INTRODUCTION: 

For this project, I chose to create a blog using Blogger to talk about anime and aspects of Japanese culture that inspired shojo anime, or was influenced by it through a feminist lens. It is interspersed with videos illustrating my points, or as examples of what I am writing about specifically.  I specifically wrote about shojo anime, the Takarazaka Revue and Lolita fashion. Shojo is anime that is geared towards a female audience, anyone from young girls to women. In my posts, I wrote about the trends and history of shojo anime, while commenting on it, questioning it, and dissecting it. Besides that, I wrote about an all-female theatre troupe that has been influential on anime and also Lolita fashion, which has been influenced by, and also an influence on, anime.  The role of women and girls in the particular media of animation, theatre and fashion was highlighted and commented on. In addition to that, I hope that this blog will get people interested in shojo anime, the Takarazaka Revue and gain an appreciation for Japanese fashion design. This blog was a lot of fun for me to create, as I'm a huge anime fan, in addition to being fascinated by the pop culture and culture of Japan. This blog is intended for students, anime fans, and anyone interested in Japan. I hope that readers come away with a sense of the importance of female-driven anime, not just artistically, but as real-world inspiration, as well. Thanks for reading.    

SOURCES: 

Yousman, Bill. “Gender, Race, and Class in Media.” Media, Gender and Feminism, edited by Lori Bindig Yousman et al., SAGE, 2020, p. 99. 

Yousman, Bill. “Gender, Race, and Class in Media.” Media, Gender and Feminism, edited by Lori Bindig Yousman et al., SAGE, 2020, p. 102 

Saito, Kumiko. “Magic, Shojo and Metamorphosis: Magical Girl Anime and the Challenges of Changing Gender Identities in Japanese Society.” The Journal of Asian Studies, vol. 73, no. 1, 2014, p. 144,    www.proquest.com/docview/1518249738?accountid=8067&parentSessionId=N2e7vAeG%2BwbwXnb3HZkYnC5Dezox1diHJOSc%2F18hwH0%3D&pq-origsite=primo.

Stevens Abbitt, Erica. “Androgyny and Otherness: Exploring the West Through the Japanese Performative Body.” Asian Theatre Journal, vol. 18, no. 2, 2001, p. 251, https://doi.org/10.1353/atj.2001.0012.   

Winge, Theresa. “Undressing and Dressing Loli: A Search for the Identity of the Japanese Lolita.” Mechademia: Second Arc, vol. 3, 2008, pp. 15–16, www.jstor.org/stable/41510902.   

https://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/