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Content Warning! Content Warnings: Mentions of violence. |
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We beat people up, got beat up, started fires, got chased by the cops... To be honest, if I told you everything we did it'd make your hair stand on end. |
"Sukeban" (JP) is a term for a female yankii character who is part of a female-only juvenile delinquent girl gang in middle school or high school. They are identified by their tough attitude and trademark modified school sailor uniform featuring lengthened skirts, designed to rebel against traditional female beauty standards. They may also have their hair dyed lighter, wear surgical masks, or have anarchic symbols embroidered on their school uniforms.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Sukeban (スケバン) is a combination of "suke" (スケ), meaning "girl", and "banchou" (番長), meaning "boss/top dog". It is commonly translated as "delinquent girl" or "female boss".[6][7][5]
It refers to someone who is a "furyou shoujo" (bad girl, 不良少女), a young woman who exhibits behavior that is considered socially unacceptable, rebellious, or defiant towards authority.[8]
Origin
The term sukeban (すけばん) originated from the erotic live-action film Sukeban Blues: Queen Bee Strikes Again (JP) released by Toei on October 27, 1971.[2] There were earlier works that used the term "女番長" (female banchou) in kanji in their title, however, Toei was the first to add hiragana subtitles that changed the reading to "sukeban" (すけばん). Later starting with the third film in the series Sukeban Gorilla (JP) released on August 12, 1972, the reading of the kanji was changed to katakana (スケバン) instead which is what is still used today.[1]
The first use of the term "女番長" (female banchou) in general comes from the live-action film Onna Banchou: Alleycat Rock (JP) released on May 2, 1970.[3][9] In this film, and in other films at the time prior to the release of Toei's first film, the kanji was read as "onna banchou" (おんなばんちょう) rather than "sukeban" (すけばん).[7]
Evolution of the Meaning
At the time of these films, the word "sukeban" referred exclusively to the leader of a gang of delinquent girls (i.e, a female banchou), however, the term spread like wildfire and by 1972 the term had come to be used much more broadly to refer to all delinquent girls in the sukeban gangs, as well as the culture as a whole. This comes from the Japanese director Daisuke Maehara, who in 1972 interviewed a group of real-life sukeban and reported on their behavior. He later published a book titled Sukeban (スケバン) which became a bestseller selling 400,000 copies, and also accelerated the popularity of Toei's Sukeban movie series. Maehara's book changed the meaning of sukeban to "delinquent female high school students in sailor uniforms".
Alternate Spelling
Due to the vagueness of the pronunciation of the kanji for "woman" it is sometimes written as simply "スケ番" with the first kanji being replaced with its katakana pronunciation.[4]
History
Formation
The sukeban movement was formed in the late 1960s in Japan as a direct result of male gangs' refusal to accept female members. Sukeban girl gangs were initially small groups of girls sneaking cigarettes in school bathrooms, but eventually grew in numbers with an increased level of criminality. At their peak, some sukeban groups even had numbers that rivaled smaller Yakuza groups.[10]
Rise In Media
Sukeban became popular topics in media primarily thanks to live-action films and manga throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.[11]
The spread of the trademark sukeban fashion throughout the country was due to the influence of manga, dramas, and movies such as Be Bop High School (JP) in 1983.[12]
Legacy
Ironically the very commercialization that led to the widespread popularity of sukeban in the first place also contributed to its decline. With their culture and fashion being brought into the mainstream as a common character archetype, real-life sukeban started to grow tired of the culture. This paired with the bishoujo (beautiful girl) boom of the 1990s led to sukeban becoming obsolete. However, the free spirit of the sukeban girls would continue to inspire the next wave of rebellious girls leading to the creation of the ko-gyaru (school gal) fashion which continued the rebellious spirit of not wanting to blend into the crowd. However, while the sukeban were focused on being tough, the ko-gyaru were focused on being fashionable and beautiful.[12]
Although media featuring sukeban is not nearly as prevalent as it was in the 1970s or 1980s, its character types can still be seen in modern manga and anime series, such as Kill la Kill, Zombie Land Saga, and Rokudo's Bad Girls.[13]
Characteristics
Fashion Style
Ranna Himawari wearing a Sukeban sailor uniform from Rokudo no Onna-tachi
A significant aspect of the sukeban rebellion was expressed through their fashion choices. Sukeban girls are known for their trademark modified Japanese middle/high school sailor uniform featuring lengthened skirts that have become the iconic symbol of sukeban culture. Rejecting the conventional, they challenge the restrictions and expectations of traditional school uniforms which featured short skirts, often viewed as oppressive and sexist. To both make a stand and to distinguish themselves from regular students, the sukeban girls alter their skirts, making them way longer in protest against being objectified.[14] In some cases, these skirts are so long they even cover their ankles. The sailor suit jackets are also often cut extremely short exposing the stomach, with the sleeves being rolled up. The classic moccasin shoes are replaced with more comfortable Converse. Flattened leather school bags are also a common fixture, with sukeban pouring boiling water onto their school bags to cause them to flatten.[12]
Some sukeban girls will also dye their hair a lighter color or even get a perm to make it curly, in contrast to the straight black hair of other Japanese women. They commonly wear surgical masks or have kanji and other writing embroidered on their school uniforms, featuring punk, feminist, or anarchist influences.[14]
Their outlandish fashion and unique makeup expressed their protest against society and school, so it wouldn't make sense if it wasn't quirky and conspicuous.[12]
The trademark sukeban skirt is known as a "lontai" (ロンタイ), which is short for "long tight skirt" (ロングタイトスカート).[15][16]
Fighting Style
When it comes to fighting, sukeban girls will do all their fighting bare-handed and do not use weapons. While it is true that most sukeban girls will keep razor blades hidden in the hems of their skirts, these razor blades are just for show as a threat since delinquents at that time knew that it would be dangerous to start a fight with a knife. Some may also wield chains or wooden swords as intimidation.[12]
The purpose of sukeban is to defeat the opponent and expand their power, not to annihilate them. During fights sukeban girls will be careful not to cause serious injuries. For example, in a case where their eyes meet with someone and they can tell that person is scared but people are watching so the sukeban girl can't just run away without doing anything, they will have the mindset of "I'll just beat you immediately". Sukeban never bullied the weak. In fact, sukeban girls are the kind of people who would put their lives on the line for their family. Whenever another school attacked, the sukeban girls would protect all the other children in their school.[12]
Sukeban girls exclusively fight with each other, but even when they win, their sense of camaraderie is stronger. This is because when they fight each other in a serious match, they are exposing everything about themselves. Many of them are still friends with the people they fought back in school, even after graduating and leaving the sukeban lifestyle behind them.[12]
Organization Rules
Inside each sukeban gang, there is a strict set of rules and hierarchy that members of organizations must follow, where loyalty was the number one rule. In contrast to how most people viewed sukeban girls as disgraceful people who don't follow the rules like outlaws, they will always make sure to be courteous to their seniors and to follow the rules they set.[14][12]
The specific rules can differ from gang to gang, but common rules were:
- Don't cause trouble for other students. Sukeban disputes should be handled amongst themselves without causing trouble for others. They have a desire for freedom and rebellion, not to become bullies.
- Don't disrespect your seniors.
- Don't use drugs (cigarettes are the exception in some cases).
- Don't have relationships with other gang members' partners.
Breaking a rule or disrespecting a superior can lead to severe consequences, like being burned with cigarette butts.[14]
Gang Wars
It is common for rival sukeban gangs to fight each other or invade each other's schools to attack.[12]
Personality
Desire For Rebellion
During the rampant rise in male gangs during the 1950s and 1960s, women were forbidden from joining. Even in regular society, there was a strong sense of "I shouldn't do anything because I'm a woman" or "I'm a woman." Women were expected to be well-behaved and to dress politely. Even if they wanted to go out into society and do something, they had few options. Many girls grew frustrated with the situation and for them sukeban was a resistance to such a reality.[12]
There are also a lot of children who had problems at home, so there was also a part of them that has a desire for "filial piety (respect and care for one's parents; making sacrifices for the benefit of one's parents)." Many sukeban girls talk about how they want to become independent as soon as possible and say things like, "I want to buy a house for my parents" or "My dream is to buy clothes for my sister." It might seem strange to most, but they are good kids at heart. Many sukeban girls are serious about the movement and have dreams. In an era with many restrictions, they felt that if they didn't give up and worked hard, they would have a chance to move on. Sukeban is a step for the girl to seize the opportunity.[12]
This is why many of them go on to be productive members of society after leaving the sukeban. They also tend to look back on their time fondly and not regret their decisions.[12] This is a sharp contrast to many male delinquents who go on to join the Yakuza or drop out of school.
Delinquent Behavior
As part of their frustrations with society, they will do things to stand out and rebel, such as engaging in illegal activities. This includes things like skipping school, getting involved in fights, shoplifting, theft, or engaging in substance abuse. However, since they are still youth the crimes they commit are only minor offenses.
They will also act tough, use swear words, modify their school uniforms to give others a "bad girl" impression, or use weapons as a form of intimidation.
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Orekko: A term for a female character who is very masculine and strong-willed.
- Yakuza: A term for a character who is part of a professional organized crime syndicate.
- Yankii: A term for a character who is a juvenile delinquent.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Ranna Himawari from Rokudo no Onna-tachi  Ranna Himawari from Rokudo no Onna-tachi  Kazama Sisters from Sukeban Deka III  Arisa Uotani from Fruits Basket  Mako from Omega Strikers  Delinquents (1980s) from Yandere Simulator |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sukeban Gorilla. Amazon (1972/08/12).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sukeban Blues: Queen Bee Strikes Again. Amazon (1971/10/27).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Onna Banchou: Stray Cat Rock. Nikkatsu (1970/05/02).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Explosion! Sukeban Hunters: General Assault Strategy. Amazon (2010/12/17).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Rokudo's Bad Girls. Weekly Shōnen Champion (2016/06/23).
- ↑ What is Sukeban. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2011/11/24).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sukeban. Wikipedia JP (2006/04/29).
- ↑ What is Furyou Shoujo. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2017/04/14).
- ↑ Alleycat Rock. Amazon (1970/05/02).
- ↑ Sukeban: 20 Amazing Photographs Capture Badass Girl Gangs in Japan From the 1970s and 1980s. Vintage News Daily (2018/10/18).
- ↑ Sukeban to Tenkousei. MyAnimeList (2021/10/22).
- ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 Let's Talk About the "Sukeban" Culture of the Showa Era!. Gendai (2017.03.31).
- ↑ The ‘80s J-Drama That Inspired Kill la Kill. GameRant (2022/10/16).
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 SUKEBAN: Japan's 70s Delinquent Girl Gangs. Yokogao Magazine (2024/04/23).
- ↑ Lontai Baby - Volume 1. Amazon (1988/04/11).
- ↑ What is Lontai. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2016/03/06).