Amelia and Peter talk about the manga and anime versions of cyborg military professional Motoko Kusanagi in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, with special guests Valerie Complex and Brian Ruh!
ClassicaLoid may be first-and-foremost a wacky comedy, but it’s also proven itself adept at quietly challenging cultural norms about gender and sexuality. Guess it’s true you should never judge a book by its cover—or a series by its goofy premise.
While preparing some upcoming content on Ghost in the Shell, Peter brought to my attention this 2014 series of posts by Claire Napier on how the Major’s body is presented and considered in the many Japanese versions of the franchise.
Some really interesting links this week on what it means to be “Other” while living in Japan, and spotlights on some quality women in anime (real and fictional).
Suburban horror plays on the anxieties of people living in these quiet communities, and as such, they tend to focus on the victimization of women. By making Kira’s first victim, Reimi Sugimoto, an active player in the story through the final act, Jojo’s reverses that victimization and turns into something far more empowering.
Recording our recent podcast on Re:ZERO made me want to share one of the earliest explicitly feminist fandom posts I read, from a writer who has since become a personal friend and an honorary member of Team AniFem (and will one day write something for us, no doubt!).
The fanservice in Cross Ange begins before the opening credits on the first episode, and doesn’t stop until the main character spends most of the final episode completely nude. In between, she fights dragons on a giant robot. What’s not to love?
Discussing gender roles in Japan, Re:ZERO, 90s anime trends, yuri anime, and more!
Amelia and Peter look back on Re:ZERO’s main characters with Caitlin, who just finished watching it for the first time and has some strong opinions to share.
Murder and despair are normally nowhere near the magical girl archetype, but that’s changing in some recent and disturbing developments.
This week: Ghost in the Shell, gender-bending, Naoko Yamada, and more!
Earlier this week we invited you to showcase the contributions of black fans, and initial response was disheartening. It looks like our community just isn’t too aware of the work black fans and creators are doing in anime and manga fandom. To begin addressing that, let’s take a look at a 2013 post by Chaka, a.k.a. @princessology, […]
Because moe characters are courageous in their fear, I’m able to find inspiration in these girls who step out from hiding to stand victorious beside their friends or charge into battle for the sake of love.
In this week’s links: Evangelion, female AniTubers, Gabriel DropOut, and fandom diversity.
In its 20th anniversary year, Caitlin, Dee and Vrai talk about a series they have all loved and analyzed for many years: the game-changing Revolutionary Girl Utena.
