Anime Feminist is two months old today! This month we have exceeded $750 in Patreon pledges, committed to pay all our writers from January 1st, set up a new contributor process to make submissions easier and run more smoothly and launched our first collaboration.
In many ways, Kiss Him, Not Me is a perfect series for a feminist blog to explore: it does some things very well, some things very badly and inspires strong, mixed feelings. This is especially true in the way it handles physical contact, consent, and assault.
In episode 7, Yuri on Ice directly connected Victor to famous gay skater Johnny Weir. Meanwhile, members of the anime fandom are digging their heels in about whether Victor throwing himself lips first at Yuri was actually gay.
We are officially one month old! It seems like much longer, but we launched on 11th October and have officially been up and running in public for one calendar month.
Discourse doesn’t have the best reputation in anime fandom.
After just six days, AniFem has beaten our first Patreon milestone! To celebrate, here is a behind-the-scenes “state of the nation” update on our supporters, our response to criticism, and our plans for the future.
(I need to work on catchier titles.)
Coping with loss through new responsibilities outside the protagonist’s comfort zone looks likely to be the path of this anime.
March Comes in Like a Lion has a real mish-mash of tonal shifts, but it’s handled so skillfully that it doesn’t feel jarring.
This could turn into a pleasant slice of life show, especially if they keep avoiding the fanservice as they have.
The horror parts of this anime could work, but it’s so badly outweighed by the horrendous representations of women and gay men that it’s impossible to stomach.
Silliness is hit and miss for me, but ClassicaLoid sensibly keeps grounded Kanae front-and-centre and insists the goofier characters at least try to fit into her world rather than the other way around.
This is either the flimsiest premise of the season or we’re about to be hit with an onslaught of backstory justifying the world’s rules.
The serious pacing and humour problems revealed in this episode could be just a good anime having a bad premiere or the sign of fundamental problems to come.
The actual anime itself is a very typical shounen sports story, playing off a similar odd couple dynamic as Eyeshield 21, only with the violent guy lacking all knowledge of the sport and the gentle guy having all the natural talent and experience.
Kiss Him, Not Me is fundamentally a comedy about how awful people can be to each other.
Keijo is a sport where girls in bikinis stand on platforms floating in swimming pools and have to knock each other to the ground or into the water, using only their backsides or breasts. Fanservice is baked into the premise and is constant from the very start, but surprise! I don’t hate Keijo!!!!!!!!.
Played right, this could be a beautiful, rewarding, and confidently queer story.
If this first episode is anything to go by, Yuri on Ice will be anime of the season for me.
Nanbaka is fast-paced and chock-full of jokes, some more ridiculous than others.
