Sukeban
Encyclopedia
means delinquent
girl or boss girl in Japanese, equivalent to the male banchō
. A dictionary of Japanese slang says that sukeban only refers to the leader of a girl gang, not any member of the girl gang.
hair, and modifications of the school uniform such as wearing coloured socks, rolling up the sleeves and lengthening the skirt. Sukeban may engage in activities such as glue sniffing, stimulant use, shoplifting, theft, prostitution and violence, but if arrested, they can be charged with the lesser offence of "pre-delinquency". The word sukeban was originally used by delinquents, but has been used by the general population since 1972.
made the first films in the seven-film Girl Boss (Sukeban) series. He also started the four-film Terrifying Girls' High School
series (1971–1972) featuring sukeban characters. Both series featured prominent Pinky violent actresses Reiko Ike
and Miki Sugimoto
.
On December 6, 2005, Panik House company released a four-disc region-1
DVD
collection surveying Sukeban films entitled The Pinky Violence Collection.
Some notable sukeban films include:
Delinquent
Delinquent or delinquents may refer to:* Law** A person who commits a misdemeanor** A person who commits a felony** A juvenile delinquent, often shortened as delinquent is a young person who fails to do that which is required by law; see juvenile delinquency* A person who fails to pay a debt or...
girl or boss girl in Japanese, equivalent to the male banchō
Banchō (position)
can refer to either a governmental position during the ritsuryo period, or the leader of a group of delinquents.- Governmental position :During the ritsuryo system, a banchō was a lower position in the Imperial Guard...
. A dictionary of Japanese slang says that sukeban only refers to the leader of a girl gang, not any member of the girl gang.
Characteristics
The common signifiers of sukeban (described by the Japanese police in 1980s pamphlets as "omens of downfall") include brightly-dyed or permedPermanent wave
A permanent wave, commonly called a perm, involves the use of chemicals to break and reform the bonds of the hair. The hair is washed and wrapped on a perm rod and waving lotion is applied with a base. This solution creates a chemical reaction that softens the inner structure of the hair by...
hair, and modifications of the school uniform such as wearing coloured socks, rolling up the sleeves and lengthening the skirt. Sukeban may engage in activities such as glue sniffing, stimulant use, shoplifting, theft, prostitution and violence, but if arrested, they can be charged with the lesser offence of "pre-delinquency". The word sukeban was originally used by delinquents, but has been used by the general population since 1972.
Sukeban in fiction
- In the 1970s and 1980s, sukeban became popular characters in seinen manga. Sukeban characters could also be seen in shōjo manga publications; Sukeban DekaSukeban Dekais a Japanese detective action shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Shinji Wada and serialized on Hana to Yume. Sukeban Deka has been adapted into three live-action television series, an original video animation series and three feature films, the latest of which was released in 2006 as...
, YajiKita Gakuen Dōchūki and Hana no Asuka-gumi were three popular shōjo series that had a mostly sukeban cast.
- Single sukeban characters interacting with a more "normal" cast could also be seen—early on in her character design, Makoto Kino of Sailor MoonSailor MoonSailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
was intended to lead a sukeban gang, and in the anime and manga she has curly hair, a lengthened school uniform skirt and a reputation as a fighter. However, the lengthened skirt did not appear in her costume in the 2003–2004 Pretty Guardian Sailor MoonPretty Guardian Sailor Moonis a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon metaseries originally created by Naoko Takeuchi. It is produced by Toei, the same company that produces the Super Sentai Series and the Kamen Rider Series and of which their animation firm Toei Animation, produced the...
.
- In OnidereOnidereis a shōnen manga by Crystal na Yōsuke. The manga had been serialized in Shōnen Sunday since 2008's issue 18 to 2011's issue 12. The name of this manga coming from the fusion of the words Oni and deredere , so in a way this story can be translated to Lovestruck Demon.-Plot:Tadashi is in his second...
, the series focuses on sukeban Saya who is in a secret romantic relationship with a boy while trying to keep an appearance as being the biggest man-hater in front of her gang.
- In Kimagure Orange RoadKimagure Orange Road, usually abbreviated as KOR, is a popular shōnen romantic comedy manga and anime series from the 1980s.Written by Izumi Matsumoto and serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump, it was later adapted into an anime series broadcast on Nippon Television, animated by Studio Pierrot and directed by...
, lead female Madoka Ayukawa was a former sukeban, utterly feared in school except for the male lead Kyosuke Kasuga, the other female lead Hikaru Hiyama, Kyousuke's sisters Manami and Kurumi and a boy named Yusaku Hino.
- The game Rival Schools has a sukeban named Aoi "Zaki" Himezaki as a playable character.
- In Detective Conan, Inspector Juzo Megure's wife Midori used to be a sukeban in her youth, 20 years before the main storyline started. At that time, several sukeban girls were attacked by a serial killer and she tried to bring him to justice with the help of the police, and specially then junior-officer Megure. They were targeted and seriously injured by the culprit, and as a consequence they were both physically scarred; some time later, Midori and Juzo got married, and are still together.
Sukeban in film
Pink film director Norifumi SuzukiNorifumi Suzuki
', also known as Norifumi Suzuki, is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his works for studio Toei , especially the Red Peony Gambler and Truck Yarō series.Suzuki was born November 26, 1933 in Shizuoka...
made the first films in the seven-film Girl Boss (Sukeban) series. He also started the four-film Terrifying Girls' High School
Terrifying Girls' High School
is a 4-film series of Pinky violence pink films made by Toei during 1972 and 1973. Reiko Ike was the star of all four films, and Miki Sugimoto co-starred in the first two.- The Films :# Director: Norifumi Suzuki)...
series (1971–1972) featuring sukeban characters. Both series featured prominent Pinky violent actresses Reiko Ike
Reiko Ike
, is a Japanese actress, singer, and entertainer. She is best known for her roles in the genre of action/erotic movies known as pink films. Ike also released an album of songs in 1971, Kôkotsu No Sekai...
and Miki Sugimoto
Miki Sugimoto
is a Japanese actress best known for her roles in the sukeban sub-genre of Toei's action/erotic form of "pink film" known as Pinky Violence.-Life and career:...
.
On December 6, 2005, Panik House company released a four-disc region-1
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
collection surveying Sukeban films entitled The Pinky Violence Collection.
Some notable sukeban films include:
- Girl Boss GuerillaGirl Boss Guerillais a 1972 Japanese film in the sukeban sub-genre of Toei's "Pinky violence" style of Pink film. The third in the seven-film Girl Boss series, it was directed by Norifumi Suzuki and starred Miki Sugimoto and Reiko Ike....
(1972, dir.: Norifumi SuzukiNorifumi Suzuki', also known as Norifumi Suzuki, is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his works for studio Toei , especially the Red Peony Gambler and Truck Yarō series.Suzuki was born November 26, 1933 in Shizuoka...
; cast: Miki SugimotoMiki Sugimotois a Japanese actress best known for her roles in the sukeban sub-genre of Toei's action/erotic form of "pink film" known as Pinky Violence.-Life and career:...
, Reiko IkeReiko Ike, is a Japanese actress, singer, and entertainer. She is best known for her roles in the genre of action/erotic movies known as pink films. Ike also released an album of songs in 1971, Kôkotsu No Sekai...
) - Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law ClassroomTerrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroomis a 1973 Japanese film in the sukeban sub-genre of Toei's "Pinky violence" style of Pink film. The second in the Terrifying Girls' High School series, this was the last entry in the series directed by Norifumi Suzuki and to pair Reiko Ike and Miki Sugimoto...
(1973, dir.: Norifumi Suzuki; cast: Miki Sugimoto, Reiko Ike)
See also
- Banchō (position)Banchō (position)can refer to either a governmental position during the ritsuryo period, or the leader of a group of delinquents.- Governmental position :During the ritsuryo system, a banchō was a lower position in the Imperial Guard...
- Oira SukebanOira Sukeban, sometimes called Sukeban Boy, is a Japanese manga created by Go Nagai in 1974. It is a comedy with several erotic touches, where the protagonist Banji Suke has to disguise himself as a girl in order to be able to attend an all-female school...
(AKA Sukeban Boy and Delinquent in Drag)
General references
- Weisser, Yuko Mihara. (2001). "Japanese Fighting Divas 101". Asian Cult Cinema #31, 2nd Quarter 2001.
- Ashcraft, Brian with Ueda Shoko. (2010). "Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How teenage girls made a nation cool". Kodansha. ISBN 978-4-7700-3115-0