少女マンガにおける「コギャル」の表象誌

Abstract

This paper examines how “kogal,” which means “small gal” or “high school gal,” was represented in shojo manga (comics for young girls) in Japan from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. In the 1990s, when the bubble economy had collapsed and the postwar social system began to vacillate, young girls were divided into various cultural groups. Kogal was one of the most influential female cultural groups in that age. Even though the media accused them of sexual and hedonistic behavior, kogal became popular among young females, especially high school girls, and became a huge cultural trend throughout the 1990s. This new cultural trend was clearly different from the traditional girls’ culture called “shojo bunka” because “shojo” connotes sexual purity in contrast to “kogal”. This paper discusses how, as a result of cultural changes, kogal was received and transformed in shojo manga, which had played a central role in the idea of “shojo” during the postwar era. First, this study examines kogal in magazines that are geared toward elementary-school girls. Next, the study examines kogal in magazines that are mainly for teenage girls. The study also comprehensively identifies the characteristics of kogal representation in shojo manga. Finally, the differences between representations of kogal in magazines for elementary-aged girls and magazines for teen girls are clarified.