"Sukeban Deka" (Anime)

[pkristen]

2 Episode OVA. Review written August 10, 2001.

Summary
Teenage bad girl Saki gets a chance to be released from jail/reformatory to become an under cover cop at her old school in order to get to the bottom of some shady activities and bring the culprits to justice. But if she refuses this offer, her mother (who’s on death row) will be scheduled for execution. So she becomes a bad girl with a good cause, who ends up facing off against the Mizuchi sisters, who are bad girls with bad causes.

Review
This was in a stack of bargain VHS tapes I had bought from Right Stuff International and never got around to watching until now. Definitely not a classic since it’s generally predictable with average animation. However, I did find some pleasure in the small twists and turns in its story telling to show that it was trying to achieve some depth. It’s a good two hours worth of female empowerment entertainment but not much beyond that. Although I admit I liked the yo-yo gimmick even if it wasn’t used that much. I’d say it’s a renter, or a bargain tape.

Warning: It does have some brutal moments in relationship to rape and drug elements.

Lesbian Analysis
Saki: Heroine and Bad Girl with a chip on her shoulder and a killer yo-yo

# Does not have any overtly romantic interactions with the men in the show.

# Transfer boy Sampai developes a huge crush on her and does follow her around (as she describes like “carp crap”) but that’s a one sided thing. If anything I viewed her as regarding him as a friend but nothing more in the romantic area.

# True, she does try to deter him at first by declaring that she “doesn’t like boys or men with long hair.” I’m sure the general view would probably be to assume that she DOES like men with short (or no) hair. And when Sampai tries to call her on it by shaving his head, she breaks down in laughter, which is not a romantic reaction at all.

# She originally comes to the rescue of sweet, loner girl Junko, as the show’s kick-ass heroine is supposed to do. However, when they meet up later at the school, she’s obviously very pleased to see her, reacting with an enthusiasm she doesn’t show for any other character. She even seeks out Junko’s company by meeting her after class.

# After Junko’s death (I know, I know: spoiler), she is distraught and even builds a mini-shrine for her. Wears Junk’s prized mini-bells necklace too.

Junko: Poor Girl but with Exceptional Painting Talent

# No romantic interactions with anyone in the show.

# Thinks about Saki a lot when she’s in captivity. (In fact, there are hints that they’re somehow mentally or emotionally connected through time and space. Hmmm.)

# Dies before anything further can be explored with Saki.