Beyond Stereotypes: A Socialist Feminist Exploration of Female Characters in Shoujo Anime and Their Impact on Traditional Gender Roles in Japanese Society
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v13i1.6043Keywords:
Shoujo Anime, Gender Studies, Japan, Culture Studies, FeminismAbstract
This study explores the complex portrayal of female characters in shoujo anime, focusing on how they challenge or subvert traditional gender roles and stereotypes in Japanese society. Through the examination of three popular shoujo anime series—“Nana”, “Skip and Loafer,” and “Violet Evergarden”—the paper investigates how the shoujo genre has evolved within the context of Japan’s cultural, historical, and political landscape. Utilizing a socialist feminist perspective, the research highlights the intersectionality of gender, class, and power, providing insights into gender equality’s universal challenges and opportunities. This investigation emphasizes shoujo anime’s potential to shape perceptions of gender roles among viewers, inspire alternative narratives, and contribute to the ongoing struggle for respectful and empowering representations of women. The study concludes with recommendations for fostering a culture that respects and values diversity in gender roles and expressions.
Downloads
References or Bibliography
Akatsuki, K. (2020). Violet Evergarden. Kyoto Animation.
Allison, A. (2000). Permitted and Prohibited Desires: Mothers, Comics, and Censorship in Japan. Westview Press.
Brinton, M. C. (1993). Women and the Economic Miracle: Gender and Work in Postwar Japan. University of California Press.
Buckley, S. (1993). Broken Silence: Voices of Japanese Feminism. University of California Press. Choo, K. (2008). Girls Return Home: Portrayal of Femininity in Popular Japanese Girls' Manga and Anime Texts during the 1990s in Hana yori Dango and Fruits Basket. Taylor & Francis Online.
Dalton, J., & Brinton, M. C. (2017). Gender Inequality in Japan's Labor Market. Economic Review. Eisenstein, H. (1983). Contemporary Feminist Thought. G.K. Hall & Co. Ekachai, D., & Drout, C. (1996). Gender Roles in Japanese Comics. Marquette University. Hartmann, H. (1981). The Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism: Towards a More Progressive Union. In L. Sargent (Ed.), Women and Revolution: A Discussion of the Unhappy Marriage of Marxism and Feminism. South End Press.
Hidaka, T. (2012). Salaryman Masculinity. Springer.
Kumagai, F. (2012). Families in Japan: Changes, Continuities, and Regional Variations. University Press of America.
Lan, S., Shan, Y., & Wang, X. (2019). Loss and Pursuit: A Greimas structuralist analysis of the Japanese anime Violet Evergarden in the feminist perspective. Frontiers of Literary Studies in China.
Mackie, V. (2003). Feminism in Modern Japan: Citizenship, Embodiment and Sexuality. Cambridge University Press.
Molony, B., & Uno, K. (2005). Gendering Modern Japanese History. Harvard University Asia Center.
Napier, S. (2005). Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation. Palgrave Macmillan. Patton, M. Q. (2002).
Oishya. (n.d.). Japan’s Female Samurai Who Feared Nothing: Onna-Bugeisha. Oshiya.
Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. Sage Publications.
Saito, K. (2011). Desire in Subtext: Gender, Fandom, and Women's Male-Male Homoerotic Parodies in Contemporary Japan. Mechademia. Takamatsu, S. (2023). Skip and Loafer. P.A. Works. Tanaka, H., & Ishida, S. (2012). Enjoying Manga as Fujoshi: Exploring its Innovation and Potential for Social Change from a Gender Perspective. ResearchGate.
Tanaka, K. (1993). Gender, Language, and Culture: A Study on Gender Stereotypes in Japan. John Benjamins Publishing Company. Ueno, J. (2006). Shojo and Adult Women: A Linguistic Analysis of Gender Identity in Manga (Japanese Comics). University of Northwestern, St. Paul.
Uno, K. (1999). Passages to Modernity: Motherhood, Childhood, and Social Reform in Early Twentieth Century Japan. University of Hawaii Press.
Varley, P. (1984). Japanese Culture. University of Hawaii Press.
World Economic Forum. (2020). The Global Gender Gap Report.
Yamakawa, K. (1974). Women of the Mito Domain: Recollections of Samurai Family Life. Stanford University Press.
Yazawa, A. (2009). Nana. VIZ Media LLC.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2024 Zinong Wang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright holder(s) granted JSR a perpetual, non-exclusive license to distriute & display this article.
