The international popularity of animation in recent years saw overseas sales of Japan’s animation market exceed domestic sales numbers, reaching 1.5 trillion yen in 2022. Riding on this, the thriving industry is predicted to continue growing at an annual rate of 3% annually too. With such a large market, Japanese animation, or anime, is a force of significant social impact. Many works, like the Pretty Cure series now incorporate messages about gender identity and the LGBT identity in their production. Today, we will look at how the anime boom came about, and examine classic works like Space Battleship Yamato, Mobile Suit Gundam, and Neon Genesis Evangelion from a gender perspective based on the eras they emerged in versus the present.
-KUDEN rinlife Magazine vol.1
Writer:Kenta Hashi