#I need way more lesbian rep out here

[djarinslover]

I need more lesbian romance movies bc I’m SICK of only seeing gay romance be shot so beautifully

[jellybeanium124]

while we're on the topic the woman representation in our flag is peak throughout. does the cast have way more men than women? yes. but every woman character in this show is a banger. nonstop peak women in this show.

spanish jackie. what can I say about jackie that hasn't already been said. how can I describe her badassery and awesomeness into english. she steals every scene she's in. every detail we have about her life is amazing. leslie jones is perfect in the role. woman of all time for real.

mary bonnet. everyone knows how cool it is that mary isn't a nasty bitch but is a sympathetic character and only an antagonist on the most technical terms, who eventually comes to support stede after they talk it out and stede starts supporting her. I love how some of her story is told through how she dresses before and after stede leaves to be a pirate. I love that she gets to follow her passions. I love that she gets to be angry and annoyed and always correct about it.

evelyn higgins. murder is ok. what else can I add??

anne bonney and mary read. they're toxic!! they stab each other! they're insane! I love crazy lesbians ahhh!!!!

archie. archie my beloved. archie's the dumb goofball rep women need. she's here to have a good time and that's it. no doubt in my mind she said to jim "so. wanna see my boobs?" archie's amazing and her pits are unshaved TO ME.

zheng. ohhhhhhh zheng. zheng gets to be clever and calculating and a silly schoolgirl with a crush. I love how multifaceted they make her in so little time. she's an overly controlling leader and she awkwardly flirts. she has auntie issues. she loses everything and gets stuck with stede bonnet and still keeps her cool. I love zheng so much.

WOMENNNNNNNN!!!!!!

[daily-podcasts]

Intro to The Podcast Directory Wiki + this blog: 🪄

This is a side-blog to share podcasts that you may not have heard of before! There will be one post per day, (hence the blog name) highlighting a specific audio drama and linking to their page on the wiki. (main blog is @james-spooky)

They’ll be themed posts aside from the daily ones but it was mainly to have a fun side hobby to get the word out there about some niche podcasts! :]

The Podcast Directory Wiki has over 300 podcasts logged, categorised into many useful groups in order to effectively find ones suited to your tastes. 😋

Detailed info below on how to effectively use the wiki👇

NAVIGATION: 🧭

As said above there are many ways to navigate the wiki and find different podcasts!

Here’s the breakdown:

Masterlist: A list of every podcast logged on the wiki from A-Z 📝

Genre/Subgenre: If you only like horror podcasts or are looking for found footage, musical theatre or something more specific like a plane crash or cryptids, all can be found as categories under these pages :] 📄

Length: By either episode length or total number of episodes for the podcast. e.g. you can browse podcasts that have under 10 episodes, or 20-29 or if you don’t like long episodes you can look at podcasts exclusively that have an average runtime of 20-29 minutes etc. ⏰

Completion Status: We’ve all been there; getting sucked into a podcast only to learn that it was never finished or you have to wait months for a new episode! 💔 And a lot of the time, we love to binge a whole series in a day… With these categories, podcasts are broken down into “completed”, “incomplete” or “ongoing”; this way you can easily dodge those heartbreaks. 😉

LGBTQ Rep: Audio dramas in general are known to have a significant amount of LGBTQ Representation within their characters and storylines. Under this category, it’s broken down into specific representation such as “trans rep” or “lesbian rep”. This way if you want to find more podcasts that represent you, you can! Be mindful that “representation” differs from active protagonists and engrained storylines to side characters or smaller roles. More detailed information surrounding this should be on the individual podcasts page! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Transcripts: Sometimes it can be frustrating to find a really good podcast but there’s no transcript available! 😓 On each Podcast page it is noted whether or not transcripts are available (with a ❌/✅) or you can browse from the category “transcripts” which includes ONLY podcasts with transcripts available to avoid getting invested in ones without.

Network: If you particularly like the work of a certain podcast network, such as QCODE or RustyQuill you can use these categories to find all of their projects! 🖊️

Prominent Podcasters/Voice Actors also have pages dedicated to them with links to their imdb, itemising all the projects they’re involved in if you want to hear specifically more of your favourite actor or writer! 🎭

Randomiser: A lot of the time it can be overwhelming with all the choice! How to choose what to listen to when your “to listen list” is miles long… With the randomiser at the top of the page, it will give you a random podcast, freeing you of the weight of choice 😅 Additionally, you can randomise a genre/subgenre if you want to see what else is out there…

These are the genres/subgenres that are covered:

PAGE LAYOUT EXAMPLE:

Each page has all the information you need, website links, spotify links, transcripts, cast etc.

Spotify linked trailer/first episode to gauge whether you want to invest!

You can easily see the genres, number of episodes, seasons and whether or not it has transcripts available. Even the combined listening time of the podcast so you know what you’re getting into!

All podcast pages have every episode linked to spotify in the collapsible tables. (Logging podcasts with episodes in the hundreds was when I started to regret this decision…🧘)

Each podcast has a small section dedicated to other audio dramas which have a similar vibe so you can find more like your faves! As there are always more podcasts to add, your help or contributions are appreciated. 💪

Take this information and fuel your podcast addiction ten fold ✨👀😏

[diamonds-of-the-first-water]

I Have Evolving Thoughts on Fran’s Sexuality

(god hannah dodd is so pretty)

First of all let’s thank GOD francesca is the queer sister and not…that other one.

Anyways upon my initial viewing of part 2 I definitely read Fran as bisexual and if you continue to read her as such I think that’s fine but my mind has changed on the matter.

I believe that Fran is actually a lesbian suffering from comphet.

The reason this actually started to seem likely to me is because of her wedding scene with John. The whole season I thought they seemed so taken with one another and I enjoyed their quiet dynamic. They were more than comfortable sitting in silence with one another and seemed to grow closer in that way.

I like many others assumed this meant their love was romantic, but that kiss

Would a woman who is attracted to men make this face after kissing the man she loves? I don’t think so. Some people seem to think it’s because she’s shy but it doesn’t seem like she’s even thinking about her family here. It seems like she has retreated into her own thoughts. It seems like she was disappointed. And after spending the whole season feeling nothing for any of the men she meets why wouldn’t she be. She met a man she loved and she kissed him and she didn’t feel those sparks.

Now Fran is also autistic coded so this initially affected the way I viewed her relationships as well, but all of that changes when you take into account Michaela.

Francesca immediately starts to stutter and is flustered when she sees Michaela. We have never seen Fran act this way with a man, even her husband. It wasn’t for no reason that Violet describes how she felt the first time she fell in love with Edmund and then almost immediately after Fran reacts the same way to Michaela. The butterflies, not being able to string a sentence together. This was foreshadowing.

Some people were upset because they said it erased everything Fran said about having a quiet love and that is somewhat true, but I disagree with people saying that it erases slowly built love when Polin’s whole story is about love not striking you like a bolt of lightning.

None of this is to say she can’t love John, I believe she does I just feel it is platonic, and the loss of John would hit hard even if he was her best friend. John is one of the great loves of her life but who is to say that love is romantic? Friendships are the foundation of our lives and they are equally as important as any romantic relationship. Fran met someone who understands her and is like her, that doesn’t mean she has to have romantic attraction for him.

Some of this is affected by personal bias as I am a late-blooming lesbian, but holy shit the way I relate to Fran wanting to get married just because it would mean she wouldn’t have to pursue any other relationships with men and the way she was willing to accept whoever the Queen deemed fit because she didn’t have any criteria except “is kind to me”. Fran does not seem to be searching for love as she has not felt it before. The closest she comes is with John because the two of them are so similar and I believe she thought that because she liked him so much that she must be in love with him which is just so…lesbian coded I don’t know how to explain it.

This isn’t to say bisexuality isn’t real or is “just a phase”. Ew. Gross. No. This is just the way I am interpreting the character with the information we have now. If it comes out definitely that she is bisexual then I will accept that, sapphic rep is so needed.

All in all they look so good and I can’t wait to see these queers kiss and have a romance.

Also I think that Michaela still could have fallen first. Fran just realized she was a dyke at that exact moment and her brain stopped working which is valid. But did you see the way Michaela looked at her. I KNOW A LESBIAN FALLING IN LOVE WHEN I SEE ONE.

[twig-tea]

With 23.5 finally coming out, the people are rejoicing at finally getting a high profile gl from GMMTV. But there have already been several gls airing this year, including my fav TsukuTabe, that have been flying under the radar with fandom, and in general there are more gls already out there than folks seem to think. I just know you have a list of all the gls we should be watching, please share with the class!

Thank you for the ask! How did you know I had a draft of GL recs to make at some point? [Trick question, I mentioned it to you.]

It may seem like I'm out here hating on GL because i've made a couple of negative reviews of recently airing series recently (Love Senior and Chaser Game W in case you're curious) but I actually have lots of GL that I love and that I wish were better known! Thanks for sending this ask so I am inspired to actually finish it! I've limited myself to series so that I could keep the list and this post to a reasonable length. Where possible I've listed where you can find each of these and included a link. And I've included an 'elevator pitch' summary but I am NOT in marketing for a reason, so please don't roast me too hard for my terrible comparisons. Alright, enough waffling!

Twig's GL Rec List

She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat S1 & 2 (Japan, 2022 & 2024, both seasons fansubbed by @furritsubs; if you need help accessing this show feel free to DM me!)

Elevator pitch: Our Dining Table with lesbians and an even slower burn. Watch for beautiful food, acespec rep, mental health and therapy rep

What might turn some off: Extremely low heat, and quite slow-moving; warning for a disordered eating and family trauma plot (v gently handled)

Let's start with the one you've already mentioned. This is a heartwarming slice-of-life slow burn in which an autismspec-coded woman who likes to eat is invited by her neighbour, a femme acespec woman who loves to cook, to come and eat her food. It starts from a very practical place (when you love making food you need someone to help eat it), but their relationship grows as they spend more time together. The story follows them as they both move towards self-actualization in several ways: as a lesbian, as asexual, at work, with their families, with their friends, with each other. This show is so careful to say the important words aloud. And there is so much delicious cooking! Each episode highlights a particular recipe, and the food porn is real. Do not watch while hungry, but definitely watch. The found famiy vibes in this one one are also immaculate.

She Makes My Heart Flutter (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Younger lesbian friend group tries to help out (slightly) older lesbian bar owner with mixed success. I can't think of a good BL equivalent, The Moment Since feels the closest with its similar bartender/patron romance

What might turn some off: Comedic tone; short runtime; struggles with being closeted

This is a gem of a miniseries about a bar owner and an interior designer who smoulder at one another while an intrepid group of younger bar regulars (including the bar owner's neice) meddle. This series is really cute, solid, and full of sapphics! Once again found family vibes are immaculate (you may sense a theme in my faves). Run don't walk.

Fragrance of the First Flower (Taiwan, 2021, GagaOOLala)

Elevator pitch: Right-person-wrong-time/second chance romance; tonally is a little like We Best Love 2: Fighting Mr. 2nd but with an ambiguous ending.

What might turn you off: Medium heat, second chance romance means they break up once, internalized homophobia, adultery/cheating, at one point there's a creepy dude, child with autism (depicted well), ambiguous ending

At its core this is a story of a woman who can't stop getting in the way of her own happiness. This series is a little more sad than the rest of this rec list but I couldn't not include it because this relationship is so poignant. Plus there's a s2 that supposedly is to come out in 2024 so maybe we'll get our happy ending after all?

Love Greater Than or Equal to 70 Degrees C (Korea, 2019, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Ingredients but with lesbians staring at one another over beautiful tea pairings! What more could you ask for?

What might turn you off: Low heat; short runtime; ambiguous ending; like Ingredients this is essentially a long ad for the café it's filmed at.

This is a Korean miniseries about passionate tea sommeliers making really fancy tea while staring at one another a LOT. Perfect sapphic representation, 10/10 no notes. This one packs a lot of the drama tropes into its short runtime, so even though it's short it's full of butterfly-inspiring moments.

Sleep With Me (Philippines, 2022, GagaOOLala/iWantTFC/Netflix w/VPN set to Philippines)

Elevator pitch: The Truth About Cats and Dogs but the self esteem issues are handled without catfishing. BL equivalent: Hmmm. Closest I can think of is Gaya Sa Pelikula.

What might turn you off: There's some ableism (treated as such) in this show; Open ending.

Stellar GL between a late night radio DJ and an insomniac who listens to her show. One of the main couple is a wheelchair user and the show tackles ablelism and navigating disability in relationship as well as feelings of inadequacy in a relationship and how that manifests as interpersonal conflict.

Our Relationship Ended Before it Began (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Along the lines of I Cannot Reach You; the show gives both perspectives and they are held back by queer angst.

What might turn you off: No kiss (but they make it very clear both want to kiss), internalized homophobia

Really sweet miniseries about having a crush and being afraid of being hurt so you don't actually make a move. I really like the way the girl who has not dated a girl before defaults to gender roles and it throws the more experienced lesbian lol I also really like the way this show makes clear that both of them are waiting for a kiss, and that if you get in your head about things, it can get in the way of your own happiness!

Pearl Next Door (Philippines, 2020, Youtube)

Elevator Pitch: Gameboys but with lesbian vloggers.

What might turn you off: Love triangle, lots of teasing but low heat in the end, a lot of (good) conversations about mental health issues, ambiguous ending

This is the GL spinoff to Gameboys, starring Pearl from Gameboys. Pearl ends up being fought over by the two gorgeous women in the gif, an old love and a new. I love the queer friendships in this story as much as the relationships. I will say it's an open ending (that felt a bit like the showrunners didn't want to decide between ships) and definitely the love triangle features prominently but even in the face of these aspects that would normally turn me off a series I had a good time. The characters and interpersonal conflicts feel very real, and are allowed to be complex even when the show tone is comedic.

Dear Uranus (Taiwan, 2021, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Schoolgirl ensemble GL; a little like My School President but without the singing.

What might turn you off: Short runtime; ambiguous ending; a little bit of bullying; very standard romance trope execution

The first Taiwanese GL miniseries, this series was produced by a Taiwanese lesbian couple (Rabbit & Wolf)! Lots of excellent drama tropes, and incredibly gorgeous women (I think the entire watching audience fell in love with Erol.

Lily Fever (Korea, 2015, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Complete crack; YYY but with more kissing and frankly an even less coherent story.

What might turn you off: The lack of coherent plot; less a romance and more a very thirsty lesbian kissing everyone she can

This miniseries is utter chaos. Nothing really makes sense, it's all just random excuses to cause very suggestive moments (and kissing) to happen. I love so much how this series depicts women being so absolutely thirsty for one another (and yes that date isn't a typo, this series is ~9 years old). Not an "happy ever after" ending but it really isn't that kind of story.

Chasing Sunsets (Philippines, 2020, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: Ocean Likes Me with lesbians. Resort romance with a mental health twist.

What might turn you off: Some of the mental health stuff gets intense, this was filmed in 2020 so the pandemic features heavily; hopeful but slightly ambiguous ending.

A complex story from the Philippines covering mental health and finding yourself. A woman shows up to a resort and befriends one of the women running the resort. They get closer as they spend time together, and the resort owner realizes something is off. There's also a BL side couple in this series.

Show Me Love (Thai, 2023, YouTube)

Elevator pitch: A little like My Day the series with lesbians, in that they work together and fall in love and it's full of tropes

What might turn you off: The advertising for the Miss Grand competition, there is some bullying and cheating (though way less than I was expecting tbh), not a lot actually happens, the editing gets a bit wonky at the end

This is essentially a massive ad for the Miss Grand Thailand competition; this GL was produced by the same company that produces that competition, and the stars are mostly Miss Grand competitors. The main pairing were shipped in the actual competition, and the company decided to make a GL about them. It's very slow paced and low-stakes, and there are better kisses than I expected considering everything I just said about where this show came from. There are a lot of cute moments!

Girlfriend Project (Korea, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Love Class with lesbians

What might turn you off: One of the leads is kind of mean in that pgitail-pulling way? It ends abruptly (but happily)

This is a short miniseries about two girls paired in a class that are assigned to "date". The chemistry is chemistrying. And there is a kiss (a good kiss, and a tiptoes kiss at that!). This show also has one of my favourite tropes, in which someone who seems like a pushover stands up for themselves and their partner finds it very attractive. For the record, in this show they are watching another GL by the same company, Love Tech.

Lulu (Philippines, 2022, Vivamax/grey)

Elevator Pitch: Present Perfect with lesbians (but with a better ending).

What might turn you off: Depictions of panic attacks, brief depiction of drowning, pandemic lockdowns, illness, exes, waffling, happy but open ending (which I actually liked for this story)

Two women trying to move on from the garbage in their lives meet at the beach of a B&B (where one saves the other from drowning) and become one another's company during their escape and then something more. They both have baggage that seems determined to keep them apart even as they continue to be drawn together. In the end, they decide to stick it out and see where they end up, with no guarantee of happily ever after, which I found very sweet. Requires either a VivaMax account or searching the grey for it, but it's worth the effort (check MyDramaList comments for suggestions on where to find it). Plus one of the leads has a cactus as a pet.

Welcome to the Lesbian Bar (Korea, 2023, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: A little like Fudanshi Bartender but without the fudanshi bartender and all of the bar patrons are lesbians lol

What might turn you off: Short, can get a little bit preachy, abrupt ending

Cute short series with different very stories every episode as different patrons visit the bar. The stories range from women who have been together for awhile, to people meeting from an online app for the first time, to someone visiting a lesbian bar for the first time; and yet the story all weaves together in a way that's satisfying though ends abruptly. Includes some solid marriage equality propaganda.

GAP the Series (Thai, 2022, YouTube)

Elevator Pitch: Kind of the vibes of Together with Me but lesbians and in an office instead of school. Angry boss falls for charming new intern and

What might turn you off: This one is the highest heat of all these recs; homophobia especially amongst family, brief depictions of death by car, brief mentions of suicide, cheating, bullying, abuse of power in the office.

A list would not be complete without this one! Honestly the plot is a bit wobbly but the show is a lot of fun. The girls are very cute, the feelings and tension builds really well between them, the friend group is excellent, and in the special we get a wedding.

---

The rest of these have caveats of one kind or another, but i couldn't leave them off a rec list, so here are the side couples and censored stories that are still worth your time anyway (I might do a separate more detailed post for these, as well as for films, one day if there's interest):

Nevertheless (GL side; Korean, 2021, Netflix) Not sure it's worth watching a whole kdrama for side lesbians? Search soljiwan on youtube. They are great. Even the Netflix account stans them. I watched this (ngl, I watched the SolJiwan cut) as it aired and was constantly braced for it to let us down but it did not! A really good friends-to-lovers story.

Friend Zone 2: Dangerous Area (GL side; Thailand, 2019, YouTube): These sapphics are messy and I love them. Decent conversation about dating someone with mental health issues in this series, and they're one of the only couples in this ensemble to get a happy ending. If you're just watching the lesbian couple (which you can, their story is pretty self-contained) you don't need to have seen s1.

Six Survivors (GL side; Japan, 2022, Viki) This show is a horror comedy and it is SO MUCH FUN. Warning for zombies and blood, but way less than you might think. One of the eponymous 6 survivors is a lesbian who keeps trying to convert them to veganism lol. If you watched Chaser Game W you'll recognize one of the actresses in this, the lead actress is from Kamisama no Ekohiiki, and one of the guys is from the prequel series His as well as I Want to See Only You! And yes there is a kiss. Also a surprising number of Mallrats references. Not for people who can't handle gore or relationships being complicated/not a "true love" story/ambiguous ending.

Kamisama no Ekohiiki (complicated question of is it GL in parts, Japan, 2021, furritsubs once again coming through to save the day) This one is a bit complex because there's bodyswap, but the girl who falls for the bodyswapped boy-in-a-girl's-body is clear that she is only interested in the girl. One of the better bodyswap stories because the bodyswap is not a secret for very long, so instead there's a lot of introspection about what gender means and who/what they are attracted to. Feels wrong to call this GL, necessarily, but it's very queer.

Couple of Mirrors (Censored GL, China, 2021, Viki) Story of a rich girl and her assassin girlfriend. This production did an amazing job getting away with what they could, just don't watch the last five minutes and we've got essentially a happy lesbian family.

Legend of Yunze (Censored GL, China, 2021, @douqi7s) Very cute very low budget xianxia miniseries with two seasons and a special. The special is set in modern times in a future lifetime so if you want a cute censored-but-clearly-a-soulmate-love-story this is the one for you. Don't be thrown off by the weird cuts/abrupt episode endings, that's in line with cdramas in general.

Led Astray by Love (Censored GL, China, 2021, @douqi7s) A very fun and adorable isekai story in which a modern day girl is transported to a wuxia novel setting and has to figure out how to get home, and gets romanced by the princess along the way.

And a few additional links for people who even more content:

My Indian sapphic webseries rec list

My suggestions for content with toms (Thai category that's similar to but not exactly the same as butch lesbians) in response to this post.

This really good GL MyDramaList list (not made by me!) lists what seems to be everything I've mentioned and about 200 more. Even I haven't seen a few of these!

My YouTube playlist of sapphic content: This includes anything I stumble across or find in my searches, a lot of music videos and random shorts as well as some microseries and miniseries that I don't consider GL but are WLW/sapphic in addition to true "GL" content. For serialized content, I add just the first ep. A complete mess, but you can trawl through to find stuff to watch, like Hetero!

SOONOTSUE: The same producers of She Makes My Heart Flutter have other short series on their channel worth checking out; if you liked that one, try Out of Breath!

Shakeshoulder: Thai YouTube producers of very pulpy (read: low budget and dramatic plots) shorts

FuFuKnows: This YouTube channel is owned by a gay Taiwanese couple that produces shorts every week, including some with GL mains and sides. These are very low budget but cover a whole swath of queer themes.

@douqi7s is a godsend providing subtitles for all kinds of content, including sapphic shorts and more series than I've listed here. Check their tumblr for links to all of their content; A Practical Guide to Being a Superstar's Assistant has one of the best setups to giving us great moments in the guise of something else so that they get past censorship I've ever seen; I also recommend The Vampires if you're into genre fiction, as well as Legend of Yunqian if you enjoyed the xianxia parts of Legend of Yunze. @wlwcatalogue did an excellent summary of many of the non-wuxia options here.

Quick pitch for the streaming platform GagaOOLala; it's affordable, has a ton of content, including a whack of GLs (originals, license series, and a ton of shorts), and is run by queer people out of Taiwan who care about good quality queer content being made and having an audience, and using the soft power from those successful series to support social change. And if you can't afford a subscription it's worth checking out what they have for free, they open up temporary free access to some things for various events throughout the year.

In searching for gifs for this post I found fellow tumblr user @drowningparty 's WLW compendium list; they've listed more series and films so check it out if you still need more content!

*wipes sweat off brow* that should be enough to be getting on with, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg! If there's something specific you want to see with sapphics let me know and I can tell you if I know it exists. Anyway, I hope this gives you and everyone else a taste of what all is out there! I of course always want more, I am serious about being a sapphic dragon hoarding every crumb i can get my lizardy hands on, but I do think what we have should also be appreciated more. If I missed one of your faves, please tell me!

[theboredhooman]

okay but kame and asa are literally 100% in love i don’t make the rules ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

long post overanalysing and yapping about these two lesbians + spoilers for the ‘mononoke: phantom in the rain’ movie! go watch it right now if you can 👹👹

kame is literally asa’s most precious thing.

asa was soo flustered and didn’t want to tell kame about this, even blushing?? like understandable it’s basically a confession

one of asa’s first reactions was always to check if kame was okay whenever the mononoke appeared

sure, it could’ve just been a friend thing, but asa was constantly looking out for kame in the ooku

defending her and taking the blame for all her mistakes and trying to protect her from harm, standing up to awashima and mugitani

asa i know what you are i saw that blush when kame smiled after you told her she could work with you instead of mugitani (I get you she was so cute tho)

”Such neat handwriting” asa’s eyes were so soft it actually broke my heart when i saw awashima cutting kame’s hair

the well scene….just…

asa trying to pull up kame, and kame doing the same for her

also asa being sort of lifeless while she hangs there until kame tells her that ‘it’ll be alright!/I’ve got you!’ and suddenly she snaps out of her shock, gaining emotions again

also it was so cute when they were talking next to each other at night

speaking of which, kame making asa promise to not let go while they sleep and asa adjusting to a more comfortable grip while holding hand was just; auGHHH 😩

ALSO ALSO “Kitagawa made me realise what was important, what I should never throw away,” and then KAME TURNING TO SMILE AT ASA AND ASA SMILING BACK WITH THAT ADORING LOOK IN HER EYES?? (note: there was also minor foreshadowing here with the empty doll cupboard but i think that had more to do with kitagawa)

and the cut off after saying she needed to say something important was really suspicious like what did she say??

idk how this related but afterwards she became more focused and hardworking on her job(but also more rigid and firm in her beliefs) and kame tipped out her water instead of drinking it (because she became the opposite? more rebellious/defiant maybe? idk)

speaking to the medicine seller, she said she understood kitagawa’s feelings, which makes me think kitagawa also had a thing for her friend lol like there was absolutely something going on there if she(kitagawa) fell apart after her friend left

only mildly related but i believe karakasa’s next target was probably going to be kame and she was used as bait for it (as something a redditor* mentioned was asa may have sent kame away to protect her rather than the reason kitagawa did, OR lure out karakasa) edit: nvm i remembered wrong it was utayama i believe (due to perhaps resentment within the doll’s umbrella*) or asa (following the logic that awashima and mugitani were both the head housemaids(?) favoured by utayama before asa, although again the end goal was probably to attack utayama)

also when asa was addressing the other maids of the ooku before the birth celebratory ceremony and bowed, kame bowed but nobody else did (which means they didn’t respect asa)

then kame got mad and showed her support for her girl like hell yeah 👏 and asa gained more confidence which i think was sweet

oh and asa was also like “the thing that kept me grounded was lady kame” 🥹🥹

she also said (acc. to netflix subs) “And yet, I yearned for nothing more than to share meals with Kame. And spend countless nights just staying up late, giggling and talking to her.” SHE SOUNDED SO LOVESICK 💔

btw love how the medicine seller instantly knew asa was looking for her boo lmao

anyways i think it mayyy not have been requited on kame’s side, at least canonically, but I have literally zero doubt asa was in love with her. then again homophobes and censorship. uh. it’s alright i ship them very hard either way i need more lesbian rep in anime hehe.

in conclusion. Harold they’re lesbians. thanks for coming to my ted talk. yeah o7

*redditors talked about the choice of karakasa as the yokai.(i reccomend reading it, it’s very interesting imo)

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Favorite Continuing Manga I Read in 2023

I went into the brand new manga I read in this post, but here's an update on some great continuing series!

Shout out to She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat for having phenomenal storyline about find the courage to cut toxic family members off, which is pretty rare to see (in manga especially)! The story explores how your family can impose a relationship with food that harms you in many different ways, and how finding acceptance of your food habits helps you heal. It also continues to be a lovely exploration of queer adults finding themselves that makes the point that your experiences don't have to fit in a box.  And I appreciate that they included a character who doesn't like eating that much for me to relate to! See my first review here, 

Now for a quick word about the other great continuing manga I read:

- I Want to be a Wall really upped it's game and included a nuanced discussion about asexuality that I loved seeing. See first review here.

- Yuri is My Job is still the best lesbian drama manga around and hits hard. See previous discussion here,

- A Man and His Cat is still the sweetest and Yona of the Dawn is as action packed and intriguing as ever...I feel a climax slowly coming!

- A Bride’s Story is still wonderfully done historical fiction with lush art while How Do We Relationship continues to develop its web of queer relationships nicely.

- Witch Hat Atelier is still a wondrous story of magic, creativity, accessibility, and struggling under unfair systems, all told in a fascinating fantasy setting with loveable, complex characters and incredible art.

A lot of manga I like concluded this year too, so let's take a slightly longer look at the conclusions!

Dungeon Meshi- The conclusion to one of my favorite fantasy manga ever was fittingly bombastically weird and fully satisfying. It filled you up like good food should. Live well instead of being consumed by fear of death and loss. Eat well instead of working yourself to the bone and neglecting your needs. Follow your own path, but cherish your connections and get together for a good meal. This series and its intricate world and wonderful characters will stay with me for a long time.

Catch These Hands- See my first review here. I enjoyed the cute conclusion to this series, and it was nice to see a little ace rep and a message about not conforming to society's expectations of "adulthood". It's an ode to delinquent girls that a sukeban stan like me can get behind! A lot of the stuff that annoyed me in the second volume was mostly dropped for the third and fourth, so that's also nice.

Run Away With Me Girl- See my first review here. I wish this had been a little longer, but the conclusion worked well and was cathartic.

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon- See my first review here. A nice conclusion to a cute, slow-paced little romance series, with yet more ace rep!

The Two of Them are Pretty Much Like This- see my first review here. This conclusion felt a bit rushed, with plot lines still dangling, like it was cancelled early or something. But the series is still good overall, and I'll miss it.

My Love Mix Up -This sweet-as-pie series about cute gay misunderstandings leading to romance comes to a fittingly sweet conclusion. It's sad waving goodbye to these silly, good-hearted kids, but I'm satisfied with where they ended up.

[angryshortstacks]

Observations from completing the Sunshine Court

Jean Moreau is the saddest girl in the world.

Jeremy is Richard Gansey III and I want more explanation on his backstory. Tell me how his mom sucks NOW!

Nora Your telling me Jeremy was never blonde? I don’t believe it. Your fucking with me

Jean is actually so funny. The drama of his descriptions. Like this man has the longest laundry list of trauma yet a sugary drink is the worst thing to exist ever. That’s very French of him.

Jean did have a crush on Kevin comfirmed (still holding onto blind hope that kerjean could be canon)

I think it’s safe to say the Trojans are the queerest team in the league. Cat and Lila are queens and I love lesbians, Xavier is a king who respects boundaries, Nb rep and polyamory. Nora you’re treating us.

The fact that Jean was so upset about their heights

Idk why sports anime mafia au is the best setting to explore indoctrination stalkholm syndrome and extreme trauma but fuck it where here, we ball, and I’m not okay

I always forget how unhinged Neil is and seeing him from an outside perspective did not help

Neil’s also a king who respects boundaries but like in an unhinged way

I too would put a hit out on a rapist if I had the means

Jean had a little sister 🥺 I will never recover from this knowledge

And We thought Neil had compartmentalizations skills, fuck me.

I never realized the symmetry between Neil and Jean and their twisted fate. I’m very glad that Neil got to have a part in this book and hopefully a part in jeans healing.

I need book 2 NOW Nora!

[contradictory-label-culture-is]

Contradictory label culture is merely existing in a way that isn't conventional enough to have been considered by coiners.

Multigender people especially are affected (like me I'm multigender.) How can you be nonbinary and a girl? I'm multigender, they are my genders. How can you be midbinary, binary, and abinary? I'm multigender, which label I use depends on if I'm talking about myself collectively or just one of my genders. How can you be cisgender and isogender? Because my aporinity is not cis but is distinctly transn't. But I still relate to cisness because of my being a girl. How can you be enbian and a woman? I'M MULTIGENDER!

It's sad that multigender people basically can't win with sexuality labels, like seriously, I think it needs more rep in media because of it! And someone who ..I don't think was exactly multigender? I think genderqueer? They said something SO simple (no offense) it was being sapphic and Achillean, but it was on tiktok so you know even simple "contradictory" labels are weird to them (there were good comments, btw) but still, someone genuinely thought "sapphic = lesbian, Achillean = gay" I'm sorry WHAT

That's the whole reason for the term sapphic and Achillean!! It's so that multisexual people feel included in wlw or MLM without people saying "lesbian relationship" while one of them is literally bisexual or pan or omni etc!! HOW did they think sapphic was lesbian??

Of course, (TikTok wouldn't like this) but people can be gay and a lesbian (Gaybian) BUT even if you couldn't, you can be wlw and MLM!! It's SO simple and I can't people TikTok was rotting people's brains this much.

And again, it's like multigender people can't live with a sexuality!! I'm gonna go over a few.

3: "erm abrosexual!!" No?? Did they say it was fluid, my guy?? No?? Not every multigender person is genderfluid and not every genderfluid person's sexuality is fluid!!

2: "Gynesexual!!" Yeah you would want someone to just use a term that's basically woman romantic, right? No offense to people who are Gynesexual, but there is absolutely no rep for it anyway, and guess what? Lots of people feel connected to the lesbian label. (Believe it or not, someone pulled out Gynesexual and abrosexual when debating me on my sexuality. Not this next one tho)

1 (absolutely number one goes toooooooo): "that's just STRAIGHT!!" Boom we have a winner!!! 🏆 Of being the dumbest exclusivist! Maybe this should go on r/one joke or r/one comeback!!! Am I right?? Here's several reasons why they wouldn't be straight.

First off, actually tell me how you think a woman loving woman is straight. "Well it cancels out cause you're a man too!!" No it doesn't. That's just multigender transphobia, or @transmultiphobia-discussion (hehe had to tag them, sorryyyy) trans multiphobia! But actually thinking that it's crazy a woman would call herself a lesbian cause she likes women is CRAZY (reminder! Multigender CAN be straight, I'm just pointing out the logic)

And again, it's like double the gayness if they also like men! It's wlw and MLM! That's SO gay! So how the hell is it wrong if they're gay?? And it's like hell ok earth if a monosexual multigender even breathes, like GOD.

I just wonder what they'd say if a multigender person said they're straight so uh... If you want to rant about someone who hates multigender lesbians/gays that also hated straight multigender people... Tell me!

[reviewsthatburn]

THE WITCH KING by Martha Wells is excellent and I had a great time reading it. The worldbuilding is nuanced and well-developed, with factions and history in a way that implies much more going on, but not getting bogged down in little details that don’t matter to this particular story. It deals with colonization and empire from the perspective of a quasi-immortal character (Kai) who has not been around forever, but has been around long enough that things which are part of his culture and history are now details that would fascinate only historians. The narrative shifts between two time periods in his life. This means that some events are mentioned before they were actually shown, but it was generally in a way that made the whole thing easier to follow. The two timelines are connected, as the main characters are trying to figure out whether the plan they were working on when they were betrayed is still salvageable. 

Full Review at Link

[stripedwolf88]

The Eras Tour: Paris Night 1 (My Thoughts)

ALLLLLLLLRIGHT. So because @bettysgarden12 wanted to know my reactions and thoughts on everything that happened today, I thought I would share with the rest of yous. It's probably not going to be very in depth or analytical so fair warning on that hehe. Also this probably isn't in order of the show because my memory is trash haha.

1.First things first. The lover bodysuit. WHaT iN ThE FRiLly HeLl?!?!? I literally still don't know whether or not I dreamt of seeing that new bodysuit. Definitely, lesbian colors represented there and it was confirmed with the orange blazer she wore for The Man. It was not an accident I'm sure to have the inside be pink too.

(Side note: we all knew that The Archer was going to get cut. It actually makes a lot of sense too. I think we are past Taylor asking us to stay, not that she doesn't still hope us too. It's more like she is fine with blowing everything up now instead of focusing on the worry of messing everything up. At least I hope that is the case. We're here for ya Taylor. You got this.)

2. Second, the Fearless dress. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I also saw that it looks really reminiscent of the original dress she wore for her Fearless tour. It's almost like she is going back to what once was.

3. Third, transitioning right into Red was something. The new Red shirt says "This is not Taylor's Version" when Red is in fact Taylor's again. Some of my moots pointed out that it could be referencing the whole Real Taylor vs Taylor The Brand theory that we as a community have been developing for quite some time. With this thinking, it would mean that the Taylor we are seeing is not someone Taylor claims as her own or something like that. It's not truly her which we all knew already.

4. Fourth, we saw a new intro for Speak Now (now officially just Enchanted since Long Live has been axed.) I don't have much to say on that other than I wasn't surprised that Long Live got cut. This cut also makes sense if we are thinking that Taylor is gonna burn it down. No more reminding about the good times or the "needing" fans to stand by her forever.

5. Fifth, combining folklore and evermore was unexpected but also not? Idk it made sense and to me it just seems like it was easier to combine them since room had to be made for TTPD.

6. Sixth, Rep was Rep. Nothing really changed from what I could tell or remember other than THE FREAKING GLASS CASES SHATTERING!!! YOU BREAK THAT GLASS CLOSET TAYLOR! WHOOP WHOOP!

7. Seventh, 1989 outfit was...something. It's just not my cup of tea visually. I DID NOT notice the lion or tiger(???) charm she had on until someone else pointed it out. Very interesting either way.

8. Eighth, putting TTPD before Midnights was an interesting choice. The whole theory that we still have to meet her at Midnight (credit to my moots for pointing this out again) is supported by this I think.

9. Ninth, the dress for TTPD is amazing!! And so are the other two outfits. The marching band uniform and it's possible reference back to ME! music video? It has me in shambles.

10. Tenth, the performance for Who Afraid of Little Old Me was visually amazing and she sang it beautifully (no surprise there) with such emotion that it was impossible for me to look away. Her levitating across the stage was also freaking awesome!

11. Next the empty cages imagery?? The nurses pulling her away from her lover??? The image of her crouching in the middle of this weird ass place??? That one really kind of freaked me out. It was eerie and heartbreaking in a way I'm not quite able to explain at this moment.

12. I was conflicted about I Can Do It With A Broken Heart both before, during, and after the performance. I had a feeling she was going to perform it and I kind of wanted her to just to hear her sing it live but then not because I knew how the fans were going to react. I really did face-palm when everyone yelled "More!" on the livestream but we all knew they were going to. The transition into ICDIWABH made me want to throw something at the TV but I also did snort on the petulance on Taylor's face for the little act. I really liked the old Hollywood theme for the visuals and the dance. It was pleasing to watch. BY THE WAY....HAVING THE OUTFIT FOR ICDIWABH ECHO HER OUTFITS ON REP IS REALLY SOMETHING. She bamboozled me again.

13. Midniiiiiiights. THE BODYSUIT IS MY FAVORITE ONE OUT OF THE ONES WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR. I'm glad that Mastermind was kept. I didn't think that she would have taken away anything from the Midnights era but if there was I had this weird concern that it would be Mastermind. Thank god my anxiety was unnecessary.

14. The surprise soooooongs~ Paris is a favorite of mine so I'm happy she played it but also of course she did. That was another predictable thing that happened. Her performance of loml was again heartfelt. She seems really happy to sing these new songs and it shows.

15. I am pretty freaking sure that the Bejeweled lights were a LOT more colorful and rainbowy than usual. Was that just me? Please tell me it wasn't just me!

Overall, it is safe to say that I was not prepared for the absolute chaos that today brought.

Taylor, it seems like you're really doing this (I reeeeeally hope that is the case) and I'm so happy for you if that is what is happening. You do you and you show us what's up. I'm looking forward to it. <3

[burst-of-iridescent]

atla live action thoughts: episodes 3 & 4

SPOILERS AHEAD

tw: opinions

things i liked:

jet, you beautiful, beautiful man. had me twirling my hair and kicking my feet fr i NEED this show to get a season 2 just so i can see more of him in the ba sing se arc please netflix

but looks aside, sebastian amoruso DELIVERED on the performance. the softness, the vulnerability, the charm, the intelligence, yet also the ruthlessness beneath it all? KILLED IT.

the moment between him and katara where he tells her to remember her mother as she was alive and not just her death was absolutely lovely. “remember the sunrise” made me very emotional

on that note, can’t believe jetara fake marriage is canon now lmao

i am SO here for desi omashu. i love the vibe and aesthetic of the city and again the visuals are STUNNING. live action repping the south asians better than the original ever did i’ll be honest

shameless fan service but “MY CABBAGES” being so fucking dramatic had me dying

of all the things i expected from the atla live action, secret tunnel and omashu being lesbians wasn’t even on the list but i’m not mad. hilarious that they turned the cave of two lovers into the cave of two platonic siblings though

jet, omashu and northern air temple arcs actually meshed together better than i thought. the NAT episode never sat well with me in the original so i’m glad they moved them to omashu instead.

the freedom fighters were RIGHT OUT OF THE ANIMATION. casting directors absolutely killed

love that they showed resistance movements within the fire nation and azula being part of rooting them out. it’s a nice nod to the deserter, since i’m guessing they’re not including that episode

really glad to see that the atla live action is following the tradition of having weirdly unnecessary zutara crumbs in every iteration of the story because what in the om shanti om was that zutara scarf moment. 10/10 no notes

having one of the earthbenders transporting iroh be angry over losing a loved one because of iroh’s siege of ba sing se was a really great change. i’ve always thought the original glossed over the true extent of the damage iroh did, so having him come face to face with what he’d done in the past was a great way to add some complexity

“how dare you beat up that child!” everyone go home seeing zuko being beat up by a random old lady is the highlight of this series. really love that they were just running around throwing things at each other that was major book 1 zuko/aang fight energy lmao

SECRET TUNNELLLLLLLL

leaves from the vine instrumental was 100% to inflict emotional damage and it fucking worked. the scene between zuko and iroh at lu ten’s funeral was so beautiful & then to have it flipped around at the end when iroh says “everything i need is on this boat”… fuck you for this netflix i didn’t need these tears today

things i disliked/am conflicted about:

not a fan of what they’re doing with katara’s character. they’re toning down a lot of her rage and fierceness, and boiling her down to “trauma over mother’s death.” in the original katara didn’t freeze jet and splash water at him because he tried to fight her, she did it because she was hurt and pissed off! there’s no way animated katara would’ve just run away from jet without sending a water whip at his face first. i’m concerned for how the pakku fight is gonna go tbh

bumi my guy, what did they do to you 💀 this series seems hellbent on having everyone remind aang that he ran away which doesn’t work when a) you already changed aang actively running away to him just going off for a break and b) you’ve made that point! the original omashu episode was about bumi teaching aang to look at the world differently, here it just weirdly feels as though he’s punishing aang by venting all his anger and despair on him?? that’s NOT what animated bumi was like & they didn’t even have the two of them go sliding down the delivery system in the flashbacks so adding it in at the end felt very out of nowhere. they didn’t even genuinely seem to be FRIENDS

having aang immediately figure out it was bumi was… sigh. can we please not do the thing where characters already know everything it’s giving me trauma flashbacks to the percy jackson show

jet’s plan feels more reasonable here than it did in the original. i get they’re trying to show that he didn’t care about the collateral damage to innocent people and that’s bad, but idk him wiping out an entire town unilaterally felt more extreme than a few bombings.

heavily dislike what they’ve done with zhao. i know they’re trying to show him clawing his way to power but that’s more of a long feng move than a ZHAO move. it’s important that zhao always holds more power than zuko and that he has an overinflated sense of ego from the start for him to fulfil his narrative purpose of serving as a warning to zuko of what he might become.

i like seeing mailee but why are they in this show? it feels as though they’re cardboard cutouts there for fan service instead of being actual characters

overall i liked these episodes better than the previous two & i do enjoy how action-packed and visually pleasing the show has been so far.

overall rating: 8/10 for episode 3, 7/10 for episode 4

[rose-of-oz]

𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗟 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗕𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗘𝗦

Given the recent sort-of resurgence of Marvel OCs in this community, I found my own inspiration revived and decided to make some myself! I actually will very likely be properly introducing all of these (as well as elaborating on my MCU rewrite that actually includes mutants and more comic-accurate stuff, which they all exist in), but for now you can still feel free to ask me questions about any of them!!

Cheryl “Cherry” Marsden a.k.a. Cherry Bomb, she/her, no ship, Margot Robbie FC. A mutant with the power to manipulate energy and use it to create small, brightly-coloured bombs. Surrendered to the Xavier Institute when she was only eleven after showcasing her powers because her parents hated mutants, but ran away at sixteen and started grifting for a “living” because she was too chaotic and pretty much everybody in the mansion hated her. Eventually became a vigilante in Brooklyn, using her powers to take down criminals and corrupt rich people, before she’s approached by the Avengers (completely Tony’s idea, is anyone surprised) because there was a chance she could help them out as a part of the team. Promptly becomes the chaotic aro-ace rep the Avengers needed, inserting herself into their little found family and causing mischief all the while. Incredibly wild and chaotic and takes very little seriously, but incredibly loyal, a good fighter, and a lot smarter than most people assume. Basically she’s just here to save the world and have a good time doing it, and we love that for her.

Raina Lombardi, she/her, Natasha Romanoff (recasted as Jessica Chastain) ship, Monica Barbaro FC. A legacy S.H.I.E.L.D. employee (her great-grandfather was a scientist in the SSR and at least one member of her family has held a job in S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since), but never wanted to become an agent like both of her parents, so she chose to become a combat trainer at the Academy and teach new field agent recruits instead. Has admired Natasha from afar for years, but actually gets to know her after Fury finally convinces her to guest-teach a hand-to-hand lesson at the Academy and they start talking. Never actually goes out on any missions, but does interact with Coulson’s team on occasion and is a big fighter when it’s revealed that HYDRA’s invaded S.H.I.E.L.D. Generally a very serious person who’s incredibly loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. and dedicated to her job (doesn’t really know what to do with herself after the agency collapses, but eventually becomes an MMA instructor), but also has an unexpected wry sense of humour and, despite her slightly intimidating facade, can be very warm and friendly. (Also a big fat lesbian who goes a little bit speechless whenever Natasha does something cool even after they start dating, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Henry Archibald a.k.a. Foresight, he/him, Sharon Carter ship, Tom Payne FC. A mutant with the power of precognition who only gets his visions in dreams, and thus suffers from fairly bad insomnia because they so often scare him and he wants to avoid them. Approached by S.H.I.E.L.D. because Fury thinks his powers might be useful, and Sharon is placed in charge of sort of keeping an eye on him the way she was with Steve, to make sure he doesn’t completely break down. Very reluctant to get close to anyone because he has a tendency to get horrible visions about those he cares about, but he can’t stop himself and eventually they become a really cute couple. Incredibly anxious, quiet, and closed-off due to his powers, but also has a very good heart and would do anything for the people he cares about. Also becomes really good friends with Maria Hill, Bobbi Morse, and most of Coulson’s team, especially Fitzsimmons and Skye.

Apollo Huang, he/they, Bucky Barnes ship, Harry Shum Jr. FC. A sorcerer (a born one, different from a mutant or witch) who moved to Budapest a few years before Bucky runs there after his magic almost gets found out back home in New York, and Bucky finds himself drawn to their stall of luck charms (that don’t actually work), while he finds themself drawn to him because he can sense the pain and dark energy from the past swirling around him. Over the year that Bucky’s hiding out, they find themselves spending more and more time together and falling in love, enough so that Apollo is even willing to reveal their magic and use it to help Steve prove that Bucky didn’t bomb the Sokovia Accords signing (he also almost uses it to kill Zemo later, but that’s a different thing). Playful and humorous, but also gentle and loving and would not hesitate to do anything at all for Bucky or anyone else they care about. Also an incredibly powerful sorcerer and not at all afraid to show off his magic to anyone who will watch.

Sabrina Devereaux a.k.a. Snowbird, she/her, Steve Rogers (recasted as Glen Powell) ship, Minka Kelly FC. A mutant with the ability to create and manipulate ice, snow, and frost, who was sold to a mutant trafficking ring by her parents when she was only thirteen and forced to fight other young mutants for entertainment. Finally ran away and lived on the streets until she was discovered by Clint a few years after he found Natasha and she begged to be brought to S.H.I.E.L.D. and made into an agent once she realized who he worked for, because she wanted to help people the way she and her fellow trafficked youth hadn’t been helped. Created her own suit and codename as an homage to the bird-themed name of the man who’d saved her, and becomes one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s best agents. Brought into the Avengers on Clint and Natasha’s suggestion shortly after the Battle of New York, and quickly becomes close to everyone on the team, as well as falling in love with America’s golden boy. Can be quiet and closed-off because of her past, but also has a lot of inner strength and is incredibly bold and not afraid to speak up for what she believes. Becomes really good friends with Thor and Bruce, and also a very sweet bisexual who has a big crush on Natasha for, like, a solid week after meeting her.

Harald Aamirson, he/him, Loki Laufeyson ship, Dev Patel FC. A knight in Asgard’s Royal Guard who’s been pining for the younger prince from afar since they were both young, hating the way Odin treated him and favoured Thor over him. When he gets assigned as Loki’s new personal guard, they finally start getting to know each other and connecting and even share a kiss, only for it to be revealed that Loki was planning to banish his brother and kill Odin. Thus begins the most complicated on-and-off relationship in all the Nine Realms, but throughout it all there is genuine love and heartbreak and so much care between them. Harald is incredibly dedicated and loyal, the perfect guard, but also a little bit feral (he’s in love with Loki, how could he not be), and isn’t afraid to bend the rules for the sake of the people he cares about. Eventually becomes one of Thor’s most trusted companions, which is definitely funny when you consider how much he used to resent him (they’re cool now, though).

Caroline “Carrie” Flores, she/her, Wanda Maximoff (recasted as Gratiela Brancusi) ship, Melissa Barrera FC. The daughter of one of the HYRDA scientists who had moved to Sokovia to perform human experiments, and although she was never allowed to interact with the subjects, never forgot Wanda and Pietro and the obvious aptitude they showed for abilities before the scientists ever got their hands on them. Due to her rage at her father and the atrocities he committed, became an assassin who hunted down the former HYDRA employees who had gotten away from the Avengers, all the while trying to figure out the secrets of the twins’ powers. Once she’s finally figured out their true parentage and the fact that Wanda is an Omega-level mutant, she finally approaches the Avengers, and through spending time with Wanda, who actually remembers her as well, they eventually fall in love! Carrie has a lot of rage and trauma due to her father’s abuse and the things she did over the years, but she has a lot of love in her heart and desperately craves to be loved the way Wanda loves her. Also, like, Probably Too Comfortable with being covered in blood, but luckily for her Wanda’s kind of into that.

Raymond “Ray” Nakamura a.k.a. Menagerie, he/him, Peter Parker ship, Ryan Potter FC. A mutant with the power to transform into any animal he wishes, who plays off the green hair that comes with his mutation and mostly just tries to fly under the radar, but eventually gets inspired by Spider-Man and decides to take to the streets as his own kind of vigilante named Menagerie - only to accidentally run into a maskless Spider-Man one night and discover that the insect-themed vigilante is actually the awkward guy who sits beside him in English. Ray decides to reveal himself to Peter as well and becomes a Friend of Spider-Man, and eventually they also fall in love and become a really cute superhero couple. Very sarcastic and blunt, but with a heart of gold, and incredibly brave and always ready to fight for what’s right and for the people he cares about. Also becomes besties with MJ, and they have fun judging people together.

Callisto, they/she pronouns, Peter Quill (recasted as Jensen Ackles) ship, Felicity Jones FC. A half-human, half-Asgardian hybrid who grew up with their Terran mother on Xander, until she was killed by a small Kree militia group during an attack and Callisto was taken to become a Kree battle slave at the age of eleven. Ran across Yondu’s band of Ravagers during a Kree mission, and Yondu, being reminded of his own past, decided to take her in, so she grew up with Peter until he left to strike out on his own and Callisto stayed with the Ravagers, and actually started to resent him for what they saw as him leaving her behind. When Peter steals the Orb, Yondu decides it would be best to send Callisto after him since they already have a grudge against him but will still bring him back alive - of course, she doesn’t expect Rocket, Groot, and Gamora to also be there and winds up shipped to the Kyln with the rest of them, and over the course of the group’s adventures actually starts to want to punch Peter less and less. An incredibly good fighter who’s amazing with almost any weapon, and the best sharpshooter in Yondu’s Ravager band. Very fierce and intense and, on the surface, a lot like Gamora, but actually has a chaotic streak much like Peter’s that they’ve tried to tamp down, and at the end of the day just wants to be loved and not left alone like she was before. Actually becomes really good friends with Rocket, and eventually the whole team comes to dead the shenanigans they get up to when left alone together.

Tagging the Marvel moots: @dancingsunflowers-ocs,

@ginevrastilinski-ocs, @xoteajays, @gabbysdawsons,

@stelstellakidd, @come-along-pond, @juliaswickcrs,

@asirensrage, @themaradwrites,

@goldheartedchaoticdisaster.

[erosjournal]

‧₊˚໒꒱ simply some argos 2 headcanons in my "au"

────────────────────────────────────────────

"to be perfect, you have to feel perfect about yourself--avoid trying to be something your not." - rick riordan

i believe that the majority of people on that ship are not straight

let start here with the lost trio

leo is bisexual, and on the aroace spectrum (i would say abroromantic/sexual? look em up!)

also i think he could be trans (ftm) or just genderqueer

jasons definitely demiromantic/sexual, even tho he and piper ended up quickly together, it was forced feelings and they had bonded closely. also i hc him as bi

for me, pipers a non-binary/demigirl queer person! she uses she/they, and i'd say is also probably on the aroace spectrum. VERY COMPHET

ok now for percy and annie

percy's bi. aint no way he isn't. the way he describes specific guys like bro

like i imagine the luke thing to sorta be like nico to percy, yk?

and annabeth.

i think she's very comphet too (look it up :D) and so she thinks shes straight and struggles with it, since percy's the only person she'd be with and he's a guy, making her 'straight'.

but i personally think she's pan, and attracted to percy bc of his personality vs his gender. plus, i think there r some other people at camp she's probably "liked", like not cheating, but thought 'oh, i would date them' yk?

lowkey, frank and hazel are token straight, but both are demiromantic and i think they just don't talk abt sexuality in their relationship BC THEY ARE CHILDREN? like they talk abt attraction, just not... yk.

i imagine frank getting very flustered abt it, and hazel gets awkward but more open to talk abt it

nico, obviously i know he's gay. i love that we had beautiful rep in the books, they could never make me hate u nico

also i wouldn't be apposed to trans/nb nico (same w/ will)

and for reyna, i hc her as an ace lesbian, with a lot of comphet. like, she thought she liked guys, especially guys who she was supposed to like (percy, jason, people in equal positions of power and such) but realized 'nah' and yeah.

also def hc as genderqueer/non-binary and also uses they/them

also i totally head canon that percy and annabeth were everyones gay awakenings, like percy for jason, leo, and nico, while annabeth for piper (maybe reyna)

relationships!

so in my "au", we got valgrace (jason and leo) pipeyna (piper and reyna) frazel (frank and hazel) and ofc, percabeth (percy and annabeth). i am fine with other ships, i just dislike specific ones that are uncomfortable for me, but idrc. also, pls dont hate on me

some random headcanons is that (i like to talk abt this a lot in my stories) but jason bought leo a fidget spinner as a gift, and leo has kept it since. he occasionally has to repair it, but it's his favorite thing ever

piper has short hair. i think she'd rock it, and i feel like it's more her style, but idk. either that, or braids 24/7

also, i wanna (project) say that frank's body doesn't change from ares/mars' gift, and he has body dysmorphia. like first of all, they talk abt how he never feels right in his body, as a shape shifter. and i feel like his bodily description implies that.

idk if this is just me projecting and shit, but i feel like that could cause an eating disorder for him? like, he just worries abt his weight and shit, and hazels all like "istg, frank, eat or else" and such. like ik we see him eating normally in the books, but i feel like that could make it more realistic. also, (hc) one time he passed out during battle and jason was like "frank tf, you need to talk to me man" and thats how he started talking abt it

jason and leo are alive! i will not ignore the importance of jasons death, but i also forever will wish it didn't happen, and i can do that in my au

bc of this, i'd say jason has a scar in his torso from being stabbed (twice, yikes) and (i talk abt this in a drabble, so go check that out) he has a bad lightning scar from his shoulder down his body.

and leo has a scar along the most of his body (chest, torso, shoulders, neck, hips) from his explosion.

also, i hc that he has a hearing aid. i read this in another fanfic, but i thought it'd be a really good idea. he has one, but only bc he is mildy deaf in one ear. his other ear is eh, but better

hazel refuses to wear jewelry with jewels on them. like, gold is ok ish (reminds her of arion) but gems freak her out still

percy and annabeth both have their stripes in their hair, and dye it blue!

also, since ik hoo is a middle grade book, but i think all the characters curse, especially in their native language/other languages. like in spanish, latin, greek, french, morse code, itaian, sign language, etc. sure, english too, but wheres the fun in that? and i imagine that frank is the only one who doesn't and just "oh golly!" all the time

also, seperate thing, but i do wanna talk abt the races + ethnicities i imagine the characters. i would appreciate no hate, and if u have thoughts on it, feel free to say such.

percy is either token white, or wasian (korean rep. actually, i might imagine him wasian, so look for that in the future)

annabeth, i think of her usually as blonde white, but i also imagine her as black w/ blonde braids, so either one works. lowkey, i wont specify unless its relevant, so idrc. (i dont have any specific country, so reccomend one!)

leo is mexican, ofc, and i will keep him that way

pipers cherokee, and i would say, for all characters, they are FULLY that ethnicity. if they are half/half, i would say its bc the god chose to be a different race. we know gods can change apperance, and while it doesn't change ethnicity, we know that not all the demigods are greek, so annabeth, leo, and piper are full, not half

so, ik jasons probably gonna be cast similarly to thalia, but i imagine him as this all american white boy. ik this will bring up controversy, but thats just my opinions, but i dont mind jason being other races. also, i imagine he could also be wasian, i saw a drawing and i was like: omg

frank is chinese and canadian! aint no way we gonna forget abt that boy.

hazel is also african-american :D same as book hazel

also, if the demigods took a dna test, would part of it come back like, unanswered? bc gods dont rlly have dna, but what would be in that spot? greek? i need answers

im just gonna say, most characters stay book ver. unless specified differently, like annie or jase or percy

omg now im just so happy, imaging percy speaking korean oml oml oml

and growing up w/ racism? "hey, can you sing k-pop?"

"eating cats?" "i'm korean man" etc

annabeth and percy bonding over racist experiences is peak man

so yea, thx for listening to my rant and yap. love u all :D

[funarisjournal]

Nari's Tsukutabe Superlatives! (Part 3)

Comic Superlatives | Drama Superlatives

So here we are, just a few days shy of Christmas. Volumes 1-2 and the first season of the drama are just the right things to enjoy this time of year, you know! I've even semi-joked that S1 is technically a Christmas movie and folks should add at least one specific re-watch of it for the season~

Anyway, this is the final part to my Tsukutabe Superlatives series. This one's covering things that have overall representation in both versions. You know, generalized stuff. There's also a silly bonus superlative at the end of this post because of an overlap between things I've been enjoying lately. So, let's get down to it, huh??

Heh, using a doodle I made myself this time~

MOST RELATABLE CHARACTER

"Makisu!"

So it's obvious I love the leading ladies. They're the stars. They're both amazing, but I wanted to give an extra shout-out to the woman who I feel a kinship with. Nomoto is such a dork, I love her. She gets really flustered like I can get if something doesn't immediately go the way I want it to (and can be calmed down in similar, simple ways). She's got a passion for cooking as a hobby and doesn't really see herself doing anything more than that (like cookbooks and influencers). That's me with drawing! Ever her romantic backstory is very similar to my own. Sure, her first love didn't happen until her 30s, but I had the same vibes as I was growing up and then found Leigh online back when we were seniors in high school. And even then, I experienced a lot of that "Am I REALLY a lesbian?" vibes Nomoto had until Yako explained stuff. Also, canonically, Nomoto is demisexual....just like me! The things she experiences as she falls in love with, confesses, then lives with Kasuga are so similar to my own things with Leigh lol. Maybe some of my own experiences end up bleeding through the fanworks I make, too~

There are headcanons that I subscribe to that she is possibly autistic (compared to Kasuga's more obvious traits) but masking REALLY hard due to her upbringing and what's expected of her, and honestly. Yeah. That's me, too. I'm not officially diagnosed, and I don't want to self-diagnose either, but I have similar traits she does as someone who is also, probably, undiagnosed.

BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER

Yakoooo! Beacon of guidance for all the ladies in the story. She's amazing. I'm glad we have "elder queer" representation here. It would be fun to see nothing but romantic bumbling, but that may end up messing things up in the long run. Good thing Nomoto befriended this woman online! Also I love that they're oomfs. Need more of that online buddy rep!

WORST CHARACTER

Yeah. There's a worst...and it's Kasuga's dad. Nah, he doesn't deserve a picture. But my god I wanted to strangle him after the phone call with Kasuga. He was dealing all the low blows so fast. I do love the moment of vulnerability the drama ended up showing, though. It was all Emi Nishino's idea in that regard. She admitted in an interview she really had trouble keeping it together during this moment and was trying to keep herself looking all stoic as Kasuga normally does, but then she thought...well...I'm sure a little bit of emotion would show up, especially if Kasuga talks to someone she trusts. She voiced her thoughts to Manami and the latter just reminded her that, as long as she didn't slip out of character and felt like she was still in Kasuga's shoes, it should be fine. I love the drama version of this moment more because of this, by the way. They really brought out some raw emotions that STILL felt in-character!

BEST ARC

I had to think hard about this one since I'm limited to what the drama has shown (I actually love the current arc in the comic the most but it's not adapted....yet). So for now, I'd like to tread back on the last "award" and say this storyline - Kasuga's Family Arc (unofficial title) - is a close second.

I was really feeling for poor Kasuga during this whole thing. We see that she is frightened, paranoid, and downright emotional about her past. She tries not to show it, but it really was eating at her. Then she takes that plunge, so to speak. She frees herself from her past. But it HURTS. Her father doesn't go without a fight, ugh...And then she finally tells Nomoto, though the two universes split on when she tells her and it does affect things a little...but she tells her and the overall result is the same - she has love and support. She has her chosen family she can rely on. Augh~ Beautiful~

FAVORITE DISH

I would say the harako rice because it does look really tasty, honestly, but there's some special significance with the stollen I can't deny. They even promised to make a more proper one by next Christmas in the story. Will we ever get to see that? Will the promise be kept? It would be a good marker of how far they've come in their relationship, that's for sure!

BEST COMEDIC SCENE IN BOTH VERSIONS

Speaking of stollen...When Kasuga was denied more, at first, because Nomoto didn't even explain the tradition to her and she ended up eating the piece in one (or two, depending on version) bite(s).

BEST ROMANTIC SCENE IN BOTH VERSIONS

Okay...I can't avoid it. GET TEASED MUTHAFRICKS! (especially as the comic and the drama play the same scene a bit different). Not going into more details! Just trust me...Chapter 40 is gonna be gooooood~ (and Episode 30, as mentioned in the Drama Superlatives, is also really gooooood~)

(PERSONAL) FAVORITE RUNNING GAG

The fact that these two befriended one another, then confessed and started dating AND now live together.......................but they still call each other by their surnames. I've even made silly sketches of them getting married and even raising a kid together and they still use their regular surnames lmao. Even most of the fandom still just addresses them as such, me included! If you use their first names, that's fine! You're in the same small group as Nagumo lol

Actually, the moment Nagumo (in the comic only) uttered their first names with the -chan suffix is still such comedy gold. Kasuga drops her donut! Gasp!

FAVORITE FANFIC OF MINE (either universe)

I felt bad after writing Parts 1 and 2 and not actually giving a shout-out to my fanfics. I was thinking visually, okay? Agh, not an excuse lol

But anyway, Tsukutabe made me write WAY more than I usually have in the past 20 years of general fandom. So many to choose from...but I gotta hand it to "Be Selfish." It's my most popular fic in general (over 60 kudos on AO3!), it still reads fairly well, definitely not a stream-of-conscious fic like most of my other works (which isn't bad, but can make for awkward reading later, I think lol). It has all sorts of fan art attached to it - from me, but hey! If someone gets inspired, I want to see your interpretations, too! *wink wink, nudge nudge* Anyway, I actually re-read this one often. 'Tis a good one if you are okay with the rating! (But really, you should check out all my fics on AO3~)

BONUS: BEST MANAEMI INTERACTION

They sure did meet a lot this year compared to the post-S1 era, huh~? They have both said how the distance just kinda closed in the more they worked together and now they're getting together for food dates and giving us, essentially, freebie Tsukutabe continuations during this drought of new content.

But my fave is still the time Emi had announced her month-long vacation overseas back in September, and Manami's reaction was to offer her a send-off party, and they just have a BLAST both in the photos and in the comments ("If I get lonely, I'll video call you~~ And I will~~~" - Emi). Remember the naan meme from the drama superlatives? Yeah, never mind the one piece of naan, we were all eating the whole dang curry party that night! lmao

I hope you enjoyed these silly posts I made. If you want to make your own version, feel free! I know it's awfully specific, but hey. I had a blast~ Merry Christmas, and if you don't celebrate it, may the rest of the year be easy-going, hopefully...and well, you'll still hear from me before the new year but I will still see you all next year with more food lesbians lol

A pic for another fanfic of mine, but honestly it suits this post for a "The End" shot~

[roonotrue]

Cotl Fanfic - Thoughts & Opinions?

So, this is the first post on this new account and it's a question for my Cult of the Lamb fandom pookies. I just recently got the game and I'm obsessed with it and have been thinking about writing a BUNCH of fanfiction.

So I wanted notes and suggestions on some things, and I might even make polls on some of them, starting most importantly with the topic below:

Gender, Pronouns, and Sexuality that are so far, are solely based on vibes and what I've seen the rest of the fandom agreeing on (And canon of course):

- The Lamb's identity will probs change depending on the fic type, but for most of them they will be assigned male at birth, He/They & Pansexual. Simple and sweet because our lamb boi is just tryna SURVIVE out here in a cult of idiots that can't even cook their own food or clean up their own shit. (Is this just me wanting to write more he/they characters in my stories because I'm he/they? Yes. Yes, it is folks.)

- Narinder is transgender male He/Him. I'm making him transgender male because I said so. I want more trans rep guys, leave me alone. & Homosexual because if his whole vibe and personality doesn't scream gay angsty emo cat I don't know what else in this world does.

- Leshy is cisgender He/Him. I can imagine him experimenting with they/them though. I may include something on that... If anyone has any notes on that I'm all ears. Best Bi. His level of chaos just radiates ADHD bisexual with way too much energy and free time.

- Heket is cis-gender She/Her. The only girlie in the family, fates have mercy on her and her patience. A lesbian for sure. I think the whole fandom just sort of agrees on this, right? With like, lots of wives because she is a highkey baddie? At least that's the impression I've been given based on all of her fanart and simps.

- Calamari- Sorry, I mean Kallamar, is cis-gendered He/Him. I was thinking of making him a transgender man too? Idk, I've just been told the cis's need rep too, and it made me gag and now I want to wave my magic writer wand and make all the characters trans and nonbinary. Opinions on that are welcome. Anyway. A pansexual, and I hear he canonically had multiple spouses? Despite looking like he has zero rizz. I mean, damn. Good for him I guess. Go squid boy, go.

In this, he's gonna be single though, because I like the idea of him struggling to find new spouses and Heket laughing at his struggle.

- Shamura is absolutely nonbinary they/them. A friend has told me this is canon, and that people may gun for my fucking throat if I change it. Not that I really want to, it fits. Shamura is lowkey one of my favorites. I just like spiders. I'm also deeply afraid of them and cry if I see them irl. I also think they're bisexual in the exact opposite way as Leshy, in that they are a calm, mildly tired wine aunt of the family, mixed with the senile grandparent that snores loudly then stops and everyone pauses and looks at each other like 'Are... Are they fucking dead?'

Anyway, this is a long post, but I needed to get this out there before I started writing stuff for this fandom. Any opinions are welcome, but no bullying other people's thoughts, and be chill guys.

Fr. I'm like a skittish cat, you'll scare me away, and then no one gets fanfiction.