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I've been inspired to take up a stylus and create a comic/manga.

While pondering a topic, I thought to myself: "Characters in traditional Japanese graphic novels are going to be based mainly on ideal Japanese body types... but why isn't there a drive for a plus-sized character that isn't vilified as either an otaku or an evil buisnessman?" I know that Japan isn't the most politicaly correct country in the world, especially when it comes to representations of people in the arts. (They still use the stereotypical black person: big lips, tall, dark-skinned, and somewhat loud...)

So... I want to make a plus-sized high school girl, who also happens to carry a very sophisticated (lolita) style. Hm... I need a sensitive way to word this...

What are some of your own experiences as a bigger girl? Do you feel pressured to lose weight, or have you and the people close to you accepted it? How has your size affected you fashion? Things of that nature.

You see, I don't want the comic to be full of fake angst. I want it to brethe..., and stuff

If you don't wish to contribute to the thread, for anyreason, feel free to PM me with your opinion, experiences, etc.

(If this needs to be moved or removed, go ahead.)

Thank you!

Granted, this is just an idea, and I'll have to develop myself further to make it a reality.

I'm a bigger girl, so I can help here.
I do feel pressured to lose weight, primarily because I'm bigger than most of my friends, and models nowadays are so friggin' skinny, even the "plus-sized" ones! I don't dress up, really, and I'm not comfortable wearing a lot of things because of how society might find me [like, there's this girl who used to sit next to me in Bio, she's bigger than I am and wears like, skin-tight stuff]....I don't want to be seen as someone who doesn't realize their size.

I guess I refrain from wearing a lot of things that I'd like -- skirts, dresses, cute shirts, etc. because I don't want to draw attention to myself.

I suppose that doesn't really help, considering this girl is supposed to be dressy, but.... I know that I have insecurity issues, so your character might want to as well, if just a touching point.

Good luck, and if you need any more help, PM me or somesuch.

Right, right, Musuu! Just like no one will tease me for still playing pokemon games. ^^;; No, thats got nothing to do with it.
I've always been bothered, but only reently has it been about things other than my fairly large stomach.
See, I've always been a big girl. I have naturally broad hips and shoulders, and large breasts. But since I moved to this city, I've gotten increasingly larger and larger, and am only now going DOWN in size.
And even that is just because I finally have a social life, and people are finally treating me like a human, instead of something to be mocked and hurt.
I dated girls, because guys wouldn't even consider me as a friend, let alone a romantic interest.
But I was always afraid of people. Afraid of how they would see me.
One day, I stopped caring. I coated my life with a thick layer of apathy, to block out all the negative things.
That apathy nearly consumed my life.
And then I just decided to look for people like myself. I went to an Anime club, and as a result met my boyfriend.
So Fear turned to Apathy. But Apathy nearly wrecked me, so Apathy turned into nothing, and I decided to try and be social. I'm STILL scared of social situations, mostly large crowds, but there's a really good reason for that, which I wont get into.

*Re-appears*

Thanks for your help you guys. biggrin I don't know if this means much, coming from some random guy on the internet, but your responses have helped me a lot.

These problems seem to be universal, with girls and guys, of all social classes, and races.

When I was younger, I was grossly overweight (I have the stretch marks to prove it!) and the only reason I'm not anymore is my small height gain, and the diet plan my parents um, forced on me.

Well, things change, and emotions fluctuate, asn as such, I began to drown out my sorrows in food. (Sounds like a bad Lifetime movie...)
This sucks royally, considering the fact that I'm at incredible risk for diabetes.
I've managed to collect all of my weight in my midsection now, but the damge to my self esteem, is done...

Why am I telling you this? Oh well, I eeded to vent, if you'll forgive me.

*back on track*
As I was saying, I appreciate what you're doing, and I hope to improve my mediocre drawing skills (or find someone to help me over here) so I can start work on the project.

sorry cant help you there
im small and thin
but you cant snap me like a twig,
i work out domokun

although,
i live in (/ near) houston the 2nd fattest city in the usa
and what i can tell you is, that girls here (that are overweight) really dont care. thier just going about life having fun and eating cookies (seriously man my school has the best freaking cookies around xp
i cant eat sweet foods that much though... ) ; )

I'm european, so I know nothing about american clothes sizes sweatdrop I wear an spanish size 44, if that means anything to you.

I guess I used to be more uncomfortable with my body before. My mother puts a lot of pressure on me, she keeps telling me I'm too fat and I have to lose weight. I've always tended to gain weight, so she started weighing my food when I was a little girl. She counted the biscuits I had for breakfast and such, sometimes when we were having lunch or dinner out with other people she reminded me not to eat too much right in front of them. That was really embarrassing and hurt me a lot, and she didn't even realize it.
I know that left a mark on me, now I feel really self conscious when I'm eating with friends. I feel like they're somehow watching me, which I know is ridiculous but can't really be helped >_<
When I went shopping for clothes I used to have a really bad time. I didn't like the clothes my mother chose for me, but if I tried on things she didn't like she'd be really harsh and told she wouldn't pay for something that made me look even fatter. She usually ended up in a very bad mood, and I felt responsible.

Now I'm much more happier and comfortable with myself, mainly because of my girlfriend. She makes me feel loved, and the fact that she seems to actually like my body is something that won't stop amazing me xd She's really beautiful, a bit too skinny so I guess we make a bit of an odd couple ^^U She also makes me feel the way I dress is ok, and encourages me to wear things like short skirts which I've always loved and felt I couldn't wear.

I really think finding people who act like I shouldn't be ashamed of my body has been great for me, because the friends I had before were like "we love your personality, we don't mind you're physically disgusting ^__^". And that's not enough. I don't mean I want to be treated like I'm t3h s3cks, but if someone acts like they think you should be embarrassed by the way you look they're definitely not your friends.

Goddess, I can't believe I wrote that much sweatdrop xd

Uh, my dad has told me I was fat since I was 7. Not gradual or sudden. My weight problem has always been there. I went on a really strict diet last summer that involved me eating less than my cats. For four moths worht of effort and an hour of exercise once a day, I lost 19 pounds. I've given up. I'm now about 5'7" and weight 170.