学校へ行こう！(gakkou e ikou!) is a Japanese television show showed from 8 to 9 pm on Tuesday nights on TBS. The title means, “Let’s go to school!” and the show focuses on various school related activities and games. It is hosted by the idol group V6. There is some debate as to the meaning of “V” in the groups name, possibilities including vegetable, volleyball, veteran, or vicycle (bicycle in the katakana spelling).
This show often features simple competition games that are often V6 verses popular girl groups or actresses. The participants, though much older than high school age, dress up in typical high school uniforms before engaging in the activities. An example of one game is when 3 members of V6 and 3 members of a popular girl group, sat in a circle, boy-girl-boy-girl. They then looked at the person next to them and said, “愛している” (I love you). The first team to crack up lost and had to do a challenge or punishment. This type of game is a typical batsu（ばつ）game.
A recent feature on the show is “high school boys who convincingly look like girls”. They invited boys from all over Japan to come on the show dressed in drag. Their charm points (チャームポイント) or most attractive features are then critiqued by an actress or singer. Introduced before a live audience of high school girls, the reactions of the crowd are shown before we see the boy-as-girl presented. Before and after pictures are shown showing that some of the boys look even better as women! The first set of boys-as-girls were so convincing as women, they were asked to take part in the fashion show of the Tokyo Girls Collection. The following week the show also featured “mothers who look like high school girls,” which really drove home the agelessness of some Japanese women.
Other features include inviting a girls’ high school photography club to follow one member of V6 for one day while another member plays pranks on him, various pranks and hi-jinks between the group members, and a high school confessional where high school students stand on the roof of their school and shout their secrets to a group of classmates on the ground below. This show is a great look at the culture surrounding Japanese high school students, and compared to most of the shows currently on Japanese TV it is both smarter and more entertaining.
