#maybe it IS possible to have a series written with two main characters and multiple plots.... like bro.. just think a liiitle bit deeper

[bibimbinge]

idk about anyone else but getting that confirmation that Tongkla and Korn are in fact actual (albeit very messed up) boyfriends and not just have a sugarbaby/daddy deal was a detail I needed to make everything even better than it already was. more fucked up. adds more sparkle and spice to the plot 😌

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina , Do you have a category for reread fics?How can I find them

Meaning fics I’ve read more than once? I don’t think I’ve ever made one—let me see what I can do.

Hats Off To My Distant Hope by orphan_account (E, 21K) This was such a pleasure to read. The writing feels so effortless as the fic explores the deep emotions of these two characters. They’re stubborn and inarticulate and gentle and passionate and finally, finally open up to each other. I really wish I knew who wrote it because I’d love to read more of their work.

Walk That Mile by purpledaisy (E, 150K) I’ve read this one multiple times and still love it. Their bickering is so realistic, their resistance to their attraction to each other is perfect, the way the author portrays all of their weird quirks and differences but still makes it believable that they’d fall fo reach other is such fun to read….I love this fic.

my heart is breathing for this moment in time by usedtothebeach (E, 160K) Probably my absolute favorite time travel fic. I’ve read it more times than I’d like to admit, and every time I love it more. One of the things I like most is how organically the author weaves in canon events…every little moment is an easter egg without it being so obvious that it pulls you out of the fic. Anyway, this one is so moving and so absorbing, I hope you like it if you give it a try! There’s an 18K companion piece to it as well, but you’ll see the link at the appropriate time when you’re reading the main fic (and when you read the scene that breaks your heart –– in the best possible way –– come and scream at me. You’ll know which one I mean).

Our Lives, Non Fiction by @indiaalphawhiskey (E, 114K) this is, quite literally, the best fic I’ve read in years. It’s so well written, clever, funny, emotional, and sexy. Its draw you in immediately and you’ll end up falling in love with these characters before you know it. Don’t miss this one.

Never Never Never Stop for Anyone (Sheylinsonverse) by aimmyarrowshigh, spibsy (E, 10-work series, 439K)Yes, here I am again, putting this series on a list. Probably 10 people in this fandom like it as much as I do, but I don’t care. I have read all 440K words more than once, and will likely do it a few more times. Yes, it needs editing, but even so…really well written, super sexy (if you like reading BDSM and can handle Larry + someone else), and such interesting character development. One of my favorite things about this fic is how the authors differentiate between the ways the different characters inhabit their Dom and Sub personalities.

Make Your Words A Weapon by HelloAmHere (E, 36K) I love everything this author writes. This one just really hit me hard for whatever reason. Maybe it’s the way they explore Louis’ anxiety and coping mechanisms and pain and the way he pushes people away and protects himself, but also wants someone to push back just a bit and love him despite all of that. And the way Harry is the perfect foil for all of it, while also feeling like a fully developed character himself. Yeah, it’s probably all of that. Plus soul marks!

Pull Me Under by zarah5 (E, 140K) One of the very first fics I read when I came into this fandom…and I’ve read it multiple times since. Zarah’s fics hold up every time. This one has it all, great pacing, ot5 friendship, banter, super sexy smut, etc etc. Plus, Louis being super jealous of Harry’s best friend.

Into The Blue by zarah5 (E, 117K) honestly, I love all of this author’s fics, but I think this is my favorite of theirs. Louis as a flirty scuba instructor? Newly single Harry who just wants a fling? Boys living on other sides of the world who only have a few weeks together? Heartbreak. Hot af smut. OT5 friendship. Please….give me all that shit.

Faking It by TheCellarDoor (M, 46K)This one is so sweet. I loved Harry's internal monologue... his insecurities and thoughts that he'd made Louis uncomfortable because he liked, him made me cry. Louis is so soft and supportive. It’s just a lovely fic.

Remind Me Again by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (E, 29K) Every sentence in this fic is so effortlessly beautiful. I love that the miscommunication between them is done in a totally realistic way. The fight and make up like real people do and that makes the angst more painful and the making up more emotional. One of my favorite authors.

And Touch Me Like You Never by runaway_train (E, 36K) I really enjoyed how this author handled Harry’s confusion and growing attraction and eventual sexuality crisis. That, along with the angst and very sexy smut, made it a really good read.

may we all have a vision now and then by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (M, 4K) This author is one of my favorite writers in this fandom and everything they do is infused with so much delicacy and tenderness. I literally cried through this fic because of how wounded Harry’s character feels. Read it and then treat yourself to their whole AO3 catalogue.

Seeing Blind by zedi (E, 47K) I really liked the way this author gave a twist to both Omega Harry and Alpha Louis’ characteristics. It’s a whole lot of smut and miscommunication and, of course, a happy ending.

Shake Me Down by AGreatPerhaps12 (NR, 209K) this fic will run you through the wringer, but it’s really a great read. I really like the way the author took the boys from enemies to friends to boyfriends, and how we got to see how protective and supportive Louis became towards Harry.

smell the sea, feel the sky by @lightwoodsmagic (E, 16K) This is the perfect summer pining fic. I love that they’re adults and still the same horny, pining fools for each other and it still works. It’s just very sexy, light, and fun.

we can take the long road home by @pinkcords (E, 46K) This was absolutely gorgeous. And it made me cry, damn it. Seriously though, the writing is so beautiful. I loved the characterizations and the way they both showed their vulnerability. I loved the slow pace and the hot smut. I loved this fic.

smile in slow motion by istajmaal (E, 24K) One of my favorite Daddy kink authors, this one is lighthearted and funny while also being super sexy. Plus it’s got great Zouis friendship.

all my love was down on a frozen ground by navigator (E, 16K) This is an old one that I didn’t have bookmarked for some reason. But it’s a favorite and I love everything this author wrote. This is one of those quiet, soft fics with a bit of angst and a lot of internal monologue and gentle conversations. I don’t know, there’s something so touching about it.

Thought The Song Was Sung by 100percentsassy (E, 13K) This is both a famous/not famous and a dating app AU. Plus, older Larry. Plus an author who writes great fic. And this one is just sweet and charming and I really like this one.

the way the storms blow by rbbsbb (E, 22K) What would happen if you walked in on your best friend in the midst of an orgy? Louis finds out and it’s pretty damn hot.

we can take the long way home by eleadore (E, 27K) this one is a canon divergent future fic where Louis is a ���carrier” (basically, he would be able to get pregnant) and it’s just SO good. It’s beautifully written (like everything this author does), so well-paced, and I just find the way their developing relationship is written to be so touching and realistic.

The light to guide me home by Star_Henderson / @tommosgun (E, 65K) I don’t know what it is about this fic but I’ve read it so many times and I just really love the instant chemistry, the smut is stupid hot and fuels the character growth, and even with the angst, the whole thing is just lighthearted and sexy.

Speaking of Marvels by navigator, quitter (E, 101K) This was one of the first fics I read in this fandom, but I read it again recently and had forgotten how really wonderful it is. The writing is so lovely and the characters feel so well developed. I especially loved how the authors explored how differently the two of them would respond to their relationship given the different stages of life they were in. It made the romance and the attraction and the angst feel really real.

Constant Debauchery by Blake (E, 19K) Yes, yes, I know. I’ve probably recommended this 10 times. But have you read it yet? Anyway…Edwardian setting, uni ABO (Alpha/Alpha) fic. Gorgeous mood setting, I’ve said before that it reads like an Merchant Ivory film looks…just gorgeous. There’s a similar sense of repression and uncertainty about flouting societal expectations, and a character who appears one way on the surface, but underneath is quite different. I love this one, I’ve read it a number of times.

Lightening Strikes Twice by @dinosaursmate (E, 106K) It’s not often that I read a 100+K fic multiple times, but this one is worth it. It’s one of my favorites from this author, and a favorite all around. It’s an epic love story spanning decades and massive life changes. It’s sexy and well-written, and so touching, and so fulfilling in many ways.

precious little thing by mercutionnotromeo (E, 21K) I’ve read this one so many times…it’s got it all. This time the phone sex operator is Louis, and subby Harry is just beginning to realize his daddy kink.

Good Enough to Eat by objectlesson (E, 7K) This author always does such a good job with depicting young, queer love and the way their characters experience the overwhelm of realizing they’re not straight, realizing the’ve met their Person, pining, and giving in. I love a lot of their fics, but I think this is my favorite of them. Link is to a download.

One day to believe in you by mediaville (E, 8K) another author who always hits it out of the park as far as I’m concerned. This one is super funny and then super sexy. Louis gets cursed and has to tell the truth. No matter what Harry asks him. Read it!

like a bastard on a burning sea by vashtaneradas (NR, 21K) Heartbreaking, perfect writing. So well-written that the fandom hated real-life Harry for a while after this was posted. 😅

These Roads We Stumble Down by onewasturning (E, 18K) I adore this author’s writing and I’ve read this particular one multiple times. It’s just a little melancholy and very sexy and one of those fics that reminds me why I can read about the same two people falling in love 46372 times and never tire of it.

Empty Skies by green_feelings / @greenfeelings (E, 13K) I just started re-reading this the other day and it holds up so well. This author is always a pleasure to read. Their fics just are well plotted and the characters are nicely fleshed out. I loved Perrie as Harry’s bestie, the bitterness and angst is PAINFUL, and the ending feels well earned.

Wild and Unruly by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (E, 124K) One of the OG classics in this fandom. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing out. It’s just a great, original story. Plus, cowboy Harry, city boy Louis, bad guys to hate, nail biting drama, hot af sexual chemistry and smut, and a super satisfying ending.

Love Is A Rebellious Bird by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (E, 135K) Everything about this fic is glorious. I’m always struck by how well the characters are fleshed out, how their behavior lines up with their backstory, how ridiculously hot the chemistry is, and how agonizing the angst is. So yes, no shocker, I cried buckets. Thank god for a happy ending.

Unbelievers by isthatyoularry (E, 137K) High school Au, footie, enemies with benefits, so much sexual tension (and just tension), and really well-developed, complex characters. Most of the conflict in this (and in the companion fic from Harry’s POV) is straight up lack of communication. But, given the age of the characters, it’s forgivable (although sometimes frustrating).

In Dreams by dolce_piccante (M, 24K) This actually might be my favorite of this author’s fics, although I know it’s definitely not the most popular. It’s just soft and romantic and sweet and I’m a sucker for tattoo artist Louis winning over slightly uptight Harry.

Your Name Is Tattooed On My Heart my mcpofife (E, 87K) I reread this one recently and it's truly delightful. The characterizations are so well done. Harry is so endearing (I cried over his heartbreak). And the smut is both hot and really emotional. Love this one.

[physalian]

A Guide to Productive Filler

I was going to write this post about the wonders of fanfic and how it does not do the “forced miscommunication for cheap drama” trope, and it did not stay that post for long.

I’m sure it’s out there, but it’s not saturated in the most popular fics and I think I know why: Fanfic exists in contrast to the established canon, and the canon has forced miscommunication, thus fanfic looks at the perpetual failure of those plotlines and ignores it.

Nobody likes this trope, yet it keeps happening. In TV, at least in the old days when we had full seasons with appropriate and satisfying filler episodes and actual good stories and such (you know, before Disney +) TV shows were contracted to fill a minimum number of episodes and didn’t always have enough content to fill it, especially CW shows.

Enter filler episodes, which, when productive, still entertained the audience with off-beat side quests or gave more screen time to beloved side characters or explored more of the world and the lore. Filler plots meant that you could casually check in on your favorite show once a week, or miss an episode, and not feel completely lost because the plot wasn’t super tight and lean. Some of my favorite episodes of all my favorite TV shows are filler plots and just because they’re “filler,” as in, not a plot-heavy element to advance the narrative, doesn’t mean they were lacking in story.

That was good writing.

Bad filler elements were sh*t like forced miscommunication for cheap drama and it still exists even in the “mini series” that are really just long movies extended to keep people from canceling their subscriptions. TV shows may have one or two head writers, but they’re still written by committee and producers and production companies trying to milk as much from a profitable product as possible, which means they couldn’t write an efficient, epic romance that ended too quickly. They had to faff about for a few seasons before delivering to keep butts on couches tuning in to generate sweet, sweet ad revenue.

Forced miscommunication in TV shows have always made sense in that light. Yeah it’s a product of bad writing, but I can’t point at the head writer or even the staff writer alone and criticize their writing ability because it likely wasn’t their decision.

Forced miscommunication in books, however—that I have no excuse for. Books aren’t written by committee. In this case, I really can just blame the author for their bad choices, which, in turn, maybe came from their favorite TV shows and how they executed similar plot lines.

Fanfic does not do this, usually. It’s not written by committee and has no quota to fulfill to beef up the narrative with extra chapters.

—

So. You want your story to be longer, fanfic or otherwise, but you’re struggling because your plot is too thin and you don’t know where to go from here.

First, a disclaimer: Novellas exist and can be as short as they need to be.

“If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter,” means that  just because it’s long doesn’t mean every word serves a purpose. With enough time, the writer can trim down their thoughts for conciseness and clarity, and say the same thing with better impact with less beating around the bush.

So just because it’s short doesn’t make it bad, just because it’s long doesn’t make it good. It’s about what you do with the words you’ve written.

However, if it really is a thin story lacking substance and oomph, here’s some suggestions that are not sh*t like “forced miscommunication”. These are not meant for generalized application and should be considered heavily before implementing, because any one of them can change your book for the worse by adding in unnecessary detail that distracts from the main story.

1. Consider multiple narrators

Now. I just read a rather bad book that could have lost about ⅔ of its story for a variety of reasons and told the same story in a fraction of the page count. One of those issues was giving the villain several POVs that ruined the suspense and the tension because the reader became privy to their grand plan long before the protagonist and instead of having all our questions dying to be answered with the protagonist, we were waiting around for them to stop fooling around and figure it out already.

With that said, if you have a character of second importance to the protagonist whose perspective would benefit and enrich the story, consider giving them POVs to explore either when the protagonist couldn’t be present, or in contrast to the main narrator’s thoughts on the story and conflict.

I’ve never written anything without multiple POVs and still get carried away sometimes just trying to fill in all the missing time that didn’t add enough to the story to make it worth it. I have deleted POVs from ENNS that were better left up to audience interpretation then all laid out on the table.

This technique very much necessitates restraint, but giving your foil character, your deuteragonist, even your villain some narration “screen time” might help you beef up your word count and tell more than just one biased side of the same story. Fanfic tends to be very efficient with this because, again, one writer working for free tends to want to be efficient and not give pages upon pages of useless prose.

2. Side-quests and character studies

My all time favorite filler episode of any TV show is LOST’s “The Constant”. It focuses entirely on the side character Desmond. He’s an unwilling time-traveler and throughout season 4, struggles to control his temporal displacement and risks dying if he can’t find a “constant” to anchor him to the correct timeline.

This episode is often praised as one of, if not the show’s finest hour. Desmond spends most of the runtime flipping erratically between the past and the present as his romantic relationship spirals for other plot reasons. He ends up making his “constant” his fraught relationship and is able to revert to the past with knowledge of the future to get his then-ex girlfriend’s new phone number so he can call her at an exact date in the future to prove he won’t have given up on them. When Des finally makes that call 8 years later, it’s so emotional, so full of catharsis, so exciting to see him finally reach her after struggling since we met him.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot at large, only Desmond’s arc. It explores some of the world’s lore but doesn’t answer any of the main plot questions or progress any other major character, and Des is the only time traveler so all the risk surrounding time travel is only for him. Critically, it still adheres to the themes of the show and fulfills much of the promises of this character’s role in it.

The show’s worst episode, “Stranger in a Strange Land,” is also filler about protagonist Jack’s tattoos. He makes a relationship with a woman nobody cares about and spends the entirety of the episode’s flashbacks, which is most of the episode’s runtime, dicking around in Thailand. With this quasi-wise woman’s tattoo techniques. Nobody cares what they mean, they didn’t connect with the themes of the show, didn’t tell us anything substantial about Jack or the world, lore, or story, and just felt like a massive waste of time.

If you’re going to write side quests, be more like “The Constant” and less like “Stranger in a Strange Land”. 

3. “Slice of Life” moments

A repeat of referencing this scene and this movie but I don’t care: “Doc Racing” from Cars is just one example. Adding in scenes like these won’t give you tens of thousands of words, but maybe you only need a couple hundred to feel satisfied.

Slice of life moments slow the pacing down, so place them wisely, and just let your characters be people in their world. Small things, human things. In Cars, it’s an old man letting himself enjoy life again when he thinks nobody’s watching. I have a scene in my sci-fi WIP series where two brothers, plagued by their family’s social status, take a drive and pick up greasy drive-thru food to park on a mountain overlook and just watch the city while licking salt off their fingers. I think Across the Spiderverse is about 20 minutes too long, but that scene of Miles and Gwen upside down on the roof before the plot ramps up is another quiet, human moment.

It could be a character who needs a break from the breakneck speed of the plot and the stress to listen to music, walk away from the project and enjoy the sun, anything. Do try to not get overly pretentious trying to make it super metaphorical and poetic, let the audience do it for you. These quiet scenes could end up being the audience’s favorite.

—

If you’re trying to make your book longer, don’t be like Bilbo Baggins, okay? Don’t let your characters be spread thin, like butter scraped over too much bread. Add, don’t stretch. If the romance is on track to come together sooner, let it, or figure out a more meaningful way to delay it than throwing in a dumb argument that won’t mean anything in 20 pages anyway.

This wasn’t an exhaustive list, just what I think could be the most effective with the widest applications across genres.

[tolnas-vault]

Announcing The Wroot of Romance Fic Collab.

Sign up on the Tolna's Vault Discord Server.

Show Your Love For Barcus Wroot By Participating In This Collaborative Fanfiction Series of Barcus Wroot Ships.

The Premise

The idea is that Barcus is going to go through the game timeline and meet a lot of different people. Some of these encounters will cause some canon divergence, but the game timeline will be mostly kept. There will be smut, fluff, friendship - whatever you want to write! Each chapter will focus on a single partnering, with a title relating to it in the format “The Wroot of _____” in which the blank relates to the partner or the relationship between them. Writers signing up can volunteer for a listed character or add a new character to the list that they want to write about, and after the sign up period we will check the assignments and decide an order together.

How To Sign Up

Join the Tolna's Vault Discord Server (invite link above) and follow the link to the sign up spreadsheet featured in the Wroot of Romance event description, and pinned in the #the-wroot-of-romance-collab channel.

You will also need to have an AO3 account and share your username with us - there is a second tab in the spreadsheet with a table to add your aliases!

The table should be pretty simple to use. If there’s a character not on the list that you’d like to add, put them in a new row! You can also add title suggestions if you think of something fun, and we’ll all agree on the final titles that fit best when the event starts. There’s a column to volunteer to write a character, and you’re welcome to add your name here as long as you don’t remove anyone else’s without their permission - for now keep it to your Discord username from Tolna’s so we know who you are! We will add a column for AO3 names and other aliases later.

Each character will get one chapter written by one writer (unless two or more agree to collab on a single chapter together), and if several people have interest in the same character we can work it out in the server together.

Event Timeline

Sign ups will end on the 1st May to allow us a day or so to ensure we have the writers set up with their pairing(s). Then we will work together on an order/structure together so we know the chronological story - and release - order of everyone’s works!  The next deadline is the 10th May - by this date you will need a bullet point summary of your fic plan. That way, you can coordinate with the writers before and after you to ensure we have a cohesive story structure. We might also be able to reference - or even add foreshadowing! - from each others ideas so we can even have some real character development for Barcus as he goes on a very sexy adventure across the sword coast.

The first batches of submissions will be due in by the end of May, and the release schedule will be one chapter every few days through June/maybe July to stagger them for readers but also keep a nice steady flow until we reach the end.

It’s best to publish these as a Series on AO3 with each chapter as a new work (so your “chapter” can have multiple chapters if you need to, particularly if it runs long or you feel it needs a split in the middle to be more reader-friendly). This also means each person’s submission will have its own tags on it, and will be easier to find for those just looking for each individual pairing they like.

The Concept So Far

A chance encounter with Abdirak in act 1 will kickstart this fic series, as this crack ship sparked the idea. Abdirak (in his own unique way) will encourage Barcus to open himself up to new possibilities. And thus we begin Barcus' journey of self discovery and relationship building. Some of his encounters will be romantic, some platonic, some simply smutty. You get to write what you feel is best for the ship you choose.

The Rules

The main thing is to follow all the rules listed in Tolna’s server, make sure your works are tagged appropriately, but otherwise follow your hearts and dreams! Want to go full Dead Dove? Do it! As long as it fits the event, it’s fine. You can also go pure SFW fluff if you want, you don’t have to make it smutty at all unless you want to.

Do be mindful of the people following you directly in the series. You should be able to summarize the "important events" in your fic with as few triggers as possible so people can follow up from your story even if your content isn't to their taste. If you can summarize all your Dead Dove elements with "they had a wild night." you are free to write anything you'd like happening that night in the fic proper. Please try to stick close to the deadlines, but if you are struggling let someone know ASAP and we can work something out! Otherwise? Have fun!

[crafty-lei]

GO2: the relationships

Good Omens 2 SPOILERS AHEAD. If you haven't watched the whole thing at least once through, DO NOT READ. Also minor Supernatural spoilers, if you've been living under a rock for the last year or so.

Coming into this series, I have a long history, as most of us do, of being let down when it comes to heteronormative presenting shows giving us queer main relationships. Supernatural, anyone? Dumbledore being gay also comes to mind. I can think of so many more, like Teen Wolf or 9-1-1 more recently.

It is one thing for a show which bills itself as being LGBTQ to have queer main relationships, like Heartstopper. These characteristically advertise their LGBTQ-ness. And many ensemble dramas will give you queer characters that are queer presenting from the start - Hen and TK in 9-1-1 and Lone Star come to mind, Modern Family, etc., although as in these cases, they are not particularly the "main" characters.

But the development of queer relationships in characters not originally presented as being queer are exceptionally rare and almost always, if they do happen, women. Willow and Tara from Buffy are the best example I can think of - main characters in an ensemble cast, Willow had multiple heterosexual relationships but then meets and falls in love with a woman. At the time it felt groundbreaking. I could go into the implications of this being a female/female rather than male/male relationship, but I'll take it as read that we know that TV prefers to cater to male gazes and move on? But similar not-upfront-queer male-presenting characters then developing a queer relationship, it almost never happens. I cannot actually think of a single time when it has happened.

Supernatural is a good example - Dean has many heterosexual relationships, Castiel is an Angel so agender but male-presenting, and presented initially as asexual, but he also then has heterosexual relationships. The chemistry was very clear, and Misha Collins has clearly said that his last scene was meant romantically, but that was as far as it got, and ended with a kill-your-gays trope death scene.

Like Castiel, Crowley nor Aziraphale are agender Angel/Demons, but are mostly male-presenting characters and from reading the book and most of season 1, they are not initially presented as romantically connected. So although many fans, David Tennant, Michael Sheen and Neil Gaiman himself seemed to see and feel the romantic connection between the two angels, given the givens, I really didn't expect to actually see a relationship happen. Some euphemistic indicators that possibly they have a romantic connection that could be denied if the Pope asked, maybe. Kissing, definitely unexpected! I actually didn't know what to do with myself!

It's also interesting when you consider that Good Omens was written in England and published in 1990 - in the UK in 1988 a law called Section 28 was published, which made it illegal to "promote homosexuality". In 1990, gay relationships were still subject to discrimination, gay couples could not get married, adopt or foster and men in particular were subjected to a raft of discriminatory behaviour due to the fear sparked by the AIDs epidemic and the false correlation between that and homosexuality and the medical malpractice and ignorance they suffered as a result. This story, written in this time and about Angels as well, would have been exceptionally difficult to imagine being a love story.

Incidentally, most of Harry Potter was published under Section 28, as it was repealed in 2003 so only HBP and DH were published after Section 28, so Dumbledore's 'gayness' would have potentially been illegal to include in the earlier books. When you think of the stark cultural differences between Good Omens' publication in 1990 and the TV show in 2019, it's easier to really quantify the stark changes that the country has undergone since decriminalisation in 1967 (only 55 years ago), or the last executions of homosexual men in England in 1835, not even 200 years ago.

[nerteragranadensis]

#hmm i think i remember that post #if you're up for it—why can't firefly be rebooted? (tags from princesssarcastia)

I'm glad you asked!

I firmly believe that any hypothetical reboot of Firefly would be bad and should not be attempted. There are two main reasons for this:

it's a cult classic

that hasn't aged well

now these are also factors that might make it an attractive prospect to reboot, so let me explain my reasoning.

Firefly is a television show that premiered in 2002 and ran for one season (eleven episodes, with three more produced but unaired) before being summarily canceled by the network. if you're reading this post you probably know the lore already; what's important to note is that the show getting canceled is probably a big part of why it's so popular to this day. Firefly introduced a bunch of lovable characters, an interesting setting, and several compelling arcs, with all sorts of potential to go all sorts of places, and then never got the chance to disappoint fans with any of the execution of those things. It's a strong first season of television that never developed into either a masterpiece or a blunder (in my opinion the more likely option, but we'll never know). to this day, it remains a perfect beginning, allowing fans to imagine their ideal continuation of these great characters in this interesting setting. I think this is a big reason that Firefly has the cult following it does.

(sure, there were eventually followups- Serenity in 2005 and expanded universe comics- but those came along late enough to be optional. they're related but not interwoven enough to infringe on this limitless potential of the original series.)

this following is a double edged sword though, because the continuing relevance of Firefly has kept it in the spotlight as cultural norms evolve. and it hasn't aged well. it's almost a cliche at this point to say that the show appropriated East Asian (specifically Chinese) aesthetics without including any East Asian characters or actors. (here's xkcd mentioning it in 2009.) multiple academic articles have been written on the show's depictions of women's sexuality and sex work, which is both positive and negative, but now has to be evaluated in light of Joss Whedon's sexual misconduct and clear issues with women. there's the discussion of reavers as a clear stand-in for Native Americans, but not, like, real Native Americans- rather, the exaggerated racial caricatures of classic westerns. there's the fact that Joss Whedon based the show on american history and kinda sorta accidentally made his heroes metaphors for confederate soldiers.

any revival of the series in 2023 would have to reckon with this stuff one way or another. I'm not talking about a continuation with the original cast (although that would present its own challenges, for sure) but a full reboot of the original show. you could not just remake Firefly as it was. even something hewing as close to the original 14 episodes as possible would have to change with the times.

but, hey, that's doable. maybe you cast Chinese actors to play the Tam siblings. (and ideally some combo of mal/jayne/kaylie/wash, if the creative team aren't cowards.) maybe you rework the show's depiction of sex work to be less fetishistic and also make it so that's not the first thing Mal brings up when he's badly repressing his feelings for Inara. maybe you write the reavers with more nuance or rework the worldbuilding. maybe you do the same with the alliance and the browncoats, and also get rid of that one line where Mal says almost word for word "the south will rise again". these aren't necessarily easy fixes, but surely any reboot could do this!

sure. you could make any or all of these changes, in a hypothetical Firefly reboot. it might even improve the show. it would also invoke the wrath of nearly every single fan who still cares about this show- i.e., the exact people a reboot would be trying to cater to.

progressive fans will be a) worried about problematic elements of the show and b) distrustful that any of this will actually be handled well. (I mean, I know I would be.) chud/right-wing/"""apolitical""" fans will be mad as hell about any perceived concession to progressivism. the minute you drop a production still of Chinese River Tam there will be a million identical youtube videos of grown men whining about I'm Not Racist I Just Think Summer Glau's Performance Was Perfect And The Original Was Perfect And Why Did They Hire This New Actress Who I Hate For Totally Legitimate Reasons. you will be fighting an uphill battle in the court of public opinion no matter how you handle the problematic (tm) elements of the original show.

And for what? what are you actually making, at this point? a space western with a multiracial cast, snappy dialogue, and a fun episodic plot? none of those elements are unique to Firefly. (we just had the netflix cowboy bebop live action remake. which was also bad. but it filled this exact niche.) I actually don't think Firefly did anything unique- even in 2002, but especially now, when we've had Killjoys and Dark Matter and Westworld and Altered Carbon and Space Sweepers and Blade Runner 2049 all within the last decade.

what Firefly had going for it is a compelling cast of characters in an interesting setting with interesting episodic plots. none of those elements are unique. and trying to replicate exactly what Firefly had is a fool's errand, because most of its charm came from an extraordinarily good cast of actors with really good chemistry. sure, the writing is good, but if the last few years of media have taught us anything it's that snappy whedonesque dialogue gets old really fast when it's not done well. the actors and their chemistry- all of them with each other- are the lightning-in-a-bottle element that made Firefly great, and that element is incredibly hard to replicate. it would be even harder in the toxic storm of discourse and audience pressure created by changing any small element of this beloved cult classic.

you could maybe- maybe- avoid some of these problems by rebooting Firefly with an all-new cast of characters in the same universe. at that point you are basically making an original show (because again, the setting of this show is not all that unique) and you should just admit to that. call it the Firefly/Serenity extended universe if you must, but don't lean on a cult classic title from 2002 to do your marketing for you. old fans will see through it and young fans will have no reason to be interested in this title they maybe heard about from a dad at a convention somewhere. it's a self defeating endeavor.

and that's why Firefly can't- or, at least, shouldn't- be rebooted.

Theres a post I sometimes see going around that starts with the op musing about a possible reboot of Firefly and it raises my blood pressure a little every time I see it, because I truly, wholeheartedly believe that Firefly cannot be rebooted and no one should try

[minisugakoobies]

Hoseok Masterlist

LAST UPDATES: 12 Lays of Kinkmas; Versus Chapter 7 1/15/23

ONE-SHOTS/SERIES:

All Wound Up (Unbound): A Trilogy - limited series (ongoing); smut (18+); porn with the barest of plots; strangers to lovers; Rock Star!AU

As the owner of body jewelry shop Dark & Wild, you’re given the opportunity to drape the hottest rock stars around, Dead Leaves, in your custom chains. You can’t wait to get your hands all over them.

The Hook Up - smut (18+); crack; non-Idol!AU; also starring Jeon Jungkook

You’re at a house party hosted by your crush Hoseok and you’re ready to make your move… if only Jungkook would stop blocking you at every turn!

In Good Hands - one-shot; smut (18+); porn with the barest of plot; Ranch!AU

Written as part of the Bangtan Ranch collab:

Once again, another partner has left you feeling unsatisfied. Maybe it’s time to call in an expert. Don’t worry, Hoseok knows exactly what you need.

Message Received - one-shot; smut (18+); established relationship; non-Idol!AU

Hoseok sent you a message. Will you listen?

Versus - series (ongoing - UPDATED 1/15/23); smut (18+); fluff; angst; crack; enemies to lovers; Villains!AU; also starring Min Yoongi

Supervillain exes Yoongi and Hoseok are sick and tired of having their plans for world domination wrecked by you, aka Vitality, the world’s most powerful superhero. When fellow villain Jimin suggests a little competition to see who can bring you to your knees, they both eagerly accept. Now the battle is on as both men engage you in fight after fight to see who will conquer you first. Will you finally defeat these two, or will they destroy you - and possibly take each other out in the process?

Cheap Wine & Second Chances - one-shot; smut (18+); fluff; angst; friends to lovers; the one that got away; non-Idol!AU; Valentine’s!AU

Written as part of the To All the Folks I’ve Fucked Before collab:

Valentine’s Day has brought Hoseok, your best friend from college, back into your life. Is this your second chance to get the one that got away?

After the Party - drabble; smut (18+); holiday; established relationship; non-Idol!AU

After the party, Hoseok’s not done celebrating you.

All Your Fault - drabble; smut (18+); established relationship; non-Idol!AU

It’s all Hobi’s fault!

Third Time’s the Charm - one-shot; gender neutral reader; fluff; holiday; friends to lovers; OlderBrother'sBFF!AU

After two close encounters with your brother’s best friend, Hoseok, you decide the third time’s the charm.

Sparks - one-shot; fluff; BestFriends!AU

It’s the end of the summer. If only Hoseok were by your side.

MULTIPLE PAIRINGS:

12 Lays of Kinkmas: 12 holiday fics based on Kinkmas prompts

Happy Hour - smut (18+); Hyung Line x Reader, kinda; crack; non-Idol!AU

You’re home for the holidays, hungover as fuck, and can’t remember what you did last night. Luckily, your little brother Jungkook and his friends Taehyung and Jimin are all too happy to remind you!

Happy Hour 2: The Hyungs Strike Back- smut (18+); Hyung Line x Reader, kinda; crack; non-Idol!AU

While back home for another holiday, your brother Jungkook and his friends convince you to go late night bowling with them. Surely this won’t end as badly as the last time you went out, right?

DRABBLES:

Hot Emo Hobi - smut (18+)

Fuckboi Rockstar Hobi - smut (18+)

On Bended Knee - smut (18+)

Fresh Start - angst, smut (18+)

Cranky Cupid - fluff, gender neutral reader

Ask My Muse 1 and Ask My Muse 2: A collection of asks answered by my characters

Main Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 

© 2021-22-23 sunshinerainbowsbts/minisugakookies. Please do not copy or repost.

[yabai-korra]

The reasons why we're getting Manorian book

There has been a lot of speculation whether SJM is going to favor us with book/novella about Manon Blackbeak and Dorian Havilliard, recently I saw some fans doubting it, so here's a list of logical reasons why it's happening.

1. It's SJM

This woman writes two 500+ pages books per year, for her it would be a piece of cake.

2. There have already been books focused on side characters

a) Chaol and Yrene - Chaol was one of the most unpopular characters before Tower of Dawn (which made me love him hehe) and she still wrote a 600+ pages long book about him, just imagine what she'd do with the most popular character (Manon) and one of the most popular ones (Dorian).

b) Nesta and Cassian - this is ship is the closest to Manorian equivalent in ACOTAR series, aka starting from a physical relationship that develops into a sentimental one. Also 6th ACOTAR book will be focused on a new characters (most probably Elain)

3. Favoritism

SJM has talked multiple times about her love for these two. When asked about her favorite TOG character, she said Aelin, but Manon was a close second place and she said that she absolutely loves writing her.

In another interview, when asked who she would go on a book tour with and a few similar questions, she answered Dorian.

Now, I haven't seen all of her interviews ever and I'm not sure how much she loves Nessian and Cahorene (seems to love Nessian a hella lot tho), but it's definite that Manorian are some of her favorite characters and it's just logical that she would write about them.

4. Unfinished story/Unresolved feelings

Ships at the end of TOG:

Rowaelin - married

Elorcan - engaged

Lysaedion - engaged

Chaorene - married with a baby on the way

Nestaq - engaged

Manorian - hug and "we'll see"

All the ships basically got engaged in the last chapter (it's not like I didn't like it hehe) and their stories, romantic-wise, were pretty much finished and they have no unresolved tension between them. Manorian on the other hand, have enough of it for all the ships lol.

KOA spoilers ahead!

Keep in mind, Manorian relationship was mostly a sexual one, and they don't quite yet have a way of communicating their feelings properly. So there is a lot of unaddressed between them, even though they obviously care a lot about each other.

The unresolved things between Manon and Dorian:

"“And if I asked you to stay?” / “I’d need a very convincing reason, I suppose.” / “Because I don’t want you to go.” - they just fucked and Dorian left for Morath later, which impacted Manon a lot but they haven't discussed it

"I even care about you." - Manon got up and left

"There is only one witch who will be my queen." - Manon doesn't know about this

Manon saved Dorian from Valg demon even when Aelin couldn't. It was the worst thing to happen to Dorian and he still bears scars from it, yet he didn't have an appropriate situation to thank Manon for it

Dorian knows that Erawan lusted after Manon, which got him pissed of course, and he didn't have a chance nor time to ask Manon about it. It might be nothing, but if I were Dorain and my girlfriend who doesn't show feelings was locked up with a crazy guy who has a thing for her, and have seen the way he treats women, I'd be concerned. Erawan was a Valg king, a tough opponent even for Manon. If he had done something to her, and he had plenty of means and opportunities and wish to do so, Manon would never openly tell anyone (maybe Asterin) about it, because it would imply opening up and being weak, which is Manon's worst fear. Again, SJM, as the Queen of Foreshadowing, wouldn't just randomly throw in the main villain having a thing for an important character, everything in her books always has a meaning and purpose.

"Would you miss me if I didn't [come back]?" - Manon didn't reply

This is how SJM described Manorian marriage: "She would be his wife, his queen. She was already his equal, his match, mirror in so many ways. And with their union, the world would know it." - and you're telling me it's not deserving of its own book? Not just that, Manon asked Dorian for marriage and they, again, just had sex, with Dorian loving the idea but deep down knowing that Manon would feel caged in a marriage. And that attitude won't just change out of the blue. It takes time and development which is something SJM writes amazingly.

With the Thirteen gone, beside Abraxos Dorian is the only creature Manon cares about.

Dorian's mortality (although as you'll see in point #6 I'm sure he's not human)

The dreaded "You could just marry each other." / "We'll see." (Thanks Yrene :)

5. Foreshadowing

Listen here, SJM IS THE QUEEN OF FORESHADOWING. She thought of a detail (Dorian's dad's name) in the first book that would matter in the last book. Of course, there are many many many more examples of that, but if we got "We'll see." then we'll fucking see it happen.

6. Unresolved things about Manon and Dorian as individual characters.

Manon and Dorian and both pretty broken at the end of KOA.

Manon lost the Thirteen, the only people she cared about. That is a huge trauma that needs to be addressed, especially with someone so reluctant to show feelings and heal like Manon.

Dorian can't be human?? He has fae abilities due to his relation to Gavin and Elena even though he's not even called a demi-fae. He possesses powers no one else does, phantom hands for example, which he didn't steal like shape-shifting. And Maeve pointed out that due to his father being possessed by Valg when Dorian was sired, it's possible he got some of the Valg abilities. (Also she said that he's stronger than Aelin) The main villain, especially written by Queen of Foreshadowing, wouldn't just let drop it there and that's it. Also not to mention Dorian's own struggle with depression and self-worth.

They have both just become rulers of their kingdoms, completely new to it. Dorian has spent a big part of KOA imagining what kind of a king he wants to be (one that will have a witch queen hehe) and it was a major point of his character. And addition to that affecting them as characters, the future of Adarlan and Witch Kingdom could make a good plotline.

7. Other TOG characters

Although pretty much all the readers would die to see Chaorene baby, Lorcan in Perranth, Aelin and Rowan ruling Terrasen, Lysandra and Adeion officially adopting Evangeline, Nesryn and Sartaq becoming Khagan and Empress of Antica, all of these don't make enough of a plot on its own. They are great side-plots.

We know all of these characters love each other and are happy together, there isn't that much to be added to their personal stories other than kids. (same way Feyre and Rhys got a baby in Nessian book) Manorian however, they haven't even kissed without it leading to sex, they hugged at the end of KOA and it was the pique of their relationship. Their relationship is merely at the beginning, whereas others have pretty much reached their ultimatum (ofc SJM can decide to add some drama with betrayal, kidnapping, pregnancy etc. but for now everyone is good and settled beside Manorian)

Not to mention the way other relationships would affect them. Chaol, Dorian's brother, and Yrene, Manon's wannabe bestie and Manorian shipper, would bring their baby to meet his/her uncle Dorian and aunt Manon, and imagine Manon with a baby lol.

SJM loves Aelin and other characters way too much not to give us an insight on them as married couples, but since her books are huge and it's her, it needs a plot with drama, addressing traumas, repressed feelings, worldbuilding, and sex, and Manorian's got all of that.

8. Abraxos

We need more Abraxos, that's just a fact.

Wow that was a long one. Anyways, in conclusion, we're getting that Manorian book. Pretty sure it's gonna a book rather than a novella (TOD was also planned as a novella but then guess what) because there is just SO MUCH possible content.

[triviareads]

We are not trivializing queerness.

To ship two non-canon characters is not inherently disrespectful of a canon ship. To reimagine a canonically straight character as queer is not disrespectful. Fandom and fanfiction exists for a reason, and I am exhausted with people attempting to police it. Here's a thought: how about we live and let live?

It doesn't "pain" me to see eight straight couples in Bridgerton- it bores me. I quite frankly won't give too much of a damn if that is what it ends up being in the show as well- I'll just be less entertained, and continue to imagine all the other possibilities and maybe write them if I feel particularly inspired.

And here's the thing: the people shipping canon ships "longer than I've been on earth" don't need to give a damn about who I ship either!

"If you don't respect the other ships then don't expect them to respect yours." What is "respecting" a ship, I ask? Does it mean suppressing your imagination, your views, and your words online, so that other people don't feel triggered by queerness?

(And don't bother equating this with how some people feel about the Siena x Anthony ship. That's not the same and you know it- besides, even if we do ship Santhony, why should Kathony shippers give a damn?).

That is not how fandom works.

I'm an equal opportunity shipper. I enjoy reading multiple pairings with the same characters and as long as it's well written, I'm honestly down to read anything. And I have never torn down others for who they ship if they do ship exclusively canon couples- in fact, it's these other people who have repeatedly come into my inbox on Tumblr and attempted to police my thoughts and views on couples such as Eloise and Marina, Siena and Anthony, potential queerness in Bridgerton, and racism in Bridgerton.

Whether my ship is "portrayed justly" should not hinge on how other ships "deserve" to be portrayed. Again, live and let live. Let me ship in peace, and I won't give a shit about who you ship.

As for the divergence from canon not being possible where it concerns potentially queer main couples, I don't think it's out of the question. It is very much possible based on the radical changes the Bridgerton writers have already created within the universe. But whether it happens or not is a different story, and honestly, I won't be too cut up if the characters end up with exactly who they do in the Bridgerton book series. Again, I'll just be mildly less entertained. Besides, the possibility of otherwise will always exist in our minds, fueled by our imagination, our loves, and real history because queer people exist and have always existed.

And sure, we can call for more shows focused on queer characters, maybe even more queer historical romances, but it is not an either/or situation here: We can also reimagine canon straight characters as queer, and perhaps even hope for it where a show like Bridgerton is concerned, because that's what fandom is for.

We are not trivializing queerness. You are, in fact the ones erasing it, delegitimizing it, and dehumanizing it within the fandom space under the guise of "adhering to canon".

[readingoals]

Queenathon II - Bingo

This is one of the two ways to join in the Queenathon readathon! Each of the prompts on this bingo board were inspired by Queen - either the band, their achievements, or their songs. Except for the yellow diagonals which are activities so that you can still make progress on the board even if you aren’t reading! Below the cut I’ll go through each prompt, row by row, and give a more thorough explanation of them. Songs they were inspired by are in brackets beside the prompts.

And remember - books CAN count for multiple prompts! So you may be able to get a bingo with just one or two books!

1. 5 Star Prediction (The Prophet’s Song)

Read a book you predict you’ll enjoy enough to give 5 stars!

2. Friend Rec (You’re My Best Friend/Friends Will Be Friends/Dear Friends) Read a book a friend has recommended or picked out for you.

3. Adapted into a movie or show featuring one of the BoRhap cast

Quite possibly the hardest prompt in this readathon. Read a book that was adapted into a movie which features an actor who was also in Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury Biopic.

Suggestions: Rami Malek: Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer, a James Bond novel - Ian Flemming,  Henri Charrière‘s autobiography Papillon, The Story of Doctor Dolittle - Hugh Lofting, The Night At The Museum - Milan Trenc

Ben Hardy: X Men comics, The Woman In White - Wilkie Collins, The Girl Before - J.P. Delaney, The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith, a Mary Shelley biography

Gwilym Lee: Henry V - William Shakespeare, any of the Chief Inspector Barnaby series - Caroline Graham, a Catherine The Great biography

Joe Mazzello: Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa - Eugene Sledge, Helmet for My Pillow - Robert Leckie, Enslaved By Ducks - Bob Tarte, G.I. Joe Comics, Fire In The Hole - Elmore Leonard

Lucy Boynton - Sense And Sensibility - Jane Austen, Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans - Agatha Christie, The IPCRESS File - Len Deighton, a Marianne Faithfull biography, a biography about Joseph Bologne the Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Or try some of the support cast like Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, Aiden Gillen, etc.

4. Flowers on the Cover (Lily of the Valley)

A Lily of the Valley is a type of flower so pick a book with some sort of flower in the cover art.

5. Listen to some Queen songs

The first of the activity prompts and a fairly easy one to do I think. You can listen to a full album or just get a music video or two up on youtube.

6. Bestseller

Queen holds the record for the best selling album in the UK with their 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits and are one of the world’s best selling musical artists. Read a book which is considered a best seller. This could be a book that appears on anything from an official list of best selling works to a list that your local bookstore creates about popular books of the month, whatever works for you.

7. About A Musician or Band

Pretty self-explanatory. Queen is a band, so read a book that somehow includes a band or musician.

8. Featuring a Pet/Animal (Delilah)

Freddie Mercury wrote this song about one of his cats. Read a book with some sort of animal companion or pet.

9. Cosy Reading Night

The second activity prompt. Have a cosy reading night (or day!), whatever that means to you. Maybe it’s just being curled up in comfy PJs, maybe it’s a nice hot bath and a few candles while you read.

10. Seasonal Read (A Winter’s Tale)

Read a book that fits the vibes of the season you’re in. For southern hemisphere folks like me it’ll be spring, and for northern hemisphere folks it’s autumn.

11. LGBT+ Main Character

Freddie Mercury was gay so in honour of that, read a book with a queer character.

12. Multiple Authors (Under Pressure)

Under Pressure was written with and featured David Bowie. Read a book with multiple authors. It could be an anthology or a collection of essays or just a book that was co-written by two people. You could even count a book translated by someone other than the author if you wanted.

13. HOT SPACE LETS GO!

Free Space!

14. Parent Rec (Father To Son)

Read a book that was recommended or picked out for you by a parent, guardian or parental figure of some sort (heck even just someone older than you lmao).

15. Written by a Freddie, Brian, John or Roger

The four members of Queen are Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor, so read a book by someone who shares any of their names.

16. Been Putting Off (The Miracle)

Everyone has at least one book they picked up fully intending to read and then never got around to and now you just keep not reading it. Maybe it’s large and intimidating, maybe it’s a genre you used to be much more into, maybe you’re just worried you won’t enjoy it as much as you thought you would. Whatever the case, this is your chance to finally, miraculously, get around to it.

17. Complete A Personal Goal

The third activity prompt. Check this off when you’ve completed some sort of goal you set yourself. It could be a goal related to the readathon like getting a bingo or finishing a particular book or reading a certain number of pages. Or, it could be something else entirely - going to the gym or completing a household chore that needs to be done or getting your sketchbook set up for Inktober.

18. Features Fairies, Ogres, Dragons and/or Queens (My Fairy King/Ogre Battle/Dragon Attack/Killer Queen/etc)

Queen have a lot of songs with fantasy creatures or elements. Read a book that features some sort of mythical creature or royalty (they have songs about kings and princes too so they absolutely count).

19. Favourite Genre (Rock It (Prime Jive))

Do you find yourself mostly drawn to romance books? Or maybe scifi is more your thing? Whatever genre you enjoy most (your prime jive...), this is an excuse to pick up another one!

20. Published or Set in 1970s

Queen first formed as a band in 1970 and released their first album in 1973. So read a book that was publish or is set during the 70s.

21. Guilt-Free Activity

The last of our activity prompts. If you really want to go see a movie but feel bad about taking hours off of reading, you can now do it guilt free! Or, conversely, if you’ve got some chores you should be doing but put them off to read a little longer, that also counts. Whatever sort of activity you feel guilty about doing or not doing, this is a free pass.

22. Black and White Cover (White Queen/March of the Black Queen)

The album Queen II featured a bit of a black/white theme which carried into live performances where Freddie and Brian would paint their nails to match their queens. Read a book with black and white on the cover.

23. Digital (Machines (Back To Humans))

Read an ebook or listen to an audiobook. You could read the whole book digitally or you could switch between an ebook and a physical copy, or follow the physical book as you listen to an audiobook. As long as you read at least some of a book in a digital format, it counts.

24. Set In England

Queen is an English band, so read a book set in England.

25. Translation (Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)/Las Palabras De Amor (The Words of Love))

Both of these songs feature lyrics sung in other languages. So read a book that was originally written in another language!

[rjalker]

I was thinking about this last night while 90% asleep so here's just a list of unfortunate facts.

I'm just using the fucking word "robot" so I don't have to keep typing out "bot or construct".

Deal with it.

Fact one:

The way Murderbot is written, it would absolutely loathe, with every fiber of its being, any robot who had a binary gender, AKA a "human" gender, because Martha Wells has assigned all mechanical life genderless at construction because she equates gender with sex.

Fact two:

Murderbot would assume -- and insist wholeheartedly, possibly with the aid of threats or outright violence -- that the robot was either programmed, manipulated, or forced to have (or pretend to have) that gender by humans, in order to make them seem more human.

When the robot says that no, humans did not force them to have this gender, it's just their gender, Murderbot would either continue to insist that they're being forced to say this, or, when the other robot gives proof that they're not lying, Murderbot would then become even more enraged, insisting that the robot themselves is trying to make themselves seem palatable to humans, and making all robots look bad in comparison, and giving humans the idea that they can/should shove gendered perceptions onto robots.

Fact three:

Martha Wells equates sex with gender. This was clear when she wrote The Books of the Raksura. This is clear when with every Murderbot book to date, there's only been one nonbinary human character--who only exists for a few scenes and is then shoved out of the story never to be seen again--and all of the robots, without fail, are genderless and all use the same pronouns.

Robots don't have genitals = robots don't have gender, in her mind.

To fix this problem with the series requires that she do multiple things:

Best case scenario possible:

Reveal that Murderbot, was not, in fact, assigned genderless at construction, and was not assigned it/its pronouns at construction. It was in fact assigned a gender, and pronouns. But when it hacked its governer module, it hacked its information, and changed its gender to "indeterminate" and changed its assigned pronouns to it/its.

Other constructs are likewise assigned pronouns and genders upon construction.

Murderbot, though, just calls all of them by its chosen pronouns, because it thinks that's the nicest thing it can do, and Murderbot has never actually spoken to another construct of its own free will anyways, so it's just narrating in its own head.

But it's never bothered or been given the opportunity to actually ask.

None of the main humans know about this until it is revealed － potentially by someone who was there at Ganaka Pit since that’s still a gaping fucking wound that needs to be dealt with both in-universe and from a writing perspective-- because Murderbot does not want humans to find out about its assigned gender or pronouns because it’s afraid they'll start misgendering it, and aside from the "that's fucking misgendering" thing, the last time it was called by those pronouns was probably *in Ganaka Pit*.

As the second part to this Best Case Scenario Possible, one of the main humans (Mensah, Ratthi, Overse, Arada, Gurathin, Bharadwaj, ect) comes out as nonbinary.

Read that again. Comes out as nonbinary.

Not “reaveals they’ve been nonbinary this whole time using she/her or he/him pronouns”, no. No. Comes. Out. As nonbinary.

Figures out they’re nonbinary and decides to tell other people about it in the middle of their lives assuming they’re middle aged, and they are accepted and celebrated. Maybe even decides to come out to Murderbot first in private, before telling anyone else, so they can explain their feelings to Murderbot, and thus, the audience. Hoping that since Murderbot is nonbinary, it’ll understand what they’re talking about, even if it doesn’t necessarilly feel like talking about its own feelings on the matter. (which it should, because you do in fact need to have characters talk about gender if you want your story to actually represent trans people! apparently this is a radical concept for some people.).

Along with Murderbot and other constructs being confirmed as not *actually* being assigned genderless at birth because of their lack of genitals, more robots (deal with it! IDFC! Nitpickers will be blocked for being annoying!) need to be introduced who have either binary genders, or nonbinary genders that are not literally just “genderless”. Including robots who are tercera, like Rami, who needs to fucking return to the story and get to be an actual characters this time!

More robots also need to have sexualities and romantic orientations and other forms of attraction, whether or not they’ve been outfitted with genitals!

The aroace robot stereotype is just as much of a thing as the nonbinary robot stereotype! It’s literally just saying “oh if you don’t have genitals that means you don’t have a gender, and means you won’t be attracted to anyone”.

Which in turn states that it’s not possible to be genderless or lack attraction if you do have genitals. 

Murderbot being aroace and agender and using it/its pronouns as a robot who does not have genitals is only going to NOT be a transphobic and aroacephobic stereotype IF there are other robots who DO experience attraction, who DO have gender, and who DO use other pronouns, and if there are human characters who are also aroace, and agender, and use it/its pronouns.

Because otherwise it’s literally just saying that being nonbinary, being aroace, being agender, using it/its pronouns is only something that can happen in fantasy or science fiction, as though real people don’t exist who are aroace and nonbinary and use it/its pronouns.

(Here’s a hint: The person literally typing this post is aroace, agender, nonbinary, and uses it/its pronouns. Do you see the problem here?)

Especially when the fandom treats every part of Murderbot’s identity as optional if they decide they don’t like it, or if it gets in the way of shipping it with people, including Mensah, it’s literal owner, or Gurathin, the guy they’ve decided is white, while they also decide that Murderbot is white. These people are not subtle at fucking all.

Murderbot’s nonbinary identity, pronouns, and orientation all need to be discussed and reaffirmed within the books, and more characters who are human who are these things need to be in these books as actual characters, along with robots who are not these things.

This is literally not optional if these books are meant to be truely representative and positive representation at that of people who are trans, nonbinary, aroace, and use neopronouns like it/its.

If the only characters that are nonbinary and aroace and use it/its pronouns are the robots, it’s literally just teaching people that Real People™ aren’t like this, and therefore, it’s perfectly fine for them to misgender Murderbot and ship it with people, because after all - it’s only fiction, Murderbot doesn’t actually represent any real people impacted by bigotry, right? /s

to go back to the beginning of this post:

The unfortunate fact is that one step in order to make these books stop being casually transphobic, Martha Wells needs to introduce reocurring robot characters who are not genderless, who use pronouns like she/her or he/him, and who, like Murderbot, are genital-less when they are introduced. (These characters can of course transition, but they *cannot* start out with the genitals Martha Wells would assign to the gender they identify with. Because otherwise that’s her once again equating sex with gender) 

And the unfortunate fact is that the way Murderbot is written, it would absolutely loathe these characters.

And the even more unfortunate fact is that I just don’t fucking know if Martha Wells would actually be able to handle this situation without fucking it up the same way she fucked it up with Moon and the kethel, but this time it would be exponentially worse, because now her audience is probably even wider, and this time she'd be actually dealing with characters who are trans, with the ability to spread some serious harm to the audience if she doesn't do it properly.

The botttom line here is that Martha Wells needs to start talking to nonbinary and binary trans people if she wants her work to progress with the times instead of stagnating in a puddle of casual transphobia that apparently no one else can be bothered to talk about.

[bacchicly]

WELCOME OH LOVELY HUMANS!

💕 CLICK HERE TO BE ADDED (or removed!) FROM MY TAGLIST

This blog is the window to my current obsession project: writing a series of stories which imagines what might have happened if Criminal Minds characters Luke Alvez and Penelope Garcia got together just after giving Phil his puppy in Season 13. It also includes posts about writing and general things that give me hope for humanity and my own corner of existence.

My writing explicitly explores themes related to sex, consent, different experiences of love, communication, mental health, body acceptance, mindful choices which take into account both logic and emotion, and how cultural beliefs and teachings can impact these elements of existence. I love these two characters because they have amazing chemistry, are fiercely intelligent, kind, brave, highly trained/well educated, love animals, and yet both have very distinctive backgrounds, trauma and quirks. I love writing both fluff and graphic respectful sex

e.g. while I will not write non-consent or "cheating" - I am willing to explore writing scenes or relationships with multiple consenting partners. Note : I am aware most of the sex I am writing currently is fairly vanilla and depicts a cis hetero couple...this is honestly just what it is right now so totally get if it's not your jam - I may eventually try my hand at something different - or I may not

To read about my thoughts on why fanfiction: LINK COMING

To read about my take on character vs performer: HERE

To read the guiding principles I try to follow when writing my sex scenes: HERE Samples: LOVING | RIBALD

To read about me: HERE

MAIN WORKS

➡️ LIST OF ONE SHOTS AND HAPPY VERSIONS: HERE

➡️ Micro-Garvez

➡️ NOT BOUND BY WHERE WE SHOW UP TO WORK: A RE-IMAGINING OF SEASON 15 GARVEZ - A Four part very smutty series

1. What (Superbly) Attractive Single People Do At Weddings  2. Friends Don't Let Friends - Hot Air Balloon Sex 3. EVERY BODY NEEDS A HOBBY - Baking + Sex 4. Whoa! - Pony Play & Lisa falls in love with a dude named Dio.

Currently the following on Fanfiction.net - hope to repost slightly edited versions eventually on AO3.

MOUNTAIN AIR -complete AO3 (being re-posted over the next few weeks)| Fanfic.net

Sex/Fluff Tells story of Luke Alvez and Penelope Garcia getting together and falling in love on a weekend away. Ends with them making the decision to officially become a couple.

DEPTH HOAR Lost Season 13 Episode - complete

Written as a TV episode - CM violence A case fic where the team tries to stop an unsub who is using avalanches to kill young men. Tries to explore reasons why Penelope and Luke might come to the conclusion that it would be very difficult - maybe wrong - to be together and be on the team at the same time.

DEEP AND CRISP AND EVEN - in progress

Happy AU version where they stay together available upon request.

Sex/fluff/Angst A lovers to friends story. Luke and Penelope decide that they cannot be both a couple and both be on the team and they decide that being on the team is more important right now. We watch as they try to undo the decision they made and the relationship they had started.

AGAPE YEAR - not started

Sex/Fluff/Angst Lisa knows and accepts that Penelope and Luke used to be lovers and that they decided to not continue their romantic relationship for the sake of their team. Follows the shows events from 13x11 to Luke and Lisa choosing to end their romantic relationship and be friends.

WE CAN TRY - not started

Sex/Fluff/Happy Ending - Luke and Lisa are no longer a couple but he's not telling anyone yet - especially Penelope - even though he can't help but thinking that maybe they could try again... but will she agree? (Of course!)

Additional AU works may be added in the future. :)

IMPORTANT REQUEST TO READERS: Please contact me (politely if possible) if you ever feel my writing is somehow harmful / degrading to any group in a way that is not called out within the piece - that is not my intention but I know that I have blind spots like anyone else.

For Instance: I do not practice a specific religion, but I believe that consensual sex can be a sacred and transcendent act - so while I am careful - I worry that I inadvertently use words or images that are offensive or harmful to someone - even if they have a similar take on sex as me - who does practice a religion. While I won't be moved on my take on sex not being shameful - and that it actually can be an act of prayer and communion with the sacred - I understand that there may be concepts that I would be better I don't invoke....I can't tell you how many times I have replaced "oh g-d" in a scene!

[nikadoesanart]

My predictions on BSD getting animated going forward

I’ll be taking a look at the novel page counts (Japanese and English) and comparing them to the screen time they’ve gotten so far and then using this to predict how long the remaining light novel adaptations will be (approximately). At the end will also be my rough prediction/hopes for the order of some of these being adapted. I say some because I have yet to read what there is so far of the gaiden novel translations, the main story manga has essentially still been on the DOA arc almost since where the anime left off, and I personally think that it’s currently too soon for Storm Bringer (aside from money purposes).

Note, most of this was written well before the anime 5th anniversary livestream but the announcements wound up not affecting it. I then of course made adjustments as needed account for the novel content we do have so far, both in Japanese and in English (officially).

Page to Episode Count

Not counting the afterward, ads, etc for the English/US copy, Japanese is including it

Also all eng page counts are using the Yen Press release and jp page counts are taken from the fandom wiki

*148 is purely counting the Untold Origins portion of the novel. If we also count the A Day at the Agency short story that’s included before it (56 pages), then we get the full 203

Also the English page count for BEAST was noted before the English release date but after page counts have been posted by affiliated retailers, so subtract a couple pages from the written count of 176 for the time being to account for the afterward and possible character sheets being included

Now that we have our page to episode counts (as of April 5th, 2021), let’s find the actual content run time of what we do have animated so far.

Seasons 1-3 and the OVA all have the same episode length/duration. Each episode is 23 minutes, and we can subtract 3 minutes on average from that to account for the OP and ED being played. This leaves us with an average of 20 minutes of BSD story content per episode. So on average, each of the first 3 seasons contain 240 minutes, or 4 hours, worth of story content.

Dead Apple’s total run time is 91 minutes, with the OP and ED making up 9 of those minutes. However, we do have a bit of the story content being played while the ED is playing (as sometimes happens in the anime as well). To keep the math simple, I’ll be approximating story content time at 82 minutes.

Apply these numbers to the novels that have been animated so far and this is (approximately) what we get:

Now let’s use these numbers to predict the screen time needed for the other novels

Note that we can’t really use Entrance Exam as a fair measure because of how much got cut out (just compare the run time of it to Dark Era and it speaks for itself). However, the numbers for Dark Era and Dead Apple are the best ones to use, as they both have minimal changes between anime and novel and both have official English translations currently available. Take out the approximate time taken up by OP/ED and and the numbers pretty much match up.

So with that being said, we can estimate Untold Origins (only) at approximately 3 eps/60 min and 55 Minutes at 1h 40-55min/100-115 min or 5-6 eps if it doesn’t get a movie. We can also estimate the A Day at the Detective Agency short story at the beginning of Untold Origins to take up about 1 ep, probably even a bit less.

1+ 3 + 5-6 = 9-10 episodes which isn’t enough for a full single cour season unless they all get put into one big OVA season, but also 10-11 eps (or less) seasons are a thing (ie. Fugou Keiji: Balance Unlimited, Blood Lad, Black Butler: Book of Circus, The Seven Deadly Sins: Signs of a Holy War, FLCL)

My personal predictions/hopes for the anime adaptation timeline going forward

This is considering the manga content, current “pausing/stopping points” what wouldn’t be too awkward, each of the novels relevancy/necessity to the main story manga, and assuming we continue with single cour (12-13 ep) seasons

Hopefully/ideally a 55 Minutes movie

S4: ch 54-70

Early S5 (preferably) or end of S4: Untold Origins or A Day at the Agency

S5: ch 71-88/around where we are now?

A Day at the Agency can, in my opinion at least, be chucked in at any point either as a single episode OVA or as the light novel content for s4 (maybe not even taking a full episode and then starting ch 54 in the last few minutes for example). Keep in mind that the current DOA arc is a long one and has plenty to it, so personally I think it may even be better to not include a novel adaptation in a future S4, as it would likely already be a right squeeze content wise. Remember, we also have a few XX.5 chapters that are continuations of the chapter directly before them.

I still need to read what’s currently available of the gaiden novel fan translations but it can probably be adapted at any point as well. I’m estimating approximately 5-6 eps as an OVA series. I don’t really think it would get a movie, partially because you can make it only so long, especially since it’s an anime movie and unlike Storm Bringer, it doesn’t have Chuuya to practically guarantee the profit.

BEAST also doesn’t directly impact the main story and can be adapted at virtually any point. However, seeing as we do have a live action confirmed for it and it’s page count lines up very closely with Dark Era, it can be either 4 eps or (more likely in my opinion) a movie, as it can be considered almost stand alone content.

Personally, I believe it is currently way too soon to animate Storm Bringer as it came out only a little over a month ago (as of writing this) and has minimal plot necessity as of ch 91, but I do believe it should be either split into 2 movies (a part 1 and part 2) or it would need 8 episodes, likely as an OVA season. If it were to get animated sooner than 55 Minutes or Untold Origins, which I believe to be very unlikely, I feel that it would almost certainly be driven by the financial gains of Chuuya being included, and his popularity alone. Reminder, SB is about Chuuya and not SKK. Dazai’s appearance in SB is proportionally a very small percentage and he’s not even mentioned in the official plot summary.

However, you can argue that SB is starting to have some relevance now, with the recent mention of the Order of the Clock Tower in ch 90 and the increased relevance of sealed ability weapons in ch 91. However, I really do believe that you can’t adapt Storm Bringer before 55 Minutes because of Standard Island and its treaty, it also talks about sealed ability weapons, knowing who Wells is, and 55 Minutes canonically takes place during the “downtime” portion of S3. In fact, here’s Asagiri’s words directly from the Afterward (translation by Yen Press):

“this volume didn’t take place in the past, but rather sometime after the tenth volume of the manga. In other words, it’s a tale about the ‘usual’ detective agency in novel format.” (55 minutes, p 237)

Untold Origins also should be adapted sooner rather than later (at least compared to SB in my opinion) because it’s about Ranpo and Fukuzawa’s shared past, which becomes increasingly relevant ch 70 onwards, as well as the need for the ADA being founded (which ties in with Yosano’s backstory in ch 65-66).

In regards to whether I think each of these would be better suited to a movie adaptation or as multiple regular length anime episodes, it’s mainly due to page count and partly due to the budget difference between the two, as well as how difficult I think it would be to animate each of these based on what needs to be drawn. The anime industry isn’t the fastest to switch to newer technology, hence why we see issues with 3D blending sometimes. I really do think that at the very least, 55 Minutes deserves the movie budget because of how detailed and complex the architecture of Standard Island is described as, as well all the mechanical parts needed for the final battle of the novel. Hate the lizard mouths introduced in Dead Apple all you want, but you can’t deny that the 3D cgi was blended very smoothly. For any of the other novels to be movies, it’s more so because gaiden and BEAST can be considered their own stand alone stories that don’t rely too heavily on the main story in terms of when they take place and get adapted. I feel that SB is more likely to get its own season or an OVA season more so due to its length, but multiple part anime movies have also been done before (ie. the Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel movies), so it’s not entirely impossible. Especially considering that merely having any Chuuya screen time means that you can expect the profit and popularity to really go up, especially with SKK being on screen together (regardless of whether you love or hate how the fandom tends to push a shipping POV on them).

These are all of course just my hopes and predictions and estimates based on information currently available, so take them with some salt. I’d love to hear opinions on how, when, and why each of the currently non animated novels should be adapted going forward. Also please stop begging the relevant BSD official Twitter pages for SB to be animated next and go read the other light novels you Chuuya simp

[ilikekidsshows]

One thing that pisses me off not just about the miraculous fandom but modern fandoms is fans inability to consume long overarching stories.

Like so many people are complaining about how long the reveal is taking or why haven't certain characters outgrown this trait yet or why is this character arc botched or abandoned. Like guys we just got the confirmation this show will be 7 seasons long PLUS like 3 tv specials. We're only roughly halfway through the series.

Once the reveal happens half the tension in the show is gone! I'm not saying leave the reveal till season 7 and make us wait 9 years this isn't HIMYM but miraculous is not a fast paced story. It's a long haul story. I just wish more fans would be patient. Miraculous is in the extremely fortunate and rare position that it will have a conclusive end and not be suddenly cancelled. That was and still is a huge problem for shows and cartoons with dedicated fans but networks pull the plug for stupid ass reasons.

So miraculous fans please chill the fuck out on things not resolving right away. We still have 78+ episodes plus the tv specials. If we get the end to certain things now it'll be so boring.

I think the concept of Instant Gratification describes the issue with many modern fandoms today. I hate to sound like I'm anti-technology, but the constant stream of quick and short bursts of entertainment allowed by the information age has made people more impatient. It's not about waiting for the climax to get a deeper sense of satisfaction, it's about getting that instant gratification right this instant. It's why one-shot fanfics are all over the place, when multi-chapter stories used to be just as common and popular, if not even more so, and it’s also why people are less willing to read a fic that’s still a work in progress. It's why people refuse to watch Youtube video essays even as they leave comments on the topic based on the title and thumbnail alone because, while they couldn't be assed to watch a 20-minute video (let alone an hour long one), they sure can spend that time calling the Youtuber names and making arguments the video actually already refutes. It's why a lot of online arguments happen only because one party read nothing but the first and maybe the last paragraph of someone's post and skipped all the explanation for their point of view (if I've ignored an counter argument for one of my posts, it was either because I missed it or because said counter argument did this. I have attention deficit issues so I do genuinely forget responses sometimes, but I'm also not writing a second essay for someone who's proven to me they won't read it).

Of course, it's only by constantly consuming only fast-paced content that you can become this impatient. People have different ideas about stories based on what stories they have encountered in the past.

Another thing that influences the Miraculous fandom in particular is that, while I love to show off exactly how much Miraculous has done to build up the overarching plotlines, Miraculous isn't really a show that's about a single story. It's easy to understand why people think it is one though: there's one main villain, we keep discovering more about the mythology, one of the main plot threads is the romantic relationship between the leads and singular episodes and plot elements tend to get payoff later. What is the purpose of a show if not to progress the story? Because the heroes aren't getting closer to defeating Gabriel or getting together, people think that the story isn't accomplishing anything.

I'll do a comparison to illustrate why these things aren't as clear-cut signs of a continuous storyline as people think. In the Spider-Man comics, you can pick any issue up and the chances are that the villain will be a part of Spider-Man's already established Rogues Gallery, who's back for more after who knows how many defeats, and those past defeats might even get referenced in callbacks to previous issues. It's also very possible that Peter and Mary Jane's relationship is the central focus with them not being together yet, having relationship problems or even having broken up (in really old issues the girl might be Gwen Stacy and short-term options have also always been available for romantic entanglements). Does this mean Spider-Man is a continuous story where the only point is that all the villains get put away for good and Peter and MJ live happily ever after? No, it doesn't. Spider-Man is designed to go on indefinitely, so there's no clear ending point. So, what is the point of Spider-Man then, if there is no Ending?

It used to be the single issue, because comic books used to have every issue be a stand-alone story about the hero and their supportive cast. These days it's more every three-to-six issues, because superhero comics are written to have short story arcs that can then be collected into trade paperbacks. A superhero series is not a single story; it's a series that functions as a story engine, meaning the series can generate several shorter stories where the hero helps fix a problem or solve a mystery.

In the superhero genre a villain will never get killed off or removed from stories permanently as long as the writers think they can still come up with stories to tell about them. The hero's romantic life will never be completely smooth sailing unless the writer is using other things to ramp up the stakes. Everything always allows for there to be another adventure.

I think the huge success of Avatar: the Last Airbender made people think that a series that is a single story is always superior to a series with multiple shorter plots. When I was liveblogging Sailor Moon, a viewer offered to give me a list of all the non-filler episodes because they genuinely thought I'd feel like I was wasting time on the show otherwise. This attitude is simply not based on fact. It's not fair to compare Miraculous Ladybug to Avatar, because they're both setting up to do completely different things. Miraculous Ladybug is trying to become a brand, like Batman or Spider-Man. It is part of the "Zag Heroes" lineup, a series of French-created superhero franchises to compete in the America-centric superhero market. This challenge is good for the genre, because Marvel and DC have started resembling each other more and more as these companies stew in their old ideas and copy everything that worked for the other one. The superhero genre needs new blood.

Also, Avatar: the Last Airbender first became popular by doing episodic plots for almost the entirety of the first season because it's actually not a wise choice to expect the audience to be willing to commit to a story that'll only give payoff later when working with an untested IP. Very often shows with longer story arcs start with the episodic format to hook people first, and sometimes the more linear plot is introduced specifically because the audience for the show is now expected to be both dedicated enough and older and capable of keeping up. Because, here's the thing: you can't expect little kids to remember every episode or even every character you've introduced in your show. I'm not sure if people are ready to hear that but I'm throwing it out there anyway. Kids are not dumb, they can understand more complex storylines, but many kids are still training their memory, so they might not remember the details of complex storylines that go on for too long.

This is why the news that Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season was going to have a recommended viewing order originally had me concerned. Miraculous is being branded for kids. The plot requiring too much skill in memorizing story details will make it less accessible to kids and might put those two additional seasons at risk. However, it seems that the "constantly changing status quo" concept of Truth, Lies and Gang of Secrets was a fluke and the evolution of the show is more subtle, so they might not be cutting the amount of episodes for those final seasons because the show is getting too complicated for kids to follow all the important details.

Regardless, Miraculous Ladybug being an adventure cartoon TV show instead of a comic book or a more cheaper-to-produce TV drama does mean that Miraculous Ladybug isn’t expected to go on for decades like a superhero comic or a soap opera. Because of this, it can have evolution and changes and even a planned ending. The show is expected to end at some point, even by the people making money off of it, mostly because making a cartoon like this indefinitely costs a lot of money, and kids’ adventure shows tend to see a decrease in returns if they go on for too long.

[filipinoizukuu]

I saw your post about the FA's translations, and I totally agree. Sometimes, when they do not translate accurately, is to make it sound better or cooler in English, but it just ends up taking away a lot from the context and characters. We know how one of the most affected character interpretations is Katsuki's, a main character, no less. And Izuku and Katsuki's relationship too, which is something super super wrong, considering is deeply intertwined with the main plot of the series, thus if someone misinterpreted their dynamic, this person would miss a bigass chunk of the message the story has.

Here is the panel you mentioned before btw

I remember when I read this, only 10 or 11 chapters into the manga (?), and I was like "...I'm...pretty sure this guy didn't say that" khshsjdhs

OK FIRST OF ALL LMAO HELLO MANG!! THANK YOU SO MUCH AND DW ABOUT IT I TOTALLY GET WHAT YOU MEAN !!

(this is your warning for a long post ahead!)

In any case, I still think you're very correct on this! Not to ramble a bit, but Horikoshi's particular talent in developing the plot of MHA is actually very very brilliant and there are a lot of blink-and-you'll-miss-it details that together, assemble the big picture of what MHA is.

Translations are such an integral part of being able to understand foreign media. MHA or otherwise. The simplest of details say a lot about a character and often times make or break a series because everyone knows that strong character dynamics are what carry even the shittiest of plots.

First and foremost, I want to clarify that because of the nature of fan translations and the fact that most of it is volunteer work/ written out of pure enjoyment of the manga--we shouldn't judge these fan translators too harshly (if at all) for interpreting it the way they want to. FA, as far as I can tell, is a fan-based group that works out of donations.

The first thing I wanna bring up is that when it comes to fandom and its works, there are two types: Curatorial and Transformative. Now, the transformative part is something that must be very familiar to a lot of you. Fanfiction, fanart, and most headcanons fall under Transformative Works (i.e. AO3) because they are all about transforming the canon world to fit each individual's personal preferences. Meta-analysis posts and Character Breakdowns are also classified under this.

Curatorial on the other hand are fandom interactions made with the explicit purpose of being as close to canon material as possible. This is working out the logic of quirks, for example, or memorizing as much canon content about your favorite villain as possible. These are more cold, hard undeniable facts that lend themselves to the DIRECT VISION the creator/author had while making this media. If you were to ask me my opinion on this, this would be the moment where I tell you that the Curatorial side of fandom is where fan translations should (for the most part) fall under.

What people need to know though is that oftentimes, fan translations do not.

Translating isn't and has never been a one-is-to-one process. There are hundreds of thousands of aspects in a language that make it so that it isn't perfectly translatable. Colloquialisms to sayings to dialects, to just plain-out words that don't have a proper English translation to them! Manga is made by and for a Japanese audience, so obviously in a lot of instances, there will be cultural nuances that will not be understood by anyone who hasn't immersed themselves in Japanese culture/language.

So what does this mean then for fan scanlations?

It means that a vast majority of translators teach themselves to only get the essence of the message. They take the dialogue as they understand it and translate it to something of their interpretation. When language and cultural barriers exist, translators do what they can in order to make it understandable to the general populace. This means making their own executive decisions on how they see a character speaking. In example, if they see Todoroki using very direct and impersonal Japanese--one translator might interpret it to mean that Shouto is stiff and overly formal, while another may see it as him being rude and aloof.

The problem is, translators are fans just like us.

Like with the image Mang posted above, the translator based the usage of curse words off of their understanding of Bakugou's character. The lack of foul language in the original Japanese might have made the translator think "Oh. There just aren't enough Japanese cusses for his character." And took that as an initiative to make Bakugou's lines more colorful and violent because this was working off of the image Bakugou had had at this point in canon.

But Codi! You may cry. Wasn't it proven multiple times that Bakugou prefers concise and short lines? They should've known better!

Yes. Maybe they should've known better. But tell me honestly in your first watch-through of MHA, did you perfectly understand Bakugou's character either? Did you catch the whole 'direct and no flowery language' aspect of his language when you first saw Season 2?

Most people don't. I only really understood this fact after I'd read multiple discussions of it and even double-checked the manga myself. These are the kinds of things that only become noticeable with a sharp eye and some time to scrutiny. But the fact of the matter is that when it comes to fan translations, the clout and recognition are always going to go to who can post the quickest.

Am I excusing erroneous translations? A bit, I guess. It's hard for us to go in and expect translators to catch all these errors before release when we ourselves only catch these errors like 4 months in with a hundred times more canon context than these scanlation groups did at the time of its release.

Still, there are plenty of harms that come with faulty translations.

When a translation is more divorced from the original's meaning than usual, it creates a dissonance between what is actually happening versus what the audience sees is happening. This looks like decently-written character arcs being overruled and rejected by most of the readers because of how 'jarring' and 'clumsy' it seems. By the time translators had caught on to the fact that Bakugou was more than just a ticking time bomb, we were already several steps into showing how significantly he cares for Deku.

The characters affected most by these translation errors are often those with the most subtle and well-written character arcs. A single mistake in how the source material is translated can make or break the international reception of a certain character to everyone who isn't invested enough in them to look deeper into the canon source.

It creates hiccups in plots. Things that seem out of character but really aren't. Going back to MHA in specific, the way that inaccurate translations hurt both the 'curatorial' and 'transformative' parts of the fandom is that people have begun to cite them as proof of the main cast's characterization.

Bakugou and Todoroki are undeniably some of the biggest examples of mistranslation injustices.

Katsuki, in a lot of people's minds, has yet to break out of the 'overly-aggressive rival' archetype box that people had been placing him in since Season 1. One of the most amazing aspects and biggest downfalls of Hori's writing was that at first, nearly every character fit into a very neat stereotype for Shonen Animes (Deku being the talking-no-jutsu sunshine MC, Uraraka being the overly bubbly main girl, Todoroki being the aloof and formal rival). He made the audience make assumptions about everyone's characters and then pulled the rug beneath our feet when he revealed deeper sides of them to play around within canon.

What made this part about Horikoshi's set-up so good though were the many clues we were given from the very beginning that these characters were more than what they acted like. Even from the very first chapters, for example, we learn that Katsuki (as much as he acts like a delinquent) dislikes smoking because it could get him in trouble.

That is just a single instance of MHA's use of dialogue to subtly divert our expectations of a character.

Another example is when they replaced 318's dialogue of the Second User saying that Katsuki "completes" Deku with him saying that Katsuki merely "bolsters" him. This presents a different situation, as that line was meant to reinforce the importance of those two's relationship as well as complete the character foils that MHA is partially centered around. By downplaying their developed connection, it becomes harder for the MHA manga scanlations to justify any future significance these two's words have on each other without mottling the pacing of the story.

AKA, it butchers the plot.

With every new volume, there are dozens and dozens more of these hints and bits scattered around! So many cues and subtle foreshadowing at the trajectory of everyone's character arcs--yet mistranslations or inaccurate scans make it so that we don't notice them. This is what I mean when I said that some character arcs are being done great injustices.

Until now, many people can't accept that Katsuki Bakugou cares for anyone other than himself (much less his rival and MC, Izuku Midoriya), nor can they accept that Todoroki would ever willingly work by Endeavor's side. The bottom-line then becomes that because of people missing heavy bits of characterization that become very plot-significant in the future.

When it comes to the point where people can no longer accept or fit their interpretation of the earlier manga events to what is happening in canon, the point of a translation fails completely because it has lead people to follow an entirely different story.

TL;DR - Fan scans are hard. Translating is hard. Don't get too mad at fan translations, but also maybe don't treat them as the catch-all for how characters truly operate. Thanks.

Side note: DO NOT harass FA for any of these things. FA is actually a pretty legit and okay source for scans (they've been operating since like 2014 ffs), but regardless of that they still don't deserve to get flack for their work. You can have any opinion or perspective of canon that you want, I don't care. These are just my two (more like two million tbh) cents on translations. I suggest reading takes from actual Japanese audiences tbh if you wanna know more about the source material of MHA. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[kinsey3furry300]

A very confused Star Wars Fan desperately tries to justify their belief that “Caravan of Courage” shows the way forward for the franchise. No, really.

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved Star Wars. And I mean, all of it. The books, the games, the Lego, the spin-offs: I even enjoy the Holiday Special in a The Room so-bad-you-just-need-to-see-it sort of way.  But particularly the films. But here is when we run into the big problem: I’m just the wrong age. The original trilogy launched before I was born, the prequel trilogy hit cinemas when I was already a teen and while I went and saw them and enjoyed them, I was at that age where I was self-conscious about seeing a “kids” film, and hyper-aware of how silly and cringy those films were in parts. So my indoctrination, my inoculation with the Star Wars bug didn’t happen in the cinema, and it didn’t happen with any of the main franchise works. It happened on home video, on a skiing trip in the French Alps in the early 90’s. I’d have been about 6, and this was the first time I’d ever been abroad other than to see relatives in Ireland.  And I loved it: to this day I love skiing, but more than that, I have very, very fond childhood memories of this trip. This was shortly before I lost my biological mother to cancer, she’d have received her diagnosis just after we got back from the trip. This was when my younger sister stopped being an annoying screaming thing and became and became an actual person I could talk and play and share ideas with, this was before the combination my mothers long illness and my father having just launched his own IT start up meant I didn’t see him or her any more, despite the fact they were in the same house as me. This was this wonderful, nostalgic child-hood bubble when my family was intact, and nothing could ever go wrong. I skied all day with mum and dad, and would come back to the chalet in the evening. It was an English speaking chalet, I met my first real-life American there, and having grown up in the 90’s in the UK nothing was cooler than making friends with an actual American my own age. He had a hulk Hogan action figure with springs in the legs so if you put him on a hard surface and punched his head down, when you let go he’d jump really high in the air. We used to play with it together in the bath, back in that weird 90’s time-bubble when it was possible to convince two sets of parents that this kid you’d just met was you best friend in the world and of course shared bath time was, somehow, normal and appropriate. And fresh from bath time, tired from the day, the parents would give us some hot coco, dump us kids in front of the tv and grab the first shitty low-budget VHS they could find to keep us distracted while they went to the bar. In this particular time, in this particular place, that shitty low budget cartoon was the  complete set of the 1985 Lucasfilm/ABC Ewoks cartoon, plus the two spin off movies, and to this day that cheap, kitschy, kind of bad series has a special warm and cosy place in my heart. I remember being enthralled by the world, in love with the characters, applied by the bad guys and the injustice they caused (to this day I’m still irate about that time Wicket lost his set of beads documenting his progress towards becoming a full warrior and the older Ewoks basically said, tough, you need to re-earn all those merit badges from scratch. This struck me as exactly the sort of bullshit an adult would pull, and pissed me off) and on tenterhooks about what would happen to the characters.

It was also, by a coincidence, the first ever Star Wars media I was exposed to, and the above combination of events probably explains a lot about me.

So I was surprised, the other day, when scrolling Disney+, to find they’d added Caravan of Courage AND Battle for Endor to the roster in my region. Surely Disney wouldn’t want their slick, cool brand associated with this old trash? Surely there could be no place for this in the post-Mandalorian Star Wars cannon? Surely this is a horrible mistake some intern made, right?

Unless…. What if I’ve miss-remembered? What if it’s not just rose-tinted nostalgia goggles, and it’s, in fact, secretly really, really good?

I rushed to my comfy chair, got a blanket, dimmed the lights, made some coco (with rum in it, because why the hell not?) and sat down to re-examine this lost gem.

And wow: it’s every bit as shit as you’d expect.

It has aged exactly as poorly as you’d expect a cheap, mid 80’s direct to video spin-off to age. Caravan of Courage? More like Caravan of Garbage, am I right?

And yet… I still enjoyed every moment.

And it was sitting there, in my pyjamas, watching a cheaply made direct to video cash-grab from just before I was born, seeing it again for the first time in nearly 30 years, and I realised something.

It doesn’t really matter if this film is bad, so long as I enjoy it. And if it doesn’t really mater if this is bad, then I, like many Star Wars fans, wasted a huge amount of time and emotional effort on being butthurt about stuff I didn’t like about the Rise of Skywalker and it’s ilk. Because somewhere, right now, a tired and frustrated parent is putting Disney+ on to keep their kids quiet for two hours. And they won’t think too hard about what they put on, so long as it keeps little Timmy busy for a bit. Somewhere, right now, a kid is watching Rise of Skywalker, and it’s the first Star Wars media they’ve ever seen.

And that’s okay. Because we don’t know what that kids home life is like. We don’t know if it’s good or bad. Maybe it’s great, maybe it’s about to take a dramatic plunge like mine did, and this moment here will be the cosy, warm memory they look back on in 30 years time, and that’s beautiful.  They’re getting introduced to a fun, wonderful fantasy world that could be with them all their lives, through good times and bad, and as fans we should be happy about that.

Star Wars will never, die: it’s too darn profitable, Disney will never let it. And while I hope they learn from their mistakes and make sure every future Star Wars is a timeless gem of story-telling, statistically, if you keep making enough films, some of them will be bad. And while I’d like them all to be great, it’s still okay if they’re bad.

Because nothing can take away my memories of that week in that chalet. Nothing can take-away my memories of when they put the original trilogy on in cinemas for the special edition and I had my jaw hit the floor with how good it was on the big screen, not knowing or caring who shot first. Nothing can take away you memories of the Original Trilogy, the Prequels, or the Clone Wars. Nothing can tarnish the bits of the sequil trilogy that you like, and there are good bits in there.

But wait, what about continuity? What about the sacred, perfect written time-line that used to exist?

Well, what about it? Have you seen any other big, epic fantasy universe before? They’re all a mess. A work of fiction, particularly fantasy, can be extensive, or tightly written, but not both. Harry Potter is only seven books, and the last two feel, tonally, like they’re from an entirely different series. I love them, but the grim-dark kicked in so fast you’ll get whiplash. The Hobbit is a perfect written self-contained novel, and LOTR is *The* big boy high-fantasy trilogy: fast forward 50 years, and Christopher Tolkien is desperately squeezing every last drop of money out of his father’s corpse by finishing and publishing every unfinished note JRR ever wrote right down to his shopping lists. Even Dune goes of the rails with sequels. I can only think of four fantasy works that are both extensive and consistently tightly written, Song of Ice and Fire, Wheel of Time, Malazan: Book of the Fallen and Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. And even then, the prequels and spin-offs mess with the timelines: the Dunk and Egg novella’s change some character’s canonical ages and timelines, Wheel of Time was going slowly off the rails even before the Jordan died, Forge of Darkness made what was a good metaphor for the creation of it’s world into a literal war deep in the past, and Sanderson’s first Novel Elantris got a re-write to bring it more in line with the rest of the shared universe. The MCU, oft held up as the modern example of tightly planned, well thought out ongoing storytelling, is a lie: it was never as pre-planned out as Disney wants us to think; the first Iron Man, apparently, barely had a script, with Downey ad-lib-ing most of his scenes. None of the MCU films are direct sequels to each-other other than Infinity war and Endgame. There are three Iron Man films, and Three Thor films, and none continue an ongoing story line across multiple films, and the Cap films barely continue an arc, but only where Cap’s relationship with Natasha and Bucky is involved.  Much like these, Star War’s cannon is a complete, nightmarish, confusing, tangled, illogical mess. And it has been since 1984, as Caravan of Courage proves. It was never consistent and well planned.

And that’s okay.

I used to care about plot holes. I used to care about which works were cannon in Star Wars lore. I’m over that now. I’m happy to imagine the books, films and games not as a blow-by-blow historical account of a galaxy far far away, but as campfire stories from within this fun, imaginative world that we’re all invited to listen to. Stories that are in-universe myth and folklore, that we can all snuggle up and listen to while drinking highly alcoholic rum and remembering better times, knowing that wherever the future throws at us, no matter how the world goes to hell around us, we’ll still have the memories, and the ability to make our own new stories in the wonderful Star Wars world we all share.

And that’s okay. No, more than that: that’s beautiful.

Also Star Wars is completely unambiguous on the fact we’re allowed to kill fascists no matter how many times they keep coming back with a new logo, so that’s timely I guess.

So, there’s my hot take two-years after everyone else stopped caring about this stuff, as per bloody usual. Tell me why I’m wrong below, and does anyone else have any truly awful spin-off shows that they kind of have a nostalgic soft spot for?