Image & Narrative (Mar 2011)

Mazohizumu no mon: Masochistic and Sadistic Representations of Women in Japanese Exploitation Films and Reidissu komikku.

  • Emerald King

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 19 – 31

Abstract

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p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } <p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This article explores the representation of women in imagery through a juxtaposition of Japanese exploitation films (such as Suzuki Seijun’s 1964 Nikutai no Mon) with modern day ‘ladies comics.' Both mediums share similar imagery and stylistic concepts but have a markedly different target audience/consumer base; most (s)exploitation films were/are made with a male audience in mind, while ladies comics are, as the name suggests, manufactured solely for a female audience. In particular, I am interested in the use of masochistic constructs and the ways in which the use of this imagery differ when the target audience is male as opposed to female.</p>

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