sousha-ships - Tumblr blog

sousha-ships · 4 years

Note

Kindly requesting that analysis on wangxian being peak romance and how it compares to queerbaiting please 🙏 🙏 🙏

Hello, anon! I am very genuinely happy that my rambling thoughts interest you in any way (because I have a lot of thoughts) so here is my analysis as promised. It is veeeery long (almost 2k), sorry about that but I’ve really been looking forward to talking about this for a very long time. In the end, it isn’t so much about how Wangxian is peak romance and more about the censorship and how it compares to queerbaiting, I may have to do another post about that later on. Without much further ado, here it is!

The Untamed’s tasteful censorship vs. BBC Merlin’s queerbaiting and why I prefer one over the other.

I know most people follow this blog for Merlin and believe me when I say that I love this show more than I can say because it has quite literally changed my life. But The Untamed has opened my mind to a whole new world (insert Aladdin’s A Whole New World here) and it has given me a lot of perspective on a lot of things.

I often joke with my friends saying that my first consideration when choosing a new show to watch is saying “is it gay?” which is not far from the truth, but it’s also not the complete story. What I mean is that I ask myself “does this show have a relationship that I think is worth getting invested in?”. Yes, t usually happens that those are not heterosexual romances, but what can I say, I’m queer and I like my emotional support fictional characters to be so too. This is the exact reasoning that led me to Merlin. I saw a couple of videos about them on youtube and immediately found their dynamic compelling and their story beautifully tragic. But like with most shows these days, the writers failed (among other things) to make their relationship explicit. This has happened with every show I watched after Merlin too; The Witcher, Sherlock and Good Omens being the most notable ones.

You can argue if they are or are not queerbaiting, I at least think Good Omens isn’t, but again, it is pretty subjective.

But i had grown so accustomed to this type of media that I fully went into The Untamed expecting something similar.

And oh boy was I wrong.

Now, the case of The Untamed is a curious one because it is supposed to be a love story between two men due to being based on a BL novel, but because of censorship, it had to be very toned down. I found this out right before actually watching the show while doing some preliminary research and while it did change my thought on what I was getting into I truly thought they would just erase the entire relationship and try to hide it behind straight relationships like in most other shows I had watched.

But that was absolutely not the case, to my endless relief and joy.

But how? How did they get away with censoring all the explicit aspects of a romantic relationship while still managing to tell a wonderful love story? And how does this compare to the queerbaiting of a show like Merlin?

Warning: I will be using different parts of both shows and probably some of the MDZS novel to illustrate my point, so there will be spoilers.

The initial accidental chemistry + innuendos vs. The establishment of the very clear enemies to friends to lovers trope

I’m going to use Merlin to compare and contrast this because it’s what I know best and the other show I've given a lot of thought to.

Merthur and Wangxian are both similar and different dynamics in the way they’re written and it was one of the things that drew me into The Untamed in the first place. Both stories begin with our main duo meeting and instantly disliking each other, ending up in a fight. And while they both set the story up to lead to a more intimate bond being created between the pairs, there’s something very different from the start.

Merthur is deliberately set up to be a close friendship and all innuendos and chemistry are accidental (in my opinion and only at the start). Let me explain.

The concept for Merlin clearly started with the idea of how the story would change if Merlin was a young boy arriving in Camelot instead of an old powerful sorcerer. Then they made the main plot to be his destiny/friendship with the young and arrogant Prince Arthur. I truly believe that the first innuendos were not what they intended and that all chemistry and sexual tension between the characters comes courtesy of Colin and Bradley and how undeniably good they look on screen together. Fans then started speculating (as we always do) and then the production team decided to run with it, making it almost a recurring joke when it shouldn’t have been. Had they treated that developing relationship seriously like what they were hinting it was, the show would have been very different.

The Untamed on the other hand, is everything but accidental. What they’re doing is deliberately establishing the enemies to friends to lovers trope from the very beginning. It’s not an accident that during their first fight on the roof of the Cloud Recesses Wei Wuxian tells Lan Wangji that women would find his true character very disappointing and that no one would want to marry him. he says so several times in fact and this is clearly both to highlight the change in their relationship as well as to say that Lan Wangji is not at all interested in the opinion of any female (or anyone besides Wei Wuxian for that matter). This is the same stuff we see in mainstream straight romances: one of the characters saying something to the effect of “who would want to date them?” only to end up involved with the other at the end of the story.

You could argue that Merlin does something similar with the conversation between Merlin and Kilgharrah where Merlin is affronted by the idea of having to help Arthur where he says “There must be another Arthur because this one’s an idiot...If someone wants to kill him, they can go right ahead. In fact, I’ll give them a hand.” but the difference between these two is that Merlin is hiding behind the guise of destiny and friendship to make these parallels while Wangxian is deliberately and clearly in a romantic context.

The deliberate continuation of the subtext vs. The suggestion of something more

The accidental nature of the subtext doesn’t last long and in true BBC fashion, it turns into full-on queerbaiting real fast. Again, you can argue endlessly about when the deliberately suggestive comments start, but by the end of the show, we know for a fact the entire production staff and even the staff were aware of the effect and reception their show was having. This was no longer an innocent mistake on people reading too much into it, it was a very purposeful narrative that they were pushing without ever truly committing to it. This is what got fans going crazy over “poetry” or lines like “you’re the only friend I have and I couldn’t bear to lose you”. These are all very intentional choices they made to keep their devoted fanbase interested and while we’re all very thankful for this material it really keeps us wondering what it could have been if they had taken that extra step.

The Untamed can’t take that step because of the censorship laws, but it’s still much more daring than Merlin ever was. While Merlin keeps the soulmate aspect of the Merthur relationship a suggestion, The Untamed outright says it, which was baffling to me. It even does it at a pint where the first kiss happened in the novel, which you would think makes it less romantic. But that's absolutely not the case because of both the non-consensual nature of that original kiss and because of how heartbreakingly beautiful the replacement scene is. Not only that, but they also keep all the elements you could expect to see in any pre-relationship stage of a developing romance story: endless amounts of mutual pining, not-really-unrequited love, jealousy, panicking at the sight of your crush (yes I’m looking at you 15-year-old Lan Wangji) and even some fun in vino veritas moments. They even have a son together! It doesn’t get more clear than that!

This is all the way the show has of suggesting something more without outright saying (even though it’s a pretty not subtle way of suggesting it).

Merlin, on the other hand, keeps trying to deny the romantic nature of the Merthur dynamic, which brings me to my next point.

The introduction of a female love interest as an excuse vs. The awareness that the audience understands the relationship in the way it's meant to be

Now, this one really bugs me, because of all the ways they could have done this they truly chose the worst and destroyed Gwen’s character in the process.

In my opinion, the writers could have done a few different things. They could have fully developed the Merthur relationship as a romantic one while keeping Gwen’s role as a queen and creating a much more satisfying character arch for her, maybe even getting her together with Morgana or Lancelot. They could have focused on the Awen romance and therefore lowered the suggestions of romance between Merlin and Arthur, once again creating a much more enjoyable subplot for Gwen, though it could have also meant sacrificing the very powerful bond between the main characters. They could have even taken advantage of Gwen’s crush on Merlin in the first season and gone on the full-on polyamory direction! That would have been much better! Instead, they halfassed the romance between Arthur and Gwen and made it just...meh. Not that Angel and Bradley didn’t do a great job, it was more of a writing problem than a them problem.

The Untamed (despite the rumours and possibilities of a Wen Qing/Wei Wuxian relationship) decided to just run with the not really platonic relationship between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, making them the complete focus of the story while still upholding the censorship laws. What I think the biggest difference between the two shows is, is that one runs on assuming the audience is stupid while the other one assumes the audience is smart.

Let me explain once more.

The Merlin writers clearly thought that by introducing Gwen as the love interest to Arthur he would just become what? Magically straight? As if we hadn’t seen the last four seasons of sexual tension between him and Merlin? The audience was not fooled for the most part, but some people did fall for this, coming with the argument “But he’s married to Gwen so he’s straight!” as if being gay or straight are the only two possibilities but oh well.

The Untamed does quite the opposite. It relies on the fact that the audience is going to catch onto the romantic aspect of the narrative without them actively saying anything because we are Not Dumb. It also does something that I think is quite beautiful which is leaving it up for interpretation as far as whether it’s platonic or not and even more touching is the way the story has resonated with the ace community (that is according to what I’ve seen, please do correct me if I’m wrong) by focusing on their emotional and intellectual connection instead of in their physical and sexual one.

This is why, in the end, I prefer what I call The Untamed’s tasteful censorship over Merlin and other shows’ blatant queerbaiting.

I feel the need after all of this to state that Merlin is still my favorite show of all time and that this is not by any means me saying that Merlin is absolute trash or something like that. There’s also a lot more that I think can be said in this conversation, so please feel free to tell me what you think and if you’ve ever encountered something similar to this.

Also, if I made any mistakes or wrong points, please don’t be shy about telling me!

I hope this rant was at least somewhat interesting and that you found it satisfactory, anon!

57 notes · View notes

sousha-ships · 4 years

Text

over-analyzing the harmonies in falsettos

an essay no one asked for, brought to you by anna ✌️

listening to the first song of falsettos not only gives you a sense of the boys immaturity (funny funny funny funny) and tendency to avoid communication (sidetracking from telling the story of how the Jews escaped the pharaoh) but also how the conflict and eventual character growth will lay out for the first act.

when they sing “four Jews in a room plot a criiiiiiiiiiiiiime !!” (and other parts at the end of the verses) you can hear the conflict.

( click for better quality ✨ )

mendel (third line) stays on his one note for “crime”. he, as their psychiatrist (no matter how good or bad he is at his job), has to be the source of stability for them. they seek his help to resolve their issues. he also will provide Trina with love and care later on in the show, which she hadn’t gotten from marvin.

whizzer and jason (second and fourth line), who have the closest bond in the beginning of act 1, both climb upwards. they soar, showing how they are brave and unwilling to stay confined by what is normal. they both sing “we do not tippy-toe” together later in the song, showcasing how they are blunt and often abrasive.

marvin (top line), who has communication problems with Jason and relationship issues with whizzer, does the exact opposite of them, singing descending notes. while whizzer/jason change notes 4 times, marvin only does so thrice, staying on one stable note for a measure after his descent.

this could foreshadow Marvin’s eventual resolution in his relationships with the two people he directly opposes in the harmonies.

1) marvins contrast to whizzer eventually levels out, specifically in I Never Wanted To Love You. whizzer and marvin agree for the first time in this song. throughout act 1, they were more often than not fighting with each other over minute details; in fact, they enjoyed fighting.

however, by the end of the act, they both explain that they never meant to love each other so much. this agreement marks the end of their constant opposition. Marvin’s harmony stops advancing in the opposite way of whizzers, finding a stable note to stay at.

2) marvin, at the very end of the act, also makes amends to jason. they sit down and have a Father to Son talk. before the lights dim to close the act, marvin and jason hug, symbolizing that they are no longer at odds.

marvins notes stop opposing Jason’s. whizzer and jason continue to climb and be opposites of Marvin. while he stays still, they move. this ties back to their character and personality. where marvin craves stability, whizzer craves freedom and jason craves satisfaction and happiness.

idk I hope that’s what william finn intended it to mean ✌️

133 notes · View notes

sousha-ships · 4 years

Note

hey i see that u like fake married fanfics... have any good spirk recs?? ive only ever read one fake married one and i want more

I WANT MORE, TOO!!! I haven’t found nearly enough to satisfy my literally insatiable desire for fake relationship stories, but by god I will share with you the ones I have! (I only started keeping track of the fic I read fairly recently, so I’ve read others that I don’t know if I’ll ever find again, but here are some quality pieces that I have saved/was able to find without too much difficulty):

The Marrying Kind by @spicyshimmy: (Kirk/Spock, AOS) I think I read this one in a single day, haha! It was fun and engaging and SPOCK was so JEALOUS. And the characterization (esp. of Spock) was fabulous. I was actually thinking about this one a few days ago because it was probably one of (if not) the best-constructed fake-married Space Husbands fic I’ve read! Also A+ sexual tension which is always a fave.

I Just Met You and This is Crazy by @luck-and-miracles: (Kirk/Spock, AOS) This one was SO SWEET. CLASSIC fake relationship, lots of Jim bonding with Spock’s family WHICH IS MY SHIT. And the ending is just so CUTE? It feels like a romcom with a touch of angst and I really enjoyed it.

Taste Test by @noodleinabarrel: (Kirk/Spock, AOS) No fake married rec list is complete without this one. In this, they’re in a relationship but pretending to be engaged and it is SO FLUFFY AND LOVELY?? This fic is like…. my happy place. And there’s more to the series after this so remember to read on! (and also read everything noodle writes because, um, perfection).

(AND OH MY GOD apparently I forgot to subscribe to this next one, but they updated recently and I think about it all the time? So thank you, anon, for making me go look for it!)

Threaded by ceruleansmile: (K/S, AOS) In this one, Spock accidentally beams Jim onto Vulcan and has to smuggle him around and of course passing him off as his bondmate is the most logical thing to do (!!!!!!) and I know it’s a WiP but give it a chance! Even if they never update again, it sets up a really great happy thought for you to finish in your imagination!

So sadly sadly sadly that is the end of the ones that I have saved!!! I’ve read more over the years that I remember enjoying, but unfortunately any details have pretty much bled out of my brain at this point. If anyone has any more, feel free to add to this list! (I AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE FAKE-MARRIED FICS)

742 notes · View notes

sousha-ships · 4 years

Note

hi do you have any fics to suggest??? I'm craving some spirk goodness over here and I really trust your judgement sooo.... 💞

Thanks, Anon! lot of some things). Every author mentioned here has so many excellent works, so if you like something please check out everything by that writer!!

Ratings: E=Explicit, M=Mature, T=Teen, G=General, NR=Not Rated

Platinum Faves (like, fics I will never forget) marked with a ⭐

Note: Some of these belong in multiple categories, or don’t quite fit in any. Authors let me know if you’d prefer your fic listed in a different category! Also if you have a Tumblr and I didn’t tag you, please tell me!

Note 2: I’ve only been collecting the fic I read for a little over a year, so this list should be much longer. Apologies to all the writers I’ve ever loved and never saved links for.

Angst:

Waiting to Take Flight by @captain-raven-knight: (T, 23k words) “Spock kept the first gift he’d ever received because his mother told him it was a traditional practice. He carried it with him because he hoped to encounter that person again. When he did, the person that gave him that gift did not remember him, at least at first. A story of how a meeting as children affects the lives of Kirk and Spock and leads them back to each other time and time again, until they finally come together years later as T’hy’la.”

⭐Study in Heat by @greenjimkirk: (M, 14k words) “After the events in City on the Edge of Forever, Spock suggests that he and Jim spend some time on Vulcan. Turns out it’s not a great place for a vacation, but is plenty good for pining.”

Deepest Residing Fears by @cate-adams: (T, 9k words) “On a mission to explore the source of strange energy emissions, the Enterprise encounters a planet where the line between reality and dreams is blurred. As each member of the landing party is tested, they struggle to survive with the knowledge that that they might be trapped forever, held against the edge of their worst fears.”

All These Flashes of White by @flamingbluepanda: (NR, 16k words) “One-half has died. One-half still lives. One-half is still grieving. One-half is not dead. Or, Spock goes missing, and Jim and Spock Prime go and save him, and unexpectedly find someone very important.”

Willing by @sunshine-captain: (T, 2k words) “Deep in space, far away from anything, Spock goes into pon farr for the second time.”

⭐And Then I Let it Go by @kianspo: (E, 10k words) “Post-Star Trek Beyond. The crew of the Enterprise gets a breather while they are waiting for their new ship. Jim uses the time to do something he had sworn he would never do.”

Bitter Dregs by @kinklock: (E, 10k words) “When they had first met, Jim had known not to touch his hand.”

Fluff:

When the Stars Align by @pensive-refrain: (E, 17k words) “Syleese, the jewel of the Kalinae system, is rich in mineral resources and advanced technology of great interest to the Federation … One misstep could destroy the nascent relationship between Syleese and the Federation before it even begins. As Jim navigates these delicate negotiations with Spock at his side, he finds himself closer than he’s ever been to revealing his deepest secret…”

Familiarity by @sunshine-captain: (M, 1k words) “A leisurely morning between Jim and Spock.”

⭐The Warp and Weft of Your Being by tardigradeschool: (T, 8k words): “When getting legally married to Spock is the only way to keep him on the ship, Jim is more than willing to do so. (In fact, upon reflection, it turns out that there are very few things he wouldn’t do for Spock.)”

Four Times Kirk Noticed Spock And One Time Aliens Made Him Do Something About It (Sort Of) by @thedeadparrot: (G, 5k words) “Kirk is pretty in touch with his emotions. Except for when he isn’t.”

A Shot in the Dark by @rosegoldspock: (G,

A Man His Age by @noodleinabarrel: (G, 3.4k words) “Jim tries to carry a heavy box up the stairs. Despite his husband’s objections, Spock insists on helping him.”

Whatever A Sun Will Always Sing [Is You] by @starfleetdicks: (G, 2k words) ““Captain?”There is a soft touch to his upper back, just under the collar of his shirt. He wonders if Jim is mindful of his exposed skin. If he purposefully avoids such intimate contact or the whisper of transferring thoughts.”

The Pillow Thief by @spirkian: (T, 2.7k words) “It is perfectly 100% logical to sleep with seven big fluffy pillows on your bed, absolutely. But when those pillows start disappearing from Spock’s bed one by one… the list of likely suspects is fairly short. How exactly does one accuse their captain of such an absurd act? :[”

PWP:

Walking in my Dreams by Qleo: (E, 3.5k words) “When Spock meditates, he gravitates towards his Captain….”

Blood Heat by @belladonnaq: (E, 3k words) ““According to your read-outs, the Captain has similar symptoms to what my people call plak tow.”“Plak tow?”“The blood heat. It has been said that one that has been empathically bonded with a Vulcan one can experience partial Pon Farr. I believe that is what the Captain is experiencing.”“Pon Farr?” McCoy gaped.”

Jim Topping from the Bottom by @ussvulcanbooty: (E) No summary because it’s on Tumblr, but it’s delightful and filthy.

⭐ride that into the sunset by @waldorph: (E, 3k words) “Jim wants to ride that (and by “that” he means “Spock’s dick”) into the sunset.”

Just One More (It Couldn’t Hurt) by summerofspock: (E, 2.5k words) “Spock starts sneaking Vulcan kisses from his captain and once he starts he can’t seem to make himself stop.”

Relieved of Command by @captain-raven-knight: (E, 11k words) “Spock had never done something like this with him. Was this real? Kirk didn’t dare voice the question.”

Carving out a Moment by nix_this: (E, 9k): “Written for the kink meme prompt : Kirk/Spock. Established relationship. Kirk spends a not-so-busy day on the bridge getting constantly distracted by thoughts of Spock… .And then finally their shifts end and Kirk persuades Spock to not do whatever else he was thinking of doing, and they Make Everyone Else Go Away, and fun sexytimes happen.

AU:

Lovers by @frappuccinio: (M, 62k words) “The first words your soulmate will say to you are tattooed on your arm.Jim spends his life keeping his eyes peeled for a Vulcan. Spock spends his life with the goal of Earth in mind, as he knows his soulmate is human. They find each other, but it’s not in the way either one expected.The fact that they are treading on the territory of a professor/cadet relationship keeps them apart, but how can you ignore it when your mind, body, and soul becomes attached?”

Next Best Destiny by @rabidchild: (T, 58k words) “AU in which Spock is Captain and Jim the (geeky) new officer in Sciences.Science Officer!Kirk - it had to be written.”

⭐Logical Erotics by @entrenous88: (E, 63k) “Just returned from a difficult space mission and about to begin teaching at Starfleet Academy, Spock chooses a logical way to relieve stress: a sexual encounter with someone he’ll never meet again. But when Spock discovers his partner of one night is Jim Kirk, a promising new cadet at Starfleet, he’s torn between his rational decision to avoid intimate relationships and his increasing fascination with Jim. As Spock’s normally orderly life starts to spin out of control, will his obsession with Jim prove his salvation or his undoing?”

Screw by zjofierose: (E, 3k words) “what if Jim were a mechanic, and Spock just needed to get his hands on a new part? I mean, what if?”

Doubt Thou the Stars are On Fire by @flamingbluepanda: (G, 5k) “In which… Jim is a theater nut, Spock is a theater critic, Bones is still a doctor, I-Chaya is a service dog, And somehow everyone falls in love.”

Loveboat by @yeaka: (G, 2k) “Spock meets with an alien prince for official negotiations.”

The Mystery Lay by @noodleinabarrel: (T, 2.3k) “After having the best lay of his life on the couch of the sleazy club he bartends at, Jim comes home starry-eyed. Bones, however, couldn’t give a shit about his roommate’s swooning. All he cares about is his half-made guacamole and the avocado Jim promised to buy, but conveniently lost when his mystery man accidentally stole his jacket.”

Enterprise Alpha by @stuffimgoingtohellfor (T, 14k) “Pacific Rim!AU. Spock was a jaeger pilot before Vulcan was overrun by the kaiju menace. Now he must find a new co-pilot and help protect Earth from a similar fate. But is James T. Kirk, the Federation’s best and brightest, really meld-compatible with him?”

Work in Progress:

⭐Paths in the Starlight by @plaidshirtjimkirk: (M, 91k words) “When a field of white flowers suddenly splits the path he walks, Spock is forced to choose. Either decision will drastically affect Jim. And either way seems wrong.”

Malleus Maleficarum by @perphesone: (M, 24k words) “In the summer of 1976, a man with pointed ears moved into the old abandoned Grayson house up on the hill just north of town. Right around the same time, strange things started happening in Riverside—even stranger than when Amanda Grayson mysteriously disappeared back in 1948. Jimmy Kirk has always wanted to know the truth. Leonard McCoy just wants to make it through the summer alive.”

⭐The Truth by @falsepremise: (E, 26k) “During a diplomatic mission to establish relations between the Federation and a new planet Spock participates in a local cultural ritual that involves taking a truth serum and confesses that Jim is his t'hy'la. What does this mean for Spock and for Jim? Can they face their own truths and find each other?”

I bet my life on you by @burning–amber: (T, 128k words) “Set in TOS Academy, year 2252, follows Jim and Spock’s lives, for the first year - my take on how they became what they did…”

⭐Home by Lanea: NOTE: this one has been abandoned and will probably never be finished, but it’s one of my favorite fics of all time. (T, 222k words) “K/S, but slow-building. A misshap brings the Enterprise back to Earth for a while.”

Misc:

Written in the Stars by @plaidshirtjimkirk: (T, 67k words) “A collection of space husbands short stories ranging from the five year mission to old married bliss.

Space Husband Ficlet Collection by @rageofthenerd: (M, 10k words) “My little tumblr ficlets about these two space bozos.”

⭐Star Trek: Mirror (The Movie) by @leifor: (T, 48k words): “Leaked screenplay for the next Star Trek movie! …No, just kidding. Although that’s what I wish the next movie was like. Basically, I imagined a realistic situation where the plot of the next AOS movie is loosely based on TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror” and combined the limits and unspoken rules set by the movie-making industry, general tone of AOS to make it seem like a true sequel, plots and feel of TOS, wishes of the audience, and my own wishes.”

1K notes · View notes