All Articles
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AniFem one month in
We are officially one month old! It seems like much longer, but we launched on 11th October and have officially been up and running in public for one calendar month.
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“So That I Could Be Myself”: Gender performance in Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju and Yuri!!! on ICE
While they take place in very different settings, Rakugo Shinju and Yuri on Ice both challenge cultural expectations about how men should or shouldn’t act, and show why it’s important to cast aside restrictive gender roles and play to our own strengths.
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Sincerity, Expectation, and Discourse in Anime Fandom
Discourse doesn’t have the best reputation in anime fandom.
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How fan service can attract or repel an audience, and how to tell the difference
There’s a misconception that feminists believe any and all fan service is always bad. But in this feminist’s opinion, fan service goes wrong when it interrupts the mood of the show.
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Roundtable: Shin Godzilla
Molly Brenan, Peter Fobian, Syra Jenkins, and Frog-kun have a roundtable discussion this week after watching Shin Godzilla. Read on for insights on the representation of female characters, politics in Japan and the US, the allegory of Godzilla, and comparisons to Evangelion.
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Could the Tokyo 2020 Olympics lead to more women’s sports anime?
In recent years, women’s sports anime hasn’t been able to grasp the same popularity it did during the intense shoujo showdowns of the ’60s, leaving female-driven sports anime lacking in quantity.
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Minami Sakai on being an independent manga artist in Japan
We’re thrilled to start our interview series speaking to someone who is currently living the daily grind of an independent manga artist in Tokyo.
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My Fave Is Problematic: School Days
Yes, really. I imagine at least some of you took one look at the title I chose and ran as fast as possible in the other direction.
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“Why are so many men supporting AniFem?” and other questions
After just six days, AniFem has beaten our first Patreon milestone! To celebrate, here is a behind-the-scenes “state of the nation” update on our supporters, our response to criticism, and our plans for the future.
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What is Obscenity? Vagina kayaks, “pussy,” and the law
What is Obscenity? The Story of a Good for Nothing Artist and her Pussy tells the story of vagina artist, Rokudenashiko, who was arrested in 2014 for “distributing obscene materials.” What were the obscene materials? Art made from the artist’s own vagina.
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AniFem Kotaku interview follow-up
(I need to work on catchier titles.)
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Focus and Framing in Black Lagoon vs. Gurren Lagann
Rather than tackle the immense subject of characterization as a whole, my objective is to focus on one aspect of the portrayal of female characters in isolation: how camera and context can be used to sexualize or objectify a character in just about every conceivable situation.
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Poco’s Udon World – Episode 1
Coping with loss through new responsibilities outside the protagonist’s comfort zone looks likely to be the path of this anime.
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March Comes in Like a Lion – Episode 1
March Comes in Like a Lion has a real mish-mash of tonal shifts, but it’s handled so skillfully that it doesn’t feel jarring.
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Long Riders – Episode 1
This could turn into a pleasant slice of life show, especially if they keep avoiding the fanservice as they have.
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Occultic;Nine – Episode 1
The horror parts of this anime could work, but it’s so badly outweighed by the horrendous representations of women and gay men that it’s impossible to stomach.
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ClassicaLoid – Episode 1
Silliness is hit and miss for me, but ClassicaLoid sensibly keeps grounded Kanae front-and-centre and insists the goofier characters at least try to fit into her world rather than the other way around.
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Why we need you to become an AniFem patron
“AniFem is such an important initiative to me, because as a woman and fervent anime lover (and captain of the Shinji Ikari defense squad), I don’t think being a feminist and being an anime fan should be at odds.” – Molly Brenan, Publishing Associate, Kodansha USA and co-manager of AniTAY (acting in an individual capacity) […]
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Lostorage incited WIXOSS – Episode 1
This is either the flimsiest premise of the season or we’re about to be hit with an onslaught of backstory justifying the world’s rules.
