#and get mad when he transcends ur power when he points the way

[15-lizards]

Love that the early Bene Gesserit accidentally created the Kwizats Haderach and fucked it up, decided to learn from their history and try again, then accidentally repeated their mistakes and fucked up again. They said is anyone gonna eat our own tail and didn’t wait for a response

[battlefrankies]

saw ur tags, wanted to give some context because you do bring up some interesting points!

newkama as a term is a combination of okama (a reclaimed pejorative that refers to drag queens/transvestites, who don't always identify as women) and newhalf (a term some trans women celebrities used to refer to themselves in the 90s, but today i've seen most trans women prefer to just be called women) (and the word for trans people in japan today is just english loanwords, literally just 'trans' and 'transgender', so the terminology has evolved)

the newkama and especially iva-chan's impel down group see themselves not as specifically drag queens or trans women, but as people who've transcended the restrictions of gender entirely. they do tap into that campy drag aesthetic though, like you can clearly see the rocky horror influence on ivankov's designs. i think it's a mistake to try and apply concrete labels that we see constantly online to this group (and also, lgbt people in general). oda isn't on twitter reading about how gen Z kids on tiktok want to be portrayed, he's talking to real-life people he meets, but also mostly he's drawing one piece and playing gacha games.

even on momoiro island when they were trying to put sanji in a dress, i think it's important to point out that sanji agreed to that training regimen and discussed it with iva-chan in order to get stronger; he could've left at any time. imo the optics for that section weren't ideal, but it emphasizes the freedom of expression for the newkama who live on that island. there's no pressure to conform to rigid standards of femininity when they're safe and comfortable having body hair and square jaws, but they just wanna wear a frilly dress too. ivankov could (and would) physically alter anyone's body at any point they wanted, but the newkama of the kamabakka kingdom felt no need for that.

are there better ways to portray that? for sure! i'm not mad about oda imperfectly supporting the lgbt community in a time & media environment that was either dismissive or downright hostile to trans people though. it was, again, head and shoulders above pretty much any shonen that was being published at the time. personally, i like that there's such a diversity of trans experiences being depicted in the series with so much affection, to the point where each time sanji said or did anything transphobic, he'd get punished for it. you can truly tell that oda thinks it's dope as fuck that people can just trans their genders, and to me that matters more than optically perfect trans women.

giselle gewelle from bleach, for example, being a really cute trans girl who is also evil, and whose trans identity is openly insulted by a protagonist and also she dies, in 2013. oda having the newkama not just be empowered, heroic characters but also living and thriving on their own island was basically unheard of at a time when 'bury your gays' was so prevalent it's got a tvtropes page. and it's not just that these heroic characters happen to be trans, their establishment of a supportive community in impel down is the REASON luffy could be saved.

i think a lot of people criticize the trans representation in OP in bad faith without context or any intention of trying to understand the context, but i don't take them seriously. the reason we're even talking about the supportive but flawed 2009 trans rep in one piece is because OP has so much staying power and influence in the cultural consciousness. i think it's fair to be uncomfortable with aspects of it, and that speaks to how far we've come since then, which is a good thing. i think the intent of these characters & oda's stance on trans rights couldn't be more clear though.

the trans representation in one piece is phenomenal actually

[battiesart]

How do you feel and what is ur opinion on people saying Kazuya is irredeemable for having killed people n such? since i've seen alot of people say that kazuya liking kaiji and being nice somewhat is unrealistic and ooc and saying he's violent and evil and will never became a decent human being

Uhmmm I'm gonna go ahead and answer this since I was talking about it the other day on twitter, but I should preface this by saying that questions like these feel a bit out of place for my art blog 😅 I'm not mad at you for not knowing, since I don't advertise it much, but you can always send questions like these to my main blog or my CuriousCat (I'll probably edit my sidebar on this blog with those links)

Anyway long-winded answer below the cut, since I love to talk about Kazuya

Whether or not you really believe Kazuya is redeemable or not comes down to just personal opinion. At the end of the day he's a fictional character. Me interpreting him as a redeemable person isn't me justifying or defending a murderer. If you disagree with me then it's fine because the whole point of fiction is facilitating different interpretations. It really doesn't bother me if people dislike my boukai works or how I depict him.

I've reread parts 3-5 about 3 times in the last year and I believe that despite Kazuya having killed people, the narrative makes it apparent that it's something he's never taken pleasure or joy in doing. In a lot of ways, I think his violence is a symptom of his upbringing, especially considering who his father is. But, having people grovel for him, having to push them to do violent things in his gambles, it's never something he seems to enjoy -- instead, I think it's him trying his hardest to be vindicated for his twisted worldview, wanting to be confirmed that his nihilism is justified and that he's correct in thinking people are irredeemable.

This scene in particular towards the end of part 3 I think is really telling towards his feelings, his anger prompts this response from Muraoka and he's clearly sick of people kissing up to him.

A lot of the violence in his gambles serve as motivation for the players to act out of "true human nature," AKA what Kazuya believes to be the truth, not necessarily because he wants to see people suffer. Kaiji immediately refutes him in this scene anyway, which you agree with as the reader.

As the Friendship Game progresses without issue, Kazuya loses motivation and interest to continue. He literally slumps over lmfao.. but I think it's indicative of the fact that these life and death gambles are just methods to affirm his own beliefs (especially when you consider how much he messes with the actual game to get the result he wants through the interviews, extending the time limit, etc etc).

As a character, Kazuya's whole schtick is that he hates his status and wants friendship. It's not even subtext, Kaiji literally says this to him towards the end of One Poker. It's mentioned constantly beforehand, too.

Much like Kaiji, Kazuya is a victim of violent & predatory capitalism, but in a different way, where his upbringing in the Hyoudou family has resulted in his inclinations towards violence and distrusting others (though I doubt sadism, considering he doesn't seem to enjoy the actual acts of violence, more just proving himself right when people start going insane).

Towards the end of One Poker, Kazuya begs for someone to rescue him, thinks back on his life with regret, and fully drops his confident persona as he fears for his life. He pushes back against Kaiji's claims that he's lonely (he is), refuses to back down even an inch and claim defeat, and it results in what would have been his actual death. In his final moments, all he can do is think about the love his mother showed him, realize he closed himself off from affection following her death, and sob.

So, I think that experience, his complicated feelings towards friendship and love, and realizing someone like Kaiji saved him just because he's a person, and not despite his cruelty or status, would really shake him to his core. He loses for the first time, is proven wrong entirely by Kaiji's resolve, and he'd probably reflect on everything and realize how wrong he's been about other people. Of course, that's what I think would be the natural course of events for his character -- especially considering his cruelty is a symptom of capitalism, and transcending what the system does to us is a core theme for all of FKMT's works. I think having a character who embodies predatory capitalism itself learn to trust others, abandon cruelty, and heal from his past is extremely powerful and what the story of Kaiji as a whole is about, in a lot of ways.

Anyway thanks for letting me write all this out LOL I love my insane little maniac and his struggles ❤️ Again, this is my interpretation of a fictional character, if you disagree, it's fine!

P.S. "kazuya liking kaiji and being nice somewhat is unrealistic and ooc" The man builds a grave for his gambling rival and people think he's not nice? Have we no chivalry? He reserved the entire restaurant that night just for them! 🙄

[misterbitches]

Dude yong jie’s character is literally unbearable this is like how not to write a vharacter 101

Our first intro to him is stalking, then PUNCHING someone in the LIVER bc the person he “loves” was fucking drunk and he blames his best friend? Then his mom is like “lmao actually um hes psycho” so anything they try to do retroactively like how they peppered in HIS DAD DIED A BLOO BLOO but previously it was also his OWN MOM going “im afraid he’ll lose his humanity” so not only was there no breathing room then it’s bumrushing him into their lives as best friends and it doesnt work. This dude sucks and he isnt even fun to watch. You know how breaking bad has one of the most abysmal main characters of all time but all of us were fucking ENGROSSED but the show made it clear that every enemy he faces, even the DEA, we want THEM to win (it is also a class analysis but woreva) so i am like wtf they show us literally nothing here. He’s just there. Wasting space and being awful. What is the purpose of his character in ssu’s life? Once you rape someone it is fucking over full stop but he didnt even fucking manage to start off in any compelling fucking way. Absolutely bonkers dude Esp bc theres at least a base moral code ie DONT HARRASS GIRLS UR “INTO” and thats why mei fang the absolute mad lad beaut was like “lmao nah i hate u”

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo?????????????????????????????????? WHERE IS THE WRITING HERE? WHAT IS THE SCRIPT? awhat is the PROGRESSION? This is such an insanely fucking dumb plo5 point i rly cannnnjnnntoeiwijshsgsgsgsgsgsgeggwiwowiw GORL

Lets talk abt the good things in the characters (theres none for yong jie hes just there being a little bitch)

Li cheng - himbo dumbass “manly” cutie and the manly stuff is fun cos it gets heaped on and yet every bit of him can be extremely “feminine” and jubilant. Great.

Muren - seems >:O but i rly like that hes actually pretty open in his own way. Side note: he is so thin and willow-y i rly loke tall pretty boys (and all women lmao) and he doesnt do it for me but He suits the character like his body and the way his character is. Also u gotta be weird and he is

Hsinng ssu (girl im never gonna learn how to spell their names it’s too much work cos the eng alphabet andnromanization is terrible) - mild mannered, good son, a homosexual confirmed confirmed g”(awesome!) great friend, good brother (and i guess his reward is being raped, great message!) and someone ppl like

The establishment of the three of them and their distinct personalities happens within minutes and then we meet

Yongjie - what about him? He may have an MI, okay, but we dont know for sure and oh gee that doesnt matter actually bc u have to get urself treated and also not be terrible. Not even psychopaths do the shit he does BC THEY HAVE TO GET HELP. Why the parents didnt get him help and are just realizing their son is terrible? Who knows . His purpose seems yo be “boy obsessed with brother like his actual brother” i dont care id they arent related in that way bc that’s not the fucking crux of incest and it is so insanely Fucked every thing to do with incest is almost always a disgusting powe r issue. WHAT PURPOSE DOES HE SERVE? WHAT DO WE ONOW ABOUT HIM OTHER THAN HE IS A FUCKING JERK AND AN IDIOT AND SUCKS AND I HATE HIM AND THAT HE WANTS TO STALK AND ATTACK THIS REALLY AWESOME FUCKING DUDE OK

There’s no returning point deom rhe line they croased byt theyb set him up for failure. Even in the fight hes a fucking cheater hes a goddamn immature rat they know he fucking sucks but he just sits there and waits for everyone else to move around him. A fucking selfish prick with nor edeeming qualities snd hes also a violent rapist stalker. Really great that thry have no clue how to make this dude actually have any humanity or likeability. Hes the man from 365 days basically except not even that hot and at least he kidnapped her but “WAITED” for “CONSENT” but in that movie’s world nothing mattered and it was bad and the point was to have a horny movie. But this show is for younger ppl and also IT HAS RULES AND IT KNOWS WHAT BAD ACTIONS ARE???? Soooooooooooooo in all these other dumb salacious books there seems to be just a mutual agreement that it’s fucked up but totally normal i their movie’s universee (it isnt and it is still just bad filmmaking)

Also it is up to yong jie to figure put how to get over it and understand that his brother is concerned for him. Bc it is. His brother. There’s a reason that incest is never advisable and thays bc there is no way in that situation that people aren’t somehow being coerced. There has to be a sort of split in the pursuer and the person being pursued bc one person is not thinking that way. (This is why people who find out they are related after the fact and havent grown up together is something thatms really unfortunate. They had no idea and they have to grapple with that but that is another scenario and it happens bc THEY DIDNT GROW UP TOGETHER.) i have experienced this from a (not immediate) fam member and i was the vulnerable one, had less powr, that is how it must go.

Thats why the power imbalance is scary and none of this is acceptable but it begs the question how did they get to this point? But the show doesnt even address that bc they cant bc theyre not original. And power imbalance does not mean automatic absolutely not territory. Theres things we dont like (in my casee i hate age gaps a lot) but i will avoid that.

I havemt seen “right or wrong” and i have no desire but from what ive garnered from ppl i like who liked that episode, the show outlined the moral issues with it. Idk if they did it in a way i would have preferred (again no desire) but at lesst from what ive heard it...tries? Idk i dont see the need for these if they dont give us a reason why these ppl should be together and there’s several lines that cannot be crossed that were. Basically it’s like stockholm syndrome now and there’s no choice for him, it goes beyond power imbalance and “legality” so to speak and now it’s just entrapment.

Theres not even avoiding or enjoying. Even for MODC as stupid as i found the secondary rship and negligent even like ok. Fine. Whatever. His boyfriend is 100 but at least it was semi agreed upon. It is what it is, go forth. I will criticize it but at least it was the story and as stupid and gross as i think it is and they will probs break up (idc what the show says) at least there are set ups that can make us see “why” it works and oh, gee, their whole rship relies on a different fucked up but at least at some point it could possibly be transcended. The foundation of youngjie is “rape entrapment and aw now they are in lvoe” BITCH NOOOO???? Where is the REASON? And why should we root for them? (There is none and when the Thing happens it is now impossible for that not to be absolutely foundational to their rship lmao and that is never something that goes away.)

I would like to say theres nothing romantic int he flashbacks i know thats what theyre trying to twll us but the actor is 30 and that child is like 8.

Im not missing the point bc i see it with my eyes and it sucks. If you cant even write the character well then how do you interest something heavy and work out the links? The only solution is yongjie dying i mean fucking off forever and hsing ssu not letting him into his lifeXni doubt we will get that but at the very least they cannot end up together and that will be their crowning fucking achievement over the waste of time bullshit plot this was. Imagine actual conflict that wasnt so deeply fucking traumatic and, oh, again WHERE ARE THE PARENTS? They fucked up SO FUCKING BADLY. This gives people the wrong idea about how these things work. God he is truly a shitty character and his ass isnt even fat so wtf bitch why am i here!