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
LGBTQ+
[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
[Perspectives] My trans experience with My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness
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
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
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
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
![News report on a smart phone. caption: as Lupin's lover, wherever [Jigen] goes, Lupin will be close by."](https://i2.wp.com/www.animefeminist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/lupin-2-1.jpg?fit=750%2C418&ssl=1)
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
[Perspectives] Nerdy Talk and New Frontiers: My wandering ramble on coming out in the anime fandom
Okay... I've spent a good three weeks trying to figure out how to say this. I've chewed my nails down to nothing, and I've rewritten this a few dozen times over... so I'm just going to go on ahead and do it. … [Read more...] about [Perspectives] Nerdy Talk and New Frontiers: My wandering ramble on coming out in the anime fandom
[Feature] Kino is the nonbinary protagonist we deserve
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 nonbinary protagonist we deserve
[Discourse] Catherine, Trans Identities, and Representation in Japan
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
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
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
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
[Discourse] Persona 5 and the abandoned misfits
For many years and through countless delays, Persona 5 was my most anticipated game of the year. Persona 4 was an amazing starting point for the Persona series' examining of real-life issues, and Persona 5’s concept of being a slave to society and needing to break free resonated with me on many levels. … [Read more...] about [Discourse] Persona 5 and the abandoned misfits
[AniFemTalk] Favorite queer lady romances
Last week we talked about female friendship, and it was awesome. Some of the examples sprinkled between those good, good friendships, though, were out-and-out love stories. So today's the day to celebrate yuri! … [Read more...] about [AniFemTalk] Favorite queer lady romances
[Feature] The challenges of a queer immigrant and the shortcomings of A Certain Marriage
At first glance, A Certain Marriage by Ruri Kumashika is an attractive addition to the expanding collection of LGBT-oriented comics coming out of Japan. It tells the story of Saki Honjo, a Japanese woman who moved to Los Angeles to join her high school girlfriend Anna Abel, and their journey toward marriage. A bitter-sweet story, A Certain Marriage delves into the beauty of gay … [Read more...] about [Feature] The challenges of a queer immigrant and the shortcomings of A Certain Marriage