trans woman doi
May. 5th, 2025 03:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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i will be referencing extra material, like tsudoi and the stageplays. i may edit this at a later date if i can think of any more points.
as always, this is just for fun! don't take it too seriously. i hope you enjoy! i'd love to hear people's thoughts about hanko-chan.

crossdressing
there are only a handful of characters that have a strong hesitation / resistance to crossdressing, doi being one of them, and… you have to wonder why, right? doi doesn’t have any issues with passing as a woman as hanko, so what’s really the problem? you could easily reason it’s just something he doesn’t care for, but if it’s something he’s so against, like eating fish cakes, he just wouldn’t do it at all. doi has his childish moments, and this easily could be another, but… it’s interesting how he ends up presenting himself once he does put a kosode on.

( eps: 30-11, 28-10 )
…doesn’t seem so against it now, huh.
crossdressing in nintama is seen as an art in itself. it isn’t just a matter of having long hair and wearing makeup, as illustrated by some… less successful attempts at it. like any skill, you have to hone it! which is why it’s interesting that feminine mannerisms seem to come easily once hanko is in the picture. we can assume either that it is something doi has practiced extensively before, or it comes to him naturally. either one is good.
in regards to physical appearances, it’s established that doi doesn’t dedicate a lot of time to cleanliness. his room is a fucking mess. his clothes are always wrinkled. his hair is damaged. but, again, as hanko, he really values looking pretty! the difference in the way he presents masculine versus feminine really intrigues me. little regard vs genuine enthusiasm…
i like this line from the 1996 movie because i think it’s got a fun 2nd meaning if you see it from a slightly different angle– hanko isn’t denying womanhood outright, it’s more of a dig on her age. she’s not an obaasan, she’s an oneesan, get it right!!
speaking of earlier seasons, it's been interesting seeing hanko's design changes over the years. it's nothing super important to note, but just as doi's personality has changed to be gentler (though still scolding), hanko has grown more feminine.
names
nurturer
i wrote about doi's natural affinity with caring for children here, but i wanted to dive a little deeper. it's pretty obvious that after five years of teaching, he's gotten used to taking care of kids, but that child rearing also extends to babies, too! kirimaru has doi help out with his part-time jobs frequently, babysitting included, and doi is really, really good at taking care of babies. don't believe me? hear it from kirimaru.
movie 3 spoilers below
there is one moment where doi does become forceful, though, and it's when sonnamon's movements threaten the safety of a bird's nest. the mother bird, pictured below, also doesn't reveal herself until she realizes the danger her babies are in. i find it incredibly fitting that the bird and doi seem to mirror each other, both devoted and only provoked when it comes to protecting their children. this comes up again at doi's light threat to happousai after he regains his memory. doi loves her babies don't fuck around too much.
speaking of, and i'll try to keep this brief since i want to write a full review of the movie someday, tenki is a peek at a doi without the warmth, kindness, and love of the yamadas, his students, and, of course, kirimaru. tenki is cold and calculated, yet devoted to maintaining peace. he wants to prevent the tragedy in his childhood from happening to anyone else. despite tenki's violence, his motivations are rooted in kindness and empathy, though misguided due to dokutake's true ambitions.
but such a narrow path is a very empty way to live, and it's clear that tenki's happiness is pushed aside for the 'greater good.' a very huge stretch here, stay with me on this one, but something that comes to mind is how some trans people will put aside their want to transition because it seems so far from reach. unrealistic or inconvenient to people around them. it's easier to do the 'right thing.' the familiar light in doi's eyes only returns once he remembers the bonds he's formed, and that despite how cruel the world can be, there's a lot of love to give and receive, too. hardships and joy go hand in hand, and i think that's very relevant to being trans, too. all to say, doi's heart is warm and big enough to care for any child in need, and i couldn't imagine a life where she isn't surrounded by babies.
misc
- in ninmyu 12, when doi is describing his own image of a peaceful scenery, he uses the lyrics, "swaying a flower basket in her hand, with a smile on her face, a maiden joyfully gathers mugwort." curious.
- in an interview about the design of the tenohira tenki figure, the sculptor noted that tenki's outfit is reminiscent of yamabushi... as well as binan-kazura. binan-kazura's were men playing female roles in kyogen. curious.
- all credit to jellyfishlover on dreamwidth for this (who wrote a lovely review of the 3rd movie, go check it out!)-- if we assume tenki is what doi would be like without the influence of the yamadas, kirimaru, and the rest of his students, it's fair to assume that deep, monotone timbre might be closer to his natural voice, and he may be pitching his voice up. curious.
- my good very smart friend azul brought up the fantastic point that the first person to recognize doi's potential as a caretaker was another woman, rikichi's mother. curious.

no subject
Date: 2025-05-06 06:52 pm (UTC)I've actually sent this to my friends who recently got into Nintama, and they've been really engaging with Doi(and Kirimaru) specifically. They've always been curious about Doi's and selfless nature, and how that bounces off of Kirimaru's self-sufficient survival mindset. In a way, I guess that made Doi even more protective?
I forgot what episode it was, but we came across a scene where Kirimaru sees how trashed Doi's room is for the first time and we all went "damn bitch, you live like this?"- but aside from the laughs it really set in for me how aimless Doi was before that point. And then seeing him evolve, from his brief stay with Rikichi, to pushing past his hesitancy upon seeing the baby 6nen in the Rookie episode, to now taking in and living with Kirimaru as he tries to take the mantle of caregiver(mother, even?).
Oh Hanko. The woman that you are.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-14 03:24 am (UTC)The bit about viewing Tenki through this lens… my heart…!! Tenki / Yogiri’s kanji vs. Doi is also super interesting! Seeing all the Hanko designs lined up is so lovely as well… All the different flavors… She’s softened up so much…