Winter watchlist: Unmissable Japanese LGBTQ movies and anime

As the weather turns colder, it’s the perfect season to unwind and enjoy a movie at home. Here are some recommended movies and an anime series that depict LGBTQ people living with joy despite challenges in life. Although some are so heavy that we might want to turn away, they still touch our hearts and give us the courage to understand and empathize with the characters.

1. Midnight Swan (2020)

Midnight Swan follows Nagisa, a transgender woman who grew up in a suburb and now lives in Tokyo as a dancer in a nightclub with other trans people. Due to an incident, Nagisa begins to take care of Ichika, her distant niece after being neglected by her mother and getting kicked out of her home. Although initially reluctant, as time passed, they began to develop a mother-daughter love for each other, and their traumatic and damaged hearts were healed.

While some critics argue that it portrays trans women as too tragic, as if they live their lives constantly despised and insecure, I believe this movie serves as an excellent introduction for those who are unfamiliar with the experiences of trans individuals. It illustrates the challenges faced by trans individuals in pursuing the lives they desire, often working in precarious environments such as nightclubs or sex work, highlighting society’s indifference and discrimination. However, its beautiful portrayal of love reminds us that love can thrive regardless of our identities and backgrounds.

2. What Did You Eat Yesterday? (2019) (Original Title: “Kinou Nani Tabeta?”)

It is a manga-based TV series drama that portrays the slice of life of a middle-aged gay couple, Kenji and Shiro living in Tokyo. While Midnight Swan is a serious and thought-provoking piece, this series is a heartwarming and cozy story that you would want to watch with your family.

There are various scenes where many audiences, no matter whether they are hetero- or homosexual, might empathize with the characters, such as when Kenji worries and jumps to the wrong conclusion that Shiro may cheat on him. On the other hand, it depicts various struggles that gay couples might have. For example, Shiro and Kenji sometimes fight over their different ways of being gay: Kenji is openly gay while Shiro is a closeted gay. Although it addresses the issues of LGBTQ perspectives, anyone can enjoy it as a rom-com, the perfect choice for the holiday season.

3.Tomo-chan Is A Girl! (2023)

This rom-com anime is not a straightforward LGBTQ piece, but it is a series that frees the audience from the dualistic gender concept: men or women, or masculine or feminine. It follows the protagonist, Tomo, who is a tomboy but wants to be recognized as a woman in the eyes of her crush and best friend, Jun.

Witnessing Tomo’s struggle to become more feminine, we begin to realize that there are as many different gender identities as there are abundant ways for everyone to express themselves. Also, the fact that characters around Tomo are not bonded to the gender stereotypes gives us the idea that everyone can get “butterflies” between/among any relationship. Their free-spirited and joyful behavior is pleasant to watch.