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frostfires-blog · 13 days ago

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Do you know what to watch for the next spring 2025? Hope you don't mind, I share some of what I'll watch next month :

♧ Wind Breaker s2 (How can I not watch it, right? Also, have you seen the manga update? It's so true that Wind Breaker have LGBTQ+ canon moments)

♧ Black Butler : Emerald Witch Arc (Personally, I ship SebaCiel. Is it problematic and toxic ships? Yes! But it's up to you if you want to saw their relationship as just platonic. The story itself is so good! Please try to watch this series for the plot and characters)

♧ BNHA : Vigilante (I still love BNHA original more compared to this. But I enjoy this spin off, too)

♧ Anne Shirley (It's my favorite read in my middle school year. I love the 70's version. Such a classic anime. And there's a remake? So excited for this)

♧ Kowloon Generic Romance (It's romance - mystery series with great plot twist! Plus it have canon gay couple. I don't know will the anime reach this point or not)

And that's it. Hope you can find what you like to watch...

Hi, thanks for sending in an ask! I'm so sorry that it's taken me this long to respond; things have been stressful...

When I glanced through the spring 2025 lineup a month ago, it was a little underwhelming and sparse—both in terms of sequel seasons and new series that aligned with my interests... So, I appreciate the recommendations!

At the start of a new seasonal quarter, I usually just watch sequels, adaptations of series I've read, and anything that outright piques my interest. The latter of which is rare because I'm quite fussy. Before trying out some of the newer releases, I usually wait a few weeks to see what is popular in the circles I run in and pick out the ones that seem interesting.

These days I try to give every new shoujo and josei anime a chance—even if the premise is not particularly inventive—unless it is overtly problematic. This is because I want to do everything in my capacity to grow the popularity of those demographics in the hopes of getting more adaptations in the future.

Conversely, I am very selective when it comes to shounen and seinen anime. These days I hesitate to start a shounen or seinen series unless I see other female fans recommending it and am assured that treats its female characters respectfully and doesn't have excessive fan service.

> Just to touch on the series you mentioned:

Wind Breaker Season 2: I loved season one and have literally counted down the days until season 2 was released haha. So far I've really been enjoying it! Sadly, I I haven't read the manga but have seen several spoilers...

Black Butler: Surprisingly I've never seen this series... I know of it but just never felt compelled to start it for some reason... So, if I decided to watch it now, it would take a while before I was fully caught up to the current releases...

BNHA Vigilantes: Back before the BNHA manga ended, I was curious about this spinoff and wanted them to adapt it into an anime so I wouldn't have to read it. However, now that it's actually been released, I've kind of lost interest... Am I still salty about the way the manga ended? Probably. Do I just simply not care that much for anyone other than the original main trio? Also probably.

Anne Shirley & Kowloon Generic Romance: I've vaguely heard of these two series but haven't seen them yet. I'll try and look into them when I have time...

This season I'm mostly going to try working on clearing my TBR and TBW lists but so far I'm currently watching three series weekly—namely Kusuriya no Hitorigoto Season 2, Windbreaker Season 2 and The Gorilla God's Go-To Girl.

#the lack of shoujosei anime this season is sad ngl...#frostfire-asks #anime #anime reccomendations #anime discussions #anime demographics #spring 2023 anime #wind breaker #wind breaker season 2 #the gorilla god's go to girl #kusuriya no hitorigoto #gorilla no kami kara kago sareta reijou wa ouritsu kishidan de kawaigarareru #shoujo anime #the apothecary diaries

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frostfires-blog · 14 days ago

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Hello, kindred spirit!

Do you know how precious you are? I mean you're like a rare gemstone. Not only you're a shoujosei fan but also shounen and danmei fan, too? So cool…! You'll be surprise when founding out how excited I am knowing, you're also a multishipper 😆😆

I can totally relate how hard it is to ship something from our childhood, like what you said about Naruto. But for me, because most of the moots from my BL group are NaruSasu & SasuNaru fans, so after I became m/m shipper and BL fan, I rewatch and reread Naruto series. Yes! Now I can totally see and understand why this ship have such a big fanbase.

Now I'm also NaruSasu shipper mostly because I love the fanfics and fanarts (sorry if it's weird to you).

After that, I start to rewatch and reread some of my favorite series, too. And WOW! I can see m/m & f/f non canon ships from those series.

I knew you love Kimi ni Todoke, Fruits Basket, Chihayafuru and Ouran High School Host Club. I am, too (they're my favorite since middle school).

So, can I ask, what do you think about these ships :

Kurumi/Sawako (so Kurumi end up with Sawako's cousin because he remind her of Sawako? How can I not ship Sawako and Kurumi. She should be in yuri.)

Uotani/Hanajima (even before I became m/m shipper, I always think Uotani and Hanajima's relationship are so beautiful. And I dislike that Uotani end up with that guy, Kureno).

Yuki/Kakeru (never been a fan of Machi, don't know why, just don't like her. Don't mean anything negative. I always love Kakeru and used to think that if Kakeru were a girl, I'll ship Kakeru with Yuki. Now I love reading their m/m fics).

Yuki/Kyo (I start shipping them, after I read Fruits Basket : Another. I mean seeing Kyo's son with Yuki's son are so cute. I ship them hard!! And because I got fic rec of Yuki/Kyo, that I love so much).

Tamaki/Kyoya (now I can totally see the one that Kyoya love will always be Tamaki and never been Haruhi. My moot said without Haruhi in the picture, Kyoya and Tamaki can be like friends to lovers in BL. And there are KyoTama fics that are beautiful).

Chihaya/Shinobu and Arata/Taichi. Chihayafuru is my favorite josei ever! But I can't help to ship them after reread. Because somehow the dynamics between the same sex characters are so good!

Maybe because I live in anti LGBTQ country with homophobic family and friends, that I felt so happy and excited when got into shipping m/m & f/f ships. There is not a day, I'm not reading BL & GL manga/manhwa or m/m & f/f fics of my fav canon & non-canon ships.

This does not mean that I dislike the canon m/f ships of those series, please don't worry, Frost.

KazeSawa, TamaHaru, TaiChihaya & KyoRu are the best! They'll always be my favorite het ships ever, along with HakYona! (OMG the update is so beautiful…Can't believe that Akatsuki no Yona will end up soon)

So I still like the canon het ships from most series, but now I can see the subtext or potential of the m/m and f/f ships….

For Naruto, I never like Sasuke/Sakura and I'm not a Hinata fan, too (double sorry, I know you like NaruHina). I used to be a Naruto/Sakura and Shikamaru/Ino shipper (I don't know why but I love them so much when I was younger). The only canon ship that I love from this series is only Minato/Kushina.

The same with Yuki/Kakeru ship from FruBa, I used to think that if either Naruto or Sasuke were a woman than I'll ship them. Because then they will end up as 'normal' m/f ship… Now I'm 100% Naruto/Sasuke shipper. They're really are the classic m/m ship that have inspired many doujins! I'm surprised to know that Naruto series have made many of my moots become BL/Yaoi lover. They said that Naruto is their 'awakening' to m/m ships 🤣😂

I know this is random, but I hope you don't mind with my recommendation of these josei anime/manga that have strong homoerotic subtext, so you can't help but ship them but the m/m ships are not canon (the series end up with het relationships) :

♡ Kids on the Slope It's a drama/ slice of life story about 3 high school kids (2 guys and 1 girl). At first it looks like a classic love triangle until it doesn't. If you watch the anime, you can enjoy the jazz, too (love the music in this series). The dynamic between Kaoru and Sentarou are so good!

♡ Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Whether you read the manga or watch the anime, it's a masterpiece. After you enjoy this, you'll learn something about life and death all in the rakugo form. Kikuhiko and Sukeroku's relationship are so bittersweet!

Oh I hope you enjoy Thousand Autumns, Frost. If you don't mind me sharing, I have a fav fic of Shen Qiao/Yan Wushi, in royalty setting, no power (so good)! Just FYI, the author of that danmei also wrote another historical danmei : The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua or The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty (it has cdrama, too)….Maybe you'll love it after watching the series.

Sorry for this long ask. Hope you have a nice day…

-> Introduction:

Hi, thanks for sending in an ask! You're so sweet! Is that a Honey Lemon Soda reference?! I'm glad that there's another person who likes shoujosei, shounen and danmei! Too many people limit themselves to one while criticising the others when they could be enjoying the strong points of each one.

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-> 1.) Naruto × Sasuke

SasaNaru/NaruSasu is one of the few ships I highly respect even if I don't personally ship them. They have such a complex dynamic as well as a plethora of complementary symbolism and canonical basis. They are one of my all-time favourite duos in anime. I totally understand where you're coming from given that it was because of a former friend that I got into BL in the first place. I will say that whenever I rewatch scenes from Naruto I'm really amazed at how blind I was... I watched some of my favourite OPs and EDs the other day and a lot of them are practically romantic AMVs for the ship—if only Bones Studio would give BakuDeku that treatment... The more I reminisce on things, the more I feel like if I were to watch the series with a fresh perspective today, I would've shipped them.

Tbh I haven't read—or written—Naruto fanfiction in a long time... I used to read so many back then that I still feel burnt out... Given SasaNaru/NaruSasu's popularity I'm sure there's a ton of great content out there. Maybe there's still hope for me since after I fully rewatched Hunter × Hunter, I became a KilluGon shipper. Although it was admittedly easier for me since they didn't have any canonical love interests—and I didn't ship either of them with anyone else beforehand.

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-> 2.) Opinions on various ships:

It may seem weird, but I oftentimes separately compartmentalise F/M romance anime from M/M or F/F romance anime... So, the only time I'm really actively weighing F/M against M/M and F/F rival ships is in non-romance-centric series like battle-shounen anime. It doesn't come from a place of heteronormativity but it's rather a defence mechanism of sorts—to not get attached to for example an M/M ship in an obviously F/M ship romance series. Though I've since realised that said standpoint is hypocritical since it's practically a given that M/M ships won't be made official in battle-shounen manga.

I've slowly come to the realisation that shipping isn't about finding a hill to die on or fighting for canonical confirmation for your ship... It's about expressing your interest in a ship you were drawn to, no matter the reason or its canonical basis. Sure, there will always be some ships that have me going, "Why on God's green earth would people ship those two?" But I have no right to disparage others for their choices. So, I need to rewatch a lot of series and re-evaluate things since I'm sure there's a lot I didn't pick up on. That being said you picked a lot of good ones...

> 2.1) Kurumi × Sawako:

Although I said that I don't really take notice of F/F/ or M/M when watching/reading shoujosei F/M romance animanga—these two are kind of an exception. Admittedly, it was only really when I started reading the manga, especially the sequel, that I took notice of the romantic undertones between these too... I like the dynamic they have, and Kurumi would probably be my second pick for Sawako.

That being said, Kazehaya × Sawako has a special place in my heart. I'm really fond of Eiji as well—I swear he was the only reason I powered through Crazy For You. Although Kurumi first notices him because he is similar to Sawako, Eiji complements Kurumi in a different way than Sawako does. Eiji's surety, maturity and assertiveness temper Kurumi's tempestuousness and bring out her earnestness. Sawako's compassion and sensitivity soften Kurumi's wilfulness, resulting in reflection and growth. With Sawako, Kurumi is assertive and protective—but with Eiji, she is able to be vulnerable and transparent.

> 2.2) Uotani × Hanajima:

Although Fruits Basket is my favourite shoujo anime, it admittedly has a few problematic elements—such as its depiction of age-gap relationships. I've never been a fan of Kureno × Uotani or Kazuma × Hanajima—thank goodness the latter was never made canon. Although I have never really noticed any romantic developments between Uotani and Hanajima and regard them more as friends, I could certainly support it more than their canonical endings.

> 2.3) Yuki × Kakeru:

Admittedly the first time I watched Fruits Basket I didn't really pick up on this ship at all—which retrospectively had more to do with me not liking Kakeru than thinking that the ship didn't have potential. Since I know someone will ask, I'll briefly explain why I didn't like Kakeru at first... He is almost the complete opposite of me in terms of personality, so I struggled to grasp his character and motivations well. I was particularly taken aback by his apparent contempt towards Tohru, which was never properly explained in the anime. After reading manga spoilers online and rewatching the anime, I have a better understanding of his character and find him more likeable. Consequently, when rewatching the series, this pairing stood out a lot more. They have an intriguing dynamic—more specifically, they are an amalgamation of several enjoyable tropes and complement each other well. Unexpectedly I've grown to slightly prefer them over Yuki × Machi...

> 2.3.1) Yuki × Machi

(*this wasn't in your list but since you mentioned them later in your comment, I felt that I had to briefly touch on them..)

In my opinion, Yuki × Machi is a decent pairing but it's almost as if I like the idea of them more than I actually like them. In other words although said pairing works really well in theory, it was not developed and integrated into the series well enough to realise its full potential.

Although they complement each other well—albeit in a way different to Yuki × Kakeru—they were not given enough time and development. Yuki spent a considerable portion of the series contemplating his dynamic with Tohru until his focus shifted to putting himself out there and resolving his issues with the Sohma family—all of which leaves very little time to explore his relationship with Machi.

They have a subtle chemistry—that stems from a blend of classic tropes—in addition to having a few memorable and distinctive scenes (i.e. the chalk scene). However it often feels like Machi only exists to be a love interest for Yuki. This is mostly because she doesn't have any substantial connections with any of the other reoccurring characters—aside from Kakeru. I understand that this isolation is primarily due to her past, but I would have preferred to see her character develop gradually over the course of the series, in tandem with Yuki's development.

I also want to note that I didn't like how similar Machi's character design is to Tohru and how similar her character palate is to Yuki's. Don't get me wrong, I still like Machi and her relationship with Yuki, but I do have some issues with how their relationship was portrayed.

> 2.4) Yuki × Kyo:

Given my taste in M/M pairings, you might think that I'd like Yuki × Kyo—but I sadly don't, as in my mind, tension and rivalry don't always translate into romantic tension. While Kyo and Yuki are foils of one another and thus have a lot of complementary symbolism, I just could never get behind these two as a couple. I might be biased because KyoRu means the world to me, but I just couldn't see Kyo and Yuki building a healthy and equal romantic partnership. Their dynamic is fraught with a lot of heavy emotions that would necessitate a considerable amount of time and effort to work through and overcome. Several people fail to recognise that the resentment that has developed between them is not solely the result of misunderstandings and external factors, but also partially due to each of their respective traits.

One of my favourite aspects of Kyo and Tohru's relationship is that their innate temperaments help to balance and ground the other, allowing them to work through their respective hardships and insecurities. On the other hand, Kyo and Yuki mostly seem to exacerbate each other's flaws. That being said, as I haven't read the original manga or Fruits Basket Another, I can only base my thoughts on the anime... I do like their dynamic in a platonic sense and think that given time and effort they could cultivate a solid friendship.

> 2.5) Tamaki × Kyoya:

To be honest I've never been overly fond of Ouran High School Host Club or any of its characters—aside from Haruhi. It's a decent series and has a lot of memorable comedic moments (i.e. I quote the commoner's coffee line at least once a week and still listen to the OP and ED.)

The series has just never appealed to me as much as other shoujosei series have... Is that because the series consists of a bunch of tropes and dynamics that I don't typically gravitate to? Probably. Or is it because I took it too seriously as I was too immature to pick up on some of its veiled criticism of several problematic tropes at the time I watched it? Also probably.

That being said, I have always low-key preferred Tamaki × Kyoya to Tamaki × Haruhi—even though the latter pair has a likable and decently developed dynamic. While they're not ranked among my favourite M/M pairings, Tamaki × Kyoya has a decent canonical basis and consist of several tropes that I'm fond of.

> 2.6) Chihaya × Shinobu:

To be honest when watching Chihayafuru I was so fixated on the Tachi/Chihaya/Arata love triangle that I didn't even consider that there were other options... I have never seen a love triangle as unpredictable and compelling—the only series that come close in this regard are Fruits Basket, Who Made Me A Princess and Nina: The Starry Bride.

In retrospect Chihaya and Shinobu have a good dynamic, I just haven't seen enough of them to fully support them as a couple... I'm guessing that they probably have more interactions in the manga—and I know I should read the manga, it's just that I never get around to it. Also I'm probably biased since Taichi × Chihaya is one of my top 30 favourite ships...

> 2.7) Arata × Taichi:

Similar to the above, I've never really thought about them in a romantic context before so I don't quite know what to think... Although I suppose I could understand this a little more—primarily because they have more canonical basis and complexity.

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-> 3.) Experiences that come with Shipping LGBTQ ships

While I don't live in an anti-LGBTQ country, in a lot of places things are still very heteronormative, so I can somewhat relate. My own parents think that "what other people do in their households is their business"—but have complex feelings on the subject as it goes against their religious beliefs. Naturally, they don't know that I'm fond of a few LGBTQ pairings—even though both of them have seen a few anime series with me and know that I enjoy shipping.

Kinda off topic but I'm lowkey worried that I'm going to fly too close to the sun one day... For example, my mom often has me tell her about the storylines of some of the series I read/watch since she's bored but doesn't have time to read/watch things herself... Given that I don't know anyone in person who reads danmei and was eager to talk to someone about TGCF when she noticed HuaLian on my desktop background, I told her about it. Although I obviously changed some elements and left out names and identifying information, it appears that I sold it too well, and she really wanted to watch it... Consequently, I had to dissuade her by highlighting aspects of the series she wouldn't like. She's still salty about it and nags me about it from time to time.

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-> Conclusion:

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll check them out when I'm able to. I really want to start clearing my watchlist sometime soon... I've kind of already started working on it by watching Maquia and Medalist. Also, I don't know if already mentioned this but I've actually finished Thousand Autumns! I finished the series just over two weeks ago but have been dragging my feet with the extras and only just finished those... It took me so long because I believed that if I didn't finish the extras, I wouldn't feel the bittersweet sense of finality that comes with finishing a series. For reference it took me nearly a year to finish all of the MXTX extras for those same reasons haha... So, if you want to send me fanfic recommendations, I'm game. Once again, I apologise that it's taken me this long to post my answer... Thanks for all your support!

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