Undermining the gendered genre: Kabuki in manga

According to Jaqueline Berndt, Thomas LaMarre, and other critics, manga is a highly participatory media form. Narratives with vibrant characters and creative inconsistences in the plotline encourage the reader to recontextualise the text, create new contents and unfold activities which go beyond reading (such as fan art and CosPlay). Recent popularity of manga about Japanese traditional arts – for example, Kabuki – further expanded the potential interaction with manga and other popular media to include (re)discovering traditional Japanese culture. Examples, such as Kabukumon by Tanaka Akio and David Miyahara (Morning 2008-2011), or Kunisaki Izumo no jijō by Hirakawa Aya (Weekly Shōnen Sunday 2010-2014) and a variety of other manga, anime and light novels exemplify this tendency. Consequently, influential franchises, such as Naruto and One Piece boast adaptations as Super Kabuki stage-plays. Furthermore, Jessica Bauwens-Sugimoto observes how thematic and stylistic overreaching in contemporary manga further distort the notions of the gendered genre that lays at the foundation of the manga industry. In this case, Kabuki theatre as a theme employs a variety of gender fluid characters and situations. For this purpose, Kabuki manga utilise cross-genre narrative and stylistic tropes, from overtly parodying borrowed tropes, to homage, and covert inclusions. On the example of Kabuki-manga I will explore a larger trend in manga to employ elements of female genres in male narratives, thus expanding the target readership. My paper explores specific mechanism that facilitates reading manga cross-genre, I also inquire what novel critical potential thematic and stylistic exchange between audiences may entail.

Addressing platform capitalism: The legacy of Indymedia and online participatory democracy

The rise of platform capitalism has meant great challenges for activists and social movements. The very idea of the internet as a tool for democratization, as embodied by the radical participatory network Indymedia, is being brought into question. As we adjust to the changing social and technological realities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are increasingly concerns over the influence and power of the tech oligopolies of platform capitalism. This article reviews literature on and around platform capitalism, and examines emerging issues in relation to the author’s experience as an Indymedia activist. Critically reflecting on these experiences and interviews in 2020 with other Indymedia activists, this article describes the rise and decline of this radical, participatory media network in Australia. In doing so the article examines the legacy of Indymedia and what lessons may be learnt for present and future activists seeking radical change.

Imagining the Future

Documentary finds itself at a curious cultural moment marked by paradoxical opportunity and challenge. On the one hand, the participatory media era has helped to democratize access for a broad swath of storytellers through evolving technology and platforms. The transformative media ecology has welcomed documentary audiences across an expanding list of media outlets and content distributors. Commercial networks are pouring money into nonfiction storytelling production, distribution, and promotion. As the future marches forward, structural conditions need focus and attention to ensure social-issue nonfiction storytelling progresses in a meaningful way, retaining characteristics of creative freedom, artistic innovation, and civic value. Within this context, particular themes are imperative to probe and advance: representation and diversity, the changing marketplace, and the central role of the professional nonfiction community equipped to uphold civic values and practices. These themes are critical to contemplating why documentary matters as an essential part of storytelling culture and democratic practice.