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https://blackgirlnerds.com/reaction-to-netflix-animated-good-times-trailer/
After the writer’s strike ended in September 2023, it had me thinking, among other things, about how far television has evolved. But as I thought, specifically about how Black people are represented on TV, I realized that notable and inspiring Black characters are still few. We all know Black folk have come a long way in real life, but for some reason, media still tells a different story.
We’ve been so busy trying to move forward, we’ve forgotten the Black characters and shows of the past who inspired us, and set positive examples for the community and made us proud to be Black. Case in point: Good Times.
On February 8, 1974, the first Black sitcom with a two-parent family and one of the most successful Black sitcoms of our culture was born. Florida (Esther Rolle) and James Evans (John Amos) and their three children lived in the infamous Cabrini-Green projects in inner-city Chicago. Florida and James’ children were James Jr. (Jimmie Walker), also known as “J.J.”, Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and Michael (Ralph Carter).
When the series began, J.J. and Thelma are 17 and 16-years-old, respectively, and Michael, known as “the militant midget” by his father due to his passionate activism, is 11-years-old. Their neighbor, and Florida’s best friend, Willona Woods, is divorced and working at a boutique.
Looking at the show through 2024-eyes, so many things stand out to me. First, the Evans family probably had more integrity than any other Black family on television. Ever. Now before you say the Huxtables, I have to say, the Evans family was far more noteworthy, because they actually had real-life-or-death, how-are-we-gonna-eat problems. The Huxtables, while they will always be a significant portrayal of affluent Black life, didn’t struggle like the Evans family did.
Good Times faced poverty, unemployment, discrimination, civil rights activism, gangs, suicide, child abuse, drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, hypertension, illiteracy and more. Seriously, if there was a social issue, the show brought it to life. The family’s way of dealing with these issues always centered around integrity, strength and family togetherness.
So, to hear Netflix is rebooting this beloved show as an animated series is different. Let’s take a look at that trailer, shall we?
First, here’s the official synopsis of the show: “An animated reboot of the Norman Lear series finds the latest generation of the Evans family, cab driver Reggie and his wife, the ever-aspirational Beverly, scratching and surviving in one of the last remaining housing projects in Chicago along with their teenage artist son, Junior, activist daughter Grey, and drug dealing infant son, Dalvin. It turns out the more things change the more they stay the same and keeping your head above water in a system with its knee on your neck is as challenging as ever. The only thing tougher than life is love, but in this family, there’s more than enough to go around.”
What disturbs me about the reboot is not so much that it’s an animated series but that it appears to be yet another example of stereotypical portrayals of Black life. This reimagining of a TV classic is definitely unfiltered and not for children – which is sad because the original Good Times was something the whole family could watch.
Let’s just say that I agree with most people’s sentiments about this trailer – many have nothing good to say about it. It may have something to do with the strippers, nudity, sex, adultification of Black boys, and cursing. You think? Let’s talk about it.
There’s a complicated legacy when it comes to white executive producers at the helm of Black television shows. I have problems with a show about Black life, Black families, and Black struggle with white people leading that narrative. The late Norman Lear is credited as an executive producer on this project, along with Seth MacFarlane. Yes, the same Seth MacFarlane, that is the creator of Family Guy and The Cleveland Show.
The reality that Lear, a white man, being responsible for bringing an expanded view of Black lives to American television was a direct result of the 1970s. Most doors were still closed to Black producers, writers and creators, like Eric Monte.
Creator of Cooley High, Monte claims Lear was a racist who stole his ideas for the 70s television shows, The Jeffersons, and What’s Happening!! He also worked as a writer on Good Times which he co-created with Mike Evans. Monte also revealed that Lear didn’t want the character played by John Amos on Good Times because he didn’t think a strong, Black man on a sitcom would work out. Monte sued Lear in 1977 for stealing his ideas. Although he received a $1 million settlement, he was eventually blacklisted from Hollywood.
It should be noted that Ranada Shepard is the showrunner and executive producer of the show. Ranada, a Black woman, was also part of the creative team behind Matthew Cherry’s Young Love animated series. NBA star Steph Curry is also a producer on the series under his Unanimous Media banner.
This new series brings a whole new meaning to “scratching and surviving,” as the Good Times theme song famously says. The reboot is another example of profiting from Black people’s trauma, not to mention a stark reminder of stealing Black people’s ideas.
Director Cord Jefferson’s film American Fiction gives us a similar story, with a comedic portrayal of the white fetishization of Black trauma. We see a well-educated Black author who writes an over-the-top novel in protest of the way white audiences seem to be incredibly obsessed with that kind of material. But, to his surprise, the white audiences love it.
Soon after the murder of Breonna Taylor, I had written a poem and shared it online. A white woman reached out to me and said that she was so moved by my pain. I told her that, unfortunately, there is never a shortage of pain for Black women. She didn’t realize she was being insulted.
The truth is everything is not meant to be funny or used for entertainment purposes. Consider the years of Black people speaking up about representation and this effort feels hollow. There is a clear disconnect between the media white audiences present to us as entertainment, and the media Black people actually support.
You be the judge, if it’s “Dyn-O-Mite!” April 12 on Netflix.
After the writer’s strike ended in September 2023, it had me thinking, among other things, about how far television has evolved. But as I thought, specifically about how Black people are represented on TV, I realized that notable and inspiring Black characters are still few. We all know Black folk have come a long way in real life, but for some reason, media still tells a different story.
We’ve been so busy trying to move forward, we’ve forgotten the Black characters and shows of the past who inspired us, and set positive examples for the community and made us proud to be Black. Case in point: Good Times.
On February 8, 1974, the first Black sitcom with a two-parent family and one of the most successful Black sitcoms of our culture was born. Florida (Esther Rolle) and James Evans (John Amos) and their three children lived in the infamous Cabrini-Green projects in inner-city Chicago. Florida and James’ children were James Jr. (Jimmie Walker), also known as “J.J.”, Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and Michael (Ralph Carter).
When the series began, J.J. and Thelma are 17 and 16-years-old, respectively, and Michael, known as “the militant midget” by his father due to his passionate activism, is 11-years-old. Their neighbor, and Florida’s best friend, Willona Woods, is divorced and working at a boutique.
Looking at the show through 2024-eyes, so many things stand out to me. First, the Evans family probably had more integrity than any other Black family on television. Ever. Now before you say the Huxtables, I have to say, the Evans family was far more noteworthy, because they actually had real-life-or-death, how-are-we-gonna-eat problems. The Huxtables, while they will always be a significant portrayal of affluent Black life, didn’t struggle like the Evans family did.
Good Times faced poverty, unemployment, discrimination, civil rights activism, gangs, suicide, child abuse, drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, hypertension, illiteracy and more. Seriously, if there was a social issue, the show brought it to life. The family’s way of dealing with these issues always centered around integrity, strength and family togetherness.
So, to hear Netflix is rebooting this beloved show as an animated series is different. Let’s take a look at that trailer, shall we?
First, here’s the official synopsis of the show: “An animated reboot of the Norman Lear series finds the latest generation of the Evans family, cab driver Reggie and his wife, the ever-aspirational Beverly, scratching and surviving in one of the last remaining housing projects in Chicago along with their teenage artist son, Junior, activist daughter Grey, and drug dealing infant son, Dalvin. It turns out the more things change the more they stay the same and keeping your head above water in a system with its knee on your neck is as challenging as ever. The only thing tougher than life is love, but in this family, there’s more than enough to go around.”
What disturbs me about the reboot is not so much that it’s an animated series but that it appears to be yet another example of stereotypical portrayals of Black life. This reimagining of a TV classic is definitely unfiltered and not for children – which is sad because the original Good Times was something the whole family could watch.
Let’s just say that I agree with most people’s sentiments about this trailer – many have nothing good to say about it. It may have something to do with the strippers, nudity, sex, adultification of Black boys, and cursing. You think? Let’s talk about it.
There’s a complicated legacy when it comes to white executive producers at the helm of Black television shows. I have problems with a show about Black life, Black families, and Black struggle with white people leading that narrative. The late Norman Lear is credited as an executive producer on this project, along with Seth MacFarlane. Yes, the same Seth MacFarlane, that is the creator of Family Guy and The Cleveland Show.
The reality that Lear, a white man, being responsible for bringing an expanded view of Black lives to American television was a direct result of the 1970s. Most doors were still closed to Black producers, writers and creators, like Eric Monte.
Creator of Cooley High, Monte claims Lear was a racist who stole his ideas for the 70s television shows, The Jeffersons, and What’s Happening!! He also worked as a writer on Good Times which he co-created with Mike Evans. Monte also revealed that Lear didn’t want the character played by John Amos on Good Times because he didn’t think a strong, Black man on a sitcom would work out. Monte sued Lear in 1977 for stealing his ideas. Although he received a $1 million settlement, he was eventually blacklisted from Hollywood.
It should be noted that Ranada Shepard is the showrunner and executive producer of the show. Ranada, a Black woman, was also part of the creative team behind Matthew Cherry’s Young Love animated series. NBA star Steph Curry is also a producer on the series under his Unanimous Media banner.
This new series brings a whole new meaning to “scratching and surviving,” as the Good Times theme song famously says. The reboot is another example of profiting from Black people’s trauma, not to mention a stark reminder of stealing Black people’s ideas.
Director Cord Jefferson’s film American Fiction gives us a similar story, with a comedic portrayal of the white fetishization of Black trauma. We see a well-educated Black author who writes an over-the-top novel in protest of the way white audiences seem to be incredibly obsessed with that kind of material. But, to his surprise, the white audiences love it.
Soon after the murder of Breonna Taylor, I had written a poem and shared it online. A white woman reached out to me and said that she was so moved by my pain. I told her that, unfortunately, there is never a shortage of pain for Black women. She didn’t realize she was being insulted.
The truth is everything is not meant to be funny or used for entertainment purposes. Consider the years of Black people speaking up about representation and this effort feels hollow. There is a clear disconnect between the media white audiences present to us as entertainment, and the media Black people actually support.
You be the judge, if it’s “Dyn-O-Mite!” April 12 on Netflix.
Ah, Red-Haired Shanks. The all-powerful legend. The carefree jokester. The inspiration behind one of the shoes in One Piece x Puma‘s sneaker collaboration. (Naturally, his most important claim to fame.) One Piece fans the world over love the character of Shanks (or at least are begrudgingly charmed by him). And now, as mentioned, they can declare their allegiance to One Piece‘s Red-Haired Pirate Crew and its captain by donning Shanks’ colors in PUMA shoe form. Of course, if red is not your color, the One Piece x PUMA collaboration will also let you come aboard with the three other One Piece Emperors, Luffy, Buggy, or Blackbeard. But Nerdist was lucky enough to get a closer look at the Shanks PUMA shoe. And so, let’s dive deep into the ins and outs of the One Piece sneaker.
Jump to: One Piece References in the Shanks PUMA Shoe // Are the One Piece PUMAs Comfortable? // Where Can You Buy the One Piece PUMAs?
One Piece References in the Shanks PUMA Shoe
One Piece fans are probably wondering just how these PUMA shoes relate to the series itself. And that is an important question. Personally, I love nerdy fashion that’s both aesthetic and referential. And these Shanks PUMAs certainly accomplish that goal for me. The Shanks shoes are subtly fannish in both big and small ways but restrain themselves from going too far overboard. And that keeps this One Piece Puma sneaker looking fashionable and gorgeous.
Jump to: The Box // The Colors // The Scars // The Jolly Roger // Shanks’ Pants Design From One Piece Film: Red // The Puma Belly Coin // The Wanted Poster // The Man Himself!
One Piece‘s Map Decorates the PUMA Box
Before we see the shoes, we already know that this One Piece x PUMA collaboration is going to be great. The box and wrapping paper that house the Shank sneakers are both One Piece-themed. After all, we can’t set sail to be King of the Pirates without a map. And this shoe box will help us find our heading.
The Colors of Shanks’ One Piece PUMA Shoes
Well, he ain’t called Red-Haired Shanks for nothing! One Piece is known for its colorful assortment of hair colors, and Shanks is no different. But, of course, Shanks’ hair isn’t actually pure red; it’s really more of a wine color—a fitting choice for a pirate. Happily, PUMA nails the exact shade of the captain/Emperor’s tresses in its homage to Shanks. Dark red is the main color of this One Piece PUMA shoe, and if you look at side-by-side images of Shanks and his PUMA, it really is like the sneaker has been dyed to match. We love it.
The Shanks shoes also have a silvery white streak running through them. And that nicely represents both the natural draw of a pirate to something shiny and the fact that Shanks’ main outfit includes a white shirt. At times, Shanks’ eyes are also depicted as silver throughout his franchise appearances(although the color sometimes changes). So in a way, this silver streak is actually a fairly deep cut.
Of course, in the world of One Piece, silver can also refer to the flash of a sword. And that makes a lot of sense, too, since the turquoise green piping on this One Piece x PUMA shoe actually represents Shanks’ saber, Gryphon. Gryphon is known for its famously green (and long) hilt. This is another super fun color choice.
These Puma Sneakers Show Off Shanks’ Scars
Red-Haired Shanks has a very specific set of scars that graces his face. Three long, vertical marks pass straight over Shanks’ left eye but don’t affect it. One Piece fans will know that the pirate Blackbeard gave Shanks these scars before the start of the series proper. However, the circumstances of Shanks’ scarring remain mysterious. Still, as far as Shanks goes, it’s somewhat of a trademark part of his character’s design.
In an incredibly fun, if you know, you know, kind of way, Shanks’ three scars are embroidered onto the heel of his One Piece x PUMA shoe. We love seeing this obvious reference done in a very deft way.
The Red-Haired Pirates’ Jolly Roger Symbol
Having a unique Jolly Roger is very important to the different pirate factions on One Piece. After all, Luffy would tell you, the Jolly Roger sets the tone for a ship and its pirate crew. While PUMA could have simply used the general One Piece logo on all of its shoes, the Red-Haired Pirates and Shanks’ specific Jolly Roger feaures throughout the sneaker. Like Shanks, the Red-Haired Pirates’ Jolly Roger has three long scars running over its left eye. On the One Piece PUMA, Shanks’ Jolly Roger can be found on the tongue of the shoe and on the back of the right heel. (Sharing a location with the PUMA logo on the left heel.)
The shoe even gets the specific design of the swords decorating the skull right. Seeing the perfect miniature replica of Shanks’ Jolly Roger on the PUMA makes for a delightful surprise.
The Design of Shanks’ Pants From One Piece Film: Red
Now this One Piece x PUMA collaboration really cuts deep in its franchise references. I admit, I squinted for quite a while at the paisley-like design that decorates the shoe. It was incredibly hard to place the origin of the pattern. But eventually, it came to me. The pattern references the design on Shanks’ pants from the movie One Piece Film: Red. Wild.
One Piece Film: Red actually centers Shanks and his adopted daughter Uta, in its story so it makes all the sense in the world for his PUMAs to refer to it. But still, that is quite a slice into the world of One Piece. Well played, PUMA.
One Piece‘s Belly Gone PUMA
What’s a pirate shoe without a little pirate booty? In One Piece, the going currency for pirates is the Belly coin (also known as Berry, Beli, or Beri). The One Piece collaboration with Pum features a Puma-fied Belly that hangs from the edge of the sneaker. Instead of the iconic One Piece “B” decorating Belly, now there’s a “P.” Guess Shanks and co. will need to get after “Pelly,” now.
Shanks’ Wanted Poster Appears on the PUMA Shoes’ Tongue
Wanted posters are also a big deal for One Piece‘s pirate set. Getting a wanted poster means you’re in the club, and the higher the bounty, the better. Shanks, naturally, is an incredibly wanted man. And in a fun surprise, when you go to put on your PUMA, you’ll find a glittery version of Shanks’ One Piece wanted poster on the tongue. The mini-wanted poster even details the iconic text “Wanted—Dead or Alive.” The Marines have signed off on it as well, of course. The PUMA even contains the swirls that decorate One Piece‘s official wanted posters. Of course, the sneaker gets Shanks’ going rate exactly right. That’s 4,048,900,000 Belly/Pelly, please.
The Man, Himself!
Surprise! Shanks himself makes an appearance on his shoe. Yep, there he is, grinning up at you from your right PUMA sneaker, leg hair and all. It’s a fitting final Easter egg twist for the One Piece x PUMA collaboration. We love that the last One Piece reference you find when you go to put on your shoe is Shanks in the flesh (kind of). Just go easy when you step on him.
Are the One Piece PUMA’s Comfortable?
Yes! The One Piece x PUMA collaboration has yielded a shoe that is fabulous but also functional. The external suede is soft, the interior lining is smooth, and your foot feels well-supported in these sneakers. 10/10 would wear on adventures across the high seas.
Where Can You Buy the One Piece x PUMA Shoes, Clothes, and More?
The One Piece x PUMA collaboration is available on PUMA’s websites. It contains shoes, clothing, and more. Although some pieces have sold out online, it’s also worth checking local stores to see what’s in stock. And hopefully, with great demand, the One Piece PUMA shoes will return for another season. (Much like the One Piece live-action.) We also hope more characters beyond just One Piece‘s Emperors will be featured in future collaborations. Zoro and Sanji PUMAs, we NEED those.
The post Take a Closer Look at Shanks’ Shoe From ONE PIECE x PUMA’s Collaboration appeared first on Nerdist.
Studio Ghibli Fest is back in theaters in its biggest year yet! Now, coming off the triumphant Oscar® win for Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature The Boy and the Heron, celebrate this iconic studio with an all-new selection of fan favorites and iconic titles alike.
This year’s lineup highlights the works of studio co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, as well as directors Yoshifumi Kondo, Hiroyuki Morita, and Hiromasa Yonebayashi. In celebration of Hayao Miyazaki’s recent Oscar win, Studio Ghibli Fest 2024 kicks off with the acclaimed director’s previous Academy Award-winning feature, Spirited Away, which took home the Oscar in 2001.
The lineup also includes special celebrations for the Howl’s Moving Castle 20th Anniversary, Kiki’s Delivery Service 25th Anniversary, and Pom Poko 30th Anniversary.
Studio Ghibli Fest 2024 Full Schedule
Spirited Away
- Saturday, April 27 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
- Sunday, April 28 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Monday, April 29 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, May 1 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 40th Anniversary
- Sunday, May 19 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Tuesday, May 21 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
Castle in the Sky
- Monday, May 20 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, May 22 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
The Secret World of Arrietty
- Sunday, June 9 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Tuesday, June 11 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
When Marnie Was There 10th Anniversary
- Monday, June 10 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, June 12 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
Princess Mononoke
- Saturday, July 13 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
- Sunday, July 14 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Monday, July 15 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Tuesday, July 16 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, July 17 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
Ponyo
- Saturday, August 3 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
- Sunday, August 4 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Monday, August 5 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Tuesday, August 6 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, August 7 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
Whisper of the Heart
- Sunday, August 25 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Tuesday, August 27 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
The Cat Returns
- Monday, August 26 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, August 28 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
Howl’s Moving Castle 20th Anniversary
- Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Friday, September 27 at 7:00 (DUB)
- Saturday, September 28 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Sunday, September 29 at 3:00 and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Monday, September 30 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Tuesday, October 1 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, October 2 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Thursday, October 3 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
Kiki’s Delivery Service 35th Anniversary
- Saturday, October 26 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
- Sunday, October 27 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Monday, October 28 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Tuesday, October 29 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, October 30 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
Pom Poko 30th Anniversary
- Sunday, November 24 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Tuesday, November 26 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
- Monday, November 25 at 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Wednesday, November 27 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
My Neighbor Totoro
- Saturday, December 7 at 3:00 PM (SUB)
- Sunday, December 8 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM (DUB)
- Monday, December 9 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
- Tuesday, December 10 at 7:00 (DUB)
- Wednesday, December 11 at 7:00 PM (SUB)
In related news, The Boy and the Heron will return to North American theatres starting March 22, 2024 and include exclusive bonus content!
This was a film that I reviewed for the site and wrote that “The Boy and the Heron is a film that I want to revisit and rewatch. It is clear that it is from the house of Ghibli, and yet it is uniquely its own creation. I believe that it should be watched by fans of animation and Ghibli purists, alike.”
If you missed watching the film before it won its Oscar, you can catch it this time on the big screen!
See more about Ghibli Fest here on the GKIDS website. Follow the conversation online on Twitter (X), Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok.
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The post Studio Ghibli Fest Returns to Theaters 2024 appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
You love manga. I love manga. We all love manga. Writing about women mangaka for this month last year brought some eyeballs to the site and was fun to put together on my end, so I thought I’d bring it back again with five more. Happy Women’s History Month, here’s to more women mangaka to read and know about!
Yoshitoki Ōima
Genres: Seinen
Years Active: 2000’s-Current
Notable (Past) Works: Mardock Scramble, A Silent Voice
Works Usually Include: Emotional stories, characters questioning their morality, child characters
Yoshitoki Oima was technically still a teenager when she started working on what would become the Eisner Nominated and Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize winning A Silent Voice manga. Captivating readers and audiences globally via its animated film adaptation, the series emphasized the power of the heartwarming and equally heart wrenching powers of Ōima’s masterful storytelling that we would see in later work of hers. The manga follows the lives of Shoyo who once tormented a hearing-impaired classmate, Shoko. It is a series that newer readers of manga have not just held as a standard for positive representation of disabled characters but some of their first, via the animated version as well. I come back to this manga especially when I want to see a series dedicated to not just the consequences of bullying but the struggles that disabled children have. I especially felt drawn to the solid themes of seeking forgiveness, exploring what atonement looks like for adolescents, and the powerful, powerful reason for communication.
Ōima‘s follow-up series after A Silent Voice is To Your Eternity which she is still working on with over twenty volumes under her belt. The publisher, Kodansha, mentions that To Your Eternity “is a totally unique and moving manga about death, life, reincarnation, and the nature of love.” I remember reading the first chapter, some eighty pages, and being stunned by not only the emotional depth of the story but the engaging narrative, need for purpose, and the fragile lives of others. An immortal being takes the form of a young boy and ends up on a journey to figure out just what it means to be human and encounters many people, many experiences, and impacts many lives along the way. It is a moving fantasy and drama-centric tale on being born anew time and time again along with the brutalities, tyrannies, mercies, and joys of the human…experience. Also adapted to anime, this series has animated the fragility of life and the adventure of the lonely immortal that continues to make everyone feel everything about emotional connections.
Moyoco Anno
Genres: Mostly Josei, Shojo
Years Active: 1990’s- Current
Notable (Past) Works: Sakuran, In Clothes Called Fat, Insufficient Direction
Works Usually Include: Work focusing on sex workers, complicated, messy women, slice of life tales, memorable stories for children
As I often say, Shojo is my first love when it comes to manga–and Josei is a close second. I shared volumes of the messy Happy Mania manga series with my friends in high school. I later read In Clothes Called Fat (the review was my first published credit!). I also adored Anno’s Sakuran years ago and wanted to read more of her work, not yet available translated in English. That title is one I often recommend for manga lovers who have a liking for manga that leans into the historical genre and that is also written by a female mangaka. There are usually a lot of glamorous takes when tackling lives of such women who become sex workers, yet this one throws in the heartbreak, the societal rules, and the varying ways of forcing women into strict gender roles that complicate the narrative.
Anime News Network lists that Anno was once an assistant of Kyoko Okazaki’s, which is a wild and amazing connection! Another famous person Moyoco Anno is connected to is her husband: Hideaki Anno, best known for Neon Genesis Evangelion, which was fun to read about their adventures of their wedding and married life in Insufficient Direction. Anno is on this list as she’s always felt like an underrated outlier in the Josei manga space–there was never enough of her work out for others to truly get a feel of her storytelling process. Thanks to publisher Cork, there are three series available to read digitally–(I’ve been reading them on the Azuki app). I can always expect glamorous women, fashionable clothes, and drama bombs in most of what I read. The women in her manga are not perfect, perhaps messier than they are redeemable, but they are women who don’t shrink and take up space. They are women who make demands of life and refuse to settle and follow their dreams or desires to the end of the road. In the stories created for children like Sugar Sugar Rune and The Diary of Ochibi, Anno crafted hilarious yet heartwarming tales adapted for anime and other forms of media.
Ichigo Takano
Genres: Shojo, Seinen?
Years Active: 2000’s–present
Notable (Past) Works: Dreaming Sun, Orange, Become You
Works Usually Include: School life stories, slice of life, romantic and drama filled stories
Best known for her manga series Orange, that recently came to an end via its English translation, Ichigo Takano is a manga artist who debuted back in high school–IF my information is correct. Starting her career in the early 2000’s, her first English language release is actually Dreaming Sun’: a manga series about complicated family relationships of high school students. It was Orange, Takano’s later series that blew up and became her biggest series in the States and a huge success in her native country and elsewhere. (See this emotional and really lovely post about an overseas trip and signing with the manga creator in Turkey.) I fell in love with this series as it proved to be a catchall of different genres and themes and plot pieces: time travel, school life, alternative timelines, and Shojo goodness.
Orange rose to new heights with more than 1.5 million copies in print with not just enough popularity for a spin off manga, but a thirteen episode anime adaptation and an animated film as a sequel. Including a live action film, the hype soon brought the manga to be picked up for an English language version (and an Eisner Award Nomination!!), much to manga fans, not just Shojo fans. This manga series follows a teenage girl named Nao who receives a letter from her adult self, urging her to save a friend who will soon die young. With her group of friends, they seek to change a timeline and rewrite their lives with a loved one, gone too soon. I devoured this series volume by volume as I felt it really pushed the envelope of the power of not just friendship, first loves, and the powerful way lives change because of (consistent and loving) communication. Here’s one of my favorite reviews of the start of the series. Ichigo Takano seems to nail writing about the imperfect lives of young adults via Shojo (and maybe Seinen) and I sincerely hope to read more of her work, translated soon in the near future.
Hinako Ashihara
Genres: Shojo, Josei
Years Active: 1990’s-2024
Notable (Past) Works: Sand Chronicles, SOS, Forbidden Dance
Works Usually Include: Short stories, romantic and dramatic stories, school life, female friendships
Including Hinako Ashihara felt like a must for this list, even though I remain extremely saddened by her recent passing and the circumstances that caused it. Working under the pen name of Hinako Ashihara, Ritsuko Matsumoto was a mangaka whose works earned her the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for Shojo twice in her career. Some of her work was popular enough to be adapted to television via live action over the years. When I go back and look at what little manga of hers that we have translated into English, I remember that these were works that I read in my adolescent years. Her manga helped fill out my understanding of Shojo and stories about girls and women in the early 2000s when my female manga reading friends and I were being richly rewarded with manga centering girls and women.
Trigger Warning: This mangaka’s life sadly came to an end earlier this year in what many have speculated was a suspected suicide after she was found dead at her home. Ashihara had some criticisms she had expressed online about the direction and tone the live action adaptation was taking of her latest and then ongoing series, Sexy Tanaka-san. I’ve read that the manga series centers on the friendship of two women: one, a forty year old accountant who has a secret, thrilling life as a belly dancer and the twenty-something year old female coworker who stumbles upon her secret and is inspired. The mangaka seemed to be frustrated with how she was being ignored and dismissed for her concerns, not wanting a one-dimensional portrayal of her work or possibly oversexualizing the story regarding belly dancing.
Ashihara’s death has brought lots of ire for the mishandling of the news regarding her death (Mangaka Makoto Raiku, known for creating the Zatch Bell! franchise went online about this as well) and the continued mistreatment and harassment of female creators in the manga space, online and off. Hinako Ashihara who passed at fifty years old, had a thirty-year career of creating manga with girls and women as the heroes in their own stories and lives. I am grateful for having the few titles of hers that I have read that helped shape my manga reading adolescence. I hope Hinako Ashihara’s work is respected and preserved. Lastly, I hope her death helps bring about more awareness in the manga industry and serves to be a reminder of how mangaka need protection and support from their publishers, the networks, and other entertain industry persons when working with adaptations and more. If Eiichiro Oda could be heavily involved in a live action adaptation of One Piece that globally is adored, why do we live in a world where Hinako Ashihara couldn’t?
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
Kaori Tsurutani
Genres: Seinen, BL
Years Active: 2020’s – Current
Notable (Past) Works: BL Metamorphosis, BL First Crush Anthology: Five Seconds Before We Fall in Love
Works Usually Include: Slice of life goodness, admiration for Boys Love,
Kaori Tsurutani is an up-and-coming manga creator best known in the West for the English language version of BL Metamorphosis. The five-volume series is an absolute delight: it follows the sweet friendship of a high school girl who becomes friends with an elderly woman who bond over manga–BL manga, at that. Slow-paced and endearing, I kept reading to read more of this manga that gently bonded together two women in different stages of their lives. Ichinoi, a seventy-five-year-old widowed woman, accidentally stumbled upon some BL manga at a bookstore. As fate would have it, she captures the eye of one of the workers at the store – a seventeen-year-old fujoshi teenage girl. The manga evolved into a quiet yet thrilling narrative that touches on the importance of inter-generational friendships, dealing with transitional periods in life, discovery and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones.
According to one of my fave manga podcasts, Mangasplaining: “BL Metamorphosis won the 22nd Japan Media Arts Award, was nominated twice for the Manga Taisho Award, and was a top pick amongst Japanese manga critics in Kono Manga ga Sugoi, the annual ranking of cool manga! In short, people really, really liked this one. It’s very much a manga for people who like manga.” I really felt that the mangaka, Tsurutani, really nailed it here with the joys of sharing and reading manga–with a friend. For Urara, the teenager without much direction or friends, being able to share BL (Boys Love manga cements her as a fujoshi aka rotten woman which can be socially isolating, even within manga circles) with another feels liberating even if it is with a much older person. For the much older Ichinoi, it was super fun and enlightening to see how much manga has evolved since the days of old (she mentions Rose of Versailles manga of the 1970’s) and see her reaction to BL tropes, artist working digitally, and more recent additions to the manga industry like the Comiket events and QR for digital goodies. Kaori Tsurutani has demonstrated that her manga feature relationships that are worth reading whether they be romantic ones the way of BL or May-December friendships, and I believe many others would agree with me.
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The post 5 More Women Mangaka You Should Know for Women’s History Month appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.