Title: “From Mob to Main: The Role of Background Female Characters in Contemporary Japanese Visual Narratives” Author: Sarah E. Tilley (2021) Published in: Mechademia: Second Arc , Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 88–106 Summary: While not solely about "mob musume," this peer-reviewed article discusses how background female characters function as narrative foils, comedic relief, or audience surrogates in anime and manga. It explicitly references the fan term “mob musume” and analyzes its usage in series like Genshiken , K-On! , and Hibike! Euphonium .