#Slash is my favourite feminist

[weirdgenetic-fuckup]

@simpdechicos This is so cute, thank you for asking this <3

Warnings: None, just fluff

Part 1

Roughly a month had passed since the initial switch. The next day you were back in your own bodies but once every few days you'd switch again.

You tried to go on as per usual but it was hard sometimes, there were definitely things you had to learn and relearn as you went on, same with Slash.

You promised Slash you'd never do anything regarding Guns and he was content go shopping for you if you were running low on groceries when the switch happened to occur.

You were asleep next to Slash, his soft whimpering drew you from your sleep. Normally that would just mean he was horny but today when you opened your eyes you saw you'd switched again.

His eyes were watery and a pout pulled at his lips as he weakly tugged on your shirt. "What the hell is this..?" He muttered. You raised a brow at him but any questions you had were answered when he pushed the blanket off and you saw blood soaked into his shorts and the sheets.

"Oh, I got my period." You grumbled, still groggy from sleep.

"I have to deal with it and it hurts." You nodded.

"There are tampons in the bathroom, in the cabinet under the sink." You said, gesturing to the bathroom.

Slash clung to you, pulling himself closer to you. "No, I'm not using that, give me something else."

You wrapped your arms around him. "I don't have anything else."

"Please?" He looked up at you with those teary eyes and you couldn't say no to him.

You got out of bed and rushed to the nearest store to get pads and a few more things, something for the pain since you were pretty sure you were out, and his favourite snacks and drinks that weren't alcoholic to make him happy.

When you got back home you came to your shared room and found him sitting naked on the toilet, holding himself tightly as he cried. "Hey, it's ok." You said in a soft voice as you knelt in front of him, placing the bags down.

"No it's not." He muttered. "It hurts, it hurts everywhere and I-I can't stop crying and I've just been sitting here and it feels weird when it gushes out like that." You nodded as you listened to him complain about it. "How do you do this and then make me food..?"

You wrapped your arms around him, letting him cry into your shoulder. "I don't, I make you go out and get me food." He didn't laugh, he just whined into you. "I got you snacks and stuff, just put on a pad and I'll go-"

"No." He said, interrupting you. "Don't go, help." You couldn't blame him, you knew what it felt like and you just wanted to cling to him until it was over.

You got him some clean clothes, mostly his actual clothes since that's what you always like to wear, and taught him how to use a pad. You took the sheets to wash them and he tried to help you put clean ones back on the bed before he just crawled into bed and opened up some of the snacks you got, going straight for the Advil.

You put the sheets in the washing machine and went to get the heating pad.

"Tell me if it's too hot." You said as you set it down on his stomach, he whined and pushed it lower. He'd already set up a movie, he wasn't totally unaware of what he was supposed to do when you were on your period.

You spent the day doing what he asked and making sure he was alright, getting him snacks, drinks, whatever he needed. He still needed you to come into the bathroom with him whenever he had to change his pad.

"I didn't know it was this bad." He mumbled, curled up next to you as another movie came to an end.

"Yeah, and day one isn't even the worst." You said, dreading the next few days.

"No..." He whined, looking up at you. "Tell me your fucking with me." You sighed and shook your head as you went to set up another movie.

You both stayed curled up and fell asleep watching another movie.

The next morning you were back in your body and Slash was gone. You went to the bathroom to replace your pad and when you came back out Slash was setting up the bed to be a pillow fort, he'd gone out to get your favourite snacks and drinks and even took out your favourite movies.

He brought the cats to give you cuddles and rushed over when you came out of the bathroom. "I'm sorry." He said as he wrapped his arms around you.

"Why are you sorry?" You asked, melting into the hug.

"I didn't know your body was trying to kill you." He picked you up and carried you over to the bed, gently placing you down and handing you the heating pad. "You're not moving for the next week." He said, opening the Advil and handing you one along with a glass of water.

"Slash, I can move." You protested, not that you were all too thrilled with the thought of moving.

"Fuck you, no you can't, what happened yesterday? Murder, hell on earth, not happening." He stated, getting on the bed with you and pulling you close, the cats slowly swarming you and looking for warmth.

You wanted to refuse but a) you knew no matter what you said he would just ignore it and make you sit and b) you didn't want to refuse, this was exactly what you wanted.

So, you let him worship you for a week. You let him take care of things around the house, you tried to help as much as you could but he would just pick you up and bring back to bed.

[madeofcc]

2023 Top ♥

Tagged by @someone-elsa and @shesthespinstersimmer ♥ Thanks a lot !

I didn't remember doing all that this year !

Thanks a lot to everyone who's been following me through this journey. 2023 was one of the worst year of my life but also one of the best weirdly so let's hope 2024 will be better for everyone ♥

below the cut I'll put the link and explanations for each edit

1/ The Moonlight/Moonwood Tales concept : Based on the lore that came with the werewolves pack, I imagined a story that would explain everything between the werewolves, vampires and spellcasters. I actually prepared a plan for season 1 ... Maybe I'll post it next year ?

2/ The stories I planned for this year but so far, only Melodia is still going. DH3 will start next year sadly and Another Side has been cancelled because of lack of time and a bad computer.

3/ Aïssa in the city : a special photoshoot/lookbook with some items I love and also a small interview including infos about DH2 and 3. It's also a way for me to show more about Aïssa's modeling life. The title is also a reference to the upcoming spin-off about her ...

4/ The DH3 women and the DH3 gang because I want you to love them when the story will start !

5/ The EDGEWAVE fest organised by @aniraklova ♥ It surely was my favourite event this year ! What an awesome idea it was and a lot of people did amazing stuff during 2 weeks ! You saved our summer for sure ! I used Candy Bher as a reference to Another Side and MOON who's a character in DH3 ...

6/ Toxic Don ! A potential new Another Side story I've been thinking about years now ... It would be fun !

7/ The Ghostface DH3 edits : It's a reference to DH3 and Scream of course; the plot will be a tribute to Wes Craven actually !

8/ The Melodia musical video part : it actually was awesome and fun to create but it took me an entire month just for this little video. I decided to stick to a more boring regular way to post this story. I also don't have a lot of readers so far so I guess they will forgive me. I still see it as one of my biggest achievement here though so check it if you can ^^ I love how the episode turns into a musical movie

9/ @windbrook's Slashed Challenge : it was one of my favourite CAS challenge of all time ^^ I'm a huge slasher fan ! It was perfect for simblreen and people created awesome characters and stories !

10/ A makeover of the Three Sages that comes with Realm of Magic : Ana Mae is actually an original OCs, they all should appear in DH4 and 5 ... Morgyn should be very important in DH4 actually ...

11/ URBZ Mag DH3 edition ! Get the girls part here and the boys part there ♥ I love doing fake interviews and mag covers ! Sorry not sorry

12/ Valentines day ♥ My favourite is the one with the Destiny, Leïla and Aïssa because it's funny and feminist, what this trio is together ! They surely had a great night that day, it's also supposed to happen after Melodia so ...

13 / Franck and Madame Sophie : the first drag sims I create ! I wanted one for the Aïssa spin-off so I guess it will be them :)

14/ Recent edits I like : Maria Perron for @birdietrait's coven (I love her and I'd love to make a little story about her) / An other Another Side new idea focused on Venessa Jeong / Destiny's last portrait for the ocs associations

15/ My favourite gif coming from Another Side Episode 1 : I think it's the best ending for this episode as it shows all the plots and times together. Everytime I see it I want to get back to the story ...

Tagging @trippisimmies @badwoohoo @bobnewbie @uwutrait @frzr-bunny @windbrook @eslanes @budgie2budgie @nefarrilou @kashisun @birdietrait @castawavy @agena87 @fangs-trait @peonypyxels @barbieaiden @void-imp @ladybugsimblr @xldkx @nilonne @bakersimmer @whyhellosims @mangosimoothie @djservo @sea-cross @surely-sims @hufflepuff-sim @aniraklova @therichantsim @wolfavens @cinamun @alelelesimz @moontaart @pralinesims @cyberth0t @squea @helloavocadooo @cross-design @rebouks @crazy-lazy-elder-sims and anyone else who'd like to join ♥ feel free to tag me or ignore this as well ^^ (Also, check out these blogs, they're all great !)

[ivyblooms]

Hiiii this might be weird lol but I saw your addition to the post discussing the correlation between the gay trans men phenomenon to misogyny and you brought up the topic of rising trans slash in fanfics - as someone whose been in fandoms for like 10+ years you’re sooo right!! Even though I do read all sorts of fanfic (gay, lesbian, platonic) I’d say I’ve always had a more critical approach in fandom stuff (plus getting more into radfem theory about 3 years ago) and from the get go I always saw the ~majority~ of male slash fanfic created by women as an expression of romance/smut through a non-misogynistic lens; “men get to be people while women are women yadda yadda”. A perception I’ve always had at the back of my mind, so it always confused me when in the past 5ish years suddenly women who had consumed so much gay fanficton were proclaiming they must actually be gay men

You mentioned the rise in trans slash media and honestly I thought I was going crazy lol. There has definitely been a huge shift, where suddenly the components that made the work gay could just be altered and it’s supposedly still the same. Apologies if this seems vulgar but the switch to now male characters actually being trans, feminization in sexual/non sexual manners, and sometimes just having a “boyp*ssy” at minimum has been really fucking weird, and in some fandom spaces I’m in the change seems to have skyrocketed in the past ~6 months

Honestly sorry for the random ramble and feel free to disregard but I would love to know if you have anymore to say on this topic. I think I’ve only encountered one light discussion overlapping fanfiction / feminist theory, so it’s always interesting when I see the topic brought up!

No worries sis, it's not weird.

I am there with you. I'd been noticing the trend but when I wanted to have a quick look at Captain Marvel femslash I was like 3 pages of results in and still hadn't seen one that didn't include 'girlpenis' or equivalent. I was legit annoyed, the last thing anyone wants when looking for fxf is the word penis getting involved.

I don't want to discount homophobic fetishisation of course. As a lesbian I never really believed that was real until I finally saw some hetero fandom friends genuinely being sexually attracted to males cast in live action versions of a cartoon and I was like .. wait a second u guys were serious?? So yeah thats real, but I highly doubt it's the main reason. Especially when so many lesbians are super into slash fic as well.

So to your point, while I do think the popularity of gay male slash fiction has largely been due to women wanted to escape misogyny, I don't believe it's been a conscious thought. I don't believe many of these girls and women actively thought they are lesser than men, I don't think choosing to write mxm was a decision to highlight misogyny, I think it's just an entirely internalised 'feeling' that somehow putting a woman with a man is demeaning or inequitable therefore they want their favourite blorbo to be with someone that doesnt give them that feeling. And, to straight women, men are hot.

Like notice how so many of the pov men in older mxm fics are the one that bottoms? Even the concept of strict set in stone roles for top and bottom defining your character (seme and uke) really is more reminiscent of hetero relationships that actual real life gay relationships. I truly do think there is reason to believe this is due to making one character (the bottom) more relatable as a subconscious woman stand in. They were always shorter, they were almost always weaker, they had less body hair, they were almost always prettier and more feminine, their male genitalia was small and often barely remarked on and there was no question that their main participation in sex was being penetrated. They were trans men before the idea of trans men and gender being unrelated to sex really ramped up.

It makes perfect sense to me that the next step in that train of thought, that men and women feel unequal and gender is not related to sex, is "well I relate to men as an equal therefore I must also be a man". Like if you haven't stepped back to understand your own bias, how would you ever realise the true answer is women are equal humans despite the way the world treats us? It's not correct and it comes from a place of homophobia where straights consider gayness a club they can join on a whim rather than a meaningful material experience, but it's understandable that's the leap being made.

You are right, it has gotten so much worse over the last six months. Maybe ABO has finally become truely accepted and now anyone feels they can put any genitals on any character like its a mix and match. Maybe trans ideology has finally fully taken over the majority of fandom spaces. Maybe actual gay writers and fans got sick of so much unwanted hetero we have started dropping out of popular fandom spaces.

Seriously trying to find gay fanfiction now is so much harder than ever before, but it's something people not in fandom spaces are missing because if you see nothing more than the characters in ships you'd think it was gay. Fandom spaces are becoming hostile to homosexuality in a way I wouldn't have predicted 10 years ago. I think they probably always were, tbh, it was just that misogynistic straight women didn't realise they had another option and could get by on the fetish until they found this solution.

[bullet-prooflove]

Sleepless: Rodrigo Sanchez x Reader

Tagging the wonderful @blathannabeaga​ my Sanchez bestie.

It was late, far too late for Sanchez to be awake but he couldn’t sleep. He never could when you were leaving. It was your last night in Singapore, the past few weeks a whirlwind of time the two of you had managed to snatch together. It had been a year since he had left the U.S, taken up this private security job. He could count the number of times he’s laid eyes on you since with one hand, but each and every visit meant the world to him.

He watched the rise and fall of your chest as you slept peacefully alongside of him. His fingertips trailed along the curve of your bicep, tracing over the fresh scar situated on your skin. He knew it came from a knife, he had enough of his own scars to recognise a slash mark when he saw one. You’d told him how it happened on your weekly Skype call; he’d had to press you because you’d neglected to mention it until he remarked on the white medical pad sticking out of the arm of your t-shirt. That was part of the problem with the distance, he wasn’t there when you needed him, and he fucking hated it.

You muttered in your sleep, burying your face even further into his pillow and he smiled, tucking a stray strand of hair back behind your ear. When you were back in L.A he longed for moments like this, the quiet in the darkness, time where the two of you could simply be around each other. He missed your presence in his life, your scent on his pillowcases, the warmth of your body, even the random collection of books you left on the night that he was forever knocking over.

Titles like Malibu Rising, Remarkably Bright Creatures and his favourite A Thousand Ships, which he had read when you were away undertaking training at Quantico for a couple of weeks. He’s started it, thinking it was some sort of naval exploit but quickly learned it was a feminist retelling of Trojan War. To his surprise he had enjoyed it. He’d bought a copy of it at the airport on the way out here, because it reminded him of you. It lived in his go bag so no matter where he went, he always had a piece of you with him.

He only had six more months on this contract, if he could stick it out there would be a bonus at the end. Enough money to buy a place back in L.A for the both of you. He’d already been in talks with Deacon about coming on board with his private security firm when his tenure here was up. He hadn’t told you yet.

The two of you had been practically living together back in L.A, he’d been about to suggest you give up your lease before this job had come up. It had been a matter of right time, right place. Your relationship in 20 Squad had been about to come to light and he decided to move before you were pushed. It was a great opportunity, but it also came at a cost.

“Go back to sleep.” You mumbled interrupting his thoughts. You slung your arm over his naked chest, fingertips smoothing over the small starburst bullet hole that was spattered across his ribs. Your head came to rest on his shoulder, the length of your body pressing against his as your legs entwined. He tilted his head, the edges of his mouth tipping up into a small smile as he pressed a featherlight kiss to your forehead.

“Always so bossy.” He pretended to grumble, wrapping his arms around you, and holding you close.

He could already feel the gentle lull of your presence soothing over him. He placed his cheek on the top of your head as you draped yourself across him like a weighted blanket.

“Love you.” you murmured, your breath ghosting across the space where his heart resided.

He was already half asleep when he heard it. He kissed your hair, your cheeks and finally your lips before he whispered.

“Love you too sweetheart.”

Love Sanchez? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[chuuae]

##𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐔𝐘𝐀 , a character analysis involving for the tainted sorrow and an autumn poem.

WARNING !! this analysis will contain spoilers for the bungou stray dogs manga. it will also discuss topics such as domestic abuse, death, smoking, alcoholism, suicide, and mental illness. please do not read if you feel uncomfortable with any of these themes.

DISCLAIMER !! this is not for the purpose of romanticising, shaming, or otherwise glamourising mental illnesses. please take this from someone who also suffers from mental illness. i am merely attempting to analyse. also, i'm not trying to assign each chuuya a sexuality, but i'm literally just going off the poems and what i observe so ...

note. i worked pretty hard on this, and i'm very happy with it. please like or reblog if you can, i would greatly appreciate it. please, share your thoughts on chuuya as well !! he's my favourite if you can't tell- and also fun fact chuuya's bday is the 29th of april, and mine is the 28th !! it's a sign !!!

The poet Nakahara Chuuya [中原 中也] was born on the 29th of April in 1907, and died young in 1937 from tuberculosis. He wrote highly symbolic, mostly short poems, that were inspired by his struggles with mental illness and other personal troubles. He was said to be mostly quiet withdrawn and shy in his early life, mostly keeping to himself, though he branched out in rebellion of his strict parents later and made friends with other literary and entertainment figures.

Asagiri Kafka has adapted him into a character in the Bungou Stray Dogs animanga, a Port Mafia executive slash host of a Japanese god of the same name. This character is sarcastic and fairly quick to anger, noticeably short, and has a fond appreciation for high-quality alcohol.

I would like to contrast the author and character of Nakahara Chuuya, also analysing his poems, in the hopes of creating a comprehensive understanding of who he was.

BPhysically, it's easy to say that real-life Chuuya and BSD Chuuya look both similar and different. Comparably, they are both quite short [some sources stated the poet to be only five feet tall] and had a fondness for hats that they nearly constantly wore. Both are young if we, say, compared them at the peak of Chuuya's life and the current BSD arc, and are well-off in some aspects.

However, there's the obvious difference of BSD Chuuya having his long orange hair, whereas real Chuuya had more understated regular dark hair. Additionally, one of them has the ability to manipulate gravity, has committed hundreds of 'crimes' including manslaughter, and hosts a deity named Arahabaki in their body, and the other ... does not.

In all honesty, it initially seems like the character of Chuuya has taken little more than his name, stature, vague fashion sense, and ability from his namesake, but then I conducted a little more research and realised that they were actually far more similar than I had realised, but this requires a more in-depth look into both of their pasts.

Historical Nakahara Chuuya was somewhat of a miracle birth – born after six years of attempts by his parents [who I'm mostly sure were feminists because his dad took his mum's name of Nakahara] in an at-the-time childless town named Yamaguchi, a cause for great successful. His family was quite prominent, with his father being a successful doctor, meaning that Chuuya was expected to become one from childhood. To summarise, his family forced that expectation upon him, forbidding him from playing with children of a "lower class'"and forcing him to undergo an immensely strict education with punishments as harsh as being made to sleep in the barn if he disobeyed. He would even be burnt with a lit cigarette if "prompted", and not even allowed to play in rivers and such for fear that he would drown. Physical abuse followed him from that incredibly young age, leading to a distrust and hatred of his family.

In the same way, manga Chuuya's un-ideal childhood shaped him up to who he became as an adult. He started off life happy, with two ordinary parents, but when he was merged with Arahabaki at the age of seven, he lost his memories, his ordinary childhood, and any sense of support and love for a long time. Notably, this is around the same time that real Chuuya's hellish education began. The parallel to that was the expectation of being a leader to the Sheep, and the "abuse" of living in poverty in his formative years. Once he was taken into the Port Mafia, however, he lost even more of what could be considered a "regular childhood", and was then expected to shelter himself in the same way after becoming an executive. Both were also named "prodigies", and expected to hold to that degree of perfection.

Additionally, a catalyst event that caused them both to lead a path rebelling against the way they'd begun their lives. In both cases, it was by losing someone – real Chuuya's younger brother passed away when he was eight, driving him by grief to discover and compose literature. At thirteen, his poetry was discovered, the same year he entered Junior High and began to rebel against his father in neglecting his studies and classes. For manga Chuuya, it's difficult to say what his catalyst event was, but I think it was most likely losing himself to Arahabaki and then losing most of the people who came into his life after that point.

From that point onwards, in essence, Nakahara Chuuya did his best to disappoint his parents in failing his exams, even though he would receive those harsh punishments each time he did. To him, independence and free will were more important than getting hurt, which is evident in Bungou Stray Dogs as well. This finally led to him being freed from the oppression of his harsh parents, and he was able to study what he wanted, do what he wanted [drink a lot of alcohol and write poetry] and essentially be free.

If I were to cast the greatest similarity between author and character, it would have to be their determination in getting through whatever they suffered. Both of these men were faced with death when they were children, then manipulated by those they wanted to care about, and forced to endure an incredible amount of mental-illness-inducing trauma. And yet, both found outlets [whether it be poetry or combat] to deal with their pain and sadness, and both ultimately got through the most difficult times in their lives and found something to give them purpose. It's perhaps this trait that I admire the most, along with their compassion and love for those close to them.

There is, furthermore, the actual nature of Nakahara Chuuya's poetry. Those following Bungou Stray Dogs would of course know For the Tainted Sorrow, which is a poem on the nature of sorrow or pain, and clearly bears very personal suffering within the lines. One stanza really reminded me of Soukoku [Double Black/Chuuya and Dazai] – For the tainted sorrow, has no desires or wishes; For the tainted sorrow, In langour dreams of death. Chuuya wasn't able to have anything for himself, and he felt tainted by Arahabaki's inhabitance of his body, whereas Dazai wanted death so fervently he was willing to commit suicide. The emotional fragility of Chuuya's poetry is something that also lingers under manga Chuuya's exterior as well, and is one of the most enticing parts of the character.

However, my favourite of Chuuya's poems is one called An Autumn Poem, in three suites. It also led me to believe that he may have had feelings for other men, as it, a) reminded me very strongly again of Dazai, and b) is written like my lovesick poetry. The essence of the poem is the narrator [Chuuya] is very close to a man who he feels is dying, but doesn't know if the man is aware of this. The man is very eccentric and says some strange things [they're a lot like what Dazai would say], and there is some affection from Chuuya towards him. And I, you know, would watch him from this angle. Staring after it, that yellow butterfly – even doing something as innocuous as butterfly watching, Chuuya was admiring this man, with this pure, strong emotion in the poetry, that I find absolutely captivating.

How strange we are before we die … that was Chuuya's final line about the man, and perhaps my favourite of all his poetry. Nakahara Chuuya died young after he'd been able to free himself and write what he wished. In some ways, perhaps the transferral of his personality into Bungou Stray Dogs wasn't as carbon-copy-like as Dazai's, but I found it to be the most interesting. The most important parts of Chuuya as observed by Asagiri are the most fascinating parts of his character, and this comparison is entirely underrated.

© chuuae 2022. all works and content are intelluctual property of this blog. do not plagiarise or translate on tumblr or elsewhere.

[rabdoidal]

i know you listen to a lot of podcasts and ive found some of my favourites from hearing you talk about them! do you have any favourites?

under the cut! my top 10 podcasts at the moment:

Alice Isn’t Dead Genre: horror, thriller, drama, Lovecraftian, Americana Episode count: 30 (completed) Description: A truck driver searches across America for the wife she had long assumed was dead. In the course of her search, she will encounter not-quite-human serial murderers, towns literally lost in time, and a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman. Thoughts: This podcast is, to me at least, completely flawless in every way. I would consider myself a person that listens to a lot of horror podcasts, but Alice Isn’t Dead takes the cake for its depictions of liminal middle America, the horror that is capitalism, and the most tender, realistic depiction of lesbians in any podcast. Anything else I could say would spoil it and for this, I don’t want to spoil it because I want every person alive that can stomach horror to listen to this.

Archive 81 Genre: horror, comedy, sci-fi, Lovecraftian Episode count: 35 (ongoing) Description: Archive 81 is a found footage horror podcast about ritual, stories, and sound. Thoughts: The latest podcast I’ve tried, and it’s definitely one that grows on you. The audio mixing is some of the best I’ve heard in any podcast, and every bump and scratch and hum of frequency weaves to form moments that are truly and viscerally gory. Season 3 and Left of The Dial are my favorites because again, I love Americana horror, and anything that involves family!

Artificial Ghost Radio Genre: non-fiction, discussion, comedy Episode count: 75 (ongoing) Description: Our Sisyphean music recommendation challenge with hosts Miles (he/him) and Jupiter (she/they) challenge each other to find songs based on arbitrary themes and to spin the WHEEL OF DISCORD to talk about a random song from their library! They can be found on twitter @artghostpod. Thoughts: Gotta plug my own podcast! We’re still small, but the people I’ve met from doing AGR has made my life richer and fuller, even through the ups and downs. I recommend starting with #58: Songs about Aliens ft. our friend Liz (@thescaryjokes)!

EOS 10 Genre: medical drama, comedy, sci-fi Episode count: 34 (ongoing) Description: Doctors in space, a deposed alien prince, a super gay space pirate and a fiery nurse who'll help you win your bar fight. Thoughts: It’s been a hot minute since I listened, but as someone that inherently loves things like Star Trek and procedural comedies, EOS 10 is a quick and hilarious listen! Fair warning some of the earlier stuff is a little bit ignorant when it comes to their LGBT characters, but it gets a lot better over time.

King Falls AM Genre: horror, comedy, Lovecraftian Episode count: 100 (ongoing) Description: King Falls AM centers on a lonely little mountain town's late-night AM talk radio show and its paranormal, peculiar happenings and inhabitants Thoughts: I’m a bit behind, but again, gotta love some Alpine American horror! King Falls AM perfectly captures the feeling and sound of listening to a small late night radio show with two bros, but it really goes from typical dude dialogue to heart wrenching found family alien conspiracy real quick. Same as EOS 10, fair warning for some ignorant language and LGBT stereotypes, but they address it and it gets better as it progresses.

Not Another D&D Podcast Genre: actual play Dungeons and Dragons, TTRPG, comedy Episode count: 128 (ongoing) Description: Welcome to the campaign after the campaign! Three unlikely adventurers attempt to right the wrongs caused by a party of legendary heroes who screwed up the world while trying to save it. Thoughts: I’m only like 40 episodes in because they’re thick, meaty ‘sodes, but god is NADDPOD fucking hilarious. I’ve tried a fair few TTRPG shows, but the chemistry and care that the cast has together is unmatched by others in the genre. I’m a complete sucker for shows that are so funny and so tragic in equal measures, and the entire concept of a D&D game set after the world has been so drastically changed by a different D&D game is so unique!

The Faculty of Horror Genre: non-fiction, horror, philosophy, sociology, feminism Episode count: 86 (ongoing) Description: Tackling all things horror with a slash of analysis and research, horror journalists and occasional academics Andrea Subissati and Alexandra West are your hosts for brain-plumping discussions on all things that go bump in the night. Thoughts: A little non-fiction in this list of fiction podcasts! The Faculty of Horror is a concise and educated intersectional feminist podcast, and it’s a breath of fresh air to listen to anyone that isn’t a cishet white guy talk about horror. I highly recommend the episode on Cabin in The Woods or Jennifer’s Body!

The Magnus Archives Genre: horror, office comedy Episode count: 180 (ongoing) Description: The Magnus Archives is a weekly horror fiction anthology podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organization dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird. Join new head archivist Jonathan Sims as he attempts to bring a seemingly neglected collection of supernatural statements up to date, converting them to audio and supplementing them with follow-up work from his small but dedicated team. Thoughts: TMA is, similarly to A81, a bit of a slow burn to get into, but I think once you listen to a few episodes you’ll know if you want to continue. It’s a pretty standard prompt for a narrative, but the sheer amount of individual short horror stories they’ve managed to write is insane! And I love the slow break down between recording statements and the stuff happening within the archives. Also one of the best redemption stories in a character that starts off as such a grumpy fuck!

The Penumbra Podcast Genre: sci-fi, neo-noir, romance, comedy, found family, magic, medieval fantasy, adventure, mystery Episode count: 75 (ongoing) Description: At the Penumbra, you might follow Juno Steel, a brooding, sharp-witted private eye on Mars, as he tangles with an elusive homme fatale, tracks dangerous artifacts of an ancient alien civilization, and faces his three greatest fears: heights, blood, and relationships. Or you might enter the world of the Second Citadel, where the merciless Sir Caroline must corral a team of emotionally distraught all-male knights to defend their city against mind-manipulating monsters...even the ones they’ve fallen in love with. Thoughts: On god TPP was a life changing podcast for me. Having creators that are genuinely concerned with accurately representing minorities with care and dedication makes me feel spoiled when I try listen to anything else. The two main universes are so different with their own set of histories and cultures, but I love them both so completely. If you want LGBT+ representation, this is the seminal podcast for everything non-binary, trans, queer, and people that aren’t afraid to change and have that change be known! I haven’t listened to another podcast that actually depicts transitioning like they do, absolute king shit.

Wolf 359 Genre: space drama, comedy, action Episode count: 61 (completed) Description: WOLF 359 is a radio drama in the tradition of Golden Age of Radio shows. Set on board the U.S.S. Hephaestus space station, the dysfunctional crew deals with daily life-or-death emergencies, while searching for signs of alien life and discovering there might be more to their mission than they thought Thoughts: Wolf 359 is like if you fell down the stairs and at the bottom of the stairs was a bear trap, and then after you step in the bear trap someone helps you take off that beartrap, but then they kick you in the nuts. Just replace physical pain with emotional pain. It can be so funny but also so fucking stressful and sad – w359 isn’t afraid to kill its darlings, and it will break your heart but you will still say thank you.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #490

Top Ten Female Superheroes in the Movies

I feel like female superheroes – and I'm stretching the definition to include those who aren't consistently out-and-out heroic – are finally, belatedly, starting to get something approaching their due. Already this year we've had two Disney+ shows that had very prominent leading roles for female supers (I'd argue very strongly that Sylvie becomes a co-lead), and on the DC side there's still Supergirl and Batwoman. At the pictures, however, women in capes have historically suffered; if a film had a female lead, any poor performance at the box office was seemingly blamed on gender rather than, y’know, the film being crap. Fortunately the last few years have seen this trend starting to be reversed; Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Birds of Prey, and the recently-released Black Widow have all showcased super-powered female leads and been (for the most part) big successes too.

So, anyway, inspired in large part by the fact I’ve watched both Wonder Woman and Black Widow this week – and with an eye on future female-focused flicks too – this week is dedicated to my favourite filmic femmes (hmmm, there might be such a thing as too much alliteration. I need an avalanche of Advil…). I’ve tried to be pretty strict here and only use movie superheroes – although I’ve stretched that to its limit, as you’ll see. And, like I said before, I’m allowing “anti-heroes” – hey, I had a whole list about them last week, might as well double down! And I know what you’re thinking – surely, in over nine years of making stupid lists on a weekend, I’d have done this before. But no, I checked, and apparently I haven’t. Really I should have scraped the bottom of this particular barrel by now, but fortunately not!

There’s not much more to say at the moment really. Here are my ten favourite female superhero-type characters from the movies. I’m tempted to make some kind of terrible, cheesy reference to “girl power”, or end with a “you go, girl”, or something like that – but let’s face it, that’s a really, really bad, hackneyed idea. Let’s just get on with the list instead.

Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot, DCEU, from 2016): there can be only one! Yeah, still the best female superhero on the silver screen in my book. Gadot gives her the perfect blend of steely determinism and wide-eyed naivete; full of faith and righteousness, but also a fierce fighter. It’s clear from the moment she blasts, fully-formed, into Batman Versus Superman Colon Dawn of Justice that Gadot was born for this role, encompassing every aspect of Diana – the princess, the warrior, the ambassador, the goddess. Like Superman all those years ago, her solo film is equal parts optimism and pragmatism, and (despite the dodgy finale) it remains a wonder. Sorry.

Raven (Tara Strong, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, 2018): here I go, cheating already. Yes, Raven is mostly from a TV show and I’ve decided this is a list of movie characters. But she is in a movie! And she’s the main character and focus of the straight-to-DVD sequel, Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans. So yes, whilst her sole cinematic outing doesn’t really show her off to the greatest degree, she’s still amazing. A deadpan, dark-tinged comedic tour-de-force from voice veteran Strong, Raven is profoundly hilarious, one of the all-time great sarcastic pieces of comic relief. And, whilst we’re talking about the DVD sequel, Strong does a terrific job differentiating between the sillier, looser Go! version of the character, and the more sombre and serious OTT animated Titan.

Laura (Dafne Keen, Logan, 2017): otherwise known, in the comics at least, as both X-23 and, latterly, Wolverine. Laura is a frankly outstanding performance by a child actor. Steely, determined, pissed-off, wounded, proud, but still coming across as a child and not at all precocious or precious. And then there’s her physicality; she storms through the screen, a whirling dervish, leaping around and, frankly, slashing the shit out of everybody. She holds her own against the nuclear charisma explosion that is Hugh Jackman, and against the titanic chops of Sir Patrick of Stewart, and brings a huge amount of heart and pathos to one of the best superhero films of all time.

Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns, 1992): yeah, okay, she’s not really a superhero. But Pfeiffer’s performance is phenomenal; one part sheer unadulterated sex appeal, one part wronged woman seeking revenge, one part utter batshit craziness (no pun intended). She created interesting layers of manic craziness to a character already a good fifty years old at that point, informing the portrayal of the character in comics and cartoons, and her chemistry with Keaton’s Batman lights up the screen. And, frankly, she was so damn sexy that she gave puberty to an entire generation.

Rogue (Anna Paquin, X-Men movies, 2000-2014): presenting Rogue in the first X-Men as a younger character, without her stolen Captain Marvel powers, was a masterstroke; making her the audience surrogate as a way to introduce the X-Men themselves and Logan in particular, giving the latter character one of his comic-book trademark young female proteges. Paquin does a tremendous job giving her an inner strength despite her heartbreaking power, and although she fades from prominence as the (increasingly bonkers) series progresses, she continues to give it everything she’s got, even if the films don’t do her sufficient justice. An excellent portrayal, sadly cut short.

Elastigirl (Holly Hunter, Incredibles movies, 2004-2018): ah, our first non-comic book character! Hunter is brilliant in this role, presenting Elastigirl as a feminist icon even as she’s forced into an increasingly domestic role. Despite the risk of her being portrayed as a shrill nagging housewife, stomping on Mr. Incredible’s fun, Hunter (and the script, to be fair) walks a fine line, and we as viewers are actually on her side as her husband takes foolish risks. And then, when the action kicks in, she’s amazing – full credit to director Brad Bird and the animators and Pixar. The sequel, which is mostly more of the same but still pretty great, gives her even more lovely character beats.

Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, MCU, 2010-2021): I’ve given it an end date but let’s face it, none of us will be surprised if she turns out not be dead. The first real female superhero we see in the MCU is still the most important and effective. Johansson does a great job fleshing out Natasha, overcoming the cheesy nature of her debut in Iron Man 2 and some of the problematic wrinkles given to her in Age of Ultron. Over the series of films, she is a consistent action superstar, but also gives us interesting layers and wrinkles and depth, evolving from the badass assassin we first see to the hard-bitten leader in Endgame. Her belated solo film gives her some great opportunities to correct those early missteps, as well as deepening the character even further, and showcasing her action chops. A great character, but it would be nice if we knew there was even more to come.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, DCEU, from 2016): another DC not-quite-hero, Robbie does a phenomenal job as Harley Quinn, one of those lightning-in-a-bottle perfect pieces of casting (and, I’ll be honest, the only other actor/character match-up that’s quite as perfect on this list is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman). Harley is a character who can be so easily misused: the abused moll, the bit of eye candy, an objectivised woman denied agency who’s only seen through the lenses of the men. And, true enough, there’s a bit of that in her debut in Suicide Squad, but Robbie is smart enough and her performance strong enough that she transcends the muck that surrounds her. She nails the accent and the demeanour, and in what we shall choose to call her solo film, she gives us a raucous, hilarious performance as an emancipated Quinn, blasting through police stations with glitterball shotguns and snapping limbs left right and centre. It’s the anarchic anti-hero of modern comics turned up to 11 and with the pottiest of mouths, but she’s also smart enough and skilled enough to give us embers of a conscience beneath the crazy, and offers up some great character beats and a believable relationship with Cassandra Cain. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen, MCU, from 2015): Here we have another performance that matures and develops over the course of a franchise – surely one of the greatest aspects of Marvel’s multi-film narrative arc. Coming in as a minor villain in Age of Ultron, Wanda is powerful enough to temporarily get the better of the Avengers just by being “weird”; subsequent films see her attempting to be a hero, suffering a series of tragedies, falling in love, and coming together to save the world in Endgame. In what amounts to a series of snapshots – a photo montage of ongoing character development – Olsen is able to flesh out Wanda, giving her depth, showcasing different facets of her character, and making her consistently believable. Yes, I know I said this was a list of movie characters, but it’s stupid not to own up to the fact that this all comes to a head in the frankly phenomenal WandaVision, which – despite having two Avengers’ names in the title – is really all about her. The series leaves Wanda in a totally different place, and as we see her next in The Multiverse of Madness, I feel like her story is only just beginning.

Jean Grey (Famke Janssen, X-Men films, 2000-2017): I mulled over whether to include Jean Grey here or Valkyrie from Thor, but despite Tessa Thompson’s terrific performance, I’ve gotta go with the Phoenix. Back when superhero films weren’t a cinematic religion, Janssen gave a terrific performance as a resolute, thoroughly sensible Jean Grey; a telepathic Girl Friday to the officious know-it-all that was Professor X, she shows intriguing cracks in her façade when confronted with the gruff and unutterably sexy Logan. Clearly a powerhouse without needing to show off, she gets more development and some great hero moments in the phenomenal sequel, before being giving an epic sacrificial send-off that sets up a rise from the flames that never really comes. Yes, despite being brought back in The Last Stand, it’s a storyline that’s fudged from the start, and the Phoenix as a mopey emo version of Jean just doesn’t cut it. It’s a storyline that’s handled better, but only just, in Dark Phoenix, but that film sadly doesn’t have the weight of character behind it; despite the excellent work of Sophie Turner, we’re barely introduced to the character in Apocalypse before hints of the Phoenix are coming forth, and next thing we know she’s going all crackly and accidentally killing dudes. So yeah: I prefer the OG Jean, and Janssen’s great chemistry not just with James Marsden’s Scott but Jackman’s Logan really does justice to that element of the comic book character too. Still, two timelines, two actors, two versions of the Phoenix Saga, and it still ends in disappointment. Hopefully we’ll get a better version eventually in the MCU.

[blackcatanna]

Playing Kazama's Route Because I Guess I Hate Myself Part 1: Kyoto Winds

So, I'm going to play through everybody's routes on Hakuoki and vent my feelings and frustrations on here! I've already done Saito and Iba but I will play them again soon, too. Next up is Kazama, mostly because I'm curious to find out if this fucker has any redeeming qualities. Maybe if you're into nonces. Idk.

Wow, I had forgotten how gloriously campy this intro is :') I love it so much!

Playing through the prologue because it sets the tone of blood, death and assholes. This game is much more violent, tragic and much less horny than I had predicted and I guess I'm into that.

Aw, Chizuru bae is so lonesome and vulnerable <3

Kodo flashback! HIIISSSSSSSSSS!!! >:(

Just taking a moment to appreciate how beautiful and romantic the nighttime environment and music is <3 At least, until people start getting slashed up X_X

OKAY GAME, WE GET IT: CHIZURU IS HORNY FOR HIJIKATA. GOD.

Okita is enjoying this waaay too much X_X

Chapter 1

WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE

Thank you for untying me, InouBAE!

THEY'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THE SITUATION SINCE MORNING BUT NOBODY THOUGHT TO SUGGEST MAYBE NOT REVEALING MORE SENSITIVE INFORMATION WHILE I'M IN THE ROOM?! I'm surrounded by idiots -_-

Apparently, "They are all truly gentlemen." Uh-huh.

Hooray for Chizuru calling out Okita for being a douche. And Hijikata for calling everyone a bunch of kids! Where is the lie? :')

Um, why has the camera zoomed in on Nagakura's crotch? Chizuru, please control your thirst. This is a life or death situation.

Now Saito's telling Okita to stop being a prick and Okita's response is, "hehe." X_X

Casual suicide jokes... Reminds me of my friends at uni X_X

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE 8O I can't see how this could possibly backfire...

OMG Kondou describing not recognising a girl as "The shame of a lifetime!" XD

"Maybe it's time you spilled your guts, kid." Is he... Is he telling me to commit seppuku?! O_O "I looked at him and nodded." GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD.

Although, with Harada threatening to strip me, suicide doesn't look like such a bad option X_X Tell me, Inoue, WHERE ARE THESE GENTLEMEN YOU WERE TELLING ME ABOUT?!

Feminist Hijikata wants to kill me regardless of gender :') We stan a woke queen.

Feminist icon Sanan also thinks that gender is irrelevant but doesn't want to kill me because THEIR JOB IS LITERALLY TO PROTECT PEOPLE.

You search so hard for Kodo and he turns out to be such a treacherous snake :'(

Bad feminist Hijikata calls the Shinsengumi "sons of bitches" for feeding me to him as his page. The Shinsengumi are strong, independent bitches in their own right.

Escaping execution but being quietly upset about having to wear ugly boy clothes for the foreseeable future is a mood.

More of Hijikata threatening to cut off Okita's tongue, please!

What does Chizuru have against afternoon drinking :P Clearly she has never enjoyed a long glass of Pimm's on a warm Summer afternoon! I guess she is pretty young...

Hijikata isn't here so can I please sneak out with you guys instead of staring at the wall all day?

Reeeeeeally want to pick the yes to dressing like a girl option but apparently that's not what Daddy Nonce wants :( HE'S NOT EVEN SHOWN UP YET AND HE'S ALREADY RUINING MY FUN! >:(

Well, now we're literally running away from Nagakura and Inoue. I'm getting High School flashbacks.

Wait, why is Heisuke being weird about Saito being in my room? Did this happen last time too? Maybe I just forgot or maybe it's because I was hanging out with Heisuke and Harada before...

This dinner is terrifying.

Survival of the fittest? More like survival of the FATTEST! Amirite? Anyone? No? I'll stop.

Takeda admittedly has a point about you not earning your place in the Shinsengumi. And he has great hair. So I can almost forgive him for being a mega bitch.

"His swordsmanship is decent, BUT he is well read and possesses a cunning mind for military science." Not sure if a translation error or Hijikata just hates nerds?!

Does accompanying Hijikata as his page get me bonus Kazama Sexy Points purely because it pisses Hijikata off?

Chizuru once again being in mortal peril but getting distracted by Iba's beautiful face is relatable af.

"Takeda huffed smugly to himself and WADDLED out of the store." What a majestic image we have been blessed with :') The bitchiest penguin ever to waddle this Earth!

Iba happily munching his bean jelly is a MOOD.

Chapter 2

Okita telling you that you're here to keep him company on his rounds is exactly the kind of bullshit that I'd expect from him X_X

Guess I'm just running into a battle...

Oh, it's Kazama. Sitting on the windowsill like the edgy bastard he is.

Aaaand he just killed a guy on his own side. Classic edgelord move.

And apparently I have to thank him for this display if I want him to be my waifu.

Seemingly, Chizuru is thirsty for this slut and is being REALLY FRICKING OBVIOUS ABOUT IT X_X

OH HE DID NOT JUST CALL ME THE SHINSENGUMI'S BITCH. Although, it is somewhat accurate XD STILL A DICK MOVE AFTER I THANKED HIM SO NICELY, THOUGH.

AND HE SAYS THAT I HAVE MANNERS, BUT WHERE ARE YOUR FREAKING MANNERS, YOU EDGY THOT?!!!

I have a feeling that a lot of this will be typed in caps from now on -_-

Oooh he winked! I cannot handle this intense eroticism!

Surprise Saito! My favourite flavour of surprise (see, "Shinsengumi's bitch")!

The Shinsengumi are grateful for my efforts and, thus, have gifted me with the great gift of sweeping <3

Hijikata and Iba are so cute <3

Kazama's being edgy again X_X and murdering people. Classic Kazama.

Oh wow, he's actually calling us peasants.

Aw, we're talented peasants <3 How generous of him!

HOW DARE HE TRASH TALK OKITA LIKE THAT! Wow, I'm actually defending that asshole X_X

Hijikata baring his teeth like an angry doggo XD

I'm super mad at Kazama for killing that poor Shinsengumi guy :'( Such a thoughtless waste of life :'(

Now he's mocking Nagakura's obedience to the Shogun. What are your lofty ideals, Kazama? Ah yes, you want to subjugate and enslave the human race. How... noble...

Okay, so, apparently, Kazama is being a huge, murderous pain in the ass because he's just OH SO CONCERNED for the pride of his human allies. I don't buy it.

Ah, Hijikata called Kazama a petulant child :') Truer words were never spoken!

Okay, now Hijikata is saying that they don't deserve an honourable death?! Wow, Hijikata. That comment is not going to age well, I can tell you.

So maybe I agree with Kazama here!? He still shouldn't have murdered that guy, though.

I seriously don't understand why Hijikata is so keen to slaughter these guys and potentially lose more of his men just to force them to suffer a shameful death?! Maybe he doesn't see dying that way as dishonourable but I have no patience for people forcing their ideals onto others.

Aaah! Kazama throwing Hijikata's insult back in his face is pretty brilliant!

Kazama just sliced me in the face! Sexy?!

Sexy Points with Kazama because he's confirmed your full BROOD MARE potential.

Kazama likes calling people bitches so we have that in common.

So, now Hijikata respects them for committing seppuku?! I am CONFUSED.

Oh, now I'm getting Itou's origin story?! This is unexpected!

Wait, have I broken the game and accidentally romanced Kondou?! What is happening right now?! X_X

Oooh! I'm getting sword training! Yes please! This is better than sex :D

Feminist icon Kondou isn't going easy on me just because I'm a girl :D

Chapter 3

Aka: Sanan's breakdown!

"Those were his last words." O_O I... hope that that's not true...

Okay, now he's throttling me! I take it back! Somebody fillet this crazy fucker!

OMG WAS THAT CRUNCHING SOUND MY NECK?!

But why is he choking me when he could be sipping on my delicious blood? O_o

The awkward moment when your creepy brother is a hotter woman than you X_X

Apparently, Kazama's gazing at me with bloodlust. How romantic.

Haha! Apparently Kazama's hand is "pale and grasping like the tentacle of some hideous subterranean monster." X_X Hot.

Yay! Rescued from tentai boi by HajiBAE and SanoCUTEY! And Harada is calling out Kazama for being a creep :') This is a good day.

Kazama's response burn is weak. The culture and the nose of a dog? What does that even mean? Even if Harada's nose looked like a dog's, that'd still be pretty weak, imo.

Ha! Saito's response is basically just an Uno reverse card but I'm always here for calling Kazama out on his hypocrisy.

Omg, now Yamazaki is kidnapping me and Shiranui's calling him out! None of these hos have any chill!

Amagiri is taking a break from fighting to read Shiranui for being a hotheaded pain in the arse.

Hijikata is rightfully calling me an idiot for drawing my sword on Kazama :')

Kazama's insults are so blunt and childish but it's so funny! He just called Hijikata a weak shit! Apparently, fighting him is an honour and Hijikata isn't giving this diva the attention he believes he deserves.

Hijikata needs to stop calling me Kid X_X

"Sleazebag" = accurate.

Ooh, Sanan is paying me a late night visit! How risqué!

Of course I want to learn more about the water of life but The Grand High Nonce would apparently disapprove so I guess I'll have to wait until another route to find out :'(

Apparently Kazama's not going to abduct me TODAY. How reassuring.

I relate to Kazama admiring the beauty of the temple but he lost me by being a hypocrite again. Apparently, he doesn't understand how humans can destroy their creations with their wars. KAZAMA IS FIGHTING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO BURN KYOTO AND THEY PARTIALLY SUCCEEDED. Kazama can only destroy things, as far as I can tell.

Now he's ranting about how they lie, deceive and kill. Pot kettle black? "If they want something, they'll steal it." UGH, KAZAMA, YOU HAVE REPEATEDLY TRIED TO STEAL ME YOU HYPOCRITICAL FUCKWIT. HE'S SO FRUSTRATING. SUCH AN INSUFFERABLE COMBINATION OF PRETENTION, HYPOCRISY, CRUELTY, HUBRIS, I could go on XD I should stop... For now...

AAAAAH HE JUST SAID NOT TO TRUST THE SHINSENGUMI BECAUSE THEY KILL THEIR OWN MEN WITHOUT BATTING AN EYELASH. THAT'S WHAT KAZAMA DOES WHEN YOU FIRST MEET HIM! BUT I GUESS IT DOESN'T COUNT TO HIM BECAUSE THE MAN WASN'T PART OF HIS SUPERIOR RACE!

Sen = <3

Chapter 4 (This is where I went to sleep)

I feel like we could have got away with killing the guy who was SENTENCED TO DEATH if fricking Sanan hadn't shown up and revealed his alive-ness!

Aw, Itou is concerned about my arm!

Aaaaand he's ruined it by being a cunt XD "Would you like to know?" "Yes." "I won't tell you." X_X

Heisuke, Saito... HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME... WHEN I NEEDED TO... POSSES YOU... I HATED YOU; I LOVED YOU TOO... BAD DREAMS IN THE NIGHT.... *Continues singing Wuthering Heights and dances around the room dramatically*

"And then they were gone" :'(

Tbf, I'd be pretty mad if my comrades had been doing such dangerous, fucked up experiments behind my back.

"I am more concerned about the soldiers being left behind." - lies!

Wait, Sanan knew Itou "really well"?! Their only interaction until now was Itou being a mega-douche to him. I have so many questions!

Aw, Sanan trusts that our friendlings will return <3

Ooh! Going on a manju adventure with YAM!

Kazama strolling down the street and everybody being pushed out of the way by the douchebag waves rolling off of him.

Okay, so Kazama has come here alone to get pissed amongst humans?! That seems implausible...

"I might even allow you to pour me a drink." BLEUGH BLETCH BLUUURGH.

I CANNOT WITH THIS THOT AND HIS HYPOCRITICAL BULLSHIT. HOW DARE HE BRAG ABOUT HOW COOL AND DOWN WITH THE KIDS HE IS TO BE DRINKING WITH HUMANS AND THEN SLAG ME OFF FOR ASSOCIATING WITH HUMANS?!

If I'm supposedly so curious about the demon lifestyle, can I PLEASE just run away with Sen? :'(

WHY IS NOBODY ASKING WHAT I WANT?!? X_X I WANT TO GO WITH THE COOL DEMON LADIES!!!

"Yukimura. What do you have to say about this?" FINALLY!!! THANK YOU, KONDOU!

I really want to go but the game won't let me XD

Souji is correct. I clearly have rocks for brains XD

"Gosh" Appropriate reaction.

AAAAAAAAND MY BELOVED SHINSENGUMI IS IMMEDIATELY ENDANGERED BY MY POOR DECISIONS.

Ooh! Physical contact with Kazama! Sure, he's violently grabbing me but this thirsty bitch will take what she can get XD

Harada has the best put downs :') "Barging in here to get yourself a wife! You think you'd get the point by now after all these rejections..."

"You fools have no idea of her worth." BITCH I AM A well, not human but SENTIENT BEING! THEY TREAT ME WITH MORE RESPECT THAN YOU EVER DID YOU MASSIVE CREEP. I AM MORE THAN JUST A WOMB, YOU HO!!!

"She is most valuable when used by a fitting partner." THA FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?!???! NOPENOPENOPE. A FITTING PARTNER WOULD NOT "USE" ME, BITCH.

"HA! So you decide to take her against her will just because you're too scared of the rejection you'll get from flat-out asking her out, huh?" YES HARADA!!! YOU CALL OUT THIS FUCKING NONCE!!! ALL RAPISTS ARE COWARDS!!! "You're so lame and creepy." WHERE IS THE LIE?!??

Meanwhile, Hijikata just makes it clear that he'd happily slice through me. Good to know.

I shall WIGGLE my way out of this situation! What do you mean it didn't work?!

YAAAS KONDOU! YOU FIGHT THAT BITCH!!!

OMG I JUST FELL ON TOP OF OKITA AND NOW HE'S SLUT SHAMING ME! XD

"Tell me... How is it? On top of me. Does it feel good?" O_O O_O O_O This game just got a lot more spicy!

Just fuck already! If only to piss off Kazama X_X

Aw, poor sick Okita <3

How dare they mention that the new HQ has a huge bath for warriors to bathe together and not have another thirst scene :P

Now Harada and Nagakura are slut shaming each other for having their tiddies out in Winter :')

Does this count as sexposition? Politics + tiddies?

"Itou dies." This is what happens when you base a game around true events! Problems aren't solved with the power of love and friendship! X_X

YES SAITO, PLEASE PROTECT ME FROM THIS MURDEROUS NONCE!

Chapter 5

At least in the normal route where nobody loves me, I don't get shot at by cannons O_O

There are a lot of typos in this chapter already. Perhaps the developers didn't expect anyone to be INSANE enough to romance Kazama.

DON'T TELL THIS RANDOM GUY YOUR PLANS YOU FOOL!!! IF THIS GETS INOUE KILLED, IMMA BE SO MAD!!!

NO INOUE!!! DON'T DRINK THE CRAZY JUICE!!!

NOOOOOO!!!! INOOOUUUUEEEE!!! :'(

Yes Queen, you call out those murdering cowards :'(

FFS I just got hella shot X_X

NO YOU GUYS ARE THE MONSTERS!!!

Apparently, I'm a "Noble Demon specimen" BITCH WHERE?!

"Why was Kazama helping me?" UM, HAVEN'T WE BEEN THROUGH THIS?! BECAUSE HE WANTS TO "USE" YOUR FERTILE WOMB TO BREED A NEW LINE OF DEMON CHILDREN.

"Shoot me? To death?" XD

"Kazama glared coldly at the pile of dismembered corpses on the floor" :') So romantic!

OMG IT'S THE BETTER DRESSED VERSION OF ME!!!

"Actually a man." UM, A CHILD, SEEMINGLY.

The whole creepy demonic family together at last :')

STOP CALLING ME ADORABLE AND LITTLE YOU CREEPY DEMON CHILD.

"What you're doing is disgraceful." YOU TELL HIM KAZAMA.

"Mind if I kill your family, right here and now?" O_O Kazama has zero chill! Thanks for asking, though, I guess. Go for it, Kazama XD

Oh, apparently I'm going to "talk to them" X_X

"Kodo, I could murder you over a thousand times, and it still wouldn't be enough for me." This is the most I've ever liked Kazama.

Doesn't Kazama work directly with Kodo in various routes?

Why can't I vanish like smoke? :'( Where are MY cool demon powers? :'(

"Turns out the only one capable of keeping you safe when you needed them most was me -- not them." HOW DARE YOU!!! INOUE GAVE HIS LIFE PROTECTING ME AND YOU'VE NEVER PUT YOUR OWN PRECIOUS NECK OUT THERE FOR ANYONE IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE YOU POMPOUS ASS!!! YOU'VE NEVER HAD TO WORK FOR ANYTHING IN YOUR WHOLE LIFE, HAVE YOU?! YOU WERE BORN A DEMON PRINCE AND THAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE?!? BECAUSE YOU HAVE POWERS YOU DIDN'T EARN?!

"If your idea of a good time is seeing the rotting corpses of your friends, be my guest..." 8_8 :'( No, they can't all be dead! Surely not! Kazama don't say things like that!

The Yodo are going to betray the Shogunate?!? I must warn them D:

Wow, this just got heavy and real sad.

Wait, did he just admit to meddling in the war?! He is such a hypocrite!!!! Aaaaaaah!!! Somebody call him out on his bs!!!!

SEN AND KIMIGIKU <3 SAVE ME!

Even Shiranui sees that humans have a variety of complex motivations X_X

I AM NOT YOUR FUTURE WIFE!!!!

Do the Shinsengumi just assume that I'm dead?!

Great, now I'm on a road trip with this cunt.

"I've never actually been this close to a man before..." Calm down! That horse is third wheeling so hard right now. And what about that time you fell ON TOP OF Okita?!

Welp, that's it for Kyoto Winds! Onwards to Edo Blossoms! I still don't like Kazama but at least murdering the ever-loving FUCK out of Kodo is a cause that I can believe in. Although, one of the reasons that I hated Kodo in Saito's route was because he was helping the same sex pest I'm now galloping across the country with. Huh. 

This is the most that I’ve ever used the word, “nonce” in my entire life and this is only the first game.

[eastberlin]

Snapdragon, daffodil, iris!

snapdragon - favourite mythical creature?I was always fond of unicorns as a kid, probably because I was totally a Horse Girl. Now? IDK, I like selkies, sirens, stuff like that. Especially when re-imagined in a more modern, less women-controlled-by-men way.daffodil - which colour suits you best?I think I look best in jewel tones (especially blues) and black.iris - favourite 90s song?Oh man, so many! I'm really fond of 90s female singer-songwriter stuff- "Galileo" by the Indigo Girls is probably my favorite from that genre. When I was around 13 (so 2003ish) I found my mom's Lilith Fair CDs and those got a LOT of play. Basically anything you can imagine playing in a 90s feminist-bookstore-slash-lesbian-coffee-shop or w/e.

[representationintheatre]

The Inheritance

Title: The Inheritance  Writer: Matthew Lopez  Director: Stephen Daldry  Theatre Company: The Young Vic

I’m here to tell you that The Inheritance does not deserve your love.*

This contains spoilers for the play.

The Inheritance is an eye watering, almost seven hour, epic of a play in two parts. It is “loosely based” on EM Forster’s Howards End and charts the lives and relationships of two young men, Eric and Toby, in a post-AIDs world. Although this is not a review in the strictest sense, it’s worth saying that the plot of The Inheritance is relatively simple, yet overblown into multiple plot divergences that would have been much smarter focusing on its core argument about the legacy of AIDs with a new generation of young gay men.

Some thoughts and ideas are compelling, a couple of scenes are genuinely moving, but it’s all unfortunately lost in a sea of indulgence. 

Gender: 1/5 Does it pass the Bechdel Test: NO

There is but one woman in this seven hour epic that follows the lives of several white cis gay men over a period of several years, and she arrives in the final 20 minutes, trotted out as a stand-in for the character of Miss Avery from Howards End.

If you are familiar with Howards End, you will know that Miss Avery is more of a spiritual concept than an actual person. She’s otherworldly and her spectral presence is often directly referred to in the book. In The Inheritance, this otherworldly aspect is retained, both in the way that she is performed by Vanessa Redgrave, as well as in the way that she validates Eric’s spiritual experiences when he visits the house.

So here we have a play of seven hours, a cast of 12 men, set in modern day New York and no women aside from a stand-in for a spiritual character.

One might even speculate whether this character would have existed or been a woman at all if they weren’t able to secure the stunt casting of an actress from the original film adaptation. 🤔

And, to be honest, all this wouldn’t be as problematic if the play wasn’t based on Howards End.

It really is audacious to take what is essentially a feminist novel, albeit a conventional and somewhat limited one, and erase women entirely. The novel is lead by two female characters and the narrative is driven by their experiences at the turn of the 20th century. Margaret and Helen, the two leads, are proto-feminists and what happens to them throughout the novel rests entirely on their sex. None of it could happen to a man. This is an absolutely crucial point of the novel.

Furthermore, the central themes of Howards End – from suffrage, independence, sexual freedom, the nature of marriage, to social justice and the benevolence of women – all appear to have been erased in The Inheritance. While some attempt at political debate appears occasionally in The Inheritance (quite unsatisfactorily), it’s done as an afterthought as much as anything else. 

The fact that Henry Wilcox is a Trump supporting Republican is done with about as much subtlety as a sledgehammer, showcased in crude debates the characters have with him, turning into mouthpieces of the playwright for a short time, rather than being woven into the narrative like in Howards End, in which everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is affected by Henry Wilcox’s politics and how it impacts and conflicts with everyone else.

All this begs the question – what gives Matthew Lopez the right to lift entire chunks of Howards End and plant them in his modern-day epic if he’s going to erase the women and all the themes of novel?

The reality is that modern day New York is full of women. Gay men do not live in a vacuum. They have mothers, aunts, sisters, best friends…they have work colleagues.

Yet, in The Inheritance, it’s like they just disappeared. Matthew Lopez set out to erase women so entirely that he not only replaced the female main characters with men, he discarded the supporting female characters altogether lest there be any reference to a woman in even a minor way. For example, in Howards End, Henry Wilcox has two sons and a daughter, but in The Inheritance he has just two sons. Henry’s daughter, Evie Wilcox, does not exist in The Inheritance. 

It seems to me that Matthew Lopez has a big fuckin’ problem with women.

Recently Julia Pascal wrote an article for The Guardian about how women are being excluded from our stages. She is clearly right about this and I don’t think I’ve seen anyone in the theatre community that would argue against that fact. And yet it seems that no one is willing to examine this issue in context of specific actions and decisions.  We see broad and sweeping articles about the general issue, but the critic community is rarely consistent in calling out the building blocks of this issue, which start at the plays being put on our stages and what they represent. 

How can we address the representation of women when plays like The Inheritance are given a pass with 5 stars and no concern for the choices displayed?

Race: 1/5

It’s not enough just to throw in a couple of very side ensemble characters as the men of colour in a PLAY SET IN MODERN DAY NEW YORK.

The play is overwhelmingly white in a way it didn’t need to be and that’s another mystery of the play. It fails deeply to represent a diverse gay community at all and in more ways than just race and gender. 

The casting was one-note, with zero diversity in body types or ethnicity or gender identity.

Plot 1/5

Look, The Inheritance has a lot going for it, but it is a mess and it’s unreal that this has been glossed over. This play got FIVE STARS....someone needs to point out the obvious....there are glaring plot holes and weird characterisations...

For starters: in The Inheritance, Eric, the lead character, marries Henry Wilcox. Their close friendship is shown as it’s building, but it is never shown as romantic, which is underlined when they decide to get married having never had a physical relationship.

In fact, Eric and Henry never manage to talk about having a physical, sexual relationship until after they’re married, prompted only when Eric discovers that Henry has been happily satisfied regularly by a young sex worker and has no interest in sex with his new husband. This stretched credulity to the point of being baffling. It’s not completely impossible to believe that something like that could happen between two men...in a play that explores it and examines the reasons, and addresses and acknowledges that it’s an unusual experience in a modern day progressive society. (Not quite the same demographic, but On Chesil Beach recently examined a similar issue brilliantly, with a mixed gender couple in the 1960s.) But The Inheritance just asks you to accept that this as how it is without examination or credible reasoning.

To recap: a character who has up till this point been shown to have had hot sexy times with his previous fiancé has not questioned or considered any issues with agreeing to, and marrying, his new fella, without ever having physical intimacy with him. In 2018. New York City.

There are plenty of these kinds of niggles in The Inheritance (don’t get me started on the house ownership that is so central to the plot that is completely illogical), which forces us to sit through for seven hours of unwieldy and lazy writing. It’s mind-numbingly annoying and shares more in common with teenage slash fanfiction than any other commercially produced content I have ever seen. You can forgive a 15 year old an exploratory story that can’t quite nail the reality of adult life, but you really can’t forgive a professional playwright (or the audience that seemed to lap it up regardless).

Our grade: 1/5 In summary: seven hours and no space for women in this modern-but-sometimes-not trash version of EM Forster’s Howards End. Read the book instead.

* A disclaimer - I have nothing against plays with all male casts when it makes sense and is relevant. I have issues with seeing too many performed when there are so few all-female plays to counter balance, but there is nothing inherently off-putting about all-male plays and I have a few that fall into my favourite all-time plays in fact.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Astra 4 - 6 | Demon Slayer 17 - 19 | Cop Craft 4 - 6 | Dr Stone 3 - 6 | Fruits Basket 15 - 19 | Given 3 - 5

Astra 4

How does anyone wash their hands with a spacesuit on?

Those exaggerated faces (reaction to candy plants) weren’t in the manga. Good thing too – they improve on the source.

Hey, man (Ulgar)! “Big girl” is offensive. (I’m probably saying that because I’m not too big myself.)

The *ding ding ding!* was pretty hilarious…LOL.

I remember this was pretty harsh to read for me the first time…because y’know what they say about representation mattering in feminist studies/articles? Yeah, that. (Exactly how I’m represented? That I’ll leave to your imagination…)

Aw, the Gruppie sounds adorable!

I think I’ve said this already, but Kanata uses the word “zetsubou” – despair, not necessarily “hopeless” – to say what he says.

Demon Slayer 17

I was a bit confused as to why Inosuke was majorly angry all the time, but then I realised that he’s not necessarily angry, per se - he is just majorly competitive.

*head on spider legs appears* ARGHHHHHHHHHHH! That reminds me of that head on spider legs from Toy Story…I seem to remember that freaked me out to some degree. I’m actually not afraid of spiders, but show me an image for “trypophobia” (fear of tiny holes) or stick me somewhere high up without secure footing…and I’m gone.

This episode is…great! I’m cursing as I watch, but it’s great! The CGI is adding to the creepiness! Also, I so didn’t expect Zenitsu to have black hair.

I agree with Zenitsu’s master, he is a moron…

…but truth be told, I think I see myself in him. That’s probably why I find him so annoying. Lately, I’ve found there are periods where I resent myself more than anyone else…and that’s the scariest part about living life. But I can’t complain, because I put my name down to help others in the same situation.

Z-Zenitsu! I-I’m sorry I ever doubted you! I’m so sorry…! I promise I’ll stop thinking you’re annoying, because you remind me of meeeeeeeeeee…! *sob, snivel, sob…*

Ukogiiiiiiiiii! Wahhhhhhhhh!

Hmm…you can smell rain. I’ve smelt it before. But thunderclouds…? Not so much.

Demon Slayer 18

“Rookie Mizunoto join the battle!” – The Smash Bros intro is a fun way to introduce people, no?

I thought Shinobu Kocho was Naruto running, but instead she has her jacket on her shoulders…so it only looks like Naruto running.

CG models are back to being awkward again…

“If you can’t slash something with one sword, you just gotta pound it with another sword!” – Basically, the philosophy of the entire shonen genre when dealing with swords.

“I’m gonna die.” – Well, there’s some words I thought I’d never hear from Inosuke…

Oh yeah…I forgot Inosuke’s never met Giyu.

Hmm…I’ve been suspecting Rui is the member of the 12 Kizuki as a demon with lower possibility of being so (but being raised by Ply’s hint during our collab and Tanjiro’s fight), but I’m more certain of the father being the 12 Kizuki based on what the series has shown us already. Hmm…so who is it???

*starts watching Taisho Secret* Wait, where did Giyu come from??? *watches again* Oh, he appears from above…! Interesting…

Hmm…I like salmon onigiri myself. I also like tuna…most flavours, really.

Cop Craft 4

The man (?) with the purplish hair who called Kei over is meant to be a gay stereotype or at least close to one. Aside from his (?) appearance, you can tell by him (?) nding his sentences with “wa”.

Marth’s post for ep. 4 said “And Suddenly, Vampires”, so…I’m thinking about how Cop Craft actually does the horror vibe really well as I watch.

Aw, these cliffhangers suck! I’m starting to thank myself that I ran behind on every show but Demon Slayer.

Cop Craft 5

O-Oh, the CG is getting worse…

Who was the 2nd person dead? The 1st was Chapman…

Astra 5

As I’m laughing at the reactions from the makeover (because I knew this was coming), I’m simultaneously wondering…holding those scissors in the way you’re doing is dangerous, Luca!!!

Oh great…midseason animation slump. This is only the 2nd show to suffer from that this season…and I’ve only caught up on 3 shows so far.

“Mine is bigger!” “No, mine is!” – Ah, anime boys and their ability to make things vaguely Freudian when out of context…*slight sweatdrop*

*slow pan, with a final shot on Aries’s boobs* - Oh, really…? *grumpy*

*…then proceeds to do boob shots of all the girls* Oh, really?!? You wanna go, show?! You were doing so well, up until this episode!!! I didn’t read past volume 2 of the manga, so this beach stuff is all new to me!!! Plus, it sucks because boob shots are everywhere!!!

“…approach him like that…”

People have been pointing this out, but McPa = Camp, Shummoor = Mushroom, Vilavurs = Survival…so Arispade = Paradise.

Ulgar really reminds me of Tooi, even though he came first…

Dr Stone 3

Taiju’s ugly tears make me go “d’aww” now that this scene is animated…it was nice in manga format, but even better when it was moving and with colour.

Now that I think about it, Tsukasa’s “benefit of the new world” talk reminds me of Death Note.

Senku trying to steal Kamakura Buddha bronze looks like Bart Simpson…

Boueibu should’ve taught you that Hakone is home to hot springs.

Dr Stone 4

You don’t fire a smoke signal…

Oh wow, Mecha Senku! Wouldya lookit that! *points at him* He answers questions in the manga, so I didn’t think he’d get adapted!

Are those…CGI trees? Oh great, why does all shonen these days need CGI trees???

Fighting over established interests means a Thucydides trap (a mini version of which seems to be playing out here with Tsukasa)…that’s basically the only thing I remember from my old politics classes.

I just noticed Yuzuriha refers to all the boys with –kun. She wants to stay friends with all of them…I guess even Tsukasa’s on that list, huh?

Hmm…Senku’s eyes are a reddish colour, but otherwise he’s normally representd with blue to Taiju’s red…

I just realised Senku has a red pen and a black pen in one of his breast pockets.

Aww…it’s nice to have rivals who aren’t 100% evil for once. Sure, pure evil rivals are easy to write but hard to justify. Good guys with one morally wrong aspect to them are harder to write, but easier to get behind. (Plus, at least they’re not Sasuke-style angsty.)

Dr Stone 5

So…I went searching…and I was wondering why I wanted to claim Tsukasa as husbando (but man, he’s a bit more stereotypical for a gal to fall in love with – all girls like bad guys, amirite???), but as it turns out, Senku and his buds from our era (Tsukasa included) are 18 and so are ripe for the husbando/waifu picking (not to mention they’re technically over 3700 years old, which more than makes them legal for things like drinking alcohol, as Senku himself pointed out a few eps back).

D’aww…this was in the manga, but now I find Tsukasa inserting himself into Senku’s flashback cute.

Notably, Gen Asagiri appears on the front of the book this student is asking the question from. Who’s Gen Asagiri, you ask, my dear anime-only random nonexistent entity I type these notes for? You’ll find out…soon.

Hmm…Yuzuriha is more observant than we give her credit for. Also, Senku pulled a Gen Asagiri right there…LOL.

LOL…those ‘shrooms seem massively symbolic. They were also in the manga, IIRC.

Why does Yuzuriha wear a neck scarf, anyway?

Hey, they even managed to get the game-like text box right! Awesome! (It reminds me of Little Alchemy, to be honest.)

“Himo” translates to rope…or a cord. Just FYI.

Astra 6

Eyyy…this show is calling me out.

Eyyyyy…Toi vibes from Ulgar!!!

Eyyyyy…wut? I can’t believe Anime Feminist was on the money here??? (Context: The reviewer for Astra said Luca was “one ambiguously-gendered character”.)

Hey…I once read a book with a 50% similarity to this plot. (There was a gay character – not intersex - and all the characters are adopted.)

I think Xenodude said this, but…in space, nobody can hear you scream.

I’m laughing so hard…why are Kanata’s abs the thing that hurt the most? (It’s because he’s got the harness in that region…forget I asked. It’s still funny though.)

“MILD THING” – Yep, Ulgar’s gonna be mild after what happened this episode…

Ohhhhh, I didn’t understand the “hairpiece” thing until it was revealed it was a toupee through context.

Ooh, 50% chance of lying here. Who to trust, who to trust? Charce or Aries? (I trust Aries, by the way.)

Dr Stone 6

The alien explanation etc. was in the manga, but…why do all the attackers look like Senku???

Senku does his best Thinker impression.

Eyyy! Fighter vs. fighter. I love this scene, even if only because Tsukasa (and his muscles) have the upper hand in both the visual angle and the power balance, although [BLEEP <- no spoilers!] has the surprise factor.

I remember learning once blonde hair is recessive…so does that mean most of the community is blonde? (I know the answer to that, but you, my non-existent anime-discussing entity, don’t.)

I’m tempted to hear Senku scream, “This. Is. SCIENCE!!!”

Fruits Basket 15

For some reason, videos run much faster on my phone than my laptop…

Hmm…this is the first time I’m properly listening to the 2nd ED…It’s kinda like how you’d expect an ED to be: quieter than an ED, but still serving up cuteness.

Fruits Basket 16

This episode’s visually very dark…

Middle School!Tohru reminds me of Hitori Bocchi.

Smol Uo looks like Kyo.

Fruits Basket 17

(nothing this time, sorry!)

Fruits Basket 18

Oh! I remember the matching scene in the manga (where Kisa bites Tohru for the first time).

I also remember the manga Hatsuharu is reading is called “Mogeta and the Ant” (Ari).

Now you see why Tohru is Kyoko’s daughter…

“…what her hair and eye colour were.”

Fruits Basket 19

The ep is called “I’m So Sorry!”…I think I know who’s going to star in this episode, alright…

For some reason, when I see Ritsu and Mitchan apologising to each other, I think of me and Astral…(LOL…?)

…Or maybe it reminds me of Zenitsu…?

Eyyyyyyyy, A-ya is A-ya…

This overly-apologetic character of Ritsu…this is why Martin was my favourite character back in the original Ro.Te.O days…*sighs while basking in nostalgia*

Demon Slayer 19

This episode’s been hyped since last week. Let’s get on with it!

Ooh, no pattern on this title card…

Wow (sarcastic), talk about infighting…but amazingly, I found Inosuke’s art shift to be funny for once in my life! (Amazing!...and yes, the exclamation of “Amazing!” is sincere)

Using terror is…well, Machiavellian. Hard power. You get my drift, right?

So basically, Rui breaks down the nuclear family for us.

Wait a flippin’ second…Hinokami (god of fire)? Charcoal selling? Water Breathing??? One of these is not like the others, for sure.

I get the feeling the father’s dance was recorded as video then converted to animation by ufotable staff…that’s what they did for YoI, no?

“The cold won’t bother you, either.” - Well, due to his fire theming, the cold never bothered Tanjiro anyway…*echoes of “Let It Go” suddenly play in the background*

Go for it, Nezuko! Be the Bakugo of the Demon Slayer world!

According to the credits, Tanjiro’s dad’s name is Tanjuro…that’s confusing, to say the least…

(Sorry Astral, the background noise while I was watching meant I did’t watch it with sound on…Also, is it wrong that I think the dad is hot??? Another thing: why do Tanjuro and Tanjiro have matching scars on their temples…?)

One of Tanjiro’s bros looks like Zenitsu??? Wuh???

Ooh, insert song “Kamado Tanjiro’s Song” by Go Shiina ft Nami Nakagawa. I’ll have to listen to it when I can. (Ever since SGRS, I’ve loved Go Shiina’s work…guess I didn’t expect it here, though.) Update: Misattributed the work. Go Shiina does videogame work, Sheens Ringo did SGRS stuf.

Given 3

I never knew that asking someone into a band was like asking someone out…(probably because I’ve never been in a band).

Given’s a frickin’ riot – that’s one reason I stuck with it.

I forgot Mafuyu was underage…!

Cop Craft 6

That car chase was basically Need for Speed…with worse graphics…

“Prayboy”…hmm…

I followed Kei’s advice to Google Jeffrey Dahmer…and I regret it.

The text says “Someone from the Semanian gang of thieves made contact.”

I didn’t make sense of “I hate being McCloud” until I rewound a bit and found that’s a disguise or alter ego of Tony’s.

“Shift the transmission into ‘Reverse’. The car will begin to roll backward sharply…” - The driving instructions are real, at least.

Given 4

Ehhhhh…still shots…

Kaji sure looks tough for a violinist…but a music major? Never thought he’d be one…(I saw some spoilers saying Kaji was a violinist before I watched the episode, hence my lack of surprise in that department.)

Not everyone’s in a band, y’know…

$120…? Nasty…

$70…

Ah, a layby? I don’t actually know what other countries call it, but where I am they’re called laybys, not layaways. (At the charity store I volunteer at, they call ‘em “holds”, though…which makes things even more confusing.)

Watching th first ep at the anime club made me realise that one had a piano version of Marutsuke, while this one is standard Marutsuke.

Given 5

Ooh, I see English-translated lyrics! Nice one, subbers! By the way, the title of the OP “Kizuato” sounds like it should translate to “Traces of Scars/Wounds” in English, but it’s in katakana, so I can’t confirm that…

It seems joining a band is a metaphor for love in this show…(see ep. 3 notes for more on that)

Holy moly! I’m still fairly new to BL/yaoi in general, so two-timing the boyfriend is not a trope ‘ve seen before, let alone dealt with in my head…

Ooh, more translated lyrics! That (ED singer) does sound like Mafuyu, come to think of it…

[kirain]

You're so good at dissecting movies! I didn't even notice the things you said about Mulan and those other Disney movies! I missed so much when I was a kid! LOL! Girl, what the HECK?!

That’s my favourite aspect of film– noticing all the little details that make them extraordinary! Here are a few other titbits you might have missed from Mulan when you were a kid:

When Mulan takes her father’s armour and spooks her horse, she mouths the words “是我” (pronounced shi wu), which is Chinese for “it’s me”.

Near the end of the movie, when Shan Yu chases Mulan to the roof, the two men who yell in concern are the same two men who ignored Mulan when she entered the city. The woman in the corner is also one of the women from the Matchmaker sequence.

The Emperor was voiced by Pat Morita, who played the famed Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 hit classic The Karate Kid. One of the reasons why the Emperor speaks in metaphors, was to pay homage to the character of Miyagi, who taught Daniel karate using mostly metaphors.

Much of the calligraphy on the tombstones in the shrine are actually the names of many of the staff members who worked on the movie.

When I was a child and saw the movie in theatres, I heard a lot of people asking why Mulan was bleeding after the avalanche. Apparently a lot of people think it was caused by the avalanche itself, and that she cut herself when she was being dragged down the mountain. In actuality, it’s because Shan Yu slashes at her after she fires the canon and clips her side; which means she saved Shang and fought through the avalanche all while severely wounded.

The reason why Chi-Fu hates Shang, is because he believes Shang was given the role of Captain due to nepotism. At one point in the movie, when Shang and Chi-Fu are arguing, Chi-Fu says, “Be careful, Captain. The General may be your father, but I am the Emperor’s Council. And by the way, I got that job on my own.”

Chi-Fu is voiced by James Hong, a self-proclaimed feminist who wanted to be a part of the movie for his daughter, April.

When Mulan hugs the Emperor, Yao promptly asks, “Is she allowed to do that?” The answer, of course, being no. A big no. The ULTIMATE no. No one was allowed to casually touch the Emperor in ancient China, least of all a woman. But no one cares, including the Emperor himself, who embraces the hug. This is supposed to symbolise how much Mulan impacted society. The point being that no one should tell a woman what she’s “allowed” to do.

Mulan’s horse’s name is Khan, which may be a reference to Genghis Khan, a famous Mongolian Hun. In addition, Khan technically belongs to Mulan’s father, Fa Zhou, who was a respected war hero. This means Khan is also likely a warhorse, which explains why he understood warlike commands and activities so well.

The movie makes several “cross-dresser” jokes that may have gone over your head as a kid. Mushu also makes a couple.

The Grandma is the only character with colour in her eyes. I don’t know why, but I thought it was a neat little titbit.

At the end of the movie, Mulan’s father supports her decision to be with Shang, despite it being established at the beginning of the movie that her marriage was supposed to be arranged. This is yet another nod to Mulan’s newfound freedom.

A possible mistake in the movie: when Mulan and her friends dress up as concubines to distract the Huns, Mulan’s fan is green. But later, when she’s on the roof with Shan Yu, her fan is yellow.

The end credit song, “True to Your Heart” by Stevie Wonder, perfectly encapsulates the message of the film. If you listen to the lyrics, the song encourages making good decisions for yourself, not letting anyone control you, and, of course, being true to who you are.

When fighting the Huns who are guarding the door, Ling uses the chin attack to defeat his enemy. This is the throwback to an earlier part in the movie, when he failed to use it.

One of the jokes my sister missed as a kid was when Chi-Fu yells, “Order! Order!” The men then proceed to order different types of food from typical Asian cuisine. It kills me every time. XD

The day after Mulan joins the army, we see her tent setup, and it’s horrible. Sunken, deflated, tied to a tree– a clear indicator that she has no idea what she’s doing. I personally like this because it gives the movie a sense of realism. Mulan comes from a high social status family, and therefore would have been taught very feminine things. Naturally, she wouldn’t know how to fight or pitch a tent, etc. During her training, we also see her fail multiple times. This completely shatters the idea of her being a Mary Sue, because she isn’t perfect and she worked hard to become a good soldier.

Mulan and her friends wear the colours of the four elements. I can’t say for sure, but this is possibly a reference to the Chinese belief that while different, all four elements must work together for the world to function. This theory of mine is also supported by parts in the movie that pertain to each element. For example, during training Yao gets shot by a flaming arrow, but later runs through them effortlessly. Also during training, Chien-Po mentions he can’t sim, but later on happily dives into a pond, creating a giant wave. Ling is light and fast like the wind, which could be why he fails to break the brick during training. But later, he uses his speed to successfully chop it in half. Mulan wears green, the colour for earth, and causes the avalanche that destroys the Hun army. The colours also match their personalities, especially when it comes to Po, Ling, and Yao. Like a raging fire, Yao has an issue with his anger. Chien-Po is calm but powerful, like water. Ling is carefree and nimble. Just a theory.

Throughout the movie, Mulan always depends on her intelligence to outsmart her enemies. She tricks Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po when they chase her through the tent, she shoots the peak of the mountain to cause the avalanche that buries the Huns, she devises the plan to dress her friends as women so the Huns don’t suspect they can fight, and she outsmarts Shan Yu by leading him to the roof of the palace. The movie therefore pushes the message that intelligence is always better than brute force.

Every character in the film is out to help themselves. Her friends hope that joining the army will help them impress a woman, Shang expresses his wish to be known the greatest Captain in the history of China, and Mushu only cares about being reinstated as a guardian. Mulan is the only character whose motives don’t express personal gain.

During the “Girl Worth Fighting For” song, some of the animation resembles Chinese brush paintings, which is absolutely beautiful.

When the canon accidentally goes off, “giving away” the army’s position, it likely went off because the carriage was shot by a flaming arrow. Meaning the Huns already knew where they were.

In Chinese culture, the lily, lotus, or orchid symbolises marriage and a happy union. When Mulan leaves her lotus comb behind, I believe it symbolises her nonconformity.

[miasswier]

own voices and mlm fandom

I’ve been thinking a lot about mlm fandom and what an interesting phenomenon it is, and how that translates into original LGBTQ fiction. This is long and rambly and maybe not that coherent, but I’ve been thinking about this for a while and I just need to get it out.

For a very large amount of my fandom life, I exclusively shipped slash ships. I mean, my first big fandom was Glee, and Darren Criss joining was the reason that I started the show in the first place, so I sort of fell into the Klaine ship and the adjoining fandom pretty easily. They were my first official ship, and honestly, I’m still really fond of them. They’ll hold a special place in my heart forever.

The thing is, I never really realized it at the time, but for my first few years in fandom I always found myself gravitating toward mlm ships. Klaine, Wennet, Sterek, Fervid. I used to watch hours of clips on youtube detailing the storylines of mlm couples on TV shows. There were several shows I watched exclusively because I knew there were mlm couples on there (The Carrie Diaries is one example, where I only sought it out after seeing gifsets of Wennet on my dash). It wasn’t even a conscious thing, it just happened.

What’s interesting for me, thinking in retrospect about this all, is that I identified very strongly as straight at this point in my life. Oh, sure, I was questioning, but I was in a bit of a boy crazy period, and to me that implied that I had to be straight (there was also the fact that I didn’t think I could ever see myself dating a girl; I later realized that I couldn’t see myself dating a guy either, because I just couldn’t see myself dating anybody).

I used to say some really iffy things, which again, retrospect. I was a budding little feminist, and I was just becoming a sexual being (I was… fourteen or fifteen when I joined fandom?), so I was all about normalizing girls as agents of their own sexuality. A big thing for me was this totally false stereotype that women didn’t watch porn. I remember so many conversations I’d have with male friends that would always end up the same way – “but porn isn’t aimed at women, so why would they watch it?”. I, being completely self-taught and very young and naïve, always had the same response (which I thought was oh-so-clever): “gay porn. Porn aimed at women is gay porn.”

YIKES. But as I’ve been thinking a lot about the issues I’ve only seen within mlm fandom since somewhat distancing myself from it, this is actually a really common thought for a lot of straight women. Because the thing is, a really strange thing has happened with mlm fandom, and it’s not something that I think anybody could have ever predicted.

Somehow, mlm fandom has become about women. To the point where it’s almost exclusively about women. I mean, think about it. I don’t know any major mlm fandom that isn’t at least 90% female. Even when I think about the Klaine fandom, I think I can think of… four? Maybe five? Klaine fans that aren’t female. And it’s one of those things where because so much of mlm fandom is female it begins to just be thought of as this female thing. I mean, geez, how many conversations have I had with people in fandom where I discuss whether Kurt or Blaine is the top in their relationship. All of those conversations happen amongst females. And honestly, most of the women in mlm fandom are straight.

It’s gotten to the point where mlm fans are almost excluded from mlm fandom spaces. I recently saw a post (which is what sort of formed the connection between several thoughts that I’d had floating around for a while) where a mlm fan was requesting that mlm authors specifically tag the fic they write with “mlm author” so that they could find stories written about mlm by mlm. I went on this person’s blog and they’d made a post that it was gaining traction, and thus far there were about 21 fics on AO3 tagged “mlm author”.

Let’s think about that. Twenty-one fics. That’s it. I know it’s a new tag and all, but jeez. Twenty-one fics. Out of how many fucking mlm stories out there? Like, holy shit. That is an infinitesimal number. It’s actually really embarrassing.

And it’s not mlm authors fault. How could it be? I mean, I remember reading one Klaine fic forever ago, and it really challenged the way I saw Kurt and Blaine. They weren’t written the way I, or most other authors wrote them. They were a lot more nuanced, a lot more complex, and the author explored issues within their gender and sexuality that I had never seen explored in fanfic before. And like, I remember reading that story and genuinely feeling like it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t the target audience for this story, because the target audience for it were mlm’s. It made me feel uncomfortable, and so I stopped reading it.

(A small side-note here, I did try and pick this particular fic back up a few months ago, but stopped once again because the author included several references to Kurt’s situation as a white gay male being worse off than Mercedes situation as a black female. The way it was written didn’t feel like “Kurt feels this way but he is uninformed”; it was more “Kurt is gay and Mercedes is straight and therefore she doesn’t understand oppression at all”, and it really felt like that was how the author felt. It was especially iffy since the story was set in like, the 1960’s.)

The point is, mlm fandom content has become this thing that is created by women for women. A lot of it comes from straight women, too.

The biggest issue with this is that it becomes inaccessible to actual mlm individuals. It’s been made so clear throughout years and years and years that mlm fandom isn’t for mlm. How fucked up is that? And like, I’m sure that anybody who may see this who is deep in mlm fandom would instantly protest. No it’s not!!!!!!!!! I am so accepting!!!!!!!! I am an Ally!!!!!!!!!! But really, think about it. In all your time in fandom, how many mlm people have you actually interacted with? And of those people, how many have you had positive interactions with? Because holy shit, I remember one mlm fan who got into so many fucking fights with straight fans, where the straight fans would shut him the fuck down. He criticized how they portrayed a mlm couple and they wouldn’t have it. They told him he knew nothing and blocked him. Let me repeat that: straight women told a mlm fan that they knew more about mlm relationships than he did. Like, what the literal fuck!!!

And like, here’s the thing. I actually know of quite a few wlw who are very deep in mlm fandom. In fact, a lot of the Klaine blogs I still follow are run by wlw because a lot of the ones run by straight women just make me too damn uncomfortable (I know I still follow a few, though). Most of these wlw do present more nuanced views of mlm relationships, in the way that only fellow queer people really can, but, I mean, at the end of the day we’re still wlw. We’re not mlm.

(Another side-note is how interesting I’ve found it to see all these wlw Klaine fans go from mlm fandom to mlm fandom. They’re just as deeply stuck in mlm fandom as women are, which absolutely blows my mind. I think there’s maybe two wlw run Klaine blogs that I follow that seem to have any interest at all in femslash. It’s honestly the weirdest phenomena.)

What’s interesting to me about all of this is how it plays into the writing of original fiction, which I know feels like I’m swerving a bit, but bare with me.

So, if you’ve been following me long enough, you’ll know that I’ve had some very serious issues with a publishing company called Interlude Press. I haven’t spoken about them a lot lately because the last time I made a post it garnered the attention of someone who informed me that the IP family had recently suffered a death, and this person believed that I was trying to “hit them while they’re down”. That wasn’t the case at all, as I am very removed from IP and don’t follow any of their authors, or people who buy their books (I think there may be a few that I still follow, but like with the straight female mlm fans, they’re rare). Still, I wanted to be respectful, so I backed off.

Why am I bringing up Interlude Press? Because they’ve come back into my radar recently in a totally different way than before.

See, over the past year or so I’ve started following several LGBTQ book blogs. I think I follow four or five. Recently, some of IP’s books have started to make appearances on these blogs.

Here’s the interesting thing about it: it’s only the books written by their wlw authors about wlw characters that make it onto these blogs.

My biggest issue with IP was that they called themselves an LGBTQ publisher, but only published books about cis gay mlm. I think it was a good year into their publishing career before they even published a book that featured a cis bi mlm protagonist. Like, it was really, really obvious that they were not an LGBTQ publisher; they were a cis mlm publisher.

The thing about that is that almost every single author they brought on board? Female.

I’m serious. That publishing company is filled to the brim with female authors. Yeah, some are wlw, but a lot of them aren’t. So, here you have an LGBTQ publishing company that only publishes novels about mlm couples, but all their writers are female. Do you see why I had issues with them?

In a way, though, they came by it honestly. IP started because the people who run it wanted to publish some of their favourite Klaine fanfictions as original novels. We’ve already established that mlm fandom is this woman-run operation that gets to the point where it almost excludes mlm fans. Is it really that surprising that all of their authors were female, and all of them wanted to write about mlm’s?

But now, here they are. They’ve finally started publishing wlw stories written by their wlw authors. And guess what? Those are the stories that are making it only LGBTQ book blogs. Those are the stories people are hearing about. I recently saw a post on one LGBTQ book blog about a talk some authors are doing, and several of IP authors were on there. The one the blog singled out? C.B. Lee, a wlw whose wlw story is the one that has put her back on my radar (she is also the one who wrote the first bisexual mlm character for IP).

What I’m getting at throughout all of this is – Own Voices. Although there are quite a few mlm original stories that are written by women, the one’s that I’ve found I enjoy the most, the ones that actually make me feel connected to the characters, are the ones I’ve read written by mlm authors. It’s the same with wlw original stories. Because here’s the thing -- mlm authors are always going to understand what being a mlm individual is like WAY more than female authors (even wlw ones) will.

Fandom is a strange place, a place where mlm content is produced and consumed almost entirely by women. But original content? That’s a different ball game. And sure, there are a lot of women who exclusively read and write mlm stories, but often those stories aren’t the ones that make splashes within the LGBTQ community. At least not as far as I’ve seen.

This is honestly such an incoherent mess, and I don’t know if I’m even trying to make a point with all this, but I just had to get it all written down.

One final note before I go to take a nap. For the past several years I’ve found myself drifting further and further into femslash fandom, to the point where I barely ship any mlm couples anymore (I think Klaine may be the only one atm). It’s been tough, since there’s a lot less content than there is for mlm couples; even the popular wlw couples get way less content (I know I bitch and whine about holtzbert a lot, but even they have an abysmally low amount of fic considering they’re the biggest ship in the GB fandom – especially when you compare them to popular mlm ships like Sterek or Johnlock or Destiel). But honestly? I feel so at home here. Almost every person I’ve met through femslash fandom is also a wlw. Do you know how wonderful it is to exist in a fandom where you’re writing about characters like you, and reading stories written by people who are also like those characters? You would not believe the difference it makes reading wlw fics written by wlw, as opposed to mlm fics written by wlw or straight women.

Own Voices, man. They’re important as fuck.

[strawbabybug]

001 yuri on ice 002 leoji 003 chris (i hope its okay i askedd a few (๑ˊ▵ॢˋ̥๑)

It’s more than okay nonnie :3c

———————————————————————-

Yuri!!! on Ice

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

Favorite character: Oh jeez, like all of them… I literally love all of them. But… um…. lets say either Phichit or Minami or Leo

Least Favorite character: I literally do not have one. I love all of them.

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Victuuri, Leoji, Seungchuchu, Milasara, Michemil/Emimike

Character I find most attractive: Otabek like hot damn

Character I would marry: Phichit hands down I will marry him right now

Character I would be best friends with: Minami or Phichit

a random thought: how is it even possible to love every single character in a show, even the smallest ones???

An unpopular opinion: JJ is good and deserves better treatment in the fandom because he’s not an asshole, he just tries really hard to make friends and messes up or says the wrong things

my canon OTP: Victuuri

Non-canon OTP: Leoji

most badass character: Yurio, he’s 15 years old and he worked so fucking hard and ended up winning gold because of his hard work and him pushing his limits.

pairing I am not a fan of: JJ and Yurio…. just… no… def not for me…

character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Michele probably, I wish they had done less of suggesting incest with Sara cause it was weird. Like it was small enough that I can look past it, but still…

favourite friendship: Yuuri and Yurio

character I want to adopt or be adopted by: I want to adopt Minami and Yurio, they are my sons

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Leoji

002 | send me a ship and I will tell you:

when of if I started shipping it: Leoji didn’t really start being popular until Guang Hong literally imagined himself taking a bullet for Leo, but the first time they were on the screen, my first thought was “omg small boyfriends” and it only kept growing

my thoughts: They are pure and they are best friends that realized that they loved each other and they just… they are the fluff pairing

What makes me happy about them: everything, they are adorable and they love each other 

What makes me sad about them: time zones and distance… they work through it, but I imagine that they miss each other a lot…

things done in fanfic that annoys me: nothing really, I haven’t found a leoji fic that I disliked

things I look for in fanfic: fluffffffff and reunions

My kinks: I don’t ship them sexually a lot, but I do like the idea of Guang Hong dressing up for Leo, in like the playboy bunny type outfits or short skirts and heels and stuff

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Phichit

My happily ever after for them: Guang Hong moves to America to live with Leo and they share an apartment and have a little chihuahua thats named something cute like Taco and they visit Leo’s family every weekend because Leo’s family absolutely LOVES Guang Hong. Leo’s mom basically already adopted him and loves cooking with him and trading recipes. Leo is a coach and teaches kids how to skate and he plays music in his spare time (maybe teaching kids how to play guitar too), while Guang Hong works at an animal shelter, taking care of them and helping them get adopted, and when he isn’t there, he’s vlogging. (A lot of his vlogs include Leo and Taco, because he loves chasing them with a camera.) He does a lot of cooking videos because he just likes to, and he’ll post videos of Leo singing and playing guitar, and tag/challenge videos. Especially when Phichit comes visiting… So many videos will be recorded then. They go to bed every night thankful that they can finally hold each other and be in the same time zone, and they are happy.

———————————————————————

Chris

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you

How I feel about this character: oh where to even start… he has no chill and I love him and 

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Mystery man (I heard Kubo calls him Masu…. something…. I can’t remember what it is and I can’t find the tweet right now :/ but yeah him)

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Chris/Victor. they are like… brotp but they’ve also definitely fucked before. at least once.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don’t think that Chris is really sexy? like… I think he’s really pretty, but not necessarily sexy

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I wish it had GIVEN MYSTERY MAN A CANON NAME AND TOLD US IF HE IS CHRIS’ BF OR HUSBAND.

my het ship: ????? um… Chris and Minako maybe i guess?

my fem/slash ship: Chris/Mystery Man

my OTP: Chris/Mystery Man

my OT3: Chris/Victor/Yuuri

my cross over ship: huh… um… idek man

my kink: that god damn flower crown my god

a head cannon fact: After the banquet, Chris helped Victor get Yuuri back to his hotel room. Chris was drunk, but not nearly as bad as Yuuri. Victor had enough to be tipsy, and his inhibitions were out the window… Am I implying that they had a drunk threesome in Yuuri’s hotel room after the banquet, and that Victor woke up the next day and got Chris out of there before Yuuri woke up because “hold on I called dibs why are you here?” but then he also had to leave so Yuuri had no idea what had happened when he woke up? Yes, most definitely, I am.

my gender bend: Christophina/Chrissy, her hair is long and wavy/slightly curly and it’s blonde with the underside dyed brown. She got hella curves and she knows she’s hot af and she loves to show it off. I also feel like she would make lots of gay jokes and reminds everyone that she’s a huge lesbian, which makes her girlfriend sigh constantly. She’s fiercely loyal and will help anyone who needs it, she’s a huge feminist and she loves cats (especially hers)

[takenews-blog1]

Katy Perry Channels Marie Antoinette in "Hey Hey Hey" Video

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/katy-perry-channels-marie-antoinette-in-hey-hey-hey-video/

Katy Perry Channels Marie Antoinette in "Hey Hey Hey" Video

On Wednesday, the 33-year-old pop star launched a brand new music video, “Hey Hey Hey,” a monitor featured on her Witness album. The clip reveals her dressed like Marie Antoinette, full with a gravity-defying wig, costume with a corset and hoop skirt and sweetness mark, in addition to feminist icon and warrior Joan of Arc, with a colourful, eyeball-themed outfit.

Within the video, “Marie Antoinette” lives within the fashionable world; she FaceTimes, she eats packaged snacks and drinks iced espresso. However she could be very a lot a killer queen, and harmless in addition—Her servants polish her Robin Hood: Males in Tights-inspired chastity belt. In one other scene, Marie Antoinette face-plants whereas strolling down a hallway with books on her head. In one other, Joan slashes via the corset with a sword.

Marie Antoinette makes an attempt to interrupt some limitations of her personal and is overtly disgusted with a person, probably the queen’s husband King Louis XVI, who orders her beheading at her rejection of him after which incurs Joan’s wrath.

And in a scene that pays tribute to the well-known saying typically attributed to Marie Antoinette, the queen’s topics eat cake—and so does Joan.

Perry had teased the video earlier this week with photos and a behind-the-scenes clip.

“Katy-Claus is coming down ur chimney tomorrow with a visible present,” Katy mentioned.

“After a 12 months of peaks and valleys (keep in mind, it is all a journey), I needed to finish 2017 with a enjoyable, triumphant piece of pop sweet,” she wrote. “Simply consider it as a glam little stocking stuffer from me to you.”

“‘Hey Hey Hey’ is certainly one of my favourite songs from “Witness” and for me, it embodies the preventing spirit I all the time need you to have the ability to discover inside your self, and to see in me,” she mentioned. “So ho, ho, ho; and hey, hey, hey; and completely satisfied holidays.”

[motherofrainbows-blog]

Princess: The Dirty Word

Why is being called a princess an insult? What gives the word the sting? The backlash that sends people running to their keyboards and pounding out riots?

The answer is simple, it is associated with weakness. Girls are the weaker sex, the gentle people who sit at home and nurture the children. While the men go out and wage war with their guns and their swords. Hunt with their bows and arrows, return a hero bearing meat on their backs.

It also puts in mind the image of the classic damsel in distress. The stupid girl sitting on her castle window in a tower somewhere, praying for a prince to come along and save her. Making friends with animals to pass the time and falling in love the second anyone bothers to say a grand hello.

In essence, the word princess is meant to invoke a feeling people have felt for centuries. Powerlessness, weakness, being thrown down under the bus and screaming as you watch the tires rip up your face. It makes us feel powerless and broken down, as if the only useful thing we could do is sit there and do as others tell us. That is what princesses do, after all, isn’t it?

No.

Princess has become a victim. Not of her own doing, but by the people all around her. Men, women, people who have come along and poured crap all across her good title. She has been put in a prison where there are only two categories she could fall into. Classic age, or modern day. Someone who sits in the window waiting for prince charming, or someone who slashes his throat and proclaims she doesn’t need anyone but herself. Many people would be inclined to believe that the latter is the better of the two. But I propose we analyze both stereotypes of the princess, and think on what each means.

The classic princess for certain is the very reason the term has been allowed to become derogatory. For far too long, men made princesses weak. In European countries princesses were treated, more or less, as baby machines with a giant sack of money attached to her. Dowries used to sell girls away into a life of servitude and, often, abuse from her lord and husband as well as a double standard of infidelity. Of course there will always be exceptions to this. Queen Elizabeth, for example, lived a long and proud reign as the Virgin Queen. An independant woman in her own right, someone who didn’t look to a King for every decision she made. Mary Queen of Scots was renowned for her affair with James Hepburn, otherwise known as the Earl of Bothwell, granted their circumstances were far from ordinary in the cases of royals. But in stark contrast, there are thousands upon thousands of records of kings and princes having ‘favourites’, ‘mistresses’, and ‘concubines’ and all sorts of sexual contact outside marriage...Yet no backlash.

In comparison, the modern day princess is someone who does not, bluntly, take shit from a man. She can wield weapons just as good as anyone else. Stand up to her enemies for herself without a touch of fear. Look that attractive prince right in the eye and tell him she doesn’t need his romance. She is a proud and independent force whose only support she needs is herself. Examples in modern day culture, let us focus on the infamous case of...Disney princesses. Moana has made records in recent media for being what many people consider to be the first truly independent disney princess. She fights, she stands up for what she believes in, is of equal power to her fellow protagonist, Maul. Whatever comes at her she bounces back and doesn’t let anything keep her down. And in so many ways, she is grand and inspiring for little girls all across America. But she also represents something else, a modern day classic that I believe is highly troubling. Part of the reason people love Moana so much is a very simple fact...she has no romantic interest.

Here, my readers, is where I see the issue.

Why, in order to be considered revolutionary and feminist approved, is there a requirement to be single?

Of course women need to be able to care for themselves, there is no question in that. Every person, whatever their gender is, has a right and a need to be able to exist without a romantic partner. You need to be able to understand and care for yourself before you should ever consider sharing your life with another. And when it comes time to meet that person, they need to be just right for you. Whatever that means to you and not anyone else. This does not mean you should disregard the advice of others, but they are not the ones who have to exist within the relationship. If there is not a threat within it, you feel safe, happy, and secure every day with that person, whomever they may be, I would think it is safe to assume you have found your match.

That being said, there is always going to be someone who prefers the company of themselves. That is okay, I am in no way trying to attack the people who are single and proud. Currently, I myself am one of these people. But someday, personally, I would like to share my life with someone. This is not the case for all people. But for those who do, I know I want to live in a world where this is accepted. Where I do not have to sit and listen to other women, and sometimes men, tell me that because I am in a relationship, I am not feminist. I want to live in a world where a princess can have a romantic interest, and still be considered a powerhouse who can fight for herself. Because true love has no limitations, it does not hinder your ability to defend or live for yourself. True love only add to that gratification you get from yourself, and it will come in the form of another person. That does not mean you depend on them, it means you love them. You can stand life without them, but you prefer your life to exist with them as long as you are both healthy and happy.

This is why I question this common belief, that you can only be an independent woman if you are alone. That is not true, nor will it ever be. You can always be your own person, it is a matter of choice. Choice of who you love and who you associate with, or who you chose to be in your daily life on your own. And your partner can be the very same way, woman, man, agender, whichever they are. You can always be able to care for yourself, and still have a healthy relationship.

So why are princesses with love interests degraded? Because, unfortunately, often times in media we are confusing real romance with theatrical romance. The ‘love’ you see on movie screens is not often what real love looks like. Though of course, as with everything, there are always exceptions to this rule. And people love to put up the classic image of a woman giving up everything for her love. Or her love giving up everything for her. But is that love? Or is that a good plot devicey way to make people burst into tears in the theatre. Think about it. “Oh he loves her so much, he gave up his entire career for her!” “He would give up his life for her!” “She would die for him!” So on, so forth.

Looking at another example from Disney, Belle gave up her entire life for her father and lived as a prisoner with the Beast. Of course, in the end he ends up changing and becoming her Prince Charming(Prince Adam). Their love affair has always been a sore spot for many people, for several different reasons. Abuse, beastality, anti-feminist. And as it stands, some of these claims are very true. As much as I love, and always will, the Beauty and the Beast films, there is no denying that the instant Belle fell in love with the Beast she was quick to give up her idea of “More than this provincial life”. Even though I would like to think that in the end, after their ballroom scene, they go and galavant the world just like Belle wanted, introducing the Beast to everything he had missed during his trapped state...Reality is that they likely stayed in the castle, had children, and lived the typical monarchy life.

Now, it is time I addressed something many people have thought, does being a housewife, or living the stereotyped role of a woman make me Anti-Feminist?

No. The entire point of Feminism is that women are equal to men. If, in your relationship, your say and right is just the same as your partner’s, then you are not Anti-Feminist. You are just living a life that is not considered to be the classic Feminist role nowadays.

Again, the typical Feminist ideal forces women who are comfortable living a different way to think they are hindering the cause of their fellow women. Isn’t that the exact opposite of what feminism intends? Isn’t the driving force of the movement to be accepted for who you are, whoever that is, and being given the rights and privileges just like anyone else?

Yes.

Then why have we been brought to this point? There is nothing wrong with single living, there is nothing wrong with being a single mom, a housewife, someone without children, an independent ‘boss ass bitch.’ Women are women. Men are men. People are people. They can live however they chose to, as long as it does not hurt or demean others.

Then why does the term princess still cut? And why, now, in a time where women have more rights than ever before, are we limiting our ideal ‘princess’ to a single woman? There are all kinds of women around the world. Of all different circumstances and races, manners, thoughts, and bodies. No woman should ever have to feel Anti-Feminist because she fell in love. And no princess should ever have to be degraded, and thought less of, because she fell in love.

Love does not hinder, it makes you grow.

The term princess refers to someone who has a royal title, the negative connotation comes from people who have made her seem weak. Who have limited her in her life, and changed her to a cut example out of a sheet of paper and plastered her on the walls and said “This! This is a princess, because I say it is!”

But now is not then, and I propose to everyone that we rethink the term princess. Like how other groups have reclaimed their names in the past, why can women not do the same for princess? Princesses can be strong, they can be weak, they can be anything and everything in the world because she is a person. And people are not limited to what people believe they are, or should be. People exist because they are unique, and princesses are just the same. People, a name. They only have whatever power it is you chose to give them.

Picture a movie, if you will, of a princess who is independent and strong, but also has a love interest. Also proud and strong of who they are. They do not hinder each other, they complement one another and build them up to be a better person because of the love they share. Two people, in one relationship, striving always to be better not just for the other but for themselves. When the giant crushing moment in the movie happens, they both collectively rise each other up because two forces working together can overcome challenges. Just as a single one can.

Picture a world in where girls say they are princesses proudly, and everyone looks and them and says “Yes, you are a princess.” Without assuming damsel in distress, or pink lace bows and fancy dresses. But whoever that person is, just with the title princess before their name. Something that makes them happy, and proud of who they are.

That is a princess. Someone who can be anyone they want to be, with whomever they want to be with, or not at all. They are themselves. Not a derogatory word that tears them down. They are proud, and they are strong, even if not physically, mentally, or whatever strength you want to be.

They are a princess, and nobody has the right to take that away from them.