Mage-sei (Gender Bending)
Shizuo and Iazay from Durarara!
Anime/manga adheres to gender roles, while at the same time breaking them. Well, breaking may be too harsh a word. Bending the gender roles may be a more accurate description to the liberties that the writers take with their characters. Characters act manly, or feminine despite being of the opposite gender. They can be mistaken for the other gender, or portray that they are other than who they appear to be.
Cross-dressing and gender play was not always as popular in anime/manga as it is today. In fact, according to Understanding
Manga and Anime by Robin Brenner, “Gender bending in shojo manga has clear origins in Japanese culture, most notably in the Takazarzuka Revue. The Takarazuka Theater started in the first decade of the twentieth century as an all-female theater troupe”. (93)
Takarazuka gave women the freedom to play with gender, and step outside of their natural roles to become someone different. Before this, there was Kabuki, which is Takarazuka’s counterpart, having men play every role in the play. These actors did not have as big a fan base as those in Takarazuka. The Takarazuka women who acted in these plays acquired fan-clubs devoted to their male personas on stage. Takarazuka opened the door for women to become something other than what they were. Anime/manga creators had no problem walking through the open door and running with the idea of women cross-dressing as boys.
Cross dressing is the process of a person dressing in clothes that society perceives to be meant for the opposite sex. In recent years girls dressing up and impersonating boys, as well as boys pretending to be girls is a very popular concept in anime/manga. Of the two, girls are more likely to impersonate boys in this genre. The authors create characters that cross-dress and disguise who they really are for a variety of reasons. Many of the reasons are because women are often seen as less than men and so they therefore have to become men in order to achieve their goals.
A prime example of this is Akito Sohma, from Fruits Basket. Akito is a woman who has been raised her whole life as a man. She is the holder of the god of the zodiac and is the most powerful of her entire family. Her mother was ashamed of giving birth to a girl and tried to make up for it by raising a boy. Akito goes through the whole series with only a handful of people knowing her true gender. She keeps up the charade even after her mother passes away because she realizes that it would be disgraceful for a woman to be the head of the family. Akito is violent, short-tempered, and sickly. Being the Jade emperor and harnessing the god within her takes up a lot of her energy and strength, so she is constantly being tended to by Hatori, the family physician.
At the end of the series, the curse is broken on the family and they no longer turn into members of the zodiac when they are hugged by the opposite gender. Akito is free of her burden as Jade emperor and so chooses to start dressing as a woman. Another member of the zodiac, Shigure, decides to move in with her as well. For her whole life Akito was treated as a man. She spoke like a man, walked like a man, and even dressed like a man. When she transforms into a woman it is quite an adjustment for her, but she is finally able to be herself. Returning to her true self reinforces what Brenner says in Understanding Manga and Anime, which is, “Although individual characters may experience the joys and burdens of being the other sex, in the end everyone returns to his or her assigned roles and lives happily ever after in a socially acceptable way”. (94) Returning to their original genders reinforces the typical roles and shows that even though you can escape for a time, eventually everyone must become who they were born to be.
Cross-dressing and gender play was not always as popular in anime/manga as it is today. In fact, according to Understanding
Manga and Anime by Robin Brenner, “Gender bending in shojo manga has clear origins in Japanese culture, most notably in the Takazarzuka Revue. The Takarazuka Theater started in the first decade of the twentieth century as an all-female theater troupe”. (93)
Takarazuka gave women the freedom to play with gender, and step outside of their natural roles to become someone different. Before this, there was Kabuki, which is Takarazuka’s counterpart, having men play every role in the play. These actors did not have as big a fan base as those in Takarazuka. The Takarazuka women who acted in these plays acquired fan-clubs devoted to their male personas on stage. Takarazuka opened the door for women to become something other than what they were. Anime/manga creators had no problem walking through the open door and running with the idea of women cross-dressing as boys.
Cross dressing is the process of a person dressing in clothes that society perceives to be meant for the opposite sex. In recent years girls dressing up and impersonating boys, as well as boys pretending to be girls is a very popular concept in anime/manga. Of the two, girls are more likely to impersonate boys in this genre. The authors create characters that cross-dress and disguise who they really are for a variety of reasons. Many of the reasons are because women are often seen as less than men and so they therefore have to become men in order to achieve their goals.
A prime example of this is Akito Sohma, from Fruits Basket. Akito is a woman who has been raised her whole life as a man. She is the holder of the god of the zodiac and is the most powerful of her entire family. Her mother was ashamed of giving birth to a girl and tried to make up for it by raising a boy. Akito goes through the whole series with only a handful of people knowing her true gender. She keeps up the charade even after her mother passes away because she realizes that it would be disgraceful for a woman to be the head of the family. Akito is violent, short-tempered, and sickly. Being the Jade emperor and harnessing the god within her takes up a lot of her energy and strength, so she is constantly being tended to by Hatori, the family physician.
At the end of the series, the curse is broken on the family and they no longer turn into members of the zodiac when they are hugged by the opposite gender. Akito is free of her burden as Jade emperor and so chooses to start dressing as a woman. Another member of the zodiac, Shigure, decides to move in with her as well. For her whole life Akito was treated as a man. She spoke like a man, walked like a man, and even dressed like a man. When she transforms into a woman it is quite an adjustment for her, but she is finally able to be herself. Returning to her true self reinforces what Brenner says in Understanding Manga and Anime, which is, “Although individual characters may experience the joys and burdens of being the other sex, in the end everyone returns to his or her assigned roles and lives happily ever after in a socially acceptable way”. (94) Returning to their original genders reinforces the typical roles and shows that even though you can escape for a time, eventually everyone must become who they were born to be.
Nuriko from Fushigi Yuugi (as a female)
Switching back after cross dressing is not just for women, men who impersonate women must also return back to being men in the end. This can be seen in Fushigi Yuugi, as Nuriko dresses as a woman and gains a position in the emperor’s harem. Nuriko is not disguising himself as a woman to gain entry to this position, but is instead living out the life of his sister. Nuriko’s sister died when they were children and Nuriko blamed himself for not protecting her. So he vows to live the life that his sister would have lived and dress, and lives as a woman.
Throughout the beginning of the series no one knows that he is really a man and assumes that he is a beautiful woman. Nuriko is a flirt and makes passes at two of the male characters in the show. Nuriko is in love with the emperor, Hotohori, and gets insanely jealous when Miaka, the heroine, intrudes on their time together. Nuriko flirts with Tamahome to make Hotohori jealous ad to try and get his attention. Later in the series, everyone finds out the Nuriko is in fact a male and he is devastated that his secret has been blown.
Even though everyone knows that he is a male, he still dresses as a woman. It is not until much later in the series that he begins dressing like a boy. He dresses like a boy, because it is easier for him to travel and fight in pants instead of his long flowing skirts. Although he is dressed like a man, his mannerisms are still those of a woman. He still acts like a woman and fawns all over Hotohori every chance he gets. At the end of his life, when he is killedprotecting his friends, he shows his masculine side by confessing to Miaka that he had fallen in love with her and that it was his privilege to give up his life so she can live.
Throughout the beginning of the series no one knows that he is really a man and assumes that he is a beautiful woman. Nuriko is a flirt and makes passes at two of the male characters in the show. Nuriko is in love with the emperor, Hotohori, and gets insanely jealous when Miaka, the heroine, intrudes on their time together. Nuriko flirts with Tamahome to make Hotohori jealous ad to try and get his attention. Later in the series, everyone finds out the Nuriko is in fact a male and he is devastated that his secret has been blown.
Even though everyone knows that he is a male, he still dresses as a woman. It is not until much later in the series that he begins dressing like a boy. He dresses like a boy, because it is easier for him to travel and fight in pants instead of his long flowing skirts. Although he is dressed like a man, his mannerisms are still those of a woman. He still acts like a woman and fawns all over Hotohori every chance he gets. At the end of his life, when he is killedprotecting his friends, he shows his masculine side by confessing to Miaka that he had fallen in love with her and that it was his privilege to give up his life so she can live.
Nakatsu, Sano and Ashiya from Hanakimi
A woman cross-dressing for undercover work is the most popular scenario. For one reason or another, women cannot accomplish their goals by being women and therefore disguise themselves as men to get done what they need to do.
A popular example of this is Mizuki Ashiya from Hana Kimi. Ashiya is a girl who admires a boy named Izumi Sano who is a high jumper. When he quits high jumping, she follows him to his high school and desperately tries to get him to reconsider. Since Sano goes to an all boy school, Ashiya has to disguise herself as a boy in order to enroll.
Her charade is quickly found out by the school doctor, but he agrees to keep the knowledge to himself. Sano also finds out rather quickly since they end up sharing a room, but he doesn’t tell her that he knows. If he
were to tell her that he knew, she would be forced to leave and he wants to be near her. Sano begins to fall in love with Ashiya despite her acting and dressing as a boy. Another boy, Nakatsu also ends up falling in love with her. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t know that she is a girl and this causes some big questions to arise on his end. Mainly he questions his sexuality and worries over it.
Ashiya brings happiness and hope to her new school and many of her classmates respect her for the person she is. Disguised as a boy she has more freedoms than she would were she a boy. She is able to voice her opinions and know that people will listen. In the end Ashiya’s ruse is discovered and she has to leave the school, but she has accomplished what she set out to do. Sano is high jumping again and she made life-long friendships that she will never have to be without, even if they cannot attend the same school anymore.
A popular example of this is Mizuki Ashiya from Hana Kimi. Ashiya is a girl who admires a boy named Izumi Sano who is a high jumper. When he quits high jumping, she follows him to his high school and desperately tries to get him to reconsider. Since Sano goes to an all boy school, Ashiya has to disguise herself as a boy in order to enroll.
Her charade is quickly found out by the school doctor, but he agrees to keep the knowledge to himself. Sano also finds out rather quickly since they end up sharing a room, but he doesn’t tell her that he knows. If he
were to tell her that he knew, she would be forced to leave and he wants to be near her. Sano begins to fall in love with Ashiya despite her acting and dressing as a boy. Another boy, Nakatsu also ends up falling in love with her. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t know that she is a girl and this causes some big questions to arise on his end. Mainly he questions his sexuality and worries over it.
Ashiya brings happiness and hope to her new school and many of her classmates respect her for the person she is. Disguised as a boy she has more freedoms than she would were she a boy. She is able to voice her opinions and know that people will listen. In the end Ashiya’s ruse is discovered and she has to leave the school, but she has accomplished what she set out to do. Sano is high jumping again and she made life-long friendships that she will never have to be without, even if they cannot attend the same school anymore.
Sailor Starlights from Sailor Moon
Another anime that depicts women going undercover as men is Sailor Moon. There are three women known as the Sailor Starlight’s who come to earth in order to try and find their lost princess. They disguise themselves as male pop-idols in order to gain popularity, hoping that their princess will hear of them and send them a sign as to her whereabouts. On earth they are biologically male, having male bodies and mannerisms. When they transform into their sailor starlight counterparts, they become genetically female. These women are disguising themselves as men to gain popularity, knowing that males gain more attention than women, but they are not just dressing as males, as the women frequently do in manga. They have actually become males.
The fact that they are biologically altering their bodies when they transform was a cause for concern in the Western countries whose fans wanted this season dubbed in English. There sailor starlight’s come in the last season of Sailor Moon and all of the other seasons were dubbed in English, so many of the fans were waiting for the last season. After screening the show, it was decided by DIC that the season would not be dubbed. Popular opinion was that the gender swapping would confuse children and it was inappropriate.
These decisions prove how different Japan and the West truly are. Japan had no problem airing these shows on television and children of all ages could see this and were not sheltered. The children in the United States are kept ignorant of things that adults believe to be too racy for them to handle. The idea that a woman could be man and that a man could be woman seemed to be too much for the censors to handle.
The sailor stars were women who just wanted to find their lost princess and were doing what they thought they had to in order to accomplish their goal. One of the starlight’s, Seiya does end up falling in love with the heroine Serena, but it is never portrayed as inappropriate. Seiya flirts with Serena who rebuffs his advances because she is in love with Darien. Seiya creates a love triangle for Serena who eventually does begin to have feelings for him. In the end she does choose to remain with Darien, but this choice is not made because she finds out Seiya is truly a woman. It is made because she is in love with Darien. At the end of the series Seiya and her friends find their lost princess and they leave earth with her. They transform back into their women forms and leave Serena and their friends with sad words of goodbye.
The fact that they are biologically altering their bodies when they transform was a cause for concern in the Western countries whose fans wanted this season dubbed in English. There sailor starlight’s come in the last season of Sailor Moon and all of the other seasons were dubbed in English, so many of the fans were waiting for the last season. After screening the show, it was decided by DIC that the season would not be dubbed. Popular opinion was that the gender swapping would confuse children and it was inappropriate.
These decisions prove how different Japan and the West truly are. Japan had no problem airing these shows on television and children of all ages could see this and were not sheltered. The children in the United States are kept ignorant of things that adults believe to be too racy for them to handle. The idea that a woman could be man and that a man could be woman seemed to be too much for the censors to handle.
The sailor stars were women who just wanted to find their lost princess and were doing what they thought they had to in order to accomplish their goal. One of the starlight’s, Seiya does end up falling in love with the heroine Serena, but it is never portrayed as inappropriate. Seiya flirts with Serena who rebuffs his advances because she is in love with Darien. Seiya creates a love triangle for Serena who eventually does begin to have feelings for him. In the end she does choose to remain with Darien, but this choice is not made because she finds out Seiya is truly a woman. It is made because she is in love with Darien. At the end of the series Seiya and her friends find their lost princess and they leave earth with her. They transform back into their women forms and leave Serena and their friends with sad words of goodbye.
Ranma Saotome from Ranma 1/2
Mainly women and men cross-dress willingly to accomplish a goal, but there are some instances where they are forced to transform due to outside circumstances. Ranma Saotome, from Ranma ½ is cursed by a magical spring to transform into a woman whenever he is splashed with cold water. Ranma and his father Genma go on a martial arts training expedition and fall into springs that hold curses. Genma falls into the spring of the drowned panda and is therefore transformed into a panda when doused with cold water. Ranma falls into the spring of the drowned girl and is transformed into a girl’s body when he gets wet. Hot water will transform them both back to their original forms, and the series revolves around Ranma’s antics as a girl as well as his attempts to cure himself.
His gender switching is taken as a joke and is used for humor throughout the series. Instead of panicking and becoming depressed that is now in a sense, half woman, Ranma just deals with it and often times uses his ability to turn into a girl for his advantage. In the very beginning he is arguing with his father for getting them into this mess, when his father asks, “Were you not prepared to give your life for the sake of your training?” To which Ranma replies, “my LIFE yes. My manhood is another story!” (48) Ranma and his father then begin to engage in a slap fight until Ranma’s sister-in-laws break them apart.
This brings up another issue of their culture. It is seen as more acceptable to be dead, then to be referred to as a woman. It is stated briefly, and used in a humorous way, but it is there. Throughout the series another character Ryoga, constantly teases him over the fact that he is a woman. Ranma’s sister-in-law throws a few jokes in from time to time as well. These jabs make Ranma more determined to get his original body back. Although Ranma want nothing more than to get his original body back, he does transform into a woman willingly on a few occasions to get things that he wants. He uses his woman’s body to flirt with men, and get free stuff. His fiancé Akane finds this behavior shameful but Ranma just shrugs and continues doing what he wants.
Ranma’s condition pushes boundaries that other anime/manga of this genre do not. He is not only a man dressing as woman. He is like the sailor starlight’s; in the way that he physically becomes a woman. This pushes conventional norms further than many people are comfortable with. Napier, author of Anime * from Akira to Princess Mononoke writes,
“Ranma ½ operates on at least two levels: the issue of constructing gender identity at the individual level and the public level of society’s expectations for gender norms, both of which are played out in the series through a range of imaginative visual tropes and action sequences that consistently work to destabilize the ‘normal’.Because Ranma is a comedy, these forums of destabilization are frequently very funny, as Ranma makes his/her way across a some-what unconventional but familiar contemporary landscape of school and family, unwittingly spreading confusion and sometimes outright craziness at
every turn.” (50)
Ranma plays with the gender roles and invokes the audience’s reactions. The by standers within the show try to keep up with what is going on but they merely shake their heads and continue on their normal days. The author tries to draw a line with what is socially acceptable and what is not, but gives it a wide berth. At one point Ranma is running around the house topless in his female form. His future sisters-in-law are chasing him and demanding that he put clothes on. It is not acceptable to be running around with a female chest exposed. He is indignant because they are forcing him to wear female clothes since all of his clothes are being washed. Ranma is both accepting of his female side and unwilling to conform at the same time. He is a boy; he acts like a boy and hates to be seen as a female, unless it is to his benefit. He does not want
to wear girl’s clothes, he always acts like a boy no matter what form he is in and has no need or concern for female modesty.
His gender switching is taken as a joke and is used for humor throughout the series. Instead of panicking and becoming depressed that is now in a sense, half woman, Ranma just deals with it and often times uses his ability to turn into a girl for his advantage. In the very beginning he is arguing with his father for getting them into this mess, when his father asks, “Were you not prepared to give your life for the sake of your training?” To which Ranma replies, “my LIFE yes. My manhood is another story!” (48) Ranma and his father then begin to engage in a slap fight until Ranma’s sister-in-laws break them apart.
This brings up another issue of their culture. It is seen as more acceptable to be dead, then to be referred to as a woman. It is stated briefly, and used in a humorous way, but it is there. Throughout the series another character Ryoga, constantly teases him over the fact that he is a woman. Ranma’s sister-in-law throws a few jokes in from time to time as well. These jabs make Ranma more determined to get his original body back. Although Ranma want nothing more than to get his original body back, he does transform into a woman willingly on a few occasions to get things that he wants. He uses his woman’s body to flirt with men, and get free stuff. His fiancé Akane finds this behavior shameful but Ranma just shrugs and continues doing what he wants.
Ranma’s condition pushes boundaries that other anime/manga of this genre do not. He is not only a man dressing as woman. He is like the sailor starlight’s; in the way that he physically becomes a woman. This pushes conventional norms further than many people are comfortable with. Napier, author of Anime * from Akira to Princess Mononoke writes,
“Ranma ½ operates on at least two levels: the issue of constructing gender identity at the individual level and the public level of society’s expectations for gender norms, both of which are played out in the series through a range of imaginative visual tropes and action sequences that consistently work to destabilize the ‘normal’.Because Ranma is a comedy, these forums of destabilization are frequently very funny, as Ranma makes his/her way across a some-what unconventional but familiar contemporary landscape of school and family, unwittingly spreading confusion and sometimes outright craziness at
every turn.” (50)
Ranma plays with the gender roles and invokes the audience’s reactions. The by standers within the show try to keep up with what is going on but they merely shake their heads and continue on their normal days. The author tries to draw a line with what is socially acceptable and what is not, but gives it a wide berth. At one point Ranma is running around the house topless in his female form. His future sisters-in-law are chasing him and demanding that he put clothes on. It is not acceptable to be running around with a female chest exposed. He is indignant because they are forcing him to wear female clothes since all of his clothes are being washed. Ranma is both accepting of his female side and unwilling to conform at the same time. He is a boy; he acts like a boy and hates to be seen as a female, unless it is to his benefit. He does not want
to wear girl’s clothes, he always acts like a boy no matter what form he is in and has no need or concern for female modesty.
Ayu and Nina from Ultra Maniac
Another story that uses magic to transform a character from one gender to another is Ultra maniac. Nina Sakura is a witch in training and struggles with her magic. She can often cast a spell but cannot come up with a reversal until later. Nina and her friend Ayu Tateishi into some difficult spots because of Nina’s magic. Nina uses her magic to transform them into boys twice in the series. The first time Nina transforms Ayu into a boy, it is so she would have a better chance to win a tennis match, but that back fires and Ayu cannot handle her male body well enough to play tennis.
The second time she transforms them into boys it is to get invited on a group date so they can keep an eye on Ayu’s crush to see if he likes someone else. This also backfires and the girl who was trying to hit on the guy Ayu liked, ended up liking Ayu instead. Her first kiss was also stolen from this girl in the process of trying to reject her nicely. Nina’s magic gets these two into more trouble than it helps and Ayu wishes she could escape the hectic magic world sometimes. But the magic was necessary to convincingly transform them into boys. Had they been girls, they never would have been invited to the group date, and they would not have been able to keep an eye on the boys that they liked.
The second time she transforms them into boys it is to get invited on a group date so they can keep an eye on Ayu’s crush to see if he likes someone else. This also backfires and the girl who was trying to hit on the guy Ayu liked, ended up liking Ayu instead. Her first kiss was also stolen from this girl in the process of trying to reject her nicely. Nina’s magic gets these two into more trouble than it helps and Ayu wishes she could escape the hectic magic world sometimes. But the magic was necessary to convincingly transform them into boys. Had they been girls, they never would have been invited to the group date, and they would not have been able to keep an eye on the boys that they liked.
Yuki and Usagi from Tail of the Moon
Sneaking around to be with the boy they like is a big reason why girls cross-dress. But women are not always intentionally trying to imitate boys. Sometimes they are just minding their own business and are mistaken for being a boy. Men have similar issues, when they are very delicate, or have beautiful faces, they can be mistaken for women. Character mistaking others for the wrong gender often lead to comedic instances, such as unintentionally seeing each other naked like in Tail of the moon.
Usagi is young girl with short hair and a smaller chest so she is frequently mistaken for a boy. When she is introduced to Yuri, a beautiful ninja intent on becoming Hanzo’s bride, Yuri grabs Usagi’s breasts because she does not believe that she is really a woman. Usagi is often mistaken for a boy. When she is sent to a neighboring town to become an herbalist she introduced to another beautiful person named Yuki. Usagi tries to befriend Yuki, but Yuki doesn’t want any part of it. One night Usagi goes to the bathroom and finds Yuki bathing. She crawls into the tub and offers to wash Yuki’s back. She begins telling Yuki how beautiful her skin is when Yuki turns around embarrassed that a guy is calling him beautiful. It is at this point that Usagi realizes that Yuki is a boy and Yuki realizes Usagi is a girl. Yuki promptly faints and Usagi has to carry him from the bathroom.
Mistaken identity is an ongoing joke in anime/manga with the pretty male characters and the tomboyish girl characters. The men are often mistaken for women and vice versa. When men are mistaken for women it is usually by men who are intent on asking them on dates. Women are usually mistaken for men by men as well. They run into a man or something along those lines, and the men want to fight them thinking they are also male.
Usagi is young girl with short hair and a smaller chest so she is frequently mistaken for a boy. When she is introduced to Yuri, a beautiful ninja intent on becoming Hanzo’s bride, Yuri grabs Usagi’s breasts because she does not believe that she is really a woman. Usagi is often mistaken for a boy. When she is sent to a neighboring town to become an herbalist she introduced to another beautiful person named Yuki. Usagi tries to befriend Yuki, but Yuki doesn’t want any part of it. One night Usagi goes to the bathroom and finds Yuki bathing. She crawls into the tub and offers to wash Yuki’s back. She begins telling Yuki how beautiful her skin is when Yuki turns around embarrassed that a guy is calling him beautiful. It is at this point that Usagi realizes that Yuki is a boy and Yuki realizes Usagi is a girl. Yuki promptly faints and Usagi has to carry him from the bathroom.
Mistaken identity is an ongoing joke in anime/manga with the pretty male characters and the tomboyish girl characters. The men are often mistaken for women and vice versa. When men are mistaken for women it is usually by men who are intent on asking them on dates. Women are usually mistaken for men by men as well. They run into a man or something along those lines, and the men want to fight them thinking they are also male.
Mizuki (tall woman) and Akira (short man) from Ai Ore!
Another example of mistaken identity is Ai Ore! Mizuki is a hansom woman who is often mistaken for a man outside of her school. She goes to an all-girl school and is known as the prince of their school. Many of the girls have a crush on her despite knowing that she is a female. Her love interest is Akira, a beautiful boy who is often mistaken for a girl. Akira is known as the princess of his all-boy school and has the same dilemma as Mizuki, in that many of the boys who attend his school want to date him. When Mizuki first meets Akira she thinks that he is a girl, but he reveals to her early that he is a boy. Mizuki and Akira enter into a relationship and others often mistake Mizuki for the boyfriend and Akira for the girlfriend.
Despite his delicate looks Akira is actually quiet masculine and dominant. He wants to be with Mizuki, love her and be the only thing in her life. Mizuki in turn is also quite girly. She wants to wear a skirt and have frilly things but doesn’t think they complement her at all. She becomes self-conscious around Akira and wants him to think she is beautiful. Throughout the series the mistaken identities cause hardship, and comedic relief for the characters. Mizuki learns that being a girl does not just require physical characteristics. Acting feminine and her mannerisms make her girly too.
Gender roles can be played with more than just women impersonating men. Giving characters traits that society would deem more female or masculine is also pushing the boundaries and creating more realistic, well rounded characters. In the fifties baking and sewing were seen as a female pastime and men would be seen nowhere near such things. Anime/manga is turning these old stereotypes on their heads. Martial arts used to be a male pursuit, which is no longer true.
Despite his delicate looks Akira is actually quiet masculine and dominant. He wants to be with Mizuki, love her and be the only thing in her life. Mizuki in turn is also quite girly. She wants to wear a skirt and have frilly things but doesn’t think they complement her at all. She becomes self-conscious around Akira and wants him to think she is beautiful. Throughout the series the mistaken identities cause hardship, and comedic relief for the characters. Mizuki learns that being a girl does not just require physical characteristics. Acting feminine and her mannerisms make her girly too.
Gender roles can be played with more than just women impersonating men. Giving characters traits that society would deem more female or masculine is also pushing the boundaries and creating more realistic, well rounded characters. In the fifties baking and sewing were seen as a female pastime and men would be seen nowhere near such things. Anime/manga is turning these old stereotypes on their heads. Martial arts used to be a male pursuit, which is no longer true.
Asuka from Otomen
Women and men can engage in pretty much whichever pass time makes them happy. That is not to say that they are not teased or looked down on for doing these things, because they are. Men who sew or bake are seen as more girly and are often teased. Because of this reason they often hide who they really are and only show it to those they are close too. Women are also teased if they want to dabble in things seen to be more masculine. They are seen as tom-boys and told no one is going to want to marry them.
An example of man being interested in “womanly” pursuits is Otomen. Asuka Masamune is a masculine guy who is the leader of his kendo club. He can beat any opponent in a fight and everyone at his school respects him. But secretly, Asuka likes to knit, bake and cook lunches. It makes him happy to be able to create things out of nothing. He loves to give people things to make them happy and often makes lunch for his friends. Asuka finds other friends along the way whose hobbies are less than masculine. His one friend loves to put make-up on girls. He is really good at blending the colors and bringing out the make-up wearers natural beauty without loading them down with too much cosmetics. He has another friend whose passion is flowers. He loves growing them, arranging them and talking about them. Asuka’s best friend is a shojo manga-ka, which is deemed to be a woman’s job. He is happy to draw and write about people falling in love.
Though all of these men are interested in girly things they keep their identities secret from the rest of the world. They don’t think that society will understand. So they keep their hobbies within their group, sharing
their ideas with like-minded people. Ryo, the heroine of the story, is more masculine in her hobbies. She loves watching wrestling, cannot cook or bake, and her sewing falls apart. Ryo knows about Asuka’s hobbies and does not judge him for it. She respects that he can do these things and often requires his help to fool her father that she is more feminine than she is.
Asuka’s mother demands that he be masculine, the same can be said for Ryo’s father, who wants his daughter to be more feminine. But Whereas Ryo’s father wants his daughter to be more feminine so she’ll be able to get married one day, Asuka’s mother wants her son masculine so he will be the opposite of his father, who left them so he could be a woman. Asuka’s mother hates anything feminine because of this and makes it clear that Asuka had better be a manly-man. So, because of his mother he hides who he really is and practices his sewing in private.
Men are gaining more “feminine” hobbies and women are becoming more “masculine”.The term tom-boy is not a new one and has been around for some time. Manga-ka use these types of women to show that there are different types of women in the world. They are not all frilly, delicate flowers as they once were. These women know how to kick some ass and are not afraid of doing so. Being violent is seen more as a masculine trait, but these women are not only violent, but strong, and fast too. They can compete in sports just as well as any man, and they can even beat them.
An example of man being interested in “womanly” pursuits is Otomen. Asuka Masamune is a masculine guy who is the leader of his kendo club. He can beat any opponent in a fight and everyone at his school respects him. But secretly, Asuka likes to knit, bake and cook lunches. It makes him happy to be able to create things out of nothing. He loves to give people things to make them happy and often makes lunch for his friends. Asuka finds other friends along the way whose hobbies are less than masculine. His one friend loves to put make-up on girls. He is really good at blending the colors and bringing out the make-up wearers natural beauty without loading them down with too much cosmetics. He has another friend whose passion is flowers. He loves growing them, arranging them and talking about them. Asuka’s best friend is a shojo manga-ka, which is deemed to be a woman’s job. He is happy to draw and write about people falling in love.
Though all of these men are interested in girly things they keep their identities secret from the rest of the world. They don’t think that society will understand. So they keep their hobbies within their group, sharing
their ideas with like-minded people. Ryo, the heroine of the story, is more masculine in her hobbies. She loves watching wrestling, cannot cook or bake, and her sewing falls apart. Ryo knows about Asuka’s hobbies and does not judge him for it. She respects that he can do these things and often requires his help to fool her father that she is more feminine than she is.
Asuka’s mother demands that he be masculine, the same can be said for Ryo’s father, who wants his daughter to be more feminine. But Whereas Ryo’s father wants his daughter to be more feminine so she’ll be able to get married one day, Asuka’s mother wants her son masculine so he will be the opposite of his father, who left them so he could be a woman. Asuka’s mother hates anything feminine because of this and makes it clear that Asuka had better be a manly-man. So, because of his mother he hides who he really is and practices his sewing in private.
Men are gaining more “feminine” hobbies and women are becoming more “masculine”.The term tom-boy is not a new one and has been around for some time. Manga-ka use these types of women to show that there are different types of women in the world. They are not all frilly, delicate flowers as they once were. These women know how to kick some ass and are not afraid of doing so. Being violent is seen more as a masculine trait, but these women are not only violent, but strong, and fast too. They can compete in sports just as well as any man, and they can even beat them.
Kome from Blue seed
Tom-boyish girls are very popular in anime/manga. A classic example of this is Kome from Blue Seed. Kome is loud, crass and always wears pants. Kome acts like one of the boys and has the mouth of a sailor. She swears like one of the boys and goes out into danger willingly. She is a gun enthusiast and loves to talk about them. She will rave about the new model with its attaching hand grenades. She despises anything “girly” and wants only to talk about more “masculine” things. When her friend Momiji gives her a cute hair ribbon as a present Kome is disgusted by it and refuses to touch it. In the end she does eventually wear it to make Momiji happy, but it looks silly on her. During the credits for the episode Kome walks onto screen and says that the bow just doesn’t suit her and pulls it off her head. The bow transforms into a gun and she shoots the screen with it.
Kome is not in the least “girly” and even when she tries, it does not become her. Kome is more like a boy than a girl. Even in the end when she falls in love with her partner and they get engaged, Kome doesn’t change. She is still loud and crude. When she greets his mother she is very enthusiastic and shakes her hand like a man would. Although she is not very feminine, she is still a woman and does not pretend to be a man. In this way she does not break the convention that everyone must return to their designated roles, because technically, she has not left hers. She conforms to tradition by getting engaged at the end of the series and is therefore taking a step towards being more “feminine” but she has not stopped being herself. She is still a fighter, and is still very much obsessed with machine guns.
Kome is not in the least “girly” and even when she tries, it does not become her. Kome is more like a boy than a girl. Even in the end when she falls in love with her partner and they get engaged, Kome doesn’t change. She is still loud and crude. When she greets his mother she is very enthusiastic and shakes her hand like a man would. Although she is not very feminine, she is still a woman and does not pretend to be a man. In this way she does not break the convention that everyone must return to their designated roles, because technically, she has not left hers. She conforms to tradition by getting engaged at the end of the series and is therefore taking a step towards being more “feminine” but she has not stopped being herself. She is still a fighter, and is still very much obsessed with machine guns.
Edward and Alphonse from Fullmetal alchemist as Manga-ka
Manga-ka are starting to break out of the preconceived roles of men and women. Women are beginning to get more roles than just the side kick or the sexualized object. These women bend the rules of their typical roles and venture out into something different. The men are allowed to get in touch with their feminine side without having become women themselves. The women are able to experience the life of a man, and then go back to their regular life as a woman. Maybe being a man is better, maybe it’s not. The point is that they get the experience and they can know what it was like. They can get accomplished all the things that they want to and not have to worry that it is improper for a lady to be engaged in whatever it happens to be.
Gender-bending is popular, and will continue to be, because it gives women the opportunity to be men. The characters as well as the audience get to experience what men do when women are not around. They get to see the inside of dormitories that would otherwise be off limits. Gender-bending allows women to have power, and gives them a voice that they may otherwise not have. Gender-bending let’s women step into the roles of men and see what it is like. Whether it is better, worse or the same doesn’t matter. The point is that the experience is there.
Gender-bending is popular, and will continue to be, because it gives women the opportunity to be men. The characters as well as the audience get to experience what men do when women are not around. They get to see the inside of dormitories that would otherwise be off limits. Gender-bending allows women to have power, and gives them a voice that they may otherwise not have. Gender-bending let’s women step into the roles of men and see what it is like. Whether it is better, worse or the same doesn’t matter. The point is that the experience is there.