it's taken me a week and a half to be able to watch Much Ado About Nothing with Eve Best but I am watching now and I just - that 'I would eat his heart ij the marketplace' scene was so so so damn powerful.
Also, post confession, they continue to act like teenagers who have confessed a crush and aren't ready to ACTUALLY date and I LOVE IT. Feels much more on brand than all the cloying cutesy stuff in some adaptations.
I think one thing about Much Ado About Nothing that I don't see talked about that I appreciate is Benedict and Beatrice's reactions to the planted conversations that they unknowingly were meant to hear. Both conversations basically go "Beatrice/Benedict is in love with Benedict/Beatrice and is wonderful person worthy of being loved, but Beatrice/Benedict is too flawed to notice or care." This is great because a) most people, while perfectly willing to criticize their friends behind their backs, would not dare do it in a conversation that they intend to be overheard. So Benedict and Beatrice have some brave friends. b) Most people overhearing themselves being "badmouthed" by friends behind their backs would simply go, "That's it! The friendship is over!" But neither Benedict nor Beatrice do that. Instead they both go, "You know what? They're right. I do have this flaw and I do need to work on that. And Beatrice/Benedict is totally worthy of my love and affection and I will give them that." And I think that is great that both of these characters are not afraid to take criticism, even if not give directly to their faces, and decide they need to work on their flaws. Beautiful.
Benedick listing what he considers good qualities in a woman and then saying that there isn't a woman alive who has all of them and therefore he will never fall in love vs Benedick literally five minutes later describing Beatrice by listing all of those exact same qualities like babes you're not even subtle come on
Crush Culture; Conan Gray x Beatrice and Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing 2011)
For me these two will always be ace icons. Thank you Shakespeare for writing Ace characters that can and do fall in love.
There's this general misunderstanding that just 'cause you're Ace ergo you're also Aro. Aro and Ace are two separate identities. Some people on the spectrum identify a both Aro and ace hence they're Aroace (simple really!)
And I think that's the same misunderstanding these two have internalized. They've been told that just because you don't like someone "like that" also means that you are not capable of loving.... that love is just "not for you".
So here's to all the Ace people who have those who will find their love, their soulmate, and whoever matches their freak. I love you all!