Transgenderism and Japanese Anime: A Case Study of Kämpfer

Abstract

Japanese anime has gradually become popular in the worldwide animation market since the 1980s and 1990s. But it is only in recent years that it has begun to receive academic attention as part of popular culture studies. This paper focuses on gender transitioning in Japanese anime and its relationship with transgenderism. After a brief introduction to the history of gender transitioning in Japanese anime, it critically reviews related literature on Japanese anime and transgenderism. Through an analysis of specific work Kämpfer, which centers on gender transitioning, this paper explores transgenderism in Japanese anime. This paper argues that the subgenre of gender transitioning anime is not progressive, but instead reinforces male dominance and concepts of gender binary. Researchers of Japanese anime seldom pay attention to gender transitioning as a subgenre, and scholars of gender studies rarely consider how Japanese anime, with its huge influence on transgender communities in Japan, affects the way Japanese people perceive gender transitioning. This paper connects the two fields to examine issues that have often been neglected.