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Introduction

Manga has always had a close relationship with people in Japan ever since it was born. In fact, some people admire characters in manga, and dress like them. Moreover, many goods regarding popular manga are sold at stores. In such ways, manga has become an important part of our lives and culture. However, manga is not just comics with exciting contents that entertain us. Manga sometimes focus on deeper topics, such as social issues and internal aspects of humans. Thus, we, readers, are partially affected by manga in terms of our personalities and perspectives. Considering this fact, this exhibit will focus on shōjo manga, which is a type of manga aimed at young teen female readers, and first introduce the characteristics of shōjo manga in each generation from 1970s to 2000s, which is the times when manga became one of the popular Japanese cultures. Then, it will also look into the stereotyped female roles and figures expressed in manga, and the relationship between shōjo manga and women; how manga has affected women’s perspectives. In addition, gender division and gender equality expressed in shōjo manga will be examined in this exhibit.

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