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#aoi hana
hakonohanayome · 1 year
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Aoi Hana - Takako Shimura
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yangbojian · 7 months
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Yuri (2000s)
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yuripoll · 2 months
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shoujo-dump · 7 months
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Suterare Koushaku Reijou wa Hatsukoi no Outaishi ni Metorareru
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pinkarachnia · 2 months
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Not even an anime review
I’m just thinking about these lesbians again. Still going to use the tag though.
So I watched the contrapoints video about twilight and it’s got me thinking about Sweet Blue Flowers again. Specifically, I’m fixated on this one scene, where “prince of the school” character Yasuko Sugimoto is at home with her family and her older sister calls her a bisexual and Sugimoto, clearly offended, gets up and leaves to go to her room.
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I’ve been stewing on this after having some time to think on the contrapoints video because of its discussion of typical heteronormative gender roles in relationships, and because of what this accusation means for Sugimoto and what her sister is actually accusing her of.
For those who haven’t watched the anime or read the manga, Sugimoto is a character with a complex internal struggle going on. At her all-girls school she’s occupying the role of the handsome girl acting as the kind of male surrogate and she’s fawned over by a lot of her schoolmates who frequently vie for her attention and affection. She embraces this role and will often flirt back, and at one point in the plot pursues a relationship with one of the main characters, Fumi Manjoume. The bisexual scene happens when she introduces Fumi to her family as her girlfriend.
It’s more complicated because throughout this plot, it’s revealed that Sugimoto has long been yearning for a relationship with Masanori Kagami, a male teacher at her school who is engaged to another of her sisters (not the one who calls her bi). Sugimoto does not broadcast this information about herself and largely keeps it hidden. It’s the fact that she keeps this relationship hidden when juxtaposed with how she projects herself in public that I find fascinating and it’s key to why she’s so offended at being called bisexual.
Sugimoto is confronted by the two sides of her that are in conflict; her confident, dominant and masculine Prince persona who maintains a kind of position of power through her popularity and reputation, and the side of her who yearns for someone unattainable for whom she wants to be seen as a woman and a potential lover.
In her dynamic with Kagami, Sugimoto isn’t in the position of power; she doesn’t get to choose her partner like she does when she’s at school, she’s the one who wants to be chosen. And it’s clear that her feelings for Kagami are hurting her - with his wedding looming and no apparent changes to their dynamic, it seems highly unlikely that her feelings are going to be reciprocated, but even when she starts a relationship with Manjoume, those feelings don’t go away.
I think it’s because she holds onto these feelings despite how they’re clearly bad for her that makes this Sugimoto feel like the more authentic one. It makes the face she wears at school feel like an act, like she’s performing a role, and in considering why she would play this character it seems like it can only be for herself. It doesn’t seem like anyone else really benefits from it, unless all her fans getting to have a crush on her counts as a benefit.
I receive:
Catharsis from emulating a position of power
Your love and attention
A girlfriend
You receive:
A crush on me
So when she’s told she’s bisexual it’s a bit more than an “I know what you are” moment. From the sister’s perspective it might just mean “I know you like/d that guy though”, but for Sugimoto it challenges her perception of herself. If she was a lesbian then she would only be her confident self, beloved by all, but the bisexual Sugimoto is hiding and wounded and masking her grief.
I don’t know whether I think this conflict bleeds into Sugimoto’s perception of the masculine and feminine self and I feel like it might be unfair to chalk all this up to internalised misogyny, but it’s a possibility. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that the version of herself she’s proud of is the one that displays her more masculine traits, gets cast to play men in the school play, and romances women, where the side she rejects wants to be perceived as a woman by an adult man. It’s entirely possible that she hides this because she’s just embarrassed to be the one doing the yearning and not because she’s embarrassed to be acting in the kind of role typically assigned to women in heteronormative romance dynamics, but I think it could be either or both.
I think that’s more or less all my thoughts out of my system. If you took the time to read it then cool, thanks! I don’t think I’m saying anything too groundbreaking or deeply insightful here but I needed to eject this from my brain so I can be normal again.
Next I’ll write a real review I promise.
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animebw · 8 months
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The Anime Binge-Watcher's Queer Anime Ship Tournament!
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Just one more match-up before the first round is over! Will it be l8r boi for the sk8r bois, or sayonara for Wandering Son's underrated cousin? Cast your votes now!
All Round 1 Match-Ups
Rules and Full Bracket
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vixvaporub · 2 years
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Sweet Blue Flowers | Aoi Hana – Chapter 44 ✿ On A Spring Night  
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cubistemoji · 1 year
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I can and will defend each placement on this chart in a court of law
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epickiya722 · 1 year
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Hmmm... this reminds me of something... wait!! Someone!!
A woman with straight dark hair who happens to be a zookeeper who works/communicates well with animals and wearing a polka scarf?!
I KNOW!!
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OUMAGADOKI ZOO!!
I love that that series gets referenced even in the Team-Up Missions.
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ghostfriendly5 · 5 months
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Not in love with 'Villainess...'
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In Love with the Villainess, one of the only two watchable anime presently airing, still isn't an anime I'm choosing to watch. The main characters do actually have character and interest, unlike Witch of Mercury, and the dub is wonderfully hammy. Lesbianism is defined as an orientation in ep 3, which in an advance on Kase-san's airy-fairy 'We're both girls (BOTH GIRLS!), but love is more important'. However, this is still a very low bar, and Kase-san is still a far superior series, because it stars two consenting lesbians who love each other rather than a sex pest and a functional straight girl.
Rae is a vast improvement on many perving, groping even rapist predatory lesbians particularly over-featured in Japanese media (cough*Murakami), but her lack of an adult's social filter and rabid pursuit of an apparent het girl, without respect for Claire's declared orientation, lands her very much in that family of caricatures. The well-meaning statement in ep3 that 'its homophobic to view lesbians as sex pests' is undercut with staggering asininity by casting a lesbian sex pest as the protagonist.
Hints are dropped that Claire is, in fact, not straight, but the indications that she is very much straight are hardly insignificant. Her crush on Thane is far less lifeless than the she's-not-really-gay pairings that kill yuri-baiting shows like Sound Euphonium. Questioning and experimentation have an important place in LGBT stories, as shown very well in Aoi Hana, but you can't change people's orientation by having a crush on them. Shouldn't, in fact. Claire isn't even questioning her hetrosexuality, which isn't a good look for a compelling yuri protagonist, or the target of Rae's ludicrously tactless affection.
I am, in fact, human; Rae's antics are funny if you don't think too much. She isn't nearly as bad as Kuroko from Index, and Kuroko was funny, but negative stereotypes aren't the best thing to laugh at, and anime about lesbians can do far better than - yes, yet another franchise born from the midden of self-published web novels. Which isn't going to induce me to end my boycott of Crunchyroll over Goblin Slayer, Shield Hero and other blights upon human civilisation which are, truthfully, far, far worse than Villainess.
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hakonohanayome · 4 months
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Aoi Hana - Takako Shimura
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LGBTQ+ Anime Tournament Round 1
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yuripoll · 1 month
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S3 ROUND 2
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NOTES: Aoi Hana contains some nudity and sexual scenes, as well as depictions of cousin incest, adult/minor relationships, and homophobia. Savior contains violence, bloody imagery, self harm and toxic relationships, as well as touching on other sensitive subject matter such as religious bigotry, misogyny, child abuse, and kidnapping.
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pixeljade · 6 days
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I think if there was ever a cartoonist I would do *literally anything* to meet it would be Takako Shimura. The way she writes such beautifully complex and conflicted queer characters, the way her art is so delicate and expressive yet simple...I struggle to think of a cartoonist who I love more. I'd probably break down crying if I met her though 😅
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historyhermann · 1 year
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From Lilith to Amity: LGBTQ librarians Shine Through
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October 11 was National Coming Out Day, a day to celebrate the act of "coming out," i.e. when an LGBTQ person publicly shares their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. In honor of that, I'd like to highlight some LGBTQ librarians I've written about on this blog, this year and years previously, and others on the List of fictional librarians that I put together in late 2021.
This post is reprinted from Pop Culture Library Review and Wayback Machine.
Lilith in Yamibou
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She is the caretaker of the Great Library (after Adam), and travels through much of the series with a girl she has a crush on, Hazuki, going through book worlds, looking for Eve. The latter is later shown as another caretaker of the library, who loves Hazuki. Part of her duty is to make sure worlds within the books are secure, an interesting job as a librarian. Due to the fact she is one of the protagonists of this series, who has considerable knowledge and wisdom, it means that libraries are still a key part of the series.
Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends
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Anne is one of the protagonists who is a soft-spoken girl, Princess, and honor student at Mysteria Academy, a prestigious magic school. Anne even ventured through the "forbidden" archives of the library in order to find something which would cure Grea of a fever. She and Grea appear to enter a relationship later on. Both work in the library as assistants, although not as full-fledged librarians.
Sophie Twilight in Ms. Vampire who lives in my neighborhood
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One of the protagonists of this anime, she drinks blood, but only when refrigerated, and she is shown weeding through her books in one episode. She has a refined appearance and liked going to comic book conventions. She brings in a high school girl, Akari, to live in her house, and appears to have feelings for her. Another vampire girl, Ellie, clearly is romantically attracted to her as well.
Fumi Manjōme in Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers
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In one episode, she weeds books and remembers her kiss with Sugimoto. Later in the episode, she later talks with other students about the role and influence the Literary Club has on the library. In another episode, Fumi and Sugimoto go to the library and kiss there. Ultimately, Fumi at least knows some library skills, in terms of weeding, which is an important part of library work.
Chiyo Tsukudate in Strawberry Panic!
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She works at the school library at Astrea Hill, known as Maiden's Garden, and is a member of the literary club. She looks up to her fellow students and undoubtedly has a crush on Nagisa, one of the show's protagonists. She checks out books and does other library duties well and efficiently. The library is a key location in the series.
Azusa Aoi in Whispered Words
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In the episode "Did You See the Rain?," she serves as the librarian in this episode, while the Girls Club members go on a treasure hunt to find a message, coming in and out of the library throughout the episode. Later, Azuza joins them in their quest. Azusa is a studious person who reads during breaks and takes an interest in learning, perfect for a librarian. She is a fan of yuri and loves Masaka Orino, unaware it is Ushio's older brother.
Fumio Murakumi in Girl Friend Beta
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Fumio and Erena
Although she was originally introverted and lonely, she got more friends after meeting Erena. She works at the school library. Erena appears to be the closest one to her and both may be in a relationship with one another, although its implied.
George and Lance in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
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They call themselves historians, but run a family library/archives/museum. in a magical forest known as the Whispering Woods They are Bow's dads. They are two middle-aged men and help the show's protagonists translate an ancient message in the Season 2 finale. In a later episode, Bow and Glimmer meet George and Lance who tell them about an ancient rebellion and fail-safe on a superweapon. This information  becomes vitally important going forward.
Desiree in Too Loud
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Desiree with her sister, Sara, and Sara's friends at a slumber party
She is a trans woman. In an episode which was supposed to end the show, according to series creator Nico Colaleo, she begins to explore her trans identity, as she had been a closeted in her usual workday. This episode, "Slumber Party Sneak-In" was praised by reviewers. Desiree works every day with her sister Sara and co-worker Sarah at the local public library, but has a voice which is so loud, hence the name of the series, smashing library stereotypes along the way.
Amity Blight in The Owl House
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Luz and Amity blush at one another in the episode "Through the Looking Glass Ruins"
She is a librarian who works at the Bonesborough Public Library, is a witch, and a student at Hexside Academy. Over the course of the story, her relationship with a human witch named Luz Noceda develops and later they begin a romantic relationship.
Sabine in Sabine: an asexual coming-of-age story
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Sabine working at the library desk in episode 115.
The protagonist of this webcomic, Sabine works in the local school library as a part-time job, beginning early in the comic. She a fully committed asexual girl who tries to make friends and not have any romantic relationships, just like the comic's author. The later also implies that she is, as a result, aromantic as well as asexual. Not all aromantic people are asexual, and vice versa. She is still learning more about herself all of the time, while she majors in history. As the comic's author stated, Sabine is unaware of her asexuality, and isn't sure she is aromantic, just that she isn't ready for sex.
Mo Testa in Dykes to Watch Out For
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Mo and Sydney
As the protagonist of this comic, and later comic book, she is a graduate of library school who worked at a feminist bookstore named Madwimmin Books, and appreciated "literary connectivity." She is a committed lesbian feminist who later gets a job as a reference librarian. She has a lover in college named Clarice, but her eventual partner is a woman named Sydney. The comic's creator, Alison Bechdel, recognized she was a lesbian after checking out books from the library, stating that an apparent "a key characteristic of queer people [is]...shamed persons who are drawn to lonely stacks and secret research," and she worked at the circulation desk as a librarian while she was a college student, influencing the comic itself. She also stated that Mo had been drawn into “the pitfall of vocational awe, believing that her public library job is a religious calling."
Concluding words
It is undetermined if Azusa Aoi in Whispered Words is LGBTQ. You could also argue that Kaisa in Hilda, a feisty character with unmatched knowledge of mystical items and cemetery records, who is a mysterious witch, is asexual based on her color scheme. There will likely be other LGBTQ librarians in the future, since many anime series have characters who go into libraries. [1]
© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
Notes
[1] This includes the Mysterious Library house base in Smile PreCure (an anime) and Marisa Kirisame frequently going to the library in Touhou Project (a video game). There are also apparent library scenes in Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo (a visual novel), Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka (Mahou Shoujo Tokushusen Asuka) (an anime), Himawari-san (a manga), Kimi to Tsuzuru Utakata (a manga), Maria-sama ga Miteru (a manga), Shitsurakuen (a manga), Kamitsure (visual novel), Märchen Mädchen (an anime), Flowers (manga), Roundabout of Yuri Hime Collection (collection),  Lyrical Nanoha, Yuri Shimai (manga), BanG Dream!, Kuchibiru Tameiki Sakurairo (manga), Himewari-san (manga), Yuri Shimai (manga), Kyuuketsuki-chan to Kouhai-chan (Vampire-chan x Junior-chan) (manga), Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk and Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea (video games), Conflict Girl (visual novel), Watashi wa Succubus to Kiss o Shita (manga), Fuwafuwa Futashika Yume Mitai (manga), Please Be Happy (visual novel), The Caged Bird Sings Theme Of Love (manga), Sakura Sadist (visual novel), A Piece of Candy of Yuri Hime Collection (manga), Once on a Windswept Night (visual novel), Yuri Hime Collection (manga), The Three-Second Rule of Yuri Hime Collection (manga), Nuku Nuku Toshoiin (manga), The Three Second Rule of Yuri Hime Collection (manga), Man'in Chijo Densha 2 (manga), Nozomi Kanaetamae ~Daydream Reconstruct~, and Kohonya (visual novel), and Hanidebi! Honey & Devil (visual novel).
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animemusicbrackets · 1 year
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Anime OP Showdown!!!: Round 1C
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"Aoi Hana" - Kikukodan (Sweet Blue Flowers)
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VS
"Unravel" - TK (Tokyo Ghoul)
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