#and as I been saying - this series' triumph of show don't tell in this relationship makes it more naturalistic and compelling than most rep

[deancasforcutie]

#YEAH #this was their way of telling the story they wanted!! (via @a-couple-of-dumbasses)

"Show us, not tell us."

~Supernatural Then and Now podcast. BONUS CLIP: Ben Edlund Talks

They couldn't TELL US. So they kept SHOWING US. Over and over and over again.

Dean and Cas loved each other. They were IN LOVE. BOTH OF THEM. Dean was never allowed to "tell us" but he "showed us" constantly.

"Ok, we know what the subtext is, bury is a little bit"

I'M GONNA THROW UP

[reneereadskingdomofash]

1/8 I really wanted to ask you a question, anonymous because I don't have an account, and anons are off on your main blog so I'm asking on this one! There are no spoilers in this, I promise you. KoA is coming out very very soon, and that means I'll have to do a reread of Tower of Dawn, my favourite in the series. How should I read it? ToD is my favourite because I really love the new characters and worldbuilding. But the main reason is because of Chaol. This book meant a lot to me

its below a cut because its long... 

2/8 because of his healing arc. I didn't even love Chaol that much before this book, though I never really thought he was that annoying. I did think his actions toward Aelin and Nesryn were crazy. But the thing I loved most about the book was the message to stop hating yourself for your mistakes, to forgive yourself, and get up when you fall. It was the Valg darkness that had injured him, wasn't it? And it was feeding off of his pain and regret.3/8He had to face all of it to finally be completely healed when Yrene realised that the Valg weren't just an enemy to fight against, they were something to be healed from. I think his insecurities and regrets, and his feeling that he was a failure, were also just like a parasite. That message that this darkness that doesn't let us go forward, that tells us we're not good enough, is like a parasite, and can literally and figuratively paralyse us, and we have to let go of it, really helped me.4/8 I think we all have those feelings in us sometimes, and they are the real enemy, just as much as the Valg are in this series. Tower of Dawn showed me how to fight them. When I first read the book, I was in a bad place and felt like I had failed everyone, and this book let me heal. Now I'm rereading this series and I'm back in a less-than-healthy place, and this year hasn't been that easy. But I've been thinking a lot about the characters—more specifically, Chaol.5/8 He became my favourite character in this book, but I've read so many reasons why I shouldn't like him, and many ways in which he's problematic. I don't condone all of his actions, but I never really read him as annoying. I can see where they're coming from, though. One of the most well-known metas on Chaol is the one about how ToD wasn't his redemption arc and he didn't really change, and mostly stayed the same idiot. I never really read the book to see him redeemed.6/8 I just liked the message of his healing. Heir of Fire is a very close second to ToD as my favourite, because of both Aelin and Manon's change of view. (Side note: Aelin went through so much in the series and triumphed, so it seemed a really crazy idea to put her in an iron coffin, and give her that feeling that she's failed everyone again. But I think it shows that the path to complete self-acceptance in anyone's journey is never linear. But I digress! Enough about my love for healing arcs.)7/8 The point is, there are many, many valid reasons to dislike Chaol, and so many of the things he's done—not just to Aelin and Nesryn, but throughout the whole series—are pretty stupid. But can't I like the good parts and learn from the bad parts, without condoning them? Are the people who like Chaol better at excusing problematic things or something? The reasons to hate him are all such good reasons, and I acknowledge them. I feel like I should probably start reading him that way too.8/8 I'm sorry for all the rambling in your asks, but my question is: should I do my reread looking for all the reasons why I shouldn't like him, or is it okay to read it my way? I acknowledge the wrong things he's done, but does it make me a bad person to like him anyway? Does liking problematic characters make me a bad person? Is it all right if I didn't read his character as that annoying? I feel very conflicted about this, and that's why I'm asking you.

Hey NONNIE! 

I am so sorry I only just saw this as I came back to tumblr today! My asks are back open on my main btw - or they are supposed to be. :) So I’m first going to say that we all take in books, movies, stories differently.

Sure over time some are deemed to be "less than great" while others triumph and are called the best books of a generation. (and I disagree with a few of those lol).

I like to listen to a lot of different point of views in the tumblr world. But I have learned that people will see what they want to see. 

Read Tower of Dawn how YOU want to read it. 

If Chaol is your fav that’s valid. Even if Maeve was your favourite - that’s Valid too. We can like characters without condoning what they do. We can like stories while knowing that they might contain controversial topics. I loved Tower of Dawn when I first read it. And I Loved it the second time as I read it simultaneously with Empire of Storms.

I'm sure I’m going to go off on a tangent so I apologise if I do.

But its important to read for your own enjoyment. Decide what you think. Decide what you like or don’t like. Its fine. Then if you decide you want more ideas and perspectives then look for them. But don't beat yourself up if you don’t completely agree.

And if your mind changes after a second read - that’s fine too. Opening ourselves to more experiences and stories is what makes us more accepting as a whole - I believe.

So I'm going to focus on your questions before I go on a meta Tangent.

Should I do my reread looking for all the reasons why I shouldn't like him, or is it okay to read it my way? - READ It however you want hun

I acknowledge the wrong things he's done, but does it make me a bad person to like him anyway? NO You are not a bad person Example. My grandfather cheated on my grandmother with another person. He was still my grandad. I still had a relationship with him. I use this story a bit. He did some dumb shit but it never made him a bad person. He did some worse shit to some other people which def could make him a bad person, but he was still my grandad and I loved him. He lived his life and made mistakes and spent a lot of his life trying to atone. WE ARE HUMAN. And I think it actually says a lot about SJM's storytelling abilities to make such complex characters. The older I get - the more I seem to forgive people for some things and condemn them for others. When I was 15 I told my uncle he was going to die if he kept smoking - I was blunt and brutal and didn’t care. Now I wouldn’t say that - but I also wouldn't let my kids be around him while he smokes and I would say that to him instead. He can do what he wants - i’m not there to police his choices. So I guess perspectives change, or how we go about enacting change changes. Anyway You are not a bad person. I am not a bad person.

Does liking problematic characters make me a bad person? um short answer - NOI really like Lorcan. A lot of people don’t and that’s fine. But he's my problematic character I'm stuck on hahaha 

it all right if I didn't read his character as that annoying? Yes because we all make friends with different sorts of people.My best friend is not going to be your best friend. We cant all be the same. Different backgrounds and morals, beliefs etc are going to mesh together and we form friendships. So you can have your best friend and not need everyone else to love them too - the world doesn’t work like that. So loving a book character that other people don’t love is fine too. 

I feel the conflictedness- (I just made that word up its now a word) but honestly. Do what you enjoy. Do what you want to do. Don’t let it get you down. Remember Dorian and Chaol are BFF's so he's gotta be the right best friend for someone and maybe you are just more like Dorian than other people are - ;) right!  hahaha. 

Sorry I’m not sure when u sent this ask, hopefully its not been answered too late. :) 

[recentanimenews]

OPINION: I Don't Know Who'll Win the Anime Awards, But Here's Who Should 2021 The More Correct-er Edition

  Ah(hhhhhhh!), the Anime Awards. It comes earlier every year. It was only some 360-ish days ago that Demon Slayer took the coveted title, and I went 0/6 on my predictions for who would win. But as another awards show comes, much like the changing of the seasons, does a whole new collection of hot takes begin to bloom. And oh how I have been taking care of them like my new pandemic succulents (poorly)!!

  There's a lot you can say about the last year. There's a lot you can say about the last year in ANIME! But since I don't have a Clubhouse invite yet, you're gonna have to hear about it right here in written form. This is also the only opportunity I have on company time to talk about who should win and who actually should have gotten nominated in the first place, as well as make up my own totally fake awards because this is my article!!

  When presented with the likelihood of something being infinitely close to zero, Simon from Gurren Lagann said that means it isn't inherently zero, so as far as he's concerned, that makes it the same as a 100 percent chance. That's the sort of cartoon logic that is very healthy to bring into the real world, as well as guessing who is going to win an awards show, so let's get to it! 

  1. Best Director: Shingo Yamashita

  While he is not nominated, Shingo Yamashita has had an incredible year, not only directing two of my favorite openings, but also ones I could consider all-time highs. Simply put, I really like the guy and his art direction, and he always seems to deliver something unique and interesting when he is in the director's chair. Through that unique style, he was able to work with a team of really talented animators to make that statement right from Episode 1. Pay attention to the people in your life who have opinions on the direction of the Naruto vs. Pain fight, but then turn around and talk about how cool the aforementioned openings are.  

2. Best Japanese VA Performance: Mamoru Miyano's Kansai Accent

  This is a very indulgent choice (well, this whole article is), but out of all the voice actor performances this year, I'm still thinking about Mamoru Miyano's Kansai accent. Playing the volleyball star Atsumu Miya from Inarizaki High in HAIKYU!! TO THE TOP, either Miyano or the people he worked with really made sure to train him to have the thickest Kyoto accent imaginable, and I was enthralled. It's kinda hot? I think Miyano works best when he plays characters with a bit of an edge and goofiness to them (see his performance Kotaro Tatsumi in Zombie Land Saga), so having him star as the eccentric setter was a perfect fit. I do wonder if Atsumu Miya and Kotaro Tatsumi ever met if it would be an unstoppable force/immovable object situation.  

3. The "You Were Right" Award: Akudama Drive

Image via Funimation  

This is not a real award in this year's Anime Awards, but I think it deserves mention for a series that was so under-nominated. So, Akudama Drive started last October and everyone was losing it. One person (I think it was our own Adam Wescott) described it as "a show where every episode feels like the season finale." But I continued putting it off. Sure, the first episode has a guy who swings around Osaka like Spider-Man on his motorcycle, but there's no way it could keep up. I also haven't played any Danganronpa, so I wasn't familiar with this sort of Kazutaka Kodaka romp, as his storytelling and style is written all over it. But after the show finished, I went back and gave it an honest shot ... and you were all right! It's really great and doesn't let off the octane at any point! This was definitely one of the strongest series I watched this last year, with its pointed cyberpunk storytelling and a particularly fantastic season finale — which might be my favorite episode. So whatever categories Akudama Drive is nominated in, sure, I think it should win ... wait, it was only nominated for Best Fight Scene!?  Anyway, I should have listened to you all sooner. Mr. Kodaka, I'm sorry for doubting you. 

4. Best Animation: Beastars

Image via Netflix

  As I wrote in our Best of the Decade list last year, Studio Orange's utilization of 3D animation is a treasure to behold and a jewel of the industry. Eiji Inomoto and the staff at Orange are putting out shows that are frankly the gold standard for the form. Beastars is no exception, far exceeding any expectations I had for what an adaptation of Paru Itagaki's animal drama would look like. However, in the case of Beastars, it's not only the CG, but also the multitude of other animation styles the staff integrated throughout the show, and none of those unique styles ever repeats! I think it says a lot for a studio and a show that not only perfects its main style but also includes phenomenal companion pieces that are fantastic on their own. For such drive and direction, and excellence in their field, not only would it be a win for Beastars, but also a win for the everlasting creativity coming out of Studio Orange. 

  5. Anime of the Year: Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

  In any other time, I would have chosen Beastars as the Anime of the Year winner (see my praise above). But this hasn't been any other year. It's been quite a terrible one, to be honest. But in some sort of cosmic irony, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! started 2020 as one of the most optimistic and deep-hearted series I've ever seen.

  A lot of people pitch Eizouken as an anime about making anime. I agree, to an extent. Anime seems to be the surface for the themes the show is playing with, as it's far more a series about the creative process and the imaginative fuel artists use when molding their ideas into something tangible. It's also about the interpersonal relationships of those creatives and how people can create community and teams around their strengths and weaknesses. It's also about how tiring and expensive it is to make one of these things! Truly, it takes a village. Eizouken grabbed a lot of anime fans' attention early last year, particularly those who enjoy these sorts of explorations of the artistic mind. My former editor and good friend Zac Bertschy was one of them and wrote the episode reviews for Eizouken every week. Each time I read one of his articles, that passion and enthusiasm lept off the page. And let me tell you, when Zac was passionate about something, he'd let you know. His thoughts and takeaways were genuine to an extent I hadn't seen in a while. This series truly was something special to him. Zac's passing still hurts, and seeing Eizouken's nomination continues to remind me of what was not so long ago. But seeing it nominated in the first place gives me confidence that anime fans around the world also saw that passion Masaaki Yuasa and Science Saru were presenting. Seeing Eizouken take a big win would be a triumph for the art and artistry we all love so much, as well as an exemplary showcase of the drive that truly makes this stuff magical. Jonathan Clements ended his book Anime: A History with a line I've been thinking about recently: "... the future of anime as an art form, and as a thing of enduring value, still rests as it did at the time of its inception, in the hands of artists and artisans with vision." I truly believe Eizouken is a celebration of that ethos. And for that, I hope it wins Anime of the Year.

  Anyway, as always, waitin' for the big one when I'm 5/5 on these predictions.

        Kyle Cardine is an Associate Editor for Crunchyroll. You can find his Twitter here!

By: Kyle Cardine

[notacyborg]

This is such good meta!

I love the comparison between Buck and Tommy, Gerrard and Bobby's relationships, and how that affected the friendships of Tommy Chim and Buck Eddie.

Outside of shipping or ignoring textual evidence of growth and change and ignoring that showing a white gay man admit I was part of a fucked up power structure to protect myself, and that was so fucking wrong of me and not worth the price I paid…

Some of this could have to do with the decline in media literacy. I’m not saying this as a tee hee. I’m saying this as someone with an MFA in Film and Media who ran screenings and talks for film History 1 and 2.

Between my last year of undergrad and the last year of my masters there was a step drop in understanding context of the era, reading of characters actions, and things that could be taken from the over all design of the film.

I really hope, in this case, it’s shipping blinders.

New fans might not have seen The Begins series of episodes for the context of growth.

Some younger fans might not be old enough to understand that queers in Hen / Karen / and Tommy’s age range talk to each other like that on the reg. ( that’s coming from my lived experience) it’s not a sign of hate; people in their late 30s to early 40s will just ignore you and tell their friends they are dating a sack of shit.

The stuff with Chim, there is more contextual evidence that they patched shit up; in fact, there is evidence that Chim took part in the homophobia to some extent in the earlier days… team Jacob, he’s calling you gay ect, ect, etc.

We don’t see what work Tommy put in, but we know it did; OP makes excellent points on context clues.

It’s like the propaganda unit we would do for media history one later in the semester. Students would be confused as to why we would start with Starship Troopers….

All of them sure wanted to do their part…

But that would change super quick once we showed Triumph of the Will, and they would realize that Starship Troopers has parts that are shot for fucking shot, and it’s to show you give anyone the right target, and they are susceptible to all kinds of pressure and messaging.

But these skills and reading context and textual glues seemed to taper off.

So, part of me hopes it is just fandom blinders and not an inability to read context and textual clues.

But OP is spot on in that Tommy’s arch and him blatantly saying I was part of the problem, which is why I don't have what you do, which is key to his character. He admits he was a bad person; even when Bobby came, he had already been working on himself. It's clear that when he left, he kept working on himself.

Actually, no. The shippers in the 911 fandom who primarily complain about Tommy and his past don't actually care about Tommy's past or his actions that contributed to the previous toxic workplace environment and harassment at the 118. Not everything is about a fucking ship, believe it or not, yet the only time they bring up his behavior is in relation to shipping. And because the only time they bring up a valid critique of Tommy's character is during shipping "discourse," I'm convinced it's not brought forth in good faith. Finding a way to tie everything to a ship—especially things like racism and misogyny—is cheap and tasteless. Not everything is about "shipping;" shut up about the shipping.

I don't think they actually want to discuss how white queers contribute to the marginalization of others, including other queer people, by weaponizing the patriarchy and/or white supremacy in their favor because so many of them are fellow white queers themselves. They don't care about how Tommy inadvertently, because of his past, provides a realistic portrayal of how white queers divide or hurt the larger community because of an inability to find solidarity with people of a different background, culture, or race (especially if it would "inconvenience" them or if it does not directly benefit them, like Chim saving Tommy's life). White people would rather choose misery and isolation over standing with or up for non-white people. White people are generally not willing to put in the work to build community; they'd rather contribute to the system or fly under the radar to avoid being shunned by the structures they, and the Ol' Boys Club, benefit from, like white supremacy or the patriarchy. Most white queers would rather be complaisant, complacent, and complicit. It's the white queer's adherence to oppressive systems that divide the community, not people's calls to tear those systems down. And it's only the white queer who can change their perspective on this.

Tommy only has himself to blame for his jealousy and alienation from a supportive and familial community, and only he can take the steps to ameliorate the situation. Tommy was an absolute fucking dick to Chim and Hen, and that has had long-term consequences on his life. Only he can correct for his behavior. He contributed to a toxic work environment, referring to Chim as a Chinese takeout delivery man, actively participating in Chim's hazing, and telling Chim that he did not like the man (mostly because he didn't know him). He would later call Hen "bitchy," and the men of the 118 would leave the "domestic work" to her as they did Chim, actively contributing to her hazing. He did not (verbally) stand up for her, iced her out, and also contributed to a homophobic work culture that made same-sex attraction the butt of jokes. He contributed to this toxic culture to fly under the radar, and that directly hurt people he should have extended a hand to.

Unfortunately for most of the fandom, this is, ultimately, a show that loves stories about redemption and resolution. And there is actual, explicit (meaning, non-subtextual) evidence that Tommy has put in some work to remedy what he did and who he was (including being able to 1.] own up to his past actions, 2.] understand how he hurt others, 3.] recognize why he did what he did and how that it is an explanation, not an excuse, and 4.] begin to make amends or rectify the situation, like reporting Gerrard and changing his mind about Hen and Chim). Hen and Chim would not have invited him for drinks regularly if they thought he was "irredeemable." The 118 would not have thrown him a going away party if they disliked him. Chim would not call in favors from Tommy on more than one occasion or even describe him as "so cool" if they weren't—well—cool. Eddie wouldn't enjoy ring-side fights and basketball games with Tommy if he didn't enjoy the man's company. Tommy also clearly refers to the type of man he was in the past tense, implying change over time. It can be argued that he has not put in enough work, but that's not what's being argued. We're getting bad faith arguments that Hen, Chim, and Eddie hate Tommy or bad faith arguments where Tommy's past actions are only brought forth as some sort of "gotcha" when a fan prefers canon representation over homophobic fan fiction tropes. You don't have to like Tommy, but making up non-textual reasons to dislike him is absurd.

Tommy, as a character in a narrative, provides a lesson for the general audience (GA), the majority of whom are white. It's not just important to see queer people on screen; it's important to see white people learn and change and admit they were wrong. It's also important that the show—well—shows the GA that whiteness and man-ness affect people's perception, position, and treatment. Tommy isn't just a gay man; he is a white gay man, and this has had a direct impact on how he navigates the world and how the world interacts with him. Gerrard treats men like Sal and Tommy differently than men like Chim or women like Hen, and staying in Gerrard's good graces—like the good graces of oppressive power structures—requires one to conform to a very narrow definition of a "real man," like being straight, white, palatable (like... not kinky, not risqué, not queer, all the things the fandom seems to actually hate Tommy for), and not helping oust regressive figures from positions of authority for the way they treat your coworkers. The audience got to see how Tommy went from being the prodigal son to being openly mocked by men like Gerrard. And it's important to show the GA that someone can and will be happier if they go against the grain and that admiration from men like Gerrard means very little in the grand scheme. Tommy is happier now after having been "rebuked" by men like Gerrard than he was when he strove for their praise and acceptance.

It's also important to show that men like Gerrard and his beliefs belong in the past, even though they exist in the present. This is a network TV show. A non-zero number of men like Gerrard catch this show weekly. It is still important to show that Gerrard is not the "type" of man anyone should aspire to be. His beliefs and actions are not commendable, and the show is very heavy-handed about this. The show is going to once again compare Gerrard ("bad captain") and Bobby ("good captain") to show how Bobby has created a good legacy at the 118. It began this parallel with Bobby Begins Again, continued to reinforce Bobby's good legacy in Buck's coma arc, and then revisited how Bobby has had a positive influence on the lives of the 118 in his season 7 montage. Now, the show is going to compare and contrast him and Gerrard to reinforce how important Bobby is to those around him. The show will also continue its inadvertent parallels between Buck and Tommy, showing how Buck is a different man under similar circumstances because he has had good influences (re: Bobby, Hen, and Chim) in his life. Buck and Eddie's relationship was shaping up to be very similar to Tommy and Chim's relationship: oppositional because of one-sided disregard and dislike, but it didn't because they had a good influence: Bobby (given the rather... fucked timeline, Tommy was likely newer to the 118 when Chim joined and, like Buck, his hostility and posturing were also likely influenced by insecurity and a desire to secure his position at the table).

Most unfortunately for many, the show is also going to show how Tommy has changed due to the same influences (re: Bobby, Hen, and Chim). They wouldn't have re-introduced both Tommy and Gerrard and mentioned their dynamic on more than one occasion if they weren't going to do something with that. Season 7 set up Tommy's upcoming arc very nicely. He knows the man he was, he knows the man who shaped him into that, and he knows how and why that was wrong. We'll get Tommy confronting his obvious daddy issues, jealousy, and desire for community (and why he didn't get a family-like dynamic at the 118, re: Gerrard *and* Tommy's own behavior). Tommy has been explicit about this, literally telling Buck that he envies the relationship the people at the 118 have and mentioning that he was not a good person, and this played a part in why he didn't have the same rapport.

9-1-1 is not a perfect show, but it does reflect some of the positive changes of our time. It's important to see representations of comp-het—like Buck, Tommy, and Michael—and how it negatively impacts people's character or relationships, and then how they—the character—can amend that. It's important to see stories that depict how silence is complicity and how refusing to be silent—as Hen refused to be—makes change and changes minds. It's important that the show reminds the audience that Hen is a black lesbian and that this has impacted how people see her and treat her, but that she is just as capable, if not more so. This includes men like Chim. Because I see nearly none of the people who "critique" Tommy in the name of "shipping" ever bring up how Chim has leaned on the patriarchy for support and a position at the table. He may have been the kindest to Hen, but he was by no means normal about women. And it is important to see how non-white men benefit from the patriarchy even as they are victimized by white supremacy. It's also important that the show shows the GA that non-white men are not affected by white supremacy equally, as Michael and Harry have had discussions about blackness and police brutality, a conversation that Chim is never going to have to have with his children, but that doesn't mean that Chim won't have to one day have a discussion with Jee-Yun about how and why some people treat her differently.

But the fandom approaches everything in a very... Catholic way. They don't approach this from the view that people can change and should be pushed to change; rather, they shun people like they've been marked by original sin. The structures we live under have deeply affected each and every one of our worldviews. "You are not immune to the propaganda" includes your personal philosophies and ideologies as well as the things you were taught since you were a child, consciously and "subconsciously." But, people would rather condemn everyone else as "irredeemable" than look critically at their own behavior out of fear of being "one of the bad ones." They'd rather *not* accept the fact that everyone has learning and changing to do as that would reflect upon them, too. This leads to being very resistant to being told that you're mistaken, you've hurt others, or that your behavior and beliefs contribute to repressive, dangerous, or toxic ideas (and we've seen a lot of that; y'all do not create safe online spaces). This leads to a lack of personal change as well as a lack of change at the interpersonal level because rather than teach or challenge, they stick up their nose and turn the other way. "Their barbaric bigotry; my enlightened neglect."

So, really, they've learned nothing from a character like Tommy.