Japan’s Other Famous ‘Bebop’ Anime Trades Space Cowboys for Yankii Delinquents
Netflix’s latest retro addition invites viewers into a special corner of Japan’s yankii genre, where the rough-and-tumble world of huge pompadours, modified uniforms and farcical high jinks is defined by kids being kids rather than kids being criminal. Before Sunrise studio’s now-world-famous sci-fi Western about space bounty hunters, the only “bebop” game in the anime […] The post Japan’s Other…
Japan’s yankii anime anthology Netflix has recently brought to its catalog is a fresh perspective on the genre's longstanding traditions. The show in question, Be-Bop High School, differs from its predecessors by presenting juvenile delinquents not as hardened, life-or-death warriors, but rather as lighthearted, immature youngsters.
The central characters, Hiroshi Kato and Toru Nakama, engage in antics like trying to woo girls, sulking over breakups, and partaking in extreme eating contests. Their world is a place of farcical high jinks, where the energy of youthful rebellion is captured in a comedic and farcical light. The series, inspired by the 1990-1998 anime adaptation of Kazuhiro Kiuchi's "Be-Bop High School" manga, emphasizes the superficial glamour of youth rebellion, and the underlying seriousness of yankii culture is left behind by the sheer comedic absurdity of the characters' actions.
Ultimately, the show suggests that being young and irresponsible is a rite of passage, a phase that parents and society can forgive and even appreciate as people mature.
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