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Anime/Manga/Character Relations- What anime do you think is feminist/girl-positive?

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Jan 28, 2014 3:44 PM

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The thing about Haibane is that it's more about PEOPLE helping eachother through problems. They are girls because it's an Abe series, and Abe draws girls pretty much exclusively. None of the problems they tackle relate to their gender in any way as I recall, it's just people helping other people. It's kind of typical of the slice of life genre, having an almost entirely female cast. I would not add Aria, K-on, or anything like that to the list, and I think Haibane falls into the same sort of category as those.

Like I said, it's a good series and it isn't sexist, but there's nothing empowering about it. I'll let some of the other ladies share their thoughts on it, perhaps Meta since I know she's seen it and I tend to trust her opinion on things since she's a bit of a critic. =)

Edit: I just looked at your list, and I can see why you would think Haibane might be empowering. You have not really seen any of the slice of life mostly female cast shows that Haibane falls into, so I can see where you might think it is unique or empowering. Really, it's just kind of typical of it's sub-genre which is targetted at males.
AmberlehJan 28, 2014 3:54 PM
Jan 28, 2014 4:23 PM

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Amberleh said:
They are girls because it's an Abe series, and Abe draws girls pretty much exclusively.


Except for Texnolyze. That's the only series with his art that has a male main character.
Jan 28, 2014 5:01 PM
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I agree Haibane Renmei isn't explicitly feminist -- but that's perfectly OK. Social commentary is all fine and well, but the lack of a feminist theme doesn't in any way detract from its value. Art for art's sake, you know?

That's how I feel, anyway.
Jan 28, 2014 5:32 PM

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workwork said:
I agree Haibane Renmei isn't explicitly feminist -- but that's perfectly OK. Social commentary is all fine and well, but the lack of a feminist theme doesn't in any way detract from its value. Art for art's sake, you know?

That's how I feel, anyway.


Oh no I never said it detracted from it. I was just saying it doesn't belong on our relations is all. It's still a good series regardless, it didn't need any feminist commentary or anything like that.


I guess I should clarify now that just because I say a show isn't empowering, or even that a show is sexist, doesn't mean I think it's bad. I think GTO is a fantastic series, but it's definitely got some issues with sexism. CLAMP are my favorite mangaka, but damn some of their stuff is REALLY sexist. Like I can't in good concience add the CCS manga to the list because of that student/teacher relationship. Thankfully the anime made that entirely one-sided. I adore Akira Toriyama but I don't know if his stuff is empowering, though at the same time it's not exactly sexist either since the females have a lot of sass and guts. I think Deedlit is an amazing female character, but she also plays the damsel in distress and pines over some normal human guy and gets easily jealous and has her ditsy blonde moments.

Overall quality of a series has no bearing on whether or not it belongs on our list.
AmberlehJan 28, 2014 5:39 PM
Jan 28, 2014 5:59 PM
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Ah, no. I didn't mean to imply that. Sorry.

We agree on this, I think.
Jan 28, 2014 7:18 PM

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Amberleh said:
I'll let some of the other ladies share their thoughts on it, perhaps Meta since I know she's seen it and I tend to trust her opinion on things since she's a bit of a critic. =)

You rang, m'lady?

My reputation as a critic (it's funny how I earn the "title" pretty much anywhere I go, although I am not even trying to be a critic) may suffer, but I have nothing to add to what has already been said about Haibane Renmei. I completely agree that it is a show that is not defined by the gender of its characters and thus is not particularly feminist. It is simply a damn good show featuring PEOPLE, as you said. Not everything has to have a feminist message.

I disagree about grouping it with shows like K-ON! though, but that has little to do with anything here. They may be SoLs that feature an all-girls cast, but that's where similarities end (at least for me), as Haibane Renmei is much more serious, atmospheric and raises quite a few questions. K-ON is, for better or worse, completely sugary school SoL. Not saying one is better over the other (although it is obvious where my preference lies), just that they are not alike.
metamorphiusJan 28, 2014 7:23 PM
Jan 28, 2014 7:42 PM

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metamorphius said:
Amberleh said:
I'll let some of the other ladies share their thoughts on it, perhaps Meta since I know she's seen it and I tend to trust her opinion on things since she's a bit of a critic. =)

You rang, m'lady?

My reputation as a critic (it's funny how I earn the "title" pretty much anywhere I go, although I am not even trying to be a critic) may suffer, but I have nothing to add to what has already been said about Haibane Renmei. I completely agree that it is a show that is not defined by the gender of its characters and thus is not particularly feminist. It is simply a damn good show featuring PEOPLE, as you said. Not everything has to have a feminist message.

I disagree about grouping it with shows like K-ON! though, but that has little to do with anything here. They may be SoLs that feature an all-girls cast, but that's where similarities end (at least for me), as Haibane Renmei is much more serious, atmospheric and raises quite a few questions. K-ON is, for better or worse, completely sugary school SoL. Not saying one is better over the other (although it is obvious where my preference lies), just that they are not alike.


I agree about the K-On thing, I was just trying to name all-girls slice of life anime but didn't want to bring up pure mush like Lucky Star or Yuru Yuri. Aria is the best comparison I guess but I do think Haibane is much better than any of those as well as more natural and realistic.

And thank you very much for your answer, my trusted lady knight.
Jan 28, 2014 7:49 PM

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Oh, I don't mind you comparing the two, but I just had to use the opportunity to randomly ramble xD It certainly is a better comparison than...ehm..Yuru Yuri.

You're welcome, you can count on me anytime when my opinion of utmost importance on Japanese cartoons is needed.
Jan 28, 2014 8:45 PM

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If any of the Yoshitoshi's ABe shows (which mind you is a fairly loose definition) could be considered feminist, I think that you would have the strongest case for NieA_7, of all things.

I say this because it depicts a penniless, constantly-working, over-extended student who does a remarkable job of keeping her life together considering everything she has to deal with (her freeloading roommate, the rent, long commutes, etc). The show doesn't depict her as being some sort of superhuman character who can handle all of this (she does show fatigue) but neither does it have her break down and start to depend on someone else. I think it treats her with more respect than most characters of her sort. I might compare her situation and her resilience to that of Kyoko in Skip Beat!, though some aspects (such as the asshole she's supporting) are missing.

When a (likely) love interest is introduced, meanwhile, it's made clear that part of what draws him to her and her alone is not physical attributes, not how good a little waifu she is, etc, but the stories she used to write when they knew each other back in high school and how interesting he found them. It's a fairly rare case in anime of showing a relationship that is at all based on how interesting people find each other/things they enjoy talking about together/etc. And there's no implication that he'll necessarily "save" her from having to work and study by marrying her and having her become a housewife, or that he wants her to change for him.

Granted, I do say "relationship" in a slightly loose term, since they aren't exactly dating during the course of the show, but that dynamic is there.

I'm not necessarily saying it should be added to this list, and to some extent it's really a show more about poverty (which is a constant theme) than necessarily the situation of women in particular. There are also some problematic aspects of it (one of the aliens is a tsundere to outdo all tsunderes, and there are also some racial stereotypes that, while used to make fun of the aliens' inability to adapt more than anything, do reflect some underlying prejudice). But it is probably the closest.
Jan 29, 2014 2:06 AM

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You guys raise many good points. Alas, Haibane Renmei probably doesn't deserve a spot on the relations. It is kind of in a category of its own: amazing works of art featuring all-female casts that aren't about gender but aren't sexist. Wouldn't it be neat if there were more shows like that?

Now I want to check out NieA_7... I think it's the only ABe-related show I haven't seen yet.

In the future I'll try to avoid recommending something unless it has more of a focus on gender and sexuality issues.
Jan 29, 2014 10:13 AM

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Oh please don't hesitate to reccomend stuff, we don't mind. =) You didn't get angry so it's not an issue. The only problem is when people kind of blindly suggest things and then get mad when we disagree, which you didn't.
Jan 29, 2014 1:49 PM

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@ Thewaifu- I went and talked Madoka over with our resident Madoka fangirl and a couple of other male friends, and we came to the conclusion again that it really has no place on our relations. The fact that
There were other problems as well, but either way, Madoka does not belong on our list. Sorry.

@feisty
I have not seen or read either of those series, so I will let someone else who has comment on that. =)
Jan 29, 2014 2:59 PM

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Okay, take two. How about Kino's Journey? At first I thought "oh yeah great female protagonist" but then I thought "wait, doesn't she spend most of the time pretending to be a boy?" but then I thought "no, she never pretends to be a boy, people just assume she is one and she doesn't correct them, but she also doesn't mind being addressed as a girl, so really she is genderqueer or androgynous, and that's something you don't see very often." Also, I can recall one episode (Episode 8 I believe) which features a woman triumphing over gender roles and realizing her dreams in spite of societal pressure.
Jan 29, 2014 4:14 PM

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Kino herself is actually in the character relations already, but I'm not against putting the series in relations if anyone else has anything to add about it.
Jan 29, 2014 5:41 PM
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Kino generally lets a lot slide, so I think it's a stretch to suggest that she's genderqueer. I wouldn't mind having it added to the list though. A great and fairly feminist anime.
Jan 29, 2014 9:37 PM
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Hiya! I have a list of the anime I consider to be feminist friendly or interesting from that perspective (railgun isn't really feminist friendly) here:

http://adventuresofcomicbookgirl.tumblr.com/post/12273497357/for-the-record-manga-anime-ive-read-seen-id-put-on

and specifically reviews here:

http://adventuresofcomicbookgirl.tumblr.com/greatfeministmanga

Kyousougiga is a show I'd rec, tho sense it doesn't focus on women in particular I probs wouldn't put it on the list. However, Koto is a fantastic character and I'd put her on the character list for sure. :) I love her.

Oh, and if you're including Heartcatch and Smile Precure, I'd also add in Fresh Precure and Suite Precure. Fresh is actually the strongest Precure series, imo.
nevermore999Jan 29, 2014 9:42 PM
Jan 29, 2014 10:53 PM

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Nice list, nevermore. Of those I've seen the only anime I'd have to disagree with is Attack on Titan. To me, Mikasa is only physically strong, but definitely not emotionally or mentally. Heck, I'd even say she's hardly even stable emotionally. Remove Eren and Mikasa becomes a mess.
metamorphiusJan 29, 2014 10:58 PM
Jan 29, 2014 11:02 PM

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I also wonder about Angel Beats being on the list. Nothing in that show stuck out to me as being especially female-empowering.
Jan 29, 2014 11:12 PM
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I have a complete review of Angel Beats that explains what I liked about it. It's linked right there.

Just because Mikasa is emotionally dependent on Eren doesn't mean she's anti-feminist? Eren is the only surviving member of her family, it makes sense that she so attached to him. And she's already shown she has the ability to keep going even if Eren dies.

I do want more for Mikasa as a character, I want to learn more about her family and her relationships with others. I wish the manga would focus more on that and if she ends up never growing from where she is now, I will say her handling would ultimately be a bit sexist. She needs more focus. But how she'll ultimately develop remains to be seen. If she was the only woman in the manga it would certainly be valid to say it's not feminist friendly.

However, there are several other female characters, including a canon lesbian (and it looks like the object of her affection reciprocates) that is treated respectfully so far, so it qualifies in my opinion, though there's definitely some gross stuff re: the author's comments about Korea and the overwhelming whiteness of the cast- i'm personally way more concerned about that than Mikasa. But it's definitely worth looking at if you like well developed female characters.

I'm honestly not looking for some sort of vague idea of "strong" for female characters, just characters that are honestly developed well, have their own narratives and treated respectfully. Doublegood if they subvert common sexist tropes.

Thanks tho!
nevermore999Jan 29, 2014 11:25 PM
Jan 29, 2014 11:30 PM

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I am not saying Mikasa is anti-feminist (although I have my problems with her as a character, regardless of the gender), just that I could never regard her as a well-developed, strong female lead. That's my two cents based on what the anime showed us. I am not reading the manga and don't intend to, so I shall have to wait for the second season to see how the characters and the story develops further.
Jan 30, 2014 12:15 AM

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Hm.

I read your review, and in general I'm not sure if I agree with it.

It's true that Yuri's capabilities are never thrown into serious doubt, although she does somewhat fade further and further into the background as time passes and the "battle" aspect fades.

I did, however, feel that her backstory was an example of a VN-style "traumatic past" being thrown in just as an abrasive female character is shown to "open up" and somehow "soften". It's not the most blatant case I've seen, but I'm not convinced it transcends the tropes of the genre (and it did feel a bit maudlin to me). I'm not saying that it's especially sexist per se, but that she falls into some cliches of the dating-sim department that weaken her character somewhat.


While I did like that there is a fair amount of male-to-male affection in the series, I felt that it owed more to the tradition of boys' love stories, of which there are number of references to in this series, than necessarily to a strong feminist conviction.

These issues aside, I like Angel Beats a lot less than you seem to, in general, so perhaps take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. It's a series that I find hard to take seriously due to my issues with the plot holes and what I perceive as emotionally manipulative drama, and that is probably affecting my reaction somewhat.

It may be, on the whole, that while I don't view Angel Beats as being especially sexist, I don't think it is truly empowering, either.

Allright, time I stopped picking on that one....of what I've seen on the rest of your list, I'd more or less agree.
lukanicolettaJan 30, 2014 12:28 AM
Jan 30, 2014 8:58 AM
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YMMV on Mikasa, but as of right now in the manga, both Ymir and Christa are central enough that they'd qualify as leads- huge friggin' chunks of the story have been devoted to them and only them. And I did like Mikasa's development early on and think she has a lot of potential. And yeah, I didn't specify whether I was talking anime or manga, but I'm talking manga. The anime is an adaptation of only about half the material covered in the manga.

Literally everyone in Angel Beats had a traumatic backstory that softened them up (well idk apparently Hinata's was that he didn't get to catch a baseball, but he's kinda a outlier there) and the climax of the story hinged on Yuri's decisions- so yeah, imo it qualifies, but it's really a difference of opinion. And I don't think I discussed male-male affection at all in my review, just how Otonashi has an atypical non-violent and sensitive personality for a male lead. Honestly, any good that could have come out of the intense dudely affection stuff was undercut by the constant "lol no homo" jokes for me. I honestly probably wouldn't have gotten around to reviewing that as quickly as I did if not for the fact someone requested it, but they really wanted me too and I do love Yuri (uh, the character, though yeah I also do love me some well-written, non-skeevy yuri as well).
Jan 30, 2014 11:34 AM

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I see. Now I am actually interested into seeing the continuation of Attack on Titan, so I can judge it for myself. Especially development of Ymir's and Christa's characters. Well, I'm confident there's going to be a second season, so I'll just wait and see.
metamorphiusJan 30, 2014 11:37 AM
Feb 2, 2014 12:51 AM

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Just to add my two cents on what has been said about Mikasa : I have to agree with nevermore'. As a manga reader myself, I do realize that some very small yet very important bits of Mikasa's characterisation do not appear in the anime adaptation, which is kind of a problem for a character like hers (since she's not far from an antisocial, nearly every single interaction with someone other than Eren or inner thought that is not directly related to him often counts as actual character development), and that the manga itself really didn't use her to her full potential, at least not yet. However, it's been shown more than once in the anime that she's not a weak-willed character :


All in all, I also agree that there's still much room for more character growth and potential for her to become a true badass, but I wouldn't say she's not strong-willed/empowering or not well-developped at all (even though she might not be the easiest character to relate to).
Just realised she was already in the character relations; all that rambling was for nothing.

Also, Attack on Titan in my opinion as a whole deserves at least some sort of credit for offering its viewers a perctly gender-neutral world, with some cases of reversed tropes (Hanji the mad scientist -even though she has officially 'no gender'-, Mikasa as the protector, Eren as Princess Peach etc.) and female characters having significant roles in story or being given the spotlight (Female Titan, Christa & Ymir later on, even Sasha to a certain extent), which is infuriatingly a rarity for a shounen anime. It might not directly tackle the issue of gender roles, but it's still refreshing to see an anime that tells you that when mankind is threatened, everyone must fight, regardless of their gender.


Also about Madoka Magica and Amberleh's explanation in page 6 why it doesn't belong to the relations list:
Amberleh said:
@ Thewaifu- I went and talked Madoka over with our resident Madoka fangirl and a couple of other male friends, and we came to the conclusion again that it really has no place on our relations. The fact that
There were other problems as well, but either way, Madoka does not belong on our list. Sorry.

@feisty
I have not seen or read either of those series, so I will let someone else who has comment on that. =)


Sorry for the huge rant and thanks in advance for reading ^^.


Now about a suggestion that I have for the character relations list: it would be Rin Tohsaka, from the Fate/ franchise. I think she's notable for being a pretty girl-positive character exactly because the Fate/ franchise as a whole is really sexist, especially with its own mascot (I'm looking at you F/SN Saber).
Please take note that I'm mostly speaking from the VN, since I don't really remember the anime adaptation (f*ck you DEEN) and I didn't see (and never intend to) the Unlimited Blade Works movie. Sorry in advance for the rant:

Oh my, all that text...
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Kellhus said:
GuusWayne said:
there is a limit to the suspension of disbelief

And it's the fan that did it. Not the smoking porn reading rubik cube genius rape ape with a magic boat.
Feb 2, 2014 1:43 AM

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Okay I type walls of text, but uh, damn. You might want to learn to trim down a bit.

I am never, EVER adding a character from the Fate franchise. It is just not going to happen. Rin was also sexualized as a little girl in Fate/Zero- There was a scene where they made it look like she was having an orgasm, AS A LITTLE GIRL.

But in general I really don't want to add characters from super sexist series, because then it gives off the idea that the series is okay. I have some characters on there whose series are not on the list, but their series are not sexist but may just not be list-worthy.
AmberlehFeb 2, 2014 1:47 AM
Feb 2, 2014 1:48 AM

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Amberleh said:
Okay I type walls of text, but uh, damn. You might want to learn to trim down a bit.

I am never, EVER adding a character from the Fate franchise. It is just not going to happen. Rin was also sexualized as a little girl in Fate/Zero- There was a scene where they made it look like she was having an orgasm, AS A LITTLE GIRL.


Wut ? When ?

EDIT: I was about to say that I made a clear distinction between the character and the franchise she's attached to, but then I saw your edit. Said like that I understand why adding any character, even if it's Tohsaka from a franchise like Fate/ would be problematic.

What about PMMM, though?
SapewlothFeb 2, 2014 2:24 AM
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Kellhus said:
GuusWayne said:
there is a limit to the suspension of disbelief

And it's the fan that did it. Not the smoking porn reading rubik cube genius rape ape with a magic boat.
Feb 2, 2014 1:54 AM
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God, the F/SN VN... Rin was a pretty good character, though. Sort of.


unlike the protagonist
Feb 2, 2014 2:44 AM

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Madoka was discussed with multiple parties, multiple times, and is not going to be added. Everyone has their own opinions on it I'm sure but it was the unanimous decision of the club admins and some other people I trust to not add Madoka so I'm afraid it will stay as such. Also, the movies, from what I have heard, do lolicon pandering, leading me to believe that there was never any feminist intention in the series to begin with (that and the director is Urobutcher). But that's more of a side note.

Again, just because we don't add a series does not mean it's a bad series, same way that just because a series gets added does not mean it's a good series. Madoka has too much gray area and too many differing opinions on its contents in regards to sexism so I just can't add it.

Seeing as it has now been brought up three times, I would like to ask that we stop trying to bring Madoka up. It will not be added. Thanks =)
Feb 2, 2014 2:53 AM

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Okay no prob. I can now move on and proceed to look for some other really girl-positive stuff to be added :)
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Kellhus said:
GuusWayne said:
there is a limit to the suspension of disbelief

And it's the fan that did it. Not the smoking porn reading rubik cube genius rape ape with a magic boat.
Feb 2, 2014 4:19 AM

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workwork said:
God, the F/SN VN... Rin was a pretty good character, though. Sort of.


unlike the protagonist

Yup. As much as I hate the rest of the cast and the VN itself, Rin was great. I thought she'd be another generic violent tsundere. I was pleasantly surprised.
Feb 2, 2014 4:29 PM

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Hey , how come gintama isn't in the club relations ?I mean it has an awesome female lead (plus she is not your mainstream big boob badass )and tons of other female characters who are independent & strong.

Sorry if this has already been discussed , I couldn't find anything on it so I thought I'd share my thoughts with you guys ..
Feb 2, 2014 11:29 PM

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Never seen Gintama myself so I wouldn't know anything about it's characters.

Anyone else who's seen it have any thoughts?
Feb 3, 2014 1:04 AM

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I have mixed feelings about Gintama. It definitely does have a lot of strong female characters who stand on equal footing with the male leads and has minimal fanservice, but some of the episodes are really questionable for some sexist scenes, but mainly due to the fact that the series rides on anime parodies. Like there's one episode I'd describe, but I feel uncomfortable doing so haha. But really, that's probably the only reason I can think of about why Gintama can't be considered as a series relation.

A questionable character is a female ninja named Sacchan. She is depicted as a masochist and shamelessly goes after the male lead during most of her screen time. There are even BDSM scenes in the beginning of the series, but at the same time her character also shows that she's not ashamed to outwardly show her sexual desires/pervertedness. So I'm not sure about her.

Another character is Otae, who is femininely pretty but is physically aggressive and comes off as scary towards the male characters. She also can't cook for beans and her character definitely shows that she is both physically and emotionally strong. She works at a hostess bar to support her brother and herself but does not resort to relying on men for financial support (ie. does not give in to marriage proposals).

The main female character, Kagura is a tomboy with a cute face, but has an aggressive personality, is physically strong and seriously kicks ass and protects some of the male characters from time to time. She possesses a good sense of what's right and wrong, but also isn't ashamed of her over-indulgence in food and fighting. There's an older woman character who runs her own bar and often gives her own two cents of wisdom. She follows her own ideals and even gives shelter to another female character.

I could go on about many of the female characters. Despite the series parodying other anime tropes, a majority of the female characters are actually really respectable and empowering and don't follow those typical, formulaic, female characters at all.

I haven't finished the series; I'm only on the third season, but so far I really do enjoy a lot of the female characters, which is really rare for me when it comes to mainstream anime.
Feb 3, 2014 2:36 AM
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Rec Dennou Coil to anyone and everyone. I just finished it, and the majority of the cast is female and very complex, it hinges on a female friendship and ladies helping each other and is a coming-of-age story for two young girls, and lots of ladies saving the day and saving dudes in distress. I'll probably add it to my reviews.
nevermore999Feb 3, 2014 2:42 AM
Feb 3, 2014 1:24 PM

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kawaiipapa said:
Like there's one episode I'd describe, but I feel uncomfortable doing so haha. But really, that's probably the only reason I can think of about why Gintama can't be considered as a series relation.

I seriously can't think of the episode you're talking about ...(?)

kawaiipapa said:
A questionable character is a female ninja named Sacchan. She is depicted as a masochist and shamelessly goes after the male lead during most of her screen time. There are even BDSM scenes in the beginning of the series, but at the same time her character also shows that she's not ashamed to outwardly show her sexual desires/pervertedness. So I'm not sure about her.

I'll partly agree with you here about Sarutobi. I had mixed feelings about her too, especially in the begging it pissed me off , but I don't think that Sorachi made her a masochist because she is a woman. I can see him doing that with a male character too. It's just her personality as a character not as a female. If he had any "hate" against women I think it would show in all of his other female characters.
Ok, I don't think I'm explaining it right but I want to say that he portrays his characters (especially women) in a very realistic way (e.x kagura throws up , picks her nose while being a woman ) meaning that he sees them as humans not as flawless creatures(women don't go to the bathroom , don't curse etc. ) nor as a seriously flawed character that needs the male lead in order to be more powerful, popular etc. So there are many different personalities that he can create that are not hung up on the fact that they might or might not be female .
I hope you get what I'm trying to say ( Sorry it's late and I'm sleepy :p)

I believe that we should at least add Kagura at the character relations. I seriously see nothing anti-femist about her.

p/s: Amberleh if you ever start watching it , I'd be glad to hear your opinion .:)
Feb 4, 2014 10:40 AM

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@Aileenam
Haha the arc I'm talking about is probably one from the beginning of Season 3 where the group goes to compete for the new video game system, and one of the games they have to conquer is an otome game for boys. The objective was to woo the main female character to win, but one of them (idk Katsura?) seduces the mother, and then there's the scene where Sougo (I seriously don't remember) "seduces" the female character by...poking her boobs and "stimulating" her. I'd probably say that's fanservicey but it did parody otome games and how ridiculous they are.

I don't really think Sorachi shows any hatred for women. He highly respects his female characters, since he gives all the ones that have more frequent appearances very strong personalities, but I know what you mean. The other really minor female characters who only come out for like one episode are reduced to stereotypical weaker female roles, so that's the other iffy thing I have about it. But you can't really blame the mangaka for not paying attention to every small character.

As for Kagura though, one thing that gets me is that she is an Amanto/alien, and that's where her physical prowess comes from. All the other strong male leads are humans, but they're still stronger than her. There are no other human female characters who really rival Kagura's strength (maybe Kyubei, but even she ends up losing against Gintoki). Kagura would definitely be a more empowering female character if she was human.
Feb 4, 2014 4:37 PM

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Been watching Skip Beat! recently. I've been enjoying it a lot and I'm glad to see it on this list. It's pretty impressive how strong Kyouko actually is; absolutely everybody underestimates her and they're always wrong about it. It also treats the fact that she gets blamed for everything while Sho gets to go on being the "golden boy" with a lot of frankness, not to mention that I appreciate that she doesn't stay hopelessly in love with him, since he's about the biggest asshole I've seen in anime since Takumi from "Nana" (hopefully that won't happen later on).
Feb 4, 2014 6:17 PM

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Nov 2011
2817
Having moments of sexism or a masochistic female character does not mean that the show is not list worthy. Fairy Tail has both of these things but has more than enough empowering characters and just spectacularly beautiful moments that it more than compensates for any shortcomings in the sexism department.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Ptr6DYmJg

That being said, this character in particular is not on the list. But I hope that helps with the Gintama thing- If it's just the one girl who is a masochist, and there's just a couple sexist episodes, then that isn't going to disqualify it, particularly since it's a longer series with a lot of characters. I'll get around to watching it someday- I wish it had a dub, then I'd go ahead and start watching it right away, but alas =/

I'll add it though if we get a few more opinions on it.

@Sarco- I loved Skip Beat!. I thought it was incredibly empowering and I had the same concerns at first that you seem to be having, but don't worry. =)
Feb 6, 2014 2:43 PM

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Dec 2013
32
kawaiipapa said:
@Aileenam
Haha the arc I'm talking about is probably one from the beginning of Season 3 where the group goes to compete for the new video game system, and one of the games they have to conquer is an otome game for boys. The objective was to woo the main female character to win, but one of them (idk Katsura?) seduces the mother, and then there's the scene where Sougo (I seriously don't remember) "seduces" the female character by...poking her boobs and "stimulating" her. I'd probably say that's fanservicey but it did parody otome games and how ridiculous they are.

Ok,ok I get it :p
kawaiipapa said:
As for Kagura though, one thing that gets me is that she is an Amanto/alien, and that's where her physical prowess comes from. All the other strong male leads are humans, but they're still stronger than her. There are no other human female characters who really rival Kagura's strength (maybe Kyubei, but even she ends up losing against Gintoki). Kagura would definitely be a more empowering female character if she was human..

Yes I agree with you BUT you have to see ep. 146 first because I have an objection but I don't wanna spoil anything !
Amberleh said:
I wish it had a dub, then I'd go ahead and start watching it right away, but alas =/.
I don't really think that there will ever be one :/

Anyway I do think Gintama deserves a spot but I hope we get a few more opinions ..
Feb 6, 2014 11:52 PM

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Dec 2013
26
nevermore999 said:
Rec Dennou Coil to anyone and everyone. I just finished it, and the majority of the cast is female and very complex, it hinges on a female friendship and ladies helping each other and is a coming-of-age story for two young girls, and lots of ladies saving the day and saving dudes in distress. I'll probably add it to my reviews.


I think this is what I'll be watching next, as I've been meaning to watch it for basically forever. It doesn't seem like anyone else here has seen it, though. How many people need to agree a show is feminist for it to go on the relations?
Feb 7, 2014 12:20 AM
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Jan 2013
35
I don't believe there is a specific number. A general consensus should suffice, I imagine. I'll watch it this weekend and give you my opinion, for what it's worth.
Feb 7, 2014 1:27 AM

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Aug 2009
3452
janse112 said:
How many people need to agree a show is feminist for it to go on the relations?

One.
Feb 7, 2014 3:38 AM

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2817
Pffftt that's not even true, silly Meta. I tell you guys all the time you can add whatever you want, that's why you're admins. There's a lot of stuff on there I've never seen or read.

But if other people have seen it and agree that Dennou Coil is empowering I'll add it.
Feb 7, 2014 7:23 AM

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Amberleh said:
Pffftt that's not even true, silly Meta.

Surely no one should take that reply of mine seriously as the evidence of the club management so far proves otherwise. Perhaps I should have used a smiley, but I dislike using it since I feel it ruins the joke.
Feb 14, 2014 1:38 AM
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May 2013
6
Yay! Lots of anime/manga suggestions for me to follow up on. Thank you everyone so far. Also, +1 for Dennou Coil - I found it pretty empowering.

I also have a few suggestions or my own to make. (I'm pretty sure haven't been suggested yet-I've read through the pages - my apologies if I've missed something.).

First, there's Mira Lee's manhwa (Korean manga) Operation Liberate Men. Now, I know the title sort of suggests 'really non-feminist', but here's the synopsis (courtesy of Wikipedia):

It's an interesting work and it strongly questions the views of society on women. Unfortunately, the main character is a little problematic (she has a few 'damsel' moments) and the series has been on a v. long hiatus, but I still think it's worth a look.


Next, there's the Hatenkou Yuugi/Dazzle manga. For those of you who've only seen the anime - the anime is AWFUL and not like the manga. Here's a condensed synopsis (the MAL synopsis makes it sound more romantic than it is):

The main character Rhazel is awesome - she's strong but not a tsundere, and isn't rescued by her male companions all the time. The female characters she meets along the way are good too. Don't be scared away by the 'two guys, one girl' premise either - Hatenkou Yuugi focuses more on friendship and adventure than romance, although it does contain some romantic elements.

Lastly, there's Kubera, which is actually a Korean webcomic, but MAL has given it an entry so... As well as having a great story and world, Kubera features tons of awesome strong female characters - one of whom I'd really like to see on the relations list. Here's the synopsis, courtesy of 'The Company':

Don't be turned off by the 100+ chapters that the author has written. Although Kubera is a long series, it's surprisingly well-written, considering its length. The author has planned well and it shows. Absolutely worth a read - please try it!
Feb 14, 2014 11:30 AM

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Feb 2008
468
LadyIo said:
(the MAL synopsis makes it sound more romantic than it is)
Hey, nothing wrong with romance! That is one of the few progressive aspects of anime and manga in comparison to other media, that romance isn't denigrated and is enjoyed by all audiences. I am definitely going to check out Operation Liberate Men! You have my interest piqued.
Feb 15, 2014 2:28 AM

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2817
We need to make a list of all the series that have been mentioned, as I have not really been keeping track. D8 I came through and decided to add any that had a generally positive consensus, but it's hard without an actual list.

What do people think about Kimi ni Todoke by the way? The female lead was nice but what really struck a chord with me were her two friends, how they defied normal shoujo 'best friend' tropes and were the outcast girls, one who would be labled a 'slut' and the other a 'yankee', but they got great development and were shown in an incredibly positive light.
AmberlehFeb 15, 2014 2:32 AM
Feb 17, 2014 12:27 AM

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Dec 2011
2006
Count my vote for Kimi ni Todoke. More reasons why it should be added:

-Female friendships: Shoujo anime/manga kind of really sucks when it comes to female friendships, especially in comparison to shounen which his like ALL ABOUT [usually male-male] friendship. But Kimi ni Todoke portrays Chizu's, Ayane's, and Sawako's friendship really well--they support each other through each of their conflicts, and even the love rival is fleshed out which is also great; too often in shoujo anime/manga are the female love rivals villified right off the bat, and that is really their only characterization. Especially when compared to male love rivals in love triangles, who are almost always portrayed to be sympathetic characters. Also Chizu-chan and Yano-chan are both noteworthy characters as Amber already stated.

- Kazehaya: I do have a few issues with Kazehaya-kun, esp. in the manga portions past the end point of the anime, but I really liked that he would step back whenever Sawako had to confront drama and whatnot even when he knew about what was going on and wanted to help her--though he did also give her lots of support.
A lot of shoujo manga portrays the male love interest as someone who's able to solve all the heroine's problems, but I think of this as Shiina-sensei saying that it's important to find the strength to face your issues and move forward on your own--for your own benefit--because in real life people don't enter relationships to simply have their issues fixed, and it wouldn't be reasonable to expect that out of a significant other.

- The representation is also pretty strong. More than half the main cast (and the characters who get the most plot time) are females in the beginning, and then later on the male-female ratio is equal.

--------------------------------

Someone also brought up Tomodachi no Hanashi once in the comments, but I want to officially petition to get it added. It goes back to what I said above about female friendship and sisterhood, and this is a perfect example. If you haven't read it, go read it! It's 3 chapters!
EmmrysFeb 17, 2014 12:34 AM
Feb 17, 2014 8:25 AM

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Jul 2011
133
Dennou Coil was the other show people were talking about adding, I recall.
Feb 21, 2014 12:13 AM

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Jun 2013
11
If Madoka isn't good enough for the relations list, then why do we have stuff that is basically all about dudes but just like, doesn't treat women like complete shit? Like FMA: Brotherhood? "Feminist-friendly", sure, but hardly something that should be celebrated as a paragon of feminism in anime! Most of the female characters are satellites to their male love interests.

I keep seeing it get pushed as "feminist" on Tumblr and places like that, and it's really frustrating. It's certainly not BAD at that stuff, but calling it "feminist" is setting an incredibly low bar, one that I, as a feminist media critic, would rather be at least a LITTLE higher.

(All this is explained better here: http://catface-mcgee.tumblr.com/post/47218034747/cut-for-feminism-and-bryke-and-arakawa-you-know-the by a friend, since it's like 3 am and I don't feel like going in depth, lol.)

ETA: I hope that doesn't come across as too aggressive. I think I just saw it on the list and it reminded me of the discussions I've had about it on Tumblr, and that kind of made me mad!
idislikemalFeb 21, 2014 12:25 AM
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