#especially when the op is clearly a fan of that character or ship?

[daniclaytcn]

.

[mal3vol3nt]

This is kinda a long read. But I wanna ask your opinion on this. I see this one post saying Zutara is a purely female fantasy and that’s why so many people hate it. Basically saying it was made for girls, by girls, it has everything a girl wants in a relationship and “When people attack the idea of Zutara, this is fundamentally what they're attacking-women and girls wanting better for themselves in a relationship.”

Now I am just a man. But I think this argument especially the latter part is such a reach and a cope. I don’t see how shipping a fanon ship is some big feminist thing. There are women I know who love Kataang (and if you ask me most of what they’re describing Zutara is actually Kataang in disguise) and there are some guys who like Zutara (which is perfectly fine as long as you don’t write a slave-fic about it like this one guy.

Call me insensitive, but it seems like this guy has some weird victim complex.

Here’s the link BTW:

https://www.tumblr.com/longing-for-rain/753424994905800704/this-isnt-a-question-about-whether-or-not-zutara?source=share

i agree with you anon. i think it’s very silly that these people think a fandom ship is the peak of activism/feminism. such a claim, dare i say, reeks of white feminism, especially when you take into account that the ship they’re claiming is “so feminist” is a relationship between a canonical colonizer and a victim of genocide

the things the op of that zutara post listed are all very westernized “issues” that they claim shipping zutara is supposedly fighting against while also praising western standards, such as saying that zutara is for the girls who want to be with a man they’re attracted to, directly saying that aang is unattractive because he doesn’t fit western beauty standards whereas zuko does. as well as saying zutara is for the girls who want passion in their relationships, directly saying that zuko’s hot-headedness and western masculine qualities are hotter than aang’s pacifism and him being a monk. this claim is also pretty on par with how zutaras sexualize the relationship between zuko and katara, which i don’t even want to get into for obvious reasons. needless to say, i think all of these claims are very very stupid and so obviously come from someone who gravitates towards the racism of the show. sorry not sorry

these claims also come from someone who twists aang’s character so that they feel more justified in hating him, and who twist katara and zuko’s characters so their ship works better. because at no point in the show does it ever feel like katara is changing herself to be with aang, as if she would ever do that (i can tell this is a southern raiders argument—i swear these people misread and latch onto everything). at no point in the show does it ever feel like katara is unattracted to aang, especially since she’s the one who initiates both the first and the last kiss between them, is constantly touching him, and gives him kisses on the cheek in a way she doesn’t do with any one else (she also audibly gasps when she first sees his tattoos in episode 1, which could be read as just her being shocked because she’s never seen airbender tattoos before, but considering the fact her crush on him develops quickly by the beginning of book 2 and she marries him, i wouldn’t be surprised if she also liked the way they looked). all claims that fall back on katara forcing herself to be with aang for whatever reason are projection because 1) katara would never do that. she is not the kind of girl to force herself into any position that doesn’t make her happy, and we see her actively set boundaries with aang in canon, so she is obviously comfortable making her wants known, and 2) katara clearly doesn’t see things through the same lens as her so-called fans. just because you had a crush on zuko doesn’t mean that katara should too, and just because aang isn’t your type doesn’t mean he can’t be her type. yall are projecting onto her

the whole “zutara is for the girls” and “kataang is the male gaze” is so stupid because no, that’s not how that shit works and is a take that is so very american/western that i fail to take it seriously. and yes, i know atla is a western-created show with a western-intended audience, but the characters in the show aren’t and i feel it’s important to acknowledge that

now, i’m a girl (or a woman i should say, 19 years old lmao). and i live in a very patriarchal society and have dealt with sexist standards being forced onto me from my latino culture and family my whole life. it didn’t, however, take long for me to realize that i was unhappy with that way of life and have actively detached myself from it, instead gravitating towards fighting for and recognizing my freedom to choose. this is a freedom i believe all women should have, and i have dedicated myself to learning of the injustices women go through all over the world and do my best to fight against them from where i live. i detest the patriarchy and all things created that demean women or force them into any one role. i am also a lesbian who hardly ever thinks of men lmao. yet miraculously, i am a kataang shipper. according to these zutara stans, im a misogynist who prioritizes male pleasure and happiness. yet from what i know of myself, that’s not at all true. i couldn’t give less of a fuck about patriarchal standards and actively avoid them in the media i consume as much as i can. but i think kataang is cute and i turn away from the thought of zutara, so either one of two things are true:

kataang is for the girls and zutara is the male-gaze

or fictional character shipping has fuck all to do with activism and the kind of person you are in real life

i’m gonna go out on a limb and say number 2 is correct. whether you’re a zutara shipper or a kataang shipper, i don’t think that’s an instant tell of the kind of person you are in your real life. it’s not an actual tell of what you value and yall look ridiculous trying to paint one ship as better than the other on an innate moral level

at the end of the day, this is fandom shipping. you can be a horrible person who engages in shipping content and still be a horrible person at the end of the day regardless of which ship suits your fancy. cause it doesn’t fucking matter. neither of the ships are morally superior to the other in any way that has importance in the real world. yall need to get offline i swear

now personally, i think kataang is an infinitely better ship than zutara for many reasons that i have discussed before, so yall will never catch me saying kataang and zutara are equal in any other context but this one lmao

also saying any colonizer x colonized ship is superior will never be taken seriously by me. you can enjoy those kind of ships all you want, but they’ll never be my cup of tea and that doesn’t make me or anyone else anti-feminist or whatever the fuck insult zks throw out. i just prefer my ships to be between people who haven’t wiped out the other person’s race

[isagrimorie]

Ezri Dax and Kathyrn Janeway meeting, maybe at Starfleet HQ or a conference on leadership and trauma? I think they'd get along in an interesting way. Also what made you love season 3 of Picard?

For the Trek Talks

They meet because Starfleet orders Captain Janeway to report to Ezri Dax for mandatory therapy -- the usual fandom choice is Deanna Troi but Starfleet recognizes that Ezri could be someone they can utilize.

Apart from the enforced leave, Starfleet made it a condition for her promotion that Janeway take mandatory therapy. Janeway does not like this-- if Janeway was already a hard customer for the EMH, Janeway is even a tougher one when it comes to mandatory therapy.

Also, Janeway's initial grumpy kneejerk reaction about Ezri is to get offended that she was assigned a child for therapy.

Ezri recognizes all these of course, and she's not at all intimidated by all the ways Janeway is trying to hack her way out of therapy. Compared to Garak, Janeway is not nearly as slippery as she thinks she is. Also, she has several lifetimes under her belt, but most importantly, Ezri Dax is a damned good therapist.

Eventually, Ezri chips away Janeway's reluctance and they begin to make some headway. Unfortunately, some crisis happens and Janeway is pulled away before she's ready to but Ezri Dax is nothing if not persistent. If the mountain can't go to therapy, therapy will go to the mountain. Or something.

After, they do become great friends but boy, were there some tough things they had to work through to get there.

----

Also, what made you love season 3 of Picard?

I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but that flavor of Trek is my exact flavor of Trek. I love the space show, the starship, the Starfleet of it all. I love the full-on minute of ship porn with the swelling music.

I love seeing Seven of Nine finally in uniform. I love a good Bridge crew, I love the pace. The dialogue, I love the complicated messiness of relationships and I got two really great conversational minefields first between Crusher and Picard and next between Ro and Picard. The weight of history between those relationships.

The weight of history between the characters.

The sheer beauty and menace of the Shrike, the SUBMARINE STYLE starship fight-- I'm a sucker for a great submarine-style starship fight.

Amanda Plummer as VADIC. The way she says: "Jean-Luc Picard."

Seven of Nine, in the background manning Ops station, hints that the maintenance and engineering is so well oiled because Seven might not have been in Starfleet in nearly two decades but she slipped back into the same person who would do efficiency reports on EVERYONE.

Voyager slowly but surely returns to Seven after two seasons of Seven not saying anything about Voyager, we finally see the ship, Seven talks about the ship and her crew.

TUVOK AND SEVEN.

It has my whole heart.

The way the Dominion war is set into the bones and DNA of the Federation and Starfleet that it clearly left a mark. The DS9 callbacks, the way the virus idea from Dark Frontier pays off in Federation Day, assimilating people unknowingly. (Because Admiral Janeway fucked up the Borg/Queen so bad they can't even assimilate in the way they usually did).

The promise of tomorrow.

(And from a 12 Monkeys fan -- the very, very blatant 12 Monkeys easter eggs.)

Is it a perfect season? Of course not, no Trek has a Perfect season, it could have benefitted from a few more passes, especially the last half of the season. They could have IMO done a lot more with Seven, especially with the Borg stuff-- it's the same complaint I've had of Picard since season 1.

But I get it -- the show is called Star Trek Picard and not Star Trek Seven of Nine/Legacy. But it should be. Also, 10 episodes aren't enough, and I get how the COVID precautions ate at the budget, that season 2 ate up both production and budgets.

But that's just the nature of the beast of loving a Trek show.

[inlovelawyers]

I should leave this untouched because op is clearly loving the attention but

--

If you didn't think she was problematic at first, then here it is. Point is, there shouldn't be a problem regarding shipping queer characters. She treated the matter as if "gay shipping" is just a fetiche and uses her blog to mock queer people who see themselves in these characters.

More to the point, fandoms are not supposed to be gatekept. If a queer audience chooses a fandom, that's because they see themselves in these characters or feel safe enough to be part of it. If you see a problem with aa fandom being hit by the "gay beam", that's because it's a content we identify with.

And on top of that, let's just say that creators who are supportive of queer hcs exist. Instead of, you know, mocking people for identifying themselves with said piece of content.

Besides, it's not even about "these are just characters, chill". We've been baited and shadowed for literal decades in every piece of content because of hetcomp. What you're doing is actually harmful because representation matters and you're belittling our struggle to see ourselves in media.

No one is trying to change your mind about shipping queer character. We're legit just calling out your internalized homophobia. Because clearly you're pretty upset by the fact that Ace Attorney is a piece of content consumed and embraced by queer people and thus turned into a majority of queer fan content. Why do you have a problem with that? Why does it bother you to the point of creating a parody blog about heterosexuality and mocking people who call you out for it?

It's not about hurting or forcing someone into shipping queer characters. It's about why you have a problem with it. Why are you not into shipping queer characters when this should be normalized as much as "straight couples" are?

I will tell you why. Because you're disgusted by it and want the attention without being called out for your homophobia.

And I'm not even touching the area where many characters are commonly hc as bisexual/pansexual. The picture of an f|m should not be immediately recognized as a straight couple the same way an f|f or m|m should not be recognized as a gay couple. Unless you also have a problem with bisexuality, which wouldn't surprise me.

There's also the huge gap between the straight and queer communities. Straight people are not oppressed for being straight. We can make jokes about queer culture. Fuck, my very title is a joke. But that's because we're an oppressed group. Same is valid for people of color being allowed to mock and make jokes about white people, whereas the opposite is not true. White people are privileged and are not allowed to use their privilege to mock poc, because that's precisely what they did and still do since forever. Same with the queer community, especially now with so many anti-gay/anti-trans laws spreading all over the world. We've been mocked and painted as villains till this very day. You're not entitled to mock us for reflecting our queerness in a fandom or certain characters. We're not your amusement.

Anyways, do not support /neutrallyobsessed, also known as het attorney. Her behavior is highly sus (as in, bordering homophobia).

[rena-yume]

Schneekos, Pyrruby, Freezerburn, Purrha, Violyn, Sulemio, Kuromiko, Chisataki, Aerti for the ship meme

Ooh alot of ships

Schneekos (Weiss x Pyrrha): ship!

What made you ship it? They just fit so well together and have many things in common with how everyone sees them and their struggle with holding up to a reputation and all, also big strong softy x small gremlin is peak dynamic

What's your favorite thing about the ship? I love their aesthetic and almost opposite personalities

Unpopular opinion on the ship? Nothing really

Pyrruby (Ruby x Pyrrha): don't ship

Why don't I ship it? I prefer them as just friends, or even close friends unlike what canon did with them. They're good together just not as gfs

What would've made you like it? Nothing lol it's not bad or anything but yeah, just friends

Anything positive to say about it? Still leagues better than Arkos, also it's cute

Freezerburn (Weiss x Yang): ship!

What made you ship it? The meme potential, I'm not even joking this ship doesn't have nearly as much angst potential as the others and I love it, just a cute lil funny ship

Favorite thing about the ship? The dynamic is hilarious but also has alot of fluff potential

Unpopular opinion on it? Definitely don't want it to be canon, I'm not with ships being within the same team whatsoever

Purrha (Blake x Pyrrha): don't ship

Why don't I ship it? It just doesn't click for me, they don't have anything in common that I can think of nor are they on the "opposites attract" side, they just exist

What would've made you like it? Maybe if they shared something or a plot point that would've helped with putting them together idk

Anything positive to say about it? The ship name is funny? XD

Violyn (Vi x Caitlyn): don't ship but I don't mind it being canon (to make things clear I'll be talking about the show version of their characters not the game, I prefer the game's)

Why don't you ship it? I don't think they fit? Or I'm just not interested enough in Caitlyn (unlike her game counterpart) so it makes it harder to care about the ship as a whole

What would've made you like it? Put game Caitlyn instead lol

Anything positive to say about it? Good funny scenes and they had nice build up, it wasn't rushed nor shoved too much in our face to make me dislike it

Sulemio (Suletta x Miorine): ship I think?

I haven't watched the anime yet but I'm planning to so I don't really have anything to say other than the aesthetic and fanart are cool and Suletta is bby

Kuromiko/Mikokuro (Mikoto x Kuroko): SHIP!!

What made you ship it? The dynamic, the plot and angst potential especially if Kuroko knew about the clones but the writer is a pussy , the way Kuroko is a tsundere to everyone but Mikoto is too wholesome, also how despite being a gremlin cat Mikoto trusts Kuroko with her life (I'll just ramble forever if I keep going so this has to do lol)

Favorite thing about the ship? They're funny and wholesome together, and best fighting duo that also has the potential to be op. Also the angst thanks to them both being stubborn idiots

Unpopular opinion on it? The way it is in canon is very unhealthy thanks to Touma being a thing but if it was written better it would be amazing, also Kuroko being a pervert can be too much and I don't appreciate how the show glosses over her not taking no for an answer when Mikoto is clearly uncomfortable in most scenes

Chisataki (Chisato x Takina): ship

Haven't watched it yet but I've seen too many scenes and spoilers I know they fit well together, also alot of angst

Aerti (Aerith x Tifa): don't ship

I absolutely know nothing about final fantasy but from the fanart that I've seen I'm not really a fan of the aesthetic, they seem too bland

[historyhermann]

"RWBY": The Captivating YA Animated Series

Yang, Penny, Weiss, and Blake at the end of Volume 8

Last year, when looking for another animated series to watch, I came across RWBY, a young adult animation, and one of Rooster Teeth's flagship series. While I wasn't sure about it at first, as I watched all eight seasons, I became invested in the characters, especially the protagonists, and a fan of the show itself.

Reprinted from The Geekiary, History Hermann WordPress blog, and Wayback Machine. This was the fourth article I wrote for The Geekiary. Before this got published, they said I would be kicked off the publication if I don't start writing, if I remember right. So, I started writing this post and many others. This post was originally published on October 8, 2021.

RWBY is the brainchild of the late Monty Oum. It is known for its captivating stories and a theme song, sung by Casey Lee Williams, which begins every episode, foreshadowing what happens in the season/volume. Although the series has the classic conflict of good vs. evil, there are well-developed characters with intricate storylines, elements of horror, and good character development. Some characters are even morally grey, like General James Ironwood or the Ace Ops. Other villains, such as Cinder Fall, don't want to strictly follow their leader.

Ruby in Volume 9 preview

The anime-inspired series is named after the four main protagonists: Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. They stand against villains, such as Salem and her enforcers, like Cinder, Arthur Watts, Neopolitan, Tyrian Callows, Mercury Black, and the Grimm monsters. On the other hand, Ozma/Ozpin/Oscar Pine, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, Qrow Branwen, Robyn Hill, and Jaune Arc, among others, help Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang fight against the forces of evil.

The show is clearly mature as it features its share of blood and gore, and the death of some characters, with the antagonist, Salem, even engaging in human experimentation. On the other hand, this science fantasy/adventure/action series has a large focus on magic, and sci-fi elements like the cyborg girl, Penny Polendina, and scrolls which can receive and record messages. Each of the protagonists, like those on RWBY, have a semblance which derives from their aura, helping them battle against the Grimm and other villains, either including powers such as object manipulation, disorienting people, or super strength.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot but I will say that the show features various supporting LGBTQ characters. In Volume 6, Saphron and Terra-Arc, a lesbian couple with a son named Adrian, as confirmed by Lindsay Jones, the voice of Ruby, who the protagonists, and their friends, stay with on their journey to another kingdom. Additionally, in the Volume 5 episode "Alone Together," Ilia Amitola confessed her romantic feelings to Blake, and was later confirmed by show writer Miles Luna as a lesbian in a Reddit AMA.

Most prominently is May Marigold, a trans woman. Unlike other trans characters in animation, she is voiced by a trans female voice actress, Kdin Jenzen, and her character came out as trans in the Volume 8 episode "War," which she described as "something so wildly powerful & meaningful."

LGBTQ characters in RWBY so far

There is a lot about the series which is wonderful. There is a strong possibility of confirmed LGBTQ representation in the main cast, especially since the voice actress for Blake, Arryn Zech, confirmed her character as bisexual in May 2020, and some even have argued that the shipping between Blake and Yang, known as Bumbleby, will come become canon in the show's next volume.

Even if this doesn't happen, the show is still powerful, from its music to the characters, the voice acting to the visuals, which have improved from the earliest seasons to the present-day. Although the fandom may be toxic at times, the show is unique in its colorful ship names, especially the femslash ones, like Baked Alaska (Yang and Neopolitan), Blood Mint (Ruby and Emerald Sustrai), Freezerburn (Yang and Weiss), Ladybug (Ruby and Blake), or White Rose (Ruby and Weiss) to name a few.

So, if you haven't seen RWBY yet, whether on VRV, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime (in some locations), YouTube Movies (for purchase/rent), or on the RoosterTeeth website, now is the perfect time during the show's hiatus, before Volume 9 begins again sometime in 2022.

© 2021-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[fiftysevenacademics]

Warrior

By chance, I learned about a show called “Warrior,” originally on Cinemax and now streaming on HBOMax. The basic premise is that a martial arts prodigy immigrates to San Francisco Chinatown in 1878 and is quickly sold to a tong that is on the verge of going to war with a rival tong. The dearth of movies or TV shows set in pre-earthquake (1906) San Francisco always baffles me, given how incredibly socially diverse, violent, raunchy, crime-ridden, wealthy, and often lawless the city was. Portions of the waterfront were even built in abandoned ships. Imagine the amazing sets you could design! I’ll watch anything set in pre-quake San Francisco, especially if it’s going to tell the story of characters, such as Chinese immigrants, that we almost never see in Westerns or other films set in this era.

So I was already in before I saw that the show is based on an 8-page treatment by Bruce Lee and related notes his daughter, Shannon Lee, found. She is also an executive producer, along with Justin Lin. I’m not a huge fan of martial arts movies in general, but this one had a lot of potential so I checked it out and got immediately sucked in.

I’m not going to spoil the plot but it gets convoluted quickly. Probably about 2/3 of the scenes end up with fighting and there is plenty of sex, too. Is it a little trashy with all that sex and violence? Yes, but GOOD trashy, with characters that are multi-dimensional, well-written, directed, and acted, though the costuming leaves a lot to be desired and, somewhat stereotypically for the Western genre, most scenes occur in brothels or barrooms and there are a few historically improbable relationships. But OK, this is borderline pulp fiction and the story is exciting so whatever.

What I love most about the show, however, is how well it portrays a totally neglected aspect of California and American history: How virulent anti-Chinese racism shaped white working class politics in the West. It is the only show I’ve ever seen that directly addresses the cultural climate and politics leading up to the Chinese Exclusion Act from a Chinese point of view. One of the central conflicts in the show depicts how white laborers brutally intimidated and assaulted Chinese workers and their white employers, and how politicians used the “they’re taking our jobs” rhetoric for political gain. One of the main antagonists is a ruthless Irish labor boss called Dylan Leary, who is obviously a fictionalized version of Denis Kearney. 

The show mostly accurately depicts how Chinese were sequestered in Chinatown by a combination of laws that prevented them from owning property or becoming citizens and a campaign of terror led by white vigilantes, making it easy for white business owners to extract grueling labor for hardly any pay. The combination of exploitation and exclusion the Chinese immigrants face in American society intensifies a “get rich quick and get out” mentality among some Chinese immigrants, who are more than willing to do anything they must to their own people in order to send money home, make enough money to go home, or to become the most powerful people in Chinatown. Limited opportunities for economic and social advancement outside of Chinatown drive some to organized crime gangs called tongs that have turned this ethnic enclave into a haven for opium, gambling, and prostitution. While the show is set in this sensationalistic criminal underworld, it’s clearly contextualized-- If these guys had the same opportunities as white people, they’d become industrialist tycoons, too. You just don’t see stuff like this on TV!

The ghost of the Civil War is never far from the action, either. The irony of people who held strong views and fought against slavery going West and then oppressing Chinese workers, many of whom were also enslaved by debt bondage, is not lost on this show. 

It’s tempting to think that the show is retroactively putting contemporary anti-immigrant policies into the past to make a point. But the point is actually that things really were like this in the 1870s and remain to this day at the heart of American politics. As a show that fits into TVs “Western” genre, it is unique in its point of view and how much detail it goes into about actual racial politics of the era as well as the hopes, dreams, and disappointments of people who have to build their own community in a society that hates everything about them except their strong arms and backs.

Speaking of which, part of the show’s appeal is how generous it is to viewers of its many very hot actors and actresses! It manages to have sweaty, shirtless martial arts sequences and exotic, langorous, opium-enhanced brothel sequences that don’t feel exploitative or one-dimensional because they are just parts of a much bigger, well-rounded world the characters inhabit.

And I totally lost my shit when there was a scene set inside a business inside an abandoned ship in San Francisco’s infamous, utterly lawless Barbary Coast. I don’t honestly know how many businesses continued to be operated out of abandoned ships in the 1870s but surely there were some and I don’t even really care because I was just so excited to see something like that come to life.

One review wrote, The vibe is very much “What if Peaky Blinders was racially diverse and half the characters could roundhouse kick you in the face?”

Another review wrote: There’s a lot about the show that will be recognizable to fans of today’s dark antihero dramas: The gangster storyline feels like a plot from Boardwalk Empire or Peaky Blinders, the frontier fable of capitalism resembles Deadwood, and warring factions vying for power recall similar conflicts on Game of Thrones. But what sets Warrior apart is its focus on a fascinating chapter in the American story that’s often treated like an afterthought in history books. And it wraps that history lesson in an enticing action-thriller package with nods to spaghetti Westerns, the kung fu cinema of Hong Kong, gangster flicks, and exploitation films, as well as other grindhouse genres.

I discovered Warrior thanks to this essay by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Here’s a quote: The real issue here isn’t just adding more Asian American characters, it’s about the kind of characters portrayed. Two important areas that are deliberately overlooked by Hollywood are Asian Americans as romantic leads and as heroic leads. Few series dare to have an Asian American man as the object of romantic desire, especially by a white woman (are you listening, Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise?). Fewer have Asian American women as leads prized for their intelligence and outspoken strength rather than their svelte figure and flirty smile. There are exceptions: the wonderful Cinemax series Warrior, based on a Bruce Lee treatment, focuses mostly on tough and sexy Chinese men and women fighting for survival in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the 1870s. 

“Warrior” currently has two seasons. It was canceled when Cinemax ceased producing original content. But Shannon Lee and Justin Lin are hoping that with enough fan support, HBOMax will agree to make more seasons. Check it out!

[sixteenthshen]

post-finale stuff

Possible spoilers. Beware

Last night, I happened to check the scriptwriter's Weibo and saw that she had liked this fan's post. It's the only non-work related Weibo post that she had liked, so of course, I went to read it. 

The fact that this is the only fan post she's given her approval to must mean that it is on point and she agrees with the characterisation. I thought it's pretty good, so I've gone ahead to translate it here. I own 0 rights to this. I just thought it's a good perspective that may help others like me who struggled with the ending. 

I think I've mostly made my peace with it now, and to sum it up:

Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all that they are. 

A-Xu never once blamed Lao Wen for how things turned out because he understood that. And he’s clearly a better person than I am (lol).

Let me be clear about my stand - the real victim of how the drama unfolded in the last six episodes is WKX. When we feel our hearts ache for ZZS, it's because the show let down WKX (the character). If your heart is only hurting for WKX during episodes 33-34, you should try to ship WKX with someone else, ok? If you think the last six episodes were great and that WKX was very romantic (and only romantic), then I honestly don't know what to say. 

I ship wenzhou. That means I like both Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu. I want them to love each other, be good to each other and live happily ever after. And I want them not to be OOC. 

The rest behind the cut. Spoilers for the whole drama. 

------- 

First, the source. Here is a link to that Weibo post, by 爱吐槽的栗小姐. I will delete this if requested by the OP - because this is really in a grey area imo. But I think the intention of a public post is for it to be shared? (especially something like this, which argues a point) 

Secondly, the poster does try to be fair in her post, but as the problem here is WKX's ruined characterisation, ZZS's character is analysed primarily concerning this issue only. There's quite a bit left to ZZS's character and backstory that isn't relevant. I believe that's why the post doesn't elaborate on it, or so I hope.

-------

Ever since WKX faked his death, I received three to four waves of fellow sister fans' mournful wails: "Lao Wen actually faked his death; does he have a heart?" "They were supposed to be of the same heart and treat each other with honesty. How did they regress?" "What happened to their innate soulmate-ness?" "Why does A-Xu always say to face things together, yet Lao Wen always keeps his plans from him?" "A-Xu loves Lao Wen, yet Lao Wen only loves himself"…….

Wait. What have you guys misunderstood about the meaning of soulmates? 

Soulmates are about values, but a person's behaviour… that's methodology FFS! 

(Do they no longer teach this in political affairs class in high school anymore?) 

Wenzhou, these soulmates, are incomparably compatible and mesh well in terms of values. According to the scriptwriter, the entire jianghu wants and tries to get the pieces of Glazed Armour, save the two of them. Not only do they not care for the peerless martial arts, immense power, nor the massive wealth that the Glazed Armour represents, they don't even care for the power they hold in their hands –Ghost Valley and the Window of Heaven. Both of them willing to give it up without a second thought. 

Before they met each other, they were so tired of (ZZS) and so angry at (WKX) this earthly world that they didn't even want to live on anymore. 

After they met each other, they gradually began to feel the warmth in this world again. How nice it would be if they could live in seclusion, hand in hand and just bask in the sun. 

In this world, where everyone else is fighting for power or wealth, they are true soulmates. To intelligent people like them, whether or not they're honest about their identities or secrets is merely a matter of formality. They had already determined their attraction to the other's soul early on and have never doubted it. 

There may be some here who would criticise loudly at this point, "Then can't you be more considerate for your soulmate (the actual phrased used is "spiritual companion")? A-Xu has said many times, let's face everything together, I'll bet that you will be honest with me. If you really love him, then why can't you care for his feelings?" 

----- You guys, you've never been married. 

If two souls meeting can naturally resolve all behavioural conflicts and disagreements, then the theory of "breaking in" * would not exist. 

Let us take a look at what kind of a person WKX and ZZS each are.

Wen Kexing, he's a lone wolf. 

After his parents' death and his entering the Ghost Valley, his smooth sailing life suddenly fell off a cliff. Ever since then, the only person he could rely on was himself. That deep-seated hatred is carved into his bones, yet he can't speak of it to anyone else. He isn't the same type of person as the rest of the ghosts in the Ghost Valley; he isn't the same type of person as A-Xiang, who he raised. If we talk about the world and everyone who lives in it, he doesn't have any fetters or feels any (positive) emotions. 

His supposed craziness is a form of indifference. He's indifferent to others' lives, nor his own, because he just doesn't care. (T/N: I think he does care for his own life, but only for revenge, after that, he's indifferent. Indifferent isn't suicidal. I don't know why some fans seem to be confusing the two. Although he didn't plan to, if he somehow manages to stay alive after getting his revenge, WKX will continue to live on, even if it's only to keep A-Xiang happy because he is indifferent.)

Growing up like this, being solitary became his style. He's used to doing everything alone, used to making his own decisions, used to digesting all his emotions himself. 

Every time he argues with A-Xu, he digests his emotions himself. The next day, he faces A-Xu with a smile again. 

This is how he loves, to take it upon himself to face danger, difficulty and pain alone. It's how he had supported A-Xiang all these years in the Ghost Valley and what he's used to. 

While Zhou Zishu, he's a lead horse (of a herd). ** 

Since a very young age, he's taught to take responsibility. He's used to bearing everything on his shoulders, be it the responsibility of his family or the responsibility for the Four Seasons Manor, even the responsibility for saving commoners from disasters. 

Unlike the lone wolf, the lead horse is ultimately a social animal. 

Regardless of his identity as the Manor Lord of the Four Seasons Manor or the Leader of the Window of Heaven, he's always the one to lead the herd and rarely fights alone. So, A-Xu not only has leadership ability but more than that, he also knows how to be tolerant and accepting of the differences of his team members. You can see the various ways he managed to influence Lao Wen along the road; he's firm when he needs to be and soft the other times. It's absolutely textbook in managing your lover workplace management. 

Zhou Zishu believes in communication whenever there's a problem, that they should be open and honest. So, teamwork is what he's used to. 

Does it mean that when a horse and lone wolf fall in love, that there won't be a breaking in period? 

Obviously not. 

I guess this is where some may say again, "isn't this part of a character's arc/development? The two of them quarrel time and time again. Did WKX not grow at all from it?" 

Of course, after meeting each other, they both grew and saved each other.

When he first left Window of Heaven, A-Xu was lonely with regret. Unlike the lone wolf who's used to doing everything alone, a lead horse without the last of his herd has no way to bear the bone-deep loneliness and merciless self-recrimination.

ZZS wandered around this world aimlessly until Lao Wen started pestering him, until he picked up Zhang Chengling, right up until he felt he hadn't singlehandedly destroyed the Four Seasons Manor. This lead horse finally regained a goal in life. He gained a partner and a lover. Lao Wen sticks to him, Chengling relies on him, and the abandoned Four Seasons Manor became like-new in his hands. He finally reconciles with himself. 

When he first came out of the valley, Lao Wen carried a rage strong enough to burn the world down. But when he met A-Xu, he also met the beauty of the world. 

When the Four Sages of Anji died, WKX understood how he caused innocent suffering. When Gao Chong walked to his death knowingly, he understood that although some may desire power, they could still be righteous and upstanding people. When he learned of everything Long Que sacrificed to protect his family***, he finally relaxed his guard. 

There were so many types of good people and things that he saw along this journey that he hadn't seen in the Ghost Valley. When A-Xu told him he was a good person as they basked in the sun, he genuinely wanted to return to the human (vs ghost) realm and be a good man. 

Along their journey, A-Xu made up for the morals and values that WKX lost in the Ghost Valley and showed him a new world outlook. He appeased Lao Wen's anger, tempered his extremism. The process wasn't easy, but not that difficult either, because, in the end, Lao Wen is kind at heart. 

But in the end, being a lone wolf is how he survived and succeeded in a place like the Ghost Valley. When A-Xu was so heavily injured and needed a lot of rest (for Wu Xi) to save his life, Lao Wen suddenly recalled his enemies and how such an excellent opportunity to take revenge just fell into his lap. Everything was in place, and all he needed to do was hide it from A-Xu; he could leave for a short while and have it settled quickly. Upon returning, he could then live happily ever after with his wife. To a crazy lone wolf, why would he not take a gamble? 

What he couldn't predict was the news would've been leaked (to A-Xu), and he didn't know that by doing so, he would've forever lost his love. 

Both of them were using their own methods to love the other person. Zhou Zishu is more forgiving and accepting because being forgiving is in his blood. While what WKX learned in his years in the Ghost Valley is -- love needs to be protected, like how he has A-Xiang, who he considers a sister, call himself master (to protect her). 

Only when faced with painful consequences can a person's deep-rooted habits and approach to things change. So I don't think faking his death ruined the characterisation of Wen Kexing, but I regret that the last two episodes did not have a scene to show us Lao Wen's heartbreak when he learns the truth. 

Until I know what it feels like to have lost you, I will only love you in my own way. 

T/N: 

*I can't think of the correct phrase for this as I don't read all that much about relationships >< please let me know if you know of it. Here, I'm referring to the process of wearing something new (like shoes) that will hurt at the start until it becomes soft and comfortable. 

** I did some side-reading, and omg, A-Xu is TOTALLY the lead mare. Although he's not the stallion and weak/dying for most of the show, he's the head of their little family, and he expects "to be obeyed", aka, I'm not going to learn how to cook. Call me for dinner. Kthxbye. 

From Rutgers' website: A herd of wild horses consists of one or two stallions, a group of mares, and their foals. The leader of the herd is usually an older mare (the "alpha mare"), even though one stallion owns the herd. She maintains her dominant role even though she may be physically weaker than the others. The older mare has had more experiences, more close encounters, and survived more threats than any other horse in the herd. The requirement of the lead horse is not strength or size; if this were so, then humans could never dominate a horse. Dominance is established not only through aggression but also through attitudes that let the other horses know she expects to be obeyed.

***I think this is important here because WKX wasn't crying for his loss. I think a big part of him was realising not everyone in the world was callous and turned their backs on his parents, that he could've gone his whole life without ever discovering what sacrifices some people have made. Good people suffer quietly and in silence. It's a big moment to realise he was wrong about many things that he had let hatred blind himself to the world. Because although he was sad about the Four Sages and somewhat shocked by Gao Chong's death, he hadn't truly faced up to his actions until now. 

(screenshot of the scriptwriter liking the above post) 

------

To add: 

I'm not sure how many of you read my "opinion" posts, but I've been struggling to find a way to accept the last six episodes of Word of Honor.  I first tried looking at open forum postings, comments, and Tumblr posts. None of it worked because it was just arguing and emotions and no one made points good enough for me to accept things. 

So I gave up and went back to reading Chinese sites. I found many posts discussing the plot. Some I liked, some I didn't, but none satisfied my need for a reasonable explanation. I felt they had biases (both ways), or else it lacked logic. After a time, I realised that I should be looking for WKX-stans (or pro-WKX fans) because they would be more motivated to explain his side, but also because well-written posts by wenzhou-fans & ZZS-stans made me super sad.

I'm sorry, but those who keep trying to explain why the ending was good completely missed that episodes 32-34 are the real problem to those who don't like it and only focused on 36. I can understand if people don't think those episodes are a problem, but no one could provide an articulate and sensible reason. There are just too few well-reasoned plot-focused posts in English (sorry). I've seen too many examples of WKX-fans arguing with people who are upset about the ending, backed by nothing more than "look how much WKX suffers, woe is him. And how romantic is this????" *dies* 

Lastly, if you spot anything inaccurate, let me know & I will correct it.

[erika111111]

As a rabid, hardcore Laura x Max shipper, this can't just be ignored. If anyone (not even directing this at OP) thinks that fan interpretation is somehow more canon than what the literal actors who studied and portrayed these characters and scenes say about them, then you have a bad case of shipper's delusion. The Quarry definitely did a lot of queer-baiting, both with Ryan and Dylan and Emma and Abi, and that's annoying and harmful, but we need to stop denying that Ryan was just not interested in Dylan. Or Kaitlyn, for that matter.

It's actually annoying to me that Ryan and Dylan have pretty much no fan content individually, especially Ryan, it's all just Rylan. I feel like Rylan overshadows Ryan as an individual character, his character development, and his involvement in the main story with Chris and everything. I'm not a fan of this ship personally because Ryan is evidently uninterested in Dylan, and Dylan often seems put off or upset with that, so it just seems unhealthy/like it wouldn't work out. And same with Ryan and Kaitlyn. In fact, I didn't even know Kaitlyn liked Ryan for the first couple of playthroughs.

This is also only on Ryan's side, mind you. Although Laura is even more obvious with her flirting toward Ryan, I believe that's because of her infection, same like it was with Nick. I say this especially because there's still an ending you can get where Laura happily reunites with Max. Granted, Ryan is dead in this ending, but I kind of doubt Laura, who was immediately willing to kill both Travis and Chris just to save Max, would dump him for Ryan in a few hours. Laura and Max were already in a relationship, but Ryan and Dylan/Kaitlyn weren't as serious. (Also feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about Laura's feelings for Ryan, if the actors/developers said anything about it as well.)

I'm just tired of people saying stuff like "Laura and Ryan are so brother/sister, Laura and Ryan clearly weren't flirting," because obviously that's not true. Justice Smith said it himself. And by any of this do I mean to say that I like Lyan or think it should've been end game? No, like I said, I'm pro LauraMax, and I'm pretty sure Laura is pro Max herself. I honestly think it was pretty sloppy and rushed writing for Ryan to be so aggressive and suspicious of Laura basically up until her eye regenerates, then all of a sudden he seems to have a crush on her. I think the pacing could have been way better, and most of all, I just think they needed more time together for that to even be fleshed out, but they quite literally only had an hour.

Also, as someone who tends to be a fan of extremely hated, unpopular, or non-canon ships myself, this is not a post demanding anybody to not ship Rylan (or if there are Ryan x Kaitlyn shippers out there too). I really don't care what you ship, I only care when you start denying canon. I just don't get all the shipping wars, not just in The Quarry, but in general. I wish people would just acknowledge and accept canon, but still feel free to ship what they wanna ship anyway. No need to tear each other down.

Actors talk about the writers' intentions with Ryan and Laura.

You know, I'm not one to look for what actors say about my ships. I usually don't care, I prefer to let the media (games, movies, TV shows) speak for itself and just ignore extra off screen stuff.

But a friend sent me these clips and I decided to post them here on my blog for archiving purposes and in case anyone who likes the ship needs some inspiration to keep going.

So here it is.

I mean, it's not really that surprising to me personally, because Dylan and Kaitlyn literally talk about the "sexy sparks" between Ryan and Laura.

So the writers were clearly hinting at something going on between them. There is no misinterpretation or miscommunication, it's just how the story is written.

And, by the end of the game, Ryan has 2 or 3 scenarios where he can sacrifice himself for her, and Laura really becomes overprotective of him even after the werewolf infection is cured.

They genuinely came to care about each other and it's so cool.

One thing I like about The Quarry is how every ship gets a moment to shine.

Of course, some ships are more popular than others, but that's okay because every ship has something, a scene, to be happy about.

It's quite refreshing.

[its-all-ineffable]

Inspired by a post from @lesbians-love-samwilson on the racism (and biphobia that she briefly touched on) towards Selina Kyle in The Batman 2022 fandom. Adding on to her post was insensitive, and I can't talk much about the racism as I'm not a black woman, so I deeply apologise for that. Here was what I'd put, mainly on the biphobia I've seen as I'm able to comment on that being a bi woman. Please go read @lesbians-love-samwilson's original post, it's very good and much needed.

Honestly, this horrifies me. Especially as a bisexual white woman. I LOVE Batcat in this movie, and I assumed that most fans also loved them.

But apparently, no. They do this. They try and pull them apart and diminish Selina. And most of the fans doing this? WHITE WOMEN. It actually makes me ashamed to be part of this fandom and be a white woman, when I see things like this.

Selina is a complex and interesting character, and is KEY to Bruce's character development in this movie. They are also clearly madly in love with one another. If you don't ship them, then okay. But so many people say that they "have no chemistry" and that Selina's "just a lesbian" etc. Stop using bullshit excuses (that are also clearly racist) to justify that fact that you, as OP says, can't empathize with a black woman and don't see how your white boy fave can possibly love a complex black female character.

Also, dismissing Selina's bisexuality, or using it to justify her not being with Bruce/never having liked him and being with only another woman is straight out biphobia. Us bisexuals are STILL BISEXUAL even if we are in a relationship with someone who's not the same gender as us. And two bisexuals in a m/f relationship is still a QUEER relationship. Even if Bruce isn't bi (he is in my hc), Selina is still bisexual even if they are together. Being in a m/f relationship doesn't cancel out her bisexuality.

The amount of racism and biphobia surrounding Selina and the Batcat relationship in this fandom is actually sickening and I agree with EVERYTHING OP said.

If you can't fathom why Bruce is interested in her and keep clinging to your shitty racist excuses, I'm sorry, but why the fuck do you like this movie, and why are you in its fandom?!

[antiloreolympus]

13 Anti LO Asks

1. ok but thats seriously what bugs me so much about LO, it never actually lets serious moments be serious, it's always lampooned by rachel's insistent need to force in her juvenile "humor" and never actually depicting how pressing things are. even the following moments from persephone's r//pe was undercut by hades making stupid puns! i understand if rachel cant write something more serious than "[x] is bad" but if thats so, then dont try it? because thats how you end up with this pretentious mess.

2. since when did lo hades have earrings??? i legit do not remember this ever being a thing??? is he trying to be hip with the kids 😭my man you still look like a crusty old man the earrings arent helping ����

3. lo hermes looks and acts like flaky from happy tree friends and no thats not a compliment (TW for gore, blood, and violence if any of you google it)

4. Even though the earlier art style was better there are still some cursed panels from the earlier pages that still haunt me. Especially the way Persephone was drawn differently in so many of the panels.

5. lo hades has such "how do you do fellow kids" energy and im not sure why

6. im also confused on the fertility goddess stuff because how stupid is persephone if she didnt notice? she can create life and nature without even thinking and shes implied to be a genius in biology, so how would she not even notice this? if RS really wants to go with this plot, then why have her professor bring it up in class? why not show persephone going to her uni's library to research the topic and pouring over it? that's an easy way to show persephone's intelligence, yet LO doesnt even try.

7. What I wanna know in LO was how Demeter and Hestia were compensated after the war. The three brothers got to be kings and Hera is queen, but what we know of Demeter is that she had a millionaire dollar business that’s probably made it on its own (unless she was helped out) and then Hestia all we really know about her is that she runs that TOGEM and idk if there’s only 4 of them, Hestia really had a group by herself for a bit since Athena is Zeus’ (assumed) daughter, Artemis (Zeus’ assumed daughter) and persphone (newest member) which seems shitty since they won a war together

8. I think what happened with LO’s art style was RS got “lazy” (I’m lacking the right word). I feel like without the colors all of the men in LO have the same body type, and Hermès and Apollo may even have the same face if they smile the same. So to compensate for that lack of body diversity, RS doubled down on Hades’ features to make him stand out more to really show he’s the male lead. However, even in her own words he looks like Persphones’ “dusty ass dad”

The women use to be a little different but they’re all starting to blend with body types. Her was small, but now she’s short and busty like Persphone. RS makes Persphone look short and busty all the time but almost childlike. Minthe was skinny but her last moments she was busy. Aphrodite I feel was just busty but then tried to make her look small also with Ares and Hades beside her. Hestia stayed the same but is still small and busty. Athena was tall and thin (?) but now she’s tall but busty (and her relationship with Hestia looks like it mirrors HXP). Idk I just feel like the longer screen time the female characters get the more they start mirroring Persphone’s look. Like even Artemis was getting empathized on being small next to her brother Apollo. Like all the girls gotta look small but curvy as the story goes on. 

9. Demeter: watched her friend get ripped in half. Watched her friend get continually cheated on, paying the price for not hiding a mistress , watched metis get eaten, her back clawed, fought in a war. Later made a daughter who’s a fertility goddess (probably an accident) and now has to raise her. That same daughter then went on a rampage and isn’t really remorseful

Fans: Demeter is such an overbearing mother who gets in the way of our ship.

10. on regards to ace characters, asexuality is a spectrum like everything else, so a lot of asexuals actually do enjoy and have sex, so the maidens doing so isnt inherently a problem, its the fact rachel is clearly viewing it through a strict binary where she assumes asexuality is something that can be "fixed" over time/when the right person comes along. its also a bad modern reading of it, as "virginity" in an ancient sense meant via marriage, not via sex, but I doubt rachel cares to factcheck it.

11. Imagine an elf is given a job to do at a human institution. The humans think elves don’t need bathroom breaks, since they know they can hold it for days, but this elf has been traveling to reach their job, and has already been holding it to the point they are in pain. They ask for a break, but their job is important and time sensitive, so they admit they can still hold it when asked. After a full day of work, the elf tries to reach the bathroom in time, but they were never told where it is.

From OP: I think this might be a nymph allegory? Anon never specified so I'll put this here anyway.

12. ya know if hades has to lie to make apollo seem worse (who does not need much in this comic) its like??? why is he persephone's lawyer then?? lawyers are literally told not to lie, this is basic law 101. thats why they dont want their clients to mention to them if they actually did the crimes because then the lawyers have to say it in court. if hades lies so casually just to keep persephone away from justified punishment, then thats bad actually!  both in being a decent person and as a lawyer!

From OP: Hades didn’t lie but he was definitely out of line. RS liked a tweet saying that the wife thing was “subconscious” so it probably was. (Still doesn’t make it right but I doubt he’d say those things on the stand.)

13. I know Minthe was written in a way she was suppose to be unlikesable, she’s rude, she yells and she doesn’t hesistate. HOWEVER RS wrote her character badly. Minthe is so unliked? How was she able to be a bad gf to hades and Thanatos? Like yes it’s an affair but how was she able to pull 2 gods?! We don’t hear Hades or Thanatos say what they like about her BUT they both still had a fling with her. (Honestly I feel it’s cause RS can’t bare writing one nice thing about the female anatangoist without trying to make Persphone look good)

The other thing bothering me was everyone knew about her relationship with Hades after she put it on fatesbook, but everyone talked about the kiss in such a positive light IN FRONT OF HER. Aren’t they suppose to be scared of her? Why did the girls in the yoga class/dress shop had so much to say about that kiss? Because they knew persphone? Did they know every other detail too? What was their actual beef with Minthe?

I feel like realistically some more characters would have sympathy for Minthe if they didn’t know her that well because of Hera. Everyone knows Hera is a pill to deal with and she’s the goddess of marriage who hasn’t really tried bringing Minthe and Hades to the alter. That right there should let everyone know that Hera probably doesn’t help the situation.

Idk, I feel like RS could have gone deeper and made the character not such HXP shippers cause most people wouldn’t cheer for cheating nor an old ass guy getting with a 19 year old. (Idk how fast the news of the slap spread, but I doubt it made it to every place in their fictional world)

[iamanartichoke]

(This post was inspired by a recent post by @kayura-sanada​ that I was going to reblog, but my own addition became so long and, frankly, off-topic to the original post’s content that I figured it was fairer to create my own post. But theOP I’m referring to can be found here and is a good read.)

Okay, so: this is a wonderful analysis of Tony Stark, @kayura-sanada​, and I agree that it’s concerning seeing this written by a psychologist (although I think there has to be a little wiggle room in the fact that said psychologist is basing their diagnosis on their own interpretation, and - I would hope - it would probably change if Tony Stark were a real person who was their patient. I gotta hope that).

I agree with all of your overall points regarding Tony, but I wanted to reblog this specifically because this post is such a perfect example of a larger problem within fandom and fandom wank. The problem is that fictional characters can be interpreted any way you want, sure, but there’s a line between supporting your interpretation with evidence from the source, and supporting your interpretation with stuff you just kinda made up. There is a right and a wrong interpretation. 

Here’s what I saw happen with this post: your response to the OP is lengthy because it dissects the OP bit-by-bit; it responds to the claims made in those bits with evidence from the films that supports a completely opposite interpretation of the character. And the response you got largely ignores all of that evidence and analysis in favor of a surface-deep response about open interpretations and how it’s “all just fiction anyway.”

And I see the same pattern repeat itself over and over in fandom:

“Character A is Trait B and that’s why they do Actions C, D, and E.”

“Actually, character A is more Trait F, and examples of Trait F are shown in Action G, H, and I.”

“Okay, but when they do Action H, they’re responding to Event J, but with Actions C and E, they clearly demonstrate Trait B, along with Trait K and L.”

“Well, but, saying they are/have Trait K is kind of a reach, and when they did Action H it was out of character, because in the same situation in previous films, they responded to Event J in a different way. For example, .....” (long post)

“I’m not reading all of that, it’s open to interpretation, and it’s just fiction anyway.”

Later, rinse, repeat.

And it’s like, look, yes, you can interpret the characters however you want. Fandom is supposed to be a fun, engaging space where fans are inspired to create new works and discuss all aspects of the source. Headcanons exists because of open character interpretation. Shipping exists because of open character interpretation. Rarepairs and alternate universes and ‘there was only one bed!’ and lots of tropes exist because of open character interpretation. 

Without that open freedom to engage with the source/characters in whatever way makes you happy, fandom wouldn’t be what it is, and I would never want to discourage that. 

That all said, it is possible that someone’s interpretation is wrong. That the way they imagine the character or the way they’re interpreting the character’s words and actions is a contrast to what’s really supposed to be going on in the scene or with the overall arc. The wrongness can come from any number of things - interpreation being colored by personal experience, preferences, projection, whatever.

In the case above, the psychiatrist is viewing Tony Stark through a lens of what they already decided the character is: a case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. They took that lens and picked out (vague) examples of how the character portrays those traits.

This is fine. If that person wants to think Tony is a narcissist and that’s how they want to engage with the character and subsequent works (pretending that this was a meta post instead of a published article), then that’s their prerogative.

But upon closer analysis, the original interpretation kinda falls apart. The contrasting analysis takes a deeper look at the material and says, I don’t think what you’re saying is going on here is actually what’s going on here, and this is why.

But people don’t want to be told they’re wrong, especially in a fandom space, especially with something they hold dear to them (as interpretations can be intensely personal, and I know this). When the two interpretations clash, and one interpretation doesn’t really hold up to closer analysis, then suddenly, being critical of the source equates to disliking the source, and analysis is reduced to people just being negative and wanting to find things wrong with the source. Disagreeing with someone’s interpretation is taken as a personal attack. People get offended personally. The discussion devolves into ugly rhetoric, insults, or simply dismissiveness (”that’s nice but whatever,” “it’s just fiction,” etc).

And you might say, well, if you think someone’s interpretation is wrong, why are you trying to rain on their parade? Why are you trying to prove them wrong? Let people enjoy things! Let people fandom how they want! Let people write and create and be inspired in their own way!

To which I say, absolutely! Please, continue to enjoy the Thing and your interpretation of it. Continue to create through the lens of that interpretation. Create what makes you happy, fandom however you want to. I am a big proponent of “fandom and let fandom.” What other people like and dislike makes very little difference to me, and I’m certainly not under any illusion that everyone must see things the way that I see them or else they are Doing it Wrong. Nor do I take it personally if someone doesn’t agree with my take. 

None of that is my point. My point is that it becomes an issue that splinters and fractures fandom spaces when criticism and discussion are discouraged, when long analysis posts are mocked, when threads are hijacked, when it gets to a point where disagreeing with someone’s take on a Thing cancels them - to you - as a person. Because you miss out. You miss out on discussion, and on engaging with creative fanworks, and widening your fandom circle.

Instead, the circle just narrows, and there’s an underlying sense of hostility that colors every interaction you have. And it makes it not fun for anyone.

People need to be more open to the idea that there is, in fact, a right and a wrong side to most arguments. They need to be willing to defend their argument in a way that holds up and, if they don’t want to defend their interpretation, that’s fine - more power to you - but they need to then stop making fun of and being generally shitty to those who disagree.

People need to stop pretending that analysis and critical thinking don’t matter. They need to stop pretending that “fiction” is this vague concept that has no bearing on the real world and shouldn’t be taken seriously. Fiction shapes our world, and art imitates life. Being unable to think critically about fiction indicates a larger issue of being unable to think critically about the things that do matter in the real world, like science and poltiics. 

Just look at what this country has become. Each side believes it is the correct side, the “winning” side, but one of them is supported with verifiable facts and evidence and one isn’t, and when the one that isn’t is confronted with the fact that they are wrong, they either dismiss the argument entirely or go and find “alternative facts” from unreliable sources they can point to and say, see? A, B, C, D, and E may say I’m wrong, but F says I’m right, so fuck you.

I’m certainly not saying that fandom should be taken as seriously as politics, but I am saying that if people were more amenable to changing their minds or even just recognizing that criticism isn’t an attack and it’s not personal if someone dislikes a Thing that you feel passionate about - or vice versa - then maybe we’d have a better fandom space for all to enjoy. 

And I do try not to be a hypocrite. I am open to changing my mind on positions I’ve taken in fandom - if the analysis and the evidence convince me that there’s another way to look at it. If someone is telling me I’m wrong, and they tell me why it’s wrong (yes, in detail), then I’m more than happy to take a second look. Maybe it will change my mind; maybe it will simply be something I’m cognizant of while I continue to enjoy the material in the way that’s most fun for me. Either way, I’m not trying to hold fandom as a whole to any kind of standard I wouldn’t also expect myself to meet. 

That being said, this post is 90% me venting. Ironically, I don’t expect this to change anyone’s mind. I’m not saying there’s any one solution that will work for everybody or even that everyone sees a problem that needs solving. I’m just saying that I don’t enjoy fandom as much as I used to, and this particular pattern of "wank” (for lack of a better word) is the reason why. 

[kitkatopinions]

The only way I can see RWBY recovering in quality is if the island arc in volume 9 ends with seemingly days passing in the island world and a time skip in Remnant. The world of Remnant and their friends have moved on from the loss of RWBYJ in Atlas and have been dealing with Salem for 3 years or so. Gives the world time to heal from the damage RWBY+ caused in Atlas and with the broadcast and realize how much they fucked up following Ruby Rose blindly. Solves the age gap debates of Rosegarden if that's the ship they want to go with for Ruby and Oscar. Let's Sun move on from Blake organically and allows Blake to come to terms with any romantic feelings she had for him and how that chance is long gone. An opportunity for Salem to take control in a way that might not have been possible were it not for RWBY+'s actions in Atlas. Shows that the protagonists can fuck up and suffer consequences.

Ahhh, see, I specifically don't want a time skip because I think it likely will be a way to remove the affects of a bunch of the stuff that I want pay off for. You say that having the world have time to heal from RWBY + actions would be a good way to show the consequences, but I disagree with that. I think that'd actually be the quickest way to make Ruby's actions not matter and not seem important. Having her forced to see the full effects of her actions as the suffering is unfolding in front of her would be a way to get her to actually see for herself that maybe she's made some massive mistakes.

Can I paint a picture for you?

Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Jaune get back from the island quickly, only a day having gone by for the people in Remnant. The refugees have just arrived in Vacuo, they lost tons of people trying to get through the desert, everyone is staggering with exhaustion as they move through the Vacuo streets, parents carrying their sobbing children, there are people throwing rocks at Winter and people trying to beg her to save them because they saw her fly through the gates and guessed that she was magic, there's sirens over a comm system in the city, trying to alert everyone to remain calm that's been going on for the hours it's taken to try and get everyone in and calm-ish in the first place. On top of that, the gates are flooded with guards working around the clock to keep Grimm out of the city, some of the exhausted Atlas hunters have gone there as well, Ren and Fiona and Team SSSN are desperately defending the last few hundred stragglers as they arrive. Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Blake, and Jaune are shocked, dismayed, they manage to get to the Academy where Nora is there with Oscar and Theodore, Theodore trying to get in contact with the Vacuo council in clear distress. Oscar tells them that everything has gone wrong, that everyone is panicking, that Vacuo was already struggling with keeping the Grimm away from the city when Ruby's message came, and with the addition of the refugees, the Grimm are coming in by the hundreds - by the thousands - almost more than the Vacuo authorities can fight back. Ruby is so confused, she'd been trying to reunite the world! But she just brought panic instead, and she now has to contend with that while seeing the immediate aftermath. She knows Qrow is missing, she tries calling him on her scroll, hoping she just missed him among the refugees. She and Yang are going crazy with worry, they think he might've been stuck in Atlas, he might be hurt, he might be dead, he might get captured by Salem, and they both have to face that. Being assigned by Theodore to help get refugees to the homes they've been temporarily assigned to squeeze into, Ruby is confronted by grieving families who lost everything, parents who tell her their daughter was one of the Atlas soldiers who died fighting on the front lines at Atlas, a couple with four kids spit at her and refuse her help because to them, her broadcast felt like a death sentence for Atlas while she called for hope for the rest of the world like they didn't matter. As she's traveling, Ruby runs into Neon and Flynt. They're angry and bitter too, coldly telling her that Ivori and Kobalt died in the fight against Salem. Ruby leaves that encounter wiping away tears. She wants to break down, but then gets assigned her next family to move and has to push it down and get back to work trying to do her job. Meanwhile Weiss has to deal with a brother who still clearly needs someone to help and take care of him when their relationship is somewhat rocky. Nora and Ren have to have distance and sort through what they want in their relationship and we see that and the immediate affects of their breakup. Salem has two Relics and Ruby has to explain that to Ozpin and maybe admit some mistakes and apologize while it's still relevant enough to matter to him. Emerald sees the affects of a lot of what she's done and has to contend with the fact that Mercury will be in Vacuo and she has to choose whether to try and help him or fight him instead. Mercury and Tyrian have to react in real time to the fact that the Atlas plans went completely sideways and now there's tons of people from Atlas here ruining whatever plans they have for Vacuo. Team RWBY work with Team SSSN while his and Blake's relationship is still clearly going to matter to him and he wants to continue where they left things and she has to explain her shift in feelings. Oscar is still contending with the fact that he and Oz are going to merge someday, asking questions about that. Salem must regroup now with so few people, and Cinder is going to have to try and keep up her lies in real time. Neo (if she survived the

island) is going to actually have to either get scrapped as a character or grow beyond her motivation of just wanting revenge. Winter is dealing with powers that are still new (remember, Maidens being 'new' is supposed to mean something) and having her whole world crash around her, while also maybe finally interacting with the family members outside of Weiss who have just had their entire way of life gone and now must adjust to sudden poverty. Qrow, Robyn, and the Ace Ops might have a storyline where they deal with what just happened themselves, maybe launching rescue for some of the people who didn't make it through the portals (like Pietro and Maria.)

These are all really important things that we should be expecting pay off for that should get focus and development. Ren and Nora's relationship problems, Oscar dealing with merging with Oz, how Cinder is going to regroup now, what will happen with Mercury, what the Schnees will do now they've suddenly lost everything, how Emerald is going to go on from her 'side switching,' how Qrow and Robyn reacted and where they'll go from here, whether or not Vacuo can even take in refugees, what the people think of RWBY and what consequences they've had to go through, and especially RWBY seeing the aftermath of the things instead of being allowed to just move on to the next thing and write it off as a victory like they did with Haven... All of that is something that we're likely to miss if we have a big time skip.

What I really don't want is for everyone to get back to the world after three to five years have passed only to see that it's doing pretty okay right now. Vacuo thriving with the Grimm population under control, and everything a little crowded, but most of the Atlas population settled in their new homes at this point, many of the important relationships of the side cast have been solved off screen and Maria, Pietro, and Qrow are already in Vacuo and have already adjusted to their various losses (both real for Pietro and believed for Qrow,) while (like you suggested,) Sun has just moved on from his dead former love interest he never got closure with that he promised to see again, because it has been years, and BlackSun fans like me see him in some relationship with someone he's never had any growth at all with (or maybe Neptune, which is... the preferable option over someone Sun's never actually talked to before.) Now Ruby doesn't see that her choices have caused major problems, instead she sees a city doing fine and if anyone is angry at her for causing them problems three to five years ago, they're mean. She's been supposedly dead for years and that person is just fine now! How can they yell at her? Now she doesn't see people suffering and Grimm flooding, she sees that her plan worked out in the long run, everyone just needed to hold on and have faith. She doesn't see a giant economic crash and families uprooted and soldiers dead and Pietro's reaction to the death of his daughter and people panicking over Salem... Ruby sees people talking about Salem as common knowledge, amassing troops to go after her now that the 'hard times' have started to pass, and she's validated. She knew it would turn out, she knew if she just believed, things would start working out!

I don't think the writers could save this show with a time skip, I think they'd just use it as a way to jump past the immediate affects of Ruby and her group's actions and avoid organic growth and problem solving while 'not being unrealistic' about it. If they brought RWBYJ back to Remnant within days, weeks, or even months, people expect real repercussions for the things that happened in the previous couple of seasons. They won't be able to just pretend none of it happened - or they might, but then most people will (hopefully) realize that's stupid.

So their choices are 1. just waving everything away and pretending there aren't any consequences to actions, 2. bring RWBYJ back in days, weeks, or months and address and deal with problems in a way that feels natural, 3. have a time skip so they can bypass the affects and consequences and avoid giving pay off for much of the things that fans have been expecting and waiting around for.

[itsclydebitches]

I’m still curious if Clover ever frustrated you. You didn’t answer that. He never angered me. Clover was a supportive friend, and while he (UNDERSTANDABLY) didn’t toss out a superior’s order, he was clearly giving Qrow more leeway then other criminals, and I don’t doubt he would’ve taken him to Ironwood. RT, I’m pretty sure this is writing 101, but maybe don’t have the bad guy be the one trying to negotiate their way out of a fight while the hero is like “Nah, fuck you”.

No, Clover never frustrated me. I can understand why many weren’t a big fan of him  — he’s very much the confident edging on cocky stereotype  — but my personal feelings always ranged from, “I’m neutral” to “It’s nice for Qrow to have a friend and I’ve got nothing against the ship, even if I’m an Ozqrow fan.” I’ve strongly defended Clover’s actions on the airship. To my mind he acted appropriately given the level of information he had  — as you say, he was given an order by a superior, an order that was by no means unreasonable or dangerous to Qrow  — despite this, he was still giving Qrow a certain amount of leeway given their friendship  — compare him begging Qrow to come with him vs. him instantly taking him out at the beginning of Volume 7 — Robyn is the one who shot first, Qrow is the one who willingly joined her, and from then on out Clover was defending himself. And then he was murdered. The visceral reaction to “just following orders” stems from our real world knowledge of how people can easily succumb to heinous acts when they’re blindly following an authority figure, but Clover had no reason to think this act was heinous, because it wasn’t. The visceral reaction to him fighting Qrow instead of going after Tyrian stems from a meta-knowledge of the text. We know Qrow is the hero and that he’d never hurt Clover... but Clover doesn’t know that. They’ve been friends, what? A few weeks? Maybe a few months? Regardless, Qrow just helped Robyn attack him. Robyn just agreed with Tyrian that they had to take Clover out. Qrow just refused to come in even though that would get Robyn medical assistance more quickly. To say nothing of the suspicious  — but incomplete  — information Clover has on hand: something bad has happened back at the office, Salem is on her way, she’s had agents in the city this whole time, and Ironwood wants Qrow’s entire group arrested for some reason. From Clover’s POV that looks so bad. As far as Clover knows he has two enemies in this fight, Qrow and Tyrian. The fact that we then watched Qrow willingly team up with Tyrian  —  justifying those concerns — resulting in Clover’s death, only for Qrow to later blame Clover and Ironwood for everything, and many fans still don’t question this shows how powerful the “These are the Good Guys and these are the Bad Guys” assumptions go. Nothing the characters actually do on screen breaks that neat divide. 

At the beginning of Volume 7 I was suspicious of both Ironwood and the Ace Ops. Given that initial, dictator-y coding, I thought there was a good chance that he was lying to the group. This plan was BS. His kindness was just a way to lure them into a false sense of security. The friendships developed with the Ace Ops were just a mask. And then... none of that was true. Ironwood’s open, trusting, grateful nature was 100% real and the compassion the Ace Ops extended to the group  — claims of “We’re not friends” aside  — was likewise real, it’s indeed frustrating that the story has so thoroughly tried to erase that for a simplistic, “Military people are bad” message. Clover is a part of that. He was a good man who did nothing our heroes didn’t also do: pushing for Amity, keeping the Salem secret, etc. He was told by Ironwood to arrest Qrow and, having no reason to toss aside years of trust, especially when the implication was he’d just take Qrow to talk things out, he agreed. Qrow is the one who chose violence, chose Tyrian, and Clover was murdered. Then Qrow sits in a jail cell and blames the victim for his death, plus Ironwood for his own idiotic decisions. By the time he’s out, characters are actively rewriting Volume 7, with Robyn claiming Clover was a bad huntsmen and Harriet and Vine saying that he’d definitely have dropped a bomb on a bunch of innocent people. After all, wouldn’t anyone associated with Ironwood? 

RT wasn’t able to write characters doing actual bad things and they likewise weren’t willing to end on a morally gray note. So when Ironwood went evil and they wanted all his subordinates to be simplistically evil too, Clover  — the only one dead and unable to be hastily “redeemed” like Harriet  — is said conclusively to be someone we never saw on screen: the awful huntsmen who’d have killed thousands and was responsible for his own death. 

[refinedbuffoonery]

5x12 Thoughts

OH MY GOD THAT EPISODE WAS SO GOOD. 

Let me just say that Monica knows how to write a HEARTBREAKER. I legit teared up a little when Desi first confessed about her ex-fiancé. 

So let’s start with that. First off, shoutout to Levy for wrecking me. I felt Desi’s pain just as much as I felt Riley’s embarrassment two episodes ago. She’s literally perfect. But in all seriousness, this new era is really bringing Desi’s character to life. She’s three-dimensional. She has strengths and flaws, and (now) she’s someone I can root for. The potential for her to blossom has been there since day one, and I am thrilled to see it finally happening. 

Also, since we got to see so much of her and Mac communicating (!!!) in this episode, I can definitively say that it’s Mac who is the shitty communicator in their relationship. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both shitty because they keep secrets, but when it comes to finally talking, Mac doesn’t listen well. His first thought after Desi told him her fiancé was KIA and that she’s not over it was how it affected him. Bruh. That is not “dropping a bomb” on you. That is sharing something deeply traumatic from her past that she hasn’t confronted yet herself. And Mac brushed it off. He eventually said the right thing by saying he’d work through it with her, but his initial reaction doesn’t sit well with me. 

Despite my dislike of Mac’s reaction, if this is how he and Desi were portrayed since the beginning, I would totally ship them. This is the story of two imperfect people trying to make it work. All the signs point to them not working out in the long run, but watching them try (like this) is equally as fulfilling. Why? Because it’s realistic. 

Still on this Desi thread, her friendship with the princess was perfect. I loved everything about it. There’s just something so powerful about female friendship (even temporary ones like this) that I honestly can’t put into words. The women on this show don’t get enough of that on screen, but with a woman now in charge, I think that will finally change. 

While after this episode I’m ready to jump aboard the Desi fan train, my heart still belongs to Riley. I am so proud of her. She’s come so far, and yet she’s still the same stubborn, snarky hacker we met in episode one. Personally, I think paying it forward is one of the most beautiful things a person can do with their life, so seeing Riley do that is wonderful. She’s powerful in a lot of ways, but her ability to make a difference in these girls’ lives, in my opinion, takes the cake. 

Speaking of powerful....Tristin’s acting? Incredible. I deeply admire the way she can convey so much in so few words. Her reaction when Bozer accused her of being shady was perfect, especially the part where she said not everything is a team thing. This is Her Thing. And I respect the hell out of her for it. And, don’t even get me started on the final scene, where she dropped the bag of Chinese food on the table, introduced herself as Artemis, and said “Let’s begin.” I will be thinking about that scene all week. 

One last thing about Riley, before I move on. Her hair. I’ll write up a whole analysis about it later if y’all want, but throughout the show, her hairstyle has implicitly shown where she’s at emotionally, and you can see her change over time through her hairstyle. It’s been most notable this season; as she became more guarded, she started wearing her hair in sleek, tight styles. In the past, in episodes where she’s most vulnerable, her hair is down (but not straitened!). In this episode, obviously there’s a massive weight lifted off her shoulders after talking with Mac last episode. Thus, the loose hair. But, when she went to meet her hackers, she put it back in that sleek bun again. She’s there to help those girls, yes, but she’s also there as Artemis. 

Dudes, I could talk about these badass women all day. (All night? I’m writing this at 2am lmao). 

Okay. Time to move on. Oh wait....more women. I like how the nano tracker plot was woven into this episode, rather than it just jumping from the previous episode to the one after this one with nothing in between. In addition to making the plot more consistent and coherent, it was also a nice opportunity to bring in Parker and show her and Matty working together. Great creative choice. 

And last but not least, Russ. Sofia really pulled one over on him, and he is still a little too trusting of her, in my opinion, despite her explanation. I don’t know why, but she still seems shady to me. Like, she just comes back and is like “Let’s pick up where we left off” and Russ is all “yeah let’s fuck even though I’m on the clock right now.” The man is clearly not thinking with his brain here. Side note: Mac walking in afterward and noticing the rumpled bed and making the classic dudebro “nice” face at Russ was hilarious. 

Oh and one last thing. Bozer is still my MVP. He only got like three minutes of screen time, but between running the whole op, confronting Riley, and his little dance at the end, he’s really out here doing it all. Good for him. 

Just like I’ve rated every other Monica-era episode, this one is a 10/10. 

[shera-dnd]

So I’ve been taking plentiful breaks in between my writing sessions these past couple of weeks, just to keep my sanity from slipping. 

And I may have made the terrible mistake of finally catching up on RWBY and watching volumes 7 and 8. This wasn’t a terrible mistake because the volumes were bad (they were fantastic actually), this was a terrible mistake because IT’S HARD TO WRITE WHEN YOU’RE CRYING OVER FICTIONAL CHARACTERS!

so uh as it is apparently tradition for when I finish watching something (even tho I know this will summon The Discourse™ or whatever), here are my spoilerific

THOUGHTS ON RWBY’S VOLUMES 7 AND 8

First of all I wanna thank my friends for giving me time stamps for all the triggering scenes in V8, this helped me enjoy this a lot more.

Also never trust a RWBY fan to tell you what is happening in the show. They do not have braincells and will plunge into stupid discourse at any chance they have. Yes, I’m speaking this as a RWBY fan and I am basically discrediting the rest of this list. Shut up!

Penny is an angel and a blessing and I was so happy to have my girl again... even if for such a limited time.

Uh I also didn’t mind her death that much. Like it hurt and I cried, but I didn’t take it as like bad writing or an insult to the fans or whatever. Like it genuinely played well into the themes of the season and Penny’s overall arc.

Speaking of deaths: BURN IN HELL JACQ-ASS!

Anyway I really loved Ren and Nora’s character development and how their relationship has changed. It was really nice.

ALSO oh my fucking god I wasn’t ready for Nora just straight up using the bees to talk about her own relationship, like this bitch knows those two are gonna fuck before this war with Salem business is over

On the shippy side I really loved all the nuts and dolts moments spread over those two volumes. Like I’m not gonna be like “RUBY IS CLEARLY IN LOVE WITH PENNY AND THEY WERE MEANT TO BE CANON!” but as someone who already shipped it I really enjoyed their dynamic and all the moments they shared

uh continuing towards things I really enjoy, can we talk about May Marigold? because I love this bitch so much. She is such a great character and I love that she is canonically trans AND voiced by a trans woman. Also that voice does things to me ngl

Honestly wish we got more of the happy huntresses interacting together, but “I want more of this side character” is the eternal RWBY curse 

Speaking of eternal curses, really loving all the Ozpin and Oscar moments these volumes, especially the scenes they shared with the immortal evil milf.

And on the topic of evil bitches: Oh that Cinder backstory was good. That was so good and I love that. They leaned hard into that Cinderella shit and I’m here for it.

On the fight scene side of things Volume 7 kinda has Volume 8 beat. Like the fights in V8 were pretty extra and cool, but they have nothing on RWBY vs Ace Ops and Tyrian x Qrow x Clover. Those were real fucking good.

Uh I guess that’s all I got. I enjoyed myself and from all the shit I had heard I wasn’t expecting to. It’s just nice being able to enjoy a show I like again and not actually give a shit about what tumblr has to say about it.

Though I feel like I may have summoned the FNDM’s wrath upon me somehow now.

OH LAST THING!

5 bucks say all the people who got yeeted landed on the wrong side of the Vacuo vault.

Okay that’s it you can go now