Category Archives: fujoshi files

The Fujoshi Files 24: Kanbaru Suruga

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Name: Kanbaru, Suruga (神原駿河)
Alias: Valhalla Combo (バルハラコンビ)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Bakemonogatari

Information:
Kanbaru Suruga is the basketball ace of Naoetsu Private High School who in junior high was part of the “Valhalla Combo,” a designation given to her and track star Senjougahara Hitagi (by herself) for their athletic abilities. A quick runner and capable of even delivering dunks, Her friendship with Senjougahara wanes after junior high due to a sudden change in Hitagi’s personality, as well as Kanbaru’s own confession towards her being rejected. The negative effects of this rejection are compounded when Kanbaru discovers in high school that Hitagi had begun dating one Araragi Koyomi.

Kanbaru’s most distinguishing visual feature is her bandaged left arm, which hides the furry demonic limb of a “Rainy Devil.” Originally mistaking it for a monkey’s paw, the arm still grants her wishes, only it fulfills her darkest desires instead of what she says aloud, and often does so violently. Its power is only subdued when the demon in her arm’s contract cannot be fulfilled.

Despite the seriousness of her situation, Kanbaru is quite forward and cheerful. She also identifies herself as being something of a pervert, being a self-admitted lesbian, fujoshi, exhibitionist, lolicon, and masochist.

Fujoshi Level:
Kanbaru’s room is filled with so many books that they take up the vast majority of space. Though it is unclear just how many books are BL and how many cater to her other tastes, it is a good indicator that her ability to collect and consume yaoi is nothing short of astonishing.

The Fujoshi Files 23: “Onee-chan”

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Name: N/A
Alias: “Onee-chan” (お姉ちゃん), “Nee-chan” (ねーちゃん)
Relationship Status: Complicated
Origin: Fujoshi Nikushoku Hikikomori

Information:
An unnamed hikikomori, this girl is occasionally visited by a younger guy. Possessing a strong sexual appetite, she aggressively pursues a primarily physical relationship with her male friend.

Fujoshi Level:
Other than her designation as a “fujoshi,” there is little evidence of her status as such. The most relevant information available is that she treats her friend like a typical BL “uke/bottom” character.

The Fujoshi Files 22: Arisaka Haruka

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Name: Arisaka, Haruka (有坂 遥)
Alias: Harurun (はるるん), Haruharutei (ハルハル亭), Ice Cream (あいすくり～む)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Otaku no Musume-san

Information:
Arisaka Haruka is a high school-age manga assistant who lives at Higan-sou, a small apartment filled with otaku and other eccentric individuals. The younger sister of a popular doujin artist, Haruka also attends Comic Market frequently as an artist. Unable to find self-confidence on her own, she began mimicking her sister both in drawing style and personality, and even quit high school as a result.

Though she originally copied her sister, Haruka was able to rediscover her own style and conviction to draw manga thanks to the help of Higan-sou resident and fellow manga assistant Morisaki Kouta, his daughter Yukimura Kanau, and Kanau’s friend, Serio, who was a fan of Haruka before she started copying her sister. Haruka has since begun attending high school again and developed a crush on Kouta. Since returning to school, she has gained a friend and fellow fujoshi in her classmate Rika.

Fujoshi Level:
Haruka’s fujoshi mind has been able to fantasize about Kouta and another resident of Higan-sou in loving embrace using that energy and her own artistic talents to bring those ideas to life. Fueled partially by her crush on Kouta, it is unknown to what extent the fictional BL Kouta’s personality differs from the real thing.

The Fujoshi Files 21: Agemaki Wako

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Name: Agemaki, Wako (アゲマキワコ)
Alias: Minami no Miko　(皆水の巫女)
Relationship Status: Betrothed
Origin: Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto

Information:
Agemaki Wako is a resident of Southern Cross Island, a landmass of many secrets, most notable of which is the fact that it houses mysterious mammoth weapons called Cybodies, robots which are so powerful that they have been sealed in the island, trapped in a distorted pocket of space-time. This “Zero Time” is maintained by the presence of four shrine maidens, of which Wako is one. Wako is the last maiden whose seal must be broken in order to free the Cybodies, and the only one whose identity is known to everyone on the island. Unfortunately for her, this makes her a target of the Kiraboshi Juujidan, an organization set on removing the Cybodies from Zero Time, but two of her best friends, Shindou Sugata and Tsunashi Takuto, also happen to have the power to stop them.

Wako is a high school student and member of Yakan Hikou, the school drama club , though the “drama” is more evident in her relationship with Sugata and Takuto, both fellow club members. Wako is betrothed to Sugata, but also feels a strong attraction to Takuto. And yet despite the love triangle and various other trials, their friendship remains strong. As long as Wako has her maiden’s seal, she is unable to leave the island.

Fujoshi Level:
While Wako feels torn between her feelings for Sugata and Takuto, that doesn’t stop her from imagining the two of them together. When given the opportunity, her imagination will drift towards conjuring up steamy scenarios for her two attractive male friends, and though she might deny it, everyone around her knows what she’s thinking.

The Fujoshi Files 20: 801-chan

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Name: 801-chan (801ちゃん)
Alias: Kitaooji Nasubi (北大路茄子)
Relationship Status: Married
Origin: Tonari no 801-chan

Information:
801-chan (pronounced “Yaoi-chan”) is a company employee in her 20s and an otaku with two great joys in life. The first is her boyfriend-turned-husband, Tibet, a fellow otaku she affectionately calls “Chibe-kun,” whom she first met online. The second would be viewing her hobby through the lens of moe and BL, though she has her own complex internal logic about it. She has many favorites, including Dearka from Gundam SEED, but is notably fond of the Prince of Tennis musical, which she has gone to see on more than one occasion. She also draws.

When 801-chan is particularly roused by yaoi, a green furry creature emerges out of her back, representing her passion for it. Fortunately for her, she has many friends who share her fondness for the subject (and also have hidden yaoi forms), notably her good friend BL-chan and an older co-worker named Kifujin-senpai. This also includes her younger sister, Hina-chan, though 801-chan sometimes finds her exasperating.

Fujoshi Level:
That 801-chan possesses an alternate form dedicated to yaoi already shows that she is quite a strong fujoshi, but compounding this is the fact that her appearances as the green monster might just outnumber her appearances as a regular woman. She is also capable of applying BL to unexpected things, such as the all-girl j-pop band, AKB48. Moreover, not only is she one of the representative fujoshi characters in anime and manga, but 801-chan is actually originally based on the author’s significant other. Her twitter can be found here.

The Fujoshi Files 19: Katou

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Name: Katou (藪崎)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: N/A
Origin: Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture

Information:
Katou is a member of the Manga Society (Manken) at Shiiou University in Tokyo, where she is often seen in the company of fellow club members Yabusaki and Asada. She is also an acquaintance of Genshiken member Ohno Kanako due to their common preference for older men.

Although not apparent at first glance, Katou is actually extremely beautiful but normally chooses to hide her face behind long bangs. Her hairstyle also works to obscure her personality; while she can be seen as quiet and even a little dark, her actual charisma and keen perception of group dynamics make her quite suited to inter-club diplomatic relations where even the aggressive Yabusaki fears to tread.

Fujoshi Level:
Little is directly known about Katou’s fujocity, but as Ohno considers her an ally it is safe to say that she is quite strong. In addition, like Ohno, she seems to be a guiding force for the other members of her club.

The Fujoshi Files 18: Yabusaki Kumiko

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Name: Yabusaki Kumiko (薮崎久美子)
Alias: Yabu-Hebi (やぶへび), Yabuu (ヤブー)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture

Information:
Yabusaki is a college student at Shiiou University, where she participates in the school’s Manga Society, or “Manken.” Hailing from the Kansai region of Japan, she is quite proud of her background and purposely does not hide her Kansai dialect when speaking to others. However, she can also be somewhat easily embarrassed, namely when dealing with situations outside of her comfort zone such as the eccentric American fujoshi, Sue. She has some close friends, namely fellow club members Asada and Katou. She also often butts heads with former Manga Society member Ogiue Chika, namely due to the latter’s disparaging remarks about female otaku. Despite their initial animosity, they have become friends of a sort.

Yabusaki draws doujinshi, and while not much is known about Yabusaki’s taste in anime and manga, she appears to at least share some common interests with Ogiue. In time, much like Ogiue and her role in Genshiken, Yabusaki seems to have also assumed some position of authority within Manken. Her circle name, “Yabu-Hebi,” refers to someone who does too much to the point of inviting disaster.

Fujoshi Level:
While an artist who focuses her talents towards fujoshi interests, her fujoshi level is perhaps best exemplified by her staunch defense of the fujoshi lifestyle. Her frequent conflicts with Ogiue in the Manga Society show that she takes her identity as both an otaku and a fujoshi very seriously.

The Fujoshi Files 17: Patricia Martin

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Name: Martin, Patricia (パトリシア・マーティン)
Alias: Patty (パティー)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Lucky Star

Information:
Patricia Martin is an American high school student currently living in Japan. Referred to as Patty by friends, Patricia works part-time at a cosplay cafe in Akihabara, where she takes on the role of time traveler Asahina Mikuru from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, opposite legendary female otaku Izumi Konata’s impersonation of the god-like Haruhi. The two get along quite well, even releasing a CD together.

While Patricia is friends with a fair number of her classmates, she is most often seen with fellow fujoshi Tamura Hiyori. An avid fan of Japanese anime and manga, Patricia’s view of Japan is largely shaped by her experiences as an otaku, a conception that Konata and to a lesser extent Hiyori are all too eager to reinforce. Of particular note is her relative ignorance in regards to historically significant Japanese landmarks when compared to her intimate knowledge of common otaku gathering sites, as well as the fact that her Japanese vocabulary has also been significantly influenced by anime and manga.

Fujoshi Level:
In addition to being a high-level otaku in general, Patricia Martin is enough of a fujoshi that she can easily sense when other fujoshi around her are utilizing their imaginations. Moreover, she bears little to no shame in being a fujoshi, which allows her to incorporate that side of her more readily into her everyday interactions with non-otaku.

The Fujoshi Files 16: Shirai Sae

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Name: Shirai, Sae (白井紗江)
Alias: Shiro-chan
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Kodomo no Jikan

Information:
Shirai Sae is a teacher at Futatsubashi Elementary School, where she is known for her strict, authoritarian teaching style stemming from a severe dislike of children. Her cynicism is often at odds with male teacher Aoki Daisuke.

Optimistic in her youth, Shirai is left embittered by years of criticism from her mother and her peers, both as a child and as an adult. Though seemingly a lost cause, her time spent with female student Kagami Kuro slowly causes her to open up a little more as the two learn from each other.

Owing to her lack of social intraction, Shirai is still a virgin, having never dated anyone despite being in her late 20s. Having somewhat of a complex about the whole matter, Shirai tries her best to not reveal it, though at this point it is more of an open secret.

Fujoshi Level:
Shirai Sae is not a fan of anime or manga, but perhaps due to her lack of experience with men her mind does wander into the territory of fujoshi. Despite not getting along with Aoki, she has allowed herself to picture him with another man, though was quick to force the fantasy out of her imagination.

The Fujoshi Files 15: Kimura Takako

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Name: Kimura, Takako (木村貴子)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens

Information:
With a spontaneous personality and a level of energy to match, Kimura Takako heads her high school’s Art Club as its president while also acting as a member of the Nagi-sama Fan Club. As president of the Art Club, Takako’s keen eye for aesthetics is matched by her interest in imagining the possible relationships that could potentially  occur among the male members of her club, particularly that of gentle giant Hibiki Daitetsu and “too pure pure boy” Mikuriya Jin. Her best friend is Ookouchi Fujino, whose calm and even personality acts as a foil to Takako’s exuberance. Takako is very enthusiastic and curious, but is also intelligent and wise when she lets herself be.

Takako has a very mature look about her, and when not wearing her school uniform can easily be mistaken for an office worker. Takako also possesses an extreme talent for karaoke, and is able to deliver blisteringly professional and sugar-laden performances on par with the greatest young idols out there, though her cutesy act combined with her adult appearance can create a mental disparity in those watching that can be difficult to reconcile.

Fujoshi Level:
Kimura Takako is most amazing in that she is a naturally occurring fujoshi, having never even heard of the term before being inadvertently introduced to it by Art Club member Akiba Meguru and yet still exhibiting all of the traits of fujoshi to a very high degree with no outside influence aside from Fujino. It should also be noted that Takako’s fondness for seeing same-sex relationships is not limited to men, as she has expressed a strong desire to see cute girls in cute clothes (and not because she wants to wear them herself).