#like I grew up loving sailor moon aesthetics

[eatember]

feeling masculine but vibing with "feminine" things is such a mind fuck gender thing to figure out about yourself

[litnerdwrites]

IDGAF that Elain's Feminine

"You hate on Elain because she's traditionally feminine,"

No bitch, I hate Elain because she's a self serving, ungrateful hypocrite, as I've explained in many previous posts. I hate her for how she abandoned Nesta, pushes her boundaries and never once returned the love Nesta gave her. Nesta coddling her the way she did was wrong, admittedly, but could've been solved with a basic conversation about boundaries. Many characters could benefit from one, and a lot of problems would solve themselves if they just respected boundaries.

Perhaps there are a few who don't like feminine characters, but there are just as many, if not more, who are simply indifferent since we know little about her or her opinions/thoughts. Others don't like her for the reasons I mentioned above. So saying she's hated for being feminine is a bit extreme.

Especially since my favourite characters in many forms of media are the traditionally feminine ones. Evangeline Fox is my favourite FMC, and don't really think I'll be able to move on from her when I finish A curse for true love. She's my fictional role model, from her aesthetic to her bravery to her determination.

I also adore Tohru Honda from Fruits basket, Anne Halford from Sugar Apple Fairytale, Adora, Bow, and Glimmer from She-Ra, and the Sailor Scouts (Sailor Moon).

I grew up on the muted, pastel hues of Care Bares G1, My Little pony (G1) with a hint of action from Transformers and Avengers. So as much as I love a kick ass heroine, riding off into battle or saving the world, I love the ones who want to spend all day dressing up in pretty gowns. baking and petting cute animals just as much, if not more.

So, no. I don't hate Elaine for 'being too feminine'. I would've actually loved Elain, if not for the way she treated Nesta. If nothing else, I there's a chance Elain is only doing it to avoid being nest on the IC's chopping block, in which case, I'll understand why, view her as a victim, while insisting she needs to make some serious apologies, and advocate for her to receive some serious apologies too. But until we find out what's going through her head, we can only have the version of her we see through the eyes and experiences of other characters.

(P.S if you have any recs for books/shows with feminine fmcs or that might generally fit my vibe, feel free to let me know)

[rumielisapublicspeaker]

Sailor Moon - Episode 1

So, my first anime I shall review is Sailor Moon! My friend recently reviewed it as they finished their watch of the first series and it has convinved me to watch the show. Yes I spoilt the entire series for myself by reading the review and oof... big reveals.

I will also likely update every ten episodes or so, or when I finsih a show.

So, as a courtesy, from here on out is spoilers.

SPOILERS I SAY!!

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

So, as a first episode, I would say it is a 7, as I really like the characters and I think the premise is exceptionally cute!

I love that Usagi actually feels like a teenager going through life rather than these ridiculous sexualised fantasies that anime has become nowadays. It's one of my biggest icks in anime nowadays. Let kids be kids ffs! Thankfully the manga artist and writer is based and actually knows how to write women and girls. Truly refreshing (⸝⸝⸝• ω •⸝⸝⸝) ♡

Anyway, yeah, I feel like Usagi is my spirit animal at the moment, crying at the slightest inconvenience and always wanting to sleep. Oh and yeah, she has a cat who is Luna who is BASED and I really like the design.

I actually love the classic 90s anime vibe that Akira created the most, and I think it's truly shown off the power of old anime. I miss the old aesthetic. Tbf, apart from Ghibli, I grew up on crunchy anime VHS tapes my dad got me, and most of them were in Spanish (lol) so this is extremely nostalgic to little me.

ANYWAY - Enough tangents - Usagi, adorable. I have a feeling the crying might be a bit annoying, however I can fully relate to every time she cried in the first episode, especially when she got kicked out for having a low grade (╥﹏╥) that truly is the worst... When her crying saved the day though, I just found that funny.

I'm not sure what to think of Naru thus far, but she seems cool. Tough luck her mother turning out to be a super villain though...

I DO NOT LIKE UMINO HE IS A SNITCH AND A RAT AND HE DESERVES TO FAIL AN EXAM!!! But also, bruh wtf why you tell her mother???

Usagi's mother (don't remember her name) is currently my favourite character. She is hilarious and reminds me of my own mother. I cannot wait to see more of her. Also yes, my favourite characters ten to be the moms and the goth mommys. What can I say, I have taste.

Usagi's brother? (Also don't know his name) I have no opinion on. He's a bit annoying.

Masked guy with rose? Idk his deal but I'm not sure I like him. Usagi immediately started falling for him so I don't know if I can like him. I don't usually like love interests.

VILLAIN OF THE WEEK -

loved her! who doesn't love a woman selling jewellery for the sole purpose of stealing the souls of humans to turn them into slaves for an ominous alien cult leader? I would've bought something!

Anyway, yeah that's the end of my review! thank youuuuu

[silvermoon424]

Do you like Western magical girl shows like Winx Club and W.I.T.C.H.? Personally I like both of those shows and I wish the Western world made more magical girl franchises...but that's not gonna happen because of dudebros. But I really, really wish that magical girls were more popular in the Western world too...

I actually have not explored much of the world of Western magical girl shows! I really like the designs and transformation sequences from LoliRock (unfortunate name) though.

I totally agree, I would love to see more magical girls in the West! I will say I don't think it's entirely hopeless; Star vs the Forces of Evil (a show with strong magical girl aesthetics and even directly inspired by Sailor Moon) was a popular show on the Disney Channel recently. Steven Universe is also kinda vaguely magical girlish. Both series were created by women who grew up watching Sailor Moon and other magical girl anime. So who knows, maybe we'll see another Western animated show with a magical girl vibe soon!

[furipasart]

Question regarding commissions -

Long time no see Furi, I thought I'd throw a simple question your way regarding commissions. (Amusingly enough it's not about whether they're open or closed)

What I was curious to know about is in regards to style/aesthetics.

Do you happen to do anything in a 80s/90s anime aesthetic? If so, are there any examples to share?

I'm mostly asking for a friend for later down the line. Sorry if the wording might be a little unclear, I wasn't sure how to structure the question anyhow... Regardless, have a fantastic day/wonderful night!

I love trying to do art styles and aesthetics, especially from anime of the 80/90's. I think they tend to be more visually more appealing in terms of colors, and the clothes from the time seem way more fun and distinct. I am not really sure how to explain it more but I just feel like anime from those are more prettier for me in terms of style, but it could be just me cause I was born in 1993 so I got to see alot of both 80 and 90's anime as I grew up lol. I guess for examples of animes from those eras, here's some of my favorites: Vampire Hunter D (I prefer the movie more), Robot Carnival, Sailor Moon, Slayers and a favorite due to how stupid fun it is, Golden Boy

[va-mp3]

𓆩♡𓆪 𝔄𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔱 𓆩♡𓆪

hello there! i'm vamp, and i post pictures of my maximalist room and outfits! i use she/they pronouns and am a queer demigirl from None Of Your Business-ville, USA. i would prefer to remain anonymous so i will be blurring my face in all of my photos. please respect my privacy. this is also not my main account! my main in big-pink-comfy-couch. i’m autistic and have adhd and ptsd. i’m something of an unintentional shut-in on my way to recovery!

i grew up on fashion dolls and related media: barbie, to trollz girlz and bratz movies (mom thought i was too young for the dolls when they were popular lol), to monster high and ever after high. my bio brother's girlfriend got me into my first anime, sailor moon, and j-pop when i was about eight or nine, and my favorite game growing up was style savvy for the DS. my childhood was influenced heavily by hyperfemineity and the power of what we loosely define as "girlhood", as well as alternative subculture. video games, western cartoons, and the older teen and young adult figures in my life at the time were my introduction to goth, emo, scene, and rave culture. over time, my style and way of decorating have grown backwards almost, becoming a mirror of all the things that i admired in the late 2000s to early 2010s.

much of my aesthetic revolves around my love of that nostalgia, and the things that bring me joy. i’d describe myself as “creepy cute”. i live in a pastel goth (or bubblegum goth, as my parents call it) dreamscape. i refuse to be anything but sweetly spooky and uncomfortably femme.

i remember the girls in my books and cartoons and games having the coolest rooms, and the coolest hair, and the coolest clothes, and I always said that one day, i was gonna be just like that. and now i am <3. i fulfilled my dream of dressing like an irl monster high doll lol.

this blogs serves to let me share all these hobbies I enjoy, document my progress in building my art and merch collections, as well as my jewelry and wardrobe, and talk about plus size alt fashion, fandom, and collection-based hobbies. :3

[pixiebat13]

Sailor Moon Blog

Although I didn’t get the opportunity to watch Sailor Moon before, it is definitely something I was aware of as a kid due to its very influential nature. Even as I grew older, I always thought the show had beautiful aesthetics. Personally, I’m a fan of magical girl anime and I love how they all over express femininity in order to reclaim it and empower it. I'm glad I finally got the opportunity to watch it. Sailor Moon deals with themes of “girl power” and gender. 

In Sailor Moon, we follow a schoolgirl called Usagi who gets her powers from a cat called Luna. Using these powers, she fights off villains to protect the universe. Despite having powers and fighting off villains, Usagi remains true to herself and still acts like a normal 14-year-old girl would. She still cries and is sensitive, she's clumsy, and doesn’t do well in school. Overall, I like how this anime still has Usagi act like a normal girl. By having her act normal it helps empower little girls instead of hiding their femininity. Through not hiding her femininity and also making it her strength, it has inspired many little girls who watched it growing up. As a little girl if I watched Sailor Moon, I'd definitely feel empowered. Even though Usagi's has many flaws she still fights evil and remains true to herself. 

Despite the show having some criticisms of Usagi being a stereotype or how it has sexual connotations. I think the show uses stereotypes to not put down women but instead empower them to embrace their femininity. Even though in a western perspective the show can have sexual connotations, I think the show is made for the female audience and to embrace femininity. Overall, I really loved the aesthetics and premise of this anime. 

[anachrosims]

Idk about anyone else, but... I fuckin LOVE Halloween.

I love autumn and autumnal aesthetics. I love the subdued turn the weather takes, the turning of the leaves. I loved, as a kid, being able to indulge--for once--in my nerdy side (I grew up in the 90s). I love bonfires and ghost stories. I love exploring history, mysteries, and the tastefully macabre. I was abused as a child in most ways you can think of, and while for most of my life, horror/weird as a genre was too much for my sensitive self, I've grown to relish dark themes and subjects as a way to safely explore the depths, nooks and crannies of human emotion, and to do so with media means that, in a way, I'm not alone.

As an adult, I love the aesthetics. I love sharing happy fun with neighborhood kids who deserve a holiday they can dress up, be cooky/weird, and safely engage with their community. I also love sharing that with fellow adults, and as I mature, grow older, the more I appreciate allowing adults to have their own chance to unwind, to be fun/kooky/play fancy dress--because that's just what humans of all ages do.

As for costumes: It's not just conservative Christians who make fun of sexy/"sassy" costumes tbh. For decades there have been tons and TONS of skimpy costumes for the weirdest things (sexy hotdog, sexy nun, sexy dollar bill, sexy Mrs. Claus, sexy cat, sexy Patrick Star, etc)--and a lack of sexy/"sassy" costumes for men/masc folk. It's not slut-shaming to point out how ridiculous that aspect of culture actually is.

To your allusions to Christians: You're not wrong! Nonetheless, Halloween as we know it is a fairly young holiday. Like Christmas, it got heavily commercialized in the 20th century. Prior to that, it was a feastday with folk traditions around the turning of the seasons, as well as the Gaelic origins of Samhain. Yes, also like Christmas, it's been heavily commercialized, but there are still cultural origins for painting and carving gourds, setting out lanterns, the wearing of masks and the sharing of food with your fellows, bringing light and generosity to the dying world in observance of those who have died, and to appreciate what still lives. If anything, we ought to blame secular corporate culture for driving the community and time of solemnity and remembrance out of the occasion.

I totally understand what you're feeling, having done my time in retail. It was Christmas that I started hating, because at least Halloween didn't come with the rampant, saccharine hypocrisy of "togetherness" while I had to endure two months of shrieking, entitled, bitter, cruel customers. I also grew up poor, so, after all that, i'm a bit of a Grinch in adulthood; the grotesque consumerism and obnoxious adherents is even harder to stomach while global suffering, climate change, and the rise of fascism are all bearing down on us. i also have my birthday on Dec 20th, and have always had the most lonely birthdays; always felt like I was "competing" with Christmas. Shit sucked.

If there's anything I'd like to impart to you though, it's this: I still like the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of Halloween. Beyond the consumerism, they still have value. Like any commodified thing in our fucked up world, the only thing that truly matters is what YOU make of it. I try to make major holidays "excuses" to celebrate good company, and at the end of the day, that's all any of us really can do.

To finish off... My Grams made me costumes by hand when I was little. Snow White. Esmerelda. Sailor Moon, Sailor Saturn. She passed in 2022 at 94.. and I miss her so, so much. She was more of a mother to me than my own mom ever was. Those were some of the happiest times of my otherwise shitty childhood, because she was the one unselfish person in my life who loved me and what I cared about unconditionally, and with gusto. Now, I don't say all that to guilt you, or make you feel bad. I'm glad you vented with us. I only brought up that story because... at least for me, holidays are the best excuse humans have to stop what we're doing, come together, put on fun clothes, and share stories and a good meal.

You don't have to like Halloween. There's a lot to be said about how materialistic, insensitive, and shitty people are. You're also going to find those people in every facet of life, whereas, holidays only come once a year. It's best to try and make the most of them in whatever way fulfills you the most.

I'm not sure I like this weird attitude people have formed around Halloween. The way people celebrate it is like how Christian Conservatives treat Christmas, just without the religious extremism.

It's all just hyper-consumerism and a childish disdain for people who don't celebrate or aren't celebrating the "right" way. What's up with people setting up elaborately horrific decorations full of gore months in advance? And then getting mad when the scary gore-y decorations . . . actually scare people and they get asked to take them down.

People complaining because costumes aren't scary/creative enough.

People Christians getting upset at sexy nun costumes or pearl-clutching about risque Halloween costumes. And on the other side of that coin are people complaining about not being able to wear racially insensitive costumes.

In fact, costumes in general: people running out to buy a cheap, overpriced mess of polyester that they will only wear once. It's just overconsumption galore, I saw Halloween-themed decorations in August.

Why is everything about this annual event for literal children so annoying now?

[ravenadottir]

HEY!! i just wanna start by saying i love love LOVE ur stuff and I've read too much to calculate three hundred times and everything u write is so cool woohoo

and speaking of my boy Carl! i downloaded matchmaker recently, and after hours of cheating at candy crush, i found that apparently one of Carl's interests is anime??

i rly don't see him watching anything other than like, death note and spirited away, but i rly wanted to see what u think abt it!

thank you so much, it means a lot to know people like carl's story 🥺💙😭

sooooooo... i'm absolutely the wrong person to ask this, 'cause i don't watch anime so my answer will be lacking.

from the ones i've seen, i agree with you about 'death note' because it has such a dark storyline, i think carl digs that a lot.

'attack on titan' is in his list for the same reason. it's almost cathartic to him i would say. don't know where he stands with this tik tok trend though lol

i haven't seen 'spirited away' yet, so i don't know what's about and can't really agree or disagree (i want to stay away from the premise 'cause i like the mystery), so let me comment on the ones i think he might dig besides those:

he read 'demon slayer' mangas and is enjoying the anime now. the humor, sometimes acid sometimes goofy, can really represent his own jokes fairly, 'cause most of them are double meaning and whenever he catches one he's like "😝 haha i get it".

also, he might really like nezuko because of the duality she's trapped in. being a demon is not easy, especially if you're travelling in a box.

anime probably happened really early on, so 'sailor moon', 'dragonball' and 'saint seiya' ('knights of the zodiac') might've been part of his initiation. playing around while pretending to be one of them is probably the thing he did the most, especially because i think he had a lonely childhood. i definitely seem him playing as ami mizuno (sailor mercury) and the little dude in red (i think he's pegasus seiya?), because of the aesthetic they have in common.

and i don't think carl cared about being a female character at all. they have a lot in common and that's what matters to him.

"fullmetal alchemist" is one of those pieces of media that truly mature a child quickly, since a vital part of the story was really shocking (you know the one). now it feels nostalgic to go back and watch it, and cry over that part. given he was 10 when it was first published i reckon he grew up wth it, but it's so mature i think he watches it to this day.

he might've let animes like 'sakura' or 'naruto' slip because of the themes. carl strikes me as the type of kid who was born with an old soul, so naruto repeating himself for the 50th time in the same episode could've been jarring, despite having some other amazing characters like kakashi, gaara (the love of my life) and even sasuke.

i also headcanon carl being very passionate about sakura being wasted away in stupidity for so long. SHE WAS WASTED, OK? she was so fucking capable but somehow would turn into an idiot all the time, i hated that!

now, about pokemon. i feel like every kid had their phase, and sometimes pokemon doesn't even feel like anime because it's not as underground as others can be.

still, i can see little carl with a cap on his bowl cut and fingerless gloves while playing with stuffed toys, and later on gameboy.

it's possible he still plays it from time to time, including the TCG format and pokemon go. no one can change my mind he geeks out about legendary pokemon he has in his backpack in the app.

plus, i risk to say his favorite of all time is arceus or xerneas, and his initial was squirtle.

and i think that's all i can contribute! i haven't even scratched the surface with these suggestions, but i would like to hear your thoughts and anyone else's who digs anime and manga. i have probably seen less than 1% of what's out there, so i would love to hear from more people!

[rosetinted-selfshipping]

I had the idea to start a Selfshipping side blog for awhile since 1 my main Account is kinda hideous and I just wanted a new slate especially now that I understand tumblr more 2 cause I really like the self shipping community! And I used to write fanfic

My pronouns are She/her

That being said I stopped writing fanfic for a reason, it made me KINDA anxious the pressure of doing requests got to me but I think I could do an imagine every once in awhile if nothing else and if you want you can request an imagine or prompt from me I’d just ask you maybe don’t expect much but it would still be appreciated of course!

As for me personally I’m a minor so no, No, NO NSFW. I had a pretty YIKES experience on Instagram once upon a time and I do not want a repeat of that. But you can call me Rosie or Rin (my self insert’s name) also do let me know if you want me to talk about my Ocs! I have quite a lot. Idk if I wanna add another section to this blog (since I’m just starting out) but let me know if you’d be interested!

For my rules/DNI just don’t be Racist or a Pedophile or homophobic or transphobic or request or say anything of that nature on this blog. And I think that’s all I should really have to say on that matter

Also feel free to have an Anon name if you want!

Little note before I list these things. I have the attention span of a goldfish, a goldfish easily distracted by any pretty anime character that has a good amount of fanfics and by the color pink. So simply know I’ll try to name things I’m if nothing else fairly sure I could hold a conversation about not necessarily things I’ve finished.

Anime

Yugioh (all gens)

Beyblade (the metal saga)

Uta no prince sama (I’m sad Shining live is dead)

Diabolik Lovers (I know it’s horrible but it is ✨My Trash✨)

Demon slayer (My sister put it on in front of me and I’ve been a mess for Gyutaro ever since)

Idol time PriPara (I love PriPara so much even though I’ve only seen idol time SOMEONE LET ME INFO DUMP ABOUT MY PRIPARA OCS PLEASE-)

Aikatsu (mostly Stars)

Mermaid Melody/ Pichi Pichi Pitch (I adore this show! I just need to stop procrastinating and watch it before they take it off of YouTube lol)

My hero (I still need to catch up but even then I’m not that attached to anything but the fanfic I wrote in my head)

Shugo Chara (it’s Cardcaptor Sakura but it’s not as bad. For legal reasons this is a joke)

The my melody anime (I haven’t seen the sequel series at all tho)

Revolutionary Girl Utena (I ADORE THIS SHOW’S AESTHETICS AND MUSIC. I will stop procrastinating and finish it one day)

Sailor moon (I know how shocking from a girl who clearly loves magical girl anime)

Save me Lolipop!/ Mamotte! Lolipop (this was my first anime I watched by myself please tell me you know it!)

Kamisama Kiss (I hate Tomoe Stan Nanami to death though)

Kamikaze Kaito Jeane (I’ve only read the Manga WHERE IS THE ANIME?!)

Fairy tail (i Haven’t seen the last season I will cry)

Fruits basket (I didn’t watch the new one it looked to idk shiny for me personally)

Tokyo Mew Mew (Kisshu my problematic Fave 🥺)

Earth defense club love (please someone tell me they simped for the twins in season 2)

Miraculous ladybug (sure it’s arguably not anime but if you look at all the other magical girl anime here you should not be surprised)

Precure/ Glitter force (yeah I grew up with glitter force I’m sorry I’m loving delicious party tho!)

Games

Idolish7 (I know it’s an anime too but I mostly play this game for the music)

Hypnosismic (Ramuda’s Drops lives Rent free in my brain and I DID NOT give consent)

Ensemble stars (idk what they’re saying but wow All of Knights sure is pretty wow also so happy about eng release! ✨)

Ayakashi Romance Reborn (Fun fact: This game’s English server is dead so I surgically attached it in my brain to demon slayer)

Twisted wonderland (I hate this game immensely ✨)

Genshin Impact (i hate this game more ♡)

Cookie run Kingdom (I’m sorry red velvet cookie is hot okay-)

Play Uta no Prince Sama Shining live (never mind it’s dead now)

Pokémon Masters (I have 2 Ns so far!)

Sonic (*looks at my old Sonic Ocs* *looks away quickly*)

The Atelier Series (Quick review of all the Atelier games I played: Ryza Decent, Lulua Bane of my existence, Sophie is the prettiest girl ever 🥺 oh no I haven’t played her game yet why do you ask?)

Fate/GO (It’s really fun when the Gacha isn’t being mean and I’m enjoying the charming servants even though unfortunately find myself liking the boys more because of reasons you can guess)

Yugioh Master Duel (I’ll put my friend code later)

Yugioh Duel Links (proud Yuzu Main)

Pokémon (main series)

Code vain/ god eater (I will play anything with a character creator part 1)

Play Uta no Prince Sama shining live (I will miss you forever)

Pretty Princess party (I will play anything with a character creator part 2)

Story of seasons (I’m a gamer girl what do you want from me? 👁👄👁💅)

Disney Magical World 1/2 (i will play anything with a Character creator part 3)

Kingdom hearts (i haven't finished 2 or 3 and i cannot be talked too about Tarzan's world but i loved the mobile game and dream drop distance)

Style Saavy, any of them (Best games ever made, other than Uta no Prince Sama shining live-)

Uta No Prince Sama shining live available now on IOS and Android (The world just didn’t understand it while we did have it 🥺)

Manga/Comics

Anything by Arina Tanemura (I’m BARELY exaggerating)

Beasts of Abigale (ya like Goth Furries?)

Kiss of the Rose princess (ya like Goth Yugioh Players?)

Ultra Maniac (Aka my first experience going: “oh my god read the manga the manga is better then the anime”)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also really love Fashion and Designing! I’m not learning it or anything (I’d probably be a failure Irl lol) but if you wanna talk or show me designs feel free too

I do have a Tag tho! #Magical Fashion Fairytale feel to scroll through designs I’ve posted

Imagines masterlist f/o list

Also I made all the headers and my icon on PicsArt

Did my Imagines masterlist!

Last Edited January 2nd 2023

[weirdplutoprince]

Top 5 Magical Girls?

This is the best question ever its also so difficult...

Ok so

5 - I really love the themes of hope and sacrifice in Madoka, but I dont really care about the series before episodes 10-11 so it has to be the fifth. That said, I love those episodes to death and I often rewatch them because they get to me so much. I'll never forget Madoka saving all magical girls because she wanted to reward them for having hopes and dreams and didnt want them to die alone and in pain. 10/10

4 - Sakura Kinomoto because she's sweet and I enjoy the manga enough, so she's here. The story has some really nice moments, specially with the cards, and I like that she generally gets rewarded for being kind and sweet. Plus it's such a classic!

3- No one knows this one but Turma da Mônica Geração 12 exists and I love her very much for it. It's a brazillian magical girl story and it's so cute. I've drawn her before because she's really awesome.

2- Precure Healin' Good protagonist, Nodoka!! I haven't finished this one yet but its such a good magical girl anime. I love the protagonist so bad, I love how brave she is, I love how she kicks ass, I love how shes so determined to live a fulfiling life and I felt so happy watching every episode. I don't know much about the brand but this precure is special to me.

1- CHOCOLA KATOU!!! From Sugar Sugar Rune!!!! This was probably my first magical girl manga ever and I love it so much. I love the aesthetic, I love how girly and magical and witchy it is. I love the central friendship of the two girls, I love the fashion, I love the school setting. I love the wands, I love everything. I cant judge this neutrally at all, I grew up with this I cannot not give it first place. Chocola is the best, sorry.

Honorable mention: I respect Sailor Moons aesthetic and place in the genre so so bad, but I dont like the story and characters very much. Still worth mentioning, kudos to it.

[lalekaplanbrody]

"The aesthetic is gouache." She replied quietly, playfully. Her mother would have never let something like that fly. Once when Lale was a young girl, she wanted to decorate her room in a Sailor Moon theme with bright pink and blues, and the idea alone was enough to send her mother into a tizzy. She had to go to bed early to sleep off the headache the request brought. For the most part, Azra was a good mom. At least before she abandoned them, but at her core, she was still a wealthy woman with impeccable but limited taste.

"We'll just keep his door shut," Lale whispered, mostly teasing. She happily existed in a moment so serene that she was afraid to sigh too loud or move too quickly. She wanted to hold onto it for as long as possible. Besides, Berkan was a good boy and deserved to make his room feel like it was his, even if it had belonged once to someone else, even if his design choices were super on the nose. "The time on the turf was pretty nice." She admitted quietly. Lale had missed it for the simpler time it was. Before her womb grew and the varsity sweaters stretched and no longer fit her making it impossible to hide the truth and ending with her having to give up her last year. Thinking of her son now, she knew it was worth it because he was the best thing she'd ever had a hand in creating.

Lale softened, her gaze on his face while he shared something that felt so intimate she wanted to pause and spend hours finding the perfect words to encourage more and more of him. Fourteen years and Lale felt like there was still so much to discover about Ben. She longed to know him as fervently as she longed to bury herself. "He's the best parts of you." Lale settled on truthfully. "He's a good boy. I'm afraid he's going to do something. Eventually, we don't love. I hope he comes to us. No matter what, I'll know we've done a good job if he comes to us."

Lale hadn't had a parent to turn to when the test held two pink lines. Just an aunt who she hid it from until she'd grown too big for her not to notice. Even then, Lale couldn't find it in her to care when Miray expressed disappointment in her. None of it had mattered until she claimed her father would be ashamed. Those strung-together words were enough to snap the self-restraint Lale had curated and held onto for dear life. The ensuing fight between Miray and Lale had been so cruel and damaging she'd never spoken of it. Not even when she went to Ben, her face sticky with tears and her fingers curled into fists. Lale drew a slow and deep breath, holding it inside her as she thought over his question, his words. They filled her with more hope than she could verbalize. Their hold on her, how they wrapped her up and flooded her with warmth, made Lale feel impossibly vulnerable, reminding her of how much she loved Ben. When it was good, she sighed quietly and exhaled, "My father's garden." Lale didn't often speak of the man who their son had been named. It was too difficult. So much of her home had been altered by her aunt, but his garden was overgrown and desolate. "It needs some care, but I think it could thrive again." Lale smiled now, "We could grow flowers and herbs, some vegetables." Her eyes briefly moved towards the sunroom. "There are fruit trees, one for me and one for my sister. We should plant one for Berkan. What do you think?" Her blue hues landed back on him with loving ease- they were real. They were here. The comfort they could sometimes exist so effortlessly was enough to make her chest flutter with all her unsettled hope that she kept to herself. All her desires and best-kept secrets fluttered and made her head dizzy with love, love, love. It was so easy to forget when he had broken her heart. Effortless to slide into how Lale felt things were always supposed to be if he'd never gotten injured or had an affair. They were always meant to be this way, her naive hope promised, and Lale nodded quietly, "I love you." It was all Lale could manage because right now, she did, and it felt like one of the only true things she was sure of. For now, it was everything she could ever have wanted. For now, she felt his love and was content, happy, and hopeful. There it was, the hope for the future. Naively, Lale let it sweep her away. His words caressed her lips, and she punctuated them with a kiss, her fingers snaking under his shirt to dance along the curve of his side. "Now?" She asked, a low whisper between kisses muffled between their lips. Maybe her mind was clouded with more than wanting to grow their family. Warm, hazy desire rushed through her, and Lale couldn't think of anything she'd rather be doing than pressing her lithe body against the contours of her husband's body. She almost wanted to ask nicely, but instead, she kissed again along his jaw towards his ear, where she whispered, "I want you."

Though their mood was tame and they were sitting close together, her dramatic reaction when he divulged more details about the chair set he'd seen made him laugh. He kept it a chuckle, not wanting to pierce through their moment with anything too big. "Oh, come on. We both spent enough of our time on turf that we know it's not that bad. Just a little pad of it in his room for the aesthetic?"

He was absolutely teasing. But now he was committed to the bit and, as strange as it felt to be himself who barely smiled also and be lighthearted, it felt nice, too. He stole another sip of wine to keep it going and then replaced his glass on the table behind the couch.

He offered a shrug. "I don't know. That's still a while away. And I think the dorms for the sports scholarships are pretty small. He might not have room for anything like that." He wasn't sure which was more normal -- her quiet, intensifying voice when she spoke of it, or his casual shrug. He wasn't really into worrying about something that wouldn't happen for five more years. The present offered just as many options for anxiety. "I worry more about him being like me now than I worry about what he'll do when he goes to college." After all, he'd been Berkan's age when he tried marijuana for the first time. And only slightly older the first time he'd gotten head. He could only hope, by taking a more active interest even when Bear resisted, he could help the kid stay a kid a bit longer.

He was a little surprised the way the explanations poured out of her from his simple, two-word question. It wasn't a bad surprise, though, flooding him with warmth that had to have been aided a little by the wine unraveling his thoughts and keeping them from twisting too tightly around her words. "Do you think there are things you want to keep the same? Like for comfort? Or do you want to change everything?" He bit his lip. "We're not the same as we left us here. So we can do whatever we want. We're not young or scared or... depending on my dad for money. I'll do whatever you want here," he promised. And he was usually short on those, but he couldn't stop that one from slipping out.

It could all change with the sun in the morning, but tonight, honestly, all he wanted was to make her happy. And maybe to also make himself happy, too.

He was almost sure he could manage both at the same time.

"We are real. Kinda messy sometimes." His eyes darted around and, yes, they had just unpacked in the barest of sense, but that wasn't the only thing he meant. "But we're here."

It was harder to let his eyes or thoughts wander when she was pressed up against him saying things that maybe weren't everything he'd ever wanted, but didn't feel wrong to hear, either. The tension inside him when he thought of him and father as the same, even though he had some confidence, abated when she talked about actually trying to make a baby. She did know the way to his heart. (It wasn't through his stomach.) He breathed a wisp of laugher as she twisted and, with a glance, he could meet her eyes for a minute. The dim light cast from the lamp across the room made her glowy and gorgeous and absolutely sincere. God, he could absolutely remember what it felt like when he was in love with her; it was still so close he could practically taste it. And all the reasons he had been were still the same. He could feel her kisses to his jawline all the way to his toes, but he didn't want to move or close his eyes, taking it all in until she was finished talking.

"Let's do it," he agreed, his voice no more than a whisper and, with the angle his head was at, the words breathed into her mouth. And he meant it, unreservedly, in both the ways she could take it.

[loverboypercy]

✨+ Princess starlight!

drop a ✨ in my ask box + one of ur self inserts and i’ll discuss what i like abt their design !

okay so whilst i only grew up w sailor moon a lotta my youth i was obessed w the magical girl aesthetic and princess starlights design hits me right in the nostalgia bcs of it.

the use of white to help the different pastel tones all work together? genius. the accessories r all So Cute and manage to both be simple to capture the kirby design aesthetics but also like are still readble as a cute dress and a crown.

also the soft fluffy angel wings contrasting w meta knights bat wings???? ough. the symbolism. the imagery.

ALSO ALSO the little multicoloured star freckles r SO CUTE i love it sm and it adds just that little 👌 to the face to really pull everything together

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Anonymous asked: As a beginner in Classics I love your Classicist themed posts. I find your caption perfect posts a lot to think upon. I suppose it’s been more than a few years since you read Classics at Cambridge but my question is do you still bother to read any Classic texts and if so what are you currently reading?

I don’t know whether to be flattered or get depressed by your (sincere) remarks. Thank you so much for reminding me how old I must come across as my youngish Millennial bones are already starting to creak from all my sins of past sport injuries and physical exertions. I’m reminded of what J.R.R Tolkien wrote, “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.” I know the feeling (sigh).

But pay heed, dear follower, to what Menander said of old age, Τίμα το γήρας, ου γαρ έρχεται μόνον (respect old age, for it does not come alone). Presumably he means we all carry baggage. One hopes that will be wisdom which is often in the form of experience, suffering, and regret. So I’m not ready to trade in my high heels and hiking boots for a walking stick and granny glasses just yet.

To answer your question, yes, I still to read Classical literature and poetry in their original text alongside trustworthy translations. Every day in fact. 

I learned Latin when I was around 8 or 9 years old and Greek came later - my father and grandfather are Classicists - and so it would be hard to shake it off even if I tried.

So why ‘bother’ to read Classics? There are several reasons. First, the Classics are the Swiss Army knife to unpick my understanding other European languages that I grew up with learning. Second, it increases my cultural literacy out of which you can form informed aesthetic judgements about any art form from art, music, and literature. Third, Classical history is our shared history which is so important to fathom one’s roots and traditions. Fourth, spending time with the Classics - poetry, myth, literature, history - inspires moral insight and virtue. Fifth, grappling with classical literature informs the mind by developing intellectual discipline, reason, and logic.

And finally, and perhaps one I find especially important, is that engaging with Classical literature, poetry, or history, is incredibly humbling; for the classical world first codified the great virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, loyalty, sacrifice, and courage. These are qualities that we all painfully fall short of in our every day lives and yet we still aspire to such heights.

I’m quite eclectic in my reading. I don’t really have a method other than what my mood happens to be. I have my trusty battered note book and pen and I sit my arse down to translate passages wherever I can carve out a place to think. It’s my answer to staving off premature dementia when I really get old because quite frankly I’m useless at Soduku. We spend so much time staring at screens and passively texting that we don’t allow ourselves to slow down and think that physically writing gives you that luxury of slow motion time and space. In writing things out you are taking the time to reflect on thoughts behind the written word.

I do make a point of reading Homer’s The Odyssey every year because it’s just one of my favourite stories of all time. Herodotus and Thucydides were authors I used to read almost every day when I was in the military and especially when I went out to war in Afghanistan. Not so much these days. Of the Greek poets, I still read Euripides for weighty stuff and Aristophanes for toilet humour. Aeschylus, Archilochus and Alcman, Sappho, Hesiod, and Mimnermus, Anacreon, Simonides, and others I read sporadically.

I read more Latin than Greek if I am honest. From Seneca, Caesar, Cicero, Sallust, Tacitus, Livy, Apuleius, Virgil, Ovid, the younger Pliny to Augustine (yes, that Saint Augustine of Hippo). Again, there is no method. I pull out a copy from my book shelves and put it in my tote bag when I know I’m going on a plane trip for work reasons.

At the moment I am spending time with Horace. More precisely, his famous odes.

Of all the Greek and Latin poets, I feel spiritually comfortable with Horace. He praises a simple life of moderation in a much gentler tone than other Roman writers. Although Horace’s odes were written in imitation of Greek writers like Sappho, I like his take on friendship, love, alcohol, Roman politics and poetry itself. With the arguable exception of Virgil, there is no more celebrated Roman poet than Horace. His Odes set a fashion among English speakers that come to bear on poets to this day. His Ars Poetica, a rumination on the art of poetry in the form of a letter, is one of the seminal works of literary criticism. Ben Jonson, Pope, Auden, and Frost are but a few of the major poets of the English language who owe a debt to the Roman.

We owe to Horace the phrases, “carpe diem” or “seize the day” and the “golden mean” for his beloved moderation. Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, of Ancient Mariner fame, praised the odes in verse and Wilfred Owen’s great World War I poem, Dulce et Decorum est, is a response to Horace’s oft-quoted belief that it is “sweet and fitting” to die for one’s country.

Unlike many poets, Horace lived a full life. And not always a happy one. Horace was born in Venusia, a small town in southern Italy, to a formerly enslaved mother. He was fortunate to have been the recipient of intense parental direction. His father spent a comparable fortune on his education, sending him to Rome to study. He later studied in Athens amidst the Stoics and Epicurean philosophers, immersing himself in Greek poetry. While led a life of scholarly idyll in Athens, a revolution came to Rome. Julius Caesar was murdered, and Horace fatefully lined up behind Brutus in the conflicts that would ensue. His learning enabled him to become a commander during the Battle of Philippi, but Horace saw his forces routed by those of Octavian and Mark Antony, another stop on the former’s road to becoming Emperor Augustus.

When he returned to Italy, Horace found that his family’s estate had been expropriated by Rome, and Horace was, according to his writings, left destitute. In 39 B.C., after Augustus granted amnesty, Horace became a secretary in the Roman treasury by buying the position of questor's scribe. In 38, Horace met and became the client of the artists' patron Maecenas, a close lieutenant to Augustus, who provided Horace with a villa in the Sabine Hills. From there he began to write his satires. Horace became the major lyric Latin poet of the era of the Augustus age. He is famed for his Odes as well as his caustic satires, and his book on writing, the Ars Poetica. His life and career were owed to Augustus, who was close to his patron, Maecenas. From this lofty, if tenuous, position, Horace became the voice of the new Roman Empire. When Horace died at age 59, he left his estate to Augustus and was buried near the tomb of his patron Maecenas.

Horace’s simple diction and exquisite arrangement give the odes an inevitable quality; the expression makes familiar thoughts new. While the language of the odes may be simple, their structure is complex. The odes can be seen as rhetorical arguments with a kind of logic that leads the reader to sometimes unexpected places. His odes speak of a love of the countryside that dedicates a farmer to his ancestral lands; exposes the ambition that drives one man to Olympic glory, another to political acclaim, and a third to wealth; the greed that compels the merchant to brave dangerous seas again and again rather than live modestly but safely; and even the tensions between the sexes that are at the root of the odes about relationships with women.

What I like then about Horace is his sense of moderation and he shows the gap between what we think we want and what we actually need. Horace has a preference for the small and simple over the grandiose. He’s all for independence and self-reliance.

If there is one thing I would nit pick Horace upon is his flippancy to the value of the religious and spiritual. The gods are often on his lips, but, in defiance of much contemporary feeling, he absolutely denied an afterlife - which as a Christian I would disagree with. So inevitably “gather ye rosebuds while ye may” is an ever recurrent theme, though Horace insists on a Golden Mean of moderation - deploring excess and always refusing, deprecating, dissuading.

All in all he champions the quiet life, a prayer I think many men and women pray to the gods to grant them when they are caught in the open Aegean, and a dark cloud has blotted out the moon, and the sailors no longer have the bright stars to guide them. A quiet life is the prayer of Thrace when madness leads to war. A quiet life is the prayer of the Medes when fighting with painted quivers: a commodity, Grosphus, that cannot be bought by jewels or purple or gold? For no riches, no consul’s lictor, can move on the disorders of an unhappy mind and the anxieties that flutter around coffered ceilings.

Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt (they change their sky, not their soul, who rush across the sea.)

Part of Horace’s persona - lack of political ambition, satisfaction with his life, gratitude for his land, and pride in his craft and the recognition it wins him - is an expression of an intricate web of awareness of place. Reading Horace will centre you and get you to focus on what is most important in life. In Horace’s discussion of what people in his society value, and where they place their energy and time, we can find something familiar. Horace brings his reader to the question - what do we value?  

Much like many of our own societies, Rome was bustling with trade and commerce, ambition, and an area of vast, diverse civilisation. People there faced similar decisions as we do today, in what we pursue and why. As many of us debate our place and purpose in our world, our poet reassures us all. We have been coursing through Mondays for thousands of years. Horace beckons us: take a brief moment from the day’s busy hours. Stretch a little, close your eyes while facing the warm sun, and hear the birds and the quiet stream. The mind that is happy for the present should refuse to worry about what is further ahead; it should dilute bitter things with a mild smile.

I would encourage anyone to read these treasures in translations. For you though, as a budding Classicist, read the texts in Latin and Greek if you can. Wrestle with the word. The struggle is its own reward. Whether one reads from the original or from a worthy translation, the moral virtue (one hopes) is wisdom and enlightenment.

Pulvis et umbra sumus

(We are but dust and shadow.)

Thanks for your question.

[silvermoon424]

Hey Katy! I'm a long time follower, love your blog!! I remember you saying that you used to be Catholic. I'm just curious, were you ever antagonistic towards the LGBTQIA+ community? I don't remember seeing posts like that on your blog over the years.

Sorry if that's too personal and feel free to not respond, but as someone who's been nonreligious my entire life I find the topic to be interesting. Have a great day 🥰

Hey there, always great to hear from long-time followers!

As for your question... honestly, I wasn't raised in a very antagonistic environment towards LGBTQ+ people. We just kinda... didn't talk about them, lol. When they came up I was told we should love them but that their lifestyle went against the Bible's teachings. But it was hardly the fire and brimstone approach a lot of queer kids unfortunately go through. It was much more of a casual "love the sinner, hate the sin" kind of thing (which is still harmful in its own way, but I was never told "gay people are going to burn in hell").

As a result thankfully I was never all that homophobic (I didn't even see the point of "hating the sin" because I didn't see what gay people were doing was wrong, plus it came up so infrequently it didn't really have time to take root) and was very casual about homosexuality. I also grew up in the 2000s, when homosexuality was becoming more socially acceptable and gay people were getting more representation and rights, so I definitely absorbed that messaging. I'm not gonna say I didn't still hold some homophobic beliefs, but I definitely didn't think all gay people were going to hell or anything like that.

Also, this is kinda silly, but watching Sailor Moon (the original version) at age 13 made me a lot more open-minded. I saw Haruka and Michiru, two badass lesbians, and I was like "WOW these ladies are amazing and their relationship is so sweet, I love them!!" Whenever I heard people saying homophobic remarks I would just think "Excuse me, Haruka and Michiru are not your punching bags!!"

Another thing that helped me expand my mindset is when my sister's best friend (who I knew very well and liked) came out as gay. I know that was also a big turning point for my parents, who while not outwardly hateful and homophobic were definitely still very ignorant about gay people. A couple of years later I found Tumblr, and that also helped me educate myself on queer issues and pretty much cured any latent homophobia I may still have.

I should also mention at this point that I was 100% closeted as queer. I identify now as a biromantic ace and find other women to be very aesthetically attractive. But I lacked the perspective and terminology to realize my love for women's beauty and my lack of sexual attraction was not cisheteronormative so I just thought I was a weird straight person, lol. I didn't figure out my identity until I was in my 20s.

But I don't want to paint a picture that I was always amazing and non-bigoted. I said in a previous post a few days ago that I used to be transphobic, plus I was dismissive of nonbinary people (I didn't think they were "real"). It's only been in the past couple of years that I've been like "Wow, maybe I should shake off this societal brainwashing that non-cis people are bad." I'm still ignorant on issues of gender but I'm doing my best to listen to trans and nonbinary people on their experiences.

[western-magical-girl-confessions]

“Honestly, I sometimes think if magical girls as a genre, especially in western animation and media, is something that can be defined anymore. Female protagonists are the norm, outnumbering male protagonists in animation for a few years now (it's just an observation/statistics, not presenting it as a good/bad thing!) one of the main reasons is very pragmatic - boys tend to be more interesting in gaming that TV. Same for YA literature - 70% of writers is female after all. Series about them have often fantasy or science-fiction elements and characters have some kind of supernatural abilities. But the series is not inspired in any shape by Japanese mahou shojo from 90s/early 2000s that is seen as "staple" of the genre. 

Great example is Amphibia that does its very own thing. Western magical girls were always aesthetically different anyway - for example in magical outfits character desings that were less frilly and girly and skirts and more "current fashion but magical" like Winx Club. And on the contrary, Star vs Forces of Evil parodies Sailor Moon in her magical spells aesthetic but other that that it does not feel at all like traditional magical girl show. I love girly shows about magic, friendship, adventure and feminine themes etc. I grew up with! But I'm just not sure if this genre exists anymore? 

Definition was always very vague - "magic" and "girls". And even then "magic" can be replaced by "technology" and many people group Totally Spies with it. Miraculous Laybug shows that there is often no difference in magical girls and super heroes other that aesthetic. I feel like magical girls were coined a genre in an era where shows for boys dominated TV. And those shows also had transformation sequences (Ben 10, He-man) but I rarely see call them magical boys.

And I feel like it is a good thing? We don't need a separate genre for female protagonists anymore.”