Japanese Anime, as audio-visual adaptations of Manga comics, has achieved global cultural dominance, influencing diverse audiences worldwide. The Global anime streaming platform, Crunchyroll, has recognised India being the second largest market for Anime after the US, with strong fandoms among youth (aged 16+) across urban and rural demographics. As Anime exports Japanese narratives internationally, understanding how it shapes and reflects societal conceptions of gender becomes increasingly important. This article aims to examine the representation of Masculinities in Japanese Anime, focusing on the differences observed in the portrayal of men and Masculinities within the genres of Shonen and Shoujo. Additionally, the study explores the reflection of female masculinity as portrayed in anime, to assess how these narratives reinforce or subvert traditional gender norms within Japanese cultural contexts and their transnational implications. Employing a qualitative multimodal content analysis approach, the study scrutinizes visual, narrative, and dialogic elements in four exemplary titles (Shonen anime: Jujutsu Kaisen (2018) written and illustrated by Gege Akutami, and My Hero Academia (2014) written and illustrated by Kohei Horikoshi; and Shoujo Anime: Kamisama Hajimemashita (2008) written and illustrated by Julietta Suzuki, and Our Dining Table (2023) written and illustrated by Mita Ori). The research is rigorously grounded in gender and masculinity theories, providing a comprehensive analysis of the multifaceted aspects of gender identity and its depiction in Japanese anime. By illuminating anime’s role in negotiating Japanese gender ideologies amid globalization, this research enriches cultural studies discourse on media, identity, and transnational feminism, offering insights for cross-cultural gender education.

Authors:
Nilanjana Banerjee, Pondicherry University, India

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Nilanjana Banerjee, a PhD research scholar in the department of Sociology, Pondicherry University. Her general interests lies in Feminist theories and Media studies. She is currently working on understanding the portrayal of gender in media.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilanjana-a4a751218

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