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Manga: The Feminist Perspective
Written by Quita Paul
I have been reading manga since I was 8 years old. From the fire lands of Dragonball Z to the romances of Boys over Flowers I have read it all. But I have come to a most unusual conclusion; sex in the manga world is still divided. Excellent artists like CLAMP and Rumiko Takahashi at one time were overlooked. Even some countries, for example China refuse to display their works. However, America is not helping female manga readers either. Over 500 titles are released through TokyoPop, America's number one manga publisher. Currently, only 30 of those titles are targeted to female audiences. Now, I am not saying that men and boys are to blame for this issue. It is a matter of business ethic. A lot of companies like TokyoPop, CPM Media, or Manga Entertainment seem to feel that Action/Adventure for boys will overcome the romance or drama of Shujo.
This is not true in some cases. Not all Shujo is targeted in the cute over-romance ethic. To take a closer look at my theory, let’s look at Ai Yori Aoshi. Ai can be seen as the typical female Japanese Beauty. But what makes her a dynamic character is her strength. Kaoru sees that no matter how many times he may see as weak, she contains her love for him because understanding his interests and feelings. Through developing those skills, their relationship became stronger. As much as some guys view Shujo as "crappy love stories" you must be willing to open your eyes to understanding. The only way to bring open awareness is to create manga that appeals to both sexes. Feminism in manga should not only mean having books which appeal to women, but to men as well.
That reality as already begun. Mangas like Love Hina, Gundam, Maze, and Hellsing have helped cross the gender divide. Female characters like Integra, from Hellsing, are given "masculine" roles that define power and leadership. In the future, my hope is that Shujo manga will appeal to all audiences. Men and women, boys and girls, will enjoy a style of art that appeals to the emotions and realities of life.
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30 August 2010
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