Sexuality And Gender Repression Amongst Cultural Constraint in Genshiken Nidaime [College Essay]

16 April 2025

Sexuality And Gender Repression Amongst Cultural Constraint in Genshiken Nidaime

In the 2013 animation series, Genshiken Nidaime, the third season of the Genshiken series, viewers are introduced to a new cast member named Hato Kenjirou. Hato is a character whose complexities consist of gender identity and queer desire within otaku subculture. Assigned male at birth, Hato joins The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, whilst presenting as a woman. Initially claiming she cross dresses in order to fit in with the predominately female yaoi-loving members (or fujoshi), her arc reveals over time a deeper internal struggle for selfhood amid the pressures of heteronormativity and cissexism, revealing the emotional toll of living between perceived categories.

Hato’s earliest appearances are coded with this dual existence. She uses feminine voice techniques learned online and presents as a woman in the Genshiken club. She is very open with pleading, “I don’t want you guys to think of me as a man,” emphasizing that this isn’t cosplay or a joke when the club learns of who she is. Her performance, whilst strategic, reveals deep repression. In episode 3, Hato’s subconscious manifests itself as a nude floating version of herself with a female body. It represents the truly fractured identity of Hato. This “inner-Hato” repeatedly challenges the divide between what Hato says and what she feels, embodying a central tenet of queer theory that sexuality and gender are not static but fluid and multifaceted.

Despite these thoughts Hato often insists “I’m not into guys,” even as she creates fantasies involving an old club member, Harunobu Madarame. Her denial contrasts with the desires illustrated by internalized homophobia, where society pressures her to reject her own desires. A moment occurs when Madarame passes out after drinking and Hato denies wanting to kiss him, “I’m not really into that kind of thing.” The inner-Hato challenges that lie, referencing her private and intimate enjoyment of BL (boy’s love) manga. These scenes show the emotional damage of living in heterosexist ideology.

The reactions of other characters reinforce this repression. Club members like Yajima and Keiko frequently treat Hato’s femininity as performance, not identity, and demand to know of Hato’s true genitalia. In episode 5, when Hato expresses concern about Angela’s flirtation with Madarame, someone bluntly asks if she’s “really not into guys.” Her gender presentation is accepted, but only as long as it remains in the realm of cosplay. This conditional tolerance is a subtle form of cissexism. Acceptance is contingent on not making others uncomfortable by being real. Hato is welcome so long as she’s fictional.

One of the clearest examples of Hato’s inner turmoil comes in episode 8, during a conversation with Madarame about a “trap” game. The term used to describe feminine presenting males who “deceive” others, is both fetishizing and invalidating. Hato is clearly uncomfortable but uses the moment to test whether Madame’s interest in the game might extend to her. Her outward embarrassment clashes with her inner excitement which highlights the split between her social self and true feelings. “If he was into traps, I could tell him all about them,” she says, then immediately blames the thought on her subconscious. But her inner-Hato calls her out. The desire is real. Hato fears that she can only be loved as a fantasy, not as herself.

Later in the series, Hato’s longing to be seen not as a cross dresser but as a woman becomes more pronounced. After a confusing confession to Madarame, Hato disappears until the Genshiken club goes on a trip to an onsen together. This moment underscores how cissexism, the belief that only cisgender identities are valid, pressure Hato to have to use the personal bath in their room instead of the gendered hot springs. Desiring to join people some insist she bathe with the men; others avoid the topic altogether. These constant microaggressions accumulate into a larger emotional weight that Hato carries that are a reminder that no matter how “accepting” some spaces are, they can still marginalize those who do not fit neatly into heteronormative expectations.

And yet, it’s in Madarame that Hato finds unexpected empathy. Hato eventually joins him alone in one of the public baths and listens without judgement as Hato voices her uncertainty about how long she can keep trying to present the way she does. Rather than advising or criticizing, Madarame simply responds, “You can decide.” The moment is small, but powerful by affirming Hato’s agency. He sees her as someone capable of self-determination, not a novelty or burden. When Hato later rejoins the group in a feminine yukata, she’s told she looks “more natural this way.” It’s a turning point, not of societal validation, but of personal recognition. In the world of Genshiken Nidaime, where characters often view identity through the lens of genre and fantasy, Hato dares to exist as herself, and is seen as such. Her journey challenges the boundaries between performance and authenticity, and in doing so, embodies the head of queer theory, the idea that identity is not fixed but lived, negotiated, and deeply human.

Works Cited
- Genshiken Nidaime. By Shimoku Kio. Dir. Tsutomu Mizushima. Prod. Tooru Kawaguchi, Junichirou Tsuchiya Keiko Matsushita. NIS America, Inc., 2013. Animation.

An essay I did for a literary analysis (basically any an all kinds of media in reality) class for college. I got a very good grade on it, so I feel good. I only had a couple points docked for a few grammar mistakes and forgetting to format it correctly for the class standards. Regardless, I am passionate about the topic.

It was a good time regardless

Can you tell Madarame x Hato is my OTP? (Yes, I hate Sue for ruining their wonderful relationship in the manga. The work wasn't ready for the absolute peak that was Mada x Hato).

EDIT: Fixed a few of those grammar issues I saw.