in

CULTURAL REPRESENTATION OF SEX AND GENDER IN MANGA

A Thesis submitted to the faculty of

San Francisco State University
In partial fulfillment of
AS the requirements for
the Degree

-20Vt
Master of Arts
• VG In

Humanities

by

Thao-Cathleen Yo

San Francisco, California

August 2017
 Copyright by
Thao-Cathleen Thi Ai Vo
2017
 CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL

I certify that I have read Cultural Representation of Sex and Gender in Manga by Thao-

Cathleen Thi Ai Vo, and that in my opinion this work meets the criteria for approving a

thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree Master of Arts in

Humanities at San Francisco State University.

Assistant Professor of Humanities and

Liberal Studies

Cristina Ruotolo, Ph.D.

Professor of Humanities and Liberal Studies
 CULTURAL REPRESENTATION OF SEX AND GENDER IN MANGA

Thao-Cathleen Thi Ai Vo
San Francisco, California
2017

This thesis will develop an argument that comics, specifically shojo manga, is an

important resource for gender/sexuality education. Gender roles and sexuality are integral

themes in manga, which will be explored with a historical overview of the development

of shojo manga. Through an analysis of the history and major developments in manga,

this thesis will address such issues as body images and banned/censored comics in Japan

and the United States. This project will review and demonstrate close-analysis of four key

shojo manga with clear representations of gender ambiguity, homosexuality, gender

identities, and important cultural shifts in order to confirm shojo manga’s educational

potential.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you very much to my thesis advisor, Nick Sousanis. He was always open discuss

not only my thesis, but also the possibilities in the world of comics and education.

Also, I’d like to thank my second reader/department chair, Cristina Ruotolo. She sparked

my passion for the humanities as an undergraduate and I’m indebted to her for her

valuable advice and support through the years.

A special gratitude goes to the following university staff: Laura Garcia-Moreno, Mary

Scott, Grace Yoo, Russell Jeung, and Clare Sears for their support and assistance during

my time at this university.

I must express my gratitude to my family, friends, and my partner for providing me with

immense support and encouragement during my years of study and research. A special

thank you to my late father, Thanh V. Tran, for his faith in me even when I did not.

Thanks for all your encouragement!

v
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures................................................................................................................... vii

Introduction..........................................................................................................................1

My Otaku Life..........................................................................................................1

Shojo Manga........................................................................................................... 2

Literature Review.................................................................................................... 4

Key Shojo Manga...............................................................................................................10

Content Analysis....................................................................................................12

Form Analysis....................................................................................................... 20

History............................................................................................................................... 26

History of Manga............................................................................ 26

Impact of World War I I ........................................................................................ 33

East and West Sexuality Studies........................................................................... 35

Discussion......................................................................................................................... 39

References......................................................................................................................... 43
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figures Page

1. Edo style drawing............................................................................................ 3

2. Sketch of Ishikawa Toyonobu Folio............................................................... 28
3. Katsuhika Hokusai. The Great WaveOff Kanagawa...................................... 29
4. Katsuhika Hokusai. Prostitute and Customer................................................. 29
5. Katsuhika Hokusai. Sexual Aids.....................................................................30
6. Kaysuhika Hokusai ’s manga.......................................................................... 30
7. Sketch of me reading.......................................................................................39
8. Rabbit Hole sketch......................................................................................... 40
9. Doodle of chibi otaku..................................................................................... 42
 1

Mv Otaku Life

It was 2010 and the halls of my high school were bustling with students. Every

locker reveals something unique about its owner. Behind one metal door was a set of

small yet thick books swathed in multicolored paper covered in drawings. This locker

belonged to me. Similar to children hiding bad report cards, I went to great lengths to

hide the contents of these books. I wrapped them with various kinds of paper and used

pens and markers to draw new covers. I even created large bookmarks to hide the

adjacent pages while I read. At the time, my mission was to conceal these books by any

means necessary. Soon teachers noticed my hands slowly opening these mysterious

books a mere inch and a half apart to read. In a school where reading was encouraged,

one instructor took note of my reading ritual. She wondered what I could possibly be

reading. I revealed my secret: I was reading manga.

During my adolescence, I was becoming an otaku. Essentially, an otaku is a nerd,

geek, or fanboy/girl of manga/anime (Galbraith 171). My life was vexed; I spent these

years exploring all aspects of Japanese pop culture, building a collection of tankobon

(graphic novels or 200 page manga). While I read a variety of manga, I felt the need to

hide this particular set because of the genre. My embarrassment highlighted my

awareness that these books were seen as inappropriate. Based on its representations of

sexuality and gender, shojo manga is considered unsuitable for Western high school

students. Nevertheless, most teachers at my school did not seem to care until I suggested
 2

using shojo in classes. Before I discuss this issue further, let me delve into the

background of shojo manga.

Shojo, Manga

There is no clear English translation for the term shojo. It has come to signify

manga intended for young women and deals with intimate/romantic human experiences.

The term was originally coined to specify unmarried women from preteens to young

adults (Prough 7). Shojo'1s exploration of human relationships and emotions differentiates

it from the other main genres of manga. All manga evolves according to social changes

in Japan, meaning every change in Japanese society is reflected in manga. However,

common shojo elements started following similar patterns. It is now used to make these

manga easier for marketing and appealing to their intended audience—young females.

Shojo manga is sometimes described by amateur otakus (also known as weeabos)

as the girly books. This label derives from their graphic content, which typically includes

an abundance of hearts, glittery backgrounds, large doll-like eyes, and other feminine

artistic qualities. This art style originates from Walt Disney’s influence on the Manga

Kamisama (God of Manga), Osamu Tezuka (Camara & Duran 22). Additionally, these

manga use, what Japanese call, the doki doki effect or moe moe (elements that make a

heart race or flutter) to highlight emotion and intimacy. Shojo manga is often associated

with the unconscious world of dreams, in contrast with shonen manga, which highlight

bravery, action, and determination (Aoyama, et al, 5). However, there are a great number
 3

of shojo manga series that contradict the stereotypes. In fact, while it is easy to dismiss

shojo as romantic fiction, the genre is far more complex than that.

Additionally, gender and sexuality play a large role in shojo. Here: some

background on manga more generally. Manga is understood to have four main genres

based on age and gender: shonen (boy), shojo (girl), seinen (mature), and kodomo

(children). Within these four genres are a wide range of subgenres or cross-genres. Under

the framework of shojo are yaoi and yuri manga. Yaoi describes a story with relations

between homosexual men. Shonen-ai (boys’ love) is a similar genre with less explicit

sexual content. Yuri and/or shojo-ai (girls’ love) is a story with homosexual females.

Other countries have their versions of shojo manga, but typically focus on hetero­

romance. Yaoi/yuri are important because Japanese shojo often address gender identity

and homosexuality in society. Whether they’re dealing with the independent boyish

females or cross-dressing men, gender fluidity is very common in shojo manga from the

late 1980’s to the present.

Gender representation in manga registers social changes of the late 1980s-90s,

when the role of men as the sole breadwinners was challenged. During this time, manga

like Ranma V2 and Sailor Moon broke gender roles by creating female protagonists who

were strong physically and mentally. These manga used

yuri as well to empower female sexuality and

exploration, resulting in popularity among young

women. In addition, bishonen (beautiful boys) became a Figure 1- My Edo Style drawing.
Angle and lack o f details
represent gender ambiguity.
 4

major part of shojo manga, for they represent gender ambiguity and gender exploration

for young readers through exemplifying femininity and charm in Japanese men. This is

key in yaoi with the portrayal of tough masculine men (seimei/ “pitchers”) and fragile

feminine men (uke/ “catchers”). Additionally, based on historical research, Japan has a

wide variety of transgender portrayals through kabuki and manga. Gender fluidity has

become increasingly common in manga since the mid-20th century with the fight for

LGBT rights.

Due to its popularity of manga, bookstores globally often have an entire section

dedicated to this medium. In the West, shonen manga gained popularity in the 1990s with

the release of Dragon Ball Z (1989) and Pokemon (1997). As a result, manga was more

popular among males in Western countries. In contrast, Japan’s manga consumers were

majority female (Aoyama et al. 3). Shojo manga did not gain attention in the West until

2005 when the girls’ comic magazine, Shojo Beat, was released specifically for English

readers. It sparked one of the biggest markets in the book business (Aoyama, et al. 4). Its

relatable content and subgenres made shojo manga is one of the most popular genres in

both Japan and the United States today.

Literature Review

Even though the stigma existed, my high school teacher encouraged me to read

manga and stressed the importance of expanding one’s repertoire. She taught English and

gender/sexuality studies. She made it her mission to introduce students to Queer Theory

and terminology using poetry and history.

 5

As an otaku and someone who learned well through visual materials, because my

teacher had encouraged my own reading of manga, I suggested that she consider

introducing manga into her lessons on Queer Theory. According to the teacher, material

used in a classroom must be approved by the school and the district. In this case, my

request was denied because of graphic nudity and borderline pornographic illustrations.

This was unsettling, troubling, and provoked me. From this point on, I questioned the

restrictions on visual texts in American high schools. I continued to push for more manga

in the school. However, even the school librarian restricted the comics section to

superheroes, stating most manga were usually denied by the district. There had to be

more to this issue.

Based on my years as a school district tutor, comics/manga are still frowned

upon. Although some history classes use comics like Mans, text-heavy material is still

predominant. In fact, many teachers believe comics are impractical and teens should be

concentrating on text rather than images.

I will argue just the opposite. Adolescents can learn more from the comic form,

for it provides a new way of learning by focusing on both form and content. Students can

learn about sexuality and gender by analyzing how the images are drawn and how pages

are constructed, as well as by analyzing content. Furthermore, teachers should

incorporate the making as well as reading of comics, as making a comic is a different

experience from reading them. One can learn through creation by noting how visual

details contribute to messages and themes. While I wasn’t able to do it then as an

 6

adolescent student, my masters program/this paper is a chance to rectify things from high

school. My goal is to help integrate manga into educational settings for future students

like me.

Manga could be particularly powerful for female students as a means to thinking

about sexuality and gender. There is an assumption in America that comic books are

predominantly a male domain (Aoyama et al. 4-5). However, the population of female

comic readers has increased over the last 10 years. In fact, as of 2015, approximately 43

percent of all women polled on Facebook reportedly enjoy comics (Barnett 2015).

A challenge with utilizing manga specifically for educational purposes is that

“Manga Studies—criticism and theory on manga—is a discipline still very much in its

infancy” (Aoyama et al. 4). While there is very little scholarship on manga, there is even

less specifically on shojo manga. This is due to the tendency that both Japan and the

United States consider shojo as not important because they’re marketed as teenage girl

culture (Aoyama et al. 4). Even with the Japanese “Golden Age” of the 1970s (postwar

genres) to the Boys’ Love movement in the 1990s, there are still few references to manga

in English-language scholarship (Aoyama, et al. 7). Nevertheless, there’s potential for

using this medium when teaching gender and sexuality to high school students. After all,

shojo manga relates to “themes such as androgyny, transgression, border crossing, and

(male) homoeroticism” (Aoyama, et al. 5).

According to Prough, current research on contemporary Japanese shojo manga

suggests they draw attention to critical and complex aspects of female sexuality and
 7

gender (131). Most pop culture offers images of female sexuality—but not necessarily

useful ones. Some mangakas admit to making statements about female sexuality in

various ways. They represent young girls exploring sexuality and finding a balance

between being cute and being sexy (Prough 131). These characters open doors for readers

who struggle with the same adolescent curiosities. Therefore, these mangakas aim to help

young women discover their identity before adulthood.

Many claim that yaoi and yuri include pornographic scenes for young women

who fantasize about taboo relationships (Nagaike 76). Nagaike, who researched yaoi

manga, noted that critics are often first in calling shojo manga “pornographic.” This

started when yaoi mangakas {manga makers) and Japanese dojinshi (amateur coterie

magazines) devoted numerous pages to sex scenes. This shift towards explicit sex

parallels the American slash movement, where fans began pairing their favorite

characters into homosexual relationships (Nagaike 77-78). One example of the slash

movement occurs in Season 19 Episode 6 of South Park, when girls in the school draw

suggestive pictures between male students, Tweek and Craig.

Because of the explicit romance and eroticism, there are educational possibilities

within comics/manga. High school educators tackling sex and gender studies should

consider shojo manga in their lessons because it’s beneficial in three ways. First, the

target age group for shojo includes high school students, which makes the content is

relatable. Since these manga adjust to culture and time periods, there will always be a

series that speaks to teenagers about their moment. Secondly, the themes in shojo are
 8

relevant when discussing gender and sexuality. The stories often include characters

struggling with their identities and gender roles, while representing Japan’s perspective

on these complex issues. Thirdly, gender ambiguity is one of the most prominent aspects

of shojo manga. They include diverse images of gender ambiguous characters, which

invites readers to think critically about pictures—especially how people view identity.

In the United States, although still excluding manga, schools (particularly higher

education) have begun to include certain comics as part of their curriculum. Graphic

novels like Alison BechdePs graphic novel, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic and

Maijane Satrapi’s graphic autobiography, Persepolis, are both widely taught in English

departments and elsewhere in the university. These graphic novels work for a variety of

courses because they address issues similar to typical academic texts but through a visual

medium. These texts communicate with both language and art, allowing readers to think

critically about every aspect of the page.

Nonetheless, Fun Home has been banned in Carolina universities and Persepolis

is banned in Chicago public schools. Persepolis is often banned because of the torture

panel as well as images of the body. According to Marshall University’s library, colleges

banned Fun Home for the “depictions of lesbian sexuality, arguing that the book is

borderline pornographic and [students] shouldn’t have been asked to read it” (2016). This

meant the illustrations of the body and LGBT experiences triggered their bans. However,

this would have meant that novels like Oscar Wilde’s The Picture o f Dorian Gray should

be banned as well for its hints of homosexuality and depictions of sex.

 9

These bans on graphic novels as inappropriate/pornographic, like the school

district exclusion of manga, call into question how people see the body. These graphic

novels should not be banned or censored due to nudity because it’s sheltering readers

from something natural. This restricts teaching resources and shelters students from non-

traditional learning techniques. High school curriculum is set for teachers to address

certain topics, but allows enough creative space for lesson plans. Many classes study the

painting of Sleeping Venus, yet comics and manga are disregarded for their illustrations

of the body. Beside the point that fine art is worthy of study, art distinctions are irrelevant

in a high school setting. What matters in a curriculum is how tools, like manga or

paintings, are used to teach subjects in an engaging way to benefit the students. With all

manga has to offer, it can certainly work for discussing gender and sex among teenagers.

Based on research and analysis of four popular/key shojo manga, this thesis

project will discuss how shojo manga is part of a social movement towards understanding

sexuality and gender identity. Despite issues of comic /manga’s impropriety, some

teachers wonder how one uses this medium to teach. I will use shojo manga to

demonstrate the educational impact it could have on Western gender studies. Thus, I hope

to help establish shojo manga as a resource for teaching gender/sexuality studies in

American high schools.

It is important to note that while anime and manga are commonly connected with

one another, I will not be focusing on anime. The two mediums have distinct

characteristics that offer something different. For example, distinctions between anime
 10

and manga include degrees of artistic control, originality versus adaptions, length of

series, and production. More importantly, this study pursues the argument that analyzing

manga and comics’form should play a major role in their use for teaching. Similar to

comics, a critical reader uses tools to interpret manga. For example, multiple frames are

displayed on a single page, which anime cannot do. This allows readers to analyze

numerous details at once and it affects their reading. In order to demonstrate how these

tools are used thoroughly, I will show how they can be used for critical thinking.

Four Key Shojo Manga

Before I introduce these manga, it’s essential to remember there are many ways

someone can teach gender and sexuality. Since this study is for high school educators, I

want to show the best way to understand this field.

 11

How does someone go about examining

gender and sexuality?

A gender study by Bestor staled that, because gender is complex, the*

best way to analyze it is by examining four significant aspects of
gender and sex (285-287).

Historical Transformations:
Historical transformations of gender roles and ideologies with

1 other societal transformations, such as how male or females

are defined, what circumstances led to the development of
gender domains, and how relations of inequality within or
across domains have changed over time (Bestor 285).

Gender and Other Forms of Inequality:

2 Gender studies is linked with analysis of structured inequal­

ity. so one should factor in class, marital roles, labor force,
speech patterns, religious observances, or political action
when learning about gender (Bestor 285).

Social and Cultural Constructions of Gender:

3 A nation's cultural perceptions of gender vary. For example,

“subject of gender in Japan offers abundant opportunities for
symbolic and cultural analysis” (Bestor 285-286). Therefore,
examining culture is a major part of analyzing gender.

| International Dimensions of Gender:

4 “Japanese gender definitions affect and are affected by Japa­

nese views of other societies " so Bestor suggests the idea of
gender relating to government entities (286). Hie idea being
that international influences change how one country views
 12

CONTENT ANALYSIS Well, in order to

You may be wondering,
“Why am I reading a
comic?” or “Why should I
read this?”
understand
comics/manga, the
best way to do so is
by working with
the form itself.

Since content plays a huge role in

discussing manga, I will analyze the
stories and characters o f four key
shojo manga before we dive into
form.

Before we begin, it’s important to note

that this thesis will be analyzing English
translations of these shojo manga.
Therefore, keep in mind that the way it
MANGA is read will be different._____________ COMIC
 13

As mentioned, this section is about analyzing four key shojo

manga In order to do this, we have to look at the content
these manga first and discover why these manga are important.

This is Ranma Saotome of Ranma 1/2.

From 1987-1996, this manga tells the tale
of the Tendo family arranging a marriage
with the Saotome family. Akane Tendo, a
serious female martial artist, and Ranma
are against the idea.
In addition, Ranma returns to his town
after accidently falling into an "accursed"
spring. From this point on. if cold water
hits him, he would turn into a busty young
grrL If hot water touches Ranma, then he
returns to being a boy.

Ai Ore! is the stoiy of Akira and Mizuki.

Akira is a boy with very feminine features
who has fallen for Mizuki. a member of an
all-girl band. Mizuki is considered the
'"Prince'’ o f her all-girls school, struggling
with discovering her sexuality.

(aka: A i (h e!)
 4 f e .
Ourart Host Club follows the adventures

(A JA * ,
Hanihi Fujioka experiences as she tries to
pay her debt to the host club at school.

Harahi is the protagonist who is biologically

female, but takes on a male persona in order
to be a host in the club and pay off her debt
sooner. Her short hair is due to an incident
when a child stuck gum in and she decides
to cut if off.

This is the manga series, The Betrayal

Knows my Name or Uragiri wa Boku no
Namae (in short, Uraboku)
Yuki Giou (Sakurai) is a young
male living at an orphanage with
little recolection of Ms past. Eelfeet,
in Ms many past lives he was a
woman.

Luka is a duras (demon) who was. Yuki’s “slave.”

However, many characters are aware of Luka's roman­
tic relationship with Yuki. Yuki (as a male) does not
know this, and Luka does not disclose this information.
 15

As we know from the history of Japanese art,

male and females were difficult to distinguish
because of the face. Audiences would know
genders based on clothing and body parts.

This carried onto shojo in the form of

bishonen characters and became
known as this idea of Japanese
“gender dualism.”

Gender dualism is the idea of showing

gender ambigiuous characters engaged in
intimacy that seems homoerotic, but is
hetero in nature (Welker 842).
When it comes to drawing shojo manga
characters, there is a fine line between
feminine and masculine.

Bishonen is visually and psychically neither

\male nor female; romantic and erotic interests
are typically for other bishonen, but not quite
homosexual.

Typically in shojo, there will ALWAYS be at

least one bishonen character.

) \ /
 16

Bishonen characters became more apparent
after the year 2000, so manga prior (such as
Ranma 1/2) do not have bishonen.
The Silent and
Masculine
In fact, many shojo mangaka follow
early Japanese artists in the sense
that many illustrations were meant to
be parodies or satire (Thompson 75).

Mangaka, Bisco Hatori, has stated in brief chapter breaks in Ouran Host Club
that the characters were designed to poke fun at stereotypical boys that young
girls often fantasize and play with homoerotic themes in shojo.

Shojo mangakas tend to utilize humor

to call into question homo-eroticism
and gender duality.
! «SH|

In this panel, Akira is

being attacked with
questions because it’s
hard to believe he is a / Ai Orel also plays with bishonen stereo­
types not only by how characters were
>y. P Q Jf
WMSf i drawn, but also how main characters,
Akira and Mizuki, are often mistaken for
the wrong gender.
 17

While Ranma does not have

bishonen, it satirizes in its
own way.

In addition to mangakas utilizing shojo elements to demonstrate Japanese

gender roles, these artists use images to talk about sex and sexuality.
 18

Take for example, MizuM from Ai Ore!. In the first

series, she tries to discover her sexuality by attempt­
ing intimacy with females. In addition, Akira is
. J constantly challenging her sexuality by quickly
\ switching from male to female mannerisms.

Additionally, Tamaki (the foreigner

in Quran Host Club) makes an
interesting claim that attracting
women can be taught, almost as if
there is a science to attracting
females.

ip »
m ... «u
itf-

if you
CAM GET 100
. .what about yaoi PEOPLE TO
SESCJEST yOH
you mE
manga? It's known DEPT C
FREE/.1CT
for bavins lots of
explicit sex. What
AMD BE H
can be learned HOST STAB
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WORLD?.'
 19

Yaoi and shonen-ai

(boys’ love) does mot
always haw explicit
sex, or sex at all for
that matter (Welker
211).

If one lodes at Qdagiri’s

yaoi manga, Uraboku,
the audience is taken on
nsour, a '-honen-like adventure,
for there is a lot of action
SUPPOSE
THAT'S
mue.

More importantly, the readers watch/read the journey o f male Yuki straggling to
discover his true identity, as well as Luka struggling to hold back his romantic
feelings for Yuki as a male, yet obviously accepting that Yuki is much happier
as a male than female.
If one wishes to dive deeper, Luka is a demon marked as a
“sinner” while Yuki has the power called, “God’s light” In a
manga about struggling with possible sexuality and changing
gender, Fd imagine there would be plenty to discuss.
 20

FORM ANALYSIS LET’S START!

Since the form of comics is

what make the medium
unique, it is at this time that
this project looks at full
manga pages from the four
key series used in the previ­
ous section! S

Let me briefly
break down some
comics and manga
terminology

EMANATA
symbols (like sweat, curly
lines, and forehead veins)
that help demonstrate
Manga backgrounds: emotions without words.
Comics, McCloud notes that backgrounds are a tool for
showing “invisible ideas” like emotion, and is evident
in many European and Japanese comics

Panel: a frame or _ of a single moment.

Gutters: space between panels.

 21

Some comic elements change in the

world of shojo as well.

Did you notice anything about

the two panels to the left?

/ /YOU SPEECH BUBBLE

! J WERE
/ COOL This bubble is in color
I EARLIER, has a shojo-like background
\j>>SENPAI.

Narrations have no bubble/box

THE WGtfNt, FLOWERS

S^ytSTORy- Random flowers in panel
Flowers on panel borders
Part of the “doki dokF effect

Do you feel a change in tone when looking at the scene

PANEL TRANSITIONS /* below?
MOMENT-TO-MOMENT e
- Panels transition but there is not
much movement (McCloud 70),
thus making the scene slower.

PANEL BORDERS
Incomplete borders
Open panels

WORDS
- Occasional up&down reading,
similar to Japanese
- Japanese language characteristics
will appear in many shojo manga

Let’s look at full pages for an

JVhat could all these comic/manga -
answer!
elements mean? Why are they important?\
 22

The following manga pages are in chronological order | EMANATA

o f their publications in order to see changes to form
throughout time. BACKGROUND
PANEL 1
SPEECH BUBBLES - only panel with a
PANEL 1 background image
- Bubble’s tail - Possibly represents
points to Akane Ranma’s uneasiness
(outside of this
panel) PANELS 2+3
- Showing - No background!
distance
between the 2 CENTRAL PANEL
characters - Largest panel
- Focus in panel ^ —ir - Speech bubbles are
is on Ranma’s not circles, but
feelings cloud like (dreamy)
I - No border
SOUND (free panel)
DOK1-DOKI - Focus of page on
- “Ba-Dump’ Akane
shows Ranma’s - Scene seems
love for Akane paused on this
- Written sound image
effects amplifies -Open panel=
emotion in scene Akane’s open
feelings
I

FACIAL EXPRESSIOT
- Mouth= shy or hiding joy
- Raised eyebrows= shock/intrigue
- Cheek lines= Blush
r Eyes= wide, focused on Akane.

Possible Overall Analysis

Page coincides with their growing relationship. Despite opposing an arranged marriage,
Akane openly displays feelings for Ranma whether Ranma is male or female.
 23

As opposed to Ranma 1/2, Quran Host Club

SOUND
becomes a new style of shojo.
- Original Japanese kept in panel
- Shows part of Japanese culture
PANEL 2 (screams & other sounds are different)
- Overlaps 2 panels
- Uneven shape EMANATA
- Small panel
- Quick moment HEARTS
- Panel transition:
WANTS?
. to o r a a jf
’
- fan ism
L ttSS- // ufy/f - screams =
subject-to-subject J TAM
AJO-SAM
A
(McCloud 71) f TW & TO loving, not violent
V ti sro p w ,
- Showing angles SWEAT
- fear
- worry
FACIAL EXPRESSION
SPEECH BUBBLES
- Sharp with no
shape =
uncontrolled
emotions
- Small side
J JU S T
W AN T& TO commentary =
Pftorecr
Y0 UBF/8 S T
±uss...
mocking dialogue
put: swrr
CHIBI rou t?ycu BACKGROUND
•VERfW
<ynt7f
- Haruhi’s face PCWX.a KSS.
TOP 1/2 OF PAGE
simplified qpgpoqcw - background within
- Her body is panels
like a boy BOTTOM 1/2
- Tamaki is - Panels are on a
overexaggerated shojo effect
chibi background
PANEL BORDER POSSIBLE OVERALL ANALYSIS
- Different border Page is much busier than Ranma 1/2 because there is no empty
(lined boxes) space. Attention is drawn to Haruhi’s cold, masculine demeanor.
- Start of chibi panel Tamaki, despite being an older male, acts as like an exaggerated
shojo female. Page not only satires shojo, but also constrasts
Japanese gender roles to demonstrate gender ambiguity.
 24

At this point, it may be best to focus solely
on panel structure and speech, especially
why it’s effective for shojo themes.
INCOMPLETE PANEL BORDER
- Possibly read quicker
- Combines two panels
- Subconsciously has reader focus here
In order to do this, I redrew a full page o f Ai
Ore! and inked only speech and borders.
Images are in blue pencil.
PANEL SHAPES
Panels start moving towards an angle
Long and slim
Shows multiple frames of a short moment
Reads faster

r SOUNDS
I- “doki doki” heartbeats
- scattered FONTS SPEECH BUBBLES
- uneasiness - “bubbly” text Relatively small
= softer sound, Spread apart
looks cuter Images > Dialogue
- bold = louder

awar

PANELS 3+6 THOUGHT BUBBLES POSSIBLE PAGE ANALYSIS

- Lines exploding from text Shojo is meant to focus on the
- Widest panels
- Signifying frantic emotion internal, so having a comics
- Most blank space
page with scattered thoughts
for images - Fear of Akira’s intentions
and dialogue, panels, etc
- Slowest moments
demonstrates Mizuki’s
confusing journey of
discovering her sexuality.
 25

It’s important to note that Uraboku's genre has been debated among otakus because the
manga has action scenes (like shonen), Luka struggling with loving male Yuki (yaoi-like),
etc. But, by simply analyzing the form, it’s shojo qualities should be clear.

PANEL 1
To help focus, I blurred fine lines during the
inking process and used watercolor, so the - Side profile of Yuki
focus is on facial direction, angles, and - Shaded face
figure placement as well as text. - Left in shadow, surrounded by
white background
- Looking left toward Panel 3 (Luka)
PANEL 3
T
He‘S( - Close-up of half face
GAZJKC& - Luka looking right (Yuki)
EEEL AT/MEtl
ASiJfL - Possibly not feeling whole
imse.
eyes, BLACK VS WHITE
Black thought boxes
b u t ... Lone free thoughts
t n r u /'r >iin//uye s c a / m r:/ //

PANEL BORDER
- Incomplete border
- Splits free panel
- Angled borders
-Yuki: lost and lonely

r M B E IN G
_______ CHIBI________
A B IT
IT S UKB HE'S NOT - Chibi appears often in
we/RP
FROM THIS WORLD... series
- Comedic effect
THATWASN'T
what you eeront, - Cute moment between
WANTEDTO COUIQ YOU NOT
VO. RfcrHT? H O K BBCfiUSe YOU characters
FELTTEM
PORARILY - ROM/COM style comedy
PARALYZZV?
RiSHT.
( DO SUCH \
POSSIBLE ANALYSIS
INEXPLICABLE Uraboku is mostly about
SITUATIONS
internal conflicts based on text
HAPPEN and choice to show half
OfTEN?
figures/faces. Readers sense
the struggle to find whole
identity.
 26

The process for analyzing the manga pages involved sketching the pages from

their individual series. Each page was inked in stages: panel borders, speech balloons,

figures, and then artistic details. This allowed me to work with each comic element while

providing different ways to analyze the form.

History of Manga

While analyzing is substantial to how it can be used to teach students, one cannot

ignore the significant historical events that influenced manga. As Bestor suggests,

understanding history and cultural constructions is significant when examining gender

and sexuality (285). In order to utilize manga to its full potential, this section will

describe the historical transformations of Japanese art and how it led to shojo.

While the term manga did not surface until 1814, the production of Japanese

comics dates back to around the sixth century. The origins of manga are found in art from

China introduced to Japan during the seventh century (Camara & Duran 11). Japanese

sentiment for national identity, called Yamatizante, shaped their own version of the art

and opposed Chinese influence. Yamatizante led to the birth of Emaki and Choju-Giga art

(Camara & Duran 11).

Emaki-Mono (a.k.a Makimono) was a scroll art form from the beginning of the

Heian (749-1192) through the Kamakura (1192-1333) period. Scrolls contained

anecdotes and represented romantic tales, folklore, and supernatural legends (Camara &

Duran 12). In contrast, Choju-Giga was comedic. During the 11th century, this art form

illustrated animals engaging in human activities, such as roosters playing and fighting
 27

like priests (Camara & Duran 13). Often Choju-Giga were considered the funny animal

drawings and possibly the first parodies of Japanese society. This is particularly

important because satire appears throughout the history of Japanese art and is key to

understanding content of Japanese manga.

The Edo period (1775-early 1800s) is one of the most significant eras in Japanese

history. Edo Japan produced ample literature and art with references to sex and bodies

(Pollack 73). From the end of the 17th century until the 19th century, the Ukiyo-E (art of

the floating world) prints emerged. They were carved on wood blocks and typically

depicted the pleasure neighborhoods of urban areas of Japan (Camara & Duran 13).

These prints included images of courtesans, prostitutes, bathhouses, teahouses, brothels,

and kabuki scenes. From the Edo period on, fiction writers (gesakusha) and ukiyo-e

artists experimented by combining their modes of expression (writing and art) to create

innovative ideas for a new age (Hirohito 41).

Shunga (spring paintings), for example, is one of the first art forms in Japan that

includes speech bubbles and other comicImanga elements. Shunga exists both with and

without narrative/dialogue. According to David Pollack’s essay on the Edo period,

through the time of Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770), texts were commonly placed on

separate panels or cloud-shaped (kumogata) cartouches above the images (84). Later,

shunga books included the text within the image itself, often in narration and dialogue to

fill the space around the characters. This change in text position made the pictures livelier

(Pollack 84).
 28

Edo art forms, such as shunga and other ukiyo-e, were not considered legally

obscene until the collapse of the shogunate in 1868 (Pollack 73). However, Edo

authorities were beginning to govern

publications because of the pleasure

neighborhoods (Pollack 73). At this

time, ukiyo-e images were used for

Japanese pornography because printing

Figure 2- Sketch of Ishikawa Toyonobu Folio of
samurais during the Edo period. was inexpensive and in high demand

(Camara & Duran 13). Many artists were selling their work privately or under the

counter to avoid gokuin or kaiin (censor seals) and necessary signatures (Pollack 73).

Additionally, ukiyo-e creators emphasized social satire and pictorial fantasies to offer a

temporary escape for the Japanese people during a period of oppression and social

discontent with the feudal dictatorship at the time (Camara & Duran 13). Social/political

satire did not play a role in censorship because Japanese art has a history of satirizing

societies (Camara & Duran 11-13).

Furthermore, homoerotic desire is frequently featured in Japanese Kabuki

Theater, poetry, art, and manga. Historically, homosexuality in samurai tales and art

highlighted the bond between Japanese warriors. Male sexuality was often portrayed as

violent, competitive, and essential because illustrations of two masculine men engaging

in sex emphasized Japanese power (Robertson, 1999, 8). Thus, sexual presentations of
 29

men were commonly shown as hyper-masculine, while female sexuality was shown as

repressed.

Hokusai Katsuhika, the painter who coined the term manga, is one of the most

well-known artists of the Edo period. His work attracted a following from many students,

so numerous pieces during Edo seem

to shadow Hokusai’s style. While he’s

known for landscape art such as The

Great Wave O ff Kanagawa, his

illustrations of Edo people stand out in

Figure 3- Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa
(1929-1833).
comparison. For example, in a scene

from Edo Brocades (Azuma nishiki), Hokusai shows a tea-shop prostitute reminding “her

jealous boyfriend that sex is, after all, money (see fig. 3)” (Pollack 84). Without reading

captions or text within the image, note that the faces are extremely similar to one another.

If the male penis and hair accessories were not included, it would be difficult to see this

as male and female intercourse.

This is similar to many kabuki

plays where men played both

males and females. The fact is

differentiating genders is based

on clothing, accessories, and

Figure 4- Katsushika Hokusai. Prostitute and Customer, from
nudity. Edo Brocades {Azuma nishiki), c. 1811. One of a set of 12
color woodcuts. 25.3 x 36.6 cm.
 30

Hokusai was very curious about

genitals and facial contortions (see figures 5

and 6). More specifically, Hokusai and

other ukiyo-e artists were fascinated with

exploring non-traditional sex. By this I mean

violence, toys, and sodomy. This curiosity

Figure 5- Katsushika Hokusai. Sexual Aids, , r , . . , ^ ,
. „ „„ ,_ , , . ’ stems from a combination between pleasure
from The Ten Thousand Gods of Matrunomal
Harmony (Manpuku wagojin), vol. 1. 1821. , , , ,, ,. ,
„ . ... . . . ,, , „ _ v , c .
Color woodblock-printed book. 22.2 X 15.5 cm.
districts (kuruwa)' and the kabuki theater

(shibai). This recurrent theme distinguishes

Japan from other nation’s views on sexuality.

Japanese art and plays share a few

common characteristics. First, both dealt

with the dramatic physical demonstrations of

human passions; second, both were

Figure 6- Hokusai’s manga, or “playful somewhat restricted by the “attractive aura

sketches, of contortions produced between
1814-1834 of the disreputable and the forbidden.. .both

were driven by an insatiable appetite for excess” (Pollack 81). To understand these

characteristics, it’s important to discuss kabuki culture for it plays a major role in

Japanese sex and gender identity.

Kabuki originated in 1603 with song and dance performances and was identified

with the sexual availability of the performers (Pollack 81). Kabuki theater continued to
 31

retain the erotic subject matter, especially when the Edo period began. In fact, kabuki

carries a suppressed history of sexual figuration and deviancy. The word has two

meanings. Since the mid-Tokugawa period (1603-1868), the kanji (Chinese characters)

for kabuki means “song”, “dance,” and “technique.” However, it derives from the root of

a Japanese verb that means “to bend forward,” “to be inclined,” and “to swerve from the

normal” (Jackson 464). In fact, these plays once included illustrated sex manuals of male-

to-male intercourse.

Kabuki did not always depict male homosexuality, but it was very common.

These sexual relationships are categorized into three codes: Nanshoku (pederasty), keikan

(sodomy), and hentai seiyoku (sexual perversion) (Makoto 99). Essentially, there was no

real romantic attachment between men. The general perception was that male

homosexuality was physical, whereas female homosexuality was spiritual (Makoto, et al.

115). As mentioned before, Edo faces share very basic characteristics. Faces were painted

to be gender neutral, like kabuki characters masking their gender. After all, women were

banned from kabuki performance and many prostitutes were men in drag. There was a

time when women were kabuki performers. However, when women started to flourish in

kabuki in the early 1600s, a mere 26 years later a ban was imposed on women from the

stage. Soon Japan replaced females with young boys (wakashu) (Jackson 461).

Apparently, this ban was an attempt to eradicate prostitution since these female

performers were selling sexual acts to patrons. Unfortunately, Japan had to become

stricter because the ban on women resulted in widespread prostitution of the wakashu,
 32

leading to the prohibition of young boy actors in 1652 (Jackson 461). To prevent sexual

relations with young boys and save kabuki culture, Japan issued for the institution of the

onnagata—adult male actors specializing in portraying women and drag (Jackson 461).

Therefore, Japan was once very open about sex/gender but enforced restrictions to

decrease the amount of prostitution.

In 1854, with the Treaty of Kanagawa, Commodore Perry of the United States

Navy proposed Japan should open its borders to the Western world (Camara & Duran

15). This event contributed to the modernization of Japan and resulted in the decline of

the shogunato (Camara & Duran 15). Then Western nations assisted Japan with stricter

laws against homosexuality. This became known as the keikan code. The ordinance was

drafted by the Ministry of Justice in 1872 and was enforced until 1881. The law stated:

All sodomites will serve 90 days in prison; the nobility and ex-samurai, for their
complete shamelessness, will be deprived of their samurai status. The sodomized
youth, if under 15 years of age, will not be punished. Rapists will be imprisoned
for ten years. In cases where the crimes were only attempted, the sentence will be
reduced by one degree (Makoto, et al. 108).
The keikan code threat nobles/samurais of their high status. Those caught engaging in

homosexual acts were punished then stripped of their titles. While this law ended in 1881,

artists were careful not to portray certain subject matter in their work. From this point on,

artwork and other publications changed dramatically.

In 1882, a foreigner by the name of George Bigot arrived in Japan to teach

modem art. By the year 1899, art strayed from scrolls/woodblocks to manga in

newspapers. While authorities disliked comics in newspapers and magazines, Japanese

artists used this new form to handle their subdued behavior towards power/authority
 33

(Camara & Duran 16). During the 1930s, the first manga genres made their appearance:

kinshin manga and katey manga (familiar or everyday life) and kodomo (children)

(Camara & Duran 19). These genres could be enjoyed by all with no issues about subject

matter. Additionally, superheroes made its mark in Japan with the release of Ogon Bat in

1930 (Camara & Duran 19). Many of these manga were simple and meant for young

audiences. However, throughout the 20th century, manga developed along the same lines

as Western comics and focused on political and social criticism (Camara & Duran 16-18).

Impact of World War II

During the war, there was a substantial reduction in manga production due to

censorship (Camara & Duran 20). Freedom of speech was under increased control, so

there were very few public statements about sexuality. Many Japanese were sheltered

because of the 1920s and 1930s. By the 1940s, there was a basic framework for

homosexuality in modem Japan (Makoto, et al. 99). Because of the war, Japan wanted to

push for Yamatizante and celebrate Japanese qualities. This began the association

between militarism/Japanese nationalism to manliness, as opposed to samurai

homosexuality from periods prior (Makoto, et al. 103). There were stories of samurais

who fulfilled all the virtues of their militaristic duties like nationalism and loyalty. In fact,

most manga started dealing with subjects related to war. For example, Norakuro lost its

signature humor and became a series of bellicose narratives (Camara & Duran 20).

After the war, significant manga artists made history. In 1946, Machiko

Hasegawa became the first female manga author. Within that same year, Osamu Tezuka
 34

(the God of Manga) made his debut. Tezuka, inspired by Walt Disney and Max Fleischer,

drew big shiny eyes that people now associate with manga (Camara & Duran 22).

By the end of the 1950s, economic growth initiated a demand for more

comics/manga (Camara & Duran 24). This resulted in the development of underground

adult manga. In 1956, Yoshihiro Tatsumi coined gekiga (dramatic images), which

contained violent, pornographic, and dark content (Camara & Duran 24). This initiated

the elimination of magazines strictly for young audiences and opened gates to the

multiplicity of content, themes, and subjects available today (Camara & Duran 24). Sales

reached the millions and made manga the most important form of communication in

Japan (Camara & Duran 25).

By 1968, numerous artists reintroduced manga to young audiences in the

magazine Shonen Jump (Camara & Duran 25). Naturally there would be some

controversy with adult and youth manga coexisting at the same time. Go Nagai created a

crazy character who sparked controversy among parents and educators. Nevertheless, this

continued opening doors for new and bold attempts in manga publications for all

audiences (Camara & Duran). Even with Japan’s bans and restrictions, it did not stop the

push for adult manga. New magazines and manga intended for more mature audiences

were big in the 1970s. It’s important to note that publishing houses tried to moderate

content, so adult manga during the 70s were consolidated into magazines. There was a

new “degenerate art,” or ero-gekiga, that “appeared in such magazines as Manga

Erotopia (1973), Manga Erogenika (1975), and Manga Alice (1977), where the only
 35

editorial premise was explicit sex” (Camara & Duran 26). In 1978, June was the first

magazine dedicated to homosexual content and is arguably the birth of the yaoi genre.

Many of these magazines were from artists of dojinshi (fanzines) (Camara & Duran 26).

Eventually, between 1980 and 1990, manga expanded outside of Japan and created a

social phenomenon in many Western cultures, as well as affected the way mangakas

made manga.

Starting in the 1980s, coinciding with the expansion of manga, there was a rise of

public discussion of gender and sexuality issues. Moreover, gender roles in Japan were

coming into question. With societies of working women, punk style, and other rebellious

movements, lines dividing gender roles were becoming blurred. Notably, mangakas were

now aware of the rising global popularity of manga and observed the rise of Japanese

speakers/learners around the world due to anime. Many mangakas, especially shojo

creators, thought that if anime/manga inspired Western readers to learn the Japanese

language and culture, then they could return to utilizing satire and other creative elements

of shojo to address gender and sexuality issues (Prough 89). Parody manga appears as a

response to the increasing Western market for bishonen and homoerotic art (Saito 170).

Therefore, shojo manga would be an ideal medium for studying such fields.

East and West Sexuality Studies

Perhaps the issue with teaching gender and sexuality is the question of how to

approach it with the proper amount of sensitivity. Comparing East sexuality studies with

the West is key to addressing this question.

 36

In some cases, according to Kamano’s analysis of cross-national gender

construction, many institutions do not acknowledge societal differences between men and

women and sexual orientation in society do exist (696-697). Furthermore, in the United

States, studying homosexuality with male/female gender ideology is seen as threatening

credibility (Kamano 697). Some parts of the United States are open to studying

gender/sex as long as women’s sexuality is presented solely in relation to reproduction

and heterosexuality.

Meanwhile, gender roles continue to evolve. There are countries where women

earn high-income in their societies. According to Mandy Boehnke’s essay, gender role

attitudes are shaped by both structural societal features and individual and socio-cultural

factors (59). For one to learn in this field, cross-cultural variations of gender should be

studied and analyzed, no matter what medium one may use.

Sex education in Japan was advocated early, but homosexuality among students

became a controversial issue. In 1912, there was a survey conducted among educators in

Japan, asking whether they were in favor of sex education and increasing awareness of

the issue. The results showed an almost equal amount of people that were for and against

the idea. Interestingly, even those who were in favor of sex education agreed that it be

taught only to students who engaged in immoral practices, even if it was part of their

private lives at home (Makoto, et al. 116-117). These teachers felt sex education would

be a way to promote heterosexuality and safe sex, but other teachers felt that providing

information about sexuality would encourage deviant sexual activity. Consequently, sex
 37

education was not implemented in the schools and society was suspicious of the idea

(Makoto, et al. 116-117).

While sex education was not implemented, the survey sparked a debate about the

spread of a new understanding of sexuality. Some Japanese people felt sex education

could be beneficial to our knowledge of human relationships. According to Makoto’s

study of sex in Japan, “The appearance of sexology (seiyokugaku) in the West, was

decisive in the spread of this attitude” (Makoto, et al. 117).

However, there are sexologists in Japan that introduced the hentai seiyoku code,

which asserts that same sex intercourse is “extremely unnatural and deviates from the

true nature of desire” (Makoto, et al. 119). This code should not be overlooked because

this is an essential part of understanding sexuality studies. I’m aware high schools shelter

students from uncomfortable information. However, one must account all the grotesque

events, readings, and art that reflected mass media and societies during various periods in

sex/gender studies.

There are different ways to use the comic form to teach sexuality and gender to

teenagers, and we already see examples of it. Bechdel’s Fun Home can be used to discuss

sexual identity and how it affected her relationship with her father who also struggled

with his identity. Jaime Cortez, a graphic novel artist, teacher, and activist, offers a free

accessible copy of Sexile so that it can be used for teaching transgender issues,

homosexuality and politics, as well as HIV/AIDS prevention.

 38

Unfortunately, while using Western comics to teach a topic as complex as gender

and sexuality is a great option, there are currently limits. As mentioned, there is the

stigma that comics have no place in an academic setting, especially for people ages 18

and younger. In addition, comics that include representations of sex or the nude body are

often banned. Banned comics are discussed in some college courses, but high school

students should learn the history behind these bans as well.

Understanding different gender roles around the globe is one aspect of gender and

sexuality studies, and I suggest implementing shojo and its rich history to help discuss

gender roles in Japan. The two types of women depicted in drama and fiction—the

domestic housewife and the courtesan or prostitute—represent two possible worlds for

women: the boring and safe giri (obligation) life and the insecure yet exciting ninjo

(passion) world (Pollack 79). The representation of gender is crucial as well in kabuki.

Gender classification and portrayal in kabuki can be approached as a chance to analyze a

system of representation sufficiently removed from ours (Jackson 461). As shojo is

partially derived from kabuki, one can move from teaching the shojo medium to much

larger discussions for the purpose of increasing students’ knowledge of global sexuality

and gender.

The beauty of using comics/manga for studying this field is that there is an

ambiguous way of illustrating sex through words and language. According to Earl

Jackson, “eroticism restores to sexuality its integrity, as it exceeds the biological

euphemism of reproduction” (472). This relates to a common academic discussion of sex

 39

versus eroticism. For example, some comic/manga pages will show something nonsexual

or intimate with sound effects or speech to imply intimacy. This would make the manga

erotic rather than pornographic and could be studied without as much of an issue. In any

case, if one were to study the psycho-social history of the world, manga can show a new

perspective on gender/sex. Teen readers will dive into the abundance of human

experience and meaning behind these shojo stories.

Discussion

Throughout the process of this project, my horizons had expanded beyond my

previous knowledge. My otaku life in high school was merely scratching the surface of

this much larger world of manga. There

was much to discover, but the question

R etypes, the sam-
N e) models. The samu-
°nship based on the came down to, “what could one
f who loves, and the
s modei is strongly
could caII it hotno*cS '
possibly learn from shojo manga?”
Duty and lo y * W
f gender, neither
chigo is o f c o u rs e Trying to define “shojo ” led to a long
eautii'ul youth)*
i'ound a m o n g
piurai can sex/gender culture history in Japan. I
ak o to lOO).
learned more about sex/gender after

discovering the Kabuki influences on

Figure 7- Sketch of me reading a quote
from Makoto. Japanese art to the importance of the

Edo period on sexual subject matter and the eventual Western impacts. The history

behind this genre trumps the argument that shojo is about romance and the consumers in

a manga market.
 40

One can learn about gender and sexuality by reading Japanese history. More

importantly, shojo manga is as valuable a source for thinking about this subject as other

mediums. This became more apparent when I physically interacted with the four key

shojo manga. By focusing on story and content, like analyzing novels, I am able to

converse with others about how Japan used these manga to address identity issues and

gender roles. By concentrating on the comic aspects and form, I became aware of how

many visuals helped bolster the stories while providing a new way of understanding a

complex subject. Comics and manga force readers to

think critically about visuals as well. In shojo manga,

sexuality and gender identities are connected to

appearance and image: clothing, hair styles, gestures

(like cuteness for instance). Trying to understand the

range of emotions and experiences of LGBT people

can be difficult, like falling into deep into a rabbit

hole not knowing how to process a bunch of text on Figure 8- Photoshop sketch of me
falling into “rabbit hole” of gender
their lives. Manga allows one to think in new ways identities.

about how to understand gender and sex—given that manga often challenges the

boundaries between male and female.

After analyzing four manga series, I noticed how much meaning can be

communicated without words. Rather than focus on dialogue, one can direct their

attention to body language, facial expressions, and other subtle visuals and perceive
 41

emotion, possibly even show empathy. With manga, the reader is forced to look at the

characters and possibly build a deeper connection with their experiences in the process.

Something I did not expect was how much I gained from recreating shojo pages.

By sketching, redrawing, and inking the manga pages, I noted the many ways the comic

form played with my reading on a subconscious level. Similar to how films use mise-en-

scene to help create visual themes for the story, shojo manga used backgrounds,

incomplete panels, and cinematic camera angles to illustrate a kind of atmosphere to

show the readers rather than tell them. If students and teachers alike were to redraw or

physically engage with manga, they too will be surprised by how much planning/effort

goes into the creation of the page. This will help high school students analyze meaning

through a visual medium as well.

However long the journey will take, there remains the goal to try and split shojo

manga away from its current reputation of “girls’ comics” and yaoi manga as “male-male

pornography.” There are more challenges that prevent shojo manga from being used as a

tool to educate people on sex and gender, aside from the subject matter itself. It has come

to my attention that some educators would love to use comics or manga, but they do not

know how to use the medium to its full potential. For instance, some teachers may

disregard the form entirely and focus solely on content. Another challenge is genre cross­

overs. As mentioned before, Uraboku is often debated because it has elements of shonen,

shojo, etc, which could make it difficult to analyze. Many manga are similar and have as

many as four genres in one series. However, this should not affect what can be gained
 42

from reading them. A shonen manga about a war between demons and humans can still

address issues with identity and sexuality.

Overall, working on this thesis has enlightened my own knowledge of shojo

manga. This is one possible step to bringing manga into a classroom for the benefits of

education. It’s not only learning about specific issues, but also reading these comics and

knowing they are beneficial to our studies on big issues.

Figure 9- My doodle of a chibi

 43

References
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Introduction.” U.S.-Japan Women's Journal, no. 38, 2010, pp. 3-11.,
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Barnett, David. “Kapow! The unstoppable rise of female comic readers.” The Guardian,
18 September 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/l 8/female-
comic-book-readers-women-avengers-a-force. Accessed 5 December 2017.
Behr, Maiko. “Undefining Gender in Shimizu Reiko's ‘Kaguyahime.’” U.S.-Japan
Women's Journal, no. 25, 2003, pp. 8-29. JSTOR,
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