Anime Feminist - Japanese pop culture through a feminist lens

Higurashi, subversion of moe, and the birth of the modern yandere

History

Rena and Shion originally appeared in direct counterpoint to the then-oversaturated moe tropes of the time; however, what began as subversion would become an archetype all of its own, for better or worse.

Folktales, gender and transformation in Where the Wild Ladies Are

Feature

Aoko Matsuda’s award-winning folklore collection, Where the Wild Ladies Are, is a feminist retelling of traditional Japanese ghost stories. Transformation is key throughout the collection, both to the characters’ journeys and to Aoko’s commentary on ancient and modern gender expectations.