AniFem Round-Up
I’m Not Okay (and That’s Okay): Happy Sugar Life and the comfort of “bad survivor” narratives
Sometimes survival and recovery looks ugly, and sometimes it’s an utterly disastrous work of art that helps us hold on.
“Serves You Right”: The abolitionist condemnation of retributive justice in Akudama Drive
This 2020 cyberpunk series might be anime’s most incisive critiques of policing and the prison system in recent memory, one that hasn’t gotten a day less relevant.
Trans Safety and Education Resources
For anyone feeling scared and powerless, we’ve put together some resources that offer emergency services, ways to connect with your community, or legal services. Let’s take care of ourselves and one another.
Beyond AniFem
How Crunchyroll treated me after my hardest year (LinkedIn, Shawn Hoffman)
Allegations from a former Crunchyroll employee regarding mistreatment when he sought medical leave.
I gave my all to Crunchyroll—working nights and weekends, driven by passion for the fans and the platform. Even while facing one of the most devastating challenges of my life—my mother’s terminal cancer—I remained dedicated to my work. When the stress, depression, and anxiety became overwhelming, I was diagnosed with anxiety and major depressive disorder and requested an ADA accommodation—a reasonable step that should have been met with understanding and support. Instead, I experienced hostility. A manager I didn’t even report to cursed me out and made an extremely obscene gesture during a workplace conversation. I documented the incident and reported it to HR. Instead of taking corrective action, I noticed a shift in how I was treated—subtle at first, then more overt. I raised concerns about workplace treatment, professionalism, and respect. Shortly after, Crunchyroll made the decision to terminate my employment, citing a ‘policy violation’.
JOC member slams Trump executive order barring transgender athletes (The Mainichi)
The next summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles.
The executive order “sends a discriminatory message against all members of the LGBTQ+ community and has a negative impact on the entire sports world,” Fumino Sugiyama, a transgender activist and a former member of the Japanese women’s national fencing team, said in a statement.
“As stated in the Olympic Charter, ‘all individuals can participate in sports without discrimination’ and it’s a fundamental human right that should be protected internationally,” Sugiyama said.
At a signing ceremony Wednesday in Washington, Trump asserted that the “war on women’s sports is over” thanks to the executive order, bringing criticism from human rights groups and Democrats who support the rights of sexual minorities.
Smile-Up sues sex-abuse victims who reject offers of compensation (The Asahi Shimbun, Amane Shimazaki)
The four individuals being sued were victimized by company founder Kitagawa during their time as talent at the agency.
At the news conference, Tanaka emphasized that Smile-Up’s lawsuit was filed shortly after it became clear that the company had been sued in the United States.
“It is too vicious to file a lawsuit against victims out of the blue,” Tanaka said. “I think other victims are worried that they will also be sued by (the company).”
Oshima said Smile-Up appears intent on ending the issue of sexual abuse and compensation as soon as possible.
“Is this really what (the company) means when it says, ‘We will act in a way that is close to the victims’?” he asked.
Yuko Atsumi, a lawyer representing the victims, said Smile-Up is unilaterally imposing its own framework on the victims.
She also said the lawsuit could be a means of preventing victims from taking legal action in the United States.
A representative of Smile-Up told The Asahi Shimbun that the company intends to proceed with compensation payments in accordance with decisions of the victims relief committee.
“In order to ensure fairness among the victims, Smile-Up cannot increase or decrease the amount of compensation at its sole discretion, and it must leave the matter to the court’s judgment,” the representative said.
Metaphor ReFantazio is good and fantasy racism is still silly (Medium, Jeffrey Rousseau)
Spoiler-heavy discussion of where the game’s use of racism-as-metaphor fail it.
Fantasy racism as a trope is something that may be doomed to fall short when used. I am constantly reminded of this as my racially and culturally diverse peers share these thoughts and feelings with media. There are probably works that have Tungsten-like (I doubt that) nuances of real-world racial and ethnic oppression and its logical failures.
This is a game that’s won a lot of people’s favor and awards. But all its writing wasn’t without some misses. But that’s bound to happen. The title has other themes that could be critically analyzed as well, such as liberation, class solidarity, taking real political action, etc. I’m sure those analyses would also have some mixed results.
To quote a peer of mine, Metaphor ReFantazio is certainly a RPG that speaks to players about progressive and idealistic beliefs about society and politics. However, as a consumer and entertainment product for the public, it can only go so far with those goals.
Still, it’s a solid story about a young brown boy and his multiethnic allies working towards a future where governance doesn’t oppress everyone and people live in a more equitable country. They just happen to have to stop a pale, evil guy along the way.
Iran-born actress who calls Japan home cites plight of child refugees (The Asahi Shimbun, Ryuichi Kitano)
Sahel Rosa recently published two books in Japanese about child refugees, and has served as an ambassador for several nonprofit organizations.
One of the books, “Korekara Otonaninaru Anata ni Tsutaetai Junokoto” (10 things I’d like to tell you before you become an adult), was released by Doshinsha Publishing Co.
Sahel wrote about her background as a way to encourage young readers.
She met Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh and encountered Syrian refugees in Iraq and Jordan.
Those experiences reminded Sahel of her younger self as a child orphaned by war.
The cover of the book is a photo taken in 2023 when she visited an orphanage in Iran where she had stayed as a child.
When Sahel visited Slovakia in 2022, she met refugees from Ukraine, one of whom was a little girl separated from her family.
Seeing the brave child putting on a smile, Sahel told her it was OK to cry in front of her.
Through her tears, the girl told Sahel she was trying so hard to smile that she forgot how to cry.
“I want people to read books, watch documentaries or online videos and use other resources for 15 minutes a day and learn about the world,” Sahel said.
‘Order from your phone’: Blind man’s ordeal in Shibuya pub shows lack of staff awareness (The Mainichi, Shinji Kurokawa)
The restaurant expected patrons to order from their phones and had call and order buttons, with no accommodations for disabled patrons; many businesses have used a lack of workforce post-lockdown as a reason to switch to automated systems.
The following day, the man looked up the company that operated the pub. Both the staffer at the pub and the employee who answered the phone replied, “We’ll make improvements,” but it sounded like mere lip service. He was unconvinced.
“Everyone should have the right to go anywhere they want and receive the same service, regardless of whether they have a disability,” the man said.
The pub’s Tokyo-based operator runs over 50 izakaya, primarily in the Kanto region. The Mainichi Shimbun inquired in writing about the appropriateness of the pub’s response and whether improvements had been made.
The company replied, “We are confirming the facts, but we recognize that our employee training and guidance were insufficient.” It added, “We have been balancing service improvements with efficiency. We believe that in this process, we failed to sufficiently consider that this imposed a burden on people with disabilities. We take the comments seriously and will work on raising awareness and making improvements.”
Industry group: “It shouldn’t have happened”
In 2016, the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities required companies to endeavor to make “reasonable accommodations” to meet the needs of people with disabilities, so long as the burden is not excessive, and this became mandatory in April 2024.
Osaka lawyers to help foreign victims of ‘unauthorized divorce’ (The Asahi Shimbun, Tetsuaki Otaki)
The means to protest these divorces can be labyrinthine and financially burdensome, particularly for foreign nationals.
In Japan, when either party submits a divorce notification signed by both spouses to a municipal office, the divorce is finalized as long as the documents are complete.
There is no need to affix a seal to the document, so forged signatures have become a problem.
This system is said to be a remnant of the Meiji Era (1868-1912), when husbands, considered the “head of the household,” could unilaterally divorce their wives.
Foreign spouses can be put at a distinct disadvantage in Japan concerning unauthorized divorce due to their status or language barrier.
“Unauthorized divorce is possible even between Japanese nationals, but when foreign nationals are involved, the case is directly related to their status of residence as a spouse or child of a Japanese national,” said Masahito Nakai, a lawyer who is a member of the bar association.
“If they unknowingly lose that status, they may be unable to become permanent residents,” he said.
New to Josei? Here Are 7 Great Starter Anime for Beginners (SlashFilm, Cassandra Ronning)
While these are great suggestions (though Nana is technically shoujo), we’d highly advise readers against picking up the Usagi Drop manga after finishing the anime.
Princess Jellyfish is a heartwarming and unconventional josei that explores themes of self-acceptance, identity, and found family. The eleven-episode series centers on Tsukimi, a shy jellyfish enthusiast who lives in a women-only apartment complex with fellow socially awkward otakus. Their lives are turned upside down when they meet Kuranosuke, a fashionable cross-dressing aristocrat who challenges their fears of society. This anime promotes the importance of self-confidence and breaking free of self-imposed barriers.
Princess Jellyfish critiques societal norms, particularly how women outside of conventional beauty standards are overlooked. Tsukimi’s journey isn’t only about confidence but also about blossoming in a world that often dismisses passionate, introverted individuals. Kuranosuke’s presence also challenges typical gender roles, showcasing josei’s tendency to explore identity outside of romantic narratives or subplots.
January 2025 Romance Games News and Updates (Blerdy Otome, Naja)
A round-up of full game, demo, and game jam releases for January.
Otome Games Celebration (Coming soon)
The Otome Games Celebration is a Steam festival hosted by Crystal Game Works that focuses on sharing & celebrating the wide range of otome available on Steam!
The event will be held from May 19-26th on Steam as a week-long festival. New otome demos, sales, and more will be part of the festivities! The Otome Games Festival is currently looking for participants!
VIDEO: More suggestions of shoujo to try if you like these shounen titles.
AniFem Community
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