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Seeking an Alternative: “Male” Shōjo Fans Since the 1970s

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Shōjo Across Media

Part of the book series: East Asian Popular Culture ((EAPC))

Abstract

This chapter focuses on male engagement with shōjo (for girls) manga and shōjo (girl) characters in manga and anime in Japan since the 1970s. It is well-known that shōjo manga underwent a renaissance in the 1970s, when female artists began to experiment with speculative fiction, poetics, the grammar of comics, depictions of psychological conflict and sexuality. What is less known is that men were also attracted to works by these artists in the 1970s. The existence, let alone motivation, of male shōjo fans seems sketchy at best, and is often dismissed broadly in terms of the “Japanese Lolita complex.” Based on personal and published interviews, this chapter raises the possibility of “male” shōjo fans seeking an alternative to hegemonic forms of masculinity and media.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Patrick W. Galbraith

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  1. Patrick W. Galbraith
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden

    Jaqueline Berndt

  2. Oita University, Oita, Japan

    Kazumi Nagaike

  3. Chikushi Jogakuen University, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, Japan

    Fusami Ogi

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Galbraith, P.W. (2019). Seeking an Alternative: “Male” Shōjo Fans Since the 1970s. In: Berndt, J., Nagaike, K., Ogi, F. (eds) Shōjo Across Media. East Asian Popular Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01485-8_15

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