This document analyzes common gender dynamics and stereotypes present in various anime genres. It discusses how shonen anime frequently feature female characters as mere objects of fanservice or as damsels in distress. It also notes that manga and anime aimed at young girls often portray them aiming to please boys rather than pursuing their own goals. While josei manga can be more gender-positive, it sells less than other genres. The document argues that anime reflects the patriarchal society and gender roles of Japan.

2.  Like any mass media product, anime has
widespread cultural impact, and as such
needs to be evaluated critically for its
gender dynamics
 Most anime, percentage-wise, is
consumed by children, making negative
gender stereotypes especially damaging

3.  Japanese women, more-so than in first
world countries, are marginalized in the
workplace
 Most Japanese women are part-time
workers or stay-at-home mothers, despite
being highly educated
 Having a salaryman husband is key

4.  OL (Office Lady) culture is a good
example of how Japan treats its female
professionals
 Patriarchal ideals are still strong in Japan,
specifically for child-care

5.  Fanservice girl: no utility beyond partial
nudity
Examples: Queen's Blade, Kanokon, Kiss x Sis, harem shows in general
Shows objectification, relative worth of females

6.  The mother: Nags the protagonist, then
makes him dinner.
Examples: Chi Chi from DBZ, Hiroko from Hajime no Ippo, many other shonen
moms
Reflects Japanese values of housewives

7.  The objective: Save her and complete
your quest!
Examples: Yuria from Hokuto no Ken, Holly from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Nico Robin during
Enies Lobby in One Piece, Rukia during the Soul Society Arc in Bleach
Standard damsel in distress trope, but the key here is when formerly useful characters become
useless so they can be saved

8.  Most of my examples are from Shonen,
because it's emblematic of the problems
in the genre as a whole, and by far the
biggest market in the anime industry
 Shojo, Seinen and Josei have their own
problems, which I will detail on the next
slides.

9.  While male role-models in Shonen may
want to rule the world, become the
strongest or become rich, girls just want
Senpai to notice them.
This gives a young, impressionable girls a warped perspective of what they should
be aiming for in their lives, for someone else to validate them.
While this is also not exclusive to anime/manga, it's particularly pernicious with series
meant for young girls

10.  Seinen series rarely have any women at
all, especially in major roles.
This is reflective of the trend of increasing singleness among middle-aged
Japanese men; they don't have women in their lives and don't want them in
their fiction either.

11.  Josei manga, intended for adult women,
does generally have gender-positive
characters and stories. However, owing
to its target audience, it sells far less than
all other types of manga.
Recommendations: Chihayafuru, Nodame Cantabile,
Gokusen

12.  Male characters in anime are typically
either very weak-willed or stereotypical
manly men, reinforcing typical gender
stereotypes.
 These are less damaging, overall, than
the negative female stereotypes,
because the male characters are
generally successful heroes.

13.  Madoka Magica has multitudes of strong
female characters, but the most
interesting in terms of gender dynamics is
Madoka’s stay-at-home father.
 The Madoka universe is filled with unreal
buildings, magic, and somehow the most
unrealistic thing is Madoka’s dad.

14.  For the first 5 parts, most of the story of
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is about men
saving women.
 Part 6 is about a woman saving herself.
This part was widely critically acclaimed,
but the author fought with editorial over
it and eventually moved magazines as a
result of the disputes.

15.  A series about a young female tennis
player, this manga is all about feminine
self-sacrifice.
 While it’s hard to clarify without deep
spoilers, this is an example of a truly
realistic (flawed, but still good)
independent female character.

16.  Because Japan is a male-centric society,
anime simply reflects what Japan is like.
 Some media, like the works of Studio
Ghibli have decent feminist material, but
they're few and far between.
 Japanese culture has to change for
anime to change, so it will take a long
time.