#like people ship characters just so they can see their relationship as somehow “deeper” or more interesting

[stiffyck]

Can I talk about how ppl are seemingly unable to understand a deep relationship unless it's romantic or familial because it's been driving me insane recently. A relationship doesn't need to be romantic to be interesting and deep and meaningful.

[longing-for-rain]

I find it very strange how people act like shipping a male and female character together romantically somehow destroys their friendship, but act the exact opposite for two male characters.

Why is it that we see a female character’s relationship to a male character as more shallow if romantic feelings develop?

Why is it that we simultaneously view a relationship between two male characters as deeper when romance is added?

I just see a lack of respect for female characters and women in general. You view her as an accessory to her love interest, stripped of her own personality and ambitions as soon as she’s shipped with a man. I know canon romance often treats female characters this way, but so do fans. It isn’t progressive of you to cry about how fanon ships “ruin” female characters’ friendships when that isn’t the case at all in most fan content.

It’s your own bias talking. If you’re capable of understanding that romance can deepen and strengthen a friendship in the context of two men, you should be able to see that when a woman is in the picture too. Think on that for a second.

[butmakeitgayblog]

Can I just say I love how like, into revisiting and analysing this dumb show’s scenes you still are — with the rise in popularity of streaming (I’m sure this has something to do with it, anyway) it’s become more and more commonplace for people to consume a piece of media, enjoy it, get bored of it after a while and never touch it again after moving on to the next new thing. It’s so wholesome and refreshing to see people still be so passionate and always find something new to talk about a show that, for all many of us care, ended 8 years ago. I do move in and out of being obsessed and disinterested with the media I’ve enjoyed, but in a world where I’m constantly seeing people say “oh you’re a fan of [X]? But that’s old :/“ (mostly about something that finished like last year lol) your blog is a breath of fresh air :)

Well thank you 🥹

The thing is, I get it. I get why and how people move on to different fandoms so quickly, and I don't really think poorly of that or anything. It's been almost a decade and it's easy to fall out of love with something after so long. Hell, when you think about it, this fandom has outlived the lifespan of a lot of entire relationships people have had 🥴. People find new things to get excited over and the *gasp* feeling of finding this new /thing/ is always fun. So I do get it.

But for me, it's just not that way. It's not that simple. Not because I think I'm somehow special (maybe a lil deranged 😬), but rather that's just how I operate. Before Clexa the only other ship I ever really cared about was Willara from Buffy which I watched when I was a goddamn teenager lol (RIP to my fellow gays always falling for girls who get shot ✊😔). I just don't get attached much to characters and ships. Usually ai like them in passing, enjoy watching them, and then that's... it. Tibette from the L Word. Wayhaught. Brittana. I like them and I follow them, but there's no real desire to delve deeper beneath the surface.

And then something like Clexa comes around and just absolutely fucks me up. It hits me and connects with me in a way that I just can't shake. Watching the show isn't enough. Thinking about it isn't enough. I have to discuss it and dissect it and fill in the gaps that we didn't see, and read and (now) create more stories for them just to understand everything about them to a deeper degree.

So few characters really elicit that kind of connection, but Clexa do. Even for a lot of the people who have moved on, at one time they felt that connection. Clexa was a fuckin madhouse for years and I think the fact that even still to this day people keep discovering and rediscovering them and falling in love with them all over again speaks volumes about just how wonderful that relationship and those characters actually were.

Especially Lexa.

Now, I love Clarke. I make it known that thiiiisss is a Clarke Griffin apologist's blog. That feral little kitten has never done anything wrong in her life. Ever. Including all of the terrible things she's done, as well as the many, many things that were flat out wrong. She is still innocent. She is only a baby. A murderous, tormented, compassionate, complex babygirl. So never get it twisted that I'm saying Clarke is somehow lesser than, but when push comes to shove when we're talking about baseline complexity, there is no character like Lexa. There's just not.

This woman was definition of doomed by the narrative. A child stolen away to be used as a glorified sacrificial lamb for her people. A toddler wielding a sword made of wood taller than her own tiny body, trained to accept her own life as expendable for the greatest good of her people before even learning her ABCs. She took the throne at 12 bby slaughtering her only companions and made her death mask out of kohl and fallen tears. Every person she ever loved as a mother, father, brother, either died for her, or by her own hand. The only two people she ever dared to be weak for were torn from her in the name of politics and the weight of her own bloodied crown. Under all the regalia she was just Lexa. Heda, always surrounded by her people and yet eternally just a lonely soul. Born here on Earth, raised to eventually die for others, left to rule over the people on the ground as best she knew how.

And yet through the pain, she was strong. So fucking strong it emboldened the warriors around her. She was brave, and lethal, and unyielding in her pursuit of peace. Meeting every push against her forward march to change head on, never flinching in her own brutality along the way. She knew that she was born for this; believed the black of her blood to be every bit as much of a blessing as it was a curse. Even when people doubted her and did their best to end her reign, Lexa always came out swinging.

She loved hard and kicked ass even harder, is what I'm saying. And the fact that they took a character like that and ended her so fucking carelessly? I just... I'm gonna be pissed off about that for a very long time. And until I'm no longer pissed off about that, I'll be here running mouth about it 🥴 probably still trying to make it better by writing her and the love of her life in as many stories as I can, so they can finally get the happy ending that was robbed of them in canon 🫡

[maul-of-shame]

Yeah so, I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed when I see haladriel fans ally themselves with dudebros/gatekeepers when it comes to Elrondriel, and I'm saying this as someone who was crazy obsessed with haladriel back in season 1.

It's always about Sauron falling hard for Galadriel and not respecting Elven marriage, but they never consider Galadriel's thoughts in this. Of course, Elrond would never aggressively pursue Galadriel (and he'd never stab her), but why is Sauron's interest in her more acceptable when you always deny Galadriel's consent in all of this?

The show has NOT 100% established the concept of marriage between Elves, so it's all fair game honestly, for now it is.

They want the Dark Lord to hurt Galadriel, to ravage her, to be completely obsessed with her light, they want him to be 'in love' with her? Hey, that's okay, ship away, no worries.

But why, the bloody hell, is it so wrong to entertain the thought that maybe, just MAYBE, Galadriel and Elrond's friendship could very slowly turn into something more? Celebrían is not alive, Celeborn is very much considered dead, and the showrunners EXCLUDED HIM FOR TWO SEASONS.

Galadriel and Elrond have NO IDEA that there are books about their future!

Absolutely, and you’ve nailed so many core issues here. It’s honestly baffling to see some Haladriel shippers—especially those who seem to favor more, shall we say, “intense” or even abusive interpretations of their relationship—be so quick to dismiss Elrondriel as “unrealistic” or “absurd.”

Let’s be real here: the version of Haladriel that often gets depicted is rooted in an extreme power imbalance. Sauron, even as Halbrand, repeatedly manipulated, deceived, and betrayed Galadriel in deeply harmful ways, gaslighting her and exploiting her every weakness for his own ends. And yet, somehow, that’s considered “realistic” romance material while Elrond and Galadriel’s long-standing, respectful, and mutually supportive friendship is written off? It’s like we’re in a hall of mirrors here.

And you’re absolutely right about the portrayal of Galadriel in some of these narratives—where is her agency in this? If anything, the Haladriel dynamic tends to erase her thoughts, her autonomy, and her choices, reducing her to a passive player in Sauron’s “obsession.” She becomes this object of desire that he wants to conquer or possess, often in ways that strip her of dignity or choice. And yet, this is somehow lauded as deep and tragic? Galadriel’s willpower, her agency, her determination, and, yes, her capacity for forgiveness—they’re all key aspects of her character, but she’s not here to serve as a project for redemption or to absorb the darkness of others, Sauron included.

Her forgiveness, her trust, and her resilience are not infinite nor expendable resources to be used up by someone like Sauron, who betrayed her deeply and repeatedly.

On the flip side, the idea of Galadriel and Elrond developing something deeper feels like a natural evolution of a relationship that’s already grounded in respect, understanding, and shared history. They’ve faced countless battles together, watched each other’s struggles, and understood each other’s pain. There’s no manipulation, no coercion, no toxic dynamic undermining their connection.

Elrond, of all people, would never use Galadriel’s vulnerabilities or her trauma against her. In fact, he’s one of the only people she can be completely open with, knowing that he will always respond with compassion and understanding. Their dynamic is built on reciprocity, where both give and both receive equally. Isn’t that the foundation of a lasting bond?

And frankly, this whole argument about canon marriages—let’s address that. In the show’s current reality, Celeborn is gone, presumed dead, and Celebrían does not exist. In this context, the show itself is asking us to look at Elrond and Galadriel in isolation from the constraints of any preconceived familial obligations. They’re free to find their own path, and to argue that they somehow “shouldn’t” connect just because of some theoretical future relationship that neither of them knows about… well, that’s just projecting an in-universe fourth wall that only we are aware of. For all Galadriel and Elrond know, they’re free to act on what they feel in the moment, in this timeline, with their own choices.

In this world, the paths they choose aren’t preordained by canon; they’re being written anew, and they’re unfolding without the constraints of future in-laws or off-limits partnerships. So why is it so hard to accept that these two characters might explore a different connection?

And here’s where the hypocrisy comes in.

Some fans love to wield canon as a “gotcha” whenever Elrondriel is mentioned, as though they have the final say with a quick “but in the books!” Yet, the same “canon champions” often conveniently disregard the very lore they claim to defend when it suits their ship.

Case in point: Haladriel.

Canonically, Galadriel and Sauron are deeply antagonistic, and Sauron’s entire narrative is built around betrayal, deceit, and the ruination of Middle-earth. And yet, plenty of Haladriel shippers happily ignore these details, building a narrative where Sauron “falls for” Galadriel, becomes obsessed with her, or even wins her over—things that, in canon, would be outright impossible without dismantling both of their characters.

But for some reason, when it comes to Elrond and Galadriel, suddenly the canon constraints are iron-clad, and these same voices are quick to cry out that their relationship can only ever be familial.

Somehow, canon matters only when it’s about shutting down Elrondriel, while any liberties taken with other ships are just “creative freedom” or “interpretation.”

It’s hard not to notice how one-sided this critique is.

Why should only Elrondriel be policed with a rigid adherence to canon, especially in a show that has already diverged from the source material on multiple fronts?

If people are allowed to explore romantic narratives between Galadriel and Sauron—who, in any canon, have a dark and tragic, not to mention adversarial, history—then it’s more than fair to let others explore the very plausible bond between Galadriel and Elrond. In fact, this relationship actually has a foundation of mutual trust and care, something that could believably evolve into something deeper, especially given their shared struggles and intimate understanding of each other’s pain.

The truth is, Elrond and Galadriel don’t need a canon mandate to justify their bond; their connection in the show speaks for itself. They’ve supported each other through the loss, sacrifice, and turmoil of their lives, and their moments together are filled with warmth, respect, and emotional depth. Instead of being tied down by some external “expectation” or duty, they’re free to define their relationship on their own terms—something rare and precious in their world.

So, if the show gives us a meaningful, organic relationship between Elrond and Galadriel, it’s not only perfectly plausible—it’s beautiful. In the absence of their canonical partners, these two are allowed to seek comfort, understanding, and even love from each other, unburdened by any future that neither they nor we need to impose on them. And, frankly, those who so quickly jump to use canon as a weapon to dismiss this connection might want to take a closer look at why they’re so insistent on limiting it.

If people want to explore Sauron falling for Galadriel, go ahead and dive into that dynamic! I’m all for exploring any and every angle in fiction—just don’t act like it’s somehow “more valid” than Elrondriel or dismiss it as a lesser connection.

At the end of the day, it's all about narrative choices and creative freedom, and no one should be policing how others ship. But here’s the thing: when you hold up Sauron’s infatuation with Galadriel as something deep and meaningful, while at the same time dismissing Elrondriel as “implausible” or “unrealistic,” you’re supporting a double standard.

Sauron, who’s literally the embodiment of darkness and corruption, isn’t just casually swept into some healthy relationship with Galadriel. No matter how it’s framed, it’s built on a foundation of power dynamics, manipulation, abuse, and entirely warped motivations. We’re not talking about a romantic hero here; we’re talking about a monster.

Yet, somehow, this relationship is excused, even romanticized by some fans, as “compelling” or “tragically beautiful.”

Now, compare that to Elrondriel. The relationship between Elrond and Galadriel has been established within the show itself as something genuine, built on shared experiences, mutual respect, and a deep, almost unspoken understanding of each other. These two have been through hell and back. They’re scarred by loss, shaped by wars that neither of them ever wanted but still faced with dignity and resilience. Their relationship isn’t born out of “oh, they’re supposed to be together because they’re just characters with no other connections.” No, their connection is earned. It’s a natural progression that, in the context of this show, makes total sense. They’ve been each other's anchors through the darkest of times, and that’s not some fanfiction twist—it’s real emotional bonding. It’s patient, it’s steady, and it’s something that, in this context, could absolutely evolve into something more.

But that’s where the double standard kicks in. When we’re talking about Sauron and Galadriel, suddenly people are okay with this toxic, one-sided obsession where Sauron is a monstrous being trying to warp Galadriel’s light for his own gain. It’s as if some people are just waiting for Galadriel to be the one who “fixes” him, or somehow becomes the vessel for his redemption, the “gentle woman” who can heal the ultimate evil.

That is not the story Galadriel deserves.

She is not here to be anyone’s therapist, especially not Sauron’s.

That kind of dynamic is incredibly troubling, and frankly, it’s almost like saying, “well, let’s just ignore all the horrific things he’s done and make it about Galadriel being kind enough to heal him.” That's putting the entire weight of the narrative on Galadriel’s shoulders, completely glossing over the fact that Sauron’s motivations have always been driven by a hunger for power, corruption, and domination.

That’s not love. That’s an unhealthy obsession, one-sided and manipulative, and shouldn’t be romanticized.

On the flip side, Elrond and Galadriel’s relationship doesn’t revolve around either of them needing to “fix” the other. It’s about mutual healing, support, and understanding. No one is trying to change anyone here. Their connection comes from shared strength, pain, and a desire to do better for the world around them. It's not about finding a way to redeem each other or fix the broken pieces of the other person; it's about two people who, having been through hell, can look at each other and recognize something in one another—a quiet, unspoken bond forged through hardship, not through some savior complex.

I’m honestly so disappointed in the Haladriel shippers who’ve chosen to align themselves with the lore dudebros, just to “feel included,” after everything we’ve been through as a community.

It’s like they’ve completely forgotten what it felt like to be on the other side of all those discussions back in season 1, when we were all fighting for our ships, for more depth, for more nuanced portrayals of characters like Galadriel and Elrond. We were the ones standing up against the gatekeepers, pushing for representation, and fighting for the right to enjoy the story our way, without being told we didn’t “understand” or “respect canon.”

We were the ones who, despite all the hate and condescension, continued to argue for the inclusion of more complex relationships, of exploring things beyond the established norm. And now, to see these same people—who were in our shoes—suddenly cozying up to the very group of gatekeepers they once condemned, all to feel like they’re “part of the crowd” or “accepted” in the fandom, it’s beyond frustrating.

It feels like they’ve forgotten the fight, forgotten the passion we all had in season 1, whatever the ships, when it wasn’t about fitting in, but about standing up for what we loved.

We stood against the exclusionary mindset, against the judgmental and restrictive ideas that defined what “true” Tolkien fans were supposed to look like. And now, it feels like some are abandoning the very principles we fought for, just to avoid conflict or feel “validated” by the same people who’ve made us feel like outsiders.

I’m deeply let down by this, angry, saddened and honestly, it’s heartbreaking to see the shift in what was once a community built on inclusivity and acceptance of diverse interpretations, now so willing to compromise for the sake of comfort and belonging.

[brilliant-red-eternity]

Wouldn’t it be better to ship Akane with a guy who isn’t absolutely morally bankrupt or something?Not that she needs to be in a relationship to be happy or something.But isn’t Kougami just a serial killer with just extra steps😭I never got his appeal or how he became the definitive charecter for psycho pass when plenty of better charecters out there.The way people romanticise him(or his trigger happy tendencies lol) just because he’s hot doesn’t sit right with me.Absolutely no charecter growth whatsoever,literally causing problems for everyone by his selfish decisions.At this point I think Kougami getting killed to save someone would be considered his charecter growth.I don’t even see the case for Akane even being attracted to him in the first place.I am sorry.She’s extremely kind to everyone.That’s why she treats him like a human.

To be honest, I had a hard time coming up with an answer. You make it quite clear that you don’t think much of Kogami and how should I argue against it? It’s a matter of personal preference whether or not you have sympathy for a fictional character and want to understand his or her motivations. It’s true that Kogami is not the glorious hero of the story, but wasn’t that precisely the author’s intention? To contrast him with Akane and have him take a more pragmatic stance, leaving moral reasons aside?

I won’t see Providence until the end of August so I can’t really grasp where the negativity is coming from. My advice would be to not dismiss his character out of hand but try to dig a little deeper. Kogami is not some one-dimensional caricature. In the Psycho FES stage play, Akane says that Kogami is a person who “lives between violence and philosophy”. There is a whole spectrum of characteristics that he has, including very contradictory ones. Kogami is idealistic, but also arrogant. He’s courageous in battle, but cowardly when it comes to interpersonal relationships. He has a sense of morality, but doesn’t strictly adhere to it. He is intelligent, but makes stupid and harmful decisions. He’s selfish, but also selfless enough to sacrifice his life for a higher purpose. He fights his opponents with brute force like a beast, but his desire to protect the weak shows that he’s also a kind and compassionate human being.

Kogami is a walking contradiction. Most people are and that is probably what makes him so popular among fans. People can identify very well with a character who has flaws, screws up or fails as long as he tries to move forward somehow. The road to self-knowledge is rarely a straight line, so I can understand that his character growth (or lack thereof) may be frustrating for some. Providence seems to be another important transit station for Kogami and he appears to have learned his lesson. We don’t get to see his rampant violent behaviour in PP3. He also managed to survive three more years until he came to pick up Akane which wouldn’t have been possible if he had continued his self-destructive lifestyle with the SAD.

The term serial killer doesn’t fit him. Kogami isn’t a psychopath who wants to gain control over another human being, nor is he thirsty for fame. People seem to forget that he doesn’t kill law-abiding citizens but criminals and scum and it wouldn’t be a problem in any other action movie/comic book where the climax is always a final battle between protagonist and antagonist. I don’t want to justify violence and murder because it’s morally wrong, but other characters seem to understand Kogami well enough: Masaoka and Saiga assisted him with Makishima, knowing full well what the outcome would be. Ginoza helped him fight Rutaganda and said “I owe you” (because he killed Makishima and revenged his father’s death) before handing Kogami back Masaoka’s revolver and letting him escape. Garcia’s “mug shot” was already on Frederika’s laptop before anyone even knew this man was pulling the strings behind the attacks in Tibet. She probably supported Kogami so generously with expensive high-tech during his suicide mission because Garcia was on MoFA’s hit list all along. However, it is always Kogami who gets his hands dirty. If anything, it makes him an incorrigible idiot.

Kogami seems unable to look away when injustice happens. In this respect, he is no different from Akane who challenges Sibyl every time she sees a problem. They’re both stubborn, but Kogami’s desire for vigilante justice makes him a complicated character. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind is exactly why Akane rejects violence and defends the rule of law. However, the law didn’t protect people from Makishima under Sibyl and it doesn’t exist outside Japan. The law of the jungle creates only fear and instability, and innocent people get hurt. Kogami has accepted to be a tool in the lawless world and he may even consider it his fate. Is that selfish? It rather looks like he doesn’t attach much importance to his own happiness and treats his life as disposable. His selfishness brings him no advantages, quite the contrary. Kogami sacrifices his own salvation and it sends his life into a downward spiral as he becomes more and more detached from the people he loves.

I think Kogami is a baka but he isn’t morally bankrupt. While he claims to have no regrets, his actions and thoughts paint a very different picture. He tried to live without violence and killing in Tibet and he didn’t want Tenzing to end up like him. He openly admits to Akane that his way of doing things is wrong and he was haunted by Makishima’s ghost right after the murder which proves that he has a conscience. I think the only slip he ever had was when he told Akane to kill Makishima in Nona Tower. The scene emphasizes his selfish nature and just like Hamlet, he seemed willing to not only accept his own downfall in the pursuit of revenge, but that of others too. He also didn’t think about Saiga’s future when he showed up at his house after escaping the PSB.

Kogami has refrained from dragging others into his business since then and has kept to himself like a lone wolf. But no man is an island and his egoism remains a problem. I guess he won’t realize that his actions have an impact on others until he receives Akane’s letter as a wake-up call in Providence. It remains to be seen whether he’s willing to change his habits in the future or not, but I’m hopeful.

Regret and remorse are usually two different things. Kogami says that he has no regrets about the past when he talks to Akane on the phone and I think he’s sincere. He doesn’t wish to undo his decisions. In his view, the “dirty work” needed to be done and Kogami believes that he alone bears the consequences and the sorrow, no one else. That changes when he finally sees how much his actions affect and hurt others. Akane’s letter makes him helpless and angry. I think it’s clear that Kogami starts to feel remorse and to develop a sense of responsibility. Remember how Garcia said that Kogami would be living the life of a guy who never took responsibility for anyone else? At some point between PPP and FI, Kogami undoubtedly realized that he needs to apologize to Akane and that he needs to mend his ways. I would consider this character growth.

I understand that some people take a dislike to Shinkane and wish to find Akane a “better” man. I adore this ship but I’m not indulging in fantasies about Kogami and neither does Akane. She has learned to see him for who he is, especially since Shambala. Is it a surprise that she likes him anyway? That she still has faith in him? Kogami is not evil. He’s a man with good intentions who lost his way and nobody but himself can save him. Letting him die while protecting someone would be the easiest way out of his character dilemma so I hope they won’t do it. It would look like a death sentence with a quick karma reset. I don’t even want to imagine how Akane would feel about his death, especially if he died protecting her. There are other ways to atone for one’s sins: to help others, take responsibility and do good in the long run.

Kogami is indeed a brooding hot type of guy, but that’s not why he’s in the story. His purpose is to interact with the protagonist. Kogami started as Akane’s mentor and he inspired her to grow by challenging her. She soon surpassed him and confronted him with her own views about humanity, the law and the idea of how society should look like. They began to form two opposites of the same coin and it became the premise of season one and beyond. No one cares that Frederika kills vagabonds or that Gino shoots Peacebreakers. It doesn’t matter because it’s all about the contrast between these two. Akane’s approach is non-violent, that’s why Kogami’s violent approach looks particularly extreme. They’re like complementary colours where one colour emphasizes the properties of the other. She’s a disciplined person, he’s a wild animal. She looks like a saint, he is the epitome of a sinner. She operates within the system, he is on the outside. They’re incompatible. They’re also intertwined like yin and yang. Is it so outlandish that fans want to see the two of them together? Maybe. But it also feels natural, like holding two magnets with opposite poles together. I can’t help but feel the pull.

Akane doesn’t need a romance to be happy, I agree. She has friends and she completely dedicates her life to creating a better society for everyone. However, her options to influence the system seem exhausted at the end of Providence. Sibyl wants to get rid of her by promoting her to a less influential position in the Ministry. Sibyl also wants to abolish the law. Akane probably felt she had nothing left to lose and therefore killed chief Kasei as the final act of her career. I don’t see her having a happy marriage or kids and all that stuff but Akane shouldn’t remain alone like a martyr. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to experience love, especially in world dominated by algorithms and AI.

We all want Akane to be happy and I can understand your annoyance with Kogami. They’re not a perfect match, especially since they repeatedly find themselves in situations that are extremely stressful and existential. But every relationship is a learning process and a daily struggle. It’s a gain in knowledge about myself and the other, and it’s doomed if there is no forgiveness. Akane and Kogami have known each other for eight years but they have only spent a few months in each other’s company. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see what they could achieve together, now that Kogami is back in Japan and Akane is released from confinement? Akane doesn’t place much value on material things, and I doubt she cares about etiquette or social conventions like marriage anymore. She’s an outlaw just like Kogami. Their existence has become an act of rebellion against the system and since they both have been spiritually connected from day one, it would be great to explore their bond further and not just stop.

You said that Akane treats Kogami like a human being only because she’s kind. Is that so? When they first met, Kogami represented the exact opposite of the artificial world of Sibyl in which Akane grew up. I guess she was attracted to Kogami (and developed a crush on him) because he was a human being, someone from the mundane world, a world she thought had perished long ago: paper books, no holograms in his home or closet, file folders and photographs, physical strength and critical thinking. All of the enforcers had a different lifestyle, but it was Kogami who fascinated her the most. He had something archaic about him, something mystical and exotic. He was also quite masculine and Akane liked his physical appearance very much, although this was a bit more obvious in the novels where she described his face as handsome. Was Kogami her first love? Did she like the idea of saving him? I don’t know. Fact is that Akane wanted him to remain human, that’s why she didn’t like the term “hunting dog”. She didn’t want him to become a murderer because she genuinely cared about him. And even after that, she wished that someday they would meet again like two human beings.

Kogami’s obsession with Makishima made it impossible for him to understand Akane. Only on his journey did he gradually come to his senses at the sight of all the shitholes created by lawlessness and anarchy worldwide. After that, he tried to hold on to Akane’s words. He tried to live without violence and killing in Tibet. He saved a bus with refugees. He ensured that Tenzing did not throw her life away. He managed to shake off Makishima’s ghost and found the courage to return home. He allowed Akane to arrest him for the killing of Tonami and apologized after picking her up from the isolation facility. Is it just me or didn’t it look like Kogami was bowing to Akane, because his head and gaze were tilted slightly downward?

Kogami has serious flaws and a preference for violence, but he isn’t bad through and through. I bet we will see his character grow from here. Look at Akane’s happy face at the end of First Inspector ! If that doesn’t give you hope, I don’t know what will.

[the-blossica-fan]

Tooth Fairy🤝Kanjira

Hitting people with their vehicles /j

What's your thoughts on r1999 currently, may I ask? c:

NEVER PUT THEM TOGETHER IN A CAR

Thank you for asking, time to ramble (It's so sad I have no mischievous emoji)

To be fair, I joined Reverse 1999 around 1.4, so I'm not from the start of the game. And it's also my very first Gacha game ever so, I hold it dearly.

Reverse 1999 has such a story that, despite being complicated, it drives you in and never stops getting better and better. The element of drama always leaves you wanting more (THAT CLIFFHANGER IN CHAPTER 5 WAS SO UNFAIR) and the characters are so well fleshed out that even the NPCs are lovable. You can see why some characters do what they do, why they do it and also see them maturing as the story goes on.

Vertin is also why this game is my favorite, she's a strong main character who is strong on her own, but is stronger with company. She's exactly what I imagine a strong MC to be, I've seen enough stories and some MCs are not as memorable as others, but the story wouldn't be the same without Vertin. And she's funny! Her dumb silly jokes are such a contrast to her calm and collected demeanor, you can see how she's so silly while being serious.

And the events work to expand the world, to explain more corners of this place you're seeing from other people's perspective, that could be 1.1, the life before the story, 1.8 and how the storm is a real menace and not something you can dismiss. It explores so many characters in such a way that, you might not like them, but they're made in such a way that you have to admit they're unique.

And talking about the storm, it's such a complicated thing that even you, the player, can't seem to figure it out. Every time you know more about the storm, more questions pop up. You're just like the characters, unable to know how to stop the storm. It's something that makes you enjoy the experience because you're not omnipresent or stronger, you're just someone seeing the story through Vertin's eyes, and Vertin is just a little guy, not some goddess or the key to everything (though she might be very helpful to stop the storm)

And they really know how to make a good relationship with the characters. The characters that are obviously shipped together have majestic chemistry (Vila and Windsong are my favorite example, they're not doomed but in the beginning you can tell they're going to get together at some point). And somehow, they manage to make them so unique it's like "Yo what the hell???", You get a Centaur and a 80's horror movie girl, a siren and some pathetic badass girl, this huge nerd and her childhood friend, and so on! They're so fun to describe together.

I think Reverse 1999 is a depressive game superficially but once you drive deeper, it has so many things to say and touches so many subjects in a way that is so easy to digest but also to understand. They put so much love and effort into the game and you can feel it, their characters and the story, the extra content and so much more.

I'm always on the lookout for a good game and I've found it! It's not a perfect game, that's for sure, but it's so easy to love and, at least to me, it will never get boring.

I might have said too much nothing 😓, I get excited when someone asks me about this game that I end up missing the point of the question jeje. Thank you for asking!

[cursedvibes]

Holy shit, chapter 30 was so good. The depiction of the parade manages to balance so many aspects. It's chilling, creepy, macabre and grotesque and so heart-wrenching. It appears like a typical festive ceremony, but the transflored humans make it seem truly otherworldly and among all those bombastic spectacles you have the people (mostly children) brought like lambs for the slaughter. They know exactly what awaits them and they can see all around them what they eventually will turn into.

The worldbuilding in Fool Night is just so good. You start to see how it all connects. The ones chosen for the parade are technically making a great sacrifice, turning into flora so the rest of humanity can have more oxygen to breath. But as usual, even this already horrible act gets further corrupted by greed. Instead of producing oxygen, they more often then not get turned into furniture because some people only care about the money they can make off of this.

I love how this also further explores Toshiro and Ivy's relationship. I hope the two meet again in the future. Toshiro sold his body and began the transfloration process because he needed money, which is already horrible enough, but now he gets further confronted with how corrupt this system really is and how much worse even the transfloration process can get as seen by Ivy and their sister. Worst of all, his best friend is complicit in all this, even if she doesn't like it. I'm curious to see if he can actually manage to accomplish something and at least help Ivy. Changing the whole system seems way too big at the moment, but I'm already impressed that he is resolute to try to accomplish some change and push deeper for more answers. I wouldn't blame him if this would just make him freeze with existential dread.

Which brings to another scene

We've seen transflora with some human remains before or humans with some branches here and there, but this is something else. They are still clearly mostly conscious, but have lost their mobility and normal functionality already. Probably the worst part of the process. Of course the government doesn't want the general population to see that, the riots happening now would've picked up much earlier then. It's interesting how the government and most of the parties opposing the transfloration practice dehumanize the people who do undertake it. The government just sees them as fuel and they encourage others to do the same or this process would become a little too immoral (like shipping the ones who still look too human off). Similarly, the opposing parties often show the sentiment, that only The Poor are doing the transfloration process, they are leeching off government money before dying and they are (somehow) responsible for taxes increasing. Only the desperate do this and the poor and homeless are never treated well. Instead of seeing that things like the oxygen tax drive people to undergo transfloration to receive money aka a last desperate move before dying, the opposing parties punish these people as well by saying they are greedy, wasting what little money they're given and also an eyesore. Transflored humans are the main reason they can even breathe, but nobody wants to really acknowledge that. So they get dehumanized by everyone.

I also thought this was a very powerful moment because it once again confronts Toshiro with what fate awaits him as well. In a year or so he might be hanging on that wall as well, they might ship him off soon too because they don't think he looks human enough and is an eyesore. It reminds him once again what little time he has left. And still he chooses to spend it looking deeper into all this and finding some sort of justice for Ivy or at the very least answers. He could just look away and use the relative financial stability he now has to make the best of the human life he has left, but instead he goes the more painful way. Really like him more and more as a main character. This is clearly not easy for him, but that doesn't hold him back, even if he has his moments of panic. He also has changed a lot since the beginning of the series because in the first few chapters, if he saw something like the parade or this wall of transflored humans, he would've run away and try to forget (which is an understandable and natural reaction).

It's too bad the English translations take so long, but the wait for every chapter is definitely worth it. The German translation of Volume 1 is coming out in July and I'll definitely buy it.

[from-a-legends-pov]

Star Wars Legends Highlight of the Week: Honor Among Thieves by James S. A. Corey

This is a new feature where a fan will share one thing they love from Star Wars Legends – a book, a comic, an author, a character, an event, or anything else they want to highlight – and tell us more about it.

If you, too, love Legends, follow @from-a-legends-pov and check out our upcoming Star Wars Legends fanfiction event, From a Legends Point of View, HERE. Signups open April 28 - please encourage your favorite Star Wars writers to participate!

Today’s highlight is Honor Among Thieves by James S. A. Corey (actually the pen name of writing team Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, whom you may recognize as the writers of The Expanse), a 2014 Legends novel, and we’re talking with Dessi (@otterandterrier).

Tell us about your Legends highlight. What is it? What’s it about?

Honor Among Thieves is the second novel in the Empire and Rebellion duology (the first one being Razor’s Edge, a previous Legends highlight), and one of the last books published in the Legends universe by Del Rey. This book is Han’s story, and is told entirely from his POV.

The story is set about a year after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and our heroes start off scattering through the galaxy in their respective missions. Han and Chewie are sent to the Core to retrieve Scarlet Hark, a high-level spy who is after a thief in possession of secret, deadly information stolen from under the Empire’s (and her) nose – and that the Empire is willing to do anything to get back. Han doesn’t want to get involved, as this is way above his paycheck. But then he realizes that Leia is at a gathering on Kiamurr, the very same planet their thief is headed to, which means the Empire will be hot on his heels. That makes up his mind about helping Scarlet get there first!

The plot is quite the wild goose chase, and you have to suspend your sense of disbelief many times and forget specialized bits of lore in order to buy it. Even so, it’s really fun and gripping, and I appreciate the way that the main conflict is used to give us excellent insight into our favourite smuggler’s mind.

What makes this a Legends highlight for you? What do you love about it?

This is one of my favourite Legends books, because I love Han Solo. I love the intensely caring, occasionally dorky, bad at flirting, barely concealing a soft interior Han Solo that somehow we were fortunate enough to get in the Original Trilogy and, somehow, so many people missed. And that’s the Han Solo we get here! I love getting to see the narrative peeling off his self-admitted layers, contemplating his involvement with the rebellion, his new relationships, and the man he could have been had circumstances not put him on the path of an old Jedi and an idealistic farmboy, by setting up a contrast with an old acquaintance that shows up. We also get to see how competent and clever he really is, something that is often neglected.

Favorite moment or scene?

There’s this scene where the group is walking through a jungle, and a character is about to shoot at a large mud creature that scared her—but Han stops her. He explains that the creature is harmless, then he pats its snout and tells it to look out for humans. Leia calls him an animal lover, to which Han replies: “If everyone got to kill anything that looked big and scary, Chewie would never be able to leave the ship.” I love this little moment because it shows that soft, caring, yet practical side of Han that not many people get to see, and it’s also a nice moment of connection between Han and Leia. Han’s concern over creatures that are “just trying to make it through another day” also gets called back towards the end, rounding off Han’s overall spot-on characterization—although that’s all I can say without spoiling the book.

Anything else you’d like to share about it?

A few other reasons I love this book:

It develops Han and Leia’s early relationship: as a shipper, the UST and the moments of deeper understanding between them here make me squeal. We see Leia through Han’s eyes and beyond his façade, and how he goes from “I can’t stand her” to “I will kill anyone who tries to hurt her.”

Scarlet Hark FTW: This OC is a bit of a perfect male fantasy, but I like her a lot. Intelligent, badass, take-no-shit female character? Yes please! I particularly love that she and Leia get along so well and it’s never a competition between them. She’s a really interesting character to explore, and I’d love to see the OT gang teaming up with her again.

Han and Luke’s relationship isn’t forgotten: I really appreciate that the authors gave this friendship the importance it deserves, with Han thinking several times that he’s sticking with the Rebellion mainly to look after Luke (which is a better motivation than him staying because he wants to sleep with Leia).

To learn more…

If you’d like to read more about Honor Among Thieves, you can check out its page on Wookieepedia or find the novel at your favorite library or used bookstore (like Razor’s Edge, it seems to be out of print for new copies, sadly).

And be sure to check out @from-a-legends-pov and our From a Legends Point of View fanfiction event; as another reminder, signups open April 28, 2024!

[sueske]

Not to come off as pretentious but it really feels like no one but people on tumblr are able to really understand sasuke, naruto and their relationship. Like on other sites like tiktok, twitter or Instagram, of course you have it infected with hinata and Sakura fans who just naturally have bad takes but you also have sns fans who just like….. have embarrassingly bad takes.

I remember seeing a tiktok video about sns and it was an okay “analysis” it was just discussing like very base level things Sasuke’s character. but then they just go on to say that’s why he’s a top. Because “he needs to be in control. He likes having control. His abandonment issues lead him to needing to dominate someone to help him feel like he finally has agency in his life. Naruto being that someone is natural because of his fem / wife coding throughout the series. It’s been stated subliminally numerous times that naruto is the submissive in their relationship, he needs to be controlled unlike sasuke because he’s so rowdy and chaotic.” And like………. That’s an interesting take.

And the fact it got like around 2000 likes just kinda made me realize that sns tiktok fandom does not really understand sns at all and have likely not actually consumed the media and just got their information from other tiktok people or YouTube.

not the top bottom discourse crap…

I agree with u actually, the most nuanced and comprehensive takes I’ve seen about naruto have been on tumblr, including Japanese stuff as well that non speakers wouldn’t know about. Doesn’t help the viz official translation censors and changes stuff either. Granted there are bad takes on tumblr as well but u won’t find well written canon only essays about sns on a TikTok slideshow (at least from what I’ve seen.) personally I feel that tumblr is the easiest to use, I don’t like the character limit on Twitter and am pretty sure Reddit mods can do whatever they want. I’ve found some okay analysis on YouTube about naruto and sasuke and their bond, but I feel like they’re surface level, or could go deeper in some places and then don’t, and even if they do get it right for the most part the fact of the matter is sns’ bond is also romantic, not touching on that leaves things unfinished imo. Some naysayers in the comments section always seem to want to clarify that their bond is platonic or ‘sns are just bros’ - which, if people addressed one of sns’ biggest running plot threads that happens every single time they meet up in person (and not clones) from vote1 to the end (what are we?) - they’d perhaps realise something and sing a different tune. but yet no one does (at least from what I’ve seen?) or take moments singularly which I think is a shame since they’re very obviously connected and they’re very important. I guess it speaks volumes that they don’t and leave that untouched. I’d really love to watch a sns analysis video so it can reach a wider audience that covers their entire bond, their mutual understanding and pure love and empathy AND how it’s also romantic, the tropes, the literary devices, etc used to achieve this. I know some people complain that romantic bonds are glamorised in media and that they’re seen as somehow ‘more’ than platonic bonds, as a means to dissuade people from shipping sns romantically, but like sorry. sns are romantic and that’s how kishimoto wrote them and I can see it and others can see it and even if people can’t see it clearly they can at least feel it which is why sns are gay comments are everywhere lol.

[buckybarnesss]

Sending this on anon -

I think there is a latent amount of misogyny in the star wars fandom that people aren't ready to face lol.

Like there was so much hate for RebelCaptain and Bix x Cassian (MechanicThief? Bixian?) After andor, and we were called homophobic for 'not wanting to ship' the mlm ships, and I'm like???!! First of all multiplies exist, and second of all, complex, dramatic, well written ships also should exist!

And I'm now seeing the same pattern where it's encouraged to ship Din with the men, but not with the women

I think that a lot of fans really need to look within their consumption and see if they're really looking for representation, or for Ken dolls they can experiment with.

DinBo is so fascinating and I really can't wait to see how they develop

oh y'all want me to get spicy. i'm gonna put his under a read more.

i don't even think it's latent. the female characters receive an excessive amount of hatred or are pitted against each other. i've been in fandom spaces a long, long, long time so i know it's sadly nothing new but people have a hard time accepting that not all the misogyny comes from men.

there is no quarter for woman characters like jyn erso and bo-katan. they will never please. especially when they may have possible romantic relationships with the male leads.

i have thoughts on the shipping atmosphere for the mandalorian and it's not positive.

i am very much a ship and let ship person. i prefer to stay in my lane and enjoy what i enjoy. no harm no foul.

but i do find it -- shall we say interesting -- that bo-katan and din have a multiple episode arc where they develop a deeper understanding of each other overcoming their differences from when they first met but is met with the attitude of ew no cooties. it is fine to prefer a more sibling dynamic between the two but some have been really nasty about others shipping it romantically.

i didn't even really ship it at first but it's grown on me over the course of the season. they compliment each other and have a lot of protentional to explore.

it's one thing to not like a ship but i've seen a lot of language that i consider problematic and outright anti behavior of labeling something you don't like with dog whistles of incest, grooming, toxic and disgusting when it's in fact none of those things at all. just say you don't ship it and keep stepping.

like, the most popular din ship over the past two years has been dinluke which is a perfectly acceptable ship but in canon they've exchanged like a handful of words in one scene. it's fanon.

the armorer and bo-katan has become a popular ship which is again built on a few interactions.

but somehow din and bo are terrible, no good and gross.

we don't even have canon sexualities for these characters and headcanons are not canon. hell, i personally see din on the ace spectrum and bo makes sense to me as bi but that's my headcanon.

this is also not dean winchester being based of a bisexual character and fifteen years of evidence of subtext or stiles stilinski's bisexual baiting by jeff davis on teen wolf.

i get the desire for more lgbta+ representation in star wars but a heterosexual relationship existing is not your enemy and if you think it is than you are part of the problem.

[brujitaadinbo]

I wanted to share this analysis with you, trying to be objective and not fall into just my own tastes, without taking this personally or as if I were attacking other ships or fandoms; In reality it is not like that, but I clarify it because it usually happens and they change the context of everything…. If you give yourself the opportunity to read, In The Mandalorian they have made it clear to us to what point Din leans in his emotional relationships, technically has been closed for a long time in that regard. Being raised in an almost very hermetic community with people from outside his tribe and seeing others from afar trying not to bond; but as I tell you with Grogu, this whole wall that is Din begins to change, he begins to connect with others and no longer have only allies, but friends and companions and even something more… Starting with Xian, a character with very dubious morals, with a problematic character, no loyalty towards others and much less emotional responsibility, without any type of honor, we can see that the relationship with Din, It was only for their own interests, to make their own profits and have a good time (wink wink) But from that to there being something more solid, deeper, more legitimate or genuine, nothing… at least not in a positive way.

We then see his relationship with Cara Dune; You can see a certain rivalry until little by little they resolve their power conflict, they are seen as battle companions but there is a particular moment where it is seen that Din notices a vulnerable point in Cara but he only observes and remains silent. He doesn't comfort her, he doesn't talk to her, he's not going to approach her to give her support, as he demonstrates with a certain redhead… I'll tell you. When they go to Grogu's rescue, Cara and Din intercept an enemy ship, where Dr. Doctor Pershing is on board, exactly someone very necessary to achieve that rescue, when Din and Cara board this ship, one of the pilots takes Dr. …and threatens them, if they get close, she will finish him off and they will no longer be able to achieve their purpose, Cara points it out, the pilot begins to speak to her aggressively and mocking her and her people (Alderaan) for what happened to her. planet, recognizes her as a deserter, She remains calm but hurt inside, the pilot continues to provoke her and mock that fatal moment for her and her people, until there comes a point where, she cannot bear it, she shoots the pilot and the Dr, somehow. a little hurt.

That whole moment was so fast but so shocking and Din just looks, knows and realizes that that pilot hurt her inside, in her memories, in the pain of her people, but that's all, it was not a more intimate moment or closest between the two. So there we can see that Din does know how to recognize these types of aspects, but it is still closed, it is still a process. He's still not fully with Grogu, this is before he left with Luke and everything that needed to happen happened for them to reunite again and be a two-officer clan.

And I end with Omera, in a filler chapter, with a filler character, there they show us a Din being convinced to accept a job to support a Village and its inhabitants, the payment is given to Cara, he ends there and begins to see what an established life would be like, to a certain extent "a normal life" His interaction with Omera is talking to her about certain things about the creed, but there are no intimate moments and if you allow me I will tell you why.

There comes a point where Cara tells Din to stay and live there, he knows that it is not safe because of his pace of life, his type of life and because it would endanger the child and everyone, he thinks he can leave the boy and then leave, but mmm no He and Grogu have already been linked since chapter 1 of this series, it is already an unbreakable bond, so to speak

I really like a phrase that says “The force brought them together” and it shows that it was. This entire chapter can be seen as a mirror, Din reflecting on the widow and her daughter, in a town that is in danger but is already established… When he says goodbye to Omera, she speaks to him in a very particular way. way… "We would like you to stay." At no point is it a statement of her own or of some more intimate feeling, she sees him as a man who can protect her and her loved ones, provide security… but Din knows that he is not the one for her. or for that task, He tells her… She tries to invasively remove his helmet, knowing that he told her she couldn't take it off, she continues… he mentions it to her "I don't belong here."

And well, you know the rest… Technically, to say that "intimate moment" between them, she tried to force things, disrespecting what he told her about his creed, trying to take off his helmet, "in a very subtle way" . " as if they wanted to make it seem like "she just wants to help him" when that's clearly not the case… there you can also see interest-based action and how to approach someone who has been closed off for a long time. You can tell it's more What an introvert, a wall, that still doesn't let you get to that point… and you only approach it like this??? Really, there is nothing intimate about this, much less romantic.

So if you follow this whole process, the whole context, you watch the series again, it is documented… you begin to notice the dynamic between Din and Bo Katan, from enemies to then friends, with that touch that leaves the door open to something more , those "BokaDin" winks

It begins to be seen in this season 3 that Din since he has Grogu in his life, now in a more formal way, being his father, begins to take risks, to bond, to be more open and coincidentally this goes hand in hand with Bo Katan. Yes, of course, uh… coincidentally… You begin to see that synchronicity between them, that chemistry and that they protect each other publicly, intimately in the moment on the ship when she reveals that she surrendered and was betrayed by Gideon to save his people, he watches, remains silent BUT… Coincidentally (laughs) with her, if he takes that step, he looks for her at a very particular moment, with all the elements to make it seem like an intimate moment under the moonlight and he speaks to her in his Mandalorian way, he apologizes for what happened, because of how badly he thought of her, for judging her, he listens to what she says and decides to console her, give her support, encourage her and casually swear loyalty to her and be with her until her songs end…

And coincidentally (lol OMG) their theme songs come together in the background music of this scene.

Please In fact??? More elements are needed to say that this is more than obvious and in what direction are they going? There is no worse blind man than he who does not want to see.

[undeadorion]

I got so mad I crashed. Like a computer. Brain shut down. No function. I laid down, turned on a video and was out within minutes. Fully zonked out for like an hour. Fury just obliterated my battery.

The incest defender from that post, the one who was harassing a literal minor, had been in my messages since yesterday. This is not a callout post, hence not including their name directly. If you look up who I’m referring to, please just block them. I do not condone harassment.

The conversation was pretty awkward but I assumed best intentions. Even still, there were red flags.

They’d sent me an ask then reblogged in which they insisted Ghost was doing drag. Drag is a very specific thing that is incredibly important to the gay community. Men dressing as men is theater, not drag.

They frequently mentioned they were a feminist. Being a feminist is by no means a bad thing, I am one myself as are anyone I even vaguely consider a friend. But mentioning it in casual conversation multiple times is a major red flag. Worse still is they presented it as if somehow being submissive like in regard to sex or a relationship would somehow be a betrayal to the cause of feminism.

They have a goal of becoming Tobias Forge. As far as I can tell they think if they follow the exact roadmap of his journey they will achieve the exact same thing. If my 8 year old nephew thought that, I’d tell him he could absolutely do it. But this person is a grown ass 30 year old. Like they mentioned not having a role model brother exactly like Tobias as something holding them back. On my post in awe of Tobias changing even the speaking voice of the Papas they literally said they couldn’t wait to have a different voice as if it’s something they’ll just eventually unlock. It’s possible they meant they were working on it, but that’s speculation.

There were a lot of smaller things, too, that just didn’t sit right with me. Like insisting canonically harsh characters are secretly soft. That’s not necessarily a red flag but it’s a warning sign to me.

The real kicker was their behavior in that post. If it was just the incest shipping I would have just blocked them and not even hinted all of this stuff. First, they were openly and knowingly harassing a minor. There can be some overlap in interactions, especially in fandom, between minors and adults. But especially in conflicts, it’s on the adult to actually be the adult. There are times when an adult needs to step in and say something, but a minor venting on their own blog about unavoidable incest isn’t one of those situations. Then there was the bizarre attitude of “you’re only 16 you’re not old enough to understand”, insisting how much they didn’t care. If you didn’t care you would have ignored it. But then digging deeper with “if you don’t like it block it” when not making use of the block button themselves. AND accusing the person of being in their “safe space” somehow.

It’s just disgusting to see people like that, and to have them latch on to me so hard when i literally just entered the fandom. If i weren’t so passionate about it, and if I hadn’t already found good folks, that would have been enough to make me peace out. It’s how fandoms have such a notorious reputation of becoming utterly toxic. The worst people stomp around like they own the place and scare off anyone even vaguely decent.

I guess what I’m saying is I’m bringing my grumpy protective grandpa energy and I’m not fucking leaving. I have never arrived somewhere and felt so completely and immediately like I belong like I did the moment i stepped into this fandom. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect younger and vulnerable fans from toxic garbage like that person.

[branzinos]

The ending of Sarah Z's new video essay about queerbaiting articulated so much of what I feel about fandom's need for things to be canon to be legitimate that I really needed to transcribe a copy of it here:

The more I think about the concept of queerbaiting, the more I think we should just retire it. When we come to the point where the term has come to encapsulate like, 500 things – real people being closeted, real people being bisexual, censored gay relationships in TV, ships people like that aren't canon, the actual use of queerness as a marketing tactic with the intent to decieve a queer audience, etc. – I think the term has ceased to be useful. [...]

I think the deeper root of this issue is this concept of "representation". A lot of young people, my age and even younger, teenagers and whatnot, have really grown attached to the phrase "queer rep": "Is this Marvel character good gay rep?", "I want to support this lesbian singer because I want more lesbian rep in media", "I don't like this character because they're bad bisexual rep."

I do think it is very good and natural to want to see people who are like us. I don't think I need to make a case here for the myriad reasons it's good to see prominent gay people in real life and in fiction. But I do think we've lost the plot a bit when we talk about these things only in terms of how well they "represent us". What we're looking to, in the vast majority of cases, are for our own lives to be reflected back to us by large corporations and the art they produce, or by celebrities. And I think that's never going to happen, because we're looking in the wrong places.

When we assume that for a story to be given value it needs widescale legitimacy, we're assigning too much importance to corporate entities to determine what is meaningful.

So, for instance, we've come to believe that a fictional relationship being recognised as "canon" somehow elevates it above all the rich interpretations and personal resonances readers can draw from it.

Like, think about people hassling Neil Gaiman for decades about whether the guys in Good Omens are gay or not. Why do we need this answer to make the readings we do legitimate? Why would some official stamp of canonisation from an author hold more weight than the myriad connections audiences have made with the work?

Is the middle-upper-class gay couple in, say, Modern Family, a more meaningful queer story than queer readings derived from other stories [in other media] by fans simply because it's canon? Why do we let corporate or authorial validations dictate the value of our personal connections to art? [...]

I'm not saying these stories aren't valuable, or that they don't reflect queer life to some extent, but in the end we're going to be disappointed if we keep looking to massive media outlets and rich celebrities for meaningful reflections of our lived experience. There is such a massive wealth of queer art out there that I think does something more meaningful than be "queer representation". Instead, they are queer stories: indie webcomics, smaller scale novels, games, things made by individuals that reflect their own lived experience without corporate oversight or any particular need to be palatable to a whole audience so that it can be used as marketing material.

In my opinion, there does not exist any hypothetical Marvel movie with a bisexual woman character that could meaningfully "represent" me in the same way independent art not made to be distributed by like, Amazon, would. That's not to say the latter shouldn't exist, or has no value whatsoever, but should celebrities and large-scale corporate art be the sole yardstick we look to in order to tell our stories? I don't think so. And I think this whole notion of desperately looking for validity through celebrities confirming their sexualities and TV networks deeming gay couples "canon" is somewhat misguided.

Beyond the harm that the queerbaiting narrative can do to closeted people, I think it reflects that we're looking to the wrong people to give our experiences value.

Sarah Z: I Was Wrong About Queerbaiting

[grahamcarmen]

No i didn't send a ask yet i was just checking to see if you got the ask since a previous ask i send to another blogger was never answered.

anyway, deep thought but if you think about it when people ship carmen and grey back at vile academy and during each one's brainwashing you're essentially shipping different characters making redcrackle have plenty of subcategories, what would be your ship name for each categorie( I can't be bothered to list how many there are i'm sorry).

also also, have you seen kitsukits redcrackle "arcade" amv and AuroralovesMCSM's "Carmen and grey being in love for 5 minutes and 30 seconds" complication video.

Oh ok!

I can see that lol.

I don't romantically ship them at the VILE academy stage [even if I do believe its an important dynamic to their overall relationship] because thats where its strictly platonic. But since I have been around around long enough that I know that people sometimes people use ship as just a relation"ship" marker [hi ouat I know you guys weren't actually shipping certain peeps lol. Like they had platonic ship names regularly and most people understood that :p] that part would probably be cracklesheep or graysheep because thats when carmen was just Black sheep and gray didn't have any attachment to his name graham but also wasn't hard line about being crackle yet.

Carmen looking at Graham looking at her romantically and going 👉👈maybe maybe? And allowing carmen to take the initiative in prioritizing her protective feelings over him?and lowkey allowing graham to again gain affection for her in an entirely different light...Hmmm

Svdjdkdokd i guess grahamcarmen or carmgray because she is still insisting on calling him gray and ascribing his new flirtation and doing good as like a mishmash

Gray pretending that she would have made the choice to be carmen while being on the island with that sinking feeling that no. carmen exists because she was chose to leave and connect with the outside world? And more than just acknowledging it wanting to protect it at the cost of what he valued most? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Cracklecarmen?

Tbh I've really grown attached to red crackle not just because its the first way to make it clear that i want these 2 to kiss because its the clear romantic shipname lol but also because its kinda what they choose to portray themselves as. Carmen using her red coat and name from the outfit she got off the island to signal the need to stop VILE to anyone who can find her and Crackle as a codename of the path that gray is choosing to follow even as he finds something good inside him trying to make it to the surface

and their relationship allowing them to clash but also want to look past that to the people who made these choices because they care about them.

And what makes it fun is that those subcategories include past subcategories, build on them, and change aspects of their relationship ever so slightly until we end up with something that is not at all how they started [gray in love with carmen and carmen with her deeper feelings of being forced to go without him as fully expressed as the finale allowed] . And when their memories are in place they acknowledge that. Its all rc to me...but I get it ! Exploring each category is VERRRRY different and I even sometimes tag them dark! Redcrackle for the dark red caper version of them instead of redcrackle because that is just ...different.

and my username lol is because I LOVE her nickname for him but always champion that entirely ignoring " graham " isnt....like they do need to adress that...somehow...not even to always go by his name because he's not anti-his nickname [and as you can see i think that carmen conflating his flirtations as something gray now can do 🥰 is hmmmmmmmmmm] but its still...~~~~~~idk. I am very appreciative that he does have a full name.

I have actually a playlist trying to save as many rc vids as I can find so yes! I have seen the arcade fanvid but like I might have just saved the other vid and watched the episodes again 😭

Edit: IALMOST FORGOT HIMALAYA AND TRAIN RC they can be cracklecarmen uwu

[patchesproblem]

What's your favourite trope

I'm not going to lie to you, I really don't know. It depends on what kind of trope you're asking about, I guess.

Character-wise there are patterns in who I tend to like, though I don't really know if there's a specific trope exactly. (TLDR of this one is basically think of Tesla and Einstein and how they are as people / their relationship and that's basically it.)

Most of them often have:

Probably traumatized and have a list of disorders longer than a CVS receipt.

Has a sense of joy that others consider 'immature' (think of Tesla getting happy over seeing that water thing (I forgot what it's called) in Yellowstone, or when she stared at Einstein admiringly)

Strange / odd in a way that most people don't understand. (Basically eccentric I guess?) Also in the funny way

Lesbian

Putting up an act / front as a way of protecting themselves, pushes people away, has like. One person they're attached to beyond belief.

For some reason a majority of the characters I like lately have some sort of doctorate or are involved in science. It's strange.

Ball of anger (In the Tesla way, not just being constantly angry and wanting to end people)

Also alcoholism somehow has managed to become a common theme between characters I like. No clue how or why but here we are. /hj

Was going to make a list of characters I like but suddenly my brain no longer works and I can't think of more than three characters that I actively care about, and I feel like it'd be embarrassing to have such a short list. I swear I have interests other than Einsla.

Ship wise.. Nobody would believe me if I said I didn't particularly care for shipping, would they. Tesla and Einstein are quite literally the exception. My other ships are more 'I like them but I don't really care' meanwhile Einsla is like 'I will die on this hill they're meant to be together DO NOT SEPARATE.'

I do have some tropes that I like within ships (though they're probably obvious if you look at my profile for .01 seconds)

Both are mentally ill but they share the same struggles so they understand each other in a way others wouldn't.

Understand each other in ways that others don't in general. Able to know what the others feeling / what they're thinking.

Attached together / almost always near each other.

Teasing each other in the lighthearted way.

Actually love each other and are in a happy healthy relationship. * This is a lie I have one ship where they're constantly trying to kill each other. You can be divorced 30 times over and hate each other as long as you're funny

Both are menaces

I can go into a lot more detail but I feel like it'll start going into me using Einsla to explain and I think people would throw bricks at me.

Story tropes.. I'll list different story things I really like since I don't really know the specific tropes.

Found family (basic I know but I'm mentally ill)

Mysteries

This one applies mainly to games, but since they're the main thing I actively enjoy I'm throwing it in anyways. Stories that have things hidden in collectable items that add more context / nuance to the story. (The story itself is understandable with or without it, however they add a deeper understanding of the world and characters / how things got the way they are)

I also enjoyed the way Portal and Half Life handled the story telling with Gordon Freeman and Chell just staying silent the whole time. I don't know why I just really enjoyed it. They have so much character even though they don't have a single voice line. So I guess silent protagonist.

I tried to write as many of these as possible without comparing them to Einsla, sorry if any of them sound strange or worded weirdly. It's currently six a.m. and my brains not particularly working properly. I'll reblog this if I think of anything else or figure out a way to explain it.

[clarkgriffon]

S&B Season 2: The Ships

On the whole, I’m very positive with the ship content this season, with a bit of a caveat.

The caveat being that the Season felt a little... uh, too shippy? I really think this just loops back to the Too Many Characters thing. When you have this many important characters, and a lot of them have love interests, it can feel like not enough room is left for other things. I think there’s definitely a correlation between Nina being separated from her love interest this season and getting not a ton of focus or screentime. Somehow, last season, that revolved around a love triangle, felt less shippy than this. Everywhere you turned: Malina! Darklina! Kanej! Nikolina! Genya/David! Nadia/Tamar! And so on.

BUT, actually looking within some of the major ships, I was not disappointed.

MALINA: I was very high on Malina this season. Archie and Jessie continue to have fantastic chemistry and I think they just about killed me with the Firebird arc. The emotion and intensity was top notch. I had one major qualm, which was the ending. I actually had no problem with the break-up itself. For a break-up that didn’t occur in the books, I actually found the reasoning to make a lot of sense, the idea that two people so interconnected since childhood need to find who they are outside each other. It was more... the execution? And I don’t know if it was the writing or the acting, but the actual breakup felt SO emotionless. Which is crazy coming off such an intense high of emotions with the Firebird stuff! Alina was just SOBBING over his corpse! And then suddenly it’s this very business-like breakup, Alina is a little perturbed at first, but comes around and then is completely normal. I think the same breakup with the same reasoning, but Mal and Alina are crying as they leave each other would’ve had a totally different and more fitting effect. Like they’re upset to separate, but know it’s for the best.

WESPER: I’ll admit I was skeptical on the hooked-up-once Wesper storyline, but I’ve come around to it. I love a slow-burn, which is why I was a bit put off at first, but I think considering how shippy the season feels, them having a history felt refreshing. They didn’t just jump into a relationship out of nowhere, these are two people that hooked up before, know they’re attracted to one another, and after discovering a deeper understanding of each other’s personalities, decide to attempt being in a relationship. It felt real, which I appreciated. Kit and Jack were wonderful, with specific props to Jack who I think has nailed all aspects of Wylan. The “You brought me stroopwafels!” scene is gonna live rent free in my head.

DARKLINA: While this isn’t my ship, I was underwhelmed with the content for them this season, mainly because I think the Darkling was underutilized. After Season 1 really established that A) The Darkling is a master manipulator who used Alina and B) that he also has what he considers to be real feelings for her and that she has this feeling of obligation where she wants to please him, there’s a lot of potential expand that, as I feel was done in the books. Instead, it felt like Alina wasn’t pulled toward him even a little, and that being power-hungry was a second to being in love with Alina for the Darkling, which feels very out of character for him. This ship should have give-and-take and there was just, absolute zero. Darklina is a big ship being 1/2 of the main love triangle, and I’ve barely seen any content for them, which tells me that they probably underutilized this dynamic, romantic or not.

KANEJ: Kanej is my #1 ship in the Grishaverse and was definitely my #1 ship in the season. I thought their handling of these two was fantastic. Freddie and Amita just get it with them. In the “tending to Inej’s wounds” scene, you can see Kaz’s hand tremble attempting to get past this physical barrier but he wants to do this for her. Inej’s hallucination as foreshadowing for the “I will have you without armor” conversation was flawless (and also some excellent fanservice to give the Kanej fans an almost kiss that Kaz and Inej are nowhere near reaching yet). Nina clocking them at every second. The only gripe I have here is timing, in that if they really are going to put the Ice Court heist next season, I just don’t get why they moved so much of the SOC content like Kaz’s backstory, Pekka, and the Kanej development into this season.

HELNIK: I was lowest on this ship this season for a variety of reasons. And I should preface with, I LOVE me some Helnik. Book!Helnik is my best friend. But this season really seemed to show a fundamental misunderstanding of Helniks and of Nina, specifically. For starters, retroactively, I’m questioning the decision to make Season 1 their backstory rather than sticking in the prison storyline there. Because of their separation, their screentime felt very low (not just regarding each other, but individually. Like the writers said, “Matthias isn’t here? I guess we don’t really NEED to see Nina, then.”) But I digress. Let’s just look at what is there, yeah? Nina’s entire motivation is “I am in love with Matthias and I want my happy ending,” which is just... not really getting Nina. The point and the bite of Nina and Matthias is two people indoctrinated into heavy nationalism, still believing in that nationalism, and falling in love in spite of it. There’s a reason that Nina goes back to helping Ravka after Matthias dies; there’s a reason Matthias shows empathy for the Fjerdan soldier who kills him. They don’t let go of their roots because they find each other, nor do they toss out all the ideals instilled in them. Instead, they realize that they care about each other more than they care about their beliefs. Nina telling off Zoya about why Matthias is some higher purpose than Ravka doesn’t track. Matthias, while heavily sidelined, at least felt more in-line. Him repenting the whole season for doing sex was very on brand. The last scene, where he reaches out for Nina, I hope is an instinctual reaction. If the show robs me of my season-long Nina and Matthias cannot stand each other and will bitch at each other at every opportunity, I will riot.