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L'art de la vulve, une obscénité ?
Au Japon, l’art de la vulve ne passe pas. L’artiste tokyoïte Rokudenashiko a été inculpée le 24 décembre 2014 et incarcérée six mois après sa première arrestation, pour avoir enfreint la loi relative à l’obscénité, en moulant son sexe puis en le scannant en 3D afin de construire un canoë-kayak.
Son travail, insolite et non dénué d’humour, vise à casser le tabou de la représentation du sexe féminin dans son pays, qui reste interdite — celui-ci est flouté, pixélisé ou estompé sur les photos, les dessins et dans les films — alors que la pornographie est largement diffusée. De son côté, le pénis est fêté comme il se doit chaque année pendant le festival du phallus de fer de kawasaki.
Le récit de cette arrestation, médiatisée dans le monde entier, a permis de mettre en évidence les contradictions d’une société japonaise sclérosée par ses tabous — elle n’est bien sûr pas la seule — concernant plus généralement le statut de la femme.
Son travail, insolite et non dénué d’humour, vise à casser le tabou de la représentation du sexe féminin dans son pays, qui reste interdite — celui-ci est flouté, pixélisé ou estompé sur les photos, les dessins et dans les films — alors que la pornographie est largement diffusée. De son côté, le pénis est fêté comme il se doit chaque année pendant le festival du phallus de fer de kawasaki.
Le récit de cette arrestation, médiatisée dans le monde entier, a permis de mettre en évidence les contradictions d’une société japonaise sclérosée par ses tabous — elle n’est bien sûr pas la seule — concernant plus généralement le statut de la femme.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2016
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1045 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
November 2, 2016
The memoir of a Japanese artist who also does comics about the artwork she has done around her vagina that has gotten her jailed for obscenity. She is really really smart and talented and hilarious and uses the occasion to educate the world about ridiculous puritanical double standards and Japanese men who create what is essentially a sexist society without repercussion. Features hilarious pictures of her unsmiling boring lawyers in dark suits next to her colorful and happily smiling figure. She just ridicules society in the process as she smiles away. There's comics here documenting everything that happened, and some of her manko (vagina) art, including a kayak she made with crowd-sourced money in the shape of a vagina.
Rokudenashiko, is the assumed name of Megumi Igarashi, and means "good for nothing," which is what many older Japanese men (and maybe some women) have thought of her. I think she's great, very funny.
Here's an article about her and her art which you will not be bored reading:
https://bitchmedia.org/article/vagina...
Rokudenashiko, is the assumed name of Megumi Igarashi, and means "good for nothing," which is what many older Japanese men (and maybe some women) have thought of her. I think she's great, very funny.
Here's an article about her and her art which you will not be bored reading:
https://bitchmedia.org/article/vagina...
July 28, 2016
I usually try not to give in to the whole point-and-stare "oh look Japan's culture is so weird!" phenomenon, but this is one time I have to say: "What the hell, Japan?"
Because seriously, to jail some woman simply because she made a 3D model of her pussy and sent out a link to a download file? That's 'distribution of obscene materials' or whatever, from a country that's infamous for their weird hangups and fetishes? Hypocritical at best.
except the book shows how Rokudenashiko had tons of outside support, and never served much jail time, and now functions as a cultural touchstone for acceptance of female genitalia in all its forms, and is funny and entertaining as well, and is an all-around kickass woman.
Highly recommended to anyone who has a pussy, interacts with pussy, and certainly for those who make laws about pussy.
... and man, seriously, I almost typed 'female genitalia' in that last sentence out of reflex, even after having read her account about forcing acceptance of the word 'pussy' in Japan, and still here I was, shying away from using it because it might be construed as vulgar. Sorry, Rokudenashiko, for almost having forgotten my lesson so soon after the teaching.
Because seriously, to jail some woman simply because she made a 3D model of her pussy and sent out a link to a download file? That's 'distribution of obscene materials' or whatever, from a country that's infamous for their weird hangups and fetishes? Hypocritical at best.
except the book shows how Rokudenashiko had tons of outside support, and never served much jail time, and now functions as a cultural touchstone for acceptance of female genitalia in all its forms, and is funny and entertaining as well, and is an all-around kickass woman.
Highly recommended to anyone who has a pussy, interacts with pussy, and certainly for those who make laws about pussy.
... and man, seriously, I almost typed 'female genitalia' in that last sentence out of reflex, even after having read her account about forcing acceptance of the word 'pussy' in Japan, and still here I was, shying away from using it because it might be construed as vulgar. Sorry, Rokudenashiko, for almost having forgotten my lesson so soon after the teaching.
February 25, 2019
japan (and korea, my home country) is one of the most sexist countries among the developed world. However, many western manga / comics / anime fans seem to accept the misogyny as "cultural difference". in this great graphic nonfiction/memoir, rokudenashiko shows how repressed japan is in all social situations including sex and law/police enforcement without being too serious or skewed.
December 14, 2017
This is a cheerful and curious book. It is inspiring in a dark time.
What is Obscenity? is an autobiographical account of a Japanese artist running afoul of obscenity laws. Rokudenashiko was abruptly arrested and jailed for the "offense" of making available 3d digital scans of her genitalia. Public pressure secured her release.
I wrote "an account", but this is actually several. The first section treats the author's jail time, which is genuinely disturbing and also funny. The second reflects back on how she came to be such an artist. Several inserted small sections include an interview with a film director, a fantasy retelling of the censorship story, and many two-page background sketches.
As a free speech advocate, I approved of Rokudenashiko's struggle, of course. We actually don't answer the titular question, as the reasons for shunning depictions of female genitals aren't ultimately revealed; her prosecutors are mostly figures of fun and danger, rather than people making cultural arguments.
Overall the book was brisk and entertaining, issuing a theme I support. Unfortunately it repeats itself a great deal, partly because it seems to have originally appeared in serial form, and because of its treatment of the same ground in two different ways. Some parts are weirdly understated, like the author's marriage and divorce, which take up a handful of frames (not even pages).
I haven't been reading graphic novels for too long. I need to catch up.
What is Obscenity? is an autobiographical account of a Japanese artist running afoul of obscenity laws. Rokudenashiko was abruptly arrested and jailed for the "offense" of making available 3d digital scans of her genitalia. Public pressure secured her release.
I wrote "an account", but this is actually several. The first section treats the author's jail time, which is genuinely disturbing and also funny. The second reflects back on how she came to be such an artist. Several inserted small sections include an interview with a film director, a fantasy retelling of the censorship story, and many two-page background sketches.
As a free speech advocate, I approved of Rokudenashiko's struggle, of course. We actually don't answer the titular question, as the reasons for shunning depictions of female genitals aren't ultimately revealed; her prosecutors are mostly figures of fun and danger, rather than people making cultural arguments.
Overall the book was brisk and entertaining, issuing a theme I support. Unfortunately it repeats itself a great deal, partly because it seems to have originally appeared in serial form, and because of its treatment of the same ground in two different ways. Some parts are weirdly understated, like the author's marriage and divorce, which take up a handful of frames (not even pages).
I haven't been reading graphic novels for too long. I need to catch up.
December 14, 2016
It's very hard to describe this book. One side of it's an important and informative account of Japan's censorship law and sexism. The other side is utter hilarity. I laughed out loud so many times and then I felt bad about it. Then a couple of pages later I would break down in giggles again.
Rokudenashiko is a brave, cool and super-sassy person. I'll definitely be rooting for her and supporting her any way possible. (I've already bought the book. Now I need a couple of small Manko-chans to spice up my bookshelves).
Rokudenashiko is a brave, cool and super-sassy person. I'll definitely be rooting for her and supporting her any way possible. (I've already bought the book. Now I need a couple of small Manko-chans to spice up my bookshelves).
May 6, 2019
This was a fun quick read! Loved the manga parts but I’m not sure the other parts (articles/interviews/etc) did it for me. Overall this didn’t feel very cohesive, more like a lot of different things thrown together. And I didn’t feel like I got an answer to the titular question, but maybe that’s the point because obscenity is a dumb concept.
April 28, 2016
Cute & funny but deadly serious & deeply committed at the same time, What is Obscenity? is an important work in manga and women's studies. My longer review is now up at The Comics Journal: bit.ly/1N2xXfo
December 22, 2017
I don't think I can do this book justice with my review. The hypocrisy that the author faced for her artwork is appalling, especially in a nation where there are public celebrations of the penis (festivals, if you're not familiar with them). But more than that, this memoir points out that most people are far less comfortable with vulvas than penises, that the female genitals, despite being the literal source of life, are stigmatized. Roudenashiko not only discusses her artwork, but points out that words for the vagina are much less accepted and more likely to be used as derogatory than any equivalent for the male genitalia, and that specifically masculine discomfort with female organs as perfectly normal and non-sexualized (in the sense of objectification rather than reproduction) has aided in women seeing their own bodies as unattractive or dirty.
Personally, I don't find any reproductive organ attractive. It's not necessarily what I'd choose for artwork. But can it be art? Absolutely. Should we be comfortable with it as just another part of the body? Yes. Because as the author says at the end of the book, your genitals are just as much an important piece of you as your eyes or your ears. You shouldn't be made to feel ashamed.
Personally, I don't find any reproductive organ attractive. It's not necessarily what I'd choose for artwork. But can it be art? Absolutely. Should we be comfortable with it as just another part of the body? Yes. Because as the author says at the end of the book, your genitals are just as much an important piece of you as your eyes or your ears. You shouldn't be made to feel ashamed.
June 7, 2016
In keeping with Japan's reputation as the fountain of wackiness, artist Megumi Igarashi (aka Rokudenashiko) was arrested for obscenity. Her alleged crime was distributing a 3D-printer file of her vajay-jay as a crowd-funding prize. Her crowd-funding project was a kayak shaped like a vagina. The pussy boat and the file were thought to be obscene by authorities. Igarashi was tried under case law from the 1940s that successfully banned Lady Chatterley's Lover (LCL). Though, with respect to LCL, the case law is now ignored and D.H. Lawrence's novel is apparently shelved in Japanese bookstores.
Igarashi's arrest, short prison stay and trial motions are full of hypocrisy, shame and absurdity. However, calling it Kafkaesque would be putting the point too strongly. Igarashi has the moral high ground: Women should be able to make art featuring their genitals and to say "manko" (vagina/pussy) without getting hounded by snippy moral arbiters or by perverts, which in both cases are usually groups of older Japanese men. But, this is not the Japan that currently exists.
I would give this manga 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up in solidarity with the author's bureaucratic plight. The book is aimed at a Japanese audience, and reduces its point to the feminist bottom-line ("Women's bodies are their own, and they are allowed to express their thoughts about their bodies"), which while apt, should be remedial outside Japan.
Her complaints about prison were mostly serious: She was not allowed to shower for five days and then was kept in sweltering rooms, wearing too tight handcuffs, on wooden benches awaiting set dates. She was not treated well and accused of a ridiculous crime, but a few of her objections to prison life came across as upper middle class whining, similar to complaints made by Piper Kerman in Orange is the New Black. For example, Igarashi occasionally undercuts her points by complaining about the lack of moisturizer and quality bento boxes in Japanese prison. The chief difference between the complaints made by the two women is that Igarashi shouldn't have been arrested and Piper Kerman is a culpable asshole. That said, Igarashi explains her motivations and covers the entirety of this bizarre legal event in an amiable and entertaining manner.
I did not buy Igarashi's feigned nonchalance. While her viewpoint is sorely needed in Japan, I got the sense that Igarashi knows exactly what she is doing. She gets right to the centre of controversy in a forthright and principled manner. After making a point, she tends to then pull back and end with "Who knew this was considered obscene? I was only saying something very natural."
Lies.
She admits to loving the drama and for doing things for the sake of a story, but then pretends she just tripped and stumbled over a taboo that she was completely in the dark about. Maybe this pose is necessary in Japan and part of her cute-attack.
Cute is inoffensive. The Japanese revere cute instead of sexy, because sexy has elements of danger and power that tend to destabilize the group. Igarashi addresses this towards the end of the book in a manga strip aimed at children. Igarashi, personified as Manko-chan, tries protesting in a 2nd/3rd wave feminist manner, but she is ignored because her approach lacks cuteness. So, to appeal to her Japanese audience, she decides the message must be made cuter. While this is necessary for the home audience, personally, it felt like Marylin Monroe concluding her birthday song for JFK by asking for gender equality. All that to say, the text was too cute at times, but this is manga, who am I kidding? Moreover, I think the best bits were the hilarious and adorable Manko-chan marginalia cartoons.
Igarashi's arrest, short prison stay and trial motions are full of hypocrisy, shame and absurdity. However, calling it Kafkaesque would be putting the point too strongly. Igarashi has the moral high ground: Women should be able to make art featuring their genitals and to say "manko" (vagina/pussy) without getting hounded by snippy moral arbiters or by perverts, which in both cases are usually groups of older Japanese men. But, this is not the Japan that currently exists.
I would give this manga 3.5 stars, but I rounded it up in solidarity with the author's bureaucratic plight. The book is aimed at a Japanese audience, and reduces its point to the feminist bottom-line ("Women's bodies are their own, and they are allowed to express their thoughts about their bodies"), which while apt, should be remedial outside Japan.
Her complaints about prison were mostly serious: She was not allowed to shower for five days and then was kept in sweltering rooms, wearing too tight handcuffs, on wooden benches awaiting set dates. She was not treated well and accused of a ridiculous crime, but a few of her objections to prison life came across as upper middle class whining, similar to complaints made by Piper Kerman in Orange is the New Black. For example, Igarashi occasionally undercuts her points by complaining about the lack of moisturizer and quality bento boxes in Japanese prison. The chief difference between the complaints made by the two women is that Igarashi shouldn't have been arrested and Piper Kerman is a culpable asshole. That said, Igarashi explains her motivations and covers the entirety of this bizarre legal event in an amiable and entertaining manner.
I did not buy Igarashi's feigned nonchalance. While her viewpoint is sorely needed in Japan, I got the sense that Igarashi knows exactly what she is doing. She gets right to the centre of controversy in a forthright and principled manner. After making a point, she tends to then pull back and end with "Who knew this was considered obscene? I was only saying something very natural."
Lies.
She admits to loving the drama and for doing things for the sake of a story, but then pretends she just tripped and stumbled over a taboo that she was completely in the dark about. Maybe this pose is necessary in Japan and part of her cute-attack.
Cute is inoffensive. The Japanese revere cute instead of sexy, because sexy has elements of danger and power that tend to destabilize the group. Igarashi addresses this towards the end of the book in a manga strip aimed at children. Igarashi, personified as Manko-chan, tries protesting in a 2nd/3rd wave feminist manner, but she is ignored because her approach lacks cuteness. So, to appeal to her Japanese audience, she decides the message must be made cuter. While this is necessary for the home audience, personally, it felt like Marylin Monroe concluding her birthday song for JFK by asking for gender equality. All that to say, the text was too cute at times, but this is manga, who am I kidding? Moreover, I think the best bits were the hilarious and adorable Manko-chan marginalia cartoons.
May 11, 2017
The short of it: Brilliant body-positive memoir manga. The second half about Rokudenashiko's artistic journey is particularly relatable for artists, but the whole thing is wonderful. I really appreciated the inside look into Japanese society--the penal system in particular. Although the art might not be considered great by all, I loved it. It was very charming and suited the loose, naive, 'wide-eyed' feeling as Rokudenashiko discovers more and more while being processed by the system. I would highly recommend it.
The main focus was more what she went through than her art itself though later in the book she does explain how she got to be making “manko (/vagina) art” (and comics in general!) and we do get to see Manko-chan’s comic adventures too which is fun. There are photos and screenshots and so on to help build up a fuller visual context too. (Usually photo inserts in books like this would annoy me, but it actually worked really well here.)
I thought there would be a little bit more in-depth discussion about her feminist rational, but instead, she speaks very simply about her intentions. There are no over-complicated theses. It is what it is. And, as it turns out, that was just as fulfilling to see. It could probably all be boiled down to “vaginas are just body parts like an arm or a foot so let’s normalise and accept them and not just sexualise them”. Simple! And rather inoffensive really. But that landed her in jail (proving why she's needed).
I hadn’t realised there would be so much information on the Japanese justice system or the complications of a trial of this nature in Japanese society. It made me think about how foreigners in Japan often say how kind and helpful the police are, but I think every Japanese novel I’ve ever read has only ever referenced the police in a negative way; either negligent or abrasive (and that hasn’t just been in crime novels!). It makes me wonder if the system is two-faced, smiling at foreigners while keeping Japanese citizens (or, I guess, those who look asian) “in check”. It certainly seems that way, but I don’t know enough to say for certain.
We get a lot of cultural insight into Japan despite the book tackling a very niche issue which is also really interesting, but it’s all still really engaging. Rokudenashiko is a great example of someone taking their work seriously, but not taking themselves too seriously, and advocating body positivity and feminism through her art in a society where concepts like that are strongly resisted.
The book is not at all academic or explicit or preachy. It’s just a fun story about how the exploration of an idea (body positivity and the de-sexualisation of a body part) led one small time artist to big trouble (and some silver lining stuff too). I would recommend this book to: anyone wanting a fun manga that gives some insight on Japanese culture; anyone interested in body positivity or feminism; and anyone in possession of or who, in some way, appreciates the humble vagina.
I also feel this idea of body policing is particularly pertinent in the current France Burkini Ban climate…
The main focus was more what she went through than her art itself though later in the book she does explain how she got to be making “manko (/vagina) art” (and comics in general!) and we do get to see Manko-chan’s comic adventures too which is fun. There are photos and screenshots and so on to help build up a fuller visual context too. (Usually photo inserts in books like this would annoy me, but it actually worked really well here.)
I thought there would be a little bit more in-depth discussion about her feminist rational, but instead, she speaks very simply about her intentions. There are no over-complicated theses. It is what it is. And, as it turns out, that was just as fulfilling to see. It could probably all be boiled down to “vaginas are just body parts like an arm or a foot so let’s normalise and accept them and not just sexualise them”. Simple! And rather inoffensive really. But that landed her in jail (proving why she's needed).
I hadn’t realised there would be so much information on the Japanese justice system or the complications of a trial of this nature in Japanese society. It made me think about how foreigners in Japan often say how kind and helpful the police are, but I think every Japanese novel I’ve ever read has only ever referenced the police in a negative way; either negligent or abrasive (and that hasn’t just been in crime novels!). It makes me wonder if the system is two-faced, smiling at foreigners while keeping Japanese citizens (or, I guess, those who look asian) “in check”. It certainly seems that way, but I don’t know enough to say for certain.
We get a lot of cultural insight into Japan despite the book tackling a very niche issue which is also really interesting, but it’s all still really engaging. Rokudenashiko is a great example of someone taking their work seriously, but not taking themselves too seriously, and advocating body positivity and feminism through her art in a society where concepts like that are strongly resisted.
The book is not at all academic or explicit or preachy. It’s just a fun story about how the exploration of an idea (body positivity and the de-sexualisation of a body part) led one small time artist to big trouble (and some silver lining stuff too). I would recommend this book to: anyone wanting a fun manga that gives some insight on Japanese culture; anyone interested in body positivity or feminism; and anyone in possession of or who, in some way, appreciates the humble vagina.
I also feel this idea of body policing is particularly pertinent in the current France Burkini Ban climate…
November 4, 2023
This is a fascinating insight into the bigoted corners of Japanese society. This volume itself was strongest when it dwelled on the artist's incarceration and contact with the legal system. Overall the segments were quite repetitive, and some of the text segments did not add to the whole.
The questions asked at the foreign correspondent's club were those I would have liked to have been further explored: considering all the raunchy material freely available in Japan, why was this artist singled out for an obscenity prosecution?
The questions asked at the foreign correspondent's club were those I would have liked to have been further explored: considering all the raunchy material freely available in Japan, why was this artist singled out for an obscenity prosecution?
November 15, 2016
This book is amazing! I loved the illustration style and more importantly the message and portrayal of the artist's experience. I was really surprised by the end of the book as well and would love to read more about her experience. I will be recommending this highly!
December 9, 2025
Estoy 100% de acuerdo con la idea de que Japón tiene un problema de patriarcado y misoginia brutal, y que hay un trabajo pendiente en la normalización del cuerpo femenino, fuera del estigma y la sexualización.
Por lo tanto, creo que el trabajo que está llevando a cabo la autora es muy importante. Quizá incluso el hacerlo a través del arte es lo que lo hace accesible y cercano como primera toma de contacto, y puede abrir la puerta a un discurso feminista más estructurado y politizado.
Aún así, lo que es el manga en sí no me ha llegado mucho. El enfoque del problema me parece excesivamente sencillo, quedándose en una crítica superficial ante un problema muy complejo. Además, la autora y protagonista no me ha caído especialmente bien (no pasa nada, está en su derecho, pero no ayuda) y la historia es repetitiva, no tiene tanta chicha como para un manga de esta extensión, o no se ha sabido aprovechar.
Lo he acabado por ser prestado por un amigo, para poder debatirlo. Pero me alegro de haber aprendido cómo están las cosas en Japón con respecto a este tema (spoiler: fatal, gracias).
Por lo tanto, creo que el trabajo que está llevando a cabo la autora es muy importante. Quizá incluso el hacerlo a través del arte es lo que lo hace accesible y cercano como primera toma de contacto, y puede abrir la puerta a un discurso feminista más estructurado y politizado.
Aún así, lo que es el manga en sí no me ha llegado mucho. El enfoque del problema me parece excesivamente sencillo, quedándose en una crítica superficial ante un problema muy complejo. Además, la autora y protagonista no me ha caído especialmente bien (no pasa nada, está en su derecho, pero no ayuda) y la historia es repetitiva, no tiene tanta chicha como para un manga de esta extensión, o no se ha sabido aprovechar.
Lo he acabado por ser prestado por un amigo, para poder debatirlo. Pero me alegro de haber aprendido cómo están las cosas en Japón con respecto a este tema (spoiler: fatal, gracias).
May 4, 2024
C’était à la fois très drôle et très rageant, l’artiste raconte son incarcération par la police japonaise dans une première partie et la seconde moitié est plutôt sur son art, sur « l’avant » de cet événement marquant. J’ai appris beaucoup sur le système de justice et de prison japonais mais aussi sur l’art et le projet de cette autrice. Vraiment très bien !
December 6, 2018
Funny and cheerful manga about Rokudenashiko and her battle with Japanese justice system. Interesting in terms of mentioned there "collective identity" and art perception through a social and cultural differences.
May 18, 2019
I didn't know I needed this book in my life. I was working 80 hours a week at the time Rokudenashiko's story was unfolding back in 2014, so I had no clue this happened until I picked up the book. What a great story about body positivity and the arbitrary nature of censorship.
Also, vagina.
Also, vagina.
May 28, 2025
[reread] Excellent and soo important.
October 21, 2018
Wonderful.
October 7, 2016
I really enjoyed this book and its message, the artist is excellent and to be admired. I will be following her story from here on out; I even plan to order a manko-chan! My only complaint, and the reason I subtracted a star, is the lack of analysis or introspection about the labiaplasty. The artist clearly got one for purely creative reasons, and of course women should be permitted to get one for whatever reason they like. My issue is, the artist says she felt her labia were too big, and she jokes about having a "meat flap complex." She herself may not have had this problem but this is fully the reason the procedure even exists. For a woman who feels so strongly about the power of the manko and who seems totally dedicated to demystifying it, it's distressing to imagine her, or anyone else, having strips of it cut off for cosmetic reasons. I wish there was a little bit more exploration of the thought process she went through before having the procedure, and why she thinks the procedure is available in the first place.
June 1, 2016
I learned quite a bit about the repressive nature of Japanese culture (mostly directed toward women's sexuality or even just their body parts), Japanese prison and the manga publishing industry. Rokudenashiko recounts her ordeal of persecution (and a prison sentence) by mostly older Japanese men in reaction to her manko art. She maintains a light-hearted tone throughout most of it, but there is real anger and emotion behind the comics.
The second story of how she became a manko artist was the most interesting to me. It detailed her crumbling marriage, her search for a purpose, struggle with breaking into the manga industry, decision to have vaginal rejuvenation surgery (and how that put her on the path to becoming a manko artist) and taking control of her own life. It seems that she stumbled into her position as an effector of social change, but there's no doubt it has been effective and changed people's lives (including her own).
The second story of how she became a manko artist was the most interesting to me. It detailed her crumbling marriage, her search for a purpose, struggle with breaking into the manga industry, decision to have vaginal rejuvenation surgery (and how that put her on the path to becoming a manko artist) and taking control of her own life. It seems that she stumbled into her position as an effector of social change, but there's no doubt it has been effective and changed people's lives (including her own).
April 2, 2018
AMAZING. Rokudenashiko is my hero.
I first came across her work on tumblr. The yellow pussy boat? I loved that. I was like, "Amazing, LOVE her!" and that was before I had any idea there was this whole big censorship story that goes along with it. Like, all of her manko (pussy) art is deliberately desexualized and made accessible using cuteness, but there's a huge vagina taboo in Japan (for example: pixelated porn, like come on) so she still gets in trouble.
I first came across her work on tumblr. The yellow pussy boat? I loved that. I was like, "Amazing, LOVE her!" and that was before I had any idea there was this whole big censorship story that goes along with it. Like, all of her manko (pussy) art is deliberately desexualized and made accessible using cuteness, but there's a huge vagina taboo in Japan (for example: pixelated porn, like come on) so she still gets in trouble.
August 31, 2016
Outstanding! Everyone ought to read this book! It's fun and cute and funny. It will probably make you angry too; her arrest and time spent in prison was shocking and frustrating.
What Rokudenashiko did (and is doing) with her art and her resistance was no big deal and revolutionary, all at the same time.
What Rokudenashiko did (and is doing) with her art and her resistance was no big deal and revolutionary, all at the same time.
March 29, 2019
In 2014, a Japanese artist made a 3D scan of her vulva, made it into a kayak using crowdfunding, and sent the 3D model to some of the backers. Then she was arrested and went to jail for "obscenity". This is a memoir about her experiences.
It's very funny, and sometimes scary -seeing how easily someone's freedom can be taken away for completely ridiculous reasons. Her experience in jail sounded terrible, from the food she was given, not being able to shower for 5 days, too-tight handcuffs, the boredom. I admired her reaction to it, "this will make a great story! 🙂 "
Rokudenashiko highlights the double standards Japanese society has - there's a PENIS FESTIVAL in Japan. "The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations " !!! But her artwork got her arrested.
It's very funny, and sometimes scary -seeing how easily someone's freedom can be taken away for completely ridiculous reasons. Her experience in jail sounded terrible, from the food she was given, not being able to shower for 5 days, too-tight handcuffs, the boredom. I admired her reaction to it, "this will make a great story! 🙂 "
Rokudenashiko highlights the double standards Japanese society has - there's a PENIS FESTIVAL in Japan. "The phallus, as the central theme of the event, is reflected in illustrations, candy, carved vegetables, decorations " !!! But her artwork got her arrested.
March 12, 2022
Tendria tan poco interés para mí cualquier objeto artístico representando una vagina que un pene, pero indudablemente, ante una sociedad tan discrininatoria, e incriminatoria como la japonesa, bien está referfarles el chichi por la cara, y ponérselo hasta en la sopa. Un cómic cuco, que explica una persecución imbecibilísima a esta artista, de forma muy íntima, salpicado de apuntes relacionados, como una entrevista con Sion Sono, y cuyo mayor valor es el reivindicativo. El manko muñeco que grita es monísimo!!
April 1, 2019
"All this fuss over manko? ...What they consider an obscenity is just a part of my body. Manko is nothing more than manko." Such a delightful and insightful wee book.
(And I love that when the author was arrested and taken to jail, she immediately thought "This is going to be such a good story!")
(And I love that when the author was arrested and taken to jail, she immediately thought "This is going to be such a good story!")
November 26, 2018
Más allá del titular (artista japonesa detenida por hacer una canoa con el molde de su vulva) hay una historia bien interesante y un caso judicial muy injusto y machista.
January 3, 2021
Fue mi primer manga y mi primer acercamiento al feminismo japonés, y le tengo mucho cariño.
February 1, 2025
Chip Kidd covers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
July 5, 2019
Molt bo i, a la vegada, molt trist: com poden penalitzar d'aquesta manera la llibertat d'expressió a l'hora de crear? Lectura divertida d'un fet que ens hauria de fer reflexionar
February 18, 2025
C'est drôle, loin d'être bête et très frais
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews