Women behind the scenes

By: Anime Feminist August 21, 20173 Comments
a promotional picture from AnimeFest, featuring the guest list of Yamamoto, Kubo, and Hiramatsu on the left, and a promo image from Yuri on Ice on the right

As Sayo Yamamoto, Mitsuru Kubo, and a host of other talented folks graced AnimeFest’s 2017 lineup, it became clearer than ever that this level of celebrity status is pretty uncommon for women in the anime industry (particularly in western fandom). The reasoning is twofold: the contributions of behind-the-scenes folks tend to be less obvious to a fan who isn’t industry savvy, and the big, recognizable jobs like director and head writer often go to men. That Yuri!!! on ICE is a success with women directing and writing, and that Yamamoto in particular is gaining fame when so much of her work focuses on adult women’s stories, is special indeed.

In honor of that, let’s celebrate the women who work on the production side of the anime industry.

  • How much attention do you pay to the production side of anime?
  • Who’s your favorite female writer, director, or animator?
  • Are there any up-and-coming artists you’re keeping an eye on?
  • What works would you like to see adapted with women in writer and/or director roles?

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