Kusatta Kyoushi no Houteishiki
Reviewer: Wiggle [website] [email]Overall Rating: B
Media Reviewed: Digital fansub
Creator: Kazuma Kodaka
U.S. Licensed: No
Released by: J.C. Staff and BeXBoy
Run time: 60 minutes
BL Content: Very soft (emotions, touching)
Genre: Comedy/School story
Other media: Japanese manga
Arisawa Atsushi begins his first day of high school full of excitement -- he has secretly enrolled in the same school where his childhood crush, Shibata Masami, is the health teacher! Atsushi hasn't seen his beloved "Ma-chan" since he was a small child, but has been dreaming about him for many years. However, his youthful dreams of love are shattered when he meets the health teacher of his new high school, who is loud, brash and crude, and nothing at all like the gentle Ma-chan he remembers! What Atsushi doesn't know is that the demon Shibata is actually Shibata Masayoshi, the younger brother of the Masami that Atsushi remembers. To make matters worse for Atsushi, Inagaki Kouji, a boy in his grade, remembers Atsushi from grade school, when they promised to get married. Inagaki still holds Atsushi to his promise and is determined to win Atsushi's heart.
Kusatta Kyoushi no Houteishiki -- sometimes translated as "Bad Teacher's Equation" -- is a funny, endearing comedy of muddled memories and mistaken identities. The two thirty-minute OAV episodes are based on the first volume of the 10-volume manga series by the fantastically prolific Kazuma Kodaka, and sets up multiple love triangles that make up the major comedy of the series. Try to follow along: Atsushi loves Masami, but mistakes Masayoshi for Masami. Masayoshi holds a protective love for his older brother Masami, but Masami is somewhat platonically in love with his boyfriend Tooru, who is Masayoshi's high school friend. Inagaki still carries a torch for Atsushi, and is in constant competition with Masayoshi. And all of this is just in the OAV; in the manga, relationships become even more tangled and complicated.
As in all of Kazuma Kodaka's work, the characters are what make Kusatta so much fun and so addictive. Atsushi begins as a somewhat whiny crybaby, but grows to understand that change is not so bad. Masayoshi cares deeply for Masami and is very tender with him, but everyone else only sees his loud-mouthed, brash side, which he uses to hide his softer feelings. And you can't help but root for the sweet and shy relationship between soft-hearted Masami and teddy-bear Tooru. In addition to the main cast, there is a background group of cross-dressing and transsexual characters who work at the bar, Club Lush, that Masayoshi inherited from his father. Kazuma Kodaka's characters are always real and filled out, drawing the reader into their lives and making us root for what we know is best for them.
As an interesting bit of trivia, Kodaka-sensei revealed at a Yaoi-Con interview that she once worked in a host club, dressed as a man, entertaining women. Her work name at that time was actually "Atsushi," and she modelled Club Lush after the host club she worked in!
Kusatta was released in 1994-1995, and the technical presentation is nothing special. The animation and music are equally average, though the character designs adhere closely to Kodaka-sensei's original manga style. Probably the best technical aspect is the voice work of Kazuhiko Inoue, who voices Masayoshi's many moods and maniacal laughter excellently. Kazuhiko will be well-known to yaoi anime fans as Yuki Eiri in Gravitation, Sawa in Haru wo Daiteita and Kagetsuya in Earthian, but Masayoshi is a very different role and well worth the experience!
While the Kusatta OAV may never see a U.S. release, the manga seems to be a prime candidate for a release by Be Beautiful. Check out this fun, adorable OAV and get your first taste of what's sure to become a long-lasting Kusatta love!