How Attack On Titan Does A Good Job At Portraying Women
Female characters in anime have usually been categorized as the main character's love interest or being designed for fan service. Attack on Titan, created by Hajime Isayama, on the other hand, has subverted female character tropes by creating women with in-depth personalities and backgrounds.
Here is how the Attack Of Titans, does a good job at portraying women:
1. The women characters are not objectified
The women in the military are given the exact same outfits as the men and are not altered to be appealing in a sexual manner. The reason why it's important for women to not be sexualized especially in the military is that women can be capable of serving in the military and are not there to be objectified. Being given functional clothing makes the story feel more realistic as it's not practical for women especially in a world where there are beings who eat humans, to be able to show their capabilities through combat.
2. Women characters in the anime are given realistic hairstyles
Usually, in anime, women are drawn with long luscious hair and while there is nothing wrong with that, it is a bit impractical if the plot of the show involves fighting for survival. In contrast, women in Attack on Titan, have realistic hairstyles while still retaining their femininity. Having long hair is not the only symbol of being feminine as short hair can just be as feminine.
The character Mikasa Ackerman was heavily criticized when images of her new short hairstyle were revealed for the fourth season of the show. Many people on Twitter nicknamed her, "Mankasa", as she looked more masculine due to her short hair and muscular body. This reaction shows how people negatively view women who don't conform to the societal standard of what women should look like.
Fans came to the defense by explaining that it is impractical for female soldiers to have long hair while being in war as it is a hazard. The character design of Mikasa is not intended to serve as people's fantasy and encourages other women that being fit and having short hair is a good thing and nothing to be ashamed of.
3. Women are allowed to be in positions of power
Women in anime are usually a side character and serve as a cheerleader for the main character who more often than not, is a man. As opposed to that character trope, women in Attack on Titan are usually in positions of power whether it be authoritatively or physically.
Annie Leonhart is a Titan Shifter and possesses the Female Titan which has been dubbed as the most versatile titan out of all titan shifters. Annie's titan is able to cause big explosions when transforming like the Colossal Titan, can harden her skin like the Armored Titan, can form a crystal barrier like the Warhammer Titan, and can call for other titans like the Founding Titan.
Normally, the main character is the one who has the most abilities out of everyone else however, it is interesting that a side character is the one who has more tricks up their sleeve. Annie was also powerful enough to defeat the original Levi Squad which consisted of four soldiers who were deemed the strongest out of the Survey Corps.
Mikasa Ackerman belongs to the Ackerman family who is a group of people who have the ability to harness superhuman strength and fighting ability. She is one of two last Ackermans standing, the second one being Levi. Again, the main characters are the ones who are given superhuman abilities which is why they are able to take down their enemies.
Making Mikasa the one to be a part of a superhuman family demonstrates how giving women power doesn't take away from the story and if anything, makes the plot more interesting as the main character, Eren, must navigate through the world as a normal human and not some super-powered soldier.
Krista Lenz whose real name was revealed to be Historia Reiss is heir to the Reiss family who is the true royal family of Paradis Island. Historia throughout the show has been trying to be someone she wasn't. She tried to be the happy sweet girl as she didn't want anyone to suspect her real heritage. She also tried to be someone who was physically strong however, due to her small frame, can't possess the same amount of power as other women.
When Historia learned of her heritage and encouraged to become the new queen, she finally decided to stop trying to be someone others wanted her to be and accepted her new responsibility despite not having a lot of leadership skills. Historia accepting her role sends the message that women do not have to be the stereotypically bossy lady in order to be in positions of leadership.
4. The women in the show have platonic relationships with men
The comic relief characters, Sasha Braus and Connie Springer are really close friends. It is very common in anime and shows for two characters of the opposite sex to fall in love with each other eventually. However, Sasha and Connie never end up falling in love and always remained close friends.
Up until Sasha's death, Connie has revealed in Season 4 Episode 68, that he and Sasha were like twins and he feels that he has lost half of him. Normally when a character reveals that their other half is gone, it's romantic however Connie meant it in a platonic way and shows that men and women can be friends without developing feelings.
5. Women are allowed to have different sexualities
Women in anime who aren't heterosexual are sometimes portrayed as either being creepy towards other women in the show or are hyper-sexualized to appeal to a certain audience. While these types of characters are used as comic relief, it causes a lot of damage towards women who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Most people's information about queer women comes from pop culture and if there are constant portrayals of queer women being creepy towards other women in shows, people will have a negative view towards them.
Attack on Titan, however, normalizes women having different sexualities by introducing the character of Ymir. Ymir has an obvious infatuation for Historia Reiss by constantly admitting her love for her. What sets Ymir apart from other queer women in anime is that she respects Historia's boundaries.
Ymir never grabs or looks at Historia in a predatory manner and allows Historia to do things on her own and only offering help as a last resort. Historia never has expressed discomfort in Ymir's presence and fans even believe that Historia had romantic feelings as well.
Another aspect of the representation of queer women in the show is that no one questions or comments on Ymir's sexuality. Due to Attack on Titan being a popular show, having characters be accepting towards those who are not heterosexual encourages watchers to also accept those in the LGBTQ+ community in real life.
Overall, it is refreshing to see women be portrayed in a way that helps propel the plot of Attack on Titan through their abilities, personalities, and relations to other characters without being reduced to an object that is viewed only for pleasure.
Opinions and Perspectives
Nice to see female characters who aren't defined by their relationships.
They really show how different personalities can all be strong in their own ways.
Amazing how they maintain character consistency throughout the series.
Love how they don't shy away from showing female characters as both strong and vulnerable.
Really appreciate how they show different types of female relationships.
I think this show sets a new standard for character writing in anime.
It's refreshing to see female characters whose story arcs don't revolve around men.
The show really demonstrates how to write complex female characters.
I appreciate how they don't force romantic subplots for every female character.
The way they handle power dynamics between characters is really nuanced.
Never realized how rare it is to see female characters with such agency in anime.
The character development isn't linear, which makes it feel more authentic.
They really nailed the balance between strength and vulnerability in female characters.
The friendship between Sasha and Connie was so pure and well-written.
Interesting how they show different approaches to leadership through female characters.
It's nice to see female characters who aren't perfect but are still respected.
The way they handle emotional scenes for both genders is really balanced.
Some people missed the point about Mikasa's character evolution completely.
I think the show proves you can have strong female characters without diminishing male ones.
The relationship dynamics between characters feel so much more realistic than typical anime.
Anyone notice how none of the female characters are reduced to just love interests?
It's great how they don't make a big deal about having women in positions of power.
The way they handled grief and emotional vulnerability in both male and female characters was really well done.
Annie's combat scenes are some of the best in the series, regardless of gender.
Love how the show demonstrates different kinds of strength beyond just physical power.
The female characters actually get to be morally complex without being villainized.
I think Ymir's character could have been developed even further though.
The diversity in female leadership styles between characters like Historia and Hange is noteworthy.
You make a good point about their outfits. It's sad that this is still something we have to praise.
Remember when Historia rejected her father's wishes? That was such a powerful moment.
The way they handle romance is refreshing too. It's not the main focus for female characters.
I think the show does a great job showing how trauma affects everyone regardless of gender.
Interesting how Annie's titan form maintains power without being overly sexualized.
The writing really shines in how it treats all characters as people first, gender second.
Not sure why people complain about Mikasa's muscles. She's a soldier, what did they expect?
The scene where Historia chooses to become queen on her terms was so empowering.
I appreciate how they show different body types for the female characters instead of one standard model.
The way they handled Sasha's death and its impact on both male and female characters was really powerful.
Can we talk about how refreshing it is to see female leaders who aren't portrayed as cold or unfeeling?
Actually, I think Mikasa's devotion to Eren makes sense given her trauma and background.
The friendship between female characters feels authentic too. They support each other without being competitive.
I think people overlook how revolutionary it is to have female characters who aren't defined by their relationships to men.
Totally agree about the hairstyles! Finally, some practical choices for women in combat.
The Female Titan arc really showed how powerful Annie is without making it about gender.
Still can't get over how some fans reacted to Mikasa's new look. It showed exactly why we need more representation like this.
I loved how they showed different types of strength through characters like Historia and Mikasa.
What about Pieck? She's brilliant and strategic, and her intelligence is valued more than her appearance.
The relationship between Ymir and Historia was so well written. Their bond felt genuine and natural.
I think the show could have explored more of Annie's character beyond just being a warrior.
Completely agree about Historia's development. She went from a facade to finding her true strength.
The uniform thing really stood out to me. No ridiculous battle heels or impractical outfits.
Anyone else notice how the female characters actually get proper character arcs instead of just being support for male characters?
The way they handled Ymir's sexuality was really well done. It wasn't made into a joke or fetishized like in many other anime.
I'm not sure I agree with everything here. While the representation is better than most anime, there's still room for improvement.
The criticism about Mikasa's short hair was so ridiculous. As if women can't be strong and feminine at the same time.
I really appreciated how Sasha and Connie's friendship stayed platonic. Not every male-female relationship needs to turn romantic.
Let's be real though, they could have given more screen time to some of the female characters in later seasons.
Have you seen how they portray Annie? She's literally one of the most powerful characters and it's never made into a big deal that she's female.
I actually disagree about Mikasa. I feel like they made her too dependent on Eren throughout the series.
The way they handled Historia's character development from pretending to be Krista to accepting herself as queen was brilliant storytelling.
I absolutely love how AOT breaks away from typical anime female stereotypes. The realistic military uniforms are such a breath of fresh air!