LGBT themes in anime and manga

Japanese-style of animation addressing LGBT material

In anime and manga, the term "LGBTQ themes" includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender material. Outside Japan, anime generally refers to a specific Japanese-style of animation, but the word anime is used by the Japanese themselves to broadly describe all forms of animated media there.[1][2] According to Harry Benshoff and Sean Griffin, the fluid state of animation allows flexibility of animated characters to perform multiple roles at once.[3] Manga genres that focus on same-sex intimacy and relationships resulted from fan work that depicted relationships between two same-sex characters.[4] This includes characters who express their gender and sexuality outside of hetero-normative boundaries. There are also multiple sub genres that target specific consumers and themes: yaoi, yuri, shoujo-ai, shonen-ai, bara, etc.[5] LGBT-related manga found its origins from fans who created an "alternative universe" in which they paired their favorite characters together. Many of the earliest works that contained LGBT themes were found in works by dōjinshi who has specifically written content outside the regular industry.[6] The rise of yaoi and yuri was also slowed due to censorship laws in Japan that make it extremely hard for Japanese manga artists ("mangakas")[7] and others to create work that is LGBT themed. Anime that contained LGBTQ content was changed to meet international standards. However, publishing companies continued to expand their repertoire to include yuri and yaoi, and conventions were created to form a community and culture for fans of this work.[8]

## History

[edit]

### Pre-1960s

[edit]

Scholars and manga artists generally agree that Osamu Tezuka greatly influenced manga.[9][10][11][12] Yukari Fujimoto mentioned how in Tezuka's work, Princess Knight, the main character fluctuated between feminine and masculine identities.[10] Sapphire, the main character of Princess Knight, was born female but was raised as a male to prevent the antagonist, Duke Durlamin, from inheriting the throne.[citation needed] Tezuka was inspired by Takarazuka Revue, a Japanese all-female musical troupe that performs both feminine and masculine roles.[13] Osamu Tezuka grew up in Takarazuka where the troupe is based.[14][10]

### 1960s–today

[edit]

Media and related materials depicting young men in same-sex relationships started to materialize in the 1970s.[15][16] These stories were primarily created and consumed by adolescent girls and women reading shoujo genre tales.[8][15] Over time work that focused primarily on male to male intimacy was referred to as "shonen-ai", "yaoi" and "boy's love" (BL).[15]

In the 1960s, a group of women mangaka called the Magnificent 24 or the Year 24 group heavily influenced the genre of shoujo manga by introducing philosophical and radical ideas, including themes focusing on gender and sexuality.[6] The Magnificent 24 group referred to women mangaka who were born in the Year 24 Shōwa (1949) according to numerous scholars, and the exact membership is not defined.[17][18][19] A few artists who were associated this group were Moto Hagio, Yumiko Ōshima and Keiko Takemiya.[6] The mangaka in this period transformed the writing and drawing style within the genre, thereby creating a space for women artists in manga.[17] The artists broadened the content of shoujo manga, adding science fiction, historical, and dramatic elements that changed how readers consumed the genre.[17] Works from these groups contained the earliest examples of same-sex intimacy and relationships found in manga. Ryoko Yamagishi's Shiroi Heya no Futari (白い部屋のふたり) was credited as the first manga to portray a lesbian couple. Conversely, Keiko Takemiya's work, In the Sunroom (サンルームにて) is said to depict the first male-to-male kiss in shojo manga. The popularity of Year 24's works spurred interest in male-male romance narratives from the 1960s onward.[15]

Amateurs as well as professional manga artists shared their works in a public hall called Comic Market (コミックマーケット Komikku Māketto), a channel for distributing and sharing work outside publisher restrictions.[15][20] The market primarily focused on buying and selling of doujinshi (self-published works), and in its early years some artists from the shoujo circle displayed work containing fictionalized same-sex relationships between their favorite musicians.[15]

Osamu Tezuka in 1951; he was one of the directors of  Cleopatra.

On September 25, 1970, Cleopatra, an anime fantasy film directed by Osamu Tezuka and Eiichi Yamamoto, was released.[21] The film would feature various LGBTQ characters: Apollodoria, who is attracted to Cleopatra, and Octavian, who is attracted to a man named Ionius.[22] Tezuka had previously written the Princess Knight manga, while Yamamoto had previously directed Astro Boy. Tezuka would later work on the anime based on the Princess Knight manga he had written.

From September 1979 to September 1980, Rose of Versailles, directed by Tadao Nagahama (episodes 1–18), and Osamu Dezaki (episodes 19–40), aired on Nippon TV. The manga, which ran from 1972 to 1973,[23] was famous for having the first "bed scene" in manga that was depicted by a woman,[24] which has had a "profound impact" on female readers,[25] including fan criticism of the adaptation of this scene to the anime.[26] Yukari Fujimoto has said that "for us junior and senior high school girls at that time, our concept of sex was fixed by that manga".[25] The anime series earned high popularity on Japanese television and later in other parts of the world.[27] Influenced by Princess Knight, which aired on Fuji TV from 1967 to 1968,[28][29][30] In the anime, Princess Sapphire, would be introduced as a genderqueer character. She would be raised as a boy by their father since women are not eligible to inherit the throne,[31] but would be born with both a male and female heart, and later fall in love with and marry Prince Frank. CBR would praise the anime for achieving the "cinematic extravagance and form that the lavish former Queen of France would approve of."[32] This anime would also influence Revolutionary Girl Utena and Sailor Moon as noted by Erica Friedman of Yuricon.[33]

In the 1980s the term yaoi was primarily used to describe homoerotic works.[16] The word is a shortening of "yama nashi ochi nashi imi nashi," or "no climax, no ending, no meaning" and was primarily focused on male-to-male relationships between two favorite characters.[4] It is now an umbrella term in Japan that describes male to male homoeroticism.[4]

Conversely, the term yuri described Japanese works featuring female-to-female intimacy.[34] The actual term yuri is translated to "lily" which was symbolized as spiritual beauty and sexual purity.[35][36] Yuri was first used to describe female-to-female intimacy by one of Japan's first gay magazines, Barazoku. The magazine featured a regular column called Yurizoku no heya (Room for the lily tribe) to address lesbian readership.[36] Within the artist circles, the term Yurizoku was shortened to yuri to describe female to female intimacy.[34]

## Anime distribution, censorship and changes

[edit]

The Japanese government uses censorship laws to regulate published content in the country.[37] Article 175 of the Criminal Code (1907) prohibits the distribution, sale, or possession of materials that contain "obscene" (waisetsu) content.[38] This included any depiction of pubic hair, adult genitalia, and sexual acts. However, manga creators developed ways to depict naked bodies and sex without showing pubic hair. Works that contained erotic content obscured character's genitals with blurring or black dots.[39] The law was only sparingly applied and the number of creators and publishers fined were minimal.[40] Sharon Kinsella states, "In general pornography has not been strongly compartmentalized in post-war Japan" and pornographic content has appeared throughout Japanese media and in pornographic productions.[41] BL (Boy's Love) comics can often be found in large bookstores in Japan, and there is a large commercial market for same-sex intimacy.[42]

In 1998, manga and anime received negative attention following the arrest of Tsutomu Miyazaki the so-called "Otaku Serial Killer." Miyazaki possessed large amounts of sexually explicit anime and was a frequent participant of Comic Market.[37][43] In the aftermath of the killings thousands of doujinshis were confiscated and several shop owners were arrested.[37]

### Censorship in the United States

[edit]

Anime reached the United States in the 1960s on the back of strong interest from fans and college students.[44] Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy (1963) and Speed Racer were the earliest anime series shown to American audiences.[44] Accordingly, collaborations among American and Japanese companies to market titles to American consumers increased.[44] In order to broadcast anime on American television, production companies had to cut scenes that were deemed too "violent." Plot lines and direct translations of dubbing were also modified for Western audiences.[45]

Scholars have noted several anime that were edited specifically to fit Western sensibilities.[5][46] When Sailor Moon was released in the United States, elements of the story were removed because Optimum Productions, the Canadian company in charge of the English language product, claimed that some of the content "is not suitable for children."[46] Under standards set by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, Sailor Moon was altered to fit within those guidelines. Following are examples of material censored to fit North American requisites.[46]

* Zoisite, a homosexual man finds himself in a homosexual relationship with Kunzite in the series.[46] In the English dubbed version, Zoisite is made into a woman, thereby making the relationship heterosexual.[46]
* The relationship between Sailor Uranus/Haruka Tenoh and Neptune/Michiru Kaioh was depicted as 'cousins' who are simply 'very close.' In the original Japanese version, they are lovers.[46]
* Fisheye who presented femininely is changed into a woman in the English version of the anime. Scenes that highlighted Fisheye's masculinity were deleted.[46]

When Cardcaptor Sakura broadcast in North America, many scenes featuring same-sex intimacy and/or relationships were removed or altered.[47] Rejected material included Tomoyo's crush on Sakura and same-sex intimacy between Touya, Sakura's older brother, and Yukito.[48]

## Mainstream anime and manga

[edit]

### CLAMP

[edit]

Clamp at the Anime Expo 2006

Numerous works of CLAMP, a Japanese manga artists group, explore relationships with no regard for gender or sex.[49] Many of their manga consequently explore same-sex relationships. Works such as Miyuki-chan in Wonderland and Tokyo Babylon feature same-sex intimacy as central themes.[49] This also includes series such as Cardcaptor Sakura. Other series, based on CLAMP manga, would also feature LGBTQ characters. For instance, a 1991 OVA, RG Veda, with a lesbian woman named Kendappa-ō and Ashura, who as born neither as a man or a woman.[50][51] Additionally, two gay characters in the original manga, Subaru Sumeragi and Seishirō Sakurazuka, would appear in X anime series, based on a manga by CLAMP, which was broadcast on Wowow from 2002.[52][53]

#### Cardcaptor Sakura

[edit]

Cardcaptor Sakura Original Art Exhibition (Nakayoshi 60th Anniversary) in December 2014

In Cardcaptor Sakura, the main protagonist Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li share a mutual infatuation with androgynous-looking Yukito Tsukishiro.[54] Tomoyo Daidouji, who is best friends with Sakura, is also shown to hold sexual feelings for Sakura, even loving what she wears.[55][56][57] However, Sakura does not return her feelings. At one point, Tomoyo confesses her love to Sakura, but Sakura misunderstands her, thinking she means "love" means she thinks of her a best friend, with Tomoyo saying that she will explain it when Sakura is older.[58] The creators have stated that Sakura, the protagonist of this anime who has a "desire to befriend everyone she meets,"[59] and that does not see gender as barrier for her romantic attraction.[60] Some have argued she is bisexual.[citation needed] Furthermore, Sakura has a crush on a female teacher and had feelings with Li, who also had feelings for her, but does not admit them.[61][62][63] As such, some argued arguing that Syaoran is bisexual based on his sexual attractions.[citation needed]

Cardcaptor also depicts same-sex intimacy between Touya Kinomoto, Sakura's older brother and Yukito. In episode 65, when Yukito's health is weakening due to a weakening in Yue's power (his alter-form), Touyo decides to give up his power to save Yukito from disappearing.[55] Yukito and Touya have been confirmed as a couple,[64] with Yukito rejecting Sakura's feelings because he is in love with Touya.[citation needed] Before meeting Yukito, Touya dated Kaho Mizuki when she was his junior high school teacher, and she broke up with him later.[citation needed] Some argued that Touya was either bisexual or pansexual.[65] Additionally, a recurring character, Ruby Moon has no biological sex.[citation needed] and is always seen presenting as female, with Moon stating that their gender does not matter because they are not actually human. At the time the series aired, networks, chopped out the "gay content" and other similar themes, in the dubbed version of the series.[66][64]

A storyboarder and episode director for Cardcaptor Sakura, Shigehito Takayanagi, would later be a storyboarder on Azumanga Daioh: The Animation, which would have a character, Kaorin, who is implied to be a closeted lesbian.[67][a] He would also later direct Kanamemo. The latter series would have strong yuri overtones, and would be described as a romance between two openly lesbian protagonists: Yuuki Minami and Yume Kitaoka.[68][69][70] Another storyboarder and episode director of Cardcaptor Sakura, Nobuaki Nakanishi, would also have his own show: Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. The anime would focus on the conflict between "gender identity, gender performance, and sexual orientation" of the characters, with their characteristics threatening "the regulatory norms found within Western society and possibly Japanese society."[71] Hazumu Osaragi, the series protagonist, begins the series as a boy, and is inadvertently killed due to an alien spacecraft crash-landing on them, and is resurrected, but their physical sex is changed to male, and learns how to "perform" the female gender with the help of Tomari Kurusu, a bisexual girl.[72] She is later attracted to Kurusu and her other childhood friend, Yasuna, but does not want to be "identified based upon the traditional notions of gender," but rather as a person like anyone else.[73][74] The series was positively reviewed by Erica Friedman, who argued the anime had normal ending reminiscent of something "that might have actually happened in real life."[75]

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, the sequel to Cardcaptor Sakura and based on an ongoing manga of the same name by CLAMP, would air on NHK January to June 2018. Some criticized the series. For instance, Geordi Demorest argued that while the original Cardcaptor Sakura is beloved for its "LGBTQ-inclusiveness," this sequel seems "less actively progressive" and is missing the original focus on "explicitly representing LGBTQ characters," criticizing the lack of character development for Tomoyo, only having a brief reference to the romance "between Sakura's brother Touya and his friend Yukito."[76] Demorest called for the series to do more to "explore sexual orientation and the gender spectrum" of the characters and called the show nostalgic while coasting on "broad characterizations" of the original cast. In contrast, Tim Jones and Stig Høgset of THEM Anime Reviews were more positive. Jones said he had some hesitation to start the series, as it was three years after Sailor Moon Crystal, and Høgset called the show like "a fun family reunion." Both noted that while the plot is typical, it is "pure feel-good fun" and Jones concluded that the series has "some of the charm" of the original series, but felt "more like a trip down memory lane than a brand-new series."[77] Lynzee Loveridge of Anime News Network wrote that she was unsure whether the series added "anything worthwhile to characters' stories," writing that it is a "facsimile of the previous series," with no traditional villains.[78]

Charles Solomon of Animation Scoop praised the series for its animation quality, but said that the series "faltered" by coping the original series "too closely", had an ending that was too abrupt, and stated that elements like Tomoyo's love for Sakura, the crush of Sakura on Yuki and acceptance of him as the lover of Toya "fell by the wayside."[79] Jack Eaton of Gamerant noted that the series did not receive "the same critical and commercial success" as the original, and called for a "a second chance at a sequel" which is more fitting than this series, or a remastering of the original.[80] Shamus Kelley, in his review of the final three episodes of the series for Den of Geek, criticizing the ending as a "convoluted mess", called the plot "heavy-handed", noted the series focus on Tomoyo's "endless obsession with Sakura", and praised the series as "really fun" but fighting "against itself."[81] In reviewing volumes 1 and 2 of the manga, Erica Friedman, founder of Yuricon called the sequel "honest-to-goodness", and said that those who enjoy the original series will enjoy this manga, and said she was happy with "this kiddy ride full of pretty art and nice kids", but gave low-ratings for yuri themes.[82][83]

### Sailor Moon

[edit]

Lesbian characters are introduced halfway through the series Sailor Moon, and their relationships are treated the same way as other heterosexual relationships. Haruka and Michiru, who are Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, are a couple who live with each other. The author has confirmed that they are a couple.[84] They would become one of the most iconic lesbian couples in anime,[85][86] with the dubbed version on US and European television networks portraying them as cousins.[87][64][88]

The character Haruka displays masculine characteristics and she is portrayed in the video wearing the male version of her school's uniform.[5] She is often mistaken for a man, but she does not mind. However, Haruka becomes more feminized when she transforms into her Sailor Uranus character. Her partner, Michiru, is meant to be the more feminine of the two and they are often seen with each other.[5] The relationship between Haruka and Michiru would be expressed in two 1990s films: Sailor Moon S: The Movie (1994) and Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie (1995). Some have described the relationship between Michiru and Haruka as butch-femme.[89]

Other than Haruka and Michiru, Zoisite and Kunzite, two powerful generals who work under Queen Beryl from the Dark Kingdom, are an openly gay couple, However, in some dubs in other countries, Zoisite's gender was changed to female for his feminine appearance and to make them a heterosexual couple instead, but in other dubs, they are changed into brotherly figures because of the closeness of their relationship.[90] The 1993 film, Sailor Moon R: The Movie would introduce Fiore, an alien who lands on Earth and met Mamoru Chiba / Tuxedo Mask when they were both children. It is strongly implied that Fiore's feelings for Mamoru are romantic.[91][92] In 1995, Fish-Eye, an effeminate cross-dressing man romantically interested in men as first shown in the series.[93][94] He was changed into a woman in the English dub. In 1996, the genderqueer Sailor Starlights would be introduced. In the anime, the Sailor Starlights (Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Maker, and Sailor Star Healer) were assigned female at birth, but transform to present as male and refer to themselves as males when not fighting, as shown in the episode, "Holy War in the Galaxy! Sailor Wars Legend."[93][95] Neptune and Uranus were some of the Sailor Starlights, and would act like in their civilian forms but transform into women when they battled villains.[96][97]

Some scholars argued that the gender of the characters in Sailor Moon was irrelevant to their personalities, attitudes, or behaviors, with oft-blurring of gender characteristics, "traditional roles," and identity itself.[98]: 6, 8, 11–12 The show gained a following among male university students,[99] spreading in popularity thanks to the Internet.[100]: 281 Some praised the show for empowering its viewers[101] while others saw it as expressing characters who acted in a "traditionally male" manner, or less than feminist in the case of Sailor Moon herself.[102] This representation came at a time that anime was beginning to establish a strong foothold in "American geek fandom,"[103][104] even as they still reflected the values of Japanese society.[98]: 10–11

On June 3, 2021, the two part animated film, Sailor Moon Eternal, a continuation of the Sailor Moon Crystal series, premiered on Netflix.[105] It featured Haruka Tenoh (Sailor Uranus) and Michiru Kaioh (Sailor Neptune), two characters in a same-sex relationship.[106][107] The film also featured Fish-Eye, an effeminate man who cross-dresses as a woman due to his romantic affections towards other men.[93] In the film, he is voiced by Shouta Aoi.[108]

### Revolutionary Girl Utena

[edit]

The approach to gender in the Revolutionary Girl Utena series is flexible, and according to Catherine Bailey, "The categorical definition of masculinity and femininity are limiting and unnecessary."[5] Utena is a character who subverts assumptions about her sex. She should be "jumping" at the chance of marrying a prince, but she looks up to him as a role model. At school, she wears a quasi male uniform and competes alongside male peers in a variety of athletic activities.

According to Bailey,[5] Utena does not want to "become" a prince literally, and when she claims that she wants to become a prince she is actually referring to princely qualities like courage, compassion, and strength.[5] Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network would argue that Anthy and Utena function as "each other's external shadow selves," saying that the series holds a place in the history of anime for themes about sexuality and gender, communicating a message about adolescence that still resonates.[109][110][111] The series was also described as one of the most important anime of the 1990s by ANN's Mike Toole.[112]

The show contained many LGBTQ+ characters since Kunihiko Ikuhara, who directed many episodes of Sailor Moon and the show's second season, tried to express queer and feminist themes in the series, leading some to call the series "groundbreaking."[64][113] While some believe that Ikuhara was inspired by The Rose of Versailles,[114] he stated that the show's concepts came from Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie.[115] The show would be a major influence on Steven Universe,[116] Steven Universe Future,[117] and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.[118]

In 1999, Ikuhara's film Adolescence of Utena, which featured all the characters of Revolutionary Girl Utena, would begin showing in theaters. The film would feature Utena and Anthy flirt and kiss, more overt than in the anime and the associated manga.[119] A kiss was included due to a decision from Ikuhara.[120] Like in the anime, Utena and Anthy, who are in love with each other,[121][122] are both bisexual. Juri Arisugawa is explicitly in love with her female classmate, Shiori, in both the TV series and movie. She is described as "homosexual" by the creators in the DVD booklet.[123] The commentary in the booklet indicated that Shiori also had feelings for her, but was too troubled and insecure to act on them in a healthy way.[124] The film become popular among fans of yuri (lesbian manga and anime), and is often categorized as LGBT cinema[119] with some critics saying the film seeks "a rejection of dominant discourses of gender and sexuality"[119] with the joining of the masculine Utena and the feminine Anthy being "an acknowledgement of the need for an integrate psyche, regardless of gender or sexual orientation."[125] Ikuhara would later create the openings of Nodame Cantabile and Sweet Blue Flowers which featured LGBTQ characters,[126][70][127] while creating a series, Sarazanmai, which featured includes an iconic duo of male cops who are in love with each other.[128]

### Dear Brother

[edit]

Osamu Dezaki, who directed episodes 19-40 of the Rose of Versailles,[b] directed Dear Brother, which aired on NHK from 1991 to 1992. The series, described as a classic shōjo manga,[129] included a sorority of the best at an elite school which is "relentless in their expectations."[130] It was described by Erica Friedman as an "extraordinarily dark series" with a "pinnacle of Yuri" in the second half.[131] Carlos Ross of THEM Anime Reviews said that while the series is little known in the United States, it is beautifully animated, has a score of traditional Japanese music, and has a reputation for "lesbian overtones."[132]

### Wandering Son

[edit]

Ei Aoki's Wandering Son aired on Fuji TV from January to March 2011 as part of the station's Noitamina programming block. The anime would be praised as a "breakout show in the transgender drama genre" for its delicate art, empathetic story, and focus on characters.[133] Others would describe it as artful and gorgeous series, with intricate characters, which fairly treats transgender identity, recognizing the challenges characters like Shuichi Nitori, Makoto "Mako" Ariga, and Yoshino Takatsuki have to face.[134] One reviewer argued that the show showed characters like Nitori trying to wade through a "cissexist school environment."[135] Another person pointed out that while the series as an important "piece of transgender literature within manga, anime and Japanese popular culture," Takatsuki assimilates "into a cis female identity" by the end of the anime, and asks whether the series has held back transgender fiction.[136] They also argue that the series reinforces the gender binary. This series also included a bisexual woman (Anne Suehiro) and a trans woman (Hiroyuki Yoshida). In March 2020, The Daily Dot published an article talking about a Gender and Anime at Anime Boston, noting that manga and anime have "a dearth of gender representation," with issues within Japanese culture itself, with crossdressing and genderqueer identity often made out to be a joke or a "trap" for the protagonist.[137] They further argued that Hourou Musako in Wandering Son is one of the "few sensitive portrayals of transgender characters out there," with one panelist calling it the "only true transgender anime in existence" and saying listeners should be "sensitive when discussing gender identity."

### Yurikuma Arashi

[edit]

In 2015, Kunihiko Ikuhara's Yurikuma Arashi aired on Tokyo MX. In the series, the main female protagonists, Kureha Tsubaki, Sumika Izumino, Ginko Yurishiro, Lulu Yurigasaki, and Yurika Hakonaka, have various sexual encounters and romantic relationships with each other,[138] as they learn more about their connections with each other[139] and those in the world who do not accept their feelings, deeming relationships between humans and bears as "dangerous."[140][141] The series has been praised as tackling the "prejudice facing gay people in Japan"[142] while simultaneously being a "moving tale of prejudice and fear and love" which focuses on cultural treatment of all women, especially those who are lesbians, criticizes the "idealization of female innocence and purity," and serves as a study of bigotry.[143] Further reviews praised as a well-written drama which is "densely packed with social commentary, multivalent symbolism, and references to historical events, [and] literature,"[144] is LGBT-friendly,[145] and is "all about lesbians."[146]

### Fandom culture and demographics

[edit]

#### Motivations for consuming Yaoi and Yuri anime

[edit]

Pagliassotti[4] conducted the first research Anglophone readers' motivations for consuming yaoi. According to her research, she found 10 distinct motivations: "Pure" love without gender focus, pro-gay attitude/ forbidden and transgressive love, identification (self-analysis), melodramatic (emotional elements), dislike for standard shōjo romances, a female-oriented romantic/erotic genre, pure escapism/lack of reality, art/ aesthetics, pure entertainment, and arousing, sexually titillating content.[4] However, there are other motivations for consuming yaoi manga complicated by cultural and legal differences. For instance, yaoi manga is media that challenges patriarchal norms and gender binarism.[4]

Accessibility to yaoi and yuri material is also dependent on international laws.[4] For example, introduction of BL (Boy's Love) to the United States market was less likely to happen because depictions of male-to-male eroticism and sex would be considered contrary to children's material there.[147]

Many yaoi readers are teenage girls or young women.[148] Fujoshi is a term often used to describe fans of works depicting romantic relationships among men. In Japanese, the term translates to "rotten girls."[149] Japanese women who read yaoi manga are most often heterosexual, and they consume the content for entertainment rather than for political or social reasons. Women also form the majority of yaoi readers in the West, accounting for 89% of total readership, with 55% of those falling into the 18-24 age range.[150] Among yuri readers in the West, about 46% identify themselves as heterosexual women.[150] Among yuri readers, there is a divide between men and women according to intended target audience.[148]

The popularity of anime continued to rise in the 1990s, with the early 90s known as an "anime boom."[151] At the time, huge conventions were hosted while the yuri, BL, and related genres began attracting fans outside Japan, including in Hong Kong and mainland China.[152][153] At the same time was a so-called gay boom, with homosexuality becoming a "standard topic in television shows and in tabloid magazines."[154] A devoted fan base blossomed in the West as channels such as Cartoon Network airing anime in program blocks.[155][156] Although anime programs began declining after the "collapse of the bubble economy" in 1992 and an economic slump during the 1990s, anime continued to explore complex concepts.[157] By 2010, the yaoi industry had an estimated annual value of 21.3 billion yen (over US$180 million).[158] In the 2010s, LGBT issues became increasingly visible in Japan[159]: 50 with an increased interest in LGBT issues across Japanese society, with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party trying to promote Japan as "LGBT friendly."[160] This aligned with the estimated market size of 21.3 billion yen for the yaoi genre in 2010,[161] which is aimed at young women,[162] who are the main consumers of the content itself, even though some heterosexual men read it.[163] By 2016, domestic market size of the Boy's Love genre had reached over $190 million,[164]

## See also

[edit]

* List of bisexual characters in anime
* List of gay characters in anime
* List of lesbian characters in anime
* LGBT themes in comics
* Editing of anime in distribution
* List of animated series with LGBT characters
* History of anime
* List of yaoi anime and manga
* List of yuri anime and manga
* List of yuri works
* List of anime by release date (1946–1959)
* Category:LGBT characters in anime and manga

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ In Azumanga Daioh: Supplementary Lessons Chapter 3 Page 12, Osaka asks Kaorin whether she is gay, to which she responds "The correct term is Lesbian!" before denying that she is a lesbian.
2. ^ episodes 1-18 were directed by Tadao Nagahama

## References

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ decade, Serdar Yegulalp Serdar Yegulalp is a seasoned technology journalist who has covered anime for nearly a. "What Is Anime? An Introduction to Japanese Animation". LiveAbout. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
2. ^ "Definition of ANIME". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
3. ^ Benshoff, Harry M., 1963– (2006). Queer images: a history of gay and lesbian film in America. Griffin, Sean. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Pub. ISBN 978-0-7425-6857-0. OCLC 276105911.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
4. ^ a b c d e f g Zsila, Ágnes; Pagliassotti, Dru; Urbán, Róbert; Orosz, Gábor; Király, Orsolya; Demetrovics, Zsolt (2018). "Loving the love of boys: Motives for consuming yaoi media". PLOS ONE. 13 (6): e0198895. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1398895Z. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0198895. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6002055. PMID 29902228.
5. ^ a b c d e f g Bailey, Catherine E. (2017-05-22). "Prince Charming by Day, Superheroine by Night? Subversive Sexualities and Gender Fluidity in Revolutionary Girl Utena and Sailor Moon". Figshare. doi:10.4225/03/59227cfd65816.
6. ^ a b c Thorn, Rachel (2010). "The Magnificent Forty-Niners". A Drunken Dream and Other Stories. pp. V–VII.
7. ^ Hartzheim, Bryan Hikari (2019-09-06). "Making of a Mangaka: Industrial Reflexivity and Shueisha's Weekly Shônen Jump". Television & New Media. 22 (5): 570–587. doi:10.1177/1527476419872132. ISSN 1527-4764. S2CID 203065545.
8. ^ a b Welker, James (2011). "Flower Tribes and Female Desire: Complicating Early Female Consumption of Male Homosexuality in Shōjo Manga". Mechademia. 6: 211–228. doi:10.1353/mec.2011.0007. S2CID 123677562.
9. ^ Thomas Lamarre (2013). "Introduction: MANGA LIFE: TEZUKA ...". Mechademia. 8: ix–xiii. doi:10.5749/mech.8.2013.00ix. JSTOR 10.5749/mech.8.2013.00ix.
10. ^ a b c Hikari, Hori (2013-12-29). "Tezuka, Shōjo Manga, and Hagio Moto". Mechademia. 8 (1): 299–311. doi:10.1353/mec.2013.0012. ISSN 2152-6648. S2CID 201761875.
11. ^ Anderson, David; Shimizu, Hiroyuki; Iwasaki, Shota (October 2017). "Memories of Manga: Impact and Nostalgic Recollections of Visiting a Manga Museum". Curator: The Museum Journal. 60 (4): 505–525. doi:10.1111/cura.12248.
12. ^ Power, Natsu Onoda (2009). God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post-World War II Manga. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-60473-478-2.
13. ^ Robertson, Jennifer (1992). "the politics of androgyny in Japan: sexuality and subversion in the theater and beyond". American Ethnologist. 19 (3): 419–442. doi:10.1525/ae.1992.19.3.02a00010. hdl:2027.42/136411. ISSN 1548-1425.
14. ^ Knighton, Mary A. (2013). ""Becoming-Insect Woman": Tezuka's Feminist Species". Mechademia. 8 (1): 3–24. doi:10.1353/mec.2013.0001. ISSN 2152-6648. S2CID 123149712.
15. ^ a b c d e f Boys' love manga and beyond : history, culture, and community in Japan. McLelland, Mark J., 1966–, Nagaike, Kazumi,, Suganuma, Katsuhiko,, Welker, James. Jackson. ISBN 978-1-62846-120-6. OCLC 885378169.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: others (link)
16. ^ a b "View of "Boys love manga and beyond: History, culture, and community in Japan," edited by Mark McLelland et al. | Transformative Works and Cultures". Transformative Works and Cultures. 25. 15 September 2017. doi:10.3983/twc.2017.01011. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
17. ^ a b c Thorn, Rachel (January 2001). "Shôjo Manga—Something for the Girls". Japan Quarterly.
18. ^ Nagaike, Kazumi (2014). "Passionate Friendship: The Aesthetics of Girls' Culture in Japan by Deborah Shamoon". The Journal of Japanese Studies. 40 (1): 216–221. doi:10.1353/jjs.2014.0023. ISSN 1549-4721. S2CID 144020468.
19. ^ Maser, Verena (June 2015). "Nuclear Disasters and the Political Possibilities of Shōjo (Girls') Manga (Comics): A Case Study of Works by Yamagishi Ryōko and Hagio Moto". The Journal of Popular Culture. 48 (3): 558–571. doi:10.1111/jpcu.12284.
20. ^ "What is Comic Market" (PDF). Comic Market Committee. January 2014 [2008]. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
21. ^ Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 (Revised and Expanded ed.). Stone Bridge Press.
22. ^ "Tezuka's Adult Features: "Cleopatra" (1970)". Fred Patten. March 30, 2014. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
23. ^ Brown, Rebecca (August 8, 2005). "An Introduction to Yuri Manga and Anime". AfterEllen. Archived from the original on March 3, 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
24. ^ McLelland, Mark (2000). Male homosexuality in modern Japan. Routledge. p. 74\. ISBN 0-7007-1300-X.
25. ^ a b Shamoon, Deborah (2007). "Revolutionary Romance: The Rose of Versailles and the Transformation of Shōjo Manga". In Lunning, Frenchy (ed.). Networks of Desire. Mechademia. Vol. 2\. University of Minnesota Press. p. 15\. ISBN 978-0-8166-5266-2.
26. ^ Thorn, Rachel (2004). "What Japanese Girls Do With Manga, and Why". academia.edu. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2020. Thorn's paper was delivered at the Japan Anthropology Workshop at the University of Melbourne, Australia on July 10, 1997.
27. ^ Bendazzi, Giannalberto (October 23, 2015). Animation: A World History: Volume II: The Birth of a Style - The Three Markets. CRC Press. pp. 367, 369. ISBN 9781317519911.
28. ^ Toole, Michael (March 23, 2010). "Old's Cool". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
29. ^ Schodt, Frederik L. (1996). Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga. Stone Bridge Press. pp. 256–257. ISBN 978-1-880656-23-5.
30. ^ Drazen, Patrick (2002). Anime Explosion! – The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation. Stone Bridge Press. pp. 94. ISBN 978-1-880656-72-3.
31. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 24, 2012). "Right Stuf Licenses Princess Knight TV Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
32. ^ Tomaino, Te (October 15, 2020). "Voltes V & 9 More Influential Anime From The '70s That Aged Well". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
33. ^ Friedman, Erica (January 12, 2012). "Princess Knight Manga, Volume 1 (English)". Okazu. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
34. ^ a b Friedman, Erica (15 June 2017). "View of On defining "yuri" | Transformative Works and Cultures". Transformative Works and Cultures. 24. doi:10.3983/twc.2017.0831. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
35. ^ Fisher, Philip (1991-01-01). The New American Studies: Essays from Representations. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-07329-6.
36. ^ a b Maser, Verena (September 27, 2013). Beautiful and Innocent: Female Same-Sex Intimacy in the Japanese Yuri Genre (PDF) (Thesis). Retrieved April 10, 2021.
37. ^ a b c "The censorship problems faced by anime and manga fans – Organization for Transformative Works". Retrieved 2019-11-21.
38. ^ Alexander, James (Winter 2003). "Obscenity, Pornography, and the Law in Japan: Reconsidering Oshima's In the Realm of the Senses" (PDF). Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal. 4: 148–168. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-11-23. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
39. ^ Clements, Jonathan. (2015). The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition : a Century of Japanese Animation. Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 978-1-61172-018-1. OCLC 994447981.
40. ^ Murai, Shusuke (2015-10-23). "Shibuya Ward to accept applications for certificates to recognize same-sex partnerships". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
41. ^ Kinsella, Sharon (2015-12-22). Adult Manga. doi:10.4324/9780203347140. ISBN 9780203347140.
42. ^ McLelland, Mark (December 2005). "The World of Yaoi: The Internet, Censorship and the Global 'Boys' Love' Fandom". Australian Feminist Law Journal. 23 (1): 61–77. doi:10.1080/13200968.2005.10854344. ISSN 1320-0968. S2CID 144134070.
43. ^ Kinsella, Sharon (1998). "Japanese Subculture in the 1990s: Otaku and the Amateur Manga Movement" (PDF). Journal of Japanese Studies. 24 (2): 289–316. doi:10.2307/133236. JSTOR 133236.
44. ^ a b c Otmazgin, Nissim (2014). "Anime in the US: The Entrepreneurial Dimensions of Globalized Culture". Pacific Affairs. 87 (1): 53–69. doi:10.5509/201487153. ISSN 0030-851X. JSTOR 43590823.
45. ^ Nicole, Samantha; Chambers, Inez (Fall 2012). "Anime: From Cult Following to Pop Culture Phenomenon" (PDF). The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications. 3: 94–101. S2CID 145416398. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-12-04.
46. ^ a b c d e f g Hoskin, Rhea Ashley (2018). "Westernization and The Transmogrification of Sailor Moon". Interalia: A Journal of Queer Studies: 78–89. doi:10.51897/interalia/DSGQ4165. ISSN 1689-6637. S2CID 201687131.
47. ^ "15 Ways Cardcaptor Sakura Had To Be Censored in America". Screen Rant. 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
48. ^ "Anime Censorship in the 90s and Early 2000s | Comic Book Legal Defense Fund". 18 March 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
49. ^ a b "The Legend of CLAMP" (PDF). Miteiru. 2 (3). February 3, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
50. ^ Kujaku (April 12, 1998). "RG VEDA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) version 1.2". Stompin' Wombat's Intergalactic Trading Post. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
51. ^ Script, Griffin; Nishida, Miho (January 19, 1992). RG Veda (Sen-Den) #1 (Text file). Animanga - Anime and Manga Services. Archived from the original on March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) CS1 maint: year (link)Transcript of episode by Griffin Script and Miho Nishida from that website.
52. ^ Bertschy, Zac (April 2, 2003). "X TV DVD 3 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
53. ^ Beveridge, Chris (2 August 2003). "X Vol. No. 6". Mania Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
54. ^ West, Mark I. (2008-10-23). The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810862494.
55. ^ a b CLAMP (Mangaka group) (2019-10-08). Cardcaptor Sakura. Collector's edition. 2. Onishi, Mika,, Sengupta, Anita,, McGillicuddy, Karen,, Alexovich, Aaron (Collector's edition; English edition; Kodansha Comics ed.). New York. ISBN 9781632368652. OCLC 1108704834.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
56. ^ Divers, Allen (August 21, 2002). "Card Captor Sakura DVD 9: Winter Wonderland [review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 1, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
57. ^ Divers, Allen (March 3, 2003). "Card Captor Sakura DVD 10: School Daze [review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
58. ^ Shepard, Chris (n.d.). "Cardcaptor Sakura DVD 1 - The Clow [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
59. ^ Murray, Kirsten (September 22, 2019). "Cardcaptor Sakura's 10 Best Quotes, Ranked". CBR. Archived from the original on October 3, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
60. ^ Cardcaptor Sakura Memorial Book (in Japanese). Kodansha. February 2001. ISBN 978-4-06-324535-6.
61. ^ Dennis, Cat (September 22, 2019). "15 Ways Cardcaptor Sakura Had To Be Censored In America". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
62. ^ Collins, Hannah (January 17, 2018). "Cardcaptor Sakura Is Back Just When We Need Her Most". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
63. ^ Bertschy, Zac (January 21, 2004). "Cardcaptor Sakura DVD 18: Revelations [review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
64. ^ a b c d Baron, Rueben (June 24, 2018). "20 Crucial Queer Representations In Anime (For Better Or Worse)". CBR. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
65. ^ Kelley, Shamus (June 2, 2020). "How Cardcaptor Sakura's Queerness Broke Through Censorship". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
66. ^ Mak, Philip (March 26, 2018). "Five family-friendly LGBTQ animated series for Pride Month". Toon Boom. Toon Boom Animation Inc. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
67. ^ Azuma, Kiyohiko (July 2009). Azumanga Daioh: Supplementary Lessons. Monthly Shōnen Sunday (in Japanese). 3. Japan: Shogakukan. p. 119.
68. ^ "Maiden Japan to Deliver "Kanamemo" to North American Doorsteps". Anime News Network. March 20, 2019. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
69. ^ Gudeman, Megan (February 9, 2020). "The Best Yuri Anime Of The 2000s, Ranked According To IMDb". CBR. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
70. ^ a b Casalena, Em (October 8, 2016). "The 15 Coolest LGBT Relationships In Anime". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
71. ^ Thompson 2010, p. 5, 31-32.
72. ^ Thompson 2010, p. 32-34, 37.
73. ^ Kimlinger, Carl (June 11, 2007). "Kasimasi Sub.DVD 1 - Role Reversal [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 15, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
74. ^ Thompson 2010, p. 35-36.
75. ^ Friedman, Erica (April 6, 2006). "Yuri Anime: Kashimashi Girl Meets Girl". Okazu. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
76. ^ Demorest, Geordi (May 11, 2018). "Cardcaptor Sakura and the Stagnant LGBTQ Representation". Anime Feminist. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
77. ^ Jones, Tim; Høgset, Stig (2019). "CardCaptor Sakura: Clear Card [Review]". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
78. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (November 25, 2019). "Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Blu-Ray - Part 1 & 2 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
79. ^ Solomon, Charles (August 8, 2019). "ANIME REVIEW: Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Part 2". Animation Scoop. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
80. ^ Eaton, Jack (February 19, 2023). "10 1990s Shojo Anime That Need Remakes". Gamerant. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023.
81. ^ Kelley, Shamus (June 10, 2018). "Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Episodes 20, 21, 22 Review". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
82. ^ "Card Captor Sakura, Clear Card Arc Manga, Volume 1 (カードキャプターさくら クリアカード編)". Okazu. March 14, 2017. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
83. ^ "Card Captor Sakura, Clear Card Arc Manga, Volume 2 (カードキャプターさくら クリアカード編)". Okazu. July 13, 2017. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
84. ^ "What Information Did Naoko Share With American Sailor Moon Fans?". Tuxedo Unmasked. February 3, 2018. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
85. ^ Sara, Roncero-Menendez (May 21, 2014). "Sailor Neptune and Uranus Come Out of the Fictional Closet". HuffPost. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
86. ^ Brown, Rebecca (August 8, 2005). "An Introduction to Yuri Manga and Anime (page 2)". AfterEllen. Archived from the original on March 6, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
87. ^ Adegoke, Yomi (October 1, 2019). "Move over, Disney! Meet the woman leading the LGBT cartoon revolution". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
88. ^ Manzella, Sam (February 27, 2018). "9 Cartoons That Were Censored For Being Too Gay". NewNowNext. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
89. ^ Subramian, Erin (2003). "Women-Loving Women in Modern Japan". Yuricon. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
90. ^ Gooding-Call, Anna (November 9, 2018). "Sailor Moon: 20 Really Weird Fan Theories That Were Actually Confirmed". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
91. ^ Silverman, Rebecca (January 19, 2017). "Sailor Moon R: The Movie – Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
92. ^ Solomon, Charles (January 19, 2017). "Girl power and pratfalls prevail in new dub of 1993's 'Sailor Moon R: The Movie'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
93. ^ a b c Necessary, Terra (June 30, 2019). "9 Ways Sailor Moon Was Way Gayer Than You Remember". Pride.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
94. ^ Yehl, Joshua; Sanchez, Miranda; Butts, Steve (June 30, 2015). "Five family-friendly LGBTQ animated series for Pride Month". IGN. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
95. ^ Gramuglia, Anthony (June 4, 2020). "Sailor Moon: The Complicated Romance of Sailor Uranus & Sailor Neptune". CBR. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
96. ^ Atkinson, Sophia (November 5, 2015). "The Complete History of Queer Characters in Cartoon Shows". Highsnobiety. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
97. ^ Ellis, Adam (December 2, 2013). "19 Kids Show Characters Who Were Totally Gay Heroes". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
98. ^ a b Correia, Ana Durão (2014). "Does it really matter one way or the other? Género e Sexualidade em Anime: O caso de Sailor Moon". Does it really matter one way or the other? Género, Sexo e Sexualidade em Anime: O caso de Sailor Moon [Does it really matter one way or the other? Gender, Sex and Sexuality in Anime: The case of Sailor Moon] (History and Gender Graduate Seminar) (in Portuguese). Retrieved March 28, 2020.
99. ^ Grigsby, Mary (June 1998). "Sailormoon: Manga (Comics) and Anime (Cartoon) Superheroine Meets Barbie: Global Entertainment Commodity Comes to the United States". The Journal of Popular Culture. 32 (1): 59–80. doi:10.1111/j.0022-3840.1998.3201_59.x.
100. ^ Drazen, Patrick (2003). Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation. Berkeley, California: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1880656728.
101. ^ Newsom, Victoria Anne (2004). "Young Females as Super Heroes: Super heroines in the Animated 'Sailor Moon'". Femspec. 5: 57–81. Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
102. ^ Brown, Lousie (July 27, 1996). "Sailing the Internet It's a treasure trove of trivia for Sailor 'Moonies'". pqarchiver.com. The Toronto Star. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
103. ^ Verboon, Nick (June 13, 2013). "90's Flashback: Neon Genesis Evangelion". Unreality Magazine. N/A, Internet: Unreality. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
104. ^ Axinto, Jemarc (April 24, 2014). "Pacific Rim: In-depth study of the influence of Anime". The Artifice. Archived from the original on February 1, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
105. ^ Mateo, Alex (April 27, 2021). "Netflix Streams Sailor Moon Eternal Anime Films on June 3". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
106. ^ Roncero-Menendez, Sara (May 21, 2014). "Sailor Neptune and Uranus Come Out of the Fictional Closet". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
107. ^ Swift, Andy (May 6, 2021). "Sailor Moon Eternal: Netflix Drops English Trailer Ahead of June Premiere". TVLine. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
108. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (August 4, 2020). "Sailor Moon Eternal Films Casts Amazon Trio Characters". Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
109. ^ Silverman, Rebecca (February 22, 2018). "Review: Revolutionary Girl Utena Blu-Ray 3 - The Apocalypse Saga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
110. ^ Bridges, Rose (November 25, 2013). ""Revolutionary Girl Utena" Transgresses Gender and Sexuality". Autostraddle. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
111. ^ Cadorniga, Carlos (June 18, 2019). "7 Great Gay and Lesbian Relationships In Anime". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
112. ^ Toole, Mike (June 5, 2011). "Evangel-a-like - The Mike Toole Show". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
113. ^ Pennington, Latonya (January 25, 2018). "7 Reasons 'Revolutionary Girl Utena' Was a Groundbreaking Queer Anime". Pride.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
114. ^ Sabdha, Charlton (May 2001). "Utena: Adolescence Mokushiroku (The Adolescence of Utena) [Review]". Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context (5). Retrieved October 25, 2010.
115. ^ "Interview with Kunihiko Ikuhara". UR Anime Club. October 8, 2000. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
116. ^ Kelley, Shamus (July 25, 2017). "Steven Universe Was Influenced by Revolutionary Girl Utena". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
117. ^ Baron, Rueben (December 9, 2019). "Steven Universe Future Reveals Pink Diamond Was Even Worse Than We Thought". CBR. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
118. ^ Gramuglia, Anthony (October 6, 2020). "Revolutionary Girl Utena's Lasting Impact on Queer, Female-Led Storytelling". CBR. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
119. ^ a b c Charlton, Sabdha (May 2001). "Utena: Adolescence Mokushiroku (The Adolescence of Utena)". Review. Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context (5). ISSN 1440-9151. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
120. ^ Ikuhara, Kunihiko (director, commentary) (October 23, 2001). Adolescence of Utena Director's Commentary (DVD). Central Park Media.
121. ^ Kunihiko Ikuhara (Director) (16 December 2011). Episode 37: Commentary | Revolutionary Girl Utena: Apocalypse Saga Box Set 3 Limited Edition (DVD). Nozomi Entertainment.
122. ^ Kunihiko Ikuhara (Director) (16 December 2011). Episode 39: Commentary | Revolutionary Girl Utena: Apocalypse Saga Box Set 3 Limited Edition (DVD). Nozomi Entertainment.
123. ^ Revolutionary Girl Utena: Student Council Saga Limited Edition Set (Booklet interview with Chiho Saito). Nozomi Entertainment. 2011.
124. ^ Revolutionary Girl Utena: Student Council Saga Limited Edition Set (Kunihiko Ikuhara's DVD Booklet commentary for episode 17). Nozomi Entertainment. 2011.
125. ^ Napier, Susan J. (December 2005). "Now You See Her, Now You Don't: The Disappearing Shōjo". Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation. New York, United States: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 169–193. ISBN 1-4039-7052-1.
126. ^ Sasaki, Naohiko (2007). "How does Masumi Okuyama feel about Chiaki?". Nodame Cantabile: The Essential Guide. Japan: DH Publishing Inc. p. 22\. ISBN 9781932897333. "Masumi...is deeply in love with Chiaki...he...won't let any unworthy "plaine Jane" come near his "Apollo," Chiaki. Masumi see Nodome as a rival for Chiaki's affections"
127. ^ Friedman, Erica (July 10, 2009). "Review of "Aoi Hana" ("Sweet Blue Flowers")". AfterEllen. Archived from the original on July 13, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
128. ^ Liu, Michelle. "Best LGBTQ+ Characters of 2019". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
129. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (November 18, 2013). "Anime Fashion Inspiration: Dear Brother". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
130. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (January 31, 2015). "7 Frightening Student Councils". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
131. ^ Friedman, Erica (April 20, 2015). "Yuri Anime: Dear Brother Set 2, Disk 1 (English)". Okazu. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
132. ^ Ross, Carlos (2015). "Brother Dear Brother". THEM Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
133. ^ Orsini, Lauren (December 2, 2019). "The Best Anime Of The Decade - 2010 And 2011". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
134. ^ Kimlinger, Carl (February 26, 2011). "Wandering Son Episodes 1-5 Streaming". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
135. ^ Christina Browne, Nicoletta (November 2011). "Wandering Son". T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
136. ^ Haddick, Alicia (January 20, 2020). "Shimura Takako's Wandering Son: Conflicting Thoughts on a Life-Affirming Anime and Manga of the Decade". OTAQuest. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
137. ^ Romano, Aja (March 2, 2020). "When it comes to transgender representation, anime has room to grow". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
138. ^ Ekens, Gabriella (April 1, 2015). "Yurikuma Arashi - Episode 12 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
139. ^ Ekens, Gabriella (March 17, 2015). "Yurikuma Arashi - Episode 10 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
140. ^ Ekens, Gabriella (January 27, 2015). "Yurikuma Arashi - Episode 4 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
141. ^ Ekens, Gabriella (March 10, 2015). "Yurikuma Arashi - Episode 9 [Review]". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 20, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
142. ^ Eisenbeis, Richard (May 1, 2015). "Yurikuma Arashi Tackles the Subject of Homosexuality in Japan". Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
143. ^ Hogan, Dee (April 2, 2015). "Yurikuma Arashi Finale Recap: Episode 12 – "YURI KUMA ARASHI"". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
144. ^ Quinn Chiu, Kelly (May 1, 2015). "Anime Year in Review: The Ten Best Shows of 2015". Tor.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
145. ^ Tran, Can (January 12, 2015). "Review: EP 1 & 2 of 'Yurikuma Arashi' is definitely LGBT-friendly". Digital Journal. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
146. ^ Vincent (May 1, 2015). "Femininity, Homosexuality and the Gay Bears of Yurikuma Arashi". Geekly Inc. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
147. ^ "Intersections: GloBLisation and Hybridisation: Publishers' Strategies for Bringing Boys' Love to the United States". intersections.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
148. ^ a b The Japanification of children's popular culture : from godzilla to miyazaki. West, Mark I. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. 2009. ISBN 9780810862494. OCLC 665843888.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: others (link)
149. ^ Galbraith, Patrick W. (2011-09-01). "Fujoshi: Fantasy Play and Transgressive Intimacy among "Rotten Girls" in Contemporary Japan". Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. 37 (1): 211–232. doi:10.1086/660182. ISSN 0097-9740. S2CID 146718641.
150. ^ a b Pagliassotti, Dru (November 2008). "Reading Boys' Love in the West". Particip@tions. 5 (2 Special Edition). Archived from the original on 2008-12-14.
151. ^ "How Has Japanese Anime Influenced the World?". Japan Info. November 17, 2015. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
152. ^ Welker, James (March 26, 2018). "Boys Love, Yuri, and More: Tracing the History of "Queer" (But Not Necessarily LGBT) Media in Japan". Academia.edu. Temple University. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
153. ^ Liu, Ting (April 2009). "Conflicting Discourses on Boys' Love and Subcultural Tactics in Mainland China and Hong Kong". Intersections: Gender, History and Culture in the Asian Context (20). Retrieved March 28, 2020.
154. ^ Grossman, Andrew (2012). "Japanese Film". In Summers, Claude (ed.). The Queer Encyclopedia of Film and Television. San Francisco, California: Cleis Press Start. p. 204\. ISBN 9781573448826.
155. ^ Chambers, Samantha Nicole Inëz (2010). "Anime: From Cult Following to Pop Culture Phenomenon" (PDF). The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications. 3 (2). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
156. ^ Bond, Jean-Michael (April 6, 2018). "Why anime is more popular now than ever". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
157. ^ Yasuo, Yamaguchi (November 28, 2013). "The Evolution of the Japanese Anime Industry". nippon.com. Nippon Communications Foundation. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
158. ^ Joy, Alicia (30 December 2016). "The Daring Appeal Of Yaoi And Yuri Manga". Culture Trip. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
159. ^ Welker, James (2018). "From Women's Liberation to Lesbian Feminism in Japan: Rezubian Feminizumu within and beyond the Ūman Ribu Movement in the 1970s and 1980s". In Bullock, Julia C.; Kano, Ayako; Welker, James (eds.). Rethinking Japanese Feminisms. University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 9780824866693.
160. ^ Baudinette, Thomas (October 2016). "Looking forward to queer utopias: Ambivalent hopes from Japan's new "LGBT boom"". Academia.edu. Monash University Japanese Studies Centre. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
161. ^ Loo, Egan (October 10, 2010). "Yano Research Reports on Japan's 2009-10 Otaku Market". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
162. ^ Zsila, Ágnes; Demetrovics, Zsolt (April 12, 2017). "The boys' love phenomenon: A literature review". Journal of Popular Romance Studies. 6 (Special issue). Retrieved April 8, 2020.
163. ^ Welker, James (May 16, 2015). "Thoughts on the Representation of Yuri Fandom in Kurata Uso's Yuri danshi". Yuricon. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
164. ^ "James Welker, "Boys Love (BL) Media and Its Asian Transfigurations"". Center for East Asian Studies. The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. March 27, 2018. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.

### Sources

[edit]

* Thompson, Kimberly (July 2010). Yuri Animation: Queer Identity and Ecofeminist Thinking (PDF) (Masters Thesis). East Carolina University. Retrieved February 17, 2021.

## Further reading

[edit]

Lamarre, Thomas (2018). The Anime Ecology: A Genealogy of Television, Animation, and Game Media. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-1-5179-0450-0.

McLelland, Mark (2005). Male Homosexuality in Modern Japan: Cultural Myths and Social Realities. Richmond, England: Curzon. doi:10.4324/9780203016688. ISBN 978-0-203-01668-8.

McLelland, Mark; Nagaike, Kazumi; Suganuma, Katsuhiko; Welker, James, eds. (2015). Boys Love Manga and Beyond: History, Culture, and Community in Japan. Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. doi:10.14325/mississippi/9781628461190.001.0001. ISBN 978-1-62846-119-0.

Poitras, Gilles (2000). Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know. US: Stone Bridge Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-880656-53-2.

Stuckmann, Chris (2018). Anime Impact: The Movies and Shows that Changed the World of Japanese Animation. US: Mango. ISBN 978-1-5179-0450-0.

* v
* t
* e

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender topics in Japan

Main article: Sexual minorities in Japan

Law|

* LGBT rights
* Akita
* Ibaraki
* Tokyo
* Tottori
* LGBT Understanding Promotion Act
* Recognition of same-sex unions
* Partnership oath
* Blue boy trial

History|

| General|

* Homosexuality in Japan
* Shudō
* Onnagata
* Kagema
* Wakashu
* X-gender

|

Mythology|

* Amaterasu
* Sōsei Genri
* Empress Jingū
* Yamato Takeru
* transgender shamans
* Oyamakui no Kami

Literature|

| Heian|

* Tosa Nikki
* The Tale of Genji
* The Pillow Book
* Torikaebaya Monogatari
* Ima Torikaebaya
* Ariake no Wakare
* The Lady who Loved Insects

|

Medieval|

* Chigo Monogatari

Edo|

* The Life of an Amorous Woman

Culture|

| General|

* LGBT culture
* Tokyo
* Genderless fashion in Japan

|

Media|

* Badi
* Barazoku
* Dōkō
* Gay Japan News
* G-men
* Otoko-machi Map
* Samson

Events|

* Aomori International LGBT Film Festival
* Asian Queer Film Festival
* Rainbow March
* Rainbow Reel Tokyo

Gay villages|

* Tokyo – Shinjuku Ni-chōme
* Nana-chome & Higashi-Ueno (Ueno)
* Taito Ward (Asakusa)
* Minato Ward (Shinbashi)
* Toshima Ward (Ikebukuro)
* Hokkaido – Susukino
* Kanagawa – Nogecho (Yokohama)
* Aichi – Sakae, Nagoya
* Osaka – Doyama
* Namba
* Shinsekai
* Hiroshima – Nagarekawa (Hiroshima City)
* Fukuoka – Haruyoshi (Fukuoka City)
* Okinawa – Sakurazaka (Naha City)

Related|

* LGBT themes in anime and manga
* Gay manga
* Yaoi
* Yuri
* Class S
* Futanari
* OCCUR (organization)

* v
* t
* e

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender fiction

LGBT writers

Awards|

* Triangle Awards
* Lambda Literary Award
* Stonewall Book Award
* Bisexual Book Awards
* Blue Metropolis Violet Prize
* Dayne Ogilvie Prize
* Gaylactic Spectrum Awards

Festivals|

* Gaylaxicon SF convention
* Film festivals
* Naked Heart
* Saints and Sinners
* Violet Metropolis

By Country|

* Argentina
* Colombia
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Iceland
* Mexico

By media|

| Gay literature and media|

* Bara
* BL dramas
* Early gay novels
* Pulp fiction
* Slash fiction
* Omegaverse
* Teen fiction
* Yaoi
* Danmei
* Pornography
* Media portrayals

|

Lesbian literature and media|

* Class S
* Erotica
* Femslash
* List of lesbian fiction
* Pulp fiction
* Pornography
* Yuri
* Media portrayals

Transgender literature and media|

* List of transgender publications
* Media portrayals
* Pornography

Other literature and media|

* Bisexual
* Intersex
* Bisexual pornography
* Media portrayals of bisexuality

LGBT themes|

* Homoeroticism
* Comics
* Horror
* Mythology
* Speculative fiction
* list
* Video games
* Anime and manga

LGBT characters|

| By medium|

* Modern written fiction
* Animated films
* Animation
* 1960s–1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s
* 2000–04
* 2005–09
* 2010s
* 2010–14
* 2015–19
* 2020s
* 2020–present
* Graphic art
* Soap operas
* Webcomics
* Video games
* 2010s
* 2020s

|

By identity|

* Asexual
* Aromantic
* Bisexual
* in animation
* Gay
* in animation
* Intersex
* Lesbian
* in animation
* Non-binary
* Pansexual
* Transgender

Television
and radio|

| By genre|

* Comedy
* TV film
* Children's TV programming
* Radio and podcast
* Drama
* 1960s–2000s
* 2010–2015
* 2016–2019
* 2020s
* Horror

|

* Shows
* Episodes
* Characters
* lesbian
* gay
* bisexual
* transgender
* intersex

Animation on|

* Cartoon Network
* Disney
* Netflix
* Nickelodeon

Film|

* LGBT films
* directed by women
* by storyline
* by year
* LGBT characters
* Intersex

History|

* Animated series
* Western animation
* 1990s
* 2000s
* 2010s
* 2020s
* History of homosexuality in American film

Other|

* Media portrayal of asexuality
* Media portrayal of pansexuality
* Non-binary characters in fiction
* Intersex characters in fiction
* Gay characters in fiction
* cross-dressing characters

* LGBT portal
* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template