#hetalia women are especially So Cute

[burntfishpie]

winter blossom

[alifeasvivid]

I have a theory... I think the really extra terrible reputation that Hetalia gained that leads people who even discuss h*mestuck to darenot speak its name can be traced to a few convergent factors:

the original name. I mean. Yeah. That was a hard thing for a lot fo people not to have a full knee-jerk reaction to and rightfully so

The fact that Hetalia handles history in a flippant and satirical, if occasionally very heartfelt, way when most people tend to only view history in a Very Serious way. 2a. Hima was and is not immune to bias and the culture in which he lives. As are we all.

The fact that 2008-2012/3 fandom in general was especially cringe (see: yaoi paddles, "cosplay is not consent" not being widely practiced or understood yet, etc.)

But what makes 3 especially WORSE for Hetalia is 2 where people view history as serious and important and Hetalia fans were cringe and silly, so I think a lot of people felt that Hetalia fans were just flippant and uncritical about history, especially its many atrocities and again, I think this is an understandable reaction, even if it's not the case.

Of course it didn't help that an, albeit, very very small fraction were not willing to leave certain topics alone and while I'm certainly not one to tell anyone fiction and fandom cannot be used to push very dark thoughts as far as they can go, it is, as the kids say, a bad look.

There were a lot of us. A LOT. Any bad behavior by some was seen as pervasive and indicative of the fandom as a whole.

Once the anime came out and got dubbed and a lot of middle schoolers (10-13 y/o) got in on it, a lot of the "Hetalia fans don't understand or care about real history" sentiment got amplified. (I know that's a lot of you here right now and I love you, but I was in college at the time and before the anime, so were most of the fans.) I don't blame kids for being kids, I'm only bringing this up as part of the reason our reputation became as toxic as it still is.

And, unfortunately, we cannot forget the sudden, but brief infiltration of actual nazis... though our fandom is far from alone in this too.

I went to a few cons back in the day. I was part of an irl meet-up group. I can't say our fan behavior was, as a whole, egregiously worse than that of others, but maybe I just got lucky and/or perhaps being more visible by the numbers was enough.

The conceit of Hetalia, not just Countries As People, but the specific way in which it is Very Gay and cute and satirical and silly is a hard concept to understand for a lot of people and I totally get that, especially back in the day when yaoi and yuri were only just coming out from behind their password protected forums and walls and walls of disclaimers and there are scant few straight ships in Hetalia since Hima only sometimes remembers that women exist.

Anyway... no real conclusion, just my thoughts. I think we exist at a Kelley Square style intersection of Things People Already Didn't Like and thus, no one dare speak our name. And honestly, thank god. I dread the day a certain number of youtubers run out of other tumblr/fandom related stuff to talk about and finally turn their unforgiving gaze upon us. Pray that people never stop clamboring for content about the ballpit or homest*ck. Amen.

[flamaflavio]

Let's talk about Italian hair!

There's a lot of Italians with straight hair so I really don't understand why so many Americans believe that Romano and Veneziano with curly hair are supposed to be the most accurate version?? I will talk a bit about hair.

Small disclaimer: I'm not talking about anyone in particular, this is for those who believe that an Italian character to be accurate has to have curly dark hair.

Now, back to Hetalia:

I live in Campania (South Italy) and I can say that curly hair in my city is pretty common. Wavy hair even more, but not as much as straight hair. My friend @j-crna-zvijezda who is also from Campania told me that (approximately) half of the people they know have curly OR wavy hair and the other half straight hair. And it's the same for my friend @elelloletee who lives in Salento (the heel of the boot). On the other hand my friends from North Italy told me that almost all of their friends have straight hair. Obviously there people with wavy hair but curly hair isn't as common as in the South! My Genoese friend @hws-cernunnos told me that her classmates were so shocked when they had a classmate with curly hair that they kept asking her questions about her hair for months. I tried to search online and all Italian articles and blogs I found on this topic agreed that in Italy straight hair are more common than curly hair, especially in the North. This shows that saying that curly hair are more common is just a stereotype!

Is Romano with curly hair accurate? Yes! Is Romano with wavy hair accurate? Yes! Is Romano with straight hair accurate? Yes!

All three hairstyles are accurate for Romano. Yeah, ALL of them. So if you give Romano curly hair because you find it cute it's okay!! If you do it because you believe it's "more accurate" or because someone told you that most S.Italians have curly hair, I'm happy to see that you have good intentions, but you're just following a stereotype, not real life! The canon designs are already accurate, there's nothing wrong with them, so there's no need to try to fix them. It's okay to change them a little for your own headcanons but please remember that "all Italians have curly hair" is a stereotype!!

Let me explain why I love all the Italian characters designs:

Canon Romano has dark straight hair and he is accurate because here straight hair are AS COMMON as non-straight hair. "Would he be as accurate if he had curly or wavy hair?" Yes!! "Are light brown or blonde hair accurate for Romano?" Not really. Surprisingly the only "correct" stereotype I can think of is that MOST of us have dark hair. I wouldn't mind if Himaruya gave us a S.Italian character with light brown hair because there are light haired S.Italians (my best friend and her family are blonde, for example) but Romano is literally South Italy and the majority of us have either black or dark brown hair so it's better if you don't change his hair colour! (For those who are into 2Ptalia don't worry there's nothing wrong with blonde Flavio because it's just an AU lol.)

Canon Veneziano has straight light brown or blonde / almost reddish hair. Is he accurate? Yes he is! His design is really good! Light straight hair are more common in the North than in the South! "Would it still be accurate if he had darker hair?" Yes! Any hair colour can work for the personification of North Italy!! I personally prefer his canon hair colour because I've never seen an Italian character with this hair and it surprised me in a positive way. So if you want to follow 100% his canon design too I would recommend you to be careful to not make it "too red" because red hair isn't common, but to give him light brown (or blonde) hair with red highlights instead! The colour is called "Venetian blonde" and it's really pretty and can work for his hair. After all his name is Veneziano and looking at the most recent canon art I think this is what Himaruya wants to do with his hair :). "Would it still be accurate if he had curly hair?" Yes, but not completely. As I said there are N. Italians with curly hair but they aren't the majority. I believe straight or maybe wavy hair are better for the personification of North Italy. So it's okay if you give him curly hair if you like it!! Just please don't say you're doing it because "Italians have curly hair".

Canon Genoa (he's N. Italian) has straight hair on the top and cute curls at the bottom, the colour is unknown. I love his design! His hair is perfect! A lot of Italians have this weird "straight at the top, wavy at the bottom" type of hair (me as well!) which is why I'm so in love with him! And any hair colour except red can work for him just like Veneziano.

Canon Seborga has completely red straight hair. Like I said red hair isn't that accurate to represent the whole population but 1) we're tired of seeing Italians in foreign media always represented in the same way. Italian hair come in all colours so it's possible for us to have red or blonde hair!! And 2) Seborga is just a micronation with 300 people so even just 3 red hairs there makes 1% of the population. And 3) he isn't supposed to represent the whole country he just happens to be Italian. So don't worry about us being misrepresented by him, we're happy the way he is! Red haired people (especially women) have it bad in Italy so a good character representing red haired Italians is perfect! I've never seen anyone in the Italian fandom complain about his design so <3

(extra) most people don't know about Canon Littorio but she's an Italian war ship with blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm not sure if I should count her as an Italian character, but if she is I really like her! She's just a ship so just like Seborga she doesn't represent the whole Italian population she just happened to be Italian and there are some Italians with blonde hair and blue eyes, so why can't she have this colour palette?

So what I wanted to say is that you are free to change their designs a bit if you like it!! Just one thing: if you want to be accurate don't follow stereotypes, if you want to follow stereotypes because you like them (it isn't necessarily a bad thing!) don't claim you're being "more accurate than the original" because you're accidentally spreading misinformation. I've seen a lot of Americans really believing that Italians with natural straight hair or blonde Italians don't exist :/.

I don't want you to misunderstand this post so I'll explain it one last time: I'm not saying that changing designs is bad!! You can do it and I do it too sometimes!! All I'm saying is that if you change them to be more accurate, but you accidentally follow a stereotype, it's harmful.

"Romano should have curly hair because he's Italian" is misinformation ❌

"I headcanon Romano with curly hair because I can relate more/because he's cuter this way" is good! 👍

Talking about hair headcanons I headcanon that Romano used to have curly hair when he was a child but it got straight growing up :)

[netsue101]

Philippines is better off as a male, fight me!

=A much more better explanation=

After reading my explanation, the more I didn't understand myself sorry lol. So here is a better version of it. Again I am going to name female Philippines piri and male phil or philip.

1. The name of the country's origin

The name Philippines was named after king philip in order to honor him. Just like america (can be the whole continent or country) was named after amerigo.

2. Hima's patterns

It seems that no one has noticed this. Hima gendered countries based on its history and complexity of it. Just like Vietnam, Vietnam has many strong female leaders, same goes for taiwan, and others. Some are based off on relationships with other countries most specifically the male ones like Belarus and Ukraine.

Philippines doesn't fit that category. Especially with history and relationships with other countries. Yes, we have female heroes but they are only few and are overshadowed by the male heroes. Yes, we have female leaders but they are not as good as Vietnam's and Taiwan's (I would say they didn't help the country rise and become strong, infact the 2nd female president is by far the 2nd worst and corrupt leaders of PH).

3. How the Fandom will treat her

Filipino fans: they will treat like a literal goddess to the fact she will have all the men in hetalia by fanfic and fanart wise lol. Many will ditch alot of canon traits that hima gave piri in favor of the mary sue headcanons (like what happened to Russia in ships, but many didn't realize this until it was pointed out). Just like the CH Fandom, Philippines and his/her (mostly her) ☀️sunshine harem☀️. That harem is probably one of the reasons why I lost my love and pride for my country.

Foreign fans: they would probably hate her because she is everywhere and is basically seychelles in-game 2010s 2.0, and I don't want that to happen.

The disgusting bl fetishist: just like what happened to seychelles, they would honestly complain that "she is in the way of my otp". Honestly these people should burn in hell tbh.

4. History and relationships with other countries

Philippines's history is pretty dark and it will consist with a ton of abuse, bullying, s*xual harrasment, and r,*p*and is depending on america in every way. If Philippines where to be a girl, this will add more fuel to the fire. As hetalia doesn't shy away from r*pey and abusive subjects. Most of you asshats ship piri with those 3 or 4 abusive countries with her. The comfort women is probably one of the most sensitive topic in the ww2 Asian history. This is better off to be told in our education than entertainment.

Yeah I am not going to mention the design and personality, these are fans' interpretation of Philippines and not hima's. Hima can pull off a different looks for Philippines that is farther from our fan design, whether it be a male or a female. Just like fanmade Scotland and the unnamed redhead for the uk brothers, or fanmade Czech and canon Czech.

Yeah... most of the designs are cute and all but I don't think they represent the Philippines as a whole. I honestly think that those design only represent the land and culture. Another note is that i noticed the cross in fanmade piri's design and for me that is mostly insulting especially for the Muslim people in the Philippines. Mindanao is a Muslim majority region of the Philippines and is always overshadowed by the other 2 major regions. Not only that our but also ancestors are forced to convert to Christianity and the spanish burned most of our books that contains our culture and beliefs.

[odium-amare]

(Katie’s version) Hetalia Body Types Part Final

Female Countries

Hungary: 5′6 - D cup boobs - big hips and ass - fleshy but with a lot of muscles - rounded but slim waist - probably Wonder Woman

Belgium: 5′4 - C cup boobs - moderate and classic looking - elegant but cute - no muscle mass - sorry but all those accumulated waffles are bringing in the fat

Monaco: 5′1 - B cups - slim but firm - surprisingly strong

Ancient Egypt: 5′8 - bigger A cup - waifish - slim and tall - model figure - graceful and extremely feline

Seychelles: 5′3 - B cups - taut flesh - firm and athletic - perky round butt

Liechtenstein: 4′11 - looks like a stereotypical gamine - cute and petite - no muscle mass - small A cups

Belarus: 5′5 - big C cups - extremely muscled underneath that dress - waspish waist - hourglass figure 

Ukraine: 5′7 - G cups - huge ass - plus-sized - very luscious and voluptuous - both fat and muscles - rounder version of Marilyn Monroe

Czechia: 5′0 - rectangle figure - A cups - strong and athletic

Wy: 4′8 - petite and small in every single way - little girl’s body

Taiwan: 5′4 - slim with modest curves - no muscle mass - smaller B cups - long elegant legs

Vietnam: 5′2 - bigger B cups - surprisingly big hips and round butt - defined musculature and accumulated strength from all her battles - taut flesh and Amazonian

(Nothing makes me raise an eyebrow more than people giving Vietnam and Taiwan flat bodies in their headcanons/posts; especially Vietnam. It’s so fucking racist towards Asian women but not in an amusing way. If you actually pay attention to canon, Himaruya specifically drew her with an average sized chest and a big ass. This aligns with real life where Vietnamese women are especially known for being curvy in Asia if you bothered with research.) 

[gnostic-heretic]

Hi! I'd love for you to respond to this, but ONLY if you're comfortable! I'm planning on writing a hetalia fanfic with a trans character. I researched a bit, but I feel that my fic could be read as problematic: my trans character (MTF) is introduced as her assigned gender with a different name, only to be uncovered later. She dates pre transition, but get back together. Is this realistic? You've written fic w/ trans characters before, so can you give any tips of advice? Thank you for reading!

hey dear, thank you for reaching out! i’m more than comfortable giving advice but remember that i’m just one trans person, so this does not represent a consensus- i encourage you to reach out to a trans friend to do a sensitivity reading, if you and your friend are comfortable with that! 

i say this because a lot of people would say this scenario of portraying someone pre- and post-transition is a no-no, but i think it’s doable (i’ve done it myself!) if approached in a sensible way. 

and yes i do think it’s possible for a character to date someone, break up for unrelated reasons, transition and then meet that person again and fall in love again. it’s a sweet idea! it’d be lovely to see your character grow and be more content and confident and finally *herself*, and find love as herself :)  plus at least in my experience, a lot of cis partners of trans people do a lot of serious questioning and self exploration when their partner comes out so it can be interesting from the other character’s perspective as well. i’ve seen for example many gfs/wives of trans women realize they’re wlw when they previously never questioned their sexuality. so it can be an interesting journey for both characters to go on and for you as a writer to explore! 

my first bit of advice is to read read and read. read what trans people have to say on the subject of writing- i know there’s more than one post floating around on tumblr with advice for cis people on how to write a trans character. and read the experiences of trans people, how they talk about their own “egg cracking” (if you don’t know, i’d start by searching what “cracking your egg” means- and hint: it’s not always “i played with dolls as a child”), transition and their own past present or their future plans.  and as you read remember that there is no singular standard “trans experience”- transition is not linear, and there’s no such thing as a transition that is “complete” or “incomplete”. some trans people feel really intense dysphoria, others don’t and are mostly fine with the body they have. some trans people want to start hrt asap and to have every medical procedure available, for others, coming out is enough, in many cases they might want to have surgeries, but hormones are the only thing that’s accessible because of the cost of surgeries and long waiting lists. 

keep in mind that everyone experiences gender in their own unique way, so a trans female character doesn’t have to be hyper feminine, and a trans male character doesn’t have to be super masculine to be “good representation”. 

also i’d say to read up on harmful tropes to avoid as well, i’m gonna tell you some just off the top of my head and offer advice on how to handle tricky subjects - portraying trans people especially trans women as violent or predatory/creepy is a big NO (i know this might be obvious to you, but this is also for everyone else reading this out there). there’s nothing wrong with writing negative or morally grey characters but this is a damaging and dehumanizing trope with a long history of being used as propaganda against us. 

- on the same note i’d say to avoid portraying your character as easily offended, overly sensitive, quick to anger etc etc. another (more modern) trope used to mock and ultimately harm trans people is to paint us as “special snowflakes”

 --> a good thing to remember is that anger can be portrayed as righteous, as it is in this situation, and assertive so that would be a good place to start if you have to write about the character being rightfully angry and sad, upset at discrimination she might experience. 

- avoid the dramatic scene in which a character is found out to be trans by undressing them and “revealing” something about their body. also tied to transphobic ideas (trans people “trick” people into thinking they are their gender) and to trans panic defense that legitimizes the murder of trans people. 

 --> a good way to reveal that your character is trans is... simply to make her come out. have a talk! there’s so many possibilities from it being heavy and awkward, to light hearted and heartwarming :) 

- this one is a more complicated thing to handle, because i know some will disagree with me on it... but i’d advise you to steer away or ask for a second opinion/sensitivity reader if you’re gonna write The Sad Mirror Scene TM in which a trans person gazes at their own body in the mirror (or even without the mirror tbh) and points out everything that is “male/female” about it. personally i think it’s bad but in a more subtle way... the focus on our bodies and everything that is considered “wrong” with it can have creepy or outright transphobic implications. also it’s way overdone js 

 --> instead of the long gazing scene i’d mention those things in passing and incorporate them into her daily life, because it is something we live with every day and not just in all-at-once intense dysphoria sessions: maybe she has broad shoulders, so she wears a cute blouse with a lot of ruffles to conceal that a bit; or maybe she’s out and about, on the way to her laser hair removal appointment, and feels awkward about having a bit of shadow (so she treats herself to buying a new concealer on the way home);

 --> also don’t forget about small moments of gender euphoria and trans joy!!! so maybe she gets a new haircut after growing her hair out for a long time, or takes her estrogen for the first time and cries of happiness, or she tries on her fave bra and notices that her breasts have grown a little bit or they feel sore which is a good sign!. etc etc. these are just examples so don’t sweat it :D  but showing the happiness that comes with being trans and not just the sadness of it is really important imo for everyone thinking about writing a trans-centric story 

- in general i’d be careful for anything that implies trans people aren’t “really” the gender they are, or that deep down we’ll always be our assigned gender. sometimes it’s not the outright essentialist statements but the more subtle things that can go undetected to cis people, but we see them. stuff like: the character deadnaming/misgendering themselves (so for example, when she comes out, no “remember deadname?”, or, “i used to be a man”) equating genitals with gender (even as a joke), or making the cis experience out to be universal (that feel when pms, am i right ladies? :) <-- this kind of statement even in good intentioned fun can feel exclusionary and should be perceived as such by your character), body shaming or implying certain non-conforming characteristics (ex: a strong jawline, broad shoulders, narrow hips, small breasts on a woman) are inherently “bad” or inherent to trans people only (plenty of cis women have all of those above listed things). 

 --> i know that dysphoria can make these last things appear to be inherently negative to the person, but you might counterbalance this by making her confident about other aspects of her personality, and making your other characters compliment her and paint her insecurities in a new light. for example she might feel self conscious about her height, but maybe her love interest loves her beautiful, long legs; or maybe more simply unrelated to anything she’s insecure about, she’s smart and hard working, she’s a science genius, she’s the best of her judo class and could kick your ass, she has really nice hair, or really striking eyes, or a very pretty color of very chipped nail polish. details are the key!!! and remember that value and beauty are subjective!!!! 

and last but most important of all... please write your character as HUMAN!! we trans people are just regular people, like anyone else in the world.  we aren’t just defined by transness, we have lives and passions and talents and our own problems completely unrelated to being trans.  so please keep that in mind while writing your gal! and don’t let everything i’ve typed above intimidate you, most of it is obvious stuff and i’m sure you’ll be fine! good luck with your story!

[citrus-lady]

Anime Characters that are SLEPT ON Pt.2 ( Female edition)

Part two of a previous post, not in any particular order

1. Tsubaki from Soul Eater- I feel like she gets written off a lot but honestly I like her better than any other of the females in the group. Not only is she a powerful badass that had a deep backstory but she is also sweet and caring. Would be a great mom because of how patient she is. Can not stress enough how cool Tsubaki is. (Liz and Patti would also be on this list if more of their story was represented in the anime. All we’ve seen are short bits from SE and SEN). Tsubaki would be the most supportive girlfriend PERIOD. The type to take care of you when you sick but also tells it to you straight when you really need it. 

2. Benibara from OHSHC- She is forgotten a lot but honestly I like her a lot. Not only is she romantic but also respectful. Supports all women. Kill all men. I would risk it for her. Lets not forget she punched Tamaki. Can also sing, dance AND act. Would be such a respectful and passionate lover. Would tease you a lot but not in a crude way. Same things goes for PDA. 

3. Lizzie from Black Butler- Although I didn’t really like her at first I respected and understood her desire to just make other people happy. She’s very selfless and cheery. I like her even more since the character development in Book of Atlantic ( trying not to spoil but if you know you know). Would totally be friends with her. 

4. Ran Mao from Black Butler- Not only is she beautiful but this chick has some serious power behind her. Could beat many of the other characters in the series and has been shown to hold her own against grim reapers and demons. 110% could beat Lau if she wanted to. Mey Rin is also really powerful and cool but still gets more attention than Ran Mao. Is a ICON for fashion and is going to wear what makes her happy no matter how much skin she shows. Better not disrespect her or she’ll cut you. Would promote body positivity, especially if her someone was a heavier person. I can’t see her caring about appearances, though I think should would be with someone she finds cute. Would destroy anyone who disrespects their s/o. Would like to a makeover. Would partake in PDA because she wants to show everyone that your an item. Gets silently jealous.

5. Hange from Attack on Titan- ( Yes I know that they don’t really have a gender but I’m counting the on this list because they are most often thought to be female) Not only is Hange just an awesome and fun character but she is dangerous and strong. She is by far one of the most intelligent people in the series if not the most. She really said WOMEN IN STEM. Not only that but she is also really skilled and determined. She is next in line for commander and we all see why. I would be best friends with Hange if not in a relationship. There would never be a dull day with Hange. Definitely a quirky cat mom tho.

6. Nana Shimura from My Hero Academia- Although we don’t know much about this character yet, we do know some pretty cool things already. First off, this woman was the seventh user of One For All, which means that she packs a PUNCH. Nana was one of the most powerful heroes of her time, if not THE most powerful. Secondly, we know that she was a great hero and mentor. She mentored the young All Might and look how great he is. She was also know for being kind, beautiful and passionate about justice. We stan a strong independent woman. 

7. Ryukyu from MHA- Not only does she have a powerful and impressive quirk but she also in the No.9 hero. On top of that she mentors Uraraka, Tsu and Nejire who are all powerful themselves. Finally, she was a big player during the battle with Overhall and the Yakuza. Ryukya is not only kind and hardworking, but responsible as well.

8.Honestly I love all the characters in My Hero Acadamia

9. Literally every female in Hetalia. Literally has to put of with the rest of the worlds shit. 

10. Every female from Blue Exorcist but especially Shura. This anime doesn’t have a lot of female characters but all of them hold their own in the face of demons with their male counterparts. Shura is literally one of the strongest exorcists, so much so that she is tasked with mentoring the literal son of Satan and has been shown to be victorious in many battles against powerful demons. Not to mention that she can pull a literal sword out of her body. She would be a really good friend and a fun drinking buddy. She would 100% be protective of her partner though.  

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 12/1/20

Cutie and the Beast, Vol. 1 | By Yuhi Azumi| Seven Seas – This looked cute, and gave off a very My Love Story!! vibe, but I was wary of the fact that one of the leads is in his late twenties and the other is a senior in high school. That said, unlike a lot of other romance titles from Japan that adore this sort of couple, the manga makes their age difference the main conflict. He’s a famous pro wrestler, and getting involved with a girl her age, even if she is eighteen, would be career-killing. On the other hand… these two have fallen hard for each other almost at first sight, and can’t stop texting, calling, meeting up, etc. Now, how this will play out I’m not sure. Pretty sure they’ll get together, but I bet his career does take a big hit. Nice to see the manga address it, though. – Sean Gaffney

How Do We Relationship?, Vol. 1 | By Tamifull | Viz Media – “Opposites attract” is a common enough trope, but it is utilized to great effect and with notable complexity in How Do We Relationship?. The manga follows two young women in college as they begin dating each other—the somewhat shy and innocent Miwa and the much more boisterous and experienced Saeko. Navigating a new relationship is rarely easy and a romance between two women has additional sets of challenges, as Saeko in particular is very aware. While Miwa and Saeko’s deepening feelings are obviously core to the story, their relationships with friends and classmates play critical roles as well. One of the things that impressed me the most about the first volume of How Do We Relationship? was just how believable and realistic all of these different relationships were. The characterization of the leads is wonderfully nuanced, too. I’m really looking forward to reading more of the series. – Ash Brown

Komi Can’t Communicate, Vol. 9 | By Tomohito Oda | Viz Media – Most of this Komi volume revolves around Valentine’s Day, which as always presents the author with a conundrum: how do I make them give chocolates and be the cutest couple ever without actually making them a couple or having them confess? Rest assured, though, fans of Komi and Tadano will find endless scenes to love here. My favorite may be Tadano’s sister trying to get him to admit his feelings, then being rather annoyed when he actually comes close to doing so. Fortunately, as the title suggests, Komi is not very good at communicating, so things stay the same for now. Still, I suspect we need something to shake things up. Perhaps a new love interest could magically arrive soon? – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 25 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – Shigaraki’s backstory is as terrifying and traumatic as you might imagine—let’s just say the hands he wears aren’t just for show. So it’s back to our heroes, who are practicing how to do hero interviews (Midoriya’s goes as badly as you’d expect) and also preparing for the next round of internships. Oh yes, and celebrating Christmas, which is adorable and also has Eri Santa. As for internships, Nighteye is dead and his agency is too busy to take him in, and Best Jeanist is missing, so Bakugou’s in limbo as well. Todoroki suggests an obvious idea: all three of them could intern with the best dad ever. All of this is clearly setting up a huge battle in the upcoming books, but it’s fun to see. – Sean Gaffney

Ossan Idol!, Vol. 1 | By Ichika Kino and Mochiko Mochida | TOKYOPOP – Adapted from a light novel, Ossan Idol! is the story of Miroku Osaki, a virginal, pure of heart, and unemployed 36-year-old who has spent the last decade as a shut-in. He’s always been overweight, but once he discovers a love of dance, he starts training at a gym with Yoichi Kisaragi, who was once overweight himself. Soon, Miroku is buff, handsome, and charming and the karaoke video he accidentally uploads to the internet becomes a viral sensation. The volume concludes with a famous producer declaring he’ll turn Miroku into an idol, and not just him but Yoichi (41) and dancer pal Shiju (40), too. All in all, this is a pleasing bit of fluff that I don’t have a lot to say about either positively or negatively. I will probably check out volume two, at least, to see where the story goes. – Michelle Smith

Sadako at the End of the World | By Koma Natsumi and Koji Suzuki | Yen Press – The premise of this one-volume manga—What if the girl from The Ring ended up in a post-apocalyptic world?—made me wonder if it would be horror or melancholic like Girls’ Last Tour. It’s pretty much both. Sadako, particularly once the artist gives her a tablet to communicate with, is not as scary here, and the girls she’s with are an innocent delight. But as they meet the few remaining people in this world along the way, there’s a definite sense she’s also going back and doing what she does best to each of them. The ending tries for sort of a fourth-wall-breaking thing but I think it was simply there as the author wasn’t sure how to end it after the cast was gone. A good read overall, though. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 13 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media After reading my brief of the last volume, I feel a need to eat my words. The combination of this new volume and the currently running anime have made me realize: yes, there is real character development here. Syalis at the start of the series was a gag character who would murder at the drop of a hat. Here, while she’s still extremely flaky, she’s doing her best to unite humans and demons, even if this means completing all the Demon Lord’s paperwork—in ONE DAY. Even better, when the Cleric waffles on about his feelings for her and the reason he ran away from the castle, Syalis points out something: who she likes is her own decision. Our Sleepy Princess is all grown up! – Sean Gaffney

Sweat and Soap, Vol. 4 | By Kintetsu Yamada | Kodansha Comics – There’s a chapter of sex here, in case you were looking for that, but for the most part this series would rather deal with the sweet tensions of a young couple in love trying to negotiate how to do that and still be attentive to the other partner’s needs. Their couple-ness is now generally known to the office, though we have not quite told the parents yet—I suspect that will be next book. More importantly, they are talking about moving in together, something that requires charts and sticky notes, because these two are organized and also adorable. And they are also still very much desiring each other as well—the sex here is hot. One of the best romance mangas to come out in 2020. – Sean Gaffney

What the Font?! – A Manga Guide to Western Typeface | By Kuniichi Ashiya| Seven Seas – This is pretty much exactly what you’d expect. A young woman is told to layout a presentation, but has never done this before. While studying Western fonts, she falls asleep… and meets personifications of many of them, both Serif and Sans. Each font has a personality, they talk about themselves and their history, and then we move on. If you’re expecting Hetalia antics, look elsewhere—there’s no plot to speak of, and the fonts are not the most riveting characters. If you do want to learn about the differences between Western typefaces, though, this is a good enough guide for you, though I suspect it works even better in Japanese. – Sean Gaffney

Whisper Me a Love Song, Vol. 1 | By Eku Takeshima | Kodansha Comics – The cover of this volume is quite striking, and it led me to believe that this would be somehow different from your standard “high school girls in love” story. Unfortunately, it really isn’t. Yori Asanagi is a talented singer who fills in with the light music club band for a performance at the entrance ceremony Himari Kino is attending. Himari promptly informs Yori she’s fallen for her at first sight and Yori believes she means it romantically (instead of merely as a fan), and instantly falls in love herself. Characterizations here are shallow, particularly for Yori’s would-be bandmates, and there’s just not much going on that’s especially interesting. The one exception is that Himari’s enthusiastic appreciation for Yori’s singing is seemingly helping her to overcome some confidence issues. I’ll give this one more volume, I think, to see how it develops. – Michelle Smith

You Are My Princess | By Hiroto Kujirada | Futekiya (digital only) – Itsumi Tachibana is a scary-looking guy who secretly loves kitties. He’s surprised when the princely student council president, Seima Takajo, confesses romantic feelings for him, and suspects he’s being made fun of. After spending more time with Takajo, however, and realizing he’s the only one Takajo allows himself to be unguarded around, Itsumi’s feelings change. Plot-wise, You Are My Princess isn’t terribly unique. The guys get together, they have sex in the final chapter, the end. What makes it special, though, is Kujirada-sensei’s clean and expressive artwork, the nonverbal storytelling, and the little moments in which Takajo drops the facade and reveals real vulnerability. And also kitties. In the end, I enjoyed this cute story and look forward to more by this creator! – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown

[randomnessunicorn-imagine]

Wow, your writing is good! And thanks for filling the request. What about the axis +Flavio? Or china and russia? (Weak looking but conniving associate and possible s/o). You can ignore this if i'm requesting too much! 😅

{ Thanks, I’ve written a lot about Hetalia and I roleplayed it so many years :’I love writing about them, 2Ps are my favourite! }

☢ LUCIANO VARGAS ☢

Here we have another asshole, he’s a very cold and sneaky man but he also possess that elegance that makes him charming and everyone, women and men, fall for him but it’s not actually the safest choice they could take.He just likes playing with his victims’ minds, everything is a game for him and it’s very rare he falls for someone. It’s rare but not impossible and it’s very intense as well because he’s also very passionate and romantic when he wants to be.His nature is quite sly, he hides things to people and his own nation (maybe only his brother knows Luciano’s secrets). Of course, he knows who you are but he’s not harsh with you, he’s not as crazy as Allen (or, at least, Luciano is more controlled than him). Luciano can consider you as a member of his “family” if you act nice and you don’t try to betray him. Betray is considered by him like a mortal sin. There’s no redemption for the ones who betray the family. It will take time before he can consider you as his partner and he does not define anyone as his friend not even the other Axis members. There are people who deserve his respect and people who don’t deserve his respect. What do you choose?Anyway, he’s used to this kind of behaviour, because Flavio sometimes acts the same way, he appears as an innocent creature but then he’s the first who loses control but his brother is too impulsive and emotional. Luciano actually likes your nature, especially if you don’t try to cheat him, then he will be forever loyal and respectful with you. With his S/O he’s another kind of person but don’t think it’s a weakness, love does not make him blind.

.

☢ LUTZ BEILSCHMIDT ☢

He may appear stupid, as someone who takes things easy and does not care about the consequences of his actions. He’s a free spirit, he hates holding himself back but he can understand that he cannot always do what he wants especially in this epoch. The opinion he has toward you is neutral, he’s not the kind of guy who judges others and he’s in no position to judge people because he made horrible mistakes in his past. Even today people consider him as crazy, unworthy of mercy and forgiveness. We don’t have to remember the atrocity his nation did in its past and he was a part of this atrocity. He’s very traumatized and even now he has nightmares about it. Despite the fact he hates talking about it, he pretends everything’s fine, and he’s able to handle it. Well, reality is pretty different.We can consider Lutz as a drug addicted who’s trying to heal and he wants to get out through the tunnel. He does not believe in god but he still hopes there’d be some kind of redemption for him. Maybe he needs a sincere and honest person by his side, he can still consider you as his friend and it’s very hard he falls for someone. Actually, he’s unable to recognize love and he cannot say if he loves you or if he only finds you attractive. He’ s a very voluble person and he changes his mind like the weather. Maybe he’s afraid and adventures are less stressful than real love stories.

.

☢ KURO HONDA (my precious psycho baby) ☢

We can say he’s one of the most psychopathic and he’s not normal at all.He does not search for romance, he does not believe in love and he actually hates everything that’s adorable or “kawaii”, he cannot even hear this word without vomiting his guts. In this world, nobody is innocent and he knows people who appear cute, gentle and friendly are the worst, especially in this universe. Do you really think to fool him? Well, he does not say anything, he let you play your games making you believe that you can trick him. It’s pretty funny–He thinks this world is very boring and he needs action, he needs to feel extreme emotions to feel alive and so he tries everything, even the things that could kill him (but he cannot die since he’s a nation). Sometimes, he also hurts himself so strongly because the pain he perceives is not enough and he wants to feel the death on his skin. Do you want to play with him?Maybe he cannot be your friend or lover but he can be the best enemy you could ever dream, and maybe it would be funnier. Actually, he’s an interesting guy with a refined sense of macabre and gore. He’s also very traumatized by his past but he has learnt how to live with his demons and make of them a weapon.  Moreover, it’s the reason why he is very sadomasochistic and maybe your relationship can be founded on this element. As if violence can be romantic but, maybe, for two psychopathic people is effectively like that.

.

☢ FLAVIO VARGAS ☢

You’re very similar and he likes you a lot.We can say he’s a little naïve sometimes, he just searches for the affection his brother has never given to him, poor little star.Flavio treats you as his princess/prince and he’s happy having found someone like you, you’re so sweet and nice. He just forgets about his dark side with you, and your presence relaxes him.Flavio is not a bad guy, he’s only very misunderstood and alone and he hopes this time things will go well because he has suffered a lot for love. People usually got attached to him for sinister reasons or because they wanted to attack Luciano and Flavio’s heart has been broken so many times. Luciano is very protective toward him and he also tells Flavio you are not the nice person he thinks you are and Luciano has also a private chat with you. If you even try to hurt his brother, you can consider yourself as a not alive person but you don’t want to hurt Flavio because you love him and you’d even kill to protect him.On the other hand, Flavio is not so stupid and he just loves you the way you are, he loves your flaws and your virtue and he knows you won’t never hurt him so Luciano’s worries make no sense.

[devintrinidad]

10 GIFs of Anime that You Love, Then Tag 10 People

Just got tagged by @chemicalflashes.

Durarara

One of the first few anime I watched. I adored how the intricate stories were intertwined with others; how a bystander in one scene could be a hero or a villain in another. A choice that one makes can easily have devestaring consequences. And of course, the mastermind himself: Orihara Izaya.

Death Note

Oldie, yes. Overrated, probably. Completely worth watching and still able to discuss a decade after completion? Along with a few movies, musical adaptations, and a live action remake? Oh, yes!

Favorite characters are Near and Misa. The former for his cool nature that resembles L’s, but ultimately serves as a better allegory for Justice because he doesn’t find Kira for fun. No, he captures and probably would have him imprisoned for life because it’s his duty as L’s successor. He’s also heavily under-appreciated by the fandom. The latter for her adaptability and unpredictability in situations. Did you guys watch the Yorsuba arc? The girl was calculating how cute she was going to be. Plus, she’s not mentally well (her parents were murdered in front of her), but she still managed to handle herself SO WELL during her time as a prisoner under L’s inhuman methods to seek out the Second Kira. Again, she’s under-appreciated.

Death Parade

Brilliant idea. Has a possible tie in to Death Note. The opening was laughably so misleading!

There are some flaws, like plot holes and unfinished storylines, but it held up pretty well. We learned about the characters through how they interact with one another—especially when put under pressure. The Arbiters are amazing in that they can’t question the system, and yet, in the end, Decim tries to understand and formulate how Chiyuki is going to be finally put to rest.

If nothing else, just watch for the skating scene and the opening sequence.

Cells at Work (Hataraku Saibou)

How could I not add this show??? I’m not that great science, but I have been intimately acquainted with how the body works (I’m frankly disappointed no one has called 1146 a granulocyte yet and we haven’t seen any neurons in the manga 😞). Also...3803 is basically me: I’m terrible at directions, I’m continuously learning new things because I moved away, and the way she met 1146...is kind of how I met my best friend, hehehe.

That said, I’m really in love with this anime/manga fandom and hope to continue writing for it. (Insert self promotion: please read my fanfics on my main platform which is ffnet!)

Another reason why I love CAW...

The neutrophil squad.

...and wbc x rbc...and by that, I mean any or all of those wbc squad can get paired with 3803. Because I have a soft spot for reverse harems. *cough Ouran High School Host Club*

Hetalia: Axis Powers

This show made me love geography and my country so much. It’s funny, it’s hilarious, and it’s so heartwarming how the fandom likes to make all sorts of fanmade stuff to expand on what Hima-papa gives us. (YES, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2018, I SHALL REFER TO HIMARYU-SENSEI AS HIMA-PAPA. FIGHT ME.)

Is Hetalia dead? I don’t know, but the fandom and one particular FanFiction by @cultureandseptember really helped me out a few years back.

Bungou Stray Dogs

I love literature, good looking animation, and smarmy little know-it-alls who like to play the fool. Hehehe, I’m planning on reading No Longer Human when I get the time. Does that mean Osamu Dazai is my favorite character? Well...

Can you blame me if I said yes? He’s so charming and enigmatic that you can’t help but love him. However, I think I really love him because I struggle with dark thoughts and suicidal ideation from time to time. I haven’t actively sought it out quite like he has in the past, but well... hehehe! I can also relate because he’s kind of like an outsider in the Agency due to his past—he’s different because he can’t actively cancel out your abilities, which always makes him a threat.

Anywhoozles, I’m still waiting to see the movie...Le sigh.

K Project

This. This is not the best anime out there. Seriously.

The animation gets wonky here and there, they do the women in here a huge disservice, and they put too much emphasis on how great Mikoto Suoh. Like, he’s great and all, but the dude has no effect on the story except for the last season.

With that said, I think the main selling point here isn’t the anime, but the side materials like the manga/novels. You get to appreciate the backstories of so many of the characters and you get to feel for them because some of them have suffered so much! (Read: Fushimi Saruhiko).

I think you can get the same amount of enjoyment if you stick to the novels/manga.

Favorite characters: Scepter 4 Alphabet Squad. They are the best boys. Also, Lieutenant Awashima Seri. And Fushimi Saruhiko. You know what? Just put down Blue Clan here. They’re all nerds and they enjoy it.

Also: Domyoiji Andy reminds me of U-4989 from CAW. So...

Violet Evergarden

Remember how I said that I liked literature? This entire anime is about the power of not only the written word, but of also the act of writing, sending, and receiving those words. The anime may be episodic in nature, but you can really connect with the character through her terrible backstory and really feel for her when she realizes that she needs to face her past. PTSD is real and I think the anime really handled the post war aspect of this torn down world really well.

I’m also a sucker for typewriters, steam punk, and characters that don’t really know how to function in society (but learn over the course of the story).

Watch this if you want feels...and get ready for episode ten.

Samurai Champloo

This takes place in feudal era Japan.

But there’s rapping.

And breakdancing.

And guys spraying paint everywhere.

Also, there’s a sunflower samurai we gotta look for???

Hahahah, while episodic in nature, this was a joy to watch. You never get to know the characters really well and when we reach our mission’s end, it seems to fall short, but it’s not about that. The journey is what makes this anime worth it simply because the characters interactions are rife with hilarity and all three mains balance each other out. There’s a fanfic out there that describes them in detail, but in a succinct manner that had me melting. (https://m.fanfiction.net/s/2351750/1/The-Order-of-Things) check it out when you have the time.

Anyway, for those of you who have watched it, I sincerely hope that they meet again in the future.

(But, let’s be real. They probably didn’t).

Tokyo Mew Mew

Guys.

This isn’t a joke.

I have a soft spot for this anime because this was my first ever anime I watched where I realized that this was anime. This was like my gateway anime. Not Sailor Moon. Not Naruto.

This.

Looking back on this, it wasn’t the best—it’s your typical monster of the week deal with some environmental activism involved but for what it’s worth...it’s good??? Like, even the 4Kids dub (DONT CRUCIFY ME) even added some songs that were really great??? Bree Sharp’s Don’t Wake Me Up was my jam??? It fit better than the original Japanese counterpart???

TMM also introduced me to shipping, FanFiction, and amvs. That’s right, without this little gem, I would be writing/writing/thinking about FanFiction. I probably wouldn’t have been an anime watcher without this magical girl anime from the early 2000s.

So, yeah. This anime will always have a place in my heart because without it, I probably wouldn’t have become the person I am today. Thank you, Tokyo Mew Mew.

(This was also the birth of my first OTP before I knew what OTPs were: Kisshu/Ichigo...although nowadays, people are calling them Quiche/Strawberry? Hehehe, there’s so many things wrong here, I only like interactions, not the implications. That’s why I’m completely okay with Aoyama/Ichigo being endgame—and they’re actually really cute in the sequel manga???)

Honorable mentions (because I only thought of these now after I wrote analyses and gifs):

Five Centimeters Per Second

Ouran High School Host Club

Kimi no Nawa

Wolf Children

Psycho Pass

Trigun

(There’s like a dozen more, but nah. I’m good).

Aaaaaaaaaand that’s a wrap!!!

I’m tagging everyone who reads this! MWUAJAHAHAH!

I’m kidding; I don’t have that many friends here (if any) who are into anime so, umm...try it!

Thanks to @chemicalflashes for this amazing opportunity to find out why I love anime so much!

[anime-dub-transcripts]

Hetalia: The Beautiful World Episode #17: Hetalia of the Dead --- First Part Transcript

This episode has the nations watching horror movies.

American man #1, American man #2: Heaheaheah…

Serial killer: Leahleahleahleah…

American man #1: But I’m a virgin!

(American man #2: Heaheaheah!)

American man #2: Just shut up and keep going!

(American man #1: Heaheaheah!)

American man #1: Grragh! No! I’m not running from you anymore!

Serial killer: Leahleahleah…

American man #1: Hi-yah!

Serial killer: Leahouh!

America: All right! That dude’s the hero!

France: America…

America: Nom!

France: …you should know an important fact.

America: Hm?

France: The main characters in your horror movies are far too strong.

Children: Yeah!

{Caption: The virus is spreading}

Children: Yeah! Yeah!

France: The way they can always take down even monsters is not realistic!

(Monster: Growwwwllll…)

America: Uh, yeah, it is.

France: No, it’s not!

America: Dude, we also have a chick possessed by a demon who kills her whole family on video!

France: Sacrebleu, that’s terrifying!

(Sacrebleu: Dammit → French)

{Caption: HETALIA OF THE DEAD}

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{Text on DVD case: The Burning Moon}

Germany: Okay, why did you want us to bring over our horror movies at such a busy time?

America: I thought we could compare different styles, bro!

France: Ignore him. I thought we could prove to America how weird his horror movies really are.

(Italy: Laa la laa la la la la!)

Italy: I like this game! Can we watch the movie I brought over first, please, can we?

{Text on DVD case: Hysteria}

Italy: My spaghetti horror is one of the things I’m the most famous for!

France: Somehow I doubt pasta is a decent medium for terror.

(Italy: Oh?)

Germany: I would not make fun of Italy’s movies if I were you.

France: Non?

(Non?: No? → French)

Germany: To put it simply, Italy’s films are a chaotic bombardment of various entrails and naked women. Especially the entrails.

Japan: Sounds gratuitous!

Italy: Why would you have a horror movie without putting in the inside?

Germany: Because people are sensitive about their entrails!

Italy: Why? Without guts, what makes it horror, am I right?

Japan: I see your point.

{Caption:

[Italy]

Italy’s horrors are typically erotic and gory (but mostly gory) and they’re big on zombies. Their movies try to focus on visual simulation. But there are also gentle and cute scenes.

Police: Whoa! A murder!

Main Character: You’ve got it all wrong! I was avenging my parents!

Police: Oh, I see. Then I guess it had to be done.

Main Character (adult): Something like that happened…

S-So he got off the hook…?!}

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

China: Next, I show you the best horror movie ever made! Wait, it does not fit in here!

Britain: Because you’re trying to put in a CD, ninny!

(China: Grr…)

{Caption: Flying man kind of movie}

Narrator: You too can learn how to compress video files onto a CD! Just go ask the Internet.

Italy: Ooh, a Chinese zombie!

Chinese zombie: Aamph!

Chinese man: Yeah, that doesn’t really hurt at all.

America: Dude, check it out, China’s horror is hilarious!

Italy: Wow!

China: You know, lately we’ve been making scary supernatural movie too.

Purple ghost: Caboooooooo!

France: There’s something right behind you!

{Caption:

[China]

They make fun horror movies by combining very crazy, scary characters and the sort of action that only China is capable of. Tons of extras appear in Chinese horrors, so it appears extremely magnificent, which is like China. These days, they also make very dark, eerie, depressing movies that use visuals that are too intense}

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Japanese man's thoughts: How long has it been since I last visited my hometown? The villagers were distant and seemed to be hiding something from me.

Japanese man: It looks as though the school has been closed.

Italy: AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Germany: Japan’s horror is dark; it’s good at giving you anxious poops!

(Italy: Heaheaheaheaheah…)

Japan: Thank you for the compliment.

America: Yeah, they’re pretty frightening, but I mean, I always feel like the hero should be doing more.

Japan: More like what?

America: You know, go for the easy answer for once. Like don’t let them make it out; keep ‘em in the TV. Or no freaking out at some blurry bullcrap. Or just don’t answer the phone, dude! It’s easy!

{Text on sign: It’s easy!}

Russia: Classic America comment.

Japan: Please don’t say such things. Japanese ghosts are very sensitive.

{Caption:

[Japan]

Containing gloomy characters, sooty backgrounds, hard to make out ghosts, vague expressions, etc…many Japanese horror movies are strangely gloomy. Even if the characters didn’t do anything wrong, they get cursed just because they visited some house. If they receive calls, they get cursed. If they went back to their hometown, they get cursed…Although it’s no fault of the main character, they get cursed, so Westerners seem to feel like, “What’s wrong with them? It’s terrible! Beat them up!” On the other hand, it seems that Asian people watch Japanese horror movies with an attitude similar to Japanese people}

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finland: You like weird horror? Don’t forget about my movies! Santa kills!

Britain: Right, Finland knows weird.

Finland: It all starts with a scene where a scary frozen Santa Claus gets excavated.

Britain: Excavated?!

Santa: Merry…Christmas.

Finland: The climax shows naked Santa Clauses running all over the places! And their junk is blurry!

(Santas: RAAAAAHHHHH!)

Britain: Scary in more ways than one!

(Santas: RAAAAAHHHHH!)

Italy: Why?! Santa is a good person! Why?!

Spain: If you want true horror, mine are bueno.

(Bueno: Good → Spanish)

Britain: Shut it! We do not need to traumatize everyone!

Italy: I want to see them for sure now!

Narrator: Spanish horror movies are fairly well known for stabbing you right in your brain space.

(Italy: Hmhmmmmhmhmmm…)

Italy: Huehuehueh…AAAAHHHHH! I just got traumatized!

Ghost: Oooooooohhhhhhhhhh!

[plagueofsquid]

Why I Don’t Hate Fujoshi

There’s a lot of fujoshi hate going around on this hellsite and I wanted to add my two cents.

When I was a middle school girl, I discovered yaoi and it fascinated me. I’ve always hated romance. People are supposed to cry and cheer and blush at romance movies and I felt nothing. It was boring. But when I started reading yaoi, I realized what I was missing. I wanted the relationships to succeed, I needed to see the characters happy in a very personal way. It was like listening to music for the first time, like this whole world I’d been missing, and I was obsessed.

About the same time, I started to think seriously about my feelings towards girls.

I have never felt any serious attraction towards men. I identify as a lesbian and tend to prefer more femme women at that. At first, I rationalized it as wanting to look pretty, wanting to be more like the girls I saw, but by eighth grade I realized there was no denying it. I like girls. I was fortunate to go to a very liberal 6-12 school, but it was still in the middle of Oklahoma and I was the only lesbian I knew. So not exactly a welcoming environment.

I was embarrassed about my attractions. I couldn’t read wlw stories without feeling like they were too sexual for me, even if nothing at all sexual happened. I felt like women’s bodies were too beautiful to look at in such a dirty way. So instead, I read yaoi.

Part of it was because yaoi was easily accessible. I was still at that age where my mom wanted to read all the books I read and watch the shows I watched, and I didn’t have my own money to buy stuff. Yaoi manga is available to anyone with an internet connection and the knowledge of where to find it. I didn’t want my parents to know about my sexuality because I wasn’t sure myself, so I couldn’t ask them to buy me books about gay stuff. Yaoi was all I had.

It was mostly because yaoi didn’t feel threatening. I hated m/f romance because it scared me. I didn’t want to marry a man. The thought of having to do that kept me up at night. I felt like one of those princesses in fairy tales, doomed to an arranged marriage with a person they didn’t love. Yaoi meant girls were out of the picture, and thus kept safe. Women didn’t have to love men in those stories, the men could do that themselves. In the world of yaoi manga, I wouldn’t have to marry a man. I might not be in the panels, but I could live happily however I wanted just outside the borders. It was the only way I could enjoy a romance.

All my friends were straight girls, and they all loved yaoi. It was a different love than I had, but we still spent a lot of time talking about yaoi series and couples and writing our own mlm stories. We would hang out and talk about how cute Germany and Italy were in Hetalia or come up with two male OCs and make them a couple or even the ultimate fangirl cringe, ship guys from our school with each other.

And that was how I knew it was safe to come out to them. They supported me when people would start talking in hushed voices about the homosexuals and when boys yelled that we were lesbians because we made sex jokes. One of them became my first girlfriend, and while that relationship didn’t last long, it showed me that I was brave enough to ask a girl out. We didn’t always find common ground, especially on whether or not the men were actually attractive, but we cried together at the end of Brokeback Mountain.

Yeah, I know yaoi isn’t perfect. It’s pretty bad at portraying realistic mlm relationships, and a lot of that is colored by the strong heteronormativity of Japanese society. Fujoshi aren’t perfect either. The demographic skews young, and let’s be real, kids are kinda shitty. But we always knew yaoi wasn’t the same as real life. It was idealized and romanticized and problematic as fuck, but it wasn’t real and even the straight girls knew that. It was just a way for us to feel safe talking about sexuality and have fun, and no one deserves to be demonized for liking that.

So the next time you see a post about how all fujoshi are homophobic or just sexualizing mlm relationships, think about the girls behind it.

I was one of them, and I’ll never be ashamed of that fact.

[bearfaic]

The characters in YOI never evolve beyond Hetalia-esque stereotypes, so that's hardly a surprise.

Well, I’ve never seen Hetalia, but I disagree that the characters of Yuri On Ice are nothing more than sterotypes. Rather, I was referring to the fact that, because YOI’s characters are so focused on and motivated the competition, the relationship between Yuri and Victor is more of a side story than anything, and it doesn’t really explore in any detail their identity within the scope of an LGBTQ relationship. 

Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon, on the other hand, despite portraying itself as a silly fanservice anime, manages to consistently bring up themes such as the concepts of growing up gay, family, and what it means for a non traditional family (Specifically, two women and their adopted daughter) to exist in a modern setting. 

Fafnir and Kobayashi’s coworker’s implied romantic cohabitation, and Fafnir’s integration into human culture is a really cute story of someone who goes through life without meeting anyone who he feels he can truly be himself around, until he finds a guy who enjoys being around him, and encourages him to do what makes him happy. But i MOSTLY posted what I did because of the scene in the beach episode where Tohru asks Kobayashi, almost in tears, to talk about what it was like for her to grow up “normally”, and what her parents are like. (ESPECIALLY when, a few minutes later, Kobayashi asks why they can’t meet Tohru’s parents, and Tohru explains that her parents would KILL Kobayashi- and that by staying with Kobayashi, in her parent’s and dragon society’s eyes, she’d made her choice.)

I love Yuri on Ice to death, but it gets a LOT of credit for simply containing a tastefully done gay relationship, without really getting into what that means to the characters, and with no one really ever even implying that anyone has a problem with them. From that perspective, I think MaidDragon is honestly some of the best LGBT representation in anime, and while it’s not a perfect show by any means, it became one of, if not my favorite show airing this season about the minute i got over the name and watched an episode or two.

[paladinquen]

Thoughts on APH fic writing, common characterisations and pair dynamics

This is a long personal ramble about exploring societal biases and pushing back against them by experimenting with fanfic. Some of the fics I’m talking about here were never posted haha. I dunno, maybe they were personal. You may read or ignore (or read halfway and ignore). Not sure why I’m thinking about this today.

I was looking through my Google drive today and reading some stuff that I started and abandoned - Hetalia stuff from WAY before I got into NedCan as the SHIP ABOVE ALL SHIPS for me. Omg some of the stuff I wrote, but I did notice some interesting things...

I experimented a lot, but mostly did AUs because I also wanted to explore the dynamics within my favorite pairings if I changed certain major assumptions. Now when I pair characters, I believe that I pair them in any shape, universe or form - canon, AU, M/M, F/M, F/F, genderfluid etc (I’m not really into alpha/beta/omega AUs so I can’t really make a call on that), supernatural, space AUs, etc. But as a bit of a personal social experiment, I wanted to see how society has entrenched certain assumptions in me about relationships. I did this by...writing about space (Star Trek AU, the characters as different alien races), by looking at which character the fandom tended to ‘feminize’ and switching that up (so for PruAus for example, where if anyone is suddenly a Nyo counterpart, it’s usually Austria who is feminized) and seeing if I could keep the dynamic and all the things I loved about that pairing the same. 

It’s easier with aliens than it is with societal assumptions about gender. This surprised me but shouldn’t have, though it was interesting to explore what I personally had to fight against in my own head (how characters interacted with each other if one of them was a woman instead, and with Hetalia it’s usually M/M...sometimes it didn’t make a difference...sometimes it was a world of a difference...and that bothered me...so how could I recognize it to do something about it?). 

By far the most unpopular Hetalia fic I’ve ever written was a Fem Prussia / Austria thing about them meeting on a train. I’m not surprised that it’s not popular because there’s no real resolution and all they do is talk. They met in an in-between phase of their lives, so there was no place for them to go at that time. In the scheme of fandom, it didn’t have ‘popular/cute’ written all over it, but it was selfish writing, something I had to write for myself at the time due to circumstances. I decided to write Prussia as a woman because other than the fact that Nyo Prussia is one of the more conventionally ‘sexy’ anime women in Hetalia, Prussia is often interpreted as the hyper masculine one, especially in PruAus pairings. On the flip side, Austria is interpreted as a caricature of femininity (really can’t blame the fans for this as Hetalia itself is a huge joke about caricatures). Julchen was in the Army, or at least on her way to joining the Army, while Roderich was a composer. But rereading the fic now, it’s clear that I have failed in many ways to write these two exactly the same as I would have if I were writing about two men or two women. 

It was also Fem Spain / Austria. I wanted to explore this idea of Austria being unabashedly him, petty, elegant and obsessed with music...but still strong in character (I mean, he’s based off a nation that was an Empire after all), and still having some quality that made him fairly irresistible. Admittedly I chose to write Fem Spain because Spain is also one of those characters that is more often interpreted as highly masculine. I had planned on exploring N. Italy/ Fem Germany in that universe too, but never continued in that universe.

I kind of tried this again later on when i was into NedCan, mostly because I was wondering why half the NedCan fanfics on AO3 featured Ned/Fem Can. I mean, I love NedCan in all its forms but I didn’t see why my boy Canada’s qualities had to be assumed to be more easily interpreted as feminine (I mean I know why, but I didn’t necessarily agree with it). So I tried writing Fem/Genderfluid Ned with Can but in a Dutch golden age/pirate AU and...well the AU itself was fun but the story was very time consuming. (I also don’t know how clear it is that Ned is Genderfluid?)

For as much as I love APH Canada, I seem to have an extraordinarily difficult time writing him, which was mostly why that particular fic went on hiatus. I’m not so sure why it’s so hard to write him. I knew what drove Anneke, but Matthew? He was so torn between family and self and Anneke, without anyone asking him to be that even I froze up, unable to decide what to do next. I suppose I had to stop at that point because I was in a similar place (still in a similar place) personally, feeling torn between many things, and trying to choose self, but not really being able to fully be consumed by that decision. It’s hard to choose yourself, it’s so crazy how hard it is to do that. 

So I’m not trying to make all my couples heterosexual or gay, but I’m kind of using them as a means of exploring ways of fighting back against my personal biases. Hetalia characters lend themselves to interpretation because there’s so much unsaid for all the caricature and stereotype. When I wrote Unity, people thanked me for not writing Finland as a weak character (he’s like...the scariest character, arguably, in that whole fic). Romano in my football AU is just a child but shows so much inner strength even if his outer strength is not as demonstrative. But frankly, I don’t quite see how *any* of the nations could be perceived as weak I mean...nations are nations for a reason. Personified, every nation/character is a complex marriage of good and evil fighting for a unique identity amongst the others and isn’t that just what being human is? 

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Yuri on Ice 12 (FINAL) | Erased 1 | SGRS 14 | Nanbaka 12 – 14

I’m still fleshing out my set for this season as well as filling out stuff from one year ago...yeah, yeah. You’re telling me I’ve got dedication, having to deal with stuff twice, right?

I’ve decided I won’t merge the old (Le Take) notes with the new ones, as there are some show takes (such as Sekkou Boys) that will get lost in the process. Besides, Le Take is pretty shameful by itself.

Why do I do simulcast commentaries? I figure someday, someone’ll benefit from all the info I give. Or maybe it’s just Boueibu fans who want another opinion on stuff. *shrugs*

Final ep, eh? I wonder if I’ll miss this show…

Apparently Stephane Lambiel is a famous sports commentator in RL.

Waitasec – JJ trained under Ciaociao? Now there’s something to see.

Still can’t tell that brunette is his mum.

Who’s the woman next to Ciaociao? (Her name, I mean.)

That’s…cute, Phichit. Real cute.

Pinchos? Rinchos? Rinchus? I dunno what that eyecatch says…

Everyone’s basically crying right now! *applauds*

It’s fairly predictable when someone becomes so fixated on somebody else’s actions that they’re going to get distracted (in this show, at least). Thus, it’s pretty easy to see Chris’s demise.

“Kya---” is a squee, not an OMG. Get it right, folks.

Symphony no. 9 – a name I’ve become quite familiar with through Classicaloid. The second’s not famous like the first, which is why Otabek choosing it represents him as a supporting person really well.

That…was surprising! I read a PP on Tumblr about how men normally don’t have a couples skate, but women do, but this…not only was it the Stay Close to Me from the beginning, it was a couple one too.

“See you next level” – People already spoilt that for me ages ago, but yeah. Hopefully I can see you next level.

(Erased ep 1)

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi was one of the bigger hyped shows IIRC and by virtue of its being a mystery, of course I wanted in. Also, Sachiko Fujinuma is Conan…

Okay people, let’s get this straight. Boku Dake ga Inai Machi means “The Town in Which Only I am Missing”. It’s dumb to change it, although I can see why the change happened.

CGI taxi. Probably the worst type of vehicle to blow your budget on.

That voice. It’s Conan…but a little deeper.

I found this site handy for unpiecing certain parts of this show, as well as Gugure! and a few other shows. It really helped for the title phrases especially.

This show really delves into the psychology and sociology…that’s one of the better parts of this.

CGI cars. Honestly people, don’t waste your budgets on CGI cars…

Obviously a Wikipedia parody.

According to the site linked a few dot points ago, you’re not allowed to ride on a bike the way Airi is in this scene.

I bet Sachiko ships them despite the age gap…oops, I forgot she says that. She does ship them, just not manically as shippers usually do.

Why is there a frog? “Speak no evil” or something?

That face…no wonder people think it’s obvious who killed Sachiko.

The cutting off of part of the screen is a good effect, visually speaking. It allows for contrast between present and past.

(SGRS ep 14)

CR was being a butt, so I had to use a YT mirror for this. Certainly, it was ripped, but it was a much nicer experience than dealing with Shockwave Flash and error pages over and over.

The 4th wall break…actually works really well.

President of the Rakugo Association? Nice, Kiku. Real smooth.

Lemme get this straight, people. It’s Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen. Not Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Descending Stories – the second part is a localised, shorter name.

As soon as I heard the voice of Shinichi (Detective Conan), my jaw dropped. I haven’t heard that voice in ages, and for an Osakan character too! (You can tell he’s Osakan due to the –han.)

Wa-wait…Mangetsu? O-oh, sorry. I’m not good at identifying voices of seiyuu after all. It was Koji Yusa, not Kappei Yamaguchi.

What anyone would give for a parent like Yakumo 8th…yeah. People would give a lot for that sort of freedom…

Oh. Okay. Kyoto people use similar honorifics to Osakans.

I’d recognise that as a Louis Vuitton bag anywhere. Lots of Asians have fake ones like it…haha. *sweatdrops* Google says it’s a woman’s handbag.

As a writer myself, I can see the parallels to the typical artist. I’m far from fully fledged, though…the only books I can call “published” are the ones I’ve made with my own hands or posted online.

Yotaro still remembers the promises after 10 years? I can’t even remember what I’ve said a few minutes ago sometimes, let alone remember something like that…even though I pride myself on my memory.

(Nanbaka ep 12)

Uh, what language is “Wartezimmer”? Update: Oh, German.

The exact word for “monster” used here is “bakemono”. I can tell from the lip flaps, even without sound.

This Elf looks like Tanya from Youjo Senki…*shudders* Not only does he look like an elf, but isn’t “elf” 11 in German? Update: You’re wondering why I’m talking about Elf despite having no indication as to how I knew his name? Spoilers, o’course.

Having watched ConRevo prior to this,let’s just say justice is not a word one should sling around lightly.

Haven’t laughed like this for Nanbaka in a while…I miss the days where Nanbaka really was a comedy anime.

They even went Hetalia mochi on us…? With bouncing head effects, to boot.

His name is “Mitsuru” (3 cranes), which is why Hajime’s calling him a crane.

“Don’t get caught” takes on a new meaning here.

Aw, sweetpe-oh? Ah! Elf?!!!!

If I were watching that weekly, that would be a bad cliffhanger…but I’m not, so it doesn’t matter.

(ep 13)

Why the brain? Shouldn’t Elf go for Musashi first, since that guy’s lethal? Jyugo’s hardly a liability compared to Musashi.

This Elf guy blew the metaphorical doors right open…and I just imagined the story flowing out of them like blood.

Handsome guys aren’t useless! They make a show more entertaining!

(ep 14)

Mitsuru!!! You’ve done it again, and by that I mean you’ve ruined the mood!

I was worried about the OP at first for a little, but then Rin! Rin! Hi! Hi! came back and I rejoiced. It does sound a little different, though.

Hajime’s…already…bald…*sweatdrops*

Mitsuru! Geddout of here!

Finally, Mitsuru does something good.

Poor R(bleep)mba.

Unfortunately, we haven’t learnt the name of that movie until now. So…thanks, Mitsuru.

Smol, unmasked Tsukumo is such a cutie. Dangit, I wanna take him home…wait, he’s on my computer, in my home. (It’s not enough, though. Gimme a plushie of it!)

Makibishi = caltrops. Japanese ones, to be specific.

According to Google-sensei, 10000 yen = about $100. Pretty expensive, Mitsuru.

JOMP, LOL.

COMP now? Also, Kuu was the one who said “meow”, but Rock’s dialogue was right before it. Subbers must’ve somehow confused the two.

183 cm? Pretty tall, Kenshiro. Pretty tall.

Herbivore men. You know what they are, right?...Right, Kenshiro?

You can at least laugh at how hard the narrator (not sure it’s Mitsuru any more) is trying…I guess this is the “so bad it’s good” category?