Subversive Acts of
Masculinity in Anime: A Character Study of Tsubaki from Wind Breaker
Timir Majumder,
Ph.D. Research Scholar,
Department of English,
Tripura University,
Tripura, India.
Abstract: Anime is a medium of animated storytelling
from Japan with its rich history and diverse narratives. The visual narratives
of anime, specifically the ones that represent the delinquent subculture, often
promote traditional codes of masculinity. However, Wind Breaker, an anime
directed by Toshifumi Akai goes against the grain by representing subversive
practices of gender that redefine masculinity in the delinquent anime of
twenty-first century. These subversive acts are mostly performed by the
character of Tsubaki, who will serve as the subject of this character study.
This paper not only aims to highlight the ways in which Tsubaki resists
hegemonic masculinity prevalent in the society, but also will discuss the role
played by other characters in affirming his identity. In doing so, this paper
will underscore the significance of anime as a medium that challenges
preconceived notions of gender in the society and how it helps create a space
accepting of diverse gender and sexual identities.
Keywords: Anime,
masculinity, gender performance, subversion, queerness
Introduction
The expression of gender, be it masculinity or
femininity, involves acts or performances in both social and private settings.
One becomes a man by internalising and performing the codes of masculinity
propagated by the society. As Judith Butler aptly puts, “Gender reality is
performative which means, quite simply, that it is real only to the extent it
is performed” (527). The patriarchal society sets strict codes of outward
appearance such as attires and ways of speaking that determine whether an
individual is perceived to be a man or a woman. The idea of gender binary and
its performative codes are often propagated through social institutions and
cultural products. These codes are then internalised by individuals and they
often conform to the society’s expectations regarding gender expression.
Anime is a medium that presents visual narratives in
animated form, which are also encoded with gendered expectations. Performance
of traditional codes of masculinity is often seen in male characters portrayed
in a genre of anime known as yankee
or delinquent anime. This type of anime features gangs of mostly male
characters, who often engage in fights over territories. These characters are
often depicted to be having rugged appearances and wear traditionally masculine
clothes, with interests that align with the society’s expectations of being a
man. Wind Breaker (2024-present) is a
delinquent anime based on the manga or graphic novel written by Satoru Nii, and
is directed by Toshifumi Akai. Featuring a primarily male cast of characters, Wind Breaker often presents conformation
and resistance to the patriarchal society’s codes of masculinity. The character
of Tsubaki, who is introduced as a supporting character in season 2 of the
anime becomes the locus of resistance towards the society and its expectations
of men. This paper aims to highlight how Tsubaki as a character resists
hegemonic masculinity through his character design, dialogues and plot
relevance. For this study, episodes from season 2 of the anime will serve as
primary texts. The primary method of data collection is close-textual reading
of the visual texts, which will be analysed from the perspectives of Gender
Studies and Queer Studies.
Findings and
Discussion
Anime is a visual medium where a lot of ideas and meanings
are conveyed through the graphics. In this regard, the design of a character
proves to be significant in discussing socio-cultural aspects of identity such
as gender and sexuality. On his introduction in season 2, Tsubaki already
starts resisting the hegemonic masculinity through his character design. He has
long black hair with highlighted red tips, and wears red eye shadow and red
lipstick. Besides that, he can also be seen wearing high heels and a school
uniform that features a skirt. This outfit and his appearance, which Tsubaki
proudly dawns on in the public, would be usually regarded as feminine. This
point is further cemented when Sakura, the protagonist, assumes that Tsubaki is
a woman by looking at his appearance. He does so despite knowing that the Furin
High School is an all-boys school. The performative nature of gender is
highlighted in this sequence. People have a tendency to label an individual as
a man or a woman based on the way that they dress themselves.
Although Tsubaki dresses in conventionally feminine
clothes, he identifies as a man. He tells Sakura, “I may look like this,
however, I am a guy just like you all” (“A Place I Belong” 17:16-17:20).
Tsubaki does not identify as a transgender woman as it is usually expected of a
cross-dressing man in media. There is congruency between his sex and gender, as
he himself makes a reference to his sex and argues that he prefers to dress
feminine despite identifying as a man. Moreover, in his visual depiction,
Tsubaki is presented as a tall man with muscular physicality and a baritone
voice. He does not make any attempt to change his physical characteristics. In
fact, he is quite confident in his features. At one point he can even be seen
performing a pole dance on stage (“Night Street” 21:10-21:50). This sequence
not only highlights his masculine physical features but also his feminine
appearance achieved through makeup. Delinquent anime rarely feature a male
character dancing on stage, so with his performance and his appearance Tsubaki
once again resists the hegemonic codes of conduct expected of men. Although Tsubaki does not identify as a
woman, by engaging in conventionally feminine activities such as makeup and
pole dancing, he embodies aspects of both a man and a woman. The gender binary
set up by the patriarchy attempts to negate the fluidity of gender, but Tsubaki
by performing subversive acts of masculinity challenges such a notion. In fact,
his gender identity can be considered as queer since he moves away from the
conventional codes of masculinity and femininity, and combines them instead .
It is important to note here that Tsubaki did not always
dress in feminine attires or use makeup. He once was a victim of hegemonic
masculinity that devalues “all feminine attributes in men” (Kupers 716). As it
is evident from a flashback, growing up Tsubaki had a buzz cut and wore more
conventionally masculine clothes in the form of shirt and pants. Despite his
interest in “cute things” such as clothes and jewellery, he did not pursue
them. His interests are considered to be feminine, and he fears rejection from
his friends and family. The act of masculinity begins early in a boy’s life.
The society expects them to engage in sports or have interests such as
collecting toy cars as opposed to dolls. Tsubaki’s male friends follow this
ideology as they can be seen playing baseball; they even invite him to join
them. In addition, they also gift him a poster featuring toy cars assuming that
is where his interests lie. Such an assumption points to the expectations that
are programmed in an individual’s mind from their childhood regarding others
based on their gender. Usually social institutions such as family and
educational institutions instil gendered expectations in individuals.
Existence of expectations regarding gender also means
that an individual feels the social and psychological pressure to conform to
such expectations and perform the codes of masculinity. Tsubaki accepts the
poster that is gifted to him by his friends thereby conforming to the social
pressure. But when he turns it over and becomes joyful on seeing pictures of
accessories, guilt washes over his being as he calls himself a liar. Visually,
in this scene Tsubaki is in a pensive mood while standing in shadows. On the
other hand some girls are seen running and laughing bathed in the light
(“Hidden Feelings” 09:14-09:35). This symbolizes the psychological pressure one
feels on not conforming to the society’s expectations of their gender. As a boy
performing masculinity, he is expected to be interested in toy cars and find
happiness in it just like the other boys. He cannot openly express his desire
to own the accessories like the girls in his class can. Although in his heart
he knows that he has lied to his friends about his interests and only accepts
the gift to perform masculinity, he cannot help but feel joy when he comes
across pretty objects. One’s interest does not depend on their gender, but by
codifying even interests and hobbies based on gender the patriarchy tries to
enforce strict rules that govern one’s identity.
As a child, Tsubaki can be often seen limiting himself
from reaching out for the things he likes or enjoys. At one point when he is
asked about his thoughts on wearing lipstick, he argues that he does not know
because “I’m a boy” (11:49-11:56). Cosmetics and makeup are encoded as feminine
to the wider population by the patriarchy, so any man who shows interest in it
is regarded as effeminate. When he is allowed to wear lipstick by an older
woman called Yui, he sheds tears and questions himself, “Why do I feel happy?
Normal boys would not find happiness in wearing lipstick” (12:40-13:08).
Wearing makeup is not considered as normal for a man by the society, and it
also ostracizes those who do so by labelling them as “abnormal”. Individuals
fear not being part of the majority so men perform conventional acts of
masculinity in order to appear normal, thereby rendering “subversions unable to
take hold” (Brickell 36).
For Tsubaki that would have been the case if he had not
received external support from other characters. Both Yui and Ito, an elderly
couple, urge him to dress however he wants. They point out that the conventions
of masculinity are conjured up by the society and what is regarded as masculine
or feminine changes based on space and time. They use the example of high
heels, which were first used by men in wars and were only considered a part of
feminine fashion later on. This is indeed true, codes of masculinity change
based on which society or culture an individual belong to. What is considered
as masculine in one society might be considered as feminine in other. The role
of a community in making one accept their gender identity is immense. Both the
elderly couple as well as the other characters belonging from Furin High school
accept Tsubaki, which in turn helps him in embracing his identity and resist
the conventional codes of masculinity.
Besides his appearance and interests, Tsubaki also goes
against conventional masculinity by expressing his love and attraction towards
another male character called Umemiya. The society also enforces masculinity on
men by compelling them to embrace heterosexuality, thereby creating a
heteronormative order. However, the existence of homosexuality makes the
heteronormative order of society “potentially vulnerable to subversion” (33).
Tsubaki constantly stresses on his love for Umemiya throughout the narrative,
thereby subverting the masculine expectations made of him by the
heteronormative society. Therefore, Tsubaki’s character is conjured up as a
representation for queer men, who by performing their fluid gender role and
stressing their homosexual desires go against the demands made of men by the
traditional society.
Since Wind Breaker
is a delinquent anime, it features action sequences. The narrative does not
portray Tsubaki as a weak fighter, but rather it presents him as one of the
four strongest in Furin. Physical strength and violence are often thought to be
traditionally masculine attributes; Tsubaki displays such attributes by engaging
in a fight against the leader of an opposing gang called ‘Gravel’ (“Shall We
Dance?” 18:50-21:53). His fighting style, however, combines brute strength with
graceful dance moves. The combination of these two opposing styles in Tsubaki’s
martial arts symbolically represents how he performs both masculine and
feminine acts. His emotionally vulnerable moments and caring nature, which are
conventionally feminine attributes, are also positively highlighted in the
anime. As a delinquent anime, Wind
Breaker highlights Tsubaki’s gender expression and treats it with respect
as even Sakura, who earlier misidentified him as a woman, accepts his
subversive acts of masculinity and learns from him. Indeed, Tsubaki is
presented as an inspirational character. Members of both his own group as well
as the opposing group learn from him to be emotionally vulnerable, a trait
which is rarely considered as masculine in many traditional societies. Like
Tsubaki, they also show vulnerability by crying in front of others and following
their desires regardless of their gender. Hence, Tsubaki emerges as a character
that not only subverts traditional concepts of masculinity through his action,
but also inspires other male characters to do the same.
Conclusion
Therefore, it has been observed that Tsubaki performs
subversive acts of masculinity in Wind
Breaker by assuming the role and performing acts which would usually be
regarded as feminine. Not only does he cross-dress to fulfill his own desires,
but also he maintains his masculine physical features. He displays that an
individual can perform both masculine and feminine acts while identifying as a
man. As a character Tsubaki also sheds light on the ill effects suffered by an
individual’s psyche when gender roles are enforced upon them. However, by
overcoming such hurdles he also emerges as a character that resists the social
order. Furthermore, the way he gets to stress his sexuality on screen, and the
positive reception of it by other characters helps create a space for the
acceptance of queer identities. Tsubaki’s relationships with other characters
also suggest that despite being a part of minority, an individual may find a
supportive community which would accept them for themselves regardless of the
extent of their performance of gender or its subversion. Thus, Wind Breaker emerges as a delinquent
anime in the twenty-first century that represents a more diverse and fluid
forms of gender and sexual identities. It also contends for a wider acceptance
of those identities that deconstruct and subvert the prevalent structure of the
patriarchal society.
Works Cited
“A Place I Belong.” Wind Breaker, directed by Toshifumi
Akai, Season 2, episode 5, CloverWorks, 1 May 2025. Crunchyroll, www.crunchyroll.com/watch/GEVUW3NZG/a-place-i-belong.
Brickell, Chris.
“Masculinities, Performativity, and Subversion: A Sociological Reappraisal.” Men and Masculinities, vol. 8, no. 1,
2005, pp. 24-43.
Butler, Judith.
“Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and
Feminist Theory.” Theatre Journal,
vol. 40, no. 4, 1988, pp. 519-531.
“Hidden Feelings.” Wind Breaker, directed by Toshifumi
Akai, Season 2, episode 6, CloverWorks, 8 May 2025. Crunchyroll, www.crunchyroll.com/watch/G7PU32J40/hidden-feelings.
Kupers, Terry A. “Toxic
Masculinity as a Barrier to Mental Health Treatment in Prison.” Journal of Clinical Psychology, vol. 61,
no. 6, 2005, pp. 713-724.
“Night Street.” Wind Breaker, directed by Toshifumi
Akai, Season 2, episode 7, CloverWorks, 15 May 2025. Crunchyroll, www.crunchyroll.com/watch/G9DU9NGE1/night-street.
“Shall We Dance?.” Wind Breaker, directed by Toshifumi Akai, Season 2, episode 9,
CloverWorks, 29 May 2025. Crunchyroll,
www.crunchyroll.com/watch/G4VUW08Q9/shall-we-dance.