SPOILERS: Discussion of character beats in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, including references to the end of Kingdom Hearts III. An omnipresent franchise for over a decade and a half, Kingdom Hearts has the honor of bringing together the otherwise-disparate audiences of Disney and Final Fantasy fans. It’s to the point of attracting its own dedicated (Hollow) bastion of … [Read more...] about [Perspectives] From Rivals to Romances: Unlocking queer identities in Kingdom Hearts
LGBTQ+
[Podcast] Chatty AF 89: Classic BL
AniFem's Vrai Kaiser discusses the history of boys love manga with special guests Khursten and Sara! … [Read more...] about [Podcast] Chatty AF 89: Classic BL
[Perspectives] How Otoge Helped Awaken My Oto-Gay
Accepting that you’re not what’s considered “normal” by society is never easy. For me, it was accepting myself as a man romantically attracted to other men, surrounded by a culture both implicitly and explicitly hostile to anybody that didn’t fit the cishet norm. A lot of homophobic slurs were used to bully me in middle school as a result of my failure to perform masculinity as … [Read more...] about [Perspectives] How Otoge Helped Awaken My Oto-Gay
[Versus] Queerness and the power of “subtext” in Sound! Euphonium & Liz and the Blue Bird
Sound! Euphonium drew an audience of sapphic women due to the heavily implied romantic relationship between its two leads, Kumiko and Reina, but the show’s endgame saw them drifting apart as Reina confesses her love to an older male teacher and Kumiko becomes dedicated to her upperclassman friend Asuka. The subtext between the characters has been enough for a small fandom to … [Read more...] about [Versus] Queerness and the power of “subtext” in Sound! Euphonium & Liz and the Blue Bird
[History] The Tezuka Revue: How an all-woman theatre troupe influenced the Godfather of Manga
CONTENT WARNING for discussions of sexism and queerphobia. SPOILERS for the ending of Princess Knight and portions of Dororo. Osamu Tezuka—often called “The God of Manga” or “The Godfather of Manga”—is considered one of the most influential artists in the manga and comic industry. Artists such as Go Nagai and Naoki Urasawa claim he has inspired them, the latter even drawing … [Read more...] about [History] The Tezuka Revue: How an all-woman theatre troupe influenced the Godfather of Manga
[Creator Spotlight] Soubi Yamamoto: This BL Auteur Makes Her Own OVAs
Soubi Yamamoto is a wunderkind who could fit right in as an anime protagonist: premiering as a director at just 20 years old, Yamamoto hit the ground running and hasn’t let up, becoming well-loved among fans of indie BL for her This Boy… series of OVAs. She describes herself as trying her hand at a little bit of everything, from manga to radio dramas and movies, but ending up … [Read more...] about [Creator Spotlight] Soubi Yamamoto: This BL Auteur Makes Her Own OVAs
[Interview] Newcomer manga artist Rutaro Hina on their career, works, and LGBTQ identities in Japan
Editor's Note: Though Hina does not necessarily identify as genderqueer, they have declined to state what their gender is and requested Anime Feminist use they/them pronouns. 添書：陽名先生はX ジェンダーではないが、Anime Feministのインタビューに対しては性別を公開せず、英語版では代名詞をThey/Themを使っております。 Rutaro Hina, 21, is a newcomer manga artist from Tokyo who now resides in Chiba Prefecture. They first debuted as a … [Read more...] about [Interview] Newcomer manga artist Rutaro Hina on their career, works, and LGBTQ identities in Japan
[Feature] Go For It, Nakamura! is the throwback gay rom-com we always needed
Seldom is gay manga as wholesome as Go For It, Nakamura! But this eleven-chapter manga is as soft and sweet as it gets. Written by female manga-ka Syundei, the manga focuses on Nakamura Okuto, an octopus-loving nervous wreck who adores his classmate Hirose Aiki from afar. Whenever he musters up the nerve to approach or talk to Hirose, hilarity ensues: sometimes in the form of … [Read more...] about [Feature] Go For It, Nakamura! is the throwback gay rom-com we always needed
[Perspectives] How a game about a Ladykiller helped me out of a bind
Perspectives articles focus on the feminist-relevant impact particular stories or characters have had on the writer. These are personal essays meant to highlight a variety of marginalized voices and experiences, and as such may contain views that challenge or contradict the experiences of other readers. As always, we encourage you to share your own stories in the … [Read more...] about [Perspectives] How a game about a Ladykiller helped me out of a bind
[Feature] Rewriting the Script: Revue Starlight’s rejection of tragic queer tropes
CONTENT WARNING for discussion of homophobia and suicide. SPOILERS for all of of Revue Starlight. Fittingly for a series so inspired by theatre, Revue Starlight has quite a spectacular finale. Across its twelve-episode run, the musical, magical, swashbuckling school story explores themes of competition and rivalry, unfair systems, and love and friendship. It brings these all … [Read more...] about [Feature] Rewriting the Script: Revue Starlight’s rejection of tragic queer tropes
[Perspectives] A Dress Isn’t Just A Dress: Finding yourself in Love Live’s “Love Wing Bell”
Perspectives articles focus on the feminist-relevant impact particular stories or characters have had on the writer. These are personal essays meant to highlight a variety of marginalized voices and experiences, and as such may contain views that challenge or contradict the experiences of other readers. As always, we encourage you to share your own stories in the … [Read more...] about [Perspectives] A Dress Isn’t Just A Dress: Finding yourself in Love Live’s “Love Wing Bell”
[Feature] All Folks Bright and Beautiful: The casual gender diversity of Heaven’s Design Team
The Heaven’s Design Team manga follows God’s R&D Department as they take requests from on high (literally) to populate the earth with new animals. Similar to Cells at Work!, it’s an edutainment series that balances comical interactions between coworkers with mini-lessons about some of the world’s most unique, clever, or just plain terrifying critters. As the kid who … [Read more...] about [Feature] All Folks Bright and Beautiful: The casual gender diversity of Heaven’s Design Team
[History] Flowers for Zoisite: How Sailor Moon’s iconic queer villains raised the bar
CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of homophobia and transphobia. SPOILERS for Sailor Moon Season One and romances in Please Save My Earth. Sailor Moon turned twenty-five last year and, despite a few rough edges, it’s aged remarkably well. The series has garnered deserved accolades for its strong female friendships, memorable visuals, and forward-looking representation. But … [Read more...] about [History] Flowers for Zoisite: How Sailor Moon’s iconic queer villains raised the bar
[Discourse] If the Belt Fits: The battle for trans characters in fighting games
Ask someone who plays fighting games to list trans characters and they’re probably going to struggle. It’s not exactly their fault, either: While indie games offer marginalized creators a chance to represent themselves and major franchises like Dragon Age and Assassin’s Creed have worked hard to make their worlds more diverse, fighting games are one of the many genres still … [Read more...] about [Discourse] If the Belt Fits: The battle for trans characters in fighting games
[Feature] Aq-ward Feelings: Discussing the experiences of female and queer Love Live! fans
This summer, I attended a birthday party for Nozomi Tojo. The hosts went all out. We played Nozomi-themed bingo, hosted a birthday livestream, sang karaoke, grilled up some yakiniku (Nozomi’s favorite food), and shared a birthday cake with purple frosting—her favorite color. The hosts even set up a wall-to-wall bookshelf fully decked out with Nozomi-themed decorations and … [Read more...] about [Feature] Aq-ward Feelings: Discussing the experiences of female and queer Love Live! fans
[Podcast] Chatty AF 72: BL Manga
Vrai talks Boys' Love (BL) and yaoi manga with special guests Devin Randall and Masaki C. Matsumoto! … [Read more...] about [Podcast] Chatty AF 72: BL Manga
[Interview] Japanese LGBTQ+ fans talk about the legacy of Banana Fish
CONTENT WARNING for discussions of pedophilia, victim-blaming, and sexual assault. SPOILERS for the Banana Fish manga. Banana Fish has been quite the subject of discussion now that the new anime is out, with many Western viewers discovering the series for the first time. That discovery has also sparked a maelstrom of discussion around the chaste love story between Ash and … [Read more...] about [Interview] Japanese LGBTQ+ fans talk about the legacy of Banana Fish
[Creator Spotlight] Beyond the Bear Storm: Morishima Akiko, yuri mangaka
CONTENT WARNING for NSFW images, discussion of sexism and homophobia Morishima Akiko’s been writing manga for over 20 years, which is quite the accomplishment considering her circumstances: She began in an age where lesbian manga was not exactly the easiest way to start a career, and it took her around 10 years to make a living drawing exclusively yuri manga. … [Read more...] about [Creator Spotlight] Beyond the Bear Storm: Morishima Akiko, yuri mangaka
[Feature] Growing into Love: How Kase-san models a healthy queer relationship
SPOILERS: Discussion of events in Volumes 1-4 of the Kase-san and... manga series. Growing up is a difficult and messy journey no one ever really feels ready for. It’s even more challenging if romance enters the picture. It can be hard to find manga that shows both the struggles and joys of that awkward period, especially if you’re not straight. While there are a variety of … [Read more...] about [Feature] Growing into Love: How Kase-san models a healthy queer relationship
[Perspectives] Hiding Then, Hesitating Now: Closeted sexuality and Confessions of a Mask
Perspectives articles focus on the feminist-relevant impact particular stories or characters have had on the writer. These are personal essays meant to highlight a variety of marginalized voices and experiences, and as such may contain views that challenge or contradict the experiences of other readers. As always, we encourage you to share your own stories in the … [Read more...] about [Perspectives] Hiding Then, Hesitating Now: Closeted sexuality and Confessions of a Mask