Despite its release in 1985, Dirty Pair had some of the best transgender representation in anime history.
Representation in anime is always a hot topic. While it has undoubtedly improved over the past 20 years, there is still room for improvement. This is especially true for transgender representation, as it is still rare to find trans characters in anime. And even when they do, there’s a good chance they’ll be built around an offensive and outdated stereotype. However, an episode of the cult classic anime dirty pair it featured fantastic transgender representation, despite only hitting screens in 1985.
the dirty pair The franchise began as a series of light novels written by Haruka Takachiho and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko before being adapted into an anime by Sunrise in 1985. The story is set in 2138, with humanity spreading out and colonizing space, which may lead to the settlers who encounter surprising problems. Fortunately, the World Welfare Works Association helps those in need by sending problem consultants to solve their clients’ problems. dirty pair follows Kei and Yuri, two Trouble Consultants nicknamed the Dirty Pair due to their habit of leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
episode 7 of dirty pair, titled “Love is everything, staking their lives on the run,” sees the dirty couple hired by Goldjeff’s billionaire Moon. He tells the duo that his son Clicky has been kidnapped by a woman named Lilis Joanca and he wants Dirty Pair to rescue him. However, it turns out that Goldjeff is lying: Clicky was not kidnapped. In fact, he is in love with Joanca, but Goldjeff cannot accept their relationship because Joanca is a transgender woman.
Audiences see a lot of Joanca, who is a wonderfully realized character with a lot of depth. And unlike many series with a transgender character, she is never the butt of jokes, nor is she played for laughs. She is treated like any other character on the show and is given emotional moments and character development. In fact, one of the highlights of this episode is how Joanca and Clicky’s relationship is handled.
The two are shown to be in a loving relationship, and Clicky fully knows and accepts Joanca. One of the cutest moments of the episode is when the couple decides to go get burgers, only to start singing the restaurant’s jingle together as they drive. This stands out because it is very rare to see transgender characters enjoying themselves and their relationships, as they are often used for tragic stories or petty humor.
However, one of the highlights is when Goldjeff personally confronts Clicky and Joanca. He says that he cannot accept Joanca as “he used to be a man”. Clicky responds by saying that she is a woman now and that he doesn’t care about the past. Goldjeff agrees, but points out that he still won’t accept her. However, despite being the villain, Goldjeff never misunderstands Joanca or resorts to slandering her, which is extremely rare. In addition to this, Dirty Pair responds to the revelation by chiding Goldjeff for being “close minded” before pointing out that, in the world of dirty pair“one in ten people have changed their sex”, which suggests that transgender people will be much more accepted in the future.
This is made complete by the fact that Joanca survives the events of the episode. The final scene sees Clicky chasing Joanca on a rocket ship so the pair can be together, marking a rare example of a transgender character getting an implied happy ending rather than being killed off for the sake of tragedy and drama.
“Love Is Everything, Betting Their Lives on Elopement” is an example of an anime that handles transgender representation with tact and decency. Joanca is an amazingly realized character as dirty pair addresses the transgender experience without falling into offensive stereotypes. It’s amazing to realize that an episode from 1985 beats most modern anime. However, it also presents a great model for other shows to follow and build upon, proving that you can create a character that sensitively represents the transgender community while also being a fantastic addition to the cast in its own right. own self.
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