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Sequential Scholars
@sequentialscholars.bsky.social
Academics reading and celebrating the style, substance, and sublimity of all kinds of comics. By scholars, for everyone. Led by @annapeppard.bsky.social & Dr. J. Andrew Deman.
We're on a holiday break! Returning December 27. Have a safe and happy holiday!
December 23, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Our collection of thread on trans representation in manga is over but not forgotten! Here's a snapshot of what we covered, starting with:

An Introduction to Trans Representation in Manga #Manga #ComicsStudies #QueerComics 1/7

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Where trans representation in North American comics has struggled to find firm footing at times, trans representation in manga has been there since very nearly the beginning and encompasses a variety of iconic characters, creators, and titles. #manga #transgender 1/7
December 19, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Last Gender is a series of short stories revolving around the lives of multiple queer characters of varying identities and sexualities. The characters converge and congregate in a single place, known as Bar California, and as such, this space becomes a queer space. 1/13 #lastgender #manga
December 17, 2025 at 4:28 PM
The Monstrous Feminine in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [3 of 3]

In Ito’s version, it is the male Creature who is most dramatically fearful of & disgusted by the female Creature. Initially, the male Creature weathers the female Creature’s rejection (a manifestation of her own existential horror).
December 11, 2025 at 5:53 PM
The Monstrous Feminine in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [2 of 3]

Jack Halberstam argues that in Shelley’s novel, the female Creature is especially threatening because she represents "[...] a monstrosity linked to femininity, female sexuality, and female powers of reproduction….”
December 10, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Though not canonically trans, the character of Mitsuba from Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun can be read as trans-coded, a process that enables him to serve a broader interrogation of gender that presses the reader into a post-gender perspective. #mitsuba #hanako 1/10
December 8, 2025 at 8:37 PM
The Monstrous Feminine in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [1 of 3]

In some ways, Junji Ito’s adaptation of #Frankenstein is slavishly faithful. Unlike most adaptations, it maintains the bulk of the novel’s plot & the Creature’s eloquence
December 8, 2025 at 3:04 PM
The wildly popular manga “My Hero Academia” features an interesting portrayal of a trans-feminine character. Magne is a B-rank villain whose life, and death, gives the series a mouthpiece to discuss some key trans issues. #mha 1/8
December 6, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Terrific Horrific Perspectives in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [3 of 3]

Because comics are static and make multiple moments visible at once, horror comics are, in some ways, at a disadvantage in terms of pacing. Compared to horror movies, it's more difficult to produce “jump scares.
December 4, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by Sequential Scholars
Our latest for @sequentialscholars.bsky.social explores trans families in Hunter x Hunter. #Manga #ComicsStudies
The introduction of Alluka Zoldyck in Hunter x Hunter gives one of manga’s most beloved franchises a vessel through which to explore the concept familial support (or lack thereof) for trans family members. #HunterHunter 1/12
December 4, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Terrific Horrific Perspectives in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [2 of 3]

Symbolism contributes to this horrific atmosphere. In this opening sequence, close-ups on the Creature's monstrously gooey eyes are juxtaposed with views of the lonely Arctic where Victor will die.
December 3, 2025 at 11:59 PM
The introduction of Alluka Zoldyck in Hunter x Hunter gives one of manga’s most beloved franchises a vessel through which to explore the concept familial support (or lack thereof) for trans family members. #HunterHunter 1/12
December 3, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Sequential Scholars
Hey that's me! Proud of these @sequentialscholars.bsky.social videos we did for our unit on Junji Ito's Frankenstein. Check it out--if you dare!! #Frankenstein #JunjiIto #ComicsStudies
Terrific Horrific Perspectives in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [1 of 3]

In any medium, creating effective horror stories requires more than visualizing scary monsters. In his adaptation of #Frankenstein, Junji Ito showcases his mastery of horror within the comics form.
December 2, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Reposted by Sequential Scholars
Our latest at @sequentialscholars.bsky.social explores trans representation in Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi! #manga #ComicsStudies
Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi is a beloved manga that uses a supernatural premise to empower its protagonist to explore and comment upon the idea of transgenderism within the Japanese culture of the 1980s and 1990s. #ranma #manga 1/12
December 2, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Terrific Horrific Perspectives in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [1 of 3]

In any medium, creating effective horror stories requires more than visualizing scary monsters. In his adaptation of #Frankenstein, Junji Ito showcases his mastery of horror within the comics form.
December 1, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Ranma ½ by Rumiko Takahashi is a beloved manga that uses a supernatural premise to empower its protagonist to explore and comment upon the idea of transgenderism within the Japanese culture of the 1980s and 1990s. #ranma #manga 1/12
December 1, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Reposted by Sequential Scholars
Latest @sequentialscholars.bsky.social thread talks Tezuka's Princess Knight! #Tezuka #PrincessKnight #Manga #ComicsStudies
As most things in manga owe a debt to Tezuka Sensei (Osamu Tezuka), it is not surprising that scholars have isolated Tezuka’s 1953 series “Princess Knight” as a deeply important touchstone for the evolution of trans representation in manga as a whole. #princessknight #tezuka 1/11
November 30, 2025 at 8:05 PM
As most things in manga owe a debt to Tezuka Sensei (Osamu Tezuka), it is not surprising that scholars have isolated Tezuka’s 1953 series “Princess Knight” as a deeply important touchstone for the evolution of trans representation in manga as a whole. #princessknight #tezuka 1/11
November 27, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Haptic Visuality in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [3 of 3]

The visual assertion of the character’s monstrous body pushes the reader to other the creature more, and, by extension, to become more conscious of their own body in all of its monstrous imperfections.
November 27, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Haptic Visuality in Junji Ito’s “Frankenstein” [2 of 3]
Simply put, the visual spectacle of violence that we see in Ito’s Frankenstein forces a sort of hyperawareness of the body onto the reader.
November 26, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Ouran High School Host Club is known for its complex approach to gender performance. One way to explore this is through the concept of fujoshi, a subgenre of manga that articulates the disruptive potential of a “rotten girl” within otaku culture. #ouran 1/9
November 26, 2025 at 3:21 PM