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Name: Srishti Singh (S223MGS16)

Supervisor: Dr. Kavita
Guided Research Project
17 December 2023

GENDER IDENTITIES AND QUEER RELATIONSHIPS IN SHOUJO MANGAS

Abstract

This study examines how English translations of shoujo mangas represent gender and queer

identities. The project studies four examples of Japanese shoujo mangas—Cardcaptor

Sakura, Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket and NANA—exploring their relationships with femininity,

masculinity, gender identities and queer relations. It utilised shoujo mangas as the primary

source material combined with studies and explorations of mangas, representation and

heteronormative expectations to study portrayal and subversion of traditional constructions of

gender and sexuality. It utilises academic journals, articles and dissertations along with the

selected mangas to provide a case for incorporation of these shoujo mangas to rethink gender

and sexuality representations in pop culture.

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Introduction
Graphic representations of narratives and stories have been a part of the literary scene
for longer than popular opinion. Graphic novels and comic books have emerged as an
alternative medium for storytelling, utilising both its visual and narrative aspects to paint
pictures for the readers. They are a medium of expression for both the creators and the
readers as the protagonists of these comics have brought joy and inspiration for the modern
youth. Apart from its protagonists becoming role-models for the youth, it also influences how
they perceive the world and the people within it and the lifestyle choices taken by their reads.
There are real life implications of how minorities are represented.
Historically, they have also been accused of embodying gender, racial, sexual and class
inequalities and stereotypes. They are known for hypersexualisation of women, where
physical appearance is given priority over them as characters. The mainstream comics have
often sexualised and objectified women and were less likely to hold be in command in these
cases. Female characters in earlier comic books dealt with a lot of physical violence,
depicting heavy mutilation of women in the media. The idea of a ‘damsel in distress’
awaiting rescue from a hero has been heavily popularised in graphic novels and comics. They
portray an immature gender relation, where it maintains gender norms. While over the years,
representation of female characters, including the protagonists has improved, the influence of
gendered bias in comic books have, somewhat, been cemented into readers ideas (Cocca,
2014).
Apart from idealistic and unattainable expectations from female characters, the classic
depictions of masculine identity of a heterosexual male protagonist with an unattainable body
image and lack of space development of emotional quotient (EQ), portraying it to be weak
and feminine affects even the male counterparts, creating body-image issues, suppression of
emotions and an imbalanced idea of hypermasculinity, all of which is considered to be
mentally unhealthy (Brown, 1999). Healthy male protagonist have been overshadowed by the
ideal hypermasculine male stereotype. LGBTQAI+ representation in superhero comics have
remained even less, with very few heroes actually identifying as part of the community.
Though efforts have been made to increase the diversity of comic book characters. (De
Dauw,2021)
Amongst the mainstream comic book series, there is a lack of diversity and representation of
characters that would identify as a part of the queer community. More often than not, such
non-traditional identities, i.e. those that do not support the narrative of a stereotypical acton-
hero, gets relegated the roles of minor characters, comic reliefs or villains (Caza, 2022). From
the gender-fluid depictions of Batman’s Joker to erasure of queer characters in Marvel comic,
the community has often been associated with negative connotations and unwelcome bodies.
Unlike Western comic books, the Eastern comic book genre, namely Japanese Mangas,
Korean Manhwas and Chinese Manhuas has interpreted and portrayed gender representation
from a completely different perspective. The mangas and manhwas have challenged gender,
sexuality and gender-role expectations is portrayed through the vast genres that are available
to the audiences. From shonen and shoujo mangas catered directly to boys and girls
respectively to shonen-ai or shoujo-ai mangas which portray same-sex relationships, Japanese
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mangas have explored for centuries an alternate representation of gender and queer identities
(Johnson-Woods, 2010).
Mangas
Mangas are Japanese comics that belong to a vast variety of genres for a diverse
demographic, created by manga artists, i.e. Mangakas. While they are akin to their western
counter parts, mangas are generally published in a serialised form often in manga magazines,
weekly or monthly. As a visual pop culture media mangas have influence throughout the
Japanese society and global communities. In its early form, Japanese mangakas drew
inspiration from the Western comics but developed them into original scenarios and themes
which were suitable for the pre-war and post-war world. The modern mangas came in 1947
and from there, these comics developed into a national phenomenon, slowly growing to
accommodate a global readership belonging to all walks of life (Johnson-Woods, 2010).
The manga industry has become the biggest print industry in Japan and has had massive sales
both within and outside Japan, generating more revenue than the Japanese film industry. It
covers a broad range of genres reflecting society and creating immersive universes which
become a part of the socio-cultural and even political sphere due to its vast reach. In the
global sphere, by 2004, English manga translations became the fastest growing sector in the
US publishing industry (Lim, 2016). Its sales, both domestically and internationally, have
expanded tremendously, amounting upto 24 million copies sold in 2021 alone. It has an
outreach which has become more mainstream over the past decade, making them an
important source of popular culture.
As it became a part of the mainstream branched out into different subgenres, which were
directed/marketed to different sections of the society. Derived from the Japanese word
‘maiden’ shoujo mangas are targeted towards the younger, female population. Its counterpart,
shounen, coming from the Japanese word ‘Young man’, is similarly catered towards a young,
male audience. The josei and seinen subgenres of manga are similar to shoujo and shounen
mangas, with a more adult focus and geared towards a more mature audience. Another manga
subgenre depicts homoerotic relationships through shoujo-ai and shounen-ai connecting to
the LGBTQIA+ community.
All this apart from affecting the behaviours and perceptions of the readers strengthens the
existing stereotypes and gender norms, weakening the weaker communities. Another issue
that arises is the degradation and invisibility of female comic book fans, due to them being
unable to be vocal about their interests in the male-dominated community from the fear of
misogyny and discrimination (Scott, Suzanne, 2013)
Shoujo Mangas and Gender
As a subgenre, Shoujo Mangas are generally catered towards an adolescent, female audience.
Hence, these mangas are said to be a representation of the desires and expectations held by
the female youth. It develops its own tropes and imagery of the male and female interaction
and representation based on these desires. Initially the subgenre was developed by male
mangakas to present an example of what was considered to be the ideal subservient female;
the shoujo manga industry had an onset of female mangakas after the 1970s, who moved
away from the idea of traditional orthodox ideals of gender roles and boundaries to explore
new ideals and allowing for space to question identities and restrictions (Ayoama,2010). The
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shoujo community views girls as an active agent of consumption and distribution of media.
As mangas become more and more mainstream, girls emerge as consumers, becoming the
primary audience for shoujo mangas; it creates a connection across transnational borders,
uniting desires and expectations for representation (Atkins,2022).
From starting in the 1910s, initially, the shoujo genre depicted imagery of the naivety and
demure nature that was to be expected from girls. The genre was ignored and even critisied
for is emphasis on emotional aspects of story and character design. It was after 1970s, when a
group of female artists began to actually develop shoujo as a genre. A lot of the initial tropes
of the genre were adopted from pre-war girls’ magazines and have later adapted with time.
Thus, emotional exploration and emphasis on a deep self become important in these mangas.
From the 1990s onwards the illustrations in the mangas became more diverse as a growing
want for challenging or inverting identities gained momentum (MacWilliams, 2014).
At its heart shoujo mangas remain to be feminine or ‘girly’ in nature, they have, however,
shifted to become more than simple romance stories. The mangas now relay complex and
often emotional stories, which target girls while embodying a vast variety of genres and
experiences. The genre has turned towards a more progressive and empowering
characterisation while tilting towards femininity as a strength and agency rather than a
hindrance. While the characters do under go sexualisation and feminisation, rather than
becoming a hypersexualised damsel-in-distress stereotype, they view it as an important part
of their identity and clear away from the bias against femininity. Apart from this, there are
representations of queer relationships and shifting gender identities which remain a common
part of these mangas (Nomura, 2015).
Unlike the Western ideas of heterosexuality and queer identities, which developed recently,
the Japanese idea of sexual diversity has, historically, been vastly different. There have been
evidences and written accounts dating back to Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868) depicting
freedom and acceptance of such identities within the community. It was towards the late 19th
Century, as Japan became heavily influenced by the West that the negative connatations
towards fluid gender and sexual identities emerged within Japanese society (McLelland,
2007).
In the shoujo genre, the depiction of homoerotic relationship, between girls, commenced as a
feature of prewar girls’ culture. At the time, these girls were not considered to be rejecting the
heteronormativity, but a part of female development, while maintaining the heterosexual
‘purity’ of the girls till after marriage. Such acts were considered to be displays of affection.
By early 1970s, the lesbian relatioships were overtaken by gay relationships which played on
similar tropes. As the idea of homoerotic relationships became more taboo, these behaviours
became an important representation in popular culture, ultimately leading to the development
of the subgenres of shoujo ai and shounen ai within the manga community.
Modern shoujo mangas became a space for discussion about the female experiences as they
journey from adolescence to adulthood, often viewed form a female gaze. It also attempts to
accommodate gender diversity and queer identities, shifting the narrative away from the
heteronormative discourse. The stories follow characters as they navigate stories deepening
their identities and maturing as they move forward.
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These stories are far removed from the Western ideas of heterosexuality and
heteronormativity, often times blurring the lines between their traditional masculinity and
femininity. While the subgenre still has stories which are restricted to the normative
heterosexual relationships, where romance is the central theme, it does provide a perspective
from the East towards gender identities and sexuality and roles played by these groups
(Hurford, 2009).
Research Objective
The study is an attempt to understand how shoujo mangas represent gender diversity and
sexuality as well as the influence it has towards the audiences they cater to. The project
utilises the English translations of four Japanese Shoujo mangas—Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor
Moon, Fruits Basket and NANA—to understand the portrayal of masculinity and femininity,
gender identities and queer relationships within the shoujo manga community. Apart from the
selected mangas, the research was conducted through reports, journals and research papers to
answer how gender and sexuality have been addressed.
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Cardcaptor Sakura (1996-2000): Gender Inversion and Feminine Protagonists

Cardcaptor sakura is a manga series developed by CLAMP, a quartet of female
mangakas (Nanase Ohkawa, Apapa Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi) and was
published from 1996 to 2000 in monthly instalments. The comic follows Sakura Kinimoto,
10-11 year old school girl who discovers magical powers as a result of freeing powerful
magic cards accidentally. It then becomes her responsibility to find and recapture these freed
Clow Cards with the help of a Clow card guardian Keroberos and her friends Tomoyo
Daidouji and Syaoran Li.
The character of Sakura falls under a widespread Japanese shoujo archetype of a magical girl.
This archetype features women who are powerful in their own right but still remain as
traditionally feminine and girlish. These stories follow the protagonist through the journey of
them mastering their powers and strengthening mentally, physically and emotionally.
Romance, friendships, companionships and relationships remain an inseparable part of these
stories.
Unlike the masculine associations of a powerful protagonist, Cardcaptor Sakura remains
unapologetically feminine in the characteristics of the protagonist. It embraces the girlishness
of Sakura as a typical Japanese elementary schoolgirl. The manga portrays both Sakura and
her powers stem from more conventionally softer and dainty traits like love and empathy
which stays far removed from the pre conceived notions of masculinity. Sakura often
undergoes physical transformations as a part of her magical girl, often giving her
opportunities to don a wardrobe which remains heavily influenced by Japan’s Kawaii
Culture, which stems from the incorporation of cuteness and adorableness in both dressing
and lifestyle. Hence, even the battle outfits in the manga are a far cry from the overtly sexual
female battle armours represented in Western comics.
Since most of the story of the manga is from the lens of a female protagonist we come to
understand both Sakura and her relationships, both romantic and otherwise as well as the
worldview from the eyes of an elementary school student. Her relationship with her brother
Toya and her friendships with Tomoyo and Syaoran and her crush towards Yukito, a friend of
Sakura’s older brother, are a central part of how as a protagonist Sakura interacts with the
environment. The manga does not shy away from representation of these feminised traits but
gladly accepts these elements of everyday girlishness as a defining characteristic of its
heroine. Her being a heroine remains secondary to her identity as a girl. They find a balance
between traditionally feminine activities and becoming an action hero with the goal of
defeating villains and going on adventures.
Despite incorporating such themes of femininity, the manga also works hard to subvert the
gender roles and stereotypes. In spite of being depicted as a delicate and girlish figure, she is
never reduced to becoming a damsel who needs saving. Unlike what would be expected,
Sakura is not very good at a lot of traditionally feminine activities like cooking or crafts,
rather she excels at sports and athletics, i.e. activities associated with masculinity. Even in
terms of relationships, the manga explores not just heterosexual romantic relationships but
also homoerotic and even platonic relationships and how their complexities influence certain
decisions of the characters in the manga. Where Tomoyo’s idolisation and adoration of
Sakura has an underlying subtext of romantic inclinations, with multiple episodes of internal
monologues giving an idea of her crush, remains in the background; to the relationship that
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blossoms between Yukito and Sakura’s brother (Toya), which becomes an important
connection towards the climax of the story, there a number of examples of representation of
queer relationship throughout the story. In the character of Yue, we also get an example of
androgynous designs, a male character with quite feminine characteristics, allowing for
representation of gender fluidity and genderlessness. The ideas of sexuality, gender identity
and homosexuality are not put at the forefront of the story, it simply remain a small part of an
overarching story, i.e. simply exist as a mundane topic rather than as an oddity.
Interestingly, in terms of its adaptation, when the manga was turned into an anime, the
version aired in Japan varied vastly from what was aired for its US audience. A lot of the
femininity and girlish nature of the story was scrubbed clean from the US version. In this
adaptation, the feminine motifs were replaced with a lot more masculine and traditionally
action-hero-esque ideals and characteristics. The softness of Sakura as a heroine and her
everyday life as a schoolgirl were no longer considered to be an essential part of the
narrative, this also affects how she interacts with the people around her and the relationships
that come out of it.
Cardcaptor Sakura, as a manga, illustrates how unlike the preconceived notions of the
idealised action hero, the action hero or heroine, does not necessarily have to be masculine or
even empowered. It rejects the need for masculinisation of the protagonist in order for her to
be powerful and defeat enemies. It rather welcomes and encourages the femininity of the
main character and in various instances celebrates and incorporates the fairy tale girlishness
in the story. The Queer community is also represented through multiple relationships and
characters without it being created into a massive issue, it is not put forward as a defining
characteristic of these characters.
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Sailor Moon (1991-1997): Gender Identity and Queer Relations

Developed by the mangaka Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor Moon is a manga series which
was serialised in a monthly manga Magazine from December of 1991 to February 1997,
publishing 18 volumes in total. The story follows Usagi Tsukino, a 14 year-old middle school
student, who discovers herself to be a reincarnated moon princess with magical powers.
Accompanied by other Sailor Scouts (based on different planets) she fights aliens throughout
Tokyo.
As another story subscribed to the magical girl subgenre, Usagi also falls under a similar
archetype of a traditionally feminine character who inherits powers through an artefact and
undergoes a journey to master her acquired powers while maturing mentally and emotionally.
Similar to Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon also heavily emphasises on friendships and
relationships as a source of power to overcome villains. Romance also plays an important
part in growth of Usagi as a character. Usagi, however, unlike Sakura, is an underachiever
and a clumsy person who does not perform well in school. A lot of the story focuses a lot on
Usagi’s life as a ‘normal’ school life activities away from her identity as Sailor Moon. She
experiences romance, is afraid of fighting and would rather play video games than study.
The manga remains at the core a shoujo manga, therefore, it includes tropes which potray the
character as a feminine and includes a lot of girlish stereotypes which may be harmful as a
gender representation, but the manga while remaining in these constraints often subverts
gender stereotypes and portrays a vast image of LGBTQIA+ community and queerness. The
connection between Usagi and the other Sailor Scouts become the foundation of development
and storytelling in Sailor Moon. The series often empowers and demonstrates forms of
celebrating femininity and sexuality built upon female solidarity and relationships.
The idea of the manga remains that even an ordinary person like Usagi can turn into the hero
who saves the world, juggling with her school life. It attempts to blur the line between Shoujo
and Shonen mangas to incorporate elements which would be considered traditionally
masculine and boyish. The characters act in capacities which would be expected not from
feminine characters but rather from male heroes. The different Sailor Scouts portrays a vast
variety of personalities and body types that would not be considered your typical female
super hero. The feminine traits are simply considered as a part, and even at times, a source of
power for the female characters. They are not masculinised or defeminised in order to suit the
silhouette of traditional action heroes, often termed as ‘pretty soldiers’. It deconstructs the
fetishisation associated with sailor uniforms and turns into an empowering costume.
Apart from the protagonist, the manga contains multiple characters who fall on a large
spectrum of gender fluidity and include a lot of androgynous character designs as well as
queer relationships. The manga often plays with gender constructs, embracing both the
femininity and genderlessness of different characters. One of the most celebrated romance
pairings of the manga remains to be Haruka Tenou, Sailor Uranus, and Michiru Kaiou, Sailor
Neptune, both of whom are important examples of queer representation in the manga
community. The character Haruka is also labelled as gender –fluid or non-binary, as her
character often utilises gender neutral pronouns and never denies and sometimes even
questions the necessity for being reduced to a single gender. Haruka is often associated with a
lot of traditionally masculine traits and hobbies creating space for gender ambiguity. In the
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manga, these topics akin to Cardcaptor Sakura are treated as an unimportant characteristic of
both Haruka and Michiru which goes unaddressed thoughout the entirety of the manga.
The manga portrays different aspects of Usagi and the other Sailor Scouts everyday life built
upon friendships and female solidarity deviating from the heteronormative ideals about
stereotypical action heroes. However, its anime adaptation, especially the US version, takes
away a lot of the queer subtext and feminine portrayals to make it more consumable by the
western audience. The US adaptation erases any form of LGBTQIA+ identities, affecting the
interaction of multiple characters throughout the series.
Sailor Moon, similar to Cardcaptor Sakura, embraces the idea of a feminine heroine, who
despite being an action hero, she remains a typical middle schoolgirl trying to balance school
with saving the world, or in this case Tokyo. While there are characteristics which help lessen
the gap between what is masculine and the femininity of the cast, it still maintains the girlish
innocence that is at the centre of a shoujo manga. Sailor Moon has one of the most iconic
representations of queer relationships and identities within the shoujo manga community and
even within the manga community in its entirety.
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Fruits Basket (1998-2006): Soft Masculinity

Fruits Basket is a Japanese manga developed by the mangaka Natsuki Takaya which
was published from July 1998 to November 2006 with a total of 23 volumes. The story
follows Tohru Honda who discovers the secret of the Shouma family leading to an
unexpected adventure. Based on the Chinese Zodiac, each member of the Shouma family has
been cursed to transform into a different zodiac animal when hugged by the opposite sex. The
story navigates through the eyes of Tohru as she goes from an orphan to belonging to a
family of misfits, namely, Yuki Shouma (rat); Shigure Shouma (dog); and Kyo Shouma (cat).
The central theme of Fruits Basket revolves around the tropes of found family and healing.
Tohru is portrayed as the typical shoujo manga protagonist, who are often sculpted to be
extremely optimistic, kawaii and innocent. She, in the face different hardships remains on the
‘glass half full’ attitude, playing the role of the caretaker and housekeeper in the Shouma
family. A lot of her characterisation is closely mirrored in the stereotypical role of the mother
as she replaces the absent mother figure in the household becoming a source of comfort for
the traumatised members of the Shouma boys. This asserts the stereotype of the feminine role
of nurturing and being domestic and submissive in the conservative and traditional society.
However, by making her a nurturing figure in the story, the mangaka gives space for the male
characters in the series to be not only emotionally vulnerable on multiple occasions, but also
subverts the traditional notions of masculinity in the society. The members of the Shouma
family, i.e. Yuki, Shigure and Kyo, are put in positions which encourage them to grieve and
heal from the traumas and experiences they have had by belonging to the clan as well as from
the ramifications of the curse itself. This shifts the idea of a typical male lead to a more
sensitive and emotionally developed rather than remaining a hypermasculine, stilted and stoic
hero. The manga gives space for emotions, often putting them and the healing at the forefront
of the story.
Tohru is designed to be a more traditional female protagonist, nevertheless, she is also unlike
the typical damsel in distress. She is often the saviour or the voice of reason and
encouragement who motivates and provides solace to more than a few members of the
Shouma family. She provides an optimistic perspective of viewing situations, as she has
overcome setbacks and loss throughout her life and still came out optimistic about life. She is
strong-willed and perceptive and has extremely high emotional quotient (EQ). Throughout
the story, Tohru becomes the catalyst of change and hope to overcome the generational
trauma, including survivors’ guilt and childhood abuse and neglect, which is a common
experience amongst the members of the Shouma clan.
The manga also explores relationships which are not entirely romantic. A lot of the
relationships built in the story heavily lean into a platonic nature, even the main love triangle
involves one side having intense platonic love towards Tohru. This opens a discussion
regarding asexuality and even aromanticism within the story.
Overall, the Fruits Basket manga, while remaining within the confines of a typical shoujo
story, utilises its cast to subvert some of the most common notions of masculinity that is
expected from male characters in a comic book. The people in the manga, male or female, are
given the space to develop emotionally and experience vulnerability that would not be
present for a hypermasculine character in comic books. The manga also uses the nurturing
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nature and empathy of Tohru as a strength, an important trait which makes her the healer and
not give into the damsel in distress trope. She becomes the saviour, rather than needing to be
saved.
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NANA (May 2000-): Modern Feminine identities

Written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, NANA is a Japanese manga series which was
published from May 2000 till May 2006, when it took a hiatus, with 21 volumes currently
published. The manga follows the story of two young women who live completely different
lifestyles in the middle of Tokyo, both named Nana. Nana Osaki who pursues a music career
and has a band named Black Stones; and Nana Komatsu remains a naïve women moving to
Tokyo to live with her boyfriend. The purposes and aspirations of both characters remain
vastly varied giving the readers a chance to vicariously live through both as they lead their
lives and set out to follow their ideals.
Unlike the other mangas, NANA moves away from any sort of fantasy element and is heavily
based in the reality of a young woman living in Tokyo, Japan. It is a slice-of-life manga
which is more a commentary on struggles faced by contemporary women than a magical girl
manga. NANA provides a juxtaposition of Nana O., an independent music artist who would
rather break off her relationship than give up on her dreams and aspirations to Nana K., who
puts a lot of effort into finding and maintaining a boyfriend, so much so that she moves to
Tokyo to remain by his side. Even after breaking up with her boyfriend as a result of
infidelity, Nana K. remains interested in romance and relationships. But subverting
expectations, Nana K. is the active pursuer in these relationships rather than the passive
receivers who awaits people to approach her.
On the other hand Nana O. is constructed to be a financially independent, socially ‘strong’
female figure who is somehow expected to be aloof and uncaring, and contains a lot of
traditionally masculine traits. In spite of that, she is seen to experience personal turmoil and
relationship issues. She is self-reliant and has a strong personality, but as a person, she also
experiences loneliness and dependency which should be unlike the typical characterisations
of a person like Nana O.
Throughout the manga, Nana K. slowly develops to grow stronger and departs from the
dependency she has on just love and relationships to grow towards a path of betterment,
growing to understanding her own flaws. Whereas, Nana O., as the manga moves, forward
learns to become more vulnerable and allows for people to break past the barriers she has
held around herself. She slowly learns to let go of her reservations and open up, especially
after the two main protagonists meet and interact. The manga presents a space for growth in
both women as individuals who are surviving in Tokyo. It accompanies the main leads as
they encounter setbacks and opportunities to experience growth.
Due to the lack of fantastical elements, the readers get to understand depictions of
contemporary women residing in Tokyo and the struggles and heartaches they experience
based in a more real situation. It deals out two starkly different women who apart from their
name have nothing in common, and relates a coming-of-age story where the women are
capable of taking decisions regarding the life they want to live regardless of whether the
actions are right or not. It allows the characters to deal with the consequences of their actions.
How they navigate through adulthood as they mature through experiences portrays an idea of
the transition from adolescence to the next stage. The two protagonists deal with insecurities,
heartbreaks and responsibilities which accompany growing up. NANA captures the struggles
and foolishness of both as modern women residing in Tokyo.
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Since the manga has undergone a hiatus, there is yet to be a resolution to the story of the two
Nana’s, who even now remain two completely different entities with varied aspirations, the
story remains incomplete. However, based on the story published so far, NANA is a manga
that opens up a space for discussion of the struggles faced by contemporary women, no
matter how dissimilar they are to each other. The two women undergo a journey of discovery
and self-growth and the story becomes an example of representation of women from diverse
backgrounds and contrasting ideals.
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Conclusion
As shown through this study, the wide variety of mangas that are published under the
genre of shoujo mangas have examples of subversive literature on the ideas of gender and
sexuality. These mangas discuss the issues of femininity, gender identities and queer
relationships. Both Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon are prototypes of the magical girl
subgenre of shoujo mangas which celebrate both the femininity and girlish nature of its
protagonist also allow them to be powerful action-hero-esque characters who battle villains
and serve as protectors. These mangas also provide some very popular models of homoerotic
relationships and gender-fluid identities, which are not used as a fetishisation but rather a
mundane part of life. Mangas like Fruits Basket, while remaining within the confines of the
shoujo manga tropes, subverts the ideas of masculinity and the effeminate notion that are
connected to emotional vulnerability, moving away from heteronormativity with portrayals of
soft masc uline characters. While NANA gives its audience a representation of
contemporary independent women on a varied spectrum and the struggles they encounter as
they are growing up and coming of age. NANA provides a space where these women have
the agency to make decisions and accept the consequences of said decisions.
While these depictions may not be the most ideal representations of gender identity and queer
relations, often perpetuating the stereotypical associations of members of these communities,
they do provide an alternative to the popular understandings of a comic book protagonist. In
conforming to traditional notions and heteronormative ideals these shoujo mangas, ironically,
subvert some of the popular prejudices and perceptions within pop culture representation.
Hence, shoujo mangas become an alternative frame of reference for identity portrayal in
media.
Shoujo mangas focus on relationships and friendships which evolve throughout the series and
are treated as a source of strength for its protagonists. Representation of gender and sexuality
and queer identities have remained a part of and will remain a part of shoujo mangas. They
provide an alternate perspective to the Western ideal comic book heroes and are often a lot
softer in depiction of female protagonists who wield powers. Unlike them, the femininity of
these characters get embraced as a strength for the characters and queer identities remain a
non-defining trait of characters, they are simply a part of them. Hence, gender representation
in Mangas, especially shoujo mangas are far removed from representation in traditional
heteronormative comics.
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