I was thinking, y'know, all I do is gush about Pandora Hearts, but it's not like I don't have problems with it. Because really, Pandora Hearts has some gender issues that really bug me. Not that this is any different than the vast majority of anime/manga out there, of course. But it's somehow even more irritating when you really, really love a series than when you're just casually interested.

First we have Alice, one of the three central characters. The entire plot completely revolves around her, and yet her screen-time is awfully limited. Raven is my favorite character, so it's not like I'm going to complain about all the attention given to him, but maybe we could, I don't know, spare just a little time for the most important figure to the plot? I understand that Mochizuki has a huge cast of characters here, and that it's easy to end up spending more time on characters than you thought would be necessary to relay their story, and that this will cause important characters to get sidelined; it's something that any story written under the kind of pressure that manga are is going to suffer from. But all these characters she's spending so much time on? Are male. I don't think that's coincidence.

Furthermore, Alice starts off the series as a legendary terror that no one can beat, and now? Her power is completely cut off and she only gets to use it when the men around her deem it necessary. Of course a plot contrivance to limit her power was necessary to the story, but was it really necessary to limit it completely? In the Abyss, her power was partially limited, but she could still do amazing things like blocking Mad Baby's huge spikes with her arms. Why can't she have any of that power now? And shouldn't she logically be pretty damn tough even as an ordinary human? But no, unless Oz and Raven are there to release her power, she's... pretty much helpless.

And lest you think I'm done! She supposedly really loves fighting, but rarely actually gets to do so! And whenever she does, she's constantly getting cockblocked! Seriously, let the girl get her game on! Even without the gender issues, you have a gigantic scythe-wielding bun-bun of death. For god's sake Mochizuki, that is pretty much the most awesome thing ever, so use it. And now, now we're getting Oz using her power without her even being there. Again, don't get me wrong, those scenes were awesome and I loved them; but added on top of Alice not ever getting to fight herself, we have a problem.

Now, as for Sharon. I love Sharon. I would not, were she in isolation, have issues with her character (beyond the same "screen time plskthx" issues I have with Alice). She is a strong and competent woman, even though she is weak physically. Don't misunderstand me here - I think it's great for a story to portray that people (especially women) can be strong in other ways than physical ones. Far too many writers think that a woman who can kick ass automatically equals "strong female character", and it doesn't; a woman who can kick ass can be a weak female character (see: Echo), and a woman who is physically weak can be a very strong one. But when you factor in all the other gender issues this series has, her backstage seat as a strategist and information gatherer and her use as kidnap bait become somewhat problematic.

Plus, we see a lot of Oscar, Break, Vincent, and others engaging in talks and verbal maneuvers; why don't we see any of this with Sharon? Why don't we see her spying and collecting important information with Eques? It would not be that difficult to work her role more into the foreground, even with her lack of combat ability.

I don't even think I need to explain my issues with Echo. And the thing is, like Sharon, Echo would not bother me if she were in isolation from the other issues in the manga. She is a doormat, but there are plenty of real women with doormat syndrome, and it would be doing those women a disservice to pretend they don't exist, and especially to make like pretending they don't exist is a "feminist" thing to do. I'll also allow that I am significantly less squicked now that I know that Echo is not actually in love with Vincent, and is a doormat for some other, much more mysterious reason. But combined with everything else? This is a problem.

It is especially a problem when the only girl on the good guys' side who can seriously fight is... the puppet of some man, and a completely skeevy, abusive one at that. (Well, it's a bit of a stretch to call her a "good guy" since she serves Vincent, but though she was the one that kidnapped Sharon, she was also the one who saved her, in the end.)

And then we find out about Zwei. And well... Zwei. I'm all relieved that Echo is at least not in love with Vincent, and then... Zwei.

As for Lotti, well, I love her to death - she out-bad-touched Vincent, and that is amazing - but she's a) a figure of wicked feminine sexuality (which, again, I would not have a problem with because it is hot, but it's a problem on top of everything else), and b) she is in love with Glen (or at least implied to be). Can we please ever have a female who follows a male villain for some other reason? Seriously.

And let me just devote a little moment to the drama CD here. I don't know if that script was written by Mochizuki or not, but either way, there are problems. First of all, the cooking scene. I don't really have a problem with the premise itself, because, well, it's Oz. We all know what he's like. But Break being all high-and-mighty and refusing to let Sharon cook anymore because of a little cut on her finger? Um, hello, she is a grown woman? And a highly intellegent one at that? I think just maybe she can make these decisions on her own? It would have been fine if it had been portrayed like Break was being an ass, but no, it was portrayed as if we were supposed to think it sweet and romantic. Oh, please, gag me. And I say this as someone who ships them.

And then the detective segment. Can we say trans-fear? I think we can. Now, I'm going to be frank here; while there is some trans-fear inherent in the classic trope of "let's force the pretty boy into a dress and ooh and aah at how pretty he is while he dies of humiliation", I like the trope. I don't know why; probably has something to do with a) these are usually characters I love to see get embarassed (and boy, do I love to see Raven get embarassed), and b) I find a guy who can pass as a woman even though he usually doesn't hot for some reason. But while I might like that trope despite myself, their reaction on stumbling into a transvestite meet-up? Was a bit much, to say the least.

I mean, really, guys. You're going to be sick? Scarier than all the chains in the Abyss? And what's up with your reaction, Alice, when you were just talking sincerely about how good Raven looked, of all things? Is it because Raven was doing it as a disguise and not because he wanted to, or because Raven looked hot and these were all old, ugly dudes? Either way, it's kind of... not okay.

Jesus, that was the most tl;dr post I've written in ages. I didn't know I had this much to say about it!