#and capable within the story shes an amazing compelling character

[cdfreak]

alright guys heres my official mandatory post explaining why you should watch scavenger's reign on netflix <3 i think my trek (and general scifi) mutuals would all really enjoy it, especially if youre into alien/speculative biology - a main focus of the show is all the different biomes, flora, and fauna of this alien planet, and how our heroes can use nature's tools to survive. the humanity of robots is also explored in the show, for you android fans out there ^_^ !! not to mention, it's just an incredibly written show - the dynamics between characters are the legs this show rests and walks on and god are they strong!!! the evolution of relationships as stakes are heightened and limits pushed is sooo beautifully done, you feel engaged and personally invested in every group. its definitely an upsetting story at times, it doesn't shy away from grief, death, the gruesomeness of nature, but there is ultimately a happy ending (at least in my opinion) and i was left feeling very satisfied with the story and Extremely excited for more.

[battlekidx2]

Blue Eye Samurai Thoughts

These thoughts are sort of scattered and don’t cover everything I think makes this show great but I wanted to get something out about this amazing show.

Every once in a while an animated project comes around that makes me sit back in awe that something this phenomenal was allowed to be made. That something this rife with creativity, care, and emotion was given the freedom necessary for the people behind the scenes to make an authentic experience that really pushes the boundaries of what animation can do. And Blue Eye Samurai did just that. 

The last time I felt that way about an animated show was Arcane.

Blue Eye Samurai follows Mizu, a child of mixed race that was deemed a monster due to her parentage, and her journey to kill the man who sired her. It’s a dark, tragic tale that blends 2D and 3D animation to create a story that centers themes of prejudice, class, identity, found family, revenge, and loss.

It’s one of the most gorgeous shows to come out in the last few years. With pretty much the entire show having the ability to leave you breathless. The action scenes in particular are standouts (shocking I know).

In these action scenes the show really embraces the freedom its rating gives it without falling into the usual trappings shows with a mature rating tend to. Blue Eye Samurai has an abundance of bloody gore filled violence that never becomes gratuitous. It all feels purposeful and poignant within the story itself and how it explores its themes. It gives the consequences of Mizu’s revenge depth. Not just in how it effects the people around her and the collateral, but also in how the violence Mizu perpetrates effects her.

This is best explored in episode 5 (The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride), which is probably the best episode in the season, where we get to see a glimpse into Mizu’s past and how her path towards revenge is solidified.

The hopefulness of the past is directly juxtaposed with the bloody carnage of the present, while the story of the bride and the ronin is told over the course of the episode. There’s a foreboding that is layered over top of every scene in the past, the knowledge that in some way this goes wrong and leads Mizu to this point. To become this force of nature capable of cutting down men without hesitation.

It shows those parts of Mizu she’s lost through the hardships her life threw at her and those parts she’s been forced to discard herself to accomplish her goals.

The loss brought on by the hardships her life threw at her is shown in the past with her mother and husband and their betrayal and death. And the parts of herself she’s had to discard is shown in the present when she initially spares the boy that turns her in and almost gets the women in the brothel and herself killed that she ultimately kills in the end when faced with the same choice.

This is all just scratching the surface of this exploration, but I think it gets across the point that this show does a good job of exploring the nuances of revenge and what led Mizu to this point.

It’s the show’s meticulous exploration of aspects of Mizu’s character that makes her such a complicated character and an amazing protagonist. I don’t know if anything I write would really do her justice, but the complexity and nuance of her character alone make this show worth watching.

The second most interesting character to me was Akemi. 

Akemi’s arc is incredibly compelling. She goes from feeling trapped and trying desperately to escape to learning how to use her cunning to try and become great. But because this arc is occurring in Blue Eye Samurai it isn’t as straightforward as that description makes it seem on the surface. That arc is flipped on its head and to show what I mean I want to look at the scene on the bridge.

That scene on the bridge after Seki dies was one of the most intriguing of the final episode. That moment you can see the shift in Akemi’s desires from that of freedom to that of greatness. In many ways this isn’t the victory that it should be.

The wording seems like that of someone taking control of their own destiny and deciding to pull themselves up to a position higher than anyone thought possible, but the framing with the city in flames behind her, the shogunate’s enemies burning alive, and Seki dead on the ground put it in a more tragic/sinister light.

And those words she speaks that are on the surface sound triumphant echo sentiments that her father has said to her (telling him he’s only alive because of her and the belief that she can control the shogun, etc). Her desire for greatness even reflects his own. 

This isn’t really freedom and considering the almost naive quest for that freedom she went through during the season and was even hopeful she could obtain just moments before, living out her days with Seki on his family farm, make this feel less a victory and more like she’s becoming what she has to. That she’s hardened. That she’s starting down a path that mirrors Mizu’s in some ways.

And this mirror between Mizu and Akemi is clearly intentional. The show itself visually mirrors the two within this same episode in the exact scene I was just talking about.

And throughout the season she is the most direct foil to Mizu. Both found different ways to try and work around the inherent restrictions being a woman in 1600s Japan would entail, to gain any semblance of freedom from those restrictions, but were ultimately hurt by those expectations/restrictions in a way that forced them to change.

They took how they handled it in two completely opposite directions (Mizu presenting as a man and Akemi using her sexuality and forced marriage to her advantage. In broad, over-simplified terms: rejecting femininity vs embracing it to achieve their goals) which is what makes them such interesting foils for one another.

This parallel/contrast to Mizu makes her the most interesting of the supporting cast and her end point puts her into what might be the most compelling spot out of all the main characters heading into next season.

(Plus she’s voiced by Brenda Song aka Anne Boonchuy and London Tipton)

Honestly all of the characters are given nuance that makes them at the very least entertaining.

The show even manages to make a character that could have just been comedic relief an interesting character and an avenue to expand on its exploration of themes with (season MVP) Ringo.

This is best shown through Ringo’s views of greatness. They at first seem shallow and naive. Not really looking deeper than the surface at what this idea entails and he floats from one thing to the next so easily that it can initially seem unfocused, but I think that’s the point. Ringo doesn’t really know what greatness is so his view of it is constantly changing and what he believes he can be great at is constantly changing too. 

Just like the audience he is awed by Mizu’s strength and ability in battle, but as the brutality and reality of what that skill brings comes to light the idea that this skill and determination is greatness slowly dims. It never entirely dies out because this isn’t meant to destroy his idea of greatness, but instead change it from a black and white binary to something that is more blurred. He still sees greatness/potential for greatness within Mizu, but he doesn’t see her as the pinnacle anymore. The end all be all.

And what he can do to be great constantly changes because he’s suddenly had so many opportunities he never could have dreamed about, due to his disability and being stuck at his father’s noodle shop, opened to him that he needs the time to explore what he wants. He’s still trying to find his calling and by the end of the series he might have found the start of it in the same place that Mizu did– With Swordfather. 

The one thing about Blue Eye Samurai that didn’t quite work for me is the use of music. The show’s score is beautiful and used to great effect, but the music it chose to put over scenes would pull me out of the moment almost every time because it used highly recognizable songs that I’d heard in so many pieces of media it felt inauthentic and jarring.

This is a small complaint because there are only 2 scenes where the music choice did this, but I felt I should mention it because of how important these scenes were supposed to be. The rest of the show easily makes up for this small gripe.

I could probably ramble about this show all day but I’ll cut this off here and say this: Blue Eye Samurai easily lives up to the hype that everyone has been giving it. It’s a visually stunning show with compelling characters that explores its themes in such depth that I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. 

Random thoughts

I love the shot of Mizu in The Great Fire of 1657 where she’s staring Fowler down, flames behind her and eyes a piercing blue, because of the perspective of this shot. This is shown through the eyes of Fowler, the man who just brought an army to the shogunate’s doorstep with the plan to take over Japan, and yet he’s afraid of Mizu and the lengths she will go to achieve her goals. It’s such a chilling shot that absolutely shook me to my core. (Man Blue Eye Samurai is amazing at these types of shots)

Taigen is a character that I had a lot of fun with, but didn’t make as much of an impression on me as the rest of the characters. He isn’t as complicated and compelling as Mizu and Akemi or as thematically interesting as (season MVP) Ringo. I wish I had more to say about him, but I don’t. I do think his dynamic with Mizu is interesting though.

Fowler is a really fun villain and I can’t wait to see how he plays off of Mizu now that he is going to be her guide in London. I can’t wait to explore those bombshells he dropped in the finale about Mizu’s origins.

The fights in episode 6 were the most visually stunning to me in the season. The way it played around with lighting and perspective was incredible. 

I didn’t talk about it much above but I thought the way Blue Eye Samurai explored Mizu’s relationship to her gender to be very compelling and nuanced. The way it’s handled lends itself to a fascinating exploration of identity and gender that I think is important.

Swordfather has such a great relationship with Mizu. He knew she didn't leave his house the night before and just decides to adopt her and teach her everything he knows, giving her a stable relationship that doesn't reinforce her shame. He doesn't recognize her mixed heritage as a point of shame instead embracing her for who she is and letting her know that her mixed heritage doesn't make her impure, standing up for her when the bandit threatens to hit her and insults her origins. This genuine care is something Mizu desperately needed as a child and it was amazing to watch.

I think I want to go into greater depth at some point on my points on Mizu and Akemi being mirrors to one another and how The Ronin and the Bride explores violence and loss and how they're intertwined in Mizu's life at some point.

It’s shows like this that make me even more frustrated at Netflix. They were on such a role in animation and were (and sort of still are) a driving factor in changing the landscape of adult animation that they were frequently the platform that I was most excited to see new animated projects on, but then they absolutely gutted their animation division and showed little to no respect to the work of those that made the animated properties and I lost a lot of respect for them as a result. I really hope projects like Blue Eye Samurai keep being made and that platforms start respecting animation like it deserves.

I kind of feel like adding a few adult animated recommendations on netflix to this so here goes: Arcane (duh. It’s a masterpiece), Pluto, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, Castlevania, Carol and the End of the World, Skull Island, Inside Job, and Tear Along the Dotted Line.

[tokensbossh]

Everything We Know About Marvel Character Firestar

Firestar, the fiery mutant superhero, has captured the imaginations of comic fans and movie-goers alike with her unique powers and compelling origin story. First introduced in 1981 on the NBC animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Firestar was created by Tom DeFalco, Chris Claremont, and John Romita Sr. She quickly evolved from a sidekick in the animated world to a key player in Marvel Comics. Firestar's journey in the Marvel Universe has been diverse and rich, solidifying her place in superhero lore. From her first appearance, fans were drawn to her fiery abilities, her backstory as Angelica Jones, and her complex evolution as a character, making her a standout among Marvel's vast array of heroes. In this article, we will dive deep into the history and powers of Firestar, examining her rise to fame within Marvel Comics, her key appearances, and her status as a mutant superhero. Whether you've known her from her days as a New Warrior, her involvement in the X-Men universe, or her time with the Avengers, there’s much more to uncover about this fiery hero. This comprehensive guide will explore Firestar's origin, powers, relationships, and how she fits into the greater Marvel Universe. Join us as we break down her significance and evolution across different media, from comic books to television and video games.

Origin and Creation of Firestar

Everything We Know About Marvel Character Firestar (1) Firestar, originally named Angelica Jones, was created by Marvel Comics writers and artists, with her debut appearing in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends in 1981. The character was specifically designed to be part of a trio of young superheroes alongside Spider-Man and Iceman. Angelica Jones was a high school student who developed the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation, essentially giving her the power to create and control heat and fire. This power set her apart from other heroes, allowing her to serve as both a formidable fighter and a dynamic character with complex emotional depth. In Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Firestar’s character arc was one of growth and empowerment. Though initially reluctant to fully embrace her powers, Angelica gradually transformed into a confident superhero. Her introduction to Marvel Comics was a significant milestone in the development of female superheroes in the early 80s. This transformation from animated character to comic book hero cemented her legacy and established her as an important figure in Marvel’s superhero pantheon.

Everything We Know About Marvel Character Firestar (1) Firestar’s Powers and Abilities Angelica Jones, aka Firestar, possesses the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation. This power enables her to create intense heat, fire, and energy blasts. In addition to her basic pyrokinesis, Firestar can project devastating energy beams capable of burning through solid objects or incapacitating enemies. Her powers also allow her to fly by using the microwave energy to lift herself into the air, further enhancing her versatility in combat. Firestar’s abilities have evolved over time. In certain alternate realities, such as the Mutant X Universe, her powers have expanded to the point where her entire body becomes a conduit for microwave energy. In these versions, she is an even more formidable force, capable of powering massive devices like a stargate with minimal effort. Her strength and power vary across different storylines, but in general, Firestar is depicted as an extremely powerful and resourceful hero, especially when fighting in environments that enhance her abilities, such as space. Firestar's Role in the Marvel Universe

Everything We Know About Marvel Character Firestar (2) Though she first gained recognition as part of the animated series, Firestar's journey continued in Marvel Comics, where she became a member of the New Warriors. This team of young heroes brought together individuals with unique powers and backgrounds, and Firestar fit right in, showcasing her leadership skills and commitment to justice. Her time with the New Warriors further shaped her identity, allowing her to become a more central figure in the Marvel Universe. Beyond her tenure with the New Warriors, Firestar has also made significant appearances in the X-Men and Avengers storylines. Her connections to mutants, especially as a mutant herself, make her a natural fit within the X-Men world, though she has often functioned independently. She’s appeared in numerous Marvel comics, continuing to fight alongside superheroes and even dealing with the struggles of being a mutant in a world that fears and hates her kind. Firestar in the Media: TV Shows, Video Games, and Movies Firestar’s popularity grew as she made her way into various media platforms, including television shows, video games, and movies. Besides the Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends animated series, she also appeared in The Super Hero Squad Show and various Marvel video games. Fans were able to see Firestar in action as a playable character in video games such as Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Marvel Strike Force, where her powers were fully showcased in exciting battles against iconic Marvel villains. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues to expand, there have been speculations and hopes from fans that Firestar could one day make her way to the big screen. While her live-action debut hasn't yet come to pass, her influence as a character is still present, with many seeing her as a potential future addition to the MCU. Firestar's Legacy and Impact Firestar's legacy is far-reaching. As one of the first prominent female superheroes with such powerful abilities, she broke ground in a genre dominated by male heroes. Her character development over the years has inspired countless fans, especially young women, to embrace their powers, both literally and figuratively. Furthermore, her evolution from animated sidekick to a leading hero in the Marvel comics demonstrates the lasting appeal of her character. Her presence within the Marvel Universe speaks to the ongoing diversity and expansion of superhero narratives. Firestar’s complexity as a character—her struggle with her identity, her powers, and her place in the world—resonates with fans on a deep level. In a world filled with superhuman abilities and epic battles, Firestar continues to shine as one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes. Read the full article

[xjoonchildx]

y'all it's about time i put this doctorate in minism to good use, right?

these are all amazing yoongi fics by amazing authors. as with any list i put together, there's no way it's comprehensive and i'm sure i left someone out, but i'll do my best to keep it updated as stories come in!

please note that all fics listed below are 18+/mature unless otherwise indicated.

bound by obiwrites (AO3 only)

current obsession. i don't know how obi manages to write such compelling characters and relationships. i would literally read a fic that was just outtakes from fights between yoongi and OC because their dynamic is that addictive. this is a continuation of the arranged series which you guys know i'm nuts for. so, so good.

strike a chord by @snackhobi

i am weak for a delicious build-up. joy absolutely delivers that in this fic. the slow simmer of the attraction between OC and piano player yoongi (bonus app is so damned satisfying. and just wait till you get to the smut.

i'll float away by @ppersonna

a masterpiece. this fic ripped my damned heart out but in the end it was worth it. a gripping story about addiction and heartbreak and making it through to the other side. wonderful.

take one by @untaemedqueen

one of the wildest and most interesting plots i've read in a damned long time. d's idea was so damned original. a fic within a fic. i loved the way this unfolded and of course, the smut was fuego.

the mark of yun-ki by @ladyartemesia

viola is one of the most creative writers on this site. she weaves a hypnotic tale of birthright and claim in this story that makes you not want to put it down until the very last word.

dig deep by @johobi

this characterization of yoongi absolutely makes my knees weak. the tsundere vibes but at the same time hiding the softness beneath. this story is so creative and wild but then it gets so incredibly hot. truly a fantastic read.

please be naked by @floralseokjin

i said it when i reblogged it, i'll say it again. one of the best yoongi fics i've ever read. i loved the angst and the complicated feelings in this fic. i love love love pining. this was incredibly well done and the smut was absolutely scorching.

birthday girl by @btsarmy9593

one of the most original stories on this site right now. an OC with an unusual situation, a chance encounter, and the relationship that unfolds is so different and fantastic. i love this quiet, confident yoongi and this OC who is slowly coming into her own. one of e's best stories.

want a taste? by @suga-kookiemonster

i believed every single word that came out of yoongi's mouth in this fic. ashley's characterization was perfect, the OC was smart and funny and capable. i'll never look at those massage chairs at the mall the same way again.

moonlit throne by @hobidreams

this is lush and sweeping, truly engrossing. you can absolutely tell the amount of care and detail rain put into this series with the historical backdrop. it is also just a pleasure to read, so wonderfully written and so easy to get lost in each drabble.

backstage by @wwilloww

this fic was so hot it bent my mind. just idol AU yoongi blowing off a little *ahem* steam backstage. willow's writing will forever be some of my favorite and it doesn't matter if she's doing drama or smut or angst, she always delivers.

back to bed by @hesperantha

lil sold this as a sleepy smut and honestly that's the best thing about it. a soft, simmering, believable slice of heaven in between the sheets with min yoongi. sounds great, right? great.

fortuitous by @underthejoon

if you've been following me for .05 seconds you know my ultimate weakness is an arranged marriage fic. this is so wonderfully done, the way these two characters accidentally come together before being put together.

not your fairytale by @yeojaa

i will forever ever ever simp for erin's writing. the flow and the cadence are spectacular. i love how she describes the quiet moments between two people sniffing around one another and as usual, she does that beautifully in this fic. childhood friends to lovers which is a bonus, because as i've mentioned we love a delicious build-up.

a scam marriage by @xotoosweet (SFW)

again, y'a strangers being forced to marry under less than desirable circumstances, right? great. because this fic was great. OC and yoongi cook up a plan to get through a financial tough spot and as with all well-laid plans. well. you know.

blood bounty by @lemonjoonah

lemon's MIND, you guys. one of the most creative writers on this site. this retelling of anastasia is so damned captivating and interesting. i loved this yoongi, afraid of himself and afraid of missing out on something he wants so badly. beautiful.

the dinner party by @lamourche

one of the first BTS fics i ever read and it stands the test of time. i love how real these two are, how evie makes them believably flawed and damaged but still at their essence, good.

miss dial by @versigny and @cyphertrip

okay, this is just a lot of fun. an errant text, a sexy yoongi, a miscommunication and what follows is just hot and satisfying. i love yoongi's characterization in this fic.

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Comic Review - Amongst Us Book 1

A masterful combination of comedy, subtle romance, and incredible sensuality

I make no attempts to hide my complete admiration and infatuation with Shilin Huang's Yuri webcomic Amongst Us. The slice of life AU featuring reimagined versions of the lead characters from fantasy series Carciphona as a lesbian couple has held a special place in my heart for a long time. I named the series one of the best Yuri works of the past one-hundred years, can frequently be found lurking in the author's Twitch streams, and even have a wall in my office dedicated to the artwork of the main couple (or I did before my office became a remote classroom). So, when a Kickstarter by Shilin and Hiveworks Comics launched promising a print version of the work, I was eager to support it financially and promote it with my humble platform. The Kickstarter took place in March, and books were initially estimated for release in May of 2020. However, as you have probably realized by the dates alone, the world went very South around this time. A combination of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, a healthy amount of bad luck, and what I am inclined to believe, for various reasons, was some awful mismanagement by Hiveworks led to numerous delays. Indeed, by the time the book finally shipped, I had moved, so my copy arrived a little later as it had to be forwarded. But, at the end of this frustrating and anticipation-building event, I finally have the volume in my hands, and it was worth the wait. While I adore the webcomic, this gorgeous print volume completely enthralls me. The book is absolutely the preferred way to read this spectacular comic.

Before getting into the exquisite details of Amongst Us Book 1: Soulmates, I need to take a minute to praise how well this book is put together. The paperback binding is thick and features amazing spot glass that sparkles in the light. This feature only accentuates the fantastic and bright the cover illustration of main characters Veloce and Blackbird loving holding each other is. The back cover has a simpler but more imaginative illustration of the two flying through the sky, and the character's expressions tell you everything you need to know about this fantastic, odd couple. There are a few things you will notice upon opening the volume. The first is how well Amongst Us made the challenging transition from vertical webcomic to the page. The assembly and paneling are fantastic and clear, and chapters feature stylized illustrations and title cards. You will then see the inside cover, a powerful display that perfectly contrasts the front's glowing and tender love. Finally, there is Shilin's presents moving forward and dedication, where she lovingly dedicates the book to her partner, Kristen.

I assure you, as good as the book's presentation and assembly is, the contents within are even better. Amongst Us follows Veloce and Blackbird's bombastic relationship. The two women are eccentric and striking musicians in their early twenties, and I swear you will never forget them. The slice of life storylines are, per the genre's definition, mundane and include events like shopping at the mall, riding the train, and having lunch with a friend. The charming simplicity of the story serves well to the reactions of the characters. Shilin effortlessly transitions from adorable moments of affection to explosive and hilarious comedy and irresistible and delightful moments of sexual tension; Veloce's neck and jawline alone could topple a monarchy. Often, slice of life works can become dull or repetitive, but these stories and the frequent changes in tone help the reader stay engaged and excited.

Putting slice of life aside for a moment, it is also important to note that Amongst Us is also has an interesting place within the Yuri genre, or "Girl's Love/GL" as it is often called in webcomic circles (originally an analogous term of Boy's Love). Webcomics have often been a bit more adventurous with their storylines and styles than Japanese manga. While the genre rose to popularity in the space thanks to digital manhwa and manhua, some (not all) of the Yuri tropes did not carry over between the similar mediums. Many modern webcomics and webtoons take their inspiration more from manhwa and manhua GL, which has developed its own canon and tropes over the years. However, even for a webcomic, Shilin's work feels somewhat divorced from most other worlds of Yuri. This first volume exists mainly against the Yuri genre's expectations. However, the next book, which flashes back to the couple's origin, undoubtedly is more in line with convention, for better or worse. It feels like the author decided to screw the norms and write a work that she would enjoy, and I am so glad that she did. Veloce and Blackbird are young adults, out of school in an established relationship with no drama. This (sadly) unconventional setting is made all the more irregular because of just how distinctive, and unwonted Blackbird and Veloce are.

Blackbird and Veloce, originally from the fantasy world of Carciphona, take on a new life, literally, in this wonderful modern reimagining and homage. You do not need to be a fan of the original work to enjoy their bizarre and larger-than-life personalities. Indeed, when I read Amongst Us online for the first time, I had not ever even heard of Carciphona. Veloce is the quieter and more stoic of the two, although she is not afraid of showing a more relatable and human side as she reacts to Blackbirds wild antics. Veloce's (not)straight man approach is hilariously sobering. But, her best moments are in those when she lets loose a little bit, like when she is rendered drooling by the promise of her favorite smoothie or in her stoic yet alluring flirtations with Blackbird, only to get close enough to steal a healthy chomp of ice cream.

Blackbird, on her part, is completely insane. She continuously pulls of wild antics like jumping on Veloce to surprise her or singing an especially threatening song after a glorious battle over lunch. However, she is perfectly capable of showing her love and admiration for Veloce in her own cheeky way. However, true to form, each softer or more personal moment between the two is often immediately and perfectly juxtaposed with comedy, with the apparent exception of the book's touching and thoughtful finale. Veloce and Blackbird will both more than please readers individually, but you will fall in love with them as a couple. I must have read this at least a few dozen times between the webtoon and the book, and I am just as enchanted as ever by their loud and unapologetic love.

The ordinary misadventures of Blackbird and Veloce are accompanied by genuinely astounding artwork. No, that statement does not do Shilin's illustrations justice. Veloce and Blackbird lead from the page thanks to stunning, full-color illustrations that detail every moment of hilarity. Every movement from the slightest smirk to the over-the-top dramatizations of regular events thoughtfully and beautifully sprawl across the pages and invite you to stare for hours. Shilin is the only person possible who could make something as simple as someone softly singing Happy Birthday so epic and sultry. Speaking of which, my goddess of Yuri is this work titillating. No, there are no gratuitous scenes, but just the characters leaning over each other or touching the other's chin makes my hands shake. My only small complaint is that some early chapters show their age slightly with noticeably lower quality linework and flatter colors than the dazzling and dynamic work demonstrated towards the end. Still, even on its worst day, Amongst Us looks better than most of its peers and the entirety of its many inferiors.

Amongst Us is nearly the perfect work. It has a uniquely compelling and mirth-inducing way of displaying a young yet very unordinary couple's everyday life. Its characters, from design to personality, are instantly memorable and striking. Despite being ready to rip each other's heads off at the drop of a hat, or rather because of it, Blackbird and Veloce feel the perfect and natural couple we so rarely witness. Shilin's masterful combination of comedy, subtle romance, and incredible sensuality is astounding. This book is worth it for the outstanding and vibrant artwork alone, but its combination with excellent writing create a sonorous and majestic modern romance unlike any other. I believe that Shilin has created something genuinely special here, and I can confidently say that out of the hundreds of webcomics I have read, this one is the pinnacle of its kind and my absolute favorite.

You can purchase Amongst Us book 1: Soulmates exclusively on Shilin's online shop and read the webcomic now for free on Twitter, Webtoon and Tumblr​ @okolnir​.

Ratings: Story – 9 Characters – 10 Art – 10 LGBTQ – 8 Sexual Content – 5 Final – 10

[140smashedguitars]

Something that I love about Cherry Magic is the way it ignores a bunch of tired/toxic tropes in stories about queer people. I'm gonna list them under a read more because this is gonna get kinda long.

No homophobia This is the big one, obviously. Every story about queer people involves the main character and/or the love interest fighting homophobia. You have the character(s) dealing with slurs, mockery, being isolated from people who they thought cared about them and potentially violently abused. Instead, the only thing vaguely homophobic thing we hear is episode 7 when Adachi is worried about the fact that they’re both men, but then moves past it and tells Kurosawa that he wants to be with him. The only time anyone is suspected of being homophobic is when Minato thinks Tsuge is being homophobic towards him and Rokkaku, a (presumably) cishet character, stands up for Minato and is ready to throw hands for him, until the mistake is quickly rectified. Homophobia just doesn’t have a place in this story, and I know that homophobia is rampant in the real world, I’m not saying it’s not, it’s just that so many stories are already about that and it’s nice to see a queer story focused on someone learning to love and accept themself and realise and accept that they are allowed to be happy.

No coming out Someone made a post about how mainstream stories about queer people are about coming about because that’s what affects cishet people and mainstream media wants to cater to them. I am so tired of this; cishet people being focused on/pandered to in stories about queer people. Our stories are not about you. The stories don’t need to be for you. You can enjoy them, but you don’t need to be the centre of them for that. Instead of having literally any coming out in this show, whenever anyone is revealed to be queer, it isn’t made to be an emotional, important scene. The revelation happens, and the other character accepts it and doesn’t make a big thing out of it. When Adachi finds out for definite that Kurosawa likes him, he doesn’t think “Wait, Kurosawa likes men?” He thinks “Wait, Kurosawa likes me?” Again, I know in real life that coming out is a big and terrifying thing for queer people, but it’s not the only part of our life.

No one is already in a relationship Films like Imagine Me & You and Free Fall (both of which I like) have one of the characters start the film in an opposite sex relationship which they seem happy in, until the other character of the same sex as them comes along and confuses them and then they either want to or do cheat on their current partner and then they have to choose who they want to be with and it’s just a mess. Queer people aren’t just homewreckers or need a special person to come along and make them realise they were gay all along. Bisexual people do exist and can have happy relationships with people of the opposite sex. Who knew! Instead, all 4 members of the couples are single until they get together. Kurosawa isn’t trying to avoid his feelings by being with someone he doesn’t really like and then breaking their heart. Adachi and Tsuge obviously aren’t in relationships because that’s the point of the plot and Minato is single as well. It all works out nicely. There’s no going behind a partners back or promising to leave the partner, but they don’t want to upset them. Just 4 single people who find each other with some bumps along the way.

No aggression at realising they’re gay Brokeback Mountain, Free Fall and a bunch of other films about queer men will do this and I HATE it. One of the characters will fall in love with the other and accept that part of themself, and the other character will start sleeping with him and then get angry and then potentially physically violent if not just verbally abusive because he can’t deal with being attracted to a man and the other character will just continue to love him and want to be with him despite that. Just. Why? Queer people aren’t just toxic or drawn to toxic relationships. This is an awful narrative, especially when the films are catered towards cishet people. Instead, Kurosawa loves and respect Adachi so much, putting his needs first, going at his pace, letting him make the first moves. In return, Adachi loves and respects Kurosawa even if he is nervous about it. He’s respectful of Kurosawa’s feelings and wants him to be himself around Adachi. They love each other for who they are. We get constant shots of them smiling at/because of each other. After Adachi reveals his magic to Kurosawa, Kurosawa doesn’t get angry or upset and only interupts Adachi after he starts insulting himself. And when they break up, again, Kurosawa isn’t angry (though he’s obviously upset), but doesn’t take that out on Adachi. Instead, he takes him back literally with open arms because he understands that Adachi’s problem is with himself and that he needed time to work on that. Kurosawa wants Adachi to see himself as a good person, and Adachi wants the reverse. And even though we don’t see much of Tsuge and Minato, we know that Tsuge is so happy to be with Minato and Minato is clearly happy with Tsuge even if he has a harder time communicating. They both respect each others boundaries as well and Minato goes slow for Tsuge their first time in case Tsuge wants to stop. The relationships have clearly made all 4 of them happy and it shows the queer audience that they can be in happy, respectful and non toxic realtionships too, as is what we deserve.

No fetishisation The fact that this show is based around the main character and his best friend losing their virginities yet there’s no gratuitous sex scenes or even a kiss from the main couple is quite astonishing. Most films about queer people (especially queer men) will have so much explicit sexual content, which is probably there for the cishet female gaze. All 4 members of the couples are treated with respect within the narractive and when one of them does get overly sexualised (Kurosawa) it’s seen negatively. It forces us to see all the characters as human beings and focus entirely on their stories. What wer get instead of the fetishisation is better as well. The first time Adachi and Kurosawa hold hands makes my heart swell. Kurosawa grabbing Adachi’s hand nervously is an amazing shot and it’s so wonderfully intimate that no kiss or sex scene could’ve beaten that. And when we do get a kiss (from Minato and Tsuge) it’s there to make a point. Like I said before, it shows Minato cares about and respects Tsuge’s feelings. We know they had sex, same with Adachi and Kurosawa in the finale but they don’t show it. They don’t need to. Also, Fujisaki is very intersting this aspect. She’s the only female main character and not only is she not fetishised, she’s aroace and it’s completely accepted by Adachi. She’s treated like a human being, and she doesn’t fetishise Adachi and Kurosawa.

No one dies and both couples get together and stay together Self explanatory, but how many stories about queer people do we know of where after everything, one of the main characters die, or the couple just simply don’t end up together? I’m sick and tired of watching so many stories where queer people fight to be themselves and be with someone they love only for that fight to be futile. What’s the point? So seeing a show with FIVE queer people in the main cast who are happy and 4 of them end up in relationships with someone they love that are not toxic that we know will actually last is so refreshing. The show takes the bury your gays trope and says ‘fuck that, we’re not about that’ and I absolutely love it for it.

This show all in all is quite fascinating. It’s 5 hours long and takes all these tropes and throws them in the bin. It tells a compelling, beautiful story that I and so many other queer people really needed. It gives us hope that maybe one day we can find someone who loves us for who we are, be it a friend or romantic partner. It shows us that there are other people like us and we can find them. We are not alone. It shows us that even if we don’t love ourselves, we are still capable of loving someone else and someone else can still love us.

I love this show, and it means more to me than I can explain. I didn’t expect this to get mushy towards the end, but honestly, I want to say thank you for everyone who made Cherry Magic the way it is. It’s a truly amazing show and it’s sad that more people won’t get to see it, but I’m glad I did. ❤️

[mollyphoria]

Moodboard #3

I was not able to make another moodboard since February because there's not much difference from what I was feeling from back then to now. It was pretty much all the same. Still wanting to get away and have freedom, yk same old shit but it wouldn't be a surprise that some things did change throughout this 5 mos like :

My lovely Calico cat Jimina gave birth to 5 kittens originally. She was pregnant at the start of this year and blessed the world with 5 cute mini jiminas on March 9 (same birthdate of BTS Suga)

3 of the kittens inherited her orange and white fur while the other one inherited the dark, striped fur completely devoid of any white fur. Only one kitten out of 5 got her triple color coated fur.

Sadly only 3 survived. Jimina hid the kittens briefly first and then abruptly one day she brought them up again already grown up, able to walk and with their eyes open but she only had 3 kittens with her. I never got to find out what ever happened with the other 2 babies with one of the missing of the kittens was the one that fully inherited the Calico cat status of Jimina which devastated me the most and I'm still heartbroken to this day that some of her babies didn't get to live like their siblings. I don't want to think that they died, I want to actually believe that they somehow survived without their mother miraculously but it's only the plausible reason why they never showed up at all 😞

The 3 surviving kittens tho is a lot of fun! They were rumbustious and full of energy. They were always playing and running around in my mom's garden. Climbing up a tree or an orchid branch, playing hide and seek through the plethora of plants. It was a treat to see them just having fun and I took lots of videos. I decided to name them after the BTS maknaes nicknames which is Kookie, Mochi and TaeTae. All 3 kittens have a very distinct personality from each other like you could immediately tell that Kookie is more introverted than the other two, his more reserved and prefers to be alone most of the time, TaeTae is more adventurous and playful but he doesn't trust that easily while Mochi on the other hand is the most extroverted and trusting out of all (FYI: I named them first without knowing their personalities believe it or not). Overall they brought so much life and extra joy in me. Now that they are 4 mos old, they don't play that much anymore, I guess it's really part of growing up regardless of what species. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now onto my summer. I was dreading it's arrival. It's not fun when you don't have an AC at your house in the hottest season. But anyways this summer I've been having this strong desire to experience Italian summers. I just wanted to be in Italy soooooo bad. I just want to ride my bicycle anywhere in rural Italy in a summer floral dress and eating a delicious gelato after while listening to Love my way by the Psychedelic furs. Yes this strong desire got even stronger after watching the movie Call me by your name. It envoked so much nostalgia within me which is weird because I've never set foot in Italy before but the feeling of longing that I experience just thinking about spending your summer in Italy is very strong.

Additionally, speaking of bicycles I successfully finished my remodeling or rather repainting of an old bicycle we have here which is perfect for summer aesthetics. I mentioned before on my previous moodboard back in February that I was in the process of painting this bike and I included a picture of a bike that I would like my own bike to look like after I'm finish with it. And I'm very happy and satisfied with the end result overall! And I would love love to ride it around Italy!...... perhaps.

These are 3 of the most impactful things that had rocked my world within the past few months and they are in a form of a documentary, an animated podcast and an anime film!

1. Grey Gardens

I first discovered Grey Gardens when I was actively looking for any good documentary to watch so I went to Reddit recommendations and one user suggested grey gardens. Its description peaked my interest enough to go check it out and luckily the full documentary is uploaded in YouTube for free. And I must say I'm glad that I took the chance to watch this wonderful hidden gem!

Little Edie quickly got my full attention on her. She's one of the most wonderful and fascinating people to exist in our world and her mother big Edie was just as interesting of a character as well. The way they live their life, spending most of their time in a rundown mansion near a beach was truly a sight to behold in a weird, peculiar manner.

What gives me the most profound impact about this documentary is the topic of wasted youth with wasted potential and the ironic part when your very own lifeline equally imprisons you as well. And we see this most evidently with little Edie. There was a part in this doc that stuck with me the most and it's when the mother-daugther duo was sunbathing in the balcony and little Edie mentioned about wanting freedom from her mother and the grey gardens then big Edie answered:

"you can't have freedom when you're being supported"

And this has struck a chord on me so strong because I relate to it so much especially with my current situation. I also crave freedom from where I am right now but I couldn't because I'm not capable of freeing myself.

What's more tragic was little Edies rebuttal to her mother's hotknife realistic take which was you can't have freedom both ways. That you couldn't have freedom when you're not being supported as well. And it's very true. If you decide to go out in the world by yourself you will definitely be freed from the shackles of your former home & life but you will subject yourself to another imprisonment.

Basically We're never truly free in this life.

2. The Midnight Gospel

I think I've heard of TMG when it was about to launch on its release year and I remember i was anticipating for it to come out because i just took one look at the official poster & I knew I would like the animation then I learned Pendleton ward is a part of it & I'm a huge fan of his creations so it's a double treat but I didn't had the opportunity to watch it back then bcoz of my busy shitty life & I actually don't have Netflix. But I remember i downloaded one of its ost first things first.

Now fast forward to this year. I now have the time to watch every content out there that I missed from all the years of slaving my life away for absolutely nothing. one of those is TMG & it was a perfect timing. Ever since i took an hiatus from the rat race I decided to strengthen my spirituality & this time I want to try delving deep to Buddhism and certain philosophies which I don't have the time and energy to learn before and TMG was a great and perfect medium for me to learn further about this subjects as they tackle topics like mindfulness and meditation and much more other significant things, not to mention the superb,epic, psychedelical, full of awesomeness animation on top of equally superb awesome soundtracks is*chefs kiss ( I still have an LSS to the prisoner's song.. 🎵drinking blood from a stump of a prison guard that I just chopped up....🎶)

I felt like the universe intended for me to watch this later than sooner because if I had the opportunity to watch it back then, I think I wouldn't/couldn't appreciate this show as much as I do now. So thanks universe!

TMG is honestly one of the best show to ever grace the planet imho. An easily perfect 10/10 for me.

3. To the Forest of Firefly Lights

Now I've watched a lot of animes last and this year and I can tell in full confidence that this is the best of them all. I'm sure it's subjective but this one checked all the box for the most compelling story & amazing artwork for me.

Maybe I long for something similar with the characters, It was just so fascinating and huntingly beautiful to have someone or something (whatever your preference is) from a different realm to be by your side. Maybe I would also like to look forward for summer season to come for once, to get excited and get rejuvenated on a hot summer that otherwise would make my life hell. Or maybe and most definitely I just needed someone like Gin as a source of my utmost happiness and comfort.

Overall this anime had made me feel so much warmth in my heart with its unadulterated poignancy and I just couldn't get enough of it. What a masterpiece ✨

Ps: I recommend listening to Warning Sign by Coldplay after watching to the Forest of Firefly Lights 🌹Check it out ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

[kellyvela]

Why does Daenerys have so many fans?

Kelsey L. Hayes 

Because she was created and designed to maximize her popularity in service to the overall point GRRM is making with her. It requires her to be popular in order to work — because the whole idea is a demonstration that huge numbers of people can be manipulated into rooting for an out-and-out tyrant if the circumstances are right. What are people willing to overlook if they really like someone and in turn really dislike her opponents? It turns out, a lot. And it’s all by design, which is what makes her at once both a fantastic character and utterly terrifying if you stop to wonder what her popularity really ��� really — means.

She starts out as an underdog, a positioning done so well that people still see her in that context long after it ceases being true. She has a compelling life story, and seems tailor-made for a straight fantasy arc — the exiled princess reclaiming her birthright. She’s buffered such that the primary perspective we have of her is her own, with little outside questioning or criticism. Her abolitionist crusade looks righteous and just. Her opponents are so obviously over-the-top eeeevil that after a while it turns into almost a parody — amazing how just about every … single … opponent she crosses is graphically into rape, slavery, misogyny and vileness in general. This is part of the design — as long as the right people (read: her) are succeeding and the right people are being punished, the audience doesn’t really care how the sausage gets made.

It’s not hard to see why she had fans — she was supposed to! The point doesn’t work if she’s not popular and loved and seen as being in the right at first (and of course many people consider themselves fans even though they embrace and accept her for what she really is; this is more in reference to people who see her as a straight heroine). And in that sense the premature correct pegging of her arc looks almost like someone in the audience of a magic show pointing out how a trick is being pulled off.

What’s trickier is sorting out why she still has fans, and there I think it’s a combination of the showrunners’ sloppiness — such that people can try to convince themselves that she’ll get a better ending in the books; they can opt out of any reckoning with her for the time being — and the fact that the magic trick may have worked a little too well.

In theory people would see her destroy King’s Landing, look back, realize the various signs were all there and had merely been obscured (by thrown context and perspective, a sympathetic personal story, and an endless supply of goblin opponents), and take the lesson for what it is: It’s frighteningly easy to get people to cheer on and defend a tyrant if said tyrant is framed “properly.” But the destruction of King’s Landing should have been a demarcation point; the jig should have been up. It wasn’t, though, for many people — Dany was so well framed that even after a mass murder spree, people are still willing to defend her, by blaming what happened on the writers or on other characters, by saying she was within her right to do it, and/or by pointing to her past “good” deeds and saying they outweigh the “bad” ones.

People are uncomfortable with the suggestion that what might occur in fiction could occur in the real world, and try to draw a line between the two. It might be that there is such a line … or it might be that the point GRRM is making is so powerful precisely because it has uncomfortable real-world implications. And that’s why I say she’s terrifying and a great character: If people can defend her, a fictional character, to such a blindly faithful, irrational, emotional extent, what else are they capable of doing? They might think they know; I’d argue that perhaps they don’t, not really. No one wants to be told this, for obvious reasons, no more than people want to admit they were duped into rooting for her — another incentive to stick by her, since if she’s still good it means they weren’t manipulated at all! But maybe at a certain point such questions need to be asked; to not ask them or to treat them as taboo is to not fully appreciate how GRRM is using her to make an argument. It’s not just limited to fiction, however much we may wish otherwise. That’s what makes it so unsettling.

[ordinaryschmuck]

Top 20 BEST Animated Series of the 2010s-8th Place

It’s funny. Four years ago, there was no doubt in my mind that this show would easily make the top five best-animated series in the last decade. But the more it went on, the more...controversial it got. However, despite all the hate this next series has been getting recently, I still believe that there’s something to be desired within it.

#8-Steven Universe/Steven Universe: Future (2013-2020)

The Plot: For years, immortal warriors known as the Crystal Gems have been defending the Earth from anything that seeks to do it harm. Until one day when Rose Quartz, the Gems leader, had fallen in love with a human named Greg Universe. From that love, Rose gave up her physical form to bring her son, Steven, into the world she was sworn to protect. Taking guidance from the other Crystal Gems-Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl-Steven will try his best to grow up into the same warrior that his mom was. But as he learns more about the Gems and his mother, Steven will soon realize that he’ll have to grow up far faster than he thought.

Right out the gate, I should mention there's a 60%-40% chance that you’re either going to love this show or think that it’s pure garbage. And honestly, I believe it all depends on perspective. Like the quality of most shows, the enjoyment depends on the viewpoints you chose to take with it. Some people will look at specific decisions as well done, where others will see it all as a mess of storytelling. For instance, one person can make a two-hour-long video about how Steven Universe is garbage, and another person can make a video arguing about how it isn’t. Everyone has different reasons why they like or hate something. If you genuinely hate Steven Universe or think you might not like it, that's perfectly fine. I just hope you’ll give me the chance to explain why I personally enjoy it, and why I think it deserves all the adulation it has. 

For instance, the main thing I really enjoy about Steven Universe is its style. From the designs, to the animation, to even the music. Everything about how Steven Universe both looks and sounds leave me awestruck. First is the show’s designs of both the backgrounds and characters. Nearly every part of the world in the series looks absolutely amazing, fitting seeing how the Crystal Gems fought for Earth due to its beauty. There are also times when lore and backstory can be seen through the backgrounds, giving some fantastic utilization of visual storytelling. Such as when the Crystal Gems visit war zones and temples that they’ve spent years fighting in, showing hidden secrets that can make much more sense by later episodes. As for the character designs, they all look pretty good. Each character has a dynamic and unique style, making them all fun to look at. It’s even better when the character’s personalities are shown throughout their entire designs. I especially love how the artists managed to get creative with how real life crystals (lapices, bismuths, and jaspers) will look like people when designing the Crystal Gems and their enemies. However, I should first mention that Steven Universe is another show where the art style depends on who’s storyboarding the scene. While not as bad as OK KO: Let’s Be Heroes, it can be pretty distracting given how character sizes and proportions are inconsistent. Regardless, I still like how good the designs look for a majority of the characters. And at a practical standpoint, I think it’s great that the artists kept the figures as simple as possible as it makes animating the characters a lot easier.

Speaking of which, I really like how Steven Universe is animated. It’s not entirely groundbreaking like The Amazing World of Gumball’s or as fluid as Wander Over Yonder’s, but the animation in Steven Universe is still pretty dang good. The characters' movements look believable, and the expressions each one makes is downright amazing to see. It gets more aspiring for the show’s fight scenes. You can almost feel each punch, jab, and slash that the characters trade with each other, and the fights themselves are pretty fun to watch. As for the action itself, Steven Universe might just have the most creative action set pieces I’ve seen from any animated series. Case in point, there is an entire fight scene that’s also a fantastic song at the same time.

On the topic of songs, let the record show that showrunner Rebecca Sugar really understands music. I say this because Steven Universe has some really great music in it. From background music to full-on musical numbers, this show proves how important melodies are in a series. Look at the background music, as it not only does a suitable job at making audiences feel the right emotions but also sounds really good when isolated. As for the character motifs, each note perfectly encapsulates the character's personality that it’s meant for. Like Pearl, who has a piano melody to show off her classy and orderly personality, and Peridot, who has a more 8-bit tune to her leitmotif as a way to show off her tech side. And since we branched into talking about 8-bit, there are times when this show’s soundtrack sounds like it belongs in a really cool video game (Google Lion’s and Obsidian's themes if you don’t believe me). As for the actual songs in the show, Steven Universe has a pretty good selection. As they can be beautiful and downright awesome to listen to. And even though the show uses songs to develop the characters and story, these musical numbers can still be pretty fun to listen to on their own, with no context (most of the time).

But while a show's style is essential, it’s the substance that truly matters. And here is where we go back to the discussion of perspective. To some viewers, you might think that the substance in Steven Universe is handled well, where others...Well, I think it’s pretty obvious how they might feel.

Let’s look at the story because Steven Universe actually has an intriguing and compelling story...Or at least it does when it tries to eventually tell that story. Whether you’re a person who either loves or hates the series, everyone can agree that the slice of life episodes are easily the show’s weakest. Personally, I don’t mind them, and that’s because I view these episodes as giving me a choice between eating a chocolate cake or a carrot. The story-driven episodes are a chocolate cake. Their sweet, delicious, and I’m always craving more after just having one piece. As for the slice of life episodes, they’re like carrots. I can eat a carrot. I can digest a carrot. I might even enjoy a carrot. Hell, there are times when I’m willing to ask for another carrot. But if you’re going to give me the decision of a carrot over a chocolate cake, then I’m always going to pick the chocolate cake. Even if I enjoy episodes like “Laser Light Cannon," “Too Short to Ride," and “Alone Together," they can never hold a candle to “Jail Break," “Reunited," and “Change Your Mind." This is because the slice of life episodes give off a sense of distraction from the main story. After all, they rarely add anything new (read: meaningful) to the tale. And going back to the carrot and chocolate cake analogy, there’s one aspect that doesn’t do the slice of life episodes any favors. You see, where most shows feel like you have to eat the carrots before having the chocolate cake, half the time Steven Universe feels like you can skip most of the carrots and go straight for the chocolate cake instead. And Steven Universe isn’t the only show to try this. In fact, tomorrow I’ll be talking about a show that perfected this idea. But tomorrow's series manages to make both the story and slice of life episode the chocolate cake instead of the carrot. And it has everything to do with the fact that the characters care about the situation they’re in. There are actual moments in the show where Crystal Gems refuse to participate in everyday antics because they simply don’t think those antics are worth their time. Which is something you never want to do. Because if the characters don’t care, then why should the audience? Speaking of the characters--

I want it to be known that I like the majority of the characters in Steven Universe. Greg, Connie, Peridot, Amethyst, and Garnet are all enjoyable to watch in their own way. Not only is their development on point, but their personalities are all likable, and their issues are also relatable. It’s three other characters that things get a little iffy. Those characters being Steven, Pearl, Bismuth and Lapis. If you ask me, I like these characters, and I think it’s fun to study/analyze their personalities. However, these characters make decisions that audiences are either going to hate or love. It’s sort of like that optical illusion of the old lady/young lady (Google it). Some people can see the ugly old hag, where others will see the beautiful young woman. You’re most likely going to see one or the other, and it isn’t until someone else points out what you couldn’t notice that you are capable of seeing both. It’s something very similar to Steven, Pearl, Bismuth and Lapis. One response is that you’re either going to see characters who are selfless heroes that are victims of circumstance. The other is seeing toxic idiots who cause more harm than good to the people they love.

And then there are the people of Beach City. These are mostly hated by both fans and critics of the show. Personally, I don’t hate most of them. Don’t get me wrong, characters like Lars and Ronaldo deserve every ounce of hate they are given (Although Lars does get better). As for the rest of the Beach Citizens, I don’t think they are that bad of characters. In fact, I think they’re good characters placed in the wrong show. Some of them have issues that most people deal with (Sadie, in most of her episodes), where others seem to be slightly layered and almost intriguing (Mr. Smiley and Onion in “Future Boy Zoltron” and “Onion Gang”). In fact, if these characters were a part of a different series, I’m sure people will be more willing to watch their struggles. It's just compared to the Crystal Gems and company, the people of Beach City are not as interesting to watch or dissect. And because of this, the show drags down to a screeching halt whenever it focuses on these characters.

And the most controversial element of these characters is (semi-spoilers ahead) when the show tries to pull off redemption arcs. Steven Universe seems to work off the logic that nobody is evil, just misunderstood. There’s both a right way and a wrong way of illustrating that logic, and Steven Universe, unfortunately, does it the wrong way. And the best way for me to describe how to do this idea is to use the game Undertale as an example (I’d warn you about spoilers, but odds are you already know everything about that game). In Undertale, you play a character who fell into an underground prison full of monsters, and you have to find your way back to the surface. The monsters you run into give the impression that they’re dangerous and want to destroy you (or at least most of them do). However, the game allows the player to interact with the world and characters around them, soon discovering that the monsters are more complex than one might think. In fact, the game allows you to actually interact with monsters who tried to kill you, showing the logic and reasoning as to why. By the end of Undertale, you learn that every character you encounter is not the villains in the story, but rather victims of a war that forced them away from the surface. Steven Universe has a similar idea but fails to do it properly. All it reveals is that the villains have done bad things, realize that they’ve done wrong, and decide to have an out of nowhere change of heart by the end. The problem is that except for one character, the turnarounds don’t feel earned. Instead, they feel forced than anything else.

These elements are what make Steven Universe slightly controversial to enjoy.

(And also the ridiculous amount of hiatuses. But that’s not really an issue I have with the show, but the network running it.)

But if there is one thing I hope we all can agree on, both the pessimistic and forgiving, I think it’s safe to say that the best thing about Steven Universe is how important it is for the LGBTQ+ community. There may have been kids' shows in the past that hinted at same-sex relationships and they deserve some respect as well. But I'd say it’s Steven Universe that popularized the idea with the characters Ruby and Saphire. Not only are these two downright adorable together, but they also manage to be enjoyable characters on their own (Even though it isn’t often you see them apart, but their personalities still shine through). And I’m willing to make the argument that it’s because of these two why children’s animation is less afraid, but still cautious, of being explicit with having same-sex couples. Like I said, most shows decide to hint at these relationships, so they don't get in trouble for doing so. Nowadays? Most of Cartoon Network’s series seem to have more gay relationships than most children’s networks in recent memory. Nickelodeon allowed The Loud House to have gay parents in a children's cartoon, and one of the main characters being canonically bisexual. Hell, even Disney is currently taking steps in the right direction with their smash hit called The Owl House. Now, more than ever, kids can learn at an early age that gay relationships are more than just acceptable, but they’re also completely normal and should be accepted as such. And I’m more than willing to give Steven Universe credit for giving this trend the push that it needed, like other creators for these shows usually point fingers at it as well.

Is Steven Universe a perfect show? No. But that doesn’t mean I think it’s garbage. There are some legitimate faults that this series has, some of which I’m inclined to agree with. But with all the good it does and how much fun people have while watching it, I can’t really say I hate this series. If you think you’ll hate this show, you have every right to. I can’t change how you feel, but I can ask you to keep an open mind. Because who knows? You might be someone who will find the diamond in the rough of this series.

(Now that’s a pun you’ll be willing to appreciate by the time you reach season 5).

[themattress]

OUAT AND ME: IN WONDERLAND

Story - Because this spin-off series only lasted for one season's worth of 13 episodes, its story is simply the Wonderland Saga and nothing else beyond that, which is for the best given that the story reaches far too complete an ending for anything beyond it to make any sense. The story is about Alice and what transpired after she returned from her original journey through Wonderland as a little girl, leading up to her romance with a young genie named Cyrus as a teenager, their tragic separation, her commitment to a mental institution, and her return to Wonderland in order to reunite with her lost love alongside her friend the Knave of Hearts, all while facing threats from the Red Queen and Jafar who seek to use Cyrus’ genie powers to break the laws of magic in order to accomplish their own secret goals.

The Wonderland Saga is as tight as tight can be, with one chief setting (Wonderland), a relatively small cast of characters, and a 4-episode beginning, 4-episode middle, and 5-episode end. Of course, this wouldn't matter if it wasn't an engaging story with enjoyable characters, but thankfully it very much is. This series is the brainchild of not just Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, but also of Jane Espenson and Zack Estrin, and because of this fact combined with its limited length, it actually surpasses the original Once Upon a Time when you stack the two completed shows up against each other. Sometimes, less is more.

As I said, the story is divided into a clear-cut beginning, middle, and end. The beginning focuses on the early part of Alice and the Knave's journey and establishing who they are and what their deal is, while Jafar and the Red Queen's goals and motivations are kept enigmatic and Cyrus is trapped in a cage for the whole duration of the time. The middle lets Cyrus escape, sheds light on Jafar and the Red Queen's goals and motivations, and explores the darker sides of Alice and the Knave as we see just how badly their past traumas have affected them. And the end is all about the alliance of Alice, Cyrus, the Knave and the Red Queen as they fight Jafar and his new ally the Jabberwocky to decide the fate of Wonderland. It's here that all lingering questions are answered and all character arcs are fully completed.

As far as stories go, this is top tier OUAT. I think I like the Dark Curse and Neverland Sagas slightly more, but the Wonderland Saga comes in at an incredibly close third place.

Characters - There are less of them than in the main show, so this will be easy.

* We start with Alice, played by Sophie Lowe as a teenager and by pre-Stranger Things Millie Bobby Brown as a child. She is a wonderfully multi-faceted heroine, capable of great love and great hate, great kindness and great cruelty, great ingenuity and great gullibility, and always treading the line between holding to hope and giving into despair. While her romance with Cyrus is the focal point of the story, I love that it's not the only important aspect to her character. We also delve into her fractured relationship with her father; her initially unsteady but eventually rock solid friendship with Will; her hate, fear and distrust of Anastasia up until she finally sees the girl behind the queenly mask and how very much alike they truly are; and even her internal mental and emotional conflicts with herself on various matters that sometimes go external due to how Wonderland works. And no offense to Emma Swan, who is great in her prime, but I feel like Alice is ultimately the stronger and more likable lead.

* Cyrus really impresses me, because being the romantic male object of the heroine's attention and a guy who spends the entire first third of the story stuck in a cage, he could have very easily been a boring character. But very quickly, he shows that good looks and magic powers aren't all there is to him - this guy is smart. His cleverness and ingenuity that allows him to affect the plot even when inside his cage is something to behold, and he only gets better once he's free from his prison and gets to play off other characters with more frequency. Add to this a backstory where we see he used to be a selfish con artist, and it being his love for Alice that changed the selfish part while repurposing the con artist part for the cause of good, and you have a character you can enjoy and a couple you can root for.

* The show's breakout character, for better or for worse (no, it's definitely for worse, as we'll see in the next post) is the Knave of Hearts / Will Scarlet. Played excellently by Michael Socha, Will was formerly one of Robin Hood's Merry Men but is now an outlaw all to himself in Wonderland. He's sardonic and quippy, selfish and yet reliable at the same time, eerily muted in his emotions due to having his heart removed from his chest and yet clearly possessing deep feelings within his soul that occasionally bubble to the surface. We watch him go from an untrustworthy, cowardly cad who refuses to accept responsibility for anything to a brave and loyal friend who will sacrifice his own well-being for those he cares about. And his love story with Anastasia honestly steals the show from Alice and Cyrus', as it's full of betrayal and heartbreak and fights and truces and reconciliations before its happy ending, and that honestly feels more human than Alice and Cyrus' entirely plot-based separation.

* Speaking of the Red Queen / Anastasia, she is the female villain with a redemption arc that Regina (and Zelena, to a lesser extent) wishes she was. When she first appears, the Red Queen seems to be a chillingly calm and poised sociopath without moral scruples, but she quickly starts displaying vulnerability, and kudos must be given to Emma Rigby for conveying this through her amazing performance. Her cool, haughty face is like a mask, with more and more cracks beginning to show until we see who she really is - Anastasia, a peasant girl who was misled into a life that was full of power and privilege but that was also lonely and way over her capability to endure in the long run, and who desperately wants to take it all back and return to who she used to be. Once she realizes that she won't be getting the magic shortcut she seeks and that in the process of seeking it she'd wrought even more damage to Wonderland, Anastasia fully commits herself to doing better by everyone that she'd hurt. Even horrific torture, temporary death and mind control doesn't stop her from aiding in the cause to save Wonderland! She's amazing and more than earns her happy ending with Will.

* I could gush about Jafar, the Big Bad of the story, all day long. Jafar has always been my favorite Disney Villain, but he's the villain of an animated musical comedy, so I guess I've always had the question in the back of my mind as to what he'd be like if applied to something with a more serious tone? Well, this version of the character, played to chilling perfection by Naveen Andrews, answers that question. Stripped of most of his caricatured and humorous elements, Jafar is a psychotic, power-hungry madman who will stop at nothing to get what he desires. There is no-one he won't manipulate or torture or murder in his quest to become all-powerful. And the show also gives him a feasible, compelling and incredibly dark backstory (he's the bastard child of an Agrabahn sultan who rejected him to the point of trying to murder him) that explains why he is the way he is but is never used to excuse him or entertain the slightest notion that he might be redeemable.  This version of Jafar perfectly embodies what Roy Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg said about the original: “Jafar is just pure evil. He wants to take over the kingdom and kill everybody in sight or enslave them, or whatever suits his fancy." "This is the guy that wants it all. You know right from the start that he is a desperate character, capable of doing anything and everything to get what he wants".

* The White Rabbit / Percy is a purely CGI character, and you'd fear that this wouldn't work, but the show embraces how cartoony he is and so it actually works perfectly. He's a very appealing character as well: very neurotic and cowardly, but also a family man whose heart is in the right place and who can be very brave when push comes to shove. A lot of his likability also comes from the fact that John Lithgow (yes, I'm surprised they were able to get him too!) does his voice, and I can't think of anyone else who could voice such a character better.

* In terms of side characters, we have many Wonderland staples reimagined for this show, such as the Cheshire Cat who is now a feral beast voiced by Keith David, the Caterpillar who is now a Jabba the Hutt-esque crime boss voiced by Iggy Pop (who sounds nothing like the voice from the main show, but I digress), Tweedledee and Tweedledum who are the Red Queen's manservants (one being undyingly loyal while the other is a spy for Jafar), the sleazy Red King who tempts Anastasia into becoming his bride, the Carpenter who is trapped in a drug-like haze in the Boro Grove, the White Knight who stands guard over an important pair of doorways, and the Jabberwocky, a monster in the form of a humanoid woman whose power is being able to see a person's greatest fear and use it to psychologically torture them.

There is also mention of Alice having met Jefferson the Mad Hatter when she was a child, and Cora the Queen of Hearts herself appears in the flashback that shows how she manipulated events so that Will became the Knave of Hearts and ensure that Anastasia remained the Red Queen, whom she taught magic and villainy to and treated like a daughter. Regina, Zelena, Anastasia...is there no young woman that Cora won’t attempt to ruin?

Other side characters from other realms include Alice's highly flawed yet ultimately repentant father Edwin, his bitch of a new wife Sarah and her precocious young daughter Millie, and the cold-hearted Dr. Lydgate all from Alice's Victorian world; Robin Hood, Maleficent (voice-over only) and Anastasia's mother Lady Tremaine all from the Enchanted Forest; Nyx the guardian of a sacred well, Cyrus' mother and Jafar's teacher Amara, Cyrus' brothers Taj and Rafi, and Jafar's father the Sultan and half-brother Mirza all from Agrabah. The Sultan, by the way, is a particularly interesting character, as he's introduced as Cyrus' kindly old cellmate and you really get to thinking of him as a good guy, only to then learn who he really is and just what an utterly horrible person he was in the past. His tale is a tragic one, as while he sincerely commits to repenting, it’s not good enough and thus he cannot escape fatal poetic justice.

And then there's one side character that just really gets my goat: Elizabeth aka the Lizard, a cute young thief who has a crush on Will. She appears in the 4th episode and doesn't really do much of anything, then disappears for a while. I thought maybe she was going to end up paired with that "Mr. Darcy" suitor of Alice's from her world and it was going to be a big Pride and Prejudice reference...but instead, she reappears in the 9th episode, becomes the now genified Will's master, and makes a wish that accidentally kills her in order to give Will man-pain. And then she isn't really spoken of again afterward. What was even the point of her!? You could cut all of her scenes and actions from this story and miss absolutely nothing!

Atmosphere - I would describe this show's atmosphere as light and dark, back to back. When it's light, it is much lighter than Once Upon a Time, being very whimsical and romantic and fluffy and hopeful to an even higher degree than its parent show at its best. However, this kind of lightness helps to make the dark elements come off as that much darker as a result. And while there's certainly some dark stuff where Alice in concerned, from an intended lobotomy in the premiere episode to the intense clashing she has with her father, and in the troubled pasts of Will and Anastasia, nothing comes close to the darkness of everything Jafar-related. It's a guarantee that he will do something horrible to someone at least once per episode, although it's usually more than once. The nature of his backstory as a bastard child whose father attempts to drown him plus the intensity of his depraved power-lust also make him a particularly dark character, as is his eventual partner, the terrifying Jabberwocky. Personally, I have always appreciated stories that can balance light and dark in this way and am able to handle both of them, so this show's atmosphere is very appealing to me.

Episode Quality - All I can say here is that there is only one dud in this series, and it's not hard to spot which episode it is. Like I said, while the beginning and middle portions of the show are 4 episodes each, the end is 5 episodes...and the first of those 5, "Nothing to Fear", is incredibly awkward and poorly executed. On top of being where the aforementioned death of the Lizard occurs, the plotline with Alice, Cyrus and Anastasia is also botched. Alice clinginess to Cyrus out of worry that he might become separated from her again and she wants to savor the time she has with him now doesn't really work in the context of needing to find where the freshly genified Will went ASAP, and it makes Alice look bad - Will went through "Bloody Hell" to help her reunite with Cyrus, and now that she's been reunited with him at the direct expense of Will, she doesn't give a fuck? She feels no urgent desire to pay her friend back and be as dedicated to helping him as he was to helping her? Also, the way she verbalizes her issues sounds too ripped off of Emma Swan from the similarly clumsy episode "The New Neverland", and what works for Emma doesn't really work for Alice.

Alice's distrust of Anastasia and dislike of working with her is also badly written, in literally every other episode the tense dynamic between these two has been handled with more care and nuance, but here Alice just comes off as a bratty child. Again, Will is missing and you need to find him quickly, so being able to put aside your differences with Anastasia maturely would go a long way in helping make that happen, Alice! Also, there's a sequence with angry peasants tying Anastasia, Alice and Cyrus to stakes to be eaten by nocturnal wolf-like creatures, and it's so thoroughly mishandled to the point of coming across as comical (Anastasia really can't fight back or escape her binding despite the skills we've seen her have before? Cyrus really thought an eloquent speech was going to instantly convince the peasants to do what he wants of them? The peasants act like they're righteous people who are getting justice against their oppressor and yet then tie two completely innocent people up for daring to go against the grain on the matter? And oh my God, those wolves look awful!)

The only good parts of the episode are the very last scene between Alice, Cyrus, Anastasia and (finally!) Will, plus all of the scenes with Jafar which lead up to the Jabberwocky's debut. Otherwise, this was a transitional episode that needed a lot of fine-tuning from its makers.

Overall - Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is now on Disney+, so if you have that streaming service and haven't watched it, please do so. It's a very well-made limited series that features a great story and great characters played by great actors, and is a definite part of OUAT in its prime. And again, when both completed shows are compared, this one wins hands-down.

[fortysevenswrites]

Aaaaa I NEED your thoughts on the Bold Type. I love my girls (and go off with Sutton and Richard, season 4 who??)

Okay nonny, here we freaking go!

Sutton (And Richard)

So, I’m not active in the fandom more than randomly rebageling some Richard/Sutton gifsets because I ship the straight couple and what fic I’ve seen is like ALL Kat/Adena, more power to those shippers and those fics, but I am RIDE OR DIE Sutton/Richard. 

I love them so much. It’s such a great relationship (which...there is no back half of Season 4. They got married and live happily ever after and manage to make it work with both their ambitions. Miss me with that shit the writers pulled. Not cool. As a writer, I think that the forms of conflict that they decided to go with is really lazy writing, and there are ways to have a compelling storyline and compelling relationship without trying to tear it apart at the seams. If things change and they reconcile in S5, I might consider making my way through the end of S4, but at this point, I’m not going to waste my time.)

I really don’t think the Older Man/Younger Woman thing is THAT big of a deal (maybe it’s because I was in a relationship with a guy 11 years older than me when I was in college. Richard may or may not remind me a little of my ex ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). I think Sutton is just...remarkably capable and competent and mature enough to meet Richard at his level (even if she does have fun as someone in her early 20s would). 

Also, they are both very, very attractive people, and yes, I am more than a little shallow about that shit.

Like, I haven’t watched the show since the pregnancy drama storyline kicked in, but now that I’m thinking about seasons 1-3 and the first half of 4, I’m actually inclined to go back and re-watch, because their storyline just is enjoyable to watch. It makes me happy when they’re on screen together. Their storylines are some of the drivers of the show.

Jane

And--and I really don’t know how popular or unpopular this opinion is, but I honestly don’t love Jane as much as I do the other girls. I don’t hate her, I don’t even actively dislike her, but she’s just not my favorite character on the show ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I know she’s the lead and she is extremely compelling and I do enjoy some of her story (and she’s an amazing singer, I love when she got drunk and high and sang Torn), but there’s just a lot about her that grates on me sometimes, and a lot of times where I’m watching and I find myself thinking, “Can we go just hang out with Sutton now?”

Like, I almost prefer Oliver’s family dynamic more than Jane’s sometimes.

And I REALLY don’t like how her relationship with Pinstripe ended. He fucked up, yes, but she let their lack of communication get in the way of actually resolving their issues. And this is coming from someone who is VERY anti someone who cheats staying in a relationship even if they know they fucked up. I just really like Pinstripe as a character and didn’t like his ending.

Especially following Jane now that she’s got her own vertical within the magazine. I just...don’t love it. I don’t like this guy who they brought in to be her new love interest or whatever the hell he’s supposed to be (okay yes, part of it is because Pinstripe is SO Much better looking, but mostly because I don’t like him all that much), but I’m just not a fan of him. Also, unlike Sutton who was not and has never been Richard’s subordinate, this guy IS Jane’s immediate subordinate and I’m not a fan of that power dynamic.

Kat

I think Kat is great too. I LOVE her with Adena, but I also love how they did break up and get back to being friends (when she came in to shoot for Sutton? Like I just LOVED those scenes), but I really do think that they SHOULD be endgame. I don’t know where the hell Adena was in S4, but she should have been around.

As for the relationship Kat WAS in, in S4 (which, I don’t want to thank COVID for much, but I’m kinda glad production got shot down because who the hell knows what they would have pulled in the last couple episodes), like...what the ever-loving fuck? I’m not a POC, but I am bisexual and support liberal policies, and I would NEVER be in a relationship with someone whose family and beliefs are SO antithetical to my own. Like...I am iffy on the institution of marriage as it is, but if I was ever in a relationship with someone, and ever considered marrying someone, knowing who they voted for in this election is absolutely a dealbreaker. Conversion therapy is a dealbreaker. A woman’s right to choose if she wants to keep her pregnancy or not is a dealbreaker.

I really do not understand what the writers did with Season 4, and Aisha Dee was SO FREAKING RIGHT to make the comments that she did after the season wrapped.

So I could never realistically (or not realistically see, in the case of TBT) Kat and Ava willingly being together.

Like, what the fuck? Honestly, I think the only good relationship Kat has ever been in on the show has been with Adena.

The Rest Of The Cast

Can I just say, the way my jaw DROPPED when I watched the scene of Andrew in drag was S T U N N I N G. Like...I just was absolutely delighted by that and am delighted by him. The fact that he has gotten more and more of a role as the show has gone on was an amazing decision.

I also enjoy Alex and Sage and Jacqueline so much, and they’re all fun to hang out with. Do I think Jacqueline should have stayed with her husband vs. her hot exboyfriend? Hmmmmmm ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Oh, and I don’t remember this girl’s name, but the “Gen Z girl” that Jane hired in the second half of S4--SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN HIRED. The moment she whipped out her phone in that interview, the interview should have been OVER.

I understand people spending a lot of time on their phones (mine is never far away from me ever), but the fact that this girl, in her interview, did not even ask if it was okay to take notes on her phone? Was SO rude, and I don’t know which clearly-NOT-a-Gen-Z writer wrote that scene, but any Gen-Zer who is looking for a job, any reasonable person, would NEVER just whip out their phone while they’re being interviewed without asking for permission.

NEVER. 

Like...I watched that scene and was just stunned. And yes, I know that TBT is clearly not anything anywhere near reality, but like...that is an inaccuracy that I just can’t abide by.

You don’t pull that shit in a job interview, you just don’t.

Okay nonny, so...those are my thoughts on The Bold Type.

[immaculate-benediction-batch]

Sorry this is so long......How TV Creators Are Handling Subtext And Shipping

TV series creators have a hard time not tailoring content towards a strictly heteronormative audience, refusing to lean in to queer context, no matter howlarge an LGBTQ following a show may have.

Once a fictional character is put out for public consumption, it ceases to be the one thing it’s described as on paper. This is especially the case with TV and film, where said character goes through so many hands before hitting the screen and becoming public property.

There are three kinds of creators when it comes to queer content on TV. The first (and sadly, most typical) is the creator who will deny any intention of creating queer content, and who will also refuse to acknowledge a queer audience’s interpretation., This often results in an instant backlash, as the Supergirlcast and creators experienced after an embarrassing interview with MTV last summer. When prompted to recap the latest season, the cast broke into a cringeworthy song that mocked fans’ interest in the Supergirl/Lena Luthor pairing, with Jeremy Jordan repeatedly exclaiming that the two will never get together. It continued despite Katie McGrath’s attempt to save the interview saying, “The great thing about what we do is, like any art, anyone can read into it what they want.” Chris Wood then chimed in with “Sexuality is all about others’ perception of yours, right?”

Supergirl is a show with a large female following that from the beginning has gravitated toward the female relationships it portrays, with emphasis on those relationships with strong queer energy. At first, there was a group of internet fans that were drawn to the chemistry between Melissa Benoist and Calista Flockhart, which was maximized due to the characters’ intense mentor/mentee relationship, and that was fine, and for the most part went unacknowledged by the show.

However, upon Flockhart’s exit, Lena Luthor was introduced, played by Katie McGrath. Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor became fast friends, and fans’ fascination with Supergirl’s queer vibes grew strong enough for the the cast to take notice. One would think that by having Alex Danvers and Maggie Sawyer, two queer characters already in their orbit, fan speculation about others wouldn’t be such an inconvenience that it would have to be addressed by aggressively singing “They’re only friends!” over and over, as if the pairing were unfathomable.

But Supergirl hasn’t been the only show to outright reject queer interpretations. In fact, a few years back, the long-running series Supernatural was called out by its fans for purposefully inserting homoerotic subtext within storylines pertaining to male characters Dean and Castiel, and for rather indirectly addressing said subtext in interviews. In one of them, Misha Collins (Castiel) stated that in certain scenes with Jensen Ackles (Dean) he was directed to portray his character as a “jilted lover.”

During a Toronto Con panel in 2013, it was revealed that a line was changed by Ackles — who last year specifically requested no questions about the popular pairing be allowed during the Q portion of a panel for the show at New Jersey Con–from “I love you” to “We’re family. I need you” because the Actor didn’t think it suited his character. Despite fandom’s interest in the pairing, it hasn’t been enough for Supernaturalto follow through with an actual queer storyline, aside from the one recurring lesbian character, Charlie, who was ultimately killed off. It turns out our tolerance for queerbaiting does have its limits.

Another show that failed to address the sapphic energy between its leads, in effect rejecting a great opportunity to add a bonus layer to an already complex relationship between two women, was Damages. The thriller starred Glenn Close as powerhouse prosecutor Patty Hewes, and Rose Byrne as her protégée, Ellen Parsons. The series went on for five seasons and throughout, though it benefitted from incredible writing, its highlight was clearly the tension and undecipherable relationship between Patty and Ellen.

While there was never any doubt that their connection was what kept the the show’s palpable tension dial at a 10, anytime the subject was brought up to either cast or creators it was denied or waved off as “wishful thinking,” as Glenn Close put it. When pressed further, she added, “I think there’s something seductive about Patty and she just seduces people and she’ll lead people on. I think that can come across as pure seduction.”

With Person of Interest, Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi) and Root (Amy Acker) first connected under very unique, very dark circumstances in which one was holding the other against their will in a life threatening situation. But there was a sizzle there that the audience immediately responded to, and while both cast and writers admitted that was not their intention, something amazing happenedthey took that audience reaction and ran with it. In the end, Shaw and Root’s romance became one of the show’s more compelling storylines.

Jane the Virgin did the same. When a character, Petra, who wasn’t intentionally written as queer read queer to LGBTQ viewers, the writers saw no problem taking the interpretation and adopting it as canon. After years of keeping Petra as a sort of peripheral player within Jane/Rafael storylines, the character of Jane Ramos was introduced as Petra’s defense attorney and eventual love interest.

The third type of creator is everyone’s favorite. This is the one that takes whatever gay subtext or context there is, embraces it, and expands upon it, recognizing that it’s there from the beginning. In the Flesh and Killing Eve are true representatives of queer entertainment that isn’t trying to steer its characters toward a path they weren’t organically wanting to go.

In the Flesh, a BAFTA-award winning series from BBC 3, was easily one of the best shows that no one watched; a zombie show with depth, which isn’t easy to accomplish. The story takes place years after a virus epidemic that turned the infected into flesh-eating monsters is cured, and the rehabilitated are returning home. Its main character is Luke, one of the former infected, suffering from memories of the terrible things he did while sick, and tortured by his own suicide, which was prompted by the loss of love interest, Rick.

The series ran for only two seasons, with a total of nine episodes. It was inventive and creative and stands as one of the greats right next to shows like Hannibal and The Exorcist, which was unfortunately canceled by Fox this year after only two seasons of sacrilege, beautiful cinematography, Alfonso Herrera (Sense8) and a bisexual Father Marcus, played by Ben Daniels.

Killing Eve is a female-led thriller that proves that the secret to making great TV is treating characters like human beings with the capacity to change. Eve, who, when we meet her, is living a life that doesn’t seem particularly terrible, whose marriage appears to be solid, her job secure, is lured into potentially life threatening situations for the sake of following her inexplicable attraction to a female assassin. As if beneath the surface there is a dormant unrest that is awakened with the arrival of Villanelle in her life, and though she does not stop to examine exactly what she expects to get from it, she craves and wants more of these moments that have stirred her awake. She’s both excited and frightened by Villanelle’s audaciousness, by the intrusion into her life,

both figuratively and literally.

The season’s got a few episodes left, yet the most compelling, and most attentively queer moment is part of the fifth episode, in which the two women finally come face to face in Eve’s home. Eve is sopping wet in a gorgeous dress Villanelle’s purchased for her, she’s cold and visibly uncomfortable, therefore Villanelle suggests Eve should change, before proceeding to peel the dress off her herself. It is a scene that doesn’t downplay the very real danger Eve is in by having Villanelle in her home. However there is also an erotic aspect to it that is very purposeful, and as series creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge points out, the attraction is definitely mutual, “I knew that the first moment they see each other. I labeled that moment as ‘love at first sight.’ But I didn’t want it to be constrained to romance, or to lust, or anything like that. There’s something waking in Eve every day that she spends imagining what this woman is doing.”

This type of storytelling allows characters to evolve the way that they want to evolve as opposed to forcing them into a first page description. There is loyalty to the authenticity of the story, which comes from meticulous attention paid to the writing, which Waller-Green explains is all about going against cliché: “The moment something feels predictable, there’s a roar in me to just go to the most surprising place. I don’t want to bore myself.”

Often times, when female queer characters are introduced, it is done in order to titillate, and their storylines are the product of a male gaze fantasy. Killing Eve manages to avoid all of that with Villanelle, a character who seems to have no specific preference when it comes to sexual partners, and yet doesn’t feel the need to use her sexuality to get what she wants. In addition to that and the meaty tension between the two leads (Villanelle and the titular Eve, played by Sandra Oh), the attention paid to the very queer theme of the show is evident in backstories of characters that would normally go without one, like that of Eve’s former boss and best friend Bill, an older man in a heterosexual relationship who casually reveals he’s loved “hundreds” of men, much to Eve’s surprise, and further reveals he is in an open relationship, and happily so.

The series proves not only that queer characters are marketablethe BBC series was renewed for a second season before the first even airedbut that straight creators are capable of writing queer content that isn’t offensive or over-sexualized. Phoebe Waller-Bridge credits the authenticity of the series to a collaborative effort, stating, “Because it’s all about the characters, the little details that link the two worlds, everyone’s really made it a psychological piece rather than just an artistic painting of two different people’s worlds,” but it really just goes to show that that negative aspects of queer representation that include the dreaded male gaze perspective can be avoided as long as the bar is set high enough by the showrunner.

It only takes a little bit of creativity and imagination, and a willingness to challenge the idea that heterosexual-based television makes for the best and most successful stories.

Alex Velazquez is a writer, photographer, and queer Mexican living in Los Angeles, CA.

[smokeybrand]

Exorcism Sorbet for the Soul

I’m a little late with this one, mostly because I've been kind of distracted with a ton of other life stuff, but i got some time before errands and wanted to throw some light on a manga i enjoy; Dungeon Mesh or Delicious In Dungeon here in the states. Dungeon Meshi is a high fantasy style, dungeon crawling focused, manga with an emphasis on cooking. Now, i was a little underwhelmed by that concept when i heard it but the saving grace, the thing that actually got me to open the book, was the art. This sh*t is gorgeous, man. I loved every line, every layout, every page. It quite stunning. The creator, Ryoko Kui, has a real flair and unique look to her art and it’s absolutely stunning. Seeing her lines made me feel like the first time i saw Kubo’s art and, from me, that’s very high praise. Even more than that, the world she’s constructed is crazy fascination.

Like i said before, this is a hard fantasy manga. Think Tolkien, not Martin. Kui has crafted a world with is it’s own class system, fantastic creatures, and a magic system that seems sound. There are rules to this world that are immutable and have to be addressed as the journey opens up and i adore that. Other countries are mentioned, making the political climate of certain nations paramount, though, those aspects take a backseat to the more, personal, narrative we’re being guided by. Indeed, this story has a rather compelling tale of familial bonds, a theme that runs through this narrative like a river to the sea. It informs everything about this adventure and really hammers home with the characters.

The strength of this book is the relationships and interactions with the main party. I love these guys, man. The leader and closest thing to a main character, Laios Thorden is this gung-ho, Lovable but oblivious, Tall-Man who adventures as a Knight. Next, and childhood friend to Laios, is Marcille. She’s a an Elf Mage who basically gets the plot started out of her own hubris. She is a pretty great mage, but often bites off more than she can chew. Next up, is the Chef in the group, a quiet and worldly Warrior Dwarf named Senshi. Dude knows everyone and can cook anything. It’s kind of hilarious. Chilchuck is an easily panicked, coward of a Half-Foot. It took a while for me to understand why the party puts up with his sh*t but, apparently, he’s one of the best Locksmiths around, something i figure would come in handy while exploring a magical dungeon. Lastly, we come to my favorite character of the main cast, Izutsumi. She is a Man-made Beast, cursed with the visage of a cat and trained in the art of Ninjitsu. She’s a nekomimi ninja, bro. And a tsundere at that. Izu started off as a foil but learned to accept, and be accepted into, the party Vegeta style. Like, I'm no furry but Izutsumi is definitely worth that squeeze, you know what i mean? I'm a sucker for that kind of character and immediately found myself endeared to her feminine-feline wiles. Izu is easily the most capable in the entire party, a fact she’s well aware of, and rarely goes without letting everyone know it. I think the Kui agrees because she couldn't wait to introduce Izu into the narrative.

Dungeon Meshi is an amazing manga that deserves all of the shine it can muster. It seems to be pretty popular in Japan as of now but it can always use a signal boost. This thing needs a proper anime adaption because the world is just that opulent. Trigger actually gave us a little tease of what could be, for a commercial selling ramen of all things, and it was amazing. Thirty seconds was all i needed to see, to absolutely know, we need a full length series animated by the Gainax progeny, with a generous budget. I would love to see Izu’s ambush or that time the party fished for a Kraken, in full motion. I need to know how the monsters and beasts would be animated or how a studio would visualize the magic used throughout the narrative. How does one capture the Canary Captain, Mithrun’s teleport ability? How would they articulate the symbiosis between dungeon and Lord of the Dungeon? I would love to see the party’s battle with chimera Falon and how epic those madmen over at Trigger would adapt everything. I need this to happen so I nee more people across the world, to support Meshi.

Even without an amazing anime adaption, Dungeon Meshi is a brilliant read. It’s full of amazing, endearing, characters who populate a deep, well visualized, integrated world, that feels real. It feels alive. You care about the party within the first few chapters because hey act like people. They're fallible and make mistakes. Some of it is played up for laughs but it stems organically from people being people, even if, technologically, there are no “people” as awe know them. The comradery among the party is genuine and almost palpable. You want them to succeed in their quest and when the narrative opens up to the grater mystery ahead, you lust for the next chapter. This thing will lure you in with outstanding art and land you with one of the best fantasy stories i have ever had the pleasure of reading. Dungeon Meshi is all of the dope and you should go read it right now.

[smuthuttpodcast]

Some of the best fanfiction I've been privileged to read has motivations and arcs well thought-out, facts researched, fantasy well within realm of plausibility, and with plotlines that are cohesive, compelling and which deliver emotional gratification.

Name/Handle/Alias

TazWren (Ao3 / Tumblr) / Wrentaz (Twitter)

About how long would you say you’ve been rooting for Reylo?

Since Christmas Eve, 2017, the day I watched TLJ

What did you think of the way Rise of Skywalker handled Rey and Kylo’s relationship?

I think it was clumsy as best, lazy at worst. TFA and TLJ set up what could have been a complex interplay between two people on opposite sides who still resonated at some core level. The potential to build was there. It was hinted at through the movie but never explored in full. It's testimony to the actors that so much was communicated nonverbally. Kylo/Ben shift of focus to saving / protecting Rey from Palpatine the only way he thinks is available to him, his transformation at her hands, her confession of wanting to have taken his hand, their scenes on Exegol. There was poetry there. A handful of beautiful moments. However it completely wasted the potential of Ben + Rey as a fighting unit, as two halves of a whole, and of two people who could only belong to each other.

Do you think the film understood why you, and other people, felt like Rey and Kylo had something together? Did it get their chemistry?

Again, I think the chemistry shone through in a handful of moments in the movie, on account of brilliant and nuanced acting. For the most part, the scripted sections were very wooden their actions lacked motivation and were overall not really reflective of who these characters had been shown to be in past movies and ancillary content. 

What about the handling of Kylo’s redemption? Was it something you had to think through in your stories?

I think the process of his transformation into Ben Solo was beautifully done, as also all the scenes with his running into Exegol. However, redemption needs to be balanced against what Kylo/Ben has been subjected to from infancy till that point. Redemption cannot equal death, especially one as unmourned or throwaway as it was. It has to mean the opportunity to rectify wrongs, to prove that you are capable of being different and doing different. Ben Solo was given no choice at any point. His redemption by death served no-one, respected no-one, least of all all the people who made sacrifices to be able to save him. Not to mention, the fact none of his past abuse or what he was put through is ever addressed. All his focus is Rey. And the absolute radio silence from the so-called Jedi pantheon when it came to the prodigal son of one of their own, so to speak? No one ever made an effort to be there for Ben, and we are expected to believe he deserves to be forsaken for turning into Kylo? That's not how the world works. 

How did you handle or would you have handled the redemption of Kylo Ren in your fics? How did you envision Kylo/Ben’s redemption before TROS and how do you (re)envision it after seeing TROS?

There had to be a strong driving force for change - love can be that I've thought about how Ben could begin to make amends - by respecting choices, by doing the heavy lifting with his mother, the Resistance, by using his power to build Vs tear down, by being who Rey saw him to be. By being free of voices and finally making his own choices. In war, there are no innocents - there are only bad orders and worse orders to follow. I think it's important that both sides acknowledge that as they try to rebuild - it's something I'm exploring in one of my fics, right now. Honestly, TROS has made no difference to how I see redemption, only now I absolutely hate the idea of death as the snap that fixes it. Not in the case of Kylo Ren / Ben Solo. Not after what his universe put him through.

What did you think of where Rey landed at the end? There had been a lot of excitement around Star Wars having a female protagonist. Do you think she lived up to the promise of her character?

No. TROS did an absolute disservice to Rey, by reducing her to a pawn, a vessel whose strength is defined by her bloodline and not by her own merit, and whose lifelong struggle was erased to serve the resurrection of a defunct character. There was absolutely no need to bring Palpatine back. Nor to infantilize Rey's development to the point she is only defined by what her masters thinks she is. Sticking her on Tatooine, alone, with no visceral reaction to having her other half ripped from her? On a planet that no-one in the family she blithely adopted ever had any happy memories for? At best she's shown as stupidly uncaring, at worst conniving. This is not the Rey we were set up to see.

There’s criticism of the movie that argues it’s akin to “fan fiction” and that is has too much fan service. As fans and fan-fiction writers, how do you react to that?

Possibly, just not the good kind of fanfiction! Some of the best fanfiction I've been privileged to read has motivations and arcs well thought-out, facts researched, fantasy well within realm of plausibility, and with plotlines that are cohesive, compelling and which deliver emotional gratification. TROS had none of that. It is an embarrassment to the history of a franchise that has always build the idea of hope, family, love, redemption.

Tell us about your favorite parts of the fandom. How does the fandom lift you up and embody the best parts of Reylo and Star Wars?

I've been a Star Wars fan for over 35 years, and the sheer love of the stories, and the myths they told, has always shone through in every installment, in every medium / format. That is amazing to be a part of. With the Reylos, I have the best of like-minded, intelligent, creative, caring, talented and funny people from all walks of life, from every corner of the globe. That is rare in itself! My everyday is filled with interactions with Reylos around our writing, art, the movies / books / comics / series, about meta, about mutual thirst(!) and also about supporting each other in our offline endeavors and lives. I have made many friends who are for life.

Are you still writing any Star Wars fanfic? Tell us about it! (Don't forget your Ao3 handle!)

Absolutely! As TazWren am working on a post-TLJ redemption / New Order fic (Caught Between Beats), another post-TLJ fic with Kylo/Ben suffering from trauma-induced amnesia (Hoth Landing) a few modern AUs (Brooklyn Bridge Blues, an unnamed on for the Reylo Charity Anthology). As TrashcanWren I'm wrapping up a couple modern AU about single-parent Ben-Teacher Rey (All I Want for Christmas), Prodigal Son-Ben & Guardian Angel Rey (My Angel Cometh) and a canon divergent JediStormPilot AU... My w.i.ps runneth over 🤣

Thank you @tazwren for the words! You can find their writing here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TazWren/pseuds/TazWren

[theorangedeath]

Some webcomic recs

Webcomics are as underrated as they are varied. I mostly read printed comics now, but there’s no way I’d have gotten there had I not found webcomics before - believe me, I tried, but this damn hobby is super inaccessible to a beginner, not to mention expensive. Webcomics are like fanfics in that regard - hell, some of them are fan comics - in that there’s something for everyone, all within your reach, but in order to find something you like you have to either 1. Get very, VERY lucky, 2. Be prepared to read a lot of bad stuff in order to get to the good stuff, or 3. Hear about them from people you trust. 

I was a 2 - i would read anything, back in the day - and while i’m not as unconditionally enthusiastic as i was, there are still some gems I wish got the same appreciation as some talents in the industry. I’ll spare you the rest of the article (dm me for comic rants though), let’s get to it! 

note: all the comics are numbered as “1″ because tumblr messed up the google docs formatting 

Comics i still follow as they update because either tumblr starts posting about them right away or they’re on tapas

Check Please! 

https://omgcheckplease.tumblr.com/

I’m probably not the one introducing you to Check Please, as it’s one of the most popular webcomics out there, thank god. The parts of the fandom i’m familiar with are cool and wholesome, just like the work itself. It’s about a southern gay kid, Eric Bittle, who joins the hockey team in his college. It’s impossible not to love every single character there, the sports drama elements are great, and the format is like solidarity put into panels. The Samwell Men’s Hockey team’s motto is “we’ve got each other’s backs”, and there isn’t a single part of the comic that doesn’t 100% incorporate that. 

Heartstopper

https://tapas.io/series/Heartstopper

The 2000s so far have been a rough contest for the title of “sweetest ya romance” but guys, we found it, we can stop now. Nick and Charlie are in highschool, Charlie is gay and out (not by will), Nick plays rugby because apparently that’s what british jocks do. Can i make it any more obvious? It took me a while to fall in love with the artstyle but when i did i fell HARD - the creator is re-drawing some of the older chapters, though, so your experience might be different. The story’s captivating right away, and you want everyone there to be happy from pretty much page 1. The creator also writes ya prose, and some of her books are about other characters from the same school. I love all of them, but Radio Silence is my personal favorite. She also has two novellas about Nick and Charlie themselves, available as e-books. 

Charity Case 

https://tapas.io/series/Charity-Case

I rarely start new webcomics anymore, but boy, this one got me FAST. and that was even before I realized it’s a polyam love story, which i love but is surprisingly rare in webcomics - at least the ones i know. Julien, an irresponsible young musician, resorts to sharing an apartment with two roomates who are a couple. I fell for the unique, gorgeous artstyle first, and by the time i realized i’m also super invested in the story and characters, it’s already become one of my favorites. Plus, Julien’s hair looks so soft! 

The Property of Hate 

http://thepropertyofhate.com/TPoH/

THIS is what comics should be. There’s so much passion here, not just for the story but for the storytelling as well - and the two aren’t as separated as you might think. A young girl is recruited by a TV man to be a hero. The world they enter seems nonsensical and arbitrary at first, but as they travel she discovers its logic, stories and secrets. She will also, as her title suggests, need to save it. There’s so much i love about this comic that i don’t know where to start, so i’ll just say this: it’s absolutely inspiring, in every sense of the word. Also, read the creator’s duck comics, they’ll make you feel things. 

Webcomics i occasionally remember to catch up on, get blown away all over again by how good they are, vow to check them regularly for updates then forget. And repeat 

Wilde Life

https://wildelifecomic.com/

I think this is the first ever webcomic i read that had a plot? I got on the wagon at around chapter 1 or 2 and it’s hard to believe it but it only gets better with time, even though it already starts at 100%. Oscar moves to a new town and immediately makes friends with a ghost and a grumpy teen werewolf. It has both monster-of-the-week type problems and overarching plots, and reading it feels nostalgic and brand new at the same time. The fantasy world has this special feel to it, that makes me miss growing up in the american wilderness even though i, well, didn’t. Plus, the creator is cool as hell. I knit her a hat in high school in exchange for a commission. 

Sfeer Theory

https://sfeertheory.com/

This comic got me through a hard time and i’ll forever be grateful for that. Also, it’s really, really good. This is another case of a comic where you fall in love with the art right away and before long you find yourself caring very much about the characters and the story. You might also find yourself growing out your hair to style it like Luca’s. If you’re me it’ll be a lost cause, so, uh, keep that in mind. Luca works as a technician at the prestigious Uitspan university. A mysterious, powerful man is looking to change that. While the comic’s biggest strength is probably the gorgeous, fascinating worldbuilding - and Luca’s hair - the characters are also ridiculously easy to relate to, even if we don’t know anything about them. Even the most meaningless extras are somehow compelling thanks to the dynamic, rich art style. And did i mention the hair? If you like it, you won’t be disappointed by everything else Little Foolery makes. 

How To Be a Werewolf

http://www.howtobeawerewolf.com/

I almost didn’t read this one! My brain has decided i don’t like werewolves and i don’t know how to reverse that. But then i saw Elias’ body language and it was extremely fun and friendly, and so was the rest of the comic, and the rest is history. Malaya knows she’s a werewolf, but seeing as she doesn’t know any other werewolves, dealing with that is hard. That is until Elias discovers her and decides to help, along with the rest of his pack. It’s filled with family and solidarity feelings, some dark mysteries and themes, and the art is beautiful and expressive. 

Monsterkind 

http://monsterkind.enenkay.com/

Another case of read-everything-this-creator-makes-it’s-all-amazing! Wallace, a social worker, moves - or rather, is moved - to District C, which is mostly populated by monsters. His heart’s in the right place, and apparently so is his apartment, because his neighbors are cool as heck and agree, some of them reluctantly, to help him get his bearings. There’s a mystery to uncover, some monsters to help and a dashing tea octopus to woo - for Kip to woo, anyway - and it’s all a delight to read. Every single character brings their own lovable-ness to the table, and even with the darker parts, reading this comic kinda feels like being hugged. 

Comics that no longer update

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal - finished 

http://tjandamal.com/

Guys. guys! I’m pretty sure this is my all time favorite comic, web OR printed. I have the printed version, i still read it online occasionally, a lot of the songs mentioned in it are now saved on my spotify, i had it as my phone background for a good couple of years, the whole package. Amal comes out to his family and it ends with him having to drive to his sister’s graduation in Providence. There’s a guy in his kitchen who just so happens to need a lift there, and he’s willing to pay, and Amal’s too hungover to argue. What follows is the best roadtrip story ever. I’m seriously considering getting my license just to recreate that route. I just really love this story, okay? Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, the creator’s music taste is GOOD. 

Prague Race - to be continued in text 

https://www.praguerace.com/

The fantasy aesthetic to end all fantasy aesthetics. And the characters are good and interesting. And the world is well built and leaves you wanting more. AND there’s a cat. And it looks so good! Leona is irresponsible and spontaneous and gets her friends in some weird shit that leaves them trapped in a strange world, dealing with several curses, trying to survive and make sense of it all. I could spend a lifetime looking at the art and die happy. 

Shoot around - finished 

https://www.webtoons.com/en/drama/shoot-around/list?title_no=399&page=1

A girl’s basketball team and its coach, Jeff, deal with a zombie apocalypse. They make the most of the post apocalyptic world. There’s drama, friendship, found family, love and hope - it’s basically everything a zombie apocalypse narrative should be. And i love how the creator plays with the colors from chapter to chapter! 

Rock and Riot - finished 

https://tapas.io/series/Rock-and-Riot 

It’s cute! It’s fun! It’s a 1950’s queer ensamble cast high school drama! It’s what Grease would’ve been like in a better timeline, except we still got it in this timeline. The artstyle fits perfectly with the story and characters, but if you want to see what’s the creator capable of now, read their newest comic, Project Nought. It’s a cool sci fi story and just like in Rock and Riot, it’s super easy to connect to every character there. 

Alright there’s a lot more but i somehow wrote 4 google docs pages of webcomic recs in one sitting (this is what i’m able to focus on? Really, brain?) and i think that’s enough for now. Like i said, please dm me if you want to talk about anything here, rec some of your own, listen to my rants or tell me i’m a nerd. Or all of the above. I might make a similar post with print comic, but right now i have some dogs to pet. Keep being cool! 

[bellamygateoldblog]

Raven in S1 and now

Anon asked: Character game = Raven Reyes

This is longer than I pictured, sticking it under a ReadMore!

How I feel about this character:

I adore Raven, especially in season 1. SEASON ONE - I love her softness and her toughness and the way she feels natural. She has really admirable qualities and also flaws. In season one I enjoyed her journey, we got to see her form relationships, we got to see the way her personality clashed with others, we got to see her struggle and get insecure and find things hard. She’s such a compelling character.

This is carried into season 2, but in come ALIE mind wipe and consequent “upgrade” and a lot of her allure and complexity was dimmed for me. Her brain is brilliant, but she sorta went deus ex machina somewhere along the way, it felt like she was turned a plot convinience and tool to drive it forwards or get them out of writing corners more than she was a character. Suddenly she was unnaturally smart and the way she would come through and solve everything with her “awesome” brain fell flat to me, it wasn’t as amazing watching her accomplish these tasks in season four as it was in season one. In season one she felt so special. Maybe because season one was more localised, because it felt more intimate, immediate, drastic? Not sure. She built a pod from scrap metal and travelled through space by herself and survived. She’s remarkable, but she’s not superhuman. She’s had no storyline of her own since early days, and she should’ve because she’s full of so much potential and interest and I think it was a real waste reducing her story to torture and big brain time. She feels pain, then she saves the day. Over and over again. Worse: she’s rarely actually credited for these feats in the show, attention isn’t put on just how incredible it is that she is able to do these things! It’s just another Raven thing. Flat, empty. She feels her most human in seasons one and two. So i enjoy her lots.

SEASON SIX - I mean…huh. She had another love interest ripped from her, she said some science-y words, got mad, reacted to another death, and saved the day…again. It took me such a long time to even remember that, that’s how bad six was. They don’t know what to do with her. They pushed her aside. I don’t feel anything for her character anymore because she isn’t a character anymore. There’s nothing there. She’s empty, like most other characters at this point in time, and I feel no more attachment to her.

Who do I ship romantically with this character:

…Nobody. I mean, I usually don’t do shipping unless it’s central especially for a show with constantly rising stakes like this one. SEASON SIX - Echo. Yea. Give me Spy mechanic. Give my two ladies a happy ending with someone who actually deserves them (hint: each other).

Non-romantic OTP for this character:

Oh yea baby here‘s where it’s at. Finn & Raven. I adore them still. Love love love. Wish i got more of it, but will cherish what I did get forever and ever. And also the bits I added because canon can’t stop me. Couldn’t even rip them from my cold dead hands. Found family is my weakness. Which brings me next to Spacekru & Raven. Unlikely set of personalities, bring out the best in each other, protective, my babies. Her dynamic with each spacekru member is so unique and fun— SOS take me back to season five.

Unpopular opinion:

I think some parts of fandom are particularly defensive over her, it always feels like someone’s gonna jump down my throat the moment I say anything remotely critical of her character. I think she can be selfish, and sometimes she acts without thinking from a place of love, pain or desperation. I think she’s more ruthless than she’s given credit for. She recognises the reality of what’s happening around her, she doesn’t like it, but she doesn’t stop it. She’s accepted that her station is to do the work she’s told to do, she knows she’s the only one who can and she’s prepared to do whatever it takes for herself, her loved ones, and her people. I think she’s absolutely capable of making hard decisions, and of doing what she thinks necessary. She doesn’t view anything she’s done as mistakes, because they weren’t. She has the balls to stand by her choices without throwing herself pity parties. She knows the weight of loss and I think she understands better than anyone what it feels like to have everyone and everything depend on her, on her brain, on her intuition and her ability to carry on no matter what. Yes she was barely a character in season six, but her stance on morality and leadership was in-character. It’s also understandable for a woman who’s:

• been tortured multiple times, sometimes being done by or because of people she thought valued and cared for her.

• seen her family tortured

• been threatened, seen her lover almost lose his leg, something extremely personal and traumatic to her

• almost lost her family in more than one situation

• was heavily burdened with blasting off a burning planet and consequently saving the entire human race

• lost two members of her family

• lost her lover

• seen her family die and be resurrected

• probably some other events I’m forgetting

• watched Abby die, someone she has a long and important history with

— just within the past fortnight. I think it’s ridiculous the fandom collectively demonised her for being the slightest bit upset. How dare she. It wasn’t the first time she’s confronted Clarke, and it was absolutely warrented.

One thing I wish would happen/had happened to them in canon:

Hmm…i wish she’d never been dragged into a love triangle. Never in my life have I actually liked a love triangle. I wish the Finn/Clarke relationship hadn’t continued after Raven got to Earth. It always felt unnecessary to me. Eventually, after much thinking, I got the whole Finn/Clarke situation to make sense, but i wish it’d never happened. It hurt Raven’s dynamic with her only family, someone who should’ve been hers, belonged to her story as well as his own.

She isn’t the protagonist, but I guess I wish she was. I find she has so much story potential, her dynamics are sweet as hell, her backstory could’ve been fully fleshed out, the true extent of her hardships could’ve been explored including her struggle with her disability, her relationship with Finn, Sinclair, her strained and neglectful relationship with her mother and how important being important is to her because of that, the back-breaking burden of being gifted in a world of survival. I love her. I love her. I love her. SEASON SIX - not entirely specific to season six, but I just wish she was treated well.