#Uuh finger crossed that I didn't mess up the links?

[just-like-playing-tag]

How did sexism play a role in affecting tpn?

※ I'm not tagging this as spoiler since I think it might be of interest for anime onlys as well, however some manga events and characters are mentioned here. It's not any major plot point, but pay special attention or avoid reading this if you don't want to stumble across any spoiler at all.

I don't think Anon follows my blog (otherwise the question would have most likely come a long time ago, since sexism in the second season of the anime is an issue I have mentioned several times already), so I think it's fine to link back to all the posts I could find that addressed the matter. Here's some posts that underline in what ways the anime has been sexist:

First of all you'll want to read this post: as I hope to have made clear, it is not only about what she's wearing, it's never about what a girl is wearing.

Secondly here is an early reaction to episode 5 that hopefully clears up what's wrong with Emma's character in the second season

Further readings that address to the matter, approximately in chronological order from when I first read them:

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧ (in my tags to the post)

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧ (I think this post summarizes pretty well what makes Emma so amazing and revolutionary both as a female protagonist and as a shonen jump protagonist and cutting all of this from her character is, in my opinion, automatically sexist)

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧ (in my tags to the post)

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧ (this one is in Turkish but can be easily understood with the support of an online translator)

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

Probably more were made when episosode 6 came out, but I haven't been following the anime as much since episosode 5 so I can't know. Maybe if I'll find any new post on the matter I'll update this ask.

Anyway, to sum up the main points:

• Emma wears a skirt for no reason, enforcing female clothing categories

• Emma is the only girl showed hunting; additionally, her hunting skills are significantly decreased compared to her manga abilities

• Emma isn't the one to kill the wild demon, and the moment was given to her male counterpart to shine

• The fact that Emma was shown being interested in the shelter garden, while in the manga it was so beautiful to have gender roles subverted with her going out haunting and her male counterpart cooking

• The fact that as soon as Emma loses the support of her (occasionally implied love interest) other male counterpart she becomes weak and depressed and useless

• The fact that she thinks she was wrong and naïve not believing in her male friends' words and following her ideals instead (which is so dumb like... Yeah Emma it surely would have been better to leave them all to die)

• The fact that in the demon town she's the only one not carrying a bow to defend herself (?????)

• How she was clearly dumbed up (though this happened to pretty much all the GF children)

• How Emma has lost all her leader qualities she showed in the manga

• Look the simple fact that. I can't think of a significative thing she's done since the start of the second season. She didn't provide for everyone's food. She didn't make any plan to go save Phil. She's just been crying over herself as the next shonen female side character (can she even be considered the protagonist at this point??)

• One of the most striking things is how anime Emma compared to manga Emma has lost all of her independence and individuality. She has no plan, no idea on how to go on, and is quite literally waiting for some (guy) to come and save her. The way Norman was introduced in the anime as a savior was so upsetting.

• Honestly I consider having cut out so many arcs that showed how strong, resilient, brave, determined she is to be sexist on its own

• The only thing that's left of her character is being kind which is... Honestly extremely problematic. One thing is to show a complex and multilayered character who, among many other qualities and strong points, is also kind and emphatic; another thing is enduring the stereotype that kindness and empathy are the only characteristics girls can have.

• Emma is kind, but not stupid; she doesn't like to kill demons, but she won't hesitate to do so in case they create an immediate danger for her family. Her helping the demon at the temple doesn't make any sense.

And this is only about Emma. It's clearly sexist:

• Don's line in episode 4 that literally translates to “don't cry Rossi, boys don't cry” that is,,,, not only unspeakably gross, but also unbelievably ooc from Don who always supports his family and has cried like five times in the manga, always without an ounce of shame.

• Cutting the scene of Gilda being badass in chapters 59 and 96, that featured her repeatedly threatening a grown-up man

• Not including an arc with amazing female characters with breathtaking fights. In Goldy Pond all the girls are always displayed as being equal to guys in their fighting skills; the best (or at least very talented) snipers are considered to be girls, while the medics are two guys (I like to stress this point because it would have been very easy to introduce a sweet kind nurse girl in that role).

• Honestly cutting Gillian deserves to be mentioned on its own. Such a great complex female character. Her role in Goldy Pond was outstanding, and her scenes in chapters 110, 130, 145 and 172 give so much deepness to her character. Moreover, showing how she doesn't sympathize with demons makes her a nice counterpart to Emma, building a solid cast of diverse female characters with different inclinations and natures. Not to mention how we won't have Gillian chosing to support Emma no matter her opinions, which was such an heartwarming example of girls supporting each other. Honestly I can't not consider sexist to exclude such a well written female character.

• Cutting Anna being praised without shame or envy by her male friends to have become the best of them all in the medicine field (a field women have a particularly hard time being employed in), and her male friends aknoweledging how hard she worked to get her competence.

This is only on top of my mind but there's definitely more. Additionally, we still have to see whether they're intentioned to include Ayshe (a great woc who is mysterious, reserved and an impressive fighter, typical qualities assigned to males) and Legravalima (a badass villain who is greedy and at the top of the demon society, again a typically male role). The changes of Isabella's storyline most likely mean they're also going to change (or fully skip) chapter 170, which was such an empowering moment for the mamas and made such a nice metaphor of women overthrowing an oppressive system to find freedom.

Honestly, I could have ignored some of these things had they been lone cases, but all of this together? Again, I'm not saying that CloverWorks is entirely bad, but the second season of the tpn anime surely cannot be praised for its female representation.