From time to time I catch myself thinking about Yuureitou, a manga with a compelling, unusual premise (murder mystery novel centered ona charismatic trans man taking advantage of a rapidly changing post-WWII Japan to forge the life he desires) and how it completely shit the bed oppa trainwreck style for reasons I cannot begin to imagine. And i think it's because it did pretty well for a while - the titular Testso is charming, nuanced, likeable, he is manipulative and dangerous but you understand that he has to be to survive, and without modern medical terminology or access to other trans people who might validate his dysphoria, the reader is pushed to take his goals at face value without pathologizing.
So when the doylist transphobia pops up - superfluous fanservice of a Tetsuo's hairless calves, of him blushing, frustrated in a dress that shows off his plunging cleavage - it feels uncomfortable. Where are you going with this? When they introduce the gay pedophile, you (well, I did anyway) swallow your gut instincts and remind yourself to think of the context - of course they align themselves, they are both perverts, degenerate in the eyes of society! There's little point in believing there's a real distinction between yourselves. And when they introduce the villain who can only be described as transmisogyny incarnate - somehow creepier, grosser, more insidious, and fucked up than the pedophile - why did you write this? What were your intentions? Are you fucking with me?
And then they conclude with a beautiful two page spread implying Tetsuo and the annoying protagonist who quite clearly does not see Tetsuo as a man, like this is a happy things the audience would cheer for.
A terrible series that could have been great.
