#there are plenty of examples of this trope but i thought it would be funny to throw derelict favourite on there T-T

[worstloki]

entering the story and deciding it's your mission to save your favourite depressed, lowkey suicidal, losing-hope blorbo

[love-takes-work]

I've seen a fair number of people interpret Rebecca Sugar's (and the Crew's) decision to put Ruby in a dress as subversive, and I want to discuss why that feels like a clear miss to me.

Every time--every single time--I've heard Rebecca Sugar talk about the queer relationships on this show, it comes with this expression of wholesomeness, and often glazed with a sheen of wistfulness, flavored something like "I needed this as a child and young person, and I didn't have it." Much of Rebecca Sugar's work to bring this wedding (and other unapologetic queer relationships) to the screen was framed as an emergency--as in, we HAVE to get this out there for those kids we used to be, because we know they're drowning.

Yes, it's funny sometimes when people make jokes about Sugar deliberately "adding more gay" or "making it gayer" as a big eff-you to the people who spoke against it, but that doesn't sit right from where I'm standing. It took so much strength (and resulted in so much battle damage) to fight that fight, yes. But from everything I can see from the interviews and conversations I've seen and read, this wasn't served up in a "ha-HA, take THAT!" kind of way. These characters having these kinds of relationships should have been a non-issue, and the fact that their very wholesome kids'-show wedding and very sweet kiss and very adorable love for each other was seen as Political when it should have been just two characters in love is so sad to me.

I've seen dozens of people suggest that Ruby is in a dress and Sapphire is in a suit "to fuck with the bigoted censors in other countries" or "to give the finger to gender roles," but again, I think it is simpler and sweeter than that. Rebecca's said that Ruby in a dress is how she feels in a dress. Celebration and exploration of feminine-coded stuff felt wrong to Rebecca for a long time, like it wasn't hers, because she wasn't really a woman and didn't want it forced on her. As a result she was robbed of all the beauty that should have been a non-issue, from what TV shows and toys she was supposed to enjoy as a kid to what kind of person she was supposed to marry and what she should wear as an adult.

Ruby never got a choice about how she looked really. Once she got to choose her presentation for a significant event, this is what she chose. It means so much more to see that than to construct it primarily as a reactionary measure, as if it would somehow foil the sinister censors in more homophobic countries (who, incidentally, are not therefore forced to show Ruby in a dress even though they tried to hide that Ruby was a "she" or that she was in a romantic relationship with another "she"; y'all, they just don't show the episode).

We see plenty of other examples of gender-role-related expectations being casually stepped on and squashed, like when they took the trouble to give traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine "clothes" to some watermelons to make the audience think there was a husband and wife watermelon only to have the wife be the warrior and the husband stay home with the child. With stuff like that, yeah, sure, maybe it's designed to make you think "oh isn't that very feminist of them!" Or maybe it's more "well why do I see this as a 'reversal' when it's just a thing that happened?" This show is full of ladyish beings who fight and have power. And as for Steven. . . .

Nobody has negative reactions onscreen (or even particularly confused reactions) when Steven wears traditionally feminine clothes, and it is (of course) also not presented as a "boy in a dress gag"--it's not supposed to be funny. When they go all in slathering Steven in literal princess tropes throughout the final act of Season 5, we understand that it's because the powerful Diamonds expect him to be Pink Diamond, not because the show is trying to girlify him or embarrass him or even make the audience think positive thoughts about boys in girls' clothes. It's more neutral than that in my interpretation: "these are literally just pieces of cloth, and while some of them have meaning, they don't inherently have a gender." I don't see this as transgressive. It's just in a world where putting on what you want to wear doesn't HAVE to be a political statement. (Though obviously it CAN be, and plenty of people wear a variety of clothes as a fuck-you to whoever they want to give the finger to. I just don't see that as happening here.)

Don't get me wrong; Rebecca Sugar certainly knew about the politics (intimately) and has lived at many of their intersections. She was not ignorant of how queer people are seen in this world. She was silenced as a bisexual person because her identity supposedly didn't matter if she was with a man and planned to be with that same man forever. She was shunted into "omg a woman did this!" categories over and over again, which she wore uneasily as a nonbinary person while accepting that part of who we are is how the world sees us. But what is it like if everything someone like her embraces is seen as a statement synonymous with "fuck you" to someone else?

She is married to a person who happens to be a man and happens to be Black. Her relationship isn't a "statement" about either of those aspects of his existence; her love is simply something that is. She is Jewish working in a society that's largely Christian. Her cultural perspective to NOT center her cartoon around Christian holidays and Christian morals; her choices to make an alternate world in this specific way is simply something that is. Her queer perspective as a nonbinary bisexual person has helped inform the Gems' radical philosophy of "what if we learned to explore and define ourselves instead of doing the 'jobs' we're assigned and being told it's our nature?" Her decision to include queer people in a broadly queer cartoon isn't designed PRIMARILY as a battle against baddies, or to drown out all the relentless straightness, or to deliciously get our queer little paws all over their kids' TV. It's an act of love.

So this is just to say that though I DO understand that sometimes subversion and intentional transgression are very necessary, I do not think that's the HEART of what's going on at this Gem wedding. We got a wholesome marriage scene between two of the most lovely little flawed-but-still-somehow-perfect characters, and I very much want to see their choices as being about them. About how Ruby feels in a dress. About how Sapphire feels about not having to always wear a dress. About them incorporating a symbol of their union into their separate lives so they can have some independence in their togetherness. About them celebrating their love by letting Steven wipe his schmaltz all over them.

There are many choices in the show that ARE carefully constructed to counter existing narratives, you know, giving the Crystal Gems' only boy all the healing, pink, flower imagery; having a single-sex species that's ladyish with all the members going by "she"; featuring many nurturing male characters who cry and cook and raise kids without mothers; pairing multiple fighty ladies with gentler guys; and importantly, intentionally loading up the show with stories, characters, and imagery any gender will find appealing despite being tasked with expectations to pander to the preteen boy demographic.

But it's very important to me that the inclusion of queer characters and the featuring of their choices be seen primarily as a loving act, and way way less of a "lol screw the bigots." I want our stories to be about us. Yes, I know it's a necessary evil that sometimes our stories are also about fighting Them. But every time I see someone say they put Ruby in the dress to "piss off the homophobes" or "stump the censors" I feel a little gross. Like the time I picked out an outfit I loved and my mom said I only dressed in such an obnoxious way to upset her, and I was baffled because my aesthetic choices, my opinions, my choices had nothing to do with her. Yet they were framed like I chose these clothes primarily to cause some kind of petty harm to her, when not only was it not true but I was not even that kind of person who would gloat over intentionally irritating someone.

The queerness of this show isn't a sneaky, underhanded act trying above all to upset a bigot or celebrate someone's homophobic fury. It lives for itself. Its existence is about itself. It's so we can see ourselves in a show, and it's so people who aren't queer or don't have those experiences can see that we exist, we participate, we want very similar things, and definitely are focusing way more about celebrating our love at our own weddings rather than relishing the thought of bigots tearing their hair out and hating us.

It's dangerous to turn every act of our love into a deliberate movement in a battle strategy when their weddings just get to be weddings.

I think there’s this idea that that [queer characters] is something that applies or should be only discussed with adults that is completely wrong. And I think when you realize that talking to kids about heteronormativity is just like air that you breathe all the time, it’s kind of amazing that that is not true in any other capacity. I think if you wait to tell kids, to tell queer youth that it matters how they feel or that they are even a person, then it’s going to be too late! You have to talk about it—you have to let it be what it gets to be for everyone. I mean, like, I think about, a lot of times I think about sort of fairy tales and Disney movies and the way that love is something that is ALWAYS discussed with children. And I think also there’s this idea that’s like, oh, we should represent, you know, queer characters that are adults, because there are adults that are queer, and you should know that’s something that is happening in the adult world, but that’s not how those films or those stories are told to children. You’re told that YOU should dream about love, about this fulfilling love that YOU’RE going to have. […] The Prince and Snow White are not like someone’s PARENTS. They’re something you want to be, that you are sort of dreaming of a future where you will find happiness. Why shouldn’t everyone have that? It’s really absurd to think that everyone shouldn’t get to have that! --Rebecca Sugar

[mo-jo-jo]

Do you ever see something that straight from the concept is the perfect blend of unique + hilarious, which you just know it's gonna be good? That's how I felt about the Pilot Animatic for "I Don't Want to Be a Magical Girl". This show is absolute fun, like, without question.

I've been following the creator @kianamaiart��here on tumblr for a while and it's so cool both to see this concept come together and to have it arrive with such pizazz.

"I Don't Want to Be a Magical Girl" is a refreshing, fun story. They spend time to simultaneously redefine and pay homage classic tropes of the genre. The pilot is also doing it's own thing though; particularly with it's sleek, modern feeling character designs and pacing.

The writing and comedy is likewise kept very modern. It feels clean with a good balance of work and play to move the story along. The series main characters are (freshmen?) in high school and I think the creators did a great job at writing youthful without it feeling kiddy.

I would say there is something for everyone within the 11 minute Pilot, but the series definitely takes a few steps back from all-ages. It contains light swearing and cartoon violence. With dark-ish humor and attitudes presented. Quite a few of the jokes had me snickering, which is more than I can say for a number of full-fledged adult comedy cartoons.

They really struck a good balance of funny without overly meme-ing it up. While there was the occasional moment where I felt a bit to much second-hand-awkwardness, that's definitely a personal take. I find myself feeling that way with plenty of other modern shows and movies with a similar tone (that I enjoyed) such as Disney's Turning Red, just as an example. For every moment that felt a bit awkward though, there was two jokes I thought landed.

The idea of a parodying or playing with the magical girl genre is a concept that I've seen before, and usually always love. There are so many different avenues to take it, and limitless stories to tell.

A few webcomics that you might consider checking out which take the magical girl genre and runs with it are:

🌟 Magical Boy by The Kao features another magic user, disgruntled with their title and expectations. However, in Magical Boy we follow the story of Max, a young transman dealing with his gender identity alongside his fantastical powers. Originally a webcomic, it also available in print.

🌟 Retired Magical Girl Support Group by Anne Soderborg - In this comic we explore the life of Aiko and a few other women who have aged-out of their magical girl personas. How can they adjust when the magic they had throughout their youth is gone and they suddenly have to move onward into an ordinary life?

🌟 Glitter and Guilt by Sierra Ray tells the story of Sweetheart, magical girl fueled by the power of love. Alongside her archenemy (boyfriend?) Bitterbat; a multidimensional prince of evil. <-- Be advised, This comic is intended for a more mature audience.

But yeah, please also watch the Animatic Pilot for "I Don't Want to Be a Magical Girl" - it's great.

[narrators-journal]

Hey, I uhhhh, had a fun little idea for a Yandere!Naoto x Non-Binary reader scénario where the reader ends up downloading a seemingly innocuous dating sim set in Inaba with Rise, Yosuke, Kanji, and Naoto as the main romance options (With Yu as the stand-in Protag). Things start off normal until the game starts acting weird and corrupted, as Yu suddenly starts to take features of the player (Who’s has curly hair with glasses) and Naoto suddenly shows signs of being self aware. Even after witnessing the corruption of the game due to the detective’s influence and later deleting it, Naoto still continues to haunt the player and try to escape their computer (Basically a mashup of DDLC and Ben Drowned)

I hope this wasn’t too long and I hope you have fun with it :).

Okay, so this is a big ol’ experimental one. I tried a new format and I tried to just...really tap into some ben drowned energy. That being said! I do NOT think I succeeded. But hey! It’s just an experiment, and I had a good bit of fun trying to write it! I will acknowledge though, I may have missed some parts of the ask. I hope you enjoy it regardless!

CW: Yandere vibes, I tried to make it creepy. Invasion of privacy is also a thing.

March 21st

Hello! I am starting this blog as a way to catalogue the weird events that I’ve run into while playing that indie game Inabi in love, which I will likely shorten through this ordeal.

Anyways! To start, some context: I am a pretty avid Otome/dating sim fan. Cooking companions, I love you colonel sanders, or DDLC are prime examples of the official ones I’ve played, but I’ve also played fan games, like that Thief of Hearts dating sim Robbing the robbers, or Five nights at love. Long story short, I have played plenty of dating sims, and some of them have been horror. So, I am not a stranger to the genre and the twists on it.

So, when my best friend bought me Inaba in love as a gift, I thought it would be nothing but a cute new game to pick up. The issue was...it’s been a bit weird? I think it’s too long to post in one big post at this hour, so I’ll get into the rest of it tomorrow, but be warned, this gets very weird, and I know how insane this sounds but it’s true. Please at least humor me while I fight my shitty wifi and buggy ass computer.

March 22nd

Hi! I return after a good night’s sleep. Now, let’s try to get into this again.

When I booted up Inaba in love for the first time, I was on a discord call with the friend who bought me the game to give them my initial reactions and things were perfectly normal. Like with most dating sims nowadays, there were two gender options, a bowl cut-having male lead with the personality of a brick, and a matching girl with similarly gray hair in twin braids. They were cute, bland, the perfect projection. Nothing weird there. I chose the male lead for a first run on my friend’s encouragement and I went on.

Next up, I met the love interests. The first one was the mc’s best friends. Chie to start, and she’s a perfectly cute girl, very tomboyish, and less annoying than the male romance option that I think was named Yosuke. Who, by contrast, didn’t strike me as a character I’d enjoy. I thought at first that he’d fall into that whole character trope of cutesy clutz. But, he ended up proving to be pretty cute in the end, so it’s fine.

In terms of love interests, the wild shit happened when I met the final love interest, Naoto.

Now, please know, I am cutting out a lot of content to keep things short. This isn’t a review of the actual game, I am moreso venting about the creepy shit I’ve run into, and that only really started when I met Naoto. Not at first, of course, but it didn’t take long.

At first, Naoto was fine. He was quickly my favorite, smart, funny, mature, I thought he was great. I locked onto his romance route the moment I was given it, and I had fun for the first two or so dates. However, on the third date, things began to get a little weird. Naoto admitted to checking my criminal record. Which, is fine, he’s a cop, I expected that.

What I didn’texpect, was that Naoto would continue that trend of kinda? reasonable, but creepy shit.

On one hand, it made sense, he’s a cop character, he’s gonna do background checks, but the fuck type of lore did I miss to explain why he admitted to keeping a file on me on the fifth date? Also, some of the stuff he listed from that file, like my name, work history, school history, none of that was put into the game. That’s also not just stuff from my steam page, so where the hell did the game pull that information from?! Where on my computer did it get that stuff about me? My socials? Can games do that?

I have to end this here, though. With my first post, the site’s tab on my computer closed itself and I actually lost that entire post and had to rewrite it a lot faster. I want to make sure I don’t have to do that here too. I’m already red flags on that end, so uh...I’ll return with more!

March 25th

Okay, I return after a small break. I’m gonna stop summarizing the game as a whole. Outside of Naoto being weird, the game’s your general otome game. You go through your day and talk to your romance options, trying to get dates and give them gifts. I mostly want to vent and maybe warn? About Naoto’s behavior. Which, by the way, doesn’t stop just in the game. I took those first two days off of the game to type up those posts, and by that point I had locked myself into his route. That’s how I know all about this stuff, but I don’t think I’ll continue it now.

At first, I thought it was just in-character. Naoto was stated to be a cop prodigy, so it made sense that he’d be able to do a thorough background check on the lead. But then he has a file on the main lead. Which, I know doesn’t sound insane, but this game’s lead is stated to just be a transfer student. I’ve tried googling and researching, but nothing I’ve found has implied or stated that the lead has some secret dark past, so I have no clue why he’s got a whole file. What information do the cops apparently have? Again, what lore did I miss? I tried looking up whether there was some subtle morality system built in, but no one mentions anything like that, so I’m just left to assume Naoto has a file on the male lead’s boring ass life. Why?! That’s creepy as hell when I remember the fact that this character also uses my own information.

But! I’m getting off track. Back to the creepy antics that have killed my urge to complete Naoto’s route. Like how the mc’s design had changed when I opened the game next! (No, I will not elaborate beyond he had the same hair color and texture as me)

Like I said, I took a two day break to write out my first two posts, and after that, I returned to the game. I mostly only did it to try and double check which date I was at with him, but as soon as I ran into him, he blew up on me.

Naoto snapped at me for abandoning him. Leading him on, being a flake, stuff like that. Which confused me? Because when I’d left the game, he was in a good mood, the date at his house had gone great (once I got past him commenting on how my yard is, trust me guys, there’s too much unnerving stuff to put in this series. I’ll probably follow it up with some bullet points at some point.) So, I had no clue how he knew I’d called him a creep? Does this game check your socials in real time? That’d be a really good horror game trick, but this was an otome game, and one that wasn’t marched as a psychological horror like DDLC, so I don’t know why that’d be programmed in. Which, is why I’m done.

A fictional character shouldn’t be able to just dothat, a main character shouldn’t alter his appearance mid-game to look like me, and I got really creeped out at him being so mad that I’d posted about Love in Inaba and his romance route. It feels invasive at this point, and I’m just...gonna delete the game. I suggest that if any of you want to buy this game, maybe don’t? Or, maybe wait until the developers explain this. Because, if they programmed their game to dig around in socials and computers, they’re at least insanely good at their job, or creeps.

For now, I’m gonna cut this post here. My laptop’s been kicking itself off of the wifi when I post stuff, so it’s been annoyingly touch and go just writing this lol. Also! That reminds me!

If you’ve sent me a DM in the last few days, about my post or the game, I promise I’ve seen the notifications, but when I’ve gone to check, nothing’s shown up. So, please feel free to try again, I think this site is bugging out.

I’m sorry if this little vent thread isn’t very good, or thorough on what exactly is creepy about the game, so I’ll go ahead and give a small bullet point on some of the small ways Naoto’s been creepy. I’ll come back to wrap this up and probably go into more detail there as well. Consider this a little appetizer while I try to recall more.

Naoto mentioned the state of my front yard

He mentioned my family in an attempt to get closer to me

On date 3, before I’d locked into his romance route and was also talking to Chie, Naoto got a bit jealous and mentioned where I’d taken Chie for lunch in the game.

The apparent real time reading of my social media

Naoto interrupted and seemed to basically chase Yosuke off when I tried to further his romance route.

He knew what I had for lunch

And this is all just the stuff I can comfortably blame on the game. I’m starting to suspect something supernatural’s going on with my laptop. Because the wifi wasn’t thisbad before, and tabs don’t just close on their own.

April 2nd

Hello! I return once again! I sadly won’t be listing issues I’ve run into with my partner, I just thought I’d post once my wifi had stabilized and assure you all that I’m doing fine. Please don’t actually DM me, I’ll be fine and am plenty happy. I’m no longer scared of that silly game, I’m sorry if I creeped any of you out, I just fell for the game’s tactics. Don’t mind this post, I’m sorry lol, it’ll be down soon.

[aq2003]

I distinctly remember that even like 5 years ago rightwing people as a whole loved David Tennant a lot. I don’t know what it was, but I remember how they cited him as an example of ‘normal’ celebrity, even if a bit too left for their taste. Despite there being plenty from him to get mad about even then, it just wasn’t publicized as well, I guess. Plus, the culture wars have not been as fierce as they are now, they weren’t as radicalized then.

As a fan I knew how not ‘normal’ in their definition he was, of course, so their blindness was a little bit funny and a little bit insulting to me LOL. Like, when some daily fail readers lambasted some other celeb for being too woke or too gay or some other ‘abnormal’ shit, and in the next article there would be DT-related something and they’d be like ‘aww, he seems like a sweetheart, he’s such a good actor and so down to earth!’ Wash your mouths with soap and stop praising him, dickwads! LOL

I think it was several things.

His Doctor Who clout – his time on the show was ‘definitive’ for them and was a convenient comparison point when raging about the ‘woke female’ Doctor Who with worse ratings. He was made into a ‘white male good – woke female bad’ trope, with no participation from him, of course, but very simple and very convenient.

I also noticed he was praised for his family life, which seemed (to them) very patriarchal. He married a younger, conventionally pretty blond and they immediately started procreating, LOL. Their gaggle of blond kids looked very nice and ‘normal’ to them.

And last but not least, when you don’t start out hating him out of the gate for ideological reasons, he’s a genuinely likable celebrity. Funny, charming, self-deprecating, no scandals, no in-your-face luxury etc.

It’s all gone now, of course, but that’s why they feel so betrayed by him, I think. They genuinely thought they could rely on him for being the one ‘normal one’ under 60, whom they and their (maybe younger, more left leaning) relatives/friends could like together, and stay more or less in tune with the contemporary pop culture. Now he’s their enemy #1.

lol this is surreal to hear bc i became a fan of him in 2023, after good omens s2, after his "leave trans kids alone you absolute freaks" press photos, so i just watched conservatives go from "[remembers he exists] it's so sad he's gone down the radical left pipeline :(" to "the mention of his name sends me into a fuming rage he needs to die NOW"

but it does make a lot of sense though .. i am More than familiar with the phenomenon of "prop up the popular white male lead and pit them against the new woman/poc in this lead role" (happened to my buddy tony stark). right wingers tend to value surface level aesthetics over anything of actual value. and their whole "my life doesn't feel like how i used to when i was a child, must be because of all those minorities" thing. watching interviews w david past 5 yrs ago tho it's not that he's really changed that much in how he talks abt politics besides the fact he wears pride pins now lmao so i think this is evidence the british right wing has become at least 50% more angry and insane

[thegreymoon]

i'm not an anti 😭😭😭 it's funny that you're absolutely missing my point. there are plenty of works about noncon fantasies. it's rare to see an author single out her shou's sexuaI abuse and depict it as erotic while in the SAME story speak about the horrors of sexuaI abuse/sIavery when it comes to other characters. i dont think this is an unfair criticism and definitely not anti nonsense. just because you disagree with me doesn't make me an anti but i digress. my point wasn't call out noncon fantasies in fiction.

You literally said, and I quote:

lmfao?? erotic novels can be written without ertoticizing sexuaI abuse. she couldve done the same with consensual scenes.

This is typical anti nonsense. Sure, we can write erotic novels without eroticizing sexual abuse, but how is that relevant? You cannot write non-con kink into it without it and Meatbun is not being shy at all about what kinks she's into. This is a book she wrote, first and foremost, for herself, and then for the rest of us who share her proclivities. People who would like to read something else - for example, vampire fic, a comedy of manners or a zombie apocalypse - are free to go and find such a book because, in theory, Meatbun could have written any of these things instead of erotic fiction of the non-con variety, but she didn't because she didn't want to, and if she had, non-con enjoyers probably wouldn't be reading it to begin with.

If you don't want to be mistaken for an anti, you should not come into someone's inbox with their rhetoric and expect them not to see you as one.

I sat on this ask for a couple of days and decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and answer in good faith. I did not miss your point, I just thought you were an anti, and in my opinion, dead wrong, so I didn't feel like typing out a proper reply. There is nothing contradictory about the way Meatbun treats non-con vs. rape within the context of this particular subgenre. It is, in fact, a very common trope, where whatever is happening between the main couple is not seen as something that cannot be overcome (or even enjoyed) because the fantasy itself is about relinquishing responsibility for your own sexuality with someone you want all this to happen with. The point is that Chu Wanning enjoyed it because it was Mo Ran, and Mo Ran did it because he loved Chu Wanning. It is the foundation of this kink.

Now, I don't know if you don't typically read fics like these, but contrasting it with actual rape that is not a part of the fantasy is actually extremely common because it reaffirms that the main relationship is an exception, therefore special and safe in spite of the fundamental violation. With actual rape, nobody wants that to happen, not the characters and not the readers, and it is treated as horrific (which is why in fic, we typically use non-con and dub-con warnings for the erotic variety and the rape warning for actual unwanted rape, even though non-con and dub-con don't exist IRL, where it is ALL rape). Yes, there is a contradiction here, but it is something that is super common within this subgenre and something that the readers definitely want to see, in part to validate that what happened between the main couple is the exception to the rule.

Chu Wanning is not going to enjoy being raped just by anyone (though there certainly are books/erotica out there that play with this idea too and 2ha is actually on the very mild end of the spectrum here, which is why I find it hilarious that so many antis get their panties in a twist over it), which we see when he is assaulted by Shi Mei. Just like Chu Wanning, we are supposed to feel visceral disgust (though I do not deny that there are people out there who are into this too, which is totally cool, you do you) because it is happening outside the main pairing, which is treated as special. Mo Ran is supposed to rescue him from the bigger villain because the readers find his possessiveness reassuring and the fact that his relationship with Chu Wanning (consensual or not) is the exception. The encounter ends with Chu Wanning's chastity preserved and Shi Mei defeated and humiliated, which makes the readers feel good.

The rape of the girl that led to Mo Ran burning down the brothel is supposed to be horrific, and it is supposed to give us insight into Mo Ran's actual personality, where we see that when he is not under the influence of mind-altering magic, he finds the act horrifying. He is not a habitual rapist and if it had not been for the extraordinary circumstances (i.e. the mind-bending magic and the fact that he actually loved and wanted Chu Wanning more than he needed to breathe), the violation would never have happened. It is the exception because he loved, just like Chu Wanning wanting and even eventually enjoying it is the exception because he also loved him in return. It is not narratively contradictory, because, within this subgenre, it is actually very consistent, again, because this is an erotic non-con novel and not an actual commentary on the evils of rape.

Anyway, I apologise for calling you an anti if you really aren't one and I hope that me answering your question seriously this time around makes up for it.

All the best! :)

[spinnysocks]

For that Choose Violence ask game: 9, 10, 16, 17, 19, and 23 for the Lion Guard

hey!! okie!! :D

9. worst part of canon

oof that is definitely one to start with! personally, i would say ushari's death and how the outlanders were handled in Battle For The Pridelands and after. ushari's death is a common talking point in the fandom, but i also think the waving off of scar's army who literally were the main villains for a whole season should've had something more, to end with at least...

also, how the whole circle of life ideology in tlg Does Not Work and is inherently speciesist in how they handle it, but i will spare you my rambling as there's plenty of good posts and videos about it

10. worst part of fanon

damn this one's even harder, i don't actually know i'm sorry 😭 i'll come back and edit this if i think of something

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

hmmmm!! as i said here, i'm pretty open to a lot of different ideas. but i have thought of another one: i've seen a few people shipping Simba x Kovu (IN AUs WHERE KIARA DOESN'T EXIST DW) and it's like... yeah, okay, we want mlm representation and there isn't that many non-related canon tlk characters - i get that - but the age gap... no thank you. (from my understanding, if it's an AU then maybe they would be the same age, but it rubs me the wrong way naturally) it's not like a massively popular ship but i've seen it a good few times, enough for me to talk about it

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

i've said it before and i'll say it again, the crocodiles!!! the outlanders!!! i would sell my soul for a comic or fic about the outlanders reforming and that is a promise.

but yeah. my happiness, excitement, pure joy when i find a fic with the crocodiles is unbridled. i get so (positively) freaked out i have to put my phone down to collect myself 💀💀

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

erm. my crackships....... yeah. except i'm not actually that mad, ashamed, or horrified i'm having a jolly good time laughing about my stupid ideas 😭 hint: the crackships are all for kiburi HFGHDG

this prompt didn't specify anything so i will also say i am unreasonably obsessed with poacher aus, purely because it is PERFECT for angst and hurt/comfort ideas >:3 i'm sorry to all my faves you have been Captured!! for the purpose of me studying your character </3

23. ship you've unwillingly come around to

hmmm! usually, i decide pretty quickly whether or not i like a ship from first glance, for example i immediately clicked with your Hodari x Njano crackship because it's so funny 😭 but i would say your ideas about Shupavu x Njano have altered my brain chemistry in a good way lol! i would also say Makuu x Ucheshi really grew on me :)

others include Makuu x Akina from The Crocodile's Journey and Kiburi x Zula from The Northern Crocodile. when i tell you i am so strict about what i personally ship, and they aren't what i'd normally be interested in at all, but they started growing on me and i was just aAAA. they're not my main ships at all, as in i only think about them in the fics that they're in, but i do think about them

(the choose violence ask game)

thanks for your ask!!! loved doing this! now i want a "choose peace" ask game 😭

[emopirates]

I’ve been looking for other media that will resonate like ofmd does for me

I was thinking about what other media has hit me in such personal specific ways as ofmd. So maybe I can crack the code and find even more???

Predictably I’m not having a lot of luck but I DID come up with 1 example: Severance on apple tv.

If you haven’t watched both shows, it may seem like an odd pairing, because OFMD is (mostly) a comedy (wth dramatic bits) and Severance is (mostly) a drama/thriller (with comedic bits). But what can I say my brain sparked to them both in a similar way! And I think there are reasons.

~ the mildest spoilers for seasons 1 of severance and ofmd ~

Both shows have:

10/10 ensemble comedy gold. Original, weird, character-based, funny joke-ass jokes and flawless comedic performances and amazing riffing. (OK so OFMD is a comedy and has much more of this? But even though Severance is NOT a comedy, its comic relief pops up in every ep and is extremely well done.)

a similar … editorial lushness? That thing of, every frame has something juicy to notice, fun little details, little nuances in facial expressions, inside jokes, meaningful uses of color or light or whatever. Also maybe: that thing where every scene is tightly edited to be ~just the good parts~ so by the end of the ep you’re like, that was v satisfying but also I need to apply another coat of it to my consciousness immediately because I’m sure I missed something.

awakenings. ok this is going to be a nebulous half-baked description but. There is this similar theme of characters unmasking / awakening / discovering and trusting themselves / going for things that society doesn’t expect for them. This thing of realizing the truth is within. IMO this is such a healing and important trope and I want to see so much more of it. You could argue this is more blatant in the pirate show? but I think it’s an important part of severance too.

By the way! Those first two bullets just make these things “good,” and plenty of things are good. I think it’s the third one that really makes the difference.

A few more thoughts:

If you are a pirates fan but haven’t seen Severance:

You would like these goofballs riffing in their cubicles for sure.

If you love Black Pete, you will love Dylan.

A character writes a self-help book you will like a lot.

There’s a tooth-achingly sweet gentle delicate romance tucked away within this fairly dark show and it is SO GOOD.

Severance is a lot darker than ofmd but idk, there’s enough sunshine streaming in. it’s joyful too.

If you are a severance fan but haven’t seen Our Flag Means Death:

Underdogs. Underdogs who are pirates. Because lawful society does not welcome them. And they find their chosen family and. Sorry I need to cry I’ll brb.

If you love Ricken (and even if you don’t) (but who doesn’t?????), you will also love Stede.

If you love The You You Are, you will love talking it through as a crew.

If you love the plant room, you will love this one little well cared for plant?

If you love queer romance watch this show.

In summary my brain liked these things a similar amount thank you for coming to my seminar. 

[agentnico]

Boy Kills World (2024) review

Voice of Archer inside Pennywise’s ripped body… I was surprised he at no point screamed “LANAAAAA!!”

Plot: Boy is a mayhem machine who's been training to assassinate the bloodthirsty Hilda Van Der Koy and avenge his family's murder; guided by his sister's mischievous spirit, Boy uncovers one stunning revelation after another as he barrels toward Hilda.

Let’s get real - a cheese grater in a horror or gore film is simply the worst. Just the thought of it scraping away a hefty chunk of flesh is nothing short of skin crawling. Evil Dead Rise and now Boy Kills World - you guys are messed up. Nevertheless, we have another funky revenge action flick, a genre of which has seen a real resurgence since the success of the John Wick franchise. And it stars in the lead one of the eight Skarsgard siblings, though when you think action star you usually would pick Alexander. Bill up until now has carved out a niche as the best one to hire if you’re seeking a creepy vibe, be it the mysterious stranger in Barbarian or a killer clown in the IT films. However that changes with Boy Kills World, as Bill Skarsgard, rippling with muscles, plays the typical I-am-an-instrument-shaped-for-a-single-purpose; essentially a killing machine who disposes of his enemies in a variety of bloody styles (like a damn cheese grater!!).

This would have been a generic example of the revenge tropes, however the movie has an interesting stylistic choice in that Skarsgard’s character of Boy is a mute, so we get to hear his thoughts through a voice in his head, who happens to be the same voice as Archer from the FX cartoon series. I admire that the writers were trying out something new, but I must say as much as I enjoy H.J. Benjamin’s candescent voice, it did become over indulgent. It’s as if they were trying to imitate Deadpool’s fourth wall breaks and profanities, but without it being that funny. I also found it difficult to reconcile them as being the same person, as the mismatch of Bill Skarsgard’s physical performance with Benjamin’s voice was so stark that it became a distraction. Again though, I admire the creative effort.

The action sequences are hyper stylised and fun, with plenty of CGI blood splattering about and the camera zooming in and out of the action like it’s high on cocaine. The cast all seem to be having lots of fun, with the likes of Sharlto Copley, Michelle Dockery and Brett Gelman giving energetic cartoony performances, and overall I enjoyed it. The story is as by the numbers as you can expect, and 99% of what you see on-screen has been done thousands of times before. I liked the plot twist at the end though it was no M. Night Shyamalan, and in the end, it was a decent way to disengage the brain. Will I remember it though? No chance! Minus a point also for boy not actually killing a whole world. Like I get that they didn’t have the biggest budget, but don’t give false promises in your title.

Overall score: 5/10

[protagonistheavy]

Dungeon Menshi is in that fandom-culture position where there's very few people with outwardly bad takes about the show to shit on, so folks from the fandom go around picking apart people who praise the show, but don't praise it in the "right way."

Dungeon Menshi gets a lot of praise for "not being like other anime" and I get how to someone who maybe spends every day watching every new anime that comes out for the past 20 years, that can seem like a harsh/annoying criticisms against an entire category of animation, but like... lets be real, Dungeon Menshi clearly stands out from the pack, especially for a fantasy anime. No, it isn't "subverting" expectations -- I do think people use "subversion" incorrectly to describe any media they happen to like within a genre they otherwise don't like -- but its themes, pacing, characters, plot, and world building are all very unique when you look at what the other most popular fantasy anime tend to be.

Like, why are people trying to pretend we aren't currently in a vast ocean of derivative isekai fantasy stories lol? It's funny how anime fans will laugh and joke about isekai being such an overused trope nowadays, but then lock the fuck in whenever that point is presented as a genuine criticism lol. So many fantasy series are isekai or isekai-adjacent; I even had a friend who thought Dungeon Menshi was an isekai because they just assumed a popular fantasy anime would involve that.

And when presented with this criticism, anime fans will quickly tell you, "oh there's PLENTY of other anime out there! you just need to expand your view and find the good ones! you're just choosing to watch all the bad trashy anime!" And then what anime do they point you to? Well more often than not, they DON'T point you anywhere -- they're just speaking out of their ass -- but when they do drop a few titles to look into, those titles end up being objectively obscure -- series that no fair person would use as some example of standard conventional modern anime. Like yeah dude, I get it, anime like Kids on the Slope exists, there's tons of titles out there about all tons of different topics and that don't involve overwhelming fanservice or cliche tropes, but for each of these obscure titles from five-to-twenty years ago you can find, there's like five Konosubas actively being produced with active fandoms because these shows actually have market and fan appeal lol. It's just so annoying that we're all supposed to not criticize anime at any point because, well, there's one series within the haystack that isn't sick with fanservice and objectification and pedo appeal, so it's wrong to judge the industry/fan culture. Lol.

Dungeon Menshi doesn't just stand out for avoiding these types of tropes, it stands out for doing that and also being an exciting plot that's popular and has audience appeal. So few series within the fantasy genre of anime have accomplished this sort of story, where worldbuilding goes beyond why elves have huge tits or why the loli is actually 1000 years old, but also manages to not be a downright boring story, that still captivates a wide array of people with genuine fun and fantasy. It shouldn't be so startling to people that Dungeon Menshi would get this praise when the climate for fantasy anime has become so stale and repetitive; it isn't a problem that some folks "have only watched just one anime," and trying to frame it like that just... really reeks of trying to deflect the very real and justified criticisms anime at large deserves, criticisms that both the fan culture and the industry have had against them for decades.

in other words, it's impressive that some Dungeon Menshi fans have so little to be upset about that they have to go and find other people thoroughly enjoying the series to designate as the "bad fans" to get upset about.

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (07/24/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (10/10)

This book is pretty much perfect. The plot is engaging, the characters are all amazing, the writing style hits hard, and there’s really good social commentary that touches on, honestly, almost every issue out there. Rin has got to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time; she’s the underdog, she’s easy to root for, and our desire for her to succeed almost makes us overlook her glaring flaws. Kuang establishes Rin’s overwhelming need to succeed, to win, to be the last one standing from the very beginning, and it leads to her slow but steady downfall as she must decide how far she is willing to go for the sake of her nation. Rin’s time in Sinegard is an interesting and unique twist on the fantasy school setting, and the tone switch between the time at Sinegard and the time at war is done masterfully. Even the war takes an incredibly dark turn, goes farther than the reader would ever expect, as Kuang draws from real history to write horrors that should’ve been beyond anyone’s imagination. Perhaps the most technically amazing part of this book is that even when she has fallen so far, part of us agrees with Rin; which is the danger of it all, isn’t it?

Neverseen by Shannon Messenger (8/10)

I have now officially reread all of the KotLC books I got through previously. Going into Lodestar will be uncharted territory for me, and wow am I glad I refreshed my memory. I forgot a lot of stuff, so it was almost like I was reading it for the first time. Like I predicted, this was a slower one, mostly filled with finding out more about the Black Swan and the Council, and there was a lot of Sophie and her friends wanting to do things that were "too dangerous." I won't lie, it dragged a bit, but it really picked up once Sophie started attending Exilium. I think the twins are a much-needed addition to the main cast to help shake things up and keep the dynamic from getting too worn out. Also, Calla is a particularly strong side character. While I could predict the broad strokes of the story, the actual method of getting there took me by surprise, and there's a huge twist at the end that totally restructures how the rest of the series is going to look. I'm very excited to start Lodestar!

Half Upon a Time by James Riley (8/10)

I loved this series as a kid, and rereading it was like returning home. It's actually so funny that this book has tons of tropes I love today just in a middle grade format. There's a pretty good level of intricacy to the plot, and the fairy tale elements are tons of fun. There are plenty of familiar characters that each have a unique twist to their story, often intertwining their stories with each other. For example, the Huntsman from Snow White is also the woodcutter/hunter from Little Red Riding Hood. This book also has a fun twist by being from the perspective of the character who guides someone who has fallen into another world. In most other books, May would be the main character, so having Jack tell the story subverts some expectations. The way Jack, May, and Philip interact is a little typical for the genre and time period, though I appreciate that it is heavily implied that Philip has no romantic interest in May. Finally, Jack's mysterious involvement with the Eye and his sword is one of my favorite parts of the book, and it's a pretty fresh concept.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (CR, 20%)

I've barely progressed on this one, but I did make it to the end of the first trial, and I like how it was executed. Despite being a physically-based trial, there's a twist that allows Oraya to succeed through her wits, which makes infinitely more sense when she's up against vampires and demons. It also helps that Raihn is obviously gunning for an alliance with her, so he's more inclined to help her out. About the alliance, why Raihn specifically wants to team with Oraya is a pretty good one and honestly a more logical decision than I expected. However, Oraya turning him down made no sense to me. She's gonna have to team up with someone eventually, and Raihn seems like the lesser evil by far.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (CR, 3%)

I've only just barely started this book, but I'm excited! I'm reading it with some friends, and the beginning seems quite interesting. I'll have some more in-depth thoughts next week once I've progressed more.

[oh-no-its-bird]

Its so funny u said this bc literally not even 2 minutes ago I was working on the fic.

It shall be out ,,, soon, ,, hopefully ,,, and when it does come out I will not so subtly use it as my vessel to expand on so much fucking warring states clan lore. You people will NOT know what hit u. (Me with a giant lore shaped hammer)

Anyways the evolution (or potential evolution, anyways. It exists in my mind) of the civillian perspective of shinobi and relationship between both groups throughout the years fascinates me.

Before the shinobi villages were formed, clans tended to either keep to themselves, self isolating, or wormed their way into courts in order to recieve political backing and wealth, setting up behind the seats of various wealthy or powerful individuals to maintain their status quo

I'm going to use the Hatake and the Shiranui as am example here:

The Hatake are a good example of an isolated clan— they're nomadic, having lived out in the Iron Woods for some generations now. They grow their own foods, make most of their own tools, and take occasional (usually intimidation) jobs to make coin in order to pay taxes and buy the few things they don't make on their own.

Meanwhile, the Shiranui were a clan known for poison and seduction, living in the capital shacked up pretty tightly with multiple noble houses in Fire. They had a powerful presence in the capital, and worked closely with plenty of political factions and dirty, under the table deeds. Political shinobi, through and through

Both clans give your every man a very specific impression of shinobi. Wild and dangerous when left alone, or pretty and lethal when 'seduced' into the capital. Powerful, dangerous things that might be tools of nobles if treated right.

Sorry idk if this quite makes sense, I am filled with a few abstract thoughts I'm having trouble putting to page but like—

warring states shinobi had a mixed bag of reputations but in general were treated as shiny commodities by the upper ranks, and dangerous animals by lower ranks. And their isolation and infrequent dealings with most common people only helped to feed into that narrative.

And of course, being treated that way was a tool many shinobi would use. (The Shiranui in general, seemed to play into this 'trope' expected of them for their own gains)

And then they shinobi villages are made, and not only are the clan's forced to break away from their previous ways of life, but they're also suddenly in a lot closer proximity to your common every man civillian

There isnt quite as much mystique there; it isn't as much as a huge event to see them. You can find them easily, just by visiting their villages, and watch them live their lives

All of a sudden, shinobi become a bit less scary shadow monsters and a bit more... people. Still scary and violent, yes. There's still a ton of stigma surrounding them, to be clear! Just,,, not as much as before.

The commercialization of their services also impacts this— while before, it was probably a trial to commission a clan to do a job— something usually only nobles or people with connections and nnow-how could do —now there's an entire, easily accessable system to send a job to a village and get a shinobi of your own

I think I may have gotten a bit side tracked but just. Mmm. The evolution of how shinobi are seen by people. By the time Boruto comes around they're even more normalized (and even a little dismissed, with all the talk about how the "age of shinobi is over")

As shinobi become more normalized and accessable, their way of life becomes less shiny and mysterious. And this ofc impacts their own way of life in turn, as they heavily rely on people for buisness and the like

Or something

Ok so. Slams this on the table. Notes from an unrelated fic, doesn't matter rn.

BUT.

I wanna have a conversation about the potential in-world fetishization of shinobi (from civilians and particularly noble courts who may view them as a sort of status to hold) + specific shinobi clans (also from other shinobi)

I have no specific thoughts or direction for potential plot w this one, I just think it's interesting to think about.

Ummm the evolution of fetishization to romanticization aimed at clans from the warring states into more modern eras. With shinobi being slightly less sexualized and more romanticized as time passes (and they can be mistaken as more "civilized" due to formation of villages helping with the stigma of the clans constantly being at eachothers throats + the sudden broadening of how easy it is to hire shinobi for things making them more accessible/normalized)

Tales of a gutsy ninja and other books probably also helped the culture shift, shout out to my boy Jiriyah for that one, thank u king

Anyways. More animalistic clans getting the brunt of those who want to "tame" a shinobi. Meanwhile more ""normal"" clans are mistaken for more approachable because of it and then often recieve the brunt of actual approaches / propositions

There are groups of just. REALLY freaky civilians out there who have Thoughts(tm) and Ideas(tm) ab shinobi. Word of advice to said shinobi? Avoid them like the plague. Never turns out well.

But idk, like I said I have no specific thoughts I just find the concept interesting. The civilian perspective of shinobi is a fun thing to think ab, in all it's aspects

[vtori73]

Hmm, people are making a big deal about interpretations/interpreting that one scene in Dunm3shi with the succubus and La0is and doing deep dives and shit but honestly?

I think it was just mostly a funny gag scene mixed with the author turning the tables on common troupes & readers desires & thoughts when it comes to things like this. In this example, the main characters if the opposite gender will be pushed together either by the story narrative or the readers assuming they have a thing for each other so the author wanted to not only reject that kind of troupe/thinking but also do it in a comedic way.

Most people would assume there are some romantic feelings at least coming from La0is because he is a man and while I can acknowledge her looks probably are closer to his type that doesn't necessarily mean all that much considering people can have types but not be interested in a person who fits that criteria, plenty of people end up with people who aren't technically their "ideal/fav" type physically doesn't mean they find the person less attractive because of it or would want to be with someone more who does fit their "ideal" type because in the end looks really aren't everything. BUT, this is specifically a personal opinion, even more specifically it's what I WANT the scene to mean, I don't really want it to be some big deal that means something deeper and would rather it just be some funny way the author went about spitting on common tropes.

---------------

Since I'm here anyway I want to mention something I've been wanting to write down but haven't yet... While I like Dunm3shi I also have some "eh" feelings about it and I think I finally (mostly) understand why that is after reading someone's long analysis of the above scene I was talking about (that I didnt even agree with 100% but in one section it did help me understand my feeling/thoughts more on La0is/the series in general). My main thing is that while a lot of people like the series because of its more realistic look on race/racism between various races & creatures and having it actually addressed and spelled out and while I do think it does help enhance the story and build the world up more and make it more realistic I ALSO think it doesn't really at the end of the day say or do much... which I guess it doesn't HAVE to but well... let me explain my thoughts below.

But, real quick I want to add that I also find it interesting how people dont differentiate between racism & fantasy race/creature prejudice/bigotry because racism is specifically about RACE, as in skin color and something that deals with HUMANS and not different creatures/species and to conflate the two is never really a good thing because you can't really and often can lead to messy narratives that we especially find often in fantasy like settings.

Anyway, moving back to my thoughts on this, which aren't too deep but basically while I do like that aspect and that it gets addressed and pointed out moreso than regular fantasy (which I think is why I've never been a big fan of fantasy the old timey-ness mixed with that and real world racism/bigotry coming from the people who make this stuff just never sits well with me it's kind of like the phenomena of white people who wish to live in the 50s or something without thinking for one second how they would be the only ones who could/would be able to live safely in that sort of time) I also have a hard time liking what it actually does do/say with it which isn't much. Sure EVERYONE is bigoted in the world, most people in real life are too but is this REALLY ever stopped & questioned all that much? It is really challenged all that much, does anyone stop to think maybe we should be better? Sure at the end of the story things are changed due to what happens (trying to keep this spoiler free) but like... bigotry in general seems more like an aside thing, not really important and more so the whole idea of desires and how they corrupt and such and humanity or something.

This paired with a protagonist who is not just white, but a little close to what white supremacists hold up as the ideal with having blonde hair (but no blue eyes, gold color instead) who has a BIG prejudice against ALL humans due to personal experiences because he isn't like other humans and always seems like it kind of justified due to how EVERYONE, especially human, even friends, seem to react to him with the added aspect that he himself is not free of being racist/prejudiced either and doesn't seem to ever see or acknowledge it or is confronted by it really (racism/bigotry against Shiro & the mountain people specifically). With the added aspect that even different races (races aka the meaning of race in OUR world) are all the same and treated the same it seems and while we can say MAYBE racism like in our world isn't really a thing in this world or as big of a thing in this world it still is weird considering how race actually IS a big factor in the real world and how just... weird this comes off, the white boy feeling the MOST ostracized and out of place in a world of monsters and different race humans & creatures & such to the point of wanting to BE A MONSTER because monsters kill humans (okay so I failed in being spoiler free my bad)... I mean hell, one of his traveling companions is one of the most oppressed races but he doesn't desire things like La0is does.

Now I do feel like I have to add so people don't get the wrong idea tha, no, I don't hate his character or think he is evil or horrible or the worst thing ever I just acknowledge that it comes off odd is all when you analyze all of his character. Sure, he is heavily implied as not being neurotypical and is mistreated for that and can count as something he is oppressed for but plenty of others in the story are oppressed and don't end up wishing for the kinds of things he does, sure he does care about others at the end of the day but im not going to pretend he's a perfect character just because he has faced hardships due to being different. It just reminds me of all the white people in real life who go on about the one or two area of oppression they face while ignoring they still hold a lot of power in the world for being white and use that oppression they face as a shield and sword against anyone who dares criticize them. Instead of acknowledging they gain to benefit from continually perpetuating bigoted rhetoric & ideas that have long been said and done against other oppressed groups they go on the offense and stick their head in the sand wanting to desperately believe that because they are oppressed in x way means they can't possibly still be oppressors/privileged.

It's all just a little weird to me, I can't even say anything past that it just comes off a bit weird to me when I take a step back to analyze it all.

I mean, technically speaking we could say it's sort of realistic with how at least in America and similar places white men tend to be the demographic that commits the most violent acts (shootings for example) but I don't think that was exactly the authors intentions especially considering it all works out in the end and he ends up saving people and the world due to his desire to want to be a monster/his hatred against humans which is kind of funny because it wasn't even INTENTIONAL on his part it just sort of worked out which is... something. Kind of funny but still.

I really liked dunm3shi when I started it, I thought it was hilarious and was why I picked up the manga because the anime made me laugh but once I got to the end I felt meh about it and didnt really understand why and honestly at first thought it was because everything worked out in the end and i interpreted that as meaning i wasn't thrilled about a happy ending but it was actually something a bit more than that. Pair this ALSO with the fact of how white fandom is reacting to La0is and relating to him and even saying how they find all the characters to be racist in some way "realistic"... (Yeah I know I said the same thing but it wasn't the ONLY thing I said, and you'll see more of what I mean when you continue to read) really REALLY leaves a gross taste in my mouth and makes me feel like the story and La0is as a character is making these people feel more emboldened to excuse their own prejudice/racism for x reason whether it be because "uwu no one gets me because im not neurotypical," to "everyone is just like that so it's fine that I am, I don't need to improve or change at all."

Now, no, I'm not saying the story is LITERALLY doing this or even the author I'm saying that's how people are interpreting/reading it which makes me uncomfortable as not only a non-white person but also someone who ISN'T neurotypical and also isn't cis or hetero that I don't feel the way La0is feels and kind of abhor that kind of thinking and really often tends to come from rather privileged people (yes, especially white people). Sure maybe at most I feel that way against white people, MAYBE, and while some will say to me "that makes you no better," that only shows to me that you don't know enough about racism & power dynamics to have a say on this discussion because at the end of the day people hating and maybe even wanting their oppressors dead is not the same as being an actual oppressor who has the power to not only do what some may wish/fantasize about with little to no consequence but probably already has or done so in the past and actively benefits from it. I know oppression works a TAD bit differently in this world with the long lived races having more power and say in the but... I don't really think it detracts from my overall thoughts much if at all tbh.

Alright... I think that's it, I may have missed something and probably didn't explain as well as I could have but this was kind of an ADHD rant so... YEAH, it is not going to be the most organized/well explained thing, deal with it, lol.

[loserlovexstay]

A list that no one asked for:

My Top 10 Anime:

(I’ve only really watched romance anime so that’s all that’s on the list)

‼️ Spoilers Ahead ‼️ (I tried not to put too many)

Also just want to say before I start that I love the animation style of all of these shows, they’re all so beautifully done! (Didn’t want to say that for each review lol)

(Also I cried after I finished 5/10 of these shows 😂)

10. Maid Sama

Up first we have Maid Sama. This anime is a good enemies to lovers (for one side at least) story that has lots of humor as well as good characters. The ending did remind me of a typical rom com where it felt kind of abrupt but overall the show was very good. Usui and Misaki’s relationship is 👌🏽. I’d give it a 7/10.

9. Yuri on Ice

This was the first anime I ever watched. I had just started watching figure skating after the 2018 olympics (if you know you know) so I thought this show would also be a good one to watch. The end credit choreo is also based on a routine done by my fave ice dancers (Virtue/Moir pls come back)! I don’t remember much about this anime since it’s been a while since I watched it, but the storyline was really good and progressed well and the characters were also cool. Viktor and Yuri were also very soft 🥺. I’d give it a 9/10!

8. Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun

This anime is so cute! All of the characters are super cool and the show pushes the boundaries of gender stereotypes. ⚠️ Spoiler ⚠️ while the main couple don’t actually end up together, the overall story is very cute, humorous and definitely worth watching. The only downside of this show is that it’s so short! (12 episodes) I’d give it a 9/10!

7. Cells at Work

This show is such an interesting concept! It basically teaches you about the different processes your body goes through by telling a story. It mainly focuses on red and white blood cell and features many other different organisms in your body that help fight off various diseases or illnesses throughout the series. The platelets in particular are so adorable! The show has 2 seasons (as well as a spinoff with different characters that I haven’t watched yet) so there’s plenty of learning to be had! I’d give it an 8/10.

6. Orange

This fucking show omg! This show made me bawl during the finale! This show features 5 friends who meet Kakeru and befriend him. Throughout the series, Kakeru and Naho develop their relationship and secrets are revealed. The show does feature a dark theme, but it’s so good! At times Naho did annoy me with some of the things she did, but otherwise I thought the show was great! Suwa must be protected at all costs and Hagita is the MVP. I’d give the show a 9/10!

5. Given

This show is such a good example of LGBT love! It tells the story of Mafuyu who wants to learn guitar and three bandmates who invite him into their band. All of the characters in this show are great and the story is so good! I also like that it has a movie and an ova (that takes place at the same time as the movie) so there’s plenty of content to watch! I’d give it a 10/10!

4. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku

This show is so cute! This one is different from a lot of the typical anime romances, it actually features adults with jobs! The four main characters have a super cute dynamic and their interactions are very funny. The two main ships are very cute, but I do prefer Kabakura and Hanako over Narumi and Hirotaka. They have an rivals to lovers story and it’s one of my favorite tropes so of course I prefer them! Narumi and Hirotaka are still adorable in their own way as well as Kou and Naoya (the other couple). This show also has 3 ovas (one of which came out a few months ago) that are super cute and definitely worth watching when you finish the main show! I’d give it a 10/10 with the only downside being that it’s too short (13 episodes)!

3. Kamisama Kiss

This is the most recent anime that I watched. It tells the story of Nanami Momozono and how she became a land god. It also features her familiar Tomoe as the main love interest. This show had a really good pace and was very funny at times. I also liked all of the side characters and the fact that show has 2 seasons. I would definitely recommend watching all of the ovas. There’s 2 after the first season and 5 after the second. The ones in the first season provide context for the beginning of the second, and the last 5 ovas complete the story of these wonderful characters! I’d rate this show a 10/10

2. Toradora

This was the second anime I watched after Yuri on Ice. It’s such a good show! I love the characters and the way that Taiga and Ryuji’s relationship develops throughout the series. Since enemies/rivals to lovers is my fave trope, those two characters are one of my fave ships period. This show made me laugh and cry and is definitely one of my comfort shows! The ending was good but I wish there had been more after it, but I was still satisfied! If you do watch the show don’t forget to watch past the credits on the final episode! I’d give it a 9/10!

1. Horimiya

This show omg! This show gave me all of the feels! I can’t describe how much I love this show. The characters are so well done and I love that they don’t beat around the bush and tell it like it is. The relationship between Hori and Miyamura is so special. I relate to Miyamura so much and definitely need someone like Hori in my life. Also that one episode is extremely funny (if you know you know). The rest of the characters are also loveable and the whole cast together is amazing! This show made me laugh, cry and feel about every emotion there is! I’d definitely give it a 10/10

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Space Invader

Debut: Space Invaders

Can you believe it? We have covered so many iconic enemies on this blog, but perhaps not the most iconic video-game enemy of them all! Sure, the Pac-Man Ghosts, the Minecraft Creeper, Plugg, they’re all pretty high up there, but when you think about it the Space Invader has to take the cake! How many video-game enemies have their own emoji? 👾

Heck, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this creature is synonymous with the very concept of Video-Games! This is the kind of little guy who would flash on your television screen as you play a computer game with a little joystick with one big red button on it. This is the kind of little guy who I would print on a T-Shirt and Beanie to prove to the world that, yes I game! I can press buttons! I know that Super Mario Bros. 2 was originally called Doki Doki Panic because the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 was deemed too difficult for America!

The Space Invader’s sprites are so ingrained in our memories that we don’t often think about the aliens on the actual arcade game’s art, huh? Well this is a perfectly good Alien Monster! A furry man like the Wookiees from Star Trek, but dark and ominous with harsh red lighting! This guy definitely looks like he’s got some invading to do! 

I say this design isn’t too well-known, but apparently it is iconic enough to get its own figma! Wow! You can really see the fur in this one- without a doubt, this is a mammal! I bet it has six teats under there. 

But if you ask me, there is just no beating the look of the sprite! It’s vague enough to leave a lot to the imagination, but there’s plenty here to love! The little dot eyes and the insectoid antennae! the little arms/mandibles/alien tentacles (if you’re feeling spicy)- a mammal this certainly is not! This is an absolutely ideal Little Guy, a computer creature to blow up on your screen. We’re so accustomed to seeing it that I think we all forget how Awesome this is! And look at how it jumps for joy! 

Do you know what we aren’t accustomed enough to, in my opinion? It’s the other aliens from Space Invaders! The middle alien is quintessential of course, but they can’t Space Invade alone! They need the help of their friends! The Squid invader hangs out at the top of the screen, perhaps because they are the smallest and most vulnerable of the three. How thoughtful!

And the Octopus invader! This image is smaller than the last one but trust me when I say they are wider! And they have two, count ‘em, two, pixels for their eyes, so I interpret them as having closed eyes and being dozy or a little sleepy because that is cute. They hang out at the bottom because they are the best defense! 

Now hold on! If the big and little invaders are confirmed to be Squids and Octopuses, what the heck is the medium invader? The answer is: Crab! It was a crab hiding under our noses all along! This was all apparently confirmed through a 40th anniversary interview revealing original concept art, but do you know what? I’m not a fan! And you know we love any and all crabs here, but I think the sprite is quite fun in its mystery, plus it is very un-crablike! Only four limbs, without distinct claws? And don’t get me even get me started on the lack of eyestalks! This isn’t amateur hour! So I continue to headcanon the medium invader as something not-crab. You can’t control my life, Toshihiro Nishikado!

Also, this concept art for Octopus really looks like a jellyfish, which got me thinking: there are a lot of Japanese aliens that are just vague jellyfish/cephalapod monsters huh? 

It’s almost the default there compared to the typical gray alien, and if you ask me it is way better! Meeting another sentient race and finding out they are like humans but grey and with big eyes? Snore! Meeting another sentient race and finding out they are talking jellyfish people? Awooga! This is also the second time we have used Pretty Cure and Rhythm Heaven as examples in the same paragraph, but probably not the last? There’s definitely more examples of this trope I can’t think of, so Please send us any funny jellyfish aliens you have. I’m begging you.

Er... anyway! The last member of the Invader Crew is the UFO, and I wasn’t sure to count them but why the heck not? They are presumably just a flying saucer, which don’t get me wrong is always fun, but what if they are also a creature with many eyes? You can’t say for sure!

Actually, when I said they were the last member two sentences ago, I lied! This is Shapeshifting Cuttlefish, from Space Invaders Part II! First of all, what a name! Second of all, this doesn’t look like a cuttlefish in the slightest! But it is very funny and looks like an emoji with feet, so I forgive it. Plus, they have the special property of splitting into a smaller guy when you shoot them! Cool! 

The Cuttlefish’s concept art is even weirder! This DEFINITELY isn’t a cuttlefish! It is more like... a little man with hair. I mean, I love it! But what the heck? 

While Space Invaders (1978), was definitely “groundbreaking” or “influential” or whatever, let’s not kid ourselves- their most important role was in Pixels (2015), also known as The Movie Where Josh Gad Breeds With Q*Bert! What do they do in this movie? I assume they invade! I will no longer discuss Pixels (2015).

In conclusion: all the Invaders are great friends, and they love to hang out in rows of eleven and move slowly downwards and sideways, while doing their little dances. Don’t interrupt them! They’re having a good time! 

[guessthatrec-poll]

Congratulations to rec #127 for winning the matchup!

The identity of rec #128 is...

Danganronpa!

Note from the submitter:

I don't think I CAN provide a good rec for Danganronpa, but I do genuinely love the series— while this submission was mostly in hopes of fooling people, there are a lot of things I actually like about it, unironically.

I know I made it sound progressive and tactful. Danganronpa is kind of anything BUT that. Sorry. Misleading is the name of the game here. For what it's worth, I genuinely really love the Danganronpa girls. Yay women's wrongs! But if you go into Danganronpa expecting tasteful, tactful, sensitive, socially respectful representation for the groups I described you'll probably be sorely disappointed. If, however, you want to see a bunch of freaks and murderers who happen to also be women or have personality disorders or PTSD or diverse body types, you might have a good time? I dunno. I don't really want to be responsible for recommending Danganronpa to anyone. But I like it.

As for the rec explanations (SPOILERS for all three games!):

1) beach-set filler scenes with women in swimsuits: from SDR2, chapter 2 if I remember correctly. They had a girls' beach party. Also the whole game happens on a beach island.

2) sci-fi dystopia: both THH and NDRV3 can be considered this, I think.

3) ghost (Korekiyo's sister), a mage (Himiko), a princess (Sonia), gangs (Crazy Diamonds, Kuzuryu clan, arguably D.I.C.E.), and cults (remnants of despair and related despair-spreading activities, arguably Angie's thing in NDRV3 chapter 3)

4) demure waifu-types (plenty of examples but I was thinking Mikan) and evil and sinister women (Junko, Genocider Syo/Genocide Jill, Tsumugi)

5) yuri (Sakuraoi famously, but I hear Toko and Komaru have something going on too) and yaoi (mostly I was thinking Komahina but there's also Taka and Mondo)

6) diverse body types (Sakura, Hifumi, SDR2 Byakuya, Teruteru, Ryoma, TECHNICALLY maybe Kiibo), disabilities (some of these are spoilers even for me but my friend assures me I'm correct), and neurodivergence (toko and genocider syo's DID was most of what I had in mind for canon, but there's TONS of implied neurologically queer characters in my opinion)

7) queer-coding (see aforementioned yaoi and yuri, but also add in chihiro being trans)

8) social justice themes (Kiibo calling out robophobia, Tenko as the feminist)

9) strong female characters / girls that aren't afraid to get their hands dirty (Junko, Maki, Peko, Genocider Syo again, Tsumugi, Kaede, Kirumi, Mikan, Sayaka…. really so many. such is the nature of a murder mystery game that wants to make their female cast plausible suspects)

10) "in the end it's the girls who literally change and shape the entire world": I thought it would be funny to describe the most tragic most awful event in human history as "literally changing and shaping the entire world". I actually really like Junko's character, so I meant this genuinely.

…I also tried to discreetly slip the word hope into that list of tropes. I hope it was discreet enough. I didn't dare mention despair. That may as well be a character name.

My friends said that this rec sounded like "smoking guy on balcony meme" and "did Tsumugi write this" which is probably the best bad rec review I could've gotten tbh.

Danganronpa has been guessed correctly 3 times and incorrectly 1 time as Homestuck, 1 time as Adventure Time, and 1 time as Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Guess That Rec Season 2: Round 1, Poll 32

Rec #127

are you a fan of stories where the protagonist is just too selfless for their own good? what about an element-based magic system that was secretly designed to destroy the world under the right conditions? maybe even throw in some queer enemies-to-lovers? oh, but i haven't even mentioned the supporting cast yet! we have an angsty furry, gender non-conforming representation, lots of characters confirmed queer by the author, and even a quirky neurodivergent character! if you like the idea of a ragtag group of superheroes coming together to save the world in a fantasy setting, you'll love this!

Rec #128

This multi-genre masterpiece literally has something for EVERYONE!! From beach-set filler scenes (with cute girls in swimsuits!) to sci-fi dystopia, there's plenty of variety in setting— there's even a ghost, a mage, a princess, gangs, and cults!!

But the setting isn't the ONLY thing with so much variety!! Several different genres and themes blossom throughout the series, as it sweeps through romantic feelings, friendship, mystery, comedy, betrayal, loss, hope, grief, and tragedy! It's an emotional ROLLERCOASTER, the plot twists are CRAZY!

And that's before we look at the unique, diverse cast of characters!! From cute demure waifu-types to evil and sinister women, there's a blorbo for you no matter WHAT your type is! There's heavily implied yuri AND yaoi for you fujos out there ;) and even some implied straight crushes if that's more your thing! There's CANON representation for several diverse body types, disabilities, and neurodivergence, and even MORE that's implied! There's plenty of queer-coding as well, and social justice themes! There's a character who explicitly fights against prejudice and isn't afraid to call out bigoted comments about their species! There's a feminist who vows to protect her female friends at any cost! There's plenty of strong female characters that fall far from "big sister" or "braincell-holder" archetypes— there's girls in here that aren't afraid to get their hands dirty! While there is a lot of focus on the male protagonists, in the end it's the girls who literally change and shape the entire world!! ❤️