#queer anime analysis

[boku-no-anime-phase]

Gender in Tomo-chan is a Girl!: a BNAP ramble/review(?)

Spoilers for the show... Obviously.

To be honest, I watched this show because I desperately wanted it to have a fulfilling queer reading. I'm a genderqueer person, often labeled a "tomboy", and I'm married to a man. There's a shocking lack of love stories about a complete tomboy and a man, where the tomboy doesn't have to change themself to be more feminine in order to get their love interest's attention. I really hoped this show would defy that trend and show us a boy falling in love with a gloriously boyish girl.

Other people might have different opinions, but in that sense I really felt like this show fell on its face.

The relationship the show has with Tomo's gender is fraught from the very beginning. She's very tomboyish, with boyish mannerisms and hobbies and a warm alto voice. Overall she is a delight as a character and seems happy with herself. The ONLY reason she seems to want to be "seen as a girl" is to get the attention of her love interest - Jun, a childhood friend who only sees her as a bro.

A show with more guts might have taken on the challenge of answering questions like, "what does getting your crush's attention look like without compromising who you are?" And "do you have to conform to gendered ideals in order to be noticed romantically?" But.... This show kind of dances past those questions without answering them.

Of course, given my own identity, I'm biased to read this as "Tomo doesn't actually care about being seen as a girl, she just wants to get Jun's attention," but even putting my reading aside, there are issues. The people around Tomo constantly invalidate her for who she says she is - a girl. Despite using feminine pronouns and repeatedly insisting that she is, in fact, a girl and wants to be seen as one, her friends and acquaintances call her a boy/man and say she has no femininity to speak of. That seems pretty cruel and, again reflecting on my own experience, even though I've had the opposite experience (people insisting I'm more feminine than I am), it sucked to watch because I've been there! And it doesn't feel good when others invalidate your gender, especially when you've explicitly communicated your feelings to them.

Now, disclaimer, I watched this show when it first aired and haven't been back to it since. My memory is fuzzy. What I do remember is being unsatisfied with the resolution. Even though everything "works out" and Jun admits to liking her "as she is", it feels like she did ultimately get his attention by trying to act like someone she's not. Or by showing off her... ahem... Assets. Which.... 😬 I probably don't need to explain why I don't feel good about that.

Additionally, the final episode being the old misogynistic classic, "fight for the right to date the girl," despite not being the most egregious version I've ever seen, still rubbed me wrong.

And on top of all of that, the show's canon queer character (Misuzu!) also doesn't really get a particularly satisfying arc either. Again, it's ok if you disagree with me, but I'm kind of tired of "queer character magnanimously helps her crush get with a guy" in media. Like, come on. It's 2023.

Overall, despite the things I liked about the show (Tomo as a person, Misuzu, the relationships between the 3 main girls), I was pretty disappointed with it. I love that gay and lesbian romances are becoming more popular, but there's room for much more queer and queer-resonant media even outside of that, when you start getting into gender. What could be more romantic than someone seeing you as you actually are and falling in love with you for it, despite not having normal gender roles as a blueprint? The possibilities are endless and I'm hungry for them. Unfortunately, for me, this show really didn't deliver.

#tomo chan is a girl! #tomo chan wa onnanoko #queer anime #queer anime analysis #anime review #bnap anime review #bnap rants

[thewistlingbadger]

Is Spider-Gwen trans: An analysis

After leaving the theater yesterday for Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse, one thought sat in my mind: could Gwen be trans? This may seem like a reach, but just hear me out.

1. Trans Flags

There are two trans flags that I spotted in the movie, both of them are in Gwen's home. In Gwen's room, a small trans flags with the phrase "Protect trans kids" hangs above her doorway. Now, if Gwen isn't trans, then why would she have a trans flag in her room? Most ally's wouldn't have a trans flag in their room. Maybe someone she's close to is trans? There's only 3 people Gwen has in her life. Her father, her dead best friend, and Miles. There isn't any evidence to suggest that any of them are trans. Especially her dad and Peter, since they didn't have much screen time. The phrase is an important clue too. If she was just an ally, why the phrase "Protect trans kids"? Why not "trans rights are human rights"? That phrase is equally as popular and it's more general. Protect trans kids is personal and usually refers to anti trans legislation that affects minors. Gwen is a minor, so is it really too unbelievable to suggest that she has the flag because she's trans?

The second flag is a patch on Gwen's dad's police jacket. Does this flag mean that her dad is trans? Or, is this a dad wearing a trans flag in support of his daughter?

2. Color theory

This is a weak point, but I'm going to include it anyway. Gwen's world is full of pastels. In fact, in most scenes with Gwen in her dimension, the colors light blue, light pink, and white are in the background. Those are literally the colors of the trans flag

3. Spiderman as a trans allegory.

Now, it's no secret that a lot of trans people like the character/concept of Spiderman. For a long time, I, as a fellow trans person, didn't understand the obsession until seeing this movie. A main theme of this movie, if not Mile's franchise, is that anyone can be Spiderman. Anyone can wear the mask, each Spiderperson is unique. Spiderman isn't really a person, it's a concept, and that's why its so applicable to everyone, regardless of who they are. Spiderman is a good person with a "secret" identity who goes trough struggles and also lives a "double life". And when you look at the story like that, the trans allegory becomes clear. Across the spiderverese is a brilliant movie with an abundance of representation. To black spiderpeople, Indian spiderpeople, disabled spiderpeople, hijabi spiderpeople, even spiderpeople who are cowboys and all sorts of other different variants. If all these different people can be Spiderman at the same time, then who's to say there isn't a trans spider person? And who's to say that person isn't Gwen?

So, is Gwen Stacy trans? I don't know, and I'm not saying she is. But I think it's entirely possible and the fact that it is, the fact that any spiderperson could potentially be queer, is something to be celebrated because it opens more doors for representation.

#happy pride month #trans #transgender #queer #lgbtq+ community #spiderman #spiderman across the spiderverse #spiderman into the spiderverse #spiderverse #across the spiderverse #into the spiderverse #gwen stacy #spider gwen #trans gwen stacy #mic does analysis #media #sony animation #animation #repersentantion

[justrustandstardust]

in the face of all the homophobic anons flooding my inbox, there’s one thing i want to make abundantly clear:

gojo and geto are queer-coded regardless of whether or not you understand their relationship to be romantic. all it takes is one (1) critical thought to understand that romance is a dimension of queerness; it does not constitute it. yes, people understand their connection in a romantic context because that is a facet of their queerness. even if you don’t recognize the romantic dimension of their relationship, that does not negate the fact that gojo and geto’s characters & connection are indisputably and intentionally queered already.

i’m not saying they’re not romantically involved— on the contrary, anyone with half a fucking braincell and the ability to conduct surface-level textual analysis would clock that facet of their dynamic. what i’m saying is that the romantic dimension of their relationship does not singlehandedly make them queer simply because it happens to align with popular understandings and depictions of queerness. romance is there, yes, but romance alone does not constitute their queerness: they are queer alongside and independently of the axis of romance.

you can think of romance as a conduit— it’s one expression of their queerness, like a branch extending from a tree. when we say they are queered, we are beseeching you to stop pointing to the branch and insisting it is the entire tree. to be queer is to be insurgent, vibrant, subversive, effervescent— the branches extend endlessly from the infinitely faceted treetrunk. romance is merely one amongst many; it alone does not bear the insignia of queerity.

queerness is not an imposition upon them, it constitutes every aspect of their characters. it’s in geto’s monstrous femininity, it’s in gojo’s mournfully joyous disposition, it’s in both of their roles as guardians of children and protectors of chosen groups. it’s in the intimacy of their connection, it’s in their joy and their grief, it’s in their devotion and their tragedy. it quite literally is who they are, with or without the dimension of romance.

when these pseudo-intellectuals defend them from being deemed queer, they’re defending them from THEIR limited conception of what it means to be queer. in accusing everyone of Turning Them Gay, they don’t realize the call is coming from inside the house and that everything they love about gojo and geto was queer to begin with— just not in the one-dimensional way they understand queerness to operate.

if they stopped guzzling the heteropatriarchal kool-aid, it would become apparent to anyone with basic critical thinking skills that the ones who are ruining their characters are not the people who recognize gojo and geto for who they are, but those who break off the branch to beat the tree.

#my jjk thoughts #i got a truly insane ask that im going to post later #stsg #satosugu #jjk #jjk meta #stsg brainrot #lgbt discourse #queer discourse #jjk queer #gojo queer #gojo and geto #satosugu analysis #satosugu meta #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen meta #jujutsu kaisen analysis #homophobia #queer anime #queer relationships #gojo satoru #geto suguru #gojo #gojo x geto #satoru x suguru #goge #gego #gojo analysis #jujutsu kaisen queer #queer media

[joe-spookyy]

Dude tell me your thoughts about Daniel Cain + any headcannons??

hi what greatest ask i’ve ever received because all i ever have are thoughts about daniel cain. sorry this is gonna be an essay. um.

tldr - dan cain is a super fascinating character (especially when you read him as queer) and his high empathy makes it difficult for him to make the hard but necessary choices found often in the medical field, but easy for him to be manipulated by those he thinks can help him do the most Good. also he is not immune to herbert west. full post under cut and it’s pretty good you should read it.

ok first off he is literally JUST like me for real. but second. i really think he’s a fascinating character no matter how you read him. his empathy is Soooo high and it affects literally everything he does - sometimes for the worse cause he’s a doctor and honestly cannot afford to be getting this upset every time he loses a patient. but it’s part of him, which i think makes him a super interesting counterpart to herbert. he’s so distinctly Human and he cares so much about the people around him, and he’s a horrible doormat/people pleaser. this is, obviously, not at all like herbert. narrative foils oooooh. when i met bruce abbott he told me he thinks dan is a “spineless worm”, which may be technically true, but i think the way dan is so easily convinced to go along with herbert is because of this heavy empathy. he wants to do everything within his power to make things better, and what could really be better than conquering death? how much pain could he stop just with that?

because of that, i think it makes SO much sense that it was so easy for herbert to initially manipulate him into working together. plus i also think later on in the films his feelings for herbert get in the way of his judgement to. an incredible extent. herbert just has to ask and dan will immediately be at his every beck and call. hes like a dog. he wants out but he can’t stop coming back to herbert. i struggle to find any other way to explain why he’d still be living with herbert after the first movie - after all, herbert kind of did kill everything dan ever loved (girlfriend, cat, legitimate medical career). and i think these things affected him on a really deep level (which. yeah. obviously) but the way he acts in bride is so indicative of what that kind of trauma does to a person and it’s fascinating to me. he projects so hard on to gloria because of how guilty he felt for not being able to save meg. he shuts down in a lot of the more serious situations. sure, he did have his little going into shock moment in the first film, but it’s a reoccurring thing in bride. he doesn’t seem to have such a strong moral code anymore, but that empathy is still there - even though what he’s doing with herbert and their little bride project isn’t quite morally Right, all he really has left is herbert and he is dying for a way to get back to the normalcy that herbert has pulled away from him. and yet, he’s never able to really Leave. he can’t move out, he can’t stop helping herbert, he can’t really get meg back as much as he tries. but he’s too far down the rabbit hole to really care at this point. he just cares about getting what he loves back.

and sure. did he abandon herbert at the end of the first movie for meg? yeah. did he abandon herbert at the end of the second movie for francesca? also yes. did he rat herbert out to the authorities? yes (but that’s a character choice i simply cannot get behind he would not do that shit after everything he still does obviously love and care about herbert if he was gonna be a narc he would have done it after the first movie herbert didn’t even do all that much wrong in the second movie like come on he was just getting creative. whatever. anyways.) now, his choice to save meg in the first movie makes a lot of sense, in my opinion. he assumed herbert was dead (which. not a bad assumption tbh) and meg was his girl - it makes a lot more sense to save her than someone he hasn’t known for nearly as long. but when he chooses to escape with francesca and leave herbert behind, it’s a little bit jarring. he’s obviously gotten close with herbert. they still live together, they bicker like a married couple, and if we’re being honest he kind of follows herbert’s every command. again. like a dog. and plus! they just created life together in a quite homoerotic fashion!!! why in the world would dan fumble this?? well, i think i can explain it. herbert represents a lack of societal normalcy. think like doctor praetorius in the bride of frankenstein. herbert’s heavily queercoded, he actively defies god, he kills and he disrespects the dead and he’s terrible socially and he shoots up drugs (sorta) and he is all about medical malpractice. this is the opposite of what someone like dan SHOULD want. dan’s straight passing (or straight if you want to read him that way which i don’t recommend cause otherwise this analysis doesn’t make as much sense), kind and friendly, and wants a good, normal career in the medical field. and he loves his perfect girlfriend. meg (and later francesca) represent these “good” and “normal” things that dan wants and is expected to want. herbert, again, represents the opposite. so for dan to choose herbert and save him over either meg or francesca, he would be choosing to step away from the life he is “supposed” to live, the socially acceptable life. people are already suspicious of him and west as we see in the novelization of the first movie, and to save his visibly queer strange little “roommate” over the woman he’s supposed to love would have certain implications that would draw dan away from this life of normalcy that he wants so badly. but most importantly. herbert always comes back. he’s a part of dan that can’t be escaped.

well. that was a lot. headcanons. umm. i think you probably got a lot from the novel i just wrote but here’s more.

- i loveeee the dan starts smoking after meg dies hc

- i don’t believe he ratted on herbert. i think they’re still working together making freaky shit to this day. even as old men.

- i know i just said queer the whole time i was talking but he’s bisexual and you aren’t allowed to disagree with me. herbert’s gay though. emphasizes the differences between them - dan CAN choose that “normal” life but herbert can’t.

- i think he ends up needing glasses as he gets older. he wears em to read in the first movie and i think his vision declines.

- also he goes grey earlier than herbert imo cause of all the stress. herbert makes fun of him for this but herbert’s hairline is. ummmn. less powerful. so dan has ammo to fight back.

- i don’t think he’d ever be able to get a cat again after rufus. or really any pet. i don’t think he trusts himself not to damage everything he touches

- i think he’s a huge talking heads stan. you could argue this as canon because of the stop making sense poster above his bed, but i think he’s a super fan. and maybe i’m projecting. so what.

- no matter how many times herbert does it or offers it to him, he refuses to take any of the reagent.

uhh. yeah. sorry that this post is so long i hope it is sufficient to what you were looking for. thank you sincerely so much for asking this was the most fun i’ve ever had. bless up.

#reanimator #re animator #reanimator 1985 #dan cain #herbert west #daniel cain #meg halsey #megan halsey #horror #analysis #film analysis #character analysis #sorry for posting reanimator #bride of reanimator #bride of reanimator 1990 #hp lovecraft #danbert #dog motif #camp #queercoding #queer coding #bride of frankenstein #bruce abbott #jeffrey combs

[queercatessays]

My deep dive into the world of Sophie Twilight, the asexual vampire. Ms Vampire Who Lives In My Neighborhood is an anime that's queer on every level, and if you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it. Took me 3 months to make this video, but it was worth it. This anime deserves more love!! Shoutouts to @freebeehoneytumbles for her wonderful artwork, which features heavily in the video, and to @buttercatrho for their work on the Grand Finale.

#tonari no kyuuketsuki san #ms vampire who lives in my neighborhood #yuri #yuri anime #video essay #media analysis #asexuality #queer theory #Youtube

[chaoticreivingu]

So is nobody going to talk about how lesbian coded Rukia is?

Everytime she interacts with Kaien's wife during the flashback she's always either nervously stuttering(which is pretty uncommon for Rukia) or swooning over her, almost like Miyako was an awakening for her.

The way she looks at Miyako is also pretty different from the way she looked at other people, even during the flashback before the tragedy occured.

Then there's this monologue where she lovingly talks about how Miyako's her idol and how beautiful she is, only being able to gaze in the distance knowing that she's married.

Look how worried and forlorn she is when Miyako gets sent on the Hollow mission, maybe knowing this is the last time she'll ever see her alive.

The way Rukia looks at her in the episode is also the same way she looks at Orihime.

There are a lot of Very Gay™ moments between her and Orihime but it's especially apparent in the novels. The only reason she ever gave Ichigo his powers back is because seeing him depressed made Orihime sad and cry and even at her own wedding preparations she thinks more about Orihime than she does her future beard husband.

Despite proposing to him, she doesn't show much attraction to Renji in the novel or men at all in the anime/manga(she also acts in a more confrontational or dismissive way towards men than she does with women which is a queer coding trope) and even names her own child after Orihime herself.

#im fine with all endgame ships but Renruki kinda feels like a lavender marraige ngl #they are close but she's more caring and affectionate to women than to Renji #that's not to say there aren't any moments between Rukia and Renji in WDKALY but he really gives off beard vibes #and of course since Soul Society is very traditional there's that subconscious pressure to conform #i know the anime added a bit more gay coding to rukia than the manga did though #but kubo literally drew her and orihime holding hands naked #bleach #bleach meta #bleach analysis #rukia kuchiki #kuchiki rukia #rukia #miyako shiba #shiba miyako #orihime inoue #inoue orihime #bleach orihime #rukihime #gay coded #queer coding

[suffarustuffaru]

if i wrote a comprehensive analysis of reading into otto's character from a queer lens (with extensive text citations) would you read it bc ive thought way too much about this for the sake of my silly anime fanfiction okay. i know too much about this topic now and i gotta let the energy out <33

#my thesis is that otto is so into subaru and all the animators keep shipping ottosuba (says the rz ottosuba shipper blog) and then #tappei goes “....huh did i just write otto being gay for subaru bc fans keep asking if ottos gay for subaru. huh. ........maaaybe” #the other part of my thesis is that otto is transphobic towards subaru-as-natsumi despite subaru being his crush for Reasons and that #otto cant be normal about relationships bc of *insert psychological analysis about his life* #theres just sooooo sooooo much subtext from ottos end that i just gotta ok i gotta. i gotta. when. when i got time. i prommys </3 if no one #else will i will <3 #i started posting my more polished analysis stuff on rz reddit a little while ago but i think if i posted an otto queer subtext analysis id #speedrun myself into getting banned LJDFLJD oh well. very worth it. #listen today i got commplimented by my writing professor for having great writing and analysis and inside i was thinking #ah yes bc i write #anime meta in my free time LDSFJ but im flattered i just let the adhd take over!!!! #and once again if youre someone whos sent me an ask that i havent answered yet ill get to it eventually HAH <3 #suffaru post

[emeryleewho]

Anyway, if you were considering watching Buddy Daddies but haven't because you're worried it's queerbaiting, the best way I can summarize the show is "it's not gay but it is queer", because they are literally IN A QUEERPLATONIC RELATIONSHIP and anyone who calls it queerbaiting literally does not understand what queerness is.

I also want to do a deep dive eval on the queer-coding of the characters and other valuable takeaways from the show, but that'll have to wait.

#this is the first time I've seen a QPR like this so I love it #genuinely a very forward-thinking show #anime #buddy daddies #queer anime #queer media #media analysis

[that-ari-blogger]

Get Ready (No Good Deed)

Joseph Campbell is famous for writing The Hero With A Thousand Faces, in which he put forward the concept of the Hero’s Journey, or Monomyth. This, boiled down, is a series of plot beats that most stories ever written hit in some way or another, at least to Campbell.

Campbell is one of my favourite literary scholars to disagree with, but one thing that I believe he got right was the idea that he called “The Belly Of The Whale”. This has gone on to become the darkest hour trope, a moment when everything seems lost before the protagonist picks themself up.

In Wicked, the story of Elphaba picking herself up is told by the song No Good Deed, which dwells on the emotional low, but also the resolution she makes as a result. This song changes the trajectory of the entire musical, and is a masterclass in writing a threat.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (Wicked, Avatar: The Last Airbender)

“Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen.”

The song opens with gibberish, it’s inspired by Greek, Latin, Italian, and other languages. But it is bastardised to sound more mystical. Like a language that could be true but isn’t.

It’s also weird when it comes to the phonetics. Each of the words (I’m counting “ah tum” as one word for this) takes up the same time to say aloud, but the “ah” is naturally drawn out because more stress is being put onto it. It forms a rhythm similar to a horse’s galloping, implying motion.

Keep an eye on that, this song is all about motion.

That actually translates into the plot of the wider musical. This song is changing the tone of the story as a whole, pushing it into a tale of revolution.

The conflict of this story is brought on by the “death” of Fiyero and Elphaba’s love. Achieving change and achieving personal happiness are not compatible in this story, at least not for Elphaba.

But incompatibility is an important theme here. Elphaba has been trying to achieve things in her way. She tried to enact change through the Wizard, and when he turned out to be a schmuck, she tried to help people, stir up change and hope that good deeds get rewarded by fate.

I have mentioned in the past that Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship was characterised by the former being the more world wise and Elphaba being naive. That’s what Popular is about. However, this is a change of status quo, paired with Glinda’s rendition of I’m Not That Girl, showing the reversal of that dynamic. Now Elphaba is truly cynical, and her eyes are opened to how the world works, and Glinda has been fooling herself the entire time.

In the opening of this blog, I referenced Campbell’s “The Belly Of The Whale” concept. The name of that is actually a reference to a biblical tale, in which a prophet uses the inside of a fish as free transport and therapy.

I want to draw that biblical reference back in here. Do you notice anything about how Elphaba’s wishes are phrased?

“Let his flesh not be torn Let his blood leave no stain Though they beat him Let him feel no pain Let his bones never break And however they try To destroy him Let him never die Let him never die”

Do those remind anyone else of the opening of Genesis?

“And G-d said, let there be light. And there was light.” Genesis 1:3

There is a very specific wording here that evokes that biblical concept of divinity. In the Bible, the only people and entities that speak in this way are either G-d, people talking about G-d, or people praying. No Good Deed is explicitly drawing on that speech pattern to imply the divine symbolism with Elphaba.

This isn’t the first time the musical has done this. I keep referencing older posts that I have made in this series on Wicked, but that’s because the musical does set up and payoff really well, and I have to talk about callbacks. But, my first post in this series was titled The Gospel of Elphaba, and I did that for a reason.

One of Wicked’s most interesting story techniques is its biblical allusion. Elphaba is explicitly framed as divine in this song, but also by how she is referred to in a few other places. This has the effect of implying a change in history. Elphaba’s life will change Oz for good, and this is the story of how that happened.

Now, I am not a Christian, I am coming at this from the angle of study and having lived in a very Christian environment for most of my life. So, while I am trying to treat this with the respect befitting any faith, I want to stress that I am far from a perfect, definite source on anything related to Christianity.

I've brought up this artwork by @abd-illustrates (youtube) before, when I was talking about Defying Gravity. But the piece is about No Good Deed, and its so amazingly well done, coming from a place of obvious love for the song and the musical, that there was no chance that I would miss a chance to show it again.

On a different note, the things that Elphaba wishes for in this song are vague as all hell, and the implication of Fiyero being turned into the scarecrow because the lawyers found a loophole in his resurrection contract is neat.

That implication is really important for the theming of the story, and it happened earlier on in the musical when Boq became the tin man. The magic expresses the theme of consequences rather concisely. Nobody knows what effect they will have on the world and on history, you can just try to make the world a better place, no matter what people think of you.

In other words:

“Was I really seeking good Or just seeking attention?”

Intentions don’t matter, actions do. The second verse of this song dwells on this question, asking if Elphaba’s morals were what she thought they were and what that means for her.

The conclusion drawn is that it doesn’t matter. Elphaba, despite breaking free physically from her society’s constraints, is still following them emotionally. She still believes in the ideas of good and evil that she has been presented with, and now she resolves to take a different approach. If wicked is what they call her, wicked she shall be.

The music of the song itself feels like a fight. It feels like it has the eb and flow of a boxing match, with Elphaba’s vocals falling to match her being struck, and rising for her blows.

For example, here the higher note on “charity” combines with an accent to feel like an attack, with the slope matching the follow up and ease of tension.

Although, if you are perceptive, you will notice that this is a solo, and that Elphaba isn’t actually fighting anyone, so what gives?

I have two readings for this. In the first, Elphaba is declaring war on Oz, essentially, so the fight is the warmup to that. This is posturing, it's a threat. It’s Elphaba’s Bitter Work moment.

For context, Bitter Work is one of the best episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender and, fun fact, my introduction to the series (I was very young, I thought the movie was cool, I got three seconds into the series and realised how wrong I was). In the episode in question, Zuko is wrestling with his identity in relation to the world, and to his father. He doesn’t know who to be, or how to proceed.

The episode then follows Zuko as he tries and fails to learn a new type of bending (magic in everything but name), culminating with him standing on a cliff, screaming for lightning to strike him because he thinks he can finally throw it back. Its self-destructive, and it's a character on the very edge, lashing out at everyone, including himself, in a desperate attempt for control.

Does that sound familiar? That’s exactly where Elphaba is when she sings No Good Deed, on the edge, looking for control.

The second reading is that Elphaba is arguing with herself about what to do. Part of her wants to run and hide, but the part that is singing is trying to convince her to stay. That she needs to change.

Wicked is a story about dreams and reality colliding, and this is Elphaba’s speech to the troops on the side of hope. Unfortunately for her, the entire army consists of one person, herself.

The idea of Elphaba’s internal struggle is reflected in the inconsistency of the music. Wicked likes to mess around with key signatures and time signatures, with Thank Goodness taking the concept to its breaking point. But No Good Deed has, by my count, four different key signatures, and three different time signatures.

The first chorus follows the Wicked formula of being understated. It’s rhythmical, and balanced in 4/4 time to give it a self contained vibe.

This conveys a feeling of speeding up and slowing down, as she rushes into decisions, then hesitates. Wicked has done this in previous songs already, and I have discussed them, but its a neat thing to see repeated here.

Elphaba seemingly makes her decision, however, belting out the song’s name. But then she falters, and the key changes to b majour. To me, this evokes a feeling of happiness, which doesn’t really square with the lyrics.

Except, I would argue that it does. Nessa and Doctor Dillamond are the two people she was closest to, and they are gone now. They were to hallmarks of her old life, and this feels like her reminiscing about a better time. The other name that comes up here is Fiyero, but that quickly shifts.

Jessica Vosk plays this scene like Elphaba is seeing ghosts, speaking the names as if she is seeking advice from the departed. It's a really cool acting choice.

Grief is a powerful motivator, and Fiyero was the last person that Elphaba had left over from her previous life. Even Glinda has left her, and now that grief bubbles over into a war cry.

In the version of Wicked that I saw most recently, Elphaba was played by Sheridan Adams, who put a little bit of flair into that final call, rising slightly, then flowing down to keep the momentum into the chorus. I don't know what this is called, so if any music scholars who understand my extremely limited and vague explanations here, please help me out.

“Let all Oz be agreed, I’m wicked through and through. Since I cannot succeed. Fiyero, saving you. I promise no good deed Will I attempt to do again. Ever again. No good deed Will I do Again!”

The final chorus of this song is a revelation. It gains momentum by alternating between 4/4 and 3/4 to gain that rocking rhythm like a ship in a storm. But I want to go a bit weird here and talk about the rhyming scheme.

There are two main rhyming sets here, “deed” and “do”, and they alternate in an ABAB pattern and are reminiscent of classical poetry.

Agreed, through, succeed, you, deed, do. Again, Again. Deed, do, again.

Annapantsu's cover of this song is phenomenal and manages to capture the magnitude of both the story and the musical really well. I highly recommend you check it out.

Classics were often about big emotions. Romanticism springs to mind, for example, although that was a movement defined by a desire for freedom of expression, which plays into the themes of Wicked exactly. How convenient.

However, the scheme is broken up by the repeated word “again”, which juxtaposes the idea of classicism with change. The force with which Elphaba interrupts her own rhythm makes the line seem as though it is a threat. Elphaba’s desire for freedom is coming for Oz, whether anyone likes it or not.

Elphaba has snapped, and things will never be the same in oz again. Never again.

Final Thoughts

This song is iconic, and that is well deserved. We are ramping up to the finale of the musical, and the story is gathering speed.

As a side note, I genuinely love how Wicked subverts the prequel pitfall of explaining everything, not by avoiding doing that, but by making that its whole thing. Boq’s transformation into the Tin Man works with the story as told in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz because it comes close to what the Tin Man explains, but frames him as an unreliable narrator.

Similarly, Fiyero’s lack of anything going on behind his eyes is superficial, and when he becomes the Scarecrow, that superficiality carries over. Like Boq, he is reframed as an unreliable narrator, but not through selfishness, and instead through a secret desire to help the Wicked Witch out. Also, the fact that he is the captain of the guard kinda explains why he rocks up to the final battle of the The Wizard Of Oz movie with a gun.

Next week, I am looking at For Good, and trying to justify why I cannot make it through listening to it without crying. Seriously, I am always a wreck at the end of the Wicked soundtrack, and I blame this song.

So stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #what's so special about...? #character analysis #wicked musical #wicked #elphaba thropp #elphaba #wicked the musical #wicked elphaba #the next musical I do will be animated #wicked is a queer story #no good deed #avatar the last airbender

[briebysabs]

I want to talk about vnc chapter 12/episode 7

Why? Because I need to finally rant so just bare with me *inhales* WHAT THE SHIT IS THIS I DON’T THINK WE LOSE OUR MINDS ENOUGH

I almost want to go panel by panel bc I still can’t believe this chapter exists. When I’m seriously interpreting/analyzing something in a series I try to look from an objective POV. Basically I push aside my shipper heart to see what the author is trying to do canonically. But every time I go back to this specific chapter, the only thing I get out of it is that Noé is going to fall in love with Vanitas. And for the first time, I feel like this is a possibility that could actually happen and that’s crazy. So okay let me go slowly bc what?!!!

First of all, the chapter frames Noé, Vanitas, and Jeanne in certain perspectives quite oddly. The anime does too so that’s why some believe Noé likes Jeanne instead. Which kinda doesn’t make sense for a number of reasons. Now there can definitely be some vampiric connection between the two.

But in terms of romantic interest, it doesn’t add up. Hell we’re 40 + chapters ahead of this one and I can count on my fingers how many lines they’ve said to each other. So if Noé liked Jeanne, it definitely would’ve come back into play by now. After Vani and Jeanne run off, Noé goes after them immediately. And given we’ve seen how fast he is, it’s most likely he heard and also saw their encounter. Meaning Noé knows 1) the uncertainty of Jeanne being a curse-bearer or not 2) her deal with sucking only Vanitas’ blood.

Now mind you, this was 44 chapters ago and Noé still has not told anyone this. Going back to him being good at keeping secrets but that’s it’s own topic. Then he gets this sad look on his face. Now what he ends up telling Domi is the truth. And I want to be more clear on this. I do not think at this point in the story Noé loves Vanitas. It’s more so how this chapter ends is what leaves me stunned but we’ll get there. Plus the fact that Domi, till now, thinks Noé likes Jeanne IS VERY PROOF THAT’S NOT THE CASE.

So when you do the process of elimination, Vanitas is the only logical answer!!! And this freaking line. This is a strong statement for someone whose only upset about a missed opportunity to taste some blood.

His heart was in pain. WHAT THE FUCK

But that’s the thing. Noé doesn’t lie. But he omits A LOT. It also can be that he just doesn’t fully understand so his mind jumps to the obvious conclusion. But if he does think there’s more to it, Noé didn’t tell Domi. Now we get the real meat of it all. Oh my lord so Noé poses the question: Why don’t Vanitas dance with Jeanne? And Vanitas gives the excuse that he’ll accidentally step on her. We later find out he can dance just fine, so perhaps a part of him is already giving distance. Not willing to be close to Jeanne beyond teasing.

Now...MOCHIJUN DID NOT HAVE TO DRAW IT LIKE THIS. She could’ve had Noé smiling and pull Vanitas in to dance without any close-ups. She could’ve made it a silly moment but no, we are meant to take this scene seriously

I’ve noticed Noé has a number of scenes that there’s a small panel to the side where his eyes are covered. And I think a lot of the time it was a moment involving Vani. It gives off the impression that Noé is feeling something the author doesn’t want to make obvious.

And then we get the fucking line. Let’s say I’m reading this all wrong. The fact that mochijun has her two male protagonists dancing together as one asks ‘what is love?’ Is proof that she is at the very least, not unwilling to go there. LIKE DO WE KNOW HOW WILD THIS REALLY IS? I truly believe the fandom accepted this moment way too casually.

Noé asking almost contemplative what Vanitas sees in Jeanne. Remember he knows Vanitas wants Jeanne to suck only his blood. He is confused why Vanitas suddenly gravitates to Jeanne. Vanitas lists his reasons, one that includes that she’ll never love him back. Noé is rightfully confused by this but Vanitas states that she doesn’t have to love him back. If mochijun wants to go the romantic route for Noe’s ‘love’ IT WILL BE EXACTLY THIS. Because if she goes the romantic direction. First and foremost, I will have the highest respect for this woman bc I know she must’ve entered a battlefield for that to happen. But more so, if my interpretation of all this is right. Noé may never tell Vanitas. Think about it.

Noé believes Vanitas loves Jeanne. So out of kindness for Vani’s happiness, he wouldn’t say anything. That’s just the type of person Noé is. But also, the amount of effort, time, and vulnerability it took for Noé to get as close as he is with Vani. You think he’s going to risk jeopardizing ALL of that? And that’s the tragedy and beauty of it all. Vanitas doesn’t have to know that Noé loves him. No one has to know. But if again, this possibility is canon, we the audience know it’s going to be a inevitable regret down the line.

Finally the chapter concludes with future Noé narrating how this feeling will be a mystery for quite some time. I’d like to point out how Vanitas didn’t dance with Jeanne in fear of stepping on her toes but Noé does exactly that to him. Honestly my second favorite chapter. It felt like seeds were being planted for them to sprout into fruition later on. So many little details felt purposeful and it was the moment I really believed in vnc’s writing.

#the case study of vanitas #anime #vnc manga #les memoires de vanitas #noe archiviste #vanitas no carte #jun mochizuki #noé #vampires #Vanitas #Jeanne #vanijeanne #noé x vanitas #vanoe #chapter analysis #love #lgbtq #queer #Noé is gay idc #I’m still mind blown this exists #vnc #manga #dancing #Noé is in love #or going to be #angst

[reitheist]

Do you think bucchigiri is a yaoi because I would love it I ship Matakara and Arajin and Senya and the other genius a lot?

i think that bucchigiri is sort of in that BL/BL-adjacent original anime spectrum (yuri on ice<-sk8 the infinity<-free!) based on the director's previous shows and general vibes. I think bucchigiri is kinda with sk8 in the middle of the spectrum of 'canon' queerness.

the way sk8 and bucchigiri are specifically formulated is to fall within sports anime genre conventions (which appeal to male audiences) while showcasing attractive and charming male characters with deep, near romantic bonds (appealing to a female demographic). (this isn't to say that boys like this and girls like that fyi, that's just how marketing generally works in the anime industry) this garners more of a fanbase than if the show were to market exclusively to one or the other.

unfortunately, this means shows like bucchigiri are unlikely to fully confirm anything due to the potential of stirring up controversy or alienating male viewers

similar to sk8, bucchigiri has and I think will continue to code matakara's and ara's relationship (and probably senya and ichiya's too) as somewhat romantic. i don't think they're going to make it canon, though.

the only chance I could see of having a canon queer relationship (or breakup, rather) is mayyyybe between senya and ichiya, since they're not the main characters and bucchigiri hasn't been especially afraid of being blatantly homoerotic lol

#its sad how ive just come to accept that no non-romance show is gonna give me an actual queer couple but alas #anime studios dont want to take unnecessary risks #especially when making nonadaptive anime #i mean i guess bucchigiri could pull a yoi on us but i have doubts #sorry for the mini essay in exchange for a simple question anon lol #bucchigiri?! #bucchigiri meta #analysis

[marsbarsthereal]

Renga is canon. There, I said it. I shouldn't have to explain myself, have you seen the show? Their interactions? And have you noticed how queercoded those are? And when Langa said to Reki, "I want to skate infintely with you!" What did you think? Did you notice how that was basically a confession, except worded in a non-explicit way? And oh, THE HORROR! They didn't kiss. Don't act like i'm not sad either (as I very much am), but two characters never kissing doesn't make their relationship any less canon. Fun fact: queer representation does not equal explicit queerness. So this is all to say, when Season 2 of SK8: the Infinity rolls around, if Reki and Langa do not get together EXACTLY the way you want them to, it is not queerbaiting. SK8 only queerbaits if it backs out of its already established queer allegories and metaphors. For example, giving Reki/Langa a girlfriend. And will that happen? Most likely not.

#sk8 the infinity #reki kyan #langa hasewaga #sk8 reki #sk8 langa #queer anime #queer fiction #queer representation #queer discussions #anime discussion #anime analysis #sk8 renga #renga

[aeryzdoesstuff]

Two neeeerds. Standing on a cliff, five feet apart because they're not straight.

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #izuku midoriya #midoriya izuku #bnha deku #mha deku #queer #mha analysis #anime #anime and manga #mha manga #ochaco uraraka #uraraka ochaco #uravity #ochako uraraka #uraraka #mha uraraka #mha uravity

[justrustandstardust]

I think you were missing the point anon was trying to ask, they were just asking ‘why can’t two men in media be best friends without dating’. It wasn’t some attack on stsg, they were just asking innocently why two men can’t be friends in media without being gay for each other; which is valid, as this question can apply to literally every single fandom

It’s immature of you to respond the way you have been, and downright horrendous to link a porn website to the last ask. It’s not that deep, and you’re really just giving the trolls the attention you want

I hope you get better ❤️‍🩹

i think the real question is why are you so fucking pressed about them being platonic? is your enjoyment of jjk that deeply threatened by people possessing the critical thinking skills that you so clearly lack?

glad to know you clicked on the porn 😘 i hope you enjoyed the novel experience of good taste!

i think it's hilarious that you also inboxed me on main to hasten my response to the anons (which are also you). i love that you're frothing at the mouth for my opinion, babe. means a lot.

as it seems to escape your narrow understanding, i will say for the umpteenth time that they can be queer and platonic. stop dickriding the heteropatriarchy for one fucking second and you will experience the wonderful phenomenon of critical thought.

i hope you can find the path to god <3 this might help you along the way!

#i blocked their main so idk if they'll see this #but im too petty not to reply #ask #satosugu #satosugu brainrot #jjk #jjk queer #jujutsu kaisen #stsg #stsg brainrot #stsg smut #queer discourse #queer anime #jujutsu kaisen analysis #jujutsu kaisen meta #satosugu analysis #satosugu meta #gojo satoru #geto suguru #gojo x geto #satoru x suguru #gojo and geto #geto #gojo #satoru #suguru #jujutsu kaisen queer #lgbt issues #lgbt discourse #lgbt media

[blackautmedia]

One of the things I'm hoping to get across in this Boondocks video™ in progress is the way a lot of discussions about adult animation center less around genuinely engaging with the commentary these shows often make and more rationalizing and elevating blatant bigotries as an elaborate progressive satire.

I don't hate the Boondocks. In a lot of ways it's fantastic, but I also find that a lot of more left-leaning adult animated series like Bojack Horseman, Tuca and Bertie, Bob's Burgers and The Boondocks get placed in this deified space where they're placed in binary terms against the likes of the shows agreed upon to be the "bad" ones like South Park, Family Guy, etc.

It's especially valuable to be more critical about these as discussion pieces as they're often very impressionable and influential on younger viewers in their mid to late teens and early 20s.

Because it's not Family Guy, it must be progressive and how dare you ever speak critically of it in any capacity.

So much discourse around queer themes in The Boondocks only center around The Story of Gangstalicious Part 2 without looking at several other relevant episodes and themes throughout the show, which I think gives a very incomplete picture of the nature of the kind of commentary The Boondocks makes.

In particular, I think it does a major disservice to Black trans people and the way that misogynoir also influences the discussions of queerness in The Boondocks.

But it can also be difficult to have this conversation because of the ways that "it's a satire, they're intentionally awful people" is utilized.

Depiction is not endorsement, but just because a work is satirical or your cast are intentionally bad people doesn't mean you're magically free of the narrative implications behind how you frame your cast.

Depiction is one piece of the puzzle, but you can't discuss it without discussing framing.

In some way, shape, or form, these conversations often assert that criticisms of these works are unfounded because the use or inclusion of bigoted characters doesn't make the work itself bigoted, which...isn't the claim being made.

For example, Robert Freeman throughout much of the TV series is depicted as a blatant womanizer and is repeatedly mocked for that attitude. The entire episode Pause AKA the Tyler Perry episode is in part a long joke at his expense for his womanizing behavior and for overestimating his skills as an actor.

This idea isn't wrong, but it is incomplete. While you can certainly make that argument the episode is a joke at a womanizer's expense, it still doesn't grapple with how the narrative delivers his comeuppance within the confines of cisheteronormative ideas about queer and fat bodies.

You can only see Robert as being "punished" if you also agree with the framing that fat women's bodies are disgusting and worthless, thus they are thrust onto him as comeuppance for his sleazy behavior toward "actual" (i.e. conventionally attractive) women.

You can only see Robert as "getting what's coming to him" if you cosign the way that the episode frames and links the element of queerness or being publicly perceived as queer as gross and awful, with Robert even comparing the concept to the gross challenges done in Fear Factor.

Likewise, Pause runs into a lot of issues very quickly in how it depicts Winston Jerome, the Tyler Perry stand-in as a predatory gay man with the desire to be a woman "both inside and out" in his words. A Tyler Perry who deceives Robert with the promise of sexual gratification with beautiful women only to see he's being preying on Robert to trick him into having sex with a gay man.

It's not helped by the title of the episode being "Pause" and the episode also heavily referencing The Rocky Picture Horror Show.

A lot of Pause and several other episodes in the Boondocks lean into very homophobic and transphobic notions of fat and queer bodies and the idea of viewing Black queer people as predatory beasts.

This is also my issue with a lot of discussions about adult animation in how they center around if individual people are "meant" to be seen as bad.

To leave the episode as "Robert is a womanizer we're not meant to agree with" is to leave out the entire discussion of the portrayal and utilization of queerness and misogynoir within the Boondocks.

This also applies to discussions of Riley's homophobic beliefs within the series. Riley espousing homophobic views is not an endorsement of homophobia by the series proper nor the creators. He's designed to be a very specific form of critique about the bigoted attitudes normalized in the hip hop community as well as a commentary on the narratives normalized through Black media.

But leaving the conversation there without making further discussion on how the Boondocks frames those issues within its own storytelling oversimplifies the conversation and invalidates the very real grievances Black queer people have felt toward portrayals and narratives like this.

The video will discuss this in more depth than my light summary here since this is a preview of sorts and go into the historical precedent for these ideas, so this is just a taste of what's to come.

I'm almost through the research phase with only a few more books to read through and watching a few other series and films that the Boondocks is heavily inspired by, so I'm looking forward to rewatching the Cowboy Bebop movie this weekend!

#boondocks criticism #black media #black media analysis #black queer #black lgbt #black lgbtq #adult animation #cw: transphobia #transmisognyoir in media #misogynoir in media #fatphobia in media #black animation #the boondocks #black women in media

[booklovingturtle]

It's okay to not be hyper-critical of every piece of media

I love to microanalyze fandoms and media that I engage with. I think that it's an important skill to practice before investing loads of personal time, emotional energy or financial support into a fandom or a piece of media

But sometimes I have to remind myself that I don't have to look for something to critique in everything I consume

It's okay to like something just bc of vibes, aesthetic, nostalgia, sentimental reasons, entertainment, etc

And if you're interested in a fandom just for fun and don't want to engage in the critical analysis you see online about it that's fine (to an extent of course)

If seeing something you feel very strongly about be broken-down to analyze online, you don't have to engage with that content. You don't have to respond or defend your opinion. You don't have to doom scroll through an anti- tag. You can just let others critique it on their corner of the internet while you lovingly engage with your side

It's okay to just like something to like it

#I'm NOT talking about critiquing race/able/class/sex-ism trans/homo/queer/xeno-phobia in media #I'm NOT talking about critiquing things that are exploitative or harmful to vulnerable populations #IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO BE CRITICAL OF THINGS THAT HAVE CROSSED OVER TO THE -ISMs & -PHOBIAs #I'm talking about minor critiques related to creative decisions or genre tropes or media conventions or stylistic choices #so what if the pacing is bad or the clothing isn't period accurate or the dialogue is cringy or the music was slightly off #It's okay to just like a thing #fandoms #anti culture #stan culture #pop culture #media #fandom culture #movies #tv shows #music #anime #broadway #media analysis