Ask John: What Are the Best Anime Featuring Female Role Models?

Question:
I’m aware that lots of anime movies and series feature women/girls in positive and negative ways alike. In your opinion, what are the top 10 anime series or movies where female characters are portrayed in the most positive ways?

Answer:
Rather than compile a simple list of the ten most positive portrayals of female role models in anime, it may be more interesting and worthy of discussion to approach this topic from an angle of feminist theory. A list of anime feminist role models may be a more fruitful list that merely one of positive images. According to Dictionary.com, feminism is a “belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.” In essence, feminism is the search for power equal to the dominant partiarchy without compromising the feminine. In this sense, feminist role models are women with equal status and power as men who still exhibit the characteristic sexuality and sensuality of womanhood. A compromise of the feminine simply cannot bring equality because, by definition, it’s a compromise. With this in mind, the best anime feminist role models are those that are distinctively women and feminine, yet hold their own or even surpass men in a male dominated world.

At first, characters such as Lina Inverse of Slayers may come to mind, but although Lina is powerful, her hyper-exaggerated comic-book personality and empowerment by supernatural means contaminate her status as a “normal” woman in a man’s world. Likewise, seeming examples including Faye Valentine of Cowboy Bebop, Captain Tita of Plastic Little, Captain Meifon of Angel Links, and Juu Nonohara of Jubei-chan don’t serve as quite the textbook examples they at first appear to be because, while they are exceptional within the established patriarchy, they have to rely on men to rescue them, thereby negating their own empowerment.

Some of the best examples of strong, self-empowered and self-sufficient females include Princess Nausicaa of Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, Maetel of Galaxy Express 999, all of the female characters of Noir, and Airi of Those Who Hunt Elves. These women posses a self-confidence, power, influence and wisdom superior to even the men that surround them, all the while, never sacrificing any of their innate womanhood in return for this power. Other similar, but potentially more controversial representatives of feminist empowerment include Fujiko Mine and Saeko Nogami, and Aika Sumeragi and the Lovely Angels (more so the smart and quick witted original pair than the childish and relatively ignorant Dirty Pair Flash duo). Fujiko of Lupin III and Saeko of City Hunter are both interesting characters for consideration because both are effective, independent women that don’t hesitate to use their full feminine wiles to achieve their goals. Rather than being exploited by men, it is these women that do the exploiting by being fully aware of their sexuality and its influence. Along the same lines, scantily clad Aika and Kei and Yuri of the Dirty Pair may seem like little more than male wish fulfilment fantasies, but in fact these ladies are significant symbols of female empowerment because their choice of attire is one made by confident, self assured women who dress not to gain favor or attention from men, but because they are fully confident of their own status and effectiveness within their society. They wear clothes that accentuates their femininity, while of course allowing for freedom of movement, because they are proud of being smart, competent women that have nothing to be ashamed or and no reason to feel secondary or second class relative to men.

Equally interesting in terms of feminist theory is Utena Tenjo. Oscar Jarjayes from Rose of Versailles, Princess Sapphire of Ribon no Kishi, and the Rapier of the Maze Bakunetsu Jiku TV series are female characters that disguise themselves as males, either covertly or openly. However, their goal, either by passive complicity or by intention, is to conform to and be accepted into the dominant male patriarchy and maintain the rules and conventions of the establishment. On the other hand, Utena seeks to adopt the characteristics of a prince but not give up any of her femininity or concede to a male stereotype. She seeks to revolutionize the world by breaking traditional gender stereotypes.

Motoko Kusanagi of Ghost in the Shell, Elen Ra of Shadow Skill, Marlene of Blue Gender, and briefly, Canal of Lost Universe are interesting feminist models primarily because they remain within and support traditional gender stereotypes without becoming slave to them. These women represent powerful and influential mother figures that are neither the simplistic virgin nor crone archetypes. Motoko, Elen and Marlene, and Canal during the brief moment when she’s revealed in her adult form, are women that have positions of authority and influence over men, in a male society. Motoko seems to lead the Section 9, although she’s not the technical commander of the division. Elen and Marlene both “adopt” younger brothers whom they teach and look after, illustrating their superior position, and Canal briefly reveals her status as an advisor and guide to her adopted male “son” Cain.

I’m sure that there are numerous other interesting female anime characters worthy of discussion, so if you’d like to suggest others or debate the examples I’ve suggested, please visit the AnimeNation Forum.