Beautiful and Innocent Female Same-Sex Intimacy in the ...

Beautiful and Innocent Female Same-Sex Intimacy in the Japanese Yuri Genre

Verena Maser

Dissertation aus dem Fachbereich II: Sprach-, Literatur- und Medienwissenschaften der Universit?t Trier (?berarbeitete Fassung) Fach: Japanologie Datum der Disputatio: 27.9.2013

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In memory of my grandfather Gottlob Maser

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Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Tables

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Acknowledgments

v

Note on Language

vii

Introduction. A Lily Is a Lily Is... No Lily?

1

Chapter 1. The Yuri Genre as Site of a Discursive Struggle

9

Part I. Content of the Yuri Genre

31

Chapter 2. "Sisterhood" before World War II: Hana monogatari and Otome no minato 32

Chapter 3. From Esu to Distress: Shkuretto rabu and Shiroi heya no futari

49

Chapter 4. Fans' Imagination Galore: Bishjo senshi Sailor Moon

63

Chapter 5. The Monumental Text: Maria-sama ga miteru

76

Chapter 6. Developments in the Yuri Genre after 2003

92

Part II. Producing Yuri Manga

104

Chapter 7. The Yuri Manga Market in Japan

105

Chapter 8. Interviews with Japanese Manga Magazine Editors

113

Part III. Reception of the Yuri Genre

132

Chapter 9. Characteristics of the Yuri Genre's Fandom in Japan

133

Chapter 10. Online Survey among the Fans of the Yuri Genre in Japan

141

Conclusion. Yuri at the Crossroads

159

References

163

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List of Illustrations and Tables

Figure 1. Structure of the Yamayurikai (compiled by the author)

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Table 1. Websites from which Respondents Originated

141

Table 2. Valid Responses

142

Table 3. Respondents' Age

144

Table 4. Respondent's Top Five Yuri Titles by "Sexual Identity"

146

Table 5. How Respondents Came into Contact with Yuri Manga/Anime

147

Table 6. How Often Respondents Read/Watched Yuri Manga/Anime

148

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Acknowledgments

This is a revised version of my dissertation (2013, Universit?t Trier, Fachbereich II) with new material and a newly designed overall structure, and would not have been possible without many individuals and institutions. The generous funding from the German Institute of Japanese Studies (DIJ) in 2011/2012 enabled me to conduct research in Japan, and I would like to thank its administrative staff, its researchers and my fellow Ph.D. students for their support. The final stage of the dissertation writing process was funded through a scholarship provided by the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. I would also like to thank Spielwarenmesse eG and its team for encouraging me and for employing me part-time during the initial three months of my research.

During my fieldwork in Japan, I was supported by many individuals and institutions. The resources at the Gendai manga toshokan and the Yoshihiro Yonezawa Memorial Library of Manga and Subcultures were invaluable. Their staff was always helpful and answered even the most obscure questions.

I would especially like to thank Fujimoto Yukari who was always helpful and answered my every question on manga. I am especially grateful that she invited me on a research trip to the Kikuy library in Kumamoto prefecture. Its vast collection of pre- and postwar girls' magazines gave me a hands-on experience that was invaluable. I would also like to thank its librarian Murasaki Shz for opening the collection to us and answering all questions.

My thanks are also due to all those in Japan who helped me conduct my research on the yuri genre. These are first and foremost all the editors who agreed to be interviewed for this study and all the fans who participated in my online survey. This work would not be what it is without them. I am also indebted to all the fans I met at numerous fan works events and who provided me with insights I would never have gotten had I stayed in front of my computer. I would especially like to thank Hanaka, Michiru and Takamune. Thanks are also due to the pretesters of my survey. A special thank you goes to Takahashi Macoto who sat down with me for an impromptu interview at his art gallery in Chiba prefecture.

For their help with Japanese terminology, I would like to thank Akino Yki, Asano Keiko, Nishioka Nami and Sugimoto Eiko. Help with the English version of the fan survey was graciously provided by Jon Dodd. I also thank Asano Yki for answering my every question on the translation of Japanese terms.

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