#classic shoujo

[hotwaterandmilk]

Series: Shoujo Kakumei Utena Artist: Saitou Chiho Publication: Ciao Magazine (06/1997) Source: Scanned from my personal collection

[rosegardenscans]

Hello everyone,

we are a scanlation group of classic shoujo enthusiats and we want to post updates here of our projects.

Some of you maybe remember the Rose Garden main site here on tumblr, sadly that one exists no more, but our group is still active.

We also have an discord server, so if you are interested on helping us with our projects, you are very welcome to join: https://discord.gg/wByzNR9pAT

Here is also our project site on MangaDex, where we post our projects: https://mangadex.org/group/da13a6a9-28f1-4e80-9ad5-74f239859632/the-rose-garden?tab=titles

These are our current projects:

Swan by Kyoko Ariyoshi, newest chapter: 55

The Allegory of Nijinsky (Nijinsky Guuwa) by Kyoko Ariyoshi, newest chapter: 1.4

Divine Love, Earthly Passion (Tenjou no Ai Chijou no Koi) by Tomoko Katou, newest chapter: 4

From Eroica with Love Tributes, newest chapter: 23

The Hotel on the Dangerous Hill (Abunazaka Hotel) by Moto Hagio, newest chapter: 1

Marie-Antoinette. La jeunesse d'une reine. by Fuyumi Soryo, newest chapter: 1

Legend of Hikari (Hikari no Densetsu) by Izumi Aso, newest chapter: 1

And we are also working on some more ;)

[animefeminist]

Transmasculinity and queer sexuality in the works of Ikeda Riyoko

Content Warning: Discussion of transphobia and suicide

Spoilers for Dear Brother, The Rose of Versailles, and Claudine

Ikeda Riyoko—perhaps the most famous member of the “year 24 group” that played a large part in creating the foundations of the shoujo manga genre—is often credited with laying the groundwork for depictions of queer characters in shoujo, and in particular with creating the archetype of the gender-bending heartthrob heroine, or “girl prince.” Building on earlier representations of butch or transmasculine characters in early shoujo manga such as Princess Knight, and the Takarazuka theater tradition of the otokoyaku male role actor, Ikeda’s enormously popular gender non-conforming heroes—Lady Oscar from The Rose of Versailles, Rei from Dear Brother, Julius from the Window of Orpheus, and the titular character of Claudine—helped to establish that there was a major mainstream audience excited to cheer for a hotheaded, androgynous tomboy with a heart of gold. Lady Oscar in particular has fingerprints all over the history of anime and manga, from a gender-bending cameo in Pokémon to serving as the inspiration for iconic characters like Tenjou Utena.

When I first read The Rose of Versailles last year, I expected its depictions of queer and transmasculine characters to be somewhat limited—after all, the comic was written for mainstream audiences and a mainstream publisher in the 1970s. But across Ikeda’s work, I was deeply surprised with the level of care and nuance with which Ikeda approaches transmasculine love stories. While there is obviously a lot about Ikeda’s portrayal of transmasculine characters that feels dated to modern audiences (for example, her comics often do fall back on “biological” ideas of women’s weakness and emotionality, and sometimes psychologize her character’s genders in uncomfortable ways), I was surprised by how much of these comics still hit for me today. What makes them work for me is both the extreme pathos with which Ikeda writes transmasculine character’s experiences of rejection—and, at rare moments, gender euphoria —but also the fact that her trans characters are not simply given a one-size fits all born-in-the-wrong-body narrative. Instead, they are each portrayed as unique individuals with varied personal relationships to their gender, their sexuality, and the historical context of the society they live in.

Read it at Anime Feminist!

[bowonmyhead]

[midonart]

"There are two kinds of love in this world: a love of joy... and a love of agony"

[heartsblooming]

finally sharing my classic shoujo memes with the public (cheers erupt from my crowd of adoring fans)

[susansontag]

pov you're a classic shoujo girl going on classy shoujo dates with your girlfriend

[plumpudin]

“The Rose of Versailles” by Riyoko Ikeda, circa 1972.

[ammonitetestpatterns]

yoshimi uchida, 銀河 その星狩り, published in the winter 1977 issue of ribon deluxe.

[marssmanga]

Oniisama e by Riyoko Ikeda.

[classic-shoujo]

[sailorrjupiterr]

Sailor moon by Naoko Takeuchi.

[runawaycarouselhorse]

This Chibineko doll is made of ceramic and cloth, with glass eyes and painted details.

[animefeminist]

"Watch More Shoujo" Merchandise!

We've got brand new designs on the AniFem store, created in collaboration with the fantastic @moon-toons!

Check them out!

Romance

Where would manga be without the bubbles, ribbons, and sparkles that helped give shoujo love stories such flair? The two lovestruck figures are also deliberately androgynous, to honor the fact that both yuri and BL have their roots in classic shoujo manga.  

Revolution

It’s no secret that the staff of AniFem loves Revolutionary Girl Utena, but swords and roses trace all the way back to 1953’s Princess Knight. But more than that, it’s a way to honor how often shoujo has been on the cutting edge of grappling with progressive issues. It might not always do it well, and sometimes its attempts age poorly, but shoujo has always been a place where readers can explore questions about sexuality and gender identity, assault and autonomy, and women’s inner lives.

Get a t-shirt, tank top, or sticker today!

About the Artist

Mouna T. (she/her) is a queer Black comic artist who loves drawing shoujo, queer things, and autobiographical comics. You can buy her comics at her Zine Store, tip her on Ko-Fi, or find her on Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook. 

[animenostalgia]

AnimeNewsNetwork had me write a little about classic shojo in celebration of Discotek's upcoming Lady Georgie bluray release! Let's look at some shojo anime I dream of owning English releases of someday.

[yousei-no-mori]

Rei Asaka from Oniisama e...