What is up with Tatsuki Fujimoto and transmasc characters?

due to the nature of the topic, telling someone there’s a spoiler will just spoil them. but idk what else I’m supposed to do.

so, spoilers for that one genderswap oneshot, and Fire Punch.

My answer: it’s because Fujimoto loves betraying his readers, and being transgender is a betrayal of everyone you know. “Bla bla bla you’re telling me all this time this, this woman that I know, is a man?” It’s easier to call them delusional, than to accept reality and acknowledge what they were going through, even if the latter is the right thing to do.

The genderswap oneshot betrays the reader quite literally. It disguises itself as your average genderswap forcefem story, then turns into a transmasc story. It’s what would realistically happen if TS syndrome is real. Who would have thought a disease that changes your body without your consent is bad.

Transfems (like me) LOVE forcefem stuff. It’s akin to a shojo manga protagonist forcefully pushing you down and [redacted]; he knows you want it, he doesn’t need consent, and it’s hot. But there is a time and place for CNC stuff. It’s not really a good thing when an entire genre being filled with it and presenting it as normal.

Fujimoto is thus indirectly (prehaps unintentionally) criticizing the state of the genderswap genre, for being unable to move past the “forcefem but she secretly wanted it all along” fantasy, for not recognizing transgenders as a real thing outside of that fantasy, for not acknowledging the existence of people who actually wants to be men.

On the other hand, Fire Punch has no TS shenanigans. Togata is literally just like any irl transmasc person, but with the blessing(tm).

Fire Punch is, of course, more grim. The oneshot ended with the protagonist coming to terms with what he wants; while Togata has realized his identity long ago, but is unable to change anything. He can’t even die if he wants to. Obviously, Togata’s inability to change his body resembles how a lot of real trans people live, for whatever reason - be it money, legality, family, slow healthcare system, etc.

But imo the social aspect is more interesting. Togata, with a body that will never pass, suppresses everything and never tells anyone about his gender. Because being transgender is not considered normal; you can’t reasonably explain being transgender to everyone you meet, and you can’t expect everyone to be accepting. Only people who pass have the privilege to be considered “somewhat normal”, or to hide your transness without feeling dysphoric.

But it’s even worse when you have to tell someone you’ve already known for years. Togata brought this up to Agni: even if someone say they accept you, they will still prefer the version of you they’ve known for their whole life, they will still perceive you as your original gender.

From the reader’s perspective, it’s less of a literal betrayal (like an author intentionally betraying your expectations), but closer to how it feels when a friend comes out as trans - kind of the same perspective as Agni. It’s not just representation, it also teaches the reader to accept a transgender person.

Overall, Fujimoto is fucking goated. He used the same plot twist twice, each exploring a different phase of the transgender experience (discovery and supression). Who knows, maybe he’ll do it again.

Original post from Cohost