(Shôjo) manga fight against violence against women

The manga "Me too" by Reiko Momochi, published by Akata editions, tells the (true) story of a woman victim of sexual harassment in a company -

• "Me too", "Don't fake your smile", "17 years old, a story of evil", "Transparent" ... Several manga releases tackle sexual assault

• Publisher Akata wanted to make 2020 a committed and feminist year

• The manga shôjo has always told harsh, avant-garde stories

“Even today, I sometimes feel a scrutinizing gaze on me, as if someone is spying on me.

I always hope that this is just an impression… ”These words are from Satsuki, a young operator acting in a telephone customer service and heroine of the manga

Too by Reiko Momochi, the second and final volume of which comes out on October 22 at Akata.

And unfortunately, her words are a reality, a true story even, that of a woman's struggle against

, sexual harassment at work.

Satsuki is the target of a superior, a notorious repeat offender, at a time, the early 2000s, when victims do not allow themselves to speak, and silently endure acts that society is just beginning to view as objectionable.

"Me too", the new manga by Reiko Momochi is now available in bookstores.

How will Satsuki, a woman harassed by her superior, manage to cope?

Discover the first chapter for free on AkaZoom => https://t.co/jdIrlcVt1E pic.twitter.com/DmZd6yR5Vz

- Akata (@AKATAmanga) August 28, 2020

The stories of the victims

Satsuki isn't the only one, and

neither is the

manga

.

A high school student sexually assaulted in

(Akata), a teenage girl who disappears - literally - to escape an abusive father in

(Kurokawa), an assaulted J-Pop singer who rejects her femininity in

(Doki Doki) ​​or the story of the kidnapping, kidnapping and murder of Junko Furuta, one of the worst news items in Japan, in

(naBan)… The list is not exhaustive , but the subject of violence against women is at the heart of manga news.

“This is not new,” says Bruno Pham, editorial director at Akata editions.

📚 17 years old - Une Chronique du Mal

Discover the trailer for the new title from naBan Éditions, the first volume of which has been available in bookstores since Friday.

📚 Series in 4 volumes 📚https: //t.co/67okR0qkjf

Have you already acquired or read it?

Do you plan to take it?

pic.twitter.com/5ecN5p5wye

- naBan Editions (@NabanEditions) September 27, 2020

Behind the drawing, the suffering, the anger

"There has always been in manga, and in particular the shôjo [manga for girls], major social themes," he explains.

For example, when Akata was still working with Delcourt, we edited

, a realistic manga about two high school friends, one of whom is raped and needs to rebuild.

It was 10 years ago.

Reiko Momochi, the author of

aussi

, wrote the same year 

, a story of feminicide, even in its judicial aspect, and always with this typical shôjo design.

This is what may surprise, that a fine line, big eyes, and adolescent feelings, contain so much suffering, anger, unspoken.

Don't fake your smile

thus has all the finery of the classic shôjo, but from the start, the manga artist Kotomi Aoki, in a way, reminds the reader to order.

Young Niji wants to act as if her aggression was nothing, to keep a good face, to continue her life, but no, it's impossible.

“It describes a reality, post-traumatic stress, begins Bruno Pham.

The series reminds us that we must not de-dramatize the experience of the victims, and it goes even further by deconstructing the clichés of the shôjo, which is of the order of fantasy, like the forced kiss.

"

I just read Don't Fake Your Smile T3 (@AKATAmanga)

the teacher makes me so uncomfortable with each of his appearances .. on the other hand finally a manga which denounces the “stolen kiss” often seen in shojo.

the end of the volume turned me over, I can't wait to read more 😱 pic.twitter.com/pbPVSR7gX9

- nightmar-yse 👻 (@towaryse) September 1, 2020

"The shôjo has always told hard stories"

In the 1990s, a work more fantasy and qualified as entertaining like Fushigi Yugi already addressed rape.

"We can even go back to Moto Hagio with

in 1975 or the manga of the 100% Clamp collective," adds the editorial director.

The shôjo has always told hard stories, the manga has always been ahead.

"

It was enough to know how to look.

However, a whole production dealt with sexism, patriarchal society, from the feminine point of view, but, although published in France, was not sufficiently explored by the critics, sufficiently supported by the editors too, like from the work of Mari Okazaki (

), Erica Sakurazawa (

,

), Kyoko Okazaki (

), Kiriko Nananan (

)… Most of these titles are unfortunately sold out today.

Emotional complement where Fuji seeks her place as a woman and questions her feminine condition.

A relevant reflection that will make it evolve in a very beautiful way throughout the 11 volumes 😊 # ShojoAuTop cc @Club_Shojo @AKATAmanga @DelcourtTonkam pic.twitter.com/JoN1qoKIRv

- Kyoukai's World (@KyoukaiW) March 8, 2018

2020, a committed and feminist year

The liberation of the voice of women and the #MeToo movement had a click effect, and allowed a spotlight on manga as

by Akane Torikai, a real time bomb on violence against women, published in Japan in 2013 and published in France by Akata at the beginning of 2020. A year that the publisher wanted under the sign of feminism and commitment, with therefore also

and

.

For the latter, for each volume 2 sold, 5% of the price will be donated to the Solidarité Femmes association.

And the authors, the shônen?

Bruno Pham regrets the era of socially engaged manga like 

(Glénat) and notes a regression on these subjects.

It must be said that the representation of women in the shônen, badass and sexy, remains problematic, taken lightly, despite the appearance of new heroines like Emma from

or Kei from

.

But ironically, and terrible return to reality coupled with a huge mess, the scriptwriter of

was arrested this summer for sexual assault on minors.

Unanimous condemnation, immediate cessation of the series and full support of the profession and the fans to the young and talented designer of the manga, Shiro Usazaki.

Things and mentalities are changing, the fight continues.

In society, and in the manga.

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