#The 12/14 thing also just skeeves me out like... what 14 year old girl has ever been romantically interested in a 12 year old boy?? Those a

[most-canon-non-canon-ship-poll]

they are so cringe

Why Kataang is shit - a submission-based essay

Kataang - a canon het ship from the Avatar: the Last Airbender and Legend of Korra fandoms between Katara and Aang

Do you fancy your babysitter? Does she not like you back? Don't worry, if you kiss her without her consent enough times, eventually she'll come around! Throughout the show, Katara is cooks, cleans, does general chores on behalf of the group, including Aang. She is also primarily responsible for talking him down from fits of wrath (understandable fits of wrath: he's a traumatised 12 year old with godlike powers) and putting herself in harms way in order to calm him. He's also incredibly dismissive of her culture at times, and disregards her feelings when they don't align with his view of the world. SPEAKING OF WHICH he completely ignores her when she explicitely says that she does not want to talk about his feelings for her, and then kisses her without her consent (again). He not only never apologieses for this, but it is never brought up again! She just wanders over him after the battle is finished and kisses him and THAT'S THAT I GUESS?!?!?!!! THEN we get into post-canon stuff. The main cast are really out there doing the most: founding cities, ruling nations, etc... with the exception of Katara. What is Katara in the future? The Katara who was the first woman to be trained in combat-bending by the Masters of the North simply because she Would Not Shut Up until they trained her? The Katara who said she would never turn her back on people who need her? That Katara? She's a wife and mother now and that keeps her very busy. To be honest I haven't read most of the comics because they're famously awful and even Kataang fans don't like a lot of them. it's offensive when a female character exists only as a trophy for the main guy to win, but it's doubly insulting when that female character has so many layers and so much complexity, only to turn into the shiny trophy with no autonomy when she kisses the hero like some kind of awful reverse Princess and the Frog. FURTHERMORE if you look at Katara's utlisation (or lack thereof) in The Legend of Korra, she doesn't do anything!! Of the Gaang members who are still alive, she's the only one who never gets involved in the adventures, which considering that the plot of Season 1 hinges around a water-bender specific power that she has a personal connection to (and even the in the FLASHBACKS to 40 years previously she does not appear). It's very funny to me because a lot of Kataang fans will say "oh Katara did keep working as an adult, she got bloodbending banned!!" and this is brought out as that one thing she did, yet IN A WHOLE SEASON ABOUT BLOODBENDING she does absolutely nothing besides being unable to heal Korra, so that Aang's spirit has to turn up and do it for her. Then Season 2 is about the Water Tribes and involves the hostile takeover of the city in which she lives, but apparently she's not keen on getting involved in that either!! And look, I can't PROVE that this is directly linked to the ship, but it sure looks suspicious to me when taken with previous evidence. And don't even get me started on the fans holy hell. Like, it's perfectly fine to have ships with problematic elements (don't we all) but they truly will bend over BACKWARDS to say that there's nothing wrong with the ship OR the way it went down in canon and that they're the Pure and Wholesome ship, standing in opposition to the Evil Colonizing Zutaras. Even suggesting that hey, might it have been better if they'd taken some time apart to really grow as individuals and then gotten together in their twenties---instead of at 12 and 14 without ever fixing the mother/child dynamic or talking about the time he sexually assaulted her---will be met with outright hosility by certain members of the fandom.

[shiverandqueeef]

dipping my toes into the alex rider fandom bc i like the actor who plays yassen in the tv show, and of course there is a significant contingent of fandom who ship yassen and alex. i expected that just based on the book series' target age demographic, along with the particular dynamic between the characters (not quite allies not quite enemies a secret history tying them together, he's a cold-blooded killer who makes exceptions for alex because alex is special. that shit is what teenage fanfiction dreams are made of).

there is also a not-insignificant pushback against shipping an adult and 14 year old. Makes sense! I get it. but the thing is. having only spent a day or two in the alex rider tag i can already say with confidence that the overwhelming majority of yalex fans are themselves roughly the same age as alex rider. It's a fandom that skews young. and when it comes to engaging with fiction as a young person, it's normal for teens to use characters their own age with whom they can identify as a method of exploring their own sexuality. imagining and writing about romantic and/or sexual scenarios between a character close to your own age and an older character you find attractive is pretty standard stuff.

the very first fanfiction i ever posted? rin/sesshomaru from inuyasha. for context if you aren't familiar with the show: rin's exact age is not given, but she is very clearly a child. sesshomaru is not only an adult but also her father figure. at the time i was writing fanfic of them falling in love, i was around 12. i romanticized the idea of a girl my own age being the most important person in the world to a handsome mysterious character i had a crush on. and it was fine. I wasn't an adult fantasizing about children, I wasn't supporting grooming or influencing anyone into thinking children and adults being "in love" irl is in any way okay. I was a kid trying to figure out why i was suddenly feeling nervous and shy around boys when just a year ago i didn't care about them one way or the other. and using these two fictional characters with a dynamic that appealed to me (morally ambiguous man who doesn't care about anyone or anything except for this one girl he protects and loves seemingly despite himself because she's special) was a perfectly healthy outlet for me to imagine what it would be like to hold hands or kiss someone i liked.

Obviously now as an adult, the idea of shipping rin/sesshomaru has zero appeal, and the fact that canonically they do end up in a romantic relationship when she's older quite frankly skeeves me the fuck out. but i just didn't see it that way as a kid, because of course I didn't.

I keep thinking about 12 year old me, in the early stages of discovering her own sexuality, and how upsetting it would have been to receive online harassment for trying to explore it within the safety of fiction. And while 12 is younger than what i would put the average yalex fan at - probably between 14 and 19 - the principle is the same, only with more explicit content than the hand-holding stage i was at as a 12 year old.

anyways. all im saying is maybe try to understand why a fandom comprised of mostly under 18 year old girls would be invested in writing/reading stories exploring their sexual and/or romantic fantasies using fictional characters as surrogates, alex and yassen in particular; a morally ambiguous man who doesn't care about anyone or anything except for this one boy he protects and loves seemingly despite himself because he's special.

maybe don't blame them for the existence of pedophilia (maybe that's something you should blame on pedophiles). and actually you know what maybe stop condescending to teenagers as though they aren't capable of discerning reality from fiction and understanding the nature of their own fantasies. maybe just leave them be and blacklist the appropriate tags so you don't have to see anything you don't want to.

[ldarchive]

oc interview meme~

The rules: Answer the following questions as your OC of choice.

I chose Ari. The thing is, Ari hates talking to reporters -- if you hit on the right topic you might get an impassioned rant out of him (see: that scene in ME2 where Shepard starts listing all the ships that went down at the battle of the Citadel), but generally he’s pretty tight-lipped and brusquely Professional. So for this meme I sorta imagined him in like a semi-formal environment where he’d be more comfortable, like maybe if one of his friends was interviewing him or something... I’ve put too much thought into this, whatever!!

1. What’s your name?

Ari Shepard.

2. Do you know why you are called that?

I never got the opportunity to ask.

3. Are you single or taken?

Pretty sure it’s common knowledge that I’m married. The krogan guests at the wedding wanted to eat the reporters, but my husband said no.

4. Have any abilities or powers?

I used to run into stuff really hard for a living. Not sure how much of a talent that counts as, but they keep putting me in the news vids anyway.

5. Stop being a Mary Sue.

Hey, Kaidan told me about that while we were watching Star Trek once! Really not sure I count, though. I’m just some guy. And not fictional.

6. What’s your eye color?

Blue.

7. How about your hair color?

Blond. Well, black. Usually somewhere in-between that.

8. Have any family members?

Sure, lots. My semi-successful diplomacy career did very little to prepare me for family reunions at the Alenko commune.

9. Oh? How about any pets?

We have a dog. Laika. Her adoption papers told me she’s the goodest girl in the whole galaxy. She’s a purebreed, I--we needed a dog with a certain temperament, you know, they’re very carefully vetted. But she’s not spoiled. OK, I can feel my husband rolling his eyes at me: she’s spoiled. But only because she’s earned it. Kaidan named her.

I have a lot of fish, too. They’re more high-maintenance than the dog, believe it or not. 

10. That’s cool, I guess. Now tell me something you don’t like.

Uh, sitcoms. People on public transit who look at me funny. Reporters, especially if they try to bug me when I’m with my kids. Seriously, cut that [redacted] out. Distance. Uh, politicians--heh. I could go on. 

11. Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do?

You know, I’m an alright cook. I make a mean pot of soup. Yukagejang is a big comfort food in my house--it’s an old recipe. I usually make a big pot for the kids if Kaidan has to go away on business, but then he’s sad because he doesn’t get to have any. Heh. I grow a lot of the vegetables myself, too.

I have a music collection, too. Physical media. Very old-fashioned, but I lost a lot of my files some years back, and some of that stuff I was never able to find again! That haunts me. There was this one Batarian band... anyway, I’ve been hesitant to add more to it because our home is slowly being overrun by a frankly unsustainable number of kids.

(Editor’s note: Commander Shepard and General Alenko have two children.)

12. Have you hurt anyone in any way before?

I beat Garrus at a sniping contest once. I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me for that.

13. Ever… killed anyone before?

I feel like answering this would violate some sort of military doctrine or Council non-disclosure clause. I really don’t need the Spectres after me - I’m married to one, and that’s bad enough. 

14. What kind of animal are you?

Well, my name means “lion.” I’ve never given that one much thought, but the recruitment posters got a lot of mileage out of it.

Something I heard a lot during the Reaper War, and the aftermath, was that people felt like caged rats. Or their culture’s equivalent. That the Reapers were treating us like filthy little vermin to experiment on and then exterminate. But, you know, I’m from New York, so I’ve always known that rats are mean little [redacted] and that they can absolutely bite back. 

15. Name your worst habits?

...I’ve been a smoker most of my life, so I guess my worst habit is that I’m too damn persistent to give up on anything.

16. Do you look up to anyone at all?

Well, my husband is the only human Spectre. Pretty cool gig, right? Very inspiring of him.

...I think Captain Anderson was the first person whose respect I honestly wanted to earn. That was near twenty years ago, and... that hasn’t changed.

17. Are you gay, straight or bisexual?

I’m gay. If you’re trying to ask me out, formal inquires can be sent to General Kaidan Alenko, c/o the Garneau Academy of Biotics, Vancouver-- 

Kiddos, if you’re reading this ten years from now, that was a joke. Also, don’t you have anything better to do than read old interviews about your dad? Finish your homework.

18. Do you go to school?

I’m self-taught with most things. That sounds more respectable than a straight “no,” doesn’t it? I guess this is where I would I say I went to the school of hard knocks, if I was someone who wasn’t funny. Got some pretty remedial tutoring when I joined the Alliance, but that’s about it, unless you count ICT -- which, actually, yeah, I think ICT should count. 

19. Ever want to marry and have any kids one day?

I already did. Didn’t think I would, honestly, but here I am. Life takes you weirder places than you’re even capable of imagining.

20. Do you have any fangirls/fanboys?

There’ve been a few. I appreciate the sentiment, but... heh, actually, no, I don’t.

21. What are you most afraid of?

I think the benefit of having survived a major war is that we have the option to not let fear run our lives anymore. That being said, I’m afraid of the usual mundane stuff. I don’t think it’s very interesting to hash out.

22. What do you usually wear?

I think I dress pretty practically. Durable clothing is great if you’re in the military or are just being assaulted by two toddlers daily. And if you buy everything in monochrome it always matches... Kaidan’s mom really hates that.

23. What one food tempts you?

Anything spicy. Spicy noodles. There’s this great noodle stand on the Citadel we still eat at, but they’re not paying me for an endorsement and I don’t want people crowding me out, so you can figure out the name yourself. It’s the ultimate hangover cure. Not that I would know.

24. Am I annoying you?

Yes, but luckily I’m too polite to say anything.

25. Well, it’s still not over!

I’ve got a hungry dog at home, you know. And two children.

26. What class are you (low/middle/high)?

I spent the first part of my life totally penniless, so it’s weird to say I’m towards the higher end now. It is something I try to be mindful and make good use of... it’s just nice not to have to worry about feeding or clothing my kids. Beyond that, a lot of it goes to various charitable causes. And, well, my husband’s hair gel budget.

27. How many friends do you have?

Too damn many, honestly. You ever tried hosting a party for dozens of people with dextro/levo options, biotic-proof furniture, and enough room for multiple krogan? It’s not easy!

28. What are your thoughts on pie?

You haven’t lived until you’ve tried Mom’s--Kaidan’s mom’s--apple pie. But luckily I married her son and not you.

29. Favourite drink?

Coffee and red wine. Water. Whiskey isn’t bad either.

30. What’s your favorite place?

I’m boring now, so I’ve come to appreciate quiet places and being alone. Well, alone with my family, but they don’t count.

31. Are you interested in anyone?

I would not voluntarily wear a three-piece tuxedo and invite a bunch of people to gawk at me telling a guy I love him unless I was really, really interested.

32. That was a stupid question…

Just a bit, yeah.

33. Would you rather swim in the lake or the ocean?

There’s something about lakes that still kind of skeeve me out. I’m a city boy, so I always feel like I’m going to step on a leech or something. The ocean is nice, though, I grew up on the water. You couldn’t swim in it unless you wanted radiation poisoning, of course, but it was nice to look at. The beaches here on the west coast are pretty fun and not majorly toxic as far as I’m aware.

34. What’s your type?

I guess I’ve always dug the tall dark and handsome thing. Don’t tell Kaidan that, he’s obnoxious enough already.

35. Any fetishes?

Nothing I could talk about in an article my kids might read one day while avoiding their homework.

36. Camping indoors or outdoors?

I don’t think camping “indoors” is really a thing. That’s just staying in a house. Come on, don’t say you’re going camping if you’re going to be a lazy [redacted] about it.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Winter 2018 anime Ranked From Least Favorite to Favorite

Gosh, remember how I was just watching 3 anime last season and was so proud of my restraint? Well I binged 3 at the tail end of the season and 1 at the beginning so...it ended up becoming 7. 

So here are the links to the reviews/overviews I did of all 7 of the Winter 2018 anime for my seasonal anime overview.

This season’s anime ranking is a little unusual in that i’m not even going to try to be objective and just rank anime from “not to my taste” to “to my taste” rather than “worst” to “best”. That’s because I wouldn’t call any of the anime on here completely “bad” from an objective standpoint- all of it is well put-together and has SOME objective worth. It’s just that some of it reeeeeallly didn’t click with me and some of it did. There’s also some (cough CCS cough) I couldn’t bear to give a low ranking even though I objectively should\ and some I can’t give a high ranking despite the fact it probably deserves it because I’M STILL SO GOSHDARN SALTY ABOUT THE ENDING (...guess who). So I’ll note when that’s the case. Let’s dive into the very biased breach!

Click on the title of each anime to see my detailed review/overview of the series!

Devilman Crybaby

Your typical teenage boy merges with a demon but keeps his human heart, shenanigans ensue.

This anime did some innovative things with the source material and definitely had some technical merits and interesting themes. However, its weak first half, its exploitative and muddled handling of sexuality and its generally dour atmosphere meant that it really wasn’t to my taste, even though it was certainly an experience. On an objective list, it might get a higher ranking, but this is my list and this is the anime I had the hardest time watching.

The Ancient Magus Bride (Episodes 13-24)

A traumatized girl is taken in by an monstrous and magical guardian.

This half of the series had some really high highs, especially episode 22, which was a beautiful tale of the protagonist coming to terms with her abuse and trauma. However, it also had the lowest low of the series- the final episode basically threw away the extremely serious, fascinating conflict the series had been carefully building up to and jarringly glossed over it, treating it like some cute misunderstanding when it involved things like the attempted murder of children. It also shrugged off and excused the very toxic elements in the main relationship that the story had taken pains to highlight earlier. From both a narrative and emotional perspective, it was just terrible and it undid all the good character work the series had been doing before then. 

If this series had ended at episode 22 I would have ranked it my second or third favorite of the season. But the terrible ending means I can’t look back at this series without feeling frustrated. Objectively, it should still be a slot or two higher than it is, but I’m just too salty, guys! I can’t do it.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card (Episodes 1-12)

Sakura’s returned and she’s collecting magical cards and fighting for justice once again!

In an objective ranking, this would probably be dead last, because while AMB and DC made some major stumbles, they were at least ambitious and creative. Meanwhile CCS Clear Card is content banking off nostalgia and playing it safe. But you know what? I still enjoyed it. It’s cute, it’s sweet, it doesn’t make me angry or skeeved, it gives me the warm fuzzy feelings and I have a lot of fun liveblogging it. And even if it’s dragging its feet with the plot and focusing way too much on food, I’m intrigued with what it’s building up to and I’m glad to see these great characters again.

Laid Back Camp

A girl learns about the joys of camping through a classmate and joins the outdoor activities club.

This is a solid and relaxing slice of life show that treats its characters with respect. It also has a gentle sense of humor. However, it never really delivered the moments of awe and emotional connection that I really need to get invested in a narrative. 

Violet Evergarden

A former child soldier decides to learn about emotions and love by working for a company that composes writes heartfelt letters on behalf of others.

This show has absolutely stunning visuals, top notch production values and incredibly strong standalone episodes. The episodes that focus on grief, loss and the power of words will leave you a wreck of tears. However, anything involving the overarching plot of the war and the main character being a former child soldier is clunky and heavy handed. It’s an extremely uneven narrative with some serious flaws, but it’s definitely worth checking out. I warn that one episode depicts an engagement/impending marriage of a 14 year old and 24 year old.

How to Keep a Mummy

A young boy adopts a small, mysterious mummy as a pet and his friends also encounter fun-sized fantasy creatures.

This is just the cutest, sweetest darn show and it will drown you in the warm fuzzies. Most people would rank Violet Evergarden higher than this, but I just love these adorable characters and their charming pets so much. Plus, this show has a more even and solid narrative. It maintains a consistent tone and does what it sets out to do- which is deliver the cute and the feels- very well. While a wholesome watch, it also has enough interpersonal conflict and character growth to stay interesting, as well as hints of lore and worldbuilding for the cadre of fantasy creatures. I want more!

A Place Further than the Universe

Four girls go on an expedition to Antarctica and one of them is searching for her missing mother.

This show deserves the number one spot on this list from both an objective and personal taste standpoint. It’s the best anime I watched this season, no caveats. The narrative is grounded and genuine, the characters are lovable, complex and developed with care, the visuals are consistently beautiful, the show is well researched and well written, the resolutions it provides to its conflicts are generally smart and unexpected The series ends very strongly on a truly tear-jerking and moving examination of grief, loss and growing up. I cried, you probably will too. 

It’s really an incredible coming of age story, the kind even someone who doesn’t watch much anime can enjoy. It also focuses on a bunch of capable women and girls going on a scientific expedition and supporting each other through their adventure, which is always great to see.