Queer Manga Research

NonNonBa Shigeru Mizuki is one of the twentieth century’s most prolific and influential manga artists. Today he’s known primarily for documenting the culture and folklore of his childhood in rural western J…

NonNonBa is an autobiographical coming-of-age story about manga creator Shigeru Mizuki's childhood in rural Japan in the early 1930s and his relationship with an elderly family friend who was a walking repository of local folklore. #Japanesefiction #booksky 👹 japaneselit.net/2025/10/18/n...

"Queer Throughlines" by @dotorious.bsky.social is now available! Trace contemporary transnational Korean LGTBQ+ activism with this new addition to our Global Queer Asias series. Start reading: buff.ly/xfJIUR5

Flier for talk. Here are the full details. I'll be giving an online lecture next week about my monograph, Transfiguring Women in Late Twentieth-Century Japan: Feminists, Lesbians, and Girls' Comics Artists and Fans (2024), hosted by Rutgers University Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Global Asias. Thursday, October 16 at 7 pm New York/Toronto time (or Friday, October 17 at 8 am Tokyo time) The lecture is open to the public. Please join if you missed one of my in-person talks over the past year. (It will not be recorded.) Zoom Meeting ID: 9181599714 Password: 446539 (Or DM me for the link.) ---- Abstract: In the early 1970s, Japan saw the emergence of three dynamic and overlapping communities of women and adolescent girls who challenged Japanese gender and sexual norms: the women’s liberation (ūman ribu) movement, the lesbian community, and a sphere comprised of artists and fans of queer shōjo manga (girls’ comics). In this talk, James Welker will discuss Transfiguring Women in Late Twentieth-Century Japan: Feminists, Lesbians, and Girls’ Comics Artists and Fans, which examines these communities and their cultural import. As he shows, individually and collectively, they found the normative understanding of the category “women” untenable and worked to redefine and expand its meaning by transfiguring ideas, images, and practices selectively appropriated from the “West.” They did so, however, while remaining primarily focused on the local. Welker argues that their transfiguration of Western culture into something locally meaningful had tangible effects far beyond these communities.

Online lecture (book talk):

James Welker
Reimaginging “Women” in 1970s–1980s Japan: Feminists, Lesbians, and Queer Manga Artists and Fans

Thurs, Oct 16, 7 pm New York/Toronto (8 am Friday in Tokyo)

Open to the public. (It will not be recorded.)
Zoom info is in the attached flier.

Annual Conference Call for Papers: Mechademia 2026 Conference Theme: Traversing Trans-Asian Imaginaries: Anime, Manga, and Media CulturesDates: 29-30 May, 2026Location: National University of Singapore (NUS), Singap…

The Mechademia 2026 CFP is now available! Join us at the National University of Singapore, 29-30 May 2026!

Conference theme is "Traversing Trans-Asian Imaginaries: Anime, Manga, and Media Cultures" and ABSTRACTS ARE DUE 15 OCTOBER 2025.

Full info at the link:
www.mechademia.net/conferences/...

Flier for talk. Details in the flier can be found in text form via the link.

Lecture:

Julia Bullock, “Beauvoir in Japan: Japanese Women and The Second Sex”

Kanagawa U. Minatomirai Campus
Wed 23 July 3:30–5pm (hybrid)

Pls preregister to attend in person.

Preregistration & Zoom details:
human.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/kenkyu/sympo...

Check out

Megan Catherine Rose & Patrick W. Galbraith, “Mutating Hyperfemininity in Bishōjo-Inspired Art: On Sugary Symbiote,” M/C Journal 28, no. 2 (2025), doi.org/10.5204/mcj....

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Thomas Baudinette,”Exploring the Rise of Activism for LGBTQ+ Rights in Contemporary Thailand within Boys Love Idol Culture,” Celebrity Studies, 10.1080/19392397.2025.2521219

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Empowering Women: Indonesian Muslim Girl Fans, Thailand’s Y-Series, and Gender Equality Abstract This article explores how Indonesian Muslim girl fans experience sexual empowerment through watching Thai dramas portraying homoerotic romances, known as Thai Y-series and Thai Boy’s Love. De...

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Ranny Rastati & Md Azalanshah Md Syed, “Empowering Women: Indonesian Muslim Girl Fans, Thailand’s Y-Series, and Gender Equality,” Manusya: Journal of Humanities 28 (2025), doi.org/10.1163/2665...

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Thomas Baudinette,”Exploring the Rise of Activism for LGBTQ+ Rights in Contemporary Thailand within Boys Love Idol Culture,” Celebrity Studies, 10.1080/19392397.2025.2521219

#OpenAccess

Thai boys’ love pilgrimages and experiential tourism: Chinese female fandom in a queer utopia This study examines the rise of Thai Boys’ Love (BL) fandom and its role in transnational fan tourism, particularly among Chinese female fans. Since the legalization of same-sex marriage in Thailan...

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Hong-Chi Shiau, “Thai Boys’ Love Pilgrimages and Experiential Tourism: Chinese Female Fandom in a Queer Utopia,” Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change (2025), doi.org/10.1080/1476...

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Sonia Izabell Putri Ganov, “Orientasi Seksual Orang Dewasa Penikmat Konten Boys’ Love,” Jurnal Cakrawala Ilmiah 4, no.10 (2025), bajangjournal.com/index.php/JC...

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Moe Yamauchi, “Virtualised Desire: The Role of Cosplay and Sexual Selfies in Japanese Otaku Culture,” Participations 21, no. 1 (2025), www.participations.org/21-01-06-yam...

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Action and fighting girls: the ethnographic interplay of Naoko Takeuchi’s feminism By analysing a range of manga titles, this study demonstrates how manga author Naoko Takeuchi’s Sailor Moon helped spark a turning point in the shōjo genre, introducing a subversive trend of action...

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Ashley Morningstar, “Action and Fighting Girls: The Ethnographic Interplay of Naoko Takeuchi’s Feminism,” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics (2025), doi.org/10.1080/2150...

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Schedule. It can also be found at the link.

Schedule. It can also be found at the link.

Schedule. It can also be found at the link.

I'll be speaking at Variations: Transmedia Storytelling and Queer Transfigurations in Seoul July 4 & 5.

The event will be in a mix of Korean & English (but I don't think individual talks are being interpreted).Z

Details are at the link.

skb.skku.edu/korean/commu...

Flier with details about the lecture. The same details can be found at the preregistration link.

Lecture:

Daniele Durante, “Why Is Cross-Dressing Perceived as a Fray in the Social Fabric? A Case Study from Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Japan”

Kanagawa U. Minatomirai Campus
Wed., June 18, 3:30–5pm (in person only)

Preregistration Requested: forms.gle/ji2nWbnZgxGp...

Flier with abstract that you can find at the preregistration link.

Hybrid Lecture
@meganrose.bsky.social
"Hyperfeminine Harajuku: Exploring Queer KAWAII Practices in a Tokyo Subcultural District"
Kanagawa U, Minatomirai Campus, M8015
Wed 21 May 3:30–5pm

In-person preregistration forms.gle/7FF8yLSmDkRF...

Zoom (no prereg)
Meeting ID: 985 5806 9693 Passcode: KUMMC

Check out this amazing (free) online symposium "Queer and Feminist Perspectives on Japanese Popular Cultures Symposium 2025" May 19 to 22!

Decision-making dynamics of straight fujoshi in enjoying Boys Love (BL) content Psychology Research on Education and Social Sciences | Volume: 6 Issue: 1

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Sabrina Jilan Tsabitah and Dewi Fatmasari Edy, "Decision-making dynamics of straight fujoshi in enjoying Boys Love (BL) content [in Indonesia]," Psychology Research on Education and Social Sciences, 6(1), 1-20, March 2025, dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/press...

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Check out Ratna Indra Setyaningurm, Wanodya Kusumastuti, & Widyaning Hapasari, "Hubungan Antara Intensitas Membaca Manga Genre Boys Love Terhadap Sikap Positif Kepada Homoseksua," Risoma: Jurnal Riset Sosial Humaniora Dan Pendidikan, 3, no. 2 (2025), journal.appisi.or.id/index.php/ri...

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If you're in the Atlanta area, please join us TOMORROW at Emory University for a talk by @jameswelker.bsky.social on his new book!

Trans+ Virtual Centre of Excellence (TVCE) 1st Annual Symposium Guildhall School of Music and Drama is delighted to announced that on the 8th July, in collaboration with the Trans+ Virtual Centre of Excellence [TVCE], the De-Centre for Socially Engaged Practice an...

The Trans+ Virtual Centre of Excellence invites you to apply to present at our first annual Symposium on 8th July: www.gsmd.ac.uk/whats-on/tra...
Deadline for submissions 28th April

#AcademicSky 🌈🎓
#Conference #OpenCall #Symposium #Opportunity
#Queer #LGBTQIA2S+ #LGBT

This is tomorrow afternoon!

“Samurai, Blerds, and Otaku Hot Girls: Mediating Afro-Japanese Encounters from Yasuke to Megan Thee Stallion” | Liberal Arts Events In this talk, I discuss the representations of Afro-Japanese encounters in digital culture using the case studies of Yasuke and Megan Thee Stallion. Yasuke, a historical figure and Black African samur...

Friends and colleagues at/near Penn State! I'll be giving a public talk hosted by the Humanities Institute on Thursday, March 20th from 3:30-5:00 PM. Would love to see some familiar faces in the crowd as I present some new and ongoing research! events.la.psu.edu/event/mediat...

Flier for talk. No extra info. Just a dorky pic of me.

I'll be giving a public lecture at UPenn in Williams Hall 623 (255 S 36th St) from 1–2:30 PM EST on my new book. (The original start time was noon.)

It's hybrid. Though it doesn't say so, preregistrants should be getting a Zoom link before the event.

www.eventbrite.com/e/rethinking...

Japanische Fan-Comics Fan-Comics auf Japanisch: Zwischen Professionalität und Fandom – globalem Trend und Subkultur.

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Katharina Hülsmann, Japanische Fan-Comics: Transkulturelle Potenziale und lokale Gemeinschaft (Transcript, 2025), www.transcript-verlag.de/978-3-8376-7...

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Poster for the lecture with the abstract and cover of my book. If you need more info, reply to the post or DM me.

I'll be giving a public lecture on my book at Temple University in Philly on Wed., Mar. 19, from 4:30 to 6 pm in Mazur 821 (the Women's Studies Lounge). No preregistration but you will need ID/to register to enter the building.

Flier for talk that includes an abstract and bio. Just come to the talk. You'll love it, I hope!

I'll be giving a public lecture on my new book at Penn State on Mar 17 (Mon) from 12:15–1:30 EST in 102 Kern. Please come if you're in the area!

complit.la.psu.edu/events/comp-...

Covers of some of my books, including Transfiguring Women in Late Twentieth-Century Japan, the book I'll be speaking about at Penn

I'll be giving a public lecture on my new book at the University of Pennsylvania on March 20 (Thurs) from 12:00–1:30 EST in Williams Hall 623. Please come if you're in the area!

ceas.sas.upenn.edu/index.php/ev...

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Marcin Chudoba, "Mangi Boys’ Love na polskim rynku wydawniczym w latach 1996–2016. Rekonesans badawczy," Studia de Cultura 16, no. 4 (2024) studiadecultura.uken.krakow.pl/article/view...

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The role of engagement with BL manga on queer young people’s sense of belonging There is limited qualitative research about the role of engagement with Boys Love (BL) manga on queer or questioning young people. The present study aimed to explore the motivations for consuming B...

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Anastasia Lavrentyeva, Lefteris Patlamazoglou & Grace Mackie, "The role of engagement with BL manga on queer young people’s sense of belonging," International Journal of LGBTQ+ Youth Studies 22, no. 2 (2025), www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

#OpenAccess