Forum - View topicINTEREST: 'Even Boys Can Become Princesses!': Hugtto! Precure Anime Stands Up to Traditional Gender
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ANN_Lynzee
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 2954 Location: Email for assistance only |
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I corrected the character name from Anri to Henri, thanks guys!
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TsukasaElkKite
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This was a very good episode. I’m surprised that Japanese fans in particular are so supportive of it, given the state of LGBT rights in Japan as of 2018.
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AsuraTheDestructor
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Its mostly due to the fact that its written well and not shoehorned in. |
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Chrono1000
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Juno016
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LGBT rights are by no means THAT great in Japan, but my ex's school has a poster with guidelines on how to treat young LGBT students if things get complicated in school for them. The school has a policy to allow students to dress in whichever gendered uniform they want as long as they follow dress code for that uniform. A lot of schools in Japan have been following this model for a while now, too. I've definitely seen the random crossdresser here and there, too. Really, Japan as a whole has been taking the LGBT movement pretty calmly. You definitely see louder opinions criticizing LGBT people online, but as of yet, it hasn't become a huge political topic of controversy. It's simply been a quiet, inclusive movement to expose society to it little by little, and not just through okama-esc culture. Society around me seems to be taking the passive "as long as you don't cause trouble, then do whatever you want" attitude. |
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King Kuuga
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It's a bit more nuanced than that. Shiny Luminous and Milky Rose are now considered Precures, as they come from a time when the title of Precure was reserved only for normal girls, and as the reincarnation of a queen and a fairy from another world respectively, those two were not that. However Cure Passion changed this and the rule has since been dropped. Also we've seen Cure characters feature in their individual shows but not be counted as part of the overall franchise roster, such as Cure Pekorin. As I see it, the line is pretty simple. Julio's Precure-like power was not his own, it was borrowed power that he quickly used up and when his transformation ended he was never able to assume that form again. Not only was he never given the title of "Cure" but he was only able to use his power briefly. As for last week's episode, it was a good one. It's nice to see precure so fully embrace atypical gender presentation. They did it last year as well with Akira, so I'm glad to see them continuing it in the other direction. |
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Stuart Smith
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I didn't see anything particularly "LGBT" related in this episode. The message was just simply girls can be heroes as well. I don't think there's any correlation there. -Stuart Smith |
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capt_bunny
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I don't think I am that surprised. There is a lot of LGBT+ activists that aren't that very vocal. Yes, they believe it but only when the topic comes about to talk. As someone that is the LGBT+, it makes me happy yet sad. Happy about Japan's unisex uniforms and showing anyone can be anything. But sad about how other countries are taking it.... I truly believe of the rights but I think the way they are doing it is amazing. yes, I know different cultures will have different ways. Just wishing it would happen sooner for every other country. |
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Usagi-kun
 Posts: 877 Location: Nashville, TN |
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I don't know if anyone one else caught this show last season, because if kind of flew under the radar and i didn't see a lot of buzz as it was airing, but I really enjoyed Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens, specifically for Lin's character. As a very skilled knife fighter (assassin in the show) he was asked repeatedly why and described himself specifically as a crossdresser, but only because he said it was a 'hobby'. There was no gray area beyond that proclamation, and even on a romantic level, not a hindrance. As show presented the question several more times, but it stood out mostly through the curiosity of the other main and supporting characters, rather than a social or societal issue. It was not a gimmick for the character either, or something to exploit in his chosen profession. He simply enjoyed doing it and lived his life confidently. After answering the question, the other characters just accepted, never doubted his prowess because of it, and moved on with the plot.
I really like the boldness and clarity of this character. The show was a highlight every week for me just because of him. I've never watched Precure because of its impression as a 'kiddy' show, but spreading a message about body and identity positivity is something children can still understand and grow into more worldly and confident adults. Last edited by Usagi-kun on Sat Jun 16, 2018 9:19 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Yune Amagiri
 Posts: 948 Location: France |
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#Usagi-kun Yes Lin was a good exemple, otokonoko became so popular over the recent years that there are now some of them in several series each season.
it's a lot less daring nowaday that it was years ago when Hourou Musuko focused on this theme |
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Primus
 Posts: 2777 Location: Toronto |
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YOU CAN BE WHATEVER YOU WANT NO MATTER THE GENDER
spoiler[EXCEPT A PRETTY CURE IF YOU'RE A BOY YOU CANNOT BE THAT] 
Excuse me while I roll my eyes at anyone hawking praise over a throwaway episode plot. You can't preach a message like that when you're a team-based super hero franchise that's been around for 15 years and have purposely excluded 50% of the population. Even staunchly boy properties like Beyblade and Yu-Gi-Oh! have token girl characters who might not be very important to the story (those are typically centred on 1 lead anyway), but at least usually are featured in the key art. Toei's boys equivalents to Pretty Cure (aka Super Sentai and Kamen Rider) have had plenty of female team members. |
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Stuart Smith
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Cross-dressing has nothing to do with sexuality or gender identity, which is why people oppose to it being co-opted by the LGBT people. The vast majority of men who crossdress are straight and still identify as men. In Japanese entertainment, cross-dressing is pretty common and has a long established history throughout stage plays, television, and comics. It might be seen as a big deal in American culture, but it often gets misinterpreted by American audiences watching Japanese media. You can find it in a ton of shows for all ages.
Those aren't really comparable if you ask me. There's nothing inherently tied to gender about being a blader, duelist, rider, or ranger. Magical girl by it's very name is you have to be a girl. Magical girl was originally an offshoot of said tokusatsu genres so it was kind of made with that in mind. If Pretty Cure doesn't want to have a male cure, I see no issue with it. They've had male characters with powers in the past who help out, but I don't see them not being officially a Cure to be a problem any more than there's extra heroes in super sentai who help out the rangers but aren't considered a sentai ranger, or there can't be a male Sailor Soldier so Mamoru is Tuexdo Kamen, not Sailor Earth. |
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scrwbll19
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Just to throw this out there, but should these kind of difficult identity and gender issues be something that a series aimed at children should be teaching? After seeing the comments here, most are affirming this. However, I question if, as adults, we should be teaching children sexual and gender issues, which have deep and long-lasting meaning. Children do not know their left from their right, and I don't mean that in a political sense. It is up to adults to train and teach them the values and skills they need for living. To one extent or another,
children are blank slates. Some here have stated that doing so might be considered abusive.Yet, not doing so, could that also not be considered abusive? If we follow the scientific dictum of input equals output, then does that not mean that teaching children nothing will produce children who believe in nothing? Likewise, if we teach them certain values, is that not more likely to instill those values upon them than something or someone else? Hence, it seems that maybe teaching them about LGBT, gender identity, or other complex issues should wait until their teens when these issues are more applicable to them instead of forcing them to deal with the harsher realities of the world of adults. That said, LGBT equality is an issue worldwide that needs to be addressed in better ways. I just don't know if a children's series is the right place to discuss it. |
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Wyvern
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[quote="Stuart Smith"]
Cross-dressing has nothing to do with sexuality or gender identity, which is why people oppose to it being co-opted by the LGBT people. I don't think LGBT people can "co-opt" something that they practically invented. You have to remember that for centuries, "crossdressing" was one of the only ways for trans people and gender nonconforming folks to express themselves openly. A lot of those folks weren't as "straight" as you think they were. |
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Zeino
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Junichi Sato is revolutionizing Magical Girls yet again! Surprise that more people who loved Sailor Moon and Princess Tutu aren't championing this series. Yes, it's a Precure series and thus follows a set formula that has become very routine by now but it's probably best made entry in the franchise and the best traditional magical girl series post-Madoka Magica. And really is pushing boundaries.
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