Abstract
A large amount of Western and Asian consumers has started to watch anime (Japanese animation) and read manga (Japanese comics) resulting in them thinking of Japan as ‘exceptional’ and ‘relaxed’. It has also resulted in Japan possessing soft power globally through visual mediums leading to several debates and discussions from various perspectives. One such debate remains the lesser-known gendered portrayal of Hikikomori, a phenomenon pointed out by Michael Dziesinski in his paper “Hikikomori as a Gendered issue” (Dziesinski, 2004). This paper attempts to bring light to the marginalized portrayal of female hikikomori and argues for a bridge between the existing reality and the portrayal in anime and manga (in Japanese pop culture). Through a thorough analysis of selected manga, it begins with a discussion on hikikomori via the lens of gender studies. It will also further discuss the stark difference between the status of female hikikomori in Japanese society, where media creates a biased perspective by prioritizing a view of hikikomori as male. It will then present an in-depth analysis of female hikikomori among selected manga, and how manga communicates using ‘visual language theory’ through concrete examples. Lastly, the paper brings up suggestions about more contemporary implications from gendered perspectives, media & Japanese visual language and communication and hopes to encourage future discussions.
Author Information
Madeeha Nawaz, Ryukoku University, Japan
Paper Information
Conference: MediAsia2024
Stream: Visual Communication
This paper is part of the MediAsia2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Nawaz M. (2024) The Overlooked Cases of Female Hikikomori: Visual Representation in Manga ISSN: 2186-5906 – The Asian Conference on Media, Communication & Film 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 243-257) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5906.2024.21
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5906.2024.21
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