Sukeban Deka

Sukeban Deka, written and illustrated by Shinji Wada, debuted in the manga anthology Hana to Yume in 1976. The series follows Saki Asamiya, a delinquent schoolgirl who is recruited by a police detective to act as an undercover agent in exchange for her mother's release from prison. Emerging during the height of the sukeban—or delinquent girl—subculture in Japan, the series blended gritty social realism with high-stakes action, effectively creating the school-girl-as-spy trope that influenced decades of Japanese media.

Shinji Wada’s design for Saki Asamiya, defined by her iconic weaponized yoyo and school uniform, was an intentional subversion of the typical shojo manga aesthetic of the era. By shifting the focus from romance to vengeance and investigative drama, the series challenged readers' expectations and became a cultural phenomenon. It was widely praised for its kinetic pacing and remains a foundational work for the action-oriented girl hero genre, eventually spawning multiple live-action television adaptations and animated features.