#i actually don't think this is a controversial take but I've seen people get hate for smaller things so.

[rabarbarzcukrem]

The eternal opposing relationship between the two sides of a mirror

or: In defense of Shiori

I feel like Shiori is one of the most controversial characters in Utena. Some love her, others despise her. And I don't have a problem with people having strong opinions on her character. What bothers me is the tendency to exaggerate her most negative traits, focus on her most harmful actions, completely ignore any redeeming qualities she might have and then paint her as a one dimensional villainous caricature, a mean straight girl who plays with the lesbian's feelings for the sake of it, without anything deeper going on.

I'm aware of the fact that some people refer to her like that in endearment or in a satirical fashion, and I'm not saying that you can't consider her your favorite problematic evil girl representation. I'm only trying to make people realize that it's her complexity that actually makes her such a compelling character.

I've seen people call Shiori all sorts of names, some of which were baffling enough to make me wonder if they even remembered what happens in the show, and weren't just judging a version of the character that they made up in their head.

So, let's look at the things Shiori actually does, throughout the course of the story.

Disclaimer: I'm only going to take the series into the account here, because I think we can all agree that everyone's characterization and personality differs at least slightly in the movie. Background characters also get a lot less screen time to explain their motivations in order to fully focus on Anthy's journey and struggles, which is understandable.

1. She "steals" the boy from Juri.

This is her biggest crime, which seems to define her from the very beginning. Even though Juri didn't actually have any romantic feelings for him, this action is detrimental to their relationship - it breaks the trio apart, isolates Juri from the pair, is an act of betrayal against her and proves it was done with full awareness that it would hurt Juri emotionally.

Shiori is a deeply insecure person, who constantly feels inadequate and beneath other people. The only reason why Juri seemed to actually like her that Shiori could think of was pity, and even when she found out she was the object of her romantic affection all along, she still struggled to comprehend it. Her self loathing and constant perceived inferiority make her desperate to gain any sort of control over her life and relationships, but they're also the exact reason she feels that the only way she could ever do that is by hurting others. She's always one step below and incapable of crossing that distance, therefore the only way to become equal to people is to bring them down to her level, by humiliation.

When she "steals" the boy from Juri, she achieves that. For a moment, she feels good about herself and leaves Ohtori thinking that she has found the answer, the solution. But she's wrong. From that moment on, it becomes more and more apparent to her that what she did was never out of love for the boy, even though she doesn't let herself acknowledge it fully. Because the truth is, Shiori actually regrets hurting Juri, which she admits herself during her elevator confession.

When the guilt starts getting to her, her confidence high wears off, and she ends up feeling ever worse.

That's why she breaks up with him and comes back. She's not ready to leave yet, not ready to progress. There's still something binding her to Ohtori - Juri, and Shiori's unresolved feelings for her.

2. She tries to set things right with Juri and to fix their relationship.

Even though at this point Shiori still thinks that Juri only ever associated herself with her out of pity, she still makes several attempts to get closer to Juri, who understandably (albeit coldly) turns her down ever time. This is a very clear sign of conflicting feelings Shiori has for Juri - jealousy and admiration, resentment and longing, hate and love. After all, Shiori admits that the two practically grew up together. Their friendship may have always felt fake to Shiori, but she clearly cherished it deeply.

3. The Black Rose Arc.

First of all, we should establish what is the purpose of this arc and how it functions. It explores the motivations of background characters and shows their worst side to the audience. The characters that end up in the elevator are the most unstable, vulnerable ones, with the least power in the system, in unequal and/or exploitive relationships with the duelists and their agency under threat. Mikage offers them a way to gain that power by making them follow their most toxic, negative emotions. And despite all other characters doing exactly that, from what I've seen Shiori is the one that gets the most hate for it. I don't think she should be judged any harsher for what she did under the influence of the black rose than, let's say, Wakaba or Kozue. Especially because the reason all of them ended up in that elevator is because they recognized that these urges were harmful and were seeking help and counseling.

What this arc does do is reveal how Shiori's inferiority complex drives her to act against her own desires. Even though she longs for things to be different, even though she is not happy at all with how her relationship with Juri looks like, she is unable to fix it, because that would require her to consider her own affection for Juri. And she can't do that, because it would mean admitting that she's not stronger than Juri, that she hasn't beaten her, that she's doesn't have control and an advantage over her. Although she tries to keep up this smug, self-assured facade, the reality shines through.

They key to understanding Shiori is noticing that she specifically doesn't want to acknowledge that Juri's feelings are reciprocated, and the obsession is mutual. If you paint their relationship as one sided, you're actually falling for her act.

4. She enters a relationship with Ruka.

Ruka is a handsome (arguable), respected boy who appears out of nowhere and starts showing interest in Shiori. It's obvious that for an insecure girl, who in addition struggles with confusing repressed feelings, this would be something unthinkably wonderful. The affection and praise she gets from him is exactly what her low self-esteem craves. You might be wondering why she didn't perceive Juri's feelings for her in the same way. And a part of the answer might be that, post nameless-boy-incident, Juri was nothing but cold to her. She might have been pining after Shiori from afar, but in the end she's distant and untouchable, and they're divided by their messy past. Meanwhile Ruka is a clean slate, seems openly affectionate, engaged in their relationship and he pays attention to her. But I think the main thing that makes Ruka so different from Juri is the fact that...he's a boy. Because, as Revolutionary Girl Utena establishes, gender plays a crucial role in interpersonal dynamics. Attention from a boy is fundamentally coded as romantic, desirable, necessary and most importantly: increases the girl's worth in society's eyes. It makes one a princess. Meanwhile Juri's advances could only be seen as an invitation to friendship, at best. But Juri's status and beauty make her special, while Shiori is not. Therefore, it can only be pity and mockery.

Of course, Ruka only uses Shiori to influence Juri and dumps her as soon as he achieves his goals. It's true that Shiori could have listened to Juri's warnings, but then again... why should she? From her perspective, Juri's her ex-friend that doesn't want anything to do with her, who only suddenly comes to Shiori when she's finally happy and fulfilled, and encourages her to end it. She doesn't know the wider context of the situation, nor does she remember the Black Rose arc. Juri's warnings don't sound sincere to her.

And so, Ruka gets rid of her in the coldest, most indifferent way, not explaining anything or showing even the slightest sign of compassion. Before that though, he makes an interesting remark, about Shiori putting on an act and polishing somebody else's sword.

Honestly, I don't really know how to interpret it in any other way than Shiori actually having feelings for someone else, despite trying her hardest to conceal it. Are my shipping lenses not allowing me to see any different possibilities? Am I going crazy? I don't know.

Nevertheless, Shiori begs him to stay, devastated. Her life got turned around so suddenly, she found appreciation, status, comfort and stability, and now all that's been taken away from her as abruptly as it was given. It's a public humiliation.

I once heard someone say that this would be the perfect moment for Juri to step in and defend her. And to be honest, although it may be true, I'm not completely sure. It may have been the one display of open care that Shiori needed from her, but it might as well have been interpreted by Shiori as Juri affirming her superiority over her and feeling sorry for her again. We will never know. In my opinion, so much of their relationship is going on in their own heads that the only thing that could ever cause positive progress is communication (which neither of them seem to be a fan of).

Instead, Juri only tries to console her after the fact, when Shiori's at her absolute lowest. In the context of all the assumptions Shiori holds and Juri's previous indifference, it quite understandably comes off as a sneering attempt to gloat.

That's about it. You may have noticed that I've summarized all Shiori's appearances into 4 points, and only one of them includes an instance of Shiori hurting Juri voluntarily, out of her own free will, not influenced by anyone. I'm not saying that she was forced to taunt Juri during the Black Rose Arc, I'm not trying to diminish the suffering she's caused or trying to paint her as a perfectly good person. I am trying to make it clear that she is not some cunning plotter, dedicating every minute of her life to finding ways to make Juri suffer that some people seem to take her for. I am trying to humanize people's perception of her a little bit. Especially considering the fact that last scenes of her include those when she waits for Juri and follows her so that they can go home together, and then joins the fencing club. If this doesn't show that she's capable of change, I don't know what does.

She's not an innocent princess, that's true, but she's not just an egoistical, manipulative liar either. She's a bit of both. After all, if Revolutionary Girl Utena is supposed to teach you anything, then I think it's that we're all just people, and the complexities of human experience make it impossible to fit anyone into a box, assigning them definite labels like "princess" or "witch".

And if you look at a teenage girl who, like all people in Ohtori, struggle under the system of patriarchy and heterosexuality, and all you see is a wicked, sinister witch, then you may have just fallen into the trap that the narrative had set for you.

#Shiori: I may be pathetic but you're the one who fell for me lol #no fr you don't need to make up reasons to hate shiori there's plenty enough right there in the text #rgu #revolutionary girl utena #shiori takatsuki #juriori #I guess #she's so fucked up I love her #like girl feeling delighted after finding out your bestie has a crush on you is not very straight no matter how you justify it #moje

[narcissisticpdcultureis]

Hi, so, I made a lil quiz on controversial opinions and one of them was that narc abuse isnt real and someone disagreed and gave a response that I thought was intriguing, however I am an egotypical so I figured I'd go to this blog to see your opinion on it?

The response was "Know a lot about this topic (got really deep into the NPD) and i gotta say it's fine to say narcissistic abuse. The whole pointttt is that we're all trying to help folks with NPD, narcissistic abuse is real and should be talked about but that doesn't make narcissists evil/unredeemable. Individuals w/ NPD greatly affect those around them, unlike stuff with most cases of like, existential OCD since that's most internalized rather than externalized. I don't have any issue with the term narcissistic abuse and y'know, it's like, not something you're gonna care about in 50 yrs."

i do not know a single person with NPD who felt at all "helped" by narc abuse truthers. no, 99% of narc abuse truthers are not "trying to help folks with NPD," i've never met or seen one who wasn't passively ableist at BEST. most narc abuse truthers are not trying to help, they are not trying to understand, they DO in fact think we're irredeemable and a good portion of them wish to actually wipe us off the fucking planet. multiple times i have seen narc abuse truthers just straight up spew eugenics. most narc abuse truthers don't even actually know what NPD is beyond abuser disorder.

it is true that people with NPD can affect the people around them, but that is not at all a trait unique to people with NPD. narc abuse as a term makes it sound like there is something uniquely abusive about people with NPD. all narc abuse describes is patterns of emotional and psychological abuse, nothing more and nothing less, and those patterns are not unique to us. i have been abused in ways that narc abuse describes by people did not have NPD. if you want a term that literally just means "abused by someone who had NPD," you would need to apply that same logic to every single disorder out there that could possibly have an externalized affect.

even if a term like "narc abuse" worked in theory, the communities that are fostered around it are horrendously and disgustingly ableist. it is the nature of a term like that. blaming the abuse you suffered from someone soley on their disorder not only takes responsibility off of them as a person, but also inherently subconsciously creates negative associations with that disorder and everyone else who has it.

i am going to get a bit vulnerable about something i'm not proud of. i have had a very similar mindset narc abuse truthers have about NPD but with bipolar disorder. i grew up knowing my extremely abusive father had bipolar disorder as he was diagnosed when he was younger. i blamed the majority of his actions on his disorder, it made me scared and paranoid of people who had the same disorder. i even had an old friend who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while i knew him who explicitly told me he was afraid i'd start to hate him or be afraid of him. and a part of me was afraid of him for it. i was miserable and made other people around me miserable. i had to at some point confront the fact i could not blame his disorder for all his abusive actions, i had to make the disconnect, i could not hold innocent people with the same disorder responsible for what he did to me. it was not their fault, and they did not deserve to be held accountable by association of a disorder they did not ask to have.

i could not imagine how much worse it would have been if i had something like a "bipolar abuse" community. i maybe never would have undid my ableist views. these "[disorder] abuse" communities always inherently create an environment that is extremely negative and hostile towards people with said disorder. you can absolutely have conversations about how your abuser's mental illness and trauma affected the relationship you had with them, as mentioned before my father's untreated bipolar disorder absolutely heavily impacted our relationship even outside of his abusive behavior, but these kinds of communities are not the way to do it.

and actually, this is something i will still care about in 50 years if i have to, but hopefully i won't because hopefully it won't still be an issue in 50 years. though that may be wishful thinking.

#not culture #ableism tw

[thewertsearch]

Ask Comp 25/8

Aw, thank you! Sometimes I actually think I overdo it a little - that my dives are a little too deep. This is how I consume media IRL, though, so if nothing else, it's authentic.

The Battlefield is definitely growing. The spatial warping makes it hard to measure how much it's growing, so it could definitely be exponential, especially if we keep adding higher dimensions.

As for how Jack matches up against Bec - Jack is definitely smarter, but he's also a lot more vulnerable, since losing the Ring will render him powerless. He'd have to be incredibly careful in a fight, especially against someone just as fast as he is.

I still think Bec has the edge, but his victory is far from guaranteed. I totally understand why Jade wouldn't want to risk it.

Imagine what Eridan would have said to a 'lowly greenblood' like Jade.

Yeah, there's no way trolls have therapy.

I hate to say it, but the Alternian version of therapy is probably moirallegiance. You're supposed to rely on this one person to keep you emotionally stable - and if you're not outgoing or charismatic enough to find a moirail, you don't even have that.

Of course, this system has nothing in common with the relationship dynamics of any culture on Earth. We really dodged a bullet there!

Gamzee really leans into the 'court jester' aspect of being a bard. He doesn't take anything seriously, nor is he expected to do so - he's just off to the side, dancing.

Yeah, my prediction is that Vriska is going to use him.

If she can manipulate Tavros into trying to control Jack, she might actually be able to remove his Ring. I speculated that she might use some sort of cheat to gain an advantage in their fight, and I think we may have found it.

He casually controls Becsprite later on, so I don't think he needs their goals to align.

As for why Bec didn't try to save Jade - I think he knew instinctually that someone was going to make him save her, so he didn't need to do it manually. That's Alpha, baby!

I can't tell if I've reached the controversial part, to be honest. Was there discourse about whether Tavros had done anything wrong?

Personally, I think it's hard to argue that he didn't, but other characters have done much worse - and in much more ambiguous scenarios, too.

Lord English is coming, send help plz

Thank you! It's kind of funny actually - I know that Homestuck's irregular update schedule used to drive people mad, but I'm reading it at a similar pace, with similar irregularities, and it really has been a chill experience on my end.

Maybe it's because I'm not participating in the fandom the way live readers were, and therefore, I'm not subject to the weapons-grade hiatus brain that Cat has war stories about.

Poor Kanaya - she really knows how to pick 'em. Rose is definitely less stressful to crush on than Vriska, though.

I recently saw this quote for the first time in a while. Excited to learn which of the comic's several thousand plot points it's referencing.

@spyril4132 asked: i have seen this in my youtube recommendations and must now share [s] descend but with silvagunner's high quality nuclear rip - YouTube

Legitimately amazing, and perfectly timed.

For anyone doesn't know about Silvagunner, please take a dip down this rabbit hole.

I do wonder how she's getting physical details about the Sun. Isn't it, like, fully outside of conventional reality?

Maybe the Sun is physically real, despite being in an unreal location. Technically, that's also the case with sessions.

I do like the 'music player' metaphor from an earlier ask. You don't necessarily have to use discs - a cassette player is also a good choice, or maybe an older variety of music box.

If you want to stretch the symbolism a little, your Time Player could wield something really kooky, like an iPod Nano, MIDI keyboard, or analog radio.

(Sally the Time Player would wield Rhythm Heaven for the Nintendo DS.)

It's been years since I've watched Primer, actually. I remember enjoying it, but I don't recall enough to give a proper review. Rewatch time!

Yeah, the rules for Captcha codes are all over the place. This example implies that they hold the general idea of an object, without any 'corruption' - but when John's Ghost Dad poster was defaced, its code did change.

The implication, I guess, is that defacing a poster counts as changing its nature, but spilling oil on a pogo ride does not. It's weird.

It is odd that it's marketed as a beta. Sburb and Sgrub seem almost identical, the latter's bifurcated session notwithstanding.

The human session failed, yes - but it failed due to manipulation, sabotage, and a generous helping of terrible luck. If Gamzee prototyped one of his clown posters, Jack's regicide could just as easily have happened in Sgrub.

All that said - when it comes to software development, I'd trust Sollux over Grandpa any day. If one of those games is more stable, it's Sgrub.

Alright, that one's actually pretty great lmao

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2

[shsl-heck]

So because I've seen it compared to Worm, I started reading The Boys by Garth Ennis. It's bad! Like really bad! It feels like what would happen if you let an edgy anti-feminist atheist youtuber from 2015 write a comic book. I finished the first volume of the omnibus in large part because it was a train wreck I couldn't look away from, and am debating starting the second since I hate myself. The most interesting parts are actually the little forewords. Through them I learned both that it was supposed to be a comedy, and also a critique of the military industrial complex/police (or at least that people read it as one). This was surprising to me since it is neither funny nor incisive. Anyway, now I want to ramble incoherently about my problems with it because this goddamn comic broke my brain.

Okay, so one of the most common ways it shows you which characters you aren't supposed to like is by having them do comically "gross" sex stuff. Notable examples include cocaine fueled orgies, mentions of shitting during sex, bestiality, masturbating in public to the sight of disabled people, and a little person using sex toys. One that shows up repeatedly in this context is characters being bisexual or gay. Now, I don't wanna get controversial, but I think any claims that your work is a critique of capitalism, police, the military, or whatever are rendered moot when your villains are a group of secret hedonistic sex-freaks. Like we can't pretend that doesn't sound a lot like regressives and their obsession with "degeneracy". Sexual assaults, misogyny, and slurs also appear pretty often, mostly as the punch line for jokes. Victims are rendered down into objects and denied any sense of interiority so we can instead focus on what really matters (gore porn, and middle school 4chan posters' sense of humor). Never once does Ennis deign to explore the actual impact and trauma of these things, or ask why he views these things as material for jokes.

That incuriosity is I think the real problem with The Boys. There is no actual coherent thought about why things are bad. Superheroes hurt people and are wrong because of their personal moral failings as selfish perverts, not because their whole job is to violently enforce the will of the state. It's like if someone agreed that all cops are bastards, but only because all cops just so happened to be "bad apples". The main characters literally work for the fucking CIA, and yes, I know the titular Boys are at best meant to be anti-heroes a la the Punisher. My issue here isn't that they're hypocrites who are frequently also horrible. It's that this premise for is absolute nonsense if you think for half a second. Superheroes do not function without the legitimacy granted to them by the state and it's monopoly on violence, so why would the CIA need these 5 randos with zero oversight working to take out the supers? Is the force Homelander and the others can bring to bear so great that even the apparatus of that state can't deal with them? If so, why does this group of assholes change that? Normally I'd be willing to give the story a lot more of a pass when it comes to questions like this, except I'm being told that this story has things to say about systemic problems involving the government and corporations! So I have to ask, where? Where is the commentary? What does it actually have to say about the state of the world circa 2006-2012? The only answer I can come up with is "not a whole lot". It's a story which dares to ask the tough questions like "what if the world was made of pudding" and then ignore answering those questions so it can instead recite Ellis' favorite slurs in alphabetical order while showing you a woman's tits.

On a lighter note, it's also just not very good. The plot (as mentioned) falls apart under any amount of scrutiny, pacing is bizarre in a bad way, the characters aren't compelling, themes remains stubbornly unexplored, and Ellis is allergic to doing anything interesting or creative with the premise he's decided to base a whole comic around. I genuinely do not know what people enjoy(ed) about this comic.

#It's a thoroughly unpleasant experience on about every level #There was actually one moment I liked #and it was when the frenchman and the female (those are their names) are playing reverse strip poker #where they have to put on more and more layers of heavy clothing #that was a cute bit and made me do a neutral nose exhale #also people who compare it to Worm please show your work #because the math isn't mathing #is it just that they're darker superhero stories? #worm #worm wildbow #worm web serial #the boys #the boys comics #my meds are acting up so apologies for any incoherence #but also reading the boys just does that to your brain I think

[buckybarnesss]

The thing I struggle the most with is how Derek is criticised very harshly for his mistakes, while a character like Theo is absolved of everything, because he *checks notes* can be shipped with Liam.

Theo is everything that people say they hate about Derek. He's manipulative, he kidnaps people, killed his sister, and is actually pushing Stiles out of Scott's life. The initial feelings of jealousy Stiles have for Derek in season 1 bear out here, in that Derek never wanted to push Stiles away, while Theo absolutely does.

Not that Theo isn't an interesting character. I like him, it's just that I recognise that, yes, he is a foil for Derek. Everything Scott thought Derek was, Theo is.

I've seen people say that Theo was brainwashed by the Dread Doctors to kill his sister, and you know, that doesn't actually absolve him of that. If we're playing that game, then Derek and Allison can do absolutely nothing wrong, because they're abused and manipulated throughout the series.

I actually am convinced that a lot of Derek haters never actually watched the show and are consumed by fanon interpretations of him. Like, Derek is described as being violent and abusive, with no thought put into how he approaches humans vs werewolves.

Aside from one instance (the steering wheel, and lbr, I don't think that hurt all that much), Derek is gentle with Stiles. He doesn't throw Stiles around, he pushed him against one door (contrast that with how Scott and Chris push Stiles around). With Scott, it's different. Scott is a werewolf. Scott can heal, and also Scott started their first fight and Derek responded.

That is the exact opposite of abusive. Justice for my boy, Derek Hale, unfairly hated because he tried to save peoples lives.

i feel like the type of fan that favors theo like this skews younger and they either watched the show in the later seasons once a lot of the original fandom had departed or they've only participated in fandom via fic.

these things are fine but it does seem to lead to continued mischaracterization and derek often seems to be the one who gets the brunt of it.

allison too is still raked over the coals for being gaslit by her entire family and than manipulated by gerard. i think people don't think chris and victoria's treatment of allison wasn't abusive and miss that her entire season 3 arc was her atonement for what she did at the end of season 2 and she died in the end. it wasn't a happy ending for her.

it also never fails to make me laugh when i see people shipping thiam but while saying sterek is problematic because of the age gap. it's like babe the call is coming from inside the house.

and i've said this before and i'll keep saying it season 5 theo raeken does a lot of loading bearing in season 5 due being a dark reflection of stiles and a narrative mirror to both derek and scott.

it was done very purposefully and flipped the script on scott. i didn't realize it was something of a controversial take until i posted about it lol. theo's entire function as character in season 5 is to be a mirror.

theo is scott's attempt at course correcting what happened with derek. which to me fandom seems to misunderstand and mischaracterize derek and scott's relationship and continues to pit them against each other over various slights.

theo also exposes scott's failings as a leader and his self-righteousness but so much of fandom seems to think that scott is some how flawless and doesn't receive punishment by the narrative. he was manipulated, his pack broke up, he was unable to save barely anyone and he died. theo was scott's punishment.

tl; dr fandom be wild.

#my blog #thoughts on teen wolf #teen wolf

[mouseratz]

tbh I'll say it. I don't think fat fetishes are a big deal on their own. however. it is still a Sex Thing & should be treated as such, and when like, boundaries are broken & fetish stuff runs into completely unrelated fat stuff it Sucks Really Bad. you ARE being weird with that.

& I also think a lot of people run into confusion where they're like "okay so all appreciation or attraction to fat people is a Specific Sex Thing, so we should stay away from it?" nope! buzzer sound. being attracted to fat people IS normal, broadly, but some people still also have specific related kinks/fetishes. both kind of exist simultaneously despite being a little different.

"but how can you tell the difference?" if you can't, it doesn't really matter, tbh. if you can, though, and it's inappropriate and creepy (especially towards other fat ppl who DO NOT want anything to do with that) that is wrong and super fucked up. unfortunately, this requires respect and nuance and thought, and most internet users have not heard of such things, especially regarding sexual comments.

it's like, listen.....if somebody's interacting with regular fat artwork or posts or whatever with their kink blog or saying weird shit, it's no different to me than a creepy guy approaching a lady at the store and asking her to take her shoes off so he can see her "beautiful feet" (sorry foot fetishists for using you to make my point, but it's something I've seen happen irl- and the point is, it's the behavior that's fucked, not necessarily what it's about specifically if that makes sense).

I also do believe it's such a big topic because anything surrounding fatness is taboo rn, sexual or not, god knows the hate mail I get for saying things as controversial as "maybe being fat is ok actually?" (Which recently I've given some glimpses into....) so it makes sense opinion is pretty divided here, since this is kind of a tricky subject.....

from what I've seen, my opinion tends to be "the fetish itself is just a fetish but it can be used to (sexually) harass fat people".

[thespineoftherighteous]

my aftg take I'm too scared to share off anon is that the hatred the majority of the fandom has for thea is fueled primarily by racism.

people were way too quick to try and label the only canonical black character a pedo and abuser with NO backing. and were way too quick at spreading the belief that she was those things, and way too quick at believing it.

and then ppl try and blame nora for it! "how could she make her only black character so unlikeable?". is she unlikeable or are you harsher on the black characters than the white ones? Thea has never done anything worse than anything Allison, kevin, Andrew, etc did, but people find liking and forgiving these characters far easier...

hi! firstly, i don't get a lot of content of people talking about Thea so I don't reallyyyyyy know what it is people say but tbh? I wouldn't be surprised if there's truth in that

from what I've seen in the past the major reasons people dislike her seem to be the age gap + aggression + devotion to the ravens + the complete randomness of her..relationship with Kevin.

what I think is a HUGE part of this though is that she just abruptly shows up for literally one scene or two, and is not very likable in them. and like you said, some of the things she does is not that far off from things the Foxes have done but I think THAT is exactly the issue. if she was a fox (or even if she just had more screen time) I'd be willing to bet that fans wouldn't hate her nearly as much. (like if Andrew only ever showed up for two scenes? he'd be villainized so thoroughly you'd be eaten alive as a fan for even looking at him. same with Allison probably. Kevin also. actually all the foxes)

me personally, I definitely don't carry the vehemence for her that a lot of fans have but I don't really care for her? like I genuinely just do not think about her and I kinda disregard her whole thing with Kevin. if she was around more then id probably have very different thoughts but yeah I'm just not really compelled by her

all this to say: I wouldn't put it past some aftg fans to hate her out of racism and hide it behind "oh but she's toxic and problematic!" BUT what I think is probably truer for most fans is that there isn't anything to go off of besides a first impression that's very unlikable and a controversial background. I think if there was more of her than just that people would feel very differently.

#sorry I kind of went off #feel free to respond though! I don't mind keeping conversations like this going #especially if I'm missing something #aftg #🦊✉️

[twola]

Don't know if this is okay to ask but, what are your thoughts on Mary Linton? I know it's a very controversial topic and the fandom is divided on it so i understand if you decide not to answer, i wanted to ask you about it because you're one of the few people I've seen who understand Arthur's character depth, personality and development really, really well, and you write him in such a perfect way. Would love to hear what you think about her.

Ooh, the Mary question. I certainly do not hate her. Actually during my first playthrough, i was team Arthur/Mary for sure. Even when I came over to the fandom realm, I looked for AxM fics to find that the fandom overall isn't super supportive of her.

I think they truly love each other. I think the depth of feelings he has for her - you can see that in his journal, but I also believe that she loves him deeply as well. I just think that their circumstances kept them apart and continue to do so. I do not fault Mary for breaking off their engagement when she saw he wasn't going to step away from his lifestyle - on top of the pressure from her family/father, I think we have to remember that Arthur is a criminal. always on the run, bounties, blood and all. For someone who is not relegated to the fringes of society (like most of the gang members have), the ask to join that is a huge one. One that is seemingly impossible. And Arthur is not going to join Mary's society - he can't. Not with what he's already done.

I think they were doomed from the beginning, but I certainly do not doubt their love for each other.

As Mary's life falls apart, her husband dies, her father's drinking ang gambling and whoring gets unsustainable, and her little brother is straying - we see her reach out to the only support she thinks she has - Arthur. I don't necessarily think that she's maliciously using him, but as things collapse around her, she knows that Arthur is someone left she can turn to - because she knows he loves her the way she loves him. Because he won't judge her 'fall from grace' and her family's issues. Because he's not from that society that she is.

The final pleading in Saint Denis - to run away together, its her walking away from her life, which I believe that she's fully prepared to do, but she wants and needs Arthur to do the same. She's giving him an out, but he's not in a place to take it. I can't blame her for standing some sort of ground for asking him not to continue in his criminal ways.

But as always in their relationship - the timing and circumstances aren't right. In the end, her fears do come true, that the road he takes leads him to his demise.

I think that in the fandom Arthur/Reader presents such opportunities because Arthur/Mary didn't work out. In the fandom many times the female reader is on those fringes with Arthur and does not have to overcome the chasm that Arthur and Mary had. It never was going to work out - and because of this, I think that Arthur and Mary is one of the most realistic relationships in fiction. Because life is messy and star-crossed lovers tend to be only that - unrealistic dreams.

#arthur morgan #mary linton #red dead redemption 2

[beautifulpersonpeach]

LMAO BPP All the PJM and JJK pages are obsessed with Tae's collaboration with Min Heejin. The theories I've seen just today??? 🤣🤣😭 You're so right on how you said the fandom implosion will go. The maknae line debuts will break all the pretenses open for the fandom to implode like you said. It's hilarious to see most people in Army fandom showing their asses.

*

Ask 2:

Hi BPP, Tae is working on his album under the production and creative fdirection of Ador´s CEO Min Heejin. I must confess that I dont know anything about her. Do you have any insights or opinions on why would Tea seek out her in particular. Also there were some controversies with this lady, if I am not mistaken, but I dont know the details. Would you please share your opinions with us if you have any?

thanks and have a nice day

*

Ask 3:

BPP!!! So apparently Min Heejin worked with Tae on his album!!! What I know of her is just basically her work with New Jeans so I have no idea what to expect about Tae’s solo debut now 😭

***

Hi Anon(s),

Chapter 2 is such a wonderful time, isn't it? It's lovely seeing the members flex their wings and influence a little bit, to see more of the colours and shadows of themselves they've been showing fans for the last 10 years. It's also been amusing to see all the people who were not paying attention, start to wake up. I've seen various posts about how some people feel this member changed or that member now looks different to them because of this/that interview, and I chuckle not even gonna lie.

The boys were always this competitive, always this ambitious, always this arrogant with a strong sense of pride, and all with massive egos swinging between the seven of them. Like, do people actually forget BTS are Korean men? They tone it down every now and then, and some members are more subtle about it than others, but they've always been like this, and if you believed otherwise then good morning. How would you like your coffee?

Of course it doesn't mean they don't highly value the team and fans, it's never meant that, but the love for their team (which I think is mostly genuine and pragmatically still very useful to them) is impressive to me when you remember the sort of partnership they have with each other in BTS is unnatural. We all know that. There's a reason there's no other group that has had their trajectory before, it's why there's no group like them - then and now, because many things about BTS as a group is frankly unnatural and go against every conventional thought of how a band should evolve. And everybody knows that, especially BTS themselves, which is why I strongly respect their aim to balance their very palpable ambitions and potential, with that of the team. However they choose to do that is their business, in my opinion. The company has its own agenda possibly, but they're all grown men more aware of the options at their disposal for their unique situations than anyone this side of the internet. It's bizarre for me to open my jikook Tumblr and see fans treat the people I consider to be the most intelligent in the group, as the most helpless in their situations within the company.

Anyway, hopefully anybody previously stuck under a false impression of the members, now that we're finally getting to Tae in the release schedule, I hope everyone is now well and fully aware of who the men in BTS are, and what the group as a whole represents. Like I've said before, nearly everything about them is directly up my alley so I'm a fan. Please be honest with yourself on if it's not, and if not, it's very okay to stop keeping up with BTS. In fact I strongly suggest you try out other groups that could be more to your liking, or take a tolerance break from everything k-pop altogether. That would be for the best.

The only way this implosion will actually be helpful for the group and fandom, is if all the people grumbling and hating the members now actually left the fandom. If all the apparently 'disillusioned' fans actually left, we'd be in much better shape by 2025. But because this is k-pop, they won't. And that is precisely what makes this implosion feel so messy.

*

About Min Heejin working with Tae, I'm excited!

Until that announcement, I didn't care one way or the other about Tae's solo debut. I mean, I was curious, but my taste in music is more the rapline and jikook to some degree. Tae and Jin for me are sometimes a hit but more of a miss usually, so I was prepared to support but only the baseline I typically do. Hearing that Min Heejin is involved however, makes me actually look forward to his album.

I won't rehash what I've said about Min Heejin before, Anons. You can read my previous posts on her by searching her name or 'NewJeans' on my blog. Personally, I don't care about the allegations against her just as I don't care about the allegations for all the Big3 CEOs/producers, and because if one actually cares to dig into the meat of the allegations against MHJ, many of them don't hold up under any scrutiny.

Anyway, reports say Tae reached out to Min Heejin in late 2022 to help with his solo debut project. That was really smart of Tae to do because Min Heejin is a brilliant artist. I'd say she's a couple of years ahead of an artist like Cho Gi-Seok, another brilliant Korean creative and the mind behind XG's latest concept execution and MVs along with Simon. If she works with Shin Woo-seok for Tae's MVs - the award-winning director she's worked with on many of NewJeans' MVs - then I expect nothing short of excellence.

In terms of music compatibility, Min Heejin has a good feel for descending microtonal music. The sort of music most people associate with jazz chords and R&B. So given Tae's music tastes, I'm very curious to see the direction his album will take under her supervision. I honestly have no idea how it's going to sound.

On promotions, like I've said before, unless Tae does a full English release like JK, he likely won't be getting the same toolbox, but he should see more support than previous releases. If Ador solely handles his promotions, then I can expect to see Tae have similar promotions to NewJeans. Which would be fantastic!

Tae has very interesting taste in music. He seems to like a lot of classic pop, contemporary pop, and hiphop. His voice and range allows him to excel in any of these genres, and despite how it seems online most people are fine with how he enunciates words in Korean. But I do hope he sticks to Korean or at least that there's dramatic improvement in his English pronunciations if there's a lot of English tracks.

We'll see.

Besides Tae though, I'm nearly desperate for new music from Namjoon and Jimin. I need it. Even my assistant at work (who I've somehow turned into a Jimin bias from streaming Serendipity, Alone, and Like Crazy-centered playlists at the office), asked me if Jimin has any new music out, as recently as last Wednesday. The people want more music. So, as excited as I am for Tae, I hope we get something minimoni before long as well.

#kim taehyung #taehyung #jimin #park jimin #jungkook #jeon jungkook #bangtan #bts #newjeans #min heejin #fandom discourse #bts chapter 2 #bts army #fandom behaviour #bts fandom #kth1

[mercurytrinemoon]

House meanings in astrology part II

Rejoice, part II is finally here.

7TH HOUSE: the other, one-on-one relationships, partnerships, open enemies

Okay so the now that we've covered the first half of the houses, let's look at their respective opposites. And they should, in fact, be looked at as second halves: opposites in a way but ones that compliment each other.

The 7th house is the most straight-forward in that matter. The 1st is pertaining to us - the 7th reflects people we come in contact with. It shows how we behave towards people and how our closer relationships look like; and what we want from a relationship. Are we lucky with people? Are people lucky with us?

I've made a post a while back where I briefly mention planets in the 7th house, so you can look it up HERE if you want but the rule is quite simple: for example, usually people with stellium or a planet that's prominent in the chart (like an ascendant ruler or final dispositor) in the 7th are, well, people's people (or people pleasers). If no harsh aspects nor malefics are present (and the 7th ruler is in a nice condition) we may expect to get along well with others and sign successfull contracts. Planets on the descendant may also indicate business partnerships or having a career that requires a one-to-one contact with the other person, especially if it's connected with the 10th, 11th or 6th house in some way.

On the other hand, not that you can do something about it but, I do not recomment having malefics in the 7th. A badly placed planet in the 7th can at one point in your life bring unpleasant relationship(s) or legal issues. This is also why the open enemies thing is, well... a thing.

Also, really, do not get married before your Saturn return if you have Saturn in the 7th. And I really encourage you to take into consideration your chart using whole sign for this.

Now when it comes to romantic partnerships... My theory may sound controversial so some might hate it but hear me out cause it makes sense. I know we all say 7th house is *just* commited relationships BUT it's only because nowadays it's normal to not get married - the social pressure to legalize a relationship is not as present as it used to be, at least in the western countries. Also, some cannot get married due to laws in certain places. But 7th is about legal stuff and contracts (and what is a marriage if not a contract, ultimately) and I don't think a commited relationship, even if it's long-term, that hasn't been legalized fits into that category. And I'm saying this because I've seen people who have been together for ages and their relationships were amazing UNTIL they got married and once they did, they quickly divorced (and their charts show potential problems in the area of the 7th house). So I feel like I'm onto something here (and before you ask, for your non-legalized relationships just look at Venus, Mars, Sun or Moon btw). So, looking at the state of your 7th house and it's ruler, you can actually see not only if you'll ever get married (or how many times) but also, if it's good for you to get married in the first place. Or at least the way you perceive the idea of marriage.

BUT that is just a theory and some food for thought for you guys.

8TH HOUSE: other people's money, taxes, inheritance, death or transformative experiences

The 2nd house is the house of our money and posessions, the 8th on the other hand, is other people's stuff and what we can gain from others. This is why it also connects to death - something (or someone) has to die in order for us to gain from it.

But it also comes after the 7th house - the union - which leads us to joined resources that we've gained from the 7th house activities. Whether it's money we now share with our spouse or money that we've attained from a business contract, it's all an 8th house topic. It's also common that 8th house people work with other people's assets, for example having a job as an accountant or working in a bank. Or, better yet, as it connects to the death and loss, as an insurance agent.

On the downside, the money matters can be more negative in the 8th. It's taxes, it's loans - things that you owe to others. People with planets in the 8th may easily persuade others to give them big amounts of money. Now depending on the planets and their dignity, this can go from having the ability to crowdfund thousands of dollars from strangers or easily getting loans from banks to having no problems lending money from people but then having issues returning the cash.

Inheritance is also a thing in the 8th house, although you need to remember that this doesn't pertain to material things only. You can inherit a lot of things, including, obviously, money, a house or a land, timeshares (2nd and 4th house rulers in the 8th); a business (a 10th house ruler in the 8th); you can inherit a skill that runs in the family... (4th or 5th house ruler), a disease (6th house ruler) or an unpaid loan. So it's not just about receiving goods from others.

And speaking of which, we have the topic of death. Now this is also very broad and can also be metaphorical, hence the connection to transformation. I don't know if you can look at a chart and tell how someone's going to die, I don't think it's that literal. But I've seen malefics, badly aspected or ill-dignified planets in the 8th bringing people a lot of losses in their life.

9TH HOUSE: higher education, abroad, religion & belief systems, astrology & the occult

3rd house matters are getting expanded and now instead of primary education and our closest surroundings, we have higher education and foreign lands. A very positive house, I feel like we upgrade here.

The 9th house talks about all the things surrounding the topic of higher education: if we go to university, how well (or bad lol) we'll do, are we ambitious; also often describes the major itself. It can also show someone who works in the academic field or is a teacher themself, especially if the 10th house ruler is in the 9th or the MC lands in the 9th house (both also often show working abroad).

But it not only expands our knowledge in that sense - it's also about having an open mind, expanding it & digging into the unknown, looking for a deeper meaning; the intangible. That's why it connects to things like astrology or the occult; spirituality or religion. It's also what we feel is right; it's the law and order. So it shows our belief systems or even hope (although the 11th rules hopes and dreams) - for example, people with malefic planets in the 9th might not only reject spirituality or religions (or have a bumpy experience with them), but can also struggle believing in things that are positive, it's like they can't see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes and are left feeling hopeless.

Because it's about even more knowledge than the 3rd and things that are foreign, it's also exploration through things like journalism; it's sharing these things through publishing. It's looking for the truth and shedding the light on it through writing and reporting.

Finally the 9th house rules all things foreign: foreign countries & coultures and abroad travels. So people with heavy 9th house or a heavily aspected 9th ruler can feel more at home when they're away from home. Their lives may include lots of travels and foreigners. Or a foreign influence (depending on the planet and what said planet rules): having foreign roots, having family members migrate abroad, living, working or studying abroad, marrying a foreigner etc.

10TH HOUSE: career, your legacy, public life, reputation

This is the last of the angular houses so we get major themes once again. It's also a pretty straightforward house. Opposite to the 4th, which stands for our roots, private life, our cosy home situation - we now deal with what we represent, our legacy, public life and career. It's what we're known for (for good or bad); it's where we shine (or what blocks us from shining); what we can or want to achieve.

10th house is (usually) marked by the MC, which is the highest point in our chart. So, quite simply, the 10th house often shows your job, your reputation and your status. It can mean how ambitious you are. If there's a planet on your MC, it not only says what you're going to be known for - it can also say that you want that part of you to be the best it can be. For example, if you have Mercury on the MC, it can show that you want to be seen as an intellectual, as someone well-spoken and communicative. Look at what house that planet rules as well - you may have literally high standards when it comes to topics ruled by it.

Using a couple of examples, Saturn in the 10th house can show someone who's a workaholic, someone who is very hard on themself or is climbing the ladder slowly but surely through hard work and dedication. Alternatively, it can show someone who has issues with getting and keeping a job or someone who is constantly scrutinized and judged by the public (or in the workplace). This can also show someone who is dealing a lot with authority figures… or is one themself.

A nicer example, maybe you have Venus in the 10th house and you're known for your looks and charm; you know how to show your good side to the public; or you're just well-received. You may work in art or beauty field; you may work with money or as a counsellor. You may find love through your work or you may be attracted to people who are well-estabished. If Venus is in a favourable sign or is nicely aspected, your career/public life should be pretty pleasurable and harmonious.

And as I've mentioned while discussing the 4th house, if you use whole sign (or sometimes equal), just like the IC, the MC can be placed in different houses, which is pretty important. I've already gave an example with MC being in the 9th house - so you just ADDITIONALLY migrate the 10th house activity to a different house. Your 10th still represents all these things but the placement of the MC can show you what area of your life you're going to shine the most, or what area of your life can be further linked to your career or what you're known for. For example, if it's in the 11th house, it can be linked to your friends, networking or the internet.

11TH HOUSE: hopes and dreams, friends, groups, networking & the internet

The last of the succedent houses. It's a bit of a busy one but also, just like the 9th, more bright and positive. The contrast between the 11th and 5th is maybe not as obvious as with other houses but it's still there. In the 5th house we're doing our thing, being creative, tinkering, doing things for fun and for ouselves - now in the 11th house we not only come in contact with bigger groups of people (as the 5th is either just us or our children or intimate partners) but we get these things and we share them with others: we share our joys with friends, we share our creativity with like-minded people who enjoy whet we do.

But why is it also a house of hopes and dreams? Well because as planets are rising above the horizon, they go through the 11th house before they hit the 10th. So it's all about striving for greatness and looking up at the heights of our potential. It's also connected to the 10th in the sense of how you're being perceived among others.

The 11th is then a house of friends and groups: how are we finding ourselves among them, what's our friend circle like, where do we feel we belong or on the contrary, do we feel alienated. It's how we connect with others; the community. This also makes it the house of internet and social media. And social gatherings.

On top of that, it's also fan groups - if you're someone who has an audience. And speaking of which, I firmly believe that 11th house is the house of bands so, if you have nice things going on in your 11th, maybe it would be a good idea to form a group with your friends and be creative together? Just a thought. Unless you have Sun there and you want to be the one shining among others ;)

11th is also social work, especially if it's connected to the 6th, 12th or 10th house.

Generally speaking then, having benefics, Sun or Moon in the 11th can point to not only pleasant experiences with people and being a social butterfly but also receiving help from friends - it's what you benefit from after all. Malefics can be more alienating (especially Saturn), selective or can bring potential clashes and difficulties among social groups and friends - Saturn brings limitations while Mars cuts so it's not uncommon that a person with configuration like this suffers some unfortunate friendships. But as always, everything depends on the state of the planets.

Now let's incorporate a few examples with house rulers: like a 2nd house ruler in the 11th can mean money gained through friends; a 7th house ruler in the 11th can mean meeting your romantic partner through friends or a social event - or, alternatively, a friend becoming your life partner.

12TH HOUSE: all that's hidden, self-undoing, dreams & the subconscious, succlusion, loss, our mental state, sickness

Probably the most disliked house alongside the 8th. It's what we don't see because, as I've said when I discussed the 1st house, 12th is behind our backs so to speak. Ultimately, it's the house of being alone: alone in your head or in your little bubble; alone in your sickness or addiction; alone doing inner work; feeling alienated or ostracized; being literally isolated whether in some sort of facility or somewhere in a foreign land where you feel like you don't belong. Also, it's about being selfless and doing charity work.

But let's start from the moe positive aspects. It's the house of dreams, the subconscious and intuition. People with 12th house activity, especially nicer planets, can have a colourful inner life; a lot of vivid or even prophetic dreams; a deep spiritual life - which makes it a bit similar to the 9th house but the difference is, there's a sense of sacrifice and self-reflection in the 12th house. It's also the house of meditation and things of that nature. So, it often happens, again, similarly to the 9th, that people with ill-dignified planets or Saturn in the 12th are sceptics and are only interested in scientific facts and the here and now.

And speaking of here and now, as opposed to the 6th house, 12th is all that's untangible. Just like the 6th it does also talk about health but about mental health or chronic illnesses - illnesses that aren't seen (as opposed to things like injuries) or illnesses that force you to be isolated from the outside world; bad mental states, fears and anxieties. Other connections to the 6th are animals - but the big ones... and service - to those that are in need, especially those that are in a succlusion themselves.

Being isolated means a lot of things in the 12th. It can be that you often spend your time alone because you like and need to sit in your own company a lot. It can mean working behind the scenes in some way - can be anywhere but especially in a closed facilities like hospitals, care facilities or prisons. Can also be retreats. Alternatively, it's all that's foreign but to the point of feeling lost - in the 9th house you go to different lands, explore, learn and expand your horizons, while in the 12th you're almost astray, heading into the unknown, fighting with your own fears and the feeling of disorientation. Well, at least in the beginning.

It's also the house of addictions and being under the influence. It's the place of loss and secrets. Because it's everything that's hidden from us, it's also hidden enemies. Interestingly, because the sign of the 12th house was rising just before the 1st (aka before your birth), it's the place of labour and your mother's pregnancy. It's kinda fascinating to see how planets in the 12th house often talk about how the pregnancy went and how was your mother doing while carrying you. For example, I've seen malefics in the 12th house pointing to a tough pregnancy or a pregnancy that was at some point at risk in some way.

#astrology #mercurytrinemoon #astrology houses #7th house #8th house #9th house #10th house #11th house #12th house #midheaven #descendant #houses in astrology #astrology 101

[teaveetamer]

How much of the Edel backlash/discourse is rooted in fandom misogyny and how much of it is rooted in having opinions soured due to people justifying her actions and doubling down via harassment/stalking and spewing out hateful rhetoric? Cause I've seen people saying the dislike towards Edel proves that the fandom can't handle "female characters who are evil or flawed and make mistakes " when I think it's moreso "people are justifying her bad/villainous actions and saying it good actually and doubling down on it."

This is going to be two things.

First:

Was/is there probably misogyny ingrained in some parts of the fandom that don't like Edelgard? Sure.

Would they have been dicks about Edelgard and women in general regardless of anything Edelgard fans said or did? Probably, yeah, that's how shitty people work.

Was it the majority of people who didn't like/criticized Edelgard? Probably not.

Did it help anything to just blanket accuse everyone who didn't like her of being misogynists? Absolutely not.

There are absolutely valid criticisms of her writing and how some of her fans treat her, but lumping every criticism together as "misogyny" fundamentally lacks nuance and exists to shut all criticism down, valid or not. And it does so in a way that is not only designed to say "I don't agree with you", it's also meant to say "therefore you are a bad person." You're attaching a moral dimension to media critique that was not necessarily present, nor did it need to be. Most of us can recognize the coded insult there.

That's obviously going to make things more heated right off the bat. Cuz, you know, most people don't like it when you come out the gate saying "I think you're a horrible person". So the people getting shit on by Edelgard fans get annoyed and push back, which causes the fans to push back harder, on and on and on.

The second point here is where I maybe risk being controversial.

I'm going to preface this by saying this isn't necessarily something I think is good/agree it's an okay thing to do, it's just my observation from my time in the fandom and knowing how internet culture works.

Second:

You have to acknowledge to some extent that Edelgard diehards are primo troll targets.

Like okay okay, hear me out.

You know why Edelgard discourse continues to fascinate and amuse despite everything? Cuz most people don't take this shit that seriously, but they think it's hilarious to make fun of people who do. Edelgard diehards just do not know when to quit, and they've been identified by 99% of the fandom as people who are easy (and occasionally entertaining) to poke at and incite a reaction from.

Their obsession with co-opting the language of social justice just enhances that further by making them come off as incredibly oversensitive about something that actually doesn't matter that much.

It's the heady cocktail of misplaced self-righteousness, the way they're so sensitive and easily hurt/offended, the obsessive need to argue every point, and categorical refusal to stop until they are 100% agreed with. It basically makes them PRIME troll targets. It's like. God it's not even fair. Edelgard fans are like those tech support scammers and arguing with them is like being one of those youtubers that gives the scammers the run around for hours on end just to fuck with them.

And like? It perpetuates itself because where an individual might come to the realization that they're arguing with a troll and they look fucking ridiculous, the Edelgard fandom is a community that consistently reinforces reacting to every single situation about Edelgard in the most terminally online manner. I mean go on their server they pat each other on the back constantly and congratulate themselves for "sticking it to the haterz" for stalking and harassing people, not realizing that at BEST 95% of the wider community is laughing their asses off at how ridiculous they look, and at worst 95% of the wider community growing increasingly hostile toward them every passing minute because of their behavior.

I mean. I didn't exactly advertise this but last year I got some amusement out of posting Dimitri-positive meta to my main blog. Because I noticed every time I posted anything positive about Dimitri in the tag it would get a responding anti-Dimitri screed from Raxy within 2-5 business days. And I was posting those because I genuinely like Dimitri and wanted to spread positivity, but I will not lie. It was fucking hilarious. I laughed my ass off watching him get so mad over just the concept of someone saying something nice about Dimitri. It's ridiculously easy to set these people off. Every time someone they don't like breathes they feel the need to write a screed and flip out.

Which like, it's not fun to be on the receiving end of getting stalked and harassed and having screeds written about your every opinion... but yeah if I were detached from the situation I can see why it would be amusing. I mean even typing this out I find it kind of darkly amusing.

And I'm not saying everyone that dislikes Edelgard is a troll (I'm certainly not in it to poke bears and get reactions) but like? I wouldn't be surprised if there were trolls who just jumped on the discourse as soon as they realized how damn easy it is to get Edelgard diehards riled up. Think of how many 3H discourse posts have some variation on the "don't mind me, just getting some popcorn" comments.

So the discourse gets perpetuated, by some actors, purely for amusement. It doesn't just happen to Edelgard fans either, but I'd say in general they're significantly easier to bait and rattle. I mean there's literally a dozen blogs on Tumblr no one gave a shit about that managed to do it without even trying. Just by like. Existing and having opinions they didn't like.

Like, genuinely, the more I think on it the more absurd it gets. There's so little you're actually required to do in order to piss them off. It's kind of amazing.

I'd say you can see a microcosm of this every time Edelgard loses a voting gauntlet in FEH. There are dozens of characters who have lost numerous voting gauntlets, but Edelgard is usually the one that gets the most energy put toward making fun of her for losing. And you know why? Because her diehard fans extremely consistently go into a tailspin whenever it happens and people find that funny as fuck.

Chrom loses his 15th voting gauntlet, there's a meme, and everyone laughs and moves on. Edelgard loses her 5th voting gauntlet, there's a meme, and then there's a full blown meltdown in the comment section and screaming about how everyone is evil and misogynistic and queerphobic for days on end. Now not only can you make jokes about her losing, you can make jokes about the terminally online fans losing their goddamn minds over her losing.

And again I'm not saying that's a good thing or that it should happen... but I feel like emotionally mature adults should also be able to recognize when maybe they're being a little too over-invested in the internet waifu war and acknowledge when it's time to write off certain people/opinions as not worth your time to care about.

And you know, some of it is that there's actual things to talk about and controversial conversations can get heated. But there's been things to talk about in every game ever released and it only seems to hit critical mass when you combine the co-opting of social justice language to "prove" the haters wrong with the need to argue your point aggressively and endlessly despite all evidence indicating that it's probably time to give it a rest.

[greatwyrmgold]

Last year, a childhood friend of mine ran for mayor. Tonight, she gave a presentation about the experience and how to get politically involved and stuff. But I'm not here to talk about her actual thesis. I'm here to talk about some details she mentioned in passing.

I knew there was some kind of drama between her campaign and the Democrats in our state, but I didn't know the details. My friend didn't talk much about that, but she mentioned some disparaging remarks various people had said to her over her campaign, and it sounded like some of them came from institution Democrats.

One point she mentioned was that basically nobody expected her to win. She was running against someone I'll call the Incumbent; he wasn't actually in office last year, but that's just because he took a term off after sixteen years in office. He's a Republican, but a pretty mild one; conservative, but not violently reactionary. The Incumbent was expected to win with over 90% of the vote if anyone ran to oppose him.

When my friend made her candidacy official, she started getting advice from institution Democrats. (I'm not sure exactly who, because my friend was trying to explain the challenges she faced without saying anything mean about the Democratic Party, but I don't know who else would say this kind of stuff.) They told her to stop making a big deal about LGBTQIA+ rights, abortion rights, etc etc.

The things they told her to stop focusing on weren't my friend's entire campaign (she didn't mention pushback about her "affordable housing" rhetoric), but they were some of the pillars, the things that made me and other people want her to win. It almost sounded like they were asking her to be a different version of the Incumbent—a few different policies, a blue tie instead of a red one, but basically the same moderate policy proposals.

My friend ignored them, doubling down on all the "controversial" topics that she cared about. She's far from the only person who cared; she got 42% of the votes, not the <10% expected. I have no doubt that she got that many votes because she was willing to make a stink about those controversial issues, because she was willing to be more than "Incumbent, but blue".

...

My friend is a big fan of Obama. Say what you will about the man, but he promised Change You Can Believe In. Obama ran with a similar strategy to my friend's—he made big promises about things people cared about. Some people hated it, but most of them wouldn't vote Democrat. By contrast, many moderates and the disaffected liberals found his promises compelling and turned out to vote for Obama.

Candidates who promise change earn votes. But the Democrats keep supporting candidates like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, saying it's to secure the moderate vote. They take it as a given that they don't need to appeal to left-liberal voters, because who else are they gonna vote for?

(And maybe, just maybe, the institution Democrats don't actually want the change their candidates promise.)

I don't think that's unique to the USA's Democratic party. I've seen liberal politicians across the Pond compromise on progressive issues, only to be defended by their constituents. They have to make those compromises, you see, or they won't get elected! Making a big deal about serious political issues will alienate moderate voters, after all, and they're the only ones we should worry about. Who else are progressives and leftists and queers gonna vote for?

Their strategy relies on a combination of overwhelming threat from conservative politicians and "vote blue no matter who" rhetoric. (Or "vote red if they're not dead," in countries where the liberal party is red. The US has to do everything its own way...) As long as they can safely assume the left wing of their population will vote for them out of desperation, they can shift as far to the right as they want. It's better than the nascent fascists in the other party, after all!

I don't have a solution. I understand the short-term strategic strategy of voting blue for damage control, but in the long term that just enables them to slip farther to the right.

#politics #anecdote #us politics #electoralism

[blackgirlsuperherorants]

Tbh I'm Black and I thought people shipping Namor and Shuri were just a bunch of cidhet White reylos. And from what I'm seeing it is the same for a lot of us. It's time to accept that Black people are going to be divided in this matter, and that's okay we don't all think the same. But we aren't getting anywhere assuming the haters are just white by default

I used to live on tumblr more but now I live on TikTok more and I've seen nothing but Black women discussing this ship and I didn't even know there was controversy around it until I got literally attacked lol. It's also weird to assume someone is white, period. I usually only assume someone is white when they're, like, on Twitter saying some outrageous Far Right political shit but preface it with "As a Black man,". (Or I assume they're a bot.)

Like, it's out of left field, to me. Idk how other Black women are taking it, but it's crazy, like literally delusional and insane, to me, to assume that I would make this blog years and years and years ago and just elect to be one of the most underrepresented and disrespected demographics of comics fans and superhero movie fans for fun so that I could... disagree with the fans of a movie that wasn't even in the realm of existing, yet. Like, I'm a white Reylo (I don't even like Reylo, or Star Wars fans at all tbh). I played the long game, pretending to like Iris West and Misty Knight and Valkyrie and defending Anna Diop and all of that... just so I could sneak my white ass in to ship Shuri with a character y'all find distasteful? I remember a few years back when people were shipping Shuri with Bucky and a lot of people objected, but I don't remember this level of vitriol and I don't recall anyone just trying to strip long-standing blogs of their identity over it. Marvel fans have always had disagreements and shipping has always been one of the biggest ones, but I've never, in my life, felt so attacked over an opinion that I don't even hold that strongly. Like I said, I don't care about the ship that much. I only said it was fun. I don't see how shipping 2 fictional people, even lightly, even in passing, is antiblack. Antiblackness is such a bigger thing than "you shipped characters I don't like".

Usually, we're fighting the opposite, which is nobody shipping the Black characters at all, or not liking any ships with Black characters, or treating the Black characters in the ship like the psychologist for the non-Black characters in the ship. I ain't never seen no shit like this. I didn't know y'all didn't like antagonist/protagonist ships that hard. I didn't come on here to convince anyone of anything, I just came here because it's usually a fun place to geek out about these movies and things. But, no, it's not fun. Y'all are on here making huge judgements of people over shipping... like Ryan Coogler wrote it that way. Talk to him, if it bothers you that much.

But to question my entire identity, my family, my political leanings, my loyalty to my community? It's sick. Like, I can't even defend myself. If I start saying, like, I was literally getting tear gassed at BLM protests in 2020, I sound ridiculous. If I say ACAB, I sound like I'm trying too hard to convince y'all I'm Black. If I talk about actual Black American issues I care about, like the school to prison pipeline, I sound like I'm just bringing up talking points. But you guys get to decide I hate myself and other Black women because of Shuri and Namor, a fictional African princess and a fish man who were written into a screenplay. Like, what fucking sense does that make?

Like, none of this is real, but I am a real person behind this account. Y'all are making me physically ill over this.

#Black Panther #shuri x namor #namor x shuri #anti blackness #shuri #like y'all are sick in the head #this is comics shit

[fymagnificentwomcn]

I still have plenty to say on the topic, so bear with me, the original link is here, it would be too much there I think.

Anyway thank you Sol @palaceoftears for these tags that succinctly sum up the main point of the original post, let's bring them as starting point here:

#joanna you ate this!!! missed reading you#truly love how deeply you analyzed that confronting suleyman IS confronting the system!#also the freeing aspect because like freedom doesn't have to mean happiness?#yes ofc hurrem wouldn't be happy knowing ultimately suleyman didn't love her & her children over himself#but it's still freeing to not live yout whole life brainwashed lol?#like I never get how ppl that loves her watch her going from 'i'll kill the sultan' & 'don't treat us as animals' to dependant on suleyman#and just go 'happy ending :D' about it#mahidevran sultan#hurrem sultan#sultan suleiman#magnificent century#muhtesem yuzyil

You know how much I dislike Surrem, but I absolutely get people shipping it without getting it like "happy in love" (huge kudos to my sis Tisha) since it's an extremely complicated, mutually toxic relationship, while yes they do love each other at same time. But they are both each other's heaven and hell simultaneously throughout the whole show, with Hürrem being in worse position due to power imbalance. Power imbalance that never fully goes away. He might also be dependent on her in emotional way since he himself comes to belief she is the only person who would never betray him (because she truly had least benefit in it). Don't be fooled though, if she had e.g. crowned Bayezid in S3 as Sah intended, he would have shown her no mercy. /I once mentioned a bit about them, also historically here./

And LBR she got mistreated by him (please, he told her to kill herself for him, and the goal was not to determine whether she had poisoned Mustafa truly) multiple times before S4, it was only because of the topic covered I mentioned S4 stuff, especially related to how he screwed her kids.

People think of stuff in "tangible" categories and why stuff like mere "awareness" (without leading a revolution or whatever lol) seems to have little meaning.

Which is again one of the main themes of the show - to give voice also to those who lost and as such do not have the "but we won, we were happy, we lived" defence always acting for them. Bah, even controversies or discussions surrounding them. They are losers, not even worthy to talk about, and put on sidelines. We often discuss what motivated the "big figures" who got to become rulers, even if we do not approve of their actions or criticize them. Rarely we talk about "losers". Which is what Mustafa's letter stressed - people will deem me as traitor, while your name will be written in golden letters because of all your victories. This alone will make your name remembered. And even considering that Mustafa was lucky in that people generally did not believe him to be a traitor, with Bayezid it was much harder because yeah he did openly rebel and it's not something we can deny. But some jump to conclusions like 'he was insolent and one day decided to rebel for no reason' (yes, I've seen such takes) is very simplistic. I do not even approve of a lot of his actions there since while I get his anger at Suly and Selim I hate how he involves plenty of soldiers in a fight without a chance to succeed as long as Suly ass lives, but damn takes like above truly erase what brought him to such point. Because he was the prince with bigger support at that time. He could have waited for his father to die soon and easily taken the throne. /And historically - yes if you actually dig up sources, he didn't wake up and decide to attack innocent cookie pacifist Selim lol/. Show! Bayezid telling Defne that he would be labelled as a "rebellious prince" for future generations with obvious evidence backing it up means a lot because even though he IS one, there is so much more to this story and what bought him to this point, starting from his father's attitude to him since he was a kid.

And damn I do need to stress the need for the critical approach to SOW (which does not preclude stanning the characters/getting interested in historical figures ofc)? Maybe not here, but I still see TikTok shit on “The big 5” introducing feminism to Ottoman harem. There is no revolution we can talk of in any case, but truly, where is feminism involved in Haseki institution? It only privileges one woman over others. The others are still required to serve them, which is why we had the Hürrem/Gülnihal and Nurbanu/Valeria stories. And what it ties with what Sol says once Hürrem tries to kill Gülnihal - her parents' ghosts appearing to tell her It's not revenge. It's not what you promised us. Meanwhile, the men are still in power, with a person like Suleiman having unlimited agency. More.. the man selects the woman he gives those privileges too. And even if he grants her freedom (if HE pleases so), it has little actual effect because we all know she is still forbidden to leave him and would have lost her kids anyway if she had done so. Thus said, the moment when show Hürrem slams the door to Sulyass' stupid face is one of my fave Surrem moments without a doubt and one of fave H moments in general ahsmshs. / BTW One day I will finally talk how Westerners focus more on say legal marriage when it that system having multiple sons was more ground-breaking because even free brides from noble families who did not have children had little power and agency. /

There is plenty of irony involved, just as Mahi finally freeing herself from attachment to Suly once he rejects her freedom to which he is entitled by the System. Bah, only he has the power to do so regarding his women. It's all only at his own discretion.

It is precisely what I also mean by "taboo-breaking" and the questioning Mahi does of Suleiman and the way he (as Sultanate) operates. In that world mere questioning could break the taboo. We do not know what future lay ahead for anyone, but damn what he kept doing was neither just nor wise according to the very norms of the times themselves. Yes, Mustafa was the most promising and fitting candidate for the throne and he did not betray his father, so Suleiman removing him from "open succession" was not even why this method of succession had been established in the first place and demanded from princes assembling their own support, also ensuring that he would be easily accepted to prevent discord and rebellions. Mustafa did it too well, the horror. And that him wanting to do something (also as he himself stated, since he got privilege of being the prince and be able to rule, he should not sit idly, but use it for good purpose and the people) only brought him troubles because of Suly ass own ego only shows again the problems with this system and being centered on one person so much. Suleiman violated a lot for his own agenda, centered around himself, not the future of the state. This is what Mahi is criticizing and stating it to his face when he tried to paint his son as a traitor to present himself as just and acting for the state IS taboo-breaking in itself. Asking the question instead of dismissing it all as "fate", as Mihrimah tried.

Mahidevran tries to awake Mihri, who while rich and "still in power play", is very similar to her in many ways (also with the one big sin that has weighted on them silently). They all lost. Even Selim. Getting Mihri's brother (Hürrem's son) on the throne did not mean triumph and happiness for her. Heck, even Selim is a walking wreck. It's not even about sides because SS truly managed to destroy everyone's lives, not only one side's, so in the end it's not even favoritism. All for him to go with his beautiful words, a show-off victory, and his beloved throne (while saying something else in his monologue). Mahi telling Mihri to stop holding her father blameless IS the moment making someone else's eyes open and maybe do not let actively go for something that will not help anyone out at this point, like causing discord between Selim and his son. These are small things that are important for the theme and how mental freedom is also of value. Same with awareness. Nobody expects revolution or claims something. And we are at a particular point when Mahi already lost Mustafa and says it already in the context with him gone. She won't resurrect him with her words ofc LOL. And Mahi truly didn't have to do this, just take popcorn and look at Hürrem's kids & other descendants fighting even more.

You can precisely see when SS decides how to dispose of Bayezid when Mihri says she will never forgive him and will be dead to him if he executes her brother. The lightbulb over his head in this moment lol. So her continuing to hold him blameless, while putting everything on Selim and Nurbanu is buying his shit and rules of the Sultanate. Mihri might have power, so she can stir things up in attempt to still "win", but.. they all lost. Her acceptance of it and stating it out loud before leaving Topkapi again has meaning. One might continue to have power and live in palace (unlike Mahi), but they all lost anyway. Mere meddling that can cause only chaos to still try to win is meaningless and can ony be harmful. As such, Mahi's words can have at least some impact.

Mahi and fate as Sol's post with Plami's commentary also has this delicious tidbit with mirror - most likely Hürrem would have never ceased to hunt down Mustafa after Mehmed's death because she had decided on eliminating him long before that and kept carrying out the plan via concrete & repeated actions. However, Mahi still questions herself on that because she can never know. And even if it changed nothing, it still tormented her and polluted her conscience. Because culpability is still there, regardless of "system" and circumstances" and whether it has any tangible effect or not. Same with Selim still being culpable even though SS wanted Bayezid executed. He still chose to do so anyway. Bah, he is actually very self-conscious and states clearly that he won because unlike the others he was able to kill his brother.

Similarly, Mustafa, Cihangir, and Bayezid also made their choices. Mustafa could have axed Suleiman and it would have been hard to blame him for this in the situation it boilt down to. Actually, he was the one with biggest support at that moment, so rules of the Sultanate definitely allowed him to dispose of an aging ruler who began making a multitude of mistakes. He had the biggest power at his disposal if he wanted to. Moreover, Musti also chose to invite the member of the opposition faction because she was his sister, despite said sister openly declaring her standing on the opposite side and speaking to him "with her mother's words" last time they met. Once more, instead of rules of Sultanate and how the system expected him to act, he chose familial bonds.

Then again, Bayezid did have Selim on his knees in front of him and chose not to kill Selim, despite Selim never promising him any change or begging for mercy.

They both died, but they also could have chosen differently and compromised their conscience and values in the process.

Yet the opposite choice to adhere to the Darwinist rules and get the throne at any cost is not something mechanic that promises happiness or safety, either. Actually, it can make you painfully blind. We see Hürrem deciding blood will be spilled only of her enemies once she learns her son is going to end up on the throne. When she meets with the witch after Mustafa is dead and the throne for one of her sons IS a certain thing.. it's not what she wanted to hear, starting from her own imminent demise from natural causes. Same with her trust in the "human face" of the Sultanate aka Suly ass:

The "right, sultana?" is an ironic call-back to the beginning of the episode when she uses same words about Suly's power to exclude herself from the matter of Mustafa's death.

Also let us note the use of the word "destiny"😱 .

Also, Hürrem did not come back to ponder her preceding conversation with the witch earlier, as she had another proof of herself not interpreting it correctly - when she assumed Nazenin's baby would be the one the witch predicated as the Sultan. Nurbanu was after all pregnant with Murad at the same time.. so no, the witch was not mistaken, Hürrem was simply so caught up in her own vision of how it would go (also with Baye taking the throne) or assumed the witch to be mistaken, so she didn't notice it was about her grandson.

Another interesting thing is that the witch also predicts Mihrimah's future and that while her physical illness will pass soon, the spiritual pain will soon start and persist.

Because even if we "win" in that we survive, it does not need to bring happiness with it. At all.

It doesn't work like this either (Mihri talks about sacrifing Musti and Cih), while we are at it. There are no simple mechanisms like that! And how Mihri adopts her mother stance and calls her out that only one of her sons can survive according to the Darwinist rules (which is also what Rüstem advocates in any circumstances, only for him there is no support for Bayezid really... any can go) is just irony at its finest, and it stems also from her feeling of guilt - I already tainted my conscience and went again familial bonds, so let it at least mean victory for my favourite brother. She is now quick to accept one of them will die, she just wants to ensure it's not Bayezid.

Another of Hürrem's children that do adopt her "survival no matter the cost" agenda (and no, it's hard going for that to "pacifism" agenda shortly after getting what you wanted), and to a bigger extent, is Selim obviously.. Selim states to Bayezid that he will live because he is capable of killing his brother for his own survival. But we know what sort of life this is (and that he won't live long from history). He might later quote his mother to Mihrimah and convince himself that since nobody is innocent under this dome, so only the deserving win, but outside that, he does call himself a "brother killer" and does consider it a burden. /And Selim being his mother's son is another fascinating topic, since he was like.. her least fave and yet he is the one most alike her and who most absorbed her views and agenda.. to later emerge as sort-of third unexpected faction /.

Neither Mihrimah nor Selim ever found peace after adhering to the System's rules of fratricide. Bah, they cannot even be a family again as the only surviving members.. instead they openly accuse each other of being brother killers. Judging by history, they will eventually learn to co-operate, but nothing will be the same ever again. There is no moral victory in it for sure. Selim does not claim it any point. Actually, he is the one to point out that: We all lost. Innocence died and nothing will be as before. We can accuse Selim of many things, but he is a pretty self-conscious character indeed.

The others might be dead, but they did adhere to their principles and values due to choice.

The power of reflection or questioning is also tied to to the concept of choice as what makes us a human. MC never promises us happy ending (how it could, we all know the ending point), but the mere presentation of choice, of humans trying to create something positive, like Mustafa, Bayezid, and Cihangir deciding not to fight against each other as expected, is meaningful.

Instead we got nobody truly winning or benefitting from what happened LBR. It cannot get worse than that, really.

The whole issue again reflects what I said earlier in that post on how Erdogan historical propaganda works. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but there is no questioning at all. Instead we have normalization of violence and presenting it as something necessary, and that there is no choice or alternative to what happened. The sultan killed his brothers, but he had to. It was necessary, it was automatic. There is even no person behind it, but a robot always doing the right (even if brutal) choice because "it was like that".

And to some up the great ironies of life, we can remember that Mahi who lost it all... survived them all, so she won the Darwinist game in the end despite being rejected by System multiple times:

#all the ironies of life indeed #'the strongest survive and win' #as if #regarding everything in this statement #the topic of free choice vs system vs fate is soo fascinating in MC #Maybe will talk even more on the topic #let's see #mods opinions #meta

[shinranposting]

are you aware of what will happen in the movie 26? according to the alleged kiss between Conan and Ai?

Hello Anon! I've been getting questions about the movie 26 for a while now, and now that there's more information, I'll answer. I don't watch DC movies, but I've been on twitter lately, and I've found out absolutely everything. I will make a long answer as it has been extremely controversial, and because I feel some points need to be clarified.

(From here, spoilers begin)

Yes, I am aware of the scene, and I know the spoilers are true. That kiss (actually CPR) does happen.

In this regard, first of all, I take this opportunity to say that nothing justifies the chaos and hatred that has been formed. As much as you love ShinRan, they are fictional characters in a fictional series and nothing justifies wishing Gosho Aoyama dead (I've seen memes of him in coffins!). It has been an unnecessary and childish drama.

On the other hand, I can understand the annoyance. I myself, as soon as I read the scene in detail, which is verified by many sources, felt uncomfortable, even more knowing that Gosho in interviews said that he had personally made this scene. Apparently the scene is: Conan loses consciousness in the ocean and Haibara does a CPR. On the way out, Haibara's inner voice says, "You don't know, but we kissed." They then run into Ran, and Haibara pretends to be unconscious so Ran can give her CPR to return the Conan's kiss. Totally unnecessary scene! So, I can understand the annoyance of some people, since, just now that they are an official couple, and after years without any content, they decide to make a movie with this fanservice, which, considering their couple status, it feel uncomfortable and out of place. Even so, you can feel upset/sad/disappointed, but generating such a level of hate and lack of control, that even the official DC account has had to issue an official statement, is absurd!

It is also important to understand that the movies are not canon and don't affect the plot at all. In fact, I don't even see them! Likewise, all the sources don't show anything romantic, and it is clear that the couple is Shinichi and Ran, and nothing else, so there is no implication in the canon. On the other hand, I also don't think that Gosho, as some now say, is now supporting CoAi for this scene, he simply wanted to play with the non-canon scenario making a shocking scene that he would never do in the manga, and he didn't think about the impact that would generate.

In any case, I think that, despite everything, something positive can be drawn from this. It's obvious that the Detective Conan staff knows the displeasure, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a ShinRan case very soon, in an attempt to put out the fire xD

#anon ask

[tamelee]

did you ever watch tokyo ghoul? do you know about the main character ending up with a girl he always had a crush on but he was shipped a lot with his male best friend and all the gay shippers lost it when they revealed the guy and girl not only explicitly being in love but also have sex? i heard it's not in the anime and the manga is more explicit but yeah. i watched tokyo ghoul once when i was younger but didn't finish it cuz i got bored of it but i do remember the main guy having a crush on a girl, but idk if the girl is the same one he ended up having sex with later on. i just know there was a girl in the beginning and then he met a girl (or it was the same one? idk) later on in the ghoul community. he was good friends with his male friend throughout the whole thing, they were childhood friends, and he stuck with him the whole time. when i found out about ppl's reactions to this i wanted to know about the relationship to see if it's like sns lol since they have a similar "childhood friends to lovers" situation but from what i remember the mc did like a girl. but he also had a cute friendship with the guy, i think i remember a really emotional moment between them, and the guy's friend also ended up dying? like the really popular pic from this anime, idk if you've seen it, where the white haired guy is carrying another guy, that was the mc and his friend. also ppl on anime twt like to use this anime and its ships to prove how when yaoi fans hate on a girl that gets in the way of their gay ship it's usually cuz of misogyny. that's actually how i found out about this lol . cuz this girl apparently isn't a hated character like sakura, or has legit reasons and traits about her that are misogynistic in writing therefore not likeable like hinata, but ppl still hated on her like crazy when this was revealed.

Oh, I don't think I actually know anyone that finished watching the Anime it got so boring for sure -.- I think, although I don't really remember, I really liked Season 1 and then struggled through the second one, then dropped it eventually. I still really want to read the Manga because I've seen a lot of people say it is SO much better and that the Anime ruined it? The art from the few panels I've seen are so beautiful 🥹 but it's a shame if that's true because the concept of the story I think is really cool.

(also, that OST 👌) Uh, I only remember this purple hair girl and I know what the best friend looks like and that I really liked him, but other than that I have no clue anymore, sorry 🫣

Cute though~

"also ppl on anime twt like to use this anime and its ships to prove how when yaoi fans hate on a girl that gets in the way of their gay ship it's usually cuz of misogyny. that's actually how i found out about this lol . cuz this girl apparently isn't a hated character like sakura, or has legit reasons and traits about her that are misogynistic in writing therefore not likeable like hinata, but ppl still hated on her like crazy when this was revealed."

I don't know anything about this regarding TG but yeah, people in the SNS fandom who don't like Sakura and/or Hinata get that thrown to their heads all the time but it is a shallow assessment that doesn't take anything else into consideration. This idea isn't entirely baseless though because it does happen a lot in many fandoms gosh. But in Naruto's case it's just... not the same *childish-foot-stomp* 😆 The entire foundation of the story is involved, its Themes rely on Naruto AND Sasuke, they live the problem and in the end are the solution, they are literally the big 'why' of its story. I mean I probably could write a thousand essays on that alone... And so, controversial opinion maybe, but I don't think it's very valid to compare Sakura and Hinata with other female characters regarding things like this because of Kishimoto's intentions (which I get not everyone agrees with this method but.. yk) and the way he wrote them to convey what he wanted to tell. In that sense they are merely literary tools used to show contrast in order to explain what the other end of that contrast means for Naruto and Sasuke without actually having to spell it out... and it's so cleverly done but it makes a discussion about female characters (especially a generalization) and the way they are treated difficult. Nonetheless, it's always an interesting conversation though because that line between a character being allowed to have a flaw or criticizing the character meaning it's misogyny can be very blurry at times...

#asktamelee #Tokyo ghoul talk #Tokyo ghoul spoilers #naruto talk #Tokyo ghoul spoiler