Gender Bending and Exoticism in Japanese Girls’ Comics
2013; Routledge; Volume: 37; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/10357823.2013.832111
ISSN1467-8403
Autores Tópico(s)Media, Gender, and Advertising
ResumoGender bending has been a staple of the medium of shōjo manga, Japanese girls’ comics, as best exemplified by cross-dressing “girl knight” characters and “Boys Love” stories, whose plots focus on romance between effeminate beautiful young men. The imaginary space created through the representation of these figures shares many traits in common with another typical feature of shōjo comics, namely their exoticisation of Europe. Both have been used as simultaneously escapist and subversive strategies, as a refuge from contemporary social norms and a platform for critical reflection. In this article, I aim to problematise our understanding of the connection between gender bending and exoticism in shōjo manga through an analysis of the representation of one specific aspect of European culture – namely, the Christian religion – in the genre of Boys Love manga.
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