#wlw power couple. a classic

[ministarfruit]

day 3: “I like hearing your thoughts” ♡

(prompt list for femslashfeb)

#minifemslashfeb2023 #butterfly soup #diyamin #diya butterfly soup #min butterfly soup #wlw power couple. a classic #sapphic VN likers if you know you know #years pass but diyamin stays winning

[neversetyoufree]

i have come to the realization that vnc is a fantastic example of anime fanservice that appeals to the female gaze. from the character design to the way that intimacy is so closely tied to vulnerability,,, don’t get me started i could go all day

Oh absolutely! It is so obviously catering to the female gaze, lol.

Like, the main 4 characters are all objectively designed to be hot, and Domi and Jeanne are certainly curvy enough, but the camera tends to linger and emphasize certain scenes of Noé and Vanitas in a way that it really doesn't for the gals. Remember that scene where Noé gets bit by Chloé in Gévaudan? Mochijun isn't subtle sometimes. And even in moments like the VaniJeanne scenes, almost all of the focus is usually on Vanitas and his reactions to things. Like, a male gazey version of those scenes almost certainly would not be zooming in on details like Vanitas's blushing and his hand covering his mouth, y'know?

I've said it before, but despite technically being a shonen, Vnc's hornier scenes have much more of a josei vibe to me than anything else. It's totally lacking in that sort of "boobs lolll" tone that usually defines fanservice in shonen media.

(That's also why the couple of moments in the anime adaptation that do get more male gazey really stood out to me lol. They added an extra shot, like, panning down Jeanne's body when she strips in that cabin, and I could immediately tell it was an added shot that wasn't in the manga bc it just felt so jarring and un-mochijun.)

And meanwhile, when it's Domi and Jeanne getting into more actiony scenes, the way they're framed actually makes them feel powerful and cool, and not just props to drool over like you sometimes get. One of my favorite Jeanne panels in the whole series is this one:

because it's such an archetypal "badass action hero" framing. How many times have you seen this exact pose with a woman collapsed on the ground as the hero stands above or just in front of her, swooping in to rescue her from danger? And every aspect of how she's drawn, from the perspective to the power stance to the cape flowing in the wind, is pulled from a "baby's first badass" art guide. And it works! It's a popular kind of shot for a reason! But it's fairly rare to get this kind of classic action hero framing applied to women. It's not often I get to bust out the phrase "female power fantasy," but you can definitely apply it to some scenes in Vnc.

(Even though there's kind of an interesting tension there, since outside her badass soldier shtick, the whole point of Jeanne is that she's a woman who really doesn't have any kind of power or agency. But that's a problem for another day).

I have a feeling this is probably part of why Domi and Jeanne seem to appeal to wlw so much. Because in addition to Dominique being queer as hell, they're both hot women who have scenes dedicated to going "fuck yeah, look how cool and powerful she is" in a non-male-gaze way. That shot of sweaty Domi flipping her hair out of her face in the amusement park doesn't really fit the typical shonen brand of "hot girl," but it absolutely works as wlw bait.

#not to say that dudes can't also find messy powerful women hot #but the specific kind of Male Gaze hotness that you tend to see #and especially shonen's brand of male gaze #is a very different kind of sxy #also anon. you said not to get you started. but all you did was get me started instead lol #I didn't think I had so many things to say abt this. but here we are #vnc #vanitas no carte #the case study of vanitas #meta #ask #anon #the gay agenda #ID in alt text

[my-past-disgusts-me]

Your turn to be asked ship edition

Yttd: what is your opinion on Naosara, Q-Kai, Ransara, KeijiAlice and Naoshin?

Ace attorney: what do you think about Wrightworth, Franmaya, Phoenix and Iris, Godot and Mia?

Great ace attorney: you already asked me nearly all major ships, so I want to ask about the same thus Asoryuu, Susahao, Susagina and Homumiko. (Also maybe Hosonaga and cure from whatever allergy he has, guy should stop coughing up blood)

Alright! Starting with YTTD ships we have

Q-Kai: I love these guys together. This is one of those ships where as I was watching a playthrough I thought “oh. Oh they are in love I think. Oh these bitches gay.” Q-taro’s actions in ch. 2 are so tragic yaoi it’s amazing, how do you do it man. I think, in a non-death game universe, they would have a very compelling slowburn romance where they grow to respect each other unconditionally and that, I think, is romance. Idk I’m aro.

Naosara: GUH. TRAGEDY. SORROW. Two girls supporting each other through their trauma. I think Sara would become a muse for Nao. I think they’d have a tumultuous but ultimately healthy relationship. I think these two deserve each other’s support. I think they should kiss and cuddle and watch shitty movies together. 10/10.

KeijiAlice: I don’t have strong feelings either way. I think they could make each other happy. Good for them.

Naoshin: it’s cute but I think they’re better as besties.

Ransara: This one I dislike. It feels weird to me. It’s compelling in a “depths of human depravity” kind of way but also it’s far too real to me. Not a fan but I see why people like it.

Now for Ace Attorney!

Franmaya: I love wlw so much tbh. I want them to be happy. No thoughts only girls in love

Wrightworth: what can I say on this that hasn’t already been said? Nothing. Moving on!

Godot/Mia: I haven’t played/watched the later games so I don’t know much but what I have seen of them is cute and I think they make a nice family tbh. No complaints here, Godot makes a pretty good big brother for Maya

Phoenix/Iris: another idk moment. Also Feeny is annoying sorry. I’m not a fan but also they really seemed to love each other which I respect. On Iris’s part. I can’t respect Feeny I’m sorry he’s such a little bitch /affectionate

And now for DGS :]

Okay so mayyyybe I just like dgs ships a lot. Maybe it’s maybelline.

Susahao: childhood friends to lovers 100K slowburn Susato transitions and Haori loves her the whole time. We love a failgirl who is tripping over herself because her friend looks so good in drag. We love a competent girl getting her girlfriend out of jail. We love women in general tbh. I think they are so cute and also Susato deserves all the girlfriends.

Susagina: Speaking of Susato deserving all the girlfriends, I really like Susagina. Neither of them are afraid to get their hands dirty, both of them are stubbornly supportive of their friends, both of them want justice and truth, they’d be great. Power couple honestly. They deserve the world. Love em to death

Asoryuu: these fuckers got me writing nonsexual omegaverse fanfiction wtf is wrong with them (me) anyways

Homumiko: I haven’t finished the games so I don’t know their whole history but I love me some middle aged man yaoi. Also Iris deserves extra dads since her first one. Y’know. Died or whatever. Also Sholmes needs someone reasonable to keep him from going off the rails and it can’t be Ryuu because he’s barely holding on himself. Classic Ace Attorney defense lawyer behavior.

And that’s all! Thanks for asking bestie (and also for telling me my asks weren’t open OOPS anyways)

#ask game #rosehipfield

[livsobsessions]

obviously you love heartstopper, but what are some of your other favorite romances, either books or tv? 🌷

okay, lemme think... for book romances i really loved:

"much ado about nothing" by shakespeare - it is so funny and so sweet, i also recommend the adaptation with catherine tate and david tennant, they are both amazing in it!

"hani and ishu's guide to fake dating" by adiba jairgirdar is a sweet story about two girls who cared more about each other than they originally thought. also great representation - both of the main characters are queer ofc, but also bengali and one is muslim

"red, white and royal blue" by casey mcquiston - a classic at this point, hilarious, and great representation

the simon snow trilogy by rainbow rowell - an enemies-to-lovers mlm story set in a world where magic exists, and the magic system is amazingly crafted.

"the song of achilles" by madeline miller - a heartbreaking love story of achilles and patroclus, the myth told through a queer lens.

crier's war duology by nina varela - wlw love story with a touch of nonbinary representation. it is set in a dystopian world where the world is ruled by automae, humanoids made to be perfect. one of the protagonists, crier is an automa, the other, ayla, is her human servant.

and when it comes to tv shows:

"she-ra and the princesses of power" - a wlw love story is the backbone to the whole plot set in a magical world called etheria. having suddenly discovered her magical powers, adora struggles to figure out her destiny. GREAT representation in terms of queerness and race.

"young royals" - you are probably familiar with it, heartstopper and yr are like a big family now. it is a love story of a prince and a boy who meet at a school in sweden. great representation, great actors, great plot!

"the owl house" - the sweetest story of young wlw love, AMAZING representation in terms of all types of queerness and races. unfortunately cancelled in its prime, but i have faith that the ending will do the story justice.

i know both "she-ra and the princesses of power" and "the owl house" don't have romance as the main-main plot points, but i still think these have my favourite couples, as well as some of my fave stories set around them. if you read or watched any of these, let me know, and tell me some of your favourites, too!

#much ado about nothing #red white and royal blue #simon snow #hani and ishu's guide to fake dating #the song of achilles #crier's war #she ra and the princesses of power #young royals #the owl house #book recommendations #tv show recommendations #lovestory #romance #books #tv shows

[quantumshade]

This is. Kind of a weird question but I know you’re into classical studies so I figured I might as well ask - do you know of any historical basis for the term “achillean” being used for mlm? I’ve seen a couple of places claim that some English writers in the 1800s used it but I’ve never heard the term used before like, three years ago.

i don't think it was used in the 1800s? i haven't heard anything like that. i think the idea is to have a term like "sapphic" for mlm using the character of achilles. it's never really made a ton of sense to me, as the word "sapphic" not only refers to wlw, but also a specific style of poetry and verse invented/popularized by the poet sappho. the phrase "sapphic poetry", for instance, does not necessarily mean poetry by or about wlw. like, catullus wrote a lot of sapphics. he was not a lesbian. whatever the opposite of a lesbian is, catullus was. an instance of an author using the word sapphic in the 1800s would not inherently mean this author was writing about lesbians. i like the term sapphic to refer to wlw, i love that so many of us identify with this poetry from thousands of years ago, but i also think it's not the most... necessary term. achillean, similarly, does not seem to be the most needed label i've ever seen. at my most cynical moments, i wonder if it was just made to have a mlm equivalent of the "greek sounding" term that wlw had.

if you like the term achillean, if you identify with it or find comfort in it, then more power to you. use that term all you want, i'm not your dad. but i have yet to see concrete evidence of this being a historical term. and that's okay! sometimes labels are new! you're allowed to like a newer label!

#delia.txt

[theinquisitxor]

Favorite Tropes Book Recs: The Underworld/Death Magic

I enjoy books where a character either travels to an Underworld, has some sort of powers related to death, or death is a character in the narrative.

Featuring some books I've read with this, as well as a few on my tbr. Other lists can be found here!

-Wintersong by S. J. Jones: Character goes to an underworld, that is more labyrinth-like in nature. Not necessarily 'the underworld' but more like a subterranean realm. 18th century Germany, classical music, romance, the goblin-king. young adult fantasy.

-Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo: Murder mystery set in an magical, alternate Yale with ghosts. There are ghosts, dark magic, and brief mentions of the underworld in book one. I think that book two will explore this further. Adult fantasy.

-Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire: This first novella features a type of Underworld world, and the main character who has just come back from that world, and trying to readjust. adult fantasy

-The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman: the third book in the His Dark Materials series. There is a scene where the characters travel to the Underworld and meet the ghosts of the dead. middle grade/ young adult fantasy

-The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: This one is a little different, as the only connection is Death as the narrator of the novel. Takes place in Germany during ww2. young adult historical fiction.

-Mort by Terry Pratchett: If you're looking for something lighter and funnier, the Death books of Discworld are fantastic. About the Grim Reaper taking on an apprentice, and all the shenanigans that ensue. But it's not without its thoughtful moments. adult fantasy

-Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcina: A young Mexican woman teams up with a Mayan Death god and they go on a quest to help restore him to power. jazz-era Mexico, traveling, non-western, romance. adult fantasy.

-The Bone Way by Holly J. Underhill: This is a novella that is a wlw Orpheus and Eurydice retelling set in a beautiful Miyazaki/Ghibli type world. Short, but fulfilling and good world building. The romance is very sweet too, and features a married couple. adult fantasy.

-The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo: A young Malay woman in the late 19th century may become a 'ghost bride' to a deceased young man of a wealthy family. Features ghosts, the afterworld, traveling to the afterlife. Non-western, great atmosphere and historical fiction. adult historical fiction.

-Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger: A story set in an alternate, magical America, where a Native American teenager, Elatsoe, can summon ghosts. When her cousin mysteriously dies, Elatose and her friends and family begin to uncover a far deeper scheme. Features ghosts, Native American stories and beliefs, an asexual mc, and some underworld/afterlife. young adult fantasy.

-Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson: A new young adult duology about a young nun who is trained to repel and fight against evil spirits. When her convent is attacked, she is releases a powerful Revenant encased in a relic. She and the revenant have to figure out how to co-exist and are on the run. Asexual mc's, ghosts, possession, original and neat concepts. young adult fantasy.

TBR:

-The Archived by Victoria Schwab: A girl is the Keeper for the Histories- the where the dead rest as stories on shelves. Someone is tampering with the Histories, and it is up to our mc to figure it out. middle grade fantasy

-Sabriel by Garth Nix: A character who travels to a sort of 'underworld'. Magic school setting. A series that I need to get on soon.

#books #book recs #book recomendation #the underworld #death magic #bookblr #fantasy books #favorite tropes book recs #my post

[pvrrhadve]

I trust ur taste in books, so can you recommend some? 🥺🥺🥺

yes absolutely!! this turned out obnoxiously long so i'm putting it under a read more

at this point you definitely all know about 2 of my favourite series, the queen's thief and the locked tomb

on the jellicoe road, also by melina marchetta. my fav ya contemporary, about a girl at a boarding school in the australian bush trying to figure out where she comes from, where she belongs and how to heal. marchetta's writing style can be a little difficult to get into for some people but she really really does it for me.

while tqt is my #1 favorite series, my 2nd favourite is melina marchetta's lumatere chronicles which is both kinda dark and full to the brim with love and hope and healing. some of my fav characters ever are in these books and the ending is so warm and radiant it straight up made me weep. some tw's that i go into here

the darkest part of the forest by holly black. ya fantasy. she wrote this specifically for girls who absolutely would've bargained years of their life away to the faerie king to become a monster-hunting knight when they were 11. black's magnum opus.

the girl who drank the moon by kelly barnhill. mg fantasy about a little girl who is accidentally given magical powers by a friendly bog witch. reads like a ghibli movie.

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone. a lyrical and devastatingly beautiful epistolary sci-fi wlw love story about 2 enemy time travellers.

abhorsen/old kingdom trilogy by garth nix. a ya fantasy classic about grief, duty, dead things and primordial cats and dogs. definitely holds up.

tess of the road by rachel hartman. ya fantasy. one of the best books i've read this year, had me completely emotionally invested by chapter 2. tess is SUCH a good character and her arc is so beautifully done. a companion novel/future series to hartman's seraphina duology but imo you don't need to read them first to enjoy this (you can ofc, but while the 1st (seraphina) is a really good scholarly fantasy about identity and also dragons, the 2nd (shadowscale) sadly didn't do much for me). tw for sexual assault (recounted as a memory, not graphic) and religious abuse.

the colours of madeleine by jaclyn moriarty. young ya/older mg contemporary portal fantasy. i picked these up on a whim a couple years ago and didn't expect much from them but was very pleasantly surprised by how fun and original they are. i reread them this summer and they're just as good the 2nd time around.

in other lands by sarah rees brennan. ya portal fantasy deconstruction. it's borderline satire and one of the funniest books i've ever read but it's also very sincere and intelligent in how it deals with its main character and his struggles.

middlegame by seanan mcguire. fantasy/sci-fi. honestly could not explain the plot of this book to you or why it's so good but there's psychically linked alchemically engineered twins who have various and sundry powers and i loved it.

sunshine by robin mckinley. paranormal urban fantasy. another book that i cant really explain but love anyway. i mean it's in the very general neighbourhood of "vampire romance" but like... weirder and frankly whatever you're expecting it to be it's probably not that.

keturah and lord death by martine leavitt. fairytale-like and haunting. every hades and persephone retelling wants what this book has.

the scorpio races by maggie stiefvater. her iconic standalone horsegirl fantasy <3 deeply atmospheric and about how being stuck on an unspecified celtic island in an unspecified but vaguely modern time could understandably be enough to drive you to fuck around with the local carnivorous water horses.

braiding sweetgrass by robin wall kimmerer. honestly if i could make everyone read just one book off this list it would be this one.

lab girl by hope jahren. beautifully written memoir about life, love and botany. one of my fav nonfiction books.

#also it's almost entirely fantasy lmfao i HAVE been branching out last couple years but ugh.... her hold on me #asks #anon #books

[mul71v3r53-is]

Canon Ships in Mul71v3r53 (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

Zephyrtop (TopxAster (Undertop GasterxZephyrtale Gaster) because screw you it's the husbands)

Gastby (GasterxGrillby)

Hints of Insomnia (??) (DreamxError, poly go brrrrr)

Afterdeath (GenoxReaper duh)

Crossmare/Fluffynight/Fluffycrossmare (NightmarexCrossxCcino, because how dare you make me choose)

(also eventually Epicross and MAYBE EpicxCcino because I saw some cute fanart of them and now I can't stop thinking about it)

Errink (ErrorxInk, this will happen eventually I promise it's their endgame ship)

Kreme/Driller (DreamxKiller)

HorrorLust/Bloodlust (HorrorxLavender/Lust)

These guys don't have a shipname yet either but Rosemerry/Lust PapxMocha/Fellswap Pap do be hitting different (also add polyamory because Papyton is canon in Underlust iirc????)

Cherryberry (RedxBlue, more of a BROTP rn)

Spicyhoney (EdgexStretch, pre-established before 404 even happens. If you wanna blame anyone for this one blame keelywolfe and their amazing series on AO3 (By any other name). For legal reasons, I'll say right now I'm not being sponsored-)

Rottenjoke (ClassicxRazz)

Basil/Classic PapxRosa (OC) (they're both aro though so it's more like two besties who are soulmates and maybe occasionally they do the adult stuff)

Sherbert (DustxCandy because they'd definitely be cute together don't lie)

Gchess (GxChess, we need to collectively think up a better name for this guys I'm fresh out of inspiration)

SwordsDance (KatanaxDance)

Outersci/Astrophysics/Astronomy (Sci/SciencexPolaris/Outer)

Ganzy (GanzxSensy. Also does anyone else think it's hilarious how Golzy literally cannot remember their Undertale phase despite Gztale and the Echo Animatic being HUGE in the fandom lmaooo)

Omnijam (PJxOmni, I think that's their ship name??)

Freshpaper/Paperfresh (PJxFresh because screw you it helped to ease me into this part of the fandom and I'm not ready to let go yet. Also I want Cray and Cil as well as Mono >:v)

PJxLux (no name yet but they cute uwu)

Pinkscale (GradientxPassion, latter is a Horrorlust kid I invented because my imagination is overactive)

Rot (BlotxRasp, true power couple)

Music Video (SketchxBB, I know I need to make a better name sHUSH-)

Rugit (DigitxRuby, I know this one sucks too, you don't need to tell me)

Poth (GothxPalette)

Raveprint (RavenxBlueprint)

I can't remember for the life of me who it is, but Xhaji's ship with one of the Ganzy kids?? (EDIT: IT'S SNAZZY YIPPEE!!!)

SorrellxIncubux (I don't know if anyone else ships this but considering I can't have Tenpatch here really but this?? Is a beautiful substitute??? I love them)

Sunset (ShinoxAriel, that was gonna be a staple since I made Ari because even if I was gonna have Tenpatch I'm not having Shino and Sorrell pine after him at the same time. Also Shino just gives off wlw energy ok, I don't make the rules)

Vapor (SwirlxDew, former is a Fluffynight kid, latter is a new Cherryberry kid. Both are a year younger than Digit)

I can't remember the ship name but SprinklexPassion all the way

Lucky Blossoms (ConnorxKit, GChess and SwordsDance kids respectively. Also known as the "Hanahaki Kids" in my head 🏃)

#zephyrtop #gastby #error x dream #afterdeath #crossmare #fluffynight #fluffycross #fluffycrossmare #epicross #epic x ccino #errink #kreme #horrorlust #rosemerry x mocha #cherryberry #spicyhoney #rottenjoke #papyrus x oc #dust x candy #gchess #swords dance #sci x outer #ganzy #omni x pj #fresh x pj #pj x lux #pinkscale #rot #bb x sketch #tumblr wont lemme add more tags >:(

[the-necessary-unnecessary]

A list of all the films, series and web series that have been recommended as hidden must sees during isolation and beyond. 

Note: I have divided them into films with happy endings or not, series that haven’t finished so the exact ending is unknown I have put an asterisk (*) next to

Note 2: the descriptions are a mixture of my own and of the reviews I was sent by anons

She gets the girl

A Date For Mad Mary, 2016 (needs a date for a wedding, more about her complicated reconnecting with friends after prison but romance is cute)

Almost Adults, 2016 (centers around the broader themes of growing up and friendship but one of them is a giant gay. There is a happy ending for both the gay one and the straight one, gotta give the straights some food because they so rarely get fed)

Anne+, 2018* (Dutch webseries with fresh and new vibes with a great mid-twenties actress about mid-twenties gay lives. Everyone in it is LGBTQ+ yet nothing about it is LGBTQ+, it’s all just treated as natural and normal)

Bound, 1996 (you can't beat the lesbian noir classic which should one day be inducted into the lesbian hall of fame)

But I’m A Cheerleader, 1999 (camp and a lot of fun despite the very serious themes, starring Natasha Lyonne- one of the gayest straights out there)

Carmilla, 2014-16 (webseries based on the groundbreaking 19th century book. Some great chemistry and a lot of breaking of the fourth wall)

Carol, 2015 (Cate Blanchett movie based on the book The Price of Salt which caused issue when it was realised in 1952 because it gave its lovers a open ended happy ending)

Couple-Ish, 2015-16 (cute Canadian web series, bit on the nose but important gay, bi and enby rep)

Desert Hearts, 1985 (the looks, the emotions, the gorgeousness of them both, the chemistry, oh god it was so good. Vivian Bell deserves all the orgasms)

Elisa Y Marcela, 2019 (A Spanish film based on the true story of two women who got married with one of them pretending to be a man in 1901. A tearjerker but ultimately their love is stronger than the adversaries they face)

Entre Nous, 1983 (a French 1983 film which has Jews & Nazi's but doesn't end in complete horror. There are straights who think it’s a friendship but we know better)

Fingersmith, 2005 (BBC drama based on a book by Sarah Waters)

Fried Green Tomatoes, 1991 (based on a more obvious book, they’re sold as best friends but if you know you know)

Fucking Åmål, 1998 (one of the first films aimed at teenagers about two girls falling in love and getting together.)

Getrieben, 2018 (they're ex's and share a dog and then maybe they're not so ex anymore)

I Can't Think Straight, 2008 (cute romantic comedy adapted from a novel about a London-based Jordanian of Palestinian descent preparing for a wedding before events take a gay turn)

If These Walls Could Talk 2, 2000 (some happy and some sad endings in this film which portrays three generations of lesbian storylines from the same house)

Imagine Me and You, 2004 (not my fav but a classic and has Queen Cersei playing a wlw)

Kyss Mig, 2011 (heart eyes, a lovely film, does have maybe a bit too much man in it but he's gone when we get to the nitty gritty)

Our Love Story, 2016 (Korean, subtle nuanced relationship story)

Rosebud, 1996 (a channel 4 short with Julie Graham and questionable fashion choices. Who needs words when you can have such tantalising and vivid visuals? Teeny bit of man but it's fitting in the particular setting and its very fleeting, although admittedly nude)

Saving Face, 2004 (romantic comedy which had less of an impact that Imagine Me and You due to lesser known actors and probably partly to do with race- the main characters are Chinese-American. But it's a gorgeous movie that has a lot more than just rom com elements. The Half Of It is by the same director.

Sjukt Oklar, 2018* (very Swedish, very lesbian, very very funny)

Supervoksen, 2006 (Danish teenage coming of age type thing)

The Carmilla Movie, 2017 (based on the webseries but still accessible to those that haven’t watched it. Quite sweet and the actresses seem very comfortable with each other. Plus there is a great sex scene in it where the muscles on one of the girl’s back are especially sexy)

The World Unseen, 2007 (period film during South Africa's apartheid era with great chemistry)

The Handmaiden, 2016 (extremely nsfw but its got some incredibly powerful meaning to it especially the final sex scene with the bells. It's also incredibly shot and the sex scenes were done very sensitively on set with only women around and the director even in another room.)

Thelma, 2017 (a supernatural thriller about a girl starting college who suddenly starts getting seizures but they don’t know why and she has a female love interest)

Tipping The Velvet, 2002 (BBC series, also has a Victorian era strap on in it and Keeley Hawes, what's not to love?)

When Night is Falling, 1995 (An uptight and conservative woman, working as a literacy professor, finds herself attracted to a free-spirited, liberal woman who works at a local carnival. It’s got quite a lot of a boyfriend in it so its not for everyone.)

Yes or No, 2010 (literally a ‘and they were roommates’ movie as well as an enemies to lovers plot)

Zwischen Sommer Und Herbst, 2018 (coming of age elements, does have a man involved especially at the beginning, who happened to be the brother of one of the girls, but overall it was okay, no lesbians die and it doesn't end in abject misery)

She doesn’t get the girl but neither does the trope

Aimée and Jaguar, 1999 (based on a true story. Beautiful but painful, it’s a Jew falling for a German housewife in Nazi Germany, hence its sad as hell ending)

Bloomington, 2010 (coming of age, teacher student thing which walks that line relatively well without being too icky)

Freeheld, 2015 (an extremely powerful and important story to tell)

Gia, 1998 (Angelina Jolie gets it on with Elizabeth Mitchell in a moving film about model and lesbian Gia Carangi)

Kontrola, 2019* (a masterpiece of a mini web series with a great soundtrack, aesthetic and storyline. Season 2 may present a better future for them)

Mädchen in Uniform, 1931 (German cult classic almost entirely produced by women. Sexual awakening/teenage coming out of her shell stuff, there is also a 1958 redo which is okay. She doesn’t get the girl but it’s still a positive portrayal of sexuality where the object of desire isn't disgusted or weirded out by it)

My Summer of Love, 2004 (At first glance a coming of age movie, but has a lot of phycological elements too. Emily Blunt with a girl, not happy but no lesbians die)

Portrait of a Lady on Fire, 2019 (spell-bounding french film with amazing rawness and visuals. One of my best cinematographic experiences ever)

Reaching for the Moon, 2017 (the love story of the poet Elizabeth Bishop and the architect Soares in the 60s)

Snapshots, 2018 (sad ending but great chemistry with no closed mouthed straight girl kisses)

Summertime, 2015 (French lesbian movie- dare I say more? Sad but no deaths)

The Hunger, 1983 (a gothic cult classic, vampires, its got David Bowie, Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve in it)

The Miseducation of Cameron Post, 2018 (she doesn’t get the girl because there is no girl, but she does begin to find and accept herself. Based on a highly recommendable book by the same name)

Viola di Mare, 2009 (depressing as hell but beautiful to look and the couple have some good chemistry)

#hope this keeps everyone busy :) #idk what to tag this but hey ho #wlw #lgbt representation #lgbtq+ #masterpost #og #yomequedoencasa #coronavirus #film recs

[horde-princess]

yes Utena reference is cool but the original script was more fitting because it kept the motif of a cliff and of falling and Catra caught Adora instead of throwing her and even dug her claws into her skin to not let her fall

😦😦 anon...... the whole power of that scene is in adora making the choice for herself to take catra’s hand and accept her love. it wasnt about adora being saved by catra it was about her finding freedom in the love they shared together

this scene was mainly about adora’s character growth and a promise callback wouldve put the focus more on catra’s. but actually, the real version is much more meaningful for catra as well bc it symbolizes catra going from a selfish corrupt version of love she learned as a child to a pure selfless one, loving without asking for anything in return. in confessing her love, reaching out her hand, she offered adora a path to save herself instead of just catching her from falling. its about offering adora that agency which she was denied her whole life.

ik this sounds like im reading too much into a hand hold lmao but trust me .. the utena reference..... ljsdljlkjdl ugh fuck i wasnt planning on writing this meta right now lmao 😭 but i rly think its important to fully appreciate this scene. ok ill explain the scenario in utena first then relate it back to catradora

so in revolutionary girl utena theres this girl named anthy who suffers the pain of the whole world’s misogynistic abuse. she’s manipulated into believing its her fate, that she has no power to change it, that she isn’t allowed to have her own desires. already we can draw some comparisons between anthy and adora right

its also important to know that one of rgu’s core themes is deconstructing the classic fairy tale “princess is saved by a heroic prince” story and using it as a metaphor for misogyny, criticizing how women are taught to believe we are damsels in distress awaiting a man to come save us. we’re taught to believe that’s what love is--submission, possession, manipulation. a power dynamic first and foremost. 

in utena, this theme of women being controlled vs. taking agency is directly tied to real world issues, while she-ra’s metaphors are much less obvious (kid friendly i suppose). but that doesnt make them less impactful. adora was controlled first by the horde, then by light hope, then finally by her own internalization of it all (pushed by sw again in the last couple of eps). the horde and the first ones represent a lot of different things: imperialism, religion as ive argued, but also a vague omnipresent force that oppresses people and manipulates them into suppressing their own desires--aka, misogyny and homophobia.

ok now i can actually get into the hand holding scene! what happens in rgu is utena (basically) confesses her love for anthy, which allows her to reach down into a “coffin” where anthy had existed for centuries and attempt to save her from her pain. anthy, however, resists, and is unable to actually fully hold hands with utena--partly because she isnt quite ready yet to take her own freedom. what’s important is that utena’s love is not what saves her but instead it inspires anthy to later save herself.

connecting this all back to she-ra... remember how catra tries to convince adora to wake up and she resists at first, saying “it’s too late, i failed.” until catra confesses that she loves her, and ONLY THEN is adora finally able to take catra’s hand in hers. it’s that same theme of love inspiring adora to choose to save herself instead of just being saved by someone. thats what the hand symbolism is about.

the reason its so brilliant how utena and she-ra tackle this idea of control vs. freedom is because no one quite experiences misogyny like a woman who loves other women. removing men from the equation completely really does make wlw a target for the thousand swords of humanity’s hatred (im sorry i cant explain this metaphor right now ldlkjfdjfld). Also, in the oppression of wlw, misogyny and homophobia are inseparable from each other, which is why we feel misogyny in such a terrible visceral way compared to straight women, and why we have both a unique power to see through society’s manipulation of women as well as a unique challenge to overcome it.

ok honestly........... i dont know where i was going with that dlfkjsfls except to show how wlw narratives tend to come back to the same common themes. she-ra is just less literal about it than utena. and like. wow i could write a whole different essay on the gender dynamics in she-ra now

anyway, i love that the characters in she-ra are called princesses because its another subversion of the fairytale princess idea. adora is not some damsel in distress who needs a savior, she, as a woman, is strong enough to save herself. but what is it women even need “saving” from? loneliness? an inability to protect ourselves? or misogyny itself--systems promoted by men even as they claim to save us from them? adora needed to break free of the manipulation of the horde / first ones that told her to suppress her desires for the good of the world. she always had the power to embrace those desires... but she needed catra to help her do that, in a way that no prince/man could possibly do, because men are victims of misogyny as much as women and so few understand the power of pure, selfless love, the kind of love that can only be shared if its out from under the influence of misogyny, the kind of love that can only be shared between two women. 

overall the utena reference expands on the idea that catra didn’t save adora like a prince would save a princess, she simply loved adora in a totally selfless way that no one else could because she loved her as adora not She-Ra (just like how utena loved anthy as anthy, not as the rose bride??????) which inspired her to reclaim her agency and her desires and power and save herself by choosing to believe in catra’s love.

......... so yea thats how rgu completely transformed my experience watching this scene in 5x13 lksjdf and another reason why this visual of catra offering her hand and adora reaching for it is so powerful. 

also can we take a sec to appreciate the rainbow on catra’s hand--because that’s what adora is really reaching for right? she’s embracing her desires, her sexuality, she’s breaking through the world’s manipulation of her (represented in this moment by Prime poisoning the Heart).

she’s choosing to live.

#there is SO much more to talk about re: these two shows omg #i'm sorry if this post makes no sense to ppl who haven't seen utena #or even if you have seen it lksjdfd i TRIED okay #she ra #meta #asks/replies

[larklia]

my favorite children's shows I have obsessed over and their ratings from me pt 1

raising dion - this show is about a widow named nicole who finds out her young son dion has superpowers. I would give this show a 9/10, for the amazing effects, acting, music, and poc and wlw rep. the only reason a point is taken off is because there is a lot of foul language for it being on kids netflix. (Available on Netflix)

gravity falls - a show about 12-year-old twins who get shipped away to their grunkle's house for the summer in the mysterious town of gravity falls. obviously a 10/10, i will forever love this show (Available on Hulu and Disney+)

the baby-sitters club (2020) - a modern remake of the classic book series by Ann M. Martin. It includes a gay couple, a transgender child, and multiple poc main characters. one of my favorite parts about this show is that there is a character named lane who likes musicals, like me. This show is a 9/10, one point being taken off for Kristy being annoying and not the best role model for younger kids. (Available on Netflix)

julie and the phantoms - this show is about a girl named julie, who loves music but stopped playing after her mom passed away. then three new guys show up in her garage- and they are ghosts. I give this show a 10/10 for the lgbtq rep, strong woc main character, and amazing music. (Available on Netflix)

the healing powers of dude - my most recent binge, this show is about Noah, a sixth grader diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. I myself do not have SAD so I cannot speak on how well it was portrayed, but it's a very enjoyable show. I would give it an 8/10, only because emotional-support animals were not being portrayed accurately. (Available on Netflix)

no good nick - A show about a misunderstood teenage scam artist named nick. this show kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and it also includes mlm rep. I give this show a 9/10, because the main character is obviously a horrible role model for kids. (Available on Netflix)

just add magic and just add magic: mystery city - JAM is a show about three girls; kelly, hannah and darbie who find a cookbook with magical spells. In 2020, a spin-off of JAM was made called just add magic: mystery city, which is about the cookbook being passed on to three new protectors: Zoe, Ish and Leo. I give both these shows a 10/10 because of great role models and an interesting storyline. (Available on Amazon Prime)

the owl house - I haven't finished this whole series yet, but it's about a girl named Luz who finds herself in the Boiling Isles, living with Eda the Owl Lady and a demon named King. I give this show a 9.5 out of 10 because of its poc and lgbtq rep, but some of the episodes are formulaic. (Available on Disney+)

#tv #kids tv #raising dion #gravity falls #baby sitters club #netflix #amazon #hulu #disney+ #jatp #julie and the phantoms #the healing powers of dude #no good nick #just add magic #just add magic mystery city #toh #the owl house

[student-by-day]

Heeeelo! I see asks..I come <(￣︶￣)>

5, 10, 16

05. what title would be so intriguing that it’d entice you to go to an 8 am lecture? (ex: “dragons in medieval and early renaissance italian art”, “magazine covers and fashion illustrations in the early 20th century”, etc.)

i love early lectures, so literally anything, buuut definitely that dragon one, "nblw/wlw power couples throughout world history", and all things architecture-, writing-, reading- mythology-, history-, philosophy-, psychology-, or sociology-related.

10. which quote would you write on the first page of your journal to inspire you to live your life true to yourself?

the classic "we don't read and write poetry because it's cute. we read and write poetry because we are members of the human race... and the human race is filled with passion. medicine, law, business, engineering... these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life, but poetry, beauty, romance, love--these are what we stay alive for."

16. what’s your deadly sin? elaborate, if you’d like.

hmm probably lust. i don't mean that in a sexual way---i mean it in a "longing for perfection" way. i will die on my it-has-to-be-just-right-and-idc-if-that-causes-problems-for-me-or-you hill. oops.

thanks for keeping my ask box alive [like always :'] <3

#ask #ask game

[rwoh]

what are your favorite atla wlw ships?

i’m including lok in this cause,,,, reasons. (also follow @atla-wlw-week )

korrasami - canon, beautiful, classic, iconic

mailee - distinguished lesbians

yueki - i know they never meet in canon but i just think they’d be a power couple ok

kyalin - i just think they’re neat

#wlw #lucy answers things #send me aks #Anonymous

[vanquishedvaliant]

The sidedish is scrolling your blog and not finding you talking about new anime

I must not be hip enough to recognize precisely what you’re getting at by ‘sidedish’, but I just don’t usually post it much on tumblr unprompted anymore because writeups are a pain, they don’t usually get much traction, and I’m more than satisfied talking about it in discord with people that are actually going to listen and respond.

I DO have thoughts on new anime I can serve if it’s that in demand, though. 

Here’s what I’m watching this season with some initial reaction ratings based on the first couple episodes

New this season;

Wonder Egg Priority 10/10

UraSekai Picnic 10/10

Kumo desu ga, nani ka 8/10

Kemono Jihen 9/10

Hortensia Saga 7/10

Soukou Musume Senki 7/10

Gekidol 6/10

Sequels;

Cells at Work 9/10

Cells at Work: Black! 9/10

Uma Musume Pretty Derby 10/10

Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken 8/10

Log Horizon 8/10

Dr Stone 10/10

Continuing from last season;

Higurashi ... Gou 10/10

Hanyou no Yashahime 6/10

Jujutsu Kaisen 10/10

I’m also watching the original Higurashi in between off days to catch up to where Gou is, since I’d never seen it before and it’s clear I’m not getting the full story in Gou anymore without it.

Deeper thoughts under the cut.

Wonder Egg Priority and Urasekai Picnic are the clear AOTS contenders. Both are at once extremely superficially similar but very different in practice, and both bring something unique and charming to the table.

Urasekai is extremely notable at being a well executed supernatural adventure anime that is also a yuri; as much as I love pure romances like Bloom into You or Adachi and Shimamura, it’s very rare that we get anime with lesbian main characters or WLW romance where the romance itself isn’t the focus, that includes a serious, intriguing plot alongside the elements of romance. You know, like straight people get without a question every single story ever.

It’s got this very classic cryptid / SCP / otherworld adventure feel and has the right comedic and tension beats to be quite good, though its long term impact will be determined by what kind of further message it has.

Wonder Egg Priority immediately comes off with extremely powerful vibes in the vein of things like Flip Flappers, which I mean in the highest compliment. A surreal, metaphor-filled story of dreams and desires and well laid subtext, with colourful, exotic action and a snappy pace. This one’s extremely interesting to me, and its first episode was masterfully efficient in setting up its premise both aesthetically and thematically.

The real test for Wonder Egg will come with time; this is a story that trades heavily in meaning; so it’ll have to run longer and come to a conclusion to really test what kind of impact it’ll have. For now, I’m VERY interested and cautiously optimistic.

Spider Isekai is a charming twist on the typical flood of fantasy game / isekai stories placing our protagonist at the extreme low end of the power curve, and quite UNLIKE Slime Isekai or most others on the market like last season’s Kuma Bear, this one seems intent on keeping her there rather than immediately granting her insane godlike powers and thrusting her back above the curve.

The parts of the show that focus on the spider herself are lovely; there’s a real tension and sense of stakes in her struggle to adapt, slowly getting used to her new body and gaining levels and abilities, making even simple conflicts against frogs or lizards seem life threatening and serious, giving us a real reason to root for her.

On the other hand, the show frequently switches focus to... the entire other classroom of isekai’d children which is by far less interesting. There’s potential in there somewhere for a story about mass isekai’d kids adapting, but other than some details like one girl being gender swapped, and another being the class pet, there’s just really not much interesting about them at the moment and these sections just feel like a waste of time while waiting for the Spider to come back.

I don’t doubt that they’ll eventually meet up and have their stories intertwine... but at the moment, I don’t think I actually want that to happen. We’ll see where this one goes.

Kemono Jihen took me by surprise, and I wasn’t planning to watch this one unti l saw some screencaps. But the first two episodes have been outstanding, giving us a fantastic supernatural mystery detective agency plot and characters with real emotions, eye catching action scenes, and a compelling mystery.

Definitely looking forward to more of this one.

Hortensia Saga seems like a fairly typical fantasy war chronicle RPG story. It feels very in the vein of early to mid era fire emblems, and I happen to like anime like this that are solidly executed, like Grancrest Senki a while back. It’s doing a good enough job so far to keep my interest. Nothing game changing here, but a decent offering.

Soukou Musume Senki; this one also comes across in the standard seasonal fare of superpowered teenagers fighting aliens, this time with power armor and mild isekai elements. The monster designs are good this time, and the second episode brought us some nice moral / political dialogue showcasing some level of self awareness and depth. It’s fun so far.

Gekidol this show wants really badly to be compared favourably to Shoujo Kageki Starlight Revue. They’re hamming up the theatre tropes, putting out specials, sliding in secret background lore. First episode was fairly interesting, but the second seriously dropped the ball with its half assed Idol episode, and incredibly tone deaf play at a heartwarming moment.

I’m gonna keep watching this one for now, but it really needs to prove to me it has some meat and isn’t going to just keep borrowing tropes from other shows to lend it superficial “deep” merits.

For sequels,

Cells at Work is as cute, wholesome, and info-taining as ever. I think the OP this time is missing a little oomph, but the show itself is still going strong.

Cells at Work: Black! is offering a new take on it with a slightly darker and mature setting with a stressed out alcholic smoker at risk of contracting STDS, with a little bleaker tone and harsher stakes. It relies on the background of the original Cells at Work to work both tonally and narratively, but with that support it provides something quite interesting and unique.

The usual Cells at Work metaphors and humanization of bodily processes are just as excellent as always, and I’m giving special credit to the sketch about alcholic liver damage being compared to drunken abuse of host club employees, displaying a perhaps obvious if natural juxtaposition of the physical and emotional damage the substance abuse is causing to both the body itself and others around them.

Uma Musume; Horse girls! Racing! Just as surprisingly excellent as last season, giving us a fantastic sports story anime with charming characters and balanced stakes, with a good helping of humour. Easy recommend.

Slime Isekai: This one’s still going strong but has diverged from it’s original premise quite seriously. There’s nothing intriguing about this being an isekai  about being reincarnated as a slime anymore; and he’s way too overpowered for any of the combat to have any stakes. What it DOES have however is a fascinating look at the birth of a fantasy nation of monsters, politics, science, and social development of a varied and multicultural monster nation. And THAT I’m still in for.

I will seriously never forgive them for making Bobcut Lizardgirl into a regular ass human though. It has a serious problem with de-monsterizing its character designs and seriously reducing their appeal.

Log Horizon the true king of MMO isekai is back after 7 long, long years, and it’s jumping STRAIGHT into the depth of its political intrigue and deep understanding and development of the socio political issues inherent to its setting. Somewhat dry as ever, but truly fascinating for those looking at a more serious exploration of what the concept of living in a game actually means.

Dr Stone: I don’t have to hype this up, do I? Mad science speedrunning the development of human culture from the stone age up! This time they’re going to war! They made cell phones and cup ramen out of rocks! It’s heartwarming, emotionally rich, entertaining and informative, and funny as all hell. A classic for sure.

Higurashi. Everyone knows higurashi. Thing is, I just never watched it. We thought Gou was going to be a remake, but then it ended up being Rebuild of Evangelion, so I stopped at episode 12 or so and went back to watch the original. Classic horror mystery.

Yashahime. Yikes. This one’s... well. I don’t have any especial nostalgia or affection for Inuyasha like many people, but Yashahime is clearly a very middling approximation of it. There’s things to like here, the main trio of characters are all great designs, Moroha standing even head and shoulders above them as a truly endearing goblin child, and it really does feel in ways like 90s toonami fare. But there’s some lack of depth going on here, and I just don’t even know what to say about the Sesshoumaru pedophilia thing. Extremely questionable plotting.

#Anonymous #TFWI #anime #anime recommendations #seasonal anime

[redrabbitspod]

Did you guys see that in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the main character, the heroine of the show finally ends up in a wlw relationship? Like that show has so much representation, like most of the characters are people of colour, there are LGBTQIAP+ couples and even a non-binary character and it’s so amazing. I’m really happy that the future generations have something to look up to, because I for sure wish I grew up with a show like this one.

OOC: I GOTTA TALK ABOUT THIS. I GREW UP ON SHE-RA. MY UNCLE WAS AN 80S BABY AND IT WAS HIS FAVORITE SHOW. THEN WHEN I WAS BORN IN ‘95, WE WOULD WATCH IT AND XENA ALL THROUGHOUT MY CHILDHOOD. HOMEBOY HAD SHE-RA’S SWORD AND XENAS WHIP AND EVERYTHING AND MY POOR GRANDMA THOUGHT HIS GAY ASS JUST THOUGHT THEY WERE PRETTY AND DIDN’T LIKE HE-MAN OR HERCULES. 

MADAM RAZZ (OH DEARY MY!!!!) AND MERMISTA WERE MY EVERYTHING. LIKE 10 YEARS AGO HE GOT THE FULL DVD SET AND I BINGED THAT SHIT SO HARD AND IT STILL SLAPPED. 

SO IMAGINE MY FUCKIN EXCITEMENT WHEN THE NETFLIX SERIES CAME OUT. BRUH. WE WATCHED THE FIRST AND SECOND SEASON TOGETHER AND OUR GAY ASSES WERE JUST LIKE MAYBE THEYLL FINALLY DO IT. THEY’LL MAKE SHE-RA AND CATRA HAPPEN. AND THIS WAS DURING HIS SUMMER OF TRYING TO SEE IF I WAS GAY ( I’m bi and aro/ace) OR NOT (I KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOIN KYLE. MAKIN ME WATCH SHE-RA, LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, AND FRIED GREEN TOMATOES. LESBIAN CLASSICS. YOURE NOT FUCKIN SNEAKY YOU LITTLE SHIT)

SO ANYWAY. I DIDN’T GET TO WATCH THE REST OF THE SEASONS YET. BUT I SPOILED MYSELF YESTERDAY BECAUSE I HAD TO. AND I WAS LIVING FOR IT. 

IF ANYONE HASNT WATCH IT YET, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WATCH NETFLIX’S SHE-RA. ITS STUNNING, AMAZING, EFFERVESCENT AND DESERVES ALL THE FUCKIN LOVE GODDAMNIT. I HAD MY DOUBTS WHEN THE ORIGINAL TRAILER CAME OUT BUT IT FAR EXCEEDED ALL MY EXPECTATIONS. 

- BLOODYDAMNIT

sorry i took the response from the other characters but i NEEDED to talk about this!

#she-ra #creators #bloodydamnit #rr answers 2 #Anonymous

[kingjasnah]

actually. actually let’s talk about diversity in fantasy let’s give that a go. im mad and im gonna be that way for a while

don’t want to read all this? fair. tldr: fantasy writers who rely not only on the medieval europe model but also hide behind historical accuracy in 2020 (fuck it, from ‘95 onwards) are lazy and unimaginative and should be held accountable no matter how many white 20 year old dudes jerk off to whatever power fantasy is embedded in the plot. so lets chat about that lads. (slightly) drunk rant under the cut

now prelim shit: we know fantasy is used both as escapism and as a way to deal with various traumas via magical metaphor. staples of the genre. even if jk rowling busted out the laziest and at times offensive metaphor for ww2 and racism ive ever seen, she still adhered to time and true tropes. whatever.

so why have we, in this post game of thrones era, become insanely obsessed with realism? i can hear sixty 20-something year old men crying at me rn like oh ohh oh its based off the war of roses oh wahh all medieval fantasy fiction is based off england and the crusades anyway so women should get raped and people of color should be demonized its not racism its xenophobia and also gay people dont exist and disabled people are systematically killed off and if we stretch the magic fixes mental illness thing a LITTLE further we have straight up eugenics.

we all know where the england but myth thing came from. now the thing about tolkien is that while i will always absolutely love lotr, looking at the LAZY state of fantasy? damn i kinda wish he hadn’t revolutionized the genre. the bitch was still racist. he still didnt give a shit abt women (eowyn was just a vehicle to show how much he fucking hated macbeth anyone holding jrrt up as a feminist icon for that needs to sit the fuck down and explain to me why i can count the woman speaking roles in lotr, a story with a name and fleshed out backstory for every minor character, on one hand but thats! another post). he had something to say abt class with sam i’ll give him that but he is still 100% NOT what we need to hold our standards to in 2020. 

i dont want to talk about old school fantasy, like 80s early 90s cause theres literally no point. its sexist, racist, ableist for sure, this we know. david eddings (not even that old school tbh) can rise from the grave and explain himself to me personally and i still wont forgive him for ehlana. 

so let’s talk historical accuracy. quick question. who the FUCK gives a shit? WHO is this elusive got fan who’s out here like blehh actually??? this method of iron production is TOTALLY anachronistic of the time. ummm these vegetables in this fictional world were NOT native to english soil so how are they here? cause i know this is the classic argument but ive never actually met someone who cared about the lack of dysentery as much as they care abt the women getting raped on screen/page. 

god forbid you have to worldbuild for a second god forbid you can’t rely on the idea of fantasy readers already have in their head god forbid you have an original idea god forbid you spend more than two seconds thinking about ur setting (oh i should mention i dont....really blame GoT for its setting cause of how long ago it was og written but trust me i sure as hell blame grrm for writing a 13 yr old giving ‘consent’ to sex with a grown man within the first couple of chapters) 

If we accept the basic premise of fantasy as escapism, and i AM drunk so i will NOT be finding fuckin. quotes and shit for this but come on tolkien said it himself and as much as i’ll drag him he crafted the simplest and most powerful fantasy metaphors on the board rn. But if we know its escapism. If we know. then who is it escapism for? certainly not for me, the gay brown woman who busted through all of GoT in 10th grade. 

modern fantasy lit used as an excuse for that white male power fantasy is literally disgusting. calling historical accuracy is so fucking dumb ESPECIALLY cause we, as ppl in the 21st  century, KNOW women have been consistently written out of the story. poc ppl, gay and trans ppl, anyone with a god forbid disability has been WRITTEN out of history as we know it, INCLUDING the fucking war of the roses so HOW can we hold up testimony we know is flawed to support our FICTIONAL. STORY. just to??? support the white power fantasy?? literally noah fence but if you are a white guy who felt really empowered by every time jim butcher described a woman tell me: how do you think that’ll hold up in classic HisToRiCaL fantasy. you think thats a fucking noble pursuit? or are you grima wormtongue out here. 

(side note: jim butcher stop writing challenge i dont need to know abt every woman on page’s nipples. anyone who hides behind subgenre like that? ‘ohhh its a noir story thats why hes sexualizing everyone’ shut the fuck up an author isnt possessed by a fuckin muse and compelled to bust out 500k they have agency and they have choice and they MADE the choice to reserve said will for none of their female characters)

which brings me to point 2: target audience and BOY is the alcohol hitting me rn but WHO is this for? this isnt the fucking 80s we know poc and other marginalized folk read fantasy FOR the escapism. on god ive had a cosmere focused blog for nearly three years and. im just gonna say it im interacted with A LOT of yall and ive managed to talk to VERY few white straight ppl as compared to everyone else. 

like....who deserves to see the metaphor on homophobia or racism. joanne rowling? the bitch who literally tried to sell us happy slaves and the disgusting aids metaphor and the worst case of antisemitic stereotypes i ever saw in an nyt bestseller? yall think that was for US? or was it for the white guilt crowd. 

literally white people can find any book about them that they can relate to. but hmmm maybe theres a reason gay women care so much about stormlight archive’s jasnah kholin, a brown woman who’s heavily coded as wlw. or kaladin, the FIRST fantasy protag ive ever seen with clinical depression. hmm i wonder why a bunch of millennials are vibing all of a sudden. im not saying sanderson is perfect--but its the best ive seen from a white author tbh

maybe theres a reason a lot of poc vibe with a literary way to express trauma, and maybe thats why i specifically get so pissed when its not done well. theres a REASON books about outcasts pushing through and claiming their own lives are popular with people who arent white and straight and able bodied. Junot Diaz had a point. maybe lets STOP catering to those assholes who think theyre joseph campbell’s wet dream personified. ive lost respect SO many authors who are objectively talented. pat rothfuss can write so beautifully that ive cried to bits of name of the wind but literally i will never pick that series up again (not just because of the felurian. women in general tbh. mostly the felurian ngl) cause 1) i personally KNEW men whod jerk off to that shit and 2) there was no need for it there was no plot reason for ANY of that shit 

so like obviously thers an issue with authors of color specifically not getting recognized for fantasy and genre work but on god??????? im still mostly mad at the legions of white authors churning out the same medieval england chosen one books year after fucking year. have an original thought maybe. also im sorry that you as an author lack the basic empathy needed to examine the way that women? or any group of people that youre explicitly writing about see the world and would specifically see YOUR made up world. 

yes your fantasy should be diverse, but more than that it should be kind. if you as a writer cant respect groups of people who deserve it....what the hell are you doing in a genre that traditionally is about finding ways to express injustice through metaphor? tolkien’s hero was sam. fantasy was NEVER about the privileged. yall know who you are so stop acting so fucking entitled. peace out. 

#disclaimer ive had a bit to drink. and instead of getting ridiculously emotional like normal and plud in a trek movie #im mad! surprise shes mad now. not at BS specifically dont worry this is still a cosmere stan zone but im mad and im gonna talk about it #if no one reads this ur valid but if you do im gonna be mad or another two hours before i force myself to #man idk feel free to talk tho #this is so stupid im sorry i got so heated i plugged in the BoP soundtrack #and like just #well youll see