volarelejos

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Fat shaming in anime, manga, and comics

Identify and critique instances of fat shaming in various stories that are present across the different categories of anime, manga, and comic books. How/why is fat shaming in these genres harmful? How can the situation be improved?

I'd say an interesting example of "fat" character being represented well in manga is "Cho-cho" from the Boruto series. She's a plus-size girl with pure and unshakable confidence in herself, her body, and her lifestyle. Even when people comment on her weight rudely, she either brushes it off or takes pride in it. That said, it isn't the best representation as she sometimes seen just non-stop eating and that is sometimes the butt of a joke, but her character and personality are a huge part of her weight and body size and it's pretty rare to see plus-size characters not be complete jokes and to actually have a personality behind the fact that they eat a lot. – Dimitri 6 years ago
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We really need more and more fat rep in literature and film. There are real people in this world and they need to be represented. Women especially could use some role models that aren't stick thin. – Jamie 6 years ago
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A really important topic. The cultural reasons as to why fat-shaming may be particularly evident in anime and manga would be interesting to explore. It would also be good to address how the representation and treatment of fat characters differs between genders. – Indigo 6 years ago
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Oh my gosh, I was thinking about this a few days ago as a potential topic, but I'm not at all familiar with anime, so I was thinking in terms of literature. Would you consider adding literature to the discussion? For instance, you may notice that a lot of J.K. Rowling's antagonists are fat, or described with flat, toad-like, or squished features. More damning evidence: Dudley Dursley didn't become sympathetic until after he lost weight. Neville Longbottom didn't become heroic until he dropped the poundage, either. – Stephanie M. 6 years ago
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I feel like bigger franchises that appeal to all audiences should step up to plate on this one. Disney has yet to have a fat princess (unless you're under the delusion that Moana was fat) and even in Once Upon a Time they altered the physiwue of Ursula, an originally plus sized villain. Dreamworks has been better, adding heavier-set characters such as Shrek (and later Fiona), Po from Kung Fu Panda, and Fishlegs from How to Train Your Dragon, though the only (permanent) human there was Fishlegs and he wasn't as much of a major character in comparison. Additionally, half the battle is the addition of these characters, the other half is portrayal. Showing a fat character that has the stereotypes that go along with their size is like having a female protagonist that only achieves happiness when their knight in shining armor appears. A larger character must not be defined by their size, but rather by their personality like any other character would be. – alchemicalArchmage 6 years ago
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Latest Comments

Jun 7, 2018 volarelejos Loved this article! I really appreciated the explanation of The Swann Effect. I hadn’t heard of it before. I’m really looking forward to more strong female leads that are like Furiosa and Clarice. I wish there were more, but I understand progress takes time. I liked the break down between all of the characters mentioned in the article. I hope more diverse writers are welcomed in the writing rooms and more diverse perspectives can be represented. As well as characteristics. It frustrates me when certain characteristics are heavily gendered. But we, as a society, are working on it slowly. Thanks for writing this!	The Strong Female Lead: Modern Cinema's Take on Women's Strength
May 26, 2018 volarelejos Steven Universe is one of my favorite shows because of the subversion of gender roles. I enjoyed this article because of the discussion of characteristics and how the Crystal Gems shatter traditional expectations. I also love Greg Universe and his confidence on how he carries himself and how he expresses his emotions. I hope the way people are portrayed on this show starts a trend of normalizing a balanced array of emotions and characteristics.	Masculinity in Steven Universe: A Matter of GEMder?
May 25, 2018 volarelejos Impracticality in women’s super hero costumes is something my friends and I talk about a lot. It’s not only in American comics, but I see it in manga, too. I’d really love to see more practical outfits, which is why I appreciate Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones. I’m fully aware that that is a book series and not a comic book, but it was incredibly refreshing to see Brienne wearing her full body armor in the show instead of something revealing like in comic books. I hope to see more practical outfits in upcoming comics…Let’s hope we can get more mindful people designing the costumes in the drawing rooms! 🙂	Sexism, Impracticality, and the Hopeful Future of Costuming
May 25, 2018 volarelejos This article went in a different direction than I thought it would, and I really like it! This is the first time I’ve heard of the Alienation Effect, but it makes a lot of sense. I enjoyed this article because it got me to thinking about the many strong women who are in the series and how they achieve agency in whatever ways they can. Now I want to re-watch the series and analyze the women and their progression in the show. Thanks for writing this!	How A Feminist Watches Game of Thrones: Power Is Power