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gyrlversion · 5 years

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Will Byers Doesnt Have To Come Out To Be Stranger Thingss Queer Hero

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 3.

Among all the weird and wonderful things that occurred in Hawkins, Indiana during the third season of Stranger Things, some of the more heartfelt and compelling moments of the show revolved around the characters sharing their innermost thoughts with one another.

When newcomer Robin (Maya Hawke) comes out as gay to Steve (Joe Keery) following the pair’s escapades in a movie theater bathroom, it’s a tender, realistic scene that makes your heart positively swell for lovelorn Steve and his plucky new confidant. After a bout of confusion, he realizes the girl he’s slowly been falling in love with will never reciprocate those feelings. He quickly accepts this, and thus one of Hawkins’ most epic friendships is solidified.

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It’s the show’s first official introduction of a canonically queer character, which is a victory for diversity and a fantastic step for Stranger Things, a show set in the ’80s. But the season also hinted at another character’s sexual identity journey: Will Byers (Noah Schnapp).

The popular fan theory stems from a moment that you may not even have noticed in the larger scheme of things — a tense, rain-soaked conversation between Will and his best friend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) in the third episode of Season 3.

As Will grows frustrated with how his friends are concerning themselves more with girls and less with their friendship, he experiences the very same growing pains we’ve all gone through at one point or another. He’s content to stay in the basement with his guy friends and hang out, playing Dungeons and Dragons just like they all used to. But Mike and Lucas are especially gaga for their girlfriends, Eleven and Max.

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Will doesn’t seem to understand what’s so special about the relationships his friends have formed with the opposite sex, and one day his frustration comes to a head. He makes a hasty exit from Mike’s basement, the Party’s hallowed hangout spot, and walks out into the rain to head home. It’s not like his friends aren’t sympathetic — Mike goes out after him and makes an attempt at calming his friend down. For a moment, it seems like they might reach an understanding, but in the heat of the moment, Mike exclaims, “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls.”

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Will is immediately taken aback, obviously reeling from the hurtful remark. The hurt expression on his face is impossible to miss. For a moment, he has no idea what to say. He feels trapped — but to what end?

It’s unclear at first blush whether he’s offended at Mike’s insinuation that he just doesn’t like girls “yet” or if he doesn’t like them period, meaning he could be queer — a slip on Mike’s part that he apologizes for in the moment. Fans have interpreted it both ways, and while it could be a simple, innocuous comment, it’s caused quite an uproar in the Stranger Things fan community. Is Will gay? Are we hurtling toward a coming-out story line for him in the near future?

There are a few ways to take this statement. One, Mike could be asserting that Will just hasn’t grown out of the stage where playing with his friends isn’t as important to him anymore. It can take a while for children to fully blossom into teenagers, and with it, find a sense of their sexuality. Will could be what’s colloquially referred to as a “late bloomer,” and could indeed find himself in the middle of a relationship in a later season.

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After being trapped in the Upside Down and possessed by the Mind Flayer, Will has undergone some of the most traumatic events of the series, and these stressful situations could have affected his emotional growth — making him cling to the people and experiences that bring him comfort.

But it’s possible that this line also foreshadowed Will’s Season 4 journey, as he enters high school away from Hawkins and the comfort of The Party. It’s possible the Duffer Brothers have began building the foundation for a coming-out story line for Will since the beginning. In the creators’ original treatment for the series, they described Will as a “sweet, sensitive kid with sexual identity issues” who “doesn’t fit in with the 1980s definition of ‘normal.'” This initial character description codifies Will’s queerness. Of course, things change from page to screen, and neither the Duffers nor Schnapp have canonically confirmed Will’s sexuality, preferring to leave it up for interpretation.

Speaking to The Wrap, Schnapp explained that he believed the line was meant more along the lines of not being ready to grow up.

“All his friends have girlfriends and they’re out dating, and he just wants to have fun with his friends,” he explained “You see in Episode 3, he just wants to play D&D in the basement, and now all of his friends have girlfriends and they are dating. And it’s kind of, when you hear Mike say that line, it’s really up to the audience to interpret it. I kind of just interpret it like he’s not ready to grow up and he doesn’t really want to move on to dating and relationships yet. He still wants to be a kid and play in the basement like he did in old times.”

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Meanwhile, according to Finn Wolfhard, the scene wasn’t always meant to play out the way it did. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he noted there were “a lot of different versions.”

“We tried, ‘It’s not my fault you don’t like girls yet.’ I don’t even know if it had to do with Will’s sexuality; I think Mike was just mad and listing off a genuine fact that he’s not interested,” he explained, though ultimately acknowledged that it was “all up to the Duffers and what they want to do” when it comes to how the story will ultimately end up playing out.

While it would certainly be a transformative part of the series if Will were to come out, how do fans feel about that direction for the boy who vanished to the Upside Down?

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“I’m happy they introduced Robin as a queer character but seeing Will have his big ‘moment’ is kind of what I’ve been waiting for this whole time,” Stranger Things fan Tony Mattingly told MTV News. “He hasn’t really ever had a big, triumphant win or anything like that, and it’s like, ‘Come on!’ He deserves happiness too, and I think a queer storyline for him makes total sense.”

Others, like Sacqua Campbell, believe Robin’s coming-out moment only previewed what’s to come with Will.

“They decided to test the waters [with Robin,]” she said. “They wanted to see how people would respond to a queer character before committing to making one of the main characters gay, and now they’ve done it, so it’s time to see if the positive reaction gives them the ‘go-ahead,’ of sorts to go in the same direction with Will.”

All of the fan speculation around Will’s sexuality only further heightens the need for more queer characters on our screens. But positioning Will as a character with an impending queer “reveal” would make total sense for Stranger Things, a story about a group of kids coming of age and experiencing uncertain things like first love while saving humanity from certain evil. By the end of the third season, all of the members of The Party have found that special someone — Dustin and Suzy; Lucas and Max; and Mike and Eleven.

But just because Will may not be “interested in girls,” that doesn’t mean he has to be interested in anyone at all. Sexuality is a spectrum, and there’s no one way to be queer — nor is there a set timeline for these kinds of revelations. He’s 13 and about to enter his freshman year of high school. He’s moving at his own pace, and going into Season 4, he has someone new by his side: his surrogate sister of sorts, Eleven. There’s so much to explore with this pairing; after all, they’re the only people who understand each other’s trauma. Not to mention, they’re both outsiders. It’s possible that Eleven will be a significant part of Will’s coming-of-age journey.

Whether that journey brings him to a certain realization, we’ll have to wait and see. But Will Byers doesn’t have to come out to resonate with queer fans who so desperately see themselves in him, a kid who doesn’t quite fit in a heteronormative society. After all, he’s a David Bowie in a room full of Kenny Rogers.

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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Bookshelf Briefs 10/10/19

Animeta!, Vol. 1 | By Yaso Hanamura | J-Novel Club – Nineteen-year-old Miyuki Sanada never had anything to be passionate about until she encountered a certain magical girl anime. Now, she’s managed to get hired at the studio that created it, but training is grueling and the pay is abysmal (and her fellow new hires are jerks). Her skills aren’t great, but Miyuki’s a heroine with enthusiasm to spare and already makes some progress in this first volume. I really know very little about how anime is made—particularly nowadays, where digital technology plays a part—so all of that information and the handy flowcharts were fascinating. Miyuki is somewhat of a cipher as a character, but for now I’m okay with that. I look forward to seeing her skills develop and learning along with her. – Michelle Smith

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 16 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – This always seems to end up on the end of my list of Viz when it comes out, but it’s a credit to the title that it still remains riveting regardless. Yuzu dominates this volume, finishing the concert by leaping into the audience (giving their handlers a heart attack), and then asking the band to go on hiatus for a year so that he can sort out his family issues. We also hear about the fate of his father in greater detail, and see that he and his mother have essentially been pushing at each other without listening. That said, when a band takes a year’s hiatus—especially one not that famous yet—it’s the kiss of death. The solution? Get the new single to number one. This is ending soon, and it’ll be a race to the finish. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 22 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – The majority of this volume is a flashback, as the cover might indicate. Still, we also write out Shiemi in this volume, at least for now, and as she’s realized that maybe she does like Rin romantically after all. I’m not sure I trust her in the hands of her family, however. Meanwhile, Rin and Mephisto are going back into the past to see about Father Fujimoto’s past, as well as that of his mother, Yuri. It’s the classic combination of “asshole” and “plucky,” and is quite interesting, despite Mephisto continuing to point out that, being a tragic backstory, there’s only tragedy ahead. I’ve heard this flashback lasts a number of chapters, so next volume should delve deeper into Fujimoto and Yuri’s story. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

The Golden Sheep, Vol. 1 | By Kaori Ozaki | Vertical Comics – Years ago, my husband and I were watching Freaks and Geeks when we had a realization: it was undeniably excellent, but it was simply too effective at portraying the shitty things kids do to each other to be fun. The Golden Sheep is like that. Tsugu Miikura has returned to her hometown after six years away to find her former friends much changed. Yuushin has become a delinquent who regularly beats up Sora, who feels like he deserves it for abandoning Yuushin during a time of family crisis. Asari acts on her spiteful jealousy when Yuushin pays attention to Tsugu, leading Tsugu to be ostracized by the rest of the class. It’s painful for readers and characters alike, but mercifully there’s a surprise change of venue at the end of the first volume. I hope everyone’s able to move past their adolescent trauma in the two volumes that remain. – Michelle Smith

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 7 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – It appears “once a year” is the new schedule for this title, so it’s probably both good and bad that it ends on such a cliffhanger. Before that, though, we get the introduction of a new character (she’s on the cover): Kaoru, a kijimunaa who allegedly can read people’s minds. She’s had standoffish relationships with her prior classmates, which she thinks is because of this but also may be due to her misreading them entirely. No matter, there’s no way she’s not going to be accepted by this group. Meanwhile, she can also see that Tetsuo and Sakie are very much into each other, and this nudges the dullahan girl into a confession that he pretends not to hear—at first. Excellent title, but man, long wait to get here. – Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 27 | By Taeko Watanabe | VIZ Media – For the most part, I quite enjoyed this volume of Kaze Hikaru. It mostly centers around Kamiya serving as Hijikata’s attendant and following his orders to pretend they are in a relationship in order to discourage Councillor Ito, who has gone into full-on predatory homosexual mode. While I’m not fond of this characterization, I do like that the situation forces Kamiya to get to know Hijikata better. As she witnesses some of his vulnerabilities and moments of supririsng humility, her hatred of him begins to fade. I’m glad of it, as this mindset has led her to make too many impulsively foolish decisions in the past. Alas, Ito turns out to have something more substantial on his mind than bedding Hijikata, and we’re reminded that the collapse of the Bakufu is just around the corner. Too bad it’ll be another year before we get the next piece of the story. – Michelle Smith

Missions of Love, Vol. 18 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – Perhaps being told that it’s time to wrap this up, Toyama finally comes through after a couple of substandard volumes and gives us an excellent one, mainly driven by Yukina finally getting up the nerve to a) tell Hisame to get bent, and b) tell Shigure that she’s written her book using their own romance as the basis. This stuns him, naturally (his mother collapsing during the filming does not help), but I suspect he’s going to take it pretty well, especially after he reads it. Hisame, meanwhile, is acting like an immature brat, as literally pointed out by Mami, and Yukina’s actions end up driving him to his own writer’s block. I’m, actually looking forward to the nineteenth and final volume. – Sean Gaffney

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 12 | By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu | VIZ Media – A new arc begins in this volume, and because various things are set into motion, it feels a little disjointed at times. Emma and the others make contact with a supporter in the human world and wait for further contact, but it never comes. Meanwhile, they continue their search for the Seven Walls and suddenly, a year and seven months have passed since the destruction of Goldy Pond. I liked getting a glimpse of what’s been going on with Phil and it was neat seeing some human antagonists, too. I also like that Lucas and Yugo have come to care about the kids so much that they’re willing to sacrifice themselves so the children can get away when the enemy finds them. I guess I’m just a little bummed about the time jump and all the clever strategizing we didn’t get to see. Still, this remains a really good read. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 5 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – Given that she’s had probably the least development of the heroines to date, it’s no surprise that this volume leans heavily on Yotsuba, who also gets the cover. She shows off a few sides that should be surprising but aren’t really, notably a tendency to put the needs and desires of others ahead of her own needs—does this include her feelings for Futaro? And then there’s the girl from his past, who is clearly a Quintuplet but the hair and false name make us wonder which one. (Honestly, she reminded me of Teasing Master Takagi-san, and it distracted me). Compared to other shonen romcoms like, say, the one I’m reviewing further down, this fires on all cylinders. Well done. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 11 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – The resolution of the kiss on the nose actually ends up being the lightest part of the book, as we introduce what amounts to the series’ first serious villain. Takane’s cousin Yakumo is back in town, and determined to ruin Takane’s life. Oddly, merely exposing he’s engaged to a high school girl never seems to occur to him. Instead we end up with kidnapping, blackmail, and attempted rape. This left something of a sour taste in my mouth, though the sheer ridiculousness of the helicopter did end up distracting me so that I forgot about it. Sadly, I doubt we’re finished with this guy, and I want to get rid of him and get back to Takane and Hana snarking at each other. It’s what the series does best. – Sean Gaffney

We Never Learn, Vol. 6 | By Taishi Tsutsui | Viz Media – Reading this at the same time as Quintessential Quintuplets is probably a bit of a mistake. Magazine has always done better romantic comedy/dramas than Jump anyway, and this is definitely a weaker volume for We Never Learn, as it has no drama to speak of. Instead there are gags about confusing Rizu’s test score with her cup size, a “whoops we’re all naked in the same bathhouse” chapter, and an introduction to Kirisu’s sister whose highlight is that she doesn’t seem to fall in love with Nariyuki—yet. Again, I have heard that the teacher is by far the most popular character in this manga, which worries me—teacher/student romance is not how I want this to end. Maybe a figure skating ending instead? A weak entry. – Sean Gaffney

The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms | By Nagabe | Seven Seas – Out of all of the manga series currently being released in English, The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe is consistently one of the most striking in both storytelling and illustration. I was therefore very excited to see more of Nagabe’s work licensed. The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms is a collection of eight short BL stories featuring anthropomorphic animals who either attend or teach at an academy for wizards. The stories are largely independent from one another, although they do share the same setting and there are a few recurring characters and events as well. Tonally, Nagabe has achieved a remarkably effective balance between lightness and darkness with these tales. There are moments of levity and endearment, but the narratives frequently also have unsettling undercurrents to them. The result is a collection that can be both delightfully charming and subtly (and occasionally not so subtly) ominous. – Ash Brown

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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withanaccent · 5 years

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I fell in love with Stranger Things in the traditional way: a three-day binge of the first two seasons and then incessantly talking about it in the family group chat afterwards. After enjoying the 2017 remake of IT, it was hard not to enjoy these plucky pre-teens as they battled the strange monsters that came from the land known as “The Upside Down.” So, of course, I was wildly excited when the new trailer for the show dropped on March 20th.

When we last left them, the kids had just come off their defeat of the Mind-Flayer, a terrifying entity that possessed Will Byers (Noah Schapp), the younger brother of Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and son of Joyce (Winona Ryder). The second season ended with the kids enjoying the Snow Ball dance, unaware that the shadow monster is still in the Upside Down, towering over the school.

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I mean…The hair. The clothes. The Who. Everything about this trailer is deliciously 80s, and the fact that the kids all seem to be having so much fun is just the icing on the cake. Or at least, until the monster from another dimension tries to eat them again. But we take the good where we can get it, right?

Here’s what we know:

Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) are a couple, as are Max (Sadie Sink) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin)

Per last season, Eleven has been formally adopted by police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour), and is now known as Jane Hopper

The older kids have graduated; Jonathan will be working at a newspaper, Steve (Joe Keery) will be working at an ice-cream parlour, and Billy (Dacre Montgomery) will be working as a lifeguard

There’s going to be a time jump

Eleven’s sister Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) might be back, as well as the other “numbers”

The Mind-Flayer will be back, and the season will be much more brutal than the others

There will be a host of new characters, an exciting new set where most of the action takes place, and lots of plot-threads left dangling from the previous season will pick back up

So, what am I looking forward to? Other than the promise of more monsters, more mysteries, and more of that glorious 80s hair? Well, the friendship between Max and Eleven, for one. While I was ecstatic that another girl had joined the cast, I was frustrated that Eleven seemed to hate Max almost on sight because she thought that the new girl might like Mike. The trope of girls becoming enemies over a boy is so eye-rollingly stereotypical that I couldn’t help but be disappointed in a show that had never let me down thus far – and I knew I wasn’t the only one. Thankfully, the Duffer brothers seemed to have listened, because Max and Eleven are shown to be hanging out in several parts of the trailer.

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Billy with his new lifeguard friend, who DEFINITELY won’t get got by the monster or anything.

Steve Harrington with fans *heart eyes*

Hopper and Joyce, clearly trying to have a good time but feeling attacked.

ELEVEN AND MAX ENJOYING EACH OTHER’S COMPANY AND WARMING MY HEART AT THE SAME TIME.

Next? Mayor Kline of Hawkins, Indiana, played by Cary Elwes, who’s described as a typical 80s politician that’s more concerned with his own image than the people of the town he governs (he’s the one shouting “Happy Fourth of July!” at people in the trailer). While I can’t say I know what effect Mayor Kline will have in a story about the supernaturally-beset town, I have to say I’m excited for all the roadblocks an authority figure could throw up. After all, I can’t imagine it will be easy maintaining your image as Mayor when a bunch of kids keep letting monsters loose at the mall.

Finally, though, I’m just looking forward to seeing everyone again. Stranger Things is known for its compelling plot, great CGI, and expert handling of horror tropes, but above all, for its carefully rendered characters. And it’ll be nice to remember that they’re just normal people trying to live their lives amongst all the crazy.

So, what are you looking forward to the most about Stranger Things season 3? The reappearance of the Mind-Flayer? More of Eleven’s siblings? The return of Steve Harrington, single mother of six and the love of my life? Sound off in the comments below, and in the meantime, enjoy the song “Stranger Things” by The Band Royale, inspired by the show.

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Stranger Things Are Happening Again… I fell in love with Stranger Things in the traditional way: a three-day binge of the first two seasons and then incessantly talking about it in the family group chat afterwards.

#netflix #stranger things

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