I've been thinking a lot about what I'd like to write regarding akira's bisexuality and learn. Would I like to better contextualize his experience as a boy whose adolescence took place in the 80s, whose knowledge is based on the same as it was for the general public? Or would I like to explore the way devilman as a franchise drives its protagonist, with different paths and hints every time a re-writen version comes out?
Many responses jump with the statement and the fact that akira does have feelings towards ryo. "He only likes miki, his friendship with ryo is just intimate; akira has never seen ryo under that light. Akira isn't gay." [ring ring, bi erasure.]
These phrases are mostly inclined to appeal for his attraction to the opposite gender in order to discredit his romantic feelings. However, in the original material, miki and akira's relationship is in the miki -> akira direction rather than the other way around. Of course, this isn't definitive evidence as to whether or not akira's attracted to women. The thing is, if akira didn't experience such attraction, we would have information about it, either explicitly or implicitly, as it happens in ryo's case.
This declaration doesn't exist concerning akira's sexuality. It's safe to assume that fudÅ experiences potential attraction towards women. Ah, I'd go as far to, in fact, state that his attraction towards them is used extensively in various works encompassing the devilman franchise to (a) build tension around a pseudo-love triangle (b) explore a different direction or setting. The first one being nothing new when it comes to bisexual characters as well, the so called "Bisexual Love Triangle" trope.
Nevertheless, and this is something most should be familiar with already, it's the akira -> ryo attraction that's constantly minimized and denied. This mainly due to the events in the story; however, I've read sentences similar to the ones I mentioned in the second paragraphs regarding the topic I'm addressing + with incorrect info.
Even when there's explicit statements like that one.
I think there's a clear pressure around discussing bisexual characters to prove whether they're or not bi enough; whether they have had partners, how many women they have liked, how many men, do they like men more or less, which one do they preferā in the end, when is it enough?
Personally, I love how akira, based on the experiences that have shaped his personality and way of handling himself, provides a concise answer to why the boy doesn't / didn't have an extense romantic experience (when he was aliveā): akira isn't the active party when it comes to getting closer to others. He's timid. Others are the ones who try to get close to him, and fudÅ decides whether he considers them friends or not. Akira's inclined to spend his time in lonely and quiet activities such as reading rather than participating in groups, particularly if they're sports-oriented.
And: I... like this. I like how organic his story can feel in terms of relationships, how natural it feels due to his lack of experience. Don't worry, I'm aware that devilman isn't perfect, it's far from it... specially when it comes to LGBTI+ topics and, you know, the way the author is.
I guess that, at the end, these details stand out for me once I put all the pieces together. And not only that, but akira's own complexities and personality as a character.
