While I rely on Kozma's analysis of 1970's pinkie violence films, I performed my own analysis based on my viewing of the idol drama Majisuka Gakuen, which features an entire cast of sukeban character types. Even without getting into the content of the drama itself, there are many interesting aspects to its production. Majisuka Gakuen is an "idol drama" meaning it’s a program essentially designed to behave as a star vehicle for its actresses, who are generally professional musical performers. In this case, the show highlights the idol group AKB48. The dissonance between the group's clean and cheerful "real" image with the violent and physical behavior that characterizes their performance raises several questions. Not the least is why choose to remake girls who are otherwise bound by strict morality clauses upon their entry into the group as delinquent youth for the drama? There is clearly a perceived audience attraction to the image of female delinquency, but unlike pinkie violence films, the targeted viewers of idol drama encompass both male and female fans.

The characters within Majisuka Gakuen are also fascinating images of delinquent female youth. With the exception of a few side characters, all of the characters are women, creating a dense network of close homosocial relationships, mostly conducted under minimal supervision by authority figures such as teachers or police. Even recognizing the capitalist structure and calculated way this drama is created, there is certainly a concurrent feminist or at least girl-collective positive statement present. The girls of Majisuka Gakuen engage in physical violence against each other, true, but this is also show to be motivated by deep emotional ties and loyalties between the girls. The protagonist, Maeda, is respected by her peers for her fighting prowess as well her compassion and loyalty and even the antagonists are given emotional storylines focused on their devotion to each other.

While the group AKB48 is notorious for its methodical churning out of entire squads of young idols and this drama clearly arises from a desire to achieve greater market saturation and sell more merchandise, I find there is also a possibility for a radical anti-patriarchal consumption of the show. Its focus on female collectives striving together and its setting outside the typical romance plots of most idol dramas makes it unique in its ability to perform as a model for a different type of social behavior.

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