Previous content analyses of TV drama and animation programs in Japan have shown that male characters outnumber female characters. Female characters are more likely to be housewives, students, or service persons than the male characters. These studies theoretically suggest that those who watch TV excessively are likely to have increased sexism and decreased egalitarian sex-role attitudes. However, these effects have not yet been examined in a longitudinal study. Therefore, this study analyzed the long-term effects of gender representation in TV dramas and animation characters based on the integration of a longitudinal study of 669 young viewers, and a content analysis of 31 TV dramas and animation programs in Japan. The results suggested that exposure to stereotypical gender depictions increases sexism and decreases egalitarian sex-role attitudes. Additionally, exposure to some anti-stereotypical depictions, such as braveness of female characters, decreases sexism in male viewers, and other anti-stereotypical features, such as leadership of female characters, increase sexism in female viewers. This study also suggests that the emphasis on the body parts of the male characters increases sexism among the female viewers.

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