#bc I think it translates form fandom into a lot of other aspects in life

[cross-d-a]

I haven’t reviewed my collection approvals in a while bc they’re a bitch to find on ao3 but I’ve been mulling over two requests for a while now bc I understand the spirit of the collection but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth bc a lot of it is specific character bashing which I don’t enjoy or endorse but like- the requested fics do technically fit the collection and maybe if they were in there then ppl would click on my fics and realize..that characters..are nuanced…and don’t need to be bashed…and can be handled in a productive way….and actually have growth….idk maybe I’m thinking too hard about this

[formashimataichi]

Reading chihayafuru and why does taichi keep going on with "is this all i am" thoughts is beyond me, like bro is good in 10 other things school topper ig and Chihaya has been constantly working all the time since middle school ofcourse she will be better than him, arata has also been practicing crazy since he was a kid under a former meijin. I don't understand tchi arc sometimes like ofcourse everyone has expectations from parents, most asian households have that torture, to top this all off he's rich lmao. Like chihayas mom is literally scared her daughter will have unstable life because this field isn't like other sports..

Sometimes even comparing him to leero retro also don't seem to be fair, taichi is so good in short amount of time , why the narrative makes him seem like an underdog of sorts. He is kind and changed a lot since middle school is the model student but he can be self centred. There's a guy Going blind and karuta all he has in the series there are women who are juggling family and a queen title so the whole fandom coddling taichi with oh poor baby makes no sense.

that's why i really enjoy his interactions with suou the most, like the whole "you ignore what you're blessed with" shtick (apologies if i'm misremembering the exact wording of the line, i'm too lazy to go and check the translation). there is so much in taichi's life for him to appreciate and cherish but it always gets bogged down in his own insecurities and his belief that if he can't be great at this one thing he won't be able to actually maintain those connections that he desperately wants to keep. i don't think you can really view his insecurities as mutually exclusive of his desperation for companionship. he's always afraid he'll be left behind if he can't catch up and it takes him a while to realize that this is a community that will always have a place for him regardless of how he performs, bc they recognize that he has a passion akin to the rest of them. i'm not personally a fan of comparing taichi's problems to other characters' problems bc i think each person deals with their own slew of issues that is worthy in its own right. being pressured all your life by your parents to do well and being dismissed otherwise is something that can seriously mess with your head and debilitate your forays into passions thereafter. esp when that factors into the relationships you form with people bc you're constantly being forced to leave behind the endeavors that are meaningless, and thereby the friends who are attached to them. i don't think it's realistic to say that bc he's good at other things he should be content when it's clear karuta is the thing he specifically wants to be great at, esp bc it keeps him connected to his friends. but at the same time, i also love how the narrative addresses taichi's privilege and weaves it together with his tendency to be self-critical anyway. he knows he has to change and be better and question his priorities and that's what really draws me into his arc. he knows there are aspects of his attitude and behavior towards others that are unfair and borne of jealousy and he doesn't like that about himself, so he tries however incrementally he can to mold his perspective into something more constructive and less vindictive. his constant devotion to improvement is inspiring even if it's a slow work in progress, and i like that he has setbacks and doubts himself constantly. it's very realistic in its non-linear portrayal imo

[icarianiscariot]

🍁 🧡 🦚 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ if you want? But no pressure 💖💖💖 Big love!

NOT ME REBLOGGING AN ASK GAME AND THEN COMPLETELY FORGETTING ABT IT oTL

also desktop makes some of these emojis funky so im sorry if they don't translate back to mobile emojis well (esp the trans flag)

🍁 - When did you first realize you were queer?

when i was like, twelve or thirteen?? my friends and i all kinda figured it out around the same time together so it was a very like, "hmmm i think i like Women" "oh me too" "yeah i think i'm like. Gay" casual thing (at least, it was to me)

🧡 - How has the way you presented yourself (ex. Clothing, hairstyle, etc.) changed since you realized you were queer?

well im still fucking emo LMAO. uhhh but literally now i cut my own hair and have bangs and bleach it and dye it in ways i never got to. i'd say i'm more comfortable now?? idk my style hasn't changed hugely bc i've always been a "hoodies and skinny jeans" person, but i'm def more comfortable in Formal Clothes now, like button-ups and dresses. also 13yo me would never be caught dead in shorts above the knee but here i am, somehow less Girl yet more Comfortable With Femininity ??

idk i was going to a private lutheran school and also didn't have a lot of freedom in general with my style so obviously things have changed since i've become an adult and the inherent difference in appearance that one takes over the course of a decade and adolescence. this answer is probs v different for people who realized later in life which is fair but like. my queerness has always been an aspect of my identity ever since i was at the age where i was FORMING an identity, so it wasn't like a huge game-changer for me, it just helped explain who i was better.

🦚 - Are there any queer books/shows/etc. that you would suggest?

for the anime gang, Given is a big one, as well as Sasaki To (And?) Miyano (sometimes i see the title as "sasaki to miyano" and sometimes "sasaki and miyano," idk) - both are mlm high school romances and they're SO GOOD.

the owl house is a huge one for me. our flag means death. what we do in the shadows.

technically the six of crows duology isn't like, A Queer Book (Duology) but there are explicitly queer characters and who DOESN'T love a good heist??

i'm sure i'm forgetting some, i'm VVVVV bad at recalling recs off the top of my head, and i def am too big into fandom/fanfic and know most of my media isn't Actually queer rip

on that note, if y'all ever have any queer recs, PLZZZ hmu!! i have been itching more for like. adult-oriented content like OFMD and WWDITS, with adults figuring their shit out over high school coming of age, but OBVIOUSLY high school coming of age can still slap and i still def consume it. idk if there's a mom "i'll always love you" scene in it i'll cry automatically so

🏳️‍🌈 - Do you enjoy the colors of your preferred flag? Do you incorporate it into your outfits, decor, etc.?

YES THE BISEXUAL FLAG IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT <333 blue/purple/pink is THEEE best color combo, sorry not sorry <333 there are def other pretty flags (aro and ace flags each are fantastic, love the black/gray/white with a pop of color in them sm) but i love the bisexual flag so much. i absolutely wear it frequently. i have multiple tie-dyed clothing items that are this color scheme. i love wearing it, i love dyeing my hair this combination of colors, etc etc.

the genderqueer flag is fine enough but idk i'm not a huuuuge fan of the green/white/purple (esp also now that TERFs on twitter use it to identify each other?? bc those are also the suffragette colors. suffragettes: cool. TERFs: uncool. genderqueerness: banger)

the nonbinary flag hits the aro + ace "black/white/[color]" sweet spot but at the same time it feels like the yellow and purple are from different palettes..... there's a post abt it floating around somewhere that i big agree with......... hmmm

the aromantic flag is banger as previously stated, we love to see it

🏳️‍⚧️ - What Flag do you think has the best color scheme?

bisexual flag EZ. asexual, aromantic, agender, trans, and bear pride flags are also all v pretty / good combos!!

send me some queer asks perchance (i promise not to forget them this time)

[ephiels-blog]

HI!!

I’m new to the online aspect of this fandom but I found Kazeki back when I was about 12 years old and it was mostly untranslated, so for the past 14 years (I’m 26 now lol) I’ve been catching up on the scans periodically and revisiting my thoughts and experiences as I’ve been able to. When the translation completed last year, I finished it tearfully and emotionally!! I think it’s almost too overwhelming of a series to binge read, so I encourage you to please take your time to enjoy it and soak it all in! It’s my favorite tragedy for so many reasons, but one is I think it examines trauma and trauma responses so well through characters who are easy to relate to, love, and hate. 

I WANT TO TALK ABT IT SO BADLY NOW THAT ITS COMPLETE AND FANS ARE FINDING AND ENJOYING IT AGAIN AAAAA

So to engage in the discussion!!

1. I feel like we very rarely get Gilberts true feelings and perspective throughout the series. We understand him in flashes and moments of Serge empathizing with him, or seeing his reactions and knowing his backstory. I think this is intentional, because Gilbert is always presented as almost a corrupted Angel. He’s chaotic and beautiful, drawing everyone in, but no one really understands him. Gilbert for a while thinks that Auguste understands him, and loves him, because he doesn’t know any better. When he learns from Serge that Auguste isn’t right, and that what Gilberts gone through is actually horrific, he’s not only able to but more than willing to become true to his sweet and playful nature.  He struggles a lot to stay true to himself, because he was abandoned, then groomed and manipulated so heavily and intentionally in his formative years. I don’t think he’s a plot device, but there’s no way to tell the story without him. Even though we don’t often get into his inner life, hes really the protagonist, more than Serge. Kaze to Ki no Uta is about Gilbert, his trauma, his struggles, and his impact on Serge more than anything, in my opinion.

2. Gilbert and SERGE!!!! I love them and I adore their relationship! I don’t think they had a chance to last outside of the environment of Lacrombe Academy, but I do think they had a chance to heal, at least, if maybe they had gone to Tyrol together....but that’s neither here nor there. I think they saw what they were missing in one another and propelled each other to their limitations. Unfortunately, reality was cruel and fate wasn’t on their side.... I bet if Gilbert could’ve healed in a meaningful way, he and serge wouldn’t have it so hard. They were good influences on each other, and truly loved one another as best they could in my opinion.

I’ll probably reblog again to answer the others another time bc I have sooo many thoughts lol but thank you for the discussion questions and the opportunity to talk to anyone on earth about this series!!! it means SO much to me 

HI KAZEKI FANDOM HI so... I wanted to start a few conversations here!!

TRIGGER WARNING: Discussions of sexual abuse.

I know that the fandom is very tiny, I've basically stalked every single one of yall lol.

So, I got into KazeKi like, a few weeks ago, and my mind's been an HECTIC place ever since. I read a few volumes, skimmed a lot here and there, read analysis on the series and yall's posts about it, and then I "read" the final volume (it was in Japanese so... "read"). And now I'm traumatized and not sure I can read the entire series because it affected me a lot??? But at the same time I actually admire it a lot and what it represents historically and would love to read it all one day when I feel like I'm emotionally ready.

So, until then, I wanted to know yall's opinions on the following aspects:

1. How do you feel about Gilbert's narrative framing? Do you think he has agency in the context of the narrative, or not? Do you think he was treated as a sort of plot device or is it wrong/incorrect to affirm that? Tell me more plis!

2. What do you think about Serge and Gilbert's relationship's journey and progression? (I love these boys 💔)

3. If you're a gay male/male-presenting nb person: What do you think about the boys's sexuality's construction, considering that the author is a (probably) straight woman? Would love to hear what you think!

4. Do you think that Gilbert was unintentionally sexualized by the author's framing?

5. And what about the sexual nature of the series, involving minors at that, do you think it was handled well? And what do you think about the fact that the sexual abuse scenes are quite explicit and the consensual sex scenes are more symbolic (fyi I love them and think they're beautiful), do you think it works in favor of the story or against it?

6. What do you think about Gilbert and Auguste's sideplot? Do you personally think it was handled well? What do you think about it's conclusion, it's final message?

7. What do you think about the ending of the series? What kind of message do you think it sends? Is it a positive or a negative message?

Talk to me pleeeeease maybe??