#expectations in fandom are wild nowadays
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nanamiskentos · 4 months ago
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guys no hate to op but i feel like this post is kind of a wilful/bad faith misinterpretation of writer's works. and its pretty representative of what most fandoms are like nowadays 😭
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like in the grand scheme of things, this is very much a non-issue but people will always write with the context of their own surroundings/background (like i, as an australian, could write using phrases that might sound out of place to others)
like this is FANFICTION (fiction written by...you guessed it! fans. fans from all over the world who will use their own experiences/lives/linguistics to translate that into stories)
second of all, 'yer' and 'fer me' and as others in the notes protest, such words aren't meant to be swinging characters into the wild west with cowboy hates, they're often used as ways to imitate the sound of someone slurring their words (as you would expect in a sex scene) so readers can differentiate it between character's tones 😭
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taylor-titmouse · 4 months ago
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Hey! As an artist who posts NSFW here, I wanted to ask how you decide what posts to censor and redirect to your other socials like Bluesky/Patreon/etc, and which you leave unedited and maybe throw a mature label on? How do you choose to tag your posts? (particularly in fandoms, like your Harvest Moon series).
I feel as though I'm still trying to get a sense of what's both appropriate here and gives people the ability to hide stuff they don't want, while not just avoiding the tags that would let people find my work actually find it.
For example, I'm doing figure studies now with fandom characters to keep me motivated. I don't feel bad just posting artistic nudes, but what if the whole hog is out? How the hell do I decide?
Doesn't help certain tags on Tumblr that would accurately inform people like NSFW just keeps my work from showing up in tags at all. And I've had completely cropped smut with a sexual mature label get flagged and denied in appeal. I never know if I'm doing this right. Would love your thoughts on it!
so regarding what i do/don't censor, it's mostly vibe and my interpretation of the rules. nudity is allowed on tumblr nowadays, but graphic sex is not. so it's fine to post a naked woman with her tits out, but it's not fine to post her being penetrated. same goes for hog--if it's erect, i censor. if it's flaccid, it's fine. i also assume sexual fluids could get you in trouble, so i tend to remove cum or excessive wetness even if there's no sex happening in the image.
basically if you could make a "tasteful" argument, i think it's fine to post uncensored. i actually tend to use the mature content label only when i'm posting in a fandom tag, because that's not an audience that deliberately signed up to see my work. or i put it on when i think it's an edge case of whether something is allowed--it looks better to have made a good faith effort of properly labeling if you have to appeal it later. or, i'll label it when i intend to blaze an advertisement for my books. i mark those as mature to a) make that good faith effort for the person deciding to allow the blaze campaign and b) to make sure it's only shown to people who have that filter turned off. not out of fear it'd be shown to Innocent Eyes, but because the people who have that filter turned off are more likely to actually buy an adult book. it's a way to narrow the marketing down to more potentially interested customers.
i think i've only ever been flagged like, twice on this account? it's actually kind of wild how much i get away with. but i think making a good faith effort to crop and censor when appropriate has gone a long way.
also regarding the automatic filter, it's primed to select flesh colors and things that look like nipples and genitalia. but it expects those things to be shades of pink and brown. it's not so good at picking it up when, say, the image is bright blues and greens. and i do a lot of fucky palette stuff.
hope that's helpful. long story short it's just vibe.
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smartie-chan · 11 months ago
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Long rambling incoming in 3,2,1...
I know that I'm not really any kind of big celebrity in the Stobotnik world. The only thing I've got going for myself is the fact that I've been there since the very beginning, with my one 'I'm so proud of this community' Meme getting a like or two every full moon or so. It's also been a hot second since I've written a Stobotnik Fic, and yet, I've never really left the fandom. Far from it.
So boooooy, when that trailer dropped, let's just say, I've been going wild! That being said, I have calmed down a tiny bit and woud like to share my two cents with you all.
Especially since, considering how gay the trailer was, I've noticed people kind of leaning into either of two camps.
Team 1: They might actually make it canon y'all. This is not a drill!!!!
or
Team 2: This is the most intense queerbaiting I've ever seen, but fuck it, take my money!
Now, I will tell you where I'm standing at the end of things, but let's talk facts before I do, shall we?
I know Jim & Lee were having fun on set during Movie 1, but I doubt either of them expected us all to get quite this feral over these two evil man. In fact, I'm not sure what their plans were for Agent Stone in general. I'd love to believe that they saw us freaking the fuck out and decided to make Stone a big part of the sequels because of that. But then I look at the Robotnik Mushroom Planet scene and think: They gave this man an actual stone to hold onto, going so far as to carve Stone's face into said stone, just so he could pretend he wasn't alone and Stone was still with him. Clearly, Robotinik was never willing to admit that he cared, admit that there could be someone who he had allowed to get close, given that there had never been anyone before who had cared enough about HIM, so why should HE make the mistake of caring about someone else either. Cause, you know, it's easier to pretend there's noone than admit that there could be, just to realise that you were wrong actually. And yet. Despite all that he held onto Stone the stone, like his life depended on it. I love that scene because it's hella gay, but I love it even more because it's amazing writing, giving us the payoff for the forshadwed "I won't miss you when you're gone" scene from way back when. They didn't have to do that. And yet they made that choice. Included that moment for a reason. So I'd love to think that even back then, they were very willing to play with the dynamic of them going forward.
Clearly things and plans changed After Movie 1 , after we saw these two and made Stobotnik as big as it is. I'll talk about movie 2 in a hot second, but let's return to the way they promoted 2 first. Cause THAT was CLEARLY queerbaiting ... or was it... ? For you see, they knew what they were doing, they knew how to get us all excited , posting this on Valentine, letting Sonic make a heart, drawing the whole thing in a romantic light, going so far as to include bi-lighting in the trailer. On top of the latte art that was designed to get us queers to show up. I saw that art, freaked out and showed it to all of my friends. One friend, let's call her Barbara, smiled at me, like you smile at somone who still believes in the Easter Bunny and told me she hoped I knew they were playing with me. In fact, she was kind of dissapointed I allowed them to get to me so much. And I KNEW. I knew they were trying to bait me. I'm not stupid. This isn't the first time I've been queerbaited after all. And it won't be the last time, that's for sure. And yet, I didn't care because I loved that they acknowledged us. Loved that they were willing to give us something, even if it wasn't actually real and they were clearly NEVER going to include actual ship latte art of Stone & Robotnik together. Cause that would be gay. Haha. And those two totally weren't gay. Ain't I right? :)) Queer rep has gotten more common and yet, so has queerbaiting. Cause nowadays the chance that something could be actually made canon is way more likely than it was, let's say, 15 years ago. So companies love to use that, love playing into that even more. Like, do I have to remind you all what they were doing for the Deadpool & Wolverine movie marketing ??? Just saying.
As much as I love Lee and as much as we're loosing our marbels every time he as much as winks in our direction, I'll not be using any of his posts as evidence for the points I'm about to make further down. Cause, you know, at the end of the day, he's just one of us as well. Another shipper. A hella supportive shipper who may or may not have had a hand in the way he portrayed Stone, but still. Love you Lee. Thank you for having our back!
So now. Movie 2. And the godforsaken Maid Dress Scene. I hope we are all proud of ourselves. Cause that scene was our doing. I promise you, promise you!!! they didn't have that planned before the fandom happend. They saw us and were like "You can have this. As a treat :3". Personally I didn't freak out as much as the rest of you all, but I'm glad you guys had fun. It was a gift to us after all, so I guess it's fine if we enjoyed it. Jokes aside though, let's get back to what movie 2 did, even though they may or may not have realised it at the time. As in: They made Stobotnik canon. What do you mean by canon, Smartie?????, you might ask. And I'll answer, cause it's simple: I mean canon, as in canon. Yes, that's right. Stobotnik has been canon for a while... or... at least 50% of it. Let's get back to the Latte, shall we? Back then I thought they were making fun of us. Queerbaiting at it's finest. And then the movie happend and Stone confessed his love right then and there for the world to see, basically drawing fanart into Robotnik's caffe for who knows how long and Robotnik? That stupid -3000 IQ genius knew. He fucking knew!! Has always known and was either unwilling to read between the lines or mistook the affection for simple loyalty. Not-Spoiler: It's the later by the way, because we have that deleted scene. That beautiful deleted scene. But let's get back to the art for a second. Because I was basically dying in my seat. And I didn't think people were talking about it enough, cause it was the proof, not that stupid maid outfit that was simply put in as a joke that audiences were supposed to laugh at. But this. This! The whole scene were Stone was lovesick and heartbroken, drawing art of his lost non-lover, the way the life returned to his eyes the second said man returned, on top of literally all of him for the rest of the movie prooved one thing to me: Agent Stone was in love with Dr. Robotnik. It's clear he's never said so out loud, and for a good reason, but he didn't have to. It was so obvious anyone with an IQ lower than 299 could have seen. Just a shame that that one 300 IQ guy couldn't. So now, deleted scene time. Woopwoop. :P Recall how they had planned to make Stone even more in love and heart-eyed - JESUS CHRIST MY GUY - but went for an alternative scene instead? In case you aren't familiar with the scene, it's basically Stone telling Robotnik how he's followed his guide-lines, making the Stone Comic Canon, how he's made sure noone touched his babies, how he's known he'd return, how he's waited for him all this time cause he knew KNEW he'd come back and for a second there Robotnik doesn't know what to say. He looks that man in the eyes and for a split second he wonders, questions, and then... then he's scared. Scared of what that could mean. Scared that he could actually mean something to someone and he panics and decides to use violence to laugh it off, to refelect, to pretend that in that moment, he didn't actually feel something. That Stone didn't make him feel ... vulnerable. Because at that point, he cares too. He's not ready to admit it, at least not without having to joke about it. But he does. He does!! And the thought of it being mutual scares him. Probably more than anything ever has. Because if he allows this, this feeling to settle and bloom, he's got to admit that this, whatever it is, has the power to destroy and hurt him. And he can't do that. Maybe not again. Maybe not ever. Not now. Not now that he's what... 40? and has found peace with the fact that he'll die alone.
I know they were leaning into Stobotnik a lot, but they also... kind of didn't, following the natural consequences of the stuff they had set up in the prior movie, allowing Robotnik to go through an actual character arc. It's subtle, and he's still and asshole - always wil be - but that doesn't change the fact that his arc still exists and is actually very well done. Stone doesn't really have that obvious of an arc. Because it's not really much of an arc, we're just learning more about him, fleshing out his character. The only thing we know for certain is, that he adores and loves Robotnik and that he's willing to betray everyone and everything for him. Even if Robotnik never loves him back. He's accepted that, as long as he's alowed a place at his side.
And now, my fellow shippers, movie 3. Or rather, pre-movie 3. And the much discussed question: Are we getting queerbaited? Well, that depends how you define queerbaiting, doesn't it? Is it queerbaiting if it's unrequited love? Cause that's our current standpoint. Stone has found his doctor, nursed him back to health, lived with him, been by his side for months (years) and the only thing that is standing in their way now is: Robotnik's feelings. They have great build-up, put this man on a path, shown us how he's grown and now all that's left is to see, how they'll decide to finish his story. If I look at all that's happend up to this point, from a writing/writer stand-point, I'd say, that it would make sense for Robotnik to admit, that he cares. Cause that has been his arc, his journey. To admit that yes: He doesn't care about humanity, but he does care about Stone. Has for a very long while in fact. Be that platonic, or romantic. Doing literally anything else would not make sense at that point and would actually be an insult to their own work. And their writing has been pretty solid, so I'm confident we will get something. Especially since... I HAVE seen the leaks. Now, storyboards are just that. Something from early development, something that could change. Which is why I'd normally ignore them.... iiiiiiiif it weren't for that one line from the trailer. That one. fucking. line. That made me realise: Holy shit, those mad lads are doing it. They are finishing Robotnik's arc. That's when I understood why Team 1 was loosing their marbels. Because,
SPOILER!!!!! he is going to admi it. He is going to admit it to himself, and he's gonna do something so wild and crazy it scares me more than you understand. The only question is. Will he surive to tell the tale? And if he does, will he be brave enough to share that admission with Stone?
END OF SPOILER
I don't have links to the storyboard. In retrospect, I should have saved them. But what's done is done. Not that I cod delete the knowledge of what I've seen even if I tried. People seem hesitant to tell people all they have seen, cause those of us who have, and know the Sonic 2 story seem to have a good understanding of what and when that spoiler is taking place. And especially what outcome it seems to be leading into. But, if anyone asks, I am willing to share what it was I saw. If you really wanna know. If you are truly sure.
That being said. How do I feel about Stobotnik? I don't think we're getting a kiss. But I think (and hope) we're gonna get a moment. A moment of Robotnik being open, of him sharing that Stone means somethig to him. They even have the potential to include a joke here, of Stone perhaps attempting to hug Robotnik, for him to allow it for 3 seconds or so, only for him to punch Stone and say something along the lines of: "Okay, that's enough." You know, something close to the High Five moment, just THIS TIME they actually do the high five (or hug). You can have the feels and the joke. It's still Robotnik after all. It's what I'm hoping for, actually, cause I don't think Robotnik is ready for THAT admission quite yet. A hug though? That I could see.
I know we still have to fight against being exploited and played with, but that being said, I don't think love confessions have to always be that huge thing, that clashing of tongues and body parts. They can also be soft and quite. A moment of vulnerability and trust. Of openness. In fact, if Robotnik were to allow Stone a hug, it would be even more impactful than a kiss could ever be. He's hugging Gerald in the trailer, so they have shown me that they are not afraid to make this man hug.
It gives me hope. And it - and the leaks - are the reason why I'm Team 1. I think we could actually get canon Stobotnik you all. And I'm so hyped you don't understand. Let's see what Stobotnik marketing they are going to feed us over the next few months. I, for one, am looking forward to it. ^-^
Live long and prosper 🥚🖤🪨
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sammylbir · 6 months ago
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Redoing my Intro (Again)
Alright, third time is the charm, so…let's do this.
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Update: #sillysammy for NSFW posts. Minors dont interact with those
Hello there! I am Sammy Wilde, a trans fem artist/writer and wannabe voice actress. I am 22 years old, use She/Her pronouns and I am from Germany.
I am also a yumeshipper and ship myself with Miu Iruma and Angie Yonaga (Who is a trans man in this one).
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Some info:
Biace: Bisexual, yet on the ace spectrum flag by ags)
Trans-NB-Femme: I consider myself more female than nb, yet would think that I am nonbinary with a more feminine lean.
Orchidromantic: No desire for a romantic relationship
Pronouns: She/They
What is this Account about?
On this account, you will see all sorts of stuff, art/writing and voice acting related. It's my fun lil' corner, where I share my stuff. Sometimes I will post analysis stuff too, but not too often. But more importantly, it's all about my tastes ^^
My blogs, my rules!
My Fandoms:
-Danganronpa
-Monster Prom
-Coraline
-Pokemon
-Welcome Home
-Don't Hug Me I'm Scared
-Ace Attorney
Also, I have my own askblog for my OCs called @projphantopia Check it out, if you can!
Now, we will go over the BFY/BFI section:
-I am an adult and while I don't have a problem with minors interacting with me, please do note that I have my own stuff in life. I can give advice from time to time though.
-This blog will rarely feature some NSFW mentions. In case of the above point, I ask minors to not read through those posts and will add a warning accordingly.
-I love muscles, so expect tons of posts about them!
-My other creative works are mostly horror related and deal with heavy topics. Once again, I am asking for the minors on here, to not interact with those posts. For your own safety that is.
-In regards to the Proshipper/Antishipper discourse, leave me out of this. This account will not glorify incest or pedo stuff, but I do not like those labels
-I will not do RPs with minors of any kind. It makes me uncomfortable.
-I do not support AI Art
-I will post on this account, whatever I like and while I want to make sure to consider your feeling, it is still my account and my rules.
-Regarding proshippers, I dont have a problem with you interacting with me. Just don't be gross towards me, alright?
-If I make any of you uncomfortable in any way, tell me.
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DNI:
-Do not flirt with me or be sexually suggestive with me. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A MINOR. I am not attracted to kids, thank you very much.
-Do not shout at me or harass me.
-Don't interact, if you are queerphobic. If you are trying to change then that's an exception
-If you try to dictate me, how to live my life.
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Other Notes: -I am on the autistm spectrum. (Was diagnosed with Asperger's autism, but given the term's historical usage, I barely use it nowadays.) -I am biace, with female lean. Doesn't make me any less bi. I do not experience much sexual attraction towards people though. -I am on the Aromantic Spectrum and am not interested in any relationship (Orchidromantic) -While I would not say that I am on the asexual spectrum, I am not that interested in sexually suggestive stuff. Sometimes I am, sometimes not. It varies. -I believe in god, but do not follow any specific religion. And I have no problem with religious people interacting with me. -I usually do not use tone tags. Usually.
-I will not force any of my hcs onto you. But please respect mine, okay?
-I am not a fan of "kinkshaming". If I do not like someone's kink, I won't harass them for it.
-I selfship myself with Angie Yonaga, Milo Belladonna and Miu Iruma, but I am not against any other yumeshippers.
-Any questions, can be sent through the ask box.
That's all. Enjoy your stay!
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obsidianpen · 5 months ago
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Are you on TikTok, pen? U should promote ur stories on TikTok and make it viral. Ppl will absolutely go crazy over ur stories! 🤯
hrrr. Okay, I know you didn’t ask for a rant, but you’re getting one!
I have a lot of feelings about fanfic writers relentlessly promoting their own fics on TikTok. I used to think it irked me because of the whole potential monetization part of TikTok, which is an potential problem for sure, but recently I’ve come to realize that’s not the biggest issue I have with it. It’s more about what fandom is supposed to be, and the best way I’ve heard this described is that it’s a gift economy (as spoken about by tinawithana, who I really think nails all things re: fandom culture).
Fandom, when we’re talking about fanfiction, should ideally work like this: Writer makes and posts fanfiction. Reader reads and comments on fanfiction (and on ao3, gives a kudos and maybe a bookmark if they so inclined to bookmark). that’s it. That’s the whole exchange. at least, as far as it should be expected to go. Now, if you read a fanfic and you adore it so much that you feel compelled to do something more, such as make fanart, translate it into another language, etc., that’s amazing. It’s also another gift. nowadays, that can also translate into things such as edits, YouTube trailers (so wild to me!!! How cool that people do this), TikTok’s, etc. Gift economy.
so really what I think gets me about writers who make TikTok accounts solely to promote their own work and ‘go viral’ is that it disrupts the way things should (imo) be. Writing long and complicated stories is a fuck ton of work, damn it! Spending hours and hours and HOURS writing this stuff and sharing it IS my contribution. Making fanart or anything else to promote it shouldn’t be on me, too. Besides, someone incessantly and constantly shoving their own fics in people’s faces via funny catchy TikTok’s kind of ruins the legitimacy of it. It’s also not a cute look. That’s why that one writer (and I’m sure many others have done this, too) used a shit ton of alternate accounts and paid for bots to promote their (partially ai generated) bullshit. Hype can be manufactured. And TikTok is all about hype.
all that to say: I love the TikToker’s! The fans out there who share the stories they love are doing the lords work, truly - Styxxa and ohsadderdaze immediately come to mind (you should all check them out; dare you to comment on one of their posts saying I sent you 🙃), but there are a ton of people who make videos promoting other people’s writing. That’s real fandom etiquette right there. Gift economy!
Some counter arguments I can already understand: if you’re a new writer and you’re just trying to get someone to give your fic a chance… I get it. I’m not saying self-reccing your work is bad by any means; I think it’s super valid and maybe even necessary if you’re having a hard time getting people to read initially. No shame in that! If I had started writing in more recent years I might have done this as well (idk probably not though; I would have gotten flogged for posting about harrymort anywhere else back then). But I too once had like maybe five fans lmao. It sucks. I get it.
But it’s iffy once it passes a certain threshold. That’s all I’m really saying here.
Oh, and I do have a TikTok, I just haven’t posted on it! Yet. I might make something stupid someday just for fun, because I do recognize that TikTok IS a fun platform and can be an entertaining way to connect with people. So follow me if you want, and tag me in stuff about my fics if you see them! I like to repost them.
I’m also super open to hearing other people’s opinions on this topic! I’d love to hear different takes and am (usually) willing to admit I was wrong and have a change of heart when warranted. 💖
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glass-warehouse · 5 months ago
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Hello! Thank you for signing up for my little fandom project. Like I mentioned in my post, these will be once a month character building/exploration questions. I don't expect immediate answers. Feel free to take the whole month, if you need! If you have more than one Step, pick your favorite or whichever you think needs more love.
We're going to start with the basics this month: Where did your Sidestep get your name? Do they know what it means? Do they feel any particular way about their name?
- Cigs
no, thank you for doing it!! ✨
this is unironically very difficult 😅 Astor is an oc name I've been lugging around for the better part of... *checks calendar* jesus, 11 years?! First used for an Attack On Titan insert — it's been so long that I don't even remember how *I* came across it.
Where did your Sidestep get their name?
Originally, when I first played Rebirth, my idea was that he just stumbled across it. Newsflash, me from 6 years ago, you don't just find 'astors' out in the wild. Though some research today shows that it's on the rise, crazy.
Nowadays... that's his regene name. In my own hc, I see the cuckoos as having 'names', 'covers', and 'designations'. Covers being, obviously, mission-related cover names. And designations are their actual documented identification.
The only issue is that it's a bit of a mouthful to keep having to say "two-one-five" all the time, so he has a name. (And what happens when he's around 'polite company' but not on a mission? Calling someone '215' is bound to raise alarm bells). This is not to be misconstrued as an act of familiarity or colloquialism.
As a result, it almost became an ingrained instinct. "When they ask you what you are called, you tell them 'Astor'. Do you understand two-one-five?"
While the name is impersonal to those at the Farm, it was the first thing Astor was given and allowed to keep consistently. The first spark of an emerging individuality. Before he escaped the first time, his internal voice took on the name Astor, but his body was still only known as 215.
Do they feel any particular way about their name?
Sort of a continuation from before.
At the start, Astor sees it as 'a name is just a name'. Even if it was his first worldly possession, names can be swapped and traded easily. It's the intention that matters, not the letters.
But as more and more people started to use it and refer to him as Astor, as opposed to Sidestep, the more it started to stick and solidify.
The name is his now.
The neural pathways that have formed around that name are so strong, that nothing short of his true death will take it from him. No sickness, no poison, no injury, only cremation.
Do they know what it means?
Nope! Astor has never looked into it. Anathema has because "what sort of a goddamn name is 'Astor' supposed to be?"
Astor means 'hawk'.
When I first found the name, it would occasionally refer to a Goshawk specifically. Which, hilariously enough, in the last year has had its genus recategorised - along with 8 others - from "Accipiter" to "Astur".
I mention the Goshawk because, while they are fairly large birds, their hunting style consists of flying quickly through woodland. Weaving and dodging between trees to catch their prey, as well as ambush tactics.
... This is Sidestep.
Who then becomes Reflektor.
Astor wouldn't really care much if he knew the meaning of his name. That's not why it's important to him.
And Garcia? His surname? Simply plucked from a list of common surnames.
(Fun little side bit: because his name sounds like 'as-tur', if he hadn't seen it spelt out before escaping the Farm, he definitely would've gone around spelling it with a 'u' instead of an 'o'.)
again, omg, thank you for this. but I'm so sorry 😂 I didn't mean to ramble quite this much!
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evergreenalice · 6 months ago
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idk what the dominant view of Chara is in the Undertale fandom nowadays
but it is wild to me that in a game where you are expected to forgive some pretty fucked up stuff
the fandom largely took the idea of "The mentally ill child is basically the embodiment of evil though."
I understand where this came from, even if I don't think it was the intent of the game
but it's still wild to me how jarring it is thematically to have that take for a game like Undertale
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cadybear420 · 5 months ago
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Holy shit it's already been 4 years since I first discovered Choices. Excuse me while I try to keep my brain from exploding
On February 2, 2021, I found the app while idly searching random shit on the Google Play store. I downloaded it expecting it to be as trashy as the ads portrayed those kinds of games as. So I planned to spend my time mocking the game and its ridiculousness that I expected from it, and then delete it once I had my fill.
One hour later, in my bed at 5:30 AM, I was playing TRR Book 1 and already at the end of chapter 1, I was swooning over Prince Liam because he was just the sweetest, and thinking to myself that this game probably has some substance.
Then after I completed TRR 1 chapter 1 I noticed TNA Book 1. That cover looked exactly like the normative kind of stuff I'd love to mock. I started playing it and it had a lot of normative mock-worthy things but it was also kind of fun in a way. It's exactly what it was on the cover and it was interesting, and it did have some genuine positives.
A couple of weeks later, later in February, TNA 1 would be the first Choices book I ever completed. Again, mock-worthy but fun and interesting. I think I either tried out Foreign Affairs or Open Heart next, though I didn't really binge through those because they felt more low-key compared to the insanity wild ride that was TNA.
I don't remember when exactly I started HSS. My earliest screenshot is from Book 1 Ch 6 and goes back to March 11, 2021 but I know I started it earlier than that. And believe you me, I was fully expecting it to be a very corny Disney Channel high school style story. Instead I got the motherfucking demon child that would rework my entire brain chemistry for the next four years and almost certainly counting.
HSS was definitely playing on some tropes and very larger than life yet at the same time, it still felt real and it played up the tropes well. I was definitely invested after the first 2-3 chapters, and I think by chapter 5 after that premium scene where you can listen to Aiden playing piano I was full-on hooked. That's when I knew for sure I was never getting rid of this app. No matter how much bullshit AI crap or whatever PB is doing nowadays, they can't take HSS away from me.
It also helped that I was feeling like utter shit early in February, partly due to my older fandom RWBY being a shitshow (do not ask). Choices and HSS was one of quite a handful of good, refreshing things that came along and gave me a sort of a fresh start.
I'm not going to go over my nostalgia for all the books because as fond as those memories are, if I did that we'd be here forever so maybe another time. But I will say that I spent the first year and a half on Choices Reddit and a couple of Discords and had some fun times there. Then sometime in June 2022 I made my blog. I was unsure about the Tumblr fandom so I joined to mainly just reblog Aiden-related stuff and mind my own business not really talking to people much.
Eventually I decided to start posting some of the edits I'd been working on in my spare time but not really sharing them much. My first ever edit I posted was the first version of Aiden's swimsuit redesign. I was really nervous about sharing it at first.
Later on I started posting a few more edits, HSS incorrect quotes and also getting involved in some of the critical discourse because it was making my brain run at 5000000 mph.
For the following year and a half I would be more active but still mostly reblogging stuff with the occasional discourse post of my own or edit. I was still very nervous about some things like more suggestive HSS headcanons and I've witnessed a couple of the arguably worse sides of the Choices fandom. Social anxiety is a bitch.
It wasn't until around October 2023 ish... or maybe July 2023 ish actually, that I started getting more immersed into more of the community. Around that point I did kind of want to start actually sharing my creations with people and not just dumping them onto my blog. I was still a bit anxious but I also hated being lonely.
And then by December 2023, I participated in my first ever Secret Pal Exchange and I greatly enjoyed it. From there, I began gradually meeting new people, new amazing friends and creators, and I began feeling more comfortable sharing ideas and things I liked.
Heh, who knew that me idly searching random shit on Google play out of boredom and feeling forlorn would lead to all this. So in honor of me having been invested in this game for four years, I want to say thank you to each and every one of you who I have met in the fandom for being a wonderful friend, for supporting my art and my edits and my fics and my headcanons and my MCs and all the rest, for creating such amazing works and MCs and headcanons of your own, and for creating such a welcoming community. I am certainly looking forward to continuing these amazing memories.
Long live the Choices fandom, HSS, and Aiden Zhou with all his class, sass, and ass.
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afreakingdork · 7 months ago
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HAPPY NEW YEARRR
I've been meaning to send you an ask for quite some time now. But I have realized that I have no clue how to write my thoughts properly
So I'm just going to leave this here and hope it makes sense.
Honestly, you've been such a great motivator for me, since I joined the Fandom and found Crush Too Much, I immediately knew you'd become my favorite writter!!
You are so talented, and disciplined, and I honestly admire you a lot. I love how you are able to make such masterpieces of books, how you make just everything make sense, and how you are able to connect the characters with the reader. Wether is a Canon x reader, or Canon x Canon (I LOOOVE AENEM)
I want to take your brain and inspect it
I feel like you are such a great writer, and I admire how you stand by what you do and say. I also love how organized you are
I love that you support artists, that you put effort in also putting visuals for your stories.
Everytime I know an update is coming I clear my schedule for reading alone.
You're amazing
And I admire you a lot
Thank you so much, keep being awesome!!!
I don't know what other projects you want to work on this year, but I'll be here first row!!
LET'S START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT BY:
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I CRY
I SOB
I THANK
It makes more than enough sense!! Wah thank you so much!!! Being able to wake up to your ultra kind message is totally going to set my tone for the whole year and I seriously can't thank you enough!!!
Gosh, you've been around since the beginning with Crush Too Much! I was just re-reading that two days ago for a little perspective. I feel like there are things I wrote there that I can't recapture and things I've written nowadays that I can't believe. Writing is such a wild and amazing journey and I'm so happy to be able to share my work with the world!
Thank you so much for mentioning AENEM! Obviously, I write for me, first and foremost, and I am obsessed with Mikey x Kendra, but I've been wondering if anyone else likes it. I'd been mostly getting very sweet ❤️ comments on it, but no feedback. I felt like maybe all my followers just saw each update and thought 'ah, there goes Dork again with her goofy ship! I can't wait for the next x reader content.' Literally no one could read it and I would still be pumping out content because again, I cannot tell you how much I love their dynamic, but it's nice to hear it's an alright read! I pour my soul into everything I write and writing that has been such a pleasure!
Also, thank you for mentioning the art!!! I am so thankful that I am in a financial position to give back to the community! I love artists, they inspire, feed, and wrap my heart up in love and I have nothing, but undying affection for them in return. Obviously, I have my steady crew that I go back to, but I always want to try and keep finding more and more new artists to commission. I adore all the different styles and interpretations and AH!! I'm just overwhelmed in the best of ways to be able to showcase them!!!
Again, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I will keep creating for the near future! Soft Spot has no foreseeable ending (I have it plotted, but not like any concrete timelines) and AENEM has at least 27 more chapters, but I expect that to to go up because I need some pacing scenes and after that? Who knows!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
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vitamango · 1 year ago
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Oh! Hello there! Here's something different! A rare text post! I realize I interact very rarely here (and tbh interact very rarely on social media at all, in recent years) but I'm trying to figure out a nicer balance than just dead radio silence.
I guess, hi hello. I'm King -- I'm a nonbinary artist. I draw. I love video games and cute things. And I am trying to beat my anxiety over using social media back with a stick. I dunno how many of my followers are still active here, but regardless of whether you have found me recently or stuck with me for years, you guys really mean a lot to me. It's a really quiet little corner of the internet, but it's mine, and I find comfort in knowing that there's someone out there who was kind enough to take a moment out of their life to see my work.
I want to challenge myself to start posting a little more so I'm slowly posting some of my old art backlog, but maybe also just chattering mindlessly and finding comfort in blogging again.
Man, it's really been a while since I last posted a text post, huh. To be honest, somewhere in the last 2-5 years, I've developed some kind of crippling fear of being perceived and just kind of drop my art on social media like a cat dropping a dead mouse on someone's pillow for praise and just disappear back into the ether. I miss it, though! I miss interaction even if I'm not a particularly chatty person in blog form but, hell, it's a blog and it's silly to be worried about blogging... on a blog.
So here I am. I think part of the anxiety has stemmed from trying to slowly make the switch to twitter and there being so many unspoken rules of engagement on twitter that at some point it all just got all twisted up into a big ball of "well idk how to interact so I guess I won't!" and somehow that just kind of extended to pretty much every social media thing I have. It's kind of wild how hostile social media feels nowadays -- is it just me? I know I have a lot of anxiety but I hope someone out there relates!
Tumblr is a strange blogging platform, isn't it? It makes interacting with people kind of hoop-jumpy and difficult, and yet it still feels a lot more approachable than something like twitter in my opinion (my beloathed).
I've been considering making the jump to Cara seeing so many other artists do the same (and I have made an account), but to be honest, the idea of maintaining yet another social media account fills me with so much bone-deep exhaustion.
I've been really struggling with artblock recently and finding it difficult to find enjoyment in the hobby that I loved so much and has been so formative to me. It feels strangely alienating finding myself incapable of producing artwork the way I used to, but it's been a slow work in progress. Reviving my social media accounts is a step in some direction, honestly! Or at least, I'm hoping it will be.
Tangentially related, I don't draw a lot of fanart -- not because I'm not a fan of things but more because if I spend the energy on drawing, I often want to spend it on original creations (as the #1 and singular fan in that fandom LOL), but I always feel like I should do it more often -- mostly because it's such a delight to see other fans trickle in out of the woodwork. I think this every time in the rare occasions I do post fanwork, haha!
Anyways, I'm not actually expecting anyone to read this but if you did, hello! I hope you, specifically, (yes, you!!!) have the bestest of days! ;)
469th post on this blog, too. Nice.
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crystalelemental · 1 year ago
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"books-are-my-life-stuff: The original Japanese release iirc also has the same release and eos date, so...yeah, not just the global release. It's a shame, Love Live! is I think among the most popular early gacha games back then. Everyone loved it, everyone I knew played it, but when they decided to close the first game while announcing the second that's when it's going downhill. I think you described it well.
Love Live was first released in 2013, I think it's even earlier than FGO, but it crumbled so fast and unfortunately couldn't compete with the market nowadays. Love Live as a franchise is still very big and successful even to this day, with multiple anime series and so many fans, a shame that the game devs didn't even try to fulfill that expectation."
I'm not really sure how they dropped the ball, is the thing. I was never too associated with Love Live, I kept up for a short time with a friend way back when but never touched the games or anything, but it seemed like one of those big, looming fandoms in the background that you know is everywhere. As far as rhythm games go, it was the big name. So it's kinda wild to hear how badly it's cratering now. I guess it's been around long enough it's not surprising to see it on the decline, but if I'm remembering the story about the gacha shifts right, the pivot to a new game and then the backdown to a carry-over sequel all happeend in like a year. Which is a really fast turnaround time to torpedo your entire series.
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ingravinoveritas · 2 years ago
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GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS GOOD OMENS 2 IS IN 10 DAYS
Indeed it is, Anon! Heady and wild times are afoot, to be sure.
Yesterday and today have been particularly spirited days in the fandom, with so much new content coming our way--pictures from the show, news about advance screenings, and of course, the behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast (most especially Michael and David).
I think if I had to share the thing--or one of the things--that's delighted me most, it's these two extracts from two separate Collider interviews with Michael and David. First David's interview:
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And then this one from Michael's interview:
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It's the common thread/theme of joy that is so beautiful to me. We've heard David say that before, of course--four years ago, just in the same way that Michael said four years ago how much he enjoyed watching David as Crowley. But nowadays it seems like joy is in such short supply. Everyone is stressed out, tired, anxious. We see more hate and anger and violence on the news than happiness and positivity.
So given all of that, to know that Michael and David derive such joy from being together--acting in the show, and from their friendship/relationship--is just the most gorgeous thing. Michael in particular seems to have his heart right out on his sleeve, acknowledging how rare the chemistry and connection he has with David is--more importantly, how he knows it's rare and has clearly given a great deal of thought to it--and also wishing for their partnership (in all its forms) to keep going. It's the difference between the visible resignation of someone who knows a relationship has run its course and the quietly passionate plea of someone who has found more meaning in another relationship than he ever expected.
"Long may it continue" he says, and how it makes your heart ache to know how sincerely he means it. Especially now that we also have him saying this in an article from The Metro:
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He really would, though, wouldn't he? Michael would keep working with David (on Good Omens or something else) for as long as he can. And that's what I'm most excited to see on screen in season 2: The understanding of what it means to want to grow old with one person more than anyone else on Earth (or in the heavens above). I truly am looking forward to it. Ten days and counting...
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brooklynislandgirl · 2 years ago
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51. How do you think the RP/Fandom community has grown or changed since you started?
53. How would you respond if someone is rude to you or has done you wrong?
Memes from Another Mun || -
51: How do you think the RP/Fandom community has grown or changed since you started? Picture it... The Internets...20...a long time ago. When the web was wide and new and we'd just eked our way out of AOL and dial-up hell. Okay maybe a little later than that. We RP ancestors huddled around the virtual fires of our little cliques, telling our stories and painting our digital cave paintings in fandoms that spanned as far as the eye could see. It was a wild time born of primordial chaos. You had ninjas and neko-dhamphire-dragon assassins hanging out in the "rafters", vampires drinking bloodwyne while their translucent orbs took in the stunning visages of elves and Illithids and...and it was some crazy shit. I could put up a 500 page doctoral thesis about the way rp communities used to be, where everything was a cross-over, and canons almost literally did not exist, and if they did...they were the VERY odd duck out, most folks shying away from them. Every single person had their 'home' and then sometimes someone would be slighted and groups would go to "war", elaborate flaming/call outs/actual written storylines and so on. But there were rules, and there was a certain...decorum. And everyone seemed to understand it was a collaborate effort. Some of the prose might have been blindingly purple, and others might have been one liners, and sometimes just numbers.... It was quite creative and I look on those days, clearly, with fond memories. Nowadays, I think the writing has gotten...if not better, then certainly more focused. Like Pangaea splitting apart and forming the continents we know today, you can find a fandom for just about everything, and it's all a little weirder than it was before. I do feel a pain in my heart that a lot of people can't put their differences aside to have fun, we aren't as supportive of new people as we could be. We treat OCs like a disease but I kind of laugh at that because EVERYONE's CANON is literally someone's OC. A part of me misses the old days. And a part of me is glad that the hobby is still flourishing, and people are still being creative, because at the end of the day, we're all just trying to live our best fictional lives out here. <inserts the Judds Song, "Grandpa, Tell Me About The Good Old Days"> ~*~
53: How would you respond if someone is rude to you or has done you wrong? I mean, it depends on the act of rudeness. If people wanna talk smack behind my back, that's fine. I can't stop anyone. And I don't care to police things beyond my control. If it's put in an anonymous ask? Oh my sour summer child, I will peel paint with the strength of my vitriol as I tear that down as soon as I come back from grabbing some coffee. I will have citations, indexes, Venn diagrams of exactly where you fucked up and how, and a whole-ass TEDtalk about why this is neither friendly or correct. I am an adult, I do not enjoy talking out both sides of my mouth, and I expect people who have a problem with me to be the same way, and straight up just tell me. Not everything has to be on a public forum, sometimes discretion is still a virtue. If someone at least tries to be a reasonable human being and addresses a concern, a mistake, etc. and comes to me and says hey, I got this problem...the I will do my best to listen, and if I've done any harm {real or imagined} or overstepped a boundary, I will apologise. Most of the time though, I will respond to another person in the same manner with which I am treated.
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artemistorm · 2 years ago
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hello and good evening
I just wanted to say that I just discovered you (sorry, I mostly write fanfic nowadays and don't read as often as I would like to) but...you are a really good writer. I clicked on a couple of the story links you have pinned up, and from what I have read thus far, I really, honest-to-god love your style, and the way you write each character.
I also saw your most recent post about being overlooked...and I am sorry to hear that. I wish I could claim to be guiltless, but I only barely discovered your works, and I am kicking myself greatly over the fact. Please keep writing for the "unpopular" Links--if you are comfortable in doing so. To thrive off of what others tend to overlook is a truly amazingly awesome thing, and it is a talent much needed in the lu fandom.
thank you for all you have given to your readers. i hope you continue to write, because i mean what i say--you are an incredible writer. you paint beautiful pictures in words, which is an incredible skill.
i hope you get the acknowledgement you deserve. i know i have fallen in love with your material--so I believe it's only a matter of time until more follow suit :)
much love <3
Hello Formal Anon, don't feel bad about not noticing me sooner, especially if you haven't been in the fandom for long. As I said I have an invisibility curse in my in-person life and it seems to have extended into my online life as well. I tend to be a pretty independent writer and none of my stories are super popular (except for Recharge which only has 1 chapter and isn't getting updated any time soon) so it's to be expected.
Thank you for reading my fics. I'm glad you like them! Writing stories gives me life and it's my purpose in life. I will continue to write for the Hyrule & Wild duo because they're my fave duo and no one else is writing for them so I gotta take up the slack and write a whole bunch of stories about them! I just wish more people recognized them as an equally fascinating, complementary, fun pair (with lots of angst potential) that's just as good and worthy as Twilight & Wild or Hyrule & Legend.
Thank you for your amazing ask and all your complements. I'm going to save it for later.
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imaginative-123 · 3 days ago
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What 'KPop Demon Hunters' gets right, wrong about K-pop industry
This article is also made by a korean woman who's critical of the movie
Edit: Minors do not interact, reblog or like my post bc I will block you.
I also want to add something Rumi's friends' histories and backstories are underdeveloped compared to Rumi, sure some people may say it is better than what Disney is doing nowadays to other animated women they're writing although I haven't watched Wish tbh, but still sure they have personalities, they can be wacky, aggressive and over the top that can be a standout personality, however when you start to peel layers of her friends backstories it feels underdeveloped, Mira is the problem child of her family bc she got to wild, yet I still don't know why is she exactly the problem child? Is it due to her family's higher expectations just like from Queen Eleanor from Pixar's Brave to her daughter Merida to attain the status quo of reinforcing traditional roles? Is it bc she can't keep up to her family's standards or does she want to be a kpop idol as her dream but her family gets in her way? Also Zoey who came from America it is hinted that she tried to play both sides and she couldn't find her own place, why? Is it bc she's pressured to stay at America or is it something else in regards to her career of playing both sides? Yet it's never explored. Also I've seen some fans said that the movie is supposed to be a criticism of the KPOP industry on how the movie is deep that it showcased how dark the industry is. This part made me depressingly laugh as hell, if the movie was supposed to be a deep commentary of the kpop Industry then it did a piss poor job exploring it. Sorry but, I'm not saying that the movie should go too deep or way too far to explore the kpop industry since this movie is directed towards the kids demographic, yes it's a kid's movie but that doesn't mean any animation company should stop doing darker themes, since Disney and Pixar in the past can explore darker themes in their movies by either using symbolism or use it in subtle ways. However there are some parts of the movie where it's supposed to showcase how the kpop industry and stans views kpop idols like the parasocial fans who are kpop stans of any fandom who ship kpop idols whether romantically or sexually regardless if they consented to not. Yet the scene in the movie where the stan in the fansign event where she romantically ships Rumi and Jinu and the idols faces are uncomfortable yet the scene is treated like a gag. Then the scene just moves on bc it's just funny I guess.
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To me it feels like the movie just does references in the kpop fandom including the kpop industry in real life without adding a thought or a commentary, there's also a scene where the Huntrix girls where they're allowed to eat whatever they want, and yes this is not exclusive to cartoon characters who are skinny or thin that they can eat foods whatever they want but still in reality kpop idols in real life don't take too much calories or food, they have a strict diet, yet the movie's scene while funny in isolation I would imagine a starving kpop idol watching this scene probably jealous of Huntrix girls being able to take in any food they want. While they were forced to do on a diet while suffering mentally and being exhausted in their jobs and suffer from malnutrition.
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In conclusion while the songs are the only thing I liked in the movie the story just didn't emotionally resonate with me compared to Across the Spiderverse, while the movie has it's flaws in the narrative still the movie resonated with me and I emotionally connected to Miles and Gwen's journey's and arcs than KPOP DH. In fact I related more to black people's stories and latino animated films than recent Hollywood Asian films and the kpop movie pissed me off at the end and I feel empty and I thought Turning Red was the final nail in the coffin, and I hope there's a critique video of the movie similar to ATSV once the glazing is over. Anyways, I'm not here to take away from people's enjoyment of the movie, you can enjoy it all you want but we should also acknowledge the movie's shortcomings, this movie feels more like whitewashing and shallow in tackling the issues in the kpop industry rather than adding a commentary and thoughts in it's handling of subject matters. This is not just that other asian people including others who are also Korean are also uncomfortable with the depiction of kpop idols in the movie, that I've seen a korean person criticize the movie while also being a fan of it is them referring to the movie using the lyrics related to napalm era and from the context I've researched in a short time it was definitely messed up to use that in the lyrics of "How It's Done," and from what I've seen the movie received backlash from Vietnamese people. At the end of the day, Sony Pictures Animation Studios is still a corporation that is no different than Disney, Pixar, Illumination. Laika and Dreamworks. They can make mistakes in their work, also this is the same company that exploits its workers during ATSV production although they're always been this way since Hotel Transylvania and Phil Lord and Chris Miller are not exempt from criticism. I sure hope there's a change in the industry the same way it can be said for Kpop Idols, we can enjoy something but also be critical of the things we also enjoy. I also think that if I have time someday, I might make a tumblr post and short video explaining and venting out my issues in relation to Hollywood's Asian Representation in recent years and how it disappointed me as a Filipina.
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galaxy-fleur · 8 days ago
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What's been happening lately with the leshley community and all the outrage happening over Ashley and Leon not being an endgame? I don't know if you saw but it's been crazy, and the craziest part is i think that alot of people missed the point of the RE4R's story when it comes to this two.
It's like everyone a part of this expected an explicit showcase of love confessions followed up by kissing and sleeping together at least that's what i'm getting with all the talk going around here and on twitter. My perception of what a romance should be is also a bit skewed but i didn't think it would turn out to be THIS this bad for the leshley community and especially not in the year of 2025.... sucks bad and doesn't look good for them.
I'm not... in the Leshley/Eagleone community (or any specific ship or even character community tbh LMAO) so I haven't seen much, but it honestly doesn't sound like anything new. Hell, I got harassed by one specific weirdo shipper for simply stating the same thing to another anon for weeks on end, despite me actively writing fics for them and reblogging fanart 💀 It was just one very insane person though, so I don't want to paint the entire community in a bad light.
This sort of thing exists in pretty much any shipping community, honestly. Aeon, Cleon, Valenfield, hell, I've even stumbled upon some m/m and f/f shippers acting in a similar entitled way, so it's not just a m/f shipping issue, either. I think it's less about the actual story and characters, and more about feelings of insecurity among a very hostile environment. Very long fandom/online communities talk bellow the cut:
This is going to be a far too sympathetic look on the whole thing, and I'm just gonna preface it by pointing out that nothing justifies harmful behavior and online harassment. Like, that anon that sent stuff my way for weeks on end is obviously not okay mentally, nobody who's happy with their life would waste their time on writing out paragraphs upon paragraphs to some random blog on the internet for weeks on end. But does it make it ok? Obviously not.
That said, while shipping wars have always existed, and will continue to exist as long as fandom itself stands strong, it is worth pointing out that current fandom communities are very different in how they operate compared to how they did before. I grew up in fandoms, and while I'm only in my mid-twenties, so I haven't experienced the proper birth of fandoms, I did experience the older fandom community. Things weren't nearly as automated back then. While harassment (and even organized harassment campaigns against the 'rival ship' as a way of 'having fun') did very much exist, it was more on the individuals participating in it and actively encouraging it than anything else.
Most of your fandom experience still depended on you and how you curated your online spaces. There were little to no algorithms feeding the latest fandom drama to you, unless you actively sought it out yourself. If you didn’t want to see a certain ship, you'd just avoid it and you genuinely wouldn't really see it on the average. It was no 'picture-perfect wonderland', don't get me wrong. Early internet days are called a wild west for a reason. If you were queer, or a person of color, or disabled, or even just your average young teenager wanting to share your cool oc or something, getting bullied was practically a question of 'when' instead of 'if'.
My point is merely that fandoms - like any online community, really - used to be a controlled environment, with many different community pockets thrown about. It was up to you, as a user, to seek them out and participate in them in one way or another.
Nowadays, fandom is less about community or curating your own space, and more about individualism and navigating a very huge and unpredictable landscape of discourse, 'content' (I hate using this word for fan-works but it seems fitting here) and whatever else an algorithm throws your way. It's not all bad. Just like there are upsides and downsides to the old fandom spaces, the same could be said for modern ones as well.
But the effects are noticeable.
Once we come back to ships, it's easy to see the trajectory that a young person joining a fandom space can fall into nowadays. It's not enough to just enjoy things quietly in your own space. There is no 'your own space' anymore. Instead, you are stuck in a huge boiling pot among anyone and everyone. And you are forced to coexist and see what everybody does and thinks. (And while that's not actually the case, as you, as a user, still have the power to curate your space, it's worth pointing out that this is how it feels for a lot of people nowadays, which is why the issue persists)
Your ship being 'canon', means you automatically have the advantage among anyone trying to ridicule you or put down something you hold dear. After all, what stronger argument there is besides the source material itself? And having that advantage is important. At least it feels that way when you're in those spaces.
It's less about the actual relationships and more about simply defending yourself. When you're constantly surrounded by all these loud, angry people screaming at you that what you love is meaningless, or harmful, or hollow, your innate reaction is to defend it, defend yourself. And so, it steadily becomes a competition of who's got a better argument to win over the other. What better argument there is to a fictional relationship than them getting together on screen explicitly?
In an age of algorithms feeding you things that purposefully pull a strong emotional reaction out of you (and a negative one, a lot of the time), it's very easy to fall victim to this natural human drive to try and defend something you hold dear against those who inevitably attack you. Unless you have very thick skin, enough of life experience to brush it off, or a strong sense of self-confidence and self fulfillment, it's... very, very hard to avoid getting worked up scrolling through your Twitter/Instagram/Tiktok, etc 'for you' page nowadays. And lots of young people (and old! I know we're talking about fandom but this goes for many other issues too) don't have any of that. Not by their own fault, it's something every human being lives through. It just sucks how our current-day social media actively exploits these natural human flaws of ours regardless of the harm that brings.
So, yes. Certain people in shipping communities do genuinely want (and sometimes even already believe in it) for an explicit romance to take place OR argue that it should take place. Not because they are that invested in the actual relationship or story, but because it's a necessity to feel protected and secure in your beliefs. If your romance is 'canon', you can't be wrong for loving it. And if you can't be wrong, then it means everyone who are against you - are automatically the wrong ones. Human brains crave that feeling of being right, that reassurance that you are not wrong.
It sure doesn't help that being wrong about anything amounts to being a horrible person nowadays. You are expected to be perfect, never to admit your flaws or feelings. 'Because I like it' - is a perfectly reasonable justification for enjoying something. But it's not enough in these online environments. You need actual justification and defense on why you love it. And if you don't have that? Well, then you're wrong. And being wrong means you are also not worth of anything as a person.
When you take a step back and analyze it from a non-online perspective, it seems borderline insane. But alas, that's the environment we're dealing with online today. And it sucks. But I do have some sympathy for those who are forced to deal with this constant sense of needing to defend yourself instead of just enjoying something they love. That's no way to build a community. And it certainly has its harmful effects on fandoms as we know them.
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