Episode 63. Gender Role Reversal is the Motivation for Writing (2)
Gender role reversal fiction.
This genre, often shortened to simply “gender-reversal,” was actually quite a fresh, sizzling-hot new genre even in my previous life. It hadn’t even been twenty years since it had properly taken shape as a distinct genre rather than fragmented elements. If you counted from when it first began trending, the number would be even smaller.
“Though it’s popular, it’s not the kind of major trend that everyone knows about.”
Perhaps because of the genre’s nature, it was a bit difficult to rise to the level of a major trend that required mass appeal. Such niche genres usually belonged to the minor leagues, after all. Conversely, that meant it was a genre with many hardcore fans who, once hooked, fell deep into it. There was something about being niche that meant it was irreplaceable.
“It might draw less mainstream attention than the novels I’ve written so far. But there might be someone who likes it more than anything I’ve written until now.”
That was enough. Of course, I would love for it to be popular and perform well, but I didn’t want to be too attached to that. Especially now that I had decided to write what I wanted to write. Besides, spreading the word that such diverse genres and cultures existed was also my goal. Who knew? Someone might read the gender role reversal novel I wrote and be inspired. A messiah on a white horse for gender role reversal fiction might appear!
Of course, Aria, who lacked the prerequisite knowledge, couldn’t immediately understand this grand dream of mine.
Aria tilted her head and asked back.
“...So you’re saying it’s a story depicting a kind of matrilineal society? I’ve heard there are a few tribes or races that maintain matrilineal societies. Is it like that?”
“Hmm. You might feel it’s similar, but it’s quite different.”
She seemed to be trying her best to understand within the bounds of her own common sense. But gender role reversal fiction and a matrilineal society were vastly different despite appearances. It was like the difference between a garden snail and a sea slug!
“Just because it’s called a matrilineal society doesn’t mean the chastity, physical abilities, or roles between men and women are reversed, right?”
“That... is true.”
In the first place, a matrilineal society simply referred to a societal form where inheritance and bloodlines continued along the maternal line. It didn’t mean the main power structure or labor force was female. Just because it had been a matrilineal society in prehistoric times didn’t mean women had been superior warriors to men. Men went out hunting and faced higher risks of death; that was why a matrilineal society had formed based on the women who stayed home and guarded the household.
“On the other hand, in gender role reversal fiction, those things are reversed more dramatically.”
But gender role reversal fiction was different. It became the norm for women to be stronger warriors than men. Women became the main labor force, while men taking care of housework turned into an ordinary sight.
“Ah, but I’m not talking about simply physical abilities. I mean the reversal of overall social roles and perceptions.”
“Um, honestly, I still can’t quite grasp it.”
“It might be hard to understand just by hearing it, but you’ll get it right away once you see it.”
Gender role reversal fiction was quite an intuitive genre, after all. Once you saw it, you would understand the feel of it immediately. Well, since there were no works she could read right now, I continued with a bit more additional explanation for Aria, who still seemed not to fully get it.
“A world where roles are completely reversed from the common sense you knew—what on earth would that be like? It satisfies that curiosity while letting you enjoy the irony that comes from that difference.”
“Of course, you could also give the protagonist special traits, like having memories from before the reversal. That way, he could take only the advantages of both the pre-reversal and post-reversal worlds and rise to greater heights. Wouldn’t that be even better?”
I also talked about just what the enjoyable points of gender role reversal fiction were.
“If we classify gender role reversal fiction by setting, reversing concepts of chastity or physical abilities are basic concepts.”
“If we go a bit more extreme, there are also styles that bring about gender role reversal by creating imbalances in sex ratios or spreading ideologies of female supremacy and male inferiority.”
I also talked about how the settings and styles of gender role reversal fiction were divided.
“Personally, I don’t like overly extreme settings. Too extreme a setting often makes it feel like a different genre rather than gender role reversal.”
“That’s not what I want, and if handled poorly, it can cause discomfort. It doesn’t seem very suitable for introducing gender role reversal fiction for the first time.”
I gave her advance notice of my personal preferences and the direction I planned to take with the new work.
After hearing all that explanation, Aria finally nodded and spoke carefully.
“Um... I’m not sure if I should say this, but the genre itself feels like it contains so much blatant desire. Is that just my imagination?”
“Oh, you can feel that?”
Had she finally understood it completely?
Aria’s assessment hit the nail on the head.
“Correct. As you said, Aria, gender role reversal fiction could be called a lump of desire.”
That’s right. Gender role reversal fiction was a product of desire.
*And not ordinary desire, but a somewhat peculiar and twisted desire.*
Otherwise, why would such a peculiar genre emerge?
Fantasies and yearnings for the opposite sex. And dissatisfaction and doubts about one’s own sex. A freeloader mentality that wants to resolve those while taking only the advantages of both sides and reaping all the honey.
A genre born from such desires.
*That’s why the development usually goes in a direction that stimulates and satisfies those aspects.*
Not that it was a bad thing. After all, the very reason I liked gender role reversal fiction enough to decide to write one myself was exactly that. So why would I hate the protagonist freeloading and getting headpats?
...Well. Since blatant desire was practically overflowing from it, as Aria said, it might feel a bit burdensome.
“Desire is often what drives a work, isn’t it? In that sense, gender role reversal fiction can be said to have a very clear motivation for writing!”
If possible, I wished she would use the nice words “motivation for writing” instead of the bad word “desire.” You couldn’t write such a peculiar genre without a clear motivation for writing.
As if making excuses, I spoke in a slightly flustered tone, feeling a bit pricked. Aria smiled faintly and waved her hand.
“I wasn’t planning to point that out either. Rather, you seem overflowing with motivation, which is wonderful.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. You’ve already said you plan to write according to your tastes this time. In that case, a piece filled with vivid desire... motivation for writing would naturally be better. You’ll be able to write more enjoyably, and that will result in a better work.”
“Ahaha. I suppose so?”
“Furthermore, I believe in you. I believe that you can transform that desire into people’s expectations and interest. No matter how unfamiliar and peculiar the genre, you will make the readers harbor the same desire as you!”
“.....Oh.”
Wow...
That was a bit moving.
As expected of Aria.
Honestly, no matter how resolved I was, I had been feeling a little insecure, wondering if it was okay for me to write such a niche genre. With Aria believing in me like that by my side, I felt my confidence fully recharged.
*That’s right. I have to write with confidence for others to see a better story!*
Believe!
Believe in Aria who believes in me!
Just you wait, other world!
Just you wait, Yustia Kingdom!
I’m going to write gender role reversal fiction and bring it to dye your minds!
***
“Ha, damn. There were plenty of annoying bastards again today.”
Diane, a B-rank female adventurer who operated mainly in the capital of the Yustia Kingdom, sighed as she recalled the irritating events of the day.
“Anyway, it’s always the incompetent ones who flood you with harassment the moment they see an opening. They should be using that time to complete one more request.”
A few thoughtless adventurers had thrown harassing comments at her upon seeing Diane’s beautiful appearance, enough for her to be called the “Thorned Rose” among the capital’s adventurers. In truth, it wasn’t just today. She seemed to hear it about once every three days.
Of course, whenever such guys appeared, Diane—living up to her reputation as the “Thorned Rose”—smashed their faces in so they could never make such impudent remarks again. But thanks to the nature of the adventurer profession, which anyone could easily join, those vulgar lowlifes constantly appeared and dragged down the average.
“It was something I expected from the moment I threw myself into the adventurer business in a woman’s body, but...”
It was an incredibly annoying and stressful affair.
“Sigh. I should read the magazine I bought.”
To relieve that stress, Diane took out the newly published fiction magazine [Adventure] from the Commerce Guild that she had just bought.
“I heard the contest-winning works are included, along with a piece by author Wei? Let’s see how interesting it is.”
Hoping it would blow away the stress of the day, Diane opened the magazine with anticipation.
—Hehehe. Hey pretty boy, wanna come to this noon’s place and have some fun?
—Puhaha! Look at him freeze up in panic! Want this noon to hug you tight against her chest and melt you? Kahaha!
“???”
The exact same kind of harassment she had just experienced was being directed at the protagonist.
“...The protagonist isn’t a woman, but a man...? No, the ones harassing him aren’t men, but women?”
Female adventurers were saying such things to the male protagonist.
At this incomprehensible spectacle unfolding as the exact opposite of what she usually experienced, Diane was left blank for a moment, not even having time to feel anger.