10 Best Anime That Break Gender Norms
Anime characters that defy gender norms complicate their world and engage readers in conversation, like in My Dress-Up Darling. The discussion among fans and readers about gender stereotypes and gender essentialism is important, and it has been a long time coming. Storytellers explore gender through complex characters who interfere with or embody both “sides”; gender norms.
Over the years, storytelling has evolved in this area. Some stories take a simple stance of inverting gender roles, while others want to explore the grayer areas of gender constructs. Shoujo and shonen anime are written for young girls and boys respectively, but even shoujo and shonen authors question the long-standing conventions of their own demographics. When a character breaks gender norms, they complicate their world and invite readers into further conversation.
10 TAISHO BASEBALL GIRLS 12 EPISODES
Taisho Baseball Girls takes place in the mid-1920s. Schools had special courses and extracurricular activities for students based on their gender. The boys were involved in sports and practice, and the girls sang in the choir and did home economics.
All of these subject areas are worthy of study, but they should not be exclusive or mandatory based on gender. An all-girls baseball team was rare because girls in sports were considered vulgar and even inappropriate. However, Taisho and her friends don't care about conventions. Baseball is for everyone, not just boys.
9 MY ROOMMATE IS A CAT 12 EPISODES
Subaru makes useful changes to My Roommate Is a Cat . As a writer, Subaru spends a lot of time alone. His loneliness is eased when he adopts a cat named Haru. Subaru has a lot of trauma from losing his parents, but he eventually finds healthy coping techniques that involve community rather than stoicism.
Haru and Subaru need each other, and their connection heals them both. Subaru finds friendship and becomes more in touch with his emotions as his cat Haru learns to trust the world again thanks to the kindness of his foster owner.
8 WAKKOZAKE 12 EPISODES
Often empowered female protagonists are career-driven and independent. However, Wakakozake goes beyond this interpretation of empowerment and shows a woman named Wakako who fully enjoys life on her own terms. Wakako is a working woman who loves trying new foods and traveling.
Actualization and independence do not come only from merging with and thriving in the human world. Joy is an important part of life and making good decisions. Wakako finds true happiness in exploring the world exactly the way she wants and experiencing everything it has to offer.
7 VALLEY OF THE WINDS DURATION: 1 HOUR 35 MINUTES
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind takes place after a post-apocalyptic war and follows a princess. War has destroyed Nausicaa's world, and she finds something that can heal what is poisoned and torn apart. Nausica's director , Hayao Miyazaki, wrote the girl as the face of environmental justice and hope for the future. When one thinks of '80s fairy princesses and their stories, images of ballrooms, evil stepmothers, and marriage proposals may come to mind. Such stories are worthwhile, but Nausicaä has adventures beyond such storylines.
6 RANMA 1/2 161 SERIES
Ranma from Ranma Takahashi Rumiko 1/2 is a cursed high school student who turns into a girl when he is doused with cold water. Hot water turns him into a boy again.
Regardless of Ranma's appearance, he always identifies as a boy. Takahashi said that she did not intend her work to challenge gender in literature, but that is nevertheless what her work did. The series was also widely popular at a time when there was little representation of people with experiences outside the gender binary.
5 JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE 190 EPISODES
Fans of slapstick, pastiche, genre parodies, and magical girl anime will find something interesting in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure . Each part is led by a member of the Joestar family - mostly male protagonists, with the exception of Jolyne Cujo. The series adheres to gender mores in many ways, while simultaneously blurring the boundaries of the traditional male image.
Both JoJo's heroes and villains wear fashionable, colorful outfits and exaggerated fighting poses. , not unlike the iconic magical transformation sequences in Sailor Moon . The character designs are clearly meant to emulate magical girls with bright manners and beautifully decorated styles.
4 KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE
8 EPISODES
Tadano is different from the traditional shonen hero in Komi and cannot communicate . Tadano is an average student in school, like many shonen protagonists, but his strength lies in his emotional intelligence rather than the stereotypical precocious fighting nature. He has strong communication skills and deep social and emotional awareness.
Komi is often distinguished from many shonen love interests, despite his cute and handsome appearance. She's not stupid, but rather thoughtful and sincere. She's a complex character with realistic and understandable problems, rather than a flat character dedicated to fan service and plot devices.
12 EPISODES
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-Kun is a shonen anime with a female protagonist, which is rare. Although the story focuses on her work and romance with Nozaki, the writers decided to tell the story through Chiyo's eyes.
Chiyo's personality is passionate and outspoken, and she works hard, which are more traditional traits of a boy protagonist in shonen anime. Nozaki also subverts expectations by writing shoujo manga aimed at a female audience. Monthly Girls is a parody that uses many tropes outside of gender expectations in shonen characters.
2 MY DRESS UPS, DARLING 12 EPISODES
In My Dress-Up Darling , Gojo is hesitant to reveal his true interest - making hina dolls - because he has been ridiculed by his peers for it in the past. Although Gojo learned about hina dolls from his artisan grandfather, hina dolls are considered "girly". something that his classmates thought a boy like him shouldn't like.
When Gojo meets Kitagawa, she confirms his interest and encourages him to create cosplay costumes. Gojo finds true community and happiness when he doesn't bow to societal expectations and follows what he's truly passionate about.
1 WANDERING SON 11 EPISODES
Stray Son is about a transgender girl, Shuichi Nitori, and her relationship with a classmate who is also transgender. The series focuses on topics such as exploring gender identity, self-expression, social expectations, and gender dysphoria during adolescence.
Some fans of the gender spectrum say that characters' gender dysphoria can be difficult or challenging to watch. Others find the characters extremely relatable. The series tries to balance more subtle and complex emotional themes with a calm tone, slice-of-life stories and strong themes of friendship.