The following article contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, all available in English from Viz Media.
Shonen anime with more grisly themes are on the rise, with three, in particular, earning the “Dark Trio” title. Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku are subverting the tropes typically seen within shonen, bringing a fresh take to the popular demographic. These three are far darker than traditional shonen due to their cynical approach and gruesome elements, but these same aesthetics increase the trio’s popularity.
On top of actively changing the landscape of shonen anime, the dark trio does an excellent job of giving their female protagonists a well-deserved limelight. Unlike previously poorly written, incompetent women obsessed with shopping, Nobara Kugisaki, Makima, and Yamada Asaemon Sagiri are breaking stereotypes and proving female characters can be both feminine and tough.
Jujutsu Kaisen’s Nobara is Anime’s Feminist Icon
Nobara Kugisaki is feminism done right. The JJK idol is unapologetically strong, and with her unstoppable confidence, she isn’t afraid to put her male counterparts to shame. When she was first introduced, Kugisaki seemed as though she may be another one of shounen’s stereotypical female characters. She is very interested in shopping, spending her time in Tokyo buying clothes and souvenirs with Itadori, and her personality didn’t pique much interest either. Though, over time, Kugisaki proved herself to be one of Jujutsu Kaisen’s strongest female sorcerers.
Nobara is an excellent fighter with unshakable resolve, and more than once she’s saved her male peers with her strong technique. In the final episode, when she and Itadori were facing the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings Eso and Kechizu, it was her Straw Doll Technique that allowed them to escape the battle with their lives. On top of her raw power, Kugisaki has an exceptional take on feminism. The sorcerer doesn’t feel the need to meet the patriarchy’s unreasonable expectations, and she’s an advocate for self-love. She likes herself most when she is looking and feeling pretty, and when she is fighting to become strong. Nobara proves to the audience that women who enjoy traditionally female activities like shopping and makeup, can still be resolute and dominating.
Makima is Chainsaw Man’s Strongest Character
While Jujutsu Kaisen shines a light on a strong female ally, Chainsaw Man has the evil Makima in the spotlight. She is the series’ main antagonist, which in itself is rare, and has a reputation in the animanga community as one of the demographics’ most terrifying foes. Makima is the strongest character in Part 1 of Chainsaw Man while simultaneously being renowned for her beauty. As the most tenacious member of Public Safety, and the Control Devil, her strength strikes fear into everyone in the universe — even the feared Chainsaw Man. Devils are all seeking Chainsaw Man’s heart because they are so aware of the devil’s frightening abilities and terrifying strength — yet Makima was able to take him down. As well as this, she partakes in more masculine interests, such as drinking beer with peers, and even manages to drink every one of her subordinates under the table — thus throwing the petite female stereotype out the window.
Makima is also an authority figure. She works as the leader of the Public Safety Devil Hunter organization and has many male subordinates working under her. This not only challenges the stereotypes of shonen anime but also real-world societal conventions. Women are less likely to be in a high-ranking job role, so having Makima, as an alluring and elegant female character, in a role such as this is progressive in many ways. Not only is she a formidable strength within Chainsaw Man, no one looks down on her for being a beautiful woman in power or questions her abilities. Makima is an excellent example of proving women can be in power while also being pretty — it’s not one or the other.
Hell’s Paradise’s Sagiri is a Groundbreaking Samurai
Yamada Asaemon Sagiri is the daughter of Yamada Asaemon Kichiji, former leader of the Yamada Clan. As such, expectations placed on her by her family were clear-cut — she was to follow the role of other women of the clan and bear children. Despite being subjected to this gender-based discrimination, even discouraged and looked down upon by her father, Sagiri followed the path of a samurai. She doesn’t care about the clan’s traditional customs, nor her clansmen’s opinions, and as a result of her dedication Sagiri is the only ranked female executioner in the Yamada clan. Her belief that a person should choose what they want to be in life regardless of the identity they are born with drove her to achieve success against all odds.
In spite of belittling comments and glares from the male Asaemon samurai, Sagiri has proved herself to be one of the strongest clansmen. On many occasions, she has saved the lives of her male counterparts — all ranked higher than her — and exhibits incredible strength. She is one of the few with grasp of Tao and without her expertise, 5th rank Yamada Asaemon Senta wouldn’t have dodged death as many times as he did, despite Sagiri being ranked 12th in the clan.
The samurai also has an expert take on women’s emotions, which can be a pretty controversial topic. While the men of the Yamada Clan berate Sagiri for being a woman, telling her she’s too fragile to handle such intense environments, Sagiri thoroughly believes having a weakness is her strength. Rather than being labeled hysterical for having emotions, the Yamada executioner proves that her emotions make her a better, stronger, and more balanced samurai. This realization came after she confidently disarmed Yamada Asaemon Genji, who was telling her to leave the island purely because she is a woman and therefore too weak to survive. Sagiri worked hard to become an executioner — and is now taking down gender expectations with as much expertise as she slices down her opponents. The Dark Trio’s approach to their female main characters is disarming gender stereotypes within shounen anime, and hopefully, more and more mangaka will follow suit. Kugisaki, Sagiri, and Makima prove that female characters don’t need to look masculine or act insane to be perceived as strong — they can be just as (or even more) terrifying as their male counterparts and be pretty, feminine, and charming.
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