Chatty AF 191: Anime and Abolition – Part 1 (WITH TRANSCRIPT)
Toni and special guests MoBlack and Danny discuss the history of state violence and abolition, then tackle some major titles that touch on prisons, justice, and police violence.
My Hero Academia Tag
Results-
-
“I Can’t Wait Around Anymore”: Civilian women’s agency in My Hero Academia versus Fullmetal Alchemist
The emotional strain a woman experiences in a relationship with someone who’s so often in danger yet doesn’t communicate is rarely treated as a real issue. A woman’s opinion apparently doesn’t count if she’s not involved in combat. In fact, it’s almost implied that she doesn’t count.
-
Introduction to Copaganda in Anime and Manga
Media from all over the globe contains an abundance of pro-law enforcement storylines and themes. Anime and manga are not exempt from this, with some of the most successful franchises in both mediums espousing dangerous, pro-cop social politics. That’s why this piece aims to introduce new and old anime fans to the concept of copaganda, highlight some of the most popular ways the practice appears so that it can be regularly identified, and offer some direction on how fans can still enjoy the mediums in spite of these prevalent themes.
-
“Black Should Sound Black”: The inherently racist politics of anime dubbing
There are a lot of assumptions packed into the belief that the best voice actor always gets the role. The statement alone implies that we live in a true meritocracy, which is false. FUNimation, easily the biggest producer of English anime dubs, routinely casts from an extremely small and extremely white pool of voice actors. The idea of “casting the right person for the role” is precluded by insidious biases and practices such as lazy casting, where voice directors will rely on a few go-to voice actors they prefer to work with in lieu of seeking out a wider pool of talent.
-
Pride, Policing, and the Conservative Politics of My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia, in its proud declarations of right and wrong, good and evil, heroism and villainy, argues how the world should be. Understanding how My Hero Academia works means understanding what this prescription is, and who gets labeled the villains.
-
My Hero Academia Shows Us How To Write Damsels (And Dudes) In Distress
It’s easy to think the best solution to any harmful trope is to avoid it altogether and, to an extent, in the short term, this is true. In the long term, however, avoiding a trope entirely can be counterproductive, creating a new harmful trope on the other side of that same coin.
-
Dumbbells, Katsudon, and Fat Gum: Fat-shaming and body positivity in modern anime
Anime (like media in general) has a rough record when it comes to body positivity. Fat-shaming is frequent and even stories that attempt positivity often fall into fetishization. Fortunately, there are bright spots as well, particularly in series that integrate fat characters without drawing attention to it.
-
Demolishing the Demographic Double Standard: Why more manga “for boys” need to treat their girls better
There is a double standard at play: media targeted at or starring women is “for girls,” while media targeted at or starring men is “for everyone” (unless, of course, someone who isn’t a man is critical of it; then it wasn’t “for them”).
-
Gender Inequity in My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is one of my favorite series in recent years. Regrettably, though, it’s not entirely free of some of the most frustrating (and typical) shounen stereotypes that frequently undermine its strong female cast.
-
Anime Feminist Recommendations of Summer 2017
We’ve logged all the Fall 2017 premieres, so now it’s time to take a look back at our favorites from last season. Princesses, heroes, and soccer boiz—oh my!
-
Fire Balls & Ice Rinks: How My Hero Academia reflects inequality in competitive sports
When I watch these heroes-in-training attend U.A. High and compete in an elaborate sports competition, I’m much more impressed with its commentary on the inequality sports competitions breed, particularly in regard to gender.
-
Anime Feminist Recommendations of Spring 2017
Now that we’ve knocked out the Summer 2017 premieres, it’s time to take a fond look back at our favorites from last season.
-
How My Hero Academia confronts shounen sexism
The success of My Hero Academia can be attributed to many factors, but most prominent among them, at least to me, has been Horikoshi’s ability to break from traditional narratives to create a truly unique story. One such example is in his handling of female characters in that shounen staple: the tournament arc.
