What I'm Looking At

I'm interested in a number of facets of the plot and characterization in animated features.  But all of them can be boiled down to looking at the model of gender that is presented, upheld, or critiqued in the piece and whether that model is progressive or traditional. 

It is my opinion that all of these things reveal to us the model of gender that is being upheld and how that model is changing.

Specifically, this is what I look at:

• The motivations of female characters

• The opportunities afforded to female characters

• The expectations female characters are held to

• The female character's use or disuse of her intellect

• Female character traits

• The ability or desire of female characters to participate in the action

• The gender roles of male characters, especially when non-traditional roles are offered to/by them

Another way to look at it is by asking these questions:

• Who are the female characters?

• What do they do?

• Are they active or inactive?

• Are they intellectual or emotional?

• Do they wait for Prince Charming?  Do they try to save themselves?

• If there's something happening, does she do something?  Does she only moan and wait for the male character?

• What is she allowed to do in society?  If the treatment is traditional, does it offer a critique of tradition (The Hakkenden) or does it uphold it (Cinderella)?

• Does she break with stereotypes?

• Does she get out from under tradition, only to return to it (Mulan)?

• Is there a mother?  What is her role?  Is she dead? Nameless? Silenced? 

With adult animation, whether explicit or not, one must ask a few questions about the treatment of sex and sexuality:

• If there is nudity, is it necessary/serving a purpose (Kokaku Kidotai) or is it gratuitous fan service (Plastic Little)?  Are the female characters objectified by the gaze of the viewer or other characters? 

• If there's sex, why is it there?  Is the character objectified by sex (End of Summer)?  Does it define her whole existence (Fencer of Minerva)?  Is it an expression of love (Kizuna, Tokyo Private Police) or mutual lust (My Fair Masseuse)?  Is a character's "no" respected in regards to sex (Earthian)?

• Is there a question or treatment of rape?  Is it an explicit or implicit treatment?

• If it's an explicit treatment, is it an attempted or actual rape?  Does she fight off her attacker (Wings of Honneamise)?  If a rape occurs, is it treated as a horror or a crime (Kite)?  Is the woman passive (Guy)?  Does she enjoy it (End of Summer, Magical Twilight, Cool Devices: Kirei)?  Is the rape treated as something for the viewer to derive sexual gratification from; is it glorified?

• With either implicit or explicit treatment, how does the victim act afterward?  What is the reaction, from the victim and those around the victim?  How are they treated?  Does she get revenge or attempt revenge (Kite, Cool Devices: Yellow Star, Ayashi no Ceres)? Does she/he move past it emotionally (Wings of Honneamise, Gravitation)?  Does the rape damage the victim's emotional well-being, thereby becoming something that must be worked through (Gravitation, Fushigi Yuugi)?  Does nothing change and life continue as it was (Guy)?  Does sex become the center of her universe (Fencer of Minerva)? Is she killed (Cool Devices: Kirei)?