Boys of comparable age to the main characters do not appear in the series and the few men who do are usually family members, a small number of elderly men, or male bystanders. This largely stems from the fact that senshadō is practiced exclusively by women in this universe. In regards to the character cast, the makeup of characters is overwhelmingly female and female-dominated. Through this reassignment of ideals, it is demonstrated here that concept of gender can be largely rooted in social construction rather than biological division. In a presentation to the promote sport to the school, senshadō is advertised as a martial art that enhances a woman’s femininity by making her “become hot and tough as steel, as robust and lovely as caterpillar tracks, and as passionate and accurate as a cannon (Girls und Panzer).” It adds that those who take up senshadō will “without a doubt become a great wife, a great mother, a great career woman, and a woman who will appeal to many men (Girls und Panzer).” These assertions are particularly interesting in that the characteristics of tank combat, an activity that wouldn’t be perceived as feminine in the real world, are in a way forcefully associated with womanhood. The role that senshadō seems to play in shaping women in this society is made evident when the sport is first being introduced to the protagonists. The series’ take on gender is particularly noteworthy in how attempts are made within its universe to redefine notions of femininity. Girls und Panzer or Garupan for short is set in a universe in which tank warfare is widely practiced as a sport, known as “senshadō” or “way of the tank.” An important quality of the sport is that it’s practiced exclusively by women, usually high school or college aged. The 2012 anime Girls und Panzer is one such series that attempts to do this by exploring alternative ways to view gender role and gender performance, and can even be read as work of deconstruction. Many take the step further, by tearing down conventional notions of gender at a fundamental level. Numerous animated series and films from Japan feature strong female characters, strong female protagonists, and even predominantly female casts. This change is not limited to film and television however Japanese animation frequently challenges and toys with the concept of gender as well.
The success of the 2015 action-film Mad Max: Fury Road, which features a female soldier as the main protagonist, has shown us how much we are changing in our attitudes towards strong women in stories. Not only is female representation improving, it is also becoming less and less unusual to see female characters perform outside of their traditional gender roles in popular culture.
It has become increasingly common for female characters to take leading roles in mainstream popular culture. Girls und Panzer: Deconstructing Gender with Tank Combat
0 kommentar(er)
