#x-gender

[skyekurisu]

I bring you a new manga, support me if you want, and all that. You know the drill.

I fell in love with X-gender - MangaDex

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[corasterism]

Reading about the ways other cultures and languages navigate and understand gender is so interesting.

In Japan, identities which don't fit neatly into the categories of nonbinary (ノンバイナリー/"nonbainarī") and genderqueer (ジェンダー・クィア/"jendā kuia") are sometimes expressed under the term "X-gender" (Xジェンダー/"x-jendā).

X-gender is an intentionally ambiguous category; according to → label X, an X-gender alliance community, "X-gender individuals possess such diverse gender identities that it's often said 'no two X-gender people share the same gender identity.'" One reason for this is to make space for those with varying thoughts and feelings regarding the incongruence (or lack thereof) between their gender identity and gender assigned at birth, who are excluded by those with more typical experiences of gender dysphoria and transmedicalists. However, some people within the queer communities of Japan have defined subgroups*:

Ryōsei (両性): People with characteristics of both sexes (bigender/androgyne);

Chūsei (中性): People with a gender identity beyond male or female (third gender/gender neutral);

Musei (無性): People who do not have clear sex characteristics (intersex) or do not want to be tied to one of the two gender roles (agender).

Futei-sei (不定性): Gender identity of a person whose gender identity fluctuates between two specific genders (genderfluid)

...and like the terms MtF and FtM, X-gender individuals use MtX and FtX (I've seen these starting to be used by nonbinary/genderqueer folks in the West too, but I'm not sure if the terms were borrowed or invented independently) as well as XtX, XtM and XtF to refer to people born with ambiguous sex characteristics who have differing gender identities.

I sincerely hope the X-gender identity catches on outside of Japan the way MtX/FtX have started to. The spectrum of gender experience is so colorful and vast, it seems limiting and kind of tragic to reduce it to a category which defines it in terms of that which it is not (I admire xenogenders quite a lot for this reason) and in so doing ignores and/or de-emphasizes the influence and internality of the gender binary to many nonbinary identities (e.g. bigender, genderfluid) as well as the existence of identities which don't just exist in contrast to or "between" the binary, but outside of its context entirely (e.g. agender, xenogenders). How strange would it be if the language we mainly used to describe lesbians, gay people, bisexuals, etc. was "non-straight"? I suppose that is what genderqueer is for, but it feels kind of archaic and unclarified to me (this could well just be a personal hangup of course).

Would love to hear other people's thoughts on this! Especially if anyone from Japan sees my post, please lmk if I have any misconceptions, and how you would feel about the X-gender term being used outside of Japan, if it would be culturally appropriative/confusing or welcomed.

*Thanks, Wikipedia!

[nebulacritter]

some manga i've read

I have a LOT of manga in my room, so I thought it would be cool to tell you about some of them!

Mr. Villain's Day Off

I first heard about this series when I saw its anime trailer on YouTube. Coincidentally, I found two books of the original manga in my local Barnes and Noble, so that's why I bought them! I like this series because it's a slice-of-life parody of the sentai genre, and I also appreciate the titular character's love of pandas! I even liked how each of the heroes had backstories.

Favorite Character: Mr. Villain

X-Gender

This book was a great pick because it discusses queer topics in a respectful and informative manner. It is an autobiography about the author's experiences with their gender and sexuality, and if you're wondering what "x-gender" means, it's a Japanese term for being nonbinary.

Favorite Character: N/A

Uramichi Oniisan

Oh my god. This series is HILARIOUS. All of the main characters have a dysfunctional, but harmonious dynamic when they work together on stage. Everything Uramichi does or says makes me cry and laugh at the same time.

Favorite Character: Uramichi Omota

Heaven's Design Team

This is another series that makes me laugh, and I've seen clips of the anime before getting my hands on the manga. It reminds me of those "God creating animals" memes that were popular on Twitter back in the 2010's. It's peak edutainment, and each character has a very eccentric personality!

Favorite Characters: Venus and Yokota

Kirby Manga Mania

I decided to give this one a try, because who doesn't love Kirby? The art style is bubbly and bright, and the humor goes off the walls! I find it weird how Kirby talks normally instead of going "poyo poyo" all the time.

Favorite Characters: Kirby and King Dedede

Precarious Woman Executive Miss Black General

Yeezus, that's a long title. I picked this one out because I thought the art style looked cool. It's a story about a villainess with a crush on Totally-Not-Batman. I enjoyed the slapstick and the amazing character design.

Favorite Character: N/A

Cells at Work!

Here's another edutainment anime. The depictions of each microorganism are really cool, and I liked the scenes where the cells had to fight off against nasty viruses! It even does a good job at explaining how the body works by providing bits and bobs of information throughout the panels.

Favorite Character: N/A

Little Miss P

I've never seen a manga that talks about periods before, and I'm glad it exists. This book is relatable because I hate it when my period arrives, but I understand getting your period is normal. I'm quite fond of the messy art style, too.

Favorite Characters: N/A

Merman in My Tub

I remember cheerily reblogging and liking posts about it last year, and I still love it to this day! All of the characters have vibrant personalities, and I really like the designs of each merman. This series is light-hearted and goofy, so that's why I think it's awesome.

Favorite Characters: Agari and Echizen

I'm gonna make two more parts later on. The second one will be about cats, and the third one will be about horror.

[yurimother]

Nonbinary Autobiographical Manga 'X-Gender' Released in English

The first volume of Asuka Miyazaki's manga X-Gender (Seibetsu X) was released in English digitally and in paperback on Tuesday, June 14. Miyazaki identifies as x-gender, the Japanese gender identity similar to non-binary. The manga is an autobiographical story detailing their experience and struggles with sexuality and gender.

The publisher describes the manga:

Asuka is neither a woman nor a man—they’re X-gender (a non-binary identity)—and they’ve realized they like women! Okay, now what? Adult films are fun to watch, but real sex is less appealing. Would having a penis make that better or worse? Periods already suck, and sex means more fluids from more people! This autobiographical manga follows Asuka’s feelings about their body, their relationships, and the fun (and sometimes terrible) experience of having an awakening in their thirties.

The manga includes open discussions about sex, sexuality, and gender, and unlike most Yuri or BL fiction titles, it centers on and explicitly names LGBTQ+ identities. Small sections of the manga are devoted to teaching the reader about queer identities and culture, for example, it defines lesbians and the roles of a "top" and "bottom."

X-Gender was serialized in Young Magazine the 3rd from 2020 until the magazine was discontinued in April of 2021. Afterward, the series was released on Comic Days until its conclusion in November 2021. Kodansha publishes the series in two volumes in Japanese.

Kathryn Henzler translates the first volume of X-Gender for Seven Seas, with adaptation by Cae Hawksmoor, and lettering by Vanessa Satone.

You can check out the first volume of X-Gender today in paperback and digitally: https://amzn.to/3mSSPdN

Amazon.com: X-Gender Vol. 1: 9781638583998: Miyazaki, Asuka: Books

Reading official releases helps support creators and publishers. YuriMother makes a small affiliate commission from sales to help fund future coverages.

[do-you-know-this-queer-character]

Do you know this queer character?

Yuta Asuka from Stars Align

I know this character (positive)

I know this character (neutral)

I know this character (negative)

I have only heard of this character

I do not know this character

Voting ended onDec 23, 2023

Yuu is Nonbinary (specifically X-gender) and Gay and uses they/them pronouns!

[randomthefox]

there's a new manga that's actually based around this premise I just discovered "Seibetsu Fushou ni Koi wo shimashita." only the first chapter is translated so far, and whoever is doing the translation decided to translate it as "I Fell in Love with X-gender"

I don't know if I agree with the translation decision of "x-gender" but I do think this is one of those things that's probably impossible to translate, since it seems to be an entirely colloquial term in the context it's being used.

The translator does also specify that 性別不詳 is NOT the same thing as being "non-binary" btw. So yeah, guess what else can you do but make up a term like "X-Gender" for it.

I'll go ahead and use "he/him" for Halara because he uses "boku" which is a male self pronoun, but they're definitely NOT "non-binary." They are 性別不詳 . Since this fantranslation of this manga is the only source I've managed to find that actually explores and explains this as a concept, I'll use the terminology they've come up with of "X-Gender."

[animehouse-moe]

Pride Month Week 4 Recommendations: Broader Horizons

I really wish there was more weeks in June so I could recommend more things, but we're nearing the end already, so I can't give every genre/aspect the attention they deserve. Though similarly, a lot of non BL/GL manga is missing from the NA industry, so sadly there's not a wealth of series to talk about. But! I hope that with the limited licenses we have, and the ones that I recommend, people will buy more of these titles and encourage publishers to bring more of them over! So, with only a little further ado, the recommendations for this week.

As I just said though, the further ado first. This week's charity is Outright Action International, a charity focused on LGBTQ human rights violations at a global scale

Doughnuts Under A Crescent Moon

An office romance with an incredibly fresh perspective? A series about a romance between two women that isn't overly sexualized? The check list keeps growing and growing with this story that explores the challenges in regards to romance for both the working women that lead this story. Hinako is all over makeup and the latest trends and trying to find a boyfriend, but can never convince herself that she's in love. On the other side, Sato is a woman who throws herself into work and taking care of her younger sister, never leaving another thought for the concept of love or attraction. But what happens when this pair that can't fit the normal definition of "love" cross paths?

It's a really beautiful story that keeps expectations low, and wonderfully explores the challenges of not just adult romance in society, but romance that exists outside the norms. Not just in regards to two women loving one another, but how they love each other. How they express it, how they struggle with it, what they feel is right or wrong with how they're with each other. It's an incredible story about exploring asexuality and attraction, and does so in a very heartwarming and positive manner.

Our Dreams At Dusk

Tasuku is a teenager that desperately wants to keep his sexuality under wraps, but struggles because of a crush he has on his classmate. Through his anxiety, and wandering through this new city he's moved to, he's discovered by "Somebody", who owns "The Lounge", a gathering area for LGBTQ+ people. Within this small community, Tasuku explores his own sexuality while learning about the experiences and challenges that others have faced.

I was recommended this story by a friend ages ago, and decided to pick it up without knowing anything. I read it all in one go, and then read it all again a week later. In just four volumes, this story explores so many different forms of gender identities and sexuality, and does so through incredibly beautiful metaphors, and endlessly important (though very realistic and potentially painful) interactions and conversations. If there's a single queer manga out there that people feel like they should pick up, it really should be this one.

Last Gender

Bar California is a space for people of all different genders, orientations, interests, and sexualities to gather and shed the forms that they carry through daily life in society. Whether it's to explore themselves, or enjoy a night free of inhibition, Bar California is frequented by many customers, and this manga details the stories of those patrons.

Similar to Our Dreams At Dusk, Last Gender explores a plethora of characters through uplifting, challenging, emotional, and unresolved stories. Repression and lashing out, working up the courage to tell your loved ones, finding the right person or experience for you, it's stories about the realities that LGBTQ+ people face in their lives, and the stress and emotions and challenges that stem from it. It's a very mature story, as it features nudity and sexual acts, but in doing so refuses to avoid the harsher reality of a lot of these stories. Because of that, if people want something that takes a deeper and more grounded look into LGBTQ+ people and communities, this is a great starting point.

Boys Run The Riot

Need I say more? This list wouldn't be complete without Boys Run The Riot. A harsh but incredibly powerful story about the journey of a high school student named Ryo, and their outlet through fashion to express themselves and their story.

It's poignant, it's very candid, it doesn't shy away from truth or issues within the LGBTQ+ community, and it brings the story into society. It doesn't separate Ryo's journey from what's around them, but rather allows their journey to build upon and grow alongside the other characters that form their friend group. It presents it as another story of this world, rather than something that's separated and isolated from what's considered "normal".

X-Gender

X-Gender is an autobiographical manga about the author's journey in exploring their sexuality and gender identity through their adult years, with a dash of comedy, and a healthy helping of adult content.

Relatively straightforward, it details their experiences in coming to understand themselves and who they feel the most comfortable as, and is really informative for both people that are in the process of questioning themselves, and those that lack understanding of these types of experiences. I think it's a really great look at a candid retelling of learning the ins and outs of sexuality and gender identities, and finding the labels and banners that someone is most comfortable associating themselves with, so I definitely think people should give it a shot.

And that's all I've got for this week. In the realm of manga that exists outside of BL/GL, there's a world of information to cover, and I'm super glad so many titles cover vast swathes of information. But at the same time, I feel like there's a very large vacuum in regards to these stories in "typical" settings. A lot are informative or autobiographical, and it's only outliers like Doughnuts Under The Crescent Moon, or the super outlier Boys Run The Riot, that the approach is fictional and more traditional. So I really, really hope that people will pick up these titles (and other similar ones not listed in this list) and show publishers that we want more of these types of stories!

[everyoneislgbtpride-edits]

Osana Najimi from Komi Can’t Communicate is x-gender!!