The Role Of Gender In Kashimashi and How It Affects Relationships

[Vexx]

The self referencing was probably a combination..... a representation of habit (if I'd spent most of my life using "boku" .... switching to "watashi"/"atashi" might be a gear grind) *and* a gentle reminder to the reader of where Hazumu was coming from. Far too few people do any self-analysis at all and tend to label activities as automatically "girly" or "macho" (which I'm sure is amusing to the rather sizeable number of pro football players who knit).

Since the last episode is due out in a few weeks, this forum should wake back up... though I regretfully suspect it will be mostly a lot of gnashing and cheering over the "true" ending versus the end of series "red-herring" ending.

[KaosProphetess]

Probably right... and also "YAY" to episode 13. Tho I'm betting the real ending comes close to "I chose her and I'm staying by it, but we still want to be your friends once you're over me" kinda thing.

Ok maybe wishful thinking.

[risingstar3110]

I know that i am slow in picking up this anime. Still i want to post something to record my current emotion

Overall It's quite enjoyable to watch....

Ok i lied. The first ten episodes were kind of decent and there is a lots of things degrade the storyline as a whole. Tried to finish it just to see how the ending turn into.

However the few last episode and the Ova actually turn the anime from decent to the rank of really good. Can't be a perfect 10, but a excellent 9 for me, and i don't rank other anime that high actually. I love how the story wrap everything up, I really do. Especially when i start to read the manga and found out that those flaws in the anime actually was cause by shorten the manga 's storyline (of how quickly Hazamu adapt to his new life for example).


Ok, ok i will get right to my point now >_<

I will not say that this kind of reverse gender make every romantic anime become more enjoyable. However, surely this kind of "yuri" (i don't consider it is actually) do give me as an audience some interesting experience .
I mean when Hazumu's body changed completely, romantics between the love 3 triangle start quite clearly that it do not involve physically features (such as outlook, or sexual reaction, or opposite gender behaviour....) because they clearly love a person of opposite gender, but same sex with them.

Well, it's hard to explain and i doubt if i can describe all by words. But during the anime/manga, i didn't consider Hazumu as an girl as all (the anime make him too much more "girly", even than a possible normal girl, than in manga actually), yet romantic screens do not involve in most situations that other animes took advantage from. I mean they do hug, cross arms, sleep with each other (separate beds through), take a baths, get to the same changing rooms and all. But the climax of their relations mostly involve chatting through phone and touching, holding hands (it's clearer in the manga through), with later may get to embracing, and kissing.
Many manga/anime try to get the same result by making the main character so dense in love even when he accidentally get into a girl bath. Still it do not create the same effect.

Another thing is normally in normal story, the main character have to choose his love clearly or he will appear as a bastard who is toying with other loves and use them for his physically mean. If he do not react at all to both his loves then there will be no climax screen till the ending. If they make the girls allow him to doubt in choosing them(like in such case), the story will become a cheap harem anime/manga. Just think a story when a guy have 2 cute girls holding his hands in both sides and they allow the other to do so.
But since Hazamu is a girl now, and his affection to both sides rise from past memories and their developing friendships, at least it make me feel: "well it 's hard for him to choose when he love them both", rather than "stop make up excuse to get both of them at once".


Anyway, rumour said the last volume of Kashimashi out on March 2008. Doublt if i can wait till then with my current state. Maybe i should get a raw copy and try to figure out the ending with my willpower

PS: Vexx may i ask what is your avatar's anime, if you still by chance pass by here.

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by risingstar3110

PS: Vexx may i ask what is your avatar's anime, if you still by chance pass by here.

In case he doesn't stop by, his current avatar is Reika from Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun.

In terms of your comment, I agree with what you're saying. The transformation was very unique in terms of the sorts of interactions it made possible between the characters, especially between Hazumu and Yasuna. Because Hazumu began as a boy, and the girls both originally fell in love with him as a boy, it definitely felt and was different than "yuri". But, given his somewhat girl-ish personality, and transformation, the sort of relationship that Hazumu had the girls was different than what you'd normally see. It was a very emotional, almost sentimental sort of love, where the only boundary was their self-consciousness of themselves, and not of the traditional gender roles/stereotypes. They saw each other as people first and foremost, and gender ceased to matter (once they got over it, which was sort of the point of the show). You could say that it was very "pure love", and definitely made you feel more sympathetic to the characters.

[risingstar3110]

In terms of your comment, I agree with what you're saying. The transformation was very unique in terms of the sorts of interactions it made possible between the characters, especially between Hazumu and Yasuna. Because Hazumu began as a boy, and the girls both originally fell in love with him as a boy, it definitely felt and was different than "yuri". But, given his somewhat girl-ish personality, and transformation, the sort of relationship that Hazumu had the girls was different than what you'd normally see. It was a very emotional, almost sentimental sort of love, where the only boundary was their self-consciousness of themselves, and not of the traditional gender roles/stereotypes. They saw each other as people first and foremost, and gender ceased to matter (once they got over it, which was sort of the point of the show). You could say that it was very "pure love", and definitely made you feel more sympathetic to the characters.

I'm glad that there is someone who have the same thought with me ^_^

[Ziv]

Originally Posted by Kyaa the Catlord

If girls can act like boys and it is OK, why can't boys do the same?

My theory:

IMO it has to do with the fact that traditional female gender roles emphasize more compliance with social constructs (including gender roles) than male gender roles. For example, the traditional male gender role is one which emphasizes strength and independence while the traditional female gender role emphasizes empathy, politeness, and being considerate of others. So consider how people would react to that. If you have a girl who finds she has a personality which fits a male gender role, her independence only helps her to maintain her socially incorrect behavior. On the other hand, if you have a boy who finds he fits a female gender role, what is he to do? Defying gender roles is the complete opposite of what the female gender role would prescribe. He pretty much has no way to assume an outwardly feminine gender role, since assuming an outwardly feminine gender role would contradict the feminine gender role. It's a catch-22.

So basically, feminine boys are more susceptible to gender roles in the first place, and are less likely to protest anything.

[Keahi19]

I've only read the manga and always felt sorry for Hazuma's male friend. The conflict in his head. Poor guy suffers. OH well.

[Abashi]

Hazumu strangely reminds me of myself in a way, both as a girl and a boy. This is one of the reasons I love this show, as it appeals to me, and makes me feel proud of who I am.

[MitsukiPearl]

Well! I think that if the other two girls from Kashimashi minded that he turned into a girl so much that they didn't love him anymore, then it wouldn't have been true love at all!

So.. Like.. If you're in love, you shouldn't look to the outside, you should look to the inside. Even if its a girl! And you're a girl! Its just always the right thing to do. =3