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Introduction to Copaganda in Anime and Manga
Media from all over the globe contains an abundance of pro-law enforcement storylines and themes. Anime and manga are not exempt from this, with some of the most successful franchises in both mediums espousing dangerous, pro-cop social politics. That’s why this piece aims to introduce new and old anime fans to the concept of copaganda, highlight some of the most popular ways the practice appears so that it can be regularly identified, and offer some direction on how fans can still enjoy the mediums in spite of these prevalent themes.

Historyby Lucas DeRuyter September 17, 20210 Comments
The Heike Story – Episode 1
Weaving the many threads of the classic Japanese epic Heike Monogatari into a compelling, cohesive adaptation will be a challenging task, but this premiere is off to an impressive start.

Reviewsby Dee September 16, 20210 Comments
Portrayals of Black Masculinity in Carole & Tuesday
Despite its social justice-minded storytelling, Carole & Tuesday can be a frustrating watch as it swings back and forth between exploring these characters as nuanced individuals and perpetuating harmful stereotypes of Black masculinity.

Featureby Katharine Mussellam September 15, 20210 Comments
Weekly Round-Up, 8-14 September 2021: Harassment on Archive of Our Own, Anime Overproduction, and Anti-Discrimination Policies
Linksby Anime Feminist September 14, 20210 Comments
What’s your favorite spin-off series?
Talkby Anime Feminist September 13, 20210 Comments
Chatty AF 147: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Rewatchalong – Rebellion (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Vrai, Alex, and Mercedez return to their rewatchalong to watch the infamous movie, unpack that last 15 minutes, and discuss how it colors the franchise as a whole.

Podcastby Anime Feminist September 12, 20210 Comments
Gearing Up or Dressing Up? On female fighter equipment
When it comes to a particular category of battle-related gripes, I think I’m less the annoyingly fastidious critic nobody wants to watch a show with, and am actually harping about something genuinely important: female fighter equipment, which too often sacrifices realism and practicality in favor of sex appeal. In anime, this issue manifests in three major forms: “boob armor,” high heels, and “chainmail bikinis,” all which hurt the dignity of not only the characters who must wear them but also the female viewers who must endure the real-world effects of such normalized sexualization of womens’ bodies.

Featureby Raven Wu September 10, 20210 Comments
Pregnancy as the pinnacle of womanhood in TSF porn
Though inherently absurd once verbalized, “Abenime” are stories that speak to a nation’s plight. They are designed to manufacture consent by defining baby making as the norm. Women can make babies; ipso facto, their role in saving Japanese society lies in buffering the ever-shrinking population with young, healthy babies who will carry on the nation in the future.
And while this attitude reaches public discourse by way of popular entertainment, it also likewise prevails within narratives not often discussed out in the open.

Featureby Chiaki Hirai September 8, 20210 Comments
Weekly Round-Up, 1-7 September 2021: Yamada Naoko Leaving KyoAni, Olympia Soiree, and Shortcomings of “Cool Japan”
Linksby Anime Feminist September 7, 20210 Comments
What’s your favorite live-action manga adaptation?
Talkby Anime Feminist September 6, 20210 Comments
The Dead Mothers of Shounen
To be a mother in a shounen series, especially of a male protagonist, is often a guaranteed death sentence. It also means a lack of characterization outside of her role as a caretaker. Even otherwise highly acclaimed series are guilty of these tropes, and I can’t help but wonder why they continue to persist.

Featureby Alex R September 3, 20210 Comments
Queer Subtext and Representation in Kamen Rider
Much of the franchise’s homoeroticism is a result of the franchise’s severe gender disparity, which it has only recently taken steps to address; the series took 31 years to get its first female Kamen Rider. There have also been canonically gay, transgender and nonbinary characters, but the quality of representation is questionable. Regardless, many LGBTQ+ viewers have seen their own experiences reflected in the many characters of Kamen Rider, whether implicitly or explicitly.

Featureby Nerissa Mercer September 1, 20210 Comments
Weekly Round-Up, 25-31 August 2021: Cosplay Gatekeeping, Kawaii Thesis, and Hate Raids
Linksby Anime Feminist August 31, 20210 Comments
What’s the most expensive anime set you’ve ever bought?
Talkby Anime Feminist August 30, 20210 Comments
Chatty AF 146: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Rewatchalong – Episodes 7-12 (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Vrai, Mercedez, and Alex return for the 2nd half of Madoka to talk about Madoka’s character arc, the aggravating entropy twist, and how the TV finale still resonates.

Podcastby Anime Feminist August 29, 20210 Comments
Edens Zero – Episode 1
An extremely by the numbers shounen, from orphan boy heroes to played-for-comedy groping.

Reviewsby ThatNerdyBoliviane August 27, 20210 Comments
Jujutsu Kaisen star Anne Yatco on the fight for casting equity and what shounen can learn from Nobara
Anne Yatco is a longtime actor with a varied and fascinating career. She entered the world of acting after spending four years as a full-time forensic scientist, worked with the all-WOC sketch group BAE*GENCY, and co-starred on the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Station 19. She’s recently pivoted primarily to working in voiceover, where she’s best known for playing Nobara in the English Jujutsu Kaisen dub.

Interviewby Vrai Kaiser August 27, 20210 Comments
Is it Hot in Here? Consent, communication, and boundaries in Sweat and Soap
Even with a hefty dose of olfactophilia, Sweat and Soap is as heart-warming and nourishing as it gets. In a genre rife with toxic relationships and uncomfortable relationship dynamics, Sweat and Soap takes what seems like a fetishistic premise and turns it into a story about the growth of a healthy relationship. Throughout the story, we see Natori and Asako set boundaries, communicate clearly, and, most of all, grow as individual people.

Featureby Sam H August 25, 20210 Comments
Weekly Round-Up, 18-24 August 2021: Ladybeard, Trauma in Berserk, and Fundraising for Animators
Linksby Anime Feminist August 24, 20210 Comments
What classic anime would you like to see get a remake or reinterpretation?
Talkby Anime Feminist August 23, 20210 Comments