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#and remember there can be representation within the men's group too.
sleepynegress · 2 years
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I Just Watched Hulu’s PREY (the latest Predator sequel)... YALL #THIS IS A REC
*whew!!!*
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So, a little tidbit about me. Around 20 years ago, I worked on a rez.  They had a community center with a TV and a DVD player with popular movies the people liked.  Like any other people in America they had a collection of all the genres, including action blockbusters. But... there were only two or three actual Indigenous culture-based movies.  The rest were mostly Latine (I think owing to the fact of Latine cultures having a lot of Indigenous blood/culture within them). I remember at the time, it struck me, that even as a black woman, I was privileged in this.  NO PEOPLES have less representation in pop culture than the 1st Nations peoples... You hear me? And you can forget just a regular-egular Hollywood blockbuster movie. #PREY should have been that big Hollywood blockbuster sleeper 2022 summer movie theater hit, yall. It is now, my FAVORITE movie that has come out this summer. It gave EVERYTHING. Indigenous folks finally have a big great quality action sci-fi movie. 
And a Native WOMAN gets to be that badass (I tell u, I reverted to a kid cheering them big 80′s muscley yt men action stars from back in the day) It’s not gimmicky, quippy, or overly-faux-reverant of the culture in that cringey way yt media does with that ~wise magical NDN~ garbage...No they are just people living their lives.
It just does what it’s supposed to.  It patiently builds enough character so you care what happens to them. It gives that meaningful character journey, heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat and badass-bloody action, and a satisfying ending.
Which is all you want in a action film. And even tho I’m not Native, the fact that it’s also in genre (sci-fi) something I know some yt folks don’t think marginalized peoples have a leading place in (i.e. woke/forced b.s.), just gave me chills and made me happy in that way BP did, -that another marginalized group is getting space at the table too (long overdue tho it is). Naru is THEE SHIT. SEE THIS FUCKING MOVIE YALL, espec. if you are an action movie stan, like myself and/or a Predator fan who has been waiting for the good quality sequel to the OG movie, and like believeable action woman leads. Just for the record, I like Predator 2 and Predators and don’t acknowledge the existence of any other sequels, except for that part where Sanaa and the Predator got along (I’m sorry yall, Predators are the Negroes of aliens in space, I don’t make the rules....They only gave trophies and ritual to the two black leads) But PREY????
...MUTHAFCCIN PREY??? It rivals the OG Predator, I KID YOU NOT. If you are planning to have an action movie night this weekend??? 
Cue this sucker up and get your popcorn. SEE IT!!
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retrogamingreplay · 7 days
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X-Men '97 premiered on Disney+ last night, and the first two episodes were amazing. The animation is beautiful, the story is engaging, and the characters are as lovable as ever. Having eagerly awaited its release, I settled in to watch the first two episodes, which are the only ones available at this time. Let me start by saying, the show was nothing short of astonishing—truly a 10 out of 10 experience that managed to reignite the spark of the beloved original '90s cartoon. [caption id="attachment_168616" align="aligncenter" width="1182"] friends of humanity[/caption] However, there is one troubling detail that I noticed in the first two episodes: the Friends of Humanity, an anti-mutant group that the X-Men are dealing with, is an all-white group in the new cartoon. In the comics and the early 1990s cartoon, the Friends of Humanity were composed of non-mutants of all colors. This was an important detail, as it showed that anti-mutant sentiment was not limited to any one race or ethnicity. However, in the new Disney+ cartoon, the Friends of Humanity are primarily all white people. This change is troubling, as it suggests that the writers are projecting hate towards Caucasians. [caption id="attachment_168611" align="aligncenter" width="1570"] friends of humanity[/caption] What does this change signify? Are the writers unintentionally casting a shadow of bigotry on a single demographic? The lack of diversity within the Friends of Humanity in 'X-Men '97' seems to paint hate as a uniquely Caucasian issue, which is not only inaccurate but also potentially harmful. It's a disservice to the complex narrative of intolerance and fear that 'X-Men' has always sought to address—a narrative that acknowledges bigotry can take root in any community, regardless of color. Disney, a group that usually demands diversity, did a 180 here. Why? friends of humanityNow, we must ask ourselves: is this the result of a misguided consultation? Has the push for diversity and representation in media inadvertently swung the pendulum too far in one direction, fostering a new form of prejudice in the process? It's worth investigating who these consulting entities are and what their influence entails. We need to question whether this creative decision serves the story and message of 'X-Men,' or if it's a reflection of a broader issue within the industry, where the fear of misrepresentation leads to a different brand of stereotyping. As fans and consumers of media, we should encourage a dialogue about these portrayals. It's crucial that we maintain the integrity of the 'X-Men's' core themes—unity, acceptance, and the fight against hate in all its forms—without inadvertently demonizing any one group. 'X-Men '97' has the potential to be a beacon of inclusive storytelling, as long as it remembers the inclusive roots from which it sprung. [caption id="attachment_168614" align="aligncenter" width="1387"] friends of humanity[/caption] It is possible that the writers of X-Men '97 consulted with a company like Sweet Baby Inc. when making the decision to make the Friends of Humanity all white. Sweet Baby Inc. is a consulting company that specializes in diversity and inclusion. The company has a history of working with major corporations, including Disney. The following is a list of writers for X-Men '97: Beau DeMayo Charley Feldman Eric Lewald Julia Lewald Raven Metzner Steve Melching Steven Melching Ted Sullivan Will Upson I urge the writers of X-Men '97 to reconsider their decision to make the Friends of Humanity all white. This change is unnecessary and harmful, and it does not reflect the values of the X-Men. Retro-Replay has reached out to the show writers to ask for an apology, and is currently waiting a response. [gallery ids='168618,168610,168617,168616,168615,168614,168613,168612,168611' main_size='full' tile_size='full' style='mosaic']
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rye-views · 2 years
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Partner Track. 7.7/10
I would recommend this show to my friends. I wouldn't rewatch this show.
This is giving me a rendition of Free Food for Millionaires vibe. Getting a rendition of Aaron Sorkin vibes. The beginning of each episode is like Grey's Anatomy.
Bruh, Lena could've grouped up with some of Twice? Tyler's (Bradley) from Kung Fu. Nice to see you again. I remember Z (Desmond) from Asian Bachelorette 2 lol.
Amen to all the Korean representation.
I'm mostly interested in the friendships and the concept of right versus wrong.
I love Rachel and Ingrid (and often Tyler) having camaraderie over what's wrong with men, specifically Justin in the beginning. I love the panorama of Ingrid and Nick being a couple at home. I love Rachel. I like April. Her yearning for Ingrid is like Free Food for Millionaires vibe too. Either Tina or Ella.
I earnestly wish Caleb's character wasn't Asian. I get it though.
This upset that Ingrid has at her father is too relatable and I hate it.
Why is Ingrid so hot and bothered from seeing Jeff's body pls. I have never experienced that.
It sucks that Lina is so selfish. You can be the bad child without being a bad person. I relate to these frustrations from family though.
LMaoo at "Why are you running?" and Jerry escaping by kayak.
Honestly, if I were stuck in the middle of a lake on a boat, I'd just swim back.
Ingrid's mom is goals. Like a mixture of a Korean mom and then an understanding one lol.
What are these good men in Nick and Justin.
I hate all the infidelity.
It's weird that I feel like I don't know much of either Jeff and Nick's background.
I hate how frustrating life is.
Memorable Quotes: "Because meeting the devil illuminates the darkness within ourselves." "Slay the day, ladies." "Do better." "You sad, sad ambitious man." Stimulants are the devil's work." "Insult to injury." "Respect your elders." "Writing is re-writing." "Who the fuck are you?" "Score one for planet Earth." "I don't know how to say no." "Righting something wrong."
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euudaimonia · 3 years
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some of y’all have not had one critical thought about the boys joining the show
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crossdreamers · 3 years
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Lesbians support transgender people
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Lesbian trans-exclusionary “radical feminists” are claiming that transgender culture is erasing lesbian identities. Given all the noise they make, you may get the impression that most lesbians share their beliefs. This is not true.
In fact, my own experience from Norway tells me that most lesbians embrace the T in LGBTQA, and see that transgender people and lesbians face the same kind of oppression: Attacks from reactionary people who believe the cisgender/heterosexual gender norm should apply to everyone.
The lesbian erasure narrative
Over at Advocate the lesbian writer Sarah Fonseca (photo above) takes a look at Abigail Shrier’s transphobic book  Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, and touches upon the the “lesbians are going extinct” narrative.
She writes:
Naturally, the assertion of Shrier that lesbians, tomboys, and lesbian tomboys are going the way of the dodo bird seeks to create pandemonium among queer girls who identify as such. 
And Irreversible Damage dares to inflict this very damage at a critical moment when lesbian social spaces that weren’t already shuttered are suffering due to national lockdown, and our community’s women — sociable, tactful, and independent of others’ transitions — are left to their own devices...
As a lesbian reader of sound gender, I still find it enormously unpleasant to be repeatedly told that I do not exist or that my gender and sexuality will inevitably shift, all because of a societal trend and its societal pressures; it is all too reminiscent of the comments foisted upon many of us by heterosexuals upon coming out. 
Fortunately, Shrier lacks two pieces of vital information. First, the lesbian is the mistress of silently and confidently auditing her own gender. She continues to exist because she abides by no one’s stringent rules...
We are hardly obsolete. If anything, we are just getting started. Our first mission? Disavowing Irreversible Damage. Our second? Taking care of our trans siblings. Our third? Reversing the damage that Shrier has done to lesbian reputation. The fourth? I do not know, but I hope it involves dancing and queers of every stripe, imagined and yet to be.
Abigail Shrier, who is a privileged white, straight and cis woman, is using the lesbian extinction scare to create a split in the queer community, not because she care about lesbians.
Enriched by trans people
In an article in the British Independent, Carrie Lyell puts it this way:
I don’t recall a plethora of columns offering solidarity from heterosexual “feminists” before so many latched on to lesbians as a way to push their agenda on trans issues. There was no faux-concern from our “straight allies” on any of those occasions, no calls to celebrate my swashbuckling swagger. Straight women were often the first to tell me to grow my hair, shave my legs or be more “ladylike”.
Instead I found comfort in the LGBT+ community and learnt resilience from those around me. While the world tried to box me in and crush my queer spirit, I was lifted up by lesbians, gay men, bi people and, yes, trans people.
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Lyell (photo from twitter above) is the  editor of DIVA, a queer magazine. She writes that she has never met a trans person who has tried to convert her.
“Not for one minute have I felt erased by trans people,” she writes:  “If anything, I feel enriched.”
The great majority of lesbians feel this kind of kinship with trans people, and support them.
They used the same tactics against lesbians
In another article Fonseca points out the similarities found in the way the cis/heterosexual majority used to invalidate and attack lesbian women:
Queers and trans people have historically witnessed our bodies be weaponized in pursuit of the same old Cis American Dream by those on both sides of the political divide. 
In the sensational Women’s Lib text The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan was quick to distance herself and her movement from lesbians, writing them off as “disruptors” and members of “extreme left groups.” ...
Unsympathetic to lesbian concerns about child custody and sexual liberation, she referred to the burgeoning group of dykes seeking representation in the larger women’s movement “the lavender menace.”
The same tactics were used against gay men and lesbian women as the TERFs are using now: the sexual predator tropé, the mental illness narrative and the “stupid people seduced by extremists” invalidation.
All the leading lesbian magazines support the trans community
Remember that back in 2018  the world’s leading publications for lesbians came  together to send a message of support and solidarity to the trans community. They wrote:
DIVA, Curve, Autostraddle, LOTL, Tagg, Lez Spread The Word, DapperQ, GO Magazine and LezWatch.TV believe that trans women are women and that trans people belong in our community. We do not think supporting trans women erases our lesbian identities; rather we are enriched by trans friends and lovers, parents, children, colleagues and siblings.
We strongly condemn writers and editors who seek to foster division and hate within the LGBTQI community with trans misogynistic content, and who believe “lesbian” is an identity for them alone to define. We condemn male-owned media companies who profit from the traffic generated by these controversies.
We also strongly condemn the current narrative peddled by some feminists, painting trans people as bullies and aggressors – one which reinforces transphobia and which must be challenged so that feminism can move forward.
We are really concerned about the message these so-called lesbian publications are sending to trans women and to young lesbians – including trans lesbians – and we want to make in clear this is not in our name.
Photo of Sarah Fonseca from Posture Mag.
See also: “Lesbians Turning On Elliot Page Is Not An Isolated Event, And We Need To Talk About It.”
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I apologise in advance if this is actually rude or insensitive, and feel free to tell me yo go f mysrlf lmao. My issue with trans community is them not seeing women as people, at least that's what I see. FtMs feel they are better than them (because they are Men) and for them women are inferior beings whose role is to be their supportive partners, sex objects (hi, traditional gender roles), for MtFs women are fantasies made of stereotypes about makeup, dresses and ~being cute and submissive~, and when women are against this image of femininity, it's called being transphobic. What are your thoughts?
I think there's a lot to say about that topic, cuz you are right that there are people like that. But I don't think it's fair to say it's everyone in the trans community. I'm gonna break it down to explain some stuff, so get ready for a long post.
General:
-remember that there will always be bad apples. Within any group-- be it trans, cis, gay, straight, etc-- there is gonna be dicks. That doesn't mean the community they are apart of is all like that and because of that they shouldn't be used as a representative of said community.
Reasons for trans men acting sexist:
-they could just be legitimately sexist and just a shitty person
-over compensation of some kind? A lotta trans people feel like they gotta prove themselves sometimes and that can end up coming off as really rude. It gets a very "I'm better than you" vibe. Doesn't mean it's ok by any means tho. If you're being a dick you're being a dick regardless of the reason.
-resentment from how they were forced to be raised as a women when they weren't actually a women. I can see how that can cause someone to be kinda a dick. Again, doesn't make it ok but I get it.
-took the "I'm not like other girls" phase and ran. Definitely aren't like other girls cuz they aren't a girl at all. But never quite lost the "other girls are like how they are on TV" thought process that many girls get at some point. This causes them to think of girls as shallow and shitty people-- which is obviously super sexist and wrong.
In my own experience I see a lotta trans guys having a hard time accepting they're guys cuz of the whole "men are trash" thing. But I've definitely seen ones who hate on women too. But the most common type of trans man I see are the ones that just wanna live their lives, and aren't sexist at all. Most shitty ones I find online and I just ignore them. And I do feel for you cuz it seems you've had to deal with them a good deal. But like I said, I think it's something that should be discussed within the community but not used a representation of it.
Explainations for trans women being sexist:
-this one I've actually discussed in detail a good amount with trans women. It's very much an over compensating and misunderstanding thing.
Not a misunderstanding of what it means to be a women, but rather a really unsavory way to express being a women. One of the first ways a trans person comes to express or even just test and see if they're trans is through clothes. This ties indirectly into gender roles. Cuz obviously clothes aren't actually gendered. If a man wears a dress he's still a man. But with how our society is, it's easier to pass when you're dressed with how society expects.
When newly/not yet realized trans men dress in traditionally masculine clothes, it's not quite as big of a deal in most cases (key word most, everyone's situation is different) then it is for trans women. I dressed more masculine for a long time before I realized I was a trans man. Most people took it as me being a tomboy. But a newly/not yet realized trans women doesn't have that luxury. Men wearing dressed isn't normalized. So if a trans women were to wear a dress, it'd be fairly obvious in most cases that she isn't cis.
This is especially true since dresses aren't made for the biologically male body (they're barely made for most cis women's bodies honestly). So when a trans women wears a dress she looks... Off. Cuz the seams of the clothes don't fit her body type. But she wants to pass. And so she wears clothes that aren't suited for her shape, high heels, and makeup as a way to over compensate and try to pass and prove they're female (cuz they are).
You ever see those videos of little kids who get into their mom's makeup?? Or middle schools trying to look pretty and putting on so much makeup they look like a clown? How about those cis women who NEVER wear make up and have no idea what they're doing and end up looking really bad when they finally try makeup on their own??? That's exactly what happens with trans women.
I'm a trans man I have no idea how makeup works. Most cis men don't know how makeup works. Trans women often get thrown into the makeup industry with no idea what the fuck they are doing. But they know that makeup is gonna be really important to help them pass in most cases. So when they first start they just look awful. Cuz they don't know what they're doing.
Combine that with the fact that many cis men don't understand fashion either (I don't even understand fashion). In most cases, the way they're raised they're styles are gonna be really different than women's styles. So again, a trans women is being thrown into a fashion industry she really doesn't know much about. And is gonna act like a little kid who stole her mom's shoes and dresses and just looks ridiculous. Cuz she doesn't know what to do, or what looks right, or how to do it in a tasteful way, etc etc. So she takes it way too far without realizing it cuz she's trying so hard to pass with no real idea what to do or how to do it.
And all that added together can very very very easily come off as super rude to cis women. Cuz they are going overboard with the makeup and heels and everything else. It often comes off as disrespectful and insulting, as if saying being a women is all about makeup and heels. It's not intentional by any means, but that doesn't mean the misunderstanding doesn't exist. It's very much a reality.
You'll often find that when trans women do this, they calm down after a while. Cuz they REALIZE how they went too far. they realize they over compensated and it was kinda shitty. My gf is a friend's with a trans women who actively talks about how when she first came out she went way too far with being stereotypically feminine cuz she didn't know how much else to express herself and over compensated. She knows now that it was insulting and she definitely apologizes for it. It's one of the reasons why having resources for trans people is so important-- so that hopefully trans women can not only have support but also help in their transition so they don't end up over compensating like that.
It's also important to note that unless you have access to medically transitionig it's REALLY hard to pass for most trans women without going on the far end of stereotypical femininity. Cuz when people see dresses and heels they are going to think women before they think man. Thats just how society is. So naturally, they're gonna wear dresses and make up in order to pass.
-the other side of that coin is the fetish community and it's overlap within the trans community. There is-- as I'm sure you know-- many people out there who treat being trans as a fetish. This isn't someone who's kinky and trans or someone who's kinks tie into being trans. But rather someone who's ONLY reason for being trans is because of a fetish-- i.e. it's all inherently a sexual thing.
And when it comes to trans women who are into trans for the fetish, you'll often find they are the ones who take that really far distasteful representation of feminity you were talking about and don't ever calm down. They don't later realize "ah, I've been over compensating and I can relax. I literally just wanna live my life as the women I am" and instead continue on with this over expression of stereotypical femininity.
I could go and make an even longer post about the possible reasons someone has a fetish like this. But basically. There are many people OBSESSED with women with dicks, being a women with a dick, being turned into a women for sexual reasons, etc etc. It's a fetish for them, not a realization of who you actually are. And it definitely does effect the trans community and how it's viewed by those outside the community.
There's no sure fire way to know the difference between these kinds people unfortunately. And there is something to be said with how they make the trans community look. I'm not gonna give my own opinion on it unless someone asks. I'm just saying it as a possible explanation of why you've met trans women who act so overly feminine it's almost insulting to women as a whole (including other trans women).
I hope that helps you and all makes sense.
On a final note:
-especially online trying to discuss literally any topic is gonna get you accused of being [what]phobic unfortunately. So I'm not surprised you've been called transphobic for saying that sometimes the way trans people express themselves feel like they're super stereotypical and that's kinda insulting. I don't know how you phrased it, but I can get both sides. Especially since many trans people deal with hate comments. I'm not saying you are or aren't transphobic, I don't know you well enough. But so long as you respect trans people and their gender, I don't think you have anything to worry about. (Calling someone out isn't the same as disrespect as an fyi)
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portvalehq · 2 years
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you are a wayfaring soul, destined to be on the ocean, combating with the waves and storms. you lost your north star when your family died, and since have been sailing the seas looking for a new direction. as you sail across the seas and meet new people, you’ve begun to wonder if you’ll ever feel satisfied or if your destiny is to always be searching for the next thing to ease your appetite. your ship is the only companion you know, yet you long for some companionship.
DO ARI ● COMPASS ● HUMAN
age & birthdate:  27; May 25
birthplace: busan, south korea
length of time in port vale: 2 months
occupation: sailor
faceclaim: kwon nara
THE OCEAN
Do Areum and Do Ari, two sides of the same coin. Born mere minutes apart, the two twins truly were a representation of ying and yang. They were both named to mean the same thing and yet their beauty and charm manifested in different ways. Where Areum was gentle and kind, Ari was vivacious and bubbly. Where Areum was sensitive, Ari was adventurous. Where Ari was curious, Areum was grounded. And though they were polar opposites in more ways than one, the two were inseparable from birth. They found a way to balance each other out, allowing the best to shine in each other.
Their family was small and came from humble means. Their father owned one ship that he would use to fish. Every morning he would head out with a group of men to see what they had caught overnight. From the moment she can remember, Ari was one with the water. Whether it was swimming, water sports or fishing, she seemed to never want to leave. Her father’s influence was very apparent in her interests when she began to beg him to take her out farther into the sea than she had been before. One day, he told her that he would take her with him, but she would need to wake up very early. Without so much as a peep, his otherwise night owl of a daughter woke up before he had told her, ready to go even before he was. Coming home that day, salt on her skin, she had discovered her new dream. The water that she loved so much would also be her ticket to see the world that she longed to explore.
Every morning after that, she would go with her father just to get another taste of the ocean and all that it could offer her. She learned how to handle the ropes, how to manage the cages, and how to navigate through the roughest of storms. Little by little, as she grew even more comfortable with the operation of the ship, her thoughts drifted further and further away from Busan. Every night she would recite stories of countries beyond their own, discussing with her sister exactly how she would one day set sail and just visit every country without a clear end destination in mind.
It was a bit of a cliche, how desperately she wished to just escape from her home, from the place where no one seemed to understand why she needed so desperately to see other people and places. It felt as though this place just couldn’t contain all of her. Ari felt as though she were spilling out of a too small box while her parents and sister comfortably within it. Her parents had never left Busan, growing up together and choosing to spend their lives with each other. Her sister, well she was happy in the present, not dreaming of anything but staying beside their parents. At times, Ari felt guilty for always wanting to get out, for seeming to not be satisfied with just her family alone. After all, they seemed to be quite content. Why couldn’t she be? It was this guilt that kept her grounded beside them, though her eyes kept wandering.
Areum was the one who noticed this. What her parents couldn’t understand, she did. After all, they were twins and they shared an understanding that others lacked. Beyond that, Areum was just more perceptive than most and privy to the inner workings of Ari. So she urged her to go, to follow her heart. That was all Ari needed to be set free. An assurance that her family wouldn’t be disappointed or upset if she decided she couldn’t just stay beside them. While her parents were hesitant to send their reckless daughter so far away, Areum’s words gave Ari the strength to convince them to let her go. She was her father’s daughter and she belonged on the sea, exploring what the world had to offer.
There was no one way that she set out. Initially she worked on cruises, freighters, and anything else where her skills and knowledge of the inner workings of most naval vessels would come in handy. Ari couldn’t have been happier, returning home with stories and souvenirs from her travels. Months turned to years and she began coming home less and less frequently as her travels took her further and further away. Every so often when she would come home, Areum seemed to cling to her a little bit more, sometimes quietly asking if she needed to leave so quickly. But this Ari, the one who had a ravenous appetite for voyaging various coasts, could not understand her sister reaching out. She was unable to see beyond her own momentary happiness to see that Areum was asking her to stay.
She came home a few days after Christmas, presents from her time away in tow to be welcomed by tragedy. Those who knew her in the neighborhood gave her pitiful glances, no one immediately willing to come forward to speak with her. Ari received the news that her family was no more. A car crash had claimed their lives and she didn’t need to know more than that. She hadn’t been at home—hadn’t been with them. If so far, she had a home to go back to (and run from), now she had neither. In the following months, as she went through various legal proceedings, Ari discovered more about her sister than she could have ever imagined. And the details of her sister’s torment, the demons that consumed her, weighed on Ari’s conscience from that moment forward. The fact that it was on the way back from the hospital that her entire family had passed. The fact that she should have been in that hospital and in that car beside Areum. And worse of all, the thought that maybe if she had been, none of this would have happened at all. These questions haunted Ari the longer she stayed in Busan so she left, taking her father’s ship and finally setting course for herself.
ON LAND
She carried the general feeling that she had failed her family by leaving them to selfishly pursue her own dreams. Though somewhere deep down she knew that her sister wouldn’t have wanted her to blame herself, her mind and heart didn’t work that way. She felt as though she let down her sister. Areum had understood how shackled Ari had felt and help set her free and Ari hadn’t been able to do that for Areum in return. She went through a list of places where she knew people, trying her hardest to escape the survivor’s guilt and find someone who could help her forget everything. Yet no matter where she runs, somehow every person she met seemed to remind her only of those who had left her (whom she had left first).
Her spontaneous voyages brought her to the shores of Port Vale, yet again in search of a place to distract her from her own demons. Ari had long lost her passion for traveling, feeling it as more of a lifeline than an adventure at this point.  She decided to take a break in Port Vale. Not a long one, but just a way to reorient herself in this world. She has no idea how long she will stay but for the time being, she has docked her ship on these shores, wondering if she will find any reason to stay on land or if she is destined to be one with the very water she left everyone for.
PERSONALITY
Ari is a difficult one to describe. She had always been a bit of a dreamer, someone whose brain moved faster than her lips could. Her enthusiasm and excitement were contagious and she had a penchant for story telling (her secret is intrigue and danger with a dash of exaggeration). She can be fickle and impulsive which was a dangerous combination for someone like her. Though it isn’t intentional, sometimes her absentmindedness can hurt those around her, though she does care for those who are in her life deeply. It just so happens that in the process of thinking of her future, sometimes she forgets those in her present. Once her family passed, she grew far more reflective but also avoidant. Escaping has always been something she is good at and so now, rather than running from her family, she runs from the emotions their death has brought her. The guilt and the grief have yet to be properly dealt with and she continues to chatter away, no longer because of her excitement, but because she is afraid to be alone with her thoughts. Because the issue is, despite everything that happened with her family, she doesn’t know whether she will ever change. And that terrifies her.
CONNECTIONS
BRASS: she asks a lot of questions, and at first you thought her to be strange, but it’s nice to have someone to listen to you. having someone to relate to feels almost like a sister you’ve long lost, but lately, you notice her becoming more and more like you. are you flattered or discouraged?
SEAGLASS: a sailor blind dating - a different coast, a different mate, and you never stay hung up on one person for long. yet you run into them everywhere, and you’re not used to seeing the same face for too long. maybe a second date wouldn’t be a bad idea?
IVORY: when you first set sail, the voyage that started it all, you met the strange man on faraway lands. it was the first drink you tasted there that was paid for by his pockets, and you are still surprised to see him in port vale the same time as you. you avoid him now, put off by his concerned expression. he knew of a much different sailor than you are now.
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opbackgrounds · 4 years
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Hi there Sarc' ;) I am sorry if the question has already been asked but I thought it could be interesting to have your opinion about this. While I love most of the female characters in OP and think that most of them are well developed and can be truly good role models for girls I still feel that Oda sometimes has a sexist view on female characters (the jokes about the naked bath scenes for example or Kororo being considered ugly make me really uncomfortable). What do you think about it?
Ah, I wondered when I would get this question. 
When people talk about sexism in One Piece they typically are referring to two different things: How women are drawn, and how they’re treated within the narrative. While there’s some overlap here, there’s enough distinction that I want to address them as two separate points in two separate posts, because I guess I had Opinions, and by god there should be a limit to how much text one tumblr post can be expected to hold. Consider this an introduction.
Buckle up, kiddos. This is gonna be a long one. 
Nami Face Syndrome Isn’t the Problem...
An important thing to remember with Oda’s art and storytelling style is that almost everything is hyper exaggerated for effect. You don’t go into One Piece looking for realism. You don’t go into One Piece expecting the characters to act like normal people. Everything--from the art to the humor to the battles--is stretched and pulled to its absolute limit in hopes of garnering a particular reaction. When a character is sad they cry big bubbly tears with dribbles of snot coming from their nose. When they laugh their mouths take up half their face. 
And when a girl is hot, her tiddies are two great big watermelons stuck to the center of her chest.
What is often dubbed “Nami Face Syndrome” within the fandom is somewhat misleading. After all, why was Wanda, who is a literal dog that walks on two legs, decried as yet another Nami clone at her introduction? I would postulate it’s less to do with her face and more to do with the fact that from the neck down they are virtually identical, something that’s made more obvious because Wanda is literally wearing Nami’s clothes
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What makes this frustrating for a lot of people, myself included, is that it’s not that Oda is incapable of drawing more diverse body types, but that he often chooses not to. Take for example the Kuja tribe
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or the Charlotte family daughters (thanks to Arthur at Library of Ohara for the resource). It’s pretty clear Oda has the chops to make his women as weird as the men, and he often does! For important characters, even. And yes, as the Kokoro example given above sometimes the gonkness is brought attention to, but for others like Lola and Chiffon it’s...not. 
(more on mermaids later)
But Sarcasticles, one might protest, even Oda’s “ugly” characters have ginormous boobs! Where is my itty bitty titty committee representation >:(
To which I can only shrug. For Oda, boobs on a woman are like abs on men. It doesn’t matter if it makes sense, they’re gonna have ‘em
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Seriously, Oda. What the fuck.
...So What Is?
I have a theory that’s impossible to prove, and that the problem isn’t so much Oda’s character design so much as the ratio of his male to female characters in general. It’s not that every female character is a Nami clone, but Oda has a template he uses for attractive female characters ages 16-25, the same way he uses Robin as a template for attractive women ages 26-35, which is how you get cases of mistaken identity like Viola for Robin or scenes during Reverie where one could be forgiven for thinking Nami’s supposed to be an identical triplet
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 Oda does this for his men, too. It’s not as obvious because 1) Even men with similar facial features can have a wider variety body types due to Oda having a sliding scale of buffness he’s willing to attach to a pretty face and 2) There are more men. 
There are a lot more men.
In groups where the male to female ratio is more or less equal (Baroque Works, Big Mom’s kids) you get a wide variety of designs. But there’s only one female Supernova. There’s one female Warlord. CP9 only has one female agent. Only one of the Revolutionary Commanders is a woman. There are very few female background characters in crowd shots, especially among marines. Big Mom might be the only female Emperor, but she’s not young, In fact, when drawing her at age 28, Oda defaults to a much more generic “pretty girl” face before giving her much more striking, memorable features in her 40s
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If you look at Oda’s male characters, the ones that are supposed to be hot are often given the same square jawline and the thin-bladed nose that at one point in time was reserved for Robin. Both Coby and Sabo had very distinctive noses before their glowups, while Ace must have had a laser treatment done on his eyebrows sometime between Alabasta and Marineford. 
But the biggest difference on the men has got to be muscle mass. The overgrown noodles of early One Piece are lost to the annals of time. Shanks alone must have gained 30 pounds of pure muscle from the time Luffy got his first bounty to his appearance at Marineford. 
Now, I will acknowledge that there is a difference between the increasing sexualization of female characters and the male power fantasy of giving Zoro bara tiddies post-timeskip. While I do think there are certain male characters specifically designed to be the Hot Dude, what I’m trying to emphasize here is that Oda works with templates for both men and women, and both of those templates have been exaggerated over time. Bigger boobs for women, more muscles for men. And when you’re only slotting for one girl in any given group, and that one girl has to be The Hot One then you’re going to have a lot of ladies that end up looking the same. 
My love for Otohime on this blog is well known, and I want to use her as an example of what Oda can do when he works beyond this template, because it’s really freaking good  
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Otohime is neither conventionally attractive nor gonk. She’s dressed in very conservative, traditional clothing and has a narrow waist and small chest. 
There are no sharp edges on Otohime. Not her eyebrows, not her jaw, and most of the time not even her hands, emphasizing her gentle nature. You don’t see it as well in this panel, but Otohime’s head is often drawn wider than her shoulders, emphasizing her frailty. Oda gives her a longer neck to compensate, and the overall effect is a very soft, willowy figure. 
Her headpiece looks like a sunburst. The audience never sees her fins, so Oda gives her a scale patterned kimono-dress-thingy (my knowledge of Japanese clothing is, uh, not good) as a visual reminder that she’s not human. The sash that circles around her head harkens back to Japanese mythology as a symbol of divinity, similar to a halo in Western culture. And fun fact: Otohime is named after a god, just like Neptune, while her goals and ideals are pure enough to be heaven-sent. 
I’m not an artist, but this is a really damn good character design. A lot of Oda’s older female characters are. Dandan, Tsuru, O-Tsuru, Shakky, Kureha, Big Mom, and Nyon are all instantly recognizable and have strong designs, even if a few of them fall into the hourglass figure that Oda often defaults to. It’s just...there aren’t that many of them.
So the question becomes why aren’t there more women, and I think the answer is because, ultimately, One Piece is a series geared at boys. While I wish there were a few more important ladies, I can understand why there aren’t. 
Note, that doesn’t mean I think it’s right or that Oda is obligated to include more women. It’s just one of the facts of the shonen manga industry at this point in time. 
A more important question, I think, is why does every younger woman have to be attractive? And why do the attractive ladies have to wear outfits that are blatant fanservice? This is something I don’t have an answer for. Oda has said on more than one occasion that he writes One Piece with his twelve year old self in mind. It could be that it’s a calculated move to appeal to his audience, in which case it’s certainly worked because said Hot Ladies are constantly used in marketing and merchandising. It’s the Hot Ladies that top the popularity charts (although, to be fair, who’s there for competition?). In the most recent chapter a new Hot Lady was introduced, and the fandom went batshit crazy for her.
Even the fans who are very vocal about how Oda sucks at drawing women. It’s interesting how that works out sometimes.
Or maybe I’m giving Oda too much credit, and he’s just horny. Not having direct access to Oda’s mind, I don’t have an answer. If I had to guess I’d say it’s a little of Column A, a little of Column B, because that’s usually how life is. 
But in a vacuum big tiddies are just a design choice. An exaggerated aesthetic, in a series full of exaggerated aesthetics. It’s when that design choice is paired with in-story comments, actions, and decisions where things really start to get heated. But that’s a whole other ball of wax, and there should be a limit to how much one tumblr post can be expected to hold. I promise I’ll get to the meat of your question next time.
Thank you so much for your patience. I really do think it’s important to start here before diving into everything else, if only because it helps keep my thoughts organized. I hope you’ve found this helpful, and if not, I hope to do better next time. 
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What happened with Kora @princesshamlet: A start at contextualizing the events of the past week
While I am writing this because Kora expressed that they would like it if someone would post something contextualizing what happened, I do not speak for them; my opinions and perspective are my own. I think the general response has been wildly disproportionate to their actual words and actions. Let me know if you have questions about anything or if my writing style is hard to read and I’ll do my best to clarify.
Tl;dr: Last fall, Kora, a new Supernatural fan, started rewriting Supernatural to be more racially diverse and to more overtly address social issues such as homophobia and misogyny. They continually asked for feedback, particularly from POC, and received overwhelmingly positive responses.
Earlier this week, Kora posted something that unintentionally played into ideas that harm trans men. They were horrified to have hurt people, immediately apologized and made an effort to learn more about the issues involved.
Yesterday, some of Kora’s friends cut them off, presumably over the abovementioned. Some people read Kora’s Supernatural rewrite and were offended by portrayals of various ethnicities; Kora tried to learn from these criticisms and apologize for them. People organized to spread bad-faith, extremely hostile claims and Kora left Tumblr.
Background:
- last fall, Kora started watching Supernatural, and posting about it, including making some popular reaction videos and an elaborate summary of the events of season 16 as of mid-November. They got really attached to Cas as a character and DeanCas as a ship.
- Kora made a post along the lines of “what if I drew Castiel as Indian?” and got encouraging responses, so they made a drawing. A lot of Desi people left comments saying that they really liked the drawing and that the representation was meaningful to them, so Kora started posting and reblogging a lot more about recasting Supernatural to be racially diverse.
- Kora accumulates a lot of ideas around how they wish Supernatural had been, and starts casually writing it up into a story. It didn’t even have a title for the first few chapters, but it quickly amassed a small, enthusiastic following.
- I started reading it at first mostly as a way of getting to know Kora, who was at the time a new friend irl (they didn’t mean to give me their Tumblr; I had followed them for Hamlet and Star Trek posts and then recognized them when they posted a selfie) but wound up getting pretty invested. I started watching Supernatural despite the fact that I can pretty much never commit to finishing a TV show.
- Kora’s general strategy was to post ideas on Tumblr and get input before including them in the fic, particularly regarding race and ethnicity. Plenty of people gave them feedback -- I remember one really long conversation where people swapped headcanons about what music a Mexican-American Dean Winchester would have liked growing up.
- iirc, they actively collaborated with multiple Latine fans of the fic on one chapter that foregrounded Mexican-American culture. These fans are credited in an author’s note.
- they received substantial encouragement from Supernatural fans of color for how they were writing the fic, and afaik no negative feedback.
- they also used the fic as a way to discuss and joke about their personal experiences with misogyny, repression, and homophobia, including writing Dean Winchester as undergoing a character arc involving working through and overcoming severe homophobia. When we called recently, they described going from homophobic to not homophobic as “the best character arc a man can have.”
- afaik they had beta readers or at least people to run ideas by for most chapters.
First incident:
- earlier this week, Kora posted a somewhat poorly-worded vent post about Dean Winchester’s misogyny in Supernatural canon.
- I think I reblogged it because I don’t have super high standards for my SPN blog and yeah, afaict Dean said some pretty gross things in canon? I’d seen a lot of people talk about it, particularly Asian women, it’s clearly a thing.
- several people expressed hurt at the post’s wording, which could be read as bigoted against trans men.
- Kora immediately apologized and started looking for ways to learn more about trans men’s issues (afaict, mostly asking friends and going through the trans dean tag)
- they messaged me about it (Tuesday 4/13/2021), and I took a closer look at the post and explained how in isolation it looked harmless, but some of the rhetoric fit into wider patterns of transandrophobia, i.e. part of the impetus for this post was Kora being surprised that some of their trans male friends project onto Dean, since he’s a pretty bad role model for gender -- I pointed out that one way trans men are marginalized within queer movements is by people perpetuating the idea that we’re more misogynistic than cis men (which makes no sense), and their post could be read as playing into that trope (that reading had occurred to me when I first saw the post, but I had initially dismissed it because Kora and I had been spending a lot of time talking about gender and I never felt that they distrusted me or saw me as a threat).
- they made another hasty apology post, quoting my message to them.
- I encouraged them not to worry too much about what strangers online thought about them, but they were very insistent that they had hurt people and needed to learn and make amends.
- I think what happened next was that the conversation sparked a larger discussion about transandrophobia in the Supernatural fandom? I’m not sure about this though, I was off Tumblr most of Tuesday and Wednesday. I saw a few well-written posts refuting the idea that it was misogynistic to headcanon Dean as trans. I did not see anyone claim it was misogynistic to headcanon Dean as trans, but again, I wasn’t looking.
The Discourse™:
- yesterday, Kora started getting a lot more and a lot meaner messages.
- a large part of their social circle cut them off all at once, saying they felt unsafe and that Kora was transphobic. Kora did not/was unable to receive further clarification, while actively seeking the chance to learn more and repair harm done.
- someone made a dedicated hate tag for them.
- a new group of people read their Supernatural rewrite, and were offended by their portrayals of race and their writing about homophobia, and additionally mocking their writing style. The tone was often extremely mean-spirited.
- Kora responded to and apologized for some of the concerns around their portrayal of race, and refuted some of the bad-faith readings of their depictions of homophobia.
- Kora made an effort to understand what they had done wrong but a lot of the posts weren’t very specific.
- some of the claims got fucking wild. A lot of them involved taking stuff out of context. I think w*ncest got brought up at one point???
- Kora wrote another apology and took a break from Tumblr, on the advice of another friend.
- I spent like a day gearing up to write this because I vastly underestimated the speed at which Tumblr discourse moves.
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lgbtkendricks · 3 years
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Does Annie (1982) provide a good representation of women?
Like many PG-Rated movies of the 80s, Annie is about a young child. An orphan, to be exact. A little orphan girl named Annie. She is spritely, funny, kind, hard-working and intelligent. Even through all her hardships the beloved Annie sings and dances to her heart’s content, with a bright grin and sunny exposition, quite literally believing that no matter what happens ‘the sun will come out tomorrow’.
The 1982 film adaptation of Annie holds heart and positivity as the protagonist and her friends embark on adventures such as escaping the orphanage, visiting radio stations and the movies, tricking their spiteful and alcoholic carer Miss Hannigan and even meeting President Roosevelt. Annie is one of my favourite films of all time. In my most humble opinion, it’s a work of pure brilliance with a strong likeable ensemble and brilliant choreography. It is no wonder why it instantly became a sensation and a classic which was remade multiple times (none of which hold up to the original, although Audra MacDonald as Grace Farrell was a particularly enjoyable performance).
However, even I – who has probably watched Annie around 60 times and can recite the entire script – have to admit that there are certain faults in the adaptation. Of course, there are many questionable parts throughout: the Asian character Punjab was played by a black man and was understood to be strangely magic and only uttered about five lines throughout the entire film, and there was particularly problematic music and accompanying choreography for a Chinese man working at Oliver Warbucks’ mansion during ‘We Got Annie.’
But on a whole, the representation of women throughout Annie is both empowering and disheartening. In a way, the film is reminiscent of the wonderful 1939 film ‘The Women’, starring Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell and Norma Shearer, in which the women are entirely dominant in driving the plot forward. The only man represented in the entire film is on the back of a newspaper one of the women read in an early scene. Whilst men are talked about and fought over, we never see a single male character, which was incredibly revolutionary then and even now, 81 years later, in terms of Hollywood. The fast-paced film is told entirely through the perspectives of several women of (supposed) high-society, and it is nothing short of a marvel.
Being in an all-girls orphanage, Annie is already surrounded by young girls throughout her childhood, who all share close relationships and confide with one another. It is heart-warming to watch and highlights the importance of friendship and positivity to its equally young audience. Scenes such as Annie fighting a group of boys within the first twenty minutes do well to strengthen the empowering nature of her character and the film as a whole. Conveying Annie’s bravery proves to the target audience that they can be a strong, gallant and determined individuals who don’t give up. Unfortunately, this message is debunked a few times throughout the film. Whilst the orphans remain as genuinely admirable and understandable as possible, the three main female adults in Annie waver between aggravating and powerful.
There is Miss Hannigan, played by the extraordinary Carol Burnett, whose personality seems to waver upon hating children (specifically ‘Little Girls’ – she spends about three minutes voicing her loathing through song), yearning for a male counterpart and an alcohol addiction. Whilst her character arc is impressive, due to her sudden protectiveness over Annie after realising her brother Rooster isn’t messing about, she isn’t a particularly good example of a person. Of course, this is the point: we as an audience are supposed to hate her after seeing how frightened the orphans are of Miss Hannigan upon her first entrance into the film, alongside the way she drags Annie and her friends around throughout the musical, aiming to discipline them as harshly as possible without breaking any laws. Still, her questionable morals and decisions do not change the fact that – as a character – she is portrayed well, and her actions and arc make perfect sense once we are given insight into how she feels about her situation.
On the other end of the spectrum, there is the character of Grace Farrell, played by Ann Reinking. She is the brilliant right-hand woman to influential billionaire Oliver Warbucks, carrying three solos throughout the film - the second-most after Annie herself. Arguably, by watching how well she manages both the mansion and the song ‘I Think I’m Gonna Like it Here’ simultaneously, it is clear that Grace’s resourcefulness contributes to her position in society, portraying her as an impressive example of a woman of the 1930s. However, as the film goes on it becomes clearer that she feels she needs Oliver’s constant approval and does everything in accordance to what he decides and desires. Before miraculously singing their way through dressing up in ‘Let’s Go To The Movies’, Annie tells her new motherly figure to wear her hair down as she looks “so pretty”, to which Grace immediately replied with “oh no, Annie, I couldn’t, I just couldn’t, no, no, no!” and Annie provides an off-comment about how miss Hannigan says “a man don’t look at your brains”. Moreover, Grace seems delighted when Oliver tells her “you’re awfully pretty when you argue with me.” and nearly rushes off to get her crooked teeth fixed once Oliver points them out before he reassures her that he likes them crooked. After this, Grace sings and dances through her most energetic and impressive solo, ‘We Got Annie’, seemingly happier than ever. Of course, it’s more than understandable for someone to feel excited if their romantic interest compliments them, but after witnessing Grace’s capabilities and strong sense of self – alongside how she is Annie’s role model and thus the woman all young children watching should strive to be – it is fairly demeaning to watch Grace’s sudden incapability and giddiness when being complimented by “Oliver Warbucks the billionaire.” In fairness, it is important to remember that the actual film is set in 1933 and Grace’s reactions would have been the general consensus, and I am now reading the film in light of our Me Too era, scrutinising it just as I would anything else. Even so, at the time the film adaptation was written in the early 1980s, there had already been feminist movements such as the introduction of the washing machine for women to have the time to work weekdays as men do, and there was a slow influx of feminist books beginning to be written and published. Thus, there was no good reason for script-writer Carol Sobieski to disregard Grace’s intelligence and accomplishments in light of her sudden attraction to Oliver Warbucks – notably, Grace becomes slightly more helpless after this scene. In a way, it’s fairly ironic that the respectable Grace’s portrayal is somehow worse than Miss Hannigan’s in accordance to staying true to their characters, but I suppose that reflects somewhat the way the media currently view women: think Meghan Markle vs. Cardi B.
It’s saddening to see that even now, scriptwriters are using this trope that women can be hard-working and empowering in their chosen job, or they can be in love and focus on nothing else but their romantic interest, unable to find the balance. Whilst this is improving, there are many tv shows and films that disregard the need for change and proper accurate representation of how normal people live and balance their personal life and work ethic. To name a few that do represent this: One Day at a Time, Daddy Day Care, and How I Met Your Mother. Whilst representation of women and minorities in the media is improving, I still would like to see a wider range of films and television that further tackle and question if a character’s original motive or super-objective needs to be drastically altered for their romantic interest.
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tams-writeblr · 3 years
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Once I’m gone
Rating: M(ature) Warnings: major character death Category: F/M (main couple), Multi (side characters) Fandom: Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin Relationship: Mikasa Ackermann / Eren Jaeger | various side couples Characters: Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackermann, Armin  Arlelt, Zeke Jaeger, Hange Zoe, Floch Forster, Ymir, Reiner Braun, Pieck  Finger, Historia Reiss, several others will make a cameo Additional Tags: Modern AU | established relationship | toxic  behaviour | Eren suffers from Huntington’s disease and tries to settle  his matters before he dies | suicial blockhead Eren | aged up characters  (by ten years) | suicide tw | depression tw | mental diseases tw | deathly diseases tw | this is clearly not write what you know, but I’m giving my very best to  representate the topics as good as I can | this all basically came to me as a fever dream | you remember Thirteen from House, M.D.? I still   have a huge crush on her so this version of Eren is greatly inspired by her <3 Language: English (not native, I’m trying my best you guys) Stats: ongoing - Chapter 2/15 - Part 1/3 - 1016 of 2811 words Summary: Eren Jaeger knew for years that he inherited  Huntington’s disease from his late mother. When he first notices  symptoms on him, his long protected plan, to end his life before  reaching the critical state of his illness,  awakes. But there is still  Mikasa, his girlfriend and the only person in the world he cares about  more than about himself, and he can’t leave her alone and grieving. It’s  time to find a substitute for when Eren is gone. With the help of a new  friend Eren tries to scare away Mikasa while driving her into the arms  of someone new.
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His brother, the psychologist - Part 1/3
<<previous
“Behave yourself”, she had told him when he left the house. When he came back, she would be away for the night shift. Behave, what was she thinking? That he would jump at the other participants of the group therapy's throats?
With his hands deeply buried in his pockets Eren walked past the well known Streets of his home town. He grew up here, only a few blocks away from their current apartment was the school he attended. He knew stories about every house, every pothole reminded him of something. Memories that had formed his personality to be who he was today. What was a person without memories? His mother had eventually become an empty shell that had no resemblance with the loving person that she used to be. He didn’t want to be an empty shell and if he needed therapy because of it, he wondered who was the crazier one, him or his doctors.
He reached his destination, a six-story high old building with crumbling stucco around the windows. The modern full glass front door, that opened with a simple pull, didn’t fit in with the rest of the fassade. Reluctantly Eren entered the building - no lift, splendid!
When he reached the fourth floor, his pulse was beating heavily within his carotid. He already was in better shape before. With a quick look at his watch he noticed that he was several minutes too late. He still pushed the door saying “Dr. Zeke Jäger - conversational therapy” with an obviousness open that was looking for their equal.
When he had heard a vivid voice talking from inside, so did they fall quiet the second the new arrival stood iffley under the doorframe.
“Eren, what a surprise”, Zeke blandly stated and rose from his chair. He placed his clipboard behind him and did some steps towards his younger brother.
At first glance nobody would have known that the two men could be brothers. While Eren was a dark type, Zeke had short, blond hair, wore round glasses and a thick full beard. Looking twice, one might notice that they had the same eyes.
Before Zeke could come too close towards his brother, Eren reached out his right hand holding the letter of referral from Dr. Hans. “My doctor is sending me. They’re afraid I might shoot a bullet through my brain.”
With surprise Zeke took the completely wrinkly letter from his hand. “I already told you several times, that you are always welcome here. You still could have given me a short call beforehand.”
Eren rolled his eyes. “I’ll just get that chair there in the back?” It wasn’t a real question since he crossed the room with long steps without waiting for an answer, getting a chair from the furthest corner and simply placing it between two other chairs in their ridiculously typical circle. He sat down between two blondes, one massive man with the hint of a beard and rigid face and one… well, what did we have there? Through his chin long blond hair, he couldn’t make out their features.
“Well”, Zeke said with a low sigh. “As you can see, we seem to have a new face between us. That’s Eren, he”, he sighed, loud and theatrical this time. “is my little brother. Would you like to introduce yourself to the group first?”
“I’m good, I’ll listen to what the others have to say at first.” Eren’s eyes wandered over the faces of the attendees. Across from him sat a dark haired woman with heavy freckles and ennerved features, then there was the empty chair with Zeke’s clipboard and on her other side sat another dark haired woman on whose chair crutches were leaning. On the very first glance none of them looked like they needed treatment from Zeke, except for maybe the Bull besides him.
Zeke returned to his place and brushed sighing with thumb and pointer over his full eyebrows. “Okay, then each in turn - Reiner, you’re first.”
Reiner was the bull besides Eren. He told about an operation as a soldier in Mali, an exploding pickup. He was hurled twenty meters through the air but stayed unharmed as if through a miracle. When he crawled back to the pickup to look after his comrades, they all were dead. Since then again and again he asked why he stayed unharmed. To be honest Eren did the same when he watched the mountain of muscle crying for several seconds.
“It’s good that you can let your feelings out by now, Reiner”, Zeke praised him after a moment of silence. Oh yeah, his dear brother, the psychologist.
The woman next to Reiner gave him a box of tissues from the floor. Then Zeke ordered her to introduce herself. Her name was Pieck Finger and she was suffering from multiple sclerosis. At first Eren thought he could have found someone that could understand him, the prospects for this disease weren’t that great either. But Pieck was simply the happiest and most positive person, he had met in a long time. When she raved enthusiastically about being able to tie her shoes alone again after getting a new medication, Eren would have loved to throw up.
After Pieck Zeke gave the floor to the woman on his right, her Name was Ymir. She had a brain tumor - inoperable. “I can drop dead any time, I don’t even know why  to get out of bed in the morning anymore.” She wasn’t a woman of large words. Eren like that.
Finally Zeke turned to the person on Eren’s left. The hair had hidden away the face for the whole time while they stared to the ground like crazy.
“Armin, you were interrupted talking when Eren arrived. Would you now please tell your story?”
So it was a guy, infelicitous hairdo.
Armin slowly raised his head, piercing blue eyes stared at the wall opposite him. “My name is Armin Arlelt and I've been coming here for three weeks. Back than I was released from a mental clinic because I tried for the third time to commit suicide.”
                                                                            >>next
__________________________________________________ Author’s Note: Sorry if this part is full of faults, I didn’t really correct read it as much as chapter one. And I don’t have much to say to this part. The next part could be triggering for some you so please add your approbriate tw into the ban!
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buckysnumberonegirl · 3 years
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Flash forward- Finders Keepers
Part 7
Read parts 1-6here
Warnings: plot development, fluff, angst
Parings- past!Hugh Drysdale x Reader, Gabe Jones x reader
Hi hi everyone who's reading this, I know this series is a long one and I appreciate everyone being patient with me as time passes. I’m quite happy with this chapter
Word count 1.4K
You weren’t sure what time it was when you got to Base camp. Walking into the building you ran into Howard who told you how sorry he was for your loss. “I met James a few times, he was a good soldier and a great man” Howard patted you on the back, excusing himself.
Gabe and the other commandos were all sat together having a drink. He stood and walked over to you when he saw you enter their room “Y/N what are you doing here are you okay?” As soon as he said it he regretted the question.
“Of course you’re not okay I’m sorry for even asking, come sit down with us” he walked you over to the table where the rest of the men were, pulling you onto his lap. You put an arm around his neck as the men all talked about your cousin. You thought back to when you were children.
With little wooden guns you ran around your grandmother's backyard, on a top secret mission no one really knew the point of. Bucky took the lead as you crossed the log that fell across the creek. Running up into the woods the three of you giggled. You heard Bucky “ come on Steve you can’t slow down or we’ll get caught!”
‘Bucky he needs to breath’ you rubbed Steve’s back before he shot up “I can do this all day” he took off deeper into the woods. The three of you made your way into the old treehouse, hidden deep within the woods, a safe haven for you. You all sat on the floor pushing aside leaves and dust that had settled. Bucky gave you a wicked grin as he pulled out a pocket knife “ I read in a book once this thing called a blood pact, I think we should do one” he looked between you and Steve. “How do we do it?” Steve seemed nervous about the whole thing, he looked at you and you blushed. “Well we cut our finger and then we shake hands and say a saying or something that we’ll be together forever”
‘I like it let’s do it!’ You reached for the pocket knife making a small cut on both your index fingers, Bucky and Steve followed suit the three of you shook hands together giggling about what you were doing. “I know what our saying should be guys, I’m with you till the end of the line”
You and Steve repeated the phrase and you all agreed. You pulled a tiny first aid kit from out of your pocket handing everyone two little bandaids. You heard your grandmother calling, so the three of you scurried down the later before taking off. Bucky shouted like a war cry “the three of us! Till the end of the line!”
You looked down at your hands, they were folded in your lap. Holding out your two index fingers a tear fell as you saw the small white lines that matched up.
You wondered if Steve could see the same thing.
‘Gabe honey I should get going’ you kissed him before sitting up waving goodbye to the rest of the group. They met you with a chorus of goodbyes and condolences. “I’ll walk you home Y/N, it’s late.”
You didn’t argue, walking silently through London. When you got to your apartment game kissed you goodnight “are you sure you don’t want me to stay?” He looked into your eyes, and for a moment you felt the weight of the sadness you carried lift. ‘I’m sure, go home Gabe, I’ll come by in the morning’ you kissed his cheeks and smiled at him as he walked away.
You twist the knob to your apartment doorways to slide your key into the lock, but it pushes open.
You walk inside, an aching feeling washing over you along with a sense of dread. Something is wrong. You go to flip on a light when you see a dark figure sitting at your table. “You know Dove I’m hurt that you’d move on so fast”
The voice was dark but you knew ‘Hugh what are you doing here’
“Oh please, You were mine first” he spat on your floor. “How many night has he been here Y/N. I can’t believe I believe you when you said you wanted to wait until marriage. I hope he was worth it” you felt panic rise in your throat. You remember Peggy telling you there was a button installed under your kitchen counter, if you could get to it you would alert base camp that something was wrong. ‘Hugh I don’t know what your talking about, Gabes spent the night but we never’
Hugh shot up from the table, walking over you in less than 4 strides. “Don’t lie to me dove, it’s unbecoming of a woman” he walked into your kitchen, opening the cabinet he pulled out two wine glasses. You took this as your opportunity, walking into the kitchen with him and hitting the button while he reached into the fridge for a bottle of wine.
When you slid your finger off the button it made the tiniest click.
Hugh looked up at you and sighed, pouring the wine and handing you a glass “drink with me dove we don’t have long now until your friends get here” he took a sip from his glass. “What did I just say, drink” his voice was angry. You took a sip, Hugh grabbed the bottom of the glass and tipped it up forcing you to finish it.
“You know my plan was to keep you here, my own little pet as the world fell into place. We captured your cousin to use him as motivation for you when you stepped out of line but of course your captain America saved him. Had I known that I would have picked a different location. You see little dove you never had any control over this. We needed you and your cousin to weaken the Captain. But you, you have exceeded my expectations by also getting one of the commandos to fall in love with you. The team will fall apart when you go missing” he stopped speaking, your head felt like it was full of water. You dropped the wine glass and felt Hugh grab you. “What a shame that your lover will get here to find you gone. But do not worry my little dove I don’t plan on killing you, just hiding you away until we get rid of some of our problems”
You passed out shortly after that. Hugh carried you to his car and watched the outside of your building with glee. Steve arrived first, running at an almost inhuman speed into the building. Followed by a car with Peggy and Howard. Peggy jumped out gun in hand and ran in only to come out seconds later Steve following her. In Steve’s hand was the note Hugh had placed.
Hydra is always one step ahead Captain Rogers. Give up now and the girl will remain safe.
You woke up in a cold room. Your clothes had been changed and you were alone. You had no idea how long it had been but you knew everything felt wrong. Hugh walked into the room, smiling. “Your captain is Dead my dear, gone from this world after his plane crashed.”
You screamed hitting Hugh in the chest with your fists until he grabbed you, pushing you against the wall of the room. “ Do not test me girl I am the only reason you are alive, anger me and they will kill you” a gunshot rang throughout the room. Hughs weight fell against you three men entered the room two of them lifting Hughs body and carrying him away. You looked at the trail of blood and felt tears stream down your face.
The man in the room offered you a tissue. “ I apologize my dear, he was a poor representation of what we are, although he is correct in that your Captain has been dealt with.” You looked at the red skull embroidered on his suit... Hydra. Another man entered the room looking at you. “What should we do with her sir”
The man who had given you a tissue gave you a smile “she knows too much I’m afraid, but she will be helpful in controlling the wolf…” he paused “put her on ice and bring her to Serbia we will use her if Soldat gets out of hand”.
You were grabbed and dragged down the hall. You screamed and begged to be let go but there was nothing. They restrained your wrists and placed you in a small glass cylinder, it was cold enough that the touch of the metal stung where it touched you. You felt it get colder and colder within a matter of seconds you could no longer move. Just before everything went dark you swore, that soldier looked just like Bucky. A thought crossed your mind as you felt the knives of ice press into you you smiled a faint almost peaceful smile, So this was the end of the line. Then, everything went black.
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yourdesertsunflower · 3 years
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Analysis/Opinion, Boruto Episode 178
Cause when they do something right that is worth watching I got to give them credit. 
Okay, okay, okay.  What the hell did just happen? Boruto almost made me tear up? Yes, almost.  I know I’m late (way too late, and I haven’t seen this weeks episode to be honest) but I needed to speak about this episode because, causing me to almost tear up is somthing that both OG Naruto and Naruto Shippuden only did in other occasion which, uncoincidentally, involving the same two characters. But well, we get more into it later but before starting with the analysis, which will be done in chronological order, I will just warn you: SPOILERS! Now yes, let’s get into it. 
At the beginning of the chapter I already knew this was going to be good. Like, really good. The first shot showing Shikadai tying up his hairs lacks of subtlety yet is a very good symbol and a clear indicator of what will come up next. Nara’s pineapple hair is quite a staple for the clan, it show us the tradition passed down from generation to generation. It’s, also, something that connects, both in a visual but also symbolical level, all three grandfather, father and son. Having Shikadai tie up his hair at the beginning of the chapter just was a sneak peak of all to come, how in some moment Shikamaru will have to do the same as his father and entrust everything of Shikadai knowing that he’ll be able to make things right. Really short and sweet. 
The “breakfast scene”, that’s how I called it. Well, this is the only moment we actively was Temari which is sad because I’m craving for moments with her and actually thought this was a good opportunity to do so. Yet, I respect the decision that Studio Pierrot made to focus primarily on Shikamaru and secondarily on Ino, though I would have loved to see a little bit more of the later but I’ll talk about that later. 
I think the gesture of Temari talking to Shikadai before hand about everything is very telling of Temari as a character and her relationship with Shikamaru. It does not only show a deep bond between the couple, created through a deep comprehension of and care for each other which is nice. Both Temari and Shikamaru know about loss and it’s really nice that they know what each other need during the times of grieving. She doing the dishes, talking to Shikadai or giving him the space during that day feels fitting as Shikamaru is known to be someone who needs to process things on his own. However, Temari always is there, and through little acts she shows it (even I liked the strict parenting that it was displayed here, is more of what I’ll imagine Temari doing). But, yes there is no need of flashy displays she just does it everyday which, is beautiful.
I got no particular dislike of Shikadai not remembering the date. He is almost a teenager born and raised in a period of peace and it shows. Probably he had other things in his head but, boy, you are supposedly a quick thinker! If you saw not only your father unusually late at home but both your parents are dressed all in black. I really don’t think that connecting the dots was so difficult. Still, it was passable since it gave the excuse for Temari to talk (which though sad, it’s true). 
Shikamaru in this scene is anticipating what will happen through the chapter. This is an important date not only to them but the whole of the villages but, also the change between the sequences to the monument of those who died in the line of duty, the Will of Fire also sujested the grate importance that it has to him even though he doesn’t like to admit it that openly. There is something that kept ruminating in his mind since that day; something that makes that day even more than a commemoration day towards his father.
Okay now, having finished with that opening scene, let’s get into the second scene. Before entering into the more detailed thing let’s get through this first. I know people were pissed about Hinata not being part of the group while being present at the commemoration ceremony. I find this to be understandable in terms that Hinata is no longer a active jonin, and that all the once that were up in the stage were people who thought at the Fourth Great Ninja War for Konoha and still are active ninja. Does this justifies it? No, but it gives us some sort of explanation. I personally was way more focused on having Hinata bringing Neji’s portrait. I found this enduring and a really nice gesture that just makes me want to have seen more of their relationship and development in Naruto Shippuden. In the same manner though I was pissed of that Choji wasn’t that present I understand the necessity to fill a story in a 22 minute timelapse so, even though I think Choji could be easily added better within the chapter, I understand the decision to not involve him that much. In the same manner it would have been nice to see Yoshino and Choza within the people of Konoha, a real missed opportunity.
Shikamaru looking above to the sky is a lovely gesture that carries a lot through it. I often talk about how beautifully written is Shikamaru’s arc through Naruto. He is the pivotal character that I would put a focus if a coming of age story is what you are looking for. And this character arc left us with one solid idea in my opinion, sometimes what you always wanted won’t be what is given or what is needed from you. Growing up is about taking responsibilities about following the path you consider to be right and not the easiest. However in this little moment we can see a really human Shikamaru that, is not only looking up into the sky towards his lost father but his lost dreams. There is almost a melancholic tint to all this scene, because we all have times in which we wish we could be kids again and really don’t care. It’s really humanising and it is done with such a subtlety that it surprised me.
Ao coming back is still something I don’t end up getting used to, even with two rewatches of the episode. But I got to say it, even though I find it quite convenient, he fufills the role that is needed from him in this chapter being the only person that can answer the question that’ll bring peace to Ino and Shikamaru so, even though a little bit crappy in its execution I really don’t mind he survived.
Shikamaru and Ino and their talk was really fresh and something I never knew I needed. As I always said, I love Team 10 and their dynamic. There is an undying love, support and care for each team member to the others that is so wholesmome and sweet. And in this scene they were able to replicate this perfectly. The friendship between Ino and Shikamaru was always a beautiful element within the narrative because they are, in my opinion, a really good representation of a female-male friendship. And no, this doesn’t mean that you can’t ship them (I mean you do you) but it means that I think that it was a really nice scene between two friends, one a woman and the other a man, that care about each other like family and that I am sure would do anything for each other and I think that is beautiful. Friendships between men and women should be normalised on screen and I think that Ino and Shikamaru, beyond the Ino-Shika-Cho as a whole, are a really true example of what a healthy friendship can be. They joke around with each other but also don’t shy of being vulnerable and supportive.
Here enters the well known “Survivor Syndrome”, also called Survivor Guilt, something that all three main characters within the chapter have, meaning, Shikamaru, Ao and Ino. This is a mental condition that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong by surviving a traumatic or tragic event when others did not, often feeling self-guilt. Obviously all characters show it in different degrees; for someone like Ao that guilt is turned into the inspiration to move foward with his rehabilitation in order to live for those who died but in the case of Shikamaru and Ino it is explored completely diffeng through one element, key for this chapter.
The Recurrent Question, is basically a lovely way to introduce us to syche of this two characters and better understand the weight this two characters carry beyond the leadership of their clans. Their parents died at a fairly young age and their kids were inexperienced as it regards a war of this magnitude beyond being basically teenagers. Taking all this into account, beyond Shikamaru’s characterisation which goes alonb with it, it really isn’t weird the question they have. It fairly logical, give the situation they found themselves in years ago but also nowadays as parents to the next generation. It is really a ver humanising question as it reminds us that, before being incredibly talented ninjas they are people. This is something they need to understand for personal reasons: both as son and daughter but also as parents. Compeleting that piece of the puzzle is what something will give them a much needed peace and, also the key to move foward as it’ll be gaining a better understanding of, not only their parents, but themselves
The Next Generations, is a theme that was always reinforced through all the series but specially in Team 10. This is not only given the importance the Will of Fire had for the characters that conform it but also in the genesis of the team itself. The formation of the Ino-Shika-Cho is a strategic one that is built and reinforced through tradition. Hence the strong bonds between the different he generations of these clans because, by the passing of the torch they are entrusting there lives and legacy to the following in line. They importance of trust and time become apparent as they show us the new generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho as Shikamaru says that one day they’ll entrust everything to them, unknowingly, providing him with the answer to they question he asks. But, why he doesn’t notice this? Because he had to hear it himself, showing the respect and admiration they had as shinobi. As Ino said they were heroes, real shinobi till the very end, but is that really so? I don’t think so.
Then we go to the sequence in which Ao leaves a flower to greet farewell to Inoichi and Shikaku which I think is a really nice yet simple moment. He also had the weight of never having said goodbye to them and through this gesture he is finally coming together and giving himself a much needed peace; he finally forgave himself for being the sole survivor of that division and of the destruction.
“You look just like your father”  Well that hit me on a personal level. All people since I can remember always told me I look exactly like my mother. And, as many people that also where told so may know is not something you particularly like to hear when you are a child. You want to your own individual unbound of you parents and their lives but, when you grow and loss that special someone, well it hits differently. I can imagine what those words would mean for Shikamaru, probably some needed words that we all saw coming. It’s the idea that, somehow, he is able to keep with his father’s legacy which transcends the looks. It’s nice and sweet.
And here the question comes. Since Ao was introduced it was obvious he’ll fufill this role; answer the question. It was so brave for Shikamaru to ask it, knowing the answer may not be what he may wanted. The fact he says he “sometimes” thinks about this, shows us that the question tormented him for quite some while, fifteen years. It’s really sad if you think about the uncertainty that covered this vital part of his life that would go on to affect everything, his role as an advisor, as a Shinobi and as a father. But the answer was definitely something way needed for this two, and deserved. Seeing Ino and Shikamaru (well Shikamaru almost) cry made me almost tear up. And that’s what I said previously, Inoichi and Shikamaru as so many pointed out weren’t shinobi in their last breaths but fathers. And great ones, that entrusted without doubt and absolute trust everything to Ino and Shikamaru. It was a really beautiful moment that really felt gained and I couldn’t help but smile, though it always been obvious to me, I still was nice to hear it.
I would have loved to see more of Ino and her point of view through the chapter. I think we followed Shikamaru all through it, and don’t get me wrong I am a sucker for any Shikamaru-centric episode, but it would have been lovely to see the other side of the coin, the complete story and view. So yes, my main complain with this chapter as a whole would be that.
And we get to the ending. First of all we see Shikamaru watching the clouds as he used to do when he was a child, for me a clear indicator that a big weight had been taken away from him. It’s a lovely remainder that we can still dream and recall the child we once were.
Temari sending Shikadai to find Shikamaru is really fitting and a good gesture of Temari to be honest. I think she knew he’ll need Shikadai, as I said before this two know each other so much, so I doubt this was arbitrary.
Shikamaru and Shikdai are really such great father-son duo, I really like their interactions and how Shikamaru is able to reflect himself in Shikadai, hoping that one day his son can learn something from him as he did with his father and knowing he’ll be able to entrust everything when the time comes. And, who I am lying saying that the time will come? Some people say that this was a the anime anticipating Shikamaru’s death but, to be honest, that’s something I already knew since nothing of his dream come true. He never had two children and the first was a boy, he married a stunning and troublesome woman he truly loves, he is the Hokage’s advisor and one of the most important figures in the Shinobi world. Besides, Asuma’s and Shikau’s death I think showed Shikamaru that there is a way more fitting way for a shinobi, but even more importantly for a human, to die than peacefully which will be protecting what he loves. Yes, that moment will probably break my heart but, if done correctly, it’ll be a perfect end for this character.
The only thing I got left to say, because I won’t analyse the last scene cause (being honest) I was completely taken by surprise is, what happened to Temari? I got to say, that wasn’t really nice of Shikamaru and neither of Shikadai. Shikadai was looking for Shikamaru in order to go home to Temari, who was waiting for them. I just gonna set this clear - now Studio Pierrot owes us a Nara Family Moment/ShikaTema for doing dirty at last second lmao.
Well this is my opinion/analysis of this episode of Boruto. I hope I didn’t bore you that much when reading my opinion and that you enjoyed the episode as much as I did. Have a nice day! ❤️
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androgynousblackbox · 2 years
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I saw The Squid Game and here are thoughts (spoilers)
-First of all, maybe is my non korean ass being ignorant, but the shape they use through the entire thing to represent the Squid Game looks absolutely nothing like a squid and that has bothered me the entire time. I was waiting for someone to make sense of it and never happened. Was it just me? I was the only one who cared about the accurate representation of marine creatures through basic shapes? Yes? I am just being nitpicky? Okay.
-I already liked the actor who plays Jang Deok-su because of his role on another korean show, Beyond good and evil, that is an excelent mistery show I totally recommend, where he also plays as some kind of mafia lord that gets into trouble and is a little shit. Also he is hot as fuck, so that helps a lot. He was my personal favourite character right after Ali, a pakistan immigrant that was desperate to provide for his family, because Deok-su was such a fucking asshole that legitimately didn’t give a fuck about anything and that is always fun to see.
-And now that I mentioned him, Ali was too good for this fucking world and he didn’t deserved shit of what happened to him. Even before ever entering the game.
-The premise of this show is basically to contrast against how capitalism screws over people against basic kindness, which is antithesis to capitalism itself, and that i show we get to the final winner of the whole game. Now, there is a space to talk about how these type of stories could come across as kinda simplistic, but it doesn’t feel like the purpose of the show at all is to go out of it’s way to argue so much about this issue as just show the issue, show the consequences and talk about it within the context of a narrative.
-This is why my favourite episode of all has to be the one in which the majority of players decide to go home, after witnessing literal mass murder during the first game, only to realice life still fucking sucks for all of them and that is why they chose to participate on the first place. They still struggle to deal with the shit they did before, they still struggle to find money, even on circunstances in which nobody should have to fight so hard. It talks about a type of system that is so fundamentally broken and fucked up that it would really leave a diabetic elderly woman in pain to walk away to keep working simply because she doesn’t have the means to pay for her necesary treatment or even for her house if she doesn’t do that. -And sure, the reason why this happens is mostly because the protagonist had a gambling addiction that made him to waste all the money they did have, but ultimately he is not responsible for creating such hard conditions in the first place and the show goes out of it’s way to show different ways in which people are screwed over in ways they could have never had any control over, no matter how hard they worked. Some people chose to make their own mistakes and screw other people over, and they got to live with the results of that, but ultimately is all about the money and who has it, who gets it and who doesn’t, not about fairness or justice. So, when a big chunk realice that the outside world is just as hostile and unforgiving as before, they decide to come back because yeah, it’s hell, but at least they have a promise that things could turn better even if the cost is their own lives. Outside of the game they didn’t had not even that.
-I also really like how they contrasted the supposed principle behind the game against the actual structure of such, because at least I read it as a microcosmos representing the outside world as it is. Like of yeah, very fucking equal are people inside of this island where chain of command are still a thing, where they are still fucking pawns on someone’s else game whose rules they didn’t create or chose to, and where the people with the money literally laugh at their death because it’s that insignificant to them. Alright, yeah, keep telling youself that. But that is also the rationale outside, right? “Everyone has a chance to do better, if only you worked harder and keep trying surely you would be fine. Forget that the game was rigged against you from the start and don’t even fucking mind about the literal piles of bodies of nobodies that didn’t won like you did, because they didn’t worked as hard as you did. Don’t think too hard about it. Just keep working and then enjoy that money.” I don’t think you are meant to believe on that shit, but it’s what the Front Man tells himself to keep going. Everyone is equal… but some are more equal than others.
-On that sense it feels very reminiscent of the vibe that gave off Parasyte in it’s treatment of the same issue, so you can definitely enjoy it from that perspective or, if you don’t want to, can simply enjoy it as a entertaining, well made story about human drama and people literally struggling to survive, with some moments that will punch at your fucking heart and make you feel like shit as good stories tend to do.
-It’s a very aesthetically pleasing show, I can tell you that much. It’s not super artsy fartsy with a lot of symbolism going on, or maybe it was but it’s a cultural specific symbolism I didn’t catch on, but it’s still very competently made with a lot of just fucking beautiful shots in which every single frame matters and used with purpose. I don’t remember a single second that I was “why the fuck are you showing me this” because it’s actually what they DON’T show you what ends up mattering.
-Having said that, the show does have it’s twists and turns but they aren’t super difficult to not see coming if you pick up on how the show works. I wasn’t shocked by the ending because I had already seen the hows, they actually help you to come to it by going out of their way to always show you the dead bodies of past characters, so when they don’t actually do that it does stand out and if you pick on that then you can see it coming. So I personally wouldn’t recommend this show on the basis “the twist will surprise you!” because I don’t think that is right mindset to come into it. Come for the story and stay for the characters, that are all well worth it, not for the twists.
-The ending was an obvious cliff hanger for the next season, which I am fine with, but I also liked it because it kept consistent with the main character himself. Like sure, he does see how bullshit the whole game actually is, but it’s also, and this might be just my own interpretation, keeping up with what we have established already with him about having a gambling addiction because he genuelly enjoys the thrill. It’s not about the winning money, because if that were the case then he wouldn’t be immediately giving it away the second he has some, but just the winning and losing only to try again which keeps him going on. Also there is a tiny little implication that the man actually is using his gambling addiction as a consequences of untreated PTSD after watching his friend die during a protest like some form of self medication, since when he is losing or winning at least he is not having flashbacks or thinking how he tried to fight the system before one single time and it was all downhill from there. But that might be just my own intepretation again and not necesarily something they wanted to establish. In any case, that his entire character arc ends up being “he wins all the games for the first time… but at what cost” is still a very satisfactory one, so for him to be the only one to come back to play, hopefully so he can destroy it from within, is really the most interesting ending I could have imagined for him.
-I also really liked how they firmly established a narrative where some people come together through pure generosity (the group that the protagonist made) or through fear/intimidation (the group that Deok-su made). Every member from the first group comes to unite through little acts of kindness and then the protagonist just kept winning because they helped him out one way or another. He didn’t just won because he was the smartest, the most resilient or anything, but because he formed strong enough relationships with everyone to allow him keep advancing, showing another flaw of the game’s logic. See, because you are meant to work all on your own and be a lone wolf in wolf street and eliminate everyone that gets in your way, because that is supposed to be the only way you can “win”. But he doesn’t win like that, he literally just stumbled on with people he was nice to and then they were nice back to him until the end, where he kept betting on people being decent and end up winning the last bet.
-Of course, this winning doesn’tcover still for the great devide that exist between the protagonist and the men who put him through that hell. The comparison of the old man does between what a poor person with no money and a multimillionare have is fucking bullshit that rings hollow, because the poor person would have never have the power to do what they did to anyone and the things the poor person concern themselves with are note ven a thought for the powerful. But it makes sense that he thinks that way when he is literally an observer of the common people from a literal tower, safe by all the medical care that his money could get him. The biggest difference between him and the protagonist is that of looking at the value of human lives, and then their only point of connection is the love of games. The old man was looking at everyone losing their lives but he himself was never in any danger from it, so of course he got to just have a good time fooling everyone and playing around.
-Honestly, the more I think about it, fuck the old man, what a fucking dick.
-Until I see a dead body I won’t believe that the cop is dead, and I hope he isn’t because he and The Front Man have pending a long fucking conversation about what the fuck happened. It’s obvious that the Front Man has fully bought on the nonsense of the system, but the fact he still is pained for what he did to his brother could hint to him having a change of heart somehow that could be very interesting to see if well handled.
-The lady that was briefly with Deok-su was just mean. She and Deok-su made a good couple of two perfectly mesh dickheads, and I was actually kinda sad when they had to go but also thought it was the only appropiate ending for the both of them so, good job on that one.
-The way that the norkorean lady was finished was fucking bullshit though. Like, equal opportunities my cat, how the fuck is fair to make players play after recieving injuries from easily preventable hazzards made AFTER already beating a game? It would be like the doll detecting someone that someone still had a finger on the other side of the line and shooting it anyway even though the rest of the body was out. Like, they literally set that up in a way to hurt someone and they got what they wanted, but if different chunks of glass just perforated the skull of the three of them or something like that? Then there wouldn’t be any game for them to enjoy and no winner either.  All those richy rich richsons would have made their travel all the way there for fucking nothing. Yeah, it’s a very slim possibility but why even risk it like that so close to the finale? Narratively speaking I know why it happened, it makes sense because that allowed for the rest of the story to advance, but in-universe it really doesn’t and it was literally just to take her out of the way quick for the next plot point to take place. That was literally the only death that left me actually unsatisfied because it came out of nowhere, it wasn’t because of anything she did or could have prevented and it was so unceremonious. Like, you could have probably think some way for her to reach the same place without making so obvious you are pushing her there.
-She did looked very good on that suit, though. I wonder if the reason they gave her a suit and not a dress was because they never imagined that a woman could ever reach that far in the competition, because somehow I doubt they were specifically pushing for breaking gender norms. During a lot of the games everyone talks about how having women in your team is a disadvantage because strenght and “makes you look weak”, so I guess it makes sense that the people behind the game also had the same rationale and never even fucking bothered to get something new for her even when she turned out as a finalist. It would also explain why there is not a single employee on the entire island who is a woman, or at least none of the ones whose faces we actually get to see. Which I guess could work as another subtle evidence that despite all the posturing, there was never a “equal opportunity for all” sentiment behind any of it. The women were there literally assumed to be destined to fail from the very start. I hope that if that was the intention we get to explore a little bit of that on the next season.
-I have already seen some opinions about the show, so I might be alone on this one, but I appreciated the character of Sangwoo for what he was and how, despite all the bullshit he pulls, he is not all that evil like Deok-su and the mean lady. He genuelly helped Ali at the start without expecting anything in return because Ali helped the protagonist first, not even because he was the one getting the benefit himself, but he was also the man who turned himself into a criminal because he got greedy and wanted even more than the money he had. Like yeah, he was a selfish piece of shit, but he was allowed human moments and kept it interesting until the end. Also the actor was hot so that didn’t hurt.
-In conclusion: Ali was too good for this world.
If you enjoyed this sorta review, rambling or whatever this is about the show, and want to see more, consider supporting me through Ko-fi.
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dovebuffy92 · 2 years
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Check Out my Reservation Dogs Season 1 Review!
Reservation Dogs Season 1 created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, is a brilliant magic realism quirky comedy about a friend group of indigenous teenagers in rural Okren, Oklahoma. The mischievous friends call themselves the Reservation Dogs.
The FX television series’ creators, directors, writers, and most of the actors are indigenous. The majority of them are descendants of North American tribes like the Muscogee, Navajo, and Anishinaabe. While Reservation Dogs shows the poverty in reservations and rural communities like Okren, it heavily features the richness and joy of this Oklahoma salt of the earth indigenous community.
My only minor issue with the first season is that actress twenty-eight-year-old Devery Jacobs, who plays teenage Elora Danan Postoak is between eight to twelve years older than her fellow co-stars. Now it’s important to remember that the first season was wrapped in July 2021. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Paulina Alexis are twenty years old now but were still teenagers when filming began. Lane Factor is sixteen years old, so he is the only “age-appropriate” actor.
There is also a big difference between twenty years old and twenty-eight. However, before I give any critiques, Devery does an excellent job performing as Elora, especially in “California Dreamin,” when she finds Daniel’s (Dalton Kramer) body.
I am thrilled that the actress will now be joining the season two writer’s room. The only problem is that Elora seems like an adult who doesn’t need any parental support while the other main characters feel like teenagers.
Elora is the group’s caretaker, but she doesn’t seem like a teenager who has matured too quickly. Instead, she reads like an adult relative or family friend. Everybody else whose characters are teenagers in Reservation Dogs acts like fifteen or sixteen-year-olds who goof around.
Elora’s character core controlling behavior and coldness comes from the trauma of losing her best friend Daniel, which makes some of her “adult” behavior natural. The problem is we, as the viewers, are not worried when she runs off to California.
If Cheese (Lane Factor), Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis), or Bear Smallhill (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai ) had taken off in a car with just their archenemy Jackie (Elva Guerra), there would be legitimate concerns since I don’t think it’s realistic that they could survive in Los Angeles on their own. With Elora, she seems like a twenty-something who might struggle a little bit living in a big city but could get everything sorted. While lack of makeup and wardrobe can make Devery look like a believable teenager, it’s not enough to erase her natural maturity. Devery’s “adult” behavior makes it hard to believe that she is a minor.
Magic Realism is weaved throughout episodes bringing humor to the series while also pointing out societal issues in the community. Okren, Oklahoma, is an average, primarily small rustic community except when Native American residents interact with the spirit realm.
There are not a lot of special effects or stylized shots that make these magical beings look otherworldly. Instead, Reservation Dogs feels rooted in the real world.
The spirit guide William Knifeman (Dallas Goldtooth) visits Bear whenever he passes out or needs some advice. The awkward Warrior utters wise counsel to Bear while swearing at his horse or eating communion waivers. The spirit guide asks questions rather than directly ordering the teenage boy around. Instead of being this stereotypical silent “noble warrior,” William Knifeman appears to be this goofy guy who happened to be at the Little Big Horn Battle. The spirit guide wants Bear and his friends to help their community rather than race off to California.
In “Come and Get Your Love,” the Deer Lady (Kaniehtiioo Horn) comes to life as a vigilante who protects women and children from abusive, violent men who hurt their community. The Deer Lady legend is a childhood story in the Cherokee, Seminole, Muscogee, and the Pawnee tribes.
She can be benign but also lures promiscuous men to their deaths. The Deer Lady usually takes the form of a beautiful woman or deer. In Reservation Dogs, the Deer Lady is a gorgeous Native American woman who wears an aviator jacket, beaded earrings, and bell-bottom jeans that hide her deer legs. The Deer Lady violently kills two White robbers who knock out a cashier and threatens Young Big’s (Bodhi Linton) life during a flashback.
After speaking to the spirit as a child, Officer Big (Zahn McClarnon) learns to be a good man who punishes criminals hurting the community rather than arresting decent people dealing with rough times. The Deer Lady warns the boy not to fall into the trap of alcoholism or become a deadbeat father. She wants Young Big to imagine his deceased grandmother is always with him to inspire him to fight evil.
If he remains a good person, he won’t see the avenging spirit again. So we are left with the impression that Big will continue to be a decent man and police officer.
I recommend Reservation Dogs Season 1 to anybody who enjoys coming-of-age comedies and wants to see work about indigenous communities created by Native American artists. So many films and television shows about indigenous communities are poverty porn that ignores the culture within these reservations or small towns. Now it’s essential to bring attention to the missing and murdered indigenous women or the high rate of teen suicides in reservations.
Sadly the world is not full of Officer Bigs or Deer Ladies who can protect these teens and women. Still, it’s also vital for young Native Americans to see positive representations of themselves.
Also, the greater public is enriched by viewing indigenous people as good sheriffs, quirky teenagers, film buffs, and community leaders rather than just “wild west” stereotypes or as drunks. Watch the whole series on Hulu!
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lillupon · 3 years
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So, I've got a very long rant/opinion here and Idk really know how to say this without coming off kinda bad but I'm gonna say it anyways. I agree with the fact that the seventeen tag has been kinda dry lately on most fanfic places, but it's really only in the smut area. It's the sane way with other groups too I feel like. All of the nice little innocent tags are boomin to this day and thats completely fine. I think the smut tag is dry tho bc lately I feel like a few social issues (like sexualizing people and disrespecting them and their identity) have crossed over into kpop and have been ?blown out of proportion? Lately there's been a rampage of people who like to say that writing smut about someone is disgusting and is dehumanizing because people want to assume that it would make the idols uncomfortable which could equate to some morality issues on how you are reducing someone only to their body without their consent and a bunch of stuff like that. It kind of pisses me off bc this is fiction. About grown adults. Clamping down on horny people who simp over hot asian men isn't going to solve the issues we face in real life. I think a shit ton is wrong with the world we currently live in, and deciding to come after something that isn't even real bothers me. Like what does that actually accomplish. But yeah, I think thats a reason why smut has been dying down. I mean, on youtube almost every video about unpopular opinions, or things they dont like about kpop will include something about shipping idols in fanfics. And then everyone in the comment section will talk about how its all fine and dandy in moderation, but once people start writing smut it's crossing the idols personal boundaries. It's something I've been seeing a lot more often and I think people who are interested in writing smut are being turned away from it bc we've gotten to a point where people are being called disgusting for having fantasies.
Hi Anon, thank you for sending in this Ask. 
I want to preface this by saying: when I write or talk about Mingyu and Wonwoo fucking on my blog, it is a fantasy. I am not speculating about what the real Mingyu and Wonwoo might be like in bed. I am imagining the versions of Mingyu and Wonwoo that I have created in my head, that exist only in my stories. None of it is real. I understand that this can be a blurry boundary for some people. But for me, the separation between fantasy and reality is well-defined. Now, on to your Ask!
You’ve hit the nail on the head with this one. You’ve also touched on many of the issues I have been struggling with myself as of late. It’s difficult to argue about morals since everyone has a different set of values, as well as different comfort levels. Some people think real person fiction (RPF) is a gross invasion of privacy. Others are fine with it. And others don’t care one way or another. There is no single answer; I can only offer my answer. Which means, of course, people are welcome to disagree with it, or parts of it. 
In this essay (LOL But forreal: this is an essay), I will be sharing my experience in the k-pop fanfic community from 2014 to present, the etiquette I personally abide by as a reader and writer of RPF, as well as my stance on RPF in general.
I started reading and posting fanfics back in 2014/2015 on a website called AsianFanfics (AFF). Obviously, no one on that site had a problem with RPF, since AFF is a platform made specifically for sharing stories about Asian celebrities. For many years, I read and enjoyed RPF with zero guilt. I scribbled away by myself in my own corner of fandom and curated my own content. I didn’t interact much with other fans, readers, or writers. I didn’t have a Twitter, and I only used tumblr to reblog memes. As a result, I’ve been able to avoid a lot of anti-shipping discourse, as well as purity and cancel culture. I had no idea there were so many negative opinions about RPF. It wasn’t until I became active on the subreddit r/Fanfiction last year that I learned about all the discourse surrounding RPF. 
This newfound ‘awareness’ does make me feel guilty at times—but only because after mulling this over, I still don’t think this is something to feel guilty about.
Here’s what I remember, first and foremost, when I create and consume RPF: fanfics and my favourite ships are fictional, and fiction is fantasy. This is basic etiquette when it comes to RPF, and most people in the k-pop fandom understand this. Delusional fans exist, of course, but they are not representative of the entire k-pop community. 
Another point of etiquette is to keep fanfics within fandom spaces. I would never push my fics into celebrities’ faces, or go around claiming that my fanfics are accurate representations of a k-idol’s life or personality, in any way, shape, or form. I would also discourage directing ship-related questions to official accounts, or bringing them up during fansigns or other face-to-face interactions; I believe that in these instances, shipping does have the potential to strain real-life relationships.
So with basic etiquette out of the way, let me share my approach to RPF in general.
As much as we like to think we know our favourite celebrities, we really don’t. All we see is their public persona. And this public persona is intentionally controlled, managed, and curated by a team of people: directors, tabloids, editors, makeup artists, publicists, etc. How “real” are these celebrities? We are so distanced from them that they may as well be fictional.
I draw from the public persona that idols project, and I work them into my own writing. But at the end of the day, these personalities are my own interpretation. My interpretation is probably nothing like an idol’s actual personality. I just use the “public persona/character” that idols portray as inspiration for my own stories, which are set in wildly different universes.
More than anything, I think of k-pop idols as “actors” in my fic. You know how when you write an original novel, you scroll through Google images, looking for the perfect person to portray your original character? RPF is literally that, except you might build upon pre-existing dynamics and personalities.
When it comes to explicit fanfiction, two main concerns are prevalent: one of consent, and one of sexualisation.
If we argue against explicit RPF due to lack of consent, we should be willing to apply the same lens to all explicit works. How do we know that the creator of a movie, book, series, etc., is okay with us using their characters in our stories, explicit or not? We don’t. Perhaps some creators encourage fanfiction, but don’t want their lovingly crafted characters engaging in sexual acts or experiencing trauma. We just don’t know. I feel this line is even more blurred when we talk about characters from movies or TV series.
Let’s take Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, as portrayed by Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan, from the Captain America movies as an example. I am willing to bet that when people consume and create explicit fanfiction about Steve and Bucky, they are imagining Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan in their heads. I doubt many people are imagining the 2D cartoon versions of Steve and Bucky, even though they’re technically the exact same characters. Why? Well, it could be because movies are more readily and easily consumed than comics, and so people are unfamiliar with comic book Steve and Bucky. But it might also be because fans find Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan attractive. Is this really any different from RPF, where fic authors make up everything about a celebrity’s life?  
When readers and writers of fanfic talk about how hot Steve Rogers or Bucky Barnes is, those comments are about Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan’s bodies. When reading explicit stories, fans are going to picture Chris and Sebastian’s bodies in their head, doing sexual things. Can we say, “Well, it’s not really you, Chris/Sebastian”, when in a way, it is?
The reality is, people are going to thirst over celebrities, regardless of whether or not explicit fanfiction exists. They’re going to post thirst tweets on Twitter. They’re going to talk to friends and strangers online about how hot [insert celebrity name here] is. They’re going to fantasize about dating and having sex with their favourite celebrity. Or, as it is in my case, they’re going to make up stories in their heads about their favourite idols dating and banging each other. People are going to do all of this without ‘getting consent’ from the celebrity. Cracking down upon and shaming writers of RPF isn’t going to change any of that.
To be honest, I’m not sure why people think it is disgusting to imagine sexual scenarios about real people. It is okay and normal to have these kinds of fantasies. I suppose the alternative is to fantasise about having sex with cartoon characters instead? It’s a very binary way of thinking to say that if you imagine/write real people in explicit scenarios, you are immediately sexualising, dehumanising, or objectifying them. There is more to dehumanisation than writing smut about our favourite celebrities. For one thing, you can love someone and appreciate all parts of them, and still want to fuck their brains out. And generally, fanfics come from a place of love—love that is not only sexual in nature.
Is it the sharing aspect inherent to fanfiction? The possibility that a celebrity might stumble upon explicit works about them? The chances are very low, I think, of the k-pop idols I enjoy writing about coming across my English fics. But I also believe in curating your own content, and that applies to celebrities too. Perhaps a celebrity should not go searching for fanfics about themselves. And of course, people should not show celebrities their fanfics, unless invited.
Another argument I hear against (explicit) RPF is, “How would you feel if someone wrote fanfiction about you?” First off, I don’t like this argument because there’s a difference between someone who decides to be a public figure versus someone who decides to remain a regular private citizen. Celebrities should and do know what they’re getting into when they choose their occupation. (This is not to say, “They are celebrities; sexualise them all you want because that’s what they signed up for.” Here, I am only acknowledging that people might have sexual fantasies about celebrities they are attracted to. Presumably, celebrities are cognizant of this.)  
If someone (whose existence I am not even aware of, mind you) decides they want to write explicit fanfiction of me in some tiny corner of the Internet, I wouldn’t care so long as: (1) they don’t shove it into my face, and (2) they don’t harass me and ask invasive questions about my personal life and relationships. It’s not hurting me or negatively affecting my life, so it wouldn’t even register as a blip on my radar. When fanfiction remains within its appropriate spaces, it is largely harmless. 
Now, if a k-pop idol were to ask their fans to stop writing fanfiction about them, would I? Yes, I would. However, I can’t imagine that happening. Judging by the number of ‘sexy’ concepts, fanservice moments, and variety shows such as ‘We Got Married’, I am certain that k-pop idols realise they are the stars of many fantasies—some of which are explicit in nature. Considering the prevalence of shipping in the k-pop industry, I would argue that shipping is subtly encouraged.
It’s sad that so many talented writers are shamed out of fandom, or feel that k-pop cannot be the medium through which they tell their stories, or explore their sexuality, or cope with trauma, or simply have fun. Professional works and Hollywood love their RPF—readers and writers of fanfics should be able to, as well. 
As you said Anon, “clamping down on horny people who simp over hot asian men isn't going to solve the issues we face in real life” (this is a lovely sentence, by the way). The kind of person who dehumanises another and reduces them to a sexual object will do so some other way, if not via fanfiction. I don’t think the issue of fetishisation can be fixed simply by telling people not to write explicit RPF. In my experience, people who read and write RPF are more respectful and thoughtful about these things than the general public. We’ve all seen the general public say highly sexual things about celebrities in the media and to their faces, or tag celebrities in their thirst tweets. Are these things less invasive than fanfiction? Personally, I don’t think so. And in my opinion, there are more pressing and damaging issues in stan culture than fanfic.
In conclusion, I don’t think there is anything wrong with creating and consuming RPF, both explicit and non-explicit so long as we:
Remember we are writing fiction
Keep RPF within its appropriate space, and
Do not harass celebrities about their personal lives and relationships
RPF is not for everyone. There may be people who enjoy RPF, but draw the line at explicit stories. This is fine. Everyone has their own personal preferences. What is not fine, however, is attacking people for creating things you don’t like. I’m not sure what kind of moral crusade people are on and what they hope to achieve by shaming writers of RPF, explicit or otherwise. Ultimately, fic authors are writing a fantasy. It’s not real; no one is being hurt. I think it’s important for people to curate their own content, and AO3 makes it very easy to filter out explicit works and unwanted tags. 
Maybe this is me trying to justify my own participation in explicit RPF—I don’t know. What I do know is that I love k-pop, and fandom is an important part of my media and entertainment experience. I adore the k-pop idols I write about, and I just want to imagine them being happy and getting lots of love and orgasms. Let a bitch be horny, goddamn… 
Some bonus fun facts!
At the time I am writing this, on AO3:
26.2% of Stray Kids fanfics are rated M or E
26.3% of Seventeen fanfics are rated M or E
29.0% of Merlin fanfics are rated M or E
34.9% of Captain America (Movies) fanfics are rated M or E
40.1% of BTS fanfics are rated M or E ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Coincidentally, I saw this post on Reddit this morning: Can we have a RPF positivity post?
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