Which anime works would you consider feminist?
@iblessall recently wrote an interesting post about this which I think you should check out: http://mageinabarrel.com/2015/05/14/thank-kanbaru-on-feminist-anime/
I think I'll copypaste here what I wrote in my comment, since it pretty much sums up my view on "feminist anime":
I find myself on Guy’s side (http://ask.fm/Geekorner/answer/126887291357) when it comes to the feminist label and applying it to media. It’s reductive and tells you very little about the work itself. But the feminist lens is vital. It is important, I think, for creators and consumers alike to think about gender representations and to be sensitive about different people’s experiences.
I like what you say about treating women and queer folk as human beings first. Normalising narratives are important. Although I do get a bit uncomfortable when “normalising” is conflated with “homogenising”. By that, I’m talking about the decision to include women and queers in narratives but then portraying their experiences and perspectives as identical to cis males. Fellow human being doesn’t mean “same as cis men”. That’s why the Strong Female Character stereotype is so widely ridiculed, I suppose.
(Also, this is probably one of the reasons why I personally don’t find the female characters in cute girl SOL shows too interesting, generally speaking. No, they don’t generally act like boys, but they feel neutered to me, and so their characterisations lack authenticity to me. “Gender neutral” almost always translates to “masculinist on an invisible level”, I feel.)
Basically, recognising the complexity and contradictions in a person’s life experience is important. Respecting a person’s agency is important. Recognising difference – and, yes, privilege – is important as well. All of these things are important. It’s all so incredibly complex and difficult that no single work of media will ever get it all right to a degree that will satisfy all feminists everywhere. But that’s fine. That’s why the feminist label is close to useless, but feminist critique is so, so important. That applies not just to media, but the whole “being feminist” thing in general.
I think I'll copypaste here what I wrote in my comment, since it pretty much sums up my view on "feminist anime":
I find myself on Guy’s side (http://ask.fm/Geekorner/answer/126887291357) when it comes to the feminist label and applying it to media. It’s reductive and tells you very little about the work itself. But the feminist lens is vital. It is important, I think, for creators and consumers alike to think about gender representations and to be sensitive about different people’s experiences.
I like what you say about treating women and queer folk as human beings first. Normalising narratives are important. Although I do get a bit uncomfortable when “normalising” is conflated with “homogenising”. By that, I’m talking about the decision to include women and queers in narratives but then portraying their experiences and perspectives as identical to cis males. Fellow human being doesn’t mean “same as cis men”. That’s why the Strong Female Character stereotype is so widely ridiculed, I suppose.
(Also, this is probably one of the reasons why I personally don’t find the female characters in cute girl SOL shows too interesting, generally speaking. No, they don’t generally act like boys, but they feel neutered to me, and so their characterisations lack authenticity to me. “Gender neutral” almost always translates to “masculinist on an invisible level”, I feel.)
Basically, recognising the complexity and contradictions in a person’s life experience is important. Respecting a person’s agency is important. Recognising difference – and, yes, privilege – is important as well. All of these things are important. It’s all so incredibly complex and difficult that no single work of media will ever get it all right to a degree that will satisfy all feminists everywhere. But that’s fine. That’s why the feminist label is close to useless, but feminist critique is so, so important. That applies not just to media, but the whole “being feminist” thing in general.
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