After the three live action series and the two movies, this Japanese animated adventure was a late entry to the Sukeban Deka saga. Made as a straight-to-video (or OVA) anime, this takes us back to the start of the story, retelling the tale of Saki Asamiya as she returns to high school from the reformatory, on a secret mission for the police. If Saki does some undercover work, the government will pardon her and her Mother, (who's on death row for murder)!
This time around, we're treated to an adaptation of the early manga stories — something the live-action series couldn't really afford to do. The plot is noticeably more lavish — the rich, powerful (corrupt) Mizuchi family and their three evil daughters all crave even more power, fame, and fortune. They set their sights on Saki's old school and begin manipulating and extorting the students and the school board.
Instead of the low-budget, family-friendly action of the TV series, this OVA takes a more brutal approach — with rape, female nudity, drugs and a nasty mass murder (which preempts the opening scene of Battle Royale, when a school coach is gassed). The fight scenes also get increasingly vicious and bloody — this is definitely an animation for adults, not children.
But once Sukeban Deka is transposed to anime, it becomes just another martial arts girlfight; there are dozens of anime that provide similar thrills. Certainly it has above-average animation, with fast paced plotting, but it's lacking in a surfeit of distinctive and creative yo-yo fights — the only element that really makes this story original.
Still, this is a better intro to the Sukeban Deka universe than piling straight into the movies; it would have explained an awful lot if I'd watched this beforehand. So until, the TV series get released (if ever), either start with this, or get up to speed with your Internet research before approaching the movies.
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Article comments
1 - Alberto Martinez
Hi there!
I loved your review! I have read the Sukeban Deka original manga and you were right, things like Saki and Jin hair color, and his face features are translated from the comic. Also, Saki's strange (but cool!) attire is a relic from the 70s.
Incredibly for a work this dark, this is a shoujo manga: talks about the personal growth of two girls: The Sukeban (Saki) who must grow up into a true heroine, and the Master Manipulator (Reiri) who must grow up into a Complete Monster.