#just passionate about the Cinderella fairy tale
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artist-issues · 1 year ago
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With all due friendliness, @queenofhearts7378…
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There is nothing prideful about the rightful heiress to an estate giving up her father, her home, time, effort, and dignity to the people who aren’t worthy of it. If you’re implying she was prideful to stay in a home where she was mistreated and could’ve left any time she wanted, you’re turning a blind eye to carefully-placed scenes like the one where a former staff member asks, “why do you stay there when they treat you so?” And Ella replies, “for my parents. They loved our house, and now that they’re gone I love it for them.”
Until she has the Prince, her only remaining sources of love, which are her parents, are in that house. The movie dedicates s great deal of time to building up who Ella is: she is taught by her parents to associate that house with their presence, and a queenly responsibility to watch over it. She doesn’t stay in a hard situation out of pride. She stays out of love and responsibility. And there’s an additional, very self-sacrificial hint that Ella wants to appeal to her new family members’ better natures, make their farmhouse life easier, and even feels pity for them.
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“Pity? Self-sacrifice? Oh please,” you might be thinking, “She should not be pitying her abusers.” But here’s the truth. The Cinderella in Cinderella 2015 is a deep character because she knows who she is, and what is important in life. It might be hard for us, who see that the Stepmother and Stepsisters spend most of the movie getting their own way, demeaning someone so much worthier than them, and manipulating everyone they can for their own selfish gains, to feel pity. But it is not as hard for their victim, Cinderella. Because this Ella very clearly knows that power, which the stepmother and stepsisters have over her, is not nearly as valuable as love, which they can never have because they ruin it for themselves and one another.
That’s this Cinderella’s superpower—and it’s truer to the original fairy tale than the Animated Cinderella’s traits were—and it’s higher and better than “doing everything in her power to free herself.”
When are you and others ever going to get it into your head? How many centuries of Cinderella-like stories have to be told? It is not all that great to rescue yourself. It is actually truer and better and deeper to recognize that you can give up your own self-interests for others—and that superpower, known as kindness, is so much more valuable than providing for your own interests.
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Also, what, Ella does not twirl in her tower “waiting to be rescued.” The narration specifically fills in the gaps, “Though Ella was sad, her spirit was not broken. She knew that the ball, and her time with the prince, would become beautiful, distant memories, like those of her mother and father and her golden childhood.” She’s not looking for a rescue. She’s never needed a rescue in this movie. She’s always found courage in things that are deeper than just “what situation do I live in and are people nice to me.” She just keeps on doing that even after the Stepmother smashes her glass slipper.
The only point you made that makes any sense with what values Cinderella’s story is supposed to communicate is: “og Cinderella was given the gift freely and COMFORTED at her lowest moment.” Well yeah, free love and comfort in a time of sadness is beautiful.
And it would have made sense, in the Live Action Cinderella, if the movie were not about Cinderella and her Superpower of Kindness. If the movie were about the Fairy Godmother, then sure, have her comfort Ella. That would show off how compassionate and timely and loving the character of the Fairy Godmother is.
But the movie’s not about the Fairy Godmother. The movie’s about Cinderella and her Superpower. The test was to prove to the audience that going to the ball was a direct result of Cinderella’s Superpower—and by the way, that actually makes her much more an agent of her own rescue than screaming at some mice.
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While we’re on the topic, the “og Cinderella’s” Fairy Godmother did NOT just appear to give Cinderella comfort and a pretty dress just because she was sad and needed a pat on the head, which is what your tag implies. The OG Fairy Godmother’s very first words as she appears on screen are, ��Nothing, my dear? Oh, now, you don’t really mean that. Nonsense, child! If you’d lost all your faith, I couldn’t be here; and here I am!”
My point is that even the OG Fairy Godmother appeared to remind Cinderella, and the audience themselves, of the movie’s main point and value: “Have courage and be kind and your dreams will come true.” That’s faith; acting on what you know is true regardless of circumstances, because a good result is promised. OG Cinderella and Live Action Cinderella exemplify that in the scenes where the Fairy Godmother come in; one through a line of explanation wrapped up in comfort, another through a hidden test.
Please come up with something more than a tired, old, broke understanding of Cinderella where you think she was helpless and her strength was in simply wanting to be free of her abusers, and jumping at the chances that she was given. That’s not how the story goes. The story goes, she was self-sacrificial and kind and brave even when she could have escaped OR made life worse for her abusers. And thanks to those values of self-sacrifice and kindness, she was saved.
It’s kindness and self-sacrifice, which take courage, that save Cinderella. That’s the story.
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yinyangofnevermore · 2 years ago
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So you’re considering watching RWBY
Or you’re trying to convince someone else to watch it
(I made another similar post about this a while back)
But you/they aren’t sure. Something is holding you/them back. Like:
“But the animation n stuff is SO BAD!” - Sure. In the beginning it’s not great (though many of us now look back on those early volumes with fondness.) But you have to understand, RWBY started as a passion project at a small company with a budget of like $20 (yes I’m exaggerating but STILL.) They simply didn’t have the funds for good animation. But, after volume 3 came out, the show became a literal international hit and so the budget increased. And, subsequently, so did the animation quality. You can see that progression easily enough here. The quality goes from this:
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To this:
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“It looks stupid and childish!” - Yeah, in the beginning it’s meant to seem silly. And it still has its cartoonishly silly moments later on too. But those silly moments are meant to soften the blow of the PAIN. Because, while RWBY starts off as a silly, “good always triumphs over evil” slice of life magic academy type show it does not STAY that. There is PAIN. LOTS OF IT! If you keep watching, you’ll find out within like 6 hrs worth of watching that it’s not just some silly slice of life show. There is a complete 180 along the way when you find out what RWBY is truly about. The show actually delves into some pretty heavy stuff. PTSD, abuse, neglect, abandonment issues, alcoholism, loss, the inability to move on from loss for some, and more. For more on this, check out this post.
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“I saw some stuff on Twitter/Tumblr/Youtube about how bad it is.” - That’s because there are ppl out there who want the show to be something it’s not. Or they got upset when things didn’t happen the way they wanted. Like Blacksun shippers or Adam and Ironwood Stans. Or they just want to shit on something. But EVERY show has its haters. Every piece of media has its haters. And they like to be loud edgelords about it. Sometimes just to be controversial and pick a fight. But that doesn’t mean shit. There are ppl out there who absolutely hate your favorite pieces of media, whether you’re aware of it or not. And that doesn’t stop you from liking it, does it? Don’t let a few haters prevent you from potentially finding your new favorite thing. Because there are a LOT of ppl out there who absolutely LOVE this show.
“I tried watching the first few episodes and I just... Couldn’t.” - Dude, I get it. Trust me. I did the same exact thing when I started watching. I watched the first couple of episodes and literally turned it off. But then I saw a few ppl posting about it here on Tumblr a while later and gave it a second shot on a whim. And BOY did it not disappoint when I got far enough in (and yes, that took a minute.) Mind you, this was back when Volume 3 was originally airing, so the drastic improvements in animation hadn’t happened yet. But I stuck with it anyways. And now look at me. But the show does take a while to really ramp up, so to speak. The beat doesn’t DROP until a bit later on in volume 3.
But, if you enjoy character growth and analysis, then you will most likely enjoy this show. The number of analyses on Tumblr and prolly Twitter as well are MANY. The main 4 characters are badass ladies learning how to fight and deal with life. Every character in the show is based on either a fairy tale, mythology, history, pop culture, etc. (sometimes they have multiple allusions to different degrees) and teasing out those details on top of everything else is quite fun if you enjoy searching for Easter eggs, significant imagery, foreshadowing, parallels, and so on. Interesting villains too. Not just the standard “Evil Witch because she’s evil with henchmen” thing. But fleshed out villains that have their Reasons™️. Like “Cinderella took so much abuse as a kid/teenager that she fucking snapped” type reasons. There is SO MUCH you can delve into with this show if you want to. Details as small as a whale statue in Gepetto’s office, or Belle reading a book with a candelabrum that looks like Lumiere, or characters wearing the colors of the person they love, or characters having eyes the color of their love’s aura (an extension of their soul.) SO MANY PLACES TO FIND THESE DETAILS. Including the lyrics to the music.
Which leads me to the music in this show is freaking AWESOME. And if you can’t appreciate that Casey Lee Williams has been singing in these soundtracks since she was like 13 or 14 (and listening to how she’s grown as a musician throughout it all to the point where she is now one of the music leads for the show) then I don’t know what to tell you. The music is all produced in house. And the lyrics reflect that. Each song is from the perspective of a RWBY character (or like team RWBY in general, depending on the song) and the lyrics give insights either about the characters or about stuff in the show (lore, foreshadowing, etc.) And they’re as fun to analyze as they are to jam out to.
The writing is FANTASTIC. Is it perfect? No. Of course not. They made mistakes along the way. Prolly will make some more. But every piece of media does to some extent. People aren’t perfect and so neither are their creations. But those imperfections don’t outweigh how amazing the story they’ve woven is. The writers of RWBY constantly subvert expectations in a BRILLIANT way. Not in a “wtf?? Where did that come from?” sort of way. But in a “OMG! Now that I go back and watch this again it makes SO MUCH SENSE” sort of way. And things that happen in early volumes actually COME BACK to affect things later. The show doesn’t just MOVE ON. The writers have been playing the long game this whole time. And rewatches will almost always show new details and foreshadowing you might have missed before.
Also, it GAY. And it’s THE major romance of the show. Not just a side story. And the voice actors are the Captains of the Ship! And it’s a beautifully written slow burn romance (amongst other romances also in the show) with yearning and pining for DAYS.  I believe it was Monty who said, “Good romance is earned.” And boy are they earning it!
So, in short, FUCKING WATCH RWBY.
DAMMIT.
If you do decide to watch, Volumes 1-8 are all on RoosterTeeth.com for free or everything is on Crunchyroll. And I definitely suggest starting with the 4 trailers, in order: Red, White, Black, then Yellow.
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corroded-hellfire · 2 years ago
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Attend the Tale - Eddie Munson x Reader
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Summary: Eddie proclaims to theatre nerd!reader that musicals are too happy for him. You then tell him the tale of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Note: This is partially because Gaten is currently in the show on broadway, yes, but also because it is one of my favorite musicals of all time and I myself am a huge theatre nerd.
Warnings: spoilers for Sweeney Todd, which has dark themes including bloody violence, murder, and cannibalism.
Words: 2.3k
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Hawkins High School likes conventional. It likes when things make sense. For instance, it made sense when Chrissy Cunningham was nominated for Prom Queen, and Jason Carver for Prom King. It made sense that Nancy Wheeler was on track to give the valedictorian speech at graduation at the end of the year. What didn’t make sense—at least from an outsider's perspective—is you and Eddie.
Eddie Munson was all metal, band t-shirts, chunky silver rings, long wild mane, and tattoos. You are not metal. You are costumes, makeup, rehearsing lines and practicing songs for an audition. A theatre nerd, essentially. At night, Eddie blasts Metallica in his room, while you’re playing Andrew Lloyd Webber and attempting to hit the high notes in Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. The two of you looked like opposite sides of the spectrum. But in reality, you were two sides of the same coin. Both passionate about the music that moves you, embodying the looks of your respective niches. 
When you met, there was an initial clash between the two of you over use of the drama room. Yes, it was used for Hellfire meetings, but it was the drama room and Eddie shouldn’t have thrown a fuss if you had to come in and grab a costume that had been left in there earlier. Once the original ire cooled, the two of you found you gelled together quite nicely. Only someone else who has that deep appreciation for music can understand what it’s like to feel the music in your very soul, in every beat of your heart, and every breath you take. 
Though there wasn’t a crossover appeal with each other’s music, both you and Eddie could appreciate and respect the other’s taste. Eddie would blast metal in the van on the way home from school, so you’d come to learn some of the songs and point out your favorites to your boyfriend. When the two of you were at your house, a Sondheim or a Rodgers & Hammerstein record would be playing in the background as you makeout on your bed. 
Eddie had seen you in the last musical Hawkins High had put on—Into the Woods. The dark take on multiple fairy tales had drawn Eddie in more than he thought it would. Obviously, he had only gone to see you—dragging Dustin along because the curly haired boy was the only one willing to accompany him—but he ended up being honestly impressed by the talent and hard work it takes to put on a show. Hearing you sing as Cinderella had almost moved Eddie to tears, something he would never admit to a soul. But Dustin had noticed and told you when Eddie had gone to the bathroom after the show. You recognized the same dedication and effort in Eddie when you saw him performing with Corroded Coffin.
After you begged Eddie to play The Sound of Music cassette you just bought while you’re driving around one weekend, he comes up with a thought that astounds you.
“You know, musicals are just too happy for me. Everything is always okay in the end, and everyone sings and dances and it’s happily ever after.”
You’re staring at him for a good minute before he notices. He raises an eyebrow at you in question.
“That is so not true!”
“Babe,” Eddie says, knocking the rings of his right hand against the van’s radio. “We’re literally listening to a show that has singing nuns and nazis. And guess what? Everything ends tied up with a bow.”
“First of all,” you say, flopping back in your seat with a huff. “This is based on a true story. So, sorry that the real Von Trapp family escaped the nazis. Secondly, there are plenty of dark musicals. You saw Into the Woods!”
“Yeah, it was dark for fairy tales. I listen to metal. The witch cursing a family doesn’t quite cut it as ‘dark’ for me.”
“West Side Story? It’s tragic!”
“Tragedy and darkness aren’t really the same thing,” Eddie says with a shrug. “I mean, they can be. But they literally have gangs prancing down the street. Sad story, sure. But I wouldn’t say dark.”
You purse your lips in the way that Eddie finds adorable as you look out the window. A cheery song about favorite things playing isn’t helping you come up with any dark musicals.
“Aha! Phantom of the Opera,” you say, turning towards Eddie. “Kidnapping, murder, disfigured character. Dark enough for you?”
“Eh,” Eddie says with a shrug. “The opera part kinda cancels it out for me.”
Just as Eddie’s pulling into your driveway, your face lights up with an idea. Eddie notices it as he pulls the keys out of the ignition, the jingling of them breaking you out of your mini trance.
“Sweeney Todd.”
“Who?” Eddie asks.
“Sweeney Todd!” you repeat, as if just hearing it again will make everything clear to Eddie. Both of you get out of the car and you fumble to get your house keys out of your bag. “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
“Did we switch subjects, or…? Should I know this Todd dude?” Eddie asks as he follows you inside. He kicks his shoes off next to the door just as you do, and you toss your bag onto the closest chair.
“It’s a Stephen Sondheim musical,” you say. “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”
“A demon barber?” Eddie asks with a laugh. 
Spinning away from him and his dismissive chuckle, you stroll over to your collections of records. Nimble fingers pick through them until you find the one you’re looking for. Eddie just watches as you move to the record player and load up the album. The opening notes start slow at first, then gaining volume, with a haunting quality to the melody. It sounds eerily like music you would hear at a funeral. Then a piercing noise—a scream? a scrape? —slices through the air, startling Eddie. He won’t let you know it just yet, but this already has him intrigued. 
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
His skin was pale and his eye was odd
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
Who never thereafter were heard of again
“Hmm,” Eddie hums, a smile curling on his lips. “Okay, you’ve got my attention.”
“It’s bloody and gory,” you say, jumping onto your couch. Eddie chuckles as he watches your socked feet move over the gray overstuffed cushions. You hold your hands out in front of you, fingers splayed as you begin to summarize the show in a melodramatic voice. “Sweeney Todd—who is actually named Benjamin Barker—returns to London after being wronged by a judge many years ago. Judge Turpin stole his wife and daughter. Like, literally stole. Not like he seduced her or something, he straight up took her and had her husband sent away.”
Eddie wrinkles up his nose and crosses his arms over his chest. “That’s creepy as hell.”
“Oh, that’s nothing,” you say with a devious smile. As you continue on with the tale, the music playing in the background, you keep walking across the couch, jumping to the adjacent couch as well when you come to the edge. Eddie watches you, an adoring look in his eyes. “So, Sweeney stays with this lady, Mrs. Lovett, who has a pie shop. And he starts up as a barber again, with the goal of getting the judge to come in so he can…” You run your finger across your neck, imitating the slitting of your throat. 
“Does he stick the bastard?” Eddie asks, jumping up on the couch you just vacated. 
“Hold on, hold on,” you say, shooting him a smirk. “This other dude comes in and recognizes Sweeney back from when he was Barker, so Sweeney kills him. When he and Mrs. Lovett are trying to figure out what to do with the body, she comes up with an idea! But is it too much? Never, for this twisted pair!”
Eddie laughs as he listens and watches. Your eyes are wide, a crazed look there as you describe the warped tale. Even if he wasn’t genuinely enjoying this debauched plot, he would’ve been thoroughly amused by your performance. 
“They decide to get rid of the body by grinding him up and putting him in the meat pies!”  
“Ugh,” Eddie groans, face full of disgust. “That’s morbid.”
“Told ya,” you say with a proud smirk. “But they don’t stop there. Every man who comes to Sweeney’s shop becomes the new flavor of the day. And the people love the meat pies. They keep selling out of them.”
“Okay, okay,” Eddie says, holding his hands up in front of him. “I concede. This is a dark musical.”
“Thank you,” you say, offering him a dramatic bow. “The dead bodies do not just come out tap dancing or some other cliche, cheesy shit you accuse musicals of. Although now that I’m thinking about that, it would’ve been cool.”  
“So, how’s it end?” Eddie asks, jumping over to the couch you’re on.
“Oh, no, no, no,” you say, shaking your head and backing a step away from him. “You’ll have to listen. Wait! See! They’re about to tell you.” You hold your finger to your lips, telling Eddie to be silent so he can hear the final lyrics of the song.
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
He served a dark and a vengeful god
What happened then, well, that's the play
And he wouldn't want us to give it away
Not Sweeney
Not Sweeney Todd
The demon barber of Fleet street
Eddie steps forward and tugs on your waist until you’re flush up against him. “You seem to really enjoy this creepy shit.”
“I haven’t even told you the rest,” you say, cupping his face in your hands. “There’s the judge wanting to marry the daughter he stole as well. A beggar woman who goes around asking men if they wanna fuck her. And then there’s Antony and Toby who are precious boys.”
“Jesus,” Eddie says with a laugh. “Might just have to borrow this record.”
“I thought you’d like it,” you say, a satisfied smirk on your lips. “I know my boyfriend’s taste.”
“Yes, you do,” he mumbles as he leans in and presses his lips against yours. The two of you share lazy kisses for a few minutes, just standing there on your couch in the middle of your living room. When you finally break for air, Eddie rests his forehead against yours and lets out a small laugh. “Who would’ve thought I’d find a girlfriend who can match my theatrics?”
“I think I outdo your theatrics, thank you very much,” you say. “In private, anyway. I know I can be my true, authentic weird self with you.”
“I love your weird self,” Eddie says, hands roaming down to your ass. 
“And I love you.”
Eddie grins and presses a few more kisses to your mouth. 
“Are there any duets in the show?” Eddie asks. “Could learn it and we could sing it together.”
The way your eyes light up at his words has his heart stuttering in his chest. He’d never admit it, but he’d memorize all of Sondheim’s compositions if you wanted him to. Anything for you. 
“Yeah,” you say, voice the quietest it’s been this whole time. Before continuing, you clear your throat and blink your eyes a few times. “My favorite song from it is a duet. It’s the one where they decide to put the men into the pies. It’s called A Little Priest.”
You quickly hop off the couch and stop the record. Carefully, you turn it over and place it back down. Your eyes scan the track list printed on the record’s jacket to find the right spot. Placing the needle back down, a surge of pride flows through you as you hear it start playing exactly where you want it to. 
Seems a downright shame…
Turning back towards Eddie, you try to emulate Mrs. Lovett. Kind of crazy, but even crazier for the man in front of her. That part you have down perfectly. The fond look Eddie is giving you makes your tummy all fuzzy and your head all light. Knowing that not only can you be completely and unabashedly yourself around Eddie, but that he actually loves you like that still boggles your mind. 
The song is funny, filled with puns and jokes, and you sing through the lyrics with ease. As the long song comes to its end, you step up on the coffee table and use it as your stage. Closing your eyes, you throw your arms in the air dramatically as if you’re riding a roller coaster. 
We'll not discriminate great from small! 
No, we'll serve anyone, 
Meaning anyone, 
And to anyone
At all!
Eddie claps as you finish belting the last note, and your face warms at his praise. A shy giggle escapes you as you curtsy on top of the table. Your boyfriend hops down from the couch and wraps both of his arms around your legs. He flops backwards so he’s lying on the couch, pulling you along so you’re on top of him. 
“You’re so damn cute,” Eddie says.
“Takes one to know one, Munson,” you say, finger coming up to boop the tip of his nose. 
“I feel like I’m gonna have to take you to Broadway as a graduation gift,” Eddie muses.
“Baby,” you whine, shaking your head. “You don’t have to do that.”
“You don’t wanna take a trip with me?” he asks, jutting out his bottom lip in his most adorable pout. The big cow eyes only add to it. 
“Of course I do,” you say. “Not letting you buy me a trip for graduation, though!”
“Fine,” Eddie says with a sigh. “What if it’s a gift for both of us? We go up together over the summer? Huh?” He grins and tucks a piece of hair behind your ear. “You, me, whatever shows you want, then a nice big hotel bed at night. I won’t pay for everything, I promise.”
A giggle bubbles out of you and you rest your head in the crook of Eddie’s neck. “Sounds perfect, Eddie.” 
“I love you, my little theatre nerd.”
“I love you, my adorable metal head.”
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anthurak · 2 months ago
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Hey, I'm doing a presentation workshop at work and as part of it we each have to give a presentation about something we're passionate about, so I'm doing RWBY and focusing on the subversion of tropes (like how Jaune and Ruby have swapped the traditional male anime protagonist role and the backup role usually for a girl around) and multiple allusions for each character (Norse, LOTR, fairy tale, wizard of Oz etc) and how they're shown.
Do you have any favourite theories or allusions around the main two teams, the Ozluminati or STRQ? Thanks!
Oooh, sounds fun! XD
That's a great question, and honestly when it comes to Team RWBY, I think my favorite allusions are simply how the story flips and twists the core allusions of the main girls:
Ruby is a Little Red Riding Hood who, rather then being menaced and hunted by a monster in the woods, is HERSELF a hunter of monsters. A Red Riding Hood who goes into the woods to hunt the monsters so that others may be safe.
Weiss is a Snow White who is both the 'Disney Princess' AND the 'Knight in Shining Armor'. A girl who probably would have been pushed into a traditional 'princess' role by her controlling, abusive father, but who instead essentially became the 'Knight' to rescue herself, and strives to be a noble figure to help others as well.
And of course, Blake being BOTH the 'Beauty' and 'The Beast' of her allusion. With Yang complimenting said allusion by likewise being both the 'Beast' to Blake's 'Beauty' and the 'Beauty' to Blake's 'Beast'. And how Adam manages to likewise represent both Gaston and the Cursed Rose.
There is also my 'Odin!Ruby' theories, though I will freely admit those are more 'fun headcanons' at the moment, rather then something really held up by the narrative.
There is also something just so damn cool about Salem essentially being 'The Wicked Witch of the West' crossed with SAURON (with a bit of 'Galadrial if she took the Ring' vibes thrown in) XD
And Cinder presenting just this AMAZING dark, tragic twist on Cinderella as a villain origin story. Where Cinderella finally fights back and even KILLS her wicked and cruel step-mother and sisters who so long kept her under their boot, only for the people/person she trusted most to turn on her and side with those very oppressors. Showing just how much the society she lived in was entirely okay with the terrible oppression that was done to her.
The fact that the show manages to give us a Wizard of Oz who really is a powerful wizard, yet also STILL turns out to be a massive fraud who lied to everyone.
Even after all this time, I think some of my favorite allusions in the show are still the ones at the core of the main characters.
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olderthannetfic · 4 months ago
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About the "European" fairytale thing, non-white cultural stories, and "Eurocentrism." To start off, keep in mind that I mean the specific story that's told, NOT the visuals. So if you took the stories themselves, wrote them down as a book with no pictures. LONG SUBMISSION
I honestly feel like it's a bit weird to claim that the Disney movies are "Eurocentric" because none of the stories have anything to do with the actual European version of the fairytales. If they hadn't been specifically drawn to look like that, and you only had a written version by Disney, you could probably argue they're just a bastardisation of any culture where a version of them exists.
If you know the "real" fairytales from Europe, they've got almost nothing to do with what Disney made. You could take any cultural equivalent to a Disney movie and claim it's a "clean washed" and American values version of it, and it "just so happens" they chose a Pseudo European aesthetic, and not even that well. <- That last part is my opinion.
I think Cinderella was used as an example of a story that has an equivalent in Vietnamese culture, the fairytale of Tam and Cam. You could take the Disney version basically the exact way it's written, and put a different coat of paint on it, and it's be just as accurate to any other cultural version: Not accurate at all. There are several versions of the Cinderella story in Europe alone, the German one is different from the French one, and none of them are like the Disney version. In one of the version I've read the gifts and dresses come from a tree from the mother's grave, and at the evil stepsisters cut their feet to fit in the shoe, which the doves tell the prince.
Beauty and the beast is the same. The Disney version isn't the "European" version, it's vaguely based on a fairy tale that also exists across a few countries. If we go European, there's version with a singing tree, a version with a singing bird, there's also a Scandinavian story where a girl is forced to marry a bear, who turns into a human at night. But there are also stories of the same make in Asia and Africa.
It's also one of the reasons I'm both annoyed with both sides bitching about the Disney remakes. On one side, these movies aren't even the "European" fairytales, they've always been a completely American versions of a story that they vaguely took inspiration from the European versions but basically removed 80-90% of the actual European key elements, where the base story also exists in other cultures. With a pseudo historical European aesthetic, which was heavily based on the "current trends" of the years they were made in, example Snow Whites being based on the late 1930's fashion, same with Aladdin, Jasmine being based on the 90's. These aren't "White European" fairytales, they're "Western American" fairytales. If you actually wanted a real European fairy tales, you could just check out European productions or even the books. The other side, who're constantly saying that its a win for diversity or that it "makes the most sense for visibility" or how it's a win for POC fairytales: The remakes still heavily feature some of the pseudo European inspirations, and it's still a shit cash grab. It wouldn't take Disney much extra work if they actually just straight up adapted the story with a different aesthetic since they already don't give a shit about accuracy. You could literally still keep the Western American story they wrote, but could use setting that pseudo African, Asian, LatAm or whatever to tell the story, which are more catered to American born people. (Not like the piss poor 2020 Mulan, at least the 98 seemed passionate and wanting to tell a good story despite being inaccurate. Kinda like all their old movies, inaccurate but at least passionate abt it.) Making shitty poorly redone live action movies isn't a step in the direction for diversity, it's a step in the "Let's throw POC actors to the wolves, and put them in movies doomed to fail." There are thousand options. It also comes across cheap because you're basically boiling down POC, especially American POC entertainment to "rotten leftovers from much more popular white lead fairy tale movies." Great, the first forage for people into big production "POC in fairy tales" are low value Disney trash, with the constant visual reminder that they have to attach themselves to "European" stories. <- Even if it's pseudo European, most people don't know that and will just view it as "European" period.
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If we want to talk about cultures dominating so much that they warp the entire framework of how we think...
What is a "fairy tale"?
Why does this exist as a category?
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One of the problems people run into when they try to be more inclusive in this sphere is that while every place has folktales, and many of those do have animal husbands or other common elements that are found in the core "fairy tales" the West knows, they don't have a specific category of tale with the same boundaries.
I honestly think a big part of the reason for rehashing the same tiny core of tales is that it's hard to define what a new entry into the canon would have to look like.
If it's basically a Beauty and the Beast variant, okay, but what if it isn't? And even if it does have some animal husband aspects, what if the actual point of the story in its original context is completely different.
Very quickly, one ends up at that Joseph Campbell place of thinking everything is a Jesus metaphor and all mythologies are basically the same.
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your-local-simp-writers · 7 months ago
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༺☆༻ Introduction ༺☆༻
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Hello! 
We’re the dynamic duo behind “𝕐our 𝕃ocal 𝕊imp 𝕎riters,” just a couple of friends who love to get lost in the world of stories and games. We’re here to share our passion for writing and all the geeky stuff we can’t get enough of.
♡ About Us ♡
I’m 𝒞𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 and I’m all about gaming and art. You’ll often find me with a controller in one hand and a comic book in the other. My better half, the yin to my yang. She’s the partner in crime, the sweet melody to my wild riffs, and the one who brings a touch of grace to our shared tales of adventure and heart, 𝒞𝒽𝒾𝑒𝓃𝓃𝑒! She is the other half of this storytelling team. We both love creating stories that’ll make you feel like you’re right there with the characters.
♡ Our Writing ♡
We write what we love, and we love what we write. Our stories are inspired by our current fascinations—be it a game, a movie, or a manga. If it’s interesting and fascinating to us, it’s fair game for our writing.
Most of our stories are “x female reader” because that’s where we feel most at home. Occasionally, we’ll write “x gender-neutral reader” pieces for a bit of variety. However, we generally steer clear of “x male reader” or “OC x canon” stories. We want to create a space where female readers can see themselves in the worlds we love so much.
❤︎ 𝒞𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 '𝓈 Interests: 
Gaming: I’m a huge fan of Kingdom Hearts, Batman Arkham games, Mortal Combat, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Doom 3, Phasmophobia, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Twisted Wonderland, Call of Duty, Halo 3 and 4, Sonic and Transformers. If it’s a game or relating to horror, chances are I love it.
Comics: Batman is my passion. I collect anything related to the Dark Knight, and my collection is my pride and joy.
Anime/Manga: I'm into One Piece, Princess TuTu, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jujutsu Kaisen, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kingdom Hearts, Sgt. Frog, Free!, HellSing, and a bunch more. I have also seen MHA, Fairy Tail, Dragon Ball, Soul Eater, Naruto, Castlevania, Diabolik Lovers and more.
Disney & Tim Burton: I’m a Disney kid at heart. My top 5 Disney movies are Treasure Planet, Cinderella 3, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and The Princess and the Frog. And I’m all about Halloween and everything Tim Burton.
Music: I love RnB and Y2K music so much! However, you can usually find me listening to cutesy, cheesy love songs.
❤︎ 𝒞𝒽𝒾𝑒𝓃𝓃𝑒’𝓈 Interests: 
Gaming: I’m definitely not the biggest gamer around, but I do love to play Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft! Sometimes I’ll also dabble in some fall guys, FNAF or Poppy’s Playtime. On Roblox, I love to play pretty much anything but pvp games due to the fact that I’m not the best at them. Horror games are probably my favorite, even though I’m a chicken!
Anime/Manga: My favorites are definitely Fairy Tail, Jojo’s bizarre adventure, Naruto, and Demon slayer. I’ve also watched MHA, Danganronpa, Yona of the Dawn, Food wars, High Rise Invasion, Angels of death, and more!
Disney and Tim Burton: I’m definitely a Disney girl! I love all Disney Princess movies, both animated and live action. My top three not in any particular order would have to be Tangled, The Little Mermaid, and Princess and the Frog. For Tim Burton, my favorites are the classics, The nightmare before Christmas and Corpse bride. 
Books: I’m also a huge book girly! My favorite genre has to be fantasy/sci-fi. My favorite book series is The Lunar Chronicles, I definitely recommend it!
♡ Join the Fun ♡
This is an invitation to you, dear reader, to become a part of our narrative. Engage with us, inspire us, and let us inspire you.
So, come on in, get comfy, and let's share the joy of stories. The next chapter is always the best one, and it starts right here, with you and us. Requests are always welcome in the ask box! and even inquiries, should you have any!
With all the warmth in our hearts,
𝒞𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 & 𝒞𝒽𝒾𝑒𝓃𝓃𝑒
P.S: 𝒞𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 drew the image, just so most people can get a idea of what we look like♡ AND THE G.M FIARY BOOK IS FOR FUN, for the pure shits and giggles TRUST
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aspoonofsugar · 1 year ago
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Worthy
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I love the new RWBY soundtrack! So, before delving into longer metas on volume 9, I want to share a quick analysis of Bumbleby's new song.
BUMBLEBY VS CINDER
As many have highlighted, the song shares its title with episode 8X13.
This episode is interesting for 2 reasons:
It is a Cinder's centric episode
It is when Yang falls leaving Blake behind
Our Maiden of Choice is one of the strongest foils to our protagonists. In particular, she ties into all the MCs's allusions as an antagonistic force. This is particularly clear in Ruby and Weiss's stories, as she plays Ruby's Big Bad Wolf and Weiss's Evil Queen.
What about Bumbleby?
Cinder is a personification of Blake's Beast
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The Beast is the Jungian Shadow, which represents everything hidden and repressed. Blake integrates her shadows and brings them to light. Cinder is instead consumed by her darkest parts, as her Shadow Hand shows.
Cinder embodies Yang's too hot
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The too hot is a metaphor for asymmetry and anger, which are core traits of both Yang and Cinder. It is just Yang accepts her own asymmetry and faces the feelings of vulnerability she masks with rage. Cinder instead doesn't aknowledge her emotions and her hurt.
In other words, Cinder embodies Blake and Yang's flaws and represents an obstacle in Bumbleby's fairy tales. This is why in the finale of volume 8 she re-enacts the 2 girls' traumas.
She manipulates things, so that Yang has no choice, but to go too hot:
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And Yang's fall has Blake go feral:
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The whole scene is a repetition of Blake and Yang's two fights with Adam. Yang protects a loved one and loses her arm as a consequence (Jinxy steals it in the Ever After). Blake sees Yang get hurt and has her weapon damaged (only the ribbon this time).
This happens so that Blake and Yang can prove they are now stronger than before. They are worthy:
And now I know I'm worthy of you
In the end, both Cinder and Bumbleby have to show their worth. Still, this word gains different meanings for the bees and for our Cinderella. Let's see why by analyzing the Worthy song's lyrics.
BLAKE'S PART - FALLING
Why did Why did I come here? Was I always meant to take this shape? Never was given a love like this A parachute falling with no fear of hitting the ground Hitting the ground You fell And suddenly I did too While the world was dying Didn't know how to not lose you again
Blake's lines tie her and Yang's romantic dynamic to their fall in the Ever After.
You fell:
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And suddenly I did too:
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While the world was dying, (I) didn't know how to not lose you again:
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The metaphor is rather clear. Yang falls for Blake first, while our Cat Girl struggles with her feelings for Adam and her attraction to Sun. Still, Blake finally falls too and the two bees find themselves in (Happily) Ever After, where they get together:
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The falling imagery is mentioned in the confession scene, as well:
Yang: (in thought) It's like a cliff. And if I do it, I'm just going to fall. Blake: (in thought) I think we're already falling. (turns to Yang) Just, say it, Yang.
Never was given a love like this A parachute falling with no fear of hitting the ground Hitting the ground
As the song states, Blake was "never given a love like this". The comparison is clearly with Adam's passion, which was violent and abusive. Blake feels the bond between her and Yang is different. This is why she is not scared of falling, as if she is wearing a parachude. She knows Yang is there to catch her.
YANG'S PART - CATCHING
Hands down Heart wide I've only ever known the fight But I'll catch you This time I'll never let you out of my sight Unguarded I Surrender to a softer side I loved you, I'll love you Till the end of time Kiss me Hold tight I'll never let you out of my sight
Yang symbolically catches Blake in the song, so that the falling metaphor is completed. The meaning is clear.
Falling is a risk, but risks are necessary to truly live:
Yang: You were being optimistic. Look, blind optimism isn’t great, but no optimism means we already lost. We need hope. We need to take risks.
So, Yang herself takes a risk and makes a leap of faith:
Yang: I think I love you.
And she is promptly caught by Blake:
Blake: I love you, too.
By this point the two hold thight and kiss each other:
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Yang taking this step is important because she is scared of vulnerability and intimacy.
She only knows the fight:
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And yet, she faces Blake with her hand(s) down and her heart wide:
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She surrenders to a softer side:
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She trusts Blake not to leave and is determined not to let her out of sight. It is great development when compared to this:
You're lost You're found You're hard to pin down I never know if you'll come through Then you appear Together we're here And that's all that matters somehow
The scene happening on a bridge over the void strengthens the implication. If Yang and Blake's feelings were not mutual, they would have crashed down. Still, they love each other, so they embrace in a beautiful garden.
TO EACH OTHER - BMBLB
Voice 1: And now I know I'm worthy of you Voice 2: (Oh can't you see, you could be with me) Voice 1: With every smile you told me, "I love you" Voice 2: (I am your dream, I love you)
Baby can't you see? You could be with me We could live inside a garden of ecstasy You could be my queen I could be your dream Our lives like a fantasy Maybe set me free? Let me be your bumblebee
Bumbleby's kiss fits the scenery described by the Bmblb song.
Blake and Yang are in a garden and their confession "chases away the darkness and gloom" by making "the clouds run from the sky":
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They are metaphorically making honey:
Like a Purdie* beat You are oh so sweet Every day is sunny, tastes like honey Feel so alive take me back to the hive
Which is why the flowers surrounding them bloom magically. Fitting for bees, right?
TOGETHER - SEEING AND STAYING
See me for everything I am You don't run away No matter the mistakes I made It's here, you'll stay
This stanza is the climax of the song and it conveys its most important message.
Why are Blake and Yang finally able to be togehter? In which way have they grown?
Yang sees Blake for everything she is:
Yang: Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!
Yang: You have cat ears! (…) I think your cat ears are cute.
The juxtaposition between these two lines sums up our Yellow Beauty's development.
Yang has always been attracted to Blake, but she is initially unable to see her as a whole. This is what the bow line alludes too. As a matter of fact Blake's bow is symbolic of the girl's shadow, as she initially uses this cloth to hide who she is (her beats part). So, Yang's first interaction with Blake shows she is drawn even to Blake's darkest parts. However, she is not mature enough to understand them completely.
It is only through her personal arc that Yang becomes able to see Blake for the person she truly is. Beautiful and ugly parts alike:
Weiss: You're right though. I don't know loneliness like you do. I have my own version. And, I'll bet Blake has her own version too.
This is why she can now openly praise Blake's animal trait.
Blake too has grown, of course. She gets irritated by Yang's bow compliment because, at the time, it hits a little close to home. Right now, she displays her ears openly and is flustered and happy by Yang's words. She doesn't hide herself anymore.
Blake is ready to stay:
Never thought that you would stay forever / Never asked you to commit your life
Blake: I have people who actually care about me, and I promised I'd never leave them again. So I'm not dying now.
Blake leaves Yang when our Golden Beauty is at her most vulnerable. This hurts Yang deeply, but Blake works through her flaw, grows and comes back. Once she does, she is ready to do what Yang never asked her to. She commits her life:
Blake: I… I am not going to break my promise, I swear.
Blake's vow to Yang is in fact a wedding vow, symbolically. It means Blake is determined to stand beside Yang no matter what. And Yang knows Blake means it:
Yang: I know you won't.
In conclusion, Blake and Yang's growth has them see the other's flaws and accept them. This is where their worth comes from.
TO BE WORTHY
You can't just be strong, you have to be smart! You can't just be deserving, you have to be worthy!
Blake and Yang are worthy of each other not because they are perfect. Rather, they know they aren't, but accept their own shortcomings. They forgive themselves and the other, so that they can grow better together. They become more balanced inside and this results in a new found harmony between each other.
Cinder's self worth instead comes from superficial validation by people only interested in using her. She doesn't face her inner demons, but rather chooses to push them down, so that she can keep wearing the mask of a powerful woman.
This is why Blake and Yang find real self-worth, while Cinder has set up an unreachable standard for herself.
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opheliaswritings · 2 years ago
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Love For Yashiro Nene ⍣ ೋ
A Yashiro Nene in-depth analysis;
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1/6
Introduction:
When it comes to all romance and scary urban legends, you can always trust Yashiro Nene to give you a passionate rant and a cry about them both. This little mermaid is the protagonist of Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun! Also definitely a regular girl! Here I’ll be going on a deep-dive on her, down to the surface level to the deep waters. From everything and anything I can think of her, it will be covered as that’s what Yashiro deserves. 
Personality:
Yashiro Nene is the one of the normal people out when it comes to the world of Toilet Bound Hanako-Kun. She comes from a relatively normal family, had a regular childhood, and overall your run in the mill high school girl. She has a love for the occult and supernatural stories, as well as idol games! Her enjoyment of urban legends is reminiscent or shown through her uniform as she was a skull brooch. She also think they are pretty cute. Yashiro also has a knack of referencing fairytale stories like Cinderella or Snow White whenever she can.
What sets her apart however, is her love for romance. Her love for the wonder that is romance is less than normal. Yashiro is very quick to fall for any man who’s even remotely like the princes from fairy tales. And quickly does she fall, as she started gardening, sewing, etc, all to appease a man who she hardly talked to. The plot of TBHK even started because she wanted to be in a relationship with Minamoto Teru, somebody who also doesn’t know her. With her extended knowledge of scary stories, it led her to the story of Hanako, who can grant any wish. And like the little mermaid, she took the chance without any hesitation.
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Yashiro’s fixation of love led her to a multitude of problems, including her becoming the priestess of Hanako, becoming a “mermaid”, etc. As well as her overall recklessness and impatience. However Yashiro is a very kind and sweet individual. After a few chapters with Hanako, she already dubbed him fun to hang out with, so he’s already her friend! She’s always willing to help others and to trust, to the point of nativity. She is a woman who believes in trust over suspicion, she once said. Along with her nativity, she can be quite sensitive, to be hurt from sly comments or overzealous at compliments. She is also very quick to forgive and forget. However, Yashiro is a good person who later learns throughout the story to be more careful. Even her fixation on love dies down, but she still gets into bad situations due to that same recklessness she still has in the beginning.
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She is not swayed by love as much in the story, but it still begs the question. Why did she do all this for the sake of love? Of having her prince of her own? To do tasks as rigorous as gardening, sewing, and kiss a frog once. Yashiro even got herself cursed, potentially for life. It’s not *true* love as spoken by Hanako, she will settle for anyone who would reciprocate her feelings. So why? All for herself. I believe that to her, romance was just as important to eat, or breathe. Yashiro didn’t want a romantic partner. She just believed it was a necessity for her to have a romantic partner as that was the only way for her to live her life. Many young girls such as Yashiro fall for the ideology that romance is the key to life, that you must have it to enjoy life to the fullest.
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Yashiro calls out this ideology in both Yako and Sumire. As Sumire *longed* for Hakubo, No.6, though it was because of her own loneliness that she longed for a companion, and the only one she could trust was him. It’s the same for Yako as well. All of them really just wanted a partner who could ease their loneliness and/or give fulfillment to their life.
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Unlike Sumire and Yako however, she managed to recognize and overcome that part of herself. As I have started before, in the coming pages Yashiro she focuses on romance less. The manga starts to turn for the worst during the coming events, especially when we learn of Yashiro’s demise. She will die in less than a year. She won’t be able to graduate, play games, hear any more scary urban legends, hang out with friends, none of that. 
As a result, Hanako tries to keep her in a picture perfect world, so that she can at least live her life in peace, but Yashiro rejects it. Instead of succumbing to fear of dying, she manages to stomp through it. She exclaims how she wants to face what was real, not a phony bliss Hanako tried putting up for her. Yashiro’s goal in life went from finding a romantic partner to just living her life to the fullest, to the ripe age of 100. To experience the good, and bad, everything. Even when she had lost Hanako and Aoi, two people she holds very dearly, she triumphs that too. She puts on a brave face and gives it her all.
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It’s utterly remarkable how she manages to withstand all this, especially when any ordinary person like her would have broken down. It’s easy to forget how out of the loop Yashiro is from this. A year prior to this, she had no idea that the stories she loved so much were that real. 
Yashiro puts on a brave face and perseveres. We can give credit where credit is due. She is trying her best and persisting, yet it doesn’t make her invincible. She has her moments in which she just can not take it. In chapter 96, does she really break down telling Hanako she would gladly die to save Aoi and the others. Yashiro greatly values her friends, so it’s no surprise that she’ll be willing to sacrifice herself for them, as she really does have a pure heart. There’s also another factor, more specifically for Hanako, how she doesn’t take death all so seriously, and wants to be supernatural if it means that she’ll be with Hanako. Over the chapters, she has started to cultivate a multitude of issues due to the situations that Hanako is putting her through. It’s upsetting and disturbing to see a once bright girl turn so bleak. Her changing of goals is a mark of her growing up, but it’s because she *has* to grow up fast in order to even keep up with the events. We have seen her breakdown multiple times, even right now she can’t catch a break with what’s happening to Kou, her best friend. Yashiro Nene at first got to be sensitive and kind, but now with all that’s occurring she will have to be strong.
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the-lady-writes-what · 6 months ago
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A very long time ago, I received a lovely DM from @marziemoo when they asked about what are some recommendations for wlw/sapphic books about or written by authors of color. I apologize that it has taken me so long.
Allow me first to give some caveats:
I am very, very, very white. I am NOT a person of color. Please take my opinion with a grain of salt.
I take FOREVER to read books so, the ones I have read is small list but I have included ones that I researched and ones that have been on my To Read List for a while.
I tend to read mostly fantasy, so this list will comprise mostly of fantasy because that is what I read. I'll try to diversify with other genres. Everything except "The Jasmine Throne" I have not yet read.
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Tasha Suri is a South Asian author whose work "The Jasmine Throne" depicts the story of an imprisoned princess and a priestess who hides from her past. It's passionate and powerful.
Warning: this book does depict or implicate harsher subjects and themes such as sexism, human sacrifice, and contains violence.
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Kalynn Bayron, a black author. "Cinderella is Dead" tells the story of Sophia, who is forced with other girls to be forced into marriage two hundred years after Cinderella and her tale died. Sophia is joined with Constance, the last descendent of Cinderella and her step-sisters, to bring down the king. I haven't read this one yet, but it sits on my giant pile of To Read stack
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This book by Leah Johnson tells the story of Liz Lighty, a midwest black girl. She's hoping to find financial aid so she can attend the college of her dreams. In order to do that, she has to become prom queen. Along comes Mack, the new girl, who is also vying for the prom queen crown. Sounds like rivals-to-lovers to me? I don't really read contemporary fiction, but the story premise is cute.
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In Chinelo Okparanta's book, Ijeoma grows up as her nation gains independence and by the time she's 11, civil war breaks out. Ijeoma is sent away to safety where she comes across another displaced child. Friendship blooms and becomes a star-crossed romance. Again, I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, but I might had this one to my reading list myself.
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With the world's survival at stake, two teenagers are selected to journey to the Fairy Queen to fix it. Kaede and Taisin are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. This is a prequel to Malinda Lo's series, Ash.
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Originally published in 1995, LarissaLai weaves a story in and out of medieval China to contemporary Vancouver. The book follows a thousand year old fox spirit, a 9th century Taoist poet and nun, and a young Asian-American named Artemis.
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Makeda Hicks just lost her job and girlfriend in one fell swoop. She doesn't want to hear stories from her grandmother about her whirlwind affairs with royals and agents. So when Beznaria Chetchevaliere crashes into her life, Makeda can't resist. Only one bed and fake marriage hijinks insues!
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Lei, in Natasha Ngan's book, Girls of Paper and Fire, lives with her father years after her mother is taken by the royal guards and disappeared. Now, they've come for Lei, whose rumored beauty has intrigued the king. Lei enters the opulent yet oppressive palace to train with eight other young women to please the king. A forbidden romance begins with Lei and she begins to question how far she would go for revenge.
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In Tehlor Kay Mejia's premiere novel, 'We Set the Dark on Fire,' writes a compelling story that mirrors real world issues of immigration and equality. Daniela Vargas is the top student at Medio School for Girls. As a top student, upon graduation her paths are limited, run a husband's household or raise his children. Will Daniela chose the life of privilege her parents fought for or will she join the resistance to bring true freedom to Medio, and perhaps forbidden love?
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Seventeen year old Lil and her twin sister, Kizzy are captured and taken away from their traveler community. Forced to work in the kitchens, Lil is drawn to another slave, Mira. Lil and the others discover and fight for a fate of their own making. (Through some research, I discovered that the author, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, is of Indian descent through her mother and lives in Oxford.)
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Yetu remembers everything. She remembers the people who came before her, the pregnant African women thrown overboard by their enslavers. In order to escape this burden and the memories, Yetu travels to the surface to discover her past and a future for her people.
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Manuela Azul lives a confined life in a small Florida apartment hiding from both her father's crime family in Argentina and ICE. On the run, she discovers a world within our own and one which Manuela discovers something about herself that could rock her world.
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This Hugo award-winning novel by S.L. Huang, is a retelling of the Western fairy tale classic, Little Red Riding Hood. Only this time, Red Riding Hood is done with wolves and forests. Combing fairy tale nostalgia and Chinese folklore, the main characters, Rosa, Red Riding Hood, and Hou Yi the Archer join forces and set forth on a quest to stop the deadly sunbirds from destroying everything they hold dear.
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dani-luminae · 7 months ago
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Ripping off EAH is a bad idea. The makers WILL sue!!
Bold of you to assume that Mattel cares about the franchise they gave up on. It's not even a candidate for rebooting like Monster High.
Also can we stop acting like EAH was some treasured passion project of a struggling indie developer or something? It's owned by Mattel! The company that just put out the Barbie movie! The company literally could not be doing better.
Besides. “Daughter of the Queen of Hearts” and “daughter of Cinderella” aren’t copyrighted by Mattel (in fact, Darling Charming isn’t the daughter of Cinderella! The EAH Charming family specifically has no relation to Cinderella.) There’s enough established in Descendants to argue that all similarities are just coincidence. Sporty girls with swords? Done before (see: Lonnie in the second movie.) Besides, Lizzie and Darling never actually had an adventure together I think...
There's also that Ever After High isn’t the only “school for children of fairy tales” there is. There's The School for Good and Evil (a six-book series likely more well-known for an astoundingly subpar Netflix adaptation) and Regal Academy, among others. EAH vs. Descendants aside, no company *owns* the idea of “school for fairy-tale/public-domain characters kids.”
Which, yes, literally all the parents of EAH are public domain. Disney had the opportunity for using Disney trademark names like Maleficent, Lady Tremaine, etc. but their character bases are still public domain (Sleeping Beauty’s 13th fairy and Cinderella’s stepmother, respectively.) Descendants also gets to involve some Disney-specific tales like 101 Dalmatians. But EAH also got to pull in some tales that Disney never covered, like Jack and the Beanstalk (...whatever happened to that Gigantic movie?), Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Thumbelina.
Also if you expect me to believe that some EAH designs weren’t Disney ripoffs to begin with, no. Because look at this:
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This is original concept art for Rosabella Beauty, daughter of Beauty and the Beast! But wanna see what she looks like in the actual cartoon?
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Oh would you look at that!!! I wonder why they gave her brown hair suddenly but so clearly wanted to keep the yellow scheme! Couldn't possibly be because they wanted people to think of Disney's Belle, right?????
And also:
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Purple? Check. High collar? Check. Menacing accessories? Check. Significant widow's peak with spiky crown? Double check. Also Raven's actual mother in the series looks like this:
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And not actually, you know, like Raven.
EAH was also relying on a healthy handful of Disney ripoff designs to get their characters noticed. It shows. Not to mention the entirety of Epic Winter clearly banking on the Frozen craze because it didn't even get "The Snow Queen" story right.
(And sure, Descendants featured some designs that were a little bit too close to EAH, see: Mal's purple Cotillion gown vs. Raven's Thronecoming gown, evil!Audrey's entire color scheme compared to Spring Unsprung Briar, etc.)
Doesn't mean that mocking it is a classy move on Disney's part, but unless they're stupid enough to straight-up use a patented name from EAH, I highly doubt Mattel can or will do anything about it.
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princesssarisa · 7 months ago
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Good Morning⚜️
I just found your account and I’m not sure if you’ve gotten this ask before but could you post your top 5 favourite operas?
Thank you♥️
It's not easy to name a top 5. I love so many operas, and which ones I most want to listen to depends on my mood. But I'll narrow it down to these:
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
It was my first opera (as it is for so many of us) and it's still the opera I probably revisit the most often. I've written a novel based on it. Yes, the sexism and racism in the libretto are problems; I always hope the productions I see will deal with those issues instead of just playing them straight. But the fairy tale is engaging, with its struggle between darkness and light, and with its portrait of young people searching for love and for their place in the world. It's open to so many rich philosophical interpretations, yet it's entertaining for kids and casual audiences too. And of course there's Mozart's music.
Don Giovanni
If I had to name my favorite opera that doesn't hold childhood nostalgia for me, it would almost certainly be this one. For starters, you can't go wrong with Mozart's music. But just as importantly, the characters and the various ways they interact with each other are so engaging and full of potential depth and humanity. They can all be interpreted in so many ways, as can the entire opera's tone and meaning – no two productions are alike, which is why I never get tired of seeing them. The balance between comedy and seriousness is incredibly effective too, and makes the opera feel true to life, even when the action is outlandish.
Carmen
This opera's wild popularity is no wonder. It's lively and fun, yet it's also a compelling drama. As with Don Giovanni, this makes it feel true to life, and its gradual transformation from comedy to tragedy is handled in a subtle and sophisticated way. Carmen and Don José are complex, engaging characters, even when they're not likable, and the tragedy deals with relevant themes of gender, class, and race, as well as broader themes of love and freedom. It's a passionate opera, but there's also a certain detachment to it (a very French quality, I think) which is key to its success for me. The two morally gray protagonists are both allowed to be ambiguous, rather than one "good" and the other "bad," because the opera doesn't tell us how to feel.
Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)/La Cenerentola (Cinderella)
I couldn't chose between these two Rossini comedies because they're almost interchangeable to me. Zippy, funny, full of sparkling music, and the perfect choice when I want to listen to an opera that's light and happy. If I had to choose, I'd say that Barber of Seville is the stronger of the two – it has a tighter libretto, at any rate – but I love them both equally.
Madama Butterfly
This is so embarrassing to admit. I know it's problematic. As a non-Asian person, I can't begin to scratch the surface of how problematic it is, and I know there are valid reasons to wish it would be banned from the world's stages. But the music is truly luxurious. The tragedy is poignant and arguably has valid things to say about East/West relations and colonialism, even if it's not executed in the best way by modern standards. And I'll die on the hill that Cio-Cio San is a richly drawn, complex, engaging heroine, not just the pathetic little porcelain doll she's stereotyped as being.
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readerbookclub · 1 year ago
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Hello everyone! A new month is approaching so I'm back with another list. This time, it's a collection of fairytale retellings! Hope you like it :)
As always, please remember to vote using the link at the end of the post. And now, onto the books...
Bryony and Roses, by T. Kingfisher
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Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city.
But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor, or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard?
Armed only with gardening shears and her wits, Bryony must untangle the secrets of the house before she—or the Beast—are swallowed by them.
Deerskin, by Robin McKinley
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As Princess Lissla Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her beauty she is the image of her dead mother, the queen. But this likeness forces her to flee from her father's lust and madness; and in the pain and horror of that flight she forgets who she is and what it is she flees from: forgets almost everything but the love and loyalty of her dog, Ash, who accompanies her. But a chance encounter on the road leads to a job in another king's kennels, where the prince finds himself falling in love with the new kennel maid . . . and one day he tells her of a princess named Lissla Lissar, who had a dog named Ash.
A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, Edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman
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Sixteen extraordinary authors—including New York Times bestsellers Melissa de la Cruz, Renée Ahdieh, and Julie Kagawa—reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. This exquisite paperback anthology includes an original bonus story from Ellen Oh. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called A Thousand Beginnings and Endings a “must-read.”
A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.
Bestselling and award-winning authors explore the timeless themes of East and South Asian lore in sixteen original stories that will appeal to every reader. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish.
All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother, by Danielle Teller
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We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we?
As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, a woman who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story. But what unfolds is not the princess's history. The tale Agnes recounts is her own.
A peasant born into serfdom, Agnes is separated from her family and forced into servitude as a laundress’s apprentice at Aviceford Manor when she is just ten years old. Alone, friendless, and burdened with a grueling workload, Agnes carves a place for herself in this cold place that is home to Sir Emont Vis-de-Loup, a melancholic and capricious drunkard.
Using her wits and ingenuity, Agnes eventually escapes and makes her way toward a hopeful future, serving as a housemaid for the powerful Abbess Elfilda. But life once again holds unexpected, sometimes heartbreaking twists that lead Agnes back to Aviceford Manor, where she becomes nursemaid to Ella, Emont's sensitive, otherworldly daughter. Though she cares for Ella, Agnes struggles to love this child, who in time becomes her stepdaughter and, ultimately, the celebrated princess who embodies all our unattainable fantasies.
Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth
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The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love
French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens...
After Margherita's father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition.
Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does.
Vote for our next book here.
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livia25leelover · 1 year ago
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Now that I have two favorite male characters that I love them so much, hot and sweet they are. True kings. Living in two fairy tales. Is like this :
Lee Chaolan - Cinderella (Tekken6). I was struggling to reach my dream career with my art in animation. He saw my art on social media and loved it. We met in person just to settle the commission for him. He asked me for a portrait of him. After a few days working on his portrait, Lee was very thankful of my results. As a sigh of gratitute he invites me to a dinner, our first date. Lee is just spoiling me a lot by surprising me with showing his love feelings towards me. Even without asking him for something, he shows his geniune love in all ways to me. Because he is the CEO of Violet Systems, he can leave work anytime just for me to spend quality time together. He doesn't want to be workaholic and he really puts lot of effort to make everything perfect. We found eachother. He calls me the perfect woman. And he treats me like a queen. I am Mrs Chaolan 💜
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Shao Kahn - Beauty and the Beast (Mortal Kombat 11). Something stopped him to kill me knowing the fact he hates earth-realmers. After all that rude behaviour, Shao notice that I always showed him kindness towards him. Even telling him straight up the truth about his behaviour, in the end he realizes his mistakes. So he tries to understand me better. In time he is changing in to a good Emperor. Besides that, he is training me in his arena, just me and him....together alone. He is using his wrath hammer and I am using my katana. While training me...love started to strike us even more. That sparkle of love and passion appearing in such moments. Only a girl like me with a pure and innocent heart changed his cold heart. He calls me the ideal Empress of Outworld who will bring peace between all realms. I am Empress Kahn. ❤️
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Both are romantic and passional...
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doortotomorrow · 1 year ago
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top 10 otps?
Now THIS is MY kinda ask! It took me a full day to think about this ask because I wanted to answer it as thoroughly as possible, but now that my writer's block has cleared up, it's time to answer this one.
My Top Ten Ships (in no particular order)
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John Murphy and Emori kom Spacekru ( The 100 )
The ultimate rags to riches love story. These two went from having absolutely nothing, fighting tooth and nail for just the smallest scrap to get by to living in a huge castle on a moon. You can't get better than that!
Without a doubt the most passionate and intimate couple in the series. That scene where they share each other's very souls? Epic!
What makes this romance such a strong favourite for me is how it surprised us all. I don't think anyone was betting on John Murphy of all characters to end up in the show's most enduring love story.
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Lois Lane and Clark Kent ( Superman )
If you have Lois and Clark as a ship, you're never starving because their love story has been adapted to practically every form of media out there. Comics, Radio, TV shows, Movies, Books, Animation, Video Games, you name it, they got it. It's a buffet!
Their staying power as a couple is incredible. 80+ years later, and people STILL get goosebumps whenever they meet for the first time in any new Superman continuity. To have the ability to take people's breath away like that is unbelievably powerful.
The way they inspire each other to reach new heights, to beat the odds, and to take challenges head on is eternally rewarding to see. They are the definition of power couple.
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The Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler ( Doctor Who )
These two right here are at the root of my entire blog because my newfound obsession with Doctor Who was perfectly timed with me starting this blog. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them, so they'll always occupy a special place on here.
Every time I look at them, they just radiate happiness and comfort. They're each other's beacon of hope in the dire of situations. All of time and space is a much more beautiful place thanks to them!
What will always make me emotional about these two is how they saw something beautiful in each other, and bit by bit, they gave each other the courage to show it off to the rest of the world.
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D'Artagnan and Constance D'Artagnan nee Bonacieux ( The Musketeers )
Speaking of going back in time, let's go back to 17th Century France where we meet my next ship, D'Artagnan and Constance from The Musketeers, my favourite period drama romance.
What I love the most about them is how they provide each other the one thing that's been missing in their lives. D'Artagnan liberates Constance from a life of boredom, emboldening her heart that's been yearning for adventure. Constance becomes D'Artagnan's sanctuary, becoming his home after losing his own.
In this version of the story, Constance is able to defy her fate and live, so we're able to see their relationship grow, and by the end of it, they become a formidable team.
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Niles Crane and Daphne Moon ( Frasier )
If there was an award for the best sitcom romance, this one would take home the big prize, because Niles and Daphne are a showstopper.
What makes them so emotionally resonant for me is how, when they first meet, they both are a little insecure and lonely in their own way. Their combined happiness and newfound confidence when they're finally able to be together is so worth the wait!
Then, of course, there's the sublime modern fairy tale aspect to their story. It's a bit like Cinderella in a lot of ways!
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Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese ( The Terminator )
I love 80's action movies, I love sci-fi, I love time travel stories, and I love romance, so Sarah and Kyle's romance is a winning combination for me.
The Terminator, for the most part, is a movie that's fairly bleak, and that's why Sarah and Kyle's romance with each other is such a standout. It's the one string of hope that eventually leads to humanity's victory over the machines.
I'm a huge sucker for the bodyguard crush trope, too, so it makes this ship tremendously appealing. What makes it even better is that halfway through the movie, they trade places, and it's her protecting him.
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Father Andrew Kiernan and Frankie Paige ( Stigmata )
Now for something from my more obscure collection of obsessions: Stigmata. Still in the vein of talking about tropes, this ship's all about having some fun with the Hot Priest trope. Forbidden love at its finest, am I right?
What draws me into this dynamic and into this story is its subtlety. It doesn't hit you over the head with it, which makes every intimate touch and moment they have hit like a train off its rails whenever they occur throughout the movie's runtime.
Now this is just my personal take on the ending of the movie(it has an open ending), but I like to think that Andrew eventually retires being a priest because he can't fight his feelings for Frankie, and they go off to be together.
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Talon Spears and Garret Spears ( The Outpost )
This was the little ship that could because I thought for sure the series would get cancelled and left on an unresolved cliffhanger due to the utter lack of promotional material it received from The CW, but it managed to make it to four seasons and finished on a satisfactory, conclusive note.
And that endurance to make it to the end is definitely instilled in these two, because they never stopped fighting for each other, protecting their realm with everything they had.
Through compassion, bravery, and resourcefulness, they won the hearts of the people, becoming their champions. They're truly deserving of their royal titles.
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Cyclops and Rogue ( X-Men Evolution )
When you think couples from the X-Men franchise, your mind usually goes to the regular suspects: Scott x Jean, Anna Marie x Remy, but this series will have you thinking twice on that front because of this unexpected surprise.
In this series, Cyclops and Rogue work so well off of each other. They're a walking contradiction because despite having a lot of common ground with each other, their personalities couldn't be more different. That creates a perfect storm of opposites attract + birds of a feather.
One day soon, I hope to see a continuation of this version of the X-Men, because it would mean I would be able to see more of these two.
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Commander Nate Shepard and Jack ( Mass Effect )
This is a seemingly new addition onto my blog, but it really isn't, because I've been a fan of Mass Effect since 2012. Back in the day, I wasn't able to capture video footage of my custom Shepard with Jack because I'm a console player, but with the PS4 being able to record gameplay footage, now I can! It feels so much more personal this way instead of using the default Shepard, you know?
I feel like this portion of this massive list needs its own segment, because I have so much more to say about them(it involves a lot of explaining about how I've developed my Shepard's backstory and why it aligns so perfectly with Jack's), but that wouldn't be fair to the rest who're on this list.
So I'll just say this romance is a beautiful showcase of how someone can enter in your life, offer an escape when you think there's no way out, and give you the chance to rehabilitate and recover just when you least expect it.
And now this list is complete. Thanks for inspiring me to chat about why all these fantastic and amazing couples resonate with me so much and why I can't stop editing them!
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noxthesleepymoodyoverthinker · 10 months ago
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Disney Princesses Are Not Passive
Can I just ask where this whole narrative about Disney princesses teaching little girls to wait for a man to save her -- to only focus on finding a prince -- came from?
Because I honestly haven't seen any female say that that's what growing up with Disney had taught her. That Disney might have given her unrealistic expectations about the concept of "true love", yes.
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That Disney had made her only goal in life finding a prince, no.
Now, allow me to go into a rant about my own experiences with growing up with Disney princesses:
One, I actually come from a culture that idolizes marriage and thinks any unmarried and/or childless person must be the most miserable and pitiable person on earth. I was also surrounded by family members who thought along those lines.
But not once did I get that vibe from watching Disney movies with princesses.
Rather, I was and still am a person who is least interested in marriage or dating. But I adored the Disney Princess stories! And I never thought their love stories made up most of their tales or was disempowering. Instead, it was more like the coupley-romance bit of it took about the least amount of screen time possible.
Cinderella? Three-fourths of the movie is about her life, the animal friends she has, and just letting us get to know her and her life with her step-family.
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She just wanted to go to a ball, take a break and do something fun. And the Fairy Godmother helped her with that when her step-family sabotaged her.
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The Prince wasn't even a thought until she found out the next day that it was the Prince she had danced with and that he was actually looking for her because he was in love with her. Yes, she had liked him too. But she hadn't thought her feelings were returned until that moment. Which, what, took up the last quarter of the movie?
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Instead of thinking that was all the story of Cinderella was, it rather felt like the deserved good thing that should happen to her after all she had been through; that she might finally find love and happiness and escape; that her optimism, despite her life, was finally being rewarded.
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Now Snow White met her prince right at the beginning of the story, yes. But, he shows up only then and towards the very end of the movie -- like the last 5 minutes.
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(I mean, these are all the scenes he appears in.)
If anything, Snow White shared the most screen time with her animal friends and the dwarfs.
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And the only time she mentions the Prince is when the dwarfs ask her for a happy love story.
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The rest of the story is mainly her just trying to survive and making the best of whatever she can find and whatever skills she has. (Frankly, we know more about the dwarfs than the Prince, tbh.)
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Then she has a good cry when she's reached her limit.
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And moves on.
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She even convinces the dwarfs to let her stay by telling them she can "clean and sew and mend and cook". And that's the main part of the story.
So when she finally meets her Prince again and "lives happily ever after", we're mostly just really glad for her. And why shouldn't she have her fairytale romance after being relegated to a maid at her own palace most of her life and then almost being killed twice?
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Ariel in The Little Mermaid too: I thought she was amazing as a kid. I mean, she explored dangerous shipwrecks that others avoided, was incredibly brave and a risk-taker, followed her interests (humans) with a blazing passion, and out-swam sharks.
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If anything, the only thing that surprised me was her bad decision to follow Flotsam and Jetsam to Ursula, and then sign a contract with her. And that was mostly because I was in the unique position of watching the movie for the first time after I had seen the animated series about her life under the sea. I had already seen that Ariel knew exactly how conniving and dangerous the sea-witch was. So her making a deal with her was very strange for me. (Then again, she was 16 and very hurt and angry. And like I said earlier, she was an explorer and risk-taker at heart, so it works in that context. But when I had watched it at 12 or 13, and being the opposite of Ariel in spontaneity and risk-taking, I couldn't understand why she would do that.)
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Her saving Eric was not the least bit of a surprise. It was a surprise that she would take Ursula's deal to make him kiss her in 3 days or she turns into a sea-slug. But her taking the option to switch her tail for legs so that she can finally go up on land? That wasn't a surprise at all. One of the first episodes of Ariel's animated series ("Wish Upon A Starfish") showed her travelling through treacherous places to reach a wishing starfish to ask for legs instead of her fins. So her taking that opportunity to finally go up on land? Right in line with what she's always wanted.
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Going thru Ursula for it? And accepting Eric kissing her in 3 days as what will seal her contract so she can keep her legs and never return? That was weird for me. (As an adult and someone who's worked with a lot of kids and teenagers, tho, that impulsivity checks out. Especially after her father literally went on a rampage and destroyed years' worth of her careful collection.)
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(Gotta say, in this scene, Triton was horrifyingly violent. None of the episodes of the animated series prepared me for this scene. Triton really lost it here, so I can't blame Ariel for reacting just as extremely in her own way in response. Kinda like: You destroyed years' worth of painfully collected and preserved pieces of a world you knew I have always wanted to know about. Fine. If you won't let me keep mere pieces of that world here, then I'll just go live there instead.)
So the ending of that movie was the absolute best!
Her father gives her legs, allowing her to live on land. And she does not have to choose never returning to the sea again and never seeing her friends and family again to get it!
But again, Eric and her finally getting together just feels well-earned. Not like the main/only plot.
And even if it was, so what? Why does romance in a story with a female protagonist mean that romance is the only thing viewers can see?
It doesn't.
(I could go on with more princess tales, but I think this post is long enough already. Might make a part 2 one day tho.)
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Anyway, yeah: Disney princesses don't encourage girls to be passive or only focus on romance.
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lesboymetaknight · 1 year ago
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Was just randomly thinking about it, how would you rank all the Disney Princess movies? Like from favorite to least favorite, numbered list, or like letter (A, B, C) tiers?
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I hope it’s okay to talk about some of the placement reasons, we feel pretty passionate about this. Especially ones that are absolute favorites or might surprise others.
There is too much that has already been said about Beauty and the Beast. All I am going to say is that it’s one of my favorite movies, that I could watch over and over again. It’s also my favorite romance story in the franchise 👉👈
Little Mermaid also has been praised a lot too, so we will keep it brief. Ariel is my favorite Disney princess, because I love how flawed she is, and as a queer person I can relate to her relationship with her father with my own parents. This movie and Beauty and the Beast feel so queer to me, and we are glad that Howard Ashman’s influence and involvement were strong in them both.
Yes I put Cinderella 3 at Godtier I love this movie sm, and we know it didn’t need to exist, but we are glad someone made their Cinderella fanfic a reality. It breathes more characters into the prince (he’s the best Disney prince I will die on that hill), her step sister Anastasia, and even the king. Her step mom is even more of a threat in this movie too. Also this movie looks really good for just being direct to DVD. This movie also pokes fun of its classic fairytale ways, but in a more charming way like Enchanted does.
Sleeping Beauty is very high because this movie is fucking gorgeous, *eats all the bg art up* I also love how petty and bitchy Maleficent is. Also love that the movies real heroines are the three fairies, and you don’t get much movies were three older women get to be the protagonists.
In our opinion we like Frozen 2 better than one. We just like the settings and atmosphere more. We like some songs more too, like Into the Unknown and Show Yourself. I’m a simple queer person with the mental illness, so we really relate to Elsa, so we like that she has more focus in this film. Still this movie is kinda of double edged sword because some side characters like Kristoff and Olaf are actually so annoying in this movie, I never thought much of these characters before, but now I despise them. Also they took out some things that would have made this movie so much better, like a romantic song between Kristoff and Anna that honestly makes their relationship more endearing. Also the fucking castle would have been destroyed in the end, making this tale of colonialism much more symbolic. They weren’t brave enough to do that tho, or who knows higher ups probably didn’t like the idea.
Speaking of what might have been, I wish men didn’t meddle and take over a woman’s vision when it comes to Brave. It’s another movie were we feel in our opinion it could have been better than what we got.
I’m not gonna say much about Pocahontas, because it’s not really our place. We will just say as a child it never was a favorite of ours. I don’t like how the human characters look, a lot of the characters are weak too, the villian is so lame. The only positives I can say some of the music can be amazing, some of the visuals are gorgeous, and I like the animal companions. However both films especially the 2nd make me like 😬
Oh I almost forget Aladdin is not here, because I feel like I need to rewatch it again to see where we would place it. To be fair it doesn’t feel like a Disney Princess movie anyways, since Aladdin gets more focus than Jasmine. There are also some Disney sequels we have not seen that are not here.
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