The gender progressiveness in HunterxHunter
The target audience of Shōnen anime is early to late teen boys, so they tend to promote stereotypically masculine ideals, such as strength, courage, and ambition. All of these are important, but they tend to neglect emotional strength, strong relationships, and vulnerabilities as prominent themes. As a result, toxic masculinity can be quite prevalent Shōnen anime. But author Yoshihiro Togashi refuses to succumb to this trend in HxH.
One of the ways in which Togashi does this is through the friendship between the series' protagonist and deuteragonist, Gon and Killua, respectively. The two twelve year olds meet during the Hunter Exam and hit it off immediately as best friends. From then forward, Killua accompanies Gon on his quest to find his father as well as various other endeavors. The two maintain a healthy, emotionally strong friendship devoid of toxic masculinity, which is hardly promoted in the media teenage boys consume.
Additionally, Gon and Killua come to share moments of close platonic intimacy, openly expressing affection to one another. In Episode 91, "The Strong x And x The Weak," Gon cries out of frustration due to being weak. Seeing Gon in this state brings tears to Killua, and the two proceed to cry with each other. There are many other instances in which the two cry, and this is essential to promoting emotional wellbeing among young teen boys. Not only does this teach boys that its okay to cry, but it normalizes young boys confronting feelings together. In shōnen anime, male characters can often be stone cold, hardly coping with sadness or frustration in healthy ways.
There are many theories that Killua has romantic feelings for Gon. There several instances where it is arguably implied. However, this is not at all confirmed. While there is a need for more queer representation in anime, it is arguably equally progressive to depict a healthy friendship between two boys. There is a pressing need for more affectionate male friendships in anime. Its vital then teen boys are taught how to maintain friendships without the influence of toxic masculinity.
Aside from Gon and Killua, major antagonists in HxH defy gender roles in their own ways. Hisoka, one of the most popular anime villains of all time, is one of the most prime examples of this. With his signature crop top, makeup, and high heels, he appears to be one of the most stylistically feminine male characters. In addition to this, his effeminate mannerisms and flamboyant fighting style gives him a gender deviant charm. He channels both femininity and strength, blurring the lines between both masculine and feminine conventions.
In episode 68, "Pirates x and x Guesses," Gon and Killua unknowingly transport to Hisoka's location and encounter Hisoka bathing in a shallow stream. The scene features several shots showcasing Hisoka's nude body, inviting watchers to gaze at his muscular physique. In most Shōnen anime, a female character would be in Hisoka's place. But this scene is a complete reversal of Shōnen gender roles. In doing this, Togashi challenges typical shōnen fanservice where a female is the object of the male gaze.
Likewise, Shaiapouf (Pouf), a chimera ant who shares genetic traits of a butterfly, straddles between both femininity and masculinity. With a slender frame, purple skin, wispy blond hair, and shimmering butterfly wings, Pouf's appearance entirely defies hegemonic masculinity. Furthermore, one of Pouf's defining character traits is his emotional expressiveness. The ant suffers from frequent theatrical breakdowns. When Pouf feels as though he has made a mistake, he bursts into tears and consoles himself by playing the violin.
Despite this undermining his hegemonic masculinity, he is nonetheless excellent in combat. Colt reckoned that, as a Royal Guard, Pouf's total Nen (energy) output, exceeded that of Isaac Netero, the most powerful human in the series. Pouf's Nen enables him to assess the emotional state of his opponent, split his body into small copies, and clone himself to look like someone else. His Nen abilities coupled with his physical chimera ant abilities of flight, speed, and strength make him a formidable opponent. Nonetheless, he retains his femininity in combat, as his attacks are accompanied by soft colors and flamboyant sparkles. His traditional feminine qualities and emotional expressiveness do not undermine his strength.
Togashi created two characters who embraces femininity, while also having traditionally masculine qualities. Pouf and Hisoka demonstrate to HxH's shōnen audience that having feminine qualities does not mean sacrificing your physical strength. This is an extremely progressive take for a shōnen anime. Many would even consider the inclusion of such characters would threaten the success of a shōnen anime, considering its target audience of teenage males. Despite this, the two characters have only heightened the success of the anime. Hisoka is the most popular antagonist in the show, and among the most popular villains in all of anime. Shaiapouf, though not as popular, is widely regarded as one of Togashi's most well-written and uniquely created characters in the series.
HxH additionally boasts a plethora of female supporting characters who counter the conventions of female anime characters. Togashi's inclusion of such women is hugely progressive. Women in anime, especially shōnen anime, tend to be limited to one-dimension roles of sexualization, love interests, or damsels in distress. They are rarely central to the story and often have very little purpose beyond objectification. Yet Togashi once again rejects this.
One of the most vital characters to the storyline is Biscuit Krueger, known as Bisky. Bisky is a 57 year old two-star hunter who holds an extremely buff physique, but disguises herself using Nen as a little girl. During the Greed Island arc, Bisky takes note of the boys' potential and takes it upon herself to train them. The boys then undergo harsh training to improve their combat skills and nen abilities. Without Bisky, the majority of Gon and Killua's progression throughout the skills would not have been possible
In most shōnens, the sensei trope is filled by a wise old man. But Togashi departs from this trend by filling the role with a tiny girl with curly pigtails and a frilly pink dress. Even so, Gon and Killua respect her as their teacher. She is one of the strongest Hunters in the series, without being subject to fanservice and sexualization. With this, she is vital to the story solely for her experience and strength rather than her appearance to the male gaze.
Bisky's choice to disguise herself as a young girl is a challenge to common anime gender roles. Female anime protagonists often undergo a transformation into a hyper-feminine alter ego with magical abilities and strength. This is known as the "magical girl" trope. But Bisky is a complete reversal of this. Rather than undergoing a makeover, she morphs into a hulk-like woman. Bisky is somewhat a parody of the magical girl trope. Bisky's transformation doesn't cater to the male gaze, but it does the exact opposite. Her true form is not a glittering, modelesque girl with an hourglass figure, but a buff amazonian woman. It is a blatant rejection of gender roles that is unique to HxH.
In Shōnen, there tends to be an insistence on female heroes being sexy, bodacious and seductive. It hardly feels empowering when the only female heroes are half-naked, winning battles by seducing their opponents. But some of the most significant female heroes in HxH depart vastly from traditional beauty standards.
Melody, who is introduced during the Yorknew City arc, works alongside Kurapika as a bodyguard for the Nostrade family. She is short, stocky and balding with large buck teeth protruding from her mouth. She reveals to Kurapika that her appearance was cursed as a result of playing the Sonata of Darkness. Her original appearance is never revealed. Throughout the arc, she continues to help calm Kurapika down when his lust for revenge overpowers his rationality. Her role in the Yorknew City arc is crucial, considering Kurapika would have likely died without Melody's help.
In a genre where desirability dictates the importance of female characters', a conventionally unattractive woman playing such a role is basically unheard of. Yet Melody's appearance is irrelevant to her value as a character. HxH proves that conventional beauty and importance aren't mutually exclusive in female characters. Female characters can be well-respected for their strength, intelligence, and good heart, as there are far more important traits than beauty.
Komugi has a similar role. Komugi is introduced when Meruem, king of the Chimera Ants, is determined to defeat masters of various board games. Komugi, a runny-nosed, frail, blind girl, is the world-champion of a board game called Gungi. She is the one master who Meruem cannot defeat. However, in the process of trying to defeat her, Meruem becomes fascinated with her kindness and eventually falls in love with her. It is Meruem's love for the girl that distracts him from his quest to become king. By the end of the arc, all Meruem cares for is getting to play Gungi with Komugi, so much so that the two willingly die playing Gungi together.
Komugi is far from the idealized woman that is so prevalent in shōnen. Yet, as a disabled and conventionally unattractive woman, she is the one who saves humanity in the end, through compassion and kindness. Like Melody, Komugi's importance to the story is determined by her internal qualities.
Women in shōnen anime, and frankly most forms of fiction, can also be limited to the unfortunate role of the love interest. In this case, the woman's role in the anime is limited to her relationship with the man. They may not be heavily sexualized, but their hopes and dreams are tailored towards the man's benefit. Oftentimes their sheer objective is romance.
But in HxH, Palm Siberia's character development counters this. Palm is introduced during the Chimera Ant Arc during Gon and Killua's training. When Gon and Killua meet Palm, she is introduced as a creepy, socially awkward, violent woman who gushes about her admiration for her mentor, Knov, who likely only uses her for her Nen abilities. This man's validation the driving force behind her actions
Gon, on the other hand, showed her respect and kindness. As a result, she develops a crush on Gon, who eventually tells her that he can't be her boyfriend as he needs to focus on his training. Upon this, she is consumed with rage and disappointment. In short, Palm was an insecure woman with an unhealthy need for romance.
But Palm reaches her full potential by overcoming her yearning for love. During the Palace Invasion, Palm is tasked with infiltrating the palace and finding the King. But in the process of this, she is captured by the Royal Guards and used as the first Chimera Ant soldier. Pouf refers to her as "Soldier Number 1," reducing her to a mere instrument of the Royal guards' objective. This is the ultimate objectification of Palm.
In transforming her into a soldier, the guards separated her emotions from her memories. However, Killua finds her, and pours his emotions out to her. He reminds her of Gon, who attracted her by treating her like a human being. He reminds her of who she is, urging her, "You are Palm Siberia." As a result, the barrier between her memories and emotions breaks. This solidifies her own free-will. At last, Palm can do as she wants. She is no longer a puppet to the Royal Guards or Knov.
After this transformation, Palm is no longer obsessed with Knov or Gon, and acts on her own volition. Palm undergoes one of the most notable character arcs in the series. Her growth has nothing to do with her desirability to male characters, but rather the realization of her own autonomy.
In catering to the teenage boy audience, Shōnen anime tends to adhere to misogynistic tropes, reducing the value of female characters to what they have to offer to the multi-dimensional, strong, intelligent male protagonist. But in HxH, desirability is sidelined, and female characters are more than passive items. They are doers, holding strong weight in the course of the story. They are portrayed as holistic, complete human beings, having complex and multi-dimensional backstories.
HunterxHunter perfectly exemplifies that adhering to gender roles is not necessary for Shōnen success. But perhaps this precisely led to the anime's immense success. By refusing to conform, HunterxHunter seemed to tap into a new, unrestrained form of storytelling that allowed for a richer and more complex story. HunterxHunter tells stories within stories, speaking to many facets of the human condition. Freeing Shōnen anime from the constraints of gender roles allows for more intricate and captivating storylines like those in HunterxHunter.
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