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Chicks on Anime

I remember one person thought that I didn't like Chi's Sweet Home because it was a bishoujo show,

Interesting. Will there also be a column with grunting, sweaty males, spitting and chewing cigars as they curse, burp, and discuss shonen and giant robots?

Well, why is that sexist? It's a steriotype that women cook. And? It's also a steriotype than men are perverts getting nosebleeds every fives seconds in half of all anime, and to me, that is more detrimental then simply a steriotype where you can cook.

It's a steriotype that women cook.

Anyway, off the top of my head I can't think of a female anime director, just character designers, directors of animation, or head writers.

Quote:

I remember one person thought that I didn't like Chi's Sweet Home because it was a bishoujo show,

...wut?

For the record, I did enjoy the column, but I caution you not to let it turn into a "poor oppressed women" screed.

But seriously, now anime has its own "The View". Yay!

Some studies have shown that even if an online user's name sounds female, the person will be treated differently.

fuuma_monou wrote:

Anyway, off the top of my head I can't think of a female anime director, just character designers, directors of animation, or head writers.

She is the first one popping up, and I have a feeling that KyoAni is trying to make her their next director, especially after Yutaka Yamamoto got fired.

Not that I have anything against an anime column done by four chicks, it's just that all this sexism they preach against went out during/after WWII.

For the record, I did enjoy the column, but I caution you not to let it turn into a "poor oppressed women" screed.

An anime version of The View? ... ... -10 Points.

I'm currently in the middle of co-directing another short animation and have begun pre-production on a new film of my own. I also work full time at a production house in downtown LA, where I serve as an animation supervisor, character designer, and animator. I've also worked as a freelance illustrator and comic artist.

During the days, I'm actually trying to get my PhD in molecular biology, which is pretty clearly related to anime.

Well, I can't date this off the top of my head exactly, but I believe it was in the late 90s or early 00's that at one point, Tokyopop, or as they used to be called Mixx Entertainment, had a line of shoujo manga called Chix Comics. Chicks spelled “C-H-I-X.” A lot of people felt that for a comic like Sailor Moon or Peach Girl or Miracle Girls…first of all, these are all manga for 13 and under girls. To call them Chix Comics, which sounds like a soft porn or something like that, was totally inappropriate and also somewhat demeaning.

Well, first off, the American animation industry has definitely had a long history of overt sexism. The first example I can think of off the top of my head is the Disney studios in the 1940s. Women weren't allowed to animate at all, they were only allowed to paint.

Eiko Tanaka is the president and chief producer at Studio 4°C, where she has a great amount of power and influence in the projects that are produced there. She played a big creative role in Michael Arias' Tekkonkinkreet, for instance. She's one of the most powerful figures in the Japanese studio animation industry today.

What I mean by this is that when you go to conventions, for example, you'll see that some of the female industry folks are treated as women, in that they get hit on a lot. During my several years going to conventions, I've definitely been asked by male industry people if I'm ever going to dress up like a booth babe.

I think that because manga is now being seen as a popular medium, with more than a 50% female audience, like with all books in the fiction category, that you are going to see a lot more women working in the industry, just because a female audience is really your base. It's often hard for people in the American superhero comics industry to hear that, but it's certainly true.

There is a bit of pressure to do well, because you're not only representing yourself... you're also representing your gender, in a way. You know, during the weekdays, I actually do research in a biology lab, and I see that chip all the time with some of the female faculty. They're so wrapped up in carrying that "woman in science!" torch that they can be a bit tough to deal with.

But if you say something like, “I don't like this harem show,” I think a lot of people think, “Well, it's because you're a female. You're not the target audience.” Even if you can say you don't like it because it's poorly done. A lot of times, I find that when I'm reviewing something and I say, “This is blatantly sexist, people should not be having cooking shows to win over a man,” then people chastise me for not having a sense of humor, or for not “getting it.” It's like my opinion is expected to fit within a certain box.

It so happens that in my case, I really don't like cute stuff,

But whenever a woman makes those same statements, and they don't even need to be as strong as “This is sexist!,” even if you make an offhand comment about something having sexist undertones, then you are perceived as this feminazi, this super, ultra-hardcore feminist and it's kind of an unfair accusation.

It's hard for women to take a progressive stance without being stuck with the “Feminist” label, even though there are many women and men who would agree with their sentiments. I mean, I certainly don't think that women and men are one hundred percent equal in every way, but I don't think women should always be in the kitchen either.

I think there has to be something to be said for the fact that to step into that role, she had to dress like a man, but perhaps that's another discussion suited better for another day. But I do admire Utena, she is a strong character.

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