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Seeking Feedback from Female Anime Fans: Creating an Inclusive Environment in Our Club

I really appreciate you wanting to create an inclusive environment and seeking input on how to make this happen!

One thing to remember is that women are not a hivemind. What one may find off-putting and skeevy, another may be perfectly fine with. Some actively enjoy fan service or harem series, but others will bolt at the first sign of objectification. We all have different taste and different levels of tolerance for creative decisions that pander to men.

Instead of focusing on tropes to avoid (although it probably wouldn't ever be a good idea to show Slave Harem Du Jour or Rape Revenge Fantasy Du Jour), think about showing a variety of series. Anime is such a diverse medium! Browse the shoujo tag on MyAnimeList and you'll find there are plenty of series aimed at female audiences that aren't just romance. If you want to show a harem or moe series, ask yourself if there's anything there for audience members who aren't straight men. Solicit picks from the audience.

But much, much more important is the social environment you foster. Male anime fans have been pushing female fans out of fan spaces for decades, as detailed in a paper by Aurelie Petit. Make it clear from the start that sexual harassment, misogyny, sexism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia are not allowed in the space. If any women in your group feel uncomfortable, listen to their concerns and address them. If you are starting the club, you are responsible for the community you are building. Zero tolerance for rape jokes. This is the most key thing to creating an inclusive space.

Thank you for making an honest effort to include people! I am a woman who enjoys problematic or dicey content, it really depends on how well done it is in the story. For example, Chainsaw Man was recently an object of controversy for it's depiction of sex, but to me (based on descriptions, I haven't read the scene yet to be fair) it falls within the purview of it's pulpy inspirations.

Just so you know where my other experience lies I have always been the type to enjoy more extreme content in films, I love Oldboy, a lot of Tarantino movies, and even campier takes on violent sexual content like Jennifer's Body.

The key is to have a lot of warning for anything dicey and maybe even have different nights for different content. For example, if you alternate between anime that would be rated TV14 and TVMA then you can have fans who are interested exploring more mature themes feel heard while also having space for people who might me uncomfortable with more intense sex and violence.

You should also preview any anime and warn people about the content that might be objectionable. Warn would-be viewers about sex, sexual contact or peeping being played for humor (specifically here because it happens a lot and I find a lot of people don't like it), sexual violence, and any violence more graphic than blood. Also warn people about stuff like slurs if present. One more thing that can be especially tricky is fanservice, in general people are more appreciative when it is a facet of the story and the characters are not solely objects to create fanservice of. Also be careful of shows that really center on fanservice. Just as an example Kill la Kill was clearly sexual and had shots for the gaze of the viewer while it was still compelling outside of those elements, plus the nudity was thematically woven in. Despite all of that, the fanservice segments are a huge part of the show to the point that I would bet there are more scenes where someone is nearly nude more often than not. If someone is uncomfortable with fanservice then watching these sorts of shows will be harder because they will be uncomfortable the whole time, if you want to try something like Kill la Kill then definitely do a vibe check and maybe have an anonymous tip box or make it clear that people can privately message you when needed so that you can see if anyone is uncomfortable without them feeling singled out as a party pooper. Out of the examples you listed I have seen, I would say they all have a lot of value outside of fanservice and don't focus solely on fanservice, I am pretty comfortable with fanservice though. If you ever feel unsure about a title it would also be a good idea to bounce ideas of off someone you know that could provide a different perspective, maybe someone you know that likes less fanservice oriented content to make sure the show you are considering appeals to people who don't enjoy that as much. You could even ask here in the forums, I am sure there are people here who aren't fond of fanservice.

If you warn people about content and choose stories that have a lot of worth beyond the fanservice then you're doing great, just make clear that talking to down to people for any reason from "being a real fan" to gender related stuff is not welcome and that if your choices make anyone uncomfortable they can approach you. If people feel heard and like their concerns won't just be ignored, people are mature enough to skip a show that isn't their jam or specific episodes that focus on hot springs or whatever.