Hi, I just read your article "What Makes for a Good Female Character in Anime?", and I wanted to respectfully criticize it ofc (with a similar sarcastic tone you've utilized), for being one of the most malicious articles I've seen, clearly made out of bad faith as an indirect insult not only towards anime creators much better than you at creating characters, but also towards the anime fans you try to "discuss" with, except that it is not a discussion, just empty accusations, arrogance...
So, I will bring up some of the "very well made arguments" there while debunking the blatant fallacy within them, that is clearly aimed to instigate a shallow attack on sexy female characters the writer deems as "not admirable or good female role models" because ofc they attract a "male gaze", the writer couldn't control the urge to write about how boys liking boobs is shameful and how he/she is better than us, because ofc he/she is above others, there's a necessity to fuel the very own ego by asserting "the truth" upon others while seemingly asking passive "questions."
The writer begins the article saying that this is not about "fanservice" or the "sexualization of anime women", but this is clearly contradictory when you take into consideration the mention of "looking past" that while instigating this very topic since the writer is weirdly personal about this as seen bellow the title and the beginning of the text itself:
-> "How many of those female characters are the protagonists of their canons? Now, how many of them were not drawn or unnecessarily placed in compromising, sexual positions at some point? Not many, right? Finding examples of strong, female protagonists who aren't also there to draw wandering gazes is like unearthing a diamond from muck. Once you find one, you'd better clutch it tight because you don't know if you'll find another."
-> "But this article is not about fanservice, nor is it a rant about the sexualisation of women in anime - it's the opposite, in fact. This article is going to celebrate what makes some female characters worthy of being admired.But this article is not about fanservice, nor is it a rant about the sexualisation of women in anime - it's the opposite, in fact. This article is going to celebrate what makes some female characters worthy of being admired."
As the text goes on the writer always try to claim that sexy female characters men can enjoy are like mud, it suggests that these female characters can't be taken seriously because of how they show their body, which is ia not only a fallacy, but misogynistic in itself. This claim tries to raise a point that if men ogles over the curves of a female this means we, the audience, are treating them solely as some kind of sexual object. The issue with this claim is that it's very much possible for men to feel sexually attracted to a female while still respecting all of her other human aspects, because physical and mental attraction is natural, and there's nothing wrong feeling this way, we can accept humans are sexual organisms while still acknowledging their autonomy. It's also significant to remember a lot of girls love these sexy female characters deemed as mud, as well as their Yaoi husbandos.
-> "Normally I would say that this would cheapen her character, but Fujiko is an example of a woman who is sexual, not sexualised. She's never placed in a compromising position during her appearances."
Both female, and male characters, can be put into compromising positions, this does not cheapen their character. As far as I know there isn't any rule about how creators, and the audience, shouldn't view characters as something sensual or fetishizing, the fun of fiction is exactly that it's not sanitized, no one who truly is an anime fan wants a boring world filled with repression or only the overly condensed insertion of irl issues in a media that will never be politically correct much less fuel solely a specific malicious personal agenda. These are fictional characters, we love them because what makes them so special to us is their unrealistic nature, how they're not always proper, reserved, their rebellious audacity against the rules of the real world.
-> "cheap stunts like ripped clothing in order to satisfy the gaze of a male audience"
Just like any novel that satisfies the female senses lol, and "sexualizes" men. Both genders actively ogle at each other, some are simply hypocritical about it, like your article for example.
-> "(Shokugeki no Souma and K are amongst the most recent I can name and shame for this treatment)."
Shame is like a double-edged sword, it blinds the nuance of an argument dominating a person's ability to try seeing beyond that to advance in their lives, and sometimes this feeling of shame is not about others, but yourself. Reflect on this, it can do you good. Also it's really funny you're complaining about female character fanservice in Shokugeki no Sōma when YOU by your profile here on MAL seems suspiciously filled with anime/manga full of male characters of maleservice/Yaoi-esque stuff, if you're going to talk about sexualization of female characters then be consistent about it and complain about male sexualization as well in Shokugeki no Sōma with characters like Satoshi and Takumi or your personal favorites, don't be a lame biased person, pure hypocrisy.
-> "There are admittedly several instances where gratuitous shots are used, yet unlike other examples of fanservice"
-> "Even though it can't be said that she's a good female role model"
This part suggests that all fictional characters are or should be aspirational, a figure for we to follow, as to try being like that character. It's ironic because what makes a person's individuality irl is actually being themselves. Not the mindset that you should be someone else, stand out fit in.
-> "Quite a few series with couples make the mistake of claiming a woman is capable while then making her dependent on another (usually male) character."
Who would've ever guess... That two human beings can rely on each other. Just because someone is capable doesn't mean they are helpless, we rely on the air to breath, water to kill the thirst, our parents to take care of us since birth, then we take care of our parents when they can't take care of themselves anymore, ironically being "independent" is a myth, part of what make us living beings is the fact we are dependent on each other, if anything being "independent" is not about never relying on someone else, but have the freedom to rely on that person, even if you felt it wasn't needed at the time.
Although this is one of your points I don't necessarily fully disagree with, as there's some truth in how this depiction can sometimes be used for a misogynistic intention.
-> "Too often female role models are tough fighters, which is good, don't get me wrong, except it equates assertiveness with physical toughness. Akane is still a warrior, but she's not a conventional one."
This might be the most fair point you've made in the entire article.
-> "She is portrayed as a human character rather than a female one. Her gender is an incidental fact and not remarked upon once by any of her co-workers, nor is it used to levy sympathy. For those reasons and more, her character deserves admiration."
Yes, she deserves admiration, as well as all of these female characters you've mentioned, but not for the reasons presented there, much less the true intent behind the article. Her being a female doesn't change the fact of her being "human", same as the opposite, and nothing wrong with sympathy, as it's natural. Most anime alongside the fact of having exaggerated sexy characters never truly disrespected them for being females, on the contrary, even some Ecchi anime conveys a message that you shouldn't treat them as less for being females like Fire Force ironically regarding our dear muscle mommy Maki Oze.
-> "So, I'll leave you all with a challenge: Next time you pick up a series, try keeping an eye out for series capable of showing women without:"
resorting to exaggerated body features
arranging them in a vulnerable position to the viewer or their nearest male co-star
relying upon character tropes (e.g. the "deres")
repeatedly placing them in a powerless position from which they need to be rescued.
In return I will also give you a challenge, next time you write an article, don't be a coward. If you're going to dive into a delicate topic irl then actually be straight forward in what you're saying. Don't be lame and post an image of Kallen from Code Geass in a sexy pose if it's not about that, not that I'm complaining about the image itself tho, she's a great character, and very sexy.
Speaking of that lol, I will put a list here of some very attractive, yet "strong" female characters I "admire", that if you don't mind their "exaggerated body parts/fanservice" ofc :), it was never about that, right? Not all of them are extremely showy, the same way as they're not extremely reserved either. The point is that, it doesn't matter, anime has so many interesting, and fun female characters to love, they don't need to be overly complex, extremely serious, sanitized to be someone else's personal agenda, if you ever try to open your mind, you'd be able to see that your prejudice against what some people nowadays scream; "fanservice/sexualization" over anything nice to look at is mostly caused by the hypocritical moralizing/shame of our repressive society where you can't say you feel sexual attraction for the opposite sex anymore in the West, because It's so "offensive." I'm gonna cry, look at all these incels. 😭
Now, seriously speaking it's noble to dedicate yourself to call out misogyny, the abuse of women. Believe me, I know how delicate it is, as my mother was abused sometimes. The thing is... There's a very clear difference btw fighting actual abusers vs initiating a fight with people who are simply minding their business normally enjoying their hobbies.
Anyway, not sure it's up to your standards for "female role models", but it's not like I care about your standards/expectations, as artists aren't existing and creating to live up to them, maybe the mud was in your brain all the time:
My final questioning is if there's anything more engaging to do on this website other than these empty discussions... Also, the whole Yangire thing the comment bellow mine spoke about is indeed stupid coming from you, you should just think harder when writing such articles.
Sorry but your Yangire post is the most stupid thing that I have saw in a few years. You should stop writing based in what character summary you looked for in Internet, because it really looks like you didn't understand anything from a few characters and you started calling them Yangire just because their actions fit in that category.
Somhow ,I liked your article about good female characters ..
Even if i cant support anime girls because they are so annoying and useless ( ok there are some exceptions )
Well done , cant wait for your next article ^^
Hi melodius, just saw what you posted about Yangire and...Sorry but Nashetania isn't a yangire. ^^"
She's just acting about her being mad, and acting again about being pissed off. She's pretending to be a yangire, as you can see near the end of the anime :).
I read your article; going to check out Saraiya Goyou after my exams c: However, 'patience' is not my strongest attribute...how far in when it starts to click?
Hi! I read your 'Akagami no Shirayukihime: Not Your Typical Shoujo Narrative' article and I like it a lot! I don't particularly watch romance anime that much but that anime is a hidden gem. I started reading the manga after the 1st season ended. I would say that the anime did not go astray from the manga.
As for Shirayuki... Finally, another shoujo/romance female protagonist that I really like and I don't like that many. >< Sometimes, they make the female protagonist so weak nd too dependable on others. Not the case with Shirayuki, though she does depend on Zen and her friends, she still have some guts to face Izana. ^^
Super 'Akagami no Shirayukihime: Not Your Typical Shoujo Narrative' article. Just started watching the second season after starting with the series 2 days ago. Refreshing and feel good and your article gave more depth to the story than I first realised.
I like your article about good female characters. Unfortunately there are very few that have any depth to them in anime, which makes characters like Mine Fujiko, Kusanagi Motoko (Ghost in the Shell), Nakajima Youko (Juuni Kokuki) and Yonsa Balsa (Seirei no Moribito) all the more special.
I haven't watched Akagami no Shirayuki-hime yet, but will now get around to it as fast as possible. :-)
Hi sir. I saw your article about the heroines/good anime girls. While I don't agree with Tsunimori Akane should be on the list since she is not the first one who does and experience the same situation as far as I recall, I find your article agreeable as a whole. The points about Fujiko, Revy and Shirayuki are just spot-on and emphasize what made them uniquely interesting compare to other girls.
All Comments (33) Comments
So, I will bring up some of the "very well made arguments" there while debunking the blatant fallacy within them, that is clearly aimed to instigate a shallow attack on sexy female characters the writer deems as "not admirable or good female role models" because ofc they attract a "male gaze", the writer couldn't control the urge to write about how boys liking boobs is shameful and how he/she is better than us, because ofc he/she is above others, there's a necessity to fuel the very own ego by asserting "the truth" upon others while seemingly asking passive "questions."
The writer begins the article saying that this is not about "fanservice" or the "sexualization of anime women", but this is clearly contradictory when you take into consideration the mention of "looking past" that while instigating this very topic since the writer is weirdly personal about this as seen bellow the title and the beginning of the text itself:
-> "How many of those female characters are the protagonists of their canons? Now, how many of them were not drawn or unnecessarily placed in compromising, sexual positions at some point? Not many, right? Finding examples of strong, female protagonists who aren't also there to draw wandering gazes is like unearthing a diamond from muck. Once you find one, you'd better clutch it tight because you don't know if you'll find another."
-> "But this article is not about fanservice, nor is it a rant about the sexualisation of women in anime - it's the opposite, in fact. This article is going to celebrate what makes some female characters worthy of being admired.But this article is not about fanservice, nor is it a rant about the sexualisation of women in anime - it's the opposite, in fact. This article is going to celebrate what makes some female characters worthy of being admired."
As the text goes on the writer always try to claim that sexy female characters men can enjoy are like mud, it suggests that these female characters can't be taken seriously because of how they show their body, which is ia not only a fallacy, but misogynistic in itself. This claim tries to raise a point that if men ogles over the curves of a female this means we, the audience, are treating them solely as some kind of sexual object. The issue with this claim is that it's very much possible for men to feel sexually attracted to a female while still respecting all of her other human aspects, because physical and mental attraction is natural, and there's nothing wrong feeling this way, we can accept humans are sexual organisms while still acknowledging their autonomy. It's also significant to remember a lot of girls love these sexy female characters deemed as mud, as well as their Yaoi husbandos.
-> "Normally I would say that this would cheapen her character, but Fujiko is an example of a woman who is sexual, not sexualised. She's never placed in a compromising position during her appearances."
Both female, and male characters, can be put into compromising positions, this does not cheapen their character. As far as I know there isn't any rule about how creators, and the audience, shouldn't view characters as something sensual or fetishizing, the fun of fiction is exactly that it's not sanitized, no one who truly is an anime fan wants a boring world filled with repression or only the overly condensed insertion of irl issues in a media that will never be politically correct much less fuel solely a specific malicious personal agenda. These are fictional characters, we love them because what makes them so special to us is their unrealistic nature, how they're not always proper, reserved, their rebellious audacity against the rules of the real world.
-> "cheap stunts like ripped clothing in order to satisfy the gaze of a male audience"
Just like any novel that satisfies the female senses lol, and "sexualizes" men. Both genders actively ogle at each other, some are simply hypocritical about it, like your article for example.
-> "(Shokugeki no Souma and K are amongst the most recent I can name and shame for this treatment)."
Shame is like a double-edged sword, it blinds the nuance of an argument dominating a person's ability to try seeing beyond that to advance in their lives, and sometimes this feeling of shame is not about others, but yourself. Reflect on this, it can do you good. Also it's really funny you're complaining about female character fanservice in Shokugeki no Sōma when YOU by your profile here on MAL seems suspiciously filled with anime/manga full of male characters of maleservice/Yaoi-esque stuff, if you're going to talk about sexualization of female characters then be consistent about it and complain about male sexualization as well in Shokugeki no Sōma with characters like Satoshi and Takumi or your personal favorites, don't be a lame biased person, pure hypocrisy.
-> "There are admittedly several instances where gratuitous shots are used, yet unlike other examples of fanservice"
-> "Even though it can't be said that she's a good female role model"
This part suggests that all fictional characters are or should be aspirational, a figure for we to follow, as to try being like that character. It's ironic because what makes a person's individuality irl is actually being themselves. Not the mindset that you should be someone else, stand out fit in.
-> "Quite a few series with couples make the mistake of claiming a woman is capable while then making her dependent on another (usually male) character."
Who would've ever guess... That two human beings can rely on each other. Just because someone is capable doesn't mean they are helpless, we rely on the air to breath, water to kill the thirst, our parents to take care of us since birth, then we take care of our parents when they can't take care of themselves anymore, ironically being "independent" is a myth, part of what make us living beings is the fact we are dependent on each other, if anything being "independent" is not about never relying on someone else, but have the freedom to rely on that person, even if you felt it wasn't needed at the time.
Although this is one of your points I don't necessarily fully disagree with, as there's some truth in how this depiction can sometimes be used for a misogynistic intention.
-> "Too often female role models are tough fighters, which is good, don't get me wrong, except it equates assertiveness with physical toughness. Akane is still a warrior, but she's not a conventional one."
This might be the most fair point you've made in the entire article.
-> "She is portrayed as a human character rather than a female one. Her gender is an incidental fact and not remarked upon once by any of her co-workers, nor is it used to levy sympathy. For those reasons and more, her character deserves admiration."
Yes, she deserves admiration, as well as all of these female characters you've mentioned, but not for the reasons presented there, much less the true intent behind the article. Her being a female doesn't change the fact of her being "human", same as the opposite, and nothing wrong with sympathy, as it's natural. Most anime alongside the fact of having exaggerated sexy characters never truly disrespected them for being females, on the contrary, even some Ecchi anime conveys a message that you shouldn't treat them as less for being females like Fire Force ironically regarding our dear muscle mommy Maki Oze.
-> "So, I'll leave you all with a challenge: Next time you pick up a series, try keeping an eye out for series capable of showing women without:"
resorting to exaggerated body features
arranging them in a vulnerable position to the viewer or their nearest male co-star
relying upon character tropes (e.g. the "deres")
repeatedly placing them in a powerless position from which they need to be rescued.
In return I will also give you a challenge, next time you write an article, don't be a coward. If you're going to dive into a delicate topic irl then actually be straight forward in what you're saying. Don't be lame and post an image of Kallen from Code Geass in a sexy pose if it's not about that, not that I'm complaining about the image itself tho, she's a great character, and very sexy.
Speaking of that lol, I will put a list here of some very attractive, yet "strong" female characters I "admire", that if you don't mind their "exaggerated body parts/fanservice" ofc :), it was never about that, right? Not all of them are extremely showy, the same way as they're not extremely reserved either. The point is that, it doesn't matter, anime has so many interesting, and fun female characters to love, they don't need to be overly complex, extremely serious, sanitized to be someone else's personal agenda, if you ever try to open your mind, you'd be able to see that your prejudice against what some people nowadays scream; "fanservice/sexualization" over anything nice to look at is mostly caused by the hypocritical moralizing/shame of our repressive society where you can't say you feel sexual attraction for the opposite sex anymore in the West, because It's so "offensive." I'm gonna cry, look at all these incels. 😭
Now, seriously speaking it's noble to dedicate yourself to call out misogyny, the abuse of women. Believe me, I know how delicate it is, as my mother was abused sometimes. The thing is... There's a very clear difference btw fighting actual abusers vs initiating a fight with people who are simply minding their business normally enjoying their hobbies.
Anyway, not sure it's up to your standards for "female role models", but it's not like I care about your standards/expectations, as artists aren't existing and creating to live up to them, maybe the mud was in your brain all the time:
Hinata Hyūga
Lucy Heartfilia
Nikaidō
Blair
Himeno
Maya Natsume
Kiss-Shot
Cattleya Baudelaire
Shōko Nishimiya
Alex Benedetto
Azusa Hamaoka
Nico Robin
Morgiana
Esdeath
Albedo
Fubuki
Bishamon
Orihime Inoue
Yumeko Jabami
Ryūko Matoi
Yoko Littner
Darkness
Anna Nishikinomiya
Komi Shōko
Momo Ayase
Ikumi Mito
Shikimori
Rin Tohsaka
Faye Valentine
Misato Katsuragi
Alicia Glenfall
Diane
Mirko
Android 18
Tōka Kirishima
Arshes Nei
Rias Gremory
My final questioning is if there's anything more engaging to do on this website other than these empty discussions... Also, the whole Yangire thing the comment bellow mine spoke about is indeed stupid coming from you, you should just think harder when writing such articles.
Even if i cant support anime girls because they are so annoying and useless ( ok there are some exceptions )
Well done , cant wait for your next article ^^
She's just acting about her being mad, and acting again about being pissed off. She's pretending to be a yangire, as you can see near the end of the anime :).
I read your article; going to check out Saraiya Goyou after my exams c: However, 'patience' is not my strongest attribute...how far in when it starts to click?
As for Shirayuki... Finally, another shoujo/romance female protagonist that I really like and I don't like that many. >< Sometimes, they make the female protagonist so weak nd too dependable on others. Not the case with Shirayuki, though she does depend on Zen and her friends, she still have some guts to face Izana. ^^
Anyway, thanks for that good article.
I haven't watched Akagami no Shirayuki-hime yet, but will now get around to it as fast as possible. :-)