Best Guy

is a 1990 Japanese action film directed by Tōru Murakawa, and produced by Toei Company in association with Mitsui & Co. and Tohokushinsha Film. The screenplay was written by Murakawa with Makoto Takada. The film stars Yūji Oda, Naomi Zaizen, Masato Furuoya, Masato Nagamori, and Toshio Kurosawa. The title refers to the highest rank of the JASDF's F-15J training program. The film's aerial scenes were produced in cooperation with the JASDF, using the Mitsubishi F-15J - the country's variant of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. Seen by movie critics as a copy of Top Gun, Best Guy was a box-office failure in Japan, earning 230 million. Plot Fresh from his transfer from Nyutabaru Air Base to Chitose Air Base, Lieutenant Hideo "Goku" Kajitani joins the 201st Tactical Air Squadron and participates in the base's three-week fighter training program with the goal of attaining the title of "Best Guy". Despite having his pilot's license revoked three times at Nyutabaru, he has earned the title due to his natural expertise in piloting the Mitsubishi F-15J. Goku feels animosity towards his trainer Major Nobuaki "Zombie" Yoshinaga, who he feels is responsible for his brother Tetsuo's death in a flight accident years ago. At the same time, he develops a rivalry with Captain Teruichi "Imagine" Nadaka, who dislikes Goku's reckless piloting skills. For the training program, Goku is assigned to the Fox team led by Lt. Colonel Tadayuki "Odyssey" Yamamoto, while Imagine becomes part of the Bear team led by Zombie. During his time at Chitose, Goku befriends Miyuki Mizuno, a video director sent to the base to film a music video for Canadian singer Sheree, but decides to cover the Best Guy program instead. One day, Goku and Imagine scramble when a couple of Soviet Tu-16 Badgers enter Japanese airspace. Following a dogfight with the Su-27 Flankers, the duo manages to drive the intruding aircraft away. On their way back to Chitose, Goku suddenly experiences vertigo and loses control of his plane before he ejects and is safely rescued at sea. Because of this, he loses confidence in flying. Zombie visits Goku at his quarters, but Goku's hatred leads to him attacking Zombie before the latter reveals the truth about his brother's death.