#I'm obsessed with him more than I've ever been obsessed with any male character ever it's a bit concerning

[lesbianwyllravengard]

i still have yet to play bg3 so i still dont go here yet but Wyll seems literally like one of the most compelling characters of all time and im not even joking. I havent even played the GAME but his character arc haunts me /pos. people are literally just racist to say that he isn't compelling

LITERALLY. He's utterly fascinating. He is a folk hero, a legend, the fantasy equivalent of superman. He's a warlock who is secretly pacted to a devil. He hates devils. He's an incredible liar. He's incredibly sincere. He's silly. He unironically enjoys puns and clowns. He over-exaggerates his Blade personality because it amuses him. He sometimes doesn't know where The Blade ends and Wyll begins. His hero-ness is a performance; not to hide ill intent, but to hide a broken man, to hide weaknesses and fears. It's who he is. It's always been a distant thing, a mask. It's who he thinks he must be. He loves freely and openly and will let anyone know it. He's only ever wanted to know he's loved. He still thinks his father's inability to trust or believe in him was all his fault. He still thinks that every bit of suffering he's ever experienced was all his fault. He thinks admitting to suffering would be disrespectful to the lives he's saved. He thinks he has to suffer or else his sacrifices were worthless. He thinks it couldn't be a sacrifice if he didn't suffer for it. He would take any suffering if it meant lessening someone else's. He is the first person to stand up for someone's life and safety, the first person to defend someone's worth and autonomy. He is the last person to do so for himself. He is of the least importance to himself.

He needs to be needed, because if he's not needed then what good is his power and the soul he sacrificed for the pact to get it? And if he can't be needed then he throws himself into the fray without hesitation because his purpose has always been to sacrifice himself so others may live. His life has always been one of sacrifice. His life has been recompense since the second he was born and his mother passed as a result. He saves lives to make up for it. It will never be enough to him. It will always be everything to those he saves. He just wants to be seen for who he truly is. He thinks if no one can see him for who he is then maybe it isn't who he is, and maybe he's fooled them all, fooled himself into thinking he can be a better person, be the hero they need. He wants to be known by someone. He's terrified of someone looking deeper. He sees others for who they are. He's a monster hunter who does not hunt the typical definition of "monster", who knows that monsters are not the ones with fangs and horns in his group of friends but the men who look harmless yet cause endless death and suffering to others. Not even the threat of his life was enough to get him to harm an innocent.

He wants to be chosen. He cannot fathom that someone would choose him. He chooses others over himself every time. He has so much love for others. He thinks he must constantly earn love. He is shocked when someone simply loves him. He thinks he cannot love and lead at the same time. His only role model was a father who could never put his son before his city. He is capable of immense anger. He is capable of immense kindness. He purposefully chooses the latter; he works hard to not let his anger consume him. He's still angry over things that happened a near decade ago. He thinks feeling hurt is the same as being angry and so he can't be hurt. He's always hurting. He takes pride in his achievements and he does not underestimate himself. He's not religious. He devotes himself to his cause with the dedication of the most pious believer. He stands by his friends in any battle, against any struggle. He stands against them if they choose to threaten lives. He holds on to those he cares about with bloody knuckles and teeth bared because loss has always been the hardest pain for him to bear. He has lost everything. He gives every part of himself to others. He cannot lose anyone else. He thinks he can do anything because he refuses to believe any alternative. Because he could not survive any alternative. He thinks his intent is as important as his actions, and so he must always intend to do the right thing.

He does not tolerate his boundaries being pushed or his father being disrespected. He tolerates any judgment because he thinks he deserves it. He defends his status as the Blade of Frontiers. He thinks the fear caused by his devil form is a fault of his own that he must work to fix. He hates the patriars and their farce diplomacy, their lethal hypocrisy. He thinks his father is infallible. He does not hold himself to the same regard as he holds everyone else. He thinks its okay if it only hurts him. Anything is okay as long as it only hurts him. He has to keep fighting to prove he can be a hero. He is so, so tired. He cannot for one second admit to wanting for anything, because once he starts he might not be able to stop wanting. He cannot accept that he deserves to not suffer, too, because if he does he might not be strong enough to continue suffering so others might suffer less. He might not want to suffer. He thinks he cannot regret any decision he's made, he cannot regret his pact, because it would be a dishonour to the good he's done with it. He thinks that saying he regrets his pact would be saying he regrets every life he's saved with it and he would never regret saving lives so he cannot regret his pact. He's accepted that his freedom will always be the cost of saving lives. He desperately wants to be free. His life has never been his own, to him. He thinks every choice he's ever made was his own, alone.

He is very complex. He simplifies himself to be easily accepted by others. People fall for it easily. He just needs one person to look closer. He's afraid of what they'll find if they do. He doesn't keep his cards close to his chest, he meticulously chooses which cards to hold at all. Which parts of himself are worth losing if need be. How much of himself he has to keep close in order to keep being himself. He has seen the worst that the world has to offer. He chooses every day to be kind, to see the best in things, in others. He chooses to care. He holds onto his pain because it's proof that he cares. There are several pathways that don't connect quite right in his brain which you'll notice after a few conversations with him. He is wise beyond his years. He is my favourite guy ever

[suiana]

your boyfriend has been acting weird lately (various yandere characters x gn reader) (ANGSTOBER DAY 2)

"babe are you-"

"can you quit talking? seriously, you're so damn annoying."

"...i only wanted to ask whether you were hungry..."

you stare at your boyfriend, lips pursed as he continues to type away on his phone. he's been like this for three weeks now. getting mad at you for no reason, cursing at you... did you do something wrong?

all you ever wanted was to be a good significant other and he's acting like he's on his period or something! jesus, can't he be a little bit more mature too?! picking fights with you for no reason, making a big fuss over nothing... and not even telling you why?!

...

you know what?

you had it with him.

"hey, what's your problem huh?! why are you so edgy nowadays huh? did i do something wrong?!"

your once loving boyfriend stares at you, eyes and mouth wide at your sudden outburst. he takes a moment to compose himself, eyebrows furrowing the second he thinks things through.

"god you're so damn stupid. I've been repeatedly telling you, haven't i? i hate you. what can't you understand?! this is why I'm always getting mad, damnit!"

you scoff at him, arms folded in front of your chest as you try to keep your cool... only for your anger to get the better of you, resulting in a screaming festival between you and your boyfriend.

"hate me? you can't expect me to believe that. not when you were literally obsessed with me up till three weeks ago?!"

"i-"

"you used to threaten people just for looking at me! you even tried to kill someone because they asked for my number! and now you want me to believe that you hate me? stop with your bullshit."

".. actually-"

"oh. are you seeing someone else? is that what this is? you're trying to make me break up with you, is that it?"

"n-... you know what? yeah, yeah it is. i want to break up with you. I've found someone else that i love more than you."

your boyfriend states, eyes dead as he stares straight at you. he breathes calmly, as if he weren't affected by this at all. meanwhile, your heart felt as though it had shattered into many tiny pieces. tears fell from your eyes, unable to be held back any longer as you broke down, falling to your knees as the male just stares at you stoicly.

"let's never see each other again."

he mumbles, turning on his heel, swiftly leaving you alone to wallow in your sadness in the once lively apartment. shit... you hadn't expected things to end like this.

"he's a fucking jerk..."

you think through your tears, vision blurry as you clutch your chest. you really loved him and he just?? left?? how could he be so heartless?

if he didn't love you he could've just said something about it. he didn't have to be so mean and hurt your feelings before finally bringing up another person! god damnit, why did you have to fall for such a person?!

you cried, wailing as you cursed your now ex-boyfriend.

"fuck! i hate you! i hate you so much! i hope i never see you again! just disappear from my life! you just left me to die here! stupid ex-boyfriend! i hate giving you my love!"

what you didn't know however, was that your 'heartless' boyfriend had stood outside your door, frowning at your every word, regretting everything he had done up until that moment. because he had loved you too. truly.

he loved you so damn much that he wanted to tear out his hair every single time he was mean to you. he wanted to tell you that he didn't mean any single one of those hurtful words. he wanted to cry and beg for your forgiveness every single time he did anything hurtful to you.

but it was for your own good. it was to keep you safe. and if he needed to hurt you to keep you safe, he'd do it. because he loved you too much to see someone else hurt you.

and being with him meant that there was always a risk of you getting hurt. so how could he allow that to happen when it could be prevented? how could he let his selfish feelings get in the way when you were such a precious little thing? sure, he loves you and he'll do anything in his power to ensure your safety but what if he can't protect you one day?

what if one day you just... get used against him? he's a dangerous man and has a lot of enemies. surely they'll find out that you're his weakness. of course he has gotten rid of anyone who might harm you now but who's to say that there won't be more in the future?

which is why he has to severe all ties with you now. he can't risk it. because he may be strong, but he may not be strong enough for whoever may come in the future. that's why he's been doing what he's been doing-making you hate him so that it hurts less when he decides that it's time to leave. he assumes that it's working wonderfully, after all you've never once noticed his puffy eyes in the morning.

"at least... they'll be safe now."

and disappear he will, for he has too many regrets welling up in the depths of his soul from what he did to you. he'll make sure to never come across you again, instead lurking in your shadow, observing you from afar.

a star like you need not be dirtied by his presence anymore.

dazai osamu, akutagawa ryunosuke, megumi fushiguro, blade, scaramouche/wanderer, your faves<3

[angelsnkisses]

I’m obsessed with all the Rory content! I’m begging for literally anything about Jack or Euronymous. They’re both my little meow meows

A/N: agreed, they're both so yummy 😮‍💨 here's a euronymous post i've been thinking about writing all week! hope you enjoy, anon :).

thinking about giving euronymous head before he goes on stage <3

‼️ NSFW - MDNI ‼️

warnings: dom!euronymous, sub!gn!reader, oral (male receiving), degrading, face fucking, cum eating

disclaimer: this has nothing to do with the real øystein aarseth. this is strictly based on rory's portrayal of the character.

• he'd always be so nervous before a show, tapping his leg rapidly and smoking a cigarette with stitched brows.

"..fucking lot of people out there.. much more than we thought."

• you'd be worried about how anxious he was, asking if he needed anything.

• he'd perk up a bit, thinking about it before giving you a dark gaze.

"you know what? yeah, i do need something."

• he'd walk over to you and stroke your jaw with a ringed finger, a little smile on his face as he admires what's his.

"c'mon, on your knees. don't give me that look, do as you're told."

• he'd push you down needily, a hand frantically undoing his jeans before someone could walk in. he'd free himself from the fabric prison before immediately forcing his tip into your mouth. sighing quietly.

"hurry up, i'm on in 10 minutes."

• he'd be eyeing the door behind you ever so often, making sure nobody came through it as you started to suck him off.

• he would groan so much, always the vocal one. your warm mouth and swollen lips around him would be enough to drive him absolutely insane.

"mm, good job.. your mouth feels so good, fuck."

• he'd get impatient with your pace pretty quick, knowing his band mates could enter at any moment. he would grab the back of your head, shoving you down until your nose pressed to his base.

• he'd chuckle at you when you gagged, enjoying how your eyes watered and your throat convulsed around him.

"that's it, you can take it."

• he'd start facefucking you roughly, watching you gag and drool around his cock <3.

• sadly, he'd have to be quick, which means he'd be abusing your poor throat, ramming into it over and over, desperate for release.

"fuckfuckfuck, come on-"

• rip your uvula, seriously.

• you'd look like a fucking mess under him. makeup running (if you had any on), tears streaming down your cheeks, drool coating your chin.

• when he'd get close to finishing he'd slam your head down his entire length, moaning shakily and emptying his load down your throat.

"oh, shit~ swallow it, don't you dare spit it out."

"there you go, fuck yeah.."

• he'd pull himself out of your mouth when he was completely finished, putting himself back in his pants and tugging you up.

• he'd pull you in for a long, sweet kiss, not caring if his makeup was just a little smudged.

"thanks.. we'll finish this after the show, yeah?"

• he makes good on his word, trust me ;).

**

A/N: a simple one for you, thanks again anon! i loved writing this, i already have another idea for euronymous :). i wanna start experimenting with more kinks, i'd just need input on what to write about! hope you enjoyed <3.

[boinin]

Do you have any kunigami headcanons?

Hey! Thanks for the ask.

I'm one of those people that scours through canon for blorbo details to build on and develop in the fanfiction I write. So I actually don't have a huge amount of standalone headcanons for the individual characters? Beyond things like how they'd act in relationships, what they might do in the future, etc. That said, I have enough Kunigami thoughts to write a couple novels, so here goes. These are just general beliefs that could apply to Kunigami, personal to my interpretation of his character:

Kunigami is bisexual, but probably not aware of this while in Blue Lock. He finds it hard to differentiate between physical attraction and admiration when it comes to dudes. Chigiri and Barou particularly confuse him for this reason. Classic do I want to be them or be with them dilemma.

He's generally hopeless with matters of the heart. He's oblivious to peoples' crushes on him, male or female. He's turned a bunch of confessions down on the basis that he's too busy to date (aside from lack of interest). In true sports anime fashion, he has a one-track mind... it's all football under that orange cloud of hair.

Speaking of, he's considered shaving all his hair off to avoid sweat dripping into his eyes. His sisters talked him out of it—mostly because him being bald horrified them, but they used the excuse that with no hair to soak into, he'd have more sweat dripping onto his face, not less. His elder sister introduced him to the concept of an undercut while in middle school, which he's been rocking ever since.

If Isagi's team had chosen Reo after winning the 3v3, Kunigami and Chigiri together would have beaten Shidou and Igaguri without issue. Chigiri would have lifted Kunigami's spirits and deflected Shidou's taunts, helping turn things around. They'd steal Shidou despite Kunigami's serious misgivings about playing with him, then sail through to the third selection. Kunigami and Shidou don't get on during this process, but they do develop a begrudging respect. Shidou can't beat Kunigami in a fist fight, and Kunigami will acknowledge that Shidou is a phenomenal player.

The last few speculate about Kunigami having a mental health condition so I've tagged this for that and put the headcanons under a cut in case anyone isn't into reading those sort of takes about a blorbo. Also: post-s2 anime/chp 155+ manga spoilers below in case that's a problem.

At the time of Blue Lock, Kunigami has symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It's one reason he's so dedicated to fitness and high performance. He experiences anxiety when he cannot complete his pre-decided training due to intrusive thoughts of something bad happening. While this was also the case for him before Blue Lock, it's really exacerbated by the dangling fear of getting kicked out and never getting to represent Japan nationally.

Him winning Wild Card is a by-product of his OCD traits in addition to his existing similarity to Noel Noa. Having confronted the reality of leaving Blue Lock post-2V2 loss, Kunigami saw the Wild Card as a second chance. Already used to pushing himself through punishing workouts, he performs better than his fellow WC peers.

It still does serious damage to his mental health, as the whole process validates the intrusive thoughts he'd previously been able to categorise as irrational. Now he could think, finish the next 20 reps or you'll get kicked out, without being able to contradict himself. Players are getting kicked out around him for not following Ego's insane training regimens.

Ego preys on Kunigami's thought patterns to reinforce the idea that he must forfeit his existing identity to assume Noel Noa's mindset. Kunigami internalises this so well, it extends beyond his footballing and training to his whole personality. Now, post WC, he refuses to even engage with his friends the way he used to, because something at the back of his mind will say, the old you wasn't enough, or, everything you went through will be for nothing if you go back to your old ways now.

This isn't how I characterise Kunigami in all the things I write—it's really just a stream of thought about why he's so dedicated to fitness and how he was able to succeed in Wild Card (at personal cost).

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hey Nalyra !

I've been (obsessively) thinking about Louis and Lestat's relationship going forward and what it might look like in future seasons but there is one thing that has been niggling me and i would love to hear your thoughts on it.

We know vampires' immortality makes the concept of full on monogamy almost laughable etc. But how do you think the show will interpret Loustat's past open relationship/Antoinette from Lestat's pov (if it ever does).

We all have headcanons about what Lestat inteoducing Antoinette into the picture back then was about (his motivations, insecurities, even Louis' reaction to it) but is that something that you think will be acknowledged in some way in the show do you think ?

Obviously we're not the showrunners but i guess even if its not i would love to know your take on it in the context of the show characters this time and the way they have been adapted so far.

I hope i'm making sense and that i havent asked something that has already been dissected by you. Im rather new to tumblr. So if there is a post about it already feel free to just direct me to it !

Hey!

... mhhhh "Antoinette" has come up a few times indeed, but in a lot of asks/posts, so... let me condense my thoughts here^^

I don't think Antoinette has anything to do with (deliberate) non-monogamy and everything with the lack of intimacy that came through the rejection of feeding and the failing try at getting Louis to feed.

That said, Antoine(tte) is a canon character in the books - he survives the burning and shows up in the later books, and is accepted and welcomed in the places they live at (much later).

There is a part in the later books that make it very clear that Lestat did not only go to Antoinette for sex, but because he wanted to pour out his heart, vent if you will.

We see echoes of that in the "hotel scene". As such, I think the tale we have seen so far may have put a big emphasis on cheating, but I think Lestat's view of her might be another one. We'll see. It depends on what they want to do with Antoinette still (if anything!) - they put Antoinette into male attires after her turning, too, which likely was no coincidence either, given Gabrielle's behavior after her turning.

I don't think they are going to go any "open relationship" route with Antoinette - I think Lestat's view of her was more a confidante, and friend (with benefits) than anything else. If Antoinette survived and shows up again (like in the books) it will be hugely interesting to see how they will make Louis react - though that will depend heavily on when Antoinette shows up again.

Because in the books that happens at the time when Louis has finally come to some self-acceptance.

The show seems to have pulled that up a bit, which I can understand - which in turn opens the show for other developments :)

[worldseer]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Oh lord, top ten of ALL media I loved? Fuckin' hell. Alright, just to cheat, I'm choosing to do this in no particular order and sticking to one media because I frankly do not have the capacity to process top favorites all at once. TOP TEN OF MARVEL COMICS/MCU IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier - Heavily relate to his issues, I've been told I look like him, and overall I love his character. Been obsessed with his character for years now, and I want nothing more than for him to be happy.

Moon Knight/Mark Spector/Steven Grant/Jake Lockley - Steven Grant is heavily relatable to me, and Moon Knight in general has always been interesting to me. I learned about the character before the show itself, and even his design itself draws me in. I'm a sucker when his cape makes the crescent shape too.

Ghost Rider - Nonspecific simply because all the Ghost Riders I know are badasses. If I had to be a hero/have the powers of any Marvel character, I'm choosing this one. Love the idea of the character, and wish it gets a good adaptation for film/tv show soon

Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner - Gender Envy. Also heavily relate to him because of similar issues. Consistently struggle if I want to be him or be with him.

Gambit/Remy LeBeau - I love a sarcastic man with a bit of fruitiness, and a smug ass face. Also his powers are interesting as well, and he's frankly a genius for using playing cards as his usual weapon (mass produced and several on hand).

Spider-Man - Also nonspecific, since I grew up on watching Spider-Man cartoons so I love Peter Parker, but also after ATSV I've gained an interest in Miguel O'Hara as well. Peter in the comics always has my heart however, some of the lines he has in them are iconic as hell.

Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto - He's a villain I can't ever hate, and probably has the second power I'd choose if I had to choose a power from a Marvel character. I too would cause mass destruction if it meant that me and people like me would stop fucking yknow- being killed and persecuted. And bro is (usually) old as fuck as he does this, still kicking ass.

Matt Murdock/Daredevil - Once again, relate due to similar issues. Also what's more funny than a sarcastic lawyer going out to beat the shit out of criminals every night? Plus it's a bit unfair that he looks hot beat up. . . iykyk.

Wade Wilson/Deadpool - Self explanatory.

Loki Laufeyson - Similar thing to Bucky and Kurt: obsessed with character for years and a part of me wants to be them. Might have kickstarted my discovery into being nonbinary honestly now that I think about it. . .

[hawkwidows]

I’m not the anon but I agreed with some things they said, and I’m not afraid of stereotyping him at all, I think that’s a pretty big assumption to make for why people perceive his character as simply boyish, not liking to feel vulnerable, and so on. Maybe stoic is too strong of a word, sure, but what’s on the screen is what’s on the screen, I think the whole point was just that people’s perceptions have nothing to do with blending Noah and Will. It’s clearly due to something the actor brings intentionally to Will that is not his own personality, that low, quiet seriousness. And we’ve seen Will in some pretty tough spots. It makes sense he’d be sensitive in those situations, you know? He’s very special of course but he’s also just a guy

Also, being sensitive or a crier or soft isn’t bad yucky girl coding it’s literally just not something only girls do! It’s uncomfortable to see someone express traditionally feminine traits and have people go “yes, that’s a girl thing.” It’s what his bullies did. I think that’s the point: that we can appreciate these things about Will without constantly obsessing over his Girl role. He’s just Will

you've clarified things I could not comprehend in the og post so cheers tbh.

moving on:

It’s uncomfortable to see someone express traditionally feminine traits and have people go “yes, that’s a girl thing.”

and you just called them traditionally feminine traits. that's literally the whole thing. I am not the one using "girl" in replace of "feminine", that was op anon, and others minimising will's narrative, and I think saying "a girl thing" is missing the point of analysing something as feminine. I can't speak for anybody else, I don't know what you or op anon have seen, but when I ever discuss what was watered down to "girl coding", it's about the fact will is a male character who happens to have been written to express traditionally feminine traits more than other boys/men around him, and also the tropes his story falls under.

it's not a bad or weird thing to point out. noticing feminine traits is most definitely not my entire personality, which it feels like you're implying is for some people. I find it genuinely fucking cool they wrote a male character to follow multiple tropes and narratives usually given to female characters in the horror genre. it's unique and fresh and expressing enjoyment over that isn't taking away from will being a boy.

but he also isn't just a standard boy, btw. his visible difference to everybody else is kind of a big - and important - part of his story. and no, that's not me being wilfully ignorant to what you're saying - I fully understood you, I am just saying that while I agree he isn't overly effeminate or flamboyant atm, he is also not "just a guy".

I think you're making an assumption off my wording - which I get because it was posted impulsively - but holy hell that was definitely not the correlation. you agreeing with op anon but also being fine to stereotype him doesn't make any opinion here special, I mean great to hear you have no problem stereotyping him! but I wasn't making a generalisation. the will and noah criticism is often about noah's physique affecting how people perceive will post-st4, when even that is exaggerated.

people being scared to stereotype will IS a problem in the fandom, even if not related to that specific post, and I brought it up because it was similar language. but also, this is the first I'm hearing the word "boyish" used for will so consistently. what I usually see is people going to the total opposite end of the spectrum of how we know him in the show and making him tough, commandeering or stoic, instead of embracing his softness; and never what's happened here today, which is people insisting that others are 'making him girly when he is in fact boyish' - that's news to me!

from what I've seen, if you explore his canon gender nonconformity, it's too feminising and there's hesitance, even if it's the simplest thing. in fact, guaranteed someone reading me even mentioning gnc in the sentence previous just flinched because it's a touchy or tired subject. but I don't see that issue with mike in headcanons/fics/art, ever, which is what has led me to believe over time that people have an issue/fear with stereotyping will. and that has to come from somewhere in his visual/narrative design because where else could you get it from unless you can recognise the writer's intentions?

I know I've held back from posting more headcanons bc I've been worried people will assume things of me because they project assumptions, when I always take his gnc qualities, and potential, seriously.

also, like I mentioned above, nowhere did you touch on the fact will's narrative is consistent with that of female horror characters (and that's not a bad thing), which is what the people I've seen who may discuss any "girl coding" are often referring to, because it's relevant and unique, and worthy of analysing.

I'm linking this post that explains it more really well, but I know you'll either find it interesting bc you've never seen it before, or roll your eyes bc you already have issue with it; but I can't express more how I'm coming from a genuinely fascinated, excited and well meaning place whenever I might discuss will's narrative having anything to do with something traditionally feminine (which is just a harmless word that happens to have the prefix 'fem').

what’s on the screen is what’s on the screen low, quiet seriousness

what's on screen is being reserved, not stoicism. it's will going through tough times, and - in your eyes - involuntarily expressing emotion when he usually wouldn't......? well all I can recommend for you here is rewatching the show. honestly.

will is a lively, funny, expressive character. not near the same level as noah, but I struggled to understand the relevance in pointing out will's quiet seriousness and noah. are being loud and extroverted not traditionally more masc traits in characters than quietness and being reserved? would that not mean will's expressiveness is what makes him more boyish than his passiveness?

I feel as though the issue being expressed here is feeling importance in will being male and being gay, and so people deeming will's traits feminine = he falls under the 'girl' in other's tendencies to make things a boy/girl dynamic, hence putting such an emphasis on "will is just a boy!!". and I hear you, but being afraid to explore will's story because of optics in relation to his love interest does a disservice to his journey.

I have three (rhetorical, please) questions for that:

a) do you understand that will's story goes beyond his relationship with mike, and that sometimes when people are analysing will's narrative, they aren't even keeping mike in mind? aka there's no intentional placing of will in a feminine role in their dynamic?

b) do you also vocally criticise when people do the same as they may do to will, to mike?

c) do you acknowledge that ST is an 80s show, not set in modern day, and will is from generation x - where we happen to have gotten a lot of those 'stereotypes' from, and it may not be so bizarre to consider he grows up to be similar to the middle aged (visible!) gay men you may know today? or can you see how playing with his gender nonconformity or any stereotypical progression can be different to if he was, say, a 2024 gay high schooler in another netflix original, where it's then a tired writing decision?

I think that’s the point: that we can appreciate these things about Will without [...]

we are. we are appreciating will for who he is, and some of "these things" happen to include him being given roles in the narrative that are often given to female characters, and that's not making anything 'binary'. it's a part of the conversation of will byers. will is not the character who experiences girly issues in the fandom.

He’s just Will

exactly! and "just will" is not your regular male character, and I love that about him. but nowhere does that imply people don't treat him as a boy??

I absolutely know I've repeated myself a lot in this post, but there's a lot of jumping around so, eh.

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

I know that Sebastian for some reason is the most popular male character in the game now but I personally don't give a shit about him and his quest are interesting only thanks to Ominis. He's the reason I would even bother with them. A blind wizard who's descendant of slytherin that tries to cut himself from his dark legacy is more interesting from the dude that has the same story line as every "morally grey" character (family member is sick/in danger and they will do anything to save them).

It's funny you should say that, and I'm so glad to hear it. Because truly, I adore Ominis, and when I first saw him I thought he was way more compelling than Sebastian. I'm actually so glad to have this chance to talk about him, because he's great. Course, this was all before I saw Sebastian's story in full, and I like him a lot more now. But Ominis is still probably my favorite in the game. He is everything that Delphi Diggory should have been, I said what I said. The moment I learned his backstory, I was devastated for the poor guy. I want to give him a hug. Even his name is a perfect irony.

Sebastian's story is a tragedy and I think what really makes him compelling is his unhealthy (but understandable) obsession, and where it ultimately leads him. I think a lot of people were sold on him the moment he lied to the Librarian to protect The Fifth Year. It's just not the kind of loyalty one expects from a Slytherin. But when I saw how his story ended, I thought to myself...how could anyone choose to betray him at the end? And yes, I do consider it a betrayal, regardless of what he's done.

It's difficult to compare these two honestly, because Sebastian gets so much more screen time and Ominis clearly appears to be designed as a secondary character to Sebastian's story, much like Anne. In general, I also think these two are foils of each other. Sebastian's guardian is a former Auror who abhors the Dark Arts and in is generally averse to his nephew's "exploration" of more obscure magic. That makes Sebastian the total inverse of Ominis, and I think that's pretty cool. Hey, here's a thought: If my math is correct, Ominis should be in the same generation as Marvolo. Should be his brother or cousin. Does he ever mention him by name? I don't recall as much...

It's true, Sebastian's story of trying to help Anne is a story that's been told a hundred times, but particularly for this universe, I wonder if it wasn't deliberate. Perhaps meant to invoke memories of Albus and Ariana Dumbledore, or even Jacob and his Sibling. To be completely fair, I'd also point out that Ominis likewise has a story that I've seen a million times before - that of the heroic character who must live down the legacy of their villainous ancestors. Other franchises have beat this trope into the ground, but I still love it.

Ultimately, a lot of this is affected by not just the writing, but the depiction and performance. Both actors are superb and hearing Ominis' voice break with emotion during the Cruciatus Quest hurt my soul. I also love the detail that he's blind! In general, for as much as this game fails to offer any progress in terms of the wizarding world's problems (Oh Ranrok, you were so wasted...) I will say that it offers a great deal of "muggle" diversity. Multiple poc, a lesbian couple, a trans character, and a blind character too! That's not nothing.

[burr-ell]

🔥🔥🔥

I am here to start a war.

1, 10, and 13 for CR and FE3H

choose violence ask game

That's a lot and I'm here 👏 for 👏 it 👏 I'm gonna split the posts for CR and FE3H so they don't get in each other's tags; this post will be for CR.

1. the character everyone gets wrong

Vex. I've talked about it elsewhere, including here on twitter for those interested, but it's really irritating to me that so many self-proclaimed fans of hers keep flattening her into a Joss Whedon woman (while simultaneously decrying those very tropes). I've seen it a lot of times among Vex/Keyleth shippers who tend to project themselves onto Keyleth and thinks Keyleth "deserves" to have the character they think is the hottest, but I've also seen it among Percy/Vex shippers who are hardcore Vex stans who also think she's being oppressed at pretty much every turn (except by Percy who worships the ground she walks on and is therefore perfect for her). It also happens among the old C1 commentariat, though they use it to bash Vex and Laura for [bleep blorp misogyny].

Vex is complicated. She's resilient, clever, resourceful, beautiful and confident about it, compassionate, pragmatic, frosty to those who haven't earned her trust, desperate for approval, and frugal to the point of obsession. She's a survivor of abuse and racism. Her most defining relationships are with three male characters. She stole a broom for no reason other than that she wanted it. She spent 15,000 gold to free two slaves. She has the most explicitly political career out of everyone in Vox Machina, including the tribal leader and the scion of a noble house. If Syldor and Syngorn hadn't been so horrible to her she'd have become a diplomat like her father, something Laura explicitly said. She and Syldor try to repair their relationship post-canon. She has no problem topping Percy. She gets flustered by Percy.

In short? She acts like a real person. If you're watering her down to "greedy bitch", "step on me queen", or "most victimized character ever", then honestly, I think your tastes are unspeakably boring.

10. worst part of fanon

There have been too many posts to count about my main frustration—that fanon is seen as sacrosanct compared to canon simply because fans came up with it, and that fans get so wrapped up in fanons and headcanons (that are, if I'm gonna get really violent, rather adolescent in scope and tone) that they're genuinely righteously outraged when canon contradicts it or other fans dislike it.

So since we're choosing violence, I'll just say glasses!Imogen. Round cute sweet little uwu baby bean glasses!Imogen. It's symptomatic of that larger problem, it largely exists purely in the context of a ship (which is symptomatic of another larger problem), and it's not an interesting enough concept to justify its existence after everyone and their mom has done it and demanded that everyone else validate it.

13. worst blorbofication

Honestly? I gotta go with Percy, and I say this as someone whose blorbo is Percy. There are two strains of this:

1. The old guard C1 fans who have spent years coming up with ways that Percy, as Vex's simp, will absolutely adore everything she says and does and do whatever she tells him to and never challenge her or consider himself in any way, and

2. The more traditional Uwu Baby Boy types who really seem to like making him as soft and romantic as possible. The character tag is uninhabitable if you don't block characterxreader blogs on sight.

Honestly though, I'll take type 2 over type 1, because I don't remember the type 2 folks throwing a hissy fit over Matt's portrayal of Percy and comparing him to Syldor. If you're genuinely trying to argue that Matt portrayed Vex's husband similarly to her abuser and that either Laura or Taliesin would be okay with that, I would cordially suggest removing your head from your colon.

[maryeditss]

Who I like more Grachi vs Every witch way:

Emma > Grachi

I think Grachi is a sweet person, but she lacks personality. She is sometimes quite irritating because she's so good, not to mention that sometimes she's either stupid or self-righteous, and I also hate what she did to Matilda (Maddie) in the first The season is already with Emma, she is very temperamental and intelligent, she can solve problems that Grachi would take episodes of quickly in minutes, I also like the fact that Emma has a lot more personality she is bold and sassy and I definitely love that.

Maddie = Matilda

I have pros and cons for both of them, I don't really like Maddie, from 3-4 I feel like she didn't make much of a difference in the show, Matilda is a very notable character in the seasons she's present (she left in season 2 That's about 120 chapters ) I think they are both bad friends, but Maddie was a good friend with Sophie, Between the two, I prefer Matilda because I think she's much more charismatic than Maddie, Don't get me wrong maddie was a sweetheart.

Daniel Miller > Daniel Esquivel

I'm not Daniel's biggest fan, they are both good friends, and good sons/brothers, most definitely Daniel Miller is a WAY better boyfriend than Daniel Esquivel, I would NEVER date someone like Daniel Esquivel in real life, Daniel Miller if it weren't for the magic thing and everything, maybe I would date Daniel from Grachi was a jerk with both Matilda and Grachi, in the 1st season he WAS DATING during the first 10 episodes with Matilda and he was simply in love with Grachi and flirting and not breaking up with Matilda, and when Mia appeared he did the same , he even CHEATED on Grachi and she NEVER knew, I just can't stand this boy and I also can't stand the way he gets irritated with Grachi because she has more male friends, but he has a best friend (Mia) who is always causing problems for him he simply defends her even though he knows about the spider thing, even though she TRYING TO KILL the grachi, in short he is one of the worst boyfriends on a children's show I've ever seen.

Mia Black = Mia Novoa

A lot of people don't like the fact that mia is a kanay in every witch way, but I just LOVED this idea, In the original she was just obsessed with being Daniel's girlfriend and being willing to kill Grachi, in eww she was a kanay (and not a witch like in grachi) this gave her a better story of a girl who lost her parents very early, and had to grow up running away from witches to protect herself this made her grow up without feeling opening up to anyone, daniel was genuinely the first person she opened up to, so she started to fall in love with him, I think this is much better than love at first sight, like mia(grachi) and daniel, The problem is that they didn't know how to develop the character in season 4, like you could do so many cool things with Mia, like she could be the Chosen One of the kanays, that would explain why she's been a very powerful kanay since she was 7 years old.

Diego Rueda < Diego forlán

I find Diego's character annoying in Every Witch Way, it's as if he didn't have any history after he started dating Maddie, don't get me wrong I LOVE MIEGO but they basically made him just Maddie's puppy, in Grachi he has more personality and doesn't spend all his time with Matilda, he has more plot and is better developed.

Andi > Mecha

Both are loyal and good friends, but Andi is MUCH better as a guardian than mecha, but any guardian of every witch way wins for those of grachi, I like Andi's personality much more than Mecha, Mecha in 1-2 basically only humiliated herself to men, in 3 she really changed and that was good.

Jax = Axel

They basically have the same personality, but Jax used magic to cheat, Axel doesn't like cheating and the only time he did it was out of pressure to please his father. I just love them both, which makes the difference between the ending and Jax giving up on the plan with And, Axel didn't do that. something very noticeable is the fact that Jax doesn't seem to care about what his father wants, as if he followed his father's plan but didn't seem to care about his father, equally Jake didn't care about him before Jessie appeared in Eww . In Grachi, it's as if Axel needed his father's approval to live as an emotional dependency, but I find this compressible considering that even though he lived under the same roof, his father didn't care about him, and always despised him and demanded more from him and the At the same time he was praising, being kind and understanding towards his sister Amaya, like imagine you growing up with your sister/brother being favorite and you being despised, honestly to this day I wonder how Axel didn't feel angry at Amaya or his father, I just couldn't stand them, to be honest I know Jax grew up alone and all, but everything got better after Jessie, but in Grachi, I just hate their one-sided relationship, like Axel was a great brother to her(amaya), but she was bad with him.

Jessie > Amaya

They have totally different stories because Jessie is an 11 year old child and Amaya is only 1 year younger than Axel (teenager) I simply prefer Jessie for 2 reasons: 1 she was a good sister, 2 - I like her whole plot in wits academy

[impandgnomes]

Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan (pls) (for the ask thing i mean asdfghjkl;)

lmao ty - lemme do this a sec

1: sexuality headcanon

The boy is bi. Don't ask me how I feel it with such certainty, but I feel it. Also not sexuality, but potentially enby and I feel that in my soul.

2: otp

If I were to put him romantically with someone, I guess Kyle? Those two have a bond that is too adorable however you cut it. I've always had a soft spot for close male friendships in stories goofy or serious, it seems (Egg moment? Egg moment...you don't exactly get that in life when you look like a girl lmao)

3: brotp

Besides Kyle, I'm hoping we'll see more of him and Tolkien hanging out fr. Honestly, I think it would be too niche for an episode but like imagine those two getting Kyle into Warhammer. It would be funny.

4: notp

Sorry, but Wendy can do better. Like maybe they could be friends, and I'm never gonna object to art of the two of them but she really shouldn't stay with him lmao. She's 10 but like...surely even she knows the truth here lmao

5: first headcanon that pops into my head

You know what? He's going to be the second character ever that I claim eats peanut butter with a spoon directly from the jar. That headcanon is so specific and pointless that it's funny. The other one with that honor is one I used to RP from another show back when that was airing (and if you ask certain family members is literally me - someone I know might be reading knows who, but I'll leave the rest of you to guess). In Stan's case, I like to think that Shelley is very vocal about how much it pisses her off and wonders why he can't just make a sandwich lmao.

My other bitter headcanon is the feeling that Matt and Trey are going to keep his family on Tegridy for as long as possible because it's funny to them (both in terms of writing and fan reaction), but honestly kinda breaks my heart that he lives so far from the other three little guys right now.

6: favorite line from this character

Another time where I legitimately cannot think of a single line (but instead many), so I'm just going to embed this because honestly everyone kind of slayed in this scene and I guess technically it's an answer:

7: one way in which I relate to this character

I was about to say I'd probably have an easier time listing ways I could relate him to other people in my life - there's a couple of people I could think a lot more than myself for - but then realized there are multiple non-bad-but-just-embarrassing things I would decline to state here lmao. The joys of having a character be one of the "normal" ones, I suppose.

That being said, we're both depressed af and 10 years old was a time and a half for me mentally; so I guess that. Finishing YGO/Assburgers both made me like him as a character more and had me staring into silence for like five minutes contemplating my life on an existential level for many reasons lmao

Also growing up, I was known for liking animals and didn't want any to suffer without cause. In my case, I got super obsessed with the RSPCA and I would get called brave by girls at school at the tender age of 8 for touching worms to rescue them from drowning in pavement puddles. idk why this was considered brave, as I was in no way scared to touch worms. Lately it's been making me think that I'd like to get a pet snail again, or at least go outside a bit more again since I've always regretted feeling like I couldn't after I lost a lot of hope in my life.

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

I often say he sometimes needs a hug, but sometimes needs someone to absolutely slap him because he can pull some serious dick moves that make me die a little inside. I feel like if someone were to compare me to him, some of the times where I think he deserved someone slapping him would be the reason somehow and I would be offended but understand lmao

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

He's a little problematic, like all of us lmao

[honorhearted]

Threw this at Aly, now throwing this at you to escape Crappy Work HellTM: do you relate to Ben at all? Is there any similarities between yourself and him?

//*wipes away tear* Thank you for dragging me out of Crappy Work HellTM for just a few minutes! It's funny, 'cause initially I went HELL NO about relating to Ben, but then I thought oh.......oh, no. 'Cause yeah, actually, I kind of do. A lot. So RIP to my sanity, I guess.

I can't ever predict what'll draw me to a character, because I've written quite a plethora of male and female muses over the years. With Ben, in particular, I was lured in by his principles and risking his life to try and save Newt in 1x3. If the court-m.artial went a certain way, he could've been h.anged, and just because he refused to go back on his word. Like dang, I was instantly in love. *cues the harp music*

But would I do that? I can barely stand up for myself, so probably not lol -- I only tend to get fierce and unrelenting if it's about the people I love, so I'm not so sure I could've put my life on the line for a kid I barely knew. But where we are similar is our obsessive need to complete tasks and have everything be "just so" -- we need to control everything, because we know (or rather, we believe) that the only way to ensure something will be done and done right is to do it ourselves. We're both easily stressed and get moody (though I, thankfully, only tend to have little meltdowns on my own and don't snap at people) and are big ol' nerdsTM. I wish we'd seen more of Y.ale/nerdy!Ben, like with some flashbacks or something, but since the show seemed more focused on plot than characters, I guess I can't say I'm too surprised.

Let's seee: I can also be stubborn and immovable if I believe in something, or that I'm right, and I'm also ride or die for my friends. Thankfully, I think that's about all we have in common, 'cause Ben is kind of high-strung with a hair-trigger temper and off-kilter at times LOL, so I'd rather not see that reflected in myself. And I'd also never boink a stranger with a g.unshot wound, but y'know. *fingerguns*

[belsonfromclarence]

Post that is nonsense to everyone who isn't me

The cruel harsh reality is that if I made a Clarence-sona I couldn't give her Belson hair like I could with my dragon ball pichi-pichi-girl sona becasue that hair was inspired by how Belson's hair is drawn and I couldn't literally do that again with a Clarence sona becasue literally the show is Clarence and it's the show that Belson is from and I wouldn't want her to look like she's a Noles.

But literally literally literally that's the damn show that the hair is from like literally ... she SHOULD have that hair.

Ok Ok back up a moment. When I was 16 I was so deeply morbidly grossly obsessed with Belson becasue I saw myself in him (and projected a lot, and I could not handle the times when I was wrong) and a (admittedly small) part of that was that I felt like his family had my family's hair and I thought that that was cool. When I was 18 I got a haircut and literally had Belson hair

I've been growing it out ever since so now it's much longer and TBH not that fucking curly . I have a photo of me when I was 14 and I had such luscious curly locks . Nowadays I try to have beatitioful hair and it doesn't work. I mean it was shorter than but also I don't think I took care of it as well. WELL WHATEVER.

I've never made sonas and I don't do well with them but I've been growing & changing & hating myself less and a year or so ago I was able to humour the creation of a dragon ball pichi-pichi girl sona AKA a cute girl sona character to in theory help remedy how I've spent my life hiding in male characters and resenting any femininity I have. And for complex reasons regarding my sense of beauty , I needed something to vent this beauty into.

Well of course I drew her hair trying to be inspired by dragon ball artstyle but also when I could I'd doodle it exactly like how Belson's hair is drawn (or really Cynthia's, with the up-do). Becasue that's what I wanted .. that's what I thought would look good, be cute, and feel right.

So that's cool that I got to do that.

And I COULD, perhaps SHOULD, give a theoretical Clarence-sona that same hair artstyle, becasue this is actually the show that I got it from. There are a lot of characters with that loop-de-loop hair. She wouldn't stand out at all nor would she blend in too much with pre-existing characters.

But IDKKKKK. I'm not sold. I would like to give her the cute hairstyle that I gave to the pichi-pichi girl sona, which is a fluffy high-ponytail puff and curly bangs. But in real life I cannot get the ponytail to stay that high. I don't know how ppl do it. Furthemore my hair is too long to be that fluffy now. It kind of suuuucks. I'm conceiving of a manner in which I could draw her hair that would convey that while still being of the style of the show.

OR I could just .. do the fluffy fun pretty hair ......

The thing is I woke up at like 5 am this morning and did not fall back asleep until after I had thought up of a Clarence sona. I didnt know I wanted that but after I worked throuhg some ideas I felt peace and fell asleep. And Like. I have an awesome opporutiny

She can work in sales and be the worst at it (my real life) and wear all my cute pretty outfits that I get to wear to work for real in real life. WELL priobably just the most formal ones. And I'd probbaly make up one too. For her default

So I could really do something that's more realistic than fantastical. I have all the grounds for it.

Do you see what I'm laying down ... She could meet Noah From Sales

Well anyway. Good morning tumblr

[petalsmooth]

Flip side I don't vibe with the part of fandom that at once decries hypersexuality but fetishes virgins. Sorry dudes...I don't fall on either spectrum.

Because while not a fan of the aforementioned couple choices, I've been even more uncomfortable with the obsession this character be virginal because you conceived it in your select cliques. I think it's entirely unfair everyone else in the fandom is being made to enjoy the season a bit less because you foolishly decided a character who is a RAKE in the books introduced on a SHONDA RHIMES production, who's first scene after the presentation of his sister is him DANCING with another woman and otherwise flirting all over a ballroom...is virginal.

Why? Because he didn't kiss Marina?

Well, one, he wasn't in love with her imo. Attracted yes but nowhere near the level will feel towards Pen. Second...you hook up with debutante's, you are expected to marry them. Difference between him and Michael in the books and why he's considered charming and Michael a libertine, is that Colin toed that line whereas Michael didn't. but both were rakes and rather alike. But notice Colin was rather eager to get married because he was thinking with something else at the time other than his brain. It wasn't entirely about wanting to play the hero.

Dude also grew up under the influence of Anthony and Benedict and you'll keep in mind it was COLIN who joked in front of his MOTHER and sisters about taking their sticks out. Benedict broke out laughing but he wasn't the one to say it. I think you all saw what you wanted to see. Dude unlatched a necklace form Cressida's neck in one hand, where the hell do you think he learned to do that?

And lastly, I do NOT see how you think all these rumored scenes for Polin could happen if he were truly inexperienced. No one is that gifted with the opposite sex first time out. If you want those scenes, only one way getting them. If you wanted virgin Colin, maybe shouldn't have screamed so loud about the show taking half his personality and giving to Benedict. Because you don't get to pick and choose which part to keep and which to discard. Not if you want Book Colin. We're products of our experiences and you seemingly want Colin to have magically been born without any experience while having the skill of one who has.

Oh and I lied. One true last thing. I don't like when men linger over the concept of virgins and I don't like when it's the obsession of women either. I've been uncomfortable with it all along and I'm glad that balloon punctured. If Bridgerton ever does have a virgin male, and Id be fine if they did, I'm hoping they put it in lockdown and not let anyone know until the shows air so we can avoid this whole fetish happening again. Thankfully Gregory is way too long to worry about being fetished right now.

[weirdplutoprince]

Non romance focused/not heavy on romance shoujo isekais batch:

Beware of the villainess - Theres romance but its secondary and it only really kicks in at the last chapters. It's a very good story!

Lady Baby - As the title implies she's a baby for a lot of it so due to that its low on romance for a while. I haven't finished it but I'm sure there's romance eventually. its ok.

Milady Just Wants to Relax - Very cute! I didn't finish it but there wasn't any obvious male lead as far as I could tell, so that's nice. Most likely there will be eventually though. I found it pleasant.

The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass - Revenge heavy but pleasant. There's romance but I find the guy bearable for the genre and his thing is mostly doing a thumbs-up while his girl schemes. Takes a while for them to get together, too. There's a faux male lead guy but it's kinda obvious it will go nowhere. More romance than the others though.

Who made me a princess - I'm told the novel is more romance focused, but in the comic it's basically an after thought for the end. The focus is on the father-daughter relationship. It's cute but you need to have patience for the shitty dad. I like him but he's an idiot.

 Isekai Omotenashi Gohan - FOOD ISEKAI! This one is very cute. I don't remember if there's romance (probably) but it's a cooking isekai and it's cute.

The Stepmother’s Marchen - She has bigger problems than romance but there will definetely be some eventually. Some of the guys are weird and annoying as well, so beware, even if it's family focused.

I Tamed a Tyrant and Ran Away - I haven't finished but it's more of grooming a guy to become a tyrant and he becomes obsessed with you as a side effect than romance at the start, and the girl is very much using him for her own goals. Unfortunately I'm sure they'll be together in the end. Recommend if you enjoy "girl who suffered lots turns on evil family and becomes cold and evil-ish"

The Angelic Lady - Revenge focused. Kinda mid but I heard she dumps a guy so theres that!

Kill the Villainess - Revenge focused. The guys suck so, so badly but she just wants to die. There's technically a male lead but love definetely loses here.

I want to be you, Just for a day - HEAVY. Revenge, suffering, pain, hatred etc. I think there's a male lead but they have MUCH WORSE problems. It's very good and it focused on the villainess and her relationship with the heroine as they dismantle the systemns that hold them down. There might be romance eventually but it's definetely not the focus.

MISCELLANEOUS

Please have a meal - not technically an isekai but it's a bit like SAO with a magical video game world. Food focused! There might be romance eventually but the guys definetely cares about cooking more than anything.

Witch Hat Atelier - So cute and beautifully drawn! They're children so not romance focused. It's a magic, fantasy setting with incredible worldbuilding and concepts. Very interesting!

GEMMA! - I don't think it's available anywhere but Tapas and it's paid but it's very good. I don't think its a shoujo but it's very focused on girls and women and their personal feelings and journeys. It's one of the best comics I've ever read. Adventure focused. ZERO ROMANCE!

DPS Only! - Also available on Tapas and paid. Very cool! It's a mundane setting focused on professional gaming with a female protagonist. She has a close relationship to another girl but I don't think they're a couple? Though I might be mistaken, it's been a while. It's very good!

An animal hospital at the border area - Female vet accidentaly becomes a doctor for magical creatures. Very fun! There might be romance eventually but it was very magical focused as far as I could see. It was fun!

The spark in your eyes - Very interesting female character and world. Heavy themes and somewhat disturbing at times. Still, very, very good. Fantasy setting. There might be romance eventually but the female lead is too mentally ill to focus on anything but her own torment for a long while so I don't think it will be soon. Awesome!

Kasane - Horror? Has magical elements. Insanely good and you can't put it down, but also very disturbing and fucked up. There's romance but it's like, another nail in the coffin of a girl with one million problems and who's metaphorically digging her own grave of mistakes. Recommend but check the trigger warning!

Dungeon Meshi - Zero romance! Although it's up to interpretation at times. Very fun and creative fantasy setting! Also heavily cooking focused! It's so much fun and has a very interesting cast and world. Recommend!

Skip to Loafer - It's technically a seinen but it feels like a shoujo. There's romance and it's definetely relevant but it's also very much focused on young girls friendship and aspirations and finding your place in the world. The romance is just another way they have of understanding each other.

Good luck! I hope something works for you!

Hiii! Do you happen to know of any shoujo stuff that isn't super romance focused? (If you know any isekai specifically that's nice, but any other subgenre is good too!)

Gosh, I'll have to get back to you on the isekai aspect but from the top of my head I'll recommend 'The makeup remover'. I'm not sure if its officially a shoujo, and it has some romance - but its definetely not the focus and its an incredibly intelligent, well thought out, visually interesting comic otherwise. I think you'll find it very interesting! (The cover will make it seem like I'm lying but trust me )

[juniperhillpatient]

The Siege of the North Part 2 Re-Watch

This is a fantastic season finale & just a stunning episode of television. It's by far the most intense episode of the show yet. Last episode - part 1 - we spent a lot of time in quiet anticipation. In this episode, all Hell breaks loose & zero punches are pulled.

We get to meet Koh - possibly the most terrifying character we've met so far - & learn that the Avatar has a mysterious history with this spirit stealing the face of someone he loves. We also learn that the Koi Fish from the Spirit Oasis represent Tui & La, the Yin & Yang of the Avatar world - the ocean & moon spirits. I'm continuously obsessed with the amazing way that this show deals with narratives surrounding balance, & Tui & La are some of my favorite - characters? narrative tools? spirits? - they're some of my favorites, alright? I love them.

I feel like this episode & Aang's encounter with Koh touched on some themes that will be touched on again later. Aang has to hide his emotions to avoid having his face stolen. Even when he learns that this spirit stole the face of someone he loved in a past life. It reminds me a lot of the teachings of Guru Pathik which Aang later rejects - the message that you have to let go of everything including - especially - emotion.

This episode also gives us one of my favorite Zuko speeches:

I finally have you, but I can't get you home because of this blizzard. [Stands up and looks outside the cave.] There's always something. Not that you would understand. You're like my sister. Everything always came easy to her. She's a fire-bending prodigy, and everyone adores her. My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born. I don't need luck, though. I don't want it. I've always had to struggle and fight and that's made me strong. It's made me who I am.

Two things: 1. Zuko gets a lot of shit from Azula fans for this mindset, & I don't disagree that he's wrong to think that everything comes easy for Azula but I can understand why he thinks it & I have a lot of sympathy for him. From Zuko's perspective, everything does come easy to Azula. He's been told flat out from a young age that his sister was born lucky & he was lucky to even be born - what else is he supposed to think? 2. I'm so normal about Zuko giving a speech about how much he hates Azula for being so perfect to an unconscious Aang. I have no thoughts or feelings about how Azula's introduction to the present timeline is her literally kneeling before her father after Zuko gives this speech & how her relationship with her male family members is all about placing her on a pedestal & also wanting to control her & have her submit to them ("do you want to help me put Azula in her place?" "she's crazy & she needs to go down" *everything about Azula & Ozai*) & her relationship with her mother is about feeling isolated & rejected. It's not interesting at all that Azula's name isn't even mentioned yet, she's only referred to & shown as Zuko's sister, as Ozai's daughter. I have no thoughts on any of that & I think we've established that clearly, so let's move on.

Zhao's speech about destroying the moon would be comical if I didn't know the tragedy it was destined to create. The man is literally batshit. Iroh's comments about how history is not always kind to its subjects are SO funny to me & I want to know what was written about Zhao in the history textbooks now. "They'll call me Zhao the invincible" BESTIE YOU WANT TO MURDER THE MOON they will call you Zhao the insane lmao

This is the first time we officially see Iroh working with Team Avatar. He knows that the Fire Nation needs the moon too & without it, there will be chaos, but is there more going on? Iroh's loyalties to the Fire Nation are brought heavily into question in this episode, & I feel more uncertain than ever about his true motivations.

Yue's death is the most tragic moment of the show so far. It's gut-wrenching. This sixteen-year-old girl sacrifices herself for the good of the world. That level of selflessness & honor is just unthinkable. It's a beautiful & memorable moment & I will always love it even if I also hate it because PAIN.

If ever a character's death had meaning both narratively & to the other characters though, I do think that Yue's death was impactful. I do wish she had haunted the narrative in more obvious ways after this, but it's also hard to condemn the show too harshly when they did so much so beautifully. Also, it was a children's show so they did have to maintain a certain balance (wow, we're talking about "balance" a lot here huh) with the vibe.

Zhao's death was very satisfying & honestly (I'm sorry) hilarious because Zuko literally holds out his hand & Zhao just doesn't take it. What a fitting end for him. His hubris literally killed him. Get Wrecked.

The final scenes set up the next season beautifully while giving a satisfactory conclusion to Book 1. We get Iroh & Zuko having a very interesting moment. Zuko just says "I'm tired" when asked about hunting the Avatar, & we see that Iroh looks almost hopeful about this. Again, fascinated by what is going through Iroh's head. This scene is a touching moment between them but it also leaves a lot of questions about what we can expect of them & their missions next season. Also - does Zuko know that Team Avatar saved his life? I'm unclear on that, to be honest. Then of course we have a lovely moment between Aang, Katara, Sokka, Momo, & Appa. Also, Katara is a Master now! That's certainly noteworthy.

Lastly, we have the real most important scene, the introduction of her royal highness & the character that I am SOOO capable of being completely normal about. I care about Azula's introduction to the present narrative a normal amount.