The blind shamaness, thought to be connected with the ancient priestesses, gathered and told fortune in Northern part of Honshu until the late 70s. The males control rational power, while the females control irrational power. This is another pattern in Japanese mythology, where the priestess of Amaterasu and Amaterasu mirrors each other. Nasicca, Kiki, Totoro, Porco Rosso, Mimi o Sumaseba . . Boys fly with a machine.
Girls just fly.
Should I mention Escaflowne or . . . In no way do I imply that all manga artists follow this paradigm, or that those who follows it are aware. Perhaps this is so much of the cultural psyche or the collective unconscious. Lin Minmei is modeled after an idol of the 80s, hence she is a female. Nikki Basara sings magical songs, but he is a male rock star.