Marta Fanasca

Marta Fanasca is a Research Fellow at the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (LILEC) at the University of Bologna. She holds a PhD in Japanese Studies from the University of Manchester and completed postdoctoral research at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her work bridges academic research with cultural translation, focusing on gender non-conformity in Japanese media and society.

Research Focus: Marta's scholarship examines

• Gender and non-normative identities in contemporary Japan
• Commodification of intimacy and emotional labor
• Queer representations in manga and anime
• Embodied ethnography of dansō escorts
• Transnational BL/yuri manga markets

Publications: Her recent articles explore topics like

• Queer theory applications to Japanese media
• Evolution of yuri manga's cultural significance
• Emoji usage in gender expression
• Political reception of Mishima's works