Anonymous asked:
A response to Alan’s Crossdressing & Laughing Stock
Dear Anon,
I also want to think something is not as sexist/phobic as it is, but I am sad to tell you there is no justification possible, alas. Sebastian was without doubt saying that crossdressing as a woman suits Alan better than Grell.
The Verb ‘Niau’ (似合う・To suit)
First of all, let us look at the script. In order to silence Grell’s protest against Alan’s disrespectful crossdressing, Sebastian says the following:
- まぁ女性は何人いても良いでしょう。それに、グレルさんよりもお似合いですし。
- Maa, josei wa nannin ite mo ii deshou. Sore ni, Grell-san yori mo oniai desu shi.
- Well, it does not matter how many women there are. And moreover, [the crossdressing] suits [Alan] better than Grell-san.
In Japanese, the verb ‘niau’ (似合う) means ‘to suit’, ‘to look good on’, ‘to match’. (‘Oniai’ is the keigo/Sebastian-speak for ‘niau’.) This verb is used to describe the suitability of an accessory, physical or otherwise.
In the case of a physical accessory, we may say this in Japanese:
- あのジャケットは先生に [似合う／似合わない]
- Ano jacket wa sensei ni [niau ／niawanai]
- That jacket [looks ／ does not look good] on the teacher
In Noah’s Ark Circus, ‘niau’ is applied to a non-physical accessory, namely the name ‘Doll’. When Joker suggested the stagename ‘Doll’, she says the following:
- 俺には似合わないよ
- Ore ni wa niawanai yo
- It’d never suit me
Joker:
- そんなことない、似合ってるよ
- Sonna koto nai, niatteru yo
- That’s not true, it suits you well
As we can see, the use of ‘niau’ needs to apply to something quite specific. Despite Japanese being a null-subject language, one cannot simply drop the verb without any context.
- Person A: “Hey, niatteru yo” (Hey, it suits you)
- Person B: “Eh? Nani ga? Boushi? Zubon?” (Eh? What does? My hat? My pants?”)
One can only drop the verb without subject if there is a previously established context.
- Person B: “Mite, atarashii boushi wo kaimashita” (Look, I bought a new hat.)
- Person A: “Niatteru yo” (It suits you)
- Person B: “Arigatou” (Thanks)
Script Analysis
Now we have a better understanding of the verb ‘niau’, let’s look at the script again. We now understand that there must be a ‘prior establishment of the subject’ in order to use the verb ‘niau’.
The establishment of the subject happens in this line spoken by Grell:
- “なんでアンタまで女装する必要あるのヨ?”
- “Nande anta made josou suru hitsuyou aru no yo?”
- “Why do even you need to crossdress as a woman?”
The subject here is ‘crossdress as a woman’ (josou suru). So when Sebastian speaks this line underneath⇊, grammatically and logically speaking, the subject can only be ‘crossdressing’.
- […] グレルさんよりもお似合いですし。
- […] Grell-san yori mo oniai desu shi.
- […] [crossdressing as a woman] SUITS [Alan] better than Grell-san.
Had Sebastian been criticising the style/appropriateness of Grell’s dress, then the subject of the sentence would have to be changed, and the verb would also have to be changed into ‘be appropriate’ (ふさわしいです・fusawashii desu).
The sentence should then be:
- アランさんが着ているドレスの方が場にふさわしいです。
- Alan-san ga kiteiru dress no hou ga ba ni fusawashii desu
- The dress Mr. Alan wears is more appropriate for the setting.
If we do not change the verb, and do accept that Sebastian was purely criticising the style of Grell’s dress, then it would also not make sense that he would say: “it suits Mr. Allan better”. If he did, then effectively Sebastian would be saying that this indecent dress would suit Alan better, which would just make Sebastian a hypocrite on top of being a transphobe… if not, then a terrible sexist. “Woman! Cover your legs, only a man has the right to show his legs.”
As such we can rule out the possibility of Sebastian’s line in the script meaning what you suggested.
Please, like I said before, liking something problematic does not automatically make someone look bad, but defending and justifying the problematic aspects DOES. We all want something to not be as terrible as it is, I understand, but I am afraid that this part of the script in BMD is irredeemable.
ronan-mazurier
