Regarding this issue, from the perspective of the `Male-line' theory, he was not a Female-line Emperor since his father, Prince Kusakabe was a male imperial family member with male-lineage belonging to the imperial line, and Emperor Gensho's accession to the Imperial throne resulted from the fact that his father was an imperial family member regardless of his mother, Emperor Genmei, being the Emperor.
この問題について「男系」論の立場からすると、父親・草壁皇子は皇統に属する男系の男子の皇族であり皇太子でもあることから、元正天皇の皇位は父親が皇族だからであり元明天皇が天皇であったためではなく、女系ではないという説となる。