Transphobia in Anime

[@LoopyAnh]

Considering that they still look down on homosexuality. Its more surprising its as tame as it is.

[@kymo6343]

Damn and I thought the "Yusuke beats up and gropes a tw for equal rights" scene from Yuyu Hakusho was bad... XD

[@cesarm2974]

Great video. I've never heard of this animes, nor do I wish to watch them, so I'm glad you took the time to analyse them so I don't have to. I think it is valid to look at cultural productions trough a modern lens and percieve them as wrong, even if you know the historical context, cause that's what got us to condemn racism, slavery, pedophilia and misoginy (even if those practices are still prevalent). I've watched a lot of anime, and it is really hard to find respectful depictions of trans people, cause it's usually played for jokes or as a gimmick for ecchi shows, or it's homologous to crossdressing and drag culture, wich japan has a whole industry made out of. I'm a cis male, so i'm no expert on anything, but I recommend Skip and Loafer and Zombieland Saga as they have trans characters that are not played for laughs or fanservice (wich is kinda rare).

[@ZeroFighter]

So, here's the key issue. You're not seeing this from within the culture it was made by, and made for. You're also looking at this from a lens of a different generation; a generation that has been brought up to FIND problems where none actually are. The biggest giveaway is the use of the Ouran High School Host Club clip, where Haninozuka narrates that Haruhi's dad had come home from his shift 'at the tranny bar'. Tranny bars are not only a thing in most parts of the world, but a whole industry in Japan. Entire businesses are built upon the customers knowing that the staff are men, crossdressing and acting like women; literally the entire appeal. Not only that, but in OHSHC, Ryoji (Haruhi's father) is respected by basically everyone in the story, central character or background. Everyone knows he crossdresses, and everyone's fine with it because he's a good person. The only people who ever seem to have a problem is people who don't understand the culture, and refuse to open their minds. As for the other anime, crossdressing is an easy source of comedic storytelling, again, because of the culture. For millennia, men were the only ones performing in theater, including taking on the roles of women in the stories. Some men were so good at portraying women, other men courted them, and made sweet, sweet, manly love. At the same time though, sex in all forms was seen as a VERY intimate act, and so public acknowledgment of it was taboo. This created an allure amplification, which was usually let out through theater, and what easier way to touch on this particular subject than by playing a crossdressing character? Comedies were easy, but more intricately crafted works- which required league more effort- were the most popular and profitable. Either way though, you still got the dude who looks like a lady. Because comedy was easier though, more people could make them, and more of them could be made in a shorter amount of time. As such, it became a staple of the entertainment industry over a thousand years ago, and has stayed a prevalent part of the culture ever since. Also, it wasn't until extremely recently- the last few years*- that the nation's Age of Consent was raised nationally to 18*. When these series' were made and released, the average was 16, and some provinces were as low as 14. The youngest was 13, but came with near-impossible stipulations to meet, so it was basically also 16. Anyway, high school to this day still is seen more as college in the US and Europe, in that high school is optional, but there's massive social pressure to do it. Otherwise, when these series' were made, 16+ was legally an adult, so while morally dubious, and debatably an ethics violation that would result in termination, student-teacher intimacy was a fairly normal thing, and it wasn't technically illegal. Focusing on the intimacy part, it's no longer as common as it used to be, but until the 1980's, it was still culturally common for students to hook up with, and even marry their teachers, dating back thousands of years where the pupil would learn from a master, then marry and have children with them to create a family business. *Amendment: While double-checking the year that the Age of Consent was raised, I was reminded by all of the articles that I misremembered a crucial detail. They didn't raise the genera AoC to 18, they unified all provinces to be 16, rather than it being an average. This means that the regions where it was 13, 14, or 15 now also have an AoC of 16. It also wasn't even that long ago that this happened. Reported on by The Japan Times on 16 June, 2023, following a string of rape charge acquittals involving minor victims, the AoC for the entire nation was unified at 16 instead of letting individual provinces and regions decide on their own. It's still 16.

[@TrojanSalesmen1]

I highly doubt they will read all this. But this is what happens when Westerns like me try and force our outlook on others' works.

[@supervamp78]

No 16 was never legally an adult in japan jesus christ

[@briannawilliams97]

Whose forcing shit because we have an opinion on how things are depicted in media? ​@@TrojanSalesmen1

[@briannawilliams97]

Yeah, I know all this. I watched Ouran Highschool and I like the depiction overall. However there is certain terminology that is offensive. Plus I did say I know it's from a different time and culture. Also, a kid is still a kid. I don't care what justification you try to come up with for that. I understand what youre saying as far as the comedy aspect, but still it can be seen as demeaning. Just because its a different culture doesnt mean we cant understand why it may be problematic.

[@ZeroFighter]

@@supervamp78 You're factually incorrect, as was I. Read the amendment to my original comment.

[@sleighcake]

ee i love this video!! u got a new subscriber:)

[@Cheese20044]

Could you do a video on this one anime named ghost stories in Japan it was a normal horror show but for some reason here they gave the dubbing cast for control and it got turned into a comedy just go to KZbin and put in ghost stories dub hopefully you can do a video on it

[@Johni_54321]

I thought this was gonna be like popular anime... not just cheap h..... just get better anime

[@briannawilliams97]

I mean either way it perpetuates a narrative to people.