!
Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Fall'2021'
! Alexandria!
Perez%
! !
!
!
!
!
%
____________________________________________________________________________!
!
While!comics!had!their!first!emergence!in!
American! popular! media! in! the! 19th! century,!
manga,! the! Japanese! version! of! comic! books,! has!
been! around! since! the! 18th! century! (Johnson-
Woods,! 2010;! Van! Lente,! 2012).! Manga! first!
appeared!in!the!United!States!in!the!1970s!and!has!
remained! a! permanent! fixture! in! American!
literature,!with!specific!titles!such!as!!"#$%&'()&*+%!
(2004)!becoming!an!American!best-seller!upon!its!
introduction! (Johnson-Woods,! 2010).! This!
medium's!growth!and!global!impact!have!become!
apparent!as!manga!has!become!a!popular!literary!
mode! for! students! (Schwartz! &! Rubinstein-Ávila,!
2006).!People!can!find!manga!in!local!bookstores,!
public!libraries,!and!school!libraries.!!
Manga! is! an! example! of! popular! media.!
These!Japanese!comics!are!read!from!right!to!left!
and! have! genres! that! target! gendered! audiences,!
such!as!shonen!(boys’!manga),!shojo!(girls’!manga),!
seinen!(men’s!manga),!and!josei!(women’s!manga)!
(Johnson-Woods,!2012).!Manga!and!comics!have!a!
reputation!for!portraying!females!in!sexualized!and!
traditionally!female-dominated!roles!such!as!being!
a!mother,!homemaker,!or!victim!(Beerman,!2012;!
Mager! &! Helgeson,! 2011;! Saito,! 2011;! Tuchman,!
2000).!Students!are!a!gendered!audience!who!read!
manga! and! are! being! shown! content! which! is!
meant!to!appeal!to!them.!Researchers!should!study!
representations! in! manga! genres! that! target!
specific! genders! as! they! may! show! unequal!
portrayals!for!different!audiences.!!
This! article! presents! findings! from! an!
ongoing! project! examining! representations! of!
gender!and!gender!roles!in!popular!manga.!While!
the! larger! study! examines! representations! of!
gender!roles!in!male!and!female!interactions!within!
popular!manga,!the!study!shared!here!focused!on!
shonen! manga,! in! particular.! The! shonen! genre!
dominates!manga!sales!on!Amazon,!a!large!online!
retailer!and!has!content!which!is!meant!to!appeal!
to!boys.!!
The!following!questions!guide!this!study:!!
• What! are! gender! roles! present! within! the!
interactions! between! male! and! female!
characters! in! popular! shonen! manga!
published!by!Viz!Media?!
• How! are! those! roles! represented! in! the!
visuals!and!text?!
In!this!paper,!I!share!an!analytical!tool!that!
helped! me! investigate! and! understand!
representations! of! males! and! females! in! shonen!
manga.! I! then! explain! how! I! analyzed! the! words!
and! images! across! ten! shonen! manga! texts.! My!
findings! show! that! traditional! gender! norms! are!
still!present!in!manga,!but!that!some!texts!do!break!
stereotypes.!I!also!include!lesson!ideas!designed!to!
support! teachers! in! studying! representations! of!
gender!in!manga!texts.!!
If! teachers!want! to! use!manga! within! the!
classroom,! they! should! be! aware! of! what! they!
contain.!Students!of!any!gender!can!read!manga!!
Alexandria*Perez*is*a*doctoral*student*and*
graduate*assistant*at*Texas*A&M*
University-Corpus*Christi*in*the*
department*of*Curriculum*and*Instruction.*
She*is*a*former*middle*school*teacher*and*
has*an*interest*in*teaching*and*
researching*in*the*areas*of*social*semiotics*
and*multimodalities,*comics*and*graphic*
novels,*pop*culture,*gender,*and*LGBTQ+*
issues.*
Male!and!Female!Interactions:!!
A!Multimodal!Analysis!!
of!Shonen!Manga!
1
Perez: Male and Female Interactions: A Multimodal Analysis of Shonen
Published by ScholarWorks at University of Montana, 2021
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
35'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
!
despite! their! target!audiences.!Because! gendered!
genres!categorize! manga,!it!is! critical!to!consider!
the!gender!representations!within!them.!!!
Literature(Review(
Research! on! gender! representations! in!
manga!is!limited.!While!researchers!have!examined!
interpersonal! relationships! and! the! amount! that!
characters! speak! (Unser-Schutz,! 2015)! and! how!
gender!and!sexuality!are!performed!between!shojo!
versus!seinen!genres!(Darlington!&!Cooper,!2010),!
I! was! unable! to! find! any! studies! that! specifically!
examined!representations!of!gender!roles!in!male!
and!female!interactions!within!the!shonen!genre.!
Males! and! females! are! not! portrayed! the!
same!way!in!the!comics!medium.!Both!manga!and!
comics!objectify!and!sexualize!females!and!use!the!
male!gaze!to!portray!females!(Cocca,!2014;!Klein,!
1999;! Madeley,! 2012;! Ogi,! 2003;!Robbins,! 2014).!
Writers!represent!female!bodies!to!fit!the!societal!
ideal!of!being!hourglass!figured!and!less!muscled!
than! males! (Cocca,! 2014;! Medeley,! 2012).!
Additionally,!writers!pose!them!in!ways!that!bring!
more! attention! to! the! breasts! and! butt.! When!
analyzing! females! in! comics,! Cocca! (2014)! noted!
that! 16.55%! of! their! poses! were! with! an! arched!
back,!1.78%!were!broke!back!(i.e.,!an!unnaturally!
flexibly! posed),! and! 6.85%! were! egregious! (i.e.,!
unbelievably! and! unrealistically! posed).! These!
visual!representations!continue!to!portray!females!
in!stereotypical!ways.!!
Some!studies! have! shown!little!difference!
in!female/male!representations!and!actions!within!
manga! (Ekachai! &! Drout,! 1996;! Tsurumi,! 1997).!
For! example,! while! analyzing! a! single! manga,!
Tsurumi! (1997)! found! that! there! is! not! always! a!
clearly! defined! message! about! gender! roles! and!
that! manga! does! not! necessarily! reflect! societal!
standards.!Also,!in!a!study!measuring!interactions!
of!male!and!female!characters,!it!was!shown!that!
actions!between!males!and!females!were!close!in!
number!for!acts!such!as!enacting!touch!with!each!!
!
other! (Ekachai! &! Drought,! 1996).! However,! the!
depiction! of! females! compared! to! males! in!
scenarios!of!childcare!and!the!home!followed!the!
traditional!pattern!of!"good!wife!and!wise!mother"!
(Ekachai!&!Drought,!1996).!There!was!still!gender!
inequality! despite! near! equal! distributions! of!
certain!actions!between!them.!
Theoretical(Framework(
I! draw! from! social! semiotic! views! of!
multimodality!and!gender!and!feminist!theories!to!
frame!this!study.!Hines!and!Appleman!(2000)!note!
that! theoretical! lenses! of! interpretation! provide!
new!ways! of!reading!texts!and! can!help!students!
understand!their!relationship!with!classroom!and!
real-world! contexts.! Multimodality! and! social!
semiotics!can!be!used!to!give!students!an!enhanced!
understanding! of! various! literary! forms! they!
encounter!within!and!beyond!the!classroom.!!
Social(Semiotics(and(Multimodality(
Today,! society! uses! a! range! of! media! to!
communicate.!It!is!increasingly!vital!to!understand!
how! people! interpret! the! modes! (i.e.,!
communicative! channels! such! as! text,! picture,! or!
sound)! used! in! different! types! of! media.! Readers!
interpret!multiple!modes!simultaneously,!and!each!
different! mode! offers! opportunities! for! possible!
meaning!(Jewitt,!2009).!Recognizing!how!text!and!
pictures! interact! is! essential! for! acquiring! and!
interpreting!information! (Gee,! 1998;! Sipe,! 1998).!
Two!modes!present!in!traditional!print!comics!and!
manga!are!image!and!written!language.!This!means!
that!manga!is!a!multimodal!text!genre.!The!pictures!
and!text!within!manga!convey!their!own!separate!
meaning! but! can! work! together! to! create! new!
meaning.!!
Sipe! (1998)! defined! some! different!
relationships!that!can!occur!between!the!image!and!
text.! Concurring! or! congruent! relationships!
demonstrate! when! text! and! pictures! represent!
similar! meanings.! Complimentary! or! relaying!
2
The Montana English Journal, Vol. 43 [2021], Art. 6
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mej/vol43/iss1/6
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
36'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
relationships! occur! when! text! and! pictures! have!
separate! meanings! but! work! together! in! non-
contentious! ways.! Counterpoint! or! deviation! is!
when!the!text!and!picture!have!opposite!meanings.!
Sometimes! words! and! pictures! align! to!
communicate!similar!information,!and!other!times!
they! offer! counterpointing! viewpoints! that! can!
contradict!one!another!(Nikolajeva!&!Scott,!2000).!!
Gender(and(Feminist(Theories(
This!study!aligns!with!gender!and!feminist!
theories,! which! recognize! that! there! are!
stereotypes! present! in! media! culture! (Tuchman,!
2000).! According! to! Butler! (2011),! gender! is!
performative! in! every! culture! (i.e.,! people! have!
their!own!unique!ways!of!expressing!their!gender),!
and! there! are! modes! through! which! people!
perform! gender! (i.e.,! fashion,! language,! symbols)!
(Butler,! 2011).! However,! what! an! individual!
intends!to!perform!in!terms!of!gender!may!differ!
from! how! others! interpret! or! perceive! them!
(Butler,! 2011;! Goffman,! 1979).! Goffman! (1 979)!
noted! that! the! gender! identities! portrayed! in! a!
society! tell! a! person! what! their! expectations! are!
within! that! society.! Stereotypes! exist! in! which!
females! are! marginalized,! victimized,! objectified,!
as! well! as! considered! homemakers! or! inferior! to!
males! (Butler,! 2011;! Gerbner,! 1972;! Tuchman,!
2000).!!
In!this!study,!gender!is!considered!from!a!
binary! perspective.! The! concept! of! gender! as! a!
binary!of!female!and!male!is!a!social!construction!
(Butler,!2011).!Therefore,!gender!is!not!biological!
but! rather! something! made! up! or! created! by!
society.! Butler! (2011)! stated! that! in! any! society,!
gender! is! not! always! consistent! or! coherent.!
Gender! intersects! with! race,! class,! ethnicity,! sex,!
and! region! which! suggests! culture!
impacts/influences!gender!and!vice!versa.!Diprose!
(1991)! emphasized! this! idea! by! noting! that! the!
body!is!a!material!and!a!mode!of!expression.!When!
society! labels! someone! with! a! specific! gender,!
there! are! cultural! implications! for! that! gender.!
Gender! is! often! associated! with! specific!
stereotypes! which! are! frequently! accepted! and!
perpetuated! in! the! dominant! culture! (Butler,!
2011).!!!
Cultural!stereotypes!and!bias!also!affect!the!
way!that!people!interpret!gender!representations!
in!media.!While!interacting!with!comics!or!manga,!
students!can!see!differences!in!the!way!females!and!
males! are! portrayed! and! continue! to! perpetuate!
and!confirm!these!stereotypes!through!discussion!
(Cook!&!Frey,!2017;!Mofatt!&!Norton,!2008;!Silva,!
2018).! In! a! study! of! student! interpretations! of!
,"-.$+!comics,!Mofatt!&!Norton!(2008)!found!that!
students! assumed! heteronormative! (i.e.,!
heterosexuality! being! the! default)! relationships!
between!characters.!Further,!students!would!often!
take! the! male! characters’! side! in! arguments! or!
adopt! a! more! patriarchal! view.! In! a! classroom!
study! exploring! comics,! C ook! and! Frey! (2017)!
found!that!students!could!visually!analyze!comics,!
form!opinions,!and!discuss!social!issues!within!the!
comics,! including! sexism.! Students! questioned!
pictures! and! formed! conclusions! based! on! color,!
body! image,! language,! and! dress! o f! characters.!
Therefore,!it!is!vital!to! consider!and!analyze!gender!
representations! in! popular! media! within! the!
classroom.!!
Methods(
In! this! study,! I! used! a! qualitative!
multimodal!content!analysis!approach.!Qualitative!
multimodal! content! combines! qualitative! content!
analysis!with!theo ries!of!social!semiotics!and!visual!
culture! to! better! understand! the! meaning!
potentials!of!multimodal!texts.!Qualitative!content!
analysis! allows! for! the! methodical! coding! and!
identification!of!themes!around!visual,!textual,!and!
linguistic! data! through! the! researcher's!
interpretation! (Hsieh! &! Shannon,! 2005;! Mayring,!
2000).! Furthermore,! it! helps! researchers!
determine!the!differences!in!representation!across!
individual! and! multiple! modes! (Serafini! &! Reid,!
2019).!
(
3
Perez: Male and Female Interactions: A Multimodal Analysis of Shonen
Published by ScholarWorks at University of Montana, 2021
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
37'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
(
Data(Corpus(
For!this!study,!I!gathered!a!data!corpus!of!
ten!manga!from!Amazon's!manga!best!sellers!list.!
This!list!included!the!most!popular-selling!manga!
on! the! website! which! is! created! based! on! recent!
and! historical! sales! (,/)012' (+&%' 3+44+"&' 5)2*,!
2021).! Amazon! is! a! reliable! source! to! gauge! the!
popularity! of! manga! because! it! is! accessible! and!
used! by! many! United! States! citizens.! As! of! June!
2019,!there!are!105!million!subscribers!in!the!US!
("Amazon! Statistics! and! Facts",! 2020).!
Additionally,! Amazon! is! a! more! popular! online!
marketplace!than!its!competitors!(Mohsin,!2021).!
The!top!10!manga!on!the!list!can!be! seen!in!Table!1.!
Table 1
Manga in Order of Popularity
1
My Hero Academia (2016)
2
One Punch Man (2014)
3
Demon Slayer (2018)
4
The Way of the House Husband (2018)
5
Dr. Stone (2017)
6
Dragon Ball Super (2017)
7
Black Clover (2015)
8
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017)
9
One Piece (2003)
10
Hunter x Hunter (1998)
!!
Originally,!my!intent!behind!this!study!was!
to!examine!representations!of!gender!roles!in!male!
and! female! interactions! in! popular! manga.!
However,!the!ten!most!popular!manga!were!of!the!
same!genre,!shonen,!which!targets!young!boys!as!
its!audience.!As!such,!the!findings!of!this!study!are!
relevant!to!the!shonen!genre!and!not!other!manga!
genres! (e.g.,! seinen,! shojo,! or! josei).! Also,! all! the!
manga!were!published!by!the!same!company,!Viz!
Media.! This! company! is! “at! the! forefront! of!
America’s!Japanese!pop-culture!phenomenon”!and!
reaches!“one!in!four!millennials!and!half!of!all!GenZ!
manga!readers”!(VIZ,!n.d.).!This!sample,!while!not!
diverse!in!genre!or!publisher,!still!provides!!
!
!
!
important! information! about! gender!
representations! in! popular! manga! because! these!
texts!are!the!most!popular!and!frequently!bought!
manga! by! Amazon! users! in! the! United! States.! I!
excluded!manga!that!did!not!have!text!and!pictures!
on!each!page!(such!as!novels!that!had!few!images!
throughout).!In!the!case!of!manga!titles!that!were!
not!the! first!volume!in! the!series,!I! used!the!first!
volume! to! ensure! I! understood! the! characters'!
context.!
Within! each! manga! in! the! data! corpus,! I!
selected! specific! sequences! as! units! of! analysis.!
These! units! of! analysis! varied! in! length! and!
included! all! sequences! when! a! male! and! female!
interacted! directly,! either! verbally! or! physically,!
and! did! not! include! thoughts! about! another!
character.! I! chose! to! analyze! sequences! of!
interaction!to!evaluate!how!roles!differ!while!males!
and!females!are!aware!of!each!other!and!can!affect!
each!other’s!actions.!
Within! the! data! corpus,! characters!
imagined! interactions.! For! example,! one! male!
character! imagined! that! a! female! character! was!
naked!in!6"7'3%12+!(2017),!and!in!89':+"1',-);+/$)!
(2016),!another!m ale!character!thought!of!a!female!
character!as!being!"cute!in!that!uniform".!I!did!not!
count! these! interactions! between! the! characters!
because! it! was! not! an! actual! verbal! or! physical!
interaction!between!characters.!I!examined!manga!
from! beginning! to! end! to! determine! which!
sequences!would!be!analyzed.!Due!to!word!count!
limitations,! a! complete! description! of! selected!
texts,! codes,! definitions,! and! parameters! for! the!
study!are!not!included!here.!
Data(Analysis(
To!begin! the!data!analysis!process,! I!read!
through!each!manga!and!wrote!analytical!memos!
or! notes! (Erickson,! 1986).! I! used! these! notes! to!
record!observations!about!role!representations.!As!!
4
The Montana English Journal, Vol. 43 [2021], Art. 6
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mej/vol43/iss1/6
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
38'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
!
shown!in!Appendix!A,!I!then!created!an!analytical!
tool!or!template!that!enabled!me!to!systematically!
consider! the! visual! and! verbal! elements! and!
document! representations! of! gender.! I! described!
interactions! between! characters! in! the! first!
column.! I! analyzed! the! relationship! between! the!
picture!and!the!text!in!a!second!column!(Kress!&!
van! Leeuwen,! 2006;! Sipe,! 1998).! I! used! the! final!
column!to!record!the!role(s)!characters!took!on!in!
the!sequence.!When!identifying!these!roles,!I!drew!
from!gender!and!feminist!theories!(Bloom,!2017;!
Butler,! 2011;! Goffman,! 1979;! Mager! &! Helgeson!
2011;!Murphey,!2016;!Ekachai!&!Drout,!1996).!See!
Table!2!for!a!list!of!these!roles.!After!completing!the!
analysis,! I! highlighted! various! patterns! noted!
within!the!tool!and!then!organized!these!patterns!
into!themes.!!
Table 2
Roles and Counts
!
Findings((
Traditional(Gender(Norms((
Traditional! gender! norms! dominated! the!
interactions!between!males!and!females!in!the!data!
corpus.!Writers!represented!female!characters! as!
damsels!in!distress!(18),!caregivers!(8),!objects!of!
desire! (4),! and! homemakers! (2).! Similarly,! male!
characters!were!represented!as!heroes!(18)!and!as!
objectifying! females! (4).! Representations! of!
characters! as! heroes! varied! from! preventing!
someone!from!tripping!in!89':+"1',-);+/$)!!
!
(2016)!to!saving!a!citizen!from!a!villainous!monster!
in!<2+'=#2-.'8)2'(2014).!!
Three! of! the! four! instances! of! male!
objectification!of!females!occurred!in!6")>12'()44'
3#?+"!(2017).!For!example,!in!this!manga,!a!male!
character! stated! that! a! female’s! breasts! were!
sagging!and!made!her!kiss!him!as!payment!for!his!
answering! a! question! (Toriyam a,! 2017).! In! 6"7'
3%12+! (2017),! a! female! character! stood,! with!
sparkles!around!her!body,!while!a!male!character!
stared!at!her!with!wide!eyes!and!blushed!cheeks,!
steam!coming!out!of!his!nose.!The!male!gasped,!and!
there! was! onomatopoeia! showing! his! heart!
beating.!Here,!the!text!and!picture!worked!together!
to!demonstrate!that!the!female!character!was!the!
object!of!desire!while!the!male!was!the!objectifier.!!
In' 89' :+"1' ,-);+/$)' (2016),! a! female!
character! took! on! the! role! of! hero! twice.! In! both!
instances,! she! used! her! floating! power! to! stop! a!
male! character! from! falling.! In! contrast,! a! male!
character!held!the!hero!role!one!time!by!using!his!
strength! to! destroy! a! robot! that! was! attacking! a!
female!character!lying!on!the!ground.!Though!there!
is! equality! in! the! labels,! the! contexts! are! not!
equivalent.! There! was! a! difference! in! strength!
when!it!came!to!the!representations!of!these!two!
characters.!The!male!character!was!represented!as!
more!powerful! and! traditionally! heroic! while! the!
female!character!was!represented!as!weaker!and!
heroic!in!a!less!obvious!way.!Similarly,!in!(1"#%1@'
A)"#%1'A+B%'C+2+")%$12&!(2017),!a!female!character!
is!represented!as!a!hero!once!while!saving!a!male!
from!falling!by!using!a!rope.!!
Male!characters!were!represented!in!hero!
roles!twice,!using!visually!impressive!and!strength-
based! powers! to! save! female! characters,! such! as!
shadow! manipulation! and! arm! growth.! In! one!
instance,! a! female! character! was! represented! as!
cowering!behind!a!male!character.!The!importance!
was!not!the!number!of!times!a!character!was!the!
hero/damsel!in!distress!but!how!writers!presented!
character!roles!depending!on!gender.!!
5
Perez: Male and Female Interactions: A Multimodal Analysis of Shonen
Published by ScholarWorks at University of Montana, 2021
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
39'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
!
Variance!in!text/picture!relationships!was!
also! present.! For! example,! a! counterpoint! (Sipe,!
1998)!(i.e.,!the!picture!and!text!did!not!align)!was!
present!in!6"7'3%12+!(2017)!when!a!male!character!
in!a!heroic!role!said,!“I’m!gonna!save!you”!(p.!46).!
However,! he! only! stated! this! fact! and! did! not!
perform! any! visual! action! to! support! this! claim!
within!the!sequence.!Conversely,!a!male!character!
from! 6+/12' 34)9+"@' D$/+&%#' A1' E)$F)! (2018)!
stated,!“I’m!gonna!save!you”!while!he!was!carrying!
his! sister! to! safety! (p.! 5).! This! interaction! was! a!
congruent! relationship! (Sipe,! 1998).! The! picture!
and! text! aligned.! My! understanding! of! character!
interactions!and! roles!was!enhanced! because!the!
visual!and!textual!elements!created!new!meaning.!!!!
Equal( Representation( in( Victim( and( Assailant(
Roles(
There! were! two! roles! where! male! and!
female!characters!were! represented!equally!within!
the! data! corpus—victims! and! assailants.! Female!
characters!were!victims!23!times!and!assailants!24!
times,!while!male!characters!were!victims!24!times!
and! assailants! 23! times.! <2+' =$+-+! (2003)!
contained!two!examples!of!a!male!character!as!an!
assailant.!One!sequence!depicted!a!male!character!
threatening! a! female! bartender,! while! another!
showed!a!male!character!taking!food!from!a!young!
girl.!These!were! male! characters! without! powers!
or!special!abilities.!
Interestingly,! female! characters! as!
assailants! were! often! not! ordinary! females.! They!
had!transformed!bodies!and!powers!which!allowed!
them!fight!on!equal!ground!with!male!characters.!
Lady! Alvida! from! <2+' =$+-+' (2003)! was!
represented! as! an! assailant! four! times.! A! cursed!
fruit! changed! her! body! in! a! way! that! gave! her!
strength! in! a! physical! fight.! She! was! larger! than!
most!male!characters!and!had!supernatural!power.!
Mosquito! Girl! from! <2+' =#2-.' 8)2! (2016)! was!
represented!as!an!assailant!five!times,!but!she!was!
also!a!transformed!being!who!was!a!part!woman!!
!
and!part!mosquito.!She!appeared!larger!than!male!
characters! and! had! physical! attributes! of! a!
mosquito!which!granted!her!extra!abilities.!In!the!
case! of! 6")>12' ()44' 3#?+"! (2017),! a! female!
character! was! represented! as! an! assailant! four!
times! in! the! story! while! male! characters! were!
represented! as! assailants! three! times.! Of! these!
occurrences,! three! instances! of! the! female!
character!as!an!assailant!occurred!in!retaliation!for!
a! male! character! sexualizing! her! verbally! or!
physically.!The!other!occurrence!was!unprovoked.!!
Breaking(Stereotypes(
Despite! the! preponderance! of! traditional!
gender! norms! in! the! data! corpus,! there! were!
examples! of! characters! breaking! gender!
stereotypes! throughout! these! manga.! Female!
characters! were! represented! as! heroes! (6),!
providers! (2),! and! male! objectifiers! (1).! Male!
characters!were!represented!as!damsels! in!distress!
(6),!caregivers!(3),!homemakers!(2),!and!objects!of!
desire!(1).!In!G.+'H)9'1I'%.+':1#&+':#&F)2;'(2018),!
the! male! protagonist! was! represented! as! both! a!
caregiver!and!as!a!homemaker!twice.!The!manga’s!
premise!is!that!a!wife!goes!to!work!as!the!provider!
while! her! husband,! an! ex-Yokuza! (i.e.,! gang)!
member,!stays!at!home!to!cook,!clean,!and!babysit!
other! people's! children.! Throughout! most! of! the!
story,!the!male!does!homemaking!tasks!and!takes!
on! traditionally! female! roles! such! as! grocery!
shopping! and! cooking.! ! Homemaking! and!
caregiving! were! only! counted! by! the! researcher!
when! the! main! male! character! interacted! with! a!
female! character.! However,! he! was! also! a!
homemaker!and!caregiver!within!the!story!when!
female!characters!were!not!present.!!
Only!one!example!of!a!male!character!being!
objectified! occurred! in! the! data! corpus.! In! (4)-*'
J41K+"!(2015),!there!is!an!interaction!that!includes!
a!female!character!wearing!a!bikini.!She!offers!to!
"reward"! a! male! character! with! a! "special! treat"!
while!looming!over!him!(Tabata,!2015,!p.!116).!!
6
The Montana English Journal, Vol. 43 [2021], Art. 6
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mej/vol43/iss1/6
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
40'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
!
Visual! elements! in! the! scene! suggested! that! she!
was! implying! sexual! activity.! For! example,! her!
revealing! clothing,! her! body! positioning! as! she!
leans! over! the! male! character,! her! suggestive!
words,! and! her! last! name! (Enotica,! which! is! one!
letter! different! from! +"1%$-))! led! to! these!
conclusions.!The!male!character!was!fully!clothed!
and!blushing,!while!the!female!showed!most!of!her!
body! and! appeared! confident.! She! was! smirking!
and! stood! with! poise.! These! examples! defy!
expectations!established!by!the! shonen! manga! in!
this!particular!data!corpus.!
Discussion(
There!are!various!research!studies!focused!
on! how! gender! roles! are! represented! in! popular!
media.! However,! qualitative! multimodal! content!
analysis! that! examine! representations! of! gender!
roles! in! male! and! female! interactions! within!
popular!shonen!manga!are!under-researched.!This!
study! begins! to! fill! the! gap! in! understanding!
representations! of! male/female! interactions!
within!popular!culture!texts!such!as!shonen!manga.!
Building! an! understanding! of! popular! media!
literacies!such!as!manga!is!important!for!teachers!
to! consider! because! they! are! a! popular! literary!
mode!for!students!(Schwartz,!&! Rubinstein-Ávila,!
2006).!!
Students! learn! from! popular! media! and!
apply! these! learnings! to! their! interpretations! of!
new! information! (Tuchman,! 2000).! The! way!
writers!portray! characters!in!popular!media!affects!
how!students!might!see!and!understand!people!in!
the! real! world! (Murphey,! 2016).! Knowing! the!
influence!of!popular!media!and!understanding!how!
writers! portray! gender! is! vital! to! understanding!
culture.! As! some! of! the! most! popular! manga!
(according!to!Amazon),!these!shonen!manga!have!
the! potential! to! influence! how! readers! perceive!
gender!roles!in!the!real!world.!It!is!important!for!
teachers!and! students!to! critically! consider!these!
texts,!as!well!as!other!popular!manga!texts!and!!
!
genres! to! evaluate! and! potentially! challenge! the!
representations!of!gender!within.!
Typically,! writers! of! popular! media! place!
female! characters! in! oppressed,! domesticated,! or!
victimized!roles!(Butler,!2011;!Mager!&!Helgeson,!
2011;!Murphey,!2016).!In!these!manga,!traditional!
gender!roles! w ere!both!perpetuated!and!broken.!In!
caregiver,! homemaker,! and! objectified! roles,!
females!were!present!more!than!males.!The!cases!
in!which!males!were!present!in!these!roles!broke!
stereotypes.!While!numerically,!females!and!males!
were!nearly!equal!in!their!interactions!of!assailant!
and!victim,!the!context!changed!how!these!actions!
were! perceived.! Further,! male! characters! were!
represented!in!more!traditionally!heroic!roles!than!
female! characters! when! the! two! genders!
interacted.!However,!not!every!instance!of!heroism!
for!females!or!males!was!the!same.!Heroism!had!a!
broad!range!of!possibilities!that!differed!between!
females! and! males.! Despite! the! number! of! hero!
roles! they! held,! female! characters! were! not!
portrayed!equally!when!compared!to!male!heroes.!
If!a!female!hero!is!a!hero!in!less!impressive!ways,!is!
she! just! as! heroic! as! her! male! counterpart?! Are!
traditional!gender!roles!being!broken,!or!are!they!
still!present!but!in!less!obvious!ways?!!
The!visual!and!textual!elements!present!in!
these! manga! supported! each! other! (Gee,! 1998;!
Sipe,! 1998)! to! convey! meaning.! Meanings! were!
often! contextual! and! dependent! on! textual! and!
visual! cues! (Kress,! van! Leeuwen,! 2006).! For!
example,!what! characters!said!in!the!text! did!not!
always!align!with!what!they! did!in!the!picture.!Both!
the!text!and! pictures!were!needed!to!understand!
what!was!happening!in!a!sequence.!Interpretation!
of!modes! is!not!necessarily! inherent,! and!explicit!
instruction!is!necessary!to!understand!better!and!
engage! multiple! modes! (Gee,! 1998;! Kress,! 2003;!
Serafini,! 2014).! It! is! important! for! readers! to! be!
able!to!interpret!multiple!modes!so!that!they!can!
understand!texts!to!a!fuller!extent.!!
(
7
Perez: Male and Female Interactions: A Multimodal Analysis of Shonen
Published by ScholarWorks at University of Montana, 2021
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
41'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
(
Classroom(Application(
In!this!section,!I!offer!three!key!ways!that!
this! study! might! help! inform! classroom! practice:!
(1)! I! explain! how! teachers! might! discuss!
multimodal!texts!with!students,! (2)!I!provide!a!tool!
that!can!be!used!by!students!to!analyze!multimodal!
texts,!(3)!I!provide!ideas!and!discussion!points!that!
can!be!used!to!create!lessons.!
( Before!beginning!a!lesson,!a!teacher!could!
first!introduce!the!concept!of!multimodal!texts!to!
students.! After! explaining! that! modes! offer!
different! ways! to! represent! and! communicate!
thinking,! teachers! can! then! engage! students! in!
identifying!multimodal!texts!by!asking:!What!texts!
can! be! found! in! the! real! world?! Introducing!
different!physical!or!digital!multimodal!texts,!such!
as! manga,! comics,! or! graphic! novels,! can! also! be!
beneficial.! For! manga! specifically,! explicit!
instruction! on! how! to! read! these! texts! may! be!
needed.! For! example,! the! order! in! which! pages,!
panels,! and! speech! bubbles! are! read! differ.!
Consider! comparing! comics,! graphic! novels,! and!
manga!while!teaching!the!process! of!reading!visual!
texts.! Additionally,! different! text! and! picture!
relationships! could! be! defined! as! congruent,!
counterpointing,! or! complementary.! These!
concepts! can! be! taught! by! showing! examples! in!
multimodal!texts!where!the!relationships!between!
pictures!and!text!align,!misalign,!or!work!together!
in!complimentary!ways.!
Teachers! can! also! use! the! analytical! tool!
(Appendix! 1)! to! help! students! interpret!
multimodal!texts.!Once!students!can!analyze!a!text!
using! the! analytical! tool,! teachers! might! use!
student! findings! to! facilitate! a! classroom!
discussion! about! different! ways! male! and! female!
characters! embody! roles.! Students! can! compare!
and!contrast!specific!sequences,!genres,!or!manga!
as!a!whole!class!or!in!small!groups.!Teachers!can!
ask!students!critical!questions:!Why!did!one!gender!
have!specific!roles!more!than!others?!How!were!!
!
these! roles! identified! (visually! versus! textually)?!
What! is! the! context! of! these! roles?! How! was! the!
same! hero/damsel! role! represented! differently!
between! characters! of! different! genders?! A! class!
discussion! allows! students! to! demonstrate! an!
understanding! of! both! modes! and! gender!
representations.! Because! texts! can! influence!
personal!beliefs,!also!consider!asking:!Where!have!
you! seen! similar/different! representations! of!
gender?! How! do! you! think! people! could! be!
influenced! by! these! representations?! Have! the!
representations! you! seen! affected! your! views! of!
gender?!How?!
Students! could! apply! their! findings! and!
understandings! of! modes! and! gender!
representations! by! rewriting! and! redrawing!
sequences! in! the! manga.! Before! beginning! the!
project,!teachers!may!ask!some!guiding!questions:!
How! were! the! characters! portrayed! within! the!
sequences! visually! and! textually?! How! might!
someone!change! this! sequence!to!make! the! roles!
more!equal?!!These!questions!can!help!students!to!
evaluate! gender! role! representations! before! they!
recreate! sequences! in! published! works.! Allowing!
students!to!reimagine!sequences!also!allows!them!
to! reflect! on! societal! views! of! gender! and! apply!
their!knowledge.!Further,!students!could!also!use!
the!analytical!tool!to!critique!each!other’s!work.!!
Students! can! also! share! their! textual!
analyses!through!formal!literary!essays.!Teachers!
might! begin! by! asking! probing! questions:! What!
character(s)! embody! what! roles?! What! kind! of!
person! is! typically! represented! in! these! roles?!
What!is!the!character!like?!In!what!context!(visual!
or! textual)! does! a! character! embody! a! particular!
role?! How! do! character! representations! defy!
traditional! expectations?! How! does! this! apply! to!
the!real!world?!Students!can!then!brainstorm!using!
these! probing! questions! to! generate! ideas! and! a!
writing! plan.! Finally,! they! can! create! a! written!
analysis! of! their! findings! and! thoughts.! This!
assignment!allows!students!to!practice!writing!and!!
8
The Montana English Journal, Vol. 43 [2021], Art. 6
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mej/vol43/iss1/6
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
42'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
!
make! real-world! connections! regarding! both!
gender!stereotypes!and!the!multiple!mod es!used!to!
convey!those!stereotypes!within!the!manga.!
Limitations(and(Future(Research(
The!sample! used! in! this! study! came!from!
Amazon’s! best! sellers! list! for! manga.! However,!
Amazon!is!non-specific!about!the!exact!ways!(a!mix!
of! recent! and! historical! trends)! their! list! is!
generated,!and!it!is!not!the!only!resource!for!buying!
manga.! The! benefit! of! triangulating! with! other!
store’s!best!sellers!might!give!a!more!accurate!list!
of!manga!that! is!popular!today!and!perhaps! over!
time.!Additionally,!only!one!manga!genre,!shonen,!
was!analyzed!in!this!study!and!all!the!manga!came!
from!the!same!company,!Viz!Media.!To!build!on!this!
research,! more! genres! from! different! companies!
will! be! used! to! generate! a! more! representative!
sample!of!manga.!!!
I! only! considered! interactions! between!
males! and! females.! In! a! future! study,!
representations! of! same! gender! interactions! or!
characters! on! their! own! will! be! considered.!
Diversifying!these!points! of!analysis!would!provide!
a!better!understanding!of!characters!and!how!they!
represent!or!enact!gender.!
Further,!there!were!large!gaps!between!the!
dates! of! publication! for! the! manga! in! the! data!
corpus.!The!original!printing!for!:#2%+"' B' :#2%+"!
was!in!1998!and!<2+'=$+-+!was!in!1997.!Meanwhile,'
6+/12'34)9+"!and!G.+' H)9' 1I' %.+' :1#&+':#&F)2;!
were!both!published!in!2018.! Depictions!of!females!
in! manga! may! be! based! on! factors! of! writer!
perceptions! of! cultural/historical! context! at! the!
time!of!their!creation.!As!such,!doing!an!analysis!of!
popular! manga! across! time! might! reveal!
interesting!and!more!nuanced!findings.!
!
(
(
(
References!
,/)012'&%)%$&%$-&')2;'I)-%&.!Market.us.!(2020,!
September!11).!
https://market.us/statistics/e-commerce-
websites/amazon/.!!
Beerman,!R.!J.!(2012).!The!body!unbound:!
Empowered,!heroism!and!body!image.'L1#"2)4'
1I'C")?.$-'A1K+4&')2;'J1/$-&M'N(2),!201-213.!
doi:10.1080/21504857.2012.703959!
Bloom,!J.!(2017).!5+);$2>'%.+'/)4+'>)0+'$2'
4$%+")%#"+')2;'-#4%#"+'&%#;$+&'$2'+"1%$-'
+?$&%+/141>9'.!Palgrave!Macmillan.!
https://doi-
org.manowar.tamucc.edu/10.1007/978-3-
319-59945-8!
Bochner,!A.!P.!(1994).!Perspectives!on!inquiry!II:!
Theories!and!stories.!:)2;F11*'1I'
O2%+"?+"&12)4'J1//#2$-)%$127'!
Butler,!J.!(2011).!C+2;+"'%"1#F4+@'!+/$2$&/')2;'%.+'
&#FK+"&$12'1I'$;+2%$%9.!Routledge.!
Chun,!C.W.!(2009).!Critical!literacies!and!graphic!
novels!for!English-language!learners:!teaching!
Maus.!L1#"2)4'1I',;14+&-+2%'P',;#4%'Q$%+")-9M'
RN(2),!144–153.!!!
Cocca,!C.!(2014).!The!‘Broke!Back!Test’:!A!
quantitative!and!qualitative!analysis!of!
portrayals!of!women!in!mainstream!superhero!
comics,!1993–2013.!L1#"2)4'1I'C")?.$-'A1K+4&'
)2;'J1/$-&,!R(4),!411-428.!
Cook,!M.!P.,!&!Frey,!R.!(2017).!Using!superheroes!
to!visually!and!critically!analyze!comics,!
stereotypes,!and!society.!3,AS'L1#"2)4@'
3+T#+2%$)4',"%'A)"")%$K+'$2'S;#-)%$12,!2(2).!
Cook,!M.!P.,!&!Kirchoff,!J.!S.!(2017).!Teaching!
multimodal!literacy!through!reading!and!
writing!graphic!novels.!Q)2>#)>+')2;'
Q$%+")-9,!UV(4),!76–95.!
https://doi.org/10.20360/G2P38R!
9
Perez: Male and Female Interactions: A Multimodal Analysis of Shonen
Published by ScholarWorks at University of Montana, 2021
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
43'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
!
Darlington,!T.,!&!Cooper,!S.!(2010).!The!power!of!
truth:!Gender!and!sexuality!in!manga.!L1.2&12W
H11;&M'8)2>),!157-72.!
Davies,!B.!(1990).!The!problem!of!desire.!!!31-$)4'
="1F4+/&,!37(4),!501-516.!!!doi:10.!!
2307/800578!
Diprose,!R.!(1994).!Performing!body-
identity.!H"$%$2>&'12'6)2-+,!UU(12),!7-15.!
Erickson,!F.!(1986).!Qualitative!methods!in!
research!on!teaching.!In!M.!C.!Wittrock!(Ed.),!
:)2;F11*'1I'"+&+)"-.'12'%+)-.$2>!(3rd!ed.,!pp.!
119–161).!New!York,!NY:!Macmillan.!
Gardner,!J.!(2012).!="1X+-%$12&@'J1/$-&')2;'%.+'
.$&%1"9'1I'%Y+2%9WI$"&%W-+2%#"9'&%1"9%+44$2>.!!!
Stanford!University!Press.!!!
Gee,!J.!P.!(1998).!What!is!literacy.!A+>1%$)%$2>'
)-);+/$-'4$%+")-$+&@'G+)-.$2>')2;'4+)"2$2>'
)-"1&&'4)2>#)>+&')2;'-#4%#"+&,!51-59.!!!
Gee,!J.!P.!(2003).!What!video!games!have!to!teach!
us!about!learning!and!literacy.!J1/?#%+"&'$2'
S2%+"%)$2/+2%'ZJOS[,!U(1),!20-20.!
Gerbner,!G.!(1972).!Violence!in!television!drama:!
Trends!and!symbolic!functions.!G+4+K$&$12')2;'
&1-$)4'F+.)K$1",!U,!28-187.!
Hines,!M.!B.,!&!Appleman,!D.!(2000).!Multiple!ways!
of!knowing!in!literature!classrooms.!S2>4$&.'
S;#-)%$12M'N\(2),!141-168.!
Hintz,!C.!&!Tribunella,!E.!L.!(2019).!5+);$2>'
-.$4;"+2]&'4$%+")%#"+@','-"$%$-)4'$2%"1;#-%$12!(2
nd
!
Ed.).!Broadview!Press.!!
Hsieh,!H.-F.,!&!Shannon,!S.!E.!(2005).!Three!
approaches!to!qualitative!content!analysis.!
^#)4$%)%$K+':+)4%.'5+&+)"-.M'UR(9),!1277–
1288.!
https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323052766!
!
!
Hutcheon,!L.!(2006).!,'%.+1"9'1I');)?%)%$12.!
Routledge.!
Hughes,!J.!M.,!King,!A.,!Perkins,!P.,!&!Fuke,!V.!
(2011).!Adolescents!and!"autographics":!
Reading!and!writing!coming-of-age!graphic!
novels.!L1#"2)4'1I',;14+&-+2%'P',;#4%'Q$%+")-9M'
R_(8),!601.!
https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.54.8.5!
Jewitt,!C.!(2009).!6$II+"+2%')??"1)-.+&'%1'
/#4%$/1;)4$%9.!Routledge.!
Jewitt,!C.!(2017).!An!introduction!to!
multimodality.!In!C.!Jewitt!(Ed.),!G.+'51#%4+;>+'
.)2;F11*'1I'/#4%$/1;)4')2)49&$&!(pp.!15–30).!
New!York,!NY:!Routledge.!!
Johnson-Woods,!T.!(Ed.).!(2010).!8)2>)@',2'
)2%.141>9'1I'>41F)4')2;'-#4%#")4'?+"&?+-%$K+&.!!!
Bloomsbury!Publishing!USA.!!!
Kress,!G.!R.!(2003).!Q$%+")-9'$2'%.+'2+Y'/+;$)')>+.!
New!York:!Routledge.!!!
Kress,!G.!R.!(2010).!8#4%$/1;)4$%9@','&1-$)4'&+/$1%$-'
)??"1)-.'%1'-12%+/?1")"9'-1//#2$-)%$12.!
Taylor!&!Francis.!
Kress,!G.!R.,!&!Van!Leeuwen,!T.!(1996).!5+);$2>'
$/)>+&@'G.+'>")//)"'1I'K$&#)4';+&$>2.!
Psychology!Press.!
Mager,!J.!&!Helgeson,!J.!G.!(2011).!Fifty!years!of!
advertising!images:!Some!changing!
perspectives!on!role!portrayals!along!with!
enduring!consistencies.'3+B'514+&M'`_(3),!238-
252.!!!doi:10.1007/s11199-010-9782-6!
Mayring,!P.!(2000).!Qualitative!content!analysis.!
Forum,!Qualitative!Social!Research/Forum,!
Qualitative!Sozialforschung,!1(2).!
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446282243.n1
2!
!
10
The Montana English Journal, Vol. 43 [2021], Art. 6
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mej/vol43/iss1/6
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
44'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
!
Mcbride,!A.,!&!Toburen,!R.!K.!(2000)!Deep!
structures:!Popular!culture!on!primetime!
television.!In:!Crothers!L.,!Lockhart!C.!(eds)!
J#4%#"+')2;'=14$%$-&.!Palgrave!Macmillan,!New!
York.!
McCloud,!S.!(1994).!a2;+"&%)2;$2>'-1/$-&@'G.+'
$2K$&$F4+')"%.!New!York:!HarperPerennial.!!!
Madeley,!J.!M.!(2012).!Transnational!
transformations:!A!gender!analysis!of!
Japanese!Manga!featuring!unexpected!bodily!
transformations.!G.+'L1#"2)4'1I'=1?#4)"'
J#4%#"+M'_R(4),!789-806.!
Mitchell,!W.!T.!(1995).!=$-%#"+'%.+1"9@'S&&)9&'12'
K+"F)4')2;'K$&#)4'"+?"+&+2%)%$12.!University!of!
Chicago!Press.!!!
Moffatt,!L.,!&!Norton,!B.!(2008).!Reading!gender!
relations!and!sexuality:!Preteens!speak!out.!
J)2);$)2'L1#"2)4'1I'S;#-)%$12M'NU(1),!102–123!
Mohsin,!M.!(2021,!July!15).!Ub',/)012'&%)%$&%$-&'
91#'2++;'%1'*21Y'$2'\b\U'c8,5J:'\b\Ud.!
Oberlo.!
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/amazon-
statistics.!!
Murphy,!K.!J.!(2016).!"Analyzing!female!gender!
roles!in!Marvel!Comics!from!the!Silver!Age!
(1960)!to!the!present."!6$&-#&&$12&,!U\(2).!
Retrieved!from!http://www.inquiriesjournal.!!
com/a?id=1449!
Nikolajeva,!M.,!&!Scott,!C.!(2000).!The!dynamics!of!
picturebook!communication.!J.$4;"+2e&'
4$%+")%#"+'$2'S;#-)%$12,!NU(4),!225-239.!
Ogi,!F.!(2003).!Female!subjectivity!and!shoujo!
(girls)!manga!(Japanese!comics):!shoujo!in!
ladies'!comics!and!young!ladies'!comics.!L1#"2)4'
1I'=1?#4)"'J#4%#"+M'N`(4),!780.!
!
!
!
Ross,!K.!(2011).!G.+'.)2;F11*'1I'>+2;+"M'&+BM')2;'
/+;$)!(1st!ed.).!Malden:!Wiley-Blackwell.!!!
Rossi,!Alice!S.!(1964).!"Equality!between!the!
sexes:!An!immodest!proposal."!6)+;)4#&!93.2:!
607652.!Print.!!!
Saitō ,!T.!(2011).!(+)#%$I#4'I$>.%$2>'>$"4!(D.!Lawson!
&!K.!Vincent,!Trans.).!Minneapolis,!MN:!
University!of!Minnesota!Press.!
Schwartz,!A.!&!Rubinstein-Ávila,!E.!(2006).!
Understanding!the!manga!hype:!Uncovering!the!
multimodality!of!comic-book!literacies.!L1#"2)4'
1I',;14+&-+2%'P',;#4%'Q$%+")-9,!Rb(1),!40-49.!!!
Serafini,!F.!(2014).!5+);$2>'%.+'K$&#)4@',2'
$2%"1;#-%$12'%1'%+)-.$2>'/#4%$/1;)4'4$%+")-9.!
Teachers!College!Press.!!!
Serafini,!F.,!&!Reid,!S.!F.!(2019).!Multimodal!
content!analysis:!expanding!analytical!
approaches!to!content!analysis.!f$&#)4'
J1//#2$-)%$12,!1470357219864133.!
https://doi.org/10.1177/1470357219864133!
Silva,!Marta!Regina!Paulo!da.!(2018).!Gender!
relations,!comic!books!and!children's!cultures:!
Between!stereotypes!and!reinventions.!=14$-9'
!#%#"+&'$2'S;#-)%$12M'U`(5),!524-538.!
https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210317724642!
Sipe,!L.!R.!(1998).!How!picture!books!work:!A!
semiotic!framed!theory!of!text-picture!
relationships.!J.$4;"+2e&'Q$%+")%#"+'$2'
S;#-)%$12M'\V(2),!97.!!!
Szymanski,!D.!M.,!Moffitt,!L.!B.,!&!Carr,!E.!R.!(2011).!
Sexual!objectification!of!women:!Advances!to!
theory!and!research.'G.+'J1#2&+4$2>'
=&9-.141>$&%M'NV(1),!6.!
Tuchman!G.!(2000)!The!symbolic!annihilation!of!
women!by!the!mass!media.!In!Crothers!L.,!
Lockhart!C.!(eds)!J#4%#"+')2;'=14$%$-&.!Palgrave!
Macmillan,!New!York.!
11
Perez: Male and Female Interactions: A Multimodal Analysis of Shonen
Published by ScholarWorks at University of Montana, 2021
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
45'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
!
Tsurumi,!M.!(1997).!Gender!and!girls'!comics!in!
Japan.!(#44+%$2'1I'J12-+"2+;',&$)2'
3-.14)"&,!\V(2),!46-55.!
Unser-Schutz,!G.!(2015).!What!text!can!tell!us!
about!male!and!female!characters!in!shōjo-and!
shōnen-manga.!S)&%',&$)2'L1#"2)4'1I'=1?#4)"'
J#4%#"+,!U(1),!133-153.!
Van!Lente,!F.!(2012).!J1/$-'F11*'.$&%1"9'1I'-1/$-&.!
IDW!Publishing.!!!
Van!Leeuwen,!T.!(2005).!O2%"1;#-$2>'&1-$)4'
&+/$1%$-&.!Psychology!Press.!
VIZ:!The!Best!in!Manga,!Anime!&!Global!
Entertainment.!(n.d.).!Retrieved!August!12,!
2020,!from!https://www.viz.com/!
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
Manga(Cited(
Boichi.,!Inagaki!Riichiro.!(2017).!6"7'3%12+.!Viz!
Media,!LLC.!
Gotouge,!Koyoharu.!(2018).!6+/12'34)9+"@'
D$/+%&#'A1'E)$F).!Viz!Media!LLC.'
Kodachi,!U.,!Kishimoto,!M.,!&!Ikemoto,!M.!(2017).!
(1"#%1@'A)"#%1'A+B%'C+2+")%$12&.!Viz!Media!
LLC.'
Horikoshi,!Kohei.!(2016).!89':+"1',-);+/$).!!
Viz!Media!LLC.!
!
Oda,!Eichiro.!(2003).!<2+'=$+-+.!Viz!Media!LLC.!
!
One.!(2014).!<2+'=#2-.'8)2.!Viz!Media!LLC.!
Oono,!Kousuke.!(2018).!G.+'H)9'1I'%.+':1#&+'
:#&F)2;7!Viz!Media!LLC.'
Tabata,!Yuki.!(2015).!(4)-*'J41K+".!Viz!Media!LLC.!
Takaya,!Natsuki.!(2004).!!"#$%&'()&*+%.!Tokyopop.!
Togashi,!Yoshihiro.!(1998).!:#2%+"'g':#2%+".!Viz!
Media,!LLC.!
Toriyama,!Akira.!(1984).!6")>12'()44.!Viz!Media!
LLC.!
Toriyama,!Akira.!(2017).!6")>12'()44'3#?+".!Viz!!
Media!LLC.
12
The Montana English Journal, Vol. 43 [2021], Art. 6
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mej/vol43/iss1/6
Male'and'Female'Interactions'
! ! !
43'
!
!!!!!!!!Montana&English&Journal& Volume'43' Spring'2022'
!
Appendix 1
Analytical Tool for Analysing Shonen Manga
Image of
Sequence
Description
Visual Elements
Textual
Elements
Relationship
Role
Characters:
Interaction:
Pose/Touch:
Reason that
actions occurred:
Setting:
Composition:
Signs/Symbols:
Dialogue:
Onomatopoeia:
Thought:
Concurring or
Congruent:
Complementary
or Relaying:
Counterpoint or
Deviation:
Male:
Female:
13
Perez: Male and Female Interactions: A Multimodal Analysis of Shonen
Published by ScholarWorks at University of Montana, 2021