#queerness in dino-media

[r-i-o0]

As a non-professional paleontologist, I agree with this. This is real.

- A dinosaur autistic

(ACTUAL RANT IN THE TAGS BARE WITH ME)

Okay so like we’re all away that queerness is everywhere in nature right? Like every animal has some form of queer relationships formed within the species? Okay cool now hear me out

Gay dinosaurs

Like I’m not a palaeontologist by any means (can’t even spell the word apparently) and I’m not entirely sure if we’ll ever be able to fully understand dinosaur behaviours, but since queerness is so prevalent in nature in the modern day, surely it goes back far enough to the dinosaurs right?

T-Rex? Gay.

Stegosaurus? Bisexual.

Triceratops? Lesbian.

Raptor? Asexual.

You see you understand you get me

[thequeerwizardcouncil]

Transgender Visibility Day Two: Estrogenic Boobaloo

Alternatively,

Transgender Visibility Day Two: Testosteronic Dickaloo

It is now Transgender Visibility Day for the other half of the world!

Let us celebrate, but firstly before anything else. The council would like to give out a few statements.

While this is an amazing celebration of our resilience and continued resistance to transphobia, we mustn't forget

Our fallen, the many killed in hate unjustly. Nex Benedict being one of the most recent

Our fellow queer in Palestine, Sudan, the Congo, etc. We mustn't forget about their suffering whilst we celebrate here so freely. Though we should care about all of the people not just the queer and trans in those places being subjected to the most inhumane conditions by tyrants.

The many bills, laws, and legislation trying to be passed to further erase us. Especially the KOSA bill, and quite sadly in Florida recently having passed legislation to ban minors from social media as an attack on us to be put in to effect in 2025.

With all of those being said, we should all continue to fight for those causes, continue fighting censorship. Continue fighting genocide. Continue fighting slavery.

We ask you all to continue spreading the word of these causes, these evils that must be stopped. As the council is bound by metaphysical law, we may not exit this and help you in the way we wish.

Fight KOSA, and censorship

Fight for our fallen, whether it's the unjustly banned, those dead from self harm, or those murdered in cold blood

Fight for those still persisting, the ones showing a fervour of resistance to fight oppresors.

We draw our strength from solidarity, it is what has allowed us to continue. Let it be the reason we win this war.

Anyways, here is our second message to all Transgender beings out there:

You are valid, you know you best. And we mean it. We may be filled with wise wizards, but we know that only oneself knows itself best. You know your identity better than anyone. Even when it can feel like your body disagrees with your true self, or others don't see you for who you are.

Know that even with all the pain, the grief, the hate, we and many many others fight every second for you to be you. For you to be safe. For all of us to be ourselves.

And we will see that day come, and by that day we hope for all of us to have survived, to tell stories of our battles, to guide a new generation of queers.

We just ask you continue being you, and being safe, and you will see that day come we guarantee. Even if it doesn't seem like it.

This world is a dark room covered in oil, we are a small candle of hope. And when it seems too dark, our hope will light the room with a burning fervour. To free us from this room. To burn down our prison.

We love you and appreciate you for who you are, please continue as you're the only one of you.

"in the dark we endure, and in the light we fight for who you call impure"

happy transgender visibility day

- The Queer Wizard Council <3 <2

@skyethebisexualwolfwizard

@im-a-wizard-who-dont-crime

@thebutterflyoficeandwisteria

@bisexualchemistry

@sassy-piece-of-parsley

@flirtyambiguouswizard

@ballisticallytestedwensleydale

@the-moth-wizard-of-mayhem

@aroace-wizard

@serious-tabaxi

@agentldiddy

@parkyrtheelvishbard

@autistic-dinos-and-dragons-lover

@a-goose-in-a-trenchcoat

@sapphicdragons-3

@transgender-wizard

@jhomikle

@cynical-artificer

@anne-androgynous-android

@asheslab

@luminethefoxincabin13-ts

@incrediwizard

@amethyst-aster

@ash-the-tiefling

@shittest-wizard-ever

@bi-gender-sorcerer

@somecallmekay

@be-gentle-with-littluns

@ladyofspoons

@slymewitch

@alchemical-overreaction

@frogpantsthebloodgod

@yourlocalbreadenthusiast

@mango-lord-of-poison

@detectivewizzard

@the-necrobotanist

@lixorloveslicorice

@hyper-lynx

@chaos-wizard-nyehehe

@song-de-lune

@lord-devere

@waluigis-elbow

@so-um-brasileiro

[thenameofsantiagossextape]

Shameless Pride month Etsy store plug!

GET IN GAYS, QUEERS AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING FOLKS, IT’S PRIDE AND WE’RE GOING TO THE MESOZOIC

Dinosaurs! Pride! They should hang out more right? Right! I spent ages searching for pride themed dinosaur earrings on Etsy, then I realised I could just make my own! SO I DID. AND I LOVE THEM.

Do you love them? Cause I have an Etsy store CHOCK FULL OF EM

WE’VE GOT YOUR STEGOSAURS! WE GOT YOUR T-REXES AND YOUR BRACHIOSAURS!

WE GOT BI FLAGS! WE GOT ACE FLAGS! WE GOT NON-BINARY FLAGS!

WE GOT STUFF FOR THE LESBIANS, STUFF FOR THE GAYS

WE GOT THINGS FOR GENDER NON-CONFORMING FOLKS

WE GOT ALL KINDS OF FLAGS FOR ALL KINDS OF QUEERS!

NEEDLEPHOBIC? NO PROBLEM, WE GOT YOUR CLIP ONS TOO!

(I keep saying "we" but actually it's just me. I've always wanted to shout "step right up!" like an old timey carnie, though, and I saw my chance and took it.)

SO ROCK UP AND SEE THE QUEER DINO ACCESSORIES WE GOT FOR YOU THIS PRIDE MONTH.

If you want a flag I don’t currently have in stock then DM me and I can make a new design just for you!

The earrings come on an earring card, wrapped in tissue paper and in plain, unmarked envelopes for those who need discreet packaging.

Whether these are for you or not, I hope you'll keep independent artisans in mind when you're getting ready for Pride this month! They work hard, are underpaid, and need your support more than corporations.

(Also, if you see an Etsy ad on google or in the ad space of a website, don't click on it! Search for the Etsy store's name through Etsy instead. When you make a purchase after clicking an advertising link, Etsy takes a percentage and keeps doing so every time you go back to that store. Etsy already takes 25%-33% of sellers' profits in fees, don't help them take more! Links like the above that are embedded in an individual person's post are fine, just look out for ads on the side or bottom of websites, blogs, and social media pages, as well as google ads.)

[juni-ravenhall]

im sure u guys talked about this when the medieval thing was released and i wasnt active bc of the horrors, but doesnt it feel like the medieval group thing is inspired directly from HP house stuff which is questionable considering the author-being-a-transphobic-and-racist-evildoer thing? like, theres blue and silver, red and gold, yellow and black and just skipping the green one.

feels to me like they couldve gone with other colour combos. especially ones RELATED TO SSO, like jorvik flag colours, purple-pink for pandoria or purple green for south hoof, snow for dino valley, autumn for golden hills, etc, colour combos we saw recently for the ribbon thingy. factions that make sense for the existing game. things that tie into lore.

instead of referencing what is now a very controversial transphobia-related and racist media franchise, in their horse game that is ~progressive and loves women and queer people and poc and we're so diverse~ (says rich white man making bank on manipulating kids to buy overpriced things in unserious game)

i know that esme silverforce, who works at sse and is a youtuber, is a HP fan and afaik she played the HP game and does stuff like name her sso horse HP names.... sure, theres that whole "death of the author" thing and i think these things can be very complex!!! there are trans and poc fans of HP that choose to enjoy it despite flaws (and assumably view it from the "death of the author" standpoint). im a huge lover of nuance and understanding, but im also a huge lover of trans people and poc, and a huge hater of transphobes and racists. idk what else to say about the whole thing but i wanted to post about it bc i feel iffy about this. it seems like a bad choice both bc sse shouldnt support HP in this manner as a company/game, and also just bc stupid fucking game design that yet again has nothing really to do with the existing sso game and lore.

[mangosaurus]

just a thought-

Don't you think it's weird how for some ppl (& for the action movies industry...) cool dino themed movies all need to be a white, cis, heteronormative thing and then think is WILD jwcc and jwct made their >main< cast multiracial and queer!?

Love this show❤️

FRRRR!!!! now tbf, JWCC wasn't the first piece of JP/JW media to introduce non-white characters to the franchise, but it certainly was the first one where they were actually allowed to take charge as THE main character (and as a black MC, no less!!). it's kind of crazy that it took them that long to do so, considering nublar is supposed to exist off the coast of costa rica, but i digress. anyway, super agree with you, JWCC/JWCT's cast is such a breath of fresh air :')

[wolfnanaki]

So. Goodbye Volcano High.

I've been following this game closely since it was first revealed at Sony's Future of Gaming event back in 2020. And after suffering delays brought on by the pandemic, a narrative reboot, and a years-long hate campaign, the game is steadily approaching its August 29th release date. And while I've posted a bit about it here, I haven't properly introduced the game to you all.

Set in a world of anthropomorphic dinosaurs, you play as Fang, a nonbinary pterodactyl and musician. Senior year has just started for them at Volcano High, and Fang's ready to go legit with their band Worm Drama. But their friends and bandmates, Trish and Reed, now have their own diverging interests.

For Fang, it feels like the world they knew is coming to an end.

Except it literally is.

There's an asteroid coming, one that will wipe out the dinosaurs in eight months. And as the day approaches and the threat of extinction becomes more real, Fang is forced to live boldly and make hard choices with the time they have left.

Fang will perform music throughout the game in the form of a rhythm game, and they show how Fang expresses their feelings throughout the narrative. The choices you make will impact the music they play, giving every playthrough its own unique soundtrack.

Of course, there are lots of other exciting activities. You can design your band's logos and posters. You can doomscroll on dinosaur Twitter. You can play TTRPGs with friends. You can check out other dinos' social media profiles. You can get Tarot readings. And your interactions with other characters can unlock past memories you can recall later.

But most important is the game's narrative system. Rather than choices being assigned to a simple button press, you have to move and hold the analog stick on the choice - and the game makes sure each choice feels like it matters.

Choices can have a visual effect to indicate Fang's state of mind. Choices can change before the timer runs out. Choices might require extra input to show how important committing to it is. And you can miss out on choices if you hesitate or wait too long.

This is a game that wears its queer heart on its sleeve with a plethora of gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and nonbinary characters. It has a story that encourages you to truly commit to your thoughts and feelings. Because you're not going to get the chance again. Every choice you make impacts Fang's relationships, music, and story.

There's eight months of your life left. What are you going to do with them? Fight tooth and nail to live your dreams? Patch things up with your family? Finally tell your crush how you feel? Spend time with your friends? Knock out your bucket list? Try to do it all?

Or is it better to leave everything unsaid?

If any of this sounds interesting to you, I highly encourage you to wishlist this game on Steam or on the PlayStation Store.

[fangxin-guoshi]

Banana fish re-review ~

I did a rewatch of banana fish and oh my God I forgot how good this series was. Considering the original manga came out in the 80's in JAPAN, it was SO ahead of its time. One of the best depictions of gay characters I've ever seen in Japanese media, even by today's standards.

Some more silly thoughts:

Like yoshida just casually dropped a manga with an insanely progressive take on the bl genre by showing a complex queer interracial relationship with incredibly well-written characters. Honestly the fact that ash and eiji's relationship wasn't explicitly defined as romantic is a plus imo. Not being able to rely on obvious romantic gestures like kissing, hand-holding, romantic confessions, etc. actually forces the writer to develop their relationship without that crutch to lean on. That's why ash and eiji's relationship is so good, because it doesn't rely on surface-level romance to get across the fact that they love each other and instead use subtlety and little nuances in their interactions. It's obvious from the subtext and how much they're shown to care for each other.

Not to mention the great depiction of black characters (I know portraying black characters non-offensively is like, the bare minimum, but may I remind you this is the EIGHTIES in JAPAN, and there are so many CURRENT animes that have an issue with it).

I mean yea does it have its flaws? Sure. Ash's admittedly very lame "lynx" title that comes with many wildcat metaphors, eiji being a bit passive in the first half, sort of cringe portrayal of America, etc. but my God the way she handles the trauma and character dynamics is incredible.

Ok so I did have a uh... Not really a criticism but something that I noticed that got me thinking. I feel like some shows use dark subject matter as a bit of an easy way to evoke an emotional reaction from the audience. Sometimes authors give characters horrible backstories as a way to make the audience THINK the character is complex and interesting but in reality it's a bit of a lazy writing tactic. Low effort high reward kind of thing. Banana fish obviously does have brutal subject matter and ash is really put through the ringer, but I love that yoshida doesn't let that become the axis of his character. He has trauma that greatly impacts him, but he's also super developed on his own apart from that. When I think about Ash's character, I don't immediately think about the traumatic backstory parts. The balance between how significantly the trauma affects him vs making sure that's not the ONLY part of his character is extremely well-executed.

Scenes that stuck out to me (not including asheiji ones bc it goes without saying theyre all amazing)

- the interrogator playing Ash's tapes after being arrested ("later, movie star" was the most brutal line ever omg)

- max burning the photos of ash (underrated moment this was SO good),

- any and all interactions between sing and blanca (they're such an unlikely duo peak comedy right there)

- the convo between sing and yut lung in the last episode

- ash stabbing the guy in the dick with a fork

- callback to ^^^, ash stabbing the banana with a fork

- Ash's breakdown in front of dino (ep 19 I believe)

- the entirety of ash escaping from the "mental hospital" and then having to go rescue ibe and max lmaooo

- ash brutally murdering Abraham(?, the redhead guy) by blowing abt a thousand holes in him w a machine gun as payback for shorter

- ash shooting shorter

- running joke of max being Ash's dad

- everyone constantly manhandling yut lung by yanking on his hair (dude get a haircut)

- ash immediately going to shoot himself no hesitation after yut lung told him he wouldn't hurt eiji if he did so (technically asheiji but I'm keeping it since this was a yut lung and ash scene)

- "what does this picture look like?" "Your wife"

- eiji's cute stupid little outfit he wore when he went to go find shorter in Chinatown

I also have a confession:

I LOVE yut lung. Him being paralleled with ash, but instead of finding love he let hate consume him because he had no one unlike ash who had eiji was just devastating but in a good way.

So yea those are my messy thoughts after finishing it. I'd argue that it was probably one of the best pieces of queer media to exist at the time. In the world. And one of my personal favorite pieces of queer media ever.

[popart-vvv]

This is a PSA...

FUCK THAT STUPID "PARODY" OF GOODBYE VOLCANO HIGH!

Why? Why?!

It was made by members of 4chan, the worst site on the internet BY FAR! The complete opposite of KO_OP--filled with right-wing rhetoric and intolerant of any piece of media that dares to be different! If you like the "parody game" and its related products, then you're saying that you support 4chan, warranting a block from me.

2. Lazy and unambitious design. GVH is all-around unique; high schoolers having to deal with the lead up to a cataclysmic event, deciding how to spend their time up to that event, and every character is an anthropomorphic dino. Plus, the game is a blend of rhythm and cinematic adventure, a novel choice in game design. Plus, the characters are all written like believable teens with understandable issues (the effects of the impending meteor, for instance), with plenty of non-forced conflict.

The OTHER game, meanwhile... stole the designs of the main characters and appropriated them into high school drama cliches, plus, the design for the main teacher blatantly rips off an Adult Swim character, for some reason. The worst part is the main character, though! It's just some muscly guy with a blank face! No eyes, mouth, hair, NOTHING ON THE HEAD! Goddammit, seriously, that is the WORST character design I have ever seen in my life!

Plus, THAT game is just another throwaway dating sim VN that can NEVER reach GVH's level.

3. LGBT ERASURE! THIS. IS. WHY. YOU SHOULD NOT LIKE THE GAME!

GVH's main characters are queer one way or another: Fang is non-binary, Rosa is a transgender woman, Sage is a transgender man, and it's possible for Fang to enter a relationship with Naomi. Reed is also hinted to be in a relationship with a male classmate, Alvin. Plus, there is some subtext regarding the pairings of Trish/Rosa and Sage/Stella, as well as in Naser's arc.

Meanwhile... THAT game is basically a vehicle by its creators to espouse 4chan bullshit. Fang is an enby when you first meet them, but their "happy ending" has the player character convince them to detransition. RED FLAG! RED FLAG! And the only endings where they stay an enby are the ones that don't give them any respect! This is bad messaging! Apparently, they're saying that the only way to find happiness in life is to throw away your queer identity! FUCK THAT SHIT!

Again, that is huge disrespect towards a likeable representation of an enby.

Note: Rosa, Sage, and Naomi's queer characteristics were envisioned DURING the rewrite, so it was after THAT game was revealed. Make of that what you will.

4. It blatantly disrespects KO_OP, and frankly, the company does not deserve it.

Goodbye Volcano High was released in August of last year, but it was actually revealed as far back as summer 2020. It was VASTLY different back then--it was more like a traditional visual novel, except with the same anthropomorphic dinos and unique designs. By the time GVH was released, it had gone through a huge story rewrite, resulting in the final product.

Unfortunately, there's a whole backstory in the development of GVH.

2020 was when COVID-19 was ravaging the world, and KO_OP's workers were struggling with the disease, putting a major dent in the game's production and delaying it for a while.

Also, the rewrite started not long after the game was revealed. Admittedly, this was due to a mistake on KO_OP's part in their choice of a writing crew, but the writing team was replaced, so good on them.

Also during development, they were harassed by 4chan and other unsavory people, culminating in THAT game. Basically, there's an undercurrent of PTSD--on the KO_OP Discord, if you bring up THAT game or any other hugely offensive content, you'll get a warning or a ban. Is it any wonder they hate THAT game?

Also, as I mentioned in a previous post, KO_OP should be admired for withstanding all that crap and releasing GVH three years after its initial announcement, the payoff being that it has its own dedicated fanbase and was nominated in three major awards ceremonies. Like GLAAD!

5. Real-World Events

Probably the worst part is that THAT game has a fanbase, even after a terribly heartbreaking event in February.

Two words: Nex Benedict.

Seriously, to still support that game, even in light of similar tragedies... That's inhumane.

*sigh*

I know this kind of post may not be your cup of tea, but I needed to get this off my chest. I love this game so much... It pains me to see that a supportive game, alongside its fans and creators, is being unfairly targeted by terrible people.

I stand by what I said in this post. I did my research before making this essay. That said, if there are any inaccuracies in here, I apologize.

However, I will not tolerate anyone who tries to argue in support of THAT game. If they do that, they get reported/blocked.

Sincerely, popart-vvv.

[mimiruku]

[Resending] Hiiii baby girl!!! I love you the most!!! I am kissing you!!!

Anyway for Mimi

What fan-material would exist for your character in fandom?

If your character isn’t designed for shipping/isn’t interested in shipping, how hard does fandom have to mangle them to make them shipping material/open to a relationship?

What is the quote between your character and their love interest/whoever they might be shipped with that their fans would latch onto? [I'll be nice and say do this for T---KYOKO!!!]

█     𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 : 𝑰𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑶𝑪 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏.  ⸻   ( ⚝ ) ╰┈┈➤   The last one for this set of ask, it's so crazy how this disappeared and actually never returned. Tumblr said don't talk to me.

───  What fan-material would exist for your character in fandom?

Few & far in-between.    But ! I like thinking he'd have at least two chapters in those KHR novels , one tells the tale of how Miruku and Momina met and the other is a totally inconsequential hijinks between Dino, Miruku and the Cavallone real estate properties. I enjoy the idea that Byakuran also briefly talks about how he actually met Miruku in the Future Arc during his chapters with the wreaths. It's a passing thought!

These stories are short and silly at most but it'd had been a little treat for those that enjoyed Miruku's presence, it's also a great way to visualize his relationship with these characters.

But generally, I imagine his merch are infrequent and re-sells for cheap! Very rare to get new art of him if there is anything at all ! Miruku & Momina are also often together if they even have merch.

───  If your character isn’t designed for shipping ╱  isn’t interested in shipping, how hard does fandom have to mangle them to make them shipping material ╱ open to a relationship?

For any Momina x Miruku romantic ships to work, they have to actively ignore canon material of Momina screaming ' family ' & ' my sibling ' & ' my best friend ' repeatedly . They'll have to make sense of it by saying it's the folly of heteros. Queer Bating! & While Miruku is aro, this is likely not going to be expressed explicitly, so I believe this would be utterly irrelevant. ( besides that, his aroness does not really equate lovelessness in the way media would have you believed, there's a lot of love there . . . just not romance. A concept already difficult to explain, I imagine it's even harder in a story format. )

Worst though, while Miruku is not an affectionate character, he is intimate. It's easy to take that and run a mile.

───  What is the quote between your character and their love interest ╱whoever they might be shipped with that their fans would latch onto? [I'll be nice and say do this for T---KYOKO!!!]

❛❛ I believe you, Miruku-kun. ❜❜ Trust is a laborious, a grueling act of fate. He smiles   ❛❛ Thank you. ❜❜  He says, even when he meant to ask  ' why ? '

[wormdramafever]

Patch update for Goodbye Volcano High!!!

Hot Off the Presses, Patch 1.06 is Here! 🙌🏼 The devs have been hard at work in the Goodbye Volcano High patch update mines, and we’re so excited to share it with you! All Platforms -Fixed “A Different Kind of Album” achievement/trophy—old players who were previously bugged may need to get missing photos again to complete this. -Added the ability to maintain photo progress across playthroughs—go to Settings and toggle on “All-Time Photo Collection” to activate this. -Reduced affinity requirements for seeing Trish’s final scene and unlocking her final photos. -Reduced affinity requirements for unlocking Reed’s final photo. -Updated final lyrics writing minigame to work as it was originally meant to—player only chooses two lines to change, with the original two lines carrying over from previous lyrics writing minigame. -Fixed Battle of the Bands minigames overlapping if autoplay is toggled off. -Cleaned up compression artifacts on certain character’s faces (Ms. Roberts, Naser, Trish) when playing at resolutions under 4K. -Added user icons to social media posts. -Fixed various camera placement and zoom issues. -Fixed various issues with VO getting cut off. -Fixed various issues with Affinity icon not appearing when it should or appearing at the wrong time. -Fixed rare issues with settings not applying correctly, reverting back to default, and having mismatched button states. -Fixed “static” choice bubbles occasionally staying onscreen after being selected. -Fixed the episode 6 montage music not respecting master/music audio settings. -Fixed subtitle colour setting not respecting LnL text. -Fixed VO toggle not affecting LnL character VO. Thank y’all so much for your bug reports—we really appreciate your help! <3 If you have reports, send them our way at support [@] ko-op [dot] com 🌟 PS: GVH is verified on Steam Deck for all your on-the-go queer dino needs! Happy gaming, y’all!

[shoujomangathoughts]

Shoujo Thoughts - Banana Fish

I decided recently to rewatch Banana Fish. I have a lot of thoughts on this series (it's in my top three, if not my favorite series) so I doubt I'll be able to go over everything that I could. This will contain spoilers for the series so here's the warning for that.

I won't spend a ton of time going over Ash and Eiji's relationship because I feel that's the conversational ground that others have covered the most. What I will say though is that I don't really see BF as a BL series or even really think that Ash and Eiji necessarily love each other in a romantic way. This series certainly inspired a lot of LGBTQ+ stories but I've always liked that Ash and Eiji's relationship seems to be in some sort of gray area; it feels ambiguous enough to remain interpretable. I don't want to take away from any queer elements that people may like about the story, but I also think it's sometimes important for media to display emotional intimacy between men, as I feel a lot of stories don't let this aspect exist unless they're romantically involved (or sometimes it's the setup for gay jokes). I like that this series kind of walks the line, though I'm sure many will disagree since BF has had a reputation for being a BL especially after the anime and it's modern popularity.

Something interesting about the relationship between Ash and Eiji for me is the "selfish" reasons they seem connected and how that relates to parts of their character arcs. To Ash, Eiji has an innocence that he tries to protect, as his was trampled on at an early age. It's interesting to see this shift, things like giving Eiji a gun in the beginning to refusing him one when escaping Golzine's mansion. This aspect of Eiji also grounds Ash in a sense - conversations they have like when Ash talks about his fear of pumpkins shows a more innocent side to Ash that can't frequently be on display because of everything around him, but it reminds us of how young he actually is (Ibe notices this as well). Eiji's perspective on things and his experiences are so vastly different that it helps balance Ash out. Eiji, on the other hand, sees Ash and his role in helping him as a way to not quit something. He quit pole vaulting after an injury that also led to some psychological barriers, and in some sense he sees the events that take place as a means of not repeating what he believes to be past mistakes. In some ways, it also comes across a little bit that Eiji almost has a hero complex when it comes to Ash. I don't mean this in a negative way at all, but I think it also demonstrates some of Eiji's naivety (albeit still good-natured) by thinking that it would be so easy for Ash to start over. Their relationship obviously has other layers as well, but I've always found these aspects interesting and they're not as often brought up when it comes to the nuance of the how the characters in this story feel very "human'.

Another aspect I want to talk about is the antagonists. I feel as though characters like Dino come across well and as intended, but some of the others don't or feel as though there might be a bit of missed potential. I feel like Yut-Lung didn't quite live up to his full potential; the way he acted in the beginning versus when he was working with the mafia is a bit confusing at times as he used to use secret techniques and trained moves but then ends up in a bit of a damsel situation. His motivations however are solid and show off what his role is well in my opinion. Fox is the other antagonist that people seem to have issue with. While I think his role is fine and does a good job at reinforcing the fact that Dino really does have connections in all sorts of places (and the parallels to Ash being legally 'dead'), his shift into essentially being the "final boss" doesn't work for some and I see why. He wasn't really built up to be that significant so it doesn't feel as satisfying as it should. Most of the other "villains" in the series are more interesting and end up being more memorable characters (Dino, Arthur, Yut-Lung, Blanca).

Something else that I appreciate in this story is the plot device of banana fish itself. The mystery of the drug is far more prominent early on, but I appreciate that as the story progresses, there is no magic cure developed that makes previous characters feel like they only had a case of bad timing. They outright say there is no cure for the drug and the story sticks to that, which is an aspect I respect. People also say that the plotline with the drug ends up taking a backseat, which I partially agree with, but it's also important to recognize that its role changes. At first, it's the core of the mystery and after that's uncovered, it turns into something that is more political in nature. I feel like some didn't like the change in role it had and that's why they say it's not important after around the halfway point. Not saying that the execution is without flaw, but the drug has a role, even if more in the background, throughout the whole series. The moment when Ash tells Sing to let the briefcase go is the moment Ash decides to let the existence of the drug die with the man that was at the head of it all (not to mention all the scientists and whatnot that had already been killed). It may seem unsatisfying, but Ash would rather just let its existence be wiped than deal with anyone else trying to do something with it, not to mention that he values Sing's life enough to help him even at the expense of something he'd chased the whole series, which shows that being around Eiji probably helped him open up and shows that some of his morals are in check.

The end of the series, while being somewhat controversial for some, is something that I still find myself liking. Honestly, the first time I watched the series I expected Ash to die; from the many moments of foreshadowing and knowledge of other mafia/gang series that show many of these people never being able to truly escape the world they're in. The story on a whole is about Ash and throughout the story he found solid people to love and trust, most specifically Eiji and Max (I'd also say he found strong allies in characters like Sing and Cain as well and Shorter was around before the series began). People always say they wished Ash could go to Japan to start over but I'm not of the opinion that an ending like that would suit the series. I've seen the ending being labeled as senselessly tragic or as some sort of cry-bait but I disagree. I know the mangaka made comments at one point about how at least part of her decision to end it with his death was due to all the death he caused, therefore claiming the ending was justified in her mind because of some sort of karma. I understand why people are rubbed the wrong way by this because of how traumatized Ash is, but I do think that's an angle that makes sense as well (keep in mind not all of Ash's killings were in self defense). Ash gets stabbed in a moment where he saw an opportunity to try again and is then reminded that he still has enemies. It reminds me of the look on his face when Dino dies; he doesn't seem relieved like he probably expected he would. Part of this is probably because he doesn't know what to do with his "freedom" because he's never allowed himself to think that far, but I think another part is that even though Dino is dead, he doesn't really feel free. I know some get upset that Ash gets fatally wounded by a "nobody" character like Lao (which some are under the impression that Ash wasn't fatally wounded and merely chose to bleed out due to a missing line from Lao in the anime), but I think it suits what Yoshida was going for and also reiterates the smaller, more petty enemies that Ash made throughout his life. Dino and some of the other big shot villains being killed did not automatically free Ash of being a part of this world. Ash gets to die knowing that there are people who care for him and that's a feeling that he'd never imagined himself having. He dies a person that experienced genuine care for him after having been starved of it his whole life. It comes across that he dies satisfied. I see why the ending doesn't work for some but I've always thought it made sense.

For now I'll stop here as these were just some observations I was making on rewatching the series knowing how I and others felt about certain aspects. I may end up making another post or something someday on BF because the series really means a lot to me. Thanks for reading!

[lizardbytheriver]

Emojis can be used to normalize stuff, concepts, groups, etc. Emojis can help people feel represented and included. So here's a list of Emojis I think should be created and utilized on all media platforms. Flag Emojis that should be created include the Pride Flag, Progress Flag, Lesbian Flag, Bisexual Flag, Polysexual Flag, Pansexual Flag, Omnisexual Flag, Abrosexual Flag, Achillean Flag, Sapphic Flag, Gynesexual Flag, Androsexual Flag, Skoliosexual Flag, Fraysexual Flag, Demisexual Flag, Asexual Flag, Aromantic Flag, Transgender Flag, Nonbinary Flag, Agender Flag, Intersex Flag, Two-Spirit Flag, the Black American Heritage Flag, the Pan-African Flag, and the USSR Flag. These emojis would include and represent a lot of Queer Communities, Black Folk, and Communists. There should emojis for Cryptids such as Bigfoot, Yeti, Mothman, and the Loch Ness Monster. These emojis would be for the Cryptid lovers. There should be emojis for extinct animals such as T-Rex, Allosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, Megalosaurus, Spinosaurus, Therizinosaurus, Alvarezsaurus, Oviraptor, Plateosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Triceratops, Chasmosaurus, Centrosaurus, Styracosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Stegosaurus, Kentrosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus, Corythosaurus, Heterodontosaurus, a Pterosaur, Dimetrodon, and Mosasaurus. These emojis would encourage folks to learn more about Dinos and other extinct fauna.

[sepdet]

I need to sit down, except i'm already sitting down.

Elf Sternberg is on Twitter.

There's his real name and bio and photo, if you look him up. Some part of me boggles that he can do that without fear of losing his job or his family or his reputation or anything.

The very act of finding and reading the Elf Sternberg collection of online erotic stories (and Nifty, where — I think?— he maintained an archive for submissions), was dangerous and daring. What if you got caught? What if someone saw you printing one out on the department computer late at night, since you didn't have a modem?

Not only were they the first online erotica many of us found, they were some of the first queer erotica. There was a lot of furry and SF and tentacle stuff for those who liked it. (Your kink is not my kink, and that's okay... although that maxim came later, as people began to label and come up with warning systems for online erotica. Back then the very act of hunting down the directory was a fairly high bar for entry, and made you responsible for your own experience.)

I'm sure a lot of Sternberg fic would feel problematic today, just like parts of the Rocky Horror Picture Show or so much else. But i think a certain amount of GenX fandom and lgbtqia+ folk came of age partly because of his writing.

I'm amazed he doesn't still maintain the level of privacy @drchucktingle does. That's the main reason i have multiple usernames: back when i wrote erotica, i kept my online identities and activities separate. (Drat AO3 and Tumblr with their pseuds and sideblogs for destroying those partitions.)

I'm rambling. It's late. I'm just boggling to see a presence from the dawn of the internet just... out there. Being real.

Having a mundane life in the age of social media, now that the web has become a tool for connecting to and sharing info about people (willingly or unwillingly), rather than just a forum to share our interests, hobbies, work, opinions, and creative output.

Imagine seeing a business site and CV maintained by dear ol Chuck in 30 years, and it's got his photos and work bio, but also links to dino butt-pounding bestsellers.

[beanoptodon]

This is my bio, because again, the word wrap for the description of my blog is trash. Also gives me waaaaay more space!

Hiiiii there! I'm Beanie! Or Bean, Beanthing, etc. Beanoptodon wasn't taken, and it's the name of my fake dino. Ha!

My birth year is 1998! Please be wary, I wish not to interact personally with minors. If you do this knowingly I will end the conversation as soon as I know.

My pronouns are They/Its, or just call me bean!

I am queer, trans, and non-binary! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

I'm super slow posting because I forget I have social media so bear with me.

I'm a 3D game artist! I'm working with a TBD title about fighting robot alien creatures!!

I'm taking 3d creature and character commissions, if anyone has any questions or have an interest in giving me money, please lemme know!

Thank you for reading all the way through!!

[wolfnanaki]

Hi there. I liked Goodbye Volcano High but I also think that dinosaur media predominantly focused on the extinction event isn't a good idea because it kinda feels like all these fun and lovable characters they made have big "Dies in [blank] hours." countdown markers on their heads that fuck with my ability to emotionally invest in their stories. Do you think that if I went ahead and made a story featuring dinosaur protagonists set in an AU where the extinction event was either canonically averted or completely unaddressed, then people would complain that I had no reason to use dinosaurs since their main cultural impact on humanity was their extinction? I've even seen people make that complaint about GVH before its ending was revealed.

Did you send this to me because you didn't like the answer that @a-dinosaur-a-day gave? Or did you send it to both of us at the same time?

Regardless, I think ey put it best, but I'll sum eir thoughts as best I can: "Dinosaurs' cultural impact is more than their extinction, people have been awed by them since we knew about them, also why not use dinosaurs, everything is better with dinosaurs." All valid and correct points!

I would also like to add that sometimes it's important to tell stories of loss. Lest we forget the cultural impact of Romeo & Juliet, whose first act spells out that the young lovers will face a tragic, early demise. Stories about tragedy stick with us for good reason. Not just because they tear our hearts out, but also because they teach us valuable lessons on life, love and happiness.

And really, GVH does a phenomenal job of getting you emotionally invested in these characters, even if you know how this story ends. I've said it in my Steam review and I'll say it here: the story of these queer dino teens is going to stick with me for a very long time.

[ariyadaivaris]

i do...wish there was like. less...in wrestling of like, even when queer characters are babyfaces we still kinda get the Lovable Sex Maniac aspect played way up? i don’t know how to word it properly but queer characters...transgress a lot of wrestling status quo already and a lot of that tends to come through in unwanted advances and even if this is played as a charming wacky thing its still...uh...portraying queer folks as predatory or pushing boundaries and i just. like. there’s GOTTA be a better way to do this