Undisclosed gender in fiction: Difference between revisions
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== Animation == | == Animation == | ||
* In ''Adventure Time'', a fantasy series, a recurring side character, BMO (Beemo), is popularly seen by fans as genderless, but canon is less than clear on this. BMO is a tiny robot resembling a video game console, with a high, childlike voice (by actress Niki Yang). Nothing in the canon states outright that BMO is female, male, or otherwise. However, a strong clue for the latter is that in "Fionna and Cake," an alternative universe gender-swap episode (meaning all female characters are shown as male and vice versa), BMO is the only character with no visible change, apart from his controller.<ref>adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/BMO</ref> As seen elsewhere on this page, it's not uncommon for robots to be written as genderless. | * In ''Adventure Time'', a fantasy series, a recurring side character, BMO (Beemo), is popularly seen by fans as genderless, but canon is less than clear on this. BMO is a tiny robot resembling a video game console, with a high, childlike voice (by actress Niki Yang). Nothing in the canon states outright that BMO is female, male, or otherwise. However, a strong clue for the latter is that in "Fionna and Cake," an alternative universe gender-swap episode (meaning all female characters are shown as male and vice versa), BMO is the only character with no visible change, apart from his controller.<ref name="BMOwikia">https://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/BMO</ref> As seen elsewhere on this page, it's not uncommon for robots to be written as genderless. | ||
** BMO's pronouns: Other characters often use pronouns for BMO in the canon. BMO is called "he" by Finn, Jake, Sleepy Sam, and Cuber in the episodes "Rainy Day Daydream," "Guardians of Sunshine," "Return to the Nightosphere," "The Creeps," and "Five Short Graybles."<ref | ** BMO's pronouns: Other characters often use pronouns for BMO in the canon. BMO is called "he" by Finn, Jake, Sleepy Sam, and Cuber in the episodes "Rainy Day Daydream," "Guardians of Sunshine," "Return to the Nightosphere," "The Creeps," and "Five Short Graybles."<ref name="BMOwikia" /> BMO is called "she" by Charlie in "Daddy-Daughter Card Wars" (saying "she sank straight to the bottom"). Fans claim that characters have always alternated between calling BMO "he," "she," and "it," but specific canon evidence of the latter still wants to be recorded here. | ||
** BMO's titles and descriptions: Though Finn has often referred to BMO as "he," Finn called BMO "M'lady" in "Conquest of Cuteness."<ref | ** BMO's titles and descriptions: Though Finn has often referred to BMO as "he," Finn called BMO "M'lady" in "Conquest of Cuteness."<ref name="BMOwikia" /> This may have been facetious. In "Daddy-Daughter Card Wars," Charlie does a Tarot reading for BMO, and says lightheartedly, "this card means you're a man," which amuses BMO. | ||
** BMO's make believe: BMO often plays make believe, and takes on male or female roles or characteristics in these fantasies. For example, in "Davey" (describing himself as "a little living boy," and simulating peeing standing up by pouring a cup of water into a toilet), and in "Five Short Graybles" (describing his mirrored persona as "a real baby girl"). In "BMO Noire," BMO role-plays as a masculine detective (appearing in one scene with facial stubble), but the episode title uses the feminine form of "noire," rather than masculine "noir."<ref | ** BMO's make believe: BMO often plays make believe, and takes on male or female roles or characteristics in these fantasies. For example, in "Davey" (describing himself as "a little living boy," and simulating peeing standing up by pouring a cup of water into a toilet), and in "Five Short Graybles" (describing his mirrored persona as "a real baby girl"). In "BMO Noire," BMO role-plays as a masculine detective (appearing in one scene with facial stubble), but the episode title uses the feminine form of "noire," rather than masculine "noir."<ref name="BMOwikia" /> The masculine form is standard in the phrase "film noir," the name of the detective movie genre parodied in that episode. In "James Baxter the Horse," BMO carries an egg around and sings, in part, "BMO, how'd you get so pregnant? Who's the mother? Oh, who's the father?"<ref>"BMO's Pregnant Song." Adventure Time Wikia. http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/BMO%27s_Pregnant_Song</ref> It's not clear if the egg scene is BMO playing make believe, or if the song describes an actual event. Stranger things have happened in the magical Land of Ooo, so it's not always clear what's real and serious or fantastic and facetious. | ||
* ''Soul Eater'' includes the character Crona Gorgon, the child of the antagonist Medusa Gorgon, who is referred to by exclusively neutral language in the original Japanese manga. Other characters often question whether Crona is male or female due to an androgynous appearance, and none of these questions are ever answered. | * ''Soul Eater'' includes the character Crona Gorgon, the child of the antagonist Medusa Gorgon, who is referred to by exclusively neutral language in the original Japanese manga. Other characters often question whether Crona is male or female due to an androgynous appearance, and none of these questions are ever answered. | ||
* ''Attack on Titan'' character Hange Zoë's gender is never confirmed, and manga author Hajime Isayama has asked the English-language publisher to "avoid gendered pronouns when referring to Hange, or at least to use he AND she with equal frequency." <ref>'Attack on Titan' creator gets the last word in debate over character's gender | * ''Attack on Titan'' character Hange Zoë's gender is never confirmed, and manga author Hajime Isayama has asked the English-language publisher to "avoid gendered pronouns when referring to Hange, or at least to use he AND she with equal frequency."<ref name="Romano-AOT">{{Cite web |title='Attack on Titan' creator gets the last word in debate over character's gender |last=Romano |first=Aja |work=The Daily Dot |date=16 January 2014 |access-date=10 September 2021 |url= https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/fandom/attack-titan-snk-hange-hanji-gender-debate/}}</ref> | ||
* ''Ouran Highschool Host Club'' features the character Haruhi Fujioka, who is assigned female at birth, but "happened to be" dressed in a masculine manner. When their friends discover their sex, they ask, "You're a girl?!" to which they reply, "Biologically, yes." They later state that they do not think a person's gender is important, which many fans see as a sign that Haruhi is [[Agender|agender]] or genderblind. They typically are typically referred to using traditionally feminine pronouns such as "she", though Haruhi has shown no preference. | * ''Ouran Highschool Host Club'' features the character Haruhi Fujioka, who is assigned female at birth, but "happened to be" dressed in a masculine manner. When their friends discover their sex, they ask, "You're a girl?!" to which they reply, "Biologically, yes." They later state that they do not think a person's gender is important, which many fans see as a sign that Haruhi is [[Agender|agender]] or genderblind. They typically are typically referred to using traditionally feminine pronouns such as "she", though Haruhi has shown no preference. | ||
* The character Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV ("Ed" for short) in ''Cowboy Bebop'' is androgynous, and Ed's father is unsure if they are his son or daughter. The director Shinichiro Watanabe said in an interview that "[Ed's] gender is meaningless, we don't need it. [...] I wanted to create a character that surpasses humanity. I personally think that he might not even be human."<ref name="Rizzo-Smith">{{Cite web |title=The Many Inspirations of Cowboy Bebop Director Shinichiro Watanabe |last=Rizzo-Smith |first=Julian |work=IGN |date=23 November 2017 |access-date=15 October 2020 |url= https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/11/24/the-many-inspirations-of-cowboy-bebop-director-shinichiro-watanabe}}</ref> | * The character Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV ("Ed" for short) in ''Cowboy Bebop'' is androgynous, and Ed's father is unsure if they are his son or daughter. The director Shinichiro Watanabe said in an interview that "[Ed's] gender is meaningless, we don't need it. [...] I wanted to create a character that surpasses humanity. I personally think that he might not even be human."<ref name="Rizzo-Smith">{{Cite web |title=The Many Inspirations of Cowboy Bebop Director Shinichiro Watanabe |last=Rizzo-Smith |first=Julian |work=IGN |date=23 November 2017 |access-date=15 October 2020 |url= https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/11/24/the-many-inspirations-of-cowboy-bebop-director-shinichiro-watanabe}}</ref> | ||