The adaptation of Kentaro Yabuki’s manga series has debuted and is already generating controversy.
Spoilers for Ayakashi Triangle, episode 1 “Matsuri, Suzu, and Ayakashi,” which is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, can be found below.
The gender-bending anime Ayakashi Triangle is not the only one in the Winter 2023 anime season, nor is it the only one that has already sparked controversy. The Reborn Ayakashi Triangle, Blade Master: ONIMAI: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire There are three brand-new anime series based on IPs called “I’m Now Your Sister” that feature male-to-female gender swaps for the main character.
The first and third of the three already sparked controversy; with Ayakashi Triangle, however, the controversy began with the anime series’ source material. Before that, the manga of the story about an exorcist ninja who tries to protect his childhood friend from a powerful ayakashi but is magically transformed into a girl caused controversy.
Ayakashi Triangle volumes 1 and 2 had been made available digitally by VIZ Media before they were abruptly removed from e-bookstores and VIZ Media’s website at the beginning of December 2021.
Due to its ecchi elements, this manga series is rated 18+ by VIZ Media. Both MANGA Plus and VIZ Media announced that they would skip the 74th chapter of the series before its release. Chapter 75 experienced the same thing. Supposedly, both contained highly objectionable content.
How does the adaptation of the anime proceed?
The story goes like this: when Matsuri Kazamaki was younger, he played with his childhood friend Suzu Kanade and the ayakashi. Since they were the only ones who could see them, they did this together. There are, however, motives for that. She is ayakashi medium and he is from a clan of exorcists, making her appealing to ayakashi who want to increase their power.
As a result, Matsuri takes it upon himself to transform into an exorcist ninja and slay any ayakashi with malicious intentions to covertly protect Suzu. Not only does Suzu attract cute and fluffy ayakashi, but she also attracts malicious ayakashi.
He treats Suzu like a damsel in distress, and by not telling her the truth, he not only spares his friend but puts her in danger. This is his first major error. Like ONIMAI, which is also controversial: I’ve become your sister! It has a lot of fanservice, but unlike Ayakashi Triangle, the male gaze fanservice appears to be much more problematic in ONIMAI.
The Ayakashi Triangle from a queer perspective
To prevent him from becoming physically and romantically involved with Suzu, Shirogane changed Matsuri into a girl. Poor “evil” feline with his 400 years old and not in any event, taking into account same-sex connections addresses, regardless of whether it is the expectation of the creator, those “conventional” individuals so caught in the past with their tight personalities.
Even though they are generally intended to sexualize female characters and diminish them through the male gaze fanservice that objectifies them, gender-bending stories tend to subvert our conceptions of sexual and gender-based normativeness, and they invite us to do so. These stories have the potential to demonstrate when viewed through the prism of queerness, that our sexual orientations have nothing to do with gender roles, which are established and taught by society.
Sadly, many people who support boys “becoming/turning into” girls in anime end up being the most transphobic in real life, and the ONIMAI stars: While the original manga series is actually a beloved transgender one, and in this anime, they even use the color palette of the transgender flag, while comments from fans show this is not the message most people are receiving, even if this is the message being delivered, I’m Now Your Sister hopes this controversial anime can enlighten men about women’s struggles.
Although we are unable to influence what other people think, we can alter how we perceive and react to events that are out of the ordinary.
Verdict?
The animation of the Ayakashi Triangle is stunning, but it is impossible to deny that there is fanservice present as well. The film depicts women from the bottom to the top through the male gaze, repeats clichés about boobs and similar topics, and even features a sexy old master.
The censorship is funny because they use stickers of an ayakashi cat who doesn’t like humans who are horny, which is annoying to many people. The action scenes are well-animated, and the soundtrack is amazing.
This first episode didn’t show much of the story or main plot, so it’s too early to say if the adaptation will follow this thought-provoking path or if too much is expected of it. It’s also too early to say how good the anime is as a whole.
To find out if Ayakashi Triangle is a good new anime series or if it just adds to the generic anime that is more about fan service than story and full of controversy like its source material, more episodes will need to be watched.
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