In Volume 1, we met Yasaki Asami, a high school student whose primary life goal is to get 10,000 friends online. Her life changes when a red Yo-Yo falls out of the ether and she finds that she can see a girl with long pink hair and a 70s style school uniform who exhorts her to transform into Sukeban Deka. Asami does, and finds herself battling a corruption among the students and staff that takes the form of a snake sigil on their bodies. That snake causes them to victimize the students around them. At the end of the first volume Asami is joined by Chisato, a member of the morals committee as Sukeban Principal.
As we head into Sukeban Deka Pretend, Volume 2 (スケバン刑事Pretend) we’ve got the idea, right? Someone is loosing their grip – whatever cause or interest they have, has become an obsession, or thy have stopped regarding the students around them as people and have committed actions that cause someone else to suffer. Our sukeban team will right this wrong by standing up for the victims. This is not dissimilar from the kinds of crime the original Sukeban Deka, Asamiya Saki, fought, so we can understand the spirit of Saki being there.
Or, can we?
But first, we are introduced to a new student. Kyouichido Mika, a popular upcoming TV talent and model has come to their school to study. The students are delighted and welcome Mika. A few who try to get signatures are beaten by Mika’s guards and Mika’s mother has the tell-tale evil-possessed face of someone influenced by the snake. Mom berates Mika, keeping her from so much as having a nice lunch with her classmates and gets worse and worse as the story progresses. Mika is suffering, but she loves her mother and tries to do what is asked. When Asami find a yellow Yo-Yo, her mother reveals that she is indeed under the power of the snake, then proceeds to lock Asami and Chisato in room…and swallow the key. Saki appears and helps Mika transform into Sukeban Precede. She releases the others and the three of them free Asami’s mother.
Which is where this story gets interesting. The three Sukeban P, had asked the mysterious girl her name. She claimed to not know. Now, they really want to know who she is. They go though school records and find a photo – we can see it was Saki and the mysterious teacher who seems to know what’s up. They are suddenly transported to the 1970s. They are standing in the same office, but it has an old coal stove and tatami floors. I don’t know if there were still schools with coal stoves in the teachers’ room in the 1970s or not. It struck me as really kicking the old people reading this in the shin. ^_^
They find a teachers’ notebook that says something about the disappeared Yo-Yo and the name…Saki. Suddenly they find themselves in a no-space, transformed. Their Yo-Yos combine into one, which pops open to reveal the Police seal, as Saki’s always did. They see the Yo-Yo and themselves floating over a scene of cheering people and suddenly…are back in their own time and school (which is now confirmed to be the same school Saki attended, of course.) Saki is with them. The photo of Saki and the teacher is now blank. Asami ask if her name is Saki…but Saki says she doesn’t know. So they all say they will call her Saki. Saki blushes.
This fascinating bit is followed by a regularly scheduled, “the person one least/most expects is causing harm to a classmate scenario” which they defeat and a set-up for Volume 3, will be released in March. You bet I will be reading it.
On the one hand, this story is more gripping than the original Sukeban Deka, with higher stakes than “yakuza does illegal stuff” or “rich girl runs the school,” drama. On the other hand, it’s actually a lot more upsetting as the harm is caused by people one ought to be able to trust, even in a little way – the club president, the teacher, one’s parent. The fantasy element is, of course, that the Sukeban P squad can fix the problem and the person will acknowledge their actions…a very 1970s plot.
Ratings:
Art – 8
Characters – 8
Story – 9
Service – 2 Yeah, actually a little in the end story, but it’s not hyper sexualized, just creeper-y
Yuri – 0
Having three Sukeban also reminds us of the TV show, in which Sukeban Deka became a title that was passed to three different girls, who then teamed up to fight in two movies, of which I reviewed one. Ultimately the name Asamiya Saki itself became a title to be worn by the chosen Sukeban Deka. But here, we have Saki, out of time and place, without memory, exhorting other girls to take her place. It’s a helluva way to get around Wada -sensei’s ban on further adventures of Saki. I hope he’s not rolling in his grave. Saki definitely isn’t.
