#most accurate gay rep by far

[st-santana]

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

Is Baxter trans in your AU? I’d love to see some trans or non binary rep in the rewrite

You bet your ass he is. So far in my rewrites Hazbin has 3 trans characters

Baxter

Sir pentious

Molly

and including people under the nonbinary umbrella we got

Angel Dust

Sir Pentious

Baxter

Molly

Velvette

Valentino

Cherri Bomb (specifically agender)

Charlie

Alastor

Basically everyone in heaven

and Helluva has like 2

Moxxie

Sally-Mae

but nonbinary umbrella included we have

Moxxie

Sally-Mae

Loona

Verosika

Octavia

Ozzie (specifically agender)

Blitzø

Fizzaroli

Beelzebub

I plan to show more trans characters in my content soon! I really do like Angel because he most accurately reflects my own feelings towards gender but I’ve got so many of these guys I need to go nuts about the rest of them. Also I know the ratio is the super off but I’d like to add more transfem people… *looks at verosika* *looks away* *looks back at her* *looks awa

I assure you if you look at any of my rewrite characters they have something going on and only like 5 of them are aware of it. Half these people don’t even know gay marriage is legal in the US now.

[doberbutts]

I just wanted to say thank you for a refreshing take on the “you shouldn’t write [demographic] if you’re not [demographic]” thing! I once saw someone say that people who aren’t gay men should never write stories that touch on the experiences/struggles of gay men, and I just can’t agree? I’m a gay man myself and while I’m always going to be excited about stories that touch on those topics that are written by gay men, I’m also going to be excited about those kinds of stories if they’re written by other people! Sure, they may not get everything correct, but if they’re committed to accurately portraying the experiences of gay men, then I don’t see what the problem is. They’re learning and taking care to understand an experience that isn’t theirs. And if they’re just writing a fictional story, then it’s not like they’re trying to say they’re an Expert/Official Voice of the experience?

Obviously there are many people who don’t do their due diligence in writing certain experiences of demographics they are not part of, but I don’t think that means it should be completely barred off as something people can do. We should be encouraging people to learn about different demographics and their experiences, not discouraging them.

I think a lot of times it comes from a place of having seen bad rep after bad rep and feeling like at least someone sharing a demographic would be a little better about it, and I don't think it's necessarily wrong to want own voices to have a significant amount of pull in the discussion.

However. Hmm. How do I put it?

When I first started playing BG3 something I noticed was how common skin "blemishes" and vitiligo were in the NPCs. Now I don't know if any of the writers or dev team have these common blemishes. But vitiligo is really very uncommon to see on fictional characters period, and it appears to be really nicely represented with how it tends to appear and what parts of the skin it affects the most. And I remember thinking that was a nice touch.

I personally find these types of "blemishes" very attractive. I have a bunch of beauty marks and moles and I think they look great. I've put them on my characters since I was a little kid, I remember lamenting that I didn't have a beauty mark on my face and now I have two. I used to tell everyone who would listen about the light patch of skin on my leg as my birthmark, and now it's mostly tanned and hidden by hair so it's not nearly so visible as it used to be, and I was saddened by that when I first realized that you couldn't really see my birthmark anymore. I used to be able to run a list of every mark and mole and spot and patch on my body, and now I have more than I can count, and I find myself really happy about that.

You don't see them represented much in fiction or fantasy. But they're everywhere in BG3, it's more common to find characters with these marks than without. And idk if any of the dev team are among the people who have been tormented mercilessly for having "flawed" "imperfect" skin, but I also don't think it's a bad thing even if they didn't. These are perfectly normal things that people have on their skin and it's the first time I've seen characters just walking by my own as if they're normal. And yeah, why wouldn't they be totally disregarded as nothing to be preoccupied with when there's people walking around with far weirder things going on with their skin than a few patches of no pigment on their mouth or hands?

[dearinglovebot]

Not really a question just wanted to say love your blog a whole lot!!

This may be a weird semi question but is it weird that I find the raptor/handler lady as great mutism/selective mutism/ disabled rep? Like to me what makes her fascinating is how she does not say a word and feels closer to her animals cause for me I feel more close to my animals then anyone else and shut down and go mute sometimes. Like the is cool as a villain because we can’t really read her. I know in general disabled folks are put as the villains but to me she’s not really a villain? Like I’d find her offensive if we didint see more of HER as the show goes on, I see her as like an anti hero, hero of her own story. Idk maybe I’m yapping about nothing but she’s been my fav human Jurassic villain and also a cool representation and it makes her more badass

aweee thank you ❤️❤️

this got long I’m sorry. TLDR; it’s never weird to find characters relatable. it’s beautiful. the handler is my girlfriend who I love dearly but, for me, she’s not someone I consider mutism *representation* quite yet. open to having s2 rock my world with her tragic backstory though

honestly, there’s layers to it in my eyes. it’s like: are flamboyant villains used to mock queerness? yeah. will I still say they served amongst my fellow gays? yes. do I think they’re good representation to the wider public? absolutely not.

i don’t think it’s weird at all to love her and feel kinship in her. i like what we’ve seen of her so far. she’s fascinating in how little we know about her or her motivations. I hope she continues to girlboss her way across the world and strike fear into the hearts of many. and i think a lot of us do tend to closely bond with our animals because they don’t put unrealistic expectations on us. that’s a very realistic aspect of her. my cat is my hashtag best friend 4 life. but I do also think there’s a difference between good representation and interesting characters that we like.

personally, I think the handler is a relatively unoffensive portrayal, but I wouldn’t consider her representation for mutism. for one, I genuinely haven’t heard any talk of them consulting any nonverbal people to respectfully portray her like they did with brooklyn’s limb difference. for two, does she accurately show the experience of mutism? her backstory is going to play into this, but in her current state, I’m meh. most people already assume I’m plotting their downfall because im a non-expressive (autistic) and silent bipoc but she genuinely is trying to kill people so (tbf i wish i could hunt people for sport too sometimes so maybe not THAT inaccurate). I think the strongest thing she has going for her representation wise is that she used body language to comfort the raptors instead of words. that ability to silently communicate with her pack felt real.

how they handle her in s2 might change my opinion, but rn I don’t see her as rep in the same way that, say, yasammy represents me as a lesbian or kenji represents me as a member of a diaspora. love that freaky woman but when I explain what it’s like to be me, I wouldn’t use her as an example is my basic thought process. I’ll never knock other nonverbal people’s thoughts cause we aren’t a monolith but *i* see representation as something made for us. yaz and sammy were handled so lovingly and thoughtfully and THATS what i want representation to mean (<- guy who can’t go 2 seconds without praising yasammy)

I would also like to lightly push back on the idea that verbal shutdowns are the same as mutism, though. being mute means that you speak rarely, if ever, on a constant basis. they’re distinct experiences, though some people (like me lol) will have both! the way I’d describe it is kind of like: verbal shutdowns are temporary breakdowns caused by high emotional stress. but being nonverbal is daily life. it might be physical, mental, or both but it’s not really something that changes without purposeful interventions. the experiences are relatable to each other, but they have their nuances

I DIGRESS! at the end of the day, there’s no authority on representation thought because that defeats the purpose of us all being unique people with our own opinions. if a character makes you feel seen, then that’s beautiful. keep loving them. don’t let anyone tell you it’s weird. our experiences shape how we relate to characters. the good, the bad, and the ugly. hell, you’re talking to the person who soapboxes about autistic claire everyday because I think she acts like one of us. she’s relatable to my experience so I’m gonna claim her all I want every day of the week. that’s the beauty of fiction

I hope this didn’t come off as shaming or superior in any way. I tried to emphasize personal opinion where I could but again I’m autistic. makes me sound more confrontational than intended online. I genuinely do not think it’s weird in any way. I mainly just hope s2 gives the nuance I’m looking for in her portrayal

[amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet]

Representation in MoaH (& GoS)

I don't like to tag my works with a lot of the rep tags they normally would/could have. Personally, from publishing the first book in Word Walkers, my experience is that those tags are more often used to blacklist works and I don't think people should get the opportunity to pretend that queer people, BIPOC people, disabled people don't exist by flagging that. Also like. As a white person, I feel a little weird being like "Look at all my BIPOC characters!" It feels a little virtue signally to me. Telling good stories should just include diverse casts because the world is diverse. You know?

Further, in my experience, particular with Wattpad at the moment, I have a platform to give people the 101 to a lot of these concepts (in particular queer and disability rep, which are my communities) and change their minds that they would have otherwise missed if they'd stayed in their bubble. It does mean you probably won't see things like neopronouns in my works, but if I can change someone's mind about they/them being singular, that's a start. I have a lot of ESL readers according to my stats on Wattpad and translating that can be difficult. But if my work can be a gateway for them learning what that means, that's more good done.

Also, my fics attract a lot of eggs so like. Y'all are finding me anyway, I don't need the tags.

Anyway, here's some of the confirmed rep in book 1 of MoaH and in GoS if y'all need a reference though for what is blatantly in the works so far.

Queer Rep

Marela is a lesbian and in a relationship with Saddiqah by the end of book 1

Link & Saddiqah are both bi-icons (confirmed in the Din's Temple arc) with femme preferences

The fortuneteller in Lake Town (Hart) uses she/they pronouns

The tour guide (unnamed) in Lake Town uses they/them pronouns

Zelda's middle sibling is transmasc, though he is not reintroduced as such until book 2 for plot reasons. His identity and the story around it is given a serious storybeat and is one of the reasons why MoaH Link is my only Link I firmly will say is a cis man, because I'm making a point of in having Link as an example of healthy masculinity (as a cis man) for a trans kid trying to find a role model on it. The series does not use his deadname again though after Link finds out in book 1

They show up later in book 1, but there's a gay couple in the Marksmen, Sorol and Kutt

That's just book 1. I've got an enby knight and an enby Goron in book 2. I've also gone over how some of the Gerudo naming conventions work in my worldbuilding posts to include enby rep like the Gerudo word for nonbinary, vyu, though Dirjaani Gerudo culture doesn't come up in the books until book 3.

Over in GoS, Endeavor is actually a huge part of my coming to terms with my own gender. Originally published with she/her pronouns, the current edits are giving Endeavor they/them pronouns to accurately reflect what I didn't have the language for in high school when I started writing GoS. Endeavor is agendered.

Endeavor has two moms

Two of the Earth Sages, Insen and Hira, are in a relationship, they are both men.

Disability Rep

Lance, Link's dad, uses mobility aids due to an injury that forced him to retire from the Marksmen.

Link has ADHD with anxiety symptoms, chiefly social. This is an intentional conversation on courage and how we define it.

Zelda is autistic. MoaH Zelda is also plus-sized.

Floan is auADHD, she has a special interest in bugs

Kaju, the son of Lake Town's steward, has a prosthetic leg

Ambrose has severe motion sickness (horseback riding is about the most he can handle, but he will not fight on horseback)

Not strictly a disability, but it's a point of worldbuilding that most Hyrulean lineage Zora don't do well in the cold, so there are accessibility enchantments made to allow for traveling extensively in colder regions.

Also not strictly a disability, but sign language is much more widely taught in Hyrule. It's a mandatory lesson for the Marksmen for tactics reasons, so Ambrose, Saddiqah, and Link all have at least a conversational level of fluency in it if not better.

Back in GoS, Link's granddad Lynard uses mobility aids.

Parijan, Guardian of the Spirit Sage, is blind.

Saruo, Priestess of Courage, has anxiety. Again, I like messing with the definition of courage.

BIPOC Rep

Ok, admittedly. MoaH is a little light here. But! In my defense, it's because I want the worldbuilding of MoaH to code countries and cultures with certain ethnicities and not races/species (i.e. the Gerudo aren't just automatically Middle Eastern, there are several cultures where Gerudo are prominent members with multiple influences). So in Hyrule, where the primary culture is Hyrulean coded European generic, there aren't as many opportunities for coded characters ethnically because that's not how I'm handling it. There are characters who are BIPOC, but it feels like a bit of a cop out to include them because then I just list off all the Gerudo who show up because their POC and that feels a little cheap. I am including them too, but I want to preface that other regions of this series are going to be better at this particular beat (I circle back to the enby knight, who is also BIPOC of Faronan-Dirjaani heritage, but that's book 2).

Basic ones, there are three major Gerudo characters in book 1: Saddiqah El Amin, Dragmire Al Iber, and Ayad Al I'Tidal. They are all of the more standard Hyrulean-Dirjaani lineages closest to canon expectation. Dirjaani cultures are influenced by Middle Eastern and North African cultures, so they are all women of color.

Saddiqah in particular, and this gets into spoilers so I'll be brief, is specifically coded to be a biracial woman. For reasons that come up in book 3. It's why her horse, Ajan, has a Creole name which is outside of the typical naming conventions I'm grabbing for the Hyrulean-Dirjaani names.

The Sheikah are coded as Japanese in the games, so Impa is coded as Japanese along with the Hyrulean Sheikah. Sorol is also a Hyrulean Sheikah, so this applies for him too.

The Dreeka in Hyrule are generally coded to be an indigenous group. Because of their relationship with the Sheikah, primary influence there is the Ainu. This includes all of the Dreeka characters introduced in MoaH (Constant, Temperance, Clarity, etc.) as well as the Drex in GoS (Endeavor, Justice, Zeal, etc.)

Over in GoS, Parijan and Dabir are both Middle Eastern coded, we are aiming to be more specific in the edits.

Sayyida and Daniel are both black.

This is loose canon, but I think there's a real read to GoS about making Link black because of the nameless and the felons' rights allegory that that is meant to be. I will not confirm it because Link is meant to be a stand in for the reader and how they see him, but I do like the interpretation.

And again, this is just book 1. There are nine books planned, there will be more.

[dark-elf-writes]

Sharing the sharingan:

Itachi being like “huh, what? You just told me to kill all the Uchiha’s Mr.Danzo. And this piece of paper clearly says that man is NOT an Uchiha. You’d think the shadow hokage would know how to fucking read.”

What to do when your teammate uses you to commit suicide (a self help guide for the lost, confused, and used)

the book is blank because hey it’s a first for me too kid.

An Uchiha who turns to love rather than hate.

Them taking care of Sakumo’s body and cleaning the blood off kakashi :’(

ACE/ARO REP BITCHESSSSS

Kakshi double fisting a weirdly accurate self help book and pure smut while white knuckling his mental health.

Two bros chilling in a one room apartment with a hoard of semi-adopted kids co-writing porn for their little brother’s mental health because they’re not gay

ADHD Hyuga 0-0

Naruto buying Kabuto and scaring him with his teeth cuz he won’t go to any other healer but the Uchiha

“Destroy eyes” pact now including one traumatized dog man

May the lord have mercy on your insignificant soul because I swear to god if I ever see your bitch ass again I will not.

Gordon Uchiha

As much as it hurts to see the light come for his pups he’s so fucking glad they get to live another day, get to break the cycle of the Hatakes (because they are all Hatakes no matter what clans two of them were born into) dying young.

*sniffle*^^^^^

Big Lap Dog problem where the pups grew bigger and Sakumo did not as he is dead, so where two scrawny teenagers and an actual toddler never knocked Sakumo over three ANBU who have long since grown out of the gangliness of youth and have spent years packing on muscle through training very much do.

But you are incredibly correct imagining them as different heights is somehow deeply upsetting and they have to be the exact same height for Reasons

The three friend killers. With phantom blood of enemies and once allies forever staining their hands. The three remaining sharingan users. All of them with a flee on sight status in most bingo books. All of them cuddling in the nearly empty lounge.

The Uchiha: oh yeah…sorry I called you a bitch. The Hyuga: it’s fine. I am a bitch.

So when she knows she can't escape (She was never going to beat them, they have always been better than her no matter how hard she tried) she decides to just.... let their jutsu hit her. To die by her brothers hands is probably the best end she could hope for.

She stands back from the fire at first when the boys finally meet them (too soon. Far too soon) but kakashi spots her in the dark just like he always had. And what chance did she have not to be buried under the weight of her brothers (what were they all eating that they had gotten so damn tall.

one soul in two bodies, the closest someone could be to another person without cracking their chest open to crawl inside (she wondered one day if one of them would. Would take that final step to rejoin their hearts until they were one whole being again.) they had taken different approaches to the hatred

Seeing two Byakugan split between two faces. Knowing that the eyes once called the true heart of a dojutsu user were swapped between the two in actuality.

Sasuke constantly stuck in a game of catch-up he never seems to win. Chasing after distant goals and figures he can barely see, let alone match.

The third teammate in sharing the Sharingan: “But she’s still the outsider, she doesn’t share their strange pack mentality…”. Me: it’s the neurodivergence babe.

!!!!!

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

I write gay smut, but yeah the issues of gay stories these days. Where my gay power couple that unleash wanton of destruction and bloodshed across the cosmos?

Now I know some of them exist like Dc midnighter, but where my gay general? Gay engineer that make power armor or weapons of mass destruction?

It’s a yuri, but Gundam witch from mercury fills that role as the lesbian couple have more depth beyond their relationship.

But I say person saying that bi and gay men are shit out of luck these days. For gay media is cater to yaoi fangirls rather than us. As people never told those ladies that the yaoi they consumed. Was about as accurate to gay rep and futa is to trans.

So first lemme clarify that I don't give a single fuck about "gay rep". I don't care if the media I consume has no gay people, or id the gay people are stereotypical, or whatever. What I want are good characters and good writing and good plots and sometimes an attempt at originality. When I complain about gay romance, I'm mostly complaining about the prevalence of sex scenes I don't want to read and clichés I can't stand, like the main character of a romance being someone who sleeps around and "doesn't do relationships" until they meet their love interest and suddenly they change and their slutty life doesn't matter anymore, they deserve love dammit!

When I call out straight women for highlighting the toxic parts of gay culture, like the constant meaningless hook ups, or the casual hatred of straight people, or the assumption that the natural state of gays is to be a flamboyant party animal and any character that isn't that needs to turn into that to get a happy ending, I call it out mostly because I don't like to read it and I think it's lazy. Sure, it also shows a surface level understanding of gays, but it's also pretty accurate to how most "gay communities" treat themselves. If anything, it annoys me so much because it's so accurate and I hate pretty much everything about "gay culture".

But as far as fiction goes, I just want genres I like to stop moving away from the things I like about them and towards the things I don't like.

[cilil]

❀ 𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕚𝕥 𝕤𝕝𝕠𝕨

Prompt(s): Demiromantic rep + coming out + I guess they're also gay like almost every fic on my blog Characters: Lúilírë/Airilin Synopsis: Two Maiar, a budding romance and a confession. Warnings: /

Author's Note: So yeah, I know I'm late, but I keep my promises. Here's some LuiLin! Also small disclaimer before we begin: I'm doing my best to portray these prompts accurately and provide some decent rep, also drawing from my own personal experience at times. Feel free to reach out if there's something you think I got wrong, but also keep in mind that experiences differ and are still equally as valid. Thank you♡

"F-for me?" Despite his best efforts, Lúilírë stutters slightly when a gorgeous bouquet of water lilies is presented to him. 

"No, I just spend my days swimming around in lakes to pick flowers for fun and then show them to others so they can appreciate me," Airilin says in a light, playful tone. The mischievous twinkle in his violet eyes and the jolly swishing of his tail betray his amusement. 

Is he just messing with me or is he... Lúilírë wonders – and not for the first time – but after a moment of hesitation, he accepts the gift with a small smile. 

The bouquet is so big that he needs both hands to hold it. Every single flower is as flawless as it could be, carefully selected and handpicked, and a thin sheen of glitter covers their petals, something he has learned to identify as Airilin's signature. Lúilírë can tell that his... acquaintance? friend? fellow Ainu he's found himself thinking about in strange and exciting ways sometimes? put a lot of effort into this gift, and he wants to tell him how much he appreciates it, yet – 

When he looks up and meets those wonderful, alluring eyes, his normally quick and sharp mind fails him. Airilin looks at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something, and it seems to Lúilírë as if he can see the flow of his emotions in his gaze, like waves crashing on a beach. There's joy, excitement and something resembling hope, there's nervousness, worry and something akin to hurt. 

Lúilírë has long since decided that he likes Airilin. Despite his moodiness and habits of messing with those around him, he finds himself drawn to the beautiful water spirit, admiring him, laughing with him, allowing him to drag him away from his work every once in a while. He has happily entertained the occasional physical advances as well, chalking it up to Airilin's playfulness for the most part, but allowing himself to dream of more in the privacy of his chambers in Ilmarin. Yet in moments like this, Lúilírë wonders if, under the pretence of games and casual flirting, there's something else the other Maia wants – and if it is something he can and wants to give, if he's ready for whatever has remained unspoken between them thus far.

"These flowers are very lovely," Lúilírë says, trying to keep his expression even so it doesn't reflect the same nervousness he detects within the other Maia. 

"To be honest, I-I don't know what to say... y-you really didn't have to..." 

He trails off as words fail him once again. Airilin raises himself from the pool he has appeared from, balancing on his tail to be on eye level with the strategist, and reaches out to brush his hand against his cheek. Lúilírë remains completely still, allowing himself to enjoy the calming feeling of his companion's cool, slightly wet touch. A few glittering ice crystals form on his cheek, much to the water spirit's delight. 

"I like you a lot if you haven't noticed," Airilin says, his melodious voice unusually soft. 

"L-like as in...?"  

"Yes. As in liking you very much and more than a friend. And..." 

A moment of silence ensues, interrupted only by light splashing noises as Airilin's tail twitches nervously. 

"I... haven't really felt like this in a while. Or at all; I'm not quite sure. All I know is that I like you and I want you. But... if you don't want something like that... we can also just... you know, have fun. Or do nothing at all. I don't mind."

He looks down at the bouquet in Lúilírë's hands in an attempt to hide his blush. 

"Just... tell me if you want this too. I don't want to feel like a fool for liking someone again."

Again? Did he have other lovers in the past?

Lúilírë hesitates before responding. Part of him wants to ask about it, yet he feels like this isn't the time to pry. It's not like Airilin to be so open and direct, making him wonder whether those strange feelings between them have been on his mind for a while now as well. 

He lifts his hand to catch the other Maia's just as he's about to withdraw and instinctively interlaces their fingers. Never before has he initiated such a gesture, Lúilírë realises only after he already feels Airilin reciprocating, his claws gently scraping over the back of his hand; but it feels good. 

"I have never... done anything like this before," he admits. Being honest is the least he can do, he tells himself. "And I like you a lot as well, I simply haven't... figured out where I want to go from here. Would you mind... taking it slow?"

Lúilírë expects to see disappointment, yet to his surprise Airilin brightens up and nods eagerly. 

"You know what, little pearl? That's even better. I'm going to need some time as well."

His usual grin returns and he starts gently tugging on the other Maia's hand. Lúilírë feels like a weight has been lifted from his heart and smiles back; it's strangely relieving to finally admit what has been on his mind and to be assured that Airilin wasn't upset with him. 

Little pearl...

"So, um... what should we do now-?" he asks, only to be pulled into the pool and find a pair of strong arms and a tail wrapping around him. 

Airilin laughs. "Now I take you for a swim while you hold onto those flowers." 

If you enjoyed, please consider liking and reblogging!♡

taglist: @bluezenzennie @edensrose @i-did-not-mean-to @wandererindreams

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[5hitp0stn4tion]

y'all, i'm loving the amount of older queer rep i've been getting the past few months.

like don't get me wrong, i love captain holt and raymond (b99) and cam and mitch (modern family) as much as the next person but it always seems like queer representation over the age of 30 is just lacking from film and entertainment.

(^look at my b99 boys being so domestic I LOVE IT GIVE ME MORE)

and not to mention the wonderful number of older queer characters that have graced the screen over the past few years: annelise keating (how to get away with murder), chiron (moonlight), ma rainey (ma rainey's black bottom). but they all seem to be lacking long-standing stable relationships and comfort in their sexuality, and societal welcome, respectively - just my opinion.

but the fact that i've gotten 3 beautiful queer older couples has got me grinning every single week. i love my life.

first is obviously mr 'kentucky-fried foghorn leghorn drawl' and his wonderful house husband who bakes. yes, i'm talking about benoit blanc and his partner, phillip.

the domesticity of playing among us in the bath tub while your husband/partner bakes for you - probably banana bread or sourdough, if we're being period accurate - is what i aspire to have in the future. i love it. also the fact that they aren't over the top, they're just living their lives together how they want to is amazing. i need a prequel film where they meet and fall in love and phillip makes fun of blanc's stupid accent. thank yew.

(also idc if you disagree but blanc is the bottom in the relationship. i said what i said.)

the second is ed and stede from our flag means death. now, i know that ofmd aired like a year ago on hbo max, but i only started watching it recently since it just started airing on bbc 2.

i haven't finished the show yet but the budding relationship between ed (blackbeard) and stede is absolutely adorable and i love taika waititi and rhys darby which only makes the show better.

(i'll have a more articulate answer when i have finished watching the show, i promise.)

last but not least, is the absolute FUCKERY that is bill and frank from the last of us.

WHAT THE HELL CRAIG MAZIN? DID YOU INTEND TO BREAK THE HEARTS OF 6.4M PPL, BECAUSE IF YOU DID, YOU SUCCEEDED.

the fact that in the middle of a pretty dark tv show about the apocalypse, death, and dictatorship, we got the most beautiful short film about gay love makes me so happy. bill and frank survived the aids epidemic as two young gay men in america in the 80s, only to be struck by a fungal pandemic, only to meet each other because frank fell into bill's trap, and yet they still lived a happy life together, growing old together.

the fact that craig mazin let them live their lives in their little town, full of love and fulfillment, despite the apocalypse that's raging outside their window, is beautiful. they had the opportunity to fall in love and have a healthy relationship, free of all the homophobia and anti-gay policies that were still around in the early 2000s.

craig mazin you have broken me, i love it.

if you want to read a pretty decent article about the lack of queer rep in film and media, here

thanks for reading, if you made it this far :) comment anything i should watch

[swirlingsand]

hello my friends i am here to give you reasons to vote for shura! i know this is a worthy green hair and pronouns opponent and there would be no hard feelings either way as we, saint seiya fans, didn't even know there were other saint seiya fans on the hellsite??? 😭 we mercilessly push him to fight more and more popular teenagers but the truth is we're really proud he made it this far. this poll has been instrumental in uncovering a new fandom (our own!!) we didn't know was present on tumblr and now, maybe we're letting even more people know about this manga from the 80s that is for some unfathomable reason a huge phenomenon in southern europe and latin america and completely obscure everywhere else in the west.

(caption: unrelated cat gif for the sake of grabbing attention)

alright, here goes nothing!

shura is originally your classic shonen antagonist: not much going for him besides being a bit scary, having a backstory of homoerotic crime, and fighting and losing to a 14 year old shonen protagonist.

so reason number 1 to vote for shura: please allow this man the chance to win against a pretty and popular 14 year old for the first time in his life. 😭

but then for some reason the fandom latched onto him. fandom loves his kind. fandom loves to take antagonists who lose against kids and turn them into special poor little meow meows and write endless homoerotic fanfiction about them. saint seiya doujinshi is actually how BL got popularised as a genre in the west.

reason 2 to vote for shura: i think old (perhaps initially unintentional?) queer coding in media that led directly to normalising queer rep deserves to be given a chance, especially when put against modern media where gender non-conformity and queer identity is more widely understood and accepted. That a character that was written 35+ years ago still manages to look so green haired and pronouned is something I think we all could respect, it was a much more radical statement in its time.

also, the sympathy garnered by shura was such that, aside from about ten thousand gay fanfiction where he miraculously isn't dead, he got to make several comebacks in canon and official spin-offs after his death through means ranging from resurrection to time travel to a literal chapter that happens in literal hell (where he obviously went after dying, who are we kidding 😔😂)

reason 3 to vote for shura: there are so many alternative shuras out there because canon needed him even after killing him off, that it would be actually far more accurate to use they pronouns. 🧐

and finally, look at us, reblogging this post and making propaganda and going utterly insane. do you think all (or even most) of us are over 35? we're here fighting to the death for a character that was written before we were even born! this is such a multi-generational fandom i have no idea how it came to happen but for some reason this poll has solved our generational divide and made us agree for once to support shura and rally behind quixo who's been tirelessly making propaganda since day 1! 😭😭😭

reason 4 to vote for shura: to save tumblr user @quixoticprince from insanity, they've been having a blorbo meltdown over their specialest littlest man and it'd break our heart if they're sad 🥺 (and also because, let's admit it, it would be very funny to see them go on even more blorbo meltdowns if shura qualifies)

this is not a request, or a suggestion. this is a plea. we're just begging here 🙏 if you love saint seiya, if you've heard of saint seiya, if you or a loved one's sign is capricorn, or if you don't care about any of this but want to make a cultishly dedicated obscure fandom very happy, please consider voting for our man, Capricorn Shura.

Thank you for anyone who's read this far, and best of luck for fans of either characters!

The Green Hair and Pronouns Tournament, Quarterfinals Match 4

ID in alt text

[arkadiaasks]

How good (or not) is Yu-Gi-Oh as a franchise in terms of portraying other cultures and minorities in a respectful manner?

I'd mark it at a generally 1990s 'not trying to be offensive but trends towards lazy stereotypes when push comes to shove'.

Like off the top of my head...

The Paradox Brothers and Vivian Wong are lazy Chinese Stereotypes (though you could argue the brothers are basically professionals leaning heavily into a gimmick bit.), but it's exceedingly rare for Japanese media to not try and side step the CCP existing at all and treat China like the imperial government hasn't collapsed. (So much so, that Chiaki J. Konaka, no matter how much he fell down a Facebook Grandpa silo, was pretty accurately critical of this trope with his retrospective on Digimon Tamers)

The KCGP was filled from top to bottom with stereotypes, but at the same time of them, barely any of them had screen presence.

Kazuki himself was pretty good I'd say with his present day American and Egyptian cast members, where they do get some decent nuance, and I think probably the worst out of them is Bandit Keith with the 'violent tall blond American' stereotypes that are abundant in Japanese media (but let's be fair, Keith does have a decent basis for his cliches).

GX I think was pretty good about this, except Jim, but Jim was pretty much a hyperbole that I don't think you can be too mad about it? But then again, the other transfer students were generally not specific what country they were from.

Uh, 5D's all I'm really recalling is Team Unicorn were like kinda 'gay Frenchmen racing team' (so much so that Japanese fans call them Team Homocorn).

And that it was kiiiind of bad by mixing Incan-Aztec-Mayan ideas together with the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Immortals and Bomber?

Oh right, Sherry. Sherry. Was. Okay? Outside of the dub, she was fine.

ZEXAL, the Arclights are basically your foreign cast members but they have no exact ethnicity but they're all treated with decent nuance, despite having no country.

ARC-V, let's be upfront that the LDS Overseas students were basically all 90s stereotypes.

VRAINS to Go Rush!! I think have avoided so far using international characters.

As a Jump property, it's generally avoided any LGBT+ rep (the most sincere queer couple I think we can point to is Rovian and Yuna in Go Rush!!), and Yubel as a genderfluid character is a bit complicated because she's a demon, and most of the lazy stereotyping is from bog standard script writers hired for the cartoons, but what Kazuki wrote seems to put in more thought and nuance?

Kazuki-sensei tends to write complicated characters who are a bit more nuanced, so with him I'd say you get reasonable respectable nuanced characters, but the anime generally are at a very 'Lazy Ethnic/Societal Cliche' when they need foreign characters, especially when they're throwaways.

4Kids/Konami Cross Media however does go entirely full tilt into stereotypes because of course they did.

But yeah that's where I'd land it. "Not particularly great, but I don't think it's outright intentional racism".

[annabellelux]

Favorite Books of 2021📚

So, as anyone who has me on Goodreads has probably gathered, I read a lot. In 2021, I read 186 new books (far surpassing my goal of 120), so I thought I’d share my top 10 personal favorites and my thoughts on them! 

In no particular order, and under the cut because this rec list is long: 

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

synopsis: the Spare™ princess gets married off to a God King to save her kingdom (and her sister who was supposed to go in her place). genius plots ensue 

none of the rest of these are ordered but THIS is my number one 

honestly every single book my brandon sanderson i read this year deserves my number one spot. i’m only putting one of his books on this list purely because if not he’d be half the list 

highest fantasy imaginable in the sense that the world is vivid and relatable but not in the sense where you’re bogged down with details. brandon sanderson just knows how to build a spectacular world 

the jumping on the bed scene killed me. if you know you know

the kind of book that makes my writer self so envious that it’s a physical thing 

if you aren’t currently reading this book i don’t know what you’re doing with your life

read when you want to actually be blown away by how perfect a plot is 

Charm Offensive by Allison Cochrun

synopsis: dating show producer and dating show star accidentally fall in love while making me accidentally fall in love with both of them 

i would actually and honestly die for Charlie, my awkward king

Dev needs to be my best friend yesterday 

great mental health rep

this made me feel all the things 

i squealed on more than one occasion 

cute and charming and kept a smile on my face the whole time 

the ending is honestly all i could’ve wanted and more 

read when you want to feel like you’re watching a reality dating show “ironically” with your best friends and then find yourself overly invested in the storylines and somehow, suddenly, you’re out here actually believing in love 

The Big Bad Wolf Series by Charlie Adhara

synopsis: secret agent and werewolf reluctantly team up to investigate werewolf related crimes while not trusting each other even a little bit

but also being like. damn, he’s hot  

five book series (and hopefully more!? charlie i’m begging) 

hot but somehow also adorable 

Cooper is clueless and prickly and oh so gay 

puts new meaning to the phrase “too gay to function” 

man will be in a life or death scenario and be like “but does he like me back????” 

Park is the baddest werewolf on the block AND a cinnamon roll 

every other character: he’s so scary and tough 

Cooper: that man needs a hug, stat

the mysteries are somehow ALL GOOD !? i can usually guess a plot twist but this had me screaming WHAT so many times but upon rereads i was like OHHHHHH

a masterclass in character and relationship development 

they learn how to communicate in such a realistic way. they both have their own hang-ups but they slowly learn how to open up about them and it’s genuinely so realistic and heart-warming 

ALSO made me care about a relationship that is ESTABLISHED for most of the series??? i cannot stress how rare this is for me 

i read all five books in like 3 days, staying up until 4 am on multiple occasions to do so. take from that what you will 

read when you want to explore the mysteries of love and murder 

Reputation by Lex Croucher

synopsis: regency girl moves in with her aunt and uncle a bunch of cool friends who spend their time being hot, wild, and hilarious 

the Mean Girls comparison is accurate in the most delicious ways 

genuinely laugh-out-loud hilarious

Lex is a genius with the one-liners  

but also insightful and poignant and gut-wrenching at times

there is NUANCE here 

all the heavy themes were handled with expert care

Thomas deserves the entire world 

amazing and varied queer rep

this book honestly made me feel like i could thrive in the regency era despite literally all the evidence to the contrary. it made me want to be mean and hot in a ballgown

read when you want to feel like the human equivalent of a glass of champagne and an expert hair flip 

Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth

synopsis: prickly girl helps her nemesis out in a highly unconventional way and then ends up being the school’s resident Weird Favors Girl 

a bunch of misfit teens doing stupid and hilarious stuff

every character was real 

Aideen is the perfect kind of flawed character. she’s an extremely authentic and she made me like her and root for her even when i didn’t love what she was doing or saying

the romance was WELL DEVELOPED and made my sapphic heart explode 

also the friendships were such a high point. i loved watching them navigate the complexity of it all 

exactly what i’m looking for in a sapphic romance. i will read every ciara smyth book forever probably 

read when you want to feel like you’re a teenager on a friday night having shenanigans with friends who feel like they’ll last a lifetime

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen 

synopsis: sapphic jock and cheerleader rivals-to-lovers AND fake dating 

make this into a movie yesterday. this has cinematic gold potential 

rom-com to end all rom-coms 

relationship development I can get behind 

teenagers who make mistakes but ALSO actually have enough braincells to find appropriately mature solutions 

recovering from a bad breakup in a healthy, non-toxic way 

when they finally got together it was like, perfect. it was so so so easy to root for both of the main characters

read when you want to feel like you’ve just looked out your window to see your crush with a boombox 

Camp by L.C. Rosen 

synopsis: boy changes literally everything about himself to get another boy to like him. but it’s at gay summer camp 

i know i just said the main character does something pretty yikes to get a relationship going but hear me out 

it is such a lovely exploration of toxic masculinity with such care and nuance 

it’s really about learning how to love yourself

character growth all around 

healthy sex positivity 

also. did you hear me say GAY SUMMER CAMP. i cannot tell you how much this made me crave a gay summer camp 

all the queer rep you could ever ask for 

read when you want to feel wrapped in a blanket of queer culture  

All For The Game Series by Nora Sakavic 

synopsis: boy with literally everything to lose risks life and limb to play stick ball 

i wish i was joking about how much Neil is willing to lose to live out his little jock dreams but i am unfortunately not 

Neil, at all times: a little murder is not enough to stop my good time. fuck you 

i am not going to lie to you. i hate-read all of book 1. i spent a majority of the time in absolute shock at what the fuck was happening. but i could not deny that i was thoroughly and honestly enjoying myself so i continued

by book 2 the author is ready to bring out the BIG GUNS and i honestly was hooked in a way that i did not see coming 

by book 3 i knew that i had found a new obsession 

to say there is a lot of trauma in this book would be a gross understatement. this series should not be read if you are not in a place to mitigate your triggers. please google a TW list beforehand if you are worried about this 

BUT I did really enjoy a lot of what the author had to say about living with trauma. i loved how all the characters had such weighty backstories how that was what brought them together and helped them work as a found family

can we talk about andrew and his knives????? because that is honestly my favorite thing about him 

you WILL spend several days/weeks/months/years in an ao3 rabbit hole afterwards. the fandom is alive and well and thriving out here 

read when you want to watch the world burn and laugh in the face of chaos 

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

synopsis: a couple has grown to hate each others’ guts, and are trying to passive-aggressive their way out of their engagement without having to be the one to lose the wedding deposit 

essentially one big game of chicken with the person who is supposed to be the love of your life 

i could not stop laughing at how ridiculous this couple was. at the beginning i genuinely was like “how the hell did these two EVER fall in love????”

BUT 

the turnaround was so deliciously worth it because they had to work for it 

they both needed so much character development that they should have been wearing “DANGER: PERSON UNDER CONSTRUCTION” signs 

but that was what made the character and relationship development GLORIOUS  

i went from not rooting for these two monsters in the slightest to literally wanting the world for them. and THAT is literary talent 

Naomi is so dramatic in the funniest possible way and has some of the best one-liners of all time 

Nathaniel grows on you as he grows on Naomi and she slowly understands him better and then you realize, hey, this man is actually lovely 

get you a man who will learn from his mistakes 

i literally know no one who has read this book and i want someone to so i can scream about how wild it is 

seriously guys i’ve read it three times in three months. it’s my new comfort book 

read when you want to see the power of communication and self-improvement 

The House in The Cerulean Sea

synopsis: bureaucrat goes to Magic Orphan Island and learns the meaning of life 

i know everyone and their mother already read this but i was a hold out for like a year because I was being weirdly contrary. i wasn’t really in the mood for this book for like, over a year 

and then I read it and I Got It. the hype suddenly made sense 

and now I would die for the World’s Best Dad, a constantly flustered rule-follower, a little girl with a beard, a blob that just wants to be a hotel concierge, a shy boy with a big heart and at times a wet nose, a small but mighty sprite child, a dragon who just wants coins, and the LITERAL anti-christ 

i can’t really explain this book. you kinda just have to read it and let yourself feel things 

read when you want to simultaneously be crying and smiling 

The Spanish Love Deception by  Elena Armas

synopsis: i hate my coworker but he's going to be my date/fake boyfriend at a a wedding across the globe anyways because my ex is going to be there and he deserves to rue the day he crossed me 

Catalina is not actually vindictive. I am vindictive. I wanted her ex to rue the day

WORK RIVALS. TO. LOVERS. NEED I SAY MORE 

Catalina says jump and Aaron says “when, how high, do you want me to get you a doughnut while I’m at it?” 

basically he’s a simp. and men must always be simps for me to love them 

i had a crush on this man. i’m brave enough to admit it 

this won a goodreads award as it should 

i was having fun literally every minute of this book. i could not get enough. 

the banter was top-notch 

read when you want your stomach to hurt from butterflies and from laughing 

HONORABLE MENTION: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston. 

I only didn’t include this because it’s not out yet (i got it as an ARC) so I didn’t want to go on and on about something most people can’t read for over six months 

But put that on your TBR immediately and circle back so we can scream about it together 

If you got this far, I love you 

[no1ryomafan]

Resident getter fan here! I usually don’t leave long responses in reblogs but since tumblr comments have a word limit I’ll move my opinion regarding the getter girls here. I’ll keep it spoiler free as possible but I’ll at least bring up 3 main ones, since I’ll be talking about the ovas since that’s where most people tend to lean to. (The toei shows are kinda mixed and fairly long, though if you’ve seen any longer Gundams you should be fine but note they’re a bit kid friendly and episodic so they don’t have a proper story structure unlike the ovas)

Regarding Sho: She sadly doesn’t appear in too many animes, her most major appearance you saw was what you watched, SVN. (She was also in a toei show but see above with what I said, it was also not fully subbed even if it’s being in process of it. Also they changed her design a bit) If you want a full fleshed out Sho experience you’ll have to read the manga which most people recommend anyways and you’ll have to do if you wanna watch getter arc, since it’s the one anime that’s fully manga accurate. Sho also appears there but her role is very minor. That said despite her limited anime appearances most people say she’s the best female in the manga because all the other ones are kinda side characters sadly.

Kei: I’m gonna assume you haven’t watched Armageddon or played a SRW with Arma despite the screencap so let me tell you about my beloved green haired girl.

In the manga she is just a side character so arma rectify her by making her apart of the Go team. The only downside to this is it does rob Sho of screentime-Sho is also there in arma but as a background cameo-but I don’t hold it against Kei as she’s lovely. She is an independent woman who WILL kick your ass but still has a soft side. She does not appear until ep 4 but to me is more of the central protag of the show then Ryoma if you can believe, despite being the getter 2 pilot and no one ever talking about her lol. She is generally great and it’s a shame arma is the only canon to use her but I think you’ll enjoy her and the go team she’s apart of even if they’re FAR different from the shin vs neo ones. (They still use Go and Gai but they’re- different. Won’t spoil it though)

Lastly, Michiru: This one talking about new aka the one focusing primarily on OG team. This last one is a supporting character but I’m mentioning her anyways for some general context, also I really like her. (Also she’s not canonically a lesbian sadly but this is the only pic of her I have on speed dial😭)

Michiru in the series tends to be the character who I’ve felt been done really dirty. In the manga she quite literally *exists* and arma, as much as I love it and think Kei makes up for it, Michiru is kinda used as the fridged character. (I won’t elaborate for spoilers but if you know what fridged means, you know) However, New getter handles her fairly well! While she doesn’t get to pilot the getter and is absent for a few episodes, she provides a strong supporting character. She’s basically more of the boys professor than her dad in a way, but she’s still doing her own thing. She’s also interesting in the sense most Michirus are characterized as nice but she’s a total bitch LMAO yet I love it. She’s tired of being around so many men and I cannot blame her given the OG getter team can get to be a bit much.

These are the main examples I can think of, the only thing I didn’t mention was arma also has some nice side female characters but Kei is the primary one and also there is a spin off manga with female pilots- but sadly it’s not translated so rip.

Overall compared to other series I think getter has the female rep decently but despite Sho not getting a proper arc in the animes I think the animes do it better then the manga in this regard. But all 5 arcs of the manga and all 3 ovas are definitely worth checking out if you wanna immerse yourself fully in getter, sorry for the large infodump though LOL.

Also PS: this has nothing to do with the girl aspect but one of the pilots you mentioned in the OG team pic is wrong, in that pic Musashi isn’t there but rather Benkei- but also it’s easy to mix them up bc Benkei only actually existed to replace Musashi LMAO (it gets even funnier bc in new getter they just- merge both of them into a completely new character named Benkei Musashibo who’s also based off of a legendary monk warrior. Getter is so silly with how it’s adapts its characters)

So, since getting into mecha more than I used to (thanks again Witch from Mercury), I've learned that the trio of anime dudes grinning like unhinged gargoyles are the OG Getter Robo team (Hayato, Musashi, and Ryoma, pictured below).

I can see why it's been popular for memes and fan art (there's even one featuring Miorine Rembran, Suletta Mercury, and Chuatury Panlunch in these poses), but having just watched Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo, I'd like to voice my appreciation of the Go Team's version in the first picture, being both a callback to their predecessors while also distinguished from them.

(I particularly like that, while I don't know yet know how well Getter Robo in general handles its female cast, at the very least Sho Tachibana's expression here is just as unhinged as her male peers' [Gai Daido and Go Ichimonji], and while I appreciate that's not a very high bar to clear, it's still better than too many media ever do).

[irkimatsu]

Eurovision 2022 Personal Ranking

Eurovision is in less than a week, so it’s time for me to do my ranking post! Can you believe this is my ninth contest? The time flies! (It would have been my tenth, but you know, the Happening…) Using the sorter located here, I’ve ranked all the songs from least favorite to most favorite. Some placements are up to interpretation – honestly, how do you even choose between two wildly different songs like “In Corpore Sano” and “Give That Wolf A Banana”? But it seems generally accurate, so it’s what we’re going with.

Do note that I am not trained in music in any way, and that my taste is shit – like I feel the need to point out every year, I unironically listen to Scooch! This ranking has very little to do with objective quality and almost everything to do with “hahaha this song makes the chemicals in my brain do funny things”. You’ll probably disagree with me! That’s fine! One of my criteria for songs include “does this song make me think silly things about the funny anime muppets I’ve been watching for six years”! This is not an expert study, this is an insight to the brain of a person who has spent over half their life helping to run a site called Bubblegum Dancer! Okay, all that apology for my crap taste aside, let’s do this!

Dislike:

40. Croatia: “Guilty Pleasure” by Mia Dimšić

Uuuuugh. Haven’t used this category in a while, but Eurovision has finally given me another song that I can barely stand to listen to even when preparing for the contest, so, uh, good job guys. The music is… fine. The singer is… fine. But the lyrics. Good god, the lyrics. I’m not faulting this song just because I find it morally objectionable or something; hell, when I first saw the title “Guilty Pleasure”, I kinda hoped I’d be able to use it for headcanons that are way more morally objectionable than just cheating on your spouse. But there are ways to do songs from the point of view of someone doing something terrible, even with that person believing they’re justified, and this is just not it. There were a lot of ways to fix this concept. Make the music darker. Add lyrics about the spouse being a terrible person who deserves to be cheated on. Express some kind of guilt! For a song called “Guilty Pleasure”, she doesn’t sound guilty at all! Hell, it sounds like she doesn’t even know what she’s singing! As it stands, it’s a cutesy little love song that adds “oh by the way I’m married” as an afterthought, and it irritates the shit out of me. There is literally nothing here for me. I will kick things if this makes it into the final.

Indifferent:

39. Italy: “Brividi” by Mahmood & Blanco

Ah, the thing about starting with least favorite is that I get my shittiest opinions out early. I loved “Soldi” a few years ago, but to me this song is just mush. I know a lot of people love it, and I’m sure it has a ton of artistic merit! But as far as “song I would actively listen to outside the context of Eurovision” goes, there’s nothing here for me. I’ve looked at the translated lyrics. That didn’t change anything for me. I don’t care for this song at all. Yay for gay rep, I guess! But judging by the entries I’ve ranked higher than this, I prefer my gay rep to be more… tacky. Whoops. Let’s move on, I have nothing to say about this one.

38. Iceland: “Með hækkandi sól” by Systur

Uh. I guess it’s kinda pretty? I might like it a bit more than some entries that ranked higher than it, but I also keep forgetting how it even goes, which costs it a lot of points. When given a choice between songs, there’s no good reason to pick the one I can’t remember off the top of my head. The fairy tale-esque lyrics are nice, and I respect it for being a lowkey entry, but it’s one I respect a lot more than I actually like. Won’t miss it if it leaves in the semi, won’t revisit it once the contest is over.

37. Azerbaijan: “Fade To Black” by Nadir Rustamli

God, the bottom of my list is so boring to write. It’s a song! It’s a break up ballad! I don’t care! Nothing much to say here. I might also feel a little bitterness toward it for the fact that it was the last song revealed, when I was so anxious to finally get started on the playlist. This one was not worth the wait. Nice voice, I guess, but not for me.

36. Germany: “Rockstars” by Malik Harris

It’s “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots, but worse. I think this song is a pretty good indicator that I’m getting old. I hear a lot about how it sounds like modern radio pop, and a lot of people resonate with it on that level, but for me it’s just yet another example of how modern radio pop bores me to shit and I haven’t listened to the charts in years. Weh weh, cranky old person, get off my lawn. Let the young ones have this, I can do without. Lyrics are fine, I even resonate with that fear of growing up on some level, but it’s all in a package I don’t enjoy listening to.

Also, he says “farst”. I should not make fun of that, but I do. Oh, Eurovision and your pronunciation.

35. Netherlands: “De diepte” by S10

Break up ballad. Yay. I could copy most of what I said about “Fade To Black” onto this one, too. Nothing here for me, nothing to say about it, this just isn’t the type of music I listen to ever. This is getting boring!

34. Switzerland: “Boys Do Cry” by Marius Bear

I agree with the comments I’ve seen that say this sounds like a Randy Newman song from a Pixar movie. It’s a good message, which is the main thing that ranks it above a lot of the stuff below it, and hey, I like Pixar! But it’s still a sparse ballad. A sparse ballad about something that’s not breakups, at least, but a sparse ballad all the same. Pleasant enough, not expecting to see it in the final.

33. North Macedonia: “Circles” by Andrea

It has a little more life in it, and I do like how the chorus hits, but overall to say I enjoy the song would be a bit of a stretch. I think it’s in the same boat as “Rockstars”. I could imagine hearing it on modern radio, and if I did it wouldn’t change my mind in thinking that modern radio trends aren’t for me. It’s not awful, but it’s pretty generic.

32. Sweden: “Hold Me Closer” by Cornelia Jakobs

Oh, Sweden, so often I like your entry a lot less than I feel like I should. It’s one of the better breakup ballads this year, but it’s still just that, another breakup ballad in a whole sea of them. The lyrics are pretty good, but overall still about a subject that’s been done to death before I’m even a quarter of the way through my ranking. I have a friend who’s been a fan of Cornelia for years, so I hope the best for her for his sake. I’m also totally willing to admit that I’m the one missing something here; I’m sure it won MelFes for a reason! But even as we’re slowly approaching songs I actually find some pleasure in listening to, overall this is still yet another breakup ballad and I’m getting sick of them. It’ll qualify for the final, no doubt. I just can’t bring myself to care.

31. Armenia: “SNAP” by Rosa Linn

Breakup ballad breakup ballad bottom portion of the list is where I put all the goddamn breakup ballads. I like the double meaning of “snap”, and the melody of the chorus is nice; those are probably what saved this from the bottom of the heap when I was sorting these, but overall this is, yet again, not what I come to Eurovision for. It’s there. I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t qualify. Next.

Okay:

30. Australia: “Not The Same” by Sheldon Riley

Is this song once again in a genre I never choose to listen to, ever? Yes. Did I sob like a little bitch the first time I heard it? Also yes. I get it, Sheldon. I grew up as the autistic queer kid who people didn’t want to go near for reasons I didn’t understand at the time. Good god do I get it. It almost hurts too much for me to listen to it very often. It’s one I appreciate more than I like, but that’s how art is sometimes. I wouldn’t bring it to a party, and it’s not on my list of preferred qualifiers, but I’ll be happy for it if it does qualify. Hope you’re doing okay, Sheldon. I’m not the same either.

29. Malta: “I Am What I Am” by Emma Muscat

Full disclosure, I haven’t actually listened to “Out Of Sight” and by now this song is fully ingrained in my mind as Malta’s selection, so there won’t be any comparisons here. This one’s cute! A little generic, so I can’t rank it any higher than the bottom half of my list, but god damn is it nice to finally have some optimism on this list. Not a hopeful qualifier, we’ve all heard songs like this a million times before in the long history of this contest, but damn it I still smile when it comes on. It’s cute. Let it live.

28. Denmark: “The Show” By REDDI

I do love the sudden shift from calm to wild; unlike a song I bitched about a lot back in 2016, it does its shift well while still sounding like the same song. It may be the lowest ranking rock song on the list, but it’s not a bad one; it’s more a virtue of me liking everything else more than anything else. It doesn’t have any big statements or innovations, but it’s having a good time, and I appreciate that!

27. San Marino: “Stripper” by Achille Lauro

If I was basing this purely, objectively on “how do I feel about this as a piece of audio with no thought to anything else outside this song”, this would be a lot lower than it is. It’s actually a little bit annoying! But he’s so damn into the performance. Remember what I said earlier about liking a good, tacky performance? This is what I meant. Also remember what I said about liking songs that remind me of my funky little muppet men? Karamatsu would love this, and that thought brings me joy when I listen to this. All my enjoyment of this is strictly ironic, it’s “so bad it’s good” to its core, but ironic enjoyment is still enjoyment, and I’ll have fun with its semi performance before it’s inevitably booted. San Marino’s entries are always so wild, I love it

Oh, and bonus points for the reference to “Personal Jesus”. Make me respect your song simply by referencing a much better song

26. Portugal: “Saudade, Saudade” by MARO

This is one of those cases where it might have ranked a little lower if it wasn’t from a country I’m usually so harsh on. It’s no secret that Portugal’s entries and I have never gotten along, and 2017’s comments about “a victory for real music” left a particularly nasty taste in my mouth. This still isn’t great, but I find it kind of relaxing? Especially the hand claps. It’d bore me if it came from a country that’s normally more aligned with my tastes, but since it’s Portugal, I just think it’s nice to not hate their submission for once. Good job, Portugal, you don’t totally suck this year.

25. Belgium: “Miss You” by Jérémie Makiese

Not too much specific to say about this song, but it’s a fun little number, and I expect some good energy from the staging. The lyrics are a bit nonsense, but it’s Eurovision, so I’ve come to expect that by now. Don’t hate it, don’t love it, 25 is as good a rank as any.

24. Montenegro: “Breathe” by Vladana

Montenegro really said “fuck COVID deniers”. Good for them! I wonder if anyone’s bitched about this song being too political? If they do they’re a jackass, because damn it the woman’s mother died. “It’s unforgivable” indeed… it’s a super poignant song, and while I can’t rank it any higher than this by sound, I appreciate the lyrics a lot.

23. Greece: “Die Together” by Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord

Remember what I said earlier about not hating “Guilty Pleasure” just for being morally objectionable? I felt it necessary to bring that up so I don’t look like a hypocrite. “I’ll commit murder-suicide rather than lose you” is a lot worse than “oops I cheated”, but I also find it more interesting. The music is more dark and eerie, too, enough to fit the subject matter. It’s a little overwrought, but hey, I can be a little overwrought. And then we have to get to the heart of the matter, what really drove me to this song the instant I read the title – my funky little muppet men. Or rather, that one-episode AU that envisions one of my funky little muppet men as a lunatic middle school girl with a chainsaw. This song fits Ichimi so well it hurts, and I am being supremely biased putting it this high – I actually needed to fight to not put this even higher! I’m keeping this song long after the Contest is over simply because it reminds me so much of my girl. God, I love my girl. It’s a problem. Moving on.

22. Estonia: “Hope” by Stefan

A nice modern country song! I have a lot less to say about this than “Die Together”, but I really do appreciate it. Gives me nice flashbacks to “Storm” a few years ago, and while I do prefer “Storm”, this is still a good one. Can’t resist shouting “I hope, I hope, I hope!” along with it. Hope it does well! No pun intended! Okay maybe it was

21. Poland: “River” by Ochman

I saw a few posts decrying this song for being pro-suicide, but I don’t see it that way at all? I see it more as being so overwhelmed that you shed your old life and start over from scratch. It’s not death, it’s rebirth, and I really enjoy it through that light. He’s got a nice voice, and I really feel the stress of the lyrics. Not a favorite of the contest, but still one I respect a lot.

Like:

20. Bulgaria: “Intention” by Intelligent Music Project

This song’s fun, you guys are just mean. The Bulgarian dads are having the time of their lives with their dad rock song and you’re all just mean! I liked this the first time I heard it, and was actually surprised to see it so low on everyone else’s lists! It’s not a winner by any means, but I’ll be sad to see it leave in the semi! I love its energy, and sure, the lyrics are absolute nonsense, but Eurovision lyrics usually are, so I’m easily forgiving. It’s fun to sing and groove along to. I can’t ask it to be anything more than that, and it’s one of the songs I’m most defensive of.

19: United Kingdom: “Space Man” by Sam Ryder

First time I heard this, I’ll admit, I didn’t give it nearly as much attention as I should have. After “Flames” went down in, well, flames last year, I fully expected UK to give up, and the instant I realized they weren’t sending Daz Sampson levels of insanity because they know they’re getting last place anyway, I stopped paying attention. A mistake on my part, because this song is really good! It grew on me hard! If this one flops then that just means that people have some weird personal vendetta against the UK, because what the hell, guys. It’s a fun adventure of a song, I love the imagery, and I expect some fantastic staging. Shout out to the old computer style of the lyrics video! This song has a lot going for it aesthetically!

18. Georgia: “Lock Me In” by Circus Mircus

Speaking of aesthetic treats, I love this song far more than it deserves. It’s just so unique and fun! I love the chiptune, I love the quick vocals! It doesn’t mean anything and I don’t even care! Most I’ve enjoyed a Georgian entry in a while. I wanna go to the space craft dance club! Hoping for a good show from the Georgian clowns!

17. Ukraine: “Stefania” by Kalush Orchestra

This is another one that had to grow on me, but I’m glad it did! I think the turning point was when I read the translated lyrics. It’s such a sweet folksy song with a modern twist. Folksy and modern is one of my favorite combinations in Eurovision, and it shines well here. Best of luck, Ukraine!

16. Albania: “Sekret” by Ronela Hajati

Holy shit why is this video so horny. And what is with the giant pole in her hair. Uh, anyway! Music video aside, it’s a nice energetic song which uses its ethnic elements well, and I’ll admit it, I like a well-done theme of forbidden relationships. (Done well. Ahem.) The lyrics are pretty basic, and what I expected from the video, unless they’re more poetic in Albanian? But they do what they have to do, and that’s all right! I really do like this song.

This is one where I listened to both versions around the same time, and both are good in their own way, but for a contest with a length limit, I prefer the Eurovision version. It’s snappier and doesn’t outstay its welcome. I don’t think shortening the original arrangement to the required three minutes but otherwise leaving it alone would have done it justice – it’s a good arrangement, but when you only have three minutes, you need to have some punch.

15. Latvia: “Eat Your Salad” by Citi Zeni

Ahahahaha what. What even is this. This has been one of my go-to songs for showing non-Eurovision friends what the hell is going on in Eurovision this year. We start with a good enough concept, environmentalism, sure there’s been plenty of Eurovision songs about that before… but I’m also sure they’ve mostly been sincere ballads that bore the shit out of me. Not… whatever this is. The music! I love the music! It’s so fun! I love grooving to it! But oh god. The lyrics. One of my biggest disappointments is that Citi Zeni probably aren’t allowed to yell “PUSSY” on stage at Eurovision. Good thing the rest of the lyrics are just as horny and will probably slide right on through. I expect a delightfully tacky performance here. It’s a guilty pleasure, but the pleasure’s so high, I just have to rank it well. I don’t expect it to win, but I do expect it to go down with “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” and “Run Away” as a memorable Eurovision meme that even outsiders look back on fondly.

The song may not work entirely on me because I’ll likely be chowing on some McDonald’s while watching the show, but hey, give it points for trying to convert me to a good cause.

14. Lithuania: “Sentimentai” by Monika Liu

After… whatever Latvia’s doing, we have a nice classy entry. There’s something slightly haunting about it, which is just as well, since it appears to be about the death of a lover. The Lithuanian language sounds so lovely, and I think that’s what’s adding to the haunting quality. (Or maybe that’s just me not understanding Lithuanian.) I’ve been oddly drawn to this song since the start, and I really want to see it do well. One of my favorite entries that’s not complete party party nonsense.

13. Ireland: “That’s Rich” by Brooke

This song is so snide, and while that might not work for everyone, I love its attitude. Brooke is done with this guy’s shit! The energy of the song totally sells the lyrics, and it’s one of those songs that every teen girl needs after breaking up with an idiot. I’ve heard it compared to Blondie, and the instant I heard that it clicked; whatever attitude draws me to Blondie is the same thing that draws me to Brooke. It’s pop with just a tad bit of edge, and I’ve always loved that sort of thing.

It's also just a bit saucy, which I like. “Used to think I need your help to feel good, turns out I do it better. Think maybe you should please yourself.” Nice. Who needs a selfish dude when you’ve got a vibrator?

12. Cyprus: “Ela” by Andromache

This song is gorgeous. I don’t know what much else to say about it except that I love it. I don’t tie it to anything outside of itself, it’s not a specific niche genre that I worship and love to hear in the Contest… it’s just a damn good song, especially the parts in Greek. This is one of those times where I wish I knew more about music, objectively, so I could give this one the analysis it deserves. The artsy part of it is over my head – I just love how it sounds without thinking too hard about it. Maybe that’s enough. It seems popular, so it should have no trouble getting into the final.

11. Slovenia: “Disko” by LPS

It’s called “Disko”. Of course I was gonna fall head over heels for it. Okay, so maybe it’s more jazzy than disco, but whatever it is, it’s nice! I know they’re just a bunch of schoolkids having fun, it’s not professional at all, but hell, I like that quality to it! Literally anyone can go to Eurovision! It’s the same thing I like about Bulgaria this year! It has a good melody, and oh, those horns. I love horns. Hoping the best for Slovenia.

Also, watch the animated music video for it if you haven’t yet, it’s very cute

Also also, the band name stands for “Last Pizza Slice”, which to me is very funny. Initial names in Eurovision always stand for something ridiculous, don’t they

10. Finland: “Jezebel” by The Rasmus

We’re starting the top ten off with a song I would love to see win. I love when Eurovision goes hard like this! I was only passingly familiar with The Rasmus before this – “In The Shadows” may have been a European hit, but it doesn’t seem to have ever reached American shores the same way, so I only heard it a couple of times and didn’t even realize I knew it until I listened to it after thinking, huh, that band name sounds vaguely familiar. But history aside, even without any outside context, this song is awesome! The lyrics are a bit awkward at times, and I don’t think the song accomplishes what it sets out to – I’ve read it was going for “independent woman living for herself”, but it comes out as more “heart-breaking bitch I can’t get away from”. But I do really like heavy “heart-breaking bitch” songs, so I’m fine interpreting it in that light. It’s not very feminist from that angle, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. I cannot wait to see this live, and if this doesn’t do well in the final then there’s no justice in the world.

9. Spain: “SloMo” by Chanel

This song is total party garbage and I love it. There’s nothing deep to analyze here, no intelligence or art in the lyrics about shaking your ass and cumming on a man’s face. It’s lewd, it’s tasteless, and oh my god I love it so much. Not sure if it’ll rank well, but I’ll party the fuck out during its performance. I wanna dance along to it even though with my looks I should not be getting down to any sexually charged song like this, ew. I’m still gonna try!

8. Romania: “Llámame” by RMS

After Spain’s delightful show of tastelessness, we have something a bit more tasteful and probably a lot more gay. It’s not just me, right? This song’s about a gay relationship, right? It’s definitely about a forbidden relationship, at the very least, and like I said, I do like that topic. I like the singer’s voice, I like the melody, I’m running out of ways to say “I like this”, but damn it, I like this! It was an early favorite!

7. Norway: “Give That Wolf A Banana” by Subwoolfer

Sorry, I lied, when I typed “7” I meant “First Place In All Of Eurovision History They Should Just Win From Now Until Forever”. Seriously, how the hell can I not love something like this?! It’s insane! I have no idea what’s going on! Immortal space wolves! Possibly gay immortal space wolves depending on what kind of banana we’re giving them! The fucking masks! It’s the best thing ever! Oh god I’m so glad this song exists. It helps that it’s a damn good piece of electro-pop; the song could have worked just as well even if the lyrics weren’t absolute batshit. But they are absolute batshit, and I love it. A friend and I have been associating this with Ichi and Jyushi, because come on, tell me that given the opportunity Suuji wouldn’t perform a song so utterly ridiculous. And furry. Damn furries.

I also fully believe that these guys are really Ylvis. In all fairness I’m not Norwegian and don’t know any of the other suggested celebrities well enough to gauge whether it could be them or not. But Ylvis? Yeah, I’ll buy that. It’s certainly wacky enough.

6. Serbia: “In Corpore Sano” by Konstrakta

Okay, okay, so maybe having artistic integrity gets you slightly more points than being an insane space wolf. Slightly.

In all seriousness, the song already stood out to me for its unique sound, then I read the lyrics and it was like being punched in the gut. Mental illness is a hellish prison, and isolation is just making it worse… but as long as you have beautiful hair, you’ll be fine! Beauty is health! And you better be healthy because doctors are fucking expensive! This song has a lot to say in its three minutes, and it’s a lot of what I’ve been feeling for years now. I feel so deeply for this song, and even if it’s not quite my favorite of the year, I would love to see a unique entry like this win.

“A sick mind in a healthy body, a sad soul in a healthy body, a desperate mind in a healthy body, a frightened mind in a healthy body”… this song cuts so deep…

Love:

5. Czech Republic: “Lights Off” by We Are Domi

What a fucking good synthpop song. I don’t even know what else to say about it; it just sounds awesome. The lyrics aren’t nearly as deep as Serbia’s, but I still like how they sound, and I guess that’s enough! This is exactly the sort of thing I listen to even away from Eurovision, and god, I want it to do well. Energy! I love energy!

4. Israel: “I.M.” by Michael Ben David

Oh my god this song is so fucking tacky. I love it. As he says, he’s shameless, and I appreciate it! It’s an excellent gay anthem with a nice Israeli touch. Another song for me to party to when it comes up! It does what it sets out to do, it does it damn well, and I can’t ask for anything more! I know it’s too campy for a lot of people, but I love camp. Please don’t eliminate this one, I’ll cry

3. Moldova: “Trenulețul” by Zdob și Zdub & Frații Advahov

How the hell do you go wrong with a cheery fiddling tune about riding on a train? This is the most fun entry in the Contest this year, and I adore it. Hey, ho, let’s go, folklore and rock & roll! It’s ridiculous, but totally earnest in its ridiculousness, and I respect the hell out of it. Can’t wait to do a little jig to it on show day. God, I love Eurovision entries that stand out.

…though it is worth noting that I did this ranking before listening to the Eurovision revamp. I didn’t even realize there was a Eurovision revamp until very recently. And… I hate it. What the hell is with the guitar? This song didn’t need a guitar! I liked when it was more traditional! It feels like the song sacrificed what made it so charming and unique in order to “fit in” with more traditional pop and rock, and it hurts my soul to hear. Please tell me they’re not really going with that on stage… but it stays at a solid rank 3 for what it used to be. You don’t need to change, Trenuletul. You’re perfect as you are.

2. Austria: “Halo” by Lumix feat. Pia Maria

What a banger! It has no important message, but it does an amazing job as a club anthem. The exact sort of thing I listen to in my free time. Take everything I said about “Lights Off” and ramp it up – this song is so good. I don’t have too much to say about it except that when I first heard it, I knew it was going to be my favorite of the year. And it stayed that way for quite a while, until…

1. France: “Fulenn” by Alvan & Ahez

Oh. God. Damn. What a worthy contender for my favorite. “Spirits In The Sky”, “Shum”, and now “Fulenn”… I am clearly a sucker for that beautiful combination of traditional music and kickass synths. I’ve never heard the Breton language before now, but I love how it sounds. This song has such a dark, kickass atmosphere, and I get lost in it every single time I hear it. Favorite song this year, no competition. I would kill to see this one win.

And speaking of killing! A song about a girl dancing in the fire with the devil? What a good Icchi anthem. That’s not the only reason this song is in first – I considered it a favorite before even looking at a translation – but damn does it help. A perfect song for my perfect girl. I can’t wait to see how this does. My one sadness is that it’s an automatic qualifier. Which, you know, good for it! But I don’t think it had any risk of losing in the semi, and now I’ll only get to see it performed once. Such a shame.

Ideal Qualifiers

Semi 1:

Austria

Moldova

Norway

Slovenia

Lithuania

Latvia

Albania

Ukraine

Bulgaria

Greece

(Portugal and maybe Iceland are likely gonna push out Bulgaria and Slovenia, but I think I have a good chance of seeing most of my list get through. I am especially crying for Austria, Moldova, and Norway. And I guess Latvia too, that level of madness deserves a pass to the final)

Semi 2:

Israel

Czech Republic

Serbia

Romania

Finland

Cyprus

Ireland

Georgia

Poland

Estonia

(Hm, now here’s a puzzler! Sweden’s not on my list of qualifiers, but I can’t see it losing in the semi. I’m just not sure what it would replace. Maybe Georgia? Czech Republic, Serbia, Romania, and Finland all have to stay for the love of god. Not seeing any other NQs besides Sweden that I feel like much of the audience would miss. We’re not really rallying behind “Stripper”, are we? It’s fun, but only fun once!)

And that’s my ranking for the year! Can’t wait for show time!

[thealexchen]

i’ve actually read both of the articles that you mentioned earlier! I could see where both of them were coming from at varying points, though shannon liao’s struck me as a tad harsh, as someone who felt very seen by Alex, particularly with regard to her asian-american identity, and the cultural details and familial attitudes you see displayed throughout the game (especially in episode 5.) I could see why others would like them to be more overt, but they’re still present & relevant as is, imo.

I'm happy you read and enjoyed them! Well, since we’re on the subject, I might as well give my fuller thoughts about all this. This answer got horrendously long, so I'm putting it under a read more. I really wanted to talk about this more fully, so thank you for sending this ask!

I definitely see Robert's point in his article. Alex didn’t need to be Asian for the story of True Colors to be told, but it’s still meaningful that she is so that Asian fans and fans of color can look up to her and feel represented. The Chens buck a lot of stereotypes too: Mrs. Chen was not a “tiger mom” and her kids and husband remember her fondly. Mr. Chen doesn’t push Alex and Gabe to excel in school, and in fact neither Alex nor Gabe went to college, but they still had happy futures. Alex isn’t the best friend or the Asian schoolgirl or the dragon lady or the Asian nerd. But at the same time, when Robert says "Alex never really talks about her thoughts on Chinese culture,” that’s like— well, what’s wrong with talking about it? Why not talk about it more explicitly? The words “Asian” and “Chinese” and “Vietnamese” aren’t even used in the game when "gay" and "lesbian" were, and that's a little disappointing.

I figured people would figure out Alex was at least Chinese because of her last name, but I saw some streamers unsure of what Alex’s ethnicity even was (“Alex is… Chinese, right?”). That was disappointing because Asians tend to be treated as a monolith when we’re so internally diverse. Also, it’s completely possible to miss that Alex and Gabe are also half-Vietnamese. Their mother’s name is Giang “Wendy” Chen, a Vietnamese name, but that’s only in the credits. There’s far less Vietnamese (and Southeast Asian) rep than Chinese, so I wish that had been made more explicit.

In Life is Strange 2, Sean and Daniel’s struggles (personal and institutional) were centered around their identity as half-Mexican boys. True Colors almost seemed to be going in the opposite direction in that Alex’s Asian heritage never really becomes plot-relevant, but Alex and Gabe’s background comes into focus in the last chapter.

Part of Shannon’s critique was that because Alex’s parents aren’t in the picture, the game can’t explore Asian culture through a familial lens. There is some truth to that: for children of immigrants in particular, their parents are their strongest (and sometimes only) link to their race and culture. I thought a big missed opportunity was exploring Alex’s possible sense of isolation and struggle to reconnect with her Asian heritage after being separated from her family.

After growing up with two Asian parents, eating Asian food, celebrating Asian holidays, likely speaking Asian languages, etc. it would have likely been disorienting and lonely for Alex to suddenly be raised by non-Asian foster parents and lose all those traditions all at once. Possible comments like “I really miss Mom’s pho” or “Do you know how difficult it is to find hoisin sauce in the stores around here?” could have inferred more at that specific kind of loss and isolation in Haven Springs. The game touches upon this very briefly when you look at Gabe’s shrine, and Alex does comment “I don’t even know if I’m doing this right… but I felt like I had to do something.” In this way, I find it especially poignant that she still held onto cultural traditions after so long.

But I still thought Shannon’s critique was overly harsh. The little details really do add up, like in Alex’s childhood home, and meant a lot to me too. And most importantly, there was representation behind the scenes too: Alex was voiced by two(!) Asian American women and the lead writer, Felice Kuan, is Chinese. I think Alex naming her mouse Shu-shu was my favorite detail. Because it’s the one detail you can’t miss. Every streamer remembers Shu-Shu’s name and loves how cute she is and they can probably infer it’s a Chinese term. It just is so visible and empowering in that way and my heart felt warm every time I heard someone say “Aw! Shu-shu!"

But that doesn't mean Alex's Asian heritage didn't matter at all. I really appreciated that Alex's backstory still mattered because she came from a poor, working-class immigrant family. Her life circumstances were used for drama, but none of Alex's suffering was racially motivated and that felt tastefully done. I’m gonna paraphrase a comment I saw on alliebeemac’s playthrough of episode 5: "It's no coincidence that both Alex and Ryan lost their mothers at a young age, but because Ryan's father was a military veteran and had a high-paying job as a Typhon foreman, he got to keep his childhood whereas Alex's entire world was torn apart... And if you want to look at it even more metaphorically, the white patriarch Jed was able to preserve his own image as a hero and 'good old boy' of Haven by literally sacrificing an immigrant family to the mines with the expectation that nobody would come looking for them. Whether you're an immigrant or whether you're a foster child, the system is saying 'we don't care about you.'"

And at the end, Alex tells Jed, "You want to look away and pretend the men you hurt weren't people. But I won't let you.” It's a deliberate stand against Jed (a white man)’s dehumanization of poor laborers, including her Chinese immigrant father. Jed isn't explicitly portrayed as a racist, but his actions come from a privileged, and subsequently racist and classist place. For me, it worked better than LiS2's portrayal of racism because it was subtler and more personal. Alex stands up against Jed out of a personal sense of justice for her brother (and her father).

Do I wish we had more? Yeah, absolutely. I wish Alex got to actually speak Mandarin or Vietnamese in the game because that's so rare in games, even though I knew that would be unrealistic because Erika Mori is Japanese. I wish the character artists had at least made a version of Alex and Gabe’s models without shoes, because it just didn’t look right to see them wear shoes in the house (especially in bed??) and even LiS2 had Sean and Daniel in their socks in some scenes. I wish Alex and Gabe talked more about their family while Gabe was still alive and Alex could have had that comfort of someone who misses the food and customs they used to celebrate. But like I said, one piece of media isn’t gonna please everyone. And Asian representation in particular is so tricky because not only is there not enough of it, but Asian Americans are so diverse and come from so many different backgrounds. Children of immigrants are going to feel more connected to their Asian heritage than third or fourth gen kids or mixed race kids for example. Everyone is going to have a different definition of “Asian culture” and “accurate representation.”

But on a meta-level, it really means so much to simply have an Asian face on the box of a major Western game ❤️ Like even just seeing the way Alex's eyes crinkle when she smiles or how other characters find her attractive (like Steph’s note during the LARP preferring Alex’s natural black hair), it feels so affirming. It’s incredible to see an Asian girl be called the hero of her own story, to see her succeed and fail and cry and laugh and fall in love and kiss another woman and be comfortable in her bisexuality. It acknowledges that the queer community includes Asians, that Asian girls can also be curvy, that Asian girls can and do struggle with mental health. And like Erika Mori said, Alex is a fully-realized character and that’s what makes her so compelling, first and foremost. She also has a strong moral compass and dreams and fears and is such an incredible role model for people of all backgrounds, and that’s what makes her identity as a queer woman of color so much more meaningful.

[pomfiores]

a twitter thread was brought to my attention regarding Vil’s way of referring to himself and I figured I’d address it now as eloquently and clearly as I can - for the sake of Vil’s muse and to not have the subject sprung up on me at a time where I don’t have a sound mind and have to sit there for like a decade trying to gather all of my thoughts to say on the spot lmao.

the person in the thread says Vil goes with the pronoun “atashi” which, as quote: “is an informal, ‘feminine’ way of saying “I”.”  the rest is on the third piece of the thread, all that I agree with. his default pronoun (and as the writer says), is the pronoun used by “femme gay/queer men, and/or transwomen”.  What struck me in this whole thread is that they say “...compared to most Japanese media portraying femme gay/queer men purely for “comedy” or as a joke,” and to me, he is far from a joke/”comedy”.  he ought to be taken seriously and he won’t take anything else.  I think most of the students know that about Vil which is why no one really tries to fuck with him.

so with all of this, I suppose ... how I’ll go with this, is Vil goes with he/him in ... a formal setting?  he prefers he/him like being viewed as a man.  but he does take that “femme gay” pronoun/”role” with close people. Vil doesn’t mind being referred to as she/her but it’s exclusively reserved for people he’s well acquainted/close with (Rook, his dorm, the other leads). No one really even questions it, either.  They just respect it and move on, never having a issue as it should be askfjha

I didn’t really have much to go by other than, like, people talking their hcs (all are valid). I just wanted more information to go off of aside from Vil saying “f*ck toxic masculinity lmao.”  that’s another thing that held me up, how people think Vil’s stance on makeup, clothing, etc would take away from his character as he doesn’t believe in gender roles etc because they think/hc he’s cis.  I don’t think so, I think it’s kind of more empowering tbh whether or not he’s cis or trans. Vil will singlehandedly dismantle gender roles and he does it in his work. :triumph:

but I wanna close this by saying that this, as I’ve established ships (for Vil), are not my priority.  these are small things I’ll acknowledge and continue to portray Vil as Vil, how I see him, including taking pieces of information like this into account, as inspiration, character development or otherwise and adding it in how I see fit, if I do, in the hopes I’m doing him justice/accurate. 

I don’t really intend on having ships / pronouns overshadowing him, as a character, that’s not my goal.  he’s a strong character without the tags (villain, included lol) but I want/wanted to add a little positive rep if I can.  I wanna explore his story and add onto it.  I hope this makes sense and I hope we can still stan the queen (we should already but akfjsha).