Golden Boy (manga) - Western Reception

Western Reception

The Golden Boy OVA was generally well received by English-language reviewers. Jeff Ulmer of DigitallyObsessed calls it "hilarious", and Luis Cruz of AnimeOnDVD says it is "surprisingly well-written for an erotic comedy," and that it "easily deserves the 'Essential' moniker bestowed upon it" by ADV. Cruz goes on to say that the series' jokes “feel like a natural extension of both the characters and the plot...”. Mike Toole of AnimeJump says “the mixture of realistic storytelling with Kintaro's deranged personality is always a hoot to watch.” Of Kintaro himself, Toole says he "has a simple everyman appeal,” and Cruz contends that Kintaro's "charming character" is what makes the anime coherent. In partial contrast, Andrew Sheldon of AnimeMetaReview criticizes Kintaro's "ability to master any task in a couple of weeks, when needed, as somewhat patronizing...”. Reviewers also seem especially pleased with the last episode, "Animation is Interesting". Toole says that Golden Boy "is worthwhile for the final episode alone...”, and Ulmer feels that it "took the cake”. Sheldon describes it as "an interesting and largely fitting conclusion", but feels it is "somewhat self indulgent...".

Golden Boy popularized anime in Russia after being a huge success on its MTV channel.