Transgenderism in Japanese manga as radical translation : The Journey to the West goes to Japan

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Abstract

In 2007, there were widespread expressions of anger in China about Japanese adaptations of the classic Chinese novel The Journey to the West, in which the monk (Tripitaka) goes to India in search of the Buddhist scriptures and is turned into a woman. Through their parodies-which translation theorists have seen as a form of “radical translation”-Japanese manga artists have played with the mythical quest tale involving the religious figure and his three companions. Of the over 100 manga versions of the story, many have capitalized on the myriad possibilities made available by the gender slippage on the part of Tripitaka. In those manga in which Tripitaka’s androgyny is emphasized, authors have spun tales of homosexual liaisons between the hero and his three disciples as well as other demons they encounter on the way. The present paper discusses one manga (Patariro Journey to the West) in which the Chinese classic is “queered.” How do we understand the gender-bending in these Japanese adaptations? What has been little noticed is the fact that queer and parody theories provide us with a new way of understanding how Japanese manga artists have manipulated with the Chinese novel.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationQueering Translation, Translating the Queer: Theory, Practice, Activism
EditorsBrian James BAER, Klaus KAINDL
PublisherRoutledge
Chapter7
Pages96-111
Number of pages16
ISBN (Print)9781138201699
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Taylor & Francis.

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