[Trans] Kame Camera - Vol.14 Manhood

[iside89]

Highlights:
-What is the difference between manhood and femininity for Kame.
-Kame's sudden transformation into a woman (?)
-Kame's model of manhood (I bet you can guess who's he talking about).
-Kame's type of woman.
-...and more xD

KAME CAMERA
What's the scenery of the bottom of the heart that Kamenashi Kazuya's lens reflects?

Vol.14 男らしさ

Comments

[scorch66]

I love this Maquia so much fhdsjkfhdskj It's like everything we know and have talked put in Kame's own words.

feminine outward appearance can’t be born with a mere natural body. Since it is also born from a “creating process”
I like how he says this, how 'femininity' is a construct. It's not the be-all-end-all for women but something society has created and a category anyone can fall into if they try.

Probably talking like this there are people thinking “you aren’t manly. Although you’re a man”, but I don’t mind. I simply want to enjoy what I like, both cars and beauty, as I please. I always want to be neutral towards stuff I find wonderful or interesting, without paying attention to how people see me
YOU GO, BB. so much love and admiration for you ♥♥♥♥

I am charmed by women that have a serenity that doesn’t mind little things, who have the steadiness of someone who carries a burden or an independence that doesn’t require to be spoilt like a child.Love, love, love

[iside89]

LOL I wonder why the one that may probably become my least favourite has become the favourite of so many people? XD

[scorch66]

I think it's because the words hold diff meanings for us. he says he likes that kind of women, but it makes it sound like those women have a "manly" side, while I'd consider it the "real" femininity.

To me, femininity =/= being a women, it's only an generalized association. I'm a woman and I don't consider myself very feminine. I hate it when guys go 'girls have to be xx or else they're not feminine' as if being pretty and delicate is are our essence, because that's how society views femininity. Kame, however, is saying that femininity is a creation and not something someone is naturally born with; it's not gender specific. Men can be feminine just as women can be masculine and in the end, we're all a bit of both. Psychologically, we're androgynous and he's fascinated by ppl who embrace that.
Feminine and masculine both have other conotations, but imo they are also both based on physical appearances in the end. They're both stereotypes and while Kame delves deeper on the masculine aspect without going deeper on the feminine, I

[iside89]

At the end, we share the same opinion; and as you explained, I/we share Kame's point of view at the end of the story, just I guess we simply disagree on the way Kame put it :) Indeed, the theme was "manhood" (or, for a literal translation, "what is man-like/what is considered proper of a man") so of course he had to end the comment about "what is considered proper of a woman" in just some lines. If you see the word translation like this, he was just following the theme. One of the reasons I admire him is exactly because he shows respect for every human being independently from gender. This is why I was :( at the first lines because as you said, knowing other declarations by him, I'd have expected him to say something like "everyone think this is 'femininity', but I think it's not". He simply confirms it, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because indeed the theme is man, not woman, and he's talking as a man carrying a (partly) different PoV from all other Japanese men

[absinthe1213]

oh kame...
how are you so adorable...

he really loves pulling our tails, so to speak...

[ylunio]

Ok, questo valume di Maquia suona COSI' Giapponese XD
Soprattutto all'inizio, quando Kame parla dell'importanza dell'apparenza per le donne, e della forza dell'uomo che, invece, risiede al suo interno, nel suo carattere. È un po' deprimente.
Ma che la società giapponese sia fondamentalmente maschilista si sa e fare finta che non sia così è piuttosto ipocrita.
Alla fine quando Kame dice che preferisce persone che siano nella "via di mezzo", in un certo senso, non parla anche di se stesso? Lui si occupa del suo aspetto esteriore come farebbe una donna, ma ha il cuore di un uomo.
E thumbs up per Johnny Depp! <3

[bellemelody]

thank you very much for translation!

[saharasnow82]

Thanks for the translation

[iside89]

Tell me about it, this essay comes exactly in a period I am studying culture and gender stereotypes in Japan. (This also explains why I reacted in such a torn way to this essay too; I can't read it as a normal interview to my favourite idol anymore ^^')

Then he kinda makes it okay again by saying that he appreciates a woman that walks on both sides of the gender line by exhibiting “masculine” and “feminine” qualities. I say “kinda” because he is labeling actions into gender roles.
Oh, thank you for putting into words what I wasn't able to say in my crappy English just 2 comments above~ XD

As a side question, so you've gender studies as background? That is very interesting. And yes, indeed, these are those moments you think "money well spent" :)

[saharasnow82]

No problem. Different experience lend to different methods of expressions

[iside89]

Oh, the courses you took are really interesting. (Parenthesis, I might send you a DM in the future, if you don't mind, about the "gender in the media" topic. It interests my research)
Indeed, each own studies influence our perception and make us read and see stuff in a different way. Your studies influence you on the gender side, for example.

I don’t think he could have expressed himself in any other way.
Sadly, I think it too. Moreover I was reflecting about it just now, a detail I forgot is that Maquia is a beauty magazines so he really couldn't say anything different: especially Kame who's always very conscious of his surroundings and always comments in an appropriate way (look at Panasonic or Kirin Tea's conferences).
And about being a magazine: yes, it is a limit for his liberty of expression so you'd naturally think we shouldn't try to read too deep; but beside being a "flaw" of Kame fans, trying to read deep meanings in everything he says, which is not necessary bad if this brings to a mature exchange of opinions like now