#(again not encouragement to read the novels. watch the films sure. don't read he novels.)

[ofyorkshire]

...oh my stars

i don't know if it was intentional, but repetitively referring to bj as "ziggy stardust" in the red riding novels completely foreshadowed bj's death.

[illfoandillfie]

2023 Advent: Day 18

So, for those who don't know, I watch a lot of book related content on youtube and at the end of November I was watching someone's TBR (to be read) game she was playing to pick what she'd read next. Partway through her game she asked her partner to help her and ya'll it was highkey giving some daddy dom vibes. So of course I had to write a blurb about it.

Big thanks to Lauren for helping me decide on Jack for this one.

Warnings: daddy kink, dom!Jack, sub!Reader, onlyfans, thumb sucking (not in a baby way), a lil degradation/humiliation, nothing especially explicit but references to bondage/sex toys/kink exploration/sex tapes/spanking/general kink stuff.

When you’d started making video content about books and what you were reading, you’d not expected it to end up the way it had. On OnlyFans. You’d had Youtube in mind, inspired by the people you followed there who reviewed new releases and the like. But Youtube had been harder to crack into than you’d expected and you had to be careful with how you spoke about certain topics or else your videos would be removed. Not ideal when spicy romance novels were your thing. In fact, it was after a video you’d made comparing language in a few different romance novels had been taken down, you facetiously told your boyfriend, Jack, you’d be better off posting on OnlyFans and then somehow it had stopped being a joke and you’d actually done it. And, to your surprise, got yourself something of a following. 

Your account had evolved a little since then. You still did the book reviews and chatted about what you were reading and upcoming releases that interested you. But you’d branched out a bit too. Now you also got your kit off. There were a handful of video demonstrations of literature themed sex toys like dragon dildos (perhaps a stretch to call literary) and the 50 Shades of Grey branded bondage equipment. You’d read books out loud whilst sitting on vibrators, modelled lingerie based on fictional characters, and discussed not only erotica fiction but also nonfiction about sexuality and kink. The overall theme of your content was smart is sexy and to emphasise it you always tried to dress the part, even when you were just talking to the camera, in an exaggeratedly sexy school uniform – microskirt, knee high socks, pigtails. Your dream was to be able to film something in an actual library or bookstore.  

Jack helped out and encouraged you. Mostly he stayed behind the scenes, helping with filming and lighting and even editing sometimes. But he also came in handy when you were making the more typically OnlyFans type content. There were videos where you recreated sex scenes from books, testing if the positions described were as easy to achieve as the novels would have you believe, and recently, you’d begun a weekly series going through The Art of Sex chapter by chapter. You’d give a brief run down on whatever position or kink the chapter of the week explored and then perform the act with Jack’s help. You weren’t quite sure what you were going to do when you reached the chapter on swinging but you were sure Jack would have an idea or two. Perhaps a role playing scene. 

One of your first series and one of your most innocent was your monthly TBR game. It was a concept taken straight from youtube. At the end of each month you posted a video where you’d draw out random prompts from a jar to help decide what books you’d read the next month. You filmed it sitting on the floor with a pastel pink cart full of books beside you, though of course wearing the sexy schoolgirl outfit. You opened the video discussing the books you’d read from the last TBR list. For every book you didn’t read, you earned five spanks which Jack was only too happy to give you. He hovered behind the camera waiting for his moment. Typically after that he wouldn’t appear in the video again. But, every so often, you needed his help.  

This time the prompt was too broad, and you were overwhelmed by choices. You sat there staring at your cart for much longer than you usually would, unsure what book to officially pick. It didn’t help that it was the first prompt of the video. You couldn’t even begin to guess what other prompts you might draw or which titles you might pick later. Jack normally only got to choose your books when the “Daddy’s pick” prompt was drawn but you decided this was a special occasion.  “Daddy,” you said, pushing yourself to your knees and looking at Jack who was standing to the side.  He adjusted the camera subtly to keep you framed nicely, “Do you need something darlin’?”  There was something about how he interacted with you during filming that made you switch into submissive mode. His tone of voice was so authoritative, and he was always fully dressed whilst you were so exposed and on the floor looking up at him. It made you go all little girly. “Which should I choose Daddy?”  Jack hummed and, to your surprise, stepped in front of the camera as he walked towards you. It made you tilt your head back further to see him and he took advantage of your position, stroking your cheek gently before laying his thumb against your lips.   It was second nature to draw it between your lips and suck as Jack hummed in thought.  “Pretty ironic that you tell everyone smart is sexy when you go completely stupid when you’re horny. Bet if I touched you now you’d be all wet from thinking about all these filthy books you read.” Jack examined the three books you’d pulled off your cart, his thumb still between your lips. Finally he tapped your cheek so you’d release him, bent over and picked up his choice. “I’ve decided to be nice and pick this one for you because I know it’ll be useful for a video you’re planning.”  You clapped excitedly, “I’d totally forgotten that Daddy, thank you!”  Jack chuckled, “Anytime darlin’,” He bent over to give you a small kiss before striding back behind the camera, “No go ahead and finish your game.” 

[andtheyweresiblings]

For your "Madrigal's reaction to Brumira" or whatever it was called, I'm surprised none of the family, to some extent, blamed themselves for such a thing happening. I could totally see at least a few of them wondering if things would be different if they hadn't treated both Bruno and Mirabelle the way they did in the past.

I also feel like there might have been more pushback against the more dire, severe consequences from the Madrigals who likely knew or at least guessed at what was happening, depending on how powerful their specific gifts are, even if they don't actually support Bruno and Mirabelle, and are just neutral.

I apologize for the delayed answer. I had to read through that post again. Link to the post for context.

You raise some good points. The post itself is squarely in the headcanon/fanfiction space of character analysis, so it's wildly speculative and comes down to preference in how one might like to see everything play out. That being said, if the Madrigal family found out Bruno and Mirabel were romantically involved, it would be a very complicated fall-out. More complicated than I would have time to get into in any one post.

If you wanted to be hyper-realistic about it, I think you could write a full-length novel several times over to really explore what is going on in each family member's mind. So yes, I agree, there's definitely a lot more that would happen if Brumira happened and the Madrigals found out.

So let's explore the two points you raise a little more in-depth.

Self-Blaming

To an extent, the Madrigal adults would be blaming themselves. But it's more complicated than that, and putting the blame onto oneself is uncomfortable. And it is something we don't see the Madrigal adults do well in the film.

Sure, we get the Disney ending of Alma acknowledging her part in the collective traumatizing of her family, and we've got the Madrigals acknowledging that they are family unit, so they each played into that cycle/system. But the reality of generational trauma is so much more complicated than that, and recovering from complex trauma is not typically linear. So if we're going to be realistic about this, we can't expect these freshly recovering family members to sit in self-blame for too long, especially if self-blame wasn't part of their original role.

Alma never blamed herself until after the climax of the movie. Julieta felt some responsibility over the trajectory of Mirabel's role in the family, but it doesn't seem like she or Pepa felt too at fault with Bruno's estrangement. Augustin admittedly is a little harder for me to read (because I haven't watched the movie in a bit), but from what I remember, he was upholding the status quo that Alma set and encouraged Mirabel to do the same.

That is to say, none of the the adults who probably do share some of the blame for setting up the 'ideal' conditions for Brumira to occur are used to accepting blame.

That denial Pepa and Julieta are experiencing? That shame Alma is flooded with? That anger and sense of betrayal Augustin is feeling? That's all their way to process the bomb that is Brumira. It's also a really good way to avoid that nagging thought about what role they might have had in all of this. So yes, they probably do blame themselves deep down, but it is not something I imagine would be at the forefront for any of them. Not primarily, at least.

I suppose if anyone is going to be blaming themselves about Mirabel and Bruno, it would probably be the wrong people. Like Luisa and Isabela.

(Well, Isabela may have more actively estranged Mirabel, but considering the context of the film, it's harder to put real blame on the Madrigal grandchildren, in my opinion. I guess if we're rating things, Isabela is next in line for perpetuating the family cycles as oldest grandchild, but I think I'm losing sight of your original point.)

Anyway, I could absolutely see Luisa incorrectly blaming herself. Self-blame was part of her role.

I guess my point is that the strain of discovering Mirabel and Bruno are a couple would likely catapult many of the Madrigals back to their pre-movie roles.

Madrigals' Push-back in Defense of Brumira

I embarrassingly completely misunderstood your second point and didn't realize it until after I had already typed out a response for it. I'll probably post that separately because it was fun, but I'll get to what you actually asked now.

So yes, I agree with you. In my head the Madrigals who are neutral to Mirabruno would find their ways to push back against Alma's sentences for Mirabel and Bruno.

The Madrigals who would be helping our couple in this AU are Luisa, Isabela, and Dolores. Isabela and Luisa's help would be somewhat delayed because they are close to Alma and their parents, and therefore, they would be trusted to be a part of enacting the sentence. Ultimately, Isabela and Luisa are conflicted about the whole thing, but I think eventually they would come around to Mirabel's side. Especially when they see the toll everything is taking on their sister.

But, they would have to lay low and strategize first for this to work, and then they would have to work to build back Mirabel's trust.

I think Dolores and Mariano would be working as messengers for Mirabel and Bruno. Dolores would definitely know where Bruno is, and she would probably send Isabela, Mariano, and Luisa to check on him when they can manage it. In this way, Isabela and Luisa will probably be the ones eventually passing the messages to Mirabel and Bruno. But, again, it just might take some time for everyone to get to that point.

To add further complication, I think most of the Madrigals helping Bruno and Mirabel would still want to figure out how to resolve this to a point where Bruno and Mirabel be rejoin the family as a couple. It might not be realistic, but it would definitely affect what type of help they think they can offer to Mirabel and Bruno, which is why I think Luisa in particular would struggle with letting Mirabel run away.

Mirabel running away to Bruno would effectively mean the family is broken for real. I think Isabela, Luisa, and Dolores would all want to prevent that. They would want a way for all of their family members to still be a part of their lives, impossible as that may be.

Thank you for the ask! It was fun thinking about and exploring this AU again. I should do it more often.

[sol1056]

Can you explain why LGBT representation is so important and why Voltron's negative portrayal of LGBT characters/rep should be scorned as harshly as it has been? I'm trying to prove a point to a friend and they don't get why representation has to be as important as we're making it.

Oh, this is a huge topic, and one I’m not sure I could do justice to, all by myself. Given that, this time I’ll let people speak for themselves. Anyone else reading (and I know a whole lot of you are out there) who’ve valued representation – regardless as to whether you relate to the character as a lived experience – feel free to add your thoughts, or links to any other articles, podcasts, or videos you’re recommend.

Fabricio Leal Cogo, Why Queer Representation Matters

I remember growing up here in Brazil and not seeing anyone like me portrayed on TV—or at least, not anyone with a similarly complex inner life. The few times I saw gays on TV, they were always a punchline in a comedy—a source of laughter. Many people, I’m sure, are probably thinking: It’s just a joke, right?

But representation matters.

It’s impossible to overstate the power of being able to identify with a public figure, particularly when that figure is actually seen in the fullest sense. As Michael Morgan, a former professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a researcher on media effects, told the Huffington Post earlier this year, “When you don’t see people like yourself, the message is: You’re invisible. The message is: You don’t count. And the message is: ‘There’s something wrong with me.’” He continued: “Over and over and over, week after week, month after month, year after year, it sends a very clear message, not only to members of those groups, but to members of other groups, as well.”

Uma Dodd, Queerbaiting And The Issue Of LGBT Representation In The Media:

Of the 125 movies released by major US studios in 2016, the media monitoring organisation GLAAD found that only 23 (18.4%) contained characters who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer – an increase of less than 1% from the previous year. … It’s insulting, and often quite disheartening, to be told that you’re only worth the three lines of dialogue and five minutes of screen time that the one LGBT character in a film might have, just because of your sexuality or gender.

Queerbaiting relies solely on subtext and the subsequent interpretation of it by fans, and as a result, creates the perfect paradox: writers are able to attract an LGBT audience with vague promises of representation, implied by the text and often encouraged by the writer, but will then never actually confirm or explicitly show said representation, reducing the amount of effort that has to be put in on their part.

You may say that I’m blowing this issue out of proportion, but that too, is a part of the problem. Because queerbaiting is based on purely subtextual hints, any evidence of it, no matter how blatant it might seem to the viewer/reader, is often insubstantial and difficult to quantify. This allows writers and cast members to dismiss the anger of LGBT fans as simple overreaction and, as a result, makes any legitimate pleas for better representation easier to ignore.

Another by-product that has resulted out of increasing calls for better LGBT representation is implied representation. This is where writers will claim that a character is LGBT but never explicitly show this within the TV show, film, or novel.  This is a method which has been employed by many creators of famous franchises, and it allows them to insert that token bit of representation which makes them look good, without ever actually providing said representation explicitly … Not only does this result in LGBT characters, once again, being shoved into the background – and often killed off for shock value – it raises the question: is this kind of representation good enough?

…Whilst any representation of non-heteronormative characters is a good start, this way of representing us can’t be allowed to become the norm – we deserve to be explicitly shown in the media as much as anyone else does. We need better representation and we need to be shown that not all LGBT characters have to remain in the closet, because what kind of a message is that sending to those young people out there who are currently questioning their sexuality?

B. Whiteside, 6 Reasons It’s Important to Have LGBT Characters on Children’s TV Shows:

A recent study by the Williams Institute at UCLA revealed that nearly 6 million adults and children have an LGBT parent. There are more than 125,000 same-sex couple households with nearly 220,000 children under the age 18. These children go to school and are active members of their communities. Their identities and home life deserve to be portrayed and represented just as much as anyone else’s.

Being a child can be tough, especially when one can’t identify with anyone around them. There are children and young adults alike who identify as LGBT or have parents who do so. Having content that mirrors their lives can, in fact, save their own. It isn’t always easy for children to articulate what’s wrong or what they need. So it can be a tremendous help to see their favorite character in their same predicament live out their life and truth.

Aristeaus Sizer, We Need To Talk About LGBT Representation, Apparently:

…since Cinderella, there have been 11 Disney princesses. All of which have been heterosexual, and the majority of them married by the end of their film. There is no shortage of straight princesses in this world, so why would it be such a crime for one of them to be LGBTQ? If anyone is forcing any agenda down anybody’s throats, Mary, it is you and your heteronormative agenda.

As a heterosexual, and I don’t mean to patronise here it’s simply the truth, you cannot understand in full capacity how important representation is. Seeing yourself on screen in a genuine, non-caricature form is hugely validating. When I was a kid I thought being gay was like doing drugs, it was a fun choice you made when you wanted to spice things up, and that all came from the films I had seen and how sordid LGBTQ people were portrayed as being. Then, later on into my teenage years, I thought I’d never be able to show public displays of affection without violent repercussion. Again, this was because of the media I had consumed telling me this. Films and media may not dictate our personalities, but they tell us how much of it we should hide, and the implicit message when you have an entire franchise of heterosexuals is that anything other should be kept underground, out of sight.

…we’ve been everywhere for so long you’ve just never noticed. Primarily because every movie and every advert and every t.v show and every animated cartoon is packed to the brim with straight people. LGBTQ people deserve representation because there’s far more of us than you think. … To you, it’s just a gay Disney princess where there could have been another straight one, but to someone that princess is the validation they needed that they aren’t some abomination or sinful mistake. They’re valid, they’re wonderful, and they have every right to love and be loved.

Danielle Cox, The Importance of LGBT Representation in Media:

[In 2016, GLAAD’s annual] shows the highest percentage of LGBT characters on our televisions … [but] when more than twenty-five of those characters are killed off in the same year, we know there is still a lot of work to be done. In fact, GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis released a statement saying, “When the most repeated ending for a queer woman is violent death, producers must do better to question the reason for a character’s demise and what they are really communicating to the audience.” When this ending is repeated in show after show and character after character, we can’t help but think the message they are sending is about the worth of our LGBT characters or rather lack thereof. 

James Dawson, The importance of LGBT visibility in children’s books:

I was unaware gay people even existed and, when puberty hit, found myself more than a little lost. I so dearly wish there had been just one book with a character who was a bit like me – just a normal teenage guy who happened to be gay. I would have especially loved one whose sexuality did not define him.

I just know that had there been a diverse range of people like me in books when I was growing up, I wouldn’t have felt abnormal for all those years, which I see now, overwhelmingly, I am not. In 2014, it’s my hope that all young LGBT people can see themselves in fiction and recognise there is a place for them in the world.

Palmer Haasch, “Yuri!!! On Ice” and the importance of positive LGBTQ representation:

Despite my resigned certainty that I was about to be drawn in by the potential of a queer relationship only to be disappointed for the umpteenth time, Yuri!!! On Ice managed to exceed all of my expectations. In the end, the show delivered a thoughtful portrayal of two men developing a deep and trusting romantic relationship that provides LGBTQ viewers with representation of queer individuals being happy together above all else, which is something that we desperately need.

For me, it was the first piece of entertainment media I had seen that didn’t present queer individuals as “other,” but allowed them to simply freely love and exist. While watching, I didn’t have to worry about whether Yuuri or Victor would be outed in an unsafe environment or if Yuuri was going to be unfairly judged on the ice because of his sexuality like so many real life figure skaters have feared in the past. Rather, I fretted over when they were finally going to kiss (because really, it was a long time coming) and if I was ever going to get to see the wedding that was hinted at by their matching gold rings.

Although it is true that the discrimination-free world of Yuri!!! On Ice isn’t realistic (yet), it can help reassure queer individuals like me that they can experience love in the same way as anyone else. At the same time, it provides a glimpse of a future where being queer doesn’t mean being “other”. And that notion is something that I will always work towards and protect.

Additional reading:

Why Visibility Matters

Make Them Gay: Why Queer Representation Matters

Why LGBT Representation Is Important In Media

We Need More Than Visibility

Why It’s Important To Make More Diverse LGBT Films

Queer Representation in the Media

Why Television Needs More LGBT Characters

Importance of LGBT Representation

[japanimatewithme]

4 Reasons Why You'll Want to See "Jujutsu Kaisen The Movie 0" Again and Again(Vol.1)

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie" was released on December 24, 2021 and is currently showing as a blockbuster. Not only is it an interesting movie, but it is one that I would like to watch again. I had only seen the anime before I saw the movie and got hooked on it, so I read the original story up to the latest book and saw it for the second time during the year-end and New Year holidays. And now I want to go see it again.

In this article, I would like to talk about the points that make me want to watch "Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie" again and again.

In the latter half of the article, I talk about the highlights of the film with full spoilers. The second half of the article is full of spoilers, so please be careful if you haven't watched it yet.

> [Related article] Why I think "Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie" is a superb love story

＞＞＞[Related article] "4 things you need to know" that will make "Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie" more interesting

＞[Related Articles] "Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie": How I Saw It as a Dream Novel About Shinji from Eva's Rebirth

1: A point of sympathy that sticks with ordinary people

The movie version of "Jujutsu Kaisen 0," in which Okkotsu is the protagonist, has many more points of empathy that viewers can relate to in their own lives than "Jujutsu Kaisen," in which Kojo is the protagonist. Of course, there are many points of sympathy in "Jujutsu Kaisen" as well, but since the three main characters are heroines with extraordinary, elite, and winning personalities, I felt more like watching something amazing than sympathizing with them, especially in the beginning.

I think the reason why I can relate to "Jujutsu Kaisen 0" is because of the main characters, Okkotsu and Maki. Although Okkotsu is a bit out of the norm in a sense, he doesn't know anything about witchcraft at the beginning of the story (the same goes for Kojo), and he wanted to die because he didn't want to hurt the people around him, but he was prevented from doing so and was brought to Gojo.

From the official "Jujutsu Kaisen" anime Twitter

During the battle at the elementary school, which ended up being Okkotsu's first battle as a spellcaster, he is asked by Maki in a pinch: "Okkotsu, are you serious?

In a pinch, Okkotsu is asked by Maki: "Okkotsu, what are you really doing here at the Sorcery College?

What do you want! What do you want! What do you want to achieve!

The answer that came out of Okkotsu's mouth was...

The answer that came from Okkotsu was,

"I want to be related to someone, I want to be needed by someone, I want to have the confidence that it's okay to live."

That was it.

To Okkotsu's answer.

"Then exorcise it, exorcise the curse, exorcise it, exorcise it!”

Then...

"Confidence and others will follow! That's the kind of place the College of Witchcraft and Wizardry is!"

Maki replied.

I personally think that this is the scene where Otokone made up his mind to fight as a spellcaster, and at the same time, it is the scene that brings sympathy to the viewers. I'm sure that there are many people who can't use spells, but want to be needed by others or want to have confidence in themselves. I am one of them, so I sympathized with Okkotsu's words and was encouraged by Maki's words. I don't mean to "exorcise" you, but if you keep doing what you can, if you keep doing and doing and doing, your confidence and others will come. Those words really stuck with me.

From the TV anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" episode 17 (C) Akutami GEGE / Shueisha, Jujutsu Kaisen Production Committee

At least if you have watched the anime, or even if you haven't watched the anime, if you watch the movie to the end, you will understand that Maki-san must have believed that and continued to do so. Maki's episode is also in the anime, but it was told in a much cooler and more relaxed way. Maybe it was because the scene with Okkotsu was an emergency, or maybe it was because she was feeling frustrated watching Okkotsu, but Maki's words were more passionate and touched my heart.

And also, I love the way Okkotsu's face and movements change as he becomes more and more determined. ...... The best part of the story is that Okkotsu recognizes and respects the good qualities of each of the three people in his grade, and the three of them worry, care and inspire Okkotsu in their own ways, and try to fight for each other. These four people (three people and one animal) are the best. ......

2: The music is SUPER good

I think one of the charms of this work is the good music. I saw it the first time at the regular screening and the second time at the Live Zone in Kawasaki Cinecitta because the music was so good.

Personally, I would like to recommend the background music "Greatest Strength" that plays at the beginning of the film, in the morning scene when Okkotsu enters the College of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At first, I thought it was a beautiful song, but then a woman's voice came in, then a man's voice, and the number of notes increased and it became more powerful and emotional. The song seemed to express the fate that awaited Okkotsu, and it made my heart tremble.

After the first viewing, I was impressed by the heavy bass of the battle scene, but when I went to see the second viewing, I remembered once again how wonderful the music was. The music lifted my spirits and I felt myself being drawn into the story of the film. There are many films that have impressive endings and climaxes, but it is rare that the beginning of a film leaves such a strong impression. It made me want to go back to the cinema several times just to experience this feeling.

Needless to say, the heavy bass of the rock music during the battle scenes and the scenes explaining the spell is also very cool. In particular, the battle between Okkotsu and Getou, combined with the battle scenes where the spell power clashes, gave me the most realistic feeling. If you can, I highly recommend you see it at least once in a movie theater with good sound quality.

The two songs by King Gnu, "Gyakumu（逆夢）" and "Ichizu(一途）", were also excellent. The music and lyrics of both songs are great, and of course they seem to be about the relationship between Okkotsu and Rika, but after watching the movie version and looking at the lyrics again, first in "Gyakumu" and then in "Ichizu(一途）", there are elements that make me think, "Isn't this about Getou? It's even better that there are elements that make me think, "Isn't this about Getou? What a big swamp .......

the 3rd & 4th reasons to watch is here!