I think Laios succeeds as good autistic representation in the same way Hikigaya (Oregairu) succeeds as good depression representation in that they are made genuinely and affectionately with a focus on showing the real pit falls that come with it (with Laios' journey not being about "beating it" because it's not a vile thing to beat in the first place and it's not even an explicit thing, while Hikigaya's journey is very much about moving past it not by being thrust into a magical depression-curing manic pixie dream girl, but rather, giving him people he cares about so much and that he has to acknowledge care so much about him that he takes the extremely difficult first step forward by his own will) as overall parts of a greater narrative.

The emphasis here should be the sincerity and affection it's done with, a combination of both: I don't condemn things written with escapism in mind, "comfort reads", if you will, sometimes that's what people want to write and want to read, no greater journey, just Please Accept Me. But I think it's phenomenal, even important, when topics like this are written with this level of sincerity and affection, affection because it's not a mockery or simply superficial, sincerity because it shows you the ugly and the difficult parts of it as well, because there's people out there that, if the succeeses of Oregairu and Dungeon Meshi are anything to go by, are in fact receptive to this more raw, more blunt, more sincere showcases of these things, penned nonetheless with affection and optimism that treats them not as dead ends, but rather difficult but surmountable states (Oregairu with depression and self-loathing) or simply just how some people are and operate differently from the established norm and how that doesn't make them worse or inferior people (Dungeon Meshi with its autistic representation). Nothing wrong with some fast food popcorn wish fulfillment, but there's an audience for seeing something that may hurt a little or more than just a little in how accurate and truthful it is the real experiences lived by those that can relate, because this ache translates to investment, and now I'm invested in seeing how this breathing, living character overcomes the inherent adversity of something we can very much relate to.

I don't play MMOs anymore but I really miss being a healer. I miss being so good at healing that DPS and tanks get lazy and aggressive in instances, so good that when they group with other healers they're forced to play smart or wipe.

In short:

Yukinoshita Yukino ; My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU ☆ Good Smile Company

Today’s Maid of the Day: Iroha Isshiki from Oregairu

by Belko@ZURIFFIN

★ 【蒼ウサギ】 「 雪ノ下雪乃　(remake) 」 ☆ ✔ republished w/permission ⊳ ⊳ follow me! insta • x • bsky

雪ノ下雪乃 by しょう

Author and scriptwriter Watari Wataru on cynical heroines, getting a lesbian kiss onscreen, and keeping his day job

Watari Wataru’s appearance at Otakon 2023 was announced with copious mention of his 2011 light novel series My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (sometimes known by the shortened portmanteau of its Japanese title, Oregairu). While it has its issues (like a spate of fanservice-heavy anime promotional material rather disconnected from the novel’s mentality), it’s also drawn comparisons to era contemporary Toradora for trying to integrate more grounded character dynamics into the extremely archetype-dense school rom-com genre. The series earned a dedicated fanbase, three anime adaptations from 2013 to 2020, three separate manga adaptations and three visual novel spin-offs (including one in 2023).

Even more of interest for AniFem readers, though, is Girlish Number. Its heroine, Chitose, is a cynical young voice actress who finally manages to snag a major role; convinced she’d just never been given a chance to shine, Chitose’s ego takes a serious blow when she can’t keep up with her costars. The series isn’t a brutal indictment of an industry a la Perfect Blue or Oshi no Ko, but a work-com closer to SHIROBAKO – ultimately upbeat but unafraid of airing its complaints, or of letting a cast of adult women have a few rough edges.

Stepping into the role of anime scriptwriter and series composer first to adapt his own work, Watari has increasingly taken up work on adaptations. In 2023, that included AniFem staff favorite The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, an ambitious fantasy series that turned heads for managing to include both a love confession and onscreen kiss between its titular couple.

Such a move is almost unprecedented outside of titles marketed exclusively as yuri or BL, and despite the many beautiful queer love stories that anime has told over the years with one, the other, or only subtext to wield, it’s easy to see why this achievement touched anxious viewers: this interview was conducted only one day before Bandai Namco attempted to declare the couple at the heart of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury as being “up to interpretation” despite, among other things, their matching wedding rings (the creative team, in an admirable answering power move, released a staff art book at Comiket that included wedding and honeymoon art).

We were able to sit down with Watari, as well as SNAFU editor and Gagaga Bunko Chief Editor Hoshino Horinori, for a short interview.

Read it at Anime Feminist!

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU) - Yukino Yukinoshita: Light Novel Volume 6 Cover Illustration Ver. Figure by Good Smile Company

The more we watch crappy high school romcoms or high school wish fulfillment shows where the ostracized-slash-lonely main character is actually a super genius and never misses with the gang, the easier it becomes to appreciate Oregairu, which even without the context of being in part explicitly a parody of the genre is already a good show, but it becomes even better the more you understand what genre it is mercilessly ripping to shreds without coming across as a *anime youtuber voice* deconstruction high on the smell of its own flatulence. To put it in other terms, while it is in fact a parody of the usual High School Loner Genius Romcom/Harem formula, it also actually cares to deliver a good story with its own themes and depth beyond “parody”.

Hachiman’s 4-D chess seemingly works at first, but it’s explicitly shown to be simple stopgap measures that don’t fix anything and may even make things worse in the long term, and throughout the story, it takes actually realizing that he’s burning bridges that he desperately wants and that he’s not some Loner Genius high schooler The Joker that has it all figured out, and only then does he actually start working his ass off to properly solve the problems in front of him through what is a refreshing combination of sheer humane, considerate solutions mixed with his inherent cunning, with the long term in mind. Yukinoshita is the genius hot girl that is good at academics and sports, but she is so utterly incapable of making meaningful connections with people that it doesn’t really help her at all because, well, not just in school but in life, you really need to know how to handle people and work together with them, no matter how intelligent or capable you are, and this weakness overshadows her strengths, completely negating her advantages. Yuigahama is the preppy popular girl that is charismatic and good looking, but pretty naive or even ‘dumb’ sometimes, but then it becomes clear that not only is she incredibly mature emotionally, she WILL be ruthless and assertive when she actually needs to be and isn’t some selfless little goober, but at the same time, she also doesn’t have anywhere or anyone she feels she truly belongs at or with until she meets these two other strays, whose bluntness and sincerity she appreciates greatly.

Then, a third of the story in, we are introduced to Iroha, who represents the cunning younger student that is always this beloved, charming girl who actually is a pretty cunning and even malicious trickster that always gets what she wants... Except, NO ONE falls for it for longer than maybe a few seconds, and then it turns out that she and Hachiman are just really compatible, and they become good friends in that sort of caustic, vitriolic way that is only natural for the two of them, cynic duo that they make.

And needless to say, Hachiman’s sister, Komachi, is immediately, frame one shown to not only have a perfectly believable relationship with Hachiman in that they dunk on each other on sight, but also REALLY wants Hachiman to start dating a girl already and actively tries to get him to grow closer to any of his lady friends. The closest to a siscon joke in Oregairu is when someone reacts to Hachiman’s (grounded and not exaggerated) protectiveness of her by asking “oh, are you a siscon?” to which he replies “what in the fuck are you talking about, no, I’m worried about my sister because she’s my sister, don’t be weird about this”.

Oregairu has this habit of consistently showing you tropes and archetypes you will very clearly recognize from formulaic anime and novels, and then immediately humanizes them, not enough to fully remove them from the context of “you are watching anime or reading a light novel”, and just to remove them from “you know exactly what to expect from This Character”. It’s at that point where the narrative mix-ups, as it were, begin: Is this character going to at all follow the usual role you’d expect from them in a romcom or harem, or is this character going to go off the rails and pleasantly surprise me?

And it always goes off the rail when it matters with Oregairu. It’s always a pleasant surprise with Oregairu.

PS2 game covers but with anime pictures...

New blorbo acquired! he has dead fish eyes and a rotten personality I love him dearly !!!