#I wish I cared to make ocs this concept is fucking hilarious

[no1ryomafan]

if anyone more knowledgeable out there feel free to correct me on this but I had the funny realization that like- usually a team robot is either 3 or 5 people, sometimes 2. I’ve never seen it go over 5 and likely do to it just get too much at that point even if I imagine 6 people could work- but I’ve NEVER seen a 4 team robot and I can only assume it’s because the number 4 is considered unlucky in Japan, which now makes me think “imagine a 4 combiner robot who’s gag is they fucking suck ass” and I’m shocked no one ever thought of that concept.

[hilarieburtonmorgan]

Ten Years Later, the One Tree Hill Cast Is Setting the Record Straight

Ten years after the finale of One Tree Hill, the actors Hilarie Burton Morgan, Sophia Bush, and Bethany Joy Lenz have never been closer. Despite their shared experience growing up on screen, the trio— who played Peyton Sawyer, Brooke Davis, and Haley James in the heartland-set high school soap for nine seasons—were kept largely isolated from one another during those years.

That distance began to dissipate with age, and when the #MeToo movement alerted the actors to some of their common experiences while working on One Tree Hill. In their new weekly iHeartRadio podcast Drama Queens, the three actors unpack the moments—nostalgic and traumatic alike—that unfolded behind the scenes of the wildly popular drama. To celebrate the podcast’s success, Burton Morgan, Bush, and Lenz joined us for a bit of reminiscing. —BRIAN ALESSANDRO

———

HILARIE BURTON MORGAN: Sophia, you were the person that called me about a podcast. What was the catalyst for you to be like, “It’s time”?

SOPHIA BUSH: When we first finished the show, I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to touch it. I didn’t want to be close to it. And then as time went on, and we all started being able to get together, and share stories, and talk some shit. We all finally told each other the stories we’d been afraid to share — I wish we’d been able to have the friendships we have now back then! — and hearing everyone’s stories really made me so furious. It lit that fire in me, and I thought “well, we just have to burn it down.” But, I also had to remember how much our fans love the show, and to realize that despite so much that was insidious we also had fun. We’ve shared stories about what was painful and hard, and I think especially because of what you were put through, I wanted to call you first and just say, like, “Does this idea feel triggering?” You said “No, this feels quite cool.”

BURTON MORGAN: What was your first reaction, Joy?

BETHANY JOY LENZ: I was definitely hesitant about more One Tree Hill anything. But the more we talked about it, I was like, “Wow, this is actually a chance for redemption.” Also, I don’t want to throw shade on the show that did give us amazing opportunities. I always try to temper my frustrations with a good bit of gratitude. But as for the bad stuff, I really do love the opportunity to redeem that. Some of it was us being young and stubborn twenty-year-olds, but a lot of it was the people around us who were using our youth and naïveté to keep us from arguing back. It was always, “Joy, you’re the odd man out. Sophia, you’re the odd man out. Hilarie, you’re the odd man out.” So we never reached out to each other. I’m incredibly grateful for the relationship I with you amazing women now.

BURTON MORGAN: I left the show first, and it was the divorce of my life, because I’d committed so much to being the good soldier. “I’ll do whatever press you want. I’ll go on whatever mall tour.” And so, the loss of that was traumatic. But the next relationship I got into professionally was with White Collar, and the best person I could have ever encountered was Tiffani Thiessen, who was an icon to me. She told me right out of the gate, “Don’t bad mouth the show that got you started. Defend your character, forget the bad guys, take what’s good.” That was such great advice. She was someone whose opinion meant something to me, because she’d been a teen idol of mine. Who were some women on TV that that you felt like we were trying to emulate while we were doing the show?

LENZ: I don’t think I ever really knew how to process it. I actually feel like I missed a lot of the excitement because I kept asking myself what it all meant.

BURTON MORGAN: I was the opposite! I like experience. But I made terrible choices.

BUSH: I’m with Joy. Now, I over intellectualize everything because back then, I was always soaking up all the experiences and I got my ass handed to me. So now I’m like, “What does it mean? What is it all?”

BURTON MORGAN: How many years out are we now? Like 17 years out from the first year?

LENZ: I don’t even know how to process that.

BURTON MORGAN: 18 years out? Jesus, we could have children in college at this point. Why do you think people still care?

LENZ: Comfort food. I mean, that’s it, like especially now that there’s so much content. I can only speak from my experience, but when I settle in to watch TV, I will spend 20 minutes scrolling before saying, “You know what, fuck it,” and turning on Frasier. And that’s what I watch because I know those characters, and I just want that familiarity. I honestly think the over-saturation has played a huge role in our fans’ need for One Tree Hill.

BUSH: And I would also say that there is something about how — as outlandish it got at times — there was also a lot that felt honest. People write to us about how they feel seen, how they feel represented, how they see their own struggles in our show. When I meet new people who are just discovering it and I think, “You could be watching anything! Why? Thank you?”

BURTON MORGAN: Honestly, having an older kid, and seeing the things that he’s drawn to, he loves watching TV shows from our era. Probably the same reason I loved watching Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie and What’s Happening – it’s retro. They’re mystified by it because there’s no social media on our show and so people are actually talking to each other. You actually had to show up at Karen’s Cafe to have that important conversation. It’s a wish fulfillment for these younger kids where they’re like, ���Oh, my life doesn’t look anything like that.” We are the time warp, which is super fucked up.

LENZ: And we were also the last show that was doing, dare I say, wholesome content? I mean I know our show, like, jumped the shark several times in many regards, but in terms of the“hometown kids, middle of America, just dealing with regular emotions and life stuff,” those shows became very rare. Everything that came after us was like rich kids—Gossip Girl and The OC, and then it was all brought to a high-concept place like the Vampire Diaries, Riverdale stuff. And I don’t know that there’s anything out there that’s kind of gotten back to the roots, like One Tree Hill.

BURTON MORGAN: Can you imagine pitching One Tree Hill now? Like, “it’s about some kids. Two of them play basketball, and the rest are just moody.”

BURTON MORGAN: What episodes are we all excited to review the most? Some of them are cringey as hell.

BUSH: I’m sure a lot of them will be.

BURTON MORGAN: I like the Halloween episode we did at Tric [the “all-ages” nightclub]. That was batshit. It was 1000 degrees in there and everyone was dying and miserable and we’re dressed up like cartoons.

LENZ: I know. The one with the car, where they made me fucking siphon off gas.

BURTON MORGAN: That was fun cause that was really the first time the three of us were put together.

BUSH: Having to pretend to be high on pills when I never had been, I was like, “I’ll try!” Hilarie, your wedding episode was…

BURTON MORGAN: Christ.

BUSH: That was such a shit show, man. You said the Halloween episode — you’ll cackle when you see we did a Halloween episode after you were gone. And I had to be dressed up as one half of A Clockwork Orange, but was abandoned in my costume, and I was written to be dressed as a giant orange and Carol (Cutshall, costumer) papier-mached a workout ball and drilled armholes in it, and I had to wear it. AND I directed that episode!

BURTON MORGAN: That’s perfect! That’s a chef’s kiss.

BUSH: I had little T-Rex arms, being like, “well, if you go over there” – And they’d say “Where?” And I’d be like, “I can’t show you! I’m stuck in an orange!” It was, it was so humiliating. But when I think back on it, great comedic fodder.

BURTON MORGAN: What is your favorite keepsake from the show?

LENZ: I have the Julius Caesar book that Haley gives to Lucas in the pilot.

BURTON MORGAN: I have the leather jacket that Peyton takes after Ellie [Sheryl Lee] dies. That was an intense crying scene for me. My body has a physical reaction to that jacket.

LENZ: What’s yours, Soph?

BUSH: I have, like, a bin.

BURTON MORGAN: You have everything!

BUSH: There’s like this sad episode where Brooke celebrates her birthday alone in her room with a cupcake. I have the photo album from that scene, which is very sweet because it’s all photos of you and I, Hilarie…

BURTON MORGAN: You have that?

BUSH: Oh yeah, I took that immediately. There are real pictures of us from growing up, because it was this story of these friends who grew up together…

BURTON MORGAN: Joy, we’re gonna photoshop you in.

BUSH: Honestly, we should just make a new one. Of all the stuff that feels sentimental, that “Brooke Davis for President” pin kills me. It’s up on the wall in my office, because it makes me laugh. When I think about why that’s the one thing I’ve displayed—next to a photo of the three of us— it’s because it symbolized something that at the time really embarrassed me, but now I respect. Brooke Davis took the thing she was made fun of for, and turned it into an anthem. She was this bad bitch who owned her shit. That’s something I’ve tried to emulate.

BURTON MORGAN: One thing that I keep thinking is, “we deserve this.”

LENZ: Because we do! It’s hard to say that as women, I think.

BURTON MORGAN: What makes you two feel like we deserve this?

LENZ: Because we’ve worked our asses off, and because it’s beautiful to experience friendship with each other in a way that we were robbed of in our younger days.

BURTON MORGAN: We were really good girls. I’m excited to set things straight.

[simping-on-the-daily]

I have to yet to fully develop them but boom boom bitches did you think I would stop making Dream SMP OCs? Hell nah

They both be a combination of Tales of the Dream SMP characters and actual Dream SMP characters

They're all canon and they will eventually have their own bios, but this is just a place to hold my notes basically

Toastie

Slime hybrid

They/she

Full name is Toastie Rickroll (based off the last names generally being memes)

I listened to Hamilton while making her so that helps

Fought for L'Manburg during the Independence Arc

Eventually joined Schlatt's cabinet for Manburg, but later resigned and helped join Pogtopia

Also became part of the Butcher Army

Currently apart of no faction

Respects tradition very well

Their family has fought and died for their respective countries for years

And Toastie carried on the tradition

Without something or someone to fight for Toastie kinda feels useless

They're so used to fighting that peace is basically a foreign concept to her

It doesn't help with all the wars

Toastie does what they do best: protect

And with L'Manburg gone, they now have someone (or a few someone's to care for)

Very fond of their old cabinet and her Butcher Army friends

Despises Techno and Dream for destroying L'Manburg on numerous occasions

Phil is very close to also getting on their negative list

Their most precious item is their enchanted Netherite axe, the Mindbreaker

Toastie confirms it's a family heirloom you get when you learn how to hold scissors correctly

It basically has the blood of people who fought against the country Toastie's family decided to fight for and were either killed or tortured with it

Toastie wants to try and guide it and herself on a more peaceful path, but they always end up going to violence

It's kinda engraved in her

Since she trusts Quackity due to experience, they give him their axe daily as long as he brings it back

They're unaware that Quackity's using it to torture Dream

Very protective and dedicated to fighting for those they care about

Tends to learn towards fighting as her first option and runs her mouth a lot

ThEy'Re BoUncY-

They can jump really high

Really likes swamps

If they ever get injured, the injured part can turn into miniature versions of themselves similar to tiny slimes and they'll attack their opponent

Absolutely despies Magma Cubes and will attack them whenever she can get the chance

Whisp

Wolf hybrid

But they're also a ghost!

Their real name is Whisper, and their full name is Quiet Whispers

She/Her

Large grey ears on their head

Long tail that can fade sometimes due to ya know, death

Really fun to chew on bones despite the fact that she doesn't need to eat them and she can't even digest them

She can bond with other people and she can track the people she's bonded with

Can bite really hard, has enhanced speed and strength, and they also have a pretty pogchamp smell and eyesight

Despite the fact that's she pretty powerful, Whisp is a strict pacifist who only hung around L'Manburg due to having numerous friends there

Somehow the only ghost to have a decent fucking memory of her life

Remembers good and bad, though she sometimes wishes she doesn't

Red sweaters boiiisssss

Very forgiving and kind

But a really giant people pleaser and self-sacrificial

Her self worth is based on what people think of her

Tries her best to get on everyone's good side

It breaks her if someone dislikes her

Grew up in a really shitty household where Whisp was basically ignored

So she grew up trying to gain the affection that her family never gave her

Really fucking touch-starved

Just pretty bad self esteem, even when she's dead

Please just tell her that she means something outside of other people's opinions and that she's an amazing human being

Absolutely adores animals!

Has numerous pet cafes

Like, so many gosh dang cafes

There's one for cats, one for dogs, and then there's a giant miscellaneous one

They're all part of the same building and that's also another part of it which is basically her house

BFFs with Ghostbur

Please protect her and tell her that she's amazing she really needs it

Sunny

Full name is Sunny Wholesun

Last name is a pun off 'wholesome' and 'sun'

Very proud of it

She's an angel boissss

She/her

Very simliar to Bad in terms of personality

They're both very sweet and will help anyone

Isn't a part of any countries

She just pops in when she wants to,,,,,

Conflict freaks her out

Optimsitc pal that just chooses to look on the bright side of things,,,,

However-

She wants to desperately try and be her own person outside of 'Bad but angelic' but she keeps getting compared to him

She feels like she keeps being in people's shadows despite being a literal creature of purity and light

Feels like a side character honestly

Good friends with Phil, but disapproves of his title, most notably due to it having death in it

Said to know Dream XD and the other gods of the server

Absolutely understand very dirty stuff, but chooses to ignore it

Also can understand war and sadness

Sunny just kinds chooses to keep holding her head up high

In her own words "If you always keep thinking of sad things, you'll always be sad"

And now the TOTDS ones

Lady Venus

From the Masquerade timeline

Ghast hybrid royalty

Berothed to Sir Billiam the III since birth

Very much married and in love

She's pretty kind for a royal

Or at the very least more nicer

Treats her servants well and gives them pay as well as vacation days

However, she lacks empathy and is somewhat insensitive

Doesn't understand that some people don't have the same social privilege's as her

So she can piss some people off

Her main butler was Ryan and he was basically her best friend outside of Billiam and Ranbutler

However, Ryan got angry and ended up assassinating her

Spear in the chest

Felt incredibly betrayed since Ryan was one of her few friends and died feeling fear and shock

Billiam ended up executing Ryan

With the death of his lover, Billiam aligned with the Egg due it promising to bring Venus back if he swore alliance to it

She remains a ghost, but neither Ranbutler, Billiam or anyone else can't see her

Venus absolutely despises the Egg for corrupting her family, but at the same time, truly believes it can bring her back to life, so she needs it

Her spear ridden body is in the same room as the Egg, therefore corrupting her body, and therefore her ghost, which is connected to it

Whenever Billiam or Ranbutler go down there, it ended up motivating the two further in order to bring Venus back

She clings to the hope that when the Egg brings her back to life, she can reunite with her husband and adoptive son once more and forget the Egg

She know it won't happen but hope is kinda the only thing she has

At the Masquerade, she was only able to be seen and talk to Karl due to him being from another time

Truly felt bad about his death, but didn't stop it since she wanted to live again

Without her being able to produce a heir, the Ghast royal family basically went in shambles and they all eventually died, making the Ghasts a free place with no government or hierarchy

I really love Venus as she's a very fun character to do and also very sad

Supports Ranbutler rights

Meanings

From the Village That Went Mad

Morals' ancestor

My friend compared her to that Chris girl from Carrie and I love it

She's a complete and utter asshole

Like, a full on fucking dick

Horrible person to be around

She's a villager, but absolutely everyone wanted her dead due to being a full on bitch

Jimmy theorizes that this is because of her mother also being the Enderdragon and either feeling like she's on top of everyone because of it, or that she feels inferior because Meanings isn't her mum so she acts like a dick to cover it up

It's either one of those two options

Just a full on fucking dick

I also love playing her because she's a really fun character

Horrible person, yes

But absolutely hilarious to play as

Maggie/Michael

From the Lost City of Mizu

I don't consider Mizu to be the official future, but rather an alternate reality, so bear with me in mind for that

I feel really smart with her name

It means Pearl, and you know

Mizu being an underwater city and all that?

Michael means 'who is like God', which refers to her best friend's......love for a past figure

They're genderfluid! Mostly goes by she/her, though on some days, they go with he/him

Her relationship with Ranbob is very similar to the one between Morals' and Dream

Since I don't see the story as a possible canon future but instead another alternate reality, she's not a descendant of anyone

And you know what? You wanna know what?

She's a cow hybrid now

Why? Because I said so

Remove Ranbob's very yandere personality and their friendship is friendship goals

Heck, even with it, it's still friendship goals

I will defo have more but those are the only Tales of the Dream SMP episodes I've watched, so-

[hidiingplace]

Yeets my url at u

My Opinion on;

Character in general: you have a bunch but literally all of them are so neat and unique! I also see you taking on characters that I think people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about and I think that’s a very special thing! I’ve always been a sucker for the under-seen or under-appreciated characters in media. I really love the life you bring to them, and your OCs are always so well thought out. It’s so obvious the amount of fucking love you just POUR into these characters, regardless of if they are of your own creation or someone else’s. There’s never a doubt in my mind that you will pick wonderful characters every single time you chose to pick up a new one. 

How they play them: I’ve recently gushed about your writing, but you’re one of the few people who give me WRITING ENVY. In the sense that i really wish I could write like you skdlhjfgds. You do such a fucking good job with your metaphors and explanations of things. You use words and combination of words that my mind wouldn’t be able to put together in a million years. It’s really fucking inspiring and I always feel so fucking excited whenever you reply to something from me. I will re-read your writing a few times just to stare in awe at certain lines or certain concepts that I hadn’t even considered. Its really special man.

The Mun: dude you make me laugh all the fucking time. every now and then you come up with the funniest fucking phrases and I feel my fucking soul leave my body while laughing. I really love you dude. You’re so talented and creative and talking with you always ends in good times. I have so much fun plotting anything with you and talking to you about the things your passionate about. sharing music, stories, musey thoughts –– literally all of it just makes me bounce in excitement. 

Do I:

RP with them: yisssss

Want to RP with them: yes pls i always wanna expose myself to your talent as often as possible!

What is my;

Overall Opinion: Probably one of the best writers in the tumblr RPC in my opinion. Like I’m not even saying that from a biased friend perspective, but there’s just a level to your writing that gets me. Maybe it’s just my own personal taste, but I’ve been here 10 years and there really isn’t another tumblr RPer who makes me feel the things your writing does. In addition you’re just a very kind and caring person who makes life playful and exciting. I think you’re beautifully hilarious and really a one of a kind person.

@crystlshrds // finally, some good fucking food.

[ironxkid]

👴: Which OC is your oldest, creation wise? 😍: Which OC is your favorite? Unexpected favorite? 🤑: Do you mostly fandom OCs or purely original ones? If original, do you have any plans for them in terms of producing a short film, book? 🗣: Historically, the internet has never been too kind to OCs. What's one thing you wish people realized about OCs?

Character Questions for Creators

👴: Which OC is your oldest, creation wise? 

oh god dfjgfsdghj - I don’t even know x’D probably an oc for Warriors if I’m being honest, but I can’t remember for the life of me

actually, no, it was definitely a fandomless oc - uhhh, man, I honestly can’t remember dsfgjhsfdjh

😍: Which OC is your favorite? Unexpected favorite? 

oh, hands down, Carter’s my favorite DSJFGHDSFJ

my unexpected favorite, however, would probably be Arthfael! He’s an og oc, and honestly there’s only like. three or four friends that know about him, but I actually really like him! Which is hilarious, because he’s an absolute jackass, and I specifically made him as a character to hate fdgjhsfdghj - but, hey! that’s what happens when you go back to develop ocs further! Plus I changed the world quite a bit... which I’ll get into in the next question!

🤑: Do you mostly fandom OCs or purely original ones? If original, do you have any plans for them in terms of producing a short film, book? 

oh, absolutely mostly fandom ocs - I mean, y’all, I’ve created numerous characters for Warriors, which means I’ve created fanclans and I’ve filled out the canon Clans with nothing but ocs, so, yeah, I have a lot of fandom ocs x’D

but!! I do have multiple original ones as well! Arthfael is one of them, but I also have Greer, Circe, Draven, Digger, Ethan, and Lilith, and plenty of others in the same universe, and I do plan on writing a book with them! Actually, it’s either going to be a duology with a prequel, or a trilogy with a prequel - it depends on how I want the plot to go, because I don’t want to drag things on forever, but I’ve always envisioned it to be a trilogy. But, oh boy, it’s... definitely a work in progress!

I keep changing everything about the overall plot and I’m still figuring out the world, because it takes place on a moon, essentially - I mean, the technically term is a satellite, since the planet it orbits is actually a gas giant, but... eh, I’ll spare details right now sdfgjhdsf 

anyway, I have a few spotify playlists and pinterest boards for the characters and stories, I had a sideblog for the trilogy (which I called the Bloodline Trilogy, though honestly that name may end up changing given how much has changed since I first penned it) though I took it down when I restarted my personal blog that I’ve been neglecting whoops, but I do have a few concept pieces I posted to deviantart! I... don’t particularly want to share them tbh? bc I don’t care for them that much anymore and, again, I’ve changed the world, but if any of y’all are curious I don’t mind sharing xD

anyway, uhhh - yeah! I’ve honestly considered making an rp blog for some of my og ocs, in particular for Circe, since she’s actually taken quite a bit of focus surprisingly, considering she wasn’t created to be a main character, but... just with how all over the place my information with everything is, and the fact I’d really need to break things down for everyone to understand the lore surrounding any of them and all that jazz, I... really haven’t taken the thought seriously

maybe one day if I can nail something more solid down!

🗣: Historically, the internet has never been too kind to OCs. What's one thing you wish people realized about OCs?

holy fuck, people need to realize all canon characters are ocs that have just been shoved into media that’s consumed by many - even if the story the characters are connected to is small... they’re still ocs

this has been said a lot by numerous people, but it’s honestly my biggest issue. That, and people are so quick to brush ocs off as mary/gary-sues, and I hate that - I can’t even begin to explain how badly that fucked up my confidence when I was younger, because I was working on a fanfic that I loved and had someone jump into the comments and say something along the lines of: “oh my god, this character is such a mary-su it’s awful *grabs friend and jumps off a cliff*” - and I really wish I was exaggerating. I was 14, I had enough insecurity issues I was dealing with, and to have someone say that (and, to top it off, the person was a beta editor, since it was on fanfiction net) really just... did nothing to help me

also, who cares? Honestly, if an oc is perfect in everyway and you don’t like it, just move on. Just leave the creator to do their own thing - it could be a troll, or it could be someone just having fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as they’re not hurting themselves or anyone else. 

[alewyren]

regarding caulifla and kale, and whether or not they’re intended to be a couple: an actual serious discussion

I’ll start off by admitting that I am somewhat biased as a longtime fan of DBZ and a lesbian myself, but keep in mind that I’m also very jaded and realistic about the possibility of actual same-sex romance in non-specifically targeted media. In fact, my own personal experiences on the matter are what have given me incentive to look at LGBT issues so critically. In short, this is not just me saying “they’re totally canon, just look at them omg they’re so cute~”

Regardless of your own personal feelings towards them being a couple, there is actually a very interesting discussion to be had here.

So let’s start by taking a step back here and contextualizing this issue by talking about the inclusion of female super saiyans at all, completely independent of whether or not they are a couple. For thirty years, female super saiyans were complete fanon. They existed as OCs in video games, most notably Dragonball Heroes and Xenoverse, but were very notably and deliberately excluded from Dragonball GT. Despite this series having two characters who should, by all logic, have the potential to do so.

So the question becomes this: why, in a franchise that has had female saiyans with the potential to go super for a long time, did it take thirty years for it to actually happen in canon media?

Various justifications for this have cropped up over the years. “Pan and Bra lived in an era too peaceful to trigger the transformation”--Goten and Trunks serve as a definitive counterargument. Why could Pan and Bra have not had a similar rivalry? Was it just because it would be too similar to the relationship of Goten and Trunks, or because the relationship between two young girls was not worth exploring? Additionally, should the events of GT not been enough to trigger the transformation in either of them? Pan especially--Bra at least has the justification of not being a fighter at all, though one must wonder why, in a warrior race whose cast is comprised mostly of male characters, two of the three (Bra, Gine, Tarble) we have seen who are completely disinterested in fighting are women. It’s a statistical improbability for it to be a coincidence.

The other justifications, “Pan does not have enough Saiyan blood” and “Women just don’t have the same level of anger/emotional intensity/strength/whatever the fuck sexist BS to trigger the transformation” are and always were complete garbage.

So then, what’s the actual reason? As far as Toriyama himself goes, he said it himself. He didn’t know how to draw a female super saiyan. The logistics of drawing specific things (the spots on perfect cell come to mind) come up as an excuse or complaint for him a lot, so this... does make a sort of sense, albeit indicates unconscious sexism on his part. No, I’m not saying he just hates women, that’s clearly bogus, just that it raises questions about why the idea of drawing a muscular, spiky-haired woman was a problem at all. His solution was to dodge the issue entirely by making all the saiyans who were relevant for the majority of Z male. Trunks or Goten could have easily been female, had he wanted to go that direction, but he didn’t. Pan could have easily gone super saiyan as a five year old during the end of Z, but she didn’t. Which... fair enough, I’m not gonna sit here and demonize Toriyama or anything, especially when his views have clearly evolved. I’m merely examining his decisions and the logic behind them.

As far as GT goes, the reasoning is similar. Throughout all of GT, there is a pervasive unwillingness to introduce new ideas or take risks, which was ultimately the series’ downfall. All of the villains and concepts introduced are merely rehashes of what was already there. The Black Star Dragonballs? Born from wishes that were already made. Super 17? Literally already an existing character. Baby? Shaped by events long established in the Z anime. Super Saiyan 4? Super Saiyan+Oozaru. Some of these ideas were actually really interesting and had a lot of potential, but this is why GT so thoroughly failed in execution: it was unwilling to actually do anything new with any of its ideas or characters, so much as just rehash existing plotlines. Female super saiyans, of course, would have been something very new to the franchise, which is why it never happened.

This can, of course, be contrasted with post-Battle of Gods media, which has done nothing but invent brand new lore and ideas for the universe. Gods of Destruction and their angels, the existence of the multiverse, Super Saiyan God and its related transformations, Goku Black being... actually a legitimately interesting character rather than Turles 2.0, Frieza being relevant in terms of power again instead of a laughingstock, you get the picture. Some people don’t like this, because it goes in such a different direction from the original source material and feels like a series of ass pulls. Other people think it’s a breath of fresh air, and that any contrivances are ultimately to the benefit of the franchise. Regardless of where you stand here, the difference in approach is quite notable, and Super has certainly been objectively more successful than GT despite its very rough start.

Also quite notably, Super has been taking steps to give its female characters more spotlight than Z or GT ever did. While the depictions of Chichi and Videl have been... flawed, Bulma’s been given plenty to do, 18 has kept both her power and her personality, Pan has been absolutely adorable and widely beloved in contrast to her GT counterpart, and that’s not even going into the new characters introduced. Vados? At the time of her introduction, arguably the strongest character in the franchise, and hilariously snarky to boot. Future Mai? Awesome. Nothing more to be said there, Future Mai is just awesome. And with the increasing popularity of the aforementioned Heroes and Xenoverse, the demand and love for female super saiyans among the fanbase was quite clear.

So by the time of the Universe Survival Arc, it was less a matter of if we would ever get a female super saiyan, but when. Everything was pointing in that direction, especially as Super seemed to be going out of its way to address fan wants and criticisms as the show progressed.

Enter Female Broly.

For those of you who may not have been following the fandom when the first trailer for the Universe Survival Arc dropped, this was like a freaking nuclear bomb being dropped on the community. Not only did we learn that we were getting a canon version of a controversial movie villain, which ruffled quite a few jimmies in and of itself, but it was confirmed--we were getting a girl super saiyan. A powerful, relevant one, by the look of it. Any concerns about giving the girls “unattractive” bulging muscles or spiky hair? Yeah, no, those were fucking annihilated on the spot, and they were clearly showing that off.

Some people weren’t happy about this, though, for a variety of reasons. Most notably, that the first female super saiyan would be a rehash of an already existing male character, rather than her own person. Others were just excited that a girl saiyan was happening and she was strong and awesome, others were excited that we were getting a canon version of Broly. Regardless of where you stood, the discourse and speculation was absolutely wild. Was she Cabba’s sister, or possibly even girlfriend? A U6 Saiyan princess? Or perhaps from another universe entirely? We had no idea. But we were hyped as hell.

So the actual arc rolled along, and surprise surprise, we met even more awesome female characters from other universes. The angels Cus, Marcarita, and Martinu, for starters, as well as the God of Destruction Helles (though there is a conversation to be had about why the only female GoD is the sexy one obsessed with beauty, but tbh I really don’t care all that much because she’s hot and I’m gay) and Ribrianne, who were all shaping up to be relevant and powerful characters. Not to mention that 18 herself was going to be getting spotlight again, and that Bra was introduced at last. Almost like the times had changed and the newest installment in the series was trying to be more inclusive and progressive. Even Daishinkan outright commented that the female warriors in the tournament were worth keeping an eye on.

It wasn’t perfect, by any means--many of the girls introduced were cute and humanoid in appearance unlike the bizarre and diverse designs of the male fighters, and male characters still make up a large majority of the characters introduced, especially as far as top tier contenders go, but it’s a huge step in the right direction for the franchise, and one I’m personally quite satisfied with. I love every last one of my new alien daughters.

The point is, despite all this, nobody even thought that we wouldn’t just be getting one female Super Saiyan; we’d be getting two. When we met Caulifla, despite her design and personality being very different from what little we knew of the mysterious girl Broly, damn near everyone assumed they were one and the same. Which tbh, says a lot for how little we’ve come to expect from DB’s female cast. It was only later, when we saw Caulifla and Kale in the same room, that we knew for sure they were different characters.

Caulifla, for her part, seems to be deliberately tailored to address the initial criticism that people had of female Broly--that is, the first female super saiyan wasn’t her own character, but a carbon copy of an existing male character. Because of how long it took for the series to actually introduce female super saiyans, there was a long time for those expectations to accumulate--and by the look of it, much like with the similarly scrutinized re-resurrection of Frieza, Super was intent on doing it right. 

Caulifla was very deliberately introduced before Kale, went super saiyan before Kale, and her personality was much more in line with the toughness we had come to expect from the saiyans. Quite notably so, in fact, considering the U6 saiyans as a whole are much nicer than their U7 counterparts. But no, the first female saiyan? A tough delinquent girl who takes shit from noone. For the most part, she fulfilled the expectations we all had of her. Kale is a bit more divisive, albeit moreso in the western fandom (the JP fandom adores her, and loves that she’s a match for Goku), but imagine for a moment if Caulifla didn’t exist. If the first female super saiyan was a spineless weakling who only showed strength in a completely unnatural form that overtook her personality, and was ripped straight from an existing male character. The unfortunate implications would have been palpable. Especially if, say, it was Cabba, not Caulifla, that was the target of her jealousy.

My guess? The ideas of female super saiyans and a U6 Broly were both brought up in the brainstorming for the Universe Survival Arc, and were both quite popular among the writers. Combining them came up, the writers really liked the idea of a female Broly, but realized quickly that it would not work on its own. And that’s how Caulifla was born--so they could have their cake and eat it too.

Which finally brings us to the conundrum of Kale and Caulifla’s relationship. What’s the deal?

The popular assumption when they were introduced was that there would be a love triangle in which they both wanted Cabba, or that at least one of them would be romantically involved with him. Which, fair enough, DB does kind of have a track record of introducing cool girlfriends for existing male characters, and introducing two whole girls was kind of new territory. Most people assumed, when the preview for episode 92 dropped and Kale appeared to have jealousy issues, that it was Cabba she was jealous of (I called that it was Caulifla, though, albeit not necessarily romantically--it honestly just made more sense given what we knew of them, but nobody believed me. I get bragging rights~). 

This really isn’t the fandom’s fault, though--quite simply, in the entire franchise, we have not had one meaningful female/female relationship. Not one. Not familial, not a friendship, and certainly not a romance. I can’t be assed to figure out if OG dragonball, Z, or GT ever passed the bechdel test, but the fact that I don’t know off the top of my head says a lot. Now, keep in mind that the bechdel test is not in and of itself an indication of sexism--that’s not what I’m saying here. But it does indicate the lack of meaningful relationships between women, which is a separate problem. A problem which, since relationships between women and precedents thereof are actually relevant to this discussion, is worth commenting on here.

Regardless of how you want to spin it, Caulifla and Kale are very close, and despite speculation it’s safe to conclude neither of them have any meaningful interest in Cabba, at least not currently. That’s... actually kind of a big deal, that two women are mutually the most important character to each others’ development like that. Especially when it would have been easier to justify their inclusion as being already close to Cabba, or hell even Hit or Frost. It’s quite rare that you have honest to god meaningful and emotionally rich relationships between two women in shounen anime, romantic or otherwise.

And no, I’m not saying “female friendships are rare and important so they shouldn’t be gay!” Female friendships are important, yes, and I hope DBS continues to explore the relationships between its female characters. But romance between women is also important, and even more of a rarity than friendship. No, what I’m trying to say is that Kale and Caulifla being so close is already quite a progressive move in a series that really needed it, and it’s clearly deliberately intended as such. While the line between pandering and deliberate attempts at representation can be a bit blurry at times, I think this falls pretty squarely on the side of the latter.

So that finally brings us to the big question. They’re close, yes, but to what extent can their bond be interpreted as romantic, to what extent was it intended to be that way, and where do the writers intend to take their relationship? Is it just fans seeing things where nothing is there, pandering or queerbaiting to draw interest for the new characters, or an actual intended canon relationship?

Well, at this point, it’s impossible to say with absolute certainty whether they are indeed gay. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, though. Saying that any attempts to paint their relationship as romantic are just fans being delusional, or insisting that they are certainly just friends, is utter and complete nonsense. It’s certainly more reasonable to interpret them as being a couple than any other two women in the franchise. If you’re going around telling people to stop having fun guys, they’re just friends, you’re an asshole. Especially because a lot of people shipping them are gay themselves. Like, holy shit, is that really so wrong?

That aside, though, there are actual legitimate, tangible hints something else is going on. As in, it’s not like shipping Goku and Vegeta or pointing to something as intangible and subjective as supposed sexual tension. A much better comparison would be the buildup to Gohan and Videl’s relationship, which followed a much similar pattern. The hints are actually there, that’s not really something that can be reasonably denied. The question is, where are they leading?

These hints include:

Kale’s jealousy. While jealousy of another person is not exclusive to romantic relationships, it is strongly associated with them. When people thought it was Cabba she was jealous for, there was no real question that her associated feelings would have been romantic. When we learned for sure that it was Caulifla, though? Would it have been impossible for her to have simply been jealous of Cabba as a friend or as a brotherly figure? No, but nobody ever considered this possibility. Likewise, it is perfectly plausible that her jealousy for Caulifla is the romantic sort.

Caulifla goes super saiyan, Kale is shown blushing. Cabba goes super saiyan immediately after, she looks bored and disdainful. “Just because she’s blushing doesn’t mean she’s gay for her.” Well, no, but it certainly hints it. It’s not the only interpretation, but it is a valid one, and I don’t like the double standard of attempting to shut down the romantic interpretation. Remember that the same thing was said about Korra and Asami before that became canon. It all starts with a blush, y’all.

“Kale! Don’t get the wrong idea! I wouldn’t fall for someone like that!” This is actually the most interesting one here, because this brings the very suggestion of romance out of the purely subtextual and into, well, actual text. Generally, same-sex relationships that are just being baited don’t really ever breach this barrier. The idea of an actual relationship or romantic intent is hinted, sometimes outright teased, but never actually seriously, explicitly suggested as anything but a punchline. “She’s just afraid of Caulifla paying attention to anyone else, period!” Well, yes. Hence Goku. But why bother having her specifically assure Kale of the lack of romantic intent, rather than simply assuring her that she’s not useless, if that’s the only issue here? And it calmed her down. It can be both things. You can be romantically interested in someone and also afraid of losing them.

The general affection shown between the two throughout the tournament thus far. Affection is not in and of itself indication of romance. It simply exists to strengthen whatever relationship is already there--to show, rather than just tell us, that they really do care about each other. And they certainly have more screentime together than with anyone else, most notably with Cabba, whom neither of them have interacted with once since they got to the tournament. Yeah, they don’t seem to be building up a romantic subplot with him. Not to mention that Caulifla saved Kale from being rung out by carrying her bridal style just like Krillin did 18 the episode prior. And then the face-touching. And Caulifla tying up Kale’s hair after she fell out of her berserker state. Friendship or romance, it’s... really sweet, honestly. Let me reiterate, since this will certainly be misconstrued. The affection displayed between the two strengthens the previous romantic hints by contextualizing them in a deeper relationship, but is not a hint of romance in and of itself.

So, it’s definitely valid to interpret them as being romantically involved, or at least interested in one another, and personally I think it’s the most reasonable way to read this. There is enough textual evidence to support this conclusion--even if it was accidental, interpretation does not rely solely on intent. Any literary analyst will tell you that.

But I think it’s kind of unlikely that somehow nobody at Toei realized they were writing a relationship that could be construed as romantic. Sure, DB tends not to be romance-heavy, but we have had onscreen romance arcs. Krillin and 18, Gohan and Videl, Trunks and Mai--certainly in the old days of the franchise it was something Toriyama tended to avoid, but the series has grown increasingly open about it over time. Hell, Trunks and Mai actually kissed. Sort of. But it was close enough to count as the first in the franchise.

So, yes, I think it’s safe to conclude that the hints of romance between Kale and Caulifla were intentional.

This begs another question, however: to what end?

Gender is not the only thing that DB has had a history of fumbling. Race, for one, but also sexuality. The two canonically gay characters in the franchise, General Blue and that... guy whose name I forget who fought Trunks during the End of Z, were both unflattering stereotypes that played their sexuality for laughs. Blue for his utter lack of interest in Bulma, End of Z guy for his unwanted advances towards Trunks. Yeah, not the best track record.

There haven’t really ever been any instances of honest to god queerbaiting, though. Take Sasuke and Naruto, for example. They were clearly never intended to seriously wind up together, but man, there was a lot of tease that they would. Why? Well, for starters, as a joke. The implication that same-sex romance is a joke is, of course, super iffy, but that’s another discussion. Second of all, to maintain the interest of the fujoshi periphery demographic without including any potentially controversial actual same-sex content. DB, while being arguably homoerotic at times, never really dipped its toes into this minefield, ESPECIALLY not with its female characters. Goku and Vegeta never accidentally kissed or accidentally shoved phallic batons up each other’s asses, and romantic interest between two women has never even been jokingly implied.

But as we have established, DBS has been all about revitalizing the franchise and taking risks. It’s not afraid to try new things--and regardless of where this ends up going, it’s already a very new thing. Contrary to popular belief, awareness of LGBT issues in Japanese culture is actually increasing. Fire Emblem Fates included same-sex romantic options (though it was criticized by the japanese LGBT community for other reasons), Yuri on Ice included M/M romance in a mainstream sports anime and received a lot of praise, anti-LGBT discrimination polices are coming into effect, and gay marriage is actually legal in some parts of Japan now. Things are looking up, and to say that Japan doesn’t care about LGBT issues is to ignore the voices of the actual Japanese LGBT community pushing for progress. It’s still a work in progress, but there is progress.

And as far as DB goes, there really does seem to be a genuine attempt to be more progressive. And if they can make deliberate strides towards gender equality, why not LGBT representation? Don’t forget that Toei also produces Sailor Moon, which is kind of infamous for having canonical lesbians, so it’s far from out of the question.

In short, I’m cautiously optimistic. Considering this is still DB it’s unlikely that we’ll get, say, an onscreen kiss or a wedding or anything, but I could see an interview statement coming out confirming their feelings for each other or an offhand comment implying that they are in fact an item, or will become one. Or maybe they don’t plan on actually going anywhere with the hints of romance, and it’s just meant to draw interest without risking offending anyone. But hey, people thought Korra and Asami would never actually happen either. And look how that turned out.

Regardless, this is a lot more revolutionary than people give it credit for, and I really hope they continue developing these wonderful characters and their love for one another.

[niennavalier]

So, because I think about D&D in my spare time (when im not writing, even though im supposed to do homework but we all know how that is), I’ve realized all the character concepts I come up with are either cool aesthetically/really well thought out, or complete and total jokes

For example, my current list of things I wanna play (despite being the forever DM):

Fierna Tiefling, Homebrewed Phoenix Sorcerer - messed up backstory of being raised into a society that worships demons, and essentially being brought up in a cult, despite not wanting to be a part of it. The manifestation of his powers allow him to escape, and he’s trying to figure out why this all happened, but mostly rejoicing in newfound freedoms. (also this is the one where I force myself to play flirty pansexual tiefling. which is one of the hardest things to do i swear)

Air Genasi, Glamour Bard - tbh, not as intense of a backstory, cause I wanted someone to have a good life pre-game, so I won’t go into it too much. A little flirty, but mostly just very non-confrontational and willing to appease all sides. A really cool design that I wish I could draw but I liked the aesthetic, that’s really the main point here, I like making pretty D&D boys. And this character actually ended up being the basis for a different OC I made, whom I’m currently writing a bigger story for. Won’t get into that here though

Tiefling, Dunamancy Wizard - actually an NPC from the campaign I’m DM’ing. He’s the interim mayor for the city my players are in - very bookish and skittish and prone to panic, but yknow, he’s trying his best. Depending on how the campaign goes, if I play him, I might set this post-all of my stuff I’m DM’ing. Choosing dunamancy cause it actually does fit the best of all the wizard schools? But that probably depends a bit on when this all gets officially released. So I’m basing it on what I’ve learned from Critical Role, and it sounds really cool. (like...unrelated, but personally, I’d be a wizard if I could choose, and specifically either dunamancy or transmutation. Just sayin. to quote: what’s sexier than wizards? NOTHING) (side note, but I’ve actually screenshotted this tweet just so I can forever use it as a reaction image)

Also I really wanna play a drow. That’s not a character, but I really do, for the Aesthetic. Like...drow is in the PHB, I’ve known about it since I first started playing this game, and I’ve loved the look, comparing it between a bunch of the other races, but I’ve just never played it. Vaerys (my Inquisitive Rogue NPC) is half-drow, but I do actually wanna go all in on this one. Despite Sunlight Sensitivity being a thing...idk, that’s why I haven’t actually done it, cause mechanistically it’s a pain, but still (also maybe I’m watching Critical Role and Essek needs a hug)

And now the joke characters:

Scout Rogue: this isn’t a joke so much as the fact I don’t really go for nature based campaigns (as a DM, everything I do is basically city based, it’s just easier for me). So I’m gonna continue to play one of my favorite classes, but with all the upsides of playing a Ranger, if anyone ever sticks me in a nature campaign. I will work around your intentions and do as I please

Kenku, Way of the Drunken Master Monk: look, I just wanna roleplay this. I wanna pretend to constantly be drunk, and Kenku can only speak via mimicry. This sounds fucking hilarious

A Druid, but with the least amount of Druid flavor possible: again, I’m not a fan of nature settings, and...complete honesty here? I don’t really like the Druid flavor, because I generally don’t go for high-Wis classes. I wanna play an idiot. I don’t wanna sound wise about nature. So like, a city-dwelling asshole of a Druid who just wants to mess with everything, because this is how you get me to play classes I don’t particularly like. (even though high level Druids are mechanically great, I don’t care. I play for character and flavor. I only do some optimization)