Talk:Hange Zoë

Talk page for Hanji Zoe.

Gender
The infamous "skirt" illustration can be found (in low resolution) at http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/mstkkt-shingeki/imgs/4/b/4b07005f.jpg (there's also a close-up at http://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/k/kajika_eps/20130504/20130504234013.gif) and is part of a joke preview for Volume 6 of the manga, depicting how Hanji views her/his relationship with the Titans. It does not take place in-world (as the presence of the truck attests) and part of the joke is the ambiguity surrounding Hanji's gender (it's a typically Japanese gender-confusion joke suggesting that Hanji the Man becomes Hanji the Damsel in Distress when Titansd are involved). There is no in-world illustration of Hanji in civvies, and clearly this is not intended as backtracking: Word of God says Hanji's sex is ambiguous, and thus Hanji's sex is ambiguous, regardless of what we'd all (or at least I'd...) like it to be.

Mind you, I'm not averse to maintaining the third person feminine pronouns in the article, especially since it looks like the anime staff will be making Hanji a woman in their adaptation. But we really ought to acknowledge somewhere that in the original manga the topic is very much open for debate.

220.157.194.219 14:04, May 16, 2013 (UTC)Enamelthyst

The trivia makes no sense either, give me a trustworhty link with the interview and we'll decide after that. For now I'm removing all these ambiguous things >_>

Actually, the way we have it now ("Female (Anime)") is probably OK: not confusing, but not misleadingly authoritative-sounding. The "interview" isn't really: it all stems from a Q&A session with fans, which can be found archived at http://blog.livedoor.jp/isayamahazime/archives/4388712.html. (the question in, er, question is down towards the end), but it's grown into quite the legend online: if you check http://shingeki-kyojin.com/archives/25745454.html you will see "性別：??" ("Gender: ??") and a bit of Japanese knowledge (or Google Translate) will reveal that the latter portion of the article basically says that most people think Hanji's a woman, but it's not entirely clear. It's also referenced in the Wikipedia article at http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/進撃の巨人 (under "ハンジ・ゾエ"). Now you can find a rather defensive rebuttal of the whole controversy (in English!) at http://papermoon2.tumblr.com/post/49396124889/wow-okay-then-people-are-really-taking-that-out, but I'm disinclined to fully agree with this person based on the fact that "Isayama draws Hanji in her civilian clothes" isn't actually what Isayama did: he was drawing "her" in a fictional reality existing only as a joke. So his original answer might be a troll, or the gag next volume preview might be a troll, or (which is most likely) they are both trolls, and only Isayama knows what Hanji's "true" gender is meant to be. Thus, as far as I'm concerned, the question is still open, and until Isayama makes himself clear (or Hanji changes outfits in the manga) it is premature to commit to a gender for the manga version of the character.

220.157.194.219 16:56, May 16, 2013 (UTC)Enamelthyst

Thanks a lot for all those references! After reading all of this I'd say it's to early to indeed confirm her as female or male in the manga. Though I would refrain to use the word ambiguous since it can also mean both female and male rather than "unknown"..

So, what do the admins think about this?

Thinking back into the past, this all started when someone said Hanji's gender was ambiguous, which I do not believe without evidence. No proof, other than what eyes can see and I think Hanji's a girl. Besides, if Isayama really did pull these "ambiguous" stunts like with Rico and Ymir, I have a lower opinion of him. If not, then all is well I suppose.

Jo4n (talk) 01:16, May 17, 2013 (UTC)