Trans/Genderqueer/Nonconforming in the media

I love Bobobo's obsession with crossdressing and genderbending its cast. Does that count?

 

Cory from America's Next Top Model Cycle 20, and Miss J and Isis King.
Viola from She's the Man.
Andy from Motocrossed.
Connie and Carla.
(People might think I'm crazy but...) Tiana from Princess and the Frog.
Angel from RENT.
Mulan.

I'm forgetting some of course. My favourite from books is Alan(na) from The Lioness Quartet.

Recently I saw a movie called Romeos that was really good and there are tons of youtube movies and TV shows (BroThers comes to mind).

 

Jessie and James from Team Rocket (Pokèmon). They're the only ones I can think of.




This is one of the many examples.

 

There's one awesome character that not a lot of people know is genderfluid. Loki (agent of Asgard loki, at least) is both genderfluid and bisexual. Being a shapeshifter helps with that.

 

Persona 4. I'll just leave it at that to prevent spoilers. If you played it you know who I'm talking about.

 

Ghirahim from Skyward Sword... I always enjoyed getting to fight him because I'd get to read what he had to say, and I got to see the weird motions he made.

Grell from Black Butler (in my signature) is another one of my favorites. He always makes me laugh.

I also liked Takatsuki and Nitorin from the anime Hourou Musuko.

 

Mulan, tiana, and for sone weird reason loki from son of the mask because he shapeshifted into that woman at the medical office

 

I like Vincent Noir from "The Mighty Boosh"

I'm the great confuser!

And of course Ranma Saotome, if he counts...

 

There's also a bit of non-conforming from a second character as well. They even overcompensate in other areas out of their own repression of it.

It's kinda interesting that this gets brought up, since it really feels like it is a good example of gender expectations being different in different cultures and how they can change.

Characters like Ghirahim are interesting more in that Japanese companies seem more comfortable exporting them to the rest of the world now. While this sort of behavior or form of expression may not be entirely surprising on the streets in Japan itself.

 

Tiana was the black girl from the princess and the frog

 

Krem from Dragon Age: Inquisition was positive trans representation but It's a shame his character was never really fleshed out

 

I'm not usually into anime/manga but I like the trans kids in Hourou Musuko

 

I recently saw Romeos as well and Lukas probably one of the most well-portrayed transman I've ever seen. The movie addresses trans* issues spectacularly and I especially loved how they handled the fact that Lukas is also gay.

I loved Krem too! it's too bad that he didn't have a very large role in DA:I, though I'm still hoping for a DLC about the Chargers, or even the possibility of making Krem a follower in the next game >>


There's also a manga/anime called Wandering Son which is a pretty good series about the growing up process and self discovery of transgender children.

 

Bokura no Hentai is also a very great manga with similar theme too.

 

(*clears throat*) Ahem... Let me tell you about...

GARNET.



Where is this "Garnet" from, you ask?

Well, it's from a cartoon called Steven Universe. And part of this show is that gems are an extraterrestrial race. Yes, they're aliens. However, because they are gems, they don't have any gender, or concept of gender. And so, they're all basically agender by nature.

Which gives non-binary people their first representation in mainstream media. However, they do go by female pronouns.

So, why single out Garnet in front of everybody else? Amethyst and Pearl (and by all this logic, Opal as well) are non-binary.

SPOILERS FROM HERE, FOLKS.



Part of this show is that gems have powers, and the ability to fuse with each other is one of them.

Garnet is a fusion herself.

In this show, it seems that fusions are representations of what we understand as human relationships. A relationship to humans is akin to a fusion in gems. Something that many fans have noticed is that the more stable a relationship between two gems is, the more humanoid the fusion looks. Contrast Garnet to Amethyst and Pearl, who have serious struggles in tolerating the other, when they fuse into Opal:



So, we've seen this. We see that Garnet looks very much humanoid. What about the canon?

One of the more recently released episodes showed a part where Garnet had already been split by an enemy, and the gems that make up Garnet have been imprisoned. Ruby, one of said gems, is beside herself and runs all over the place looking for her counterpart, Sapphire. Ruby makes absolutely no notice of those who imprisoned her, as she screams out Sapphire's name. When the two meet up again, it's not long before we see them fuse into Garnet. The real defining moment is when Sapphire kisses away Ruby's tears, confirming that they're in a relationship.

And then we see Garnet kick some serious butt, while breakdancing and singing about who she is and what she stands for, and it's really totally awesome

Also, Garnet's just so cool.

 

What?! Garnet is a fusion and the Gems are extraterrestrials?! My mind is blown. Damn, I'm really behind on this show.