LGBTQ themes in anime and manga

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 the 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, 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]

  1. ^ "FAQ". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024. For all purposes related to Anime News Network, anime is animation that is primarily produced and conceived in Japan.
  2. ^ Bond, Jean-Michael (January 27, 2021). "Why anime is more popular now than ever". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on September 7, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024. To a Japanese viewer, anime is any cartoon, whether it's made in Japan or not. Outside of Japan, however, the term anime has come to mean "animation made in Japan," or more broadly, any animated show or movie that uses signature aspects of Japanese-style animation
  3. ^ Benshoff, Harry M.; Griffin, Sean (2006). Queer images: a history of gay and lesbian film in America. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Pub. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-0-7425-6857-0. OCLC 276105911.
  4. ^ 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. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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. ^ 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.