Tbh I really like that Kishimoto (despite headcanons) made Hinata, a main branch, a female as the young sister to Neji, a cadet branch, a male and then added some not so subtle androgynous characteristics, like their hair, their positioning in the yin and yang
At the same time Hinata displays behaviours often associated with the feminine while Neji with the masculine. In the long run (especially displayed during the Chuunins) the lines blur a lot.
Naruto’s world, whether it was Kishimotos conscious or subconscious stylistic choice, is very rooted in misogyny even by the very cultural references of it (no shit Sherlock on this one) for example those specialised Kuniochi classes having flower arrangements “, the need for Ino to look “sexy” and “charm” (I’m saying this in the tamest way possible) Neji during the Forest of Death as a plan to survive, Shikamaru pointing out Tsunade being a female Hokage and his overall sexist views. But the Hyuuga kind of stands as a special case cause we have two girls : Hanabi and Hinata competing to be head of clan, meaning the Hyuuga did not care whether they were female or not as long as they were Hiashis offspring, the twin born first. So were they surprisingly more progressive? In a weird way I guess?
I might be yapping without much coherence but it’s interesting how much societal expectations on gender actually get botched up when it comes to these two characters. A man in servitude to a woman. Not in a girlboss way but decided by birth WAY before they were even conceived. crazy.
Sorry it's taken me this long to answer this, I got sick AGAIN KJHLJH My brain is bleh rn but I'll do my best.
But YESSS these are all thoughts I've had as well so I'm glad you pointed all that out!! 👏
I definitely think Naruto could have easily been a much darker story if Kishimoto wanted to explore the subtext he himself created. "Specialized" kunoichi classes. Sexism and misogyny. Blind loyalty to a system that profits off of child soldiers. Generational slavery. War(s). Political machinations. And so much more... It's a very dark and corrupted world, and we've only just scratched the surface.
About the gender thing---I 100% agree with you, and that's why I said I never had an issue with Hinata being a girl and Neji a guy in a previous ask and why I feel like Hinata has more masculine energy than ppl think (and vice versa). I very rarely have any issue with how a creator wants to depict their characters' gender, but with Hinata and Neji specifically I think the decision to make Hinata a woman and Neji a man works really really well. Like yeah, in a society as patriarchal and misogynistic as theirs, it's incredibly interesting and progressive how the Hyuga clan has no issue with, not one, but two female heirs. There was never ANY indication that Hiashi or the elders were disappointed with Hinata and Hanabi being girls. Hiashi being abusive and neglectful towards Hinata was not due to his disappointment in the lack of a son, but due to what he perceived as Hinata's weakness. You could make the argument that "Hinata" is a gender-neutral name, indicating that Hiashi and potentially the council wished for a boy.... but it's not nearly enough to explain/justify everything else.
If the Hyugas really wished for a male heir, Hiashi would have either remarried and tried for a son, or there would have been a lot of unrest regarding Hinata and Hanabi's positions, maybe even talk of selecting the closest male relative that would be suitable for the job (I've seen a lot of Neji fans saying that he should have been the new clan head.... I can see their point, but I disagree, but that's another discussion)
That's one of the many reasons why the Hyuga clan is so freaking intriguing to me. With how many clans and special abilities that exist in the world of Naruto, somehow, to me, they manage to stand out. Not always for the right reasons, but still. Sometimes they remind me of Targaryens from Game of Thrones, other times I see them kind of like the Elves from Lord of the Rings (especially if you consider that the Elves don't really care about gender as well). Idk, they're very unique even inside the Narutoverse. There was A LOT of potential that got wasted. In a perfect world, we would have focused more on them OR MAYBE gotten a spinoff that focused on them (including Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji ofc).
Also AUGH I fucking love that picture of Hinata and Neji and I don't think it's a coincidence that Kishimoto decided to represent them as Yin and Yang. Nor the fact that he clearly put Hinata as yang and Neji as yin---NOT the opposite as many ppl often depict them. We really do not talk enough about that and it's a crime.
"Yin and yang are fundamental, opposite but complementary forces in ancient Chinese philosophy that exist in harmony and balance, representing the duality of everything in the universe. Yin is typically associated with feminine, passive, and dark qualities, while yang is linked to masculine, active, and light qualities. The Yin-Yang symbol itself illustrates their interconnectedness, showing that each force contains a seed of the other and they are interdependent and constantly transforming."
Neji and Hinata never beating the "we're two sides of the same coin, interconnected, foils to each other" allegations AAAAHHHH
(Someone made a very good analysis of that actually, I need to find the post and link it 🤔)
Anyway, yeah, the relationship between these two fascinates me to no end. Like..... If you think about it, they were each other's destiny. Ppl arguing whether or not Naruto and Sasuke are soulmates, if Naruto and Hinata are soulmates, etc etc---BROTHER THE ACTUAL SOULMATES (platonic/romantic, however you see it, they're still linked) ARE RIGHT THERE AND IT'S NOT EVEN SUTBLE. (I'm not saying there aren't any other soulmate pairs, but there is at least one). We were told from the get-go how these two were interconnected, legit as soon as they both entered the spotlight. That's why I truly believe that Hinata would have had a bad time after Neji's death bc she lost a piece of herself that she can never recover. Their fight in the Chuunin exams was a monumental event for both of them: Hinata never would have faced Neji head-on otherwise, or publicly voiced her acknowledgment of the clan's inhumane ways, and subsequently vowed to make her own destiny. Neji never would have realised that he is being seen for who he is and what he's been going through (by the person he's trying to kill, no less) and subsequently never would have learned the truth about his father and reconciled with himself. In many ways, they're breaking tradition together---and it's very subtle (bc not everything has to be loud and obvious, come on ppl, there is NUANCE here), but once you see it, once you understand it, it's fucking amazing.
