As much I’d like to confidently say that I just sincerely like how Sora needs more help from the others better because it is more human and realistic on top of having less predictable victories. But I don’t know if I’m annoyed by how Utena is so invincible without much help from people around her because of my internalized sexism that’s telling me “women can’t be godlike” =/

“There might be the honest desire to show some form of female empowerment, but the author doesn’t seem able to balance his stereotypes . . . “

Right, and when you publish a product as a professional, intent isn’t something you get bonus points for.

Cikasa -

“I find the academy to be showing patriarchy in a hyperbolic way.”

Well, my point is that the manga shows patriarchy in a hyperbolic way.

“Even superman lends help from his allies.”

Back when the writers kept adding things like “super memory,” time travel, and such to his repertoire, Superman was ludicrously powerful and only needed help when the plot was obviously written to demand it.  To a lesser extent, that is still true.

More importantly, Superman is not a work primarily operating in the context of feminism and feminist literature. If Superman needs help, nobody internalizes the lesson that men always need help.  However, if a woman is shown frequently needing help, the preexisting “damsel in distress” stereotype kicks in, and the implication may very well be that women need assistance.  Works about female empowerment therefore have to tread far more carefully about undercutting the independence of the heroine.  (Alternatively, we could simply disregard the feminist context and point out that Superman had an established history of single-handedly kicking ass before he started calling for help.  Sora, however, has no such history at the start of the story.)

In the world? I don’t think the manga goes beyond the academy.I find the academy to be showing patriarchy in a hyperbolic way.

“In the early chapters Sora requires saving on a regular basis, both by guys and girls. I find this unfortunate because it means that even the strongest girl is portrayed as needing help to clean up the messes she gets into. The fact that girls needs saving is being hammered home. In other words, this tells girls, “The strongest and best you can aspire to be is to be saved repeatedly.””

Are you expecting the heroine to be a superman? Even superman lends help from his allies.

I sort of got that feeling as well. There might be the honest desire to show some form of female empowerment, but the author doesn’t seem able to balance his stereotypes around very well (in regards to all the males being evil, all females being passive, etc.). Maybe it’s just from a lack of know-how. I feel he wants to show real, genuine opposition (since it is a shounen manga) but it doesn’t come out right since there needs to be a better balance of character types, especially for the males (IE put some good guys in but that don’t steal Sora’s spotlight).

It might not be a cultural or regional thing though in regards to a lack of knowledge in being able to show female empowerment. I mean think of any Western comic- “female empowerment” is, a lot of times, some scantily clad woman who can also kick butt. It’s from a male PoV and it’s not very realistic (not that I expect comics to be realistic, but I’ve always felt that realistic empowerment has more to do with a strong personality and a refusal to fall in with traditional stereotypes, rather than just being able to do a roundhouse).

I think Sora is ok so far. The only times she seems to lose are when she’s ganged up on anyways. There was to me some glimmer of hope for a ” good lesson” when one of the girls she saved, who used to be passive, started to stand up for another girl (I don’t remember the names) and became pretty brave herself because of Sora’s example.

1. Utena already did much better at addressing feminist issues.  (Thus, it cannot be true that Japanese mangaka are incapable of grasping these issues.)

2. Utena came years before this, meaning that the least Shitsurakuen could do to justify such heavy appropriation would be to show some kind of progress.

You can of course argue that the mangaka of Shitsurakuen lacks the insight of Utena’s author.  But that would still be a mark against it.

I have not actually read this before, so I wouldn’t know exactly how overplayed these themes are, but perhaps it is honestly trying to address feminism? Only not even a lifetime ago the stereotypical Japanese komachi was thought to be a gentle, unresisting quiet woman who would not inquire or poke about her husband’s affairs. Perhaps the writers are only depicting the gender balance the way they know how?

It’s that feebleness which I find dangerous.

Erica -

Even that bravery of hers is suspect.  The manga strongly implies that part of her bravery and refusal to accept the situation is mere ignorance (tied to “she’s a kid,” tied to “we aren’t going to depict mature adults in a yuri relationship.”)  It would be better to see a character who understands what she’s getting into and makes a noble, informed choice.

I find that violence involving women in literature tends to involve unequal power.  Violence by and against men tends to be more equal.

ModernBunny -

It seems there is an attempt to make statements about society, but it’s half-hearted and perfunctory.  However, the appropriation of source material means it’s expected that Shitsurakuen will address feminist issues.

wintermuted -

It has the form, but not the essence.

Wererat42 -

In the early chapters Sora requires saving on a regular basis, both by guys and girls.  I find this unfortunate because it means that even the strongest girl is portrayed as needing help to clean up the messes she gets into.  The fact that girls needs saving is being hammered home.  In other words, this tells girls, “The strongest and best you can aspire to be is to be saved repeatedly.”

The expectation of social commentary is there because this is a pastiche of, amongst other things, Revolutionary Girl Utena.