Does DB portray homosexuality unfairly

[Rena Rune]

The only gay characters as such were General Blue and Otoko Sukii. Both(in the anime for Blue at least) were very stereotypical, and neither were heroes.

Then again DB seems to portray ALL sexuality in a mocking light.

It'd be nice to just have the fact that a character is gay not define their character, and given the large male cast it seems odd, especially during the progressive 90s, there weren't a few more knocking around.

Of course people are going to complain about "assertive action", but the fact is that close to 1 in 10 characters should be gay, so if you have a very large amount of characters with big manly muscles who rip their shirts off at first notice, there's something a bit wrong.

[VegettoEX]

This is how Japan actually views homosexuality, and homosexuals themselves. They are nothing more than caricatures to poke fun at/with (see: "Hard Gay").

It's the same with with any other minority, though homosexuality is at a completely different level of infatuation.

Also, it's from 1984-1995(7), and not 2008(9).

[Rena Rune]

I dunno. Revoltionary Girl Utena for example was from the early-mid 90s and it portrayed lesbianism in a fair light. Though I guess that's not quite the same as gay men.

[NeptuneKai]

Being of the bisexual persuasion myself I don't take offense. As Mr.EX stated it's just Japan's culture being...well Japan's culture. If Mr.Popo and General black can have giant red lips then I wasn't expecting anything less when it came to poking fun at the gay culture. Even with that being the case General Blue and Otoko Sukii didn't do anything overly offensive in the manga. I know real gay men who act exactly like them.


However when it comes to the anime making General Blue a pedophile (as in hitting on a young boy who looks about 8 ) I start getting a little more irked. Mainly because of the many morons in my school thinking gay=Pedophile as it is, that stereotype rubs me the wrong way.

[Sun_Wukong]

America has "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and that's done some pretty harsh damage to the gay culture.

[NeptuneKai]

America has "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and that's done some pretty harsh damage to the gay culture.

Yeah that's a very, very good point. I'm much more offended by Queer Eye for the Straight guy then I am General Blue.

[Bussani]

I dunno. Revoltionary Girl Utena for example was from the early-mid 90s and it portrayed lesbianism in a fair light. Though I guess that's not quite the same as gay men.

I know what you mean. A lot of fans (read; shounen-ai and shouji-ai fans) claim that anime (and Japan by extension) is far more open and tolerant than everywhere else, but it's not true. Most anime that they'll cite as examples just seem to me like they were made specifically to be aimed at drooling fans like them and nothing more. Lots of flash and no substance. Gravitation for instance, I have nothing against the story at all, but it just feels like it's only purpose is to make fangirls squeal. That's fine I guess, being entertaining for it's target audience and all, but it's not being open and tolerant really.

Utena is one of the only better examples I can think of. There's also the odd relationships in Cardcaptor Sakura (even though all half the characters are pre-teens) and other CLAMP titles, but yeah.

Anyway, most of the good guys in Dragon Ball are more interested in fighting than sex, so even if they were gay the show probably wouldn't be any different.

[El Diabeetus]

Anyway, most of the good guys in Dragon Ball are more interested in fighting than sex, so even if they were gay the show probably wouldn't be any different.

I beg to differ, Goku and Vegeta would being going at it, a lot more. Also, I'm not just talking about training.

[B]

As far as Japanese culture is concerned, really bad stereotypical black movies offend me more than Officer Black ever could.

Officer Black is actually awesome.

[Kingdom Heartless]

It's the same with Ranma 1/2. They have a "lesbian" character, who they try to "set on the right track."

[mAcChaos]

It's the same with Ranma 1/2. They have a "lesbian" character, who they try to "set on the right track."

Ranma makes sense though... they're not exactly in the modern age, it seems...

[bkev]

It's the same with Ranma 1/2. They have a "lesbian" character, who they try to "set on the right track."

Is this Tsubasa, who's actually a man? God that was confusing...

[Kingdom Heartless]

It's the same with Ranma 1/2. They have a "lesbian" character, who they try to "set on the right track."

Ranma makes sense though... they're not exactly in the modern age, it seems...

Isn't Ranma in a Naruto sort of world, where it's got no real set time? It's sort of modern, but at the same time, it's not?

[Kingdom Heartless]

It's the same with Ranma 1/2. They have a "lesbian" character, who they try to "set on the right track."

Is this Tsubasa, who's actually a man? God that was confusing...

Yep. Is he in the anime? I'm not certain, since I've only read the manga around that part of the series.

[bkev]

Fear not, they left him in the anime.

[Super Sonic]

It's the same with Ranma 1/2. They have a "lesbian" character, who they try to "set on the right track."

Ranma makes sense though... they're not exactly in the modern age, it seems...

Isn't Ranma in a Naruto sort of world, where it's got no real set time? It's sort of modern, but at the same time, it's not?

Ranma was set in present day Japan.

[Saiyan-Professor]

Anyway, most of the good guys in Dragon Ball are more interested in fighting than sex, so even if they were gay the show probably wouldn't be any different.

I beg to differ, Goku and Vegeta would being going at it, a lot more. Also, I'm not just talking about training.

There have been jokes about those two for years especially about what Fusion really was supposed to represent. I should not have to explain what they believed it meant.

[El Diabeetus]

Anyway, most of the good guys in Dragon Ball are more interested in fighting than sex, so even if they were gay the show probably wouldn't be any different.

I beg to differ, Goku and Vegeta would being going at it, a lot more. Also, I'm not just talking about training.

There have been jokes about those two for years especially about what Fusion really was supposed to represent. I should not have to explain what they believed it meant.

I know, I'm joking around.

[Bussani]

Anyway, most of the good guys in Dragon Ball are more interested in fighting than sex, so even if they were gay the show probably wouldn't be any different.

I beg to differ, Goku and Vegeta would being going at it, a lot more. Also, I'm not just talking about training.

Oh God...angry Saiyajin sex?

It's the same with Ranma 1/2. They have a "lesbian" character, who they try to "set on the right track."

Ranma makes sense though... they're not exactly in the modern age, it seems...

Isn't Ranma in a Naruto sort of world, where it's got no real set time? It's sort of modern, but at the same time, it's not?

Nope, Ranma was set in modern day (at the time) Tokyo. The Tendo family just happened to live in a rather old fashion house/dojo.

I was going to point out that Tsubasa isn't actually gay (he just likes to 'dress up'), but you're right, that doesn't change the fact that when they thought he was a she and a lesbian, they tried to set 'her' on the right track. Of course, it could have just been to get him off Ukyo's back, I'm not sure.

[sailorspazz]

A Japanese shounen manga from the 80s is hardly a place where you'd expect to find progressive views of homosexuality. It's made to appeal to young boys, so usually you're not going to find much portrayal of any romantic relationships, much less homosexual ones. The occasional gay characters you do find in shounen will usually be portrayed stereotypically, or be minor characters whose love lives are never expounded upon.

Some people view even the occasional inclusion of homosexual characters in anime as Japan being progressive, but actually, homosexuality is more accepted as a fantasy (i.e., girls reading BL manga) than a reality (such as two gay men having a long-term relationship). It is still a society that very much expects its citizens to adhere to the traditional life path of a man and woman getting married, with the man working and the woman staying home to take care of the kids.