Hanaka Aru: Meet One of the many Mangaka Who's Actively Fighting Against Stereotypes
The Ideal Body-Type
Traditionally, manga, like many other forms of media, has heavily featured slender or idealized body types for its characters. While there's nothing inherently wrong with portraying diverse body shapes, the scarcity of plus-size characters means that a significant portion of the population doesn't see themselves reflected in some of the stories they consume.
Stereotypes in Manga
Not to say there aren't any representations at all. However, when plus-size characters do appear, they are often relegated to stereotypical roles. They might be the comedic relief, the perpetually hungry character, or the inherently lazy side-kick. Adding to this some of them tend to be unattractive, old, or lacking in confidence. These one-dimensional portrayals fail to capture the complexity and individuality of plus-size individuals in real life.
Mangaka Changing the Industry
A prime example is Hanaka Aru's All Be Plus!, a two-volume manga that tackles this very topic. It centers on a model who experiences weight gain due to new medication and chronicles her subsequent journey through the modeling world and her personal growth. This kind of thoughtful storytelling is exactly what the industry needs to move beyond some harmful stereotypes and offer more relatable, well-developed plus-size characters.
How All Be Plus Came to Be Through the Vision of Hanaka Aru
"ALL BE PLUS! is a manga that I drew desperately out of my own complex and my desire to question lookism. This manga was born when I met a plus-size model named Momoka Ai. I will do my best to make this a manga that even more people will love!"
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Manga Details
ALL BE PLUS
Top model Orina gained weight due to long-term treatment for a mental illness. In two months, Japan's largest event, "TLC," is approaching, and she is told she'll be fired if she can't appear. Even with a body that's hard to...
