#then these people dub them BAD REP

[ssaalexblake]

Trying to find background noise to work to is annoying when I've used up everything that gets my stupid brain to concentrate, and all the things left are in languages I don't speak and would have to actually pay attention to to read the subs. Which I'm bad at anyway bc of attention issues.

😒

[littledead-ridinghood]

sorry if this is a weird question to drop on you you were just the first person I thought of who might know but do you know if it's canon/canonically-based evidence that jason is physically stronger than other bats because I always see people say jason is the one with "brute strength" and I can't remember if that's based on anything besides people saying that as a nicer way to call him a brute(maybe it was on lobdells stuff? but I wiped most of those out of my memory)

You thought of me first? <333333 I'm blushing. And it's not weird at all! Even if it was, I love answering weird shit.

Anyway:

So part of Jason being considered "the muscle" of the bats comes from the fact that Jason's currently the biggest of the robins. (Adult!Damian is usually drawn as the tallest of the kids when all is said n' done (that's vague for "age")).

Well, how big then?

I always go with this chart which was released while UtRH was being released:

(I Love this! I wish DC still did little info things like this within their comics. Or maybe they do and I'm just blind. But Look! Canonical Information!)

So canonically speaking, at least when running around pre-crisis, Jason is 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. (Also note criminal mastermind and put a pin in it)

But you've probably heard 200 & 220 thrown around a lot. Those numbers are specifically pulled from two different DC character encyclopedia books which I don't trust at all because there notoriously filled with false information and are dubbed as not canon all the time.

Personally, I use the 6', 180-195 pound range which estimates for fluctuating weight, the passage of time, muscle mass, and minimum bulk & cutting (which I assume is part of most superheroes' training to stay in fighting form, but please recognize that vigilantes are more athlete than bodybuilder) because it's from a canon source (Canon is "king" and all that). No shame to people who use the other numbers or even headcanon something completely different, but again, vigilantes are predominantly running all over cities day after day, not stagnant weight lifters. Cardio vs weights body compositions are quite different even if both are healthy. (And it's not all "swimmer's body illusion" either (they have that body because they swim? No, they swim because they have that body.)

How much muscle mass a person can maximally obtain is up to your genetics. But that max only comes with constant maintainment. It's not feasible for Jason to be doing all that cardio and also have that much muscle mass and fat. Cardio burns "fat" (calories), weights build muscle. We constantly see the former and former-adjacent workouts more than the latter with him. Jason is running across rooftops, flipping off them before falling into a shoulder roll onto the next roof over chasing after bad guys every night. The number of calories he'd have to eat and time put into lifting weights (too many reps a week lead to damage, not growth) to maintain his max (max being what a lot of weights category athletes try to achieve which Jason just hasn't been shown to be (except in his jailbird phase where he could literally only lift weights, read, and avoid being killed to pass the time)) isn't possible.

Using comic art to "prove" how much he weighs doesn't work either. Firstly, because everyone wears weight differently. Two people can be the same height, weight, and sex and look completely different. This is due to different body types, composition, genetics, diet, (what kind of) exercise, and many other factors. Assuming someone thinner is automatically "super light" doesn't factor in different body compositions (fat, muscle, bone percentages). (yes, I know it's stupid to apply science to comics. There's my digression. let me live). Secondly, Jason (just like everything else about him) isn't drawn consistently at all. Sometimes he's pretty damn massive, but we also have Twink and Twunk Jason (DC can't even decide on hair color? Do you think they're gonna decide on his body?).

So, comic book art isn't super reliable as evidence unless we want to theorize if, how, and why he seems to fluctuate between weights all the time (<- Which I have a whole headcanon about if anyone's curious), especially in comparison to the others because, seriously, it's totally a Jason thing. Most characters are pretty consistent in body type. Anyway, someone could argue "See! he is 210!" but it's also not for a long enough period to stick around :/ Again, hard to consistently maintain that much weight as a 6-foot-tall, cardio-based athlete.

Also note: DC is horrible when it comes to weight-to-height lineups. A woman hero can be ~5'7'' and then we're told she's 110 lbs which Fact 1. is considered underweight for this kind of height-to-sex ratio, Fact 2. probably isn't factoring in the fact that muscle is heavier than fat, she just "looks thin", and 3. Usually, totally, absolutely is just blatant sexism.

Really, the numbers don't seriously mean anything of actual substance because their comics, are unreliable, and also usually just...scientifically wrong. But Jason's perception on page, as well as the information we've been told, is one reason he's considered "brute strength first and foremost."

Furthermore, Jason has been shown repeatedly to be on par with Bruce (even when Jason, most of the time, plays defense in their physical fights) but many people chalk this up to him and Bruce having similar physiques making it "easier". Again, counter-productive argument because Bruce and Jason have been drawn very similarly before in stories as well as completely different from each other in others. Also, this purposefully, blatantly ignores Jason's actual skills. No one chalks Dick Grayson or Cassandra Cain beating Bruce up to their body types. Moreover, when Bruce and Jason are drawn similarly in body, no one refers to Bruce as "Brute Strength" either. Bruce gets to be tactical, strategic, clever. (Also Also: In Pre-Crisis, Bruce, Dick, and Jason are deliberately drawn to look similar (height, mass, looks, etc.) to get that Brothers in Blood effect. Still, No one chalks the formers up to all strength. Just Jason)

And that brings us to your question, Anon: Is there canonical evidence for Jason being stronger than the other Bats?

Remember how I told you to put a pin in that "Occupation: Criminal Mastermind" note? Well, first off, Jason creating jobs for his community. Go off, king. Second off, and more importantly so, "Mastermind": a person who supplies the directing or creative intelligence for a project (Merriam-Webster).

When Jason was first re-introduced, what made Jason dangerous was that he was highly skilled and smart. He was playing with both Black Mask and Batman like a cat batting a toy mouse. He orchestrated an entire "slow-growing" takeover of Gotham's underworld (he was actually very quick about it). Jason controlled the situation and planned so well that he had the villains and heroes who were both after him fighting each other so he could slip away and do what he actually needed to do.

Throughout Jason's history, he's always had tools with him when he fights. To the point that Bruce says to Jaybin "You won't always have this" cutting his utility belt, insinuating he relies too much on it, which Jason returns the favor to on his return and fights B hand to hand <3 Love a cocky callback. Furthering this, he knows many, many different fighting styles and techniques both from life experience and from extensive training. Jason's a quick learner by nature and is incredibly adaptive. Guns; knives; swords; pens; sets bombs to specifically implode, not explode; makeshift gadgets; a baseball bat just laying around; a tire jack that one time; brains. I could go on. Jason doesn't just hit things. He uses what he has as a means to an end. He's canonically known as one of the best strategists in-universe and is incredibly creative with his surroundings. Jason isn't just great at extensive, long-term planning either. Bruce himself has remarked on the fact that Jason thinks incredibly quickly on his feet, he's really good at improvisation. Concisely, he has plans A-G and if all those fail, he can pull something out of nothing. Contrast this with Bruce who needs to have a plan for everything. Even if it doesn't look like he's following a plan, Bruce is. Opposed to Jason who can go with the flow and figure it out along the way.

Jason even said this in present-era in TFZ:

And that's the whole point, isn't it? Jason is strong. Incredibly so. He's big and tall and has gorgeous thighs. Not to mention, has a mean right hook. But just because Jason's strong doesn't mean he isn't a bat first and foremost who relies on his brain before anything else. He died 4'6 (on his death certificate, his height varies depending on what source you pull) and famously had to defend himself his entire life ever before being Robin. Being young and small and forced to survive shaped Jason into a quick thinker who could either get away or take enemies 10x his size down. Nowadays, he just has a longer reach.

In Event Levithan when Damian says: "Jason Todd is one of the Great Master fighters of all time" He doesn't say strongest because Damian doesn't mean strongest. Damian means adaptable, smart, capable, and well-rounded in skill.

While I don't doubt that Jason is most definitely one of the strongest Bats due to his size, what makes Jason dangerous is not his body, but the fact that he knows how to use it. It's not "Brute Strength" as many people like to say, it's Strategic Strength. He knows just because he's stronger than someone doesn't mean he'll always win. A la see panels above. Jason knows throwing his body around won't do anything of real, long-term substance. That it's just blindsided and stupid.

I'm sure if I looked I could pull panels where other bats and/or vigilantes refer to Jason as the muscle, brute (strength), all brawn (no brain), other such implications, etc, but whenever people do, it's always to undermine Jason's skill. Because it's not actually about his strength. Jason, with his taller, more built form, makes walking quiet seem easy. And it looks easy because he's good. Jason himself knows his skill set, it's everyone else that undermines him time and time and time again. (Again, Event Levithan, Bruce doesn't agree with Damian's statement even though Jason just outsmarted the six or so people who all just tried to take him down (for something Jason didn't even do, mind you))

But, again from Damian, Jason's not known as "the muscle," he's "the emotional one" also usually used to...degrade Ja--We can't have anything nice apparently is what I'm saying. But yes, when people refer to Jason as "Brute Strength" it's usually them trying to find a nicer way of saying Brute or "thinks with his fists" or "Jason hits first, asks questions later." It's in the same vein as when people say "Jason likes books" as short-hand for "see, he's smart at something" rather than acknowledging that Jason achieved a degree's worth of knowledge in comp-sci by age 13.

Anyway Smart and Strong Jason, my beloved. I wish DC & others loved you as much as Rosenburg and the teams of artists he's been working with do.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Cameos & Familiar Faces

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized by favs in each category. No numbered lists anymore, tumblr be buggn'.

End of Aug Start Sept 2023

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 8fin - Oh the DRAMA. Why does the insane ex (my true love) remind me of the cartel leader from Romancing the Stone? Even the sides got HEA! It was fucking great!!!!! Charn remains a bonkers spoiled evil murderous brat with a cruel smile beloved by his one true paladin. Also: post it love note trope! Been a long while my old friend. NO SINGING!!!!! I do love that wedding jacket frock coat cape thing Charn wore. 

In conclusion: This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. Charn may be my favorite lead character of 2023. However, this show is not entirely BL, more on the fringe, like Manner of Death. Add that to several "singing incidents" and pairs being a little weak in the chemistry arena, and this lands safely in 9/10 territory. It’s tons of fun tho: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Sat grey) ep 3 of 12 - This show is getting more and more lakorn each ep. Apparently the straights are having a class divide arranged marriage crisis. Who cares? Our boy is ALWAYS in trouble. Crazy that he has to save the people who betrayed him in a previous life - but I guess he chose revenge! That's unexpected.

Had to switch to grey and couldn’t find a working rip. It was frustrating and I wouldn’t have bothered except I like this show so much. Still, it means no screen caps because the rez is naff.

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 3 of 12 - Uh oh. Kang wants to save Sailom and be his hero. The fact that K’s Pa puts no pressure on him whatsoever, makes me wonder if K's Ma committed suicide or something? It’s definitely the opposite parental dynamic we normally see in BL. I have to say, the pacing is great in the show. And the acting is on point. It’s really great. 

Hidden Agenda (Sun YT) ep 8 of 12 - these two just kiss well. I mean not "rip your clothes off Taiwan-style," but sweet young boyfriends-esk. Joke wants to be claimed so bad. It’s great. I enjoyed this ep, unfortunately it looks like we have a manufactured angst drama drop in the next episode. Is this a 10 episode arc? I thought it was 12. It’s odd to have doom happening next episode already.

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 4 of 10 - Back story time! Ray and Mew are HARD to watch. Incestuous friend group gay is the worst. Omg I got such QAF vibes from this ep. Nick Boston Sand chats = very throw back 90s gay soaps. 

Location game moment: Top's hotel room is also Chan’s apartment in Laws Of Attraction. 

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 1 of 8 - Ooo. Est is back! Hi handsome. Head of security suits you. Please lead out the new Waterboyy remake? You’re perfect for the role. (If it must happen.) Yi’s Pa is GREAT. Please give daddy a nice boy? Could that be our secondary couple for this series? 

Meanwhile, with the leads (sorry I was distracted by daddy) we got us an arranged marriage, run away bride, and an amnesia trope. Put in a secret baby and it's squarely 1980's Harlequin. Will there be Vikings? Sex herbs? Pirates? Dub con?

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 9 of 12 - Again with lovely sex scenes, it’s just the plot stringing them together is frayed. Also don’t fuck in an onsen. Both yech and ouch.

That goes for all y’all.  

Wedding Plan (Wed YT & iQIYI) ep 7fin - Trash watch here! Honestly this was an okay ending, I’m not mad at it. If you can tolerate Mame and liars (kinda the same thing) you’ll be fine with this show.

Summation: An innocent wedding planner falls haplessly and hopelessly in love with a groom who relentlessly pursued him, even though he’s about to marry someone else. A somewhat lackluster mame offering with less of the usual stellar chemistry, but all of the usual lies and manipulation. 7/10

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - I skip everything to do with Tammy and it’s fine. There’s only about 20 minutes of fine but that’s more than enough. On the bright side. So far. No singing.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 24 eps - Cassanova Begins Part 2. Aw. It was sad. Another variation on the “my ghost boyfriend” trope (usually sad). 2/10 I don't do sad BL.

Next up is Merry Go Round featuring the pair from Destiny Seeker (we likey) who want to marry each other, but end up fake engaged to the same woman. Beard squared? Looks silly.

Crazy Handsome Rich (Sun Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - There are 2 things I like about this. I bet you can guess what they are.

Lee Long Shi

The whipping boy trope

There wasn’t enough of either in this first ep. ALSO the captions, sound effects, and voice over are truly next level bad. Utterly atrocious.

The 2 leads fucking around in the end credits was the funniest part of the whole show. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 7 of 8 - I am confused and frustrated about what the communication delay is between the two Juns. It feels artificial and narratively manufactured. But since this is a short form KBL and I know it will be resolved quickly, I’m not as annoyed as I would be if this were Thai BL. Still it feels audience manipulative. I also feel sorry for Simon. BUT it looks like it’ll be a sweet boyfriends final episode.

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 10fin - Omg they’re so cute!!! Taiwan the purveyors of ultimate sappy gay domesticity. I am going to miss having these to nonsencing all over my dash.

This show was an interesting take on the "ghost boyfriend" trope. About a boy who is tormented by hearing the dead, except when he is around one other boy - desperation+proximity = love. Unfortunately, the story was erratic and waffled about. While the leads turned in solid performances and the sappy domesticity was off the charts, it never really had the strength of the narrative convictions such a strong concept should have supplied. Highly rewatchable and enjoyable for that sappy domesticity but not a whole lot more. Still I always give extra credit for the diabetes-inducing sugar content and rewatch capacity. 8/10 

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) eps 3 of 13(?) - I love the punching thing - there is a lot of violent flirting in this show. I’m not mad about it. Ugh, poor thing has real abandonment issues. And now trust issues. I see why we’re getting 12-14 eps. This gonna be MESSY.

Meanwhile, does EVERYONE have a guest cameo? Not that I’m complaining. Hi BLIHID boys! Now I need to rewatch that show. 

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 7-8 of 10 - Oh my God the next morning w/ couple 2 was so darn cute. They are all such terrible flirts with each other. Honestly, this show makes me laugh more than any other BL currently airing. I’m not sure it is meant to be as funny as I find it. While couple 3 (the mature characters) is by far my favorite, I actually think they don’t work with the other two pairs, they feel superfluous to the show. I like the show better because they’re in it, but it feels like two different BL‘s stuck together. KBL certainly can’t handle more than two couple threads at the same time. 

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 3-4 of 8 - Ugh. I am such a sucker for the FighterTutor dynamic. Why so good? Uh oh. Real kiss! KBL you're spoiling us. But, isn’t sad-seme-hyung dating some chick? Argh. Poor Sunwoo. This show is even worse at repping Fighter's character sympathetically. Who knew that was possible?

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 3 of 8 - The date episode! Even Japan is doing it now. And these two who have been living/fucking together for ages still dance around each other like junior high kids. I gotta say, I watch this one twice because Vicki has different subs from Gaga. I feel like it’s easier to understand if I watch two different translations of the same script. But it’s still quite a taciturn piece. 

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - Sides are great. It was mostly a cute ep with tiny bits of Progress and a proper Confession. I miss Shin’s siblings. And then… the much loathed amnesia trope. Really?

Everyone say it with me: Must you, Japan? 

Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) ep 5fin - It ended happier than I was expecting. Optimistic for one couple, and most likely optimistic for the other.

Summation: What to say about this offering from Hong Kong? It’s different, a mix of early CBL, Taiwanese shorts, and Pinoy visuals. It felt like the story was 2 independent shorts that had been lengthen and then stuck together, and I wish they'd been approached as separate and tighter entities. Nevertheless, this was a complex little piece,  interesting in a sweaty grungy way, with a certain aura of queer authenticity that made it simultaneously tense, unpredictable, and refreshing. I’m not sure I would necessarily call it BL, but any county’s early foray into the genre usually starts out this way, so perhaps nascent BL? Worth watching, especially if you enjoy stuff from the Philippines and Taiwan. 7/10

In case you missed it

Dinosaur Love ended its run but the final 2 eps are behind a paywall. Word on the street is they aren't good anyway (shocker) so I'm marking it as DNF and moving on with my life. If I can find em grey I'll watch 'em merely so I can give it a rating, but I can't imagine it will get more than 5/10. Seriously, do not bother.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming September

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan Gaga) Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/15 Bump Up Business AKA Bump Up Project (Korea movie) suspected cinema release? I don't know much about what's going on. Last status update. Love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity from the same agency. Kpop boy group OnlyOneOf has signed up to star in this idol-based BL (based on a webtoon). They’ve been auditioning for this since Libido IMHO. You can watch me chronicle their BL MV series in this post. It’s from Idol Romance who will do sad but can do good kisses (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu, Once Again, Kissable Lips, Poongduck 304, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You).

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/? Venus in the Sky (Thai iQIYI) 10 eps

9/? Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam YouTube?)

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Hidden Agenda hitting us up with a hug + lap + kiss. Very nice.

I think these two might be GMMTV's best cuddlers.

Boys, I think your JoongDunk is showing.

(Last week) 

[thecosmosproject]

Got a question!

If one day, Little witch academia had a reboot, what would you want to see in it?

Me personally, I would want the characters to have accents in their English dub and more features from their culture or race!

Akko and Sucy for example, Akko's been living in Japan all her life (considering the fact she moved to the UK) and she somehow doesn't have a Japanese accent! I believe she's been learning English ever since she discovered what school Chariot attended but way later in her life (let's say 13-14) so her English would still be amazing but with a accent that tells you she didn't grow up speaking English! And Sucy, if you've been a fan of lwa for awhile you would know Sucy is from the Philippines since her broom has the same patterns as a Philippine broom

But newer fans would never know that unless they go on her wiki page or pay close attention to Sucy (which considering the fast and energetic pase lwa goes it would be quite challenging) while having the knowledge of what culture things Sucy wears and has

Same with Lotte, Jasmika, and Constenze!

Another example of accents would be the very popular Diana Cavendish

Her voice suits her yeah but give her a British accent and she's 100% perfect

Another thing I would want is the show having more then two seasons, it's already clear that little witch academia is finished and nothing is coming back (expect the vr broom race, that's different)

I want them to kinda give Croix more spot light, she was just a bad guy who you kinda just forget. Her design, plans, and personality were amazing but the thing that was lacking was more screen time!

Along with Akko's other friends Jasmika and Constenze, Constenze is a genius that works with magic and modern technology, I want to know what inspired her to work with the two and why she refuses to use her voice (she spoke just once at the end of season two when Akko started flying)

The show has such amazing characters and rep but at the same time it lacks in showing them and showing the characters different cultures! These are just a few nitpicks I have to the show but it's amazing and I love it

Tell me your opinions, I'm kinda interested in knowing what different people think of the show and how it can get better or if it's fine just the way it is!

[heyyallitsbeth]

so i let the hyperfixation win.

over the past several hours i rewatched Sword Art Online and SAO 2.

(this time dubbed, last time i watched it subbed)

here are my thoughts:

-anyone who said the dub was bad is just wrong. Kirito's VA really shines in the more comedic or sweet moments (like when first meeting Yui), he reminds me of like a Peter Parker. and oh my lord, the breakdown by Suguha's VA was just a masterpiece. Still have chills from watching it.

-i have such a big appreciation for every character. This time it really shined through how good of characters Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha actually are.

Kirito's internal conflict throughout SAO2 is so good, grappling with their actions they needed to take in SAO to survive. and throughout all of it you can tell how much they truly loves their friends and family, and how kind hearted they really are. Asuna definitely fits into that role as well, being so ready to take care of Yui and so desperately wanting her to be safe and loved and cared for.

And oh my gosh Suguha. I remember people absolutely hated her arc because it is problematic, but the fact is, it's played entirely serious, her feelings arent taken as a joke. She has a genuine and real internal struggle for feeling things she feels she shouldnt, and how she feels those feelings arent reciprocated or cant be reciprocated, and having her heart broken twice by someone who she loves and someone who also does still genuinely love her. Its absolutely heartbreaking to watch.

Man, Sinon is still fantastic. She's still my absolute favorite, and I think she is one of the best characters in the show, and pretty much steals the show from her introduction. Her arc ties in so seamlessly with Kirito's and how they help eachother heal and grow is fantastic. Only complaint is we never got a scene of the rest of the Gals being jealous about the grenade hug she gave Kirito. After Kirito and Sinon nearly died, wouldve been some nice relief so you didnt feel like you yourself were dying.

-Speaking of, while there was definitely a ton of fanservice, the pseudo-harem aspect with the jokes were kinda cute, between characters seeing flirting happen around them, getting embarassed over it, its fun. Especially when people got jealous of Sinon flirting with Kirito over Excalibur. That part was very fun, since they did that infront of everyone else, almost like they were trying to get a rise out of them. Theyre not exactly the pinnacle of comedy, its definitely a trope, but theres something nostalgic about it that makes it kinda enjoyable.

-Speaking of the psuedo-harem, guys if all of you are constantly flirting with eachother (not just Kirito surprisingly, happens between the other girls frequently) and jealous of any affection with that, just start a polycule. You're a group of gamer girls playing MMOs together and all of you have slept in the same bed with eachother. Stop snipping at eachother and start dating eachother. Polyamory is pretty cool. Kirito and Asuna can still be the main duo and be the parents to Yui and Strea; but yall gotta work on the jealousy or just do what every other group of girl gamers does, polyamory. Lisbeth you should not be angrily drinking while watching Kirito and Asuna talk. (this is mostly a joke, im not actually saying they *have* to do a polycule, its more of a joke because of how tropey a lot of the flirting and jealousy is, and yknow, gay girls do polyamory, so dont take this part toooooo seriously.)

-Speaking of girls dating girls, the LGBT rep aint half bad. Argo canonically using both male and female pronouns is really cool! Most of the girls flirt with eachother a lot too, which is nice. Between the female avatar, the willingness to pretend to be a girl, the introversion, the desire to be an avatar in a virtual world more than irl, Kirito might be transgender. All good stuff here.

Overall, SAO is honestly way better than I remembered, even if some parts definitely show its age. You gotta piece it together a little bit with headcanons, but i do that with every show, nothing is perfect. Except Sinon. And a world where trans Kirito is canon. Those are perfect.

[badassbutterfly1987]

Madame Web (2024) mild spoilers

So I saw Madame Web and I think I liked it. If you enjoyed the Venom movies for their awkward fun, then you might have a good time. Script is definitely messy and there's notable moments of awkward dubbing (especially for the bad guy's lines).

I do have mixed feelings about its handling of disability. In the comics, Cassandra Webb is an older woman who uses a wheelchair and is blind; these are caused by myasthenia gravis (MG), a neuromuscular junction disease, a major symptom being skeletal muscle weakness. Movie Cassandra is a young healthy paramedic; it's revealed in a flashback that she was diagnosed with MG in utero (not possible in real life but anyway), her mother died of a gun shot wound while giving birth to her, and a special spider bite cured her as a newborn (also gave her pre-cog abilities but those didn't activate until an adult near-death experience). Cassandra does end the movie using a wheelchair and blind, but both are due to in-battle injuries.

On the one hand, I kinda get it. The writers wanted an active character running around and protecting these three scared teenagers. It's the lazier option but I wasn't exactly expecting high-quality disability rep from the same writers of Morbius.

But it does feel like a missed opportunity, because they could have chosen an interesting middle ground: have Cassandra start getting the early symptoms, getting a diagnosis, and struggling to come to terms with that. It could tie into her character in an interesting way. She's awkward around people but also pushes people away in fear they'll see her as a burden in a few years, which could also tie into her existing abandonment issues from being in foster care after her mother's death. As a paramedic, she's trying to do as much good as possible before her disability means adjusting to a new way of doing things. And since this disease causes muscle weakness especially after exertion, that could be shown after an action scene where she has to debate how much to trust these girls with her illness while she's trying to protect them, eventually finding a balance where they support each other. That way the movie would be doing something interesting with a disabled character instead of having it tagged onto the end scene.

These changes wouldn't fix the script (and I don't really trust Sony to do it well) but it would make for an interesting layer to Cassie's character. Maybe a fic writer will do something interesting with it.

[taldigi]

twitter statements are not character development. if it dosen't happen in the story, it didn't happen and it's not real. Always assume the worst from big creators who are seeking clout instead of "risking their story" If your fav was stated to be LGBT on twitter or in an interview, it has no weight or meaning or matter until their story confirms this- as much as you want it to be so.

Demand better. Claiming that a foriegn market will not approve does not justify not including it at all. They will censor the material regardless. Some rep is better than none. A foriegn consumer most likely will have has access to information about the original.. "They were girlfriends in the original dub" means the world to people.

fictional characters are not real. Do not defend them as if they are. Do not credit them as if they are. they are imaginary shells crafted to tell a narrative. If you have a problem with a character, you actually have a problem with the writer or the story... but do NOT use this to claim that a character's actions within the narrative are justified.

Characters are allowed to be bad. they are allowed to be evil. not every character needs to have a "Redemption arc" not every character needs to be sympathetic. This is tragically very true to real life. I understand the desire to change, and to change others for the better, but this is rarely a good choice for the narrative overall.

[italianpersonwithashippersheart]

Tag game: List 10 of your comfort shows, then tag 10 people

I was tagged by @twig-tea thanks for the tag. Like you I'm having trouble narrowing it down so I cheated a little and some of this are grouped together.

Group One is the Detective group, I used to love detective stories, which means I watched a lot of cop shows, there are some that I can't watch anymore because of the new awarness of the copaganda but these are the ones that I still find comfort in: Cold Case, Elementary, Murder She Wrote, Columbo and Ris Roma (italian version of a CSI like show, this is the first and only spin-off which I like more)

Skam OG S3 and Eyewitness and Skam Italia s2. These I am not reaching for as much since I have BLs now. But they are still comfort shows. Skam Italian s2 in particular I reach when I want to feel better about the borderline semi-fascist hellstate I'm living in, since it's the best gay rep we italians got.

Animated Group: Animaniacs and Tiny Toons along with Looney Toons cartoons I use as background noise kind of shows. And along with the anime Kodomo No Omocha (Rossana in Italian) they remind me the most of childhood. Side note sometimes I listen to intro of Rossana anime and feel like a kid again, cartoon intro used to be a pretty big deal in Italian dub cartoons 80% of which were sanged by a single woman.

Old Sitcom Group: The Golden Girls, Boy Meets the World, Full House and The Nanny

Leverage (not the new seasons, I don't really like them, just the old ones)

Community

Living Single

Superstore

The BL Group (the most recent and the one that I am now leaning to most of all): Until We Meet Again, Be Loved In House I Do, History 2 Right or Wrong, Semantic Error and My School President are the ones that bring me the most comfort.

This is mega cheating because they are not really show as in tv series. But they always bring me the most consistent comfort: Assorted Musicals and Theather Live Recordings. In particular = The Sound of Music, West Side Story 2021, Moulin Rouge, Les Misarable 25th concert, Into the Woods (the 90s recording), Much Ado About Nothing (the 2011 recording with David Tennant), Cats and an italian one Notre Dame De Paris an Italian-French Musical based on the Victor Hugo book not realted to the Disney version at all)

Bonus: the ones that are no longer comfort shows because I can never watch them again: CSI (all of them but I used to love NY), Law and Order, and Veronica Mars (which I haven't been able to watch since I saw s4)

And the ones that didn't make the list: My favorite Power Rangers series (they range from Lost Galaxy to RPM)

Tagging: @thehollowprince @heretherebedork @callipigio @benkaaoi @slayerkitty @respectthepetty

It's not 10 but I am bad with names so these are I could think of. No pressure to them of course.

[randomnameless]

Do you agree that anyone that uses death of the author as argument shouldn't be arguing about a text? Because according to them all interpretations are valid so why argue against other people's interpretations?

Mmh...

I guess it's part of the duality of fandom life - people want to talk about the game are very involved in it, but they also create fun headcanons to explore said game's lore/setting/characters.

So in way, participating in fandom and even writing fanfiction, or saying stupid things like "hc : Nabateans attach a great importance to golden trinkets" is, in a way, pushing your own interpretation over the game's.

But at one point, it depends on what you want to argue about.

Argue about headcanon? Uh... it's like arguing about what topping you prefer on your ice cream. It's your ice cream, your tastes, so you can prefer chocolate cookies or peanuts and it's, you know, not open to discussion as in "talking with you made me realise peanuts are was tastier than chocolate chip cookies".

I like to talk and discuss and see other people's headcanons because it's fun and when some of ours match we can nerd about pointless things like warm rocks or nabatean laying eggs, but you won't see me being an ass and tell them "uh your headcanon sucks, you should put blue cheese on your ice cream".

Now, arguing about canon?

FE16 (and Fe Fodlan in general) is a game where the devs forgot to hire a continuity game and thought letting the world "vague" would make it look "deeper and richer" than it is. 10k years of lore, after all. And we have at least 2 unreliable narrators, that are Lords so who are protagonists and usually should be believed... expect that the game shows us they're full of nonsense regarding various topics.

But, unlike headcanon, canon isn't subjective, it's the same game (well... depending on the audio, it's not) everyone played, some people were kind enough to create a website where every line (+ dub!) is available, so it's not a question of interpretation as much as going to read and check the datamine website and the hundreds of YT videos, were people recorded their PT.

Was Burnie surrounded by flames, effectively preventing her escape from her pyre, or not?

Does Cyril mention to Mercedes how he only ate every couple of days before coming to the monastery (so under House Goneril's good care and in the Almyran army) or not?

Those things can be easily checked, and there's no interpretation.

If you don't like canon, you can churn out headcanon and have fun developing them, maybe finding people who like them and expend them themselves!

But for various reasons (is it because fanfiction has a bad rep since the 2000s for being something, idk, teenage girls write? or because it's not seen as very serious (tm) as a redshit post?) some people in the Fodlan fandom don't really want to confess they don't like the canon, and prefer the headcanon/fanfiction version of the game portrayed through a certain fic that, in turn, influenced how canon is perceived by some devoted fans.

(and let's not forget the lolcalisation that, too, didn't like the base game and edited it for ~ reasons ~)

And imo, Death of the author, in those fandom circles, is a roundabout way to say "the canon is not conclusive so i interpret the situation as this, but it's totes not my headcanon nor a fanfiction bcs i'm no gross fangirl, it's still canon, but my interpretation of the canon"

Tldr : Arguing about headcanon is as pointless and fruitless as starting a shipwar, and in the 2020s apparently it's too shameful to confess liking/writing fanfictions, so instead you like and write "your own interpretations of canon or how it should be" instead, using various theories like "Death of the Author" to validate your creative process, bcs fanfics gross'n'bad'n'only for lonely teenager girls, i guess.

[pythagoras180]

Genuine question so I hope this doesn’t come across as rude: why do you like Zoé so much?

I think she’s nice and yay gay rep but she really comes out of nowhere and just feels like a Marinette clone to replace Chloé so fans would stop asking about her failed redemption and stuff

Again, you’re entitled to your opinion and there’s things wrong, just curious

Let's start at the very beginning. I knew absolutely nothing about Zoé going into "Sole Crusher", and I first watched this episode in German dub without subtitles. So I had no idea what was going on. I honestly thought that this new blonde girl was Chloé's cousin or something. Then I read in the summary that they're half-sisters, and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was interesting to make their familial connection so much closer than expected, as I don't really see cousins as close family. And then I read that Zoé was the result of Audrey having an affair, and I was shocked, but also really respected the writers for having the guts to add something like that in. Maybe this is just because I haven't watched/read too many stories, but Zoé is the first time I've seen the affair child of such a bad person being portrayed in such a positive light. It kind of changed my view in a way.

I like that Zoé is so sweet, but also a little snarky sometimes. This is just my opinion, but I like that personality. You call her a Marinette clone, but other people have also compared her to Chloé, Adrien, and even Lila. I think at some point in the mixing process, she would have just become an original character, don't you?

When she became Vesperia, I really liked that she had value outside of just the Miraculous. Other heroes would often just use their powers and that's that. Doesn't make them look that unique. But Zoé used to acting skills to taunt Queen Banana into releasing Ladybug, and then tricked Chloé into accepting the Magical Charm. I feel that that gives her uniqueness. I'm a bit disappointed that this hasn't really been utilized since, but it's still something. And no offense to Queen Bee fans, but she made Venom look lame. I only saw it as cool after watching Vesperia paralyze the gigantic gorilla.

In "Transmission", Zoé is the only one being a good friend to Marinette. She doesn't partake in the party, and later goes to check on her when nobody else thinks of that. That made me respect her even more. And obviously, Kitty Noire slays (Blaqueminette is a better name though).

In "Deflagration", I like how she doesn't stand up for herself, but is fearless in protecting Marinette from Chloé. I think that solidifies how good of a person she is. But I was super disappointed to see that she wasn't Sole Destroyer like the leaks indicated. I mean, the name even fits her better. But I guess that idea is too cool for this show.

When I read the leaks for "Adoration", I initially didn't like it. I thought, "This doesn't further Zoé's character, it's just a plot device to push Adrienette further. Zoé deserves better." But after actually watching the episode, I ended up liking the confession. The way they did it was very sweet.

I think the only episode I have a problem with her is "Collusion". First, she has exactly one line, which just feels weird. Second, she says that Andre is a good man deep down, despite him hurting God knows how many people during his corrupt political career. This connects to a larger issue I have with the show, where they portray it that if you're forgiven by one person, all your past actions no longer matter, even if this person isn't the one you hurt most. But this episode is pretty much Zoé's only L in my book.

I understand that not everybody likes Zoé, and I don't expect them to. Honestly, I think her character and her introduction to me was just a perfect storm. I don't think this will change minds, but maybe it'll help you understand my point of view at least a little bit.

[smimon]

Dunno what kinda of movies you like but here you go.

Horror: Wolf Creek. Backpackers getting murdered in the outback of Australia kinda inspired by real murders that happened.

Not horror:

Grand Budapest Hotel. Very stylistic (cause wes Anderson ) but also just a really fun story. Mostly love it for the visuals and the dialogue makes my brain happy with how it's delivered. Very snappy.

Flying high/aeroplane (it has different names depending on the country) has super dry humour and some of my fave jokes in any movie. I reference it a fair bit. Parody film basically but from like the 70s/80s

Muriel's wedding: classic story of an outsider finding her place and trying to not be a loser. Not my fave ever but a pretty iconic movie most people should watch at least once if you haven't already. Has some pretty good disability rep too!

Mad max fury road: one of my fave movies ever. Very action heavy but shot beautifully and the women are all bad ass.

Mitchells vs the machines: inventively animated and the family dynamic is fun with good humor. Kinda reminds me of gravity falls which is a great tv show

(Another great tv show is over the garden wall. Beautifully atmospheric and complete. I have a google drive if you want to watch it for free)

Also anything by monty python (especially holy grail and life of Brian )

Sorry these are very random suggestions but I was trying to think of things you probably haven't seen. Let me know if there's a genre you like and I can maybe get more specific?

Thank you for reminding me of Wes Anderson because I forgot I was supposed to rewatch Fantastic Mr. Fox ahaha

Yes thanks for all of these! Muriel's wedding sounds like something good for now 🧡 the rest for later

(And btw the entirety of Over the garden wall is available on cartoon network's yt channel with PL dub, how very kind of them)

[savoryangel]

geez, that's painful but checks out. being asian in the 80s was tough

lots of east asians have tan/olive skin!!! just because pale skin is the beauty ideal and is what's most depicted in east asian media, doesn't mean that all east asians are naturally fair-skinned. omg how are you gonna make someone named "lou jitsu/yoshi" blonde?? that is so crazy 😨

lou jitsu's fully fluent in english wtf! and his ethnic accent is wonderful and doesn't need to be hidden

how was lou jitsu replaced with a white man??? who was he? don't tell me that white man did yellowface

media where an asian man is 1.) the lead—not a supporting character and 2.) a hero are important because they're not roles given to asian men in amercia. you'd think it'd be appreciated rep. i also wonder if lou jitsu's films had romance in them as asian men are typically viewed/portrayed as being the bottom of the dating pool and are desexualized in america, unlike asian women. this was EVEN MORE prevelant in the 70s and 80s and 90s. it'd be great for lou jitsu to challenge that bias

yeah! I’m glad they tackle on the treatment on bipoc actors in the film industry, it feels accurate and still goes on today with other influential people !! I KNOWWWW IT WAS BAFFLING SEEING HIM BLONDE LIKE HOW DID YOU FUCK UP THAT BAD?? 😨 ANNDD YESSSS,, there was no need of his voice to be dubbed over he speaks English VERY FLUENTLY,,,, and his voice is very lovely as it is <3

To answer your question he was replaced 2 times!! (I just remembered about the storyboard I’m gonna mention rn😭 ) so there was gonna be a reboot of Lou Jitsu based on this storyboard panel that was scrapped. There isn’t much info about who was gonna be casted but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth that he gets replaced while he’s missing???

Yoshi used to have many dojos around New York but after his disappearance, it has been taken over by his rivel actor Khristoff Van Branford who happens to white. He views Yoshi to be irrelevant, a “scene-stealer” and a “whiny bellyacher” whatever that means. It may be out of jealousy of how successful he was. Tho he hasn’t done any raunchy things rather than just him taking over his dojos and his past with him feel,, racially motivated.

I’m not entirely sure if there was any romance in his films since most of films are mentioned by the name or just show a small fight scene. Though he did HAVE SEVERAL EXES during his career if that counts but we don’t know much about them except for big mama. He did co-star with Tang Shen who happened to be Yoshi’s love interest in other interactions in tmnt but it’s unknown what relation status rather than acquaintances in rise since she’s only shown once

I hope that answers all anon !! <3 I’ll get to the next question

[triplexdoublex]

I saw this on his reddit fanpage although I'm not sure what it's from originally. I thought you might enjoy the UGH of it all 🙄 If this is a game it's so not funny anymore (it wasn't to begin with the moment she started letting his rep get ruined) I don't want him hurt but if this is the outlook for their relationship? I'd rather him get safe now. This is abuse. Flat out. She's breaking his spirit and trying to make people hate him. She just doesn't understand what fan base she's testing. Too bad for her cause it got her popular again. I don't know about all the 'they've been seen together all weekend' stuff, I haven't seen anything yet but I'll keep an eye on your page and if I see anything I'll send it. I just hope he's okay. Rough weekend though, electrocution and then all this... Yikes.

Thanks, I know they were seen together when she was wearing that black outfit in her “break up post” but assumed the pics of them together was from before what ever drama went down. I know it’s said that they did miss at least one contracted appearance, if they have been to others this weekend perhaps they were just trying to avoid breaking more contracts . I dunno I really think it’s over this time , especially since dub posted supporting him and a lot of the other guys shared it. If she’s “trolling” for attention again I’m gonna lose my mind and hate her more than I already do istg. Doesn’t she understand she’s literally hurting him and ruining his image for her own gain and attention, that’s not “trolling” that’s mental and emotional abuse and no one finds it funny. Maybe she feeds off the negativity since she’s obviously obsessed with toxicity, and trauma, and all her other dark fairytale nonsense.

[isabellehemlock]

TAG GAME WEDNESDAY: FANDOM EDITION

Thank you so much for tagging me @energievie this is epic! I'll go ahead and tag (but of course no pressure implied) @nalyra-dreaming @thelioncourts @the-heart-of-leo @selling-my-soul-for-tony-stark @dracosollicitus @almostcanon @maddielle @magslensherr @therowdybee @beepbeepsan @boutiquetraveltravelboutique

Your Name: Katharina ~ the German version of Katherine, from the Greek καθαρός (katharos). Feel free to message me if you want fun Bible facts around the term appearing in the Beatitudes 😊

Your Age: 37

Your First Fandom(s): Rose of Versailles & Sailor Moon

Your Current Fandoms: like 90% IWTV, but also OFMD, ST, TOG, and a smidge of Good Omens, The Witcher, and Shadow & Bone

How did you first get into fandom? As a kiddo watching anime dubs on TV and then buying Mangas, too ✨️

How long have you been engaging with fandom spaces? I came out of a decade long lurkdom in August of 2020 and haven't looked back since 😎

How often do you read fanfics? Not as often as I'd like 🫠

Top three characters from your current fandom(s)? Oh! Um - Louis, Lestat, Armand, Eddie, Stede, Aziraphale

Have you ever written a fic for a fandom? If so, shout it out! Check out my pinned post for a breakdown by fandom category list/links 😎 On average I write anywhere from 20k-40k a month 😳

Have you ever drawn fanart for a fandom? See above reply 😘 At this rate I draw on average one piece a week, and am loving it ❤️

Share a personal headcanon that you feel very strongly about: this is 1000% projecting but I myself am a queer (aspec) religious (Catholic) person and seeing rep for it in media feels lovely 🥹👉🏻👈🏻 If there's only crumbs of that potential, I will gather it up and try to make a feast out of it. Some of my fave works have been ones dedicated to interfaith dialogue because I used to (before chronic health issues worsened) be involved in that sort of thing and quite enjoyed it ~ I love seeing how others navigate those two core parts of an identity together, and adore exploring it further through the creative process ✨️

You’re trying to convince a friend to get into your current fandom(s) with you. What episode, clip, or scene are you showing them?

For IWTV, oh gosh there's so many! But maybe the "Of course OF COURSE of courseeee" moment lol. But also just some of the humorous moments of Claudia baying like a sheep, and the coffin being thrown out behind Lestat, and Lestat’s train performance muwhahaha.

For OFMD, Oluwande's "Coming Nana" lol, and THE KISS, and bathtub scene!!

For Stranger Things, all of Will's and Eddie's scenes

For Good Omens, all the Aziraphale being adorable moments 💖

For TOG, Nicky and Joe and Andy being a bad ass!!

For The Witcher, all the Ciri, and Calanthe moments

For Shadow & Bone, Nina and Matthias (but Jesper and Wylan are super cute, too!)

And finally, what does fandom mean to you? Oh gosh, here come the rambles - alright, so, being chronically ill, homebound a chunk of the year (and so many appointments it would make your head spin), and being NDcoded, having pocket friends I can find throughout fandom spaces has significantly changed and improved my extroverted depleted tanks from the last like decade. For me, fandom is creativity, exploring my own personhood through that process, and connecting with people I might not have ever found any other way - and if I'm lucky enough, I find some fellow weirdo besties to just be weird with in between errands and apps. I'm grateful for my pocket friends, and that fandom helped me find them 🫂❤️

[involuntaryspya]

STARFIELD

Growing up in the United Colonies as a LIST family, James Buchannan "Bucky" Barnes had a fairly happy life. His mother passed when he and his sister were young, and his father struggled to raise them for years with Bucky's tendency for trouble making. Being a reserve Vanguard trainer, Bucky's father would frequently visit New Atlantis to assist in the training programs. It was on one such trip that Bucky's father died. The following years caused a lot of change for Bucky--his sister chose to stay with friends of the family, while Bucky himself chose to be a ward of the state, staying in New Atlantis with the other service members of the Vanguard. As he got older, Bucky had every intention of joining the Vanguard. He eventually got to join on his 16th birthday, and got partnered with Captain Rogers--and what a pair they were. They made names for themselves during the Colony Wars as champions for the UC.

It may have been war, but things were going well for Bucky and Steve up until their last mission. Sent to retrieve a stolen prototype ship, the pair were expecting some sort of Freestar Collective scheme at play. Instead, they ran into Eclipse. Tortured and held hostage, when Steve and Bucky finally managed to break free, the ship was rigged to grav jump right into the heart of the UC fleet and explode. While they managed to mess with the controls, there wasn't enough time for both to escape--Steve managed to get free, but Bucky stayed behind.

All the world thought Bucky Barnes died that day, the ship exploding in the vast expanse of space. The reality? Bucky managed to grav jump into an empty part of space, close off parts of the ship, and isolate the explosion. The good? He survived. The bad? He was dead in the water, with no way to get back home.

A MAST ship stumbled upon the wreckage, where, to their surprised, a barely living war hero was found. A barely living war hero with renowned skills that the universe already had presumed dead. One that, upon waking, had no memory of who he was or how he'd gotten where he'd gotten. A perfect specimen for their cybernetics research.

A long series of years passed--the Colony Wars ended, an uneasy peace was brokered, and a certain agent began to gain infamy. Dubbed The Winter Soldier, there was quite a bit of rumor about this agent--a slew of activity, then silence for years, all sorts of missions big or small. Pirates and gangs were just as afraid as those government personnel in the information business.

The truth? Bucky had become The Winter Soldier. And after years of missions, cryosleep, and brainwashing, he broke free. The fallout was... messy. And his recovery is a full journey. But the Winter Soldier these days has a rep for hunting criminals--and in some dark, desperate corners of the universe, helping people start a new life.

[weaselbeaselpants]

Yo Supernatural fans I'm invading ur tag

Okay but like, after watching Sarah Z's coverage of TJLC and then the 'Destiel' thing again, I've come to a conclusion: Supernatural was more salvageable than Sherlock. It could never have been 'saved' from it's bad writing and active queer rep problems but I mean just-

Easy potential fix for the whole Destiel thing: have the gay angel dude be there in heaven and James Deane or whoever is like 'yo you in heaven' and smile and then cut or whatever. Just imply that Castiel is in heaven w Deeen and have it that they're probably having an afterlife relationship.

Of what I've seen of Supernatural, it both does and doesn't seem too preoccupied with being taken too seriously and it's rules and continuity can be worked around w with new dumb rules. You literally could have just had it be that the writers are blueovary-ing the audience by not showing you the offsceen ship, similar to how Korra and Asami are heavily implied to be together at the end of Korra and the writers did in fact want them to be an item b4 Nick got mad.

From everything I've seen and know of this particular fandom controversy, none of the issues with it still being too straight to commit to the gay characters' or just the fact that it does 'Bury your Gays' again would be "fixed", is the thing. I think you all know that.

But wow what an easy enough work around for a fallout. You wouldn't have to deal with people obsessively looking for foreign dub confirmation, you wouldn't have to deal with the blowback from the ship being both made canon and murdered on screen......you literally could just superimpose the damn gay angel in the background and give your audience their money's worth with a few simply tweeks to scenes and writing.