Women’s Power Series Part IV

Welcome back! This week, we'll continue our Women’s Power series, where I talk about media that celebrates the many facets of women. We are not just one thing. Many moments make us into the women we are today. We will continue our series with the following: Women Can Be Misunderstood.

Society tries to fit all women into a bubble. Women have to be well-mannered, soft-spoken, and agreeable. When they fall outside that role, they are often viewed as outsiders. The following pieces of media explore women who don’t fit the mold of the average woman, but that is okay. There is plenty of room for different types of women to share the same space. 

Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell

Shesheshen is a shapeshifting monster living in an abandoned manor. She feeds on the villagers of Underlook. While hibernating, three human monster hunters attack her. Shesheshen eats the leader of the group, while his minions run off. Injured, Shesheshen disguises herself as a human to try to sneak into Underlook and feed among unsuspecting victims. However, the monster hunters from before spotted her and caused the villagers to chase her into the night. She lost her footing and fell off a cliff. She awakes to find a woman, Homily, taking care of her by offering her food and tending to her wounds. Will Shesheshen resort to killing her newfound savior, or will she learn that humanity might be the greatest monster of all?

Why Read: It asks the question of whether Shesheshen should be judged for her nature. Her species is a predator that hunts mostly humans. If other mammals like lions, tigers, and bears can hunt without repercussion and are expected to be at the top of the food chain, then why doesn’t Shesheshen get that same level of acknowledgement? It makes you wonder if Shesheshen should be the monster of the story or if there is a greater threat than her. 

Kaya-chan Isn’t Scary

Kaya is a kindergartener who is considered a problem child at the school. She prevents students from playing in the playground and does things that seem destructive in class. However, her teacher, Chie, starts to realize that Kaya isn’t a problematic child. Kaya can see evil spirits, and the things that she does that are considered problematic are what keep the ghosts away. Chie vows to help Kaya keep her classmates safe. However, what Chie doesn’t realize is that the greatest spirit that Kaya faces is at home. Will Kaya be able to fight these evil spirits off?

Why Watch: Adults tend to dismiss children, even children who are more than they appear. Despite people writing off Kaya as a problem child, it doesn’t bother her. You see Kaya’s bravery on display in every episode and how she works hard to overcome each spirit without any thanks or gratitude from others. I like how it portrays that no matter how small you are, you can still do great things to help your community.

Wednesday

The story follows Wednesday Addams after she is expelled from school and transfers to Nevermore Academy.

Why Watch: On a surface level, Wednesday comes across as cold-hearted and ruthless. Despite her prickly exterior, she will do anything to protect the people who are closest to her, like her brother and her roommate. When she sees trouble, she fights against it with everything she has, even when it causes people to see her as a problem child. 

Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku

Seo, a loner otaku, is shocked that he is able to befriend the most popular girls in his class, Ijichi and Amane.

Why Watch: It illustrates how our preconceived notions cloud our judgments of people. Seo thought that Ijichi was an airhead and Amane had a cold personality. He didn’t think either of the girls would understand him, let alone want to be friends with him. However, Seo was surprised to find common ground with them. Ijichi is not only really smart, but is also open to learning about Seo’s hobbies as an otaku, and Amane is just as big of an otaku as he is. It shows that people can be friends despite their various backgrounds. 

Spy x Family

Agent Twilight is tasked with uncovering information about politician Donovan Desmond. Because Donovan is a recluse, the only time he makes public appearances is at the school his sons attend. In an attempt to get closer to Donovan, Twilight creates a persona as a psychiatrist, marries civil servant Yor, and adopts orphan Anya. He hopes to create the perfect family so he can present a positive image to Donovan to gain his trust. However, what Twilight doesn’t know is that Yor and Anya are hiding secrets of their own. 

Why Watch: The main characters are trying to hide who they truly are, especially Yor and Anya. Yor comes off as a nervous civil servant when she is in public, but she is actually a top-rated, cold-blooded assassin who excels at never missing a mark. Anya is perceived as a troubled child, but she is very self-aware due to her telepathic ability. She constantly uses her telepathy to defy people’s expectations of her. 

That’s it for now. Thanks for joining me as I celebrate these wonderful women. They illustrate that women are diverse and come from a variety of different backgrounds. Considering that, it would be foolish to think every woman would act the same no matter where she is from. Join me next time as we continue our exploration of women with Part 5: Women Are Protectors.