« おすすめ: for those who prefer the uninterrupted | Main | For all you kids out there who have always wondered what Shibuya crossing looks like through the lens of a kaleidoscope... »

August 30, 2008

Comments

Mr. Salaryman

Hey there Lea!
Please check out my latest post and feel very welcome to join!

Daruma

There are actually quite a lot of female stereotypes in manga who are not daft, yet irresistably cute. Some are quite belligerent, like Chichi (Dragonball), Ranmas 1/2 Akane, Anna from Shaman King - but somehow these girls are liked despite being headstrong and smart.
I completely agree about the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko having to sacrifice everything including her personality.
Concerning gender roles in Japan, I've found watching "Kimi wa petto" quite interesting. And weird.

Veronica

About Yamato Nadeshiko, didnt anyone consider that if she really cared about being an "indivisual," and her "personality" maybe she wouldn't have married someone who would ask her to sacrifice it? All I am saying is this is 2008 and if all these women are worried about falling into the fold of Japanese stereotypes then that is a personal choice to not get married. I mean if someone was getting beat up by their boyfriend/husband/girlfriend we would say leave him/her so why can't Japanese women remove themselves from people who don't respect them?

Thinking about my own personal feminist path and what helps me sleep at night is: while I may not be able to change the way my culture as a whole views women, the only thing I can change is the people and relationship I come into personal contact with.

postpaleo

That type of cartoon is very popular among those with Asperger's Syndrome. Easy to read facial expression, so I gather. Probably more to it and this heroine sounds wonderful and I would hope gets what ever she needs to get done. If she doesn't, then shame on them. Way to much negativity as it now stands.

The rate of Asperger's in Japan is very very low. It's interesting how the culture supposedly deals with this non-existing condition. It does make me wonder if the makers of this cartoon are hip to some of the reasons that it is popular. Interesting you would throw a stereotype on it. Is she really stupid? I know some that were considered to be such when young and now blow the IQ test off the scale. They want to study them and again, welcome to the world of labels. It's not fun when you come pre-wired for it. Very misunderstood.

VicariousRising

Hmm. This character sounds a bit like me as a teenager. Is her mother overbearing by any chance?

My god, the idea that men want their women smart, capable of great things, but want them to sacrifice it all to be beneath them is so depressing. I like what Veronica wrote. It makes the whole problem seem at least slightly more manageable.

K

"That is to say, I no longer believe that the "ideal" japanese woman need be dumb and submissive. No, no, it`s more difficult than that. Instead, she has to be naturally capable of great things, yet filial enough to sacrifice every ounce of her potential for the sake of her husband and family."

A++

The comments to this entry are closed.

My Photo

Me:

  • Gratefully, joyfully, painfully, pissedoffedly, reflectively, creatively SOBER since January 3, 2007! I have worked as a nightclub hostess, a pre-school teacher and a Japanese-English translator. Right now I am an English tutor and a non-fiction author who is trying very, very hard to become a novelist. Tokyo is home.

the book

  • BAR FLOWER: My Decadently Destructive Days and Nights as a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess, by me

What Are You Waiting For?

March 2012

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
        1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Blog powered by Typepad
Member since 05/2007

...