Sexism In Anime

It's like when Stormzy said Britain was racist. Every single Briton is personally racist is not what he meant, but that the society has racist biases. Likewise, not all Japanese people (or even just men) are sexist or misogynist, but Japanese society has sexist biases.

Edited by GoldenKaos on Feb 12th 2020 at 1:19:19 PM

Every society have problem with sexism. And like every problem there are many aspects to it. Saying Japan sexism problem is worse than other society because it don't follow the standard set by another country is just shallow observation without considerate other aspects. Even American ideal of strong woman have issue, mainly that it media said that there only one way to be consider a strong woman, you have to be emotional death and kickass.

Edited by BattleRaizer on Feb 12th 2020 at 8:21:34 PM

Sorry, but what's the source for that Anno quote? I find it difficult to comment on a paraphrased, out-of-context quote.

You're right, Japan's sexism is unique as every country and culture is unique.

And in that regard it's far more pervasive, all encompassing, and insidious, and it radiates in almost every aspect of Japanese life in a way far more blatant and open than anything you'd find in America or most western European nations.

The glass ceiling in Japan is made of concrete.

Which people would know if they ever bothered to actually listen to Japanese women instead of just glossing over or trying to ignore the problem.

Edited by LeGarcon on Feb 12th 2020 at 8:20:53 AM

I think saying "every society has a problem with sexism so you can't judge them against each other" is ... actually a little anti-intellectual. Yes, every country will face unique challenges, but you can zero in on specific issues like "do women have the vote?" or "do women get paid maternity?" or "is there a strong societal pressure for traditional gender roles?" and so on and so forth and then compare between societies and then create a nuanced overall comparison between countries.

As said, some of the things mentioned in the video Imca shared would just not happen in the modern West without fear of swift legal action or at least contacting the HR department. And the university scandal isn't even illegal.

Edited by GoldenKaos on Feb 12th 2020 at 1:29:04 PM

But the quote compared Japanese society with only American and said America is a utopia compare to Japan, so it just compare with American standard. The culture of the 2 countries are so difference that you can't really apply the same standard between the two. Even males standard of the 2 countries are quite difference.

@Aegis P and Lyendith

Here is apparently where it's quoted from

http://web.archive.org/web/20020606012703/http://masterwork.animemedia.com/Evangelion/anno.html

It's not a scan so I guess they could have made it all up. If so, I will retract my criticisms of Anno.

EDIT:

Looking it up, I could maybe even buy this issue of the magazine for cheap and try to confirm this. I might do that. Believe me, I don't want to make up shit about a person if they never said it. I just had no reason to doubt Anno being antagonistic against Rei fans. It's one of his defining characteristics as a creator.

Edited by Nikkolas on Feb 12th 2020 at 5:42:01 AM

Source? The quote above only really mentions "They (the Japanese) can't handle strong women such as Misato and Asuka" - which is pretty consistent with Japanese gender norms.

Opps, wrong quote. But still, saying Japanese can't handle strong female character implied those characters are the only way a woman can be consider strong and remove all context of those characters' personality. Personally i never like any cast members of EVA beside Misato.

Funnily enough, I was alerted to this: Asuka is #1 in the Evangelion Store poll from a year ago. Rei was in a distant third.

I could also list the countless incredibly popular female characters from Japanese games and animation. As a Final Fantasy fan, Lightning was super duper absolutely beloved. NHK is doing these huge polls and in the FF one, Lightning, Aerith, Yuna and Tifa will most certainly make the Top 10. One of the biggest Japanese video game franchises of all time and half the Top 10 will be women.

Edited by Nikkolas on Feb 12th 2020 at 5:57:24 AM

I have a feeling, Nikkolas, that the popularity of of certain female characters, while probably better than them not being liked at all, isn’t quite the silver bullet you seem to think it is.

In any case, I can understand a reluctance to make blanket statements about a whole country - I certainly don’t want this to become a case of “the sophisticated Westerners tell the backwards Japanese how to do things”.

That’s why, I think, it’s important to listen to what Japanese women have to say about this, and I do think people like Imca’s experiences have shown that there are a lot of problems, so say the least.

Also:

Look, even if they did say things like that, that’s not proof. Abe’s a single person, and a conservative politician at that - he’s hardly unbiased, nor does he have a full view of the situation. I mean, just to give an example, if you asked a government official during the era of Jim Crow if America had a racism problem and they said no, would you believe them?

And you know better because...?

No-one said only Japanese people can speak about Japan, but rather that you really need a better argument when the evidence from multiple testimonies from the culture itself and the demographic most affected contradicts you.

And then an actual Japanese woman came in and pointed out, no, they can't, in fiction or otherwise, before posting a video where several other actual Japanese woman gave examples of the blatant sexism they faced. Then you dismissed her and them on the grounds that just because she's from Japan doesn't mean she knows what she's talking about.

Talk about stereotypes, going "I know better about the place you come from than you do" is stereotypical arrogant American talk.

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Feb 12th 2020 at 10:01:23 AM

Which isn't what i said, but good try.

You also said this, Mr. Links to an Edit Made After the Fact the Person You're Arguing With Couldn't Possibly Have See."

But sure, I'm the dishonest one here.

EDIT: Fine, my apologies. Still, maybe you should've believed her the first time before she had to post a video proving her claim.

EDIT #2: Okay, never mind, The arrows you edited in show that you are calling me a liar. Apology retracted.

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Feb 12th 2020 at 10:07:17 AM

I mean, you didn't engage with her argument at all.

Or mine, for that matter.

Just stop digging dude

Going back to that, Nikkolas, why even bring up America? Anno only mentions Japan in the initial quote you used.

1. No one said America isn't misogynist.
2. In fact, you are the one that claimed it was a stereotype to say that Japan is misogynist, after a Japanese woman said, essentially, "it really do be like that." She had to post a video proving her claim because you didn't believe her the first time. So for you to claim that people were saying America isn't misogynist is both a strawman and projection.

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Feb 12th 2020 at 10:14:05 AM