#this is not a hate post. this is just categorization of canonical behaviors.

[henrysglock]

I'd Like To Talk A Bit About Patty's Anti-Social Behavior

This serves as a continuation of my original "Henry is not, clinically speaking, a 'psychopath'" post, as well as a tangential continuation of my recent thesis on TFS.

Specifically, I'd like to expand on a comparison I drew between Patty and Kit (Badlands). That comparison was drawn in regards to Kit's increasing anti-social behavior as he and Holly drew further away from society/the in-group vs out-group distinction increased (including but not limited to murder, theft, and statutory rape in Kit's case).

I figured now would be a good time to bring back the handy-dandy infographic and list of behaviors/traits I utilized in my previous post:

GM: Grandiose-Manipulative, DI: Daring-Impulsive, CU: Callous-Unemotional Source

Conduct disorder: Generally characterized by aggression towards others/destruction of property, lying, theft, and limited prosocial emotions. GM: Superficial charm, glibness, suave behavior. Megalomania and narcissism. Lying. DI: Fearlessness, impulsivity, recklessness, lack of responsibility. Risk taking behaviors. CU: Lack of remorse, empathy, sympathy, or compassion. Shallow emotional affect.

Let's tally Patty up.

Patty isn't your typical thief, nor does she destroy the property of others. She doesn't lie in obvious ways, either. She is aggressive towards others—often in her own defense, but also in more covert ways (such as guilt-tripping and/or assertiveness when confronted with others' fear or reluctance to comply with her desires). Patty also displays a distinct lack of remorse/guilt and empathy/compassion.

As I outlined in my larger thesis, Patty is grabby with Henry's belongings right from the beginning. She snatches his journal away and tries to read it, only to find that she can't because he's developed a unique cipher to keep his mother from doing exactly that: invading his privacy. To be clear, Henry very openly wants his diary back/is distressed by Patty taking it from him, and he only settles when Patty compliments the cipher. She displays no remorse for having openly attempted to snoop, or even for snatching Henry's journal away from him without asking, despite his open and clear discomfort. That falls under Callous-Unemotional behavior, and almost (dare I say) falls under the category of theft/disregard for personal property/disregard for privacy. Patty smoothing the situation over with compliments rather than recognition of her overstepping rings in tones of Grandiose-Manipulative.

Patty also ignores Henry's pleas in the DOTM rehearsal scene, and she kisses him because it suits her, even though he very clearly says no, tries multiple times to escape the situation, and freezes/is physically unresponsive while she kisses him. She uses a romantic declaration to try and bridge across Henry's fearful behavior. She is not remorseful for her behavior. She doesn't even ask if Henry, visibly shaken/distraught, is okay. She just (quite literally) drags him to Melvald's and, for lack of better phrasing, rizzes Henry up (at this point she is fully aware of his abilities, this is not her pursuing Henry solely because she "likes" him).

Sexual harassment/sexual assault and a lack of concern for the well-being of others (of a supposed love interest and friend, no less) will always fall under Callous-Unemotional behavior. Using romantic or pro-social declarations to achieve goals falls under Grandiose-Manipulative...especially in the context of the next paragraph.

Later, she corners Henry into using his powers on her behalf regardless of Henry's own open fear of the situation and pleas to not have him use his powers (because he fears for Patty's safety re: the Mindflayer). Patty pushes forward anyway with no apparent regard for Henry's discomfort/fear, and she straight up refuses to allow him to back out of the situation...because the potential positive outcome of the situation benefits her. This falls under Daring-Impulsive. Patty does not fear the situation despite Henry fearing the situation. Given that Henry is the one familiar with his own powers, his fear and reluctance should have been a warning sign. Patty either ignores it or is unaware of it entirely in pursuit of her own goals.

When the plan inevitably falls through, Patty does display a decent amount of fear. That fear is specifically about her own physical safety, not about other repercussions. It also retroactively supports the insincerity of her rehearsal scene behavior with Henry. She is not as genuinely committed to him as she indicated she was when he was her figurative cash cow re: finding her mother.

Patty shows a clear disregard for Henry's safety in Act II when she visits him (mentally) in HNL. Henry is still very much flayed. The Mindflayer is right there. Patty's not afraid, though. In fact, she assures Henry she can help him more than anyone in the lab can. All he has to do is leave the lab and come with her to...find her mother. Again, Patty being focused on her own goals over Henry's well-being.

When it becomes clear Henry is resisting her, she begins to cry, unprompted, about how lonely she is. It works like a charm. Henry agrees to leave the lab and run away with her, despite still being FULLY FLAYED. As soon as he agrees, Patty is back to her cheery self and immediately departs from Henry's mind despite his pleas that she not leave him by himself.

I'm not sure I need to outline how all of that fits into Daring-Impulsive, Callous-Unemotional, and Grandiose-Manipulative.

In short:

Patty is consistently, repetitively transgressing on Henry's privacy, consent, and autonomy (bodily or otherwise). She ignores his boundaries and his comfort, primarily in pursuit of her own goals. She is reckless, and she takes unnecessary risks despite clear and obvious/logical warning signs. She, maliciously or not, uses her status as Henry's only friend/"normal" love interest to get her way...and she does it all with no sign of remorse while smoothing it over with insincere platitudes so Henry doesn't kick up a fuss.

Patty is not a good friend to Henry, nor would she be a good girlfriend were they to have ended the play as an item. Her behavior is toxic, and it falls repeatedly under a number of concerning categories (albeit in non-stereotypical ways).

As I said about Henry in his version of this post, Patty is far too young to be "diagnosed" with anything. However, I can say without a doubt that she engages in a concerning number of anti-social behaviors.

Unfortunately, all that ^^ makes Patty far closer to a classical "psychopath" than Henry...or even Brenner, for that matter.

This is, of course, setting aside Patty's numerous connections to the Mindflayer. With those in mind, we begin to highlight a deeper, more violent disregard for non-Henry individuals/anyone who threatens Henry's connection to her or the hive (as well as a deepening disregard for Henry's consent and autonomy). I did, however, cover all of this in the bigger thesis.

[relicsongmel]

The dubious nature of Iris' name (and what it means)

Sister Iris Fey Hawthorne of Hazakura Temple finds herself in a rather peculiar situation for the Ace Attorney franchise in the fact that she is one of very few characters without a canonical last name. Of course, this hasn't stopped fans from assigning her one—for the purposes of tagging and categorization (or simply to distinguish her from Iris Wilson from The Great Ace Attorney series, because "Iris Ace Attorney" is no longer specific enough), every Ace Attorney fan seems to have a different answer as to what they call her, whether it be Iris Hawthorne, Iris Fey, Iris of Hazakura Temple, or simply Sister Iris. This confusion is understandable given the lack of a clear answer in canon as to what her legal last name is as well as her unusual upbringing; what with being raised in Kurain Village as a Fey, taken away by her father as a Hawthorne, and then sent to Hazakura Temple to become a nun. However, before we delve further into Iris herself, there's something a bit unusual (that I don't often see acknowledged within the fandom) that I'd like to bring up—that being, that this name drama not only affects Iris, but her twin sister Dahlia as well.

Simply put, Dahlia Hawthorne being named Dahlia Hawthorne doesn't make much sense when you think about it. Dahlia was born to Morgan Fey, the then-leader of the matriarchal line of spirit mediums of the Kurain Channeling Tradition. As such, it's safe to assume that she and her twin sister were also given this name upon their birth—so why, then, does she have her father's (or possibly her stepmother's—it's unclear) last name when we meet her in-game? Children generally do not have their last names changed when their parent remarries, so what's the deal? This strange situation makes slightly more sense when you remember that much of Trials and Tribulations builds up to the reveal that Dahlia and Iris are Morgan Fey's daughters; as such, Dahlia appearing in Chapter 1 and introducing herself as "Dahlia Fey" would be a MASSIVE spoiler for the events to come.

As for an in-universe explanation, we obviously aren't given one, but we are given a bit of insight from Dahlia (while disguised as Iris) regarding their father's perspective on leaving Kurain Village:

"He hated the place. He said it was a hick dive, and that he had no reason to stay there."

I think it's not an unreasonable stretch to say that their father wanted nothing more to do with the Fey clan after its reputation had been destroyed post-DL-6, and likely went to great efforts to separate himself (and his daughters) from anything that reminded him of it. With this in mind, who's to say he didn't have the twins' name changed? Now, obviously whether this affected Iris herself is still up for debate—it's possible she had already been sent away to Hazakura before this had all happened. But given that Dahlia implies Iris had only been sent away after their father's second marriage, I find it more likely that her name was changed beforehand. That said, it's still just a headcanon based on my personal preferences—I like the idea of Iris having the last name "Hawthorne" because I think the association with the Hawthorne Effect (in which one modifies their behavior in response to being watched) fits her really well, but I don't disagree with those who choose to use other names for her because there are good arguments to be made there as well.

However. However. The intrigue behind Iris' name doesn't even end there. We hear from Sister Bikini very early in Bridge to the Turnabout that it's Hazakura Temple tradition for nuns to choose a "temple" name—meaning that even Iris' given name might not be her real one. I hesitate a bit on this idea considering her name already pairs up nicely with Dahlia’s due to the shared flower theming (and Iris having a lack of respect for acolyte tradition in that regard would give her an interesting resemblance to her mother which I REALLY like), but if it is true it creates another fascinating bit of symbolism—Iris’ first name is a lie. A facade. Which fits in with her lying about her identity to Phoenix for 8 months and her general tendency to put up a front of whoever the person she's talking to wants her to be—whether that be Dahlia's obedient co-conspirator, Bikini's sweet and good-natured daughter figure, or Godot's accomplice and the scapegoat he can use to protect Maya. And neither of the common last names given to her by fandom accurately reflect/show the full picture of who she is either. Fey is what she was born as—but that name comes with a whole host of burdens and generational trauma that she likely does her best to distance herself from considering her tendency to run away from conflict like she did with the fake kidnapping and the aftermath of Doug Swallow's murder (she’s a lot like her aunt in that regard). Hawthorne ties her to the sister she so dearly loves—but also weighs her down due to her sister’s crimes, her role in said crimes, and the family she was sent away from against her will (even if it ended up being better for her) before it tragically fell apart. Neither one truly fits—the Iris name debacle is a perfect representation of the identity crisis of her character and that is nothing short of beautiful to me.

[takaraphoenix]

Detective Conan!

Thanks for playing! <3 send me a fandom and i’ll tell you…

the first character i ever fell in love with: I genuinely don't remember the first, because I literally started watching this when it first started airing, about 20 years ago xD"

a character that i used to love/like, but now do not: mmh, I think Kogoro? I saw the "uncle potential" and the way fandom uses him is great and all but now that I'm an adult I find his behavior absolutely horrific. The way he casually, publicly abuses Conan??? How he drinks and gambles away all their money to leave Ran, his underage daughter, to somehow figure out their budget while also leaving her, again this underaged girl, to run the entire household and raise Conan like what the fuck, he leaves all responsibility on Ran and then makes it extra hard for her with his behavior...

a ship that i used to love/like, but now do not: none, I'd say? My shipping hasn't exactly changed

my ultimate favorite character™: KAITOU KID!!!

prettiest character: Shiho!

my most hated character: I don't really hate any of the characters, like I take the above mentioned issues with canon!Kogoro, but "most hated" is too strong a word tbh?

my OTP: KaiShin, in a landslide

my NOTP: oh most definitely Shinichi and Ran

favorite episode: *distressed noises* there's so many good ones, honestly, like I still am none the wiser on what my favorite KID heist even is *sobbing*

saddest death: no one of importance has died so far? I guess Toichi, on behalf of Kaito, but I don't know if that'd even count since he is dead before the show even starts and his death is important?

favorite season: don't ask me for seasons on anime, "season" is such a non-term for them tbh because very rarely do anime actually have seasonal arcs, it just... continues through

least favorite season: *points above* but I'd say whatever season has the least amount of Kaito

character that everyone else in the fandom loves, but i hate: again, hate is too strong a word, but I feel like Kogoro? Because I see a lot of positive posts about him as a dad and guardian and the fandom, in fics, just collectively opted into amnesia about his abusive behavior toward Conan...

my ‘you’re piece of trash, but you’re still a fave’ fave: I have no trash faves in this one, only gremlin faves xD

my ‘beautiful cinnamon roll who deserves better than this’ fave: mmmh Ayumi? xD This sweet little child does not deserve to be exposed to THIS MANY MURDERS like why are you all deliberately traumatizing these children--?

my ‘this ship is wrong, nasty, and makes me want to cleanse my soul, but i still love it’ ship: I have no ship that I would categorize as that?

my ‘they’re kind of cute, and i lowkey ship them, but i’m not too invested’ ship: mh perhaps HeiShin? Because I definitely see them as onesided canon like Heiji ur crushing hard but it's not something I seek out to read or write?

[trans-xianxian]

respectfully, asexual people can and do enjoy sex, but i can understand why you feel like that is homophobic. especially as desexualization can be a sensitive topic, and for good reason... but gay sex is something asexual people can and do enjoy and take part in willingly. im not trying to be argumentative here! or even really disagree with you, honestly, if you saw an ace hc and sensed homophobia you probably have a good eye for it! i definitely agree if someone doesn't know that ace people aren't all repulsed by the act there's a greater level of suspicion there. its not something i expect everyone to know or think too hard about

respectfully, and first of all, my post is not about asexuality or how it functions as a sexual orientation or what asexual people feel and do. I assumed I had made that clear when I said that my post is not an invitation for ace discourse. while I wouldn't categorize this ask as "ace discourse" per say, what you're talking about here is not what my post is about regardless and it is ignoring what I'm saying about the way sex between gay characters is treated in favor of discussing the intricacies of asexuality

second of all, I state clearly that I am talking about Sexual Attraction. I know that asexual people can and do have sex, and that they can and do enjoy it, but regardless of that fact, they do not feel sexual attraction. wei wuxian and lan wangji are depicted as feeling sexual attraction for each other, there is not only a sexual relationship between them and the enjoyment of sexual activities, but attraction to each other in a sexual way. that's just a true fact about them as characters. headcanoning one or both of them as asexual, thus stripping them of feelings of sexual attraction, regardless of whether or not you think they would maintain a sexual relationship despite a lack of sexual attraction, is homophobic. as I said, I don't have a problem with asexual headcanons for canonically mlm characters in general, someone can be gay/bi and asexual and I am aware of this, but taking sexual attraction out of a relationship between two men who are explicitly shown to feel sexual attraction for each other, is an issue. the problem does not only lie in the way the act of gay sex is treated and talked about, but the feeling of gay sexual Attraction as well. I apologize if this was not clear in the original post. I suggest you also read the ask I answered before this as well for some important additional perspective on headcanons and why context and critical analysis of your own views as well as the content you are consuming is important

lastly, this ask comes off as patronizing and overly personal. beginning by referring to me, a gay man, calling out homophobia as me """feeling like""" something is homophobic is invalidating, and the way this ask is worded like it's trying to "educate" me comes off condescending and presumptuous rather than informative or helpful, regardless of my prior knowledge on the subject

it may seem silly or overdramatic to get so serious about sexuality headcanons for fictional characters - wei wuxian and lan wangji aren't real people and they can't actually Feel or Think anything - but, as we know, fiction affects reality, and it's important that we talk about the ways that gay sex and gay sexual attraction are treated in media and in fan spaces

I don't think you had ill intentions sending this or that it's coming from a bad place, but I have a right to disagree with you and call out your behavior, even if you aren't being malicious or hateful. I hope that you and other people that might read this can understand that and that you will genuinely take my words into consideration

[the-ghost-king]

Interestingly enough the fandom isn't always rational with their criticism. Take Percy and Rachel for instance. A perfectly healthy cute and functional relationship dynamic, but people really hated it because it got in the way of Percy/Annabeth.

I think it can also come down to the fact that not all situations are exactly equal if that makes sense. If you have a character dynamic in couple A, that often playfully bully of fight with eachother that's a different dynamic than relationship B, where one person has trauma resulting from bullying and the other parter behaves in roughly the same way as couple A do. In that case the behavior may be seen as inappropriate. Not that this example has anything to do with the ships at hand, but I think a long form meta examining the different paralleling issues from both relationships and their validity would be easier.

Also I haven't seen anything about about Nico/Will being called toxic. Yikes, what are people saying exactly, because I don't doubt a lot of people might be projecting unconcious bias.

Oh absolutely, I may seem young but I remember the Rachel vs Annabeth ship wars all too well... I do not want to go back 😅

The rest is under a read more though, I got a little carried away talking! Also this isn't my best post on the issue by far so please feel free to check out the tags I mention later on!

(AN: I use nblm alongside mlm in this post because some nblm individuals will consider their attraction to men as gay, or queer, while others will not and those individuals are often closely connected to mlm experiences and they also deserve to talk about their thoughts and feelings if they wish. I am aware nonbinary people are not a monolith and not all nonbinary people will categorize themselves or their attraction this way, it's up to nonbinary individuals reading this to determine where they fall on what)

As for Solangelo being toxic some of the conversations revolve around the ableist nature of the ship, this is definitely most obviously a dynamic in BoO, and it's a more than fair point about the ship I don't have anything negative to say there in the slightest!

(The above parallels with the idea that Will is introduced as a "healer character" for the "sad gay kid", which is a fair criticism as well but one that's often left rather one sided, because while that is true- if it's a way Nico likes being treated (watched closely for injuries and cared for) then it's not wrong, and in ToN Will is seen overstepping Nico's boundaries which causes a healthy argument about Will doing so and he stops, so if Nico doesn't tell Will "no" or some variation he's obviously not horribly uncomfortable with the situation, or from the way it would be interpreted alongside previous text, there's fair reason to think he likes it)

The thing with Solangelo I see often is "Nico is still processing trauma, and internalized homophobia and isn't ready for a relationship" which is a huge misunderstanding on how trauma and internalized homophobia work as a whole, because the experiences can be different for everyone. You can absolutely date someone while processing internalized homophobia, you may struggle with certain things but it is absolutely doable for some people. And trauma is such a varied thing, and it's not like he's solely relying on Will either, he is seeing Dionysus for therapy and getting the help he needs! Your life doesn't have to go on hold for therapy no matter how much trauma you are sorting through! (Not disclosing my medical history or anything but I have struggled with both things and my life didn't stop for me to deal with them, I made new friends, went on dates, etc- it is possible depending on the person so the very narrow view of "this is unhealthy" and "this is impossible" rubs me wrong when it's treated as fact over opinion, because it's an opinion).

There's also constant discussions about how fandom (in current) fetishizes both Nico and Will, which I, and other mlm and nblm have spoken our own thoughts on multiple times to be largely ignored by the biggest perpetrators of this "they're overly fetishized narrative". There's also fairly consistent discussion of how fandom treats Nico and reduces him to uwu small gay boy, which more often than not seems to mean "effeminate" rather than actually harmful stereotyping (yes queer men are allowed to be "girly" especially considering there is some canon text that could be interpreted with that meaning, if there wasn't a plausible way to determine canon that way I wouldn't care if people were going after others feminizing Nico a bit- but the issue is again, fact and feeling aren't the same and fandom seem to conflate the two rather often).

(Some of that ties into nonbinary Nico head canons which are common as of current, and that argument quickly becomes transphobic is people don't watch themselves... Even without bringing nonbinary Nico into the equation, headcanoning Nico as femme isn't bad or wrong, and to say otherwise becomes gender policing which is bad).

There's also this weird obsession with there being a "correct way" to ship mlm ships (specifically solangelo), which when considering it's not mlm or nblm saying those things, it becomes really uncomfortable. Especially because the wording of some posts is less "hey this is homophobic" and comes off more like people are more upset at seeing an mlm couple than at the fact that they're being shipped poorly.

All of this in combination with the constant, talking over of queer guys (specifically mlm and nblm) comes off really messed up, and yeah homophobic.

It's not something that can be pinned down to one specific thing but rather a series of smaller microagressions (which in sure most of are intended in good faith but are being filled with subconscious bias) that build up over time- which is why my concern is that solangelo is facing harsher criticism/different treatment that percabeth simply for being a queer ship.

I can't be 100% sure on that like I said, because that's something that is hard to gain tangible evidence for, or maybe even impossible :/

If there wasn't so many other small things going on alongside the harsher criticism of solangelo, I would honestly just ignore it... But the weird policing of "how to ship solangelo" while proclaiming it's "overly fetishized" all while speaking over a not insignificant number of mlm and nblm who have agreed with certain opinions, or taken time to write their own (+ some of the rhetoric that can be found on he blogs of people commonly expressing these opinions) is super uncomfortable and definitely homophobic... Even if they were treating the ship kind of weird, but treating the queer guys talking about it well and actually listening (because the current solangelo fandom probably has the highest proportion of queer guys in comparison to any other fandom I've been in with an mlm ship as of right now) I wouldn't be so bothered... But sadly that's not the case..

(I'd also like to note out of my posts criticizing the current conversations happening around the issue my post saying "listen to mlm voices" got a lot more notes than some of the other ones, which I can't say is specifically anything, because like solangelo perhaps being treated unfairly to percabeth, I am willing to acknowledge there might not be an issue- but it's weird how often mlm and nblm's posts on "listen to us" will be uplifted but never any actual criticism... Just a thought)

I detail things a little closer and in more detail in some of my posts tagged #fandom homophobia, #mlm fetishism, and #gender policing in fandom, it's not a full or comprehensive list (I've only really started speaking up in the last month or so), and it is largely solangelo specific. However I am always interested in listening to the voices of other queer guys about the issues and hearing out their thoughts as well (people aren't a monolith and I'm interested in trying to be as nuanced as possible!) and I acknowledge that although I am mlm and am going to be a little better at recognizing issues and calling them out (although I like every person am not perfect of course)

So yeah! That's a bit of the current ongoings, again not a full comprehensive list, and definitely not my best explanation ever but I think the point gets across well enough? Definitely check out my other tags if you're interested in more, there's also definitely more posts I need to make on some of the things I've seen (maybe not all of them so solangelo fandom specific, and maybe some of them even more solangelo fandom specific) but it's rather slow work in progress!

[emilyofjane]

Why the Disney Princesses definitely need therapy: a Hot Take

Snow White

Losing her parents as a child and having to learn to take care of herself at a very young age (Snow White is 14 in the movie, and judging by her work ethic, she appears to at least have some experience with living independently before moving in with the 7 dwarves)

Lack of socialization due to isolation

Depression due to isolation and loneliness. This makes the whole “Someday My Prince Will Come” thing much more believable, because Snow White really isn’t in any sort of immediate danger and doesn’t need “saving” or whatever; she’s just tired of being alone and wants human companionship. (And tbh who can blame her? The poor girl’s literally talking to birds and moved in with the first group of humanoid creatures she could find ffs)

This one’s a bit of a stretch, but I’m pretty sure Snow White would also have an unhealthy fear of strangers and/or an irrational fear of being poisoned after the whole apple fiasco

Cinderella

Being raised in an abusive home environment for most (if not virtually all) of her life

The complete lack of positive social interaction throughout her life has probably led to problems with social withdrawal and isolation at some point, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has repressed symptoms of chronic depression due to loneliness.

Her closest emotional confidants are literally two talking mice, and that just screams “My only friends are animals because their love is unconditional I’ve been invalidated and unloved by every human being in my life” (aka extreme emotional neglect)

She probably has tons of questions about her biological parents that were never answerd because, again, her stepfamily hated her, which would obviously lead to some emotional baggage

If we consider Cinderella III: A Twist in Time to be the new canon, she definitely has some unresolved PTSD from her near-death experience (the “almost getting crushed to death in the carriage because it was transforming back into a pumpkin” scene)

Aurora

Existential crisis because the three fairy godmothers basically rewrote her entire identity as “Rose” and hid the fact that she was a princess

Never knowing who her real parents were as a child, leading to emotional baggage similar to that of Cinderella and Snow White mentioned above

Either the emotional burden of having to make up for 16+ years of lost time with her biological family, or the grief of losing her biological family without ever getting the chance to know them (idk whether Aurora actually got to meet her parents by the end of the movie or if they died before she woke up, because I don’t remember exactly how much time had passed while she was in the coma)

Speaking of the spindle prick-induced magical coma (which is a really long-winded and inefficient way to kill someone honestly, idk what Melificent was thinking), Aurora also has to deal with the emotional burden of how much time has passed while she was in a coma, which would only further feed into the existential crisis and emotional trauma in bullet points 1 and 3.

(Also, off the record, but Aurora’s entire life post-movie is just a hot fucking mess and she really deserves a second movie exploring that concept imo. I know that Sleeping Beauty has already gotten a live-action villain spinoff, but the story of Aurora herself really deserves to be reexamined under a modern lens also. Aurora is easily one of the most overlooked Disney princesses and tbh she deserves more love.)

Belle (feat. the expanded lore from the live-action movie)

Witnessing her mother die from the plague in their own home

Being forceed to move from the more culturally progressive city of Paris to the unnamed “poor provential town” in the movie, where she is clearly the odd one out and is subject to gender inequality on a daily basis (in the form of being publically shamed and socially ostacized for being an educated woman)

Being regularly sexually harassed by Gaston, which is further exacerbated by the villagers and their close-mindedness. Not only is Gaston’s behavior enabled and encouraged by the villagers, but they even go so far as to idolize Gaston — as shown during his namesake song — despite his obviously predatory actions, simply because he is a cishet white man that they find conventionally attractive

Watching her father get arrested despite being 100% innocent...TWICE

Also being arrested when her father is wrongly convicted a second time, by none other than her abuser

Watching her lover — who besides her parents was the first person in her life who truly loved her and respected her intellect despite being a woman — nearly die in her arms, as well as everyone else in the castle (who ALSO respected her regardless of her gender) nearly die at the same exact time.

...And you know, Stockholm Syndrome or whatever. (But tbh, given how everyone in the castle was very kind and respectful and how the Beast was a tsundere at best, Belle would probably suffer far more from PTSD brought upon by Gaston and her previous environment than from “Stockholm Syndrome” in a castle where everyone actually treated her like a normal fucking human being. Unpopular opinion I know but as a sexual assault survivor this is literally a hill I will die on.)

Jasmine

I’ve actually never watched Aladdin all the way through, so unfortunately I can’t give a full analysis of Jasmine’s conflicts...but I have seen that gif of her saying “I am not a prize to be won” and that just screams “I’ve suffered a lifetime of female objectification and gender inequality despite my social status, and not even in the highest position of authority possible am I allowed to have a voice” and idk about you but that is really fucked up man

Ariel

PTSD from being manipulated by Ursula to give up her voice and nearly losing everything (both her previous life in the ocean and the promise of a new life on land with her love interest) because of it

Near-death experience from *vague hand gesture to whatever the fuck that was at the end of the movie*

Inevitable depression from abandoning the only home she’s ever known (the ocean) and leaving her friends and family behind

She’ll probably also need some form of behavioral therapy to help her adjust to her new home on land, whose culture is still extremely foreign to her — and maybe even additional therapy for social anxiety, given how her first 3 days of human interaction were so mortifyingly embarrassing that she’ll probably be laying wide awake at 3 AM and thinking “oh my god I can’t believe I looked Eric’s parents dead in the eyes and brushed my hair with a dinner fork” for the next 10 years.

Tiana

PTSD from literally being turned into a frog

Overworking herself to the point of near burnout, and being unable to fully live out her prime adult years because of said burnout

Constantly dealing with shitty customers, bosses, and other white-collared people disrespecting her and treating her as subhuman because of her career choice, which is unfortunately a common shared experience among restaurant workers and those who work hourly wages

Since this movie takes place in the United States presumably before the 1960’s, it’s probably safe to assume that Tiana also probably had to deal with segregation, Jim Crow laws, and other forms of racism off-screen on a daily basis, which would obviously take a toll on her mental well-being and further exacerbate the issues mentioned in #3

Grief from losing her dad, which has likely been repressed due to her workaholic tendencies denying her the ability to properly take the time to mourn

I don’t even know what to categorize the whole witch doctor shenanigans as, I just know that she and Naveen are both going to need some SERIOUS therapy after going through all that shit

Rapunzel

Being raised in an emotionally abusive and controlling environment for her entire life

Being completely isolated for 18 years with no social interaction whatsoever with anyone except her own abuser

Existential/identity crisis from discovering that she’s actually a princess, that her “mom” was actually the one who kidnapped her as a baby and tried to cut her hair, and that everything she knew about herself and the world she lived in was essentially a lie to keep her obedient to Gothel

Near-death experience (the drowning scene)

Internalized fear and mistrust in strangers — and quite possibly in people in general — due to Gothel’s lifelong warnings that people in the outside world would only want to take advantage of her

Watching the woman who raised her MERCILESSLY STAB THE ONLY OTHER PERSON SHE EVER KNEW AND LOVED IN THE GODDAMN CHEST

Watching the woman who raised her LITERALLY CRUMBLE TO DUST IN FRONT OF HER VERY EYES

WATCHING FLYNN, THE ONLY OTHER PERSON SHE EVER KNEW AND LOVED BESIDES HER GODDAMN ABUSER, FUCKING DIE RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER before she miraculously healed him

Because Flynn’s revival was such an uncanny revival that not even Rapunzel knew how she did it, she obviously thought he was gone for good...and since Gothel was gone also, there must’ve been at least a split second before she healed Flynn where, for the first time in her entire life, she was completely and utterly alone. That alone deserves to be a bullet point because holy shit

I’m not even going to get into Tangled: the Series man this list is getting too long as it is

Elsa

Losing her parents at a young age

Abandonment and isolation issues (mostly self-inflicted due to her own fear of hurting others, see #3)

Internalized fear and self-doubt of her powers — and, by extension, fear and self-doubt in herself

Guilt from nearly plunging Arendelle into an eternal winter

Guilt from almost losing her sister (twice!) due to her own direct actions

(Coinciding with #3) Guilt from isolating herself from her sister to protect her, only to nearly get her killed by the very thing she was trying to protect her from

Anxiety. Just lots and lots of general anxiety.

(Omitting Frozen 2 for Elsa because I haven’t seen it yet and this list is getting too long)

Anna

Also losing her parents at a young age

Abandonment and isolation issues, but hers are moreso due to Elsa “shutting her out” as a kid and having no one else her age in the castle to interact with

Lack of socialization in general for much of her childhood, as well as any social anxieties/lack of social knowledge and etiquette/etc. that would come with it

Abusive relationship with Hans (I know it was only one day, but holy fuck that was a trainwreck. What Hans did to Anna is a literal breeding ground for PTSD and trauma)

Coming to terms with the fact that the trolls fucking erased her memories of Elsa having ice powers and that Elsa isolated herself to protect her (and not, you know, because she hated her or something)

Leftover guilt from holding a grudge against Elsa for most of her childhood for shutting her out, because NO ONE BOTHERED TO TELL HER THAT IT WAS FOR HER OWN GOOD and she never knew why

Basically Anna and Elsa both need joint therapy or family counseling or something because holy shit their parents did NOT handle this situation properly AT ALL

(Also omitting Frozen 2 for Anna because I haven’t seen it and this list is also getting too long)

Moana

Surprisingly, Moana’s movie was relatively tame — in fact, because her tribe returned to voyaging and she is now exploring the seas/following her passion, these events were arguably beneficial to Moana’s mental health rather than detrimental. The only emotional baggage I can really imagine Moana having post-movie is leftover grief from her grandma dying and maybe the stress of having to put up with Maui’s shit

[sz-amare]

7. My Top 15 Anime List

I have watched a lot of anime in the past four years, but one thing that gives me great enjoyment is ranking my top anime. Here I will rank my top 15 favorite anime, along with some honorable mentions that couldn’t make it. However, I won’t be going too in-depth on the analyses; I just want to give you a general idea of why the particular anime is where it is on my list. In general, I rank my anime depending on a combination of factors: 1) how brilliant I find the anime to be written, 2) if the themes resonate with me, 3) if it is categorized in my favorite genres, and 4) my general enjoyment level. Anyway, to the list.

 Number 15

One Punch Man

When I first watched One Punch Man, it seemed nothing more than a mindless comedy anime. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it and laughed a lot, but I found it to be forgettable. But one day, I heard that the genre of One Punch Man was seinen, which made no sense to me. It had no dark and mature themes, and as I mentioned, it was nothing more than a senseless comedy. But then one day, on a whim, I watched One Punch Man again. And I REALLY enjoyed it. I still laughed a lot, but something felt different to me this time. I actually felt like I had a deep connection with each of the characters. The story seemed to be more structured and enjoyable this time, and finally, I could actually see the themes that One Punch Man was trying to explore. It made sudden sense to me that One Punch Man is indeed a seinen and that it had a lot more to it than on the surface. Of course, the difference in experience is because of my new understanding of anime and the experience I gained.

Number 14

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is probably one of the most unknown, underappreciated, and underrated anime on this list. Someone recommended it to me, and I had never heard of it, so I assumed it was a mediocre anime. But when I watched it, I had so much fun which I hadn’t felt in many months. It is a training shōnen anime where the main character tries to learn martial arts. That is all I want to say for now because I don’t want to spoil anything, so go watch it. I highly recommend it.

Number 13

A Place Further than the Universe

I don’t see many people talking much about A Place Further than the Universe. But, I must say, it is absolutely phenomenal. It is, hands down, the most inspiring anime in existence. The basic premise is a high school girl wanting to do something significant in her high school life. I won’t say anymore because, again, I don’t want to spoil this anime, and I recommend you check it out if you need inspiration in your life. Let me just say that it is now an aspiring goal of mine to visit Antarctica.

Number 12

Plastic Memories

I made a whole analysis on the previous post so go check it out. But for a quick recap, the life lesson I learned from Plastic Memories has permanently changed my behavior for the better. I found it to be the saddest anime I have ever watched.

 Number 11

Steins; Gate

Once again, I have already made an analysis on Steins; Gate, but this time I only covered the first episode. I also ranked Steins; Gate a 10/10 so that must mean that the rest of this list must contain masterpieces. But to be honest, that is not really the case. You see, to me, even if I consider something a masterpiece, the enjoyment factor plays the most significant role in ranking high on my list. For example, I found Death Note to be brilliant, but I really struggled to enjoy it and therefore, it is not ranked that highly. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Steins; Gate, but I just enjoyed the rest of these anime way more. Anyway, if you want to see why I loved Steins; Gate so much and why I find it so brilliant, check out blog post 4.

Number 10

Berserk (Manga)

Almost everything I found In Berserk is brilliant (except its adaptations, that’s gas station toilet). Guts is a 10/10 protagonist, Griffith is a 10/10 antagonist, the cast is a 10/10, the story is a 10/10, AND THE ART!!! Holy shit!!! I can actually picture an entire museum dedicated to each panel of Berserk.

 Again, the only reason this anime is not any higher is simply because I enjoyed the others on this list so much more. However, I am yet to review any analyses on it so there is a possibility that it will bump-up several places higher when I truly understand the brilliance behind it. Great read though!

Number 9

Haikyuu

I LOVE Haikyuu. Each season gets progressively better and better. It has a lot of controversy around it because of its fan base and because it’s a sports anime. But to be honest, I find Haikyuu to be a better shōnen than My Hero Academia, Black Clover, Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, and most other modern shōnen anime. It has its amazing moments, its cast is amazing, the character development is amazing, the themes are amazing, and the antagonists are amazing. I am not bluffing when I say that the antagonists in a Volleyball anime are better than the antagonists in many shōnen anime (I’m going to develop haters before I can even develop fans). I plan on making an essay on what most shōnen strive for yet fail to achieve, and Haikyuu somehow delivers.

Number 8

Oregairu

Best romance. Hands down. Oregairu, or SNAFU, or My Teen Rom-Com is Not What I Expected (yes, so many titles) is a masterpiece in its own right. If you are a guy and you watched Oregairu, don’t act like you didn’t imitate Hachiman a couple times. He is a beautiful protagonist, which most of us guys relate to. His inner monologues result in us treating them as gospel. The sub-text is confusing as fuck, but end up making sense in all sorts of ways once decoded. Yukino is best girl, but man I love Yuigahama almost just as much. The general enjoyment I got out of Oregairu is so far through the roof that I once forced myself to stop watching it so that I could savor the show a little more. It is a little difficult to get into at first, but you will most likely end up enjoying it.

Number 7

Re Zero

This is the most recent addition to the list. I often don’t add anything new to my list; I just switch the places between some of them. But ever since season 2, Re Zero jumped significantly in rank. It is the best anime of 2020 (including sequels), and I enjoyed each episode to the max. I was considering adding Re Zero to my top 10 since the first half of the second season finished, but I was a bit hesitant because I am easily affected by recency bias. But my love for Re Zero would just not die down: my love for it grows after each episode airs. It is the only anime on this list that I watched weekly other than One Piece. I actually prefer watching a series I love weekly rather than binging it all, except for One Piece, pacing is constipation (slow and painful). Other than the vast enjoyment I got out of Re Zero, the main reason it made it to this list is because of the light novel comparisons I watch. Aninews is my favorite source. He compares the episode to the light novels, mentioning what was left out and further describing the emotions and thoughts of the characters. He tends to release the “Cut Content” videos a week after the episode airs, but the content and quality are incomparable. I found the videos to be so amazing I am basically just as excited for the weekly videos as the Re Zero episodes themselves. If you love Re Zero, the Cut Content series is a must watch.

The fantastic details and emotions the light novels are able to portray are stunning. I decided to read the light novels recently, but the only issue is that I am very short on time. But for each novel I complete, I will release a post on it.

Number 6

Mob Psycho

Although I said I found Haikyuu to be better than most modern shōnen, Mob Psycho is hands down the king. Its quality far surpasses all modern shōnen and a lot of older generation shōnen too. Funny thing is, I believe Mob Psycho’s primary genre is slice of life, not shōnen. I also believe it to be the best take on an overpowered protagonist. One of my favorite things is that Mob, who is the strongest esper we have seen, seems to be so weak. That is exactly how he should be portrayed; he is still a child with mental challenges that he is constantly trying to overcome. The themes that Mob Psycho explores are some of my favorites. The animation is a bit weird at first, but after watching it, you suddenly realize how brilliant it is.

(Honorable Mentions)

Attack on Titan

I am going to get a lot of hate for not including this in my top 5, let alone my top 15. Attack on Titan is still releasing episodes, so that opinion may change soon but let me be clear about one thing: Attack on Titan is a masterpiece. It is absolute greatness. The hype and enjoyment I get out of Attack on Titan are out of this world. But, a) the enjoyment feels a bit short-lived for me personally. It is a fantastic week after airing, but I tend to forget about it the next. b) Attack on Titan is simply not my type of show. Again, I do love Attack on Titan. Again, it is a masterpiece. And again, it may bump up a bit after a few episodes release, but as of now, Attack on Titan isn’t in my top 15.

(Honorable Mentions)

No Game No Life

Similar to One Punch Man, I thought No Game No Life was an anime for senseless fun and enjoyment. But then I watched the movie. The movie is canon to the light novels, but it is irrelevant to the plot and only contributes to the understanding of the world. However, since I watched that movie, I felt the world of No Game No Life to be more realistic. Of course, a world where games resolve all sorts of conflicts like war is ridiculous. But after watching the movie, that ridiculousness somehow turned to reality. The world of No Game No Life became fascinating to me, and what seemed like dumb games began to turn into political machinations.

(Honorable Mention)

Magi & Yona of the Dawn

All I have to say about these two anime is that they seemed to be very fascinating premises and concepts, but the anime sadly stops for both. I am considering reading the manga for both of them sometime soon, so this list may change once I do.

Number 5

Hunter x Hunter

If you like shōnen, I don’t see why you would hate Hiatus x Hai—I mean Hunter x Hunter. The only thing it slightly lacks is a strong main cast, which many people like anyway. Otherwise, absolute perfection. They have most of the best villains in all of anime: Hisoka, Chrollo, Meruem… How can you not love Meruem? And the way he parallels with Gon but in the opposite direction: just perfection. The arcs are hard to rank because they are all perfection in their own right. The best power system in anime is nothing short but perfection. If it weren’t for the Hiatus, it would be ranked fourth. I doubt it would scratch my top three.

Number 4

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood

I know I kept saying perfection when talking about Hunter x Hunter, but I actually believe that Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the perfect series (Note: I am not saying that no one can love it and that it has to be your #1; obviously there are preferences. I’m merely saying that it perfectly crafts what it is trying to portray). The only two arguments you can bring is that the beginning is weak. But if you watch the 03 version, there are no issues whatsoever, in my eyes. Keep in mind, when I say it is the best, I mean from a narrative standpoint. Yes, the animation isn’t the greatest, and the gags are kind of bad, but from a general narrative standpoint, it is the best writing I have ever seen. The plot was brilliant and well-crafted. The world is beautifully bound by their power system: alchemy. The philosophical discussions and themes it explores always have you thinking. The characters are very likable and are all top tier characters. The mysteries keep you in a cycle of confusion and excitement. Since I love science and chemistry, alchemy was so fascinating to me. This show is definitely well-deserving of the number one rank in My Anime List.

Number 3

Kill la Kill

After listing a lot of the best anime/manga with the best stories and narratives, I can see why someone would be upset that I brought up Kill la Kill. This one is certainly the odd one out. However, remember me mentioning that the enjoyment factor is the biggest decision maker in my list placement? Kill la Kill gave me the most enjoyment out of all the anime on this list, even more significant than the obvious #1. I didn’t find anything to be all that brilliant in Kill la Kill, and I can completely understand if someone hated this particular show. But there was something about Kill la Kill that made me feel nostalgic in a weird way. It also gave me one of the weirdest yet most immense feeling of satisfaction I have ever felt. I love Kill la Kill.

Number 2

Konosuba

           Okay yeah, this one is also the odd one out, but it is a little more acceptable. I find Konosuba to be the best comedy anime of all time. Not necessarily because it is the funniest anime (I think it is the funniest but comedy is subjective), but instead because, unlike most comedies, like Nichijo, the characters in Konosuba are absolutely brilliant. Kazuma is one of my favorite characters of all time, Megumi is best girl, but I still love both Darkness and Aqua. Their interactions are absolutely entertaining on both a comedic scale and a general enjoyment scale. Their assholeish-type relationship reflects my relationship with my friends (we are complete assholes to each other, but we also love one another).

Not only that but from the comedy focused anime that I have watched, the plot in this one is actually delightful. The Konosuba movie is my favorite movie of all time, right after A Silent Voice.

Number 1

One Piece

If you read a couple of my previous posts or recognized my profile picture, you probably knew that One Piece is my favorite anime of all time. My love for One Piece is so extensive that I would rather forget all my experiences with anime than forget my experience with One Piece. One Piece inspired me and changed my life. Not in the typical way where I learned a life lesson from the story like Plastic Memories, but simply because I found the writing to be so brilliant. So it was more that Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, inspired me. The characters are the best I have ever seen, the villains are well crafted, the world-building is literally the best in all of fiction, the build-up is fascinating, the questions from the mysteries somehow keep piling over, the symbolism fleshes out aspects of the anime even more, the backstories make characters more relatable and understandable, the general dynamic flow of the world feels like reality, the themes it explores are great learning experiences, the originality never ends, the hype moments keep you energetic for more, the foreshadowing is so phenomenal to the extent where it shouldn’t exist, and the general planning of the story makes it obvious how amazing of an author Eiichiro Oda is.

This series has been airing weekly for nearly 22 years now, the manga for 25. How in the world is Oda able to create this monster of a story, planning certain elements a decade or two in advance? This is brilliance. This is beauty in writing. And I want nothing more than to create a masterpiece of my own.

Final Notes

Emotional, I know. I believe my list here is a bit diverse in terms of genre: shōnen, seinen, romance, comedy, sports, slice-of-life, and mystery. I think it’s a great thing to widen your horizons a bit by exploring various types of genres. Anyway, there are many anime I haven’t watched that could easily replace and dethrone some of the anime on this list. I plan on watching and reading Hajime no Ippo, Gintama, Vagabond, Oyasumi Pun Pun, I”s, etc. I heard these anime/manga are considered the best for their respective genres by many people, and I will probably finish reading and watching these anime/manga in about six months. So I will make a top 15 anime list once again around that time.

If you have any questions or you want to discuss something, feel free to ask in the “Ask Me Anything” tab on my Tumblr page.

[seyaryminamoto]

I really hate how the OP identified azula as ENTJ, coz as an INTJ I can confirm that homegirl is an INTJ to bones. We actually have the same situation im an INTJ but people often see me came off as an ENTJ just because I'm a leader for every activity I need to deal with my classmates with authority and have to crush down the awkwardness I feel talking with them for the project to be successful.

... I am not sure which OP you’re talking about but I think I understand the debate nonetheless xD

I’m INTJ as well, and I see more than enough similarities between Azula and INTJs too. The thing is, not every personality is the same, even amongst INTJs there’s some differences in character such as Assertive or Turbulent (I, apparently, am a Turbulent INTJ and I’d suspect Azula is more of an Assertive one?), so we have a lot of traits in common but maybe we approach certain situations differently.

At any rate, ENTJs and INTJs aren’t all that different by logic, but I do agree that they’re different enough. Sokka, for instance, seems to be a perfect ENTJ, I don’t think any other MBTI works for him. Meanwhile, Azula can fit either ENTJ or INTJ to varying degrees: I was talking with a friend the other day and we were debating whether Azula is introverted or extroverted, and to this moment it’s almost a coin toss. It really hinges a lot on your personal interpretation of the character: I lean more towards introverted, but I don’t think she’s a classic introvert in the sense of being shy or wanting to be isolated from people (the latter sounding more like something that describes Mai). Yet I also can acknowledge that popular opinion, and interaction with others, is very important for Azula, to the point where not being successful in social environments seems to plague her pretty badly in The Beach.

Looking at sites that talk about the differences in the duality between (E) and (I)...

Extraversion (E)

I like getting my energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities. I'm excited when I'm around people and I like to energize other people. I like moving into action and making things happen. I generally feel at home in the world. I often understand a problem better when I can talk out loud about it and hear what others have to say.

The following statements generally apply to me:

1. I am seen as "outgoing" or as a "people person."

2. I feel comfortable in groups and like working in them.

3. I have a wide range of friends and know lots of people.

4. I sometimes jump too quickly into an activity and don't allow enough time to think it over.

5. Before I start a project, I sometimes forget to stop and get clear on what I want to do and why.

Source

Meanwhile...

Introversion (I)

I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world. I often prefer doing things alone or with one or two people I feel comfortable with. I take time to reflect so that I have a clear idea of what I'll be doing when I decide to act. Ideas are almost solid things for me. Sometimes I like the idea of something better than the real thing.

The following statements generally apply to me:

1. I am seen as "reflective" or "reserved."

2. I feel comfortable being alone and like things I can do on my own.

3. I prefer to know just a few people well.

4. I sometimes spend too much time reflecting and don't move into action quickly enough.

5. I sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if my ideas really fit the experience.

Source

Once you look at those two descriptions, there’s some traits in the first description that can fit Azula, including that she even called herself a “people person” at one point in the show (though she isn’t necessarily right about it, but still...). She also seems to enjoy being involved in action, to making certain things happen (she’s the one with the agency and initiative throughout The Beach, for instance, that’s not her father telling her to do things, it’s Azula who tears down a sand castle, drags the others to play Kuai Ball, ensures to get invited to a party and then who seems to have the idea for the house trashing that happens later), so it’s not completely farfetched to say she has some (E) traits.

Buuuuuut... when you look at the (I) traits, it actually fits really well. Azula doesn’t limit herself to merely taking action, she thinks things through. The (E) description suggests carelessness, not reflection, not proper pondering or weighing of situations, and going by Azula’s behavior throughout Book 2 and the first half of Book 3, she is absolutely not that careless and instead plans things for ages in advance... which fits (I) so much better. Azula also only seems to have two friends, and is shown deliberately choosing them over a whole Royal Procession, which again fits (I) far better than (E).

Therefore... It’s very difficult to say which one suits Azula perfectly, and that’s why I believe it hinges STRONGLY on how you perceive and headcanon the character. I think that Azula is pretty much standing in close to the middle of this particular duality, sharing enough traits with both sides to make her waaaay too complex to categorize bluntly in either thing. I’ll say, outright, that I write her as more of an (I) than (E) in terms of how she socializes, quality over quantity, pretty much? But in terms of how she reacts in situations of peril or situations that require someone to take the wheel, she’s absolutely going to jump ahead and take charge immediately, something that makes people think of (E) rather than (I), as you said yourself.

In the end, I can’t get particularly angry at anyone who headcanons her as ENTJ rather than INTJ, I’ve seen arguments for either side, I know neither thing is all that far from the truth... but I also suspect Azula may be a little too complicated for MBTI to apply to her character flawlessly, regardless of which personality type is chosen to categorize her. There’s always going to be pros and cons to either ENTJ or INTJ placements for Azula (the classic understanding for (I) is we’re shy and basically allergic to social situations, which can feel out of place with Azula because she WANTS to be part of social situations, and the problem hinges in that she doesn’t exactly know how to be part of them due to her horrible, sheltered upbringing...), so I don’t really have a personal stake in this particular debate. I’ll likely continue to write her leaning more towards INTJ than ENTJ because I usually work with either post-canon Azula, who I headcanon as far more reflective and less action-driven, or with Gladiator Azula, who as well has become a lot more reflective and who didn’t see as much action at 14 years of age as she does in canon. But if some people prefer to write her as ENTJ, as long as she still feels enough like herself, I’ll be okay with it too. I also don’t mind at all the analysis of Azula and Sokka as two different takes on what ENTJs can be like, it was pretty cool to see it, even though there’s also great meta out there on what makes ENTJs and INTJs great matches too xD 

Soooo... what can I say aside from: headcanon what you wish to. If you’re here, in my blog of all places, you must know I disagree with like... 99% of common and popular fandom opinions xD doesn’t matter how big a blog may be, or how loudly they shout whatever opinions they may have, you as an individual are absolutely allowed to disagree, and there’s really no one in this world who can tell you your interpretation of a character is less valid just because the rest of the fandom doesn’t share it.

[thehollowprince]

The way Mason Hewitt gets utterly erased by fandom, replaced by Theo to be Liam's friend and anchor. And I think one reason he's left out of fic so much is because as we've discussed he is basically Fanon!Stiles. And to have him around in a story with Fanon!Stiles would look suspicious because... they're the same, except Stiles is actually nothing like fanon. And they'd rather *die* than portray intimate scenes with Mason because they find Black people disgusting to be frank (pt. 1)

and I've seen it in every fandom. They gush about loving ~the gays~ but ignore canon gay/bi boys, esp if they're PoC. And it's all about straight yt boys boning, and what they get off on. And because they don't find Black or Brown ppl attractive, they get no love scenes. Mason was openly thirsting for Brett, but fandom was silent because "eww, canon Black gay expressing lust healthily?" And this is what we mean when white fangirls fetishize gay/bi male ships/dynamics (pt. 2)

And I touched on that yt fangirls will misappropriate progressive language when it suits their agenda. Like dismissing Scott as a "cishet yt boy" yet worshipping Stiles + Derek. And they often try to make that worship seem progressive by claiming Stiles or Derek are nonwhite/Jewish, or claiming werewolves are a allegorical oppressed group (no) yet ignore Scott is Brown *PLUS* he's a werewolf too, so they claim he's an intruder on ~werewolf culture~ and a colonizer (final)

You are not wrong in any aspect.

We've talked ad nauseam about the appropriation of mlm sexuality and giving it to the straight, white characters. And as you said, its almost exclusively the white fangirls who get off to two guys together rather in the same way that straight men get odd to lesbian porn. The fact that they don't see that they're just doing the very same thing that they hate men for doing is... well, sad is the first word that pops into my mind.

I know you don't watch any of the SKAM shows, but I experienced a similar problem over there. By far the most popular storyline across any of the remakes is the season three story, that being a closeted gay man coming to terms with his sexuality and embracing it rather than trying to suppress it. But the thing is, if you actually go through the tags, that's not the sense you get at all. Most of the people that watch these shows, or at the very least the ones who are the most vocal in the tags, are only focused on the romance in the story.

They didn't care the actual struggles of being in the closet and the journey that character has to go on to accept themselves. They just wanted to see two boys kissing. That became very apparent during the last remake to do that story, WTFOCK. They changed up the timeline and didn't introduce the love interest until the third episode, and those three weeks were just filled with constant complaints. This was further compounded when we saw the main character, Robbe, do what a lot of closeted young people do, and he tried to have a relationship with a girl, hoping that it would "make him normal". The tags were littered with homophobic jokes about how Robbe was "secretly straight" and it was extremely disheartening, especially from the fandom of a show that preached acceptance.

And you can't call them out on this behavior. I did and half the fandom blocked me because I, an actual gay man, wouldn't let a bunch of horny fangirls be the voice of a gay man's struggle. I was also bugged down with anons (similar to the one that's haunting my inbox right now) claiming that the reason they were so keen on the love interest showing up was because he was a "healthy representation of mental illness". Of course, they then went about proving how much they didn't actually care about that by spending the entire season trying to diagnose Sander at every opportunity, but the romanticizing of mental illness is another matter entirely.

To circle back to the point, we were given actual, healthy mlm representation on Teen Wolf, but fandom outright ignores it in favor of focusing on a non-existent relationship that was based entirely on negative stereotypes. But that's the crux of the matter, isn't it? They don't care how their behavior actually affects gay and bisexual men, so long as they get their own sexual satisfaction. You point out how having an adult and a minor in a relationship just reinforces the predatory gay pedophile stereotype that the Christian Far Right have tried to categorize us as for decades (if not longer) and they cry "it's just fiction!" But these same people talk about the stigma of unhealthy body types for women because the girls of these shows are skinny and petite while able to run marathons and fight of almost anything.

This is never more prominent than when they continously call for more LGBT representation, always mlm and never wlw, and then go out of their way to ignore that representation because it wasn't what they wanted (ie. completely thowing out their stories for Stiles and Derek and devoting everything to making them a couple, often at the expense of everything else.)

The term double-standards clearly means nothing to them.

And we could shout until our voices are gone about the racism in this fandom, but those who perpetuate it don't care enough to listen. They don't want to hear how them going out of their way to erase or put down Scott, the Latino lead of the show, at every opportunity is racist. They don't want to hear how them taking all of Scott's most prominent attributes (his compassion and loyalty and persistence) and giving them to Stiles to make him more palatable is racist. They don't want to hear how them completely ignoring the canon gay characters, who are also characters of color, in favor of taking straight characters and "turning them gay" is not only racist but homophobic.

They don't want to hear any of that. They want to live in their little fantasy world where everyone recognizes their genius and that they right all along. The real kicker is that I'd be more than happy to leave them alone in their own little world, but they refuse to be put out to pasture, hence the reason Athena is still jumping on pro-Scott posts, or that someone posted anti Scott content in the Scott McCall tag, or the ever present anon. They refuse to leave us alone so we have to rehash these same arguments over and over in the futile hopes that maybe this time it'll stick.

[sclfmastery]

Dude, Simm!master deserves all the love and joy in the world.

Well I super appreciate this and I know the muse does. At the same time, it’s good to contemplate this in (attempting) being a responsible blogger. A redemption arc should not be an apologia.  I need to be careful. 

 I think it’s important to acknowledge the things Simm Master did that were pretty dreadful, LOL.  What complicates matters, of course, which is kind of the thing this blog harps on about all the time, is that the Master is the Master (and at times, Missy), right? From one face to the other, the same entity.  What changes, arguably, is contingent upon who is at the writing helm at the time, more than “personality differences between faces/incarnations.” You may already know this, but it’s called the Watsonian vs. Doylist perspective.   The problem with most of the Simm Master hate, I think, is that people mistake the Doylist reasons for his behavior as Watsonian reasons.  Basically, one should acknowledge that  some of the explanations for in-universe behavior boil down to bad, tone-deaf writing.  They’re Doylist reasons. 

RTD, Moffat, and Chibnall are ALL guilty of writing the Master/Missy irresponsibly.  @modernwizard recently made a post about Chibnall’s racial and gender-based tone-deaf errors in writing Dhawan Master.  When it comes to Simm Master, RTD and Moffat are pretty bad, too, not in representing the Master HIMSELF (a white man), but in his relationships with the people he hurts. 

 It has been, for instance, pointed out that both times the Simm Master mistreated companions of the Doctor, they were black (the Jones family and Bill Potts--the Bill thing, with the Cybermen conversion, even borders on eugenics, which, given the most prominent Western example thereof in real life, bothers me as a person of Jewish heritage more than I can say).   This is incredibly and repeatedly insensitive to a POC audience. 

 Moreover, representations of gender: why would a canonically nonbinary character from a culture that “doesn’t do gender like you humans do” consciously and consistently be misogynistic? To his wife, whom he beat? To Martha’s sister, telling her to “just stand there and be pretty”? To Bill, “do as she says? Is the future going to be all girl?” This not only misrepresents the Master from a Watsonian perspective, distorting the essence of his character for shock value, it’s also an unnecessary way to make him a compelling, “love-to-hate-them” villain to an audience of women.  The showrunners are (perhaps) trying to condemn this kind of ass-backwards misogyny by rendering the ALIEN villain an exemplar of all the most debased qualities in a HUMAN villain, because that’s their Doylist agenda . . . but does it really work?

 I would argue that it doesn’t.  A villain’s flaws should be consistent with his background and his motives.  They should not just be arbitrarily superimposed onto the character “because bad guy.”  The person who actually writes about this the most eloquently in the case of Simm is @the-twohearted-dalek. 

I know these things mostly because of the great writers I’ve encountered here on Tumblr. Characters like River Song, who seem, in Moffat’s hands, to be mere titllating male fantasy extensions of the Doctor, are suddenly brought breathtakingly to life as compelling, sympathetic characters of their own by FAN writers.  Re Simm Master, someone who is great at this is @natalunasans, who makes a series of photoshoots of dolls they’ve designed (as well as fanfictions) portraying the Master as a chronically ill enby.  Again, the issue is a Doylist one. Get a good writer who loves and respects the characters, and gives them flaws that MAKE SENSE, and you’ve got half the battle fought. 

Writing him therefore presents the challenge of constantly disclaiming that one does not condone the outside-universe flaws that are shoved onto who he is by showrunners who are more interested in getting an emotional rise out of the audience than in disseminating media content responsibly and sensitively.  It’s a unique challenge, and worthwhile, but occasionally, I will admit it’s exhausting. 

Another example of this is people who write Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and have to contend with Joss Whedon the Glorified White Male “Feminist’s” giggly need to slip “cunt” into the Avengers Assemble script by having Loki call Black Widow a “mewling quim.”  Loki, who is genderfluid, and whose mother Frigga is his canonically hallowed role model.  Does that add up? Nope. 

However I agree in that it’s also good to acknowledge when someone is earnestly trying to learn from their terrible mistakes and grow. Otherwise there would be no hope for anyone, because everything sentient, literally, is on some level “problematic.”  We build ideologies from the knowledge our neural network acquires while bombarded with literally millions of information cues per second.  We develop mental “shortcuts” that categorize environments and other people. The problem with that is that sometimes those shortcuts lead to stereotypes, which lead to a resistance to continue learning and growing, because we have “those people” pegged.  And that’s, I think, the root of all evil.  Unlearning that ad being open to growth again, with new information, is a part of every good redemption arc. I hope that  for every Master, even this one. 

Thanks for passing on your sweet message to the evil gay tardigrade <3 

[bigskydreaming]

kai06leaf replied to your post:

Ended up all night, with sleep derailed by a RUDE...

Um I had asked for a link for your batman related works?:)

Oh score, this is actually weirdly timely then! FlashinthePan is my Batfam pseudonym (https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlashInThePan/works), its just it hasn’t been useful for much other than to use my bookmarks page there as a fics rec list. Since the only other things still up on it are the YJ WIP I haven’t updated in a couple years and an elephant’s graveyard collection for the random ficlets I often write on here while forgetting they’re usually long enough to be actual one-shots...and that I then forget to actually add to that one, that I created for the specific purpose of putting all those in one place. My mind. Its just....*staggers at the Legend of it all*

I’ve been on a pretty committed “No more posting unfinished WIPs kick” for the past couple years but am finally at a point where I have stuff to post without cheating, so that streak officially ends today, when I finish my read-through of the first fic* in question and hit publish. “The Requiem Rites of Robins,” the ten chapter first story in an AU Battle For the Cowl fix-it series, “A Legacy of Robins,” with TRRoR being roughly 40K, focuses on Dick and Jason and their issues with each other and Bruce’s believed death, picking up and going AU at an indeterminate time not long after the end of BFTC. 

Specific goals of focus with this particular fic were addressing Bruce’s bullshit last will and testament to Jason (ugh), the eternally unremarked upon moment that was Dick watching his brother refuse to take his hand and instead fall to what at the time must have seemed very likely to be Jason’s second death, in a pretty fucked up parallel to his parents’ death (ugh), various other unaddressed issues between the brothers that kept them making like they were Cain and Abel instead of two people who loved each other and very much could use each other while grieving for their father or even just pretending they weren’t....and also steadfastly jumping their combined train of events well off the tracks before Morrison’s whole...”Jason” thing ever happened at all (ugh).

Just a headsup for readers for whom certain characterizations of Bruce are a dealbreaker - full disclosure, this fic and its sequels do consider various less pleasant moments between Bruce and his two eldest to be in character and canon, with NTT #55 and the ending to UTRH the most touched upon and relevant. For what its worth, my intention there (and hopefully my execution of things) was not to vilify or bash Bruce, or to make it at all a question of whether or not both really loved Bruce and he them. 

To be clear...I do categorize Bruce’s actions towards Dick and Jason at those times/specific others as abusive, but a huge part of my reason for even writing this particular fic was to explore and examine the reality of loving a parent even despite a history of actually abusive behavior on their parts. Of how to mourn for someone you loved at some times and hated at others, who was both the person who made you feel whole again and the one who made you at other times feel the most broken. 

Especially when you’re two people who pride themselves on being heroes, who are ‘supposed to know’ that there’s no defense, no excuse for some of the things their father did, but that doesn’t always change or erase how much they want to. And who are both looking for an answer in the other, as to how they’re supposed to live with the fact that deep down, there’s a part of them that will always still be those ten and twelve year old orphan boys who came to believe their father was a man who could literally do the impossible...even mend what was broken, make things right with them and the world as they knew it just like he’d managed once before, when he’d first come into their lives and they’d been just as certain then that there were no more happy moments in their futures at all. 

And with the both of them still, even after everything, having held onto that secret hope that someday he was going to find the secret loophole, the magic words that let them forgive him, that let them let the past all just be in the past and the future all that really mattered, that their best days as a family weren’t all behind them yet and there was still time for things to be different, for him to be different....because their dad wasn’t like other ordinary dads, their dad was the Batman, he was a superhero.....

....who was also still just a man, and sometimes men die with their most important deeds still left incomplete.

This first story is centered firmly on just Dick and Jason, because I have a tendency to let things get too widespread and expansive plot-wise the more characters I focus on, and because this first story, about mourning Bruce and finding a way to move on, needed to be just Dick and Jason, although Cass and Tim and Damian, as well as Steph and Babs and Alfred all have things in the wake of his believed death that IMO they needed explored, and that were never explored in canon. But Dick and Jason had to be the first two and a solo act except for each other, especially as this series is still geared towards Bruce’s eventual return, and just to a much different status quo....because the thing about Dick and Jason at this specific point in time, is that they were quite possibly the only two people in the world who would ever have the relationship with Bruce that they did, to see him the way they both at times did, and nobody else ever fully grasped. 

They knew him at his highest and his lowest points, the best parts of him and the worst, the center of their whole universes and the destroyer of them....and for them, at this place and time, its about being forced to realize that for as much as come between them over the years, they each are the only ones who will ever fully be able to speak to the entirety of their father as not just Bruce Wayne, the Batman, the myth and the legend, but Bruce the man, the flawed father who was supposed to be better than his worst mistakes with them, because he was supposed to be a hero. 

Even as close as others were to Bruce, there were specific slants to the light they saw him in....for Alfred, even when making his worst mistakes, he was still his son, for Cass he was still the father who fought her personal demon not because of what he wanted her to be but so that she could be who she wanted to be, for Tim, he was imperfect but still larger than life, the hero he’d still first only come to know through the lens of a camera from a great distance, a perspective he’d yet to entirely shake, and for Damian he was still largely a figure of make believe, a bed time story he’d been told all his life. 

There’s an inherent goodness, a nobleness around the idea of Bruce for most others in his life, that defies coming face to face with the realities his failings could be.....which only Dick and Jason could ultimately attest to, as losing the ability to keep sight of that innate shine was why they’d found themselves so disillusioned by their father at the lowest points between them. And so in a lot of ways, the ultimate goal of writing this fic was trying to get Dick and Jason to a point where they could share their full, messy, complicated as hell feelings about their father with each other, but simultaneously feel a need to preserve the way each of their siblings still saw him, because the truth is that if there’d been someone who could have preserved that shine for their own eyes, to keep their memories of him clear and unobstructed by complication....they would have been glad to have been left just missing Bruce their father, and not the mess of feelings forever tied up in a Gordian knot upon by his death.

So yeah. LOL. That’s the link to my Batfam works, though there hasn’t been much on their for ages, but stay tuned for Chapter One of The Requiem Rites of Robins, later today.

“In the wild, a group of robins is called a round. But Gotham’s birds have always been of a different sort, something entirely unique. And the only proper plural for them, I’ve found, is a legacy.”

An investigation leads the newly minted Batman to London, alone and without Robin’s back-up for the trip. In the past couple months, Dick Grayson has barely found time to breathe, let alone to grieve for his father and come to terms with his new role as the Dark Knight’s successor. But his distracted state leaves him vulnerable, and when a new villain’s one-man war threatens to make a casualty of him too, he’s left with no alternative but to work side by side with his rescuer - at other times better known as his brother, his successor, and a couple times his would-be killer.

(Their family always has been one of over-achievers. And if you’re going to pick a pair of brothers to play compare and contrast against with that in mind, its hard to go wrong with something biblical.)

But Dick seeming no more happy about it than he is, doesn’t do much to pick up Jason’s mood. He’s come to London for his own reasons, and no, he’s still not inclined to share. Curiosity killed the cat, but he’s sure Selina wouldn’t mind if innate nosiness knocked off a few birds here and there as well. Well-earned paranoia aside, however, secrets and cynicism can only carry them so far when the two are forced to rely on each other to fight their way free of a city turned death-trap. Both are keenly aware that the last time they’d fought side by side like this, they’d been all the way back on the other side of Jason’s first untimely death. And as far as potential omens go, that one’s about as shitty as they come.

But a mixed curse and blessing are nothing new for them, and so that’s not just a painful reminder, but also proof that things were different once. That the brothers they’ve become were not always the brothers they were supposed to be. It was time and pain and bloody loss that weighed them both down so much further than the altitudes that came most naturally....not fate, or destiny, or even them. And as their new enemy forces them deeper and deeper below ground, it becomes all the more clear there’s only one skill in either of the brothers’ arsenals that will see them through to the other side of all this: 

And only if they can not just remember, but rediscover, how to shed all of that and finally fly free again.

[mswyrr]

notomys replied to your post “I, who have been so not into Gen fic in the past, find myself just...”

I honestly would have liked if the show had done that - they sometimes love their tropes a little too much. Personally, I've never liked "redemption leads to death" - if you're dead, how can you put the lessons you learned to use?

Yep. And what some folks in fandom miss is that the existence of abuse + redemption as a combo in fanfic, highly niche erotica/emotional porn romance, does not = good representation or a lot of representation for abuse recovery arcs in media that include redemption/ugly behaviors and symptoms. Nor is it itself intended to be a grounded or realistic depiction: it serves a different, highly stylized emotional porn purpose, which is valid. But it’s a separate thing.

And in media itself largely there’s the idea that people who are damaged enough to lose themselves need to just die instead of changing, which is harmful. In fact, overall, as much as people pretend they’re just being woke, there’s a strong strain in fandom of Good Victim vs. Bad Victim.

Good victims have no ugly symptoms or issues, they’re just soft and smol and, if angry and violent, exclusively at the bad guys and with no fallout in the rest of their lives. And mostly, media being what it is, female victims are written like that - but the moment a female survivor becomes difficult you can see the knives come out in fandom too.

Over in B//omb Girls fandom people got so angry at this one character, Kate, that a lifetime of abuse actually left real, not easy and pleasant damage. That she wasn’t just the perfect soft weepy uke girlfriend for Betty to heal with her topping after a few single perfect tears and some artful whimpering.

And W//yonna Earp fandom bayed for Willa’s blood and victim blamed her to the point that it was disgusting to even look at the stuff they were coming up with. And then, ofc, that show killed her...

It is a repeated and very mainstream thing to promote the idea that people who go to an ugly damage place and lose themselves just have to die. Even if they’re so young they’re still legally minors or just barely not legally children anymore. When people engage in that and pretend they’re being woke (because the existence of a certain genre of niche erotica offends them so much!) because they want these people to die without a moment of grace/redemption...

That is taking the bog standard mainstream media position and arguing it should be more regressive and restrictive, not pushing some kind of progress.

And, yeah, it is true that overall survivors in media with ugly symptoms are white male characters. But there’s more than one thing going on here. Especially when some survivors say: I see some of the broken, ugly side of my healing process in this character and want desperately for them to live and do the hard work of getting better.

In the book Max has some unpleasant symptoms and that gives me hope, but so far on screen the way they’ve ignored the deeper issues... well, it makes sense that she has high walls and is trying to be there for El.

But they need to let her be well rounded and have that ugly side to her situation (as El was allowed to have in S2, which people hated and blamed on Kali because they couldn’t accept that a girl they’d categorized as a meek, smol, innocent obedient “good victim” could have rage and violence issues and need to lash out and push boundaries to heal.)

You can’t just choose to give two characters a background of extreme abuse and then kill the one off whose symptoms are ugly and have the other one have barely any evidence of that damage in the main canon without there being an issue there.

But, again, they let El go to a place people who wanted her to be the eternal soft good victim didn’t want to see, and overall they keep offending viewers by letting characters show real evidence of their trauma in real, unpleasant/unpretty ways, so I am hopeful.

I mean, they approved of the book, so... clearly they were okay with the content? I’m confused about how canon it’s meant to be though. /shrug/ But something like that needs to be there. And El + Max’s friendship needs to be as deep as the boys friendships have become as time passes, which will include that part of their lives. I think they get that; Max can’t just be there to be support, they need to move into mutual support and understanding. Fingers crossed they do right by the only survivor of the awful family they wrote who actually has survived it literally.

[a-non-sequitur]

rogue one: JUNIOR novel: reaction

So I’m reading the Rogue One: Junior Novel by Matt Forbeck because… look, I’m just desperate for every bit of official Rogue One material I can get and both Guardians of the Whills and Rebel Rising aren’t out for three weeks. I’m also mildly curious as to how a morally dense and complicated movie gets translated for younglings. What’s important to emphasize? What’s not?

(I do wonder in general how Star Wars film novelizations - both the adult and children versions - are handled. How much of the movie do they even see while writing, if any? Is there an Official Person who makes sure the characterizations/internal monologues/etc. are What They Should Be? Is every extra bit that’s in the novels but not in the movies okay'ed as canon? Did Forbeck use Freed’s novel as reference? Etc etc.)

Favorite/Interesting bits:

really emphasizing and contrasting Jyn’s self-preservation throughout the novel

This is a girl who looks at every situation (innocuous or not) and her very first thought is, “Will this kill me? How can I survive this?” 

And yet, when she’s forced for time, she makes snap-second decisions that go against this - eg saving the girl on Jedha, standing in front of K-2 when Baze aims his blaster. 

It’s not that her self-preservation is a facade, per se; it’s definitely real. It’s just clearly a thought process that she’s been forced to cultivate rather than something innate to her character. 

on Eadu, Cassian really wanting to make sure his entire crew is safe, even though (1) they’re not his crew (yet), and (2) he has no official obligation to… any of them except K-2 and, possibly, Jyn. Even when he’s thinking, “Jyn is going to murder me once she realizes I assassinated her father,” he’s simultaneously thinking of ways to make sure the entire Rogue One crew escapes Eadu.

Bodhi:

Bodhi being salty (in his head) at K-2’s and Cassian’s flying+crash landing on Eadu. Made me smile, tbh.

Bodhi’s internal sarcast-o-meter. Example:

The Empire had lit its landing platform with spotlights to make it easier for legitimate shuttle pilots—like Bodhi had once been—to find it.

Cassian pulled Bodhi down next to him, as if anyone in the base could spot them all the way over there. In the storm. At night.

But Bodhi went along with it anyhow. Cassian was the spy, after all.

Cassian pulled out a set of quadnocs and focused them on the landing platform. Bodhi didn’t think there would be much out there to look at, but he decided to let the spy go spy if he wanted to.

While both Freed and Forbeck heavily characterize Bodhi as being very brave while still being very scared, Freed also focuses on Bodhi’s mental trauma post-Bor Gullet, whereas Forbeck... basically dismisses that experience and instead focuses on Bodhi’s anger/righteousness to help inspire Bodhi’s inner monologues. I wish he had, you know, taken Bodhi’s torture seriously, but I did think this alternative perspective was an interesting take.

Baze mourning Jedha and Wanting Revenge. The loss of Jedha eats at his every thought when his perspective is featured.

Even with a constant barrage of “brother” and “best friend” hogwash, it is impossible for either Rogue One author to hide how In Love Chirrut and Baze is. 

Krennic continuing to have Z.E.R.O. emotional intelligence and blaming Lyra for everything Galen did (Krennic’s trans-media constant hate-on for Lyra makes me as schadenfreudestically happy as his completely one-sided hard-on for Galen) 

the Jyn-Cassian argument was handled really well, I think. The author doesn’t try to simplify it into a “he or she is the winner” but let’s kids know that the argument was messy, that they both had reasons to be right while both realizing that they’re not completely right at the same time. That emotions running high can affect what and how you argue about something.  

the complexity of Jyn’s opinions of the Rebellion (both the Alliance and the Partisans), especially her frustrations with them 

everyone (including Cassian) keeps viewing Jyn as mission leader and Jyn's like I DONT KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH THIS; I THOUGHT CASSIAN WAS LEADING 

i’ve always been of the camp that categorizes K-2 and Cassian not just as bffs but as considering each other as actual family to each other. So I always get excited when I come across little bits over how much they care for and are reliant on each other. 

 At least not until after Cassian and Jyn had grabbed the tape and gotten away.

 “Kay!” Cassian yelled. The droid could hear the anguish in the man’s voice. They’d put a lot of work into each other, after all. 

[emphasis mine]

rebelcaptain: the junior novel is nowhere near as shippy as the adult novel (... that sounds pornographic, whoops). there’s definitely hints - especially from cassian’s side - where their thoughts go WHY AM I ACTING LIKE THIS AROUND THIS OTHER PERSON; LET ME TRY TO RATIONALIZE MY BEHAVIOR INSTEAD OF EXAMINING MY EMOTIONS, but honestly, spiritassassin has more shippy internal monologue than rebelcaptain here.

in general, that the author repeatedly showed that it doesn’t matter so much what your thoughts necessarily are - it’s the choices you make that carry the greater weight. 

Bodhi wishes that he could send other people into the firefight on Scarif to connect the communications relay, but he does the run himself. 

Cassian justifies the assassination of Galen repeatedly, but he doesn’t pull the trigger. 

Jyn imagines just giving up to Imperial forces at the top of the data tower, but she rushes to the end of the platform to fix the satellite. 

Etc. etc. A lot of little instances like that.