All Articles
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Killin’ ‘Em With Kindness: The radical compassion of Kamado Tanjiro within the modern shounen landscape
Tanjiro’s got that moralistic determination trait/defect common in many of my Shounen Sons (™), but what makes him different is a clear and consistent decision to choose kindness toward others, with a pang of deep sadness and forgiveness that outlines it. When holding it up against the other leading boys in the same genre, this particular “brand of nice” feels different. But what is the difference in Tanjiro’s “nice” compared to other shounen protagonists—and why isn’t it more common?
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Lum Through the Years: Urusei Yatsura’s gender roles, then and now
While Lum herself unquestionably remains an anime icon, looking to the different ways she’s depicted in the older anime versus the new can shed some light on changing attitudes to the genre and archetype she’s so nicely embodied over time.
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Chatty AF 186: Death Parade Retrospective – Part 2 (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Caitlin, Cy, and Toni celebrate the 10th anniversary of a cult classic and dig into its portrayals of women, motherhood, and the question of transformative justice.
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Forcing Yourself for Love: Hotaru, Sailor Moon, and “Overcoming Disability” Narratives
Hotaru’s story represents the tension between our desire for comforting narratives of disabled people healing and the reality of disabled life as shaped by capitalism and the limits of our bodies.
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Akane-Banashi: Writing women protagonists using Battle Shounen tropes
Akane-Banashi, a manga about a young woman coming into prominence in the world of Rakugo, has one of the farthest possible premises from the shounen standard, and yet it uses the tropes of shounen effectively to convey the emotional stakes of the story.
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She Has Two Hands! Room For non-monogamous love in yuri
Yuri and the wider GL community has an increasing reach that seems to be growing each year, and it’s worth examining the ways in which the increased variety of yuri stories are representing different kinds of love and relationships. Love can be so many different things, after all, and it’s gratifying when fiction reflects that—not to mention how it opens new possibilities for storytelling and discussions of relationship dynamics.
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Site Update: New Shoujo-Inspired Merchandise at the AniFem Store!
Back in 2021 we officially opened our merch store, which offers our Trans Magical Warrior designs by Nico Neeks and our fantastic site logo by Katy Castillo. The enthusiastic embrace of these artists and the site warmed us to the bottom of our hearts—which is why we’re so excited to introduce you to our latest collaborator!
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Chatty AF 185: Death Parade Retrospective – Part 1 (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Caitlin, Cy, and Toni celebrate the 10th anniversary of a cult classic by Mob Psycho 100 director Tachikawa Yuzuru!
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Sins of Her Fathers, Strength of Her Mothers: How Jolyne Cujoh inherited her foremothers’ legacy
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure presents a very different attitude from the common story of patriarchal family lines. Not only does the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure conclude with Jolyne, the first female protagonist of the saga, but it’s clear that her very survival hinges on traits she inherited from her female predecessors.
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Sharp Blades, Soft Frills: Femme rebellion in lolita fashion, Japan.
Lolita fashion has been part of Japan’s rich alternative scene for over 40 years. It is a celebration of self and is intended to provide a ‘hyper-femme space’ away from the imposition of the male gaze. Not to be confused with Vladmir Nabakov’s (1955) Lolita, this movement actually uses the word “lolita” to mean frilly “French-inspired” fashion. A big influence on lolita fashion is kawaii and Japanese “girl culture” which is for anyone of all genders and ages.
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Akiba Maid War and the rare representation of disabled joy
No amount of blood splattering across the screen or sudden, emotional character deaths hit me quite as hard as the post-credits scene of the finale. It took just fifty seconds to make me squeal out loud and cement Akiba Maid War as one of the most impactful shows of 2022.
