Reimagining the Joshi-Mane: Japan’s Shifting Gender Roles in Sports Anime and Manga Público

Abstract

The “joshi-manējā” (abbreviated to joshi-mane) is a concept exclusive to Japan and refers to the female students who take upon the duty of supporting a sports team at the high school or college level. As a result of numerous iconic media portrayals of joshi-mane in 1980s and 1990s media, the joshi-mane trope was popularized to the point where it continues to be a staple in Japanese media revolving around sports. While heavily romanticized, the joshi-mane has simultaneously been subject to various criticism throughout the years, highlighting the traditional enforcement of problematic gender roles in Japanese society. Previous media portrayals of joshi-mane have contributed to this issue by painting joshi-mane as submissive “idol” characters who have more emphasis placed on their physical attributes over their sense of identity and servitude to the team. However, with the turn of the 21st century, Japan has witnessed the gradual emergence of a new variety of joshi-mane characters in media. This thesis aims to explore the shifts in anime and manga portrayals of joshi-mane from the “heyday” of the joshi-mane character in the 1980s and 1990s to more modern depictions of the 21st century. Additionally, this thesis will examine broader revelations regarding gender roles in the realm of high school and college sports in Japan, such as the Japan Baseball High School Federation’s rulings regarding joshi-mane in the famous Kōshien tournament. Overall, by analyzing recent portrayals of joshi-mane in Japanese anime and manga in the context of shifting expectations regarding the manager role and gender in actual Japanese sports, I argue for the present state of the joshi-mane not as one of forced subjugation, but in fact, a modern Japan success story with distinctly feminist undertones. 

Table of Contents

Introduction: … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  1

Literature Review:  … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  9

Chapter 1: The Glorification of Male Bonds and Expulsion of Femininity in Japan’s Sports … 16

Chapter 2: Expectations of the Joshi-Mane’s Responsibilities and Value… … … … … … …   26 

Chapter 3: Media Narratives Surrounding Joshi-Mane Purpose and Fulfillment… … … … … 40  

Chapter 4: Sexualization and Objectification of the Joshi-Mane …  … … … … … … … …    48

Chapter 5: Beyond the Joshi-Mane: A General Decentering of Gender in the Japanese Sporting World … … … … … … … … … …  … … … … … … … …… … … … … … … … … … 57

Conclusion … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …  …  62

Endnotes … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 66

References … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …   71

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Japanese
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Asian Studies History, Asia, Australia and Oceania Women's Studies
Palabra Clave	Women in sports Anime Japanese gender roles Japanese sports Baseball Manga
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Seth Goss, Emory University
Committee Members	Cheryl Crowley, Emory University Julia Bullock, Emory University

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