CONTENT WARNING for discussion of sexual assault, homophobia, predatory behavior, and bullying. SPOILERS for all of Yurikuma Arashi.
Fantastical fiction is an ideal space for working through complex real-world issues using the frame of allegory, metaphor, and a little bit of magic. Yurikuma Arashi is one such series, a step detached from reality but with something to say about real-world problems: broadly about bigotry and ignorance, but also more specifically about homophobia and the societal stigmas queer women face.
While the series’ constant and varied use of symbolism is sometimes flawed and problematic, its message also lands with considerable impact because it includes protagonists that belong to the marginalised group at the heart of its magical, metaphorical conflict. Namely, Yurikuma Arashi uses a fantasy setting, exaggeration, and abstract visuals to deliver a message about the prejudice that queer women face, and, for all its flaws, works doubly well because its main characters are themselves queer women.
Seriously though, major props to Yuri Kuma Arashi for not only calling out the “they’re just friends” mentality in regards to girl/girl relationships, but going into why it’s dangerous and ultimately utterly destroying it
Uh, so I guess I owe you some sort of explanation… I haven’t been using this blog for ages and I might start now, not very regularly but still, might appear on your dash from time to time. So this will no longer be a purely, or even mostly an aesthetic blog. Is most likely to center around anime, yuri the most and just… lesbian things, I guess? Unfollow without any regret if that’s not your kind of content, and if it is, don’t expect too much of me, I just post what I want to with minimal tagging (nsfw, serious spoilers, common triggers, etc). Yep, that’s it!
I watched the first episode of Yuri Kuma Arashi once again.
Its after all an anime you need to watch more than once to really get it.
I have to say, YKA is a really scary story. Its a crime story about murder. Its a story about how the society works. Its a story about homophobia. Dont let yourself be fooled by the cute colors and frilly designs.
The most important thing for understanding the anime is to understand what does a bear symbolise.
A bear is a creature thats dangerous to humans. Its out of place in human cities, when it appears, ppl can get hurt/get eaten, if the bear is starwed. Yet we addapted the bear as a cute stuffed toy for kids. Thats how homosexuality is viewed in Japan. Yuri stories, anime and books or queer celebrieties on TV are accepted, seen as interesting or cute. But real life gay ppl are seen as something out of order, a threat to societys order. A real life openly out lesbian in ones neghtbourhood or school is seen as such an out of place person, beeing a danger to social norms just by existing.
But the bears are not only a symbol of gay ppl . Bears symbolise everything thats seen as dangerous behavior in society. Living out some deep desires. Murder, such things. Thats the most important thing to understand about the bear symbol. Gay ppl are specific outcasts, and the anime is mostly about gay ppl and homophobia. Thats why its called Yuri Kuma Arashi (Lesbian Bear Storm), and not just Kuma Arashi (Bear Storm).
The invsible storm is of course quiet discrimination and subtle bullying.
To everyone whining about how Yūri On Ice lured you into a false sense of what the anime is about and how there are no good yuri anime I have one thing to say to you.
Yuri Kuma Arashi.
12 episodes. It’s in funimation, subbed and dubbed. Its tasteful. Its symbolic. Its got all the delicious girlxgirl service you could want with a good story. The bears are fucking cute. You get to hear J. Michael Tatum say “Shaba da doo” in a sexy voice. Its by the same person who directed Revolutionary Girl Utena.
You want actual good yuri shit? Yuri Kuma Arashi. Now please stop whining in the yoi tags about how you were lured into some sort of trap because you can’t google.
