#someone let me direct ML please i'm begging

[a-regular-ol-pill]

I just want to say something about some of the pinoy players. Foul language and a lot of anger in this post so please ignore this if you can't handle stuff like that. I don't want you to feel upset for something that is not your fault.

I don't think I can continue posting or answering asks 'regularly' or 'normally' after this, so please forgive me if that happens— or when I pretend that I haven't said anything out of the usual mlbb posts. Just note that I will have this post in the back of my head all the time, even when it isn't obvious. I know fully well that I will be walking on eggshells after I post this, and I'm so sorry if I manage to push you away from me or the fandom with this post.

When I say 'you', I don't mean like YOU, 'the person reading this right now' you. I mean the ones that I directed the words to.

I'm watching a non filipino, LOL player stream MLBB and he's saying the usual things when you get cocky in game. Things like 'i'm the best [hero] user' and things like that, I'm usually not the one to read chat because they're quite toxic. Though I do read some whenever I see a question because I want to help the streamer answer some questions they can't read. But oh my fucking god, the second I glance down— nearly all of the people in chat are saying 'Filipino baiting' or 'nah [insert mlbb user] is better stfu' and 'wait 'till you reach [rank]', and a lot more that seems like they're trying to shit talk the streamer into not playing the game. Most of the accounts that commented that are Filipino too!

To those who do that, STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE SHIT SHOW YOU'RE SAYING IN CHAT. For fuck's sake, have some shame and let the person enjoy the game! You're trash talking the streamer, but as soon as they show that they have diamonds you turn a whole 360 and beg them to gift you a skin. Shut the fuck up with your 'Pinoy baiting call out' and lower your 'Pinoy pride' TO LEARN HOW TO BE RESPECTFUL. The majority of the Filipino players are KIDS, and they will take on the shitty attitude you show through the comments. 'It's not my fault they play the game when they're not supposed to.' HAVE SOME FUCKING SHAME, THEY ARE GROWING UP WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND WOULD GROW UP THINKING SAYING SHIT LIKE THAT IS OKAY WHEN IT IS NOT. WHETHER OR NOT THEY PLAY MLBB DOES NOT MATTER BECAUSE ANY OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM WILL SHOW THEM THAT CONTENT BECAUSE IT'S TOO POPULAR TO BE LEFT IN THE DARK.

Also. You have no right to gatekeep a game just because they're not a filipino and you certainly don't have the right to claim you're better than them! Not with that fucking attitude you don't. Oh I'm doing the same thing? I AM NOT, learn the difference between gatekeeping and calling out something because you got them twisted up. I have so many younger cousins and I never want them to be exposed to this toxic behavior. I am a Filipino myself, hence the countless cousins, and I've been ashamed to see these types of comments. Even outside of ML, I see some pinoy folk gatekeep a game they like from someone who's from Europe or from another continent. What happened to being hospitable? What happened to the 'respectful pinoy tradition'? What happened to 'elders teaching you the right ways to treat strangers'? WHAT HAPPENED TO TREAT OTHERS HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.

Don't give me the; 'That's not how I act in real life' excuse because how you act online is your toxic side showing— 'Oh no it's just [some bullshit excuse]', no it is not. I have a toxic side as well, but at least I have the dignity to not show it off like a fucking trophy; 'Not all pinoys', I'm sorry did I call out every single pinoy name and family heritage? No, right? So shut the fuck up with that overused excuse because you know fully well that over half of the pinoy player base is like that. 'Oh, oh, but it's my way of venting.', if that's your way of venting you should reach out, you need genuine help if it's that bad. I'm serious. Hell, post about it like what I'm doing now because taking it out on someone is worse than shouting it for everyone to hear. Someone out there in your life cares for you, and you can reach out to them. You shouldn't be scared or ashamed. If they refuse to hear you out, then they don't deserve you; They're lying when they say they're there for you.

If you're still here, and you're one of the people I described without a valid reason. Stop playing MLBB for a few months, stop watching MLBB related content and just breathe. You'll ruin your future by saying these types of things, because someone who dislikes you will be able to track down your accounts and expose you to the people you know. If you're trying to change, that's good. I'm so proud of you! But if you're not, then I won't stop you. I know some of you will share these to your friends and shit talk me— you're free to do so because I feel like I'm the only one who has called out your shitty behavior and I'm ashamed.

[critical-thinking-is-mandatory]

Hey I wasn’t sure if anyone asked you before but how would you rewrite Marinette and her family to include her Chinese heritage or lack of Chinese heritage if you want to go down the path where some kids refuse to learn their parents’ cultures because of their peers or whatever and then regret it as they’re older? Also side note but I hope you had a wonderful week or as best of it ! :)

hey anon, thanks for asking! i think, given the fact that the show is set in paris, france (aka a very bad unsafe place for poc), that i'd probably lean more in the direction of Marinette being assimilated and play with the fact that she is fairly white looking.

because like, i think it's really important for white-passing poc to be represented in fiction because we do exist, we deserve to see rep for us, and also other people need to see that there is no single 'look' or experience for any given minority.

anyway.

i feel like, seeing as Sabine is like a 1st gen immigrant, we'd probably have a greater divide between Marinette's home and school life, culture-wise. especially given that Chloe is a racist bully. and i'd like to see that really worked with, especially as a source of conflict and then reconciliation between Marinette and Sabine.

i think because ML is a superhero show it actually gives us a fantastic avenue for Marinette to develop her identity and sense of self and the fact it's not worked with is a huge missed opportunity.

like say, at the start of the series we have Marinette doing her best to be "normal" aka white. she meets Alya, becomes Ladybug and suddenly she has a friend who knows what it's like to be picked on for looking different and having "stinky" food. she has someone in her life who is boldly and unapologetically herself and it's amazing for Marinette. and Marinette has this whole new avenue of her identity to explore as Ladybug.

she's not Chinese Marinette, and she's not white Marinette, she's Ladybug. and Ladybug is Marinette.

and it's just like, the kick starting moment of Marinette's development and as the show goes on we could see Marinette slowly bringing all sides of her identity together to just be Marinette. she invites her friends to celebrate Lunar New Year, starts bringing home-cooked Chinese food for lunch to school again, either learns her mum's dialect or starts speaking it again in public.

just...just having a secret identity as a way to really learn about who Marinette is and how to accept all parts of herself.