Manga is an entertainment medium in Japanese culture that has expanded rapidly since its popularization in the 20th century and currently has several genres, one of which is aimed at a female audience, the shôjo. This genre is mostly produced by female writers, and, among several romantic, fantastic narratives and other stories that attract the Japanese female audience, mangaka Setona Mizushiro stands out for exploring social themes. In one of her works, Nightmare After School, the story of an intersex student who participates in special classes that take place inside the dreams of some of her schoolmates is presented. In these classes, students are represented according to their traumas, fears and personal desires, and they must battle among themselves to find the only key that will take them to graduation. Mashiro then searches not only for the key but also to understand why his representation within the dreams is that of a girl, since, outside of this dream environment, he lives as a boy. Through certain events inside and outside those special classes, help from her friends and breaking personal beliefs, Mashiro ends up understanding her identity with the female gender. Through the lens of feminist literary criticism, we sought to analyze the aspects of the construction and representation of the female figure found in the aforementioned manga, approaching the characters’ behaviors and psyche through the imaginary and “idea of women” established by a given society. In order to expand the analysis of gender, sexuality and social roles present in the work, the prism of queer theory was also used with the aim of understanding how the conception of gender permeates the narrative.
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