How do you like your Shounen Jump heroine?

Do you love her dressed in a pristine school uniform, where her smiling face (and possibly panties or if your lucky, cleavage) grace every panel? Do you like her making bentou for the hero, sharing laughs right before he enters the greatest of his greatest battles? Or do you love her strong, the type who would smack the hero when he is wrong and is generally unforgiving to anyone who insults her short skirt but is soft to the hero who basically ignores her D-size bra? If she has one.

For years, legions of Jump readers, particularly women from the Western frame of thought¹, would write a post or two complaining why women in a particular Shounen Jump manga is often misrepresented. An interesting  rant came by my timeline today, a disheartened Katekyo Hitman Reborn! fan who cannot forgive Akira Amano for making cooks out her heroines. In her blog, she pines about why the female characters in Reborn have been ill-presented, nothing but dolls whose only purpose in the story was to make the boys look better.

Yeah. Right.

Seriously, this magazine was not meant for you

There are two key things that “Jump feminists” must remember when it comes to tackling feminism in Shounen Jump. First, the magazine is published in Japan, drawn by Japanese mangakas,  edited and published by Japanese publishers, and sold to Japanese people. Second, the magazine’s target market are Japanese boys ages 10 to 15. These two factors play a great role in building and creating the stories that are published in the magazine.

The least of the magazine’s concerns is a 10-yr. old Japanese boys going feminist, suddenly complaining that Kyoko is only capable of making an onigiri.  I doubt 10 year olds think this way. I doubt Japanese boys, or even men would actually hate her for that.

A lot of great points about differences in culture and perspectives has been pointed here.

To wrap it up, the magazine was built for a different set of people, with cultures and practices much different than ours. The Western feminist concept does not exactly apply to them. For them, being a woman has an entirely different meaning. Hence, you cannot force the Western concept of what makes a woman unto a working theory that’s already been established and deeply ingrained in Japanese culture.

Japan loves their women pure

Perhaps I will segue here differently from Kae, looking closer to the cultural side of Japan’s feminism on why authors tend to draw their girls like Kyoko and why we would probably be reading more of them in the future.

One of the most interesting readings I crossed was Mikiso Hane’s study² on how men, after World War II, preferred their women pure. In history, Japanese women were often portrayed as ghosts or sly creatures or crazy ladies who are out to teach men a lesson or two about humanity. The war has taught Japanese men the comfort of a woman’s doting support. The purity and the innocence of loyal servitude.

Women also appreciate this fact, despite Japan’s transition into a modern cosmopolitan country. They understand that their role as women is to help build and raise a healthy family. In fact, this is an accepted reality among women in Japan. Even if they’re career women, they also have to play the role of housewives. One of the most loved comics that’s still running in Japan, Sazae-san, presents a loving wife who has found comfort in taking care of her family. Sazae’s image is one of many that has become an institution in Japanese society. So much so that women dream to be like her once they start having families. I can go on talking about the women’s double burden, but for sure, Sazae’s image is something that men and women both revere. The image of a domesticated woman is highly appreciated in Japanese society.

And this was a facet of Japanese feminism that has been highly translated in manga. From Captain Tsubasa, all the way to Reborn, and even in mangas outside of Shounen Jump, the ideal Japanese girl would be someone who has this doting innocence, the sunshine in the hero’s life.

Her bento skills may make her appear very domestic, but these are the traits that the hero respects so much that he would have an unshakeable determination ( e.g., Tsuna’s Dying Will) to protect it, may it be driven by his affections or his stomach.

But really, do their images and what they represent matter?

I would like to believe that it is not what the heroine in Jump does that really matters. They can be strong tsunderes or they can be quiet girls. They can be important or unimportant to the story. I’d like to think that no matter how small or big their role is in the story, their existence is key in teaching boys how to relate, respect, and treat the girls around them. And I think this is what is primarily in the heads of the mangakas and the editors as they shape and build these women. Maybe there are higher things, but at the core, it all boils to this, for the intended audience of Shounen Jump. They’re actually there to make men out of the boys.

Boys who read this magazine are at a fragile age where they start to realize the stark differences between men and women. In my opinion, Jump does a great job in showing the strangely complex world of women (as much as they show us what a boy’s world is like too). On one end you have the strong and independent women like Hana, Nami and Sakura. On the other end you have Kyoko and Orihime, fragile girls who appears innocent at first but learns to understand their roles in the grand scheme of things and offers as much help that they can give, to the best of their abilities. I believe, characters in Jump titles are built to represent personalities in Japanese reality. This is pretty much a fact for any story, I think. But for those who think these are fragments of fiction, then let me share that yes, strangely, in my experience at least, I have met Japanese girls who are as polite as Kyoko, and some who are as sinister as Nami.

They exist not because the authors thinks their weakness makes the boys look better. That is a lame assumption. Looking back at tons of stories in Jump, their existence are integral to the growth of the hero and his relationships with other people. Even if they’re just a side character, they offer a lesson or two for the hero to learn from.

No really, they’re cool girls

You see, Jump Heroines, weak as most appear, are really great girls. I’ve explained above why they’re admirable to the Japanese. I’ve also shown why they exist in such a shounen magazine.

So do not diss these girls just because they make onigiris than join the boys in a big fight against phantom knights and giant robots. The girls represent so much more than just eye candy for the boys. Really, without them, we won’t have heroes to admire every time we open Shounen Jump.

1. Oh yes! Orientalism plays a key part here!
2. Found in Eastern Phoenix: Japan since 1945

One Piece by Oda Eiichiro
Published by Shueisha
Serialized in Shounen Jump
Translated by Viz

When friends ask me about a shounen story I’d recommend, the first title that comes to mind is One Piece. After hearing the title, most of them groan saying “it’s too long” or “there’s no bishounen in there” or “the art is butt ugly.” Although I’d honestly like to immediately contest and defend this rag tag crew to them, I always just throw at them the line “For your nakama¹, just give it a shot.” Happily so, after I lend them 20 volumes to read, they’d come back screaming “Nakama!!” with great gusto!

One Piece is more than just a shounen story with a pirate touch. Oda Eiichiro has turned Luffy’s quest for One Piece into your adventure as well. This is the reason why it has lasted a decade with fans and why it’ll be probably go on for a couple more years. This is a manga where the characters become your nakama.

Hopping on the ship

The story of One Piece revolves around a boy named Luffy who wants to become a pirate. The moment he grew older he set sail looking for comrades to join him in his ship. Together, they go all over the seas where they can find the great pirate treasure “One Piece”. Such a simple story, however, people are always hesitant to start with One Piece.

Getting started with One Piece is always an issue. Really. I cannot stress enough how much I have recommended this to many friends and all of them just shrug their shoulders wanting to read Bleach or Naruto instead. The first hurdle in One Piece is the art. It’s too simple. Un-mangaish. Luffy isn’t a bishounen like Sasuke or Ichigo. Luffy doesn’t look cool. I remember having said this myself when I started out but I sure ate my words by the second volume.

Sure, the art is not something we’d easily consider as handsome by Bleach or Naruto standards. It is indeed childish with large round eyes and gummy faces. But his art works well with the paneling. His art doesn’t look too constricted when he places them in small panels. When he dedicates a page for a moment it becomes ‘THE’ moment. More so, he also takes time in reconstructing the world. You can see detail in his backgrounds even for the small panels. The cartoony images work for his style and his world. And when it matters, Odacchi² will place the details on his character’s faces and they’ll be just as cool, if not even cooler than Ichigo.

Luffy is the Captain. Not Zoro. Not Sanji. Not Nami. It can only be Luffy.

So, you have one great swordsman who can cut and slice anything with his swords. You have a cook who can mince meat with his feet. And you have a smart navigator who has a keen sense of the weather. So why do you have a captain who can’t swim and can’t make smart decision?

Sure Luffy is a glutton and an idiot. But he’s got the heart of the captain. And that’s why he is one. He may not be your average suave and cool shounen jump hero, but, in my opinion, he has the spirit and the energy to be one. His optimism and faith in his friends is endearing. Just when everybody thinks it’s over, here’s Luffy screaming his guts out telling everybody that the battle is not over until some fat lady sings. Because his crew knows that Luffy trusts them that’s why they too trust in him infallibly. It is this trust, earned and fought for by Luffy that made his people follow him despite his silly demeanor.

When Luffy steps up and decides to put matters into his hands, Luffy is cooler than Sanji and Zoro combined. You actually just have to read it and you’ll know why Sanji and Zoro are cool they way they do right now. It’s because they met someone like Luffy, someone who had absolute faith in them and someone whom they don’t want to disappoint. It’s amazing how Luffy’s energy just channels through the rest of the crew whenever they go to battle. His bravery, courage, and sense of justice is amazing. And this is why he’s captain and not anybody else.

A long adventure is long. But you’ll get by since you have your nakama

If there is a point where I would probably claim defeat is the idea that I’m pimping over 40 volumes of One Piece to my friends. IT IS LONG. And it will be even longer since I know that they have just arrived probably towards half of their journey (They just got their shipwright Franky a months ago!!). The interesting thing though is that you won’t feel the length of the journey nor get bored by it because you know that you’ll have a great adventure with great comrades. Odacchi is a master in plotting. The world he established for One Piece gave him an infinite amount of creativity to harness. You are guaranteed that you won’t be getting bored thinking that they’ll be on the same island again. In fact, after the last adventure, you’ll be asking ‘So, where do we go next?’ The One Piece world, wherein your next stop is unknown, creates opportunity for creativity. And Odacchi doesn’t fall short of this. He will always have exciting battles and moving stories to tell. Yes. Moving stories. One that can literally sweep you off your feet and make you cry. Yes, this is a shounen manga.

It’s a given if you cry in shoujo manga. Seinen, I prolly cried once or twice. But shounen manga is all about action and battles, victory, and perseverance. Sometimes emotions are set aside making the event more cool than it is really a development of a character. In One Piece, Odacchi is not scared to make his heroes cry nor is he scared to do something that will make you cry. It is this sad tale of parting, the happiness of victory, and the inexplicable trust that just punches your heart and makes you think “So, there are still people who value friendship like this.” I have cried countless times in One Piece. I even cried when they lost their trusty friend, their ship Going Merry. (Yes… I truly cried for a ship and the idea still brings tears to my eyes!) When Sanji left Baratie… all of them moving. And strangely so, in a shounen manga!! Of course, with most tears are joys and One Piece also has that up its alley. The crews personalities just collide and is really funny, especially Luffy. That guy is on crack. Him and his family. XD

As I said earlier, Luffy’s strength lies in his faith in his nakama and this will be utilized over and over again when hardships befall on the Strawhat pirates. You will see them try their best to get out of the ruckus together. And you’ll see them try to use their skills to protect and to journey through the dangerous seas. It’s really moving, to the point that it can move you to tears and make you shout “Nakama!!!” As you go through each adventure and you meet new people, over and over again you will see how this crew of 8 (or maybe 9… soon) prove time and time again that it’s their friendship that makes them strong. And this makes One Piece one of the best stories that is running on Jump. It has dreams and goals that boys dream of. More so, it has values that make men out of boys.

–

On a side note, it’s kind of sad that the popularity of One Piece is not as big as Ghost Fighter or Dragon Ball was to Filipinos. Is it because Luffy looks lanky? But he’s really cool you know. And the Tagalog dubs are really good. I wonder why though. Hmmm… Bleach and Naruto is a whole lot popular here too, but I strongly and firmly believe that One Piece should get some loving from the local community too. lol.

1. Comrade
2. Eiichiro Oda’s nickname.