#i don't think any of this is a surprise

[maxsix]

Favourite KPOP Songs of 2023

So I am 3 days late posting this but I wanted to do it to keep up the tradition. It's fun looking back at old lists. My criteria isn't so much based on technical merit but rather the songs that I wanted to listen to over and over again for whatever reason.

Cupid by Fifty Fifty. No doubt, this is social media's song of the year. I have never seen a song that is actually good become so organically viral, only to be reduced to absolutely nothing because of abysmal management. Not even New Jeans was this widespread this year (to me). Cupid was playing at my local supermarket and even people who know nothing about kpop loved this song. It ranks low for me because I'm definitely sick of hearing it by now. Regardless, it is still a very well written pop song.

Ayo by NCT 127. Okay, hear me out: NCT is like durian. You either completely understand why it is called the King of Fruits or you think I should be put in jail for saying that. If you are a brave connoisseur who refuses to be confined by societal pressure, then know what it's like to open your third eye and consume NCT for what they are: completely weird but never boring. It's an experience. If you don't get it, I don't know what to tell you.

Tinnitus by TXT. Temptation is my least favourite TXT album from the last 3 years but I think that is mostly due to how much I hated Sugar Rush Ride. I've been re-listening to a lot of their material again and okay, I'll give this one a pass: it's a mood. Thanks Kang Taehyun. I don't know if it was very intentional but his voice is all I hear on the final version. Man, that dude's voice always gets me somehow, I don't know how he does it.

Rover by Kai. It's not even that good of a song and yet, it was everywhere and I was gaslit into liking it. The viral dance made it the hit it became but to be fair, much of this was really down to his star power and ability to make really good choices that suit his strengths (dance first, vocals second). This is EXO Kai we are talking about after all; when he delivers, he really delivers. New Gen boys can take some notes.

Drama by Aespa. This is like Asian Junk Food. It's objectively so terrible, full of empty calories, no nutritional value but they took the Terrible and sprinkled MSG on it, so now it's TastyTerrible. As someone who wants to learn film editing, the MV is excellent and an example of top tier editing without choppy cuts. I have not noticed editing this neat and time consuming since Seventeen's 'HOT'.

Back To Me by The Rose. A group with solid talent and well written songs. I wish every success for them to be honest. I am posting the live video because they are one of those groups who are better live and won't give you The Fear watching it. I wish I could've seen them because I genuinely just love their voices and sound. They've filled the void left behind by Day 6.

Hard by Shinee. It's just your typical weird and perfect Shinee pop song but with a distinctly 90s flavour in my opinion. They are just all so talented that it's virtually impossible to ignore them. SM production is always so slick but with Shinee it is something to gild the lily rather than hard carry the entire song and group. Onew vocals never takes a day off, he was flawless even in the raw recordings.

Kitsch by IVE. It's just so cute and comforting in the way a harmless little pop song can be. It's like a fresh breeze. There's no pressure to do anything but enjoy it. In the absence of Blackpink, they are definitely my favourite girl group at the moment.

This World by Ateez. I do actually prefer it to Bouncy because it has that dystopian and almost gothic feel to it. I don't think it would've made a good title track because it's not as explosive as Bouncy but it 100% would fit into a movie or montage sequence. It absolutely goes so hard in the car, especially at night.

Flower by Jisoo. I think this was just a very smart choice for her and her team. It did not have anything too complex or overly dramatic. It suits her elegance and brand perfectly. It was also very pleasant and kinda of prettily boring? The dance was very popular and cute without being obnoxious. She is very much a Great Gowns Beautiful Gowns and "Go on girl, give us nothing!" idol but I have a soft spot for her. I can't believe we live in a world where Jisoo has the best Blackpink solo song.

3D (Alternate Version) by Jungkook. I did not like it when it was released (with that awful rap feature) but the purely Jungkook and performance versions of it really improved everything. I am really happy that Golden is as good as it is, because I think most Jungkook stans from 2013 lived in fear he would only release Mid Tier pop songs. I think most features on the album are unnecessary. Jungkook has presence and star power on his own. Everything else diluted what we all came for.

Blue Blood by IVE. It's an unexpectedly more mature sound from them and I loved it. I think the driving backing track makes this one of the best driving songs. It has this dark eloquence to it, which I always vibe with. One of their best B sides for sure.

Off The Record by IVE. This was the best track off their album this year. That title track was heinous. OTR was so calm and comforting and there is something about it that reminded me of Gfriend and OhMyGirl where it's just a good song with any histrionics. I do not think IVE suit that bad girl crush concept at all. They always had this expensive High Teen aura and it really took at hit with Baddie imo.

Ring (Unplugged/Acoustic Version) by TXT. This isn't cheating, they released this one on a July 2023 album. Even if it was cheating, I would've still put it on here. It's well written, well produced, well paced and suits everyone in the group. But personally, I always saw this as a Kang Taehyun song (even though he didn't even write it). His aura is all over it. Controversial opinion but I think this has one of Yeonjun's best rap verses because the slower tempo works so much better for his voice and flow.

Crazy Form by Ateez. Ah the Male version of Junk Food with MSG. I don't think it's anywhere near their best song but it's a good fun time and after the tough year(s) we have all had, it's nice to jam to something silly. It's very SKZ adjacent but in my opinion, with much better production and editing because the team behind Ateez are better at it. I'm also including this because it made me really see Jeong Yunho. If you know you know.

Roll With Me by Hyungwon/Shownu. Technically The H/S version of Wildfire is my favourite from them this year but since it wasn't official, I'll go with my second favourite release. It once again proves that Hyungwon is my favourite man (musically) in Monsta X. I like his style, tastes and instincts. It's true that he is my overall favourite in MX but I'm mature now! It's not just the visuals, I truly put his musical output as the number 1 reason I like him.

Standing Next To You by Jungkook. Listen, listen, listen.....I have been following this dude since 2013. I always KNEW he could give more and be more. Even though SNTY isn't even 100% of what I think he can do, it was enough for me to feel all these 10 years were not wasted lol. This deserved this stop purely for the instrumentation and production value alone. Granted, it is very westernised but good music is good music. This is the only time where a feature (remix) actually added something.

Silver Light by Ateez. The sister to Cyberpunk. It is really like its title: a sparkling God Ray of light that cuts through the darkness. It's mysterious but also so hopeful and comforting. They just scraped in with this at the last minute but it is already one of my absolutely favourite Ateez songs. Instant love from 1st listen. The type of song I wish I was more conscious and present for so I could go back to experience it again for the first time. Park Seonghwa supremacy because this is now a song I associate with him. He's not even my Ateez bias but he is my favourite and the most important Ateez member to me. How that works, I do not know.

My favourite song of 2023:

Chasing That Feeling by TXT. They achieved the trifecta in 2023 for me: favourite song, favourite lyric, favourite choreography. I'm not even going to link to the official MV because the choreography needs to be seen unobstructed and undiluted. This is the type of song that I barely have any critiques on (and if I did, they would all be minor). The type of song that I would put as my bio. The type of song I want my best friend to play at my funeral. This era was also the one that pushed Choi Soobin into my life when he knew damm well that my heart has been closed for business for the last 12 months. The power this song had on me was all consuming and cannot be overstated, ok?

#favourite songs of the year #top 2023 kpop songs #there are a lot of songs i liked but don't listen to a lot #i don't think any of this is a surprise #i'm a nice friendly pop girl now i promise #ateez #txt #tomorrow x together #exo kai #aespa #nct #5050 #jungkook #ive #monsta x

[wenellyb]

White French people hate it when they get a taste of their own medicine. 

I was discussing with one of my colleagues and she told me how she was planning to go to Senegal for the holidays because she thought it was a good way for her kids to see more diversity and people who don’t look like them (ie Black People).

So I told her it was a good idea because I was 4 the 1st time I saw a White person (and I cried btw...) And she was so shocked, like she couldn’t understand that some Black kids have never seen White people in their lives but somehow doesn’t think twice about the fact that her kids are in a similar situation.

Another time, I was talking to someone else about how I arrived in France when I was young but had lived in many African countries growing up (RDC, Kenya , Gabon, Center African Republic...).

And then that person proceeded to go on a tirade about how I must have felt so lucky to arrive in France, and how I should have been relieved to arrive in a developed country like France, blablaba. I just told him “not really”, because growing up I was told that France was amazing and so wealthy, but the first time I saw homeless people was when I arrived in Europe, so I didn’t really understand why people always talked about Europe like that. And again, the guy was shocked, just because I didn’t say my life in Africa was miserable and sad, and because I said that Europe was from what I had heard as a child.

If you’re going to bring your assumptions without knowing, I’ll retort with mine ( the view of an 8-9 year old). I don’t understand how someone can feel so entitled and assume something about your situation without asking first. I’m sorry the only thing you know about Africa is that one documentary you watched in middle school but leave me alone.

#random stuff #I just give what I get #And I'm not saying there's no poverty in Africa... But people need to understand that Africa is a continent not a country #and I think that even people who understand it don't really understand understand it #what I mean is that all countries are different and even within the countries you have differences and just like any other countries in the #world you have wealth differences and it's stupid to assume that just because you come from an African country you're grateful to arrive in #an European country or a western country #Also you'll have very different opinions whether your coming from east Africa west africa northern africa etc... #They say stuff but then are surprised when you say the same thing back

[ride-a-dromedary]

"Halsin shouldn't be that big or muscular or look middle aged because he's an elf and the lore sa-"

I actually think he should be bigger and look more middle aged, personally.

#BG3 Musing #Halsin Posting #the man has been non-stop stressed for a century like i'm surprised that didn't prematurely age him MORE #i think he *should* have silver hairs peppered throughout from the endless stress he's been under #and be built like a professional strong man with a significant healthy layer of fat because he *hibernates* and is *practically strong* #and because he says he likes sweet things and doesn't find any point in denying himself things he likes #so you're telling me that man is chiseled and cut like an unhealthy bodybuilder? #no i don't think so #'elf lore says-' this game is literally all about curbing your expectations when it comes to what people are 'meant' to be #elf lore says a lot of things that halsin fits *to a t* - his appearance being out of the 'norm' is not a flaw #but it doesn't matter then does it? only when he physically fits the species paradigm? #'that's not how elf aging works!' why not? you've seen how human's age yeah? different people age in different ways #you can line up ten 50 year olds next to one another and not a single one of them will look the same #the thing is that under every single umbrella there is diversity of experience #people will look and age differently from others - that's just how life and genetic diversity *works* #anyway this is a gripe at two different things at once don't mind me

[phoenixyfriend]

something something one of those those "Jango falls for Courtesan/Stripper/NightclubSinger/TrophyWife!Obi-Wan" AUs...

But instead Obi-Wan actually being a sex worker, he's undercover and still a Jedi, and either:

They split ways and run into each other a few months later with Obi-Wan in full Prude Beige Knight mode OR

The situation goes pear-shaped while they're still flirting and Obi-Wan has to break cover to grab a senator and jump out a window and suddenly this half-dressed glittery Person is batting away shots with a lightsaber and there's a bratty twelve-year-old who ALSO has a lightsaber threatening people with I Will Eat Your Liver if they keep staring at his dad's ass just because the sequined sheathe dress tore in a sexy place

#jangobi #jango fett #obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #star wars #phoenix talks #undercover au #undercover as sex worker #to be clear: I do enjoy sex worker AUs both as a form of entertainment and in their surprising weight in normalization of sex work #they've done an unprecedented amount of work humanizing the profession #for sheltered young people who might have otherwise needed a lot longer to get over their prejudices #and while in my case I started on that path of Recognizing People As People through reading firsthand accounts by sex workers online #the impact that sex worker AUs have had on that whole situation is not to be dismissed #but also they're just fun to read? they're entertaining in the way any profession-based AU can be #I'm just as eager to read a sex work AU as I am to read a senator AU or racer au or college professor au etc #...anyway I just realized that the original post could theoretically be read as 'sex worker AUs bad' and I don't want anyone to think that

[cinnamon-flame]

Viva Piñata art dump

Viva Piñata was my favorite game when I was younger and it influenced my style heavily throughout the years but I've noticed it's like really niche? I haven't seen a lot of people talking about it which is a shame since the whole series is absolutely adorable. So I'm spreading the word myself with some funky doodles

#I am so surprised that this game is almost none existent online #it's almost impossible to search any good screenshots of the game on the internet #I had to load up my game and check stuff from there which was fun but still! #the wikis are helpful but they lack a lot of content #and literally no one I've ever talked to knows this game #and I don't know why that is #the graphics are great #Trouble in Paradise is almost 15 years old now and it still looks good #and these games just have such a sense of style #the piñata designs are gorgeous and it's just all so creative and fun #I still can't believe it #I'm begging everyone to play viva piñata Trouble in Paradise #it's so good! #also there's more piñata drawings coming #I can't stop drawing piñatas now #my animation skills are not the best but i had to animate sour mallowolf doing the thing #they keep doing it all the time and I think it's so funny #viva piñata #viva pinata #viva piñata trouble in paradise #sour mallowolf #mallowolf #dragonache #syrupent #fourheads #twingersnap #cinnamon's doodles

[ialwaysknewyouwerepunk]

the loneliness and sadness that creeps into you in a way that only growing up queer can cause. your parents can accept you and still make you feel like an outsider. your parents can love you and still reject parts of you. that old-fashioned kind of love where they think trying to mold you, make you tough, is better for you. or that quiet status quo where you just don't talk. and where everyone is accepted, though some are more than others. generations and generations it's just been easier to let it slide. to let it be. not cause a fuss. but then we sit there with a knot in our chests all our lives wondering how it got there

#this is about #all of us strangers #ofc your experience of a piece of media is molded by your own perspective #and i have been thinking a lot about growing up queer and how it still fucking sucked #for me. ten. twenty years ago. fuck it even five years ago #it still sometimes sucks #because i was raised without any queer representation around me #i was trained to be straight and to desire straightness #and anything remotely queer was mocked and bullied and judged #i saw it done by others and done to others so much that it's hardly surprising i did everything i could to Not be that #and the fact that i had to grow up that way #and that i still wouldn't feel at ease bringing a partner to a family event #makes my heart ache so much #i am often on my own and going home doesn't bring me comfort #it's like harry describes #it's just how it went #my parents didn't mean to make it like that #my mom even thinks it's sad #but she doesn't understand how it came to be #and i don't know if i can turn it around #adam's imaginings of how his parents envelop him with love and acceptance in the end #was a dream #but a painful one #a dream where your parents suddenly say all the right things #and for him they only did so bc they're dead and he could imagine whatever he wanted #/and still/ he imagined his mom rejecting his sexuality at first #literally so disgusted she can't drink her tea #oooooofofffffff....... #i need to think some more #my posts

[gottagobackintime]

Trent being startled/frightened

#trent crimm #ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #james lance #I hope I didn't miss any if I did let me know and I'll add it #gottagobackintime gifs #don't think about why he startles when people raise their voices suddenly and when he hears loud noises DON'T think about it! #James why have you put these ideas of Trent having a bad dad in my mind #I had a good life before you talked about that #like I'm not saying that Trent was physically abused by his dad but he might have raised his voice in anger a lot #and I wouldn't be surprised if Trent was bullied when he was younger and that's why he's so easily startled #god I really made this gifset because I think he's cute when he's startled but I do really think that there is a reason for it #and the reason is him having been bullied and yelled at a lot

[canisalbus]

helloo whag if machete was emo as a teen and listened to linkin park or evanscene or mcr??

.

#I think he was #sort of #it's hard to belong to any specific subculture when you live in a small town with small social circles and only one shop that sells clothes #but Linkin Park yes definitely #a little bit of Evanescence probably #I don't really know about MCR but I wouldn't be that surprised #answered #anonymous

[hephaestuscrew]

One of the many Wolf 359 script directions that is Important To Me is this bit from Ep15 What's Up, Doc?, which comes after Hilbert has been threatening to tell Minkowski how Eiffel ended up on the Hephaestus:

#Wolf 359 #w359 #I do think script directions like this are perfectly reflected in the actors' performances #and also think they are very worth reading #He says he just needs her to drop it *right now* #which gives an opening to bring it up again another time #but we don't have any evidence that she ever tried to ask him again #In my opinion 'I didn't murder anyone' is not a very reassuring defence #because if that's the only defence he can give #it arguably implies that what he did is just a level of awfulness below that #But Minkowski accepts that defence as all she needs to know #She has full confidence in him #a blank cheque of trust #No wonder he didn't want to tell her #(He didn't want to lose that trust) #No wonder it was so devastating for Minkowski to find out the truth #(The idea that her trust might have been misplaced terrifies her) #Also Eiffel is surprised that Minkowski doesn't push it #He's taken aback by how easily she trusts him #He doesn't expect people to trust him #and just take his word for it that they don't need to discuss his past #He's expecting to need to argue #He's preparing to try to justify his secrecy further #But he doesn't need to #She just trusts him immediately #Eiffel & Minkowski #the empty man posteth #Doug Eiffel #Renée Minkowski #w359 spoilers

[fictionadventurer]

I'd have been much less intimidated by the idea of writing poetry if I'd known that all you have to do is:

Have a thought

Write it down

Find a cooler way to say it

#plus there are pre-made (yet totally optional) cool formats that make writing feel like solving a puzzle! #it also helps that i don't expect any of these to be good #so i can just throw words down and be pleasantly surprised if any of them sound good #this is also a good exercise for my easily-distracted brain #instead of thinking up an image or idea or vibe and saying 'i should create a story that can use that' #the image/vibe/idea can be the whole project! #nice change of pace #adventures in writing #poetry

[front-facing-pokemon]

#meloetta #okay. let's all be honest with ourselves. first of all‚ pirouette form that i didn't even know existed is under the cut #second of all. do any of us REALLY know anything about meloetta's lore? they show up in the gti postgame i THINK but i don't #even remember why they did that. something about helping you with the town building mechanics (which i still think is insanely cool) #and i don't think this “pirouette form” ever happens. in there. i think they're barely relevant even in gti #the hell is this thing? like. an event pokémon that was somehow even less relevant than genesect and keldeo? #if anyone knows what this thing is or what its lore significance is. then. i'd be surprised. lemme google it actually. bulbapedia time #okay…… plays music…… sings or whatever……… pirouette form is. normal/fighting? ok #bulbapedia dropping a whole-ass ♩ which i didn't even know was a unicode character #ok. it sings. why #yeah only ever released via event. sad? sad #it would be more sad if i knew anything about this bitch other than that they sing and that is it #why do they need to be mythical. what is the point

[kanejbr3kker]

anytime i'm scrolling through booktok and i see a video about books with enemies to lovers i always expect to see soc and i never do and it hurts my soul like as much as i love jude and cardan i'd brutally murder them both for helnik

#or any grishaverse couple honestly #except darklina #but i don't think that's a surprise to anybody #grishaverse #six of crows #helnik #matthias helvar #nina zenik #crooked kingdom #save

[add1ctedt0you]

What a plot twist you were. [x]

#Like. The narrator introduces jc to us as the antagonist #Then we got to know him. Not who people think he's. But who he really is #And we saw jc giving wwx a piggyback. Giving him soup. Rescuing him. Putting himself between wwx and any danger (madam yu/wen soldiers) #And even the staged fight. It's yk. Staged #jc wanted to protect wwx at any cost. But wwx wasn't willing to compromise. But jc did #The fight was wwx's idea. Because jc is an enabler (just like jfm and jyl) #jc is ready to bend for his loved ones sake #The point is. Every action jc takes. Is in the name of his loves ones' safety. And surprise. wwx is one of the people jc really cares about #Even after wwx' return. Aside a broken cup. jc isn't doing much to stop wwx or anything. We know that jl was able to free wwx from Zidian #only because jc - Zidian's primary master- wanted it! #And jc fling himself into danger countless times to save wwx even though wwx can't sit still with him for a hot minute #What I wanted to say it's that the jc is presented to us - the mean ungrateful man- is very different from the real jc - #the indulgent uncle who rolls his eyes at his nephew antics. the brother who buries the hatchet for his sister's happiness. #the uncle who kinda wants to help wn to get up from the floor because he was an ass to jc but he helped jl and that's what matters to jc #the sect leader who let two women speak freely their mind in a patriarchy society #People better than me have already said this. shit I can't remember my point lmao #Like. jc is presented as an antagonist but what this man wanted was an apology and an explanation #This post is a mix of a rant I wrote last year (ha) after seeing a bad take. About what I don't remember lmaoo. And me wanting #to make gifs of wzc in this scene. Why does he look so good. It should be illegal. Seriously #jiang cheng #*mgifs

[withercrown]

For anyone still worrying about who the 'spies' are in The Mandalorian, you're looking at it all wrong. Season 3 has gone extremely hard on Mandalorians = Jewish parallels (even in this very episode having Din say that the Mandalorians have been on the edge of extinction for thousands of years, yet still survive).

The Spies is probably a reference to the Twelve Spies from the Old Testament.

The Twelve Spies were a group of Israelite chieftains, one from each of the Twelve Tribes, who were dispatched by Moses to scout out the Land of Canaan for 40 days as a future home for the Israelite people.

#the mandalorian #the mandalorian spoilers #the armorer is innocent #i will die on this hill #if she was the spy then gideon wouldn't have been surprised #when he found out the tribes were working together #i personally don't think any mandalorian is sus #also keep in mind this is a REFERENCE #not a plot point #i don't think they are going to have to wander for 40 years #lmao

[skrunksthatwunk]

love like you / maternal pang

bonus under cut:

the first stephanie + the maternal pang tone destroyer i couldn't include bc it's a serious comic

#you might wanna zoom in for this one sorry #anyway i think putty likes orel. not enough to really get off his ass and help him but there's a fondness there #and i think his position of power relative to the rest of the town could be helpful in influencing things if he like. believed in them more #but he doesn't really expect any better from himself or the rest of moralton and i think it's because he doesn't really believe goodness is #attainable esp by christian/biblical standards. he thinks it's kind of a pretense for everyone. but then stephanie is good so what does tha #say about him? or moralton? i think he'd get a bit better with her around. #it'd make him insecure but she's an encouraging type so. maybe he'd get there eventually #we don't get to see much of that but eh. i think this show is hopeful at the end of the day. i don't think moralton WOULD change much but i #Could change a little. um. anyway that's what this comic is about lol #also im in love with stephanie. so. #moral orel #orel puppington #rod putty #reverend putty #stephanie putty #skrunkart #sorry if the models are kinda inconsistent i haven't drawn these fellers before #it's occurring to me that this is probably the longest comic i've posted on here? just by panel number anyway #which like. moral orel deserves it but that's kinda surprising because i've certainly made longer stuff before #but it's mostly oc stuff from like 3 years ago i never posted and don't really plan on posting #i guess i just tend to stick to gags or quick emotional punches and this is a more lengthy character exploration #which i tend to save for fics. but it's winter break so i've got the time. maybe that's it #this was supposed to be a quick thing where i got to draw stephanie what happened. anyway more moral orel stuff on the way but sheesh #this one kinda got away from me is all. but i like it :) #also full disclosure i forgot to go back and figure out stephanie's tattoos and i don't care enough to. sorry steph ily but im done #also btw i DO think most of moralton are true believers they're just like. assholes/hypocritical. they're godfearing but lazy when it comes #to ACTUALLY helping people (or otherwise let self interest get in the way leading to loopholes etc) #sorry i haven't written about the show before so the meta analysis/interpretation is leaking in #does moral orel have an abbreviation? it's a pretty short name so maybe not. i think moror would be cute :) #also i discovered i can do half-tones on firealpaca so i wanted to try it out :3

[sisterdivinium]

You know, for a show with so many female characters that so many of us love given how they all get time in the spotlight one way or another and they fill that time up rather wonderfully since they are deeper and more developed than what we're used to seeing in general media, it is peculiar (to say the least) to see so few "alternative" ships to the main one.

I'm not saying the canon ship doesn't deserve its attention -- I'm wondering instead why the canon ship and it alone seem to guide the WN fans who just so happen to enjoy writing/reading fic or fanart or whatever.

You'd think all these cool women would inspire more ships or combinations thereof, but those of us who aren't invested in avatrice just... Float along, around one another, ignored (and, yes, mostly undisturbed too; being unpopular does have its advantages and that includes a lot less weirdos leaving you strange or awkward messages -- it does not, however, shield us from people flooding our goddamn tags on AO3 with fic that has nothing to do with our little ships and I do wish such negligence of the pairing itself meant we didn't have to deal with this spam...)

I am also not saying that fandom activity should be based solely on shipping (and recently someone on Reddit was rather confused by the fact that a lot of it is, which is quite an interesting topic to discuss in itself -- after all, there is more to fan creativity than shippy fic... Or there used to be), merely that, here, it appears that a canon relationship can outshine interest in the other, non-canon ones. It's already there and it was doubtless well-done by the show, so it's natural that it should claim people's attention, sure. It's just that being canon was never the parameter for whether people were interested in these or those two (or more) characters maybe being involved and trying to explore what that could mean through fanwork.

There has always been a complaint haunting fandom spaces concerning the minuscule amounts of f/f fic, art, discussion, w/e based on how few (interesting or sympathetic or relatable) female characters there are in media at large. So what I'm curious about is why fan creations made around WN -- a show that finally gives us a whole cast of female characters that are what we have been craving for decades -- don't also reflect its diversity.

There are alternative ships (I'm here, all happy in my tiny Doctor Superion bubble, and I know there are Camila/Lilith, Ava/Lilith, Mary/Shannon, Mary/Lilith shippers out there, so a warm hello to you if you're reading this), but go on AO3 and compare the numbers of things tagged with these proper pairings to the grand total of WN stories. Better (or worse) still, do so with the "otp: true" trick or simply by excluding avatrice from the search to see how many are left.

It's... A considerable difference. And a mystery, at least to me.

#tagging this as #warrior nun #simply because i'd like to talk about this and maybe some of you have thoughts or theories about it #i just ask you engage in good faith if you do. i'm not pointing fingers at avatrice people i think they're fine and dandy #i'm just -- to reiterate -- surprised at how little interest there is in other ships when the potential is all there #(is it because they're nuns? that never stopped avatrice so why should it stop others...) #(besides lilith is hardly still a nun after s2. bea left. mary didn't really take vows did she? you really thought i was a nun she says...) #meta fandom talk i guess #then again about the nun thing... i have noticed a lot of people just go for aus. i can't recall ever being in a fandom with SO many aus #is the religious aspect an issue by any chance? i also recall someone commenting on how little a part religion played in these aus #curious. very curious. #i imagine some of you are wondering why i care when i don't even read fic but -- #-- to quote jillian salvius herself i am a curious person and well you are a curiosity lol