEBTOON, comes The God of High School. Based on the webcomic platform's hugely popular series of the same name by Yongjie Park, the adaptation has been providing a weekly dose of animated adrenalin since its premiere in July. For those familiar with martial arts sagas like Dragon Ball, GOHS hits all the right notes, from its spiky-haired goofball of a protagonist to its furiously fought battles that push past the limits of human potential. (Plus, an infectious bop of an OP song.)
If you're looking for the self-reflexive commentary present in One-Punch Man, you won't find it here. Neither will you find the genre-bending of things like Mob Psycho 100. What is present in bountiful spades in GOHS, however, is a solid, nuts-and-bolts approach to the ever-popular shonen genre. Why reinvent the wheel when you can make a perfectly good replica, after all? At the story's center is Jin Mori, a shonen-by-numbers teenager aspiring to become the titular God of High School, who's clichés are easily inadmissible whenever he turns on the charm. Not to mention the mystery surrounding his true identity.
Ahead of the anime's premiere, CBR spoke to actor Tatsumaru Tachibana, who voices Mori, about his experience stepping into the star martial artists' shoes.
CBR: The God of High School is a very popular webtoon but anime fans might not be familiar with it -- until now, that is. What would say is its main appeal?
Tatsumaru Tachibana: You can't take your eyes off of [this anime] for even a second. It’s [got the] best and the strongest, heated fights.
Were you a fan of webtoons before doing this project? And have you read much of the original manhwa?
The webcomic was included in the audition brief, and that's when I first read it.
You play the lead role, Jin Mori, who might remind viewers of a lot other typical shonen heroes rolled into one. What kind of protagonist is Mori?
He is a bright and fun battle maniac.
What can you tell me about Mori’s motivations? Why is it so important for him to become The God of High School?
His motivation is all about strength and to fight with somebody strong. Of course, as the story progresses, his objectives and intentions may change a bit, but fundamentally they will remain the same. So, the victory itself may not be that important to him.
How would you describe Mori’s unique style of fighting?
Basically, it's taekwondo. Jin gets all sorts of experiences from it, and, well... that's going to be a spoiler, so you'll have to see the rest for yourself!
When we first meet Mori, he’s very confident, and clearly has a lot of maturing to do. What kind of character development can we expect from him in the anime’s first season?
That would also be a spoiler. So, [I] dare to say, this is The God of High School. That’s all.
What’s it like playing a character like Mori compared to your past roles?
I have a very loud voice, so I moved away from the microphone a little bit during the fight scenes and moved closer to it depending on the scene.
This is a breakout role for you as a leading man in an anime, which must be really exciting. How did you prepare for it?
The other cast and staff members helped me get into the role faster than I thought I would. I learned a lot and felt a lot through this title. It's a treasure in my life to have met [The God of High School].
And finally, what do you think anime fans will enjoy about The God of High School that they might not have read/seen before in a shonen manga or anime series?
Without a doubt, this anime is heated!
Based on the webtoon by Yongje Park, new episodes of The God of High School stream on Crunchyroll every Monday at 7.30 AM PT.