A new article has been published in Anchor.
The Temporality of Identity and Narrative in Schoolgirl Yuri Mangas
Khai Quoc BUI, School of International Relations, Tokyo International University
Abstract
Recently, there has been a surge in depictions of female same-sex romance in Japanese popular entertainment, which remains relatively understudied. This paper seeks to contribute to the English-language academic literature on this trend through analysing the temporal structure of various schoolgirl yuri mangas, arguably the most important template in the genre. To do so, the paper adopts a narratological approach inspired by Koselleck’s theory of history to examine two key aspects of schoolgirl yuri manga stories: the protagonists’ sexuality and the narrative course of their relationships. This paper argues that mainstream schoolgirl yuri mangas have constructed their protagonist’s sexual identity as ‘temporary’ lesbians, meaning that they are attracted to only one woman for a limited time. Furthermore, the course of their romantic relationships is invariably cyclical, neither progressing towards definite confessions nor ending in breakup until the very end of the story. However, such constructions have been challenged by yuri mangas outside the mainstream, which have mounted powerful critiques of this cyclical temporal paradigm either through taking its premises to extreme conclusions or through constructing entirely new temporal paradigm featuring definite progress. [Full Article]
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