A Strangely Affirming Anime

Let's talk about Interspecies Reviewers. Yes, an anime that was probably one of the most contentious last year, and tiptoed the line between ecchi and hentai. It caused a lot of problems for dubbing companies, and how it would air at all, due to the content it showed and discussed. Along with all of that though, it's an incredibly affirming anime and manga with many positive messages within it.

Through most of the world, many people seem to have an issue with seeing sex workers as people, or that their work is, in fact, work. Instead we're shown here that each location has a different offering, we're taught how it works, the individual rules of each establishment, and that they're all doing a very specific job that only those people can do. Likewise, we're shown reviews of each experience, from different perspectives, and they're always looked at for the things that make them different and unique, similar to if someone were reviewing a service like a restaurant, or a therapist. Everyone there might be looking for something to fit their own unique needs and wants, but it's never questioned if the service they're hiring someone for is any more or less work than anything else. My only real wish is that it covered the many aspects of sex work, including those that are less hands-on, as they tend to be just as ostracized.

At the same time, we're shown that sex is a healthy thing that many people are afraid to speak on, but nonetheless enjoy. When we see the reviews the characters write up about the various species shown in the anime, we start seeing an open discussion of likes and dislikes. There's seldom any sort of conversation that is based in shame, and instead we see people feeling more comfortable talking about sex and sexuality, kinks, exploration, and adventure. It's refreshing to see something, especially in Japanese media, that creates a positive view on sex, and removes the shame from sex work.

One of my favorite things however, is the amount of representation we see among the sex workers throughout the series (Something I plan on talking about in a broader perspective in the future). Not only do we see many different species, even within a single episode, but multiple body types, personalities, and roles within each of them. While it falls into some of the tropes that exist within ecchi, overall it becomes one of the most body positive examples in anime, where we're shown that while you can absolutely have a preference in what you find attractive, you can enjoy so much outside of that initial concept, and ultimately find pleasure and aesthetic attraction towards far more in the long run. At certain point in the anime, it even covers topics touching on being transgender, as well things surrounding the idea whether or not "size matters".

Interspecies Reviewers isn't without fault mind you. It's unfortunately shown from almost entirely a male perspective, and winds up being centered on heterosexuality, or targeting the male gaze and sexual cliches within it. It however, manages to frame sexuality as a part of life that many people are interested in, much in the way that women's magazines contain so many articles of how to "drive men wild" with various sex techniques and ideas. With a dub having eventually been made though, I do recommend giving it a watch with the mindset of laughing at the awkward moments, and enjoying the things it does exceptionally well, while understanding that you can't make progress on every area at once.