ANIME FEMINIST

Japanese pop culture through a feminist lens

Become a Patron!

LGBTQ+

[History] Flowers for Zoisite: How Sailor Moon’s iconic queer villains raised the bar

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

[Interview] Japanese LGBTQ+ fans talk about the legacy of Banana Fish

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

[Perspectives] My trans experience with My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness

by Leave a Comment

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] My trans experience with My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness

[Feature] Going Beyond Severance: Metaphorical and literal queerness in Yurikuma Arashi

by Leave a Comment

CONTENT WARNING for discussion of sexual assault, homophobia, predatory behavior, and bullying. SPOILERS for all of Yurikuma Arashi. Fantastical fiction is an ideal space for working through complex real-world issues using the frame of allegory, metaphor, and a little bit of magic. Yurikuma Arashi is one such series, a step detached from reality but with something to say … [Read more...] about [Feature] Going Beyond Severance: Metaphorical and literal queerness in Yurikuma Arashi

[Creator Spotlight] Art as Discovery, Art as Hope: Yuhki Kamatani, x-gender and asexual mangaka

by Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Kamatani's work frequently features characters whose gender identity is ambiguous or open to reader interpretation. This article will refer to these characters using the gender-neutral "they" throughout. SPOILERS: Discussion of character arcs in Nabari no Ou, Shounen Note, Busshi no Busshin, and Shimanami Tasogare. Yuhki Kamatani is best known for their … [Read more...] about [Creator Spotlight] Art as Discovery, Art as Hope: Yuhki Kamatani, x-gender and asexual mangaka

[Versus] Cardcaptor Sakura and the stagnant LGBTQ representation

by Leave a Comment

SPOILERS: Discussion of character relationships in Cardcaptor Sakura and Clear Card. The classic magical girl anime and manga series, Cardcaptor Sakura, is beloved by many people for its fun, adorable aesthetic, endearing characters, and LGBTQ-inclusiveness. The currently airing sequel, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card, takes place about a year later and attempts to recapture … [Read more...] about [Versus] Cardcaptor Sakura and the stagnant LGBTQ representation

[Perspectives] The People’s Hero (Some People Not Included): The exclusion of queer viewers in LUPIN THE 3rd PART 5

by Leave a Comment

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] The People’s Hero (Some People Not Included): The exclusion of queer viewers in LUPIN THE 3rd PART 5

[Feature] Kino is the non-binary protagonist we deserve

by Leave a Comment

Kino’s Journey (2003) is one of the great classics of anime: directed by the late Ryutaro Nakamura (Serial Experiments Lain) with his characteristic eye for negative space and eerie, melancholy sound design, the series is a quiet but purposeful sequence of short stories ranging from the fantastical to the mundane. All of them are about human nature, and as Kino meets various … [Read more...] about [Feature] Kino is the non-binary protagonist we deserve

[Discourse] Catherine, Trans Identities, and Representation in Japan

by Leave a Comment

In early 2011, ATLUS released Catherine. Months before the release of this unique puzzler, advertisements showed the series would revolve around the complicated topics of commitment, marriage, love, sex, and the relationship between men and women. In late 2017, ATLUS announced they would be re-releasing Catherine with a new addition to the cast. Her name is Rin. She’s a new … [Read more...] about [Discourse] Catherine, Trans Identities, and Representation in Japan

[Feature] DEVILMAN crybaby, legacies of queerness, and diversifying remakes

by 6 Comments

DEVILMAN crybaby has been tearing up the internet since it dropped a few weeks ago, sparking conversation about its use of sex, violence, horror, and taboo to tell a story about love and the end of the world. Not an inconsiderable amount of that discussion was centered around the series’ queer representation. What do you do with a series that features sympathetic representation … [Read more...] about [Feature] DEVILMAN crybaby, legacies of queerness, and diversifying remakes

[Feature] Land of the Lustrous, singular “they,” and the politics of subtitles

by 25 Comments

Land of the Lustrous has proven to be a sleeper hit of the Fall 2017 season, with its beautiful melding of CG and traditional art, creative direction, likable characters, and penchant for cliffhangers. It also made minor waves by deciding to refer to almost the entire cast with neutral “they/them” pronouns. In an industry that has historically elected to choose binary pronouns … [Read more...] about [Feature] Land of the Lustrous, singular “they,” and the politics of subtitles

[Perspectives] How Yuri!!! On ICE helped me understand myself

by 1 Comment

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 Yuri!!! On ICE helped me understand myself