Angel
Teian (Proposal)
Introduction/statement of topic
My proposal for this research project is to examine and discuss the roles of women in anime and manga. I will discuss what role woman play, how they are portrayed and the stereotypes that surround them as a whole. I would like to find out if the stereotypes mold the characters or if the characters mold themselves around the stereotypes. I would like to take women out of their predetermined categories and see what other reasons there are for them to exist. Do they exist solely to be fan service to the male readers? Are they solely for the women readers to identify with? Or do they have depths to them that do not belong to any one category?
Women in manga and anime is a broad topic. There are many things that can be discussed. I, as well as my research partner Megan Cardone, believe that for this assignment a website will be the most efficient way to display all of the information that has been compiled. On our webpage the information can mingle and coexist and all come together to form one cohesive topic. We will be using pictures and video clips to go along with our words, similarly to anime and manga itself, using the multimedia mode to convey the story.
Discussion of importance
Readers may wonder why any of this matters, why is it meaningful? Well, it may not be meaningful to anyone outside of the manga/anime fan base. To the fan base it should be extremely important. Shouldn’t we know why the women we idolize, the women we read about and identify with act the way they do and are portrayed the way they are? Does it matter to the fans why they wear skimpy clothes? Are the orphaned heroines designed to bring sympathy? Do any of the women we love have depth to them at all? Are they really superficial compilations of what audiences want?
As readers we need to know these things because the women that we see on the screen or read in the books have an influence on their audience. They shape how girls and women view themselves and others. The women in these shows and books represent not only women in general, but how people still view women. Do people think all women are just sex objects or silly, clumsy girls? Have stereotypes changed at all? It is important that the audience be aware of the stereotypes of the females that they are relating to. If they like a character despite a stereotype, then that is fine, but they should be aware of the stereotype and its role that it plays in how women are portrayed.
Literature review
There have been many studies conducted about anime and manga. Studies of how to read it, understand it, and most importantly what to make of it. One article that looks at the role of women is “Non-Western Sexuality Comes to the U.S. A Crash Course in Manga and Anime for Sexologists” by Martha Cornog. Martha discusses in great detail a specific anime/manga, Sailor Moon. In the final season of Sailor Moon, Sailor Stars, there are three new sailor scouts who are introduced. On their home planet they are female, when they transform they are also female, but on earth they are men. Cornog discusses the sexuality of this series as being in the beginning “heteronormative” but as it continues and further develops more sexuality, lesbian love, heterosexual love and gender bending begin to appear. She further discusses the differences between the USA and Japan, and how we see images such as these and think of them as pornographic, whereas Japan is more accepting of these themes and does not see them as anything to be ashamed of at all.
Another article that argues women’s roles is, “Girls Return Home: Portrayal of Femininity in Popular Japanese Girls’ Manga and Anime Texts during the1990s in Hana yori Dango and Fruits Basket” by Kukhee Choo. Choo argues for the “Kawaii” trait that seems to be popular in manga. “Kawaii” means cuteness, which doesn’t speak of physical appearance. When describing a character as “Kawaii” their character must be examined. Choo does this while analyzing Fruits Basket. The main character Toru, is seen as “Kawaii” because although she works at a night job surrounded by mostly old women, and she is clumsy and silly, she still tries her best, and wants everyone around her to be smiling. She is a sympathetic character which will classify her as “Kawaii.” Choo argues that a character that is pathetic can easily be seen as “Kawaii”.
These articles portray women in various stereotypes and examine them for the qualities that they possess. There are many different stereotypes, but women in anime/manga will always fall into one type of category or another. It’s my job to research these stereotypes, define them and examine what types of characters are seen as good stereotypes and which ones audience members could do without.
Plan for further research
What’s left for this project is still quite a bit of research. I am going to delve headfirst into the manga/anime journals and books I have already obtained, as well as others I will acquire. I am going to be looking for articles that tell me how woman are portrayed in a good light, and then how they are used as nothing but sex objects. I want both sides of the spectrum so I can show a cohesive and thorough view of the subject matter.
I think I may want to conduct a few interviews as well to get a public opinion of what they think of women in manga/anime, and how they are portrayed. Do they think these women are good role models or are they to be avoided? What reasons do they like certain types of girls? I am going to search academic sites such as Academic Search Premier for more information on girls and their role in manga/anime. This project is going to require more work, more research and more in-depth analysis of the genre as a whole.
My proposal for this research project is to examine and discuss the roles of women in anime and manga. I will discuss what role woman play, how they are portrayed and the stereotypes that surround them as a whole. I would like to find out if the stereotypes mold the characters or if the characters mold themselves around the stereotypes. I would like to take women out of their predetermined categories and see what other reasons there are for them to exist. Do they exist solely to be fan service to the male readers? Are they solely for the women readers to identify with? Or do they have depths to them that do not belong to any one category?
Women in manga and anime is a broad topic. There are many things that can be discussed. I, as well as my research partner Megan Cardone, believe that for this assignment a website will be the most efficient way to display all of the information that has been compiled. On our webpage the information can mingle and coexist and all come together to form one cohesive topic. We will be using pictures and video clips to go along with our words, similarly to anime and manga itself, using the multimedia mode to convey the story.
Discussion of importance
Readers may wonder why any of this matters, why is it meaningful? Well, it may not be meaningful to anyone outside of the manga/anime fan base. To the fan base it should be extremely important. Shouldn’t we know why the women we idolize, the women we read about and identify with act the way they do and are portrayed the way they are? Does it matter to the fans why they wear skimpy clothes? Are the orphaned heroines designed to bring sympathy? Do any of the women we love have depth to them at all? Are they really superficial compilations of what audiences want?
As readers we need to know these things because the women that we see on the screen or read in the books have an influence on their audience. They shape how girls and women view themselves and others. The women in these shows and books represent not only women in general, but how people still view women. Do people think all women are just sex objects or silly, clumsy girls? Have stereotypes changed at all? It is important that the audience be aware of the stereotypes of the females that they are relating to. If they like a character despite a stereotype, then that is fine, but they should be aware of the stereotype and its role that it plays in how women are portrayed.
Literature review
There have been many studies conducted about anime and manga. Studies of how to read it, understand it, and most importantly what to make of it. One article that looks at the role of women is “Non-Western Sexuality Comes to the U.S. A Crash Course in Manga and Anime for Sexologists” by Martha Cornog. Martha discusses in great detail a specific anime/manga, Sailor Moon. In the final season of Sailor Moon, Sailor Stars, there are three new sailor scouts who are introduced. On their home planet they are female, when they transform they are also female, but on earth they are men. Cornog discusses the sexuality of this series as being in the beginning “heteronormative” but as it continues and further develops more sexuality, lesbian love, heterosexual love and gender bending begin to appear. She further discusses the differences between the USA and Japan, and how we see images such as these and think of them as pornographic, whereas Japan is more accepting of these themes and does not see them as anything to be ashamed of at all.
Another article that argues women’s roles is, “Girls Return Home: Portrayal of Femininity in Popular Japanese Girls’ Manga and Anime Texts during the1990s in Hana yori Dango and Fruits Basket” by Kukhee Choo. Choo argues for the “Kawaii” trait that seems to be popular in manga. “Kawaii” means cuteness, which doesn’t speak of physical appearance. When describing a character as “Kawaii” their character must be examined. Choo does this while analyzing Fruits Basket. The main character Toru, is seen as “Kawaii” because although she works at a night job surrounded by mostly old women, and she is clumsy and silly, she still tries her best, and wants everyone around her to be smiling. She is a sympathetic character which will classify her as “Kawaii.” Choo argues that a character that is pathetic can easily be seen as “Kawaii”.
These articles portray women in various stereotypes and examine them for the qualities that they possess. There are many different stereotypes, but women in anime/manga will always fall into one type of category or another. It’s my job to research these stereotypes, define them and examine what types of characters are seen as good stereotypes and which ones audience members could do without.
Plan for further research
What’s left for this project is still quite a bit of research. I am going to delve headfirst into the manga/anime journals and books I have already obtained, as well as others I will acquire. I am going to be looking for articles that tell me how woman are portrayed in a good light, and then how they are used as nothing but sex objects. I want both sides of the spectrum so I can show a cohesive and thorough view of the subject matter.
I think I may want to conduct a few interviews as well to get a public opinion of what they think of women in manga/anime, and how they are portrayed. Do they think these women are good role models or are they to be avoided? What reasons do they like certain types of girls? I am going to search academic sites such as Academic Search Premier for more information on girls and their role in manga/anime. This project is going to require more work, more research and more in-depth analysis of the genre as a whole.