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Answerman - What Are Japanese Student Councils REALLY Like?


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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:34 pm Reply with quote
So Japanese student councils don't have the power to fire teachers and rule entire neighbourhoods?

Anime has lied to me all this time.

*storms off in a huff*
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FireballDragon



Joined: 17 Nov 2014
Posts: 689
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:40 pm Reply with quote
Honestly, this is actually kinda relieving, because I don't think anyone would actually want a a student council like freakin' Honnouji Academy's or something!
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purplepolecat



Joined: 15 Feb 2008
Posts: 131
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:42 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I can assure you that no actual Japanese student council has the ability to revolutionize the world.

Well not with that attitude, Juri Arisugawa.
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bj_waters



Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 234
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:42 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I can assure you that no actual Japanese student council has the ability to revolutionize the world.


I see what you did there!

EDIT:

purplepolecat wrote:

Well not with that attitude, Juri Arisugawa.


Dang, one moment too late!
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Ashen Phoenix



Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 2953
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:53 pm Reply with quote
I always found it interesting that a lot of Japanese schools create more of a sense of "school pride" or collective "ownership" of the school by having the students clean it in place of--or at least alongside-- a custodian.

It's interesting to see the various fantastical>realistic depictions of school life in anime. I'm having a tough time thinking of ones within the realistic portrayal... Hmm.
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4669
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:55 pm Reply with quote
During my first year of middle school, I was elected to student council. Even though I hadn't started watching anime at the time, I thought it would more or less like what we see where they help with administration. Unfortunately, it ended up amounting to little more than organizing the occasional activity, and typically the council members were the only participants. I didn't bother running for re-election since it was a waste of time.
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WingKing



Joined: 27 Apr 2015
Posts: 617
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 2:00 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
What other more realistic depictions of student councils have you seen in anime and manga? Let us know in the comments.


Love Live's seems fairly realistic. Their job is mainly administering clubs and approving club budgets and liaising with the Headmistress, and they seem to have very little power beyond that. Really, the most unrealistic thing about Love Live is that the girls who are on the Council would somehow have time to do all their Student Council work, and show up for Idol practice before and after school every day, and keep their grades up, AND get enough sleep at night.
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Wyvern



Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 1606
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 2:04 pm Reply with quote
I wish Justin would stop wasting our time with talk of those wimpy student councils that don't even attempt world domination. Ohhh, look at me, I'm organizing the cultural festival instead of conquering western Japan! What a bunch of pigs in human clothing.
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mgosdin



Joined: 17 Jul 2011
Posts: 1302
Location: Kissimmee, Florida, USA
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 2:11 pm Reply with quote
I was on the student council in High School. We stayed busy with various events and activities, it wasn't boring.

For The Record, I lost when I ran for Council President, to a friend who eventually became a Lawyer and a State Judge. So, yes he was at heart a serious type but you wouldn't have thought that of him in High School.

Mark Gosdin
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Just Passing Through



Joined: 04 Apr 2011
Posts: 277
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 2:32 pm Reply with quote
I always took Kill la Kill as gospel, when it came to student councils.
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PurpleWarrior13



Joined: 05 Sep 2009
Posts: 2035
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:03 pm Reply with quote
I was on the student council in middle school, and I had just discovered Utena, so I thought it would be something cool. It wasn't. All we did was discuss issues at the school, and potential rule changes, etc, plus the occasional small activity. It wasn't a club environment, since there were dozens of students involved (two from each homeroom). Nobody gave a crap about them in high school, except when the bitch president tried to get a specific song played during graduation, causing lots of drama and controversy.

But Utena and Kill La Kill have SOOOOO many similarities, it's scary, especially with how they depict student councils.
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Tuor_of_Gondolin



Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Posts: 3524
Location: Bellevue, WA
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:11 pm Reply with quote
I figured the student council in SNAFU was probably supposed to be pretty realistic, especially where they had to try to coordinate with another school's student council. Hmm... and what little we saw of the student council in K-On seemed reasonably realistic, too.
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Tylerr



Joined: 13 Nov 2010
Posts: 475
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:14 pm Reply with quote
this was something i always wondered.

good article thanks.
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jedihanyou



Joined: 20 Jan 2016
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:39 pm Reply with quote
Hmm... "Seitokai Yakuindomo" is completely unrealistic in its incessant dirty jokes, but in terms of their level of power, paperwork, and activities, it's pretty darn close. Hilarious, though!

Since there's obviously not many realistic depictions (anime is, for the most part, escapism) anyone have any favorite completely UNrealistic depictions of a student council? My newest find in that category is "Yankee-kun to Megane-chan"... it's pretty darn good, so check it out.
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FireballDragon



Joined: 17 Nov 2014
Posts: 689
PostPosted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:49 pm Reply with quote
Just Passing Through wrote:
I always took Kill la Kill as gospel, when it came to student councils.


Imagine having Gamagōri as a hall monitor. Anime hyper

Students would be A LOT more respectful of each other.

...Gamagōri for hall monitor.
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