In this study I examine the multiple ways in which femininity is performed and how those performances intersect with race/ethnicity, class, and sexuality in the anime Bleach and Samurai Champloo. I also interrogate the implications of these performances in relation to hegemonic discourses of Japanese femininity in the U.S. as submissive, deferent, incompetent, and domestic. As I explain in this document many performances of femininity reinforce this Orientalist ideology, however there are also performances that can alter viewers perception of femininity and offer performances of gender identity that do not conform to hegemonic norms. By doing so, anime can shape U.S. perceptions of Japanese/Asian Americans, which impacts intercultural relationships
