#i know this because most of my friends are also comedic relief characters

[chaosnojutsu]

Who *Should* Have Died From The Konoha ~12 Instead Of The One Who Did

rules:

we’re assuming they die under the same circumstances as the other guy

each one listed would have a complete storyline and their death would further the immediate plot as well as the overall narrative

i’m not “just picking characters i don’t like”

i do not condone killing characters for the sake of shock value but am considering shock as a legitimate tool in generating impact of a character’s death

miss me with “[redacted]’s death was a tragic result of the shinobi system” because no it was not. if that were true you could sub out [redacted] for any other child soldier and get the exact same impact. we know exactly why they were chosen and it’s got an (insufficient) explanation irl and in-universe.

#3. Sai

Motivation: Friendship

First of all, imagine the shock value from killing one of THE Team Kakashi members.

Cool. Now imagine Naruto’s shock at Sai sacrificing himself for him.

Sai overanalyzes normal human interaction to the point of not understanding it. He reads books about how to befriend people. He still doesn’t understand it all the time but friendship is coming more naturally to him these days. What he does understand is that Naruto is the only chance of winning this war, and he’s down, and the enemy is aiming for him, and Hinata is trying to stop them but she’s on the ground, the spears are in the air and so is Sai, and Naruto is his friend.

He doesn’t need to think about it much deeper than that.

Now imagine Sasuke “What Does ‘Friend’ Mean To You” Uchiha witnessing this, witnessing Naruto’s reaction, and the further effects this may have on his character. After all, Sai was his replacement. If Naruto feels this strongly about losing someone who was decidedly not him but his friend and teammate nevertheless then… maybe.

#2. Rock Lee

Motivation: Youth

Regardless of *how* this one plays out, no one wants to watch the determined, precious, comedic relief die; no one who’s watched this far into the show wants Rock Lee specifically to die. Huge impact already. But we can make it super duper sad because he deserves a memorable death. I see it going one of two ways.

One: Hinata doesn’t even have the time to try to shield Naruto because Rock Lee is faster. Ten-Tails barely launches the attack and Lee’s already taken/attempted to counter the hit. Perhaps this is his eight gates moment. Similar to Sai, Rock Lee would cite the power of friendship in his dramatic death speech, but he also was just… doing his duty. Truly, if you’re in the “Neji was just another tragic child soldier” camp, Rock Lee is the prime example of what I mean when I say you could sub in any child soldier, which I know sounds paradoxical but stay with me. Rock Lee’s entire personality is training harder than anyone else to benefit a system that will ultimately result in his death. If you want to make a point about child soldiers and needless lives lost, Rock Lee is the one to kill.

Two: Rock Lee doesn’t shield Hinata. He shields Neji. But not necessarily on purpose. The scene plays out exactly as written up to the moment Neji activates his byakugan, and the next frame isn’t him falling to the ground, it’s Rock Lee. The usually-somewhat-reserved Neji is devastated, probably in tears, demanding to know why he would do something like this. Rock Lee coughs up a bit of blood. “I was faster than you.” Smile. “I finally beat you…” Serene eyes fall shut. “…rival.”

And now imagine Naruto’s reaction to losing Bushy Brow. Imagine him watching Gai be brought to his knees by a blow that didn’t physically touch him. Imagine Madara incorrectly perceiving that. The implications. The foreshadowing.

#1. Shino

Motivation: Legacy

I’m gonna be real, the writers were never gonna kill off Rock Lee like that, which is the biggest reason Shino has taken the crown as Most Worthy Of A Tragic Death in my book.

This dude has a connection to both Naruto and Hinata (making him equally as good a sacrifice as Neji if that’s the canon criteria). However, unlike most other (male) characters, Shino isn’t shown to have a particularly close friendship with Naruto. The one recurring joke around Shino is that he’s so irrelevant even Naruto can’t remember his name.

But he is good friends with Hinata. And he knows she’ll spend the rest of her life miserable if Naruto dies, and that if she dies right now she will never have gotten her life’s greatest wish.

So Shino goes out in a blaze of glory, and we’ll probably insert something about how Naruto has somehow secretly inspired him all along— or maybe something cynical about how he always wanted to be included by Naruto but never was unless Kiba or Hinata were around, so he’s sacrificed himself to maintain the livelihood of everyone else while not “losing” that friendship himself— and we of course get the touching moment with Hinata (oh just imagine the drama if Shino lay dying and told Hinata “Why did I protect you? It’s simple. The reason is… for the same reason you protected him.” and we find out that the huge secret crush of the show was not Hinata toward anyone, but Shino toward Hinata, never confessing because he knew it would be futile).

Good luck forgetting his name now, Naruto. Now no one will ever forget about Shino Aburame.

#char chats #naruto #naruto spoilers #naruto meta #naruto shippuden #naruto war arc #konoha 12 #anti konoha #anti shinobi system #naruto uzumaki #hinata hyuga #shino aburame #sai #rock lee #neji hyuga #sasuke uchiha #pro neji #pro naruhina #naruhina #shinohina

[project-sekai-facts]

What's ur fav piece of trivia for every* character?

(*or at least as much as you can recall off the top of ur head)

my favorite trivia for characters is usually just whatever i think is funniest so just keep that in mind. that's not always the case but you might see it become a pattern. oh the other thing is whatever is most soul-crushing so yeah.

Ichika - either the fact her name comes from how her parents met (because i think it's really sweet) or that she accidentally discovered miku when she was watching videos on her dad's tablet and opened a recording of a miku concert

Saki - she used to listen to the song Time Machine when she was in hospital (at Ichika's recommendation) to remind her of family and friends. It's the in-universe reason why she is featured on the cover. This is actually one of my favorite facts in the game overall.

Honami - she is surprisingly good at flirting

Shiho - not one I've posted before, but in Run! Sports Festival! she couldn't bring herself to throw any of the balls in the ball toss because they had cute animal designs on them

Minori - she once passed out because Haruka wished her happy birthday.

Haruka - she likes penguins because she thinks the way they waddle is cute and she likes how round a lot of penguin merch is

Airi - she followed all of Shizuku's campaigns and bought all the magazines she was featured in when she was still a member of Cheerful*Days. She insists it was just research.

Shizuku - either that she usually has a thermos of miso soup on her to eat after practice or archery club or that she isn't good at texting. i haven't posted either of these before

Kohane - again one I haven't posted yet, but her favorite photo she's taken of Count Pearl is one of Pearl eating mice. the rest of VBS are surprised that she isn't squeamish about that sort of thing (i dunno what they're talking about that sounds like a very cool photo).

An - the possible symbolism of the black stripe on her new school cardigan. hello to the person who submitted that i am still not over it.

Akito - in Cinema he's the only person to sing solo during the first two choruses, the others don't get solo parts in the chorus until the end of the song. i think about this one a lot actually

Toya - he can't swim

Tsukasa - he's the comedic relief and there's a lot of really random shit i know about him because of that, so my favorite fact about him is whatever will have the most impact in the moment if i were to mention it out of nowhere. for a less vague answer, this one although i consider it to be one of my worst posts

Emu - she's very good at replicating cartoon faces. i like this one because it raises a few questions about whether the L2Ds are still exaggerated or if she just looks like that and no one questions that she actually has a cartoon face. what if project sekai ends with them all becoming self-aware.

Nene - either the fact that she thinks the forest has good graphics or that she called rui's mom "auntie" when she was younger because i think it's cute.

Rui - i like a good reference and i appreciate that he sometimes references famous people and media.

Kanade - she's left handed. i also like that her family name was made up specifically to contrast with the rest of N25.

Mafuyu - either that it's shown one time that she can see ghosts and then it's never brought up or referenced again, or that the "mom's cooking" listed as her favorite food might refer to the bunny-shaped apple slices her mother would make for her when she was a kid. i also like the detail that her eyes being two-tone is because she inherited the eye colors of both her parents.

Ena - twitter user. also despite loving cheesecake, she doesn't like cheese. girl what the hell.

Mizuki - they started out editing by making AMVs for a magical girl anime they liked. Amia comes from the name of a character from that anime. also did you know they put ice cubes in noodles because of their sensitive tongue. ice cubes.

Bonus - some side character stuff I like

Kotaro's favorite food is strawberries but he doesn't like strawberry flavored things for whatever reason

Asahi and Sakurako's family names are Chinese mythology references

Tatsuya's hobbies are motorbiking and fishing. these are not things you expect to go together

Nagi hated tomatoes but she would eat them in front of An

Iori hates spicy food, whilst Mio's favorite food is super spicy ramen. Meanwhile Mio doesn't like cream, but Iori likes crepes (which usually have cream on them).

Souma started listening to foreign music after Arata left for America

gbr i forgot about the vocaloids for a second but before i call it a day i think it's incredibly funny that Len cannot reach the stools in crase cafe.

#asks #mod talks

[perfectlyfinespacebacon]

everything now netflix

some spoilers!! and apologies for the long post.

i honestly really enjoyed it! it was almost like a skins/euphoria but imbued with like a heartstopper/sex education vibe in the sense that it dealt with serious teenage issues/mental health but light enough that it doesn't weigh down on you. my character thoughts:

mia was so infuriating almost at all times. obviously under the circumstances, it makes sense but there's this level of likeability that was missing for me. maybe it was the writing or the acting who knows but in my mind it's like this: im making an albeit an unfair comparison to effy from skins or even rue from euphoria, but they were battling their demons and making all the wrong choices but there was still this level of “i want to root for them” that's missing with mia personally.

in a similar vein with alison, she is meant to be this popular rich mean girl archetype who surprises you but obviously in the first half of the season she's supposed to be kind of unlikeable but i found her very endearing. as for the relationship, alison and mia DO NOT belong together. like at all. i am not rooting for them. alison in a way forced a relationship with mia and then also mia was like too scared to say anything about it. its clear that alison liked mia waaaaay more than mia liked alison. like carli says in the last ep as well, “to learn to not be a fantasy to each other”, alison needs to take mia off this pedastal she has for her. i'm very interested to learn more about her character outside of mia though if they hopefully continue the show. i have a feeling that we are supposed to think that she and cameron hooked up at the end or something but i'm rlly hoping its a red herring.

carli is also a character i would love to learn more about. she definitely has more chemistry with mia and i love her for standing her ground against mia, as she needs to help herself before she can be in a healthy relationship. but i will say it was pretty shitty stringing cameron along.

speaking of cameron, i didn't quite expect to like his character as much as i did. in a way his arc in the season is battling toxic masculinity as he kinda seems to come off as this laid back, bro kinda guy but he cares and loves so deeply. it wasn't right calling bec a "sket". i'm not british but obviously its like equivalent to slut, and im very glad he owned up to it. i'm also really interested to know more about his family and stuff.

i love bec as well. she deserves all the happiness in the world. im glad she was able to air out her things with mia, albeit in a very treacherous way and i also love how her mom was supportive of the abortion. i'm honestly kinda tired seeing the mom kicking out the daughter for getting pregnant trope so it was nice to see a mom just being supportive. bec is just such a wonderful friend and mia honestly has a lot to make up for. re not telling mia about her and cam, it was honestly frustrating seeing mia be so petty. i understand that its a big secret and she felt like everyone was hiding things from her but its also right to have secrets amongst friends, idk that really stuck out to me.

will for me had the weakest arc as in it wasn't the most interesting to me. don't get me wrong, i love the character but it just wasnt giving a whole lot to me. i recognize him as more than the comic relief but also at the same time he was stirring the pot in a lot of the arguments / blowups the group had, consciously and unconsciously. though i will say will x theo <3 but comedic duo of the century is will x alison. the little song they did for mia's birthday is stuck in my head.

tldr; great characters and great show. it's really hard to find a show about teens as a 25yo living in a 16yo body that i enjoy and don't find annoying. i just love how each character was able to be so nuanced despite being an ensemble cast.

but knowing netflix's track record it's gonna get cancelled because a) it's good b) has wlw content... but i really hope not.

#everything now #everything now netflix #mia polanco #becca #cameron #will #alison #carli #sophie wilde #niamh mccormack #jessie mae alonzo #harry cadby #lauryn ajufo #noah thomas

[pedrostylez]

500 Followers Reading Recommendation List

Hi there! Happy Saturday!

I just wanted to say thank you to the 500 people that are following me. I started this account back in March/April to have fun, start writing again (I was in the thick of it with One Direction fanfiction from 2012-2017 and took a massive break from that... Iykyk) and to make friends. I’ve connected with so many of you, and I love seeing us all thirsting on the feed, and just being a community? Idk if that’s cheesy, but there are plenty of things that could be improved with how this fanbase operates but this is my favorite part.

I felt like the best way to celebrate and to have fun is to bring attention to other people’s writing that I enjoy. Frothing at the mouth, or maybe just kicking my feet, whatever. I’ve been stockpiling these since the beginning (mainly so I can keep track because I will forget what I’m reading through and I don’t want to miss anything) and want to just highlight as many people as I can. 

I hope you all can give these guys some love too. If any of these are not your cup of tea and you want to make comments or say something to one of these authors I highly encourage you to read this announcement I made a while ago. I stand by this and encourage others to do the same.

I tried to not repeat an author with a character, but I will say that each of these lovely people writes for multiple characters (not always in the Pedro character universe either) and I have and continue to read from their whole masterlist. 

This is in no way the whole ongoing list that I keep for myself to find something that I enjoy, and I am positive I have missed some amazing people. I encourage everyone to reblog and interact with authors as you find things you like, “popular” or not, so as to keep us all as what I described above-a community.

Most of these recommendations are smut, which is indicated with *. If there is no *, it either has none or it does not at the time of posting this. Proceed with caution. 🙂

(If I get anyone’s name or pronouns wrong, please let me know so I can fix it. I tried to do my due diligence, however, I am prone to mistype so a quick message will get it changed!)

Joel Miller

@softlyspector-Honeyed

Becca’s story Honeyed is everything my fluffy heart desires. It is so soft, and I can feel my heart ache when I read it (I mean this in a good way and idk how else to describe it.) Ellie and Sarah’s dynamic is also so interesting, and I love how she writes the different connections between them all. Becca’s descriptions and ability to immerse you into the story is top notch. 

@jrrmint- Dad’s Best Friend (Series)*

JJ’s series absolutely destroyed me, in the best way possible. The way he expresses his feelings is so very Joel, but also so very “every man I’ve ever interacted with”, and the way he is so protective of reader…oh my lord. Just brilliant. JJ is here to kill it, every fucking time. 

@darkroastjoel- A Safe Haven (series)*

Vee is extremely talented, even when she thinks otherwise. (Vee I love you so much omg). So much effort and care is put into what she writes, and I am always sitting at the edge of my seat. A Safe Haven is angsty, makes my heart flutter, and Joel is portrayed so well. Hiding a relationship while having issues in Peach’s home to help the community? Real-life anxiety. Vee’s Ellie is also one of my favorites and gives comedic relief when necessary (but also a wakeup call to Peach a lot of the time). Love love love.

@hier--soir-Back to Texas

Jessie you probably thought I was going to put your professor joel series here, and while that is so fucking good (screeching into a pillow so my husband doesn’t hear, good), this specific piece you wrote? Emotional damage. Tears, in my eyes, sniffling and trying to keep it together. It really just calls upon my daddy issues to read Joel so distraught and loving and anxious about visiting his home where he last saw Sarah. Ugh. Love you. 

@joelscruff- One Thing I’m Missing (series)*

Cat’s ability to suck you into the world she has created is insane. I highly recommend all of the things she writes, but some sweetness mixed with horniness always makes me want to just pass away. Accidentally falling asleep together? And now you BOTH can’t stop? Bye. So deliciously heart-wrenching. 

@atinylittlepain-Hungry Hearts (Series) *

Dear god this series has me crying, covering my face in embarrassment, drooling, and so much more. Summer love wrapped up with childhood crushes and bouncing back and forth between past and present? Thinking you know what’s best for the person you love and hurting them in the process? The flow of how Ginny writes keeps me on the hook no matter what she’s writing, and this is no different. I am absolutely able to lose myself in her writing and just be fully immersed, and I so so SO appreciate it.

@dev1lm4n-Porn Star Joel (series)*

Ann I swear to you, you’re the reason I am now obsessed with this “porn star” trope, specifically for Joel Miller. Joel having a secretive side job to make sure he keeps his family above water, but suddenly not able to think about anything other than reader, an exchange student living in his house? So fucking good. Sink your teeth in and just indulge. 

Frankie Morales

@pedropascalsx- Relief*

This had my gut in knots reading it. I have such a soft spot for Frankie as a character, and I remember the first time I read through this one-shot I gasped out loud at how mean you had written him. (This is a good thing, trust me). The smut is top shelf, mesmerizing.  Cristina has some of the best writing around with detail that is chef’s kiss. 

@peterhollandkait-Everthing I Know Leads Me Back to You

This is another series that I had first read when I was thinking about restarting my page, and Kait does not disappoint. The angst and heartbreak for sweet baby Frankie who is having issues is out of this world.

@javiscigarette-Just Focus on My Love*

Cami has this way about how she writes that I just consume so quickly and I don’t think I can ever stop. This one-shot called to me and calls me out at the same time for how often I will just play video games for hours. And the idea of Frankie? Coming to try and distract me? Yes please.

Javier Peña

@pascalsbby-Little Bunny*

Man, I just love Javier Peña. Whether he’s snarky and is a slut or is secretly really sweet. This one doesn’t disappoint either, with Kat having the ability to just get Javier to bring you home and on your knees…

@lokischocolatefountain -Salvation*

Married Javi and his struggles is the most insane way to get me hooked on him, but lokischocolatefountain did that. They have a whole “married javi” section of their masterlist that I find myself coming back to often!

@devilmademewriteit-Salvatore (series)*

When I was first reapproaching tumblr as a platform to write on, I came across Em’s writing. I was in the middle of watching Narcos, and it called out to me like a siren song, and I wasn’t able to stop reading it. I love a sassy Javi who is really just basically in love with you and trying to hide it, mixed in with some amazing smut. Absolutely brilliant Em!

@swiftispunk- Let Me and Use Me*

Hannah’s ability to call upon my niche needs at the moment freaks me out sometimes, because giiiirrrlllll. When I first read Let Me and the follow up Use Me, I melted into a puddle and had to be mopped up like snow being kicked off boots next to a wood stove. I will never ever EVER be over Javi P, and this two parter is reread OF-TEN. The idea that a man can read me so well, and just knows what I need? Yes please. 

Din Dijarin

@frannyzooey-Take Me To Church (Series) *

Kelli has an extensive masterlist that I have gone through a couple times (or more, ahem). Her Take Me to Church series is what made me interested in Din as a character, since I had never really watched the Star Wars saga. I have a soft spot for western AU’s that can’t be helped, so that just pushed me along as well. Kelli’s writing is always so fucking satisfying-good soup.  

@whatsnewalycat- Passenger (series) 

Aly has quite a few series that I am reading constantly. Again, never really had been interested in the Star Wars series (sue me, people) but her portrayal of Din as a truck driver and bounty hunter is so heavenly. I am typically under the covers with all the lights off reading her stuff because I get so excited and so honed in that I haven’t realized I’ve basically burrowed into my bed. 

@no-droids- Rough Day (series) *

Originally found on AO3, and I sure do loveeeeeeeee it. The wait is worth it, and the smut is spot on. I love the character growth that is shown in this series, and while I haven’t ever spoken with no-droids, I know they are insanely talented. An amazing read. 

Agent Whiskey/Jack Daniels

@fuckyeahdindjarin-Palomino (series) *

Cee doesn’t need a whole introduction but IMMA GIVE HER ONE. The amount of effort, and time and love she puts into her writing is shown when you’re reading on your phone, eyes barely open at 3 in the morning, telling yourself you’ll go to sleep after this next paragraph. And then of course, you don’t because something juicy is happening or you want to see how Jack is going to look lovingly at Darlin’ and you just stay up until you complete the chapter. Cee has some amazing amazing AMAZING series, and this is just one of them! 

@psychedelic-ink-Move Me, Baby *

Sil, if you don’t already know what you do to me, then here it is. You literally destroy me. This three-part series is as delectable as they come, being angsty and fluffy but also smut city babyyyyy. Sil is extremely talented and often has me questioning if I have a new kink or what exactly my deal is. 

Ezra (Prospect)

@the-ginger-hedge-witch- Adversity Western AU (Series)*

Ren. I stg. The ideas that you have send me into orbit. This is both Frankie and Ezra, but I am putting it under Ezra because the relationship between reader and Ezra is what I tend to focus on when I am reading this. Frankie’s relationship is also fascinating (and Ezra and Frankie together is extremely hot) but Ezra is written in this way that I just know is him exactly. She completely captured what Ezra’s cadence was (in my head at least) and I am infatuated with it.  

@ezrasversion-Heat*

Rue…my dear god. “Don’t stop on my account… unless of course you’d be more acquiescent to the idea of my assistance.” Like really?! I read this after I watched prospect for the first time and just about keeled over. How you captured how Ezra speaks was so spot on with the movie. So so good!

#pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal fanfiction #joel miller #frankie morales #joel miller smut #frankie morales smut #ezra prospect #agent whiskey #jack daniels #javier pena #ezra smut #agent whiskey smut #javier pena smut

[cleabellanov]

Jet-Skiing through Identity: a deep dive into Mobius M. Mobius (part 6) 🚤

So, through the realms of my (personal) analysis, we've come a long way to Mobius's character. From the comedic relief to the deep natural need to care from others, from fear of abandonment to suppresed emotions. But guess what? There's more. There's always more when you really get into it.

I see episode 3 of season 2, "1893" as sort of a calm before the storm : a really sweet time before the rest of the chaos really emerged.

I love how the clothes they are wearing are probably conjured by Loki for them to fit in the time period. This is more of a headcanon, but beside all that chaos, Mobius probably loved it as well.

Here is another gem from this character: although he possesses an effortless charm most of the time, that doesn't equal the actual confidence. Like he's trying to hide the lacks in self esteem with an abundance of showing off. But around his closest confidante, he naturally gets that out, not needing to overthink it anymore: with both confidence and charm. I'm talking about that line:

"I see everything, I notice everything"

which is right before the famous "You've got some Cracker Jack on your chin, what about that?". They really were on a silly little date.

We also get to catch precious moments of Mobius's pure curiosity and opening to the new. I imagine that he also lost some experiences he had with the memory wipe at the TVA, so everyday can be a new gift now that he really gets to do something *else*. That's noticeable when Victor Timely's presentation of The Loom begins, doing an amazing contrast with Loki's more careful behavior.

Not to talk about persuasive: the tandem bike? A classic. I'm not saying Loki wasn't a little compromised by the circumstances, but Mobius made himself pretty clear too!!

And at the end of the episode, I love how he stays behind to look at Ravonna for a little while after Loki exits through the time door. It's not that he doesn't miss his old friend, but he knows better than to try and meddle in her business right now.

In episode 4, "The Heart of the TVA", Mobius's natural kindness is once again an important piece of the game. Him and Loki too try to be gentle with Timely, as they see he is scared and understand he's just a variant, different than He Who Remains.

When they finally get Timely to work to their plan and save the Loom, there it is again: that waiting in uncertainty, the fear of things going south really, really fast. So he does what he's used to: try and have some pie.

Sylvie is obviously disturbed by this, as from her perspective, they should be even more agitated, just like everything else around them. And here's just a part from what she said to Mobius:

"Timelines are just lines on a monitor. Doesn't matter if a few disappear. Because you've never bothered to look if one of them is yours"

This time, Mobius doesn't snap like he did with Brad. Because it isn't coming from one of his coworkers, it's from Sylvie, whom he helped in the past. And in the way she says it, he's more prone to believe her. So he doesn't reciprocate her speech with anger. Why? Because he doesn't deny it; feeling guilty about something automatically implies admitting the other is right. And he doesn't have the strength to fight it anymore. Loki does it for him afterwards in the pie room - as he deserves.

At least he got a hot-cocoa to warm him right back up :))

#see you for the next and final part mobius/loki/lokius legion #anyways if you enjoyed you can reblog so it can reach more people #mobius #loki #kang #sylvie laufeydottir #lokius #character analysis #tumblr writers #essays about my fav characters always end up longer than assignements for school #marvel #mcu #fandom #tom hiddleston #owen wilson #loki series #💛💚

[mikesbasementbeets]

i’ve been thinking a lot about elmax recently and how it seems like the show is genuinely setting them up romantically, while also consistently establishing max and lucas as a romantic pair

keep in mind, this is the show that has been setting up byler since season 1. they seem to know what they’re doing when it comes to queer coding, so i refuse (for the purposes of this analysis at least) to believe they’re unaware of what they’ve been doing so heavily and blatantly with elmax, and also with max in particular (el too, but i’m focusing on max).

i've talked about why i think mike wheeler is gay. this is why i think max mayfield is bi. and elumax should be endgame.

queer coding of max mayfield

right off the bat: her name. max. just like el was at first, due to her shaved head, max is mistaken for a boy by those who don't know her. first the party, who see the name madmax at the arcade, and later dr. owens in season 4 (he might even assume that she's el's boyfriend). when she's first introduced by mr. clarke using her full name, maxine, she quickly corrects him. it's max.

this leads into the larger point of queer coding around max. her androgynous fashion sense, the way she carries herself, distancing herself from performative femininity, ie, playing video games ("girls don't play video games,"), skateboarding, making friends with an all male friend group, her general "tomboyish" presentation and attitude - all of it reads as heavily queer coded to me. i'm not saying that any of these things is necessarily queer, or mean that a person in real life is queer, but the way it all comes together in max feels like a purposeful character choice.

i'm not an expert in queer coding so there's probably a lot i'm missing, but one of the biggest signs for me is max's constant association with rainbows. the other characters have their color palettes, and max has rainbows. literally. as many times as mike and will have been coded with rainbow imagery, max is drowning in it.

and then there's the most important piece of queer coding... her relationship with el. i'll come back around to that though, because i want to talk about boys first. because clearly, max does like boys.

this shot is largely played for comedic relief, but it actually does something important for the narrative i think. it establishes again, with a max that has (once again) broken up with lucas for reasons she doesn't seem to have really explained, that max is attracted to men. my optimistic reading of it is honestly, "hey, we know what we've been doing here with max, so just in case you were thinking she's a lesbian... she's not." ...or if you want a different fun read of it... max realized she likes girls recently (i'll get to that) and is just making sure she still likes boys. ladies dig it? do they steve? oh, wait, yeah.

she's also talked about other boys with el in the past, showing pretty unambiguous interest in them

(these scenes are still so gay though seriously... "you must be an angel".... contrasting milven's scene where el didn't like mike's singing... rainbowsrainbowsrainbows... talking about kissing and then emulating a spin the bottle game, later introducing el to wonder woman while they're in bed together, waking up together always rainbows come ON)

and of course, the other most important part of this, her relationship with lucas, which is shown continuously to be one of real, romantic attraction. in season 2, this was mostly established through contrast with her relationship with dustin, who also had a crush on her. max and lucas start off by becoming close as friends, and then begin to develop a romantic connection. max and dustin, meanwhile, are established several times as not clicking in the same way that max and lucas do. they have heart-to-hearts that feel intimate and genuine, and, as steve and dustin discuss, are layered with the kind of "electricity" that denotes mutual attraction.

at the same time though, while we understand that it's genuine on both sides, we're shown that max and lucas' relationship is far from perfect.

for a couple that reads as endgame and has parallels with several of the other endgame couples, they also parallel a lot of the obviously not endgame couples. i'm gonna come back around to that too. first, the other thing.

romantic coding of elmax

elmax. honestly, i can't even get into everything i want to, because it's literally everything about them.

first of all, the start of their friendship is byler romantic coded

"i just walked up to you and i asked... it was the best thing i've ever done."

this sequence in particular though. this is. so bi coded i'm going insane. (also rainbows rainbows rainbows)

not hopper, not mike. you. (there's more to life than stupid boys. *HOLDS HER HAND*)

the next sequence is also pretty gay imo but is also kinda just gals being pals, so i'm gonna focus on the song, Material Girl by Madonna. this is definitely meant to be about eleven here, finding herself, away from mike (and it's also just a great shopping montage song), but the shot layout also subtly indicates that it applies to max and lucas too.

"some boys hug me, some boys kiss me, i think they're okay." and what about girls, max? what do you think of them? el? opinions?

(the clothes are emulating a literal rainbow flag behind her ok red yellow blue green purple and max is the orange she's part of the flag like shut UP i can't do this anymore)

and. okay. look, i'm not going to fully explain this one but i need to point it out.

getting back at the straight girl bullies (shown flirting with a boy) in front of a burger king. max taking off her sunglasses (we've talked about the symbolism of mike's shades in season 4) as they run away holding hands. taco bell coming soon. "there's more to life than stupid boys." like. am i reading way too much into this? (yes)

even back to their first meeting though, i'm seeing the seeds being planted. go ahead and read this as purely platonic admiration if you want, i don't care, but there's no way in my mind, especially after seeing seasons 3 and 4. like imagine you're a young bi teenage girl who's been hearing stories about this awesome girl with superpowers who saved everyone's life and then mysteriously disappeared, and then she suddenly mysteriously reappears, saves your life too, and walks in looking like this

personally, my tiny gay heart would stop.

yeah

but let's actually move on to season 4 for a minute.

season 4 was setting up canon bisexual max

i'm going to argue something here that i don't have a ton of actual evidence for: i think one of the reasons max broke up with lucas after season 3 is that she realized her feelings for el. max's arc in season 4 is all about her dealing with the trauma of last season, and guilt for her role in what happened. the guilt is extremely important to this. it's a big part in why vecna chooses his victims: not just kids with trauma, but kids who feel shame surrounding their trauma. most of that for max obviously has to do with billy's death. but i think there's something else that max is dealing with too.

as soon as i started season 4 i was struck with strong “queer max” vibes. first of all, her more feminine and rainbow splashed outfits from season 3 have been replaced again with the more tomboyish, androgynous style of season 2. and then there's the first sequence we get to running up that hill (which starts, funnily enough, on a scene of el walking down the hall at school, upset). the first time i watched this i was literally shocked because it read so explicitly queer to me.

first, max looks at group of girls (thinking about el, most likely)

her gaze trails after them, and then, next shot, max looks at a couple kissing

and then max looks at lucas

only after watching it again did i realize it didn't necessarily have to be queer coding (if you take it as max missing her friend and then, separately, her ex-boyfriend) but holy shit, if that's what they meant, they did NOT have to put the couple making out in between those two shots, with further shots of max looking away almost guiltily. we all know that lucas was max's boyfriend. they didn't have to precede that shot of him with the shot of the couple. that's already their established dynamic (and we haven't even learned at this point that they've broken up).

what's not been established yet though, is the idea of max and el as a couple. and i think..... that's possibly what's being hinted at here through max's perspective. the sequence of shots is so telling: 1. girl friends, 2. couple kissing, 3. ex-boyfriend. guilt. what i'm getting from this sequence of shots is that max's friendship with el is something she's thought about in a romantic light. max is making this association. and feeling guilty about it when she looks at lucas. whom, despite their closeness still at the very end of season 3, months after starcourt, she has since broken up with. the reason the show establishes for this is that max has been pulling away from everyone since billy's death, dealing with the fallout in her family, her mother's emotional absence and alcoholism, etc, and her own grief, guilt, and trauma around it. that makes perfect sense, and i'm not saying it's not true. but i think el moving away was also a factor.

it wasn't until season 4 that max was shown to have really pulled away, after el moved to california. maybe it's a reach, maybe it's nothing, but max as a character is so similar to mike, who was shown to have exactly this response to the byers' moving away: isolating himself and pushing away his friends, suffering his depression alone, and talking to no one about it. meeting el in season 3 showed us a new, bubbly happy side to max (that, yes, probably also came from the rest of her friendships and lucas, but el's is the one we were shown). max and el spend almost the entire season together, and max is undoubtedly going to be affected by her best friend moving away. especially if, like mike, it feels like she's losing more than a friend.

it's not just those shots though. when lucas tries to talk to her later, telling her he knows something's wrong... as soon as she turns around, there's a rainbow.

"right, yeah, there must be something wrong with me because i broke up with you."

then in dear billy, lucas confronts her again. and the language reminds me of karen's speech to mike in season 1. and jonathan's to will in season 4. "you know you can talk to me, right? i'm here for you."

guilt and shame are a big part of max's plot this season. the two characters most associated with that for max are billy and vecna - max feeling guilt over billy, and vecna using that guilt against her.

and those scenes also feel intentionally queer coded to me.

and then there's the dear billy flashback sequence.

while she's trying to escape vecna using her happiest memories, max is also comparing her relationships with lucas and el. they are both friendships. and they are both romantic. she thinks of them in alternating flashbacks. lucas, then el, then lucas and dustin, then el, then max's face, then lucas and dustin, then el, then max's face, and then this particular sequence: lucas, el, mike.

this may a reach, but... if she has feelings for el, she's probably feeling guilty around mike, too. this is the only shot of mike in the sequence. after this, in quick succession, it's lucas, then lucas, then lucas, and then el.

then lucas, then lumix snowball kiss, then max's face, then high fiving el, then her eyes open, and she breaks free

there are more shots of lucas than of el, but that's just the thing: max keeps trying to just think of lucas (because, as shown by the shot of mike, the way she's thinking about el makes her feel guilty, which is the opposite of what she wants), but el keeps coming back in. she thinks of her first kiss with lucas, and then thinks of high fiving el after they "dumped their asses." and that's the shot that breaks her out.

(and the song itself? 1. birthdaygate coded, 2. ROMANTIC. baby, darling, angel. you must be an angel. the voice of an angel saving victor creel from henry, el saving max. i'm reaching again. but. seriously.)

and then the flashbacks in episode 9 (and i'm not even touching el's flashback montage here). it's so difficult to be brief about this because they're literally doing SO MUCH here. i'm might have to make a separate post with every shot in this sequence because it's so good. (edit: here)

literally just. go back and watch the entire thing if you need to, but i need to go through this. elmax is unbelievably romantic coded this episode. there is no getting around it.

max chose the snow ball as her happy memory to hide from vecna in, but it didn't work. when vecna finds her, he says, "you can't hide from me, max." max turns around and, with a determined look, closes her eyes. closing her eyes almost seems like she's trying to keep hiding, but facing the door where venca is feels more like defiance. she's not going to try to hide anymore...

in the first shot, she spins the bottle in her mind, and her memories flicker from her first time meeting lucas, to the movies with lucas, to the start of her friendship with el, back to the spinning bottle, and then. the last two shots repeat. movie date with lucas, el approaching her in the street. but the lucas shot flickers shorter, and the el shot lingers, and then it's max's mom tying her hair too tight for the snow ball.

like maybe... this wasn't her at her happiest. forced conformity is killing the kids, right?

and the bottle flickers in again and it's el. it's max dancing in el's room, you must be an angel...

and then we come back to max's face and there are rainbows reflecting in the light

"is mike a good kisser?" el laughing, more rainbows

after that, she gets distracted by vecna and broken out of her memories, and when el shows up, max asks,

"are you real? did i make you?" she was thinking so strongly of her memories with el, she thought that it had worked.... and everything is romantic coded, there's nothing even to argue for here, it's just. there. seriously, like. just watch the episode. it's elmax.

after this the focus goes back to el mostly and it's still extremely romantic but i can't get into it anymore, i need to focus on max.

the way it all ends brings me back to the elumax question again. because right here, i'm clearly seeing elmax/byler vs. lumix/milven. paralleling mike's love monologue failing to help el, lucas' protection, both physically and in her mind, was not enough to save max.

that was el. that was el that saved her. (of course, she saves your life because of "friendship")

el's love for max is what saved her. not mike. not lucas. elmax.

going back to the latter half of season 3... el and max's relationship progressed very quickly through shared trauma, and max is the one there for el all season... and when billy dies, el is the one who holds her.

season 3 also made it clear that max's relationship with lucas wasn't without flaws.

all of the romantically inept things that mike was doing with el? lucas was doing them first, max was breaking up with him, and lucas was later advising mike on how to fix it. and especially by the end of the season, max seems much more like she's in el's corner than lucas'.

why i think it's possible max and lucas might end up as friends

after she's broken up with him in season 4, lucas spends most of the time just trying to be her friend again. he doesn't even seem bothered by their breakup (although we don't know how long ago it was), he seems to really just want her in his life again, to talk to him.

and, yes, they spend season 4 rebuilding the relationship in a way i think would be beautiful to see work out romantically. but i don't think it's inevitable. (remember that they also rebuilt stency this season.... as much as they might like each other, we've been shown in past seasons that their romantic relationship was flawed.)

i wish i could get into all the parallels, because they're the biggest part of what confuses me on the show's endgame goals but i really can't because it would take up an entire post. the duffers love parallels, obviously, it's one of their main narrative techniques at this point. and i think they usually work really well, because they're not trying to show that each of these characters or couples is exactly the same. they use parallel situations to exemplify the small details that make each character and relationship unique.

for example, milven and stency often parallel each other, but they're not quite the same. i don't think mike ever had genuine romantic feelings for el. he thought he liked her, but ultimately he's gay. nancy, on the other hand, did genuinely have a crush on steve (hc her as a lesbian if you want, i fully support that, but i think the show thinks she likes boys). that is the show's example of a teenage crush that sparks and then fizzles, not turning into deeper love.

whereas lumix, which also sometimes parallels these two ships (for example, their habit of sitting across from each other rather than beside. not always though... they're inconsistent), i believe is an example of a love that is real and genuine... but might not be meant to last forever. because in addition to those other two, they also parallel byler, jopper, and jancy, which i believe are endgame ships.

to be honest... all of this makes me believe even more firmly in gay mike too. because unlike mike’s complete lack of romantic feeling for el, or nancy's naive crush on steve, this is a narrative that sets up genuine, but possibly not everlasting love. a bi character discovering her sexuality by falling for her best girl friend while she’s dating a guy she also really likes. i think lucas is max’s first love, but not her only.

however

all this said, i also think it's very likely that lucas and max will end up together, and el might end the show on her own. lucas and max are NOT milven or stency, and whatever flaws they have don't necessarily spell out a doomed relationship. there's a lot of good there too, i just didn't get into it here.

and el's whole character arc has been about family, friends, and finding herself outside of other peoples' influence. i think this could still work if she were with max, since max has always been the most supportive of el's independence and self-fulfillment, but i can really see the show ending with el on her own, and it being a natural and positive conclusion to her journey

either way though, i think with everything they've been doing, they might actually confirm in canon that max and el have romantic feelings for each other (...or indicate it so obviously that they think it’s undeniable and then later confirm in interviews when most viewers don’t get it because they’re too subtle for their own good)

anyway, here's how elumax can still happen

look, i don't really trust the show to be able to pull this off, mostly because it just. isn't something that's done. not in popular media like this. but honestly, it's hard for me to grasp all of this because it feels like the show is telling me that max belongs with both el and lucas. i think most people assume she will end up with lucas after the way their relationship was rebuilt in season 4, and i think that absolutely makes sense. but i truly think elmax has been built up just as much, just a lot more subtextually. it's just that no one expects it to actually happen. 1, because lumix not ending up together would feel pretty disappointing after all this build up, and we don't want to see lucas, who truly loves max, end up alone. especially when max loves him too. and 2, because of heteronormativity - most people assume elmax are only being set us as friends, regardless of whether they're picking up on the romantic coding. and the "norm" is one romantic partner per person. but max needs el just as much as she needs lucas, and the ending season 4 proved that. lucas holding max in his arms, thinking he's alone with her, but then we see that el is actually there too. right alongside lucas. el saved max's life after she died in lucas's arms.

i could just give up and assume that elmax is platonic and they're giving max both a romantic and a platonic love story, but as i've already talked about, max is queer, and her dynamic with el is romantic. (theres so much evidence of this from el's side too that i just didn't get into)

going into season 5, max is in a coma. we already know that lucas is spending his time at her bedside. and i think it's fair to assume, based on el's priorities after the pizza dough freezer, ignoring mike completely to stay with max and lucas, and to revive max, she's going to be very focused on max too.

this is already way too long but i'm almost done, i want to briefly talk about lucas and el's dynamic from season 1. of all the party members, lucas was the most skeptical and deeply wary of eleven. he didn't trust her, and she ended up inadvertently hurting him when he fought with mike. but over the course of the season, they both learned to trust each other, having moments together than felt just as important as el's friendship with mike.

if season 5 is a return to season 1 dynamics, especially seeing the way season 4 left these two characters (sharing the same priority - max), i think lucas and el will spend a decent amount of time in season 5 together, or at least share a plotline (around max?). now that they're finally being given the chance to actually spend time together, i can see them growing much closer next season, maybe even leading to a mutual understanding and acceptance of both of their feelings towards max (maybe even falling in love?). and if max wakes from her coma to discover that the guilt and shame she's been suffering around her feelings for these two people is actually unnecessary, and that they can all be happy with each other, in whatever way they decide, even if other people might not understand?

*slides the duffers $5*

that would be an absolutely iconic ending.

#elmax #max mayfield #byler #honestly though i would sell my soul for canon elumax #if they could pull that off in season 5 i could die happy #also i'm giving the duffers a LOT of credit here i'm just choosing to give them the benefit of the doubt #this got SO LONG i'm sorry #mikesbasementbeets posts

[sy-on-boy]

The Mystery of Melinda Desmond (and others)

Anyways I’ve been thinking about how the cast of Spy x Family upholds a very meticulously crafted status quo. ESPECIALLY the adults. And now with Damian’s mom (a highly anticipated character) introduced, the plot thickens.

So one of the main gimmicks of SxF is that everyone has a side they hide, but for most of the main cast, the “two sides” they have is clearly visible to the reader. Loid is a psychiatrist and a spy. Yor has a “normal” job but is also an assassin. Yuri is straight up introduced as a member of the SSS. Fiona has a job at the hospital but is also straight up introduced as a member of WISE. In each of these 4 characters’ introductions, we see their individual gimmicks. We, as readers, know their secret identities. Like, imagine if we didn’t know Yuri’s a member of WISE’s top enemy. There would be so much speculation and analysis, but the Yuri’s relevance to plot isn’t him being mysterious. It’s literally established that him and his brother in law belong to enemy organisations. Endo tells us so we can anticipate what might happen next. Endo uses the trope of double identities not to make us guess who is who. He immediately shows us who they are and tells us to enjoy the ride. Readers (and Anya) know the truth, the characters don’t.

For the more side-ish characters, we have an idea of who they are. We know Sylvia is like Twilight’s boss, but while she’s serious and cool, she also shows a warm, motherly side to Anya. Franky is stuck in the “comedic sidekick role who cannot get a date” but he is pretty useful and loyal to Loid. One might expect Henderson to be all serious and elegant, but he’s also used for comic relief. These characters are established as “good” characters who are on the side of our protags. Again, these traits are all laid out for us.

Important note: the above characters have all met Anya. Anya is a mind reader and she can read their true intentions. And since she knows their intentions, the reader does as well, and for the most part, we can trust them. And when an adult character hasn’t met Anya yet (and doesn’t get their own POVs), they’re shrouded in mystery.

We have our perceived antagonist, Donovan Desmond. From Twilight (and WISE)’s POV, he’s a cruel man who can start a war. But Donovan’s involvement in a potential war isn’t directly confirmed yet. Most info from him comes from WISE, so the readers understand Donovan from the lens of his enemy rather from a omniscient narrator or Donovan’s POV. It’s important to note that while Anya wanted to meet Donovan, she actually didn’t. If Anya didn’t fall asleep back then, she could easily read Donovan’s mind and boom, his mystery is gone, story ends, blah blah blah.

If anything, Melinda is portrayed as an even bigger threat than Donovan, because we know less about her. Loid admits that. Damian doesn’t even think about his mother. And when you pair Yor with Melinda, who’s oblivious to the politics (unlike Loid and Anya), as readers we know even less.

I think Anya is deliberately kept away from Donovan and Melinda because those two are supposed to be mysterious characters (that’s their gimmick vs the gimmick of Loid/Yor/Yuri/Fiona’s double identities). If the mysterious characters meet a mindreader, they’re not so mysterious now, are they?

Let’s analyse the field. Our mindreader Anya has only met Damian before, and Damian provides little information other than his parents don’t really care about him. The provider of our omniscient POV is only in touch with the least powerful Desmond. Loid, the spy who is suspicious of Donovan, has met him once under very very meticulous conditions. Yor, who isn’t actively aware of politics and sees Melinda as “the mom of the child my daughter punched”, is just happy to have a friend (even though she appears to be put off by Melinda’s weird smiles). Anya and Damian meet regularly, and Anya gains nothing about politics from him because Damian is a child who is unaware. Melinda and Yor have the potential to meet regularly, but Yor can’t read minds, nor does she have Twilight’s intel, so we don’t know how much she can get (and how much us readers will see). While Twilight is an excellent spy who tries to get info from Donovan, it’s extremely difficult for Twilight and Donovan to meet. Because of the limitations of each Forger-Desmond pair, the status quo can be maintained.

I guess this is why Damian’s isolation from his parents is relevant? If Damian doesn’t see his parents regularly, how can our deus ex machina Anya meet them? And if Anya is kept away from them, the mystery and the plot can continue.

The reason I suspect Donovan AND Melinda to be true antagonists (that go against the protags) is because while they’re not established as merciless greedy warlords, they ARE established as neglectful parents. And a huge theme of SxF is family. Characters who love their families are established as “good” characters (Forgers, Yuri, Sylvia). Loid and Yor have both defended Damian and apologised for Anya’s punch, but Donovan and Melinda threaten them with a smile while claiming “it’s fine”. Loid and Yor are quickly proven to care more about Damian than the Desmonds. The Forgers are the good parents, while the Desmonds are the neglectful ones. Even without politics at play, it’s easy to see which side we’re supposed to dislike or at least be wary of.

I would say someone in between “character on the side of protags” and “mystery character” would be the Shopkeeper. It’s, umm, morally dubious if Garden trained a literal child to be a murderer, but Shopkeeper is generally kind to Yor, and vice versa. But he seems to be pretty on guard when Yor mentions her husband being a “conservative”. Shopkeeper is still a mysterious character, but right now we’re more inclined to like Garden because so far, they’ve been nice to Yor and they gave her a job. It’s not like Yor is forced to be an assassin (she mentions she likes her job). But afaik Anya hasn’t met Shopkeeper yet. They are characters whose thoughts are deliberately hidden.

Demetrius is another mysterious character but he seems to be a child/teen (Eden student) who appears to care more about Damian than his parents do. Readers have met Donovan and Melinda, but we haven’t seen Demetrius. I don’t think he’s going to be as bad as his parents, but it’s telling how we haven’t seen him yet despite multiple past references. What’s up with Demetirus, hm?

TLDR: Since Anya can read minds, characters that she has met (and trusts) are established as characters on the Forgers’ side. Which is why she is kept away from Donovan and Melinda, who are both established as mysterious people who neglect Damian.

Sorry if this is a bit repetitive / not concise or has mistakes, I’ve had a bit too much morning coffee lol.

#spy x family #spy x family analysis #spy x family spoilers #melinda desmond #donovan desmond #anya forger #meta #ig #sxf analysis

[ekingston]

Other than supercorp, would there have been any other kara romantic pairing you wouldn't have minded

lol anon that’s tricky again, because i honestly don’t trust the show would have handled any of them well! for a production that went to such lengths to pair off their characters, they really didn’t do so good with romantic arcs (it’s why i’m actually glad supercorp didn’t become canon don’t tell anyone)

i liked James, during season one (though i’m not a fan of love triangles unless they’re a leadup to a triad situation), but clearly the new showrunners did not. 

i could have liked Mon-El, if they had stuck with him being the comedic relief foundling from a conflicting culture rather than the immoral prince who needed to tear Kara down in order to feel better about himself. i remember rambling to a friend about how much more interesting it could have been if Daxam had turned out not to be the hellscape Kara’s parents had led her to believe it was—if it had been just another lie Kara took for objective truth, Kryptonian propaganda regarding a planet they were at odds with. it would have been another chance for the show to portray Kara coming to terms with the fact that her parents weren't perfect, paving the way for her to acknowledge that she doesn't need to be, either; but even better, it could have showed her dealing with cultural differences in a way that wouldn’t have been too heavy handed or on the nose for american audiences. it also would likely have made Mon-El come off as much less of an asshole, which, you know. bonus, if they wanted us to buy them as a romantic match, and to mourn along with Kara when she had to send him away.

(William was a mistake from the start. he literally feels like a guy shoved on stage during the final scene of the play with no instruction given beyond ‘you’re the romantic interest now, stand there and look pretty!’)

and, you know. this could easily be misconstrued as a vindictive sort of ‘if i can’t have supercorp i don’t want Kara dating anyone at all’, but honestly, i’m genuinely attached to the idea of possibly alloromantic, definitely asexual Kara Zor-El. 

i know it’s even less likely that the cw would have gone with an ace main character than it would have been for them to make supercorp canon, but yeah, in my mind—and this is absolutely shaped by what they actually showed in canon—both of those scenarios would have made the most sense. and—again, completely out of the scope of any cw show—how interesting would it have been to at least explore Kara’s attitudes toward the emphasis most human cultures place on sexuality vs her Kryptonian upbringing (not to mention her alien DNA)?

#i think this is why this show launched 40k+ transformative works anon #such engaging setup. such interesting characters #& so many missed or unused opportunities #if i still had my pre-covid brain i'd be tempted to actually flesh out some of these ideas but. unfortunately i do not (yet?) #ask me things! #anonymous

[pharawee]

Hello! I’m currently loving the pitbabe cast,nut in the “boys journey” on youtube and tiktoks seems more feminine (which i love!) and is very different from his character. But it made me think that fem characters aren’t really a thing in bl. I’ve watched SCOY but apart from that is there any bl works that have a fem main character that isnt a “joke” and has a love interest?

Thank you and have a great day!!

Hi anon! 💜

Negl I'm absolutely desperate for more fem (main) characters in BL but sadly, you're right, there aren't many main characters who fit the description. There aren't even many side characters who fit the description (and even fewer fem side characters who aren't primarily there for comedic relief).

Like, I loved Green in 2Together. I wish the story had treated him better and I still follow Gun Korawit on ig hoping he'll get more roles soon because he's so lovely (the same goes for Bruce Sirikorn who I just adore and who finally FINALLY got a lovely side role in Step by Step).

It always makes me really sad when I browse the comment section of MDL or the hellscape that is x (or even reddit) and people are just so dismissive and cruel when it comes to fem BL characters or even actors - calling them annoying or unattractive. They want their "ukes" not to be too manly (whatever that even means) but never in a confident or unapologetic or flirty way. And let's not even go into what they think of fem characters who don't fit the stereotypical "bottom" cliché...

That being said, there's probably a spectrum here for what makes a BL character fem. Some people might include characters like Yai in Big Dragon or Pete in Love By Chance (or Fluke Natouch in pretty much every single one of his BL roles - most of which I actually disagree with lmao) but let me give you a few examples of feminine main characters in (Thai - because that's most of what I watch) BL that I'm really vibing with:

PP Krit as Oh-aew in I Told Sunset About You & I Promised You the Moon. Because if you're not at least a little bit in love with Oh-aew then I don't even know. 🥰

Tootsies and the Fake and its series prequel Diary of Tootsies - this is more a queer comedy than BL but I absolutely adore it. Very funny, very cute and heartwarming too. 💜

James Supamongkon as Uea in Bed Friend - if you like your fem characters confident and sexy (with an incredibly upsetting backstory - be warned) then this series is for you.

Pak Naphat as Namnuea in Wedding Plan - Nuea is the softest, thirstiest, cutest boy. This Mame series is often overlooked because it isn't as dramatic as her usual stuff but I liked it a lot when I watched it.

Earth Katsamonnat as Seeiw in My Only 12% - because Seeiw in the latter half of the series is the most confident we've seen Earth since Until We Meet Again (but personally I'm still waiting for the day when I can see Earth play someone in overknees and a cute skirt 🥰)

Turbo Chanokchon as Anda in Love Stage!! (the Thai remake) - so what if I needed to lie down for a bit when Anda wore that wedding dress and wig etc. That's a completely normal reaction. (Turbo also had a small side role in Nitiman and he looked so elegant and confident there that he totally stole each scene he was in).

Fluke Natouch as Krit in Make a Wish - this one never had an international release but if you can track it down with fansubs then it's a cute little watch and Fluke looks amazing in it. This series also has Pon Thanapon (Jeff in Pit Babe) in a side role and that's always a plus.

Tor Atagorn as Nail in For Him is simply GORGEOUS! The series is still ongoing and recently lost some of its steam but Nail's styling remains meticulous!

#ask #jane watches stuff #thai bl #idk what else to tag this? #there's probably lots of other shows #but i don't want to overwhelm you with la super long list #please everyone feel free to add more recs from whatever country #and may 2024 bring us more fem representation in bl 🙏

[mylonelydreaming]

It is kind of a curse having played video games for so long (my entire life from around age 4) that I'm simply not bad enough to have many funny experiences to talk about. I rarely struggle due to two decades of ingrained instincts of game design tropes. "I beat this without struggling at all" just doesn't lead to many interesting moments, so I only talk about story and characters and ships that I'm interested in.

The main reason I basically only talk about Link and Zelda isn't because it is my *sole* enjoyment of the game (far from it, actually. I enjoy every aspect of the gameplay), but because (at risk of offending people) ...I just don't find the other characters very interesting? It's ironic to say that, because Link doesn't have that much explicit characterization himself, but I find his backstory and what we do know about him and what he goes through to be compelling and relatable. The main story of botw & totk (while yes, it is also about their connections to Hyrule and their friends), is mostly Link and Zelda's story, anyway.

I did like the champions, especially Urbosa and Revali (yes, I am a Revali sympathizer), but they're all dead now and barely mentioned in totk, so I don't have much to say there.

I liked Mineru, Rauru and Sonia, but we barely got to know them. I did like the implication that Mineru let Zelda ride around her construct in the past, and did experiments together (though, I kind of wish that had been a cutscene).

Ganondorf is cool looking and all, but he wasn't a super compelling villain or anything. Not that he really he needed to be for me. He's the big bad boss you fight and that's fine by me.

I like Purah, but she is more of a supporting cast member (and comedic relief in AoC and botw). She was also a lot more interesting in AoC, tbh.

Paya... did absolutely nothing and had very little actual growth. It honestly really disappointed me that her character seems to exist just to stand around and look pretty. Tauro exists, I guess?

Sidon was honestly very flat to me compared to how he was in AoC, and I'm just not interested in him at all in the way other people are (I lean towards women and don't find anthropomorphic animal characters attractive. I honestly feel nothing at all when I look at Sidon. I'm sorry if that upsets somebody). I liked Yona's design the most out of any of the Zora designs so far, but I don't really feel any type of way about her. I did like that she encouraged Sidon.

I like Riju, but I really don't like her being sexualized, which is what a lot of people seem to do when she is brought up.... so I'm a little scared to talk about her character lol.

Yunobo is Yunobo. I don't hate him but there's not much to say about him (except for when he became a drug overlord for a moment lol). He fulfills the same role as Daruk as the goofy goron bro and that's fine.

Teba unfortunately didn't really do much this time, but It was nice seeing Tulin grow up and come into his own in totk.

...and that's about it. Again, the main story mainly focuses on Zelda (Which I don't mind, she's my favourite. I'm shamelessly Princess Zelda biased), so I'm just a bit passive about everyone else.

#tears of the kingdom #totk spoilers #totk #botw #zelda #loz #tloz #legend of zelda #zelink #loz totk #totk criticism #I guess?

[mephistopheleswasrobbed]

My two cents on the Ossan's Love Thailand pilot trailer

Disclaimer: 1) I have watched the original Ossan's Love (S1, LoD, Returns; AU Season and specials are on my list) and liked it a lot. 2) I am an EarthMix fan so I might be slightly biased.

Overall my reaction to the pilot trailer was one of relief. While I definitely noticed some areas for improvement, all in all I am now more hopeful than ever that GMMTV will do this justice.

What I really liked: - Krit Shahkrit seems like a very solid choice for the Boss. I have not previously seen him in anything but what we saw of him in the trailer has me sold. He is younger than he could have been, they are playing it a little safe here possibly, but the age difference is still big/noticable enough that I don't mind at all. - The choice to make Mo a long-time friend of Heng instead of a recent new colleague feels appropriate. Mo moving in with Heng after barely knowing each other might have not worked in a Thai context. (Also EM chemistry is too strong to sell them previously not knowing each other without the excuse of love at first sight they had in ATOTS and MLC) - They actually let Earth be funny in a BL! - On a more serious note, most of the comedic moments landed right on point for me. (The scene where Heng tries to hold Mo back by his collar as he runs away is what fully cemented it for me that this will work) Earth is a great (but severely underutilised) comedic actor and Earth and Mix as a duo have great comedic chemistry. - Earth being the younger one in a potential romantic relationship is a breath of fresh air. He's got good chemistry with P'Krit. I don't think this will actually happen (GMMTV will prob play it safe) but I could see them going for more of an actual conflict in regards to whom Heng will fall for unlike the original where it was pretty clear from the beginning that Haruta had only platonic feelings for Kurosawa. - Earth is doing great with the awkward moments. He is clearly not an actor who is afraid of being the idiot and that's very important for this character.

What I think needs to be imroved: - They need to decide how much they want Earth to imitate Tanaka Kei's style of physical comedy and then stick with it throughout. This felt a little inconsistent to me in the pilot trailer. - Mix needs to get a little more confident when facing off agains P'Krit. His performance felt the weakest in these scenes and I'm pretty sure that's because he wasn't yet completely comfortable getting in this veteran actor's face. I have no doubts that this will get better if Mix gets the chance to practice a little more with P'Krit. (I'm assuming there was not much prep work done before filming the pilot trailer because Mix was quite busy finishing his degree in recent months) Leave the respect for your elders at home, Mix!

Other thoughts: - I hope they move Mo's initial confession back into the shower. Haruta's nakedness really added to the scene in the original and Earth is no stranger to taking his shirt off for the camera so I don't see why they would have to change this. (My hope is that they changed it for the pilot trailer because they didn't want to waste time covering up Earth's tattoo(s), they could potentially seem out of character for Heng) - It seems Choko got replaced with a daughter. That's a shame. I liked her a lot in the original and I felt that she and her relationship with Maro were an important part of the story, especially on the thematic side. I'm willing to see where they go with this, though. - Thor as Ten who I'm assuming is the thai Takegawa is also a bit younger than the original, we didn't see much of him in the pilot trailer so I'm reserving judgement on this decision. - Kapook who, I'm assuming is taking the role of Chizu (though it seems that some of her advisory function might move over to Mo on account of him also being Heng's long-time friend) felt like a perfect fit - Champ has at this point become an EarthMix staple. MLC being the only of their shows he wasn't in. I'm here for it. We haven't seen much of him but I'm sure he can do Teppei justice. - The accidental hand touch while hanging up posters was not convincing. I'm reminded of the slightly awkward hand-interlocking as Jim and Wen stood in front of the soon to close diner. (Am I the only one who notices that every time I see that scene?) - I wonder if they will actually change the wedding scene to have Mo interrupt or if this was done to make the pilot trailer more concise. It would be a shame to loose this classic example of a JBL run. (They did the run in CMT, they should do it in OL!) - If I remember correctly the forhead kiss was in the original as well, but it also works as a cute call back to the atots airport scene.

TL;DR: Earth can do comedy, I'm glad he gets to finally show this in a BL. EM chemistry is chemistrying as usual, this time with more crack energy. Issues I had were probably mostly caused by limited prep time and limited shooting time for the pilot trailer. I think it's gonna be good and that makes me happy.

#ossan's love thailand #gmmtv #earthmix #thai bl #gmmtv 2024

[likeastars]

As per insistent request of @phantom-of-the-laboratory @arachniids @incorrect-nevermore and everyone else screaming in agony under my post:

Cishet! Nevermore AU

Let's go

Lenore is 💫🤢💫not like other girls💫💫🤢

She isn't disabled in anyway btw

Yes a tree fell on her but just to kill her brother to give her a tragic backstory

No leg injuries and trauma and shit to deal with

She escapes her family because they want to marry her off and succeeds and doesn't even burn her house down 😭😭😭😭😭😭

White raven isn't canon obviously

Annabel isn't half as developed as she is in canon

I'm thinking stereotypical mean girl underdeveloped

She's there just to make fun of the protagonist and highlight how much of not like other girls she is

Nooooo backstory given to her no motivations no unhealthy homoerotic obsession

She and lenore met in life before but Annabel just ditched her. No gut wrenching I Am Hurting You Because I Have To no big bad feelings about sexism and obviously no slowly falling for the one you where supposed to use

........

Wait a sec guys I am thinking about the Balcony Scene I need a breather

.

.

.

Alright

Obv there are still some people shipping it bc. Yk. Rivalry

And the whole fandom hates them

Dnis and reasons why they are toxic and shit

Ada is even worse off than annabel she's just a minion no personality whatsoever

Morella too she's the happy go lucky friend that appears in the beginning to be of support but doesn't actually do anything

Pluto exists only to be comedic relief and nothing else

He's the butt of every joke and his anxiety just makes him a "scaredy cat"

Ew

Berenice and Eulalie say exactly one word each and they are the webtoon's one gay couple

They die

NOW DUKE IS HARD

I'm very torn

He could be part of the *drumroll*

Harem

Of the webcomic

Because we need all of the people in the world to go after the main character are you kidding

So I can see him as a second male lead, the friend to lover

BUT ALSO

He's black. And pretty flamboyant.

And since I'm pretty sure neither black love interests nor bisexuality/gender non conforming people exist in these type of stories

I am also type casting him into the gay best friend trope

Prospero is also a part of the 💫harem💫 because I said so

He's Annabel's boyfriend (obviously) but she mistreats him and he's actually such a good boy inside 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Yes he helped in all the things she did but he wasn't actually participating 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

But he's still not the main lead

Because that

Is

Obviously

Montresorry

Wait

I meant

Montreal

Wait

Montrefucker

YOU KNOW WHO

Bad boy turned good with a secret come on

There's x reader ff of him

Ppl justify him in every way possible

Will is his minion

again no personality no possibility of redemption no storilines

AND

MOST IMPORTANT THING

Lenore isn't masc >>>>>:(

#nevermore webtoon #lenore nevermore #annabel lee nevermore #pluto nevermore #montresor nevermore #duke nevermore #prospero nevermore #nev

[slice-0f-anime]

Idk if I'm just slow but I recently noticed that Horimiya characters follow this theme of not being exactly who they seem to be on the outside (literally everyone).

Like how Hori was a popular girl but also a family girl too, and Miyamura seemed quiet and cold but was actually nice. Sengoku wasn't a harsh student council prez, Remi wasn't a dumb cute girl, Yuki wasn't an easygoing chill classmate. Everyone was pretty misunderstood, almost everyone except one:

Shuu Iura will always be, in my opinion, the best written character in Horimiya. Not my favorite, that spot is reserved for Sengoku, but probably one of the most complex.

I think it's due to the fact that most of the others were different on the inside but didn't really go to great lengths to hide it, usually they just didn't have people who truly understood them. However, Iura purposefully acts different around others, even close friends, and that's really neat to me.

His relationship with his sister and how he acts when he's alone compared to when he's with his friends is so real, and it's very well done. He's exaggerated and loud at school, and everyone knows people like that irl. His switch around from "class clown" to "mature and protective older brother" was something I definitely didn't see coming, and the fact that he wasn't just the comedic relief like I thought he would be was refreshing.

It's a different kind of interesting character trait compared to "the bullied kid" or "the smart kid" that Miyamura and Sengoku follow, and I've always loved the whole "im so silly but actually im pretty serious" character type.

I find characters who put on clownish fronts to be rather interesting, especially because his classmates and his friends don't know his true personality with the exception of maybe Tooru. Even at the end of the show, when the gang was close, he was still hiding his true personality from them.

#horimiya #shuu iura #big brothers <3 #clownish characters who are actually pretty serious #why is that not a tag #character study #kinda

[shiftingdiariesofophelia]

okay i need to talk about it somewhere because i’m losing my mind.

niche dr has taken over my every waking thought but it’s the most adorable one ever omg. so, it’s a Lost In Space DR. for those of you who’ve never seen it, basically (the Netflix version) revolves around a broken family of five navigating their place in a space-colonist mission gone awry by the introduction of evil alien robots.

Set in the late 2040s, Estranged Patriarch John Robinson- a soldier who’d neglected his family in favor of service, now with them aboard the Resolute, a huge, long-distance space travel vessel with technology that can transport humans over four light years (currently 70k+ years away with modern technology) away in just around 3 months. Matriarch and honestly the family’s primary parent for the first half of season one, Maureen Robinson- a hyper-intelligent engineer who designed the personal spaceships (called Jupiters) that the colonists on board the Resolute call home. Oldest daughter Judy Robinson- a doctor, despite only being 18 years old as of season one, who enjoys running and harbors a bit of resentment towards her adoptive father John for leaving the family for service. Middle child Penny Robinson- often the “worst” of the family, but ultimately proves her worth time and time again by thinking up creative ways to solve hard problems, she is emotional and compassionate, while ultimately being less nerdy and know-it-all than the rest of her family, and she also enjoys writing and authors a book based off of their travels. And, youngest and only son, Will Robinson. A child with issues regulating his anxiety, with a heart maybe too big for his body, he rescues and befriends an 8 foot tall killer robot that he tames and helps learn the intricacies of humanity and friendship. Additionally to the family there are three additional main characters. Robot, Will’s best friend- who attacked the Resolute and resulted in the family getting “Lost In Space,” who changes his ways and does anything to protect his friend and newly found family. Dr. Smith, real name June Harris, a criminal stowaway who’s running from her past and will do anything to keep herself ahead, but ultimately has a heart and learns to do the right thing when it comes down to it. And, finally, mechanic Don West, a former orphan who’s made several routine trips to the colony on Alpha Centauri, the planet the Resolute was headed towards when it got attacked, but he abandons his post to save himself when the initial attack happens- though, he has a heart of gold and serves as a bit of comedic relief throughout- as he adopts a pet chicken he affectionately names Debbie that he holds very near and dear.

They’re all so unique and interesting just in CANON, let alone seeing them as rounded actual people in a dr. I’m scripting myself still as a teenager as a sort of maintenance/crew member on the Resolute who befriends the Robinson children (Namely Penny) and adventures with them through deep space. It’s honestly fun and lighthearted and i absolutely adore space. Also, Adoptive Father Don West <3 because i love him more than words. Honestly a space exploration dr is kind of the best idea ever personally and I didn’t want to do it alone, so this universe makes perfect sense for me and i’m falling more and more in love with it all the time.

#shifting #reality shifting #shiftblr #shifttok #desired reality #current reality #ophie speaks #lis #lost in space #shifting community

[gravelsong]

Lmao glad to see I’m not the only one who thought “this could have been hot rod” the second they showed bee, granted I thought that too with beasts mirage but still- give me my stupid orange idiot

I only reason I can imagine why nobody would ever consider Hot Rod for the comedic relief role is because I don't think Hot Rod's public perception has EVER recovered from how he was used in any of the theatrical TF movies. From what I've gathered from outsiders, very little people pay attention to transformers aside from the movies, and considering how Hot Rod's only roles in them has been Optimus's Replacement (who got that role after the brutal g1 character slaughter which traumatized children. He's still awesome in that movie, I just don't think a lot of non-big tf fans really moved past that) and French, it probably makes marketing sense that nobody wants to fuck with him again.

Even though Hot Rod would've made sense more personality-wise for Mirage's role, I can probably get why they chose to make him Mirage. We all know that transformers has a history with reconstructing existing characters and also giving lesser-used names to characters who really aren't the same person (I love ROTB Mirage but that man is NOT g1 Mirage), and there aren't many non-tf-fan people who will know who Mirage actually is (and considering how bayverse Mirage isn't even named Mirage? Yeah, they were probably looking for a character name that hadn't been used in Bayverse yet. Personally I think we should sever Knightverse's connections to Bayverse), so they just kinda fuck-it-we-balled it.

But then that just makes the choice to make Bee fill the comedic role for TF: One even more confusing. Bee is one of the most popular characters in Transformers history (along with Optimus, Megatron, and Starscream), and has a STRONGLY set personality. He's a bit of a wisecracker at times, yeah, but the core of his character was more connected to the emotional side of things rather than comedic. He's connected with humans, he's gentle, he holds his friendships so strongly, he's actually a lot more disgruntled and upset at times than some people give him credit for. Bee's always been the friendly one, but his friendliness isn't really displayed in constant joking, but rather through the physical and emotional ways he shows his care. The fun part about Hot Rod and Bee's dynamic (that we rarely get to see unfortunately) is how they can both be on a similar page of amusement, but in different flavors. Hot Rod IS the more louder and outspoken one of the two, if anyone's initiating wisecracks, it's HIM (if it makes sense this way, Bee's energy feels rounded and bouncy, while Hot Rod's feels sharp and bold).

I don't want to doubt the writers' personal history in transformers outside of what they've publicly done for the franchise (The Last Knight is something I personally would be ashamed of having on my resume), because sometimes what you publicly do doesn't exactly equate to your passion or care, but it does make me wonder how much experience they have with these characters individually.

It could also be the age-old case of Hollywood going "make it marketable as shit" so they go the route of "we need to fill these character roles with the classic group dynamic: main character, best friend, the funny one, and girl" and they just went with who were the most marketable faces.

All-in-all, it's a confusing-ass choice to just NOT include Hot Rod if you need comedic relief, and also make Bumblebee something he's not. Unless they subvert expectations in some way with him, it feels like they could've used anyone else and it would make more sense.

#also while tfa bee was a jokey bastard. tfa in general has the excuse of being something VERY different than the rest of the franchise #SORRY FOR WRITING SO MUCH HOPEFULLY THIS MAKES ANY SEMBLANCE OF SENSE #transformers #transformers one #ask reply #my post #long post

[quinloki]

"I think that's a great fic idea" good news, it is, or something very similar. Inspiration is very clearly taken from @/turtletaubwrites series Numbers Game. The reader is a financial advisor who worked for Buggy, who then ends up under Croc and Mihawk because Buggy gets in trouble for ignoring her advice and fucking up the financials. Not trying to start anything, I don't think it's stealing to riff on smth but people should maybe be a bit more up front abt where they take inspiration from. At least give the OG a shout out lol

This is one of those things where there’s not an easy cut and dry answer I can give you or agree with, and I’m going to do my best to lay out why that is.

Is it possible the idea came from the person you’re referencing, but looking at the interactions for the first chapter I don’t see Alexa anywhere, not in the likes or comments.

I don’t even see anyone I follow in there either - which is to say that fandoms are HUGE and we don’t actually all know one another. (And that’s not to say there isn’t overlap in moots, just not with that particular story.)

Now, it’s possible there’s proof somewhere, but my point is that it is statistically just as possible that it’s just a similar idea. I wrote Quicksand’s reader as being a good office worker and coordinator - they weren’t specifically the accountant, but that could also be where the idea came from.

Reader being a competent and useful person makes sense when you’re talking about the Cross Guild. Neither Crocodile nor Mihawk are particularly patient people, and Buggy is enough frustration/comedic relief on his own.

If I shouted out to everyone who had inspired every part of what I write I’d hit tumblr’s post character limit before I got to the story itself. There’s a balance in there somewhere but it can honestly be case by case.

Despite your claim of not trying to start something it very much feels like you are, and while I appreciate you wanting to see credit given where it’s due, inspiration is so interwoven and complex, it’s hard to say exactly where an idea comes from for someone. So I’m going to assume that the vibes are unintentional - I’m sure you very much mean well. (If clarification is needed I’m not experiencing any negative emotions as I say this. I’m worried the vibes are there, but I will believe they were not meant.)

Heck, I had a story idea for a Eustass kid story I was (still am) excited about and when I shared it with my friends someone mentioned it was similar to something Mombat on Wattpad had wrote. And they’re right! The setup of the reader was similar - but I didn’t scrap the story idea because the story itself is going to be different.

And I know it is gonna be different, cause I had read that story by Mombat with my own eyes! And honestly it’s very likely where the inspiration sparked, even though I didn’t consciously make the connection until someone said something.

But there’s bound to be a lot of similar ideas in a singular fandom, because we’re all working with the same source material.

Now, I appreciate the intent, cause we all wanna look out for one another and such, but calling out possible sources of inspiration is maybe a bit much. Though I will say if there’s a dozen points of commonality, then it’s probably worth the mention.

here’s a bit of food for thought - Eustass Kid calling the reader Mouse is something I’m fairly well known for, and it wasn’t even my idea - and the friend I picked it up from had picked it up from someone else. Kaku calls reader Filly in most my one-shots but that’s from another friend. Penguin and Shachi calling reader lil’ Shoal was all my idea, but also I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else thought it up too.

Now, my long and exhausting reply aside, I do want to thank you for putting turtleaub on my radar. Her writing looks wonderful and I love how organized the blog and posts are. I am delighted to have something new to read even if my to read list is painfully long already. And there’s a possibility of making a new friend somewhere in there too \o/

#quin answers #anon asks #this got longer than I meant #and I’m behind on making breakfast xD #things are complex though #almost always #those knee jerk reactions can be rough #stay kind out there #the key phrase in your ask that made me nervous was #Very Clearly #it’s a strong assumption to come in with #and then say you’re not trying to start anything ^^;