#seeing cops be portrayed as good guys is annoying in general but its especially annoying in a sonic adaptation

[sonknuxadow]

sorry the sonic movies are mostly fun for what they are but the fact that theyre having sonic tails and knuckles be friendly with cops is always going to annoy me. they would not fucking say that

[darklightsworld]

Hello, I remember you saying some time ago you didn't like how female characters are portrayed in (current) anime because of how annoying and, maybe, misogynistic their archetypes are. Could you maybe elaborate on this point? I feel similar but can't articulate well and always end up feeling like I'm the one being misogynistic whenever this type of subject comes up in conversation x.x Sorry if this comes up as too personal.

Sorry about the late reply, I have been busy with a conference. Also sorry, because my answer is a bit long and all over the place ^^;

This is a difficult question, especially because nowadays people like to think in black and white, and everything is so extreme, like if they don’t like something, then it must be wrong and eliminated, not to mention the policing of every content based to this – which kills diversity and dismisses personal (and gendered) preferences. What I think is really a personal preference and not exactly a general critique of female characters in anime, especially because there are many factors to consider (genre, age and gender or the target audience, cultural background, etc.), and there’s also the audience with its multiple readings.

Personally I dislike most female character types manga and anime has to give, because I’m not really a person for overly feminine and girly things. The Japanese ideal is very cutesy and it’s the standard in both media for men, women and also real life. Not just looks, there is also the behavior side of things, the cutesy, childish, girly ideal, the passivity, helplessness, pretending to be stupid, etc, and I outright hate it when female characters are treated as stupid, clumsy messes. The question is, though, is this ideal really conservative and an embodiment of the toxic patriarchal system? Actually not necessarily. They definitely originate from the oppressive system, but over the decades girls made these ideals their own, and turned them into a weapon to get what they want. Even in real life, fashion is very feminine for me, always with frills, ribbons, flitters, tons of dresses and skirts, and it’s difficult to find plain clothes without any decoration, not to mention all the cuteness in goods and stuff, but as for the behavior of girls and women, the cutesy ideal seems more like a role to be played at a certain age or for certain purposes, like getting things they want and eventually the man. A woman, who didn’t like this ideal herself defined it as “they had to play the wounded deer”. Actually women, who use this role too much and even among women, are usually hated – this is the infamous burikko.

But no matter how they were in their younger years, married women don’t use this role anymore, and they seamlessly slip into a different identity, one that rules the family and the finances with iron fist (I’m stereotyping) – nothing cutesy, helpless or stupid about that. The Japanese themselves are aware of this cutesy role, both men and women, it’s their version of cunning flirtatiousness, it’s just a very different type of flirtatiousness than in the West. For example, there is currently even a tv show enacting certain situations where this cutesy behavior is used to get the man, and the hosts rate how effective the cutesy behavior was. But while I understand intellectually that these are not necessarily misogynistic stereotypes, I have some kind of a visceral hatred for them. The above tv show makes me outright nauseous. It’s a personal preference, and I don’t think I have to like these character types. But I also don’t think they should be erased from Japanese media, and it would be a mistake trying to push my very independent Western values onto such a different culture, so I rather avoid these characters – which is not easy.

So, what does this mean for anime and manga? Both are largely determined by genres (manga more than anime), genres work with clean-cut character types, tropes, traditions and reader expectation, so there is a reason why female (and male) characters are the way they are in different genres. Male-oriented works will obviously have female characters that appeal to men even if the work doesn’t have in your face fanservice shots (though let’s face it, if it’s anime, most of them do). I don’t like these female character types, I don’t think I have to like them, they are clearly not geared toward me, but I also don’t think they shouldn’t be there in a clearly male-oriented media. Sure, there can be discussions about removing overly exploitive situations, harassment and rape or things like that, but I’m not really against letting men have their fun – because I expect to have that same freedom in media geared toward women. There are occasionally unisex anime, but usually they still serve one or the other demographic in a way, and I don’t think it’s possible to create truly unisex anime that everybody will be satisfied with – fanservice for women will always bother men, and fanservice for men will always bother women.

Shōjo manga is a more difficult question, because somewhere in the 70s romance started to focus on imperfect heroines who still got the best guy, because he loved them regardless of their imperfections (“I love you the way you are”), and since then the genre is full of the stupid, clumsy, indecisive, housewife material archetype without any dreams beyond getting the boy (or very old-school women job dreams), which does not appeal to me either, so I usually avoid most romance shōjo manga, especially the high school variant, and even most josei manga, because I don’t care for the adult version of the same with marriage as the end goal *shrug* Actually it’s not even about these things only, like, I disliked Arte too (though not shōjo manga), despite it trying (and failing) to pose as a feminist social commentary, just because the mc way annoying. Fortunately there are a lot of other types of shōjo manga as well, even with more appealing female characters or the best, without female characters (plus the whole BL scene), so it’s not all that bad, at least in manga, not so much in anime. Interestingly, I’m much more compatible with shōjo manga by fujoshi artists. If I like a shōjo manga, usually the artist ends up coming out as a fujoshi after a while by posting BL fanart on her twitter or drawing outright BL manga – it’s been a pattern XD

Anime is more difficult, but I also admit, that my tastes might be extreme. In Japan there are many female fans who love the cute female characters of male-oriented media. Many women like Love Live, for example, because the girls are, I quote, “so cuuuuuute” – while I am fighting nausea… Yeah, Japan is imbued with cute. It’s especially difficult, because I’m usually not willing to watch a series even if there are such female characters in supporting roles or as a second protagonist with male characters I would love to see (Cop Craft was a recent-ish example). And while I avoid female only casts on principle, sometimes there are surprises. For example, the Yashahime anime has terrible writing, but I don’t hate the three main female characters (even if occasionally the anime has some iffy things to say about femininity).

I also mentioned multiple readings. It is important to note that the audience does not necessarily interpret everything the same, especially if there are cultural differences. One of the most famous examples for this is Sailor Moon, which was the incarnation of girl power and emancipation in the West in the 90s, but it has the same “dumb heroine gets the dream guy” trope, and the same conservative message of getting married and giving birth to children as any average shōjo manga, and the same “so cuuuuute” packaging. It really depends on the audience what they get away with.

All in all there are preferences, genre conventions, cultural differences, so the whole thing is quite difficult. But I don’t think you need to be worried about not liking or being uncomfortable with certain character types. And it would be a stretch to consider tastes like mine, for example, misogynistic. Sure, even in real life I make a wide berth around overly girly or feminine women (among others), but it can’t be helped, you can’t like and be friends with everyone, and I guess they wouldn’t like me or wanting to be my friend either. And that’s fine, and I don’t think it’s misogynistic for me to reject certain types of femininity for myself and to interact with, as long as I don’t want to erase or invalidate them, or deem them as inferior – and I don't. Of course, this is the attitude I expect towards myself as well. Live and let live 🖖

[cryingalexanders]

Superman: TAS s1 notes I’m posting because why not

It’s my first time watching this show. I have seen BTAS and JLU the whole way through before, but it was years ago

The pilot is such a good take on Krypton’s destruction. just focussing on the human dynamics of Jor-El’s family. Lara getting to say more than a few words, and the dynamic with her father. it’s so good

from the first few episodes, it feels like the STAS creators are so used to writing Batman that they kind of try to write Superman like that too. He's rather scowly, sure, but it's also noticeable how weirdly rich everyone seems. Lois has a huge apartment and a sports car, Clark and the Kents aren't struggling, it's weird. it feels a bit like they’re not adjusting to portraying people without Bruce Wayne’s resources

I can also see how this show would give someone the impression that Clark Kent isn't a good disguise, because he isn't any different to Superman, aside from being a bit clumsy

It also feels like they're using Star Labs in this role of giving him gadgets. But who are they funded by? I know we’re not meant to overthink it but seems weird to me, as in what I said above

He even does the Batman cape thing! It's makes some sense that he'd use it to shield other people but he just used it to shield his own face in an explosion, in a dracula pose! That has to be a deliberate reference

I love how Lex is written in this though, and how Lois has an actual personality beyond ‘concerned’

I like Superman helping the scientists test technology too, that's pretty cool and unique

D'you reckon this Lobo episode could have been an influence on Ben 10? The alien designs are giving me similar vibes

The Preserver's final form literally looks like a red version of that cannonball alien from Ben 10. Maybe some of the same people worked on it or something

I should have expected the '90s sexism in an episode called "My Girl".

I like Lana recognising him. I mean they showed her knowing about Clark's powers in the second episode it would've been insane if she hadn't made the connection

it's not to say that the show doesn't justify this treatment of Clark's identity internally, but I can see why people who enjoyed this would be annoyed when other versions don't follow the same logic. I feel like that's pretty common with superhero fans in general. It was one version that got them into a character, so they clash with others who dislike or disagree with that version, especially over the aspects of it which they liked.

What? Clark has a futuristic convertible too? is this just what cars look like in Metropolis lol. but the police cars look normal. which is it

Okay the idea of someone luring Superman to a lead factory so they could have a batman-esque showdown with him is brilliant. The only problem is that it's from the creators of BTAS so it feels hopelessly derivative

I feel like one reason I avoided this show for so long was because it always seemed like it was "BTAS but worse". And I'm getting a lot of BTAS vibes from this episode, but it's still really good? imagine my surprise

"someone quiet, understanding, patient--" *Lois interrupts* LMAO

The detail of the guy squeezing the hotdog out its bun in surprise. simply amazing

Interesting that the supporting cast is starting to feel truly fleshed out in this episode. we have Turpin and Maggie Sawyer, Bruno Manheim as head of Intergang not just a random crime lord, they aren't overusing Lex (though who can blame them this version of him is so fun)

Ah, the New Gods have turned up

I don't love how it goes all cop show on us and shows the Metropolis police as good and Superman works with them.

It makes sense that Metropolis' police would be incredibly militarised. But I don't love this heroic scene of a swat team rushing a building only to not be enough

I think this show makes a really creative use of Parasite. Most of the time he's just portrayed as a mindless monster