We're ringing in the new year with a fond look back at the old! 2017 may have been a dumpster fire in the real world, but it was full of ambitious, entertaining, and emotional stories in the anime-verse. Our staff got together to recommend their favorites from the last 12 months. … [Read more...] about Anime Feminist’s Top Picks for 2017
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Fanservice, bawdy comedy, and sexuality in Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid vs… Itself?
Here at AniFem we talk a lot about fanservice—no surprise, given how predominant and normalized the sexualization of (mostly female) characters is in the industry. But it’s far from a cut-and-dried issue: a boobs ‘n’ butts show about adults isn’t the same as panty shots of a 13-year-old which, in turn, isn’t the same as fetishizing helplessness. And all of that can make it … [Read more...] about Fanservice, bawdy comedy, and sexuality in Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid vs… Itself?
Anime Feminist Recommendations of Winter 2017
Now we've reviewed all the Spring 2017 premieres, we thought we'd round up some of our favorites from shows that ended last season. … [Read more...] about Anime Feminist Recommendations of Winter 2017
[AniFemTalk] Yuri anime and manga
Last week we talked about the erasure of lesbian romance in the dub of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. This week, let's look at lesbian representation in yuri anime/manga and other Japanese pop culture. … [Read more...] about [AniFemTalk] Yuri anime and manga
[Feature] Why Aren’t Problematic Translations Fixed?
When the first episode dub of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid came out, fans were quick to notice a problem: lines which had been accurately translated for subtitles had been revised for the dub. This is not unusual; lines must be expanded or trimmed to synchronise with lip flap movements, and jokes in particular can fall flat if not overhauled. But that’s not what happened … [Read more...] about [Feature] Why Aren’t Problematic Translations Fixed?
Winter 2017 premiere rankings
Another season of premieres reviewed! I have never found a season as disheartening as this one. It was five painful days before I finally found something to enthusiastically recommend, and I credit Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju for reminding me in that time of the heights anime can reach. It felt like a constant process of my bar for quality being lowered and lowered again, then … [Read more...] about Winter 2017 premiere rankings
[Review] Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid – episode 1
Miss Kobayashi, a developer, wakes up one morning to discover she invited a dragon to come and live with her as a maid while blind drunk the night before. The dragon, Tohru, can either appear as full dragon or mostly human with just a hefty dragon tail behind her, and must adapt to such human customs as "washing laundry without using your own saliva" or "cooking something other … [Read more...] about [Review] Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid – episode 1