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Content Warning! Content Warnings: Mentions of violence and drug use. |
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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. |
"Yankii" (JP) is a term for a character who is a juvenile delinquent and participates in rebellious or illegal actions in middle school or high school. They are notorious for being loud, rude, and refusing to take part in the strict manners of Japanese society. They are identifiable by their gaudy clothes and dyed hair, heavily inspired by American rock n' roll culture.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Yankii (ヤンキー) is a Japanese slang meaning "delinquent" and refers to youth who engage in rebellious or violent behavior. The more formal word for delinquents in Japan is "furyou" (不良). Generally speaking they have the same meaning, but "yankii" also has a very specific fashion style attached to it so not all people who are furyou (delinquents) fall under yankii, though most generally do.[3][4][5]
Origin
The term yankii was adopted in the 1970s after an influx of influence from American culture inspired the looks of Japanese gang members. American culture such as rock n' roll was notorious for loud expressions, gaudy attires, and vulgarity, which differed from the typical behavior of most Japanese people. This comes from the English slang word "Yankee", which informally and derogatorily refers to American people.[6][7][8][9]
Localization
The term can be romanized in a few different ways. It is most commonly romanized directly as "yankii" to differentiate it from the more general term, but it has also been romanized officially as "yankee".[1][10] Another less common romanization is and "yanky".[2]
However, the term is usually localized as simply "delinquent" in English media.
History
The genre of yankii manga has been extremely popular since the 1970s.[11][12][13][14]
Characteristics
General
Yankii are middle school or high school aged characters who engage in juvenile delinquency, with most usually starting at the age of 14.[6][15][16]
From the 1950s until the 1970s, yankii were exclusively male. This is because male gang members refused to let women join since it was thought that women couldn't handle it. This was also true for the professional Yakuza crime syndicate which yankii greatly looked up to and modeled themselves after. This remained true until the 1970s when the sukeban girl gangs took over.
Fashion Style
Yankii are identifiable by their trashy clothes and dyed hair, which is heavily inspired by American rock n' roll culture. They will also often modify their body to look more "cool" and "rebellious", such as shaving their hair, bleaching their hair, or getting piercings and tattoos. It's also common for them to add gang or anarchic insignia to their school uniforms or modify them by making the pant legs/skirts baggier.
Yankii Language
Yankii speak in a very course way. They also have their own slang and style of speaking that is unique to them. They often speak in a very intimidating and threatening way.[15][16]
Yankii Squat
They are also known for their trademark squat pose referred to as the yankii-zuwari (Yankii Squat, ヤンキー座り). The yankii squat involves sitting in a squatting position with the legs spread apart and the heels of the feet touching the ground for stability.[17][18]
Gangs
They will often join up and form gangs with other delinquents led by what is known as a banchou, or boss, who is characterized by their commanding presence over other delinquents.
Personality
Yankii will act tough, use swear words, and are notorious for being loud, rude, and refusing to take part in the strict manners of Japanese society. They may even hold weapons, such as wooden swords or kendo sticks, to give others a "bad boy" or "bad girl" impression.
Yankii will often partake in many illegal activities, such as stimulant use, shoplifting, theft, vandalism, and violence in general, all before leaving high school. They will often be seen carrying around wooden swords and will threaten or bully other people if they get too close to them. Because of this they, unsurprisingly, have an unbelievably bad reputation and will be avoided by other people.
Sub-Types of Classic Yankii
There are many different sub-types of yankii that exist, which each having their own distinct cultures and aesthetic. The era that is known as the "classic yankii" focused on being tough and rebelling against society. The yankii of the 1970s and 1980s were large in number and widely feared across Japan.[19]
It is also common for characters to be a part of multiple sub-types. For example, sukeban members may also choose to join a bosozoku biker gang.
Banchou
Ranmaru Rindou dressing in a traditional banchou-styled school uniform from Binbougami
- Main Page: Banchou
The "Banchou" (Top Dog/Leader, 番長) are leaders of a gang of delinquent boys (tsuppari), known for ruling over schools as the top dog with their commanding presence over other delinquents. They are characterized by their lengthened school uniform jackets, which are worn with open collars and sometimes worn as a cape to let everyone know they are in charge. A hat was also sometimes worn. It was prevalent for delinquents to fight behind a school with the last person standing being declared the banchou.[20]
Those who ruled over multiple schools were known as "sou-ban" (General Leader, 総番). Banchou who do not appear in the front and rule from behind the scenes are called "kage ban" (Shadow Leader, 影番).
Traditionally the banchou is a male—as this is what occurred in real life—but in manga and anime, there are sometimes cases where a female character enters a previously male-only gang and becomes its leader (Onna Banchou, 女番長), though it is rare.[21] Generally, this was because male banchou refused to let women join their gangs in the first place, which led to women creating their own gangs known as sukeban. This also led to the decline in the popularity of banchou, which became increasingly rare in the 1970s and obsolete in the 1980s as the sukeban had completely taken over.
Rokabiri Zoku
Shou wearing a rockabilly-style outfit from High Teen Boogie
"Rokabiri Zoku" (Rockabilly Tribe, ロカビリー族) are a group of delinquents inspired by the rockabilly aesthetics of American greasers. They are characterized by their leather jackets and slicked backed hair, with some even having large pompadours. The style became popular in Japan after the release of the American film Violence Classroom (JP) in 1958, which was about juvenile delinquents in a New York high school. The theme song, Bill Haley and the Comet's rockabilly cover of Rock Around the Clock played in the opening scenes to set the tone of delinquent youth. The popularity of this film gave rockabilly an association with teen delinquency, leading to a wave of greaser-styled high school gangs in Japan.[22][23][24]
The style started to die out during the 1960s, though influences of it can still be found in later styles, such as the pompadour which were common in banchou-led tsuppari gangs.[25]
Bosozoku
The Tokyo Manji Gang wearing a bosozoku-style school uniform from Tokyo卍Revengers
- Main Page: Bosozoku
The "Bosozoku" (Out of Control Tribe, 暴走族) are delinquent motorcycle gangs known for their reckless driving and rebellious attitude. They are characterized by their over-the-top customized motorcycles, with long handlebars and exhaust systems modified to be as loud as possible. They are identified by their customized school uniforms known as "sotsu-ran", which feature lots of bright colors and extravagant embroidery. The school uniform includes a base color (which is usually black, white, blue, or red) and contrasting color embroidery. The pants are typically baggy as well.[26][27][28][29] Female bosozoku are referred to as "ladies" (レディース).[30]
The bosozoku originated from a yankii biker gang that was known as "kaminarizoku" (Thunder Tribe, カミナリ族) in the 1950s, who were named such as a reference to their loud mufflers which sounded like roaring thunder. During the 1960s, the amount of similar biker gangs continued to grow. In 1972, there was a flashmob of about 3000 yankii bikers in Toyoma City that demolished other people's vehicles and as a result the media started to refer to all biker gangs as bosozoku from the Japanese word "boso", meaning "out of control" or "reckless driving".[23]
Tsuppari
- Main Page: Tsuppari
The "Tsuppari" (Tough Guy, ツッパリ) are male delinquents who have a tough, aggressive, disrespectful, and rebellious attitude. The term tsuppari refers to both the delinquent boy themself as well as the tough delinquent-like attitude.[31]
In contrast to the later sukeban girls who had a code of honor to only fight other sukeban, the tsuppari were a lot more dangerous. They would regularly attack other students and sometimes even teachers.
Sukeban
The Kazama Sisters wearing sukaban-styled school uniforms from Sukeban Deka III
- Main Page: Sukeban
The "Sukeban" (Girl Boss, スケバン) are all-female delinquent girl gangs formed in the 1970s as a form of rebellion against societal gender norms that expect women to always behave and dress well-mannered, causing a rise of delinquent girls engaging in anti-social and violent behavior as a form of feminism. They are characterized by their unique school uniforms which are modified to show off their signature styles: blouses are cropped to expose the bare waist, skirt length is increased, and loafers are replaced by sneakers. They may also have feminist symbology and anarchic messages in kanji embroidered on their outfits, inspired by punk rock culture. Surgical masks were occasionally worn as well.[32][33][34]
The popularity of sukeban culture died out in the 1990s, thanks to most girls moving on to the more stylish and beautiful ko-gyaru (school gal) fashion after the "bishoujo (beautiful girl) boom".[35][36]
Sub-Types of Modern Yankii
Starting in the 1990s, gang culture in Japan had become nearly obsolete, and delinquents no longer had the power or numbers they did in the past, with the likes of the tsuppari and sukeban being long gone, and the bosozoku being few in numbers. This led to a newer wave of yankii that were smaller in number and more focused on "looking tough" rather than actually "being tough" and lacked the same rebellious spirit. It is thought that unlike the earlier tsuppari and sukeban that bring with them a connotation of being "hard", someone who could beat anyone in a fight and isn't to me messed with, the modern yankii are "soft" and only 'act' tough as opposed to actually being it. This is why they are often looked down on by Yakuza members as a bunch of wannabe kids who are just playing pretend, in contrast to some earlier sukeban girl gangs who had numbers that rivaled the smallest Yakuza groups.
This is why most yankii media leans more towards the classic yankii styles. There are a few instances of series based around modern yankii, but they are much rarer.
Teamer
The "Teamer" (Teamer, チーマー) are a group of delinquents who wear American casual to differentiate themselves from the traditional rock n' roll/punk rock yankii style. As opposed to being in gangs led by a banchou (boss), they were in "teams" that worked together to cause problems. Additionally, unlike the earlier sukeban who had an honor system to only fight each other barehanded, the teamer had no problems using knives or other weapons in a more cowardly manner.[37]
The teamer were short-lived, only being around from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s.[38]
Color Gang
The "Color Gang" (Color Gang, カラーギャング) are a group of delinquents who wear outfits inspired by American street gangs, with each gang wearing their own colors as a symbol of their allegiance.
The color gang were an offshoot of the earlier teamer groups. The color gang rose in popularity in the early 2000s before nearly dying out in the 2010s.[39]
Hip-Hop Yankii
The "Hip-Hop Yankii" (Hip-Hop Yankii, ヒップホップヤンキー) are a group of delinquents that wear outfits inspired by American hip-hop culture and gangsters. They rose in popularity in the 2000s but started to die out in the 2010s.
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Gaki: A term for a character who is a misbehaving kid. Delinquents in elementary school are referred to as "gaki" meaning "brats", rather than yankii like middle and high schoolers are. They are typically involved with more bratty, teasing, or bullying behavior as opposed to committing crimes. The leader of a group of gaki is known as the gaki daishou.
- Thugdere: A term for a character who often mistreats their love interest by harming them physically and emotionally to hide their true feelings of affection. It is quite common for characters who fall under this type to also be yankii.
- Yakuza: A term for a character who is part of a professional organized crime syndicate. Yankii are similar to Yakuza, but the difference is Yakuza are adults (typically) who are part of a large-scale professional crime syndicate, while yankii are simply part of middle school or high school delinquent gangs. Yakuza prefer clean-cut suits and are typically completely covered in tattoos, as opposed to gaudy outfits. Because they are still youth, the crimes yankii commit are relatively minor compared to the large-scale crime committed by Yakuza groups who are far more dangerous.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Mikey from Tokyo卍Revengers  Draken from Tokyo卍Revengers  Ranmaru Rindou from Binbougami  Ranna Himawari from Rokudou no Onna-tachi  Arisa Uotani from Fruits Basket |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Yankee JK KUZUHANA Chan. Akita Shoten (2020/03/19).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Yanky Syota to Otaku Oneesan. Gangan Online (2022/07/22).
- ↑ Yankii. Wikipedia JP (2005/12/22).
- ↑ What is Yankii. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/07/15).
- ↑ What is Furyou. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/07/14).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Our yankii are different from your yankees. Japan Times (2002/07/05).
- ↑ Delinquent Type, Yankee. Japanese with Anime (2021/04/08).
- ↑ Meet the ‘yankii,' the Japanese subculture that embraces American trashiness. Medium (2016/10/13).
- ↑ The history of yankii culture: The key to understanding the heart of youth culture in Japan? (Part One). Feel Fukuoka (2020/11/23).
- ↑ Yankee JK Ayaka-san no Jakuten. Comic Walker (2022/04/27).
- ↑ A Brief History of Juvenile Delinquency via Manga. Nippon (2023/08/31).
- ↑ Yanki Doodle Dandy!. Otaku USA Magazine (2008/02/07).
- ↑ Yankii Manga. Wikipedia JP (2007/07/16).
- ↑ Bosozoku Manga. Wikipedia JP (2007/07/16).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Exploring the Self, Subjectivity, and Character across Japanese and Translation Texts. Google Books (2022/01/17).
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Handbook of Japanese Sociolinguistics. Google Books (2022/04/04).
- ↑ Yankii Squat. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2012/02/29).
- ↑ Surprisingly Difficult? For Weak Legs and Hips, Try the Yankii Squat. Yahoo News (2023/11/2).
- ↑ The history of yankii culture: The key to understanding the heart of youth culture in Japan? (Part Two). Feel Fukuoka (2020/11/23).
- ↑ What is Banchou. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/02/23).
- ↑ Rokudo's Bad Girls (E2) - The Top Dog at Our School Is After You. Crunchyroll (2023/04/14).
- ↑ The Great "Rokabirī" Panic of 1958. International Institute for Asian Studies (2023/10/02).
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 The Vogue of the 1950s: What is the XX Tribe?. VisionStyle YOU (2020/08/27).
- ↑ Wild Hairstyles and Fashion!! The Cool Bad "Rockabilly Tribe" is Booming!. GB.
- ↑ Rockabilly in Japan, Baby. Japan Powered (2014/10/19).
- ↑ Bōsōzoku's Flamboyant Style: Breaking Down the Outfit. Sabukaru.
- ↑ Sotsu-ran: Delinquent School Uniforms Taken to New Levels. Sabukaru.
- ↑ The Bad Boy Embroidery Fixating Japan's Rural Youth. SSENSE.
- ↑ What is Bosozoku. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2012/08/05).
- ↑ What is Ladies. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2013/07/31).
- ↑ What is Tsuppari. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2014/03/15).
- ↑ SUKEBAN: Japan's 70s Delinquent Girl Gangs. Yokogao Magazine (2024/04/23).
- ↑ Sukeban: 20 Amazing Photographs Capture Badass Girl Gangs in Japan From the 1970s and 1980s. Vintage News Daily (2018/10/18).
- ↑ What is Sukeban. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2011/11/24).
- ↑ Let's Talk About the "Sukeban" Culture of the Showa Era!. Gendai (2017.03.31).
- ↑ Sukeban. Wikipedia JP (2006/04/29).
- ↑ What is Teamer. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2013/04/07).
- ↑ The Teamer's of Japan. Sabukaru.
- ↑ Color Gang. Wikipedia JP (2005/07/24).