CONTENT WARNING for discussion of police corruption; racist and homophobic microaggressions. SPOILERS for FAKE. American manga fans of a certain age should all remember when Tokyopop was the go-to publisher for manga in English. Nearly every bookstore comic shelf from 2000 to 2010 had volumes upon volumes of series with the little red and white robot on the top of the spine. … [Read more...] about [History] FAKE and the Found Family: The ’90s BL cop drama that influenced a genre
LGBTQ+
[Perspectives] Playing My Song: Queer autistic representation in Given
SPOILERS for the given anime. When I first heard about given shortly before it started airing, it was described to me as "the gay band anime." Naturally, I was intrigued. I watched the first episode and was immediately hooked, largely because of protagonist Mafuyu. He was my favorite character, but it went beyond just liking him. I related in a way that was different from … [Read more...] about [Perspectives] Playing My Song: Queer autistic representation in Given
[Podcast] Chatty AF 97: Manga Variety Hour – One-Shot Wonders
The gang returns for another manga review podcast, this time focusing on single-volume titles! Dee, Vrai, and Caitlin share faves and flops. … [Read more...] about [Podcast] Chatty AF 97: Manga Variety Hour – One-Shot Wonders
[Feature] Kase-san and Queer Thirst: Depicting sexuality in a “pure” yuri manga
If you're a fan of yuri, you've most likely heard of the Kase-san and... series. Written by Takashima Hiromi, the series revolves around the evolving relationship between Yamada, a member of the school's beautification committee, and the eponymous Kase, the star of the track team. Originally serialized in the “pure yuri anthology” Hirari, the candor with which the series treats … [Read more...] about [Feature] Kase-san and Queer Thirst: Depicting sexuality in a “pure” yuri manga
[Perspectives] The “Heart” of This Queer Body: An intimate look at The Heart of Thomas
CONTENT WARNING for discussions of racism, homophobia, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault; SPOILERS for The Heart of Thomas. I am a 295-pound, 6-foot-2, brown-skinned, cisgender queer male who fears telling you his weight because I’m afraid you will call me "fat." I hesitate to tell you my skin tone and to use the word "queer" because somewhere in the world, those descriptors … [Read more...] about [Perspectives] The “Heart” of This Queer Body: An intimate look at The Heart of Thomas
[Feature] Is Yuri Queer?
Inevitably, when I do any kind of public talk about Yuri or LGBTQ comics, someone will express dissatisfaction at mild school life romances that seem to fill Yuri bookshelves, or I’ll be asked for recommendations for manga about “real” lesbians. Exactly why we don’t yet have a blockbuster lesbian action story is certainly a conversation we should and can have. But as we move … [Read more...] about [Feature] Is Yuri Queer?
[Feature] Not “Just a Phase”: How Bloom Into You challenges common yuri tropes
Trying to figure out how romance works when you’re a teenager—especially a teenager who isn’t heterosexual—can be a befuddling mess, and few shows I’ve seen capture that like last year’s Bloom Into You. The yuri series captures the ups and downs of self-exploration, relationships, and identity, but it also has a lot of metatextual commentary about romance as a genre woven into … [Read more...] about [Feature] Not “Just a Phase”: How Bloom Into You challenges common yuri tropes
[Feature] The Beginner’s Guide to Yuri Manga
The last few years have seen a boom in the English-language yuri market, with more and more manga about queer romance between women making it to shelves. The rare yuri titles of the 2000s either tended toward the Class-S genre (stories set in high school that are mostly about emotionally intense relationships presumed to be “practice” for romances with men), as re-popularized … [Read more...] about [Feature] The Beginner’s Guide to Yuri Manga
[Perspectives] From Rivals to Romances: Unlocking queer identities in Kingdom Hearts
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] From Rivals to Romances: Unlocking queer identities in Kingdom Hearts
[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
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 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