Ask John: Is Moe Sexist?

Question:
There seems to be a backlash of anti-moe from the anime fandom. They usually state that it’s sexist, creepy, perverted or even one step from child pornography. Personally I like moe for cute character designs and personalities. I really don’t see how it’s being sexist. Rather, I think that moe emphasizes femininity and innocence. What do you think?

Answer:
I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m an ardent fan of moe anime. In fact, I’ve adored anime with “imouto” type characters and cute characters like Comet-san, Digi Charat, Risky Safety, and Ojamajo Doremi since years before the genre term “moe” even developed. However, despite being as much of a loyal enthusiast of moe anime as I am, I can’t completely refute accusations that moe anime is sexist, although I do think that the argument that moe anime is pedophile is an irrational and ignorant exaggeration.

The concept of moe involves fetishizing (usually) girls or characteristics associated with girls like glasses, school swimsuits, or French maid outfits. (Moe fetishization can and does include male characters such as Mamoru from “Mamoru-kun ni Megami no Shukufuku wo!” and male accoutrements like Miyu’s fetish for young boys in short pants in the Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de anime series.) This sort of affection is a adoration of innocence and cuteness. One could say that it’s an evolved state of the same attraction humans naturally feel toward kittens, puppies, baby seals, and koala bears. That’s particularly why I object to the association of moe fascination and pedophilia. That association presumes that fans of moe anime are psychologically unbalanced, immoral, deviant, and unable to rationally distinguish between morality and immorality, and fiction and reality. It’s an irrational, irresponsible, biased, and unjustified criticism espoused because of narrow minded fear.

Intense sexual attraction toward cute little girls or boys is not moe. That sort of attraction has a different moniker – either “lolicon” or “shotacon.” By definition, moe does not involve intense sexual desire, although some anime do employ both moe and sexuality. While I can easily defend moe against accusations of pedophilia, defending it against accusations of sexism is more difficult because the concept of moe is based on the objectification of specific gender related attributes. Adoring girls in maid dresses, Shinto priestess robes, school swimsuits, or school sailor suit uniforms inherently stereotypes females into visibly defined feminine roles. The moe desire to cuddle, codify, tease, and protect a little sister type character invariably involves perceiving and isolating a young girl into a defined feminine idealization, which is a variety of sexism.

I can partially mitigate the severity of the moral offense of moe with the assertion that anime is not reality and the fact that a male anime fan may adore the fictional image of a girl wearing a French maid outfit doesn’t necessitate that he perceives or treats real women with a similar contempt. It’s absolutely possible for an anime fan to adore fictional idealizations of innocence and femininity and still interact with real people with respect and magnanimity. However, it’s also justifiable to point out that the Japanese culture of maid cafes and various other real life maid for hire services that have emerged from anime and manga culture are exemplary of the impact that sexism pervasive in moe has had on real Japanese society. I don’t want to seem like I’m trying to avoid an uncomfortable discussion, but I honestly do think that an analysis of the impact of sexism present in manga and anime on Japanese society (or whether sexism present in anime and manga is merely a result of sexism present in Japanese society) is the subject of another, more thorough discussion that would need to discuss whether “maid cafe” culture is a product of patriarchal influence or a genuine exhibition of natural Japanese feminine propensity.

In summation, is typical “moe” anime sexist? Yes, it is. And I admit that even as a devotee of the moe genre. The execution of moe is intrinsically an action that reinforces gender and role stereotypes for the purpose of entertainment. The fact that moe is sexism in the service of fictional entertainment rather than for real world discrimination, though, does make it less threatening and less harmful, and therefore easier to excuse. I don’t believe that moe is any more offensive or sexist than typical American comic book super heroines with pronounced bosoms and revealing costumes, or Barbie dolls that propagate the myth that a slim curvaceous body automatically grants beauty, wealth, and luxury. I can’t deny that moe does engender and encourage a degree of sexism, but I would argue that critics of sexism would be better served by concentrating their attention on the eradication of sexism with a greater quantifiable and impactful influence on society and people’s everyday lives than stylized sexism present in comics and animation. Simply because two opposing genders exist, instinctual sexual classification will exist. Furthermore, a certain degree of playful imagination, even if it propagates gender stereotypes, is vital for healthy psychological stability and mental creativity.