Gakuran VS Blazers (No, these *aren't* competing teams)

(But the gakuran wins, nevertheless ^^)

I was reading an article in the April 2007 edition of Animonster about the merits of gakuran versus blazers as high school uniforms and after seeing that four five (I can't count, it seems) of the thirteen anime and manga models were characters played by Fukuyama Jun-san (when you're struggling with writer's block, you take inspiration wherever you find it), I decided to expand that list to include other seiyuus (like Suzumura Ken'ichi-san and Sakurai Takahiro-san).

Some of these bishounen charas are too totally well-known. I chose only one representative per school, and sometimes, he's not even the animanga lead *sweatdrop*

But before I get into my list, here's a quick history (translated/adapted from the Fitting Room: Gakuran Uniform vs Blazer article by Lily in the April issue of Animonster, with some additions from Japan from A to Z: Mysteries of Everyday Life Explained by James M. Vardaman, Jr. and Michiko S. Vardaman).

The history of seifuku or uniforms in Japan dates back to 1882, from the time the Education and Culture Department mandated the wearing of uniforms by all Japanese junior and senior high students. The Japanese army's sergeant combat uniform patterned after European army uniforms served as the model for the male students' uniform. It was first introduced in what is now known as Tokyo University, ostensibly to ensure student obedience and facilitate their acting as a group. The girls' uniforms were called sailor seifuku, while the uniform for boys was the gakuran or tsume-eri. The sailor seifuku uniform usually consisted of a white blouse, tie, blazer, vest and skirt, while the gakuran comprised a white shirt, tie, blazer, vest, and trousers.

The word gakuran itself comes from gaku, student and ran which means Western country. So in denotation, gakuran is a Western student's uniform. By 1886, Tokyo University required the wearing of gakuran with stiff collars and gold buttons. Customarily, the color of the gakuran is black--from top to bottom, including belts. Shoes can be loafers or sneakers. These were later customized with the addition of school badges or pins on the collar.

This model remained the norm until the 1960s when school caps was were added (and my subjects are not agreeing with their verbs, sheesh). By the 1970s, schools freed the students from the uniform constraint, but a decade later, a back to uniform trend revived--with models and colors that were considered more fashionable. The trend continued and by the early 1990s, big names in fashion got in on the act of designing school uniforms. By the mid-1990s, American-style blazers had gained a foothold but as the millennium neared its close, British-style blazers came into fashion.

Gakuran

1. Usually black
2. Stiff-collared, with a collar height adequate to cover the neck; the length of sleeves are shorter than the shirt worn on the inside, exposing the shirt's cuffs.
3. Long-sleeved shirts or t-shirts may be worn with the gakuran, but the best contrast combination can be achieved with a white long-sleeved shirt
4. Buttons (those accessories that fangirls fight tooth and nail over) march down the length of the jacket and the perfect buttons for a gakuran are gold ones

Blazers

1. Comes in a range of colors, which is why the necktie is critical
2. The inside shirt should be tucked into pants for neatness, especially when the blazer is unbuttoned
3. Long-sleeved shirts in coordinating colors work best.
4. Only two or three buttons, especially for the double-breasted model

Now for the promised lists:

Gakuran

Kippei from Aishi Baby shows off the draw of the gakuran.

1. Arima Souichirou (Kare Kano)
2. Echizen Ryoma (Tennis no Oujisama)
3. Hatori Yuuya (KISS, Zekkou, KISS)
4. Hoshino Yakou (Yurara no Tsuki)
5. Katakura Kippei (Aishiteruze Baby)
6. Kouno Tooru (Princess Princess; when he's not in his hime outfit; seiyuu Fukuyama Jun-san)
7. Kyu (Tantei Gakuen Q)
8. Kurosaki Ichigo (Bleach)
9. Lelouche Lamperouge (Code Geass ~Hangyaku no Lelouch~; seiyuu Fukuyama Jun-san)
10. Mikagami Tokiya (Flame of Recca)
11. Minami Itsuki (Air Gear)
12. Mutou Kazuki (Busou Renkin; seiyuu Fukuyama Jun-san)
13. Nagoya Chiaki (Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne)
14. Narumi Ayumu (Spiral ~Suiri no Kizuna~)
15. Sagara Sousuke (Full Metal Panic)
16. Sakai Yuuji (Shakugan no Shana)
17. Sawada Shin (Gokusen)
18. Sawamura Seiji (Midori no Hibi)
19. Shibuya Yuuri (Kyou Kara Maoh!)
20. Tachibana Ryouki (Hot Gimmick)
21. Takano Kyouhei (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge)
22. Tohno Shiki (Lunar Legend Tsukihime)
23. Ukiya Shun (GateKeepers)
24. Watanuki Kimihiro (xxxHOLiC; seiyuu Fukuyama Jun-san)
25. Yano Motoharu (Bokura ga ita)
26. Yasuhara Osamu (Ghost Hunt)
27. Yuuki Asuka (Dr Rin ni Kiite Mite)

Blazer

Someone tell Ryota-kun from Soul Link that guns are optional.

1. Agate Fluorite (Cluster Edge)
2. Aizawa Ryota (Soul Link)
3. Arou Naitou (Mekakushi no Kuni)
4. Garaku Yasuaki (Happy Hustle High)
5. Itou Keita (Gakuen Heaven; seiyuu Fukuyama Jun-san)
6. Kiriyu Zero (Vampire Knight)
7. Magahara Mizuki (Platinum Garden)
8. Matsuura Yuu (Marmalade Boy)
9. Miyagusuku Kai (Blood+)
10. Odagiri Azusa (Hot Gimmick)
11. Sano Izumi (Hana-Kimi)
12. Shinpo Ichi (Parfait Tic)
13. Sugita Tsuyoshi (Mucha Kucha Daisuki)
14. Suou Tamaki (Ouran High School Host Club)
15. Tsukimori Ren (La Corda d'Oro ~primo passo~)
16. Yagami Light (Death Note)

Geh. My bias is totally showing... Yes, that means the probability of me making a list for characters in sailor seifuku (with the possible exceptions of Kanzaki Hitomi from Tenkuu no Escaflowne and Ed from Meine Liebe ^^) is less than one percent. A list of bishounen in cardigans and red-haired sword wielders, however... That bears contemplating *beams*

I prolly called some of these wrong. If I made mistakes in categorizing or you want to add some more characters, do leave a comment, k?

~nik who is totally at a loss where to slot in Yuki and Kyou from Fruits Basket and Wakamiya Kyou and Asamoto Soushi from Watase Yuu's Alice 19th and Zettai Kareshi respectively
花木兰

PS It occurs to me that I suffered through grade school in a sailor uniform. Could that account for why I'm not too enamored with it?

invaluable resource(s)

• Animonster VOL97 April 2007 » Fitting Room: Gakuran Uniform vs Blazer (Text by Lily)
• Japan from A to Z: Mysteries of Everyday Life Explained by James M. Vardaman, Jr. and Michiko S. Vardaman (© YENBOOKS)

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