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Piglet the Grate wrote:

DuskyPredator wrote:

Piglet the Grate wrote:

It is not unknown for authors to put things in their works that are intended to remain a mystery, so there may be no definitive answers to what set of chromosomes and what sexual preferences Najimi Osama has. Possible that the author has not even decided what the answers are.

And those questions of chromosomes or sexual preference means almost nothing on the topic of their gender identity. Most people are not going to see their chromosomes.

Ignoring the vanishingly rare persons with XXY or XYY chromosomes, and those whose mothers were subjected to conditions that caused non-normal fetal hormone levels that result in hermaphrodite development to some extent, everyone is born either XY as a biological male or XX as a biological female with the resulting reproductive roles. I think it is reasonable to assume that most persons are aware of which biological sex they are. What their preferences for romantic/sexual relationships and what they self-identify as are obviously separate matters (how much is due to biology and how much is due to social conditioning is beyond any relevance to Komi Can't Communicate).

Najimi Osama would presumably have XY chromosomes and male reproductive organs or XX chromosomes and female reproductive organs. At least in the anime, we have no positive indication of what Najimi Osama is biologically.

1 in 1000 babies are born visibly intersex. XXY occurs at a similar rate, and XYY is about half of that. That's not "vanishingly rare".

Plus I hope most can agree going into scientific details about an anime character's chromosomal makeup is never necessary. Not just because they are not an actual being but because none of this is probably going through the creator's head when writing or drawing this series.

They would also prefer to just have the occasional trans character or one whos gender expression is ambiguous or mixed. Maybe in the setting, uniform standards for students are optional or the characters themselves aren't as policing of gender conformity as some of us in the real world. And these characters don't need an explanation or backstory about it every time, just let them exist and enjoy a refreshing level of tolerance and diversity that is sorely lacking in our everyday lives.

Anime is probably more likely to have blood type be important, as if people with specific blood types do have a certain personality trait. Or things like zodiac signs. Something probably invisible until the rare opportunity of a bio mentioning something, and mostly just tropes. Most bios are probably going to give a gender, even if the creator is treating sex and gender as a synonym.

Hey Dusky, I just want to say I really appreciate your frequent updates about recent shows with trans and enby characters. I think many others appreciate it too, but it needs to be said (not that feeling appreciated is why you do it). I really wish I had the time to watch all those shows you mention, and better yet find other characters to add to your expansive and growing list.

For those who aren't so passionate for LGBTQ topics in their anime (yet), I think what you do is helping to increase acceptance for trans and gender non-conforming characters as well as the fans who are too. Personally, I do enjoy those gender-benders leaning into more silly or ecchi tropes but that's just me. But like I mentioned in another thread, maybe those can still exist while being less disrespectful to LGBTQ sensibilities because the appropriate feedback seems to be reaching artists, writers and directors. So overall it's win-win for everybody, I hope.

I too can enjoy the silly or ecchi character tropes, while also possibly identifying them as not very PC.

For instance, last season's The Dungeon of Black Company had Ranga, who fit the general trope of looking like a girl while saying they are a boy. They were very much a part of that otokonoko trope where an anime tries to have its cake and eat it too where Ranga was used as sort of fanservice, while meant to be a joke that they are having a male character in that role. I still enjoyed the character, despite understanding that he was being used with some possibly weird reason for why he would crossdress and being extra flirtatious. And understanding that perhaps under a different circumstance his dress and such might mean a preference to identify as a girl.

I do kind of wish that I had some more recent likely AFAB/transmasc characters. I don't know if I missed them or something.

I generally justify making silly and ecchi situations out of deviations in gender and sexual norms because if there's one place to do it, it's anime and manga. However the expectations from the LGBTQ community in regards to otokonoko, transformations to the opposite sex or portrayal of gender non-conforming characters are often more demanding than necessary. I think if a main character is a boy who crossdresses for whatever reason, there ALSO needs to be some specific context pointing to transgender issues, like a backstory or that kind of dialog involving parents, teachers and friends. If not, and the show instead goes into a bit of not so PC fun, I don't make a big deal about it. I just don't see the point to warrant an LGBTQ critique every time. Ecchi and fanservice is not for everybody but just because that fanservice may involve an otokonoko, why attack it for inaccurate portrayal of transwomen when it never claimed to be in the first place?

When I look at Najimi Osama, I'm seeing non-binary, under either the gender-fluid or transfeminine subcategories. They go by either she/herhers or he/him/his pronouns, consistently wears articles of of clothing from both sides of the binary clothing ailes, but always has a traditional feminine haircut and style. If one noted what she even wore to the pool, it was a female bathing suit top and gender- neutral denim shorts, not fully committing to either gender's stereotypical pool attire. Yet, they planned on changing in the women's changing room until redirected to the men's dressing room, but didn't fret over it.

That behavior falls under gender-fluid or trans-feminine behavior to me, which are both non-binary identities. I would've preferred they told us their preferred pronouns and identity, because guessing on behavior alone is not my prefered way of assessing gender. IRL, I'd be directly asking Najimi Osama their pronouns so I could honor their choice.

Thoughtless1 wrote:

...I would've preferred they told us their preferred pronouns and identity, because guessing on behavior alone is not my prefered way of assessing gender. IRL, I'd be directly asking Najimi Osama their pronouns so I could honor their choice.

I get the impression that the ambiguity of what Najimi Osama is being a deliberate plot device of Komi Can't Communicate. Are there indications to the contrary (in either the anime or the manga)?

Piglet the Grate wrote:

I get the impression that the ambiguity of what Najimi Osama is being a deliberate plot device of Komi Can't Communicate. Are there indications to the contrary (in either the anime or the manga)?

Up to the current chapter in the manga there isn't. Najimi is the typical "unknown gender" type of character in Japanese media like Crona or Hideyoshi. Their gender is purposely ambiguous for the sake of jokes, fanservice, and mystery. If they're ever asked directly, they dodge the question or flip flop depending on the scenario that's most convenient.

The only real thing that might be evidence is the multiple times Tadano keeps stopping Najimi from entering the girls restrooms/changing rooms. Whether he knows Najimi is a guy or he's just doing it "just in case" is never really said. I doubt we'll ever get a confirmation since the point of these kinds of characters is the thrill of ambiguity.

AmpersandsUnited wrote:

Piglet the Grate wrote:

I get the impression that the ambiguity of what Najimi Osama is being a deliberate plot device of Komi Can't Communicate. Are there indications to the contrary (in either the anime or the manga)?

Up to the current chapter in the manga there isn't. Najimi is the typical "unknown gender" type of character in Japanese media like Crona or Hideyoshi. Their gender is purposely ambiguous for the sake of jokes, fanservice, and mystery. If they're ever asked directly, they dodge the question or flip flop depending on the scenario that's most convenient.

The only real thing that might be evidence is the multiple times Tadano keeps stopping Najimi from entering the girls restrooms/changing rooms. Whether he knows Najimi is a guy or he's just doing it "just in case" is never really said. I doubt we'll ever get a confirmation since the point of these kinds of characters is the thrill of ambiguity.

In the anime, I went back and checked ep2, and Najimi specifically says, "I'm a girl!". Followed, though, with Tadano immediately observing, "In junior high you always wore a guy's uniform."

I agree that the ambiguity is part of the show's comedy, so we will probably never get anything closer to a confirmation.

Nom De Plume De Fanboy wrote:

In the anime, I went back and checked ep2, and Najimi specifically says, "I'm a girl!". Followed, though, with Tadano immediately observing, "In junior high you always wore a guy's uniform."

I agree that the ambiguity is part of the show's comedy, so we will probably never get anything closer to a confirmation.

Later, in that very same episode, one of Najimi's classmates from their old school confesses and asks to go out with them. Najimi rejects him saying, "That's impossible, I'm a boy!", leaving us no closer to Najimi's gender than when we started.

^True dat. I forgot about that.

All we really know is that Najimi is quite the comic trickster. Wink

Nom De Plume De Fanboy wrote:

^True dat. I forgot about that.

All we really know is that Najimi is quite the comic trickster. Wink

The three genders.

Nom De Plume De Fanboy wrote:

I agree that the ambiguity is part of the show's comedy, so we will probably never get anything closer to a confirmation.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote of the origin of Tom Bombadil "some things should remain a mystery". It could well be that we are never intended to know what Najimi Osama is underneath (both literally and figuratively). The mangaka may not have decided this, and might not have any plans to do so.

If forming impressions and perceptions of anime characters is comparable to that of actual people, then its ok to respect how they present themselves. In other words its both futile and excessively nosy to speculate the sex assigned at birth of Najimi and similarly gender ambiguous characters. I'm not saying its wrong to see this setup as a plot device, but it also doesn't hurt to love the character for who they are.

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