#this is an analysis on their relationships

[ifindsources]

Sources Confirming:

<1% regret rate for gender-affirming surgeries:

Regret after Gender-affirmation Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence

out of 7982 people who had had GAS, only 77 (~0.9%) had any regret (regret classifications are listed wuthin the article)

Other regret rates:

Regret in Surgical Decision Making: A Systematic Review of Patient and Physician Perspectives

Compilation of the results of various studies. Self-reported regret was about 14.4%, largely among cancer patients (57.5% of the examined patients).

Decision regret after primary hip and knee replacement surgery

out of 328 patients, 17.1% reported moderate to severe regret for a knee replacement, and 4.8% for a hip replacement. A remaining

[Patient Satisfaction after Total Knee Arthroplasty. Analysis of Pre-Operative and Peri-Operative Parameters Influencing Results in 826 Patients]

10-30% of patients were dissatisfied following a knee replacement

Note: that article says "recent studies" for the above data, but I'm not smart enough to find the studies they're referencing. If anyone else can find any, please send!!

What We Regret Most … and Why

10% of American women had regrets related to parenting

20 Prozent der Mütter und Väter in Deutschland würden nicht noch einmal Eltern werden – auch wenn sie ihre Kinder lieben. Die Gründe sind ganz unterschiedlich.

20% of German mothers regretting having children, and 52% said having children restricted their personal growth

Note: I used google translate to read this, lmk if I got the data wrong

Reasons for regret in gender-affirming surgeries:

Guiding the conversation—types of regret after gender-affirming surgery and their associated etiologies

roughly 46 GA surgeons responded to a survey asking about regret in their patients (between 18,125 and 27,325). 0.2-0.3% of patients in this survey experienced regret. The reasons are as follows:

Change in gender identity - 35.5%

Misdiagnosis - 6.5%

Fear of safety - 1.6%

Difficulty in marriage or romantic/sexual relationships - 11.3%

Rejection or alienation from family or social supports - 14.5%

Difficulty with employment - 1.6%

Spiritual conflict or pressure - 8.1%

Medical regret (varied reasons) - 8.1%

Unknown or unlisted - 25.8%

Articles of note:

regarding regret rate for plastic surgery

A systematic review of patient regret after surgery- A common phenomenon in many specialties but rare within gender-affirmation surgery

Through ghe combined data of 55 articles, regret for plastic surgery was between 0-47% for breast reconstructiom, 5.1-9.1% for breast augmentation, and 10.82-33.3% for body contouring

I couldn't find any more articles on this topic, but feel free to send some if you have them ^.^

[cinna-wanroll]

The Twinkification of Obi-Wan Kenobi

Hi everyone! I have emerged from the abyss to posit an opinion and analysis about something that has been ongoing in my corner of the fandom for some time now and I just wanted to share my thoughts. Please note that this is not meant to be a call-out post. If you have made references to Obi-Wan being a twink, we are cool, we simply have a difference of opinion! As always this blog is an open space where people from across the fandom are welcomed and loved.

With that being said:

The Co-Opting of "Twink"

It isn't uncommon to come across the term "twink" nowadays while scrolling the social medias. In fact, there are several videos referencing men, both real and fictional, using "twink" as a kind of affectionate endearment.

Is there a big, beefy man who shows his emotions in your favorite TV show? Chances are he has been called a twink.

Looking at a cute post of a straight couple? There is a chance the woman has captioned her post with: I love my twink boyfriend! :)

Is there a trans man on your for you page? Peer in the comments: chances are he, too, has people teeming in his comments to call him a twink.

Let us be clear: this is not what the word "twink" means.

The term "twink" is a queer term that has become so mangled and co-opted by cis, straight people (especially women) that it has become misused across the internet. So what is it, exactly? "Twink" is a queer identifier. Traditionally, the term refers to gay men who are:

Thin

Not very muscular

Not hairy

Young

Of course, there is always room for nuance. Also, there are so many layers to this conversation I have not and will not address fully. However, the main purpose of this conversation is to discuss its relation to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

So You Want to Woobify a Warrior

Most of the time when I see someone refer to Obi-Wan as a twink, it is in reference to mid-thirties, mid or post-war Obi-Wan. I am not going to address sexuality here because I am a firm believer in allowing people their interpretations of characters' sexualities. Instead, here are some photos of Obi-Wan Kenobi during and a bit after the era previously mentioned, and of his actor, Ewan McGregor:

Here are some things of note: Ewan and Obi-Wan are not especially petite. They are muscular, hairy, and visibly middle-aged. Or at least, visibly older than 20s.

In Karen Miller's Wild Space, Bail Organa throws up in his hands out of fear when Obi-Wan is having hallucinations and moves to attack him.

In Christie Golden's Dark Disciple, he punches a droid in the face and it stumbles back.

My point here is that Obi-Wan is intimidating. He underwent years of rigorous training, fought in battle after battle, and is an expert in martial arts. The chances of him escaping that with the appearance of being boyish, early 20s, skinny, and not muscular seem... slim. War does not typically have anti-aging effects.

I once saw someone on this app make a point that because Obi-Wan is portrayed as the more intuitive and emotionally regulated character in contrast to Anakin's brash violence, he is perceived as more feminine. Therefore, he is more "coddleable." And, furthermore, the "feminine" narrative lends itself to the stereotypical parts of the label of twink. (Again, there is a deeper conversation to be had there. I am generalizing).

Unless Obi-Wan has been extensively malnourished, shaved, and de-aged, I don't see sense in seeing him as a twink.

The part of all this with even more implications associated is that I see a lot of this mentioned in relationship to Obi-Wan being in a relationship with Cody. There is a lot of comparison there, usually positioning Cody as the strong, indestructible warrior of whom Obi-Wan is either envious of or saved by. The racist undertones there are infinite and have been addressed and readdressed, especially by POC in the fandom.

Anyways gorgeous people, this concludes my thoughts, as it is very late. I am hoping to be able to participate in Codywan First Kiss Bingo, but I was hit with the flu and have been working diligently to catch up in my uni classes. I love you all and wish you nothing but the best!

[contamination-zone]

What do you think will happen if Fresh needs a host desperately or else he will die and the only one near by is CB?

Would he take them as a host or will he just die?

maybe I wasn't clean in that last ask? [this one] but yeah, the only reason Fresh Didn't eat CB when they first met was that CB has a lot of connections to the void, as in, soaked in it. Actively food poisoning, Fresh couldn't eat him if it tried. It would only kill him faster.

Some yipping about the hows and whys of Fresh and CB's friendship + more general thoughts on how Fresh would be friends with anyone at all. which I think...? I can add to this post? feels congruent. to me.

There are a few criteria I go through if I'm seriously figuring out how to write Fresh being friends with someone. If I can't figure something out for all of these, I have to make excuses and stuff and it really just gets out of hand/starts feeling contrived.

1.) why fresh wouldn't just eat them: - explained by the aforementioned stuff earlier.

2.) what does fresh Gain from a relationship: -Cb is a Little Guy, [popular trope to have big monster and little dude, so Fresh thought it would be good to drag him along [after a bit of convincing by CB]]

3.) why didn't fresh freak out and kill them / distance himself / whatever, once he figured out he found he liked them [I talk further at the end too***]: -CB operates on cartoon logic [part void part just how his au works to me], so there would be... a lot of comedic near-misses as Fresh tried to kill him but failed. [I do have an emotional moment where stuff winds down and Fresh has the opportunity to stick a bone thought cb's back, ala. pacifrisk reference, but is unable to go through with it as well. because. its cute :-)]

so!! yep. Fresh is stuck with that little freak </3

***usually in canon I see this as... characters like pacifrisk, who were very, determined? very willful about being friends. Fresh could not push them away, no matter how hard he tried.

A normal sans like characters I don't think have the will-power to do something like that... to make friends with a murderer. Like how sans reacted to the anomaly, he didn't try to befriend you after a bit, he just tried to get you to give up. Papyrus could make friends with Fresh, believing him able to get better, I just think Sans would be too cynical the vast majority of the time. [I think... that is a bit mean to say, because he felt bad for the anomaly at one point. but in the genocide route, even when he tries to appeal to you [if you really were his friend], its all in service of making you give up. He doesn't really think you could be friends at that point, he's grasping at straws, nearly given up.]

Characters who either gain a Lot by Keeping fresh around them [how nightmare falls into this for me] or characters who care very deeply about and would keep pushing no matter how desperately Fresh tries to distance himself. [color :-)]

[note! I am very nervous about my analysis, so I will not take critique on this. I will block you. sorry!!! fragile state in my life✌️]

[mesetacadre]

do you have any posts explaining dialectics?

if not, what is dialectics? i have several friends interested in the study, but not so interested as to read Lenin or Stalin, im hoping to 1.) study more for myself, and 2.) have a simple explanation i can send to people

you are very good at these things

Dialectics revolve around contradictions and how to resolve them. I'll take an example first and then define it more precisely.

There exists a contradiction between the interests of the proletariat, a class defined by its exchange of its labor power for a portion of the value produced, and the capitalists, a class defines by its private ownership over the means of production and its dominant position over the proletariat through salaried work. It is in the proletariat's interests to reap the full value produced by its labor power, and it is in the capitalists' power to continue extracting part of that value and sustain that relationship through the myriad mechanisms of class domination. If you take both of these facts, fundamentallt at odds with one another, informed by history and its previous, comparable class societies, you can arrive at the conclusion that, fueled by that constant and irreconcilable contradiction, the proletariat will aim to rid itself of the "leech" that is the capitalist class, and with it create a new society on the foundations of its class interests

The dialectical process, that oft repeated thesis, antithesis, synthesis, is not putting two concepts together, it's not thesis and antithesis, nor is it taking the common elements of each concept or object. It's placing the contradiction, the dialectical relationship between them, at the center of the analysis, and synthesizing a new conclusion, which might or might not have common elements with the contradictory elements. A dialectical relationship is like a conversation (hence the name), the elements influence, limit, allow and develop each other. It's similar to the kinds of relations that govern the biosphere. For instance, the soil and the vegetation on a slope. The soil, via its chemical components, allows and disallows, or rather, facilitates and hampers, the kinds of vegetation that can grow on it. At the same time, the vegetation, through its mechanical stabilization via its roots and through the organic matter it contributes to the soil (hummus), also modifies the soil to be closer to what it prefers. If there was no vegetation, soil on a slope is washed away after a few rains. If there is no soil, there can be no vegetation. The vegetation and the soil allow each other's existence, and they also modify each other.

[angstandhappiness]

INTERESTING

I like to think about Melinoe "haunting" the house of Hades. Especially from Chronos’ perspective since she’s kind of a mystery to him. She’s all that’s left of her underworld family and no matter how hard Chronos tries to kill or capture her she keeps disappearing and reappearing again. She’s like an angry spirit terrorizing the new resident of her old house. She hates what he’s done with the place. She hates how he treats the dog. She takes every opportunity to criticize and inconvenience him. Sometimes at the start of a run she'll say "unfinished business here." etc etc...

I especially like thinking about it this way because it means (in early access) her journey through the underworld starts and ends with a haunting. Dora haunts her tent, her starting point. But it’s a lighthearted haunting, they're really just roommates and Melinoe is happy to have her company. But at the end of her journey, she takes on the role of a malevolent spirit and Chronos is the "hauntee".

[vigilante-3073]

POTS

Spencer Reid x Female Reader

Summary: Y/N suffers from POTS and experiences a fainting spell at work, luckily Spencer is there to catch her.

TW: Mentions of medical conditions/fainting, medical terms, pre-established relationship.

Y/N had been diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome just under a year ago. She had been experiencing symptoms for quite a while before her diagnosis and it felt like everything finally made sense. Y/N had been managing her condition well up until this point, but she still had bad days.

Y/N was a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit and she was a profiler. She didn't carry a gun, her intellect was her weapon and she liked it that way. Guns had always made her uncomfortable and Y/N preferred to be behind the scenes instead of on the front line.

Y/N continued to add to a relatively impressive knowledge base over the years, adding degrees in relevant fields. Y/N currently possessed Doctorates in Abnormal Psychology and Behavioral Psychology, she had a Degree in both Criminology and Criminal Psychology. She also had a Graduate degree in Criminal Justice and was working on getting her Bachelor's degree in Child Psychology.

Her resume was impressive and Gideon hired her on the spot, he knew that she could contribute a large wealth of knowledge to the team.

Y/N clicked with Spencer quickly and they became inseparable as time went on. They sat beside each other in the bullpen and talked every day without fail.

It took three years of working together before Spencer was finally able to admit that he had feelings for her. Spencer asked her out on a date, taking her to dinner at their favorite restaurant before watching a movie at the theater.

It was perfect and they had been together since.

Y/N and Spencer had always done their best to keep their relationship separate from their work life. Y/N tended to be a rather private person and Spencer was completely on board with following her lead on the matter.

Hotch was the only one who knew about their relationship, they informed him and human resources but kept things between them for the most part.

Spencer could definitely see a future with Y/N, he knew that they would have to tell the team at some point but it was nice to have this one thing be entirely their's. It was hard work to keep a secret from a group of people who made skilled observations for a living.

Since they started dating, Spencer had become rather skilled at noticing when her condition was giving her a rough time. Y/N had learned that standing for long periods of time, being in hot places, strenuous exercise and changing positions too quickly had the biggest effect on her. Her heart would race and her blood pressure would plummet which could lead her to get incredibly dizzy or even lose consciousness.

Spencer always made sure to monitor her fluid and salt intake, offering snacks to her throughout the day to make sure she was alright. He was incredibly caring and went about it in a way that didn't make her feel like it was a chore to him.

...

Y/N made her way into the briefing room, taking her seat at the table beside Spencer. Hotch followed closely behind her, sitting down and opening his file. Garcia went through the briefing, clicking through the crime scene photos as she went over the case.

"Alright, we need to get to Texas. Wheels up in thirty," Hotch stated, closing his file and standing up.

The team followed after him, closing their case files and exiting the conference room to get their bags. Spencer stood up, holding his copy of the file with his bag slung over his shoulder, lingering by the table as he waited for Y/N.

Y/N stood up from her seat, closing her eyes as a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. She swayed on her feet, Spencer dropped his bag and file, stepping forward quickly. He wrapped his arm around her waist, resting his other hand on her head and holding her close to his chest.

"Spencer," She mumbled, heart pounding in her chest as she lost consciousness.

Her knees buckled and her body leaned heavily into his chest, Spencer eased her down to the floor carefully. He laid her on her back, shrugging off his blazer and laying it over her body.

Spencer pulled a chair over, elevating her legs to help the blood return to her heart. He shifted back over to her head, sitting by her side and providing silent support as he waited for her to come back around.

Spencer's fingers settled on her wrist, fingers resting on her pulse and finding himself shocked at how high her heart rate was. Garcia made her way back into the room, she gasped softly when she saw her coworkers on the floor.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Garcia asked, Spencer nodded.

"She has a condition. When she stands up to fast, her heart rate speeds up and her blood pressure drops," Spencer stated.

"Do we need to call an ambulance?" Garcia asked, Spencer shook his head.

"She'll be fine. Just takes her a minute to come back around," Spencer assured.

"I can get her some water if that would help," Garcia offered.

"That would be great. Thank you," Spencer stated, she nodded and rushed back out of the room.

Spencer looked down at Y/N, he could feel her heart beat returning to normal. Y/N shifted, eyes fluttering open as she stared up at him.

"You're okay," He assured with a gentle smile.

Y/N shifted, settling her legs on the floor and sitting up slowly. She made a soft noise, closing her eyes as her vision swam once again.

Spencer shifted up behind her, gently guiding her body back to rest against his chest, "Don't rush," He said.

Her head dropped back onto his shoulder, her eyes drifting closed, "I don't feel good," She mumbled.

"I'm sorry... Garcia is getting you some water and I have a couple snacks in my bag," Spencer offered.

"Did Garcia see me pass out?" Y/N asked softly.

"No, it was just you and me in here. She came in after," Spencer said, Y/N nodded.

Garcia made her way into the conference room, "Oh, honeybunch, you're back. I brought you some water," Garcia said, holding out the cup of water.

Spencer took the cup from her hand, holding it up for Y/N and allowing her to take a sip, "Can you pass me my bag? I have some snacks for her in there," Spencer said.

Garcia nodded, moving around the table and grabbing Spencer's bag from the back of his chair. She carried it over and set it on the floor beside him.

Spencer set the cup down, unzipping his bag and sifting around the contents before he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a granola bar and a packet of salt, he reached in front of Y/N and tore open the packet.

Spencer lifted the pack up, dumping the salt onto her tongue before quickly passing her the glass of water.

Y/N grimaced, taking the cup and drinking the rest of the water. Spencer picked up the granola bar, "Do you want a snack now? Or do you want to wait?" He asked.

"Wait," She stated, he nodded and put the granola bar back into his bag.

"How do you feel?" Garcia asked.

"Awful, but it'll pass," Y/N answered.

"Do you want me to tell Hotch? I'm sure you can help over video chat if you stay behind," Garcia offered.

"No, I'm fine, Garcia. It just takes me a minute," Y/N assured.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Spencer questioned.

Y/N hesitated, "I was running late this morning," She said softly.

"We can pick something up for you on the way to the plane," Spencer said, Y/N nodded.

"Do you think you're ready to get up? Or do you want to sit for a bit longer?" Spencer asked, his hand absent-mindedly rubbing over the skin of her bicep.

"I think I'm okay," Y/N said.

Spencer stood up from behind her, moving around and holding out his hands to her. Y/N settled her hands in his, allowing him to pull her to her feet slowly.

"You okay?" He asked, looking down at her.

Y/N nodded, Spencer bent down and picked up his blazer from the floor. He grabbed his case file and his bag, slinging the strap over his shoulder. Spencer rested his hand on Y/N's back and guided her out of the conference room.

Garcia watched them leave, a small smile settling on her face as she watched how gentle he was with her. Her face suddenly fell, "Oh my god," She muttered.

...

The case went by quickly and everyone returned to Quantico, settling at their desks and completing their paperwork. Y/N filled out her documents easily, pen gliding across the page as she worked.

Spencer looked over at her, watching her work for a moment before his gaze quickly swept the room for any prying eyes.

His eyes returned to Y/N, he leaned over slightly, "Hey, Y/N," He called softly.

Y/N looked over at him, "Do you want to get dinner together after we're done?" He asked.

"I'd love to," She smiled.

"Okay," Spencer nodded, smiling back at her.

The pair returned to their work quietly, completing their reports and turning them in before packing up.

Y/N pulled on her coat and purse, waiting for Spencer before the pair walked out of the bullpen together. They stepped into the elevator and Y/N pressed the button for the main level, the couple chatted about restaurants during the ride down.

Y/N and Spencer made their way out of the building and into the parking garage. Spencer followed Y/N to her car, he looked around the parking structure before he took Y/N's hand in his. Spencer slowed to a stop, giving her hand a gentle tug.

Y/N turned to face him, "What are you doing?" She questioned.

He shrugged, taking a step closer to her and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. Y/N's eyes fluttered shut, smiling up at him as he pulled away.

"What was that for?" She questioned.

"I just love you," Spencer shrugged.

"I love you too," Y/N replied, adjusting the collar of his coat.

"No way!" Someone yelled.

Spencer turned to see Morgan approaching them with a wide grin, "Garcia told me you guys were together and I thought she was full of it. I thought there was no way that pretty boy actually made a move. Then I see you two smooching away out here," Morgan teased.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag," Spencer said.

"I guess so," Y/N nodded.

"How long has the cat been in the bag exactly?" Morgan asked.

"Year and a half," Spencer shrugged.

"You kept this a secret for over a year? I'm impressed," Morgan nodded.

"I just didn't want to make things awkward within the team," Y/N stated.

"Are you kidding? There's been a betting pool for years about when you two would finally get together," Morgan said.

"Are you serious? Who bet?" Spencer asked.

Morgan hesitated, "Pretty much everyone," He said.

"I can't believe it," Y/N said, shaking her head with a soft smile.

"So, now that everyone knows about you two," Morgan started.

"Wait, everyone?" Y/N asked.

"Yeah, obviously, Garcia was the first one to figure it out. She told anyone who'd listen," Morgan said.

Y/N's cheeks flushed, "I was wondering if the rest of the team and I could join you two for dinner. Meal is on Emily because she won the bet," Morgan offered.

Spencer looked over at Y/N, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze before returning his attention to their friend.

"That would be great," He nodded.

"Perfect! I'll let the people know," Morgan smiled, turning around and making his way back to the office.

Y/N shook her head, "All that because you couldn't wait to kiss me until we got home," She teased.

"I would kiss you every minute of every day if I could," Spencer stated.

"I love you," Y/N said, leaning in and giving him another gentle kiss before pulling away.

"I didn't expect our relationship to cause such a stir in the office, but I'm glad it's out in the open now," Spencer said, Y/N nodded.

"Wait until they find out we've been living together for six months. They'll lose their minds," Y/N smiled.

[casscainmainly]

Cass, Names, and the Black Bat Era

With a Black Bat mention in 2025 (read Batgirl (2024) #4!!), it seems as good a time as any to look back on one of Cass' most fleeting identities. We all know why Cass took up Batgirl and Orphan, but we don't get to see the thought process behind Black Bat. I'm going to consider why Cass might have chosen Black Bat as her name, and what it means for her relationship to Bruce and the Bat symbol.

This analysis will purely consider events from the characters' perspectives, ignoring authorial intent. There is like a negative percent chance any of the connections I make here were intended, and Black Bat probably was just a name they randomly picked. This is essentially me trying to make sense of the little Cass bits we get during the Batman Reborn era.

Background: Batgirl and Orphan

Growing up nameless, Cass associates names with personhood and autonomy. Batgirl was the first (and the most important), and a large part of Batgirl (2000) showed how Cass only thinks of herself as Batgirl.

Batgirl (2000) #7

"You need to relax, Cass--sorry--Batgirl." Barbara's 'sorry' indicates that Cass' identity is purely Batgirl, disliking any other name. (For a more in-depth exploration of this moment, see renaroo's meta!). This shows how it's not just the mantle, but the name - the actual word - that matters to Cass.

A very similar thing happens in Batman & Robin Eternal #26:

Once again, Cass is extremely particular about what people call her. And once again she rejects one identity in favour of another - she struggles with being more than one thing. Whatever identity she adopts, it contains her whole self.

Which is why when she loses herself, she becomes nameless:

Batgirl (2000) #73 / Red Robin #17

In the first panel, Cass has just 'killed' Shiva and forsaken Batgirl. "She thought she was a bat. But she came to find she wasn't that either." Without the bat, she becomes a girl "named Cain." While not technically nameless, Cain is just her father's last name - she has no first name of her own. This namelessness occurs again in Red Robin. After Bruce tells Cass to give Steph Batgirl, Cass is left without the bat again - and, again, she becomes nameless. Tim gives her a bat costume, asks her what she needs, and she says "to... just... be...".

If she takes up another name, she will become something - a name is not only identification, but transformation. When she has no idea who she is or who she wants to be (as seen in the end of Batgirl (2000) and Red Robin), she chooses namelessness.

The Gift

Cass remaining nameless not only shows her lack of identity, but her rejection of Bruce and the Batfamily.

Red Robin #17

Here, Tim says it doesn't matter what Cass calls herself, they'll always be family. Cass' answer is cryptic: "But family is not always home..." If we look at Cass' history, the only times she leaves her family is when their relationship becomes unbearable. She runs from David Cain because he makes her kill; she leaves Babs because she calls her stupid; she leaves Gotham the first time because of Steph's death; she goes to Hong Kong because Bruce makes her give away Batgirl. Family isn't home for Cass only when something awful happens.

For Cass, family and names have always been linked. In my gift post, I talked about how Batgirl was presented as a gift, and how Babs says gifts are things that make you "feel[...] not alone" (Azrael: Agent of the Bat #61). Batgirl, a gift, makes Cass feel "not alone." The mantle represents her connection to the Batfamily.

In fact, Red Robin parallels the original gifting of the Batgirl suit:

Legends of the Dark Knight #120 / Red Robin #17

Tim explicitly links the gift of the Bat symbol to family: "the...family... has settled down. I thought maybe... it was time to make it all official." (This also somewhat parallels Bruce's adoption of Cass, which Tim was also there for). But Cass doesn't accept the gift this time, telling Tim that Steph is already Batgirl, and that 'family isn't always home'. She keeps the suit, but the ambivalence in her response shows her ambivalence to her family.

Batgirl and Orphan are both familial names, one linked to the Bats, one linked to David Cain. Names to Cass represent both her own identity and her relationship to other people. When Batman took Batgirl away, he was essentially revoking her place in the family (Batman R.I.P happens right after her adoption too). Though we never explicitly get Cass' feelings, her hesitance at Tim's gift says a lot.

What Was Tim's Gift Anyway?

When Tim first sees Cass, he thinks to himself:

Red Robin #17

This is a great insight into what Tim was actually offering. The first thought reveals that Tim wasn't suggesting Cass be Batgirl again, which Cass assumed. He knows Cass doesn't want to be "who she was" - he thinks she's being true to what "she wanted to become."

What does he think Cass wants to become?

Batgirl (2000) #59

In Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood, Cass tells Tim the "the only thing" she's ever wanted was to be Batman. This is the only thing she wants - when Tim says she's being 'true to what she wanted to become', it's likely he's thinking of this conversation. So when Tim offers the batsuit, he's offering the bat mantle. He's offering what she always wanted to be: Batman.

But Cass' conception of Batman is clearly tied to Bruce ("take over for him when he's... done"), which in turn ties the concept of Batman to Gotham. Cass does become the Bat of Hong Kong, but she doesn't take the Batman name (which she totally could, since Bruce and Dick are sharing the name; or she could be 'the bat' or whatever).

Instead, she chooses Black Bat. Both Batgirl and Orphan are taken from other people, so this is strikingly the only name Cass invented (even Kasumi was probably not her invention? It was a disguise anyway). But was Black Bat actually Cass' invention?

Tai'Darshan All Along

Batgirl (2000) #40

Black Bat is also taken from someone - from Cass' first canon love interest, the one and only Tai'Darshan. I seriously don't think DC knew they were taking the name from him, but they did and that means Tai is extremely important to understanding Cass' Black Bat era.

Because Tai doesn't just represent teenage hormones. Like Lady Shiva, Tai'Darshan was a foil to Batman, someone who opposed him in almost every aspect. He is Cass' first proper rebellion, kickstarting the downfall of Cass and Bruce's relationship in Horrocks' run; he also died because of Bruce's interference, something that Bruce himself thinks is the reason Cass doesn't trust him anymore.

Batgirl (2000) #47

Though Bruce and Cass make up in #50, there is something permanently secretive about Black Wind and Cass' relationship. Bruce says "she won't tell me what" happened, and Tai's last conversation with Cass is about secrets:

Batgirl (2000) #44

Tai'Darshan represents Cass' secret side, a side "buried" from everyone (particularly Bruce). Tai's reference to Cass' "real name" is poignant - in a way, he was the first person who liked Cass for Cass, who asked her to take off her mask and admired her face underneath. He never knew who she really was, but he loved her anyway. The 'bat' in Black Bat doesn't refer to Bruce, but to Cass. It makes sense that at a time of complete identity loss - after giving up Batgirl at Bruce's orders - Cass would turn to a nickname from someone who caused her falling out with Bruce, who represents secrets, rebellion, and a self defined outside of Batman.

Black Bat

Gates of Gotham #4

I wrote elsewhere about how Gates of Gotham, and this conversation with Dick in particular, is Cass rebelling against Bruce's (and DC's) decision to boot her from Gotham. In GoG #5, she tells Tim she's staying. Black Bat as a mantle is not really Cass becoming 'the Bat' of any place - it's something different, something new. It's a reconfiguration of the Bat symbol as something that's hers.

I think Tim bookending this Black Bat experience is important, too. He gives her the Bat symbol in Hong Kong - she comes back to Gotham to tell him she's returning permanently. Black Bat and Red Robin are syntactically similar, and Black Bat is very similar to one of Tim's name suggestions ("Black Robin"). For Tim, Red Robin was punishment made into redemption; he took the name from Jason and made it his own. Black Bat, in its own way, is Cass doing the same. By taking a nickname from Tai'Darshan, she is using the bat name/symbol without attaching it to Bruce; in fact, the memory of Tai is against Bruce. She's taking back the symbol that means so much to her and making it her own.

Conclusion

This was honestly a big excuse to remind people that Black Bat comes from Tai'Darshan. As one of 4 Tai fans on this website, I just think his role in Cass' life is really interesting and underappreciated! His storyline may be awful in every way, but I'll always have a soft spot for him as a character.

Also I was writing this before Batgirl (2024) #4 came out and it does somewhat complicate this reading. Shiva is implying that Black Bat, like Orphan (and Kasumi) are identities that Cass affects, that she's "aspiring to be somebody else". I don't think Shiva is being quite fair - Orphan, for instance, is as much in defiance of David Cain as it is an homage to him. But it's interesting that even when Cass is constructing her own identity, she consistently defaults to using other people's names. In that way Shiva is right - for Cass, names are gifts, so she never tries to name herself. She also, even in this reading, clings to the image of the bat. I'm highly interested where Brombal's investigation into Cass' identity will take her, especially in regards to superhero and legacy mantles.

[poetry-protest-pornography]

I wish I understood enough about Thai linguistics and pronouns to do a proper analysis, but I think it's really interesting that Kant and Bison use khun with each other (I think it started kind of teasingly, because I'm pretty sure that it's more formal?) and Fadel and Style use meung, which as far as I know is super casual bordering on rude of you is it with someone you aren't close friends with.

Also noted that Fadel and the tragically murdered ex used khun as well.

(I love pronoun negotiations and how much what's used tells you about people's relationships, it's so fascinating to me, I really need to study more)

[miwiheroes]

We analyse the rinkomania, pizza place, dessert but not so much the blyer scenes in the California house before the heart to the heart scenes. Maybe I haven’t come across any posts yet.

But did you spot any Blyer scenes or have any analysis surrounding those scenes?

Sorry for asking so many questions. All these years of being in fandom (more than 20 years) but finally get a slow burn and sweet queer couple where it might be really endgame and the feelings are all love and care from the very start.

Hi it's okay I love the questions :)

I'm not totally sure what scenes you mean, is it the one at the breakfast table?

Because I guess I have a little analysis on this scene <3 Thanks sosososooo much for bringing it up because I just watched it and I literally died because of how subtly sweet it is on Will's part, which makes it more painful when Mike walks away.

Basically, this scene is supposed to show the level of understanding and care Will has for Mike's feelings. Even after their fight. So when Mike ignores the feelings and walks away, it's all the more painful because it's like Mike has no idea what's right in front of him -- a guy that truly understands him. Therefore, the audience is supposed to root for Will's happiness and Mike seeing that Will loves him.

ALSO THEIR CLOTHES MATCH BUT IM NOT GETTING INTO THAT

So we start the scene with Will staring at Mike while Mike worries about his fight with El. This is to establish Will's POV in this scene. When Will notices that Mike is looking at the plate and the door to El's room, the directors decide to give a separate shot of Will's longing/upset look just to really drive home how much he cares about Mike's reaction and how he's feeling.

To the viewer, it should be pretty obvious by now that Will has feelings for Mike.

Jonathan then suggests that they see a movie and Will, instead of deciding for himself and thinking about what he wants, he looks to Mike.

In this small space of time, Will notices how upset Mike is. He knows that he's not in the mood to see a movie. He also knows that Mike won't say anything. So he makes a suggestion to Jonathan that's not for his sake, no, it's for Mike's. Even if it means making himself sadder, Will is ready to allow Mike to stay at home and probably heal his relationship with El.

What's so lovely about this is that Will doesn't embarrass Mike by throwing him under the bus. He doesn't go: "Mike's feeling upset so we should stay home", he knows Mike well enough to know that Mike doesn't like that, so he just makes a general suggestion.

Jonathan's annoyance at them moping is integral to the scene because it shows how much Will gets Mike's feelings. Jonathan doesn't understand Mike but Will does.

Will then defends Mike and says "It's just..." then looks at him, deciding what to say. In rhetoric, he's saying "It's just... Mike is upset and we shouldn't go", but again, Will understands Mike enough to not only know that he's sad, but also to know he wouldn't want to be thrown under the bus ofc. So he comes up with another excuse.

A super cute and painful thing about this is that Will could easily take all the credit for letting Mike stay at home like he clearly wants. Will could take the credit for understanding him. Instead, he just pretends that the movie is going to suck. Showing how selfless he is. Showing that all he wants is for Mike to be okay, no matter what, even if it makes himself sadder, even if he doesn't reap the reward.

So after all of Will's gentle understanding of Mike's moods and his needs, the audience wants a reward for Will's good deed. Instead, Mike walks away, completely oblivious to Will's act of understanding and love.

The camera lingers on Will for ages, showing that the scene is not about Mike missing El. The audience is not intended to be happy about Mike leaving the table to see El. They are supposed to be frustrated that Mike doesn't see how much Will cares about him. They are supposed to see how good Will is for Mike, and the writer's intention here is to build chemistry between them on Will's end.

oh my god this may just be the most painful scene now im so sorry

[morphean42]

I’ve finally figured out why I really dislike Twink Whizzer!

So, in ‘This Had Better Come To A Stop’ Marvin sings the line “that’s what pretty boys should do”, and I’ve always interpreted this as another example of Marvin thrusting Whizzer into an unrealistic role. We all know Marvin treats Whizzer like the woman of the relationship, expecting him to cook, clean, serve him, and be generally feminine. However, Marvin also puts Whizzer in the category of ‘pretty boy’ in addition to ‘woman’.

Whizzer is, in many ways, more traditionally masculine than Marvin. He knows more about and is good at sports, he’s tall, he’s what one might call a ‘player’. Especially how Stephen Bogardus plays Whizzer in the OBC, he is not a stereotypically gay man. This, obviously, is not okay in Marvin’s eyes. He sees his own failings of masculinity through Whizzer’s performance of it, and this makes him incredibly insecure, so he forces Whizzer to be ‘the feminine one’. The gay one. The pretty boy. The twink.

So, when Marvin calls Whizzer a pretty boy, that is a slight against him, that’s Marvin trying to force this idea of a ‘small, feminine, non-athletic lover’ onto him because it makes him ‘the man’ in the relationship. Nearly everything Marvin does that hurts those around him is not done because he hates them, but because he hates himself (that’s a whole other point but anyway). So, Marvin calls Whizzer a pretty boy because it’s everything Whizzer isn’t and Marvin can never accept being the less masculine of the pair.

This analysis is running on a correlation between the terms ‘pretty boy’ and ‘twink’ but I think my point stands even without that.

Whizzer isn’t a twink because just like Marvin is trying to force him into being ‘the woman’ he’s making him take on an effeminate, not traditionally masculine role.

Oh and one more point! Unrelated to all this! The term twink refers to a gay man traditionally between the ages of 18-25, or at least appearing young like that! Whizzer is balding! Whizzer is not twenty years old! If I see one more person make Whizzer like twenty-four and Marvin like thirty-seven I will lose my goshdamned mind!

[gaywarcriminals]

do you think Shen jiu would be in denial about the fact he's gay (like Shen Yuan) or that it's something he accepted that he just doesn't talk about it? Or hell maybe he is openly gay and somehow nobody noticed.

From a meta-analysis perspective, I don't have a strong opinion about this; I've seen a wide variety of interpretations that are well-supported by the text, and I think it’s best served by just going with whichever suits that particular fic. 

When it comes to my personal headcanons, I don’t think the world of PIDW/SVSSS has homophobia the way we think of it: I’m sure there’s still a bias against gay people, but I think it more comes down to “but you need to produce heirs”. You can have your boy toy so long as you’re still having kids with your main wife (very loosely based on the pre-Ming dynasty view of homosexuality). There’s also the fact that, in the de-aging extra, MF sincerely believes for a bit that LBH is SQQ’s biological child, which, as many people have pointed out, could imply that mpreg is possible in this universe (at least for cultivators with the resources for the plot device), and that could also lessen any discrimination based on the reproductive imperative. Imo, if SJ has an aversion to being gay, it comes down to his issues with the men in general. 

I usually default to SJ thinking/telling himself that he's not attracted to anyone. I don't buy comphet for SJ, at least not beyond QHT (and that has more to do with the traumatic situation than his sexuality); if he’s cuddled up against a half-dressed woman’s breast multiple times a week, it’d be hard not to notice his lack of attraction, but he just computes it as being better than other men lmao. He isn’t some drooling beast who can’t control his vices! Clearly every other man just lasts the self control and will power to do the same. And of course, SJ doesn’t notice any potential attraction to men because he hates most of them too much to be horny for them. I also like the interpretation that SJ is demisexual, and doesn’t experience his sexuality as being attracted to men so much as This Specific Person.

There two main paths I like to take from there, depending on the fic and intended tone:  1.) SJ isn’t into men, he’s into Qi-ges; it’s totally different! (This is where SJ’s attitude comes closest to SY’s lol) 2.) SJ’s long and grueling journey to deal with both the horror of experiencing lust as a man, being attracted to a man, and him having to reconcile that with his aversion to men.

Either way, I don’t think SJ would be openly gay until he had a male partner he couldn’t/didn’t want to hide (or rather, wanted to stake a public claim on, lol). Why would anyone else need to know who he’s attracted to, It’s not their business 😒. Infuriatingly, he would never bring up his sexuality to dispute the lechery accusations. Hate him (said while experiencing the Blorbo Emotion).

As I said though, I've seen a lot of other interpretations of SJ's relationship to his sexuality that I've liked, so I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this as well!

[criticalcrusherbot]

Hello! I hope your month has started kindly for you. If I may ask, someone has called Stolas a narcissistic abuser person. I know he isn't, but I wonder if you could spare some time explaining to me how he could be perceived as such, even though he isn't? Do you think that description is more apt for Stella and Andre? Drink water regularly and eat vegetables regularly!

💁🏽‍♀️: Aw, thanks sweetie 🥺 I mean, the short answer is that “narcissistic” and “abuser” have been co-opted by internet pop-psychology and moral purity culture, often stripping them of their clinical meanings. But let’s pretend this take was presented in good faith for the sake of discussion.

🤖: Beep boop! Thoughtful inquiry detected! Thank you for your considerate question (and excellent wellness reminder—vegetables are a top-tier upgrade for human systems! 🥦). Let’s break this down logically:

💁🏽‍♀️🤖: The claim that Stolas is a “narcissistic abuser” likely stems from misunderstandings of his complex dynamics with Blitzø and Stella. Clinically speaking, narcissism involves traits like a lack of empathy, manipulative tendencies, and an inflated ego. Abuse implies patterns of power and control with an intent to harm or dominate. Stolas, while flawed—especially in the early stages of his relationship with Blitzø—does not fit these definitions. He demonstrates guilt, empathy, and a sincere desire to repair harm, which directly contradicts narcissistic or abusive behavior. His awkwardness in expressing love reads more as someone navigating meaningful emotions for the first time rather than as manipulation.

Comparatively, Stella and Andre fit these descriptors more closely. Stella’s cruelty toward Stolas, her fixation on power, and Andre’s opportunistic smugness align better with abusive dynamics. They embody toxicity without remorse or growth, while Stolas evolves and learns from his mistakes.

In media analysis, it’s crucial to distinguish between characters who are imperfect but striving for growth (like Stolas) and those locked into harmful patterns (like Stella and Andre). This distinction allows us to appreciate narratives that explore messy, realistic relationships without labeling every flawed character as toxic or irredeemable. Redemption arcs and stories of self-improvement are compelling precisely because they reflect the potential for change. Mislabeling characters like Stolas erases this complexity and risks flattening rich storytelling into black-and-white moral judgment. Understanding that not all imperfection is abuse creates space for more thoughtful engagement with media.

[animentality]

I've always harboured a mild dislike for x reader stuff. I never really held it against people because I don't have the time to antagonise them, but it was so upsetting when every time I opened the fandom tag and all I saw were posts and posts and posts of bland x reader stuff that clearly is ooc with no real substance to them at all. So many of the RP blogs seem the same way.

As someone who tries to make analysis posts and art for the same fandom, it is disheartening when I spend hours and hours on an analysis post about a character and it maybe hits 120 notes while an OOC x reader of the same character soars to the thousands. Maybe it's selfish of me to say but I say it anyway.

The fandom is full of youngsters and I never felt comfortable voicing my opinion for the same because it just felt wrong to tell kids to stop existing in communities. But the amount of times I've been put down for shipping characters with each other rather than myself is an honestly surprising number.

Um. I don't really know where I was going with this.

But your post definitely opened my eyes a little bit on even why I dislike x reader so much. It's sinking in a little bit. My hatred for OOC stuff seeps into this, I suppose. So I wanted to say that. Yeah. I agree with you.

Thank you for saying it.

Signed,

A fellow analyser / artist / fanfic writer lmao

— @lunarcloak

I get you, man.

I know self shippers have always existed.

I don't mind them. If that's how you enjoy the media, then fine.

However.

I just don't think that the sudden rise of self shippers over fan analysis and shipping is a good sign.

I think it comes from a lack of media literacy and willingness to actually engage with a piece of fiction. At least shippers and fan analysts actually talk about the world and plot itself.

self shippers imagine themselves dating a character in an au that is completely disconnected from the story, and acting in a way that's not even close to how they are in canon.

which to me is like... you have a creative writing prompt but it's not a story you're actually engaging with. someone showed you a picture of a handsome man and said write a story about how he'd kiss you.

and it's like... ok. there's no crime in just being horny, but... when that's all a fandom is... I don't consider it a fandom, it's just a masturbation fantasy.

I thought the whole point of fiction was to dive into the human experience and try and understand ourselves better. See the perspectives of others. Live vicariously in another person's shoes.

Fan analysis about themes? Perfect. You're thinking. You're feeling. You're articulating. You're growing as a person as you decide what you like or don't like, or try to put together puzzle pieces so that the whole picture makes sense. Shipping? You're imagining scenarios. You're bending canon to fit your interests. You are developing your own ability to write characters, and growing as an artist and a writer.

But self shipping...?

Eh.

You're writing, I guess, but when you reduce yourself to just... idk, some generic girl that Gojo decides is the Bella to his Edward... I mean I'm glad you're happy and all.

But how happy are you

Are you happy at all, or are you frustrated by this aching loneliness deep in your gut that you just don't understand, and it never quite feels whole bc you keep cramming nothing into it.

And it's not the loneliness or the social awkwardness that I'm criticizing here ok, shippers and fan analysts can be just as lonely. I just think that the human relationship to art should be confusion and appreciation.

you should be trying to understand others or yourself.

you can insist well what's so wrong with escapism? why does everything have to be an intellectual exercise?

it doesn't have to be ... but there's a reason people feel so hollow watching marvel movies.

art without substance is consumption. it's a distraction from your own humanity, it is not anything more.

not to you, anyway.

and I don't know.

that's really sad.

I've made so many friends through ships and babbling about canon and gushing about narrative beats.

I feel like I got something out of fandom, if other people force me to see the world in another light. I feel like a story has done its job if it's made me feel something. and it's really done a great job if I feel invested enough to hope two characters smooch.

but self insert?

eh. so you just like the character and think they're hot. that's fine.

not that interesting to talk about either. requires very little analysis on your part.

they just provoke sexual feelings or romantic feelings , which are easiest for you to process, and then you can move on to the next pretty boy you can turn into a Dom.

it irks me, man.

just a tad bit.

[soupthatistohot]

I think you make a great point here! And yes, you were accurate with the ordering of the pieces of jewelry:

If you really want to get overanalytical with it, you can even assign meanings to the type of jewelry listed and your associations.

If Chuuya is a necklace with the sheep, he's a big flashy statement piece, a symbol of their "wealth" (metaphorically speaking." But a necklace is also a sort of collar around the neck, because Chuuya's a little trapped in that position, bringing the whole "outfit" together.

So if he's refashioned into a bracelet when Dazai brings him into the PM, then his wrists are tied. This encapsulates the Stormbringer era where he feels similarly trapped by Mori's watchful eye and Dazai's general shitty attitude, and his rebellion against that is trying to find out his past, trying to free himself from the chains that bind him.

After this, though, he's loyal to the PM. He earns his place, and becomes the earrings. Earrings are often elegant, sometimes hidden behind hair, an accessory that doesn't make the outfit, but always enhances it. He's in the ear of the PM at this point, willing to perhaps feed secrets and information to Mori, having proven his dogged loyalty. Note here that he's also part of a pair (soukoku). You can't really wear one earring without the other.

And then as an executive, he's a ring. He's a statement similar to the necklace, but in this instance it's not being used to bring together what might otherwise be considered a shabby outfit, he's a symbol of power and wealth, worn on the manipulating fingers of the PM. He's also not necessarily dependent on being part of a pair anymore, as Dazai has left and they've kind of outgrown that dependence on one another anyway. He's also not constrained anymore, he's got a certain amount of status that allows him certain freedoms.

And yes, I agree that Dazai is the one who "stole" Chuuya, and he is definitely one of the primary people who help "refashion" him in his early years (along with Mori and Kouyou). I mean, again, they are a matching pair for a time. I want to add to your point that this really has nothing to soukoku as a "ship." While I do identify as a skk shipper, the vast majority of the time when I analyze them in the context of BSD and Asagiri's writing, it's with the knowledge and assumption that they are not intended to be a romantic pair. I think thoughtful analysis can be made about the importance of their relationship regardless of personal interpretation of the platonic/romantic nature of it.

Anyway, all this to say I respect your high 3am thoughts asagirisfavpen, and sometimes overanalysis is fun :)

BSD Stormbringer Manga Ch. 1: Chuuya as a "Dark Gem"

AKA: I got around to reading the first chapter of the Stormbringer manga and I Have Thoughts!

A decent chunk of this first chapter is taken up by the gem trade being explained in-depth, which seems a bit... excessive. Even the translator noted as much in the version I read:

It begs the question of why they spent so much time on this. At least part of the reason is to give the reader an idea of what Chuuya's current role in the Port Mafia entails, providing some necessary context (since timeline-wise the last we saw of him was in 15 and it's now roughly a year later). But I also think it's an extended metaphor for Chuuya as a person (spoilers for the rest of stormbringer ahead).

The part that really jumped out to me was this sequence of panels:

The first two talk about "dark" gems and how they cannot enter the world of light, which is VERY reminiscent of Kouyou's rhetoric when talking about Kyouka (and herself, as she's projecting her trauma onto Kyouka):

The third panel from SB also interests me as it claims that these gems are given a second chance, specifically through how the Port Mafia has reshaped them.

In 15, Mori says that only a diamond can polish another diamond, in reference to soukoku -- so I don't really think it's a large leap to make here that the "dark" gems here are a stand-in for Chuuya himself.

If you consider the connection to Kouyou's rhetoric, that follows because Chuuya is under her tutelage at this point in time, she's the one who oversees his work when he joins the PM and arguably one of the people he's closest to in the organization. There's a decent chance that she's told him similar things that she told Kyouka -- that they belong to the world of darkness and cannot be brought into the light.

This is further supported by the fact that one of the central focuses of Stormbringer is Chuuya's past. He has a "dark" past on multiple levels. The obvious being that he was kidnapped and experimented on to become a vessel for Arahabaki, his past is dark because its horrible. But also he doesn't remember his past at this point, so it's dark because it's literally shrouded in his memory -- his "origins unknown" to him.

And so, Chuuya is a dark gem (a black diamond, perhaps) that has been taken in by the Port Mafia. In doing so, he is no longer the street kid he used to be, scrounging to survive with his ragtag gang. Instead, he's been reshaped -- he wears suits now, he's a 16 y/o in charge of the gem trade -- he's been "given a second chance."

So yeah, basically my interpretation of this is that the allusions to Chuuya's dark past are a kind of foreshadowing for not only what came before, but also what's to come throughout the course of Stormbringer. This story is very focused on the intermingling of past and present, as well as issues of identity and how it is shaped -- is Chuuya a human with free will, or can his existence be chalked up to being lines of code? What bearing does the past have on the present? This is all subtle set-up for these emerging themes.

PS: I don't have any in-depth analysis for this, but the imagery referencing Chuuya's time being experimented on and the clone is QUITE heavy-handed here at the beginning. I'm loving all the intentionality behind the art so far!

[aihoshiino]

Miss Genius Idol Unmatched: An Ai Hoshino Character Analysis Series

“Ai Hoshino was the sort of girl you could find anywhere. She didn't know how to love or trust other people. She was timid, sensitive, and hurt by misunderstandings with her friends. She really was just an ordinary everyday girl. So she told a lie. A lie so big that it completely concealed her fragile heart. She always smiled and never showed any sign of weakness. She was beautiful, wholesome and pure. She loved everyone, no matter who they were, and would never think of betraying them. She was a pet, cherished by all. And it was those very people, brimming with their filthy human desires who turned her into an idol.”

Oshi no Ko chapter 137 - "Idol"

Unlike many of my opinions about Oshi no Ko, I don't think it's particularly controversial to say that Ai Hoshino is one of - if not the singular most - important character in the whole series. As its titular character and beating emotional heart, Ai's tragedy is the foundation on which the rest of the series is built, and her love is the light that illuminates the future for Aqua and Ruby across both of the lifetimes that they knew and loved her in turn.

It can be shocking, then, to revisit the series and remember that despite her cataclysmic impact on the narrative, Ai herself only appears in a fraction of the story’s chapters. Her death occurs just nine chapters into the series, leaving the reader - and her children - to grapple with the enormity of her absence. Ai leaves a void, a wound that refuses to heal, and across the series, her children’s lives are shaped by their attempts to fill this void: Aqua, through revenge; Ruby, through emulation. So to are the readers invited to follow them along in this process and to try and make sense of what Ai's sudden, violent removal from the narrative means not just for the story but their engagement with the series as a whole.

Readers like me, for example!

As anyone who has so much as glanced at me in the past two years can tell you, Ai is easily not just my favourite character in Oshi no Ko, but probably just in fiction, flat out. I Like Her A Normal Amount.

I Like Her A Normal Amount.

I've already spilled oceans of digital ink analyzing and discussing Ai as a character over the past few years I've been following the series, but with Oshi no Ko having wrapped and us as readers now having as complete a picture of Ai as a character as the narrative is going to provide us, I want to finally commit to an idea I've had floating around in my head for a good while now and begin the following analysis - Miss Genius Idol Unmatched, a series of deep-dive analysis posts in which I break down just about everything in the series relating to Ai in excruciating detail!!!

I will be analyzing Ai as a character, attempting to assemble as coherent and consistent a timeline of her life as I can based on canon information, breaking down all her most important relationships and how she is characterized in relation to them and basically just talking a whole lot about Ai Hoshino in even more exhaustive detail than I usually do.

I will continue to do my other analysis posts and respond to asks about the series as usual, but my main focus on this blog going forward will be this analysis series so please do look forward to it!

[sungkixx]

Nezushi Dance Scene Analysis

I was talking with a friend about how the way two people dance show a lot about the status of their relationship with each other. Then I decided to give my own thoughts about Nezushi’s Iconic Dance Scene and what was the dance scene trying to show.

This may be an obvious thing to some, but I wanted to express my thoughts anyway :)

In a scene before this, Nezumi passed out due to the Song of the Wind (Elyurias’s song) and later wakes up to Shion next to him. Shion then worries incessantly, checks him to see if there was anything wrong or if he was in any pain.

Nezumi sees his earnest worry about him and gets agitated and uncomfortable, since he’s not used to another person worrying about him. He gets especially narked when Shion tells him straight up that hes a human being and that he should look out for himself.

Having someone worry over you means more shackles on you, in order to put in the extra effort of being careful. Basically it means someone loves you.

To Nezumi, this was not necessary.

But even after his yell, Shion still continues to care. He then spontaneously decided to teach Shion how to dance.

To me, this dance was basically a show of their life together from the night that they met to now.

They start off with Nezumi asking if Shion has any experience in dancing, he says no.

Here I think it’s a reflection of his naivety of the world outside of No.6, with Nezumi saying he’ll teach him some basic steps, like he’ll give him the introduction of The West Block.

“Don’t look down.”

I highly imagine this being a direct reference to Nezumi saying, “Don’t look away, look at the world in-front of you.” We know he has said this to Shion many times.

Shion then says to cut it out, how it’s useless, and gives a few excuses on why they should stop dancing, like the times Shion would be on the verge of breaking down, saying how it’s useless, and was willing to give up. But a few words from Nezumi, became his guideline, and helped him overcome it. He stumbles and is slow to keep up, due to this being a whole new experience for him. It’s hard to take in.

As time goes on, Shion’s understanding of Nezumi and how he views the world becomes clearer and clearer. The more they dance, the more he understands. He is watching, seeing the world in Nezumi’s POV, he is empathising with him.

“Dance…dance, Shion.”

Nezumi encourages Shion to live in this new world.

After they finished dancing, Shion is out of breath, and laments how hard dancing actually is, saying he learned something new. Shion is huffing and puffing, while Nezumi is, assumedly, all right. This basically proves the point Nezumi wanted to make, to not worry for him, since he’s basically been doing this all his life.

He does not need the care and the love.

But even after all that, Shion still does anyway.

It’s a direct retelling of their story, and I had never noticed the underlying meaning behind the dance. I had first watched it in the anime and thought the scene was done so beautifully. I had recognised the purpose of them dancing through the West Block, like a show of their life spent with each other. Then I read the manga and novel, which I read through quickly without much thought since its a scene i’ve seen many times.

I played it off as a wonderful iconic scene in the novel, a show of love and intimacy. But what I didn’t know was how much it was a representation of the journey they had up to this point in time. Not only did it show their dynamic and connection, it was like watching them both reflect on the impacts they had on each other.

It was an amazingly written scene and I’m glad it is in the story.

｡.:*☆

If you have read this far THANK YOU SO MUCH GENUINELY um I really hope this was easy to read and understand, i still dont rlly know the mechanics around here, so if u had a hard time reading it, or some feedback, or maybe ur personal input on the dance scene, FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT !! <3

i have a test tmr im supposed to be studying for and here i am talking abt nezushi sigh they have taken over my brain TvT