#analyses

[caprisunr]

I hold my stance on the fact that Maddie and Chim know about Buck's feelings for Eddie. You only have to rewatch 7x04 to realise how they know more than they let out. We all know how Maddie probably has an idea about how Buck feels from the "Boy Crush" comment back in season two. Well, the comment goes hand in hand with Chimney's : "I am your basketball beard. I feel so bonded" Specially when we take into account how he didn't know about how Tommy and Buck would end up being a thing. The comment is directed at Eddie's persona in relation to Buck's actions. And in both situations Buck doesn't deny it.

Not to mention, Buck can't help but overshare, and he is so transparent with Maddie that he straight up confessed to want Eddie's attention this whole time. Only to misdirect his feelings later on in the episode because it just made sense that he harbored those feeling for Tommy the gay guy, than Eddie the 'straight guy' who also happens to be his best friend. —Tommy also was the one who showed up at his doorsteps and kissed Buck. So at that time it only made sense for him that 'Oh, yeah. Maybe I do like this guy.' If you guys are wondering what moment I'm referring to (Buck confessing to wanting Eddie's attention) this happens after Buck tragically sprains Eddie's anckle. He visits Maddie at dispatch to say the following: "I was pissed, you know. seeing him and Tommy become such good friends after only two weeks. I felt left out, and I guess I was trying to get his attention." Referring to Eddie's, in no moment of their conversation do they insinuate Tommy being the one that Buck has his attention set on.

"But you don't like basketball."

"I know. But now he's going with Tommy, and he's got it circled."

Buck goes out of his way to include himself back in Eddie's life in places where he wasn't before because he feels that Tommy is taking all that empty spaces he's left. All his actions are directed towards Eddie, which he is conscious of at the beggining that it is about Eddie. But at some point in the episode his feelings get mismatched and the lines blurr between the two guys who are very similar to the other. Buck becomes an unreliable narrator of his own emotions, which happens somewhere between Maddie's and his conversation at her house and spraining Eddie's ankle.

"Acdording to Christopher he's already been over three times. Eddie just met the guy like two weeks ago. Christopher thinks he's 'so cool'." I would like for everyone to notice the emotional distance between Tommy and Buck from his point of view, seeing in his monologue as he refers to Tommy as 'this guy' or 'he'. Doesn't bother to clarify who he's talking about, and the impersonal reference alludes to how little Buck actually thinks of the guy up to that point (his real thoughts slipping through). The only time he refers to Tommy by name is when he's mentioning Eddie's basketball game to show where his distress falls.

"My point is he's made an impression in a very short time." Buck is so afraid of being replaced by some guy who happens to do something cool, he doesn't even realise how hypocrital it is for him to say certain things such as this one. Considering, as we all know, how quickly acquaintance Eddie and Buck became and how quick Christopher took a liking on him. It got me thinking about how Buck must've felt like he had to work for it (introducing Carla) to be let in, and how easy Tommy's got it. And that's when the thought of how easy he is to remplace starts to kick in, where the feelings start getting misplaced.

"Get this. He said he agreed Revenge of the Sith is superior to Return of the Jedi. I mean maybe it's just me butt I don't think you lie to a child just to ingratiate yourself." Once again he shows how worried he is about being replaced, specially in Christopher's life. Buck speaks like a protective mother. And once again we've got the indirect despectiva speech; Tommy isn't just Tommy he is some guy who is trying to make himself look cool to be liked and take his place.

I have to mention again the " But now he's going with Tommy, and he's got it circled." Because not only does Buck say it once, but twice during : " Eddie on his fridge has a day calendar. Under take-out menu Thursday,"B-B-P-U-W Backlash Tommy. And it's circled". "

It's always been about Eddie and how Buck feels that Tommy is taking his place. And then later when Tommy kisses him after he says he was trying to get his attention because yeah that makes sense because he can't possibly like Eddie romantically and so intensely. That is his best friend, his straight best friend at that. So he throws it at the nearest guy who is going to actually reciprocate–most likely. Its easier to convince himself to like Tommy, than it is to like Eddie and potentially ruin his friendship. (Let's not forget how even him being with Tommy later on was about Eddie and how he would react to Buck liking men.)

Back to Chim, there's also the scene when with Maddie they were discussing children right at the beggining of their relationships. They ask each other if they're the only people without kids that they know. It takes a second until they think of Buck. Because Buck is so integrated into the Diaz family, that it's impossible to think of him without Christopher tailing behind also.

Maddie and Chim absolutely know, or at least suspect about it.

[empressofthewind]

It’s interesting to me that Near never seems to have any hangups about being L during the canon timeline. There’s one scene where he rules out one possibility on the basis that it's “an insult to L”, but he doesn’t get caught up on it. It’s a mild consideration, something he uses as a guide to shape his plan, and then he moves on. But when we get to the C-Kira oneshot, there’s a notable shift. His hair looks longer and spikier; more similar to L’s hairstyle. He’s surrounded himself with giant card towers each in the shape of the letter “L”. He still carries the puppet version of L that he allegedly made “ugly” on purpose. The first thing he says when confronted with the news of a new Kira is that he’s considering what L would do. He starts calling the new Kira trash, calls it an insult to give him the same name, as if he idolises the original Kira - which is a drastic departure from the Near in canon who treats Kira like an insult to humanity.

It’s such a jarring change, and I feel like this has to be because of Mello. It’s telling to me that in Near’s one memory of L that he reminisces about, he also carries Mello’s puppet, on the same hand as his own, and he reflects on the fact that L chose “Mello or [him]self” as his potential successor. But we know, from Near’s speech in the warehouse, that Near doesn’t think of them as an “either or”. He always thought of them as a pair, who could never be good enough on their own. When he tackled the Kira case, he could act only as Near, because Mello was there to pick up the pieces where he fell short; but without Mello involved, he knows that to successfully fulfil the role of L, he has to think like both of them. He’s thinking about what L would do, but in many ways, he’s also thinking about what Mello would do. He has the careful, logical, patient half of L down, but he struggles to harness the bold, active, reckless part of L, because that was Mello’s half. It’s part of the reason why that bitterness comes out towards the end, where he denounces Kira and calls that “not very L-like”. He makes that statement on a whim, without thinking through the consequences. He acts quickly, a little impulsively, with hardly enough time to think through the consequences. He does what Mello would do.

[seriouslyatmylimit]

people need to hold characters that aren't shoving their actions to your face accountable.

i think gangle being a character a lot of people found themselves in is great. but like, that makes people think so flatly of jax specifically because their characters are directly tied to eachother, gangle fans like to frame jax as this heartless monster who manipulates people for fun and consider her a victim and proceeds to ignore her flaws entirely, and im not saying this because i like jax more than gangle. this was a problem in ace attorney with miles edgeworth fans too, and my favorite character is miles.

while yeah yes absolutely jax is not the kindest guy out there and definitely should be held responsible for what he does but the problem is that they dont do the same thing with other characters. if you dont hold gangle responsible for the employee reevaluation as a way for her to "get back at" jax for what he does then you shouldnt hold any other character for what they do either, like the fact that ragatha called gangle annoying. that was because she'd been repressing her "rude" feelings for so long they resurfaced when she was on the stupid sauce, you can't blame ragatha for that either. gangle is so deeply flawed i hate to see her characterized as an angel because people dont seem to realize every single character is also trapped, not only their favorites. every single character hates being there and i hate to see people think only their favorite has depth.

[phantom-mizero]

You know, Bill Cipher's plan to start Weirdmageddon 2.0 is one of the most ill-conceived ideas I have probably ever heard. From thisisnotawebsitedotcom we know that Ford threw The Book of Bill into the Bottomless Pit, just like he did with the journals - which is the canonical reason we have them. This is also substantiated by all the fourth wall breaks Bill makes in his book. The Book of Bill reads you as much as you read it - which is how Bill knows he is talking to someone that knows he is just an idea. This is interesting, because it implies that there is a place somewhere in the Oregon forests where there is an entrance that leads to the Bottomless Pit in Gravity Falls. So, let's say the book gets to a Reader in our reality who actually agrees to it. They then need to travel to Oregon and find that place that intersects different realities. Good luck with that! Let's say Reader actually manages to find it and gets spit out of the Bottomless Pit just outside the Mystery Shack, they actually manage to find Bill's statue and shake hands with him. Bill said that he and whoever shook hands with him would trade places, but is that true? I mean in Sock Opera Bill did not put Dipper's mind into the Nightmare Realm, he just landed in the Mindscape. Would Bill even have enough power for that, or would Reader's mind just land in the Mindscape? But that isn't even the most pressing question, as Mabel and Ford also put around his statue as many wards against him as possible. There are already so many maybes, but let's say that Bill manages to puppeteer someone. Could he even step out of Gravity Falls? Ford would not, under any circumstances, get rid of the bubble that contained Bill and Weirdmageddon. If that is still there, that could be another roadblock for Bill. Bill said that he needs to activate another portal to assemble his scattered molecules, but good luck with that! Most of them were either not built at all, destroyed, disassembled or simply not working. The only ones we know worked were Ford's portal, which he took down, and that of the unpronounceable wizard aka the dark ages one aka the one that had to be somewhere in England, because the book mentions news spreading about "The Bastard Triangle of England" after Bill's anger induced tantrum. Which is funny in retrospect, because if he had kept his cool for a bit longer and chose his words carefully, he could have started Weeirdmageddon hundreds of years earlier. So, if Bill can get through the bubble surrounding Gravity Falls that means he would need to get to England, but there are two problems. 1) Bill is banned from most of the eastern hemisphere by various curses and 2) he would need to get the body he is possessing over there, which costs not just money, but if they are from another reality they also don't exist there, which is its own problem. All of that is also banking on the fact that the portal that Xgqrthx build is still in one piece, functional and accessible to some random person, who also has to find it first. It makes my head hurt by how many maybes and what ifs there are, but more so that Bill even acknowledges them to a degree himself as he says: "Maybe that dark ages one still works!". He himself isn't even entirely sure that at least one of his old portals is still working! Bill Cipher is just banking it all on so many maybes, while simultaneously being the definition of "trust me, bro", like we're already one of his henchmaniacs that he is pulling along for the long game, not caring about how improbably his plans sound or if there are even going to work.

[pokenoire]

Continuing my post from yesterday to break down why Serena was disrespected by Ash in this scene

Because of the image limit and because the image limit has been reached

1

Still breaking down the whole situation of this sentence being disrespectful to all the help Serena offered him on the journey.

She was the one who lifted you up and gave you advice to get out of your shit when you were bad at the gym.

THAT'S what she gets? DAMN

They call my girl submissive the whole anime and when she can't handle Ash disrespecting her and yelling at her

THEY GO CRAZY LMAO

You can't just throw that PHRASE out there and expect no one to get mad about it

No one can yell at Ash or react

No one can hit him or call him out

No one can get mad at him over some triviality.

No one can get mad at him if they're a female character

If it's a man, you can

I'll tell you what it is, midnight...

Parallels, this scene is totally a situation from the first gym where Ash found trying to improve from a loss and in an attempt Serena calls him back to his best and to try again after hards loses (remembering that BW was a sequence of XY here)

"It's so disappointing to lose

I'm trembling, but,

My clenched fist loosens

I wipe the sweat on my jeans, so let's shake hands!

Isn't the flow of time mysterious?

"Do you remember who won?"

Now look!

I can laugh as I talk with you

"I forgot!" said while playing dumb

Those are my rivals' - Rivals' OP (OS)

The show is always talking about thanking her for everything she does for her friends in that sense and not just for him. The show does nothing to fix the flaws in Ash's optimism, only to reinforce it (not new, by the way).

"I have to go, I have to do it

I can't lose, I can't stop, not until the end

I'm not alone, I'm not lonely, still a way to go

This exciting adventure isn't over" - Challenger

have to go, I have to do it

I can't lose, I can't stop, at any time

I want to help, I want to protect you during painful times

I can't turn around, I can't lie down

I can't get depressed, I can't give up, I believe

I won't rush, I won't get confused

I always aim for that distant dream..." Challenger

But he's being unreasonable here, and Ash's depression is no excuse for him to throw away all the help he got from her

He makes up with Greninja,he talks to Pikachu,but he doesn't apologize for saying that to her

She blamed herself and said "I said horrible things" but so did hesame in his angry state and the show doesn't address it.

Even if you are angry, you can't just hurt people's feelings.

He thanked but did not apologize.

She helped you remember your own self, as the words themselves describe, they may not be talking about Serena herself, but they may have been used as inspiration for these scenes in her character.

That's what the Snowbelle arc is about, it's about Satoshi and Serena themselves. People say Ash is out of character here when everything says otherwise in his own characterization.

SHE STILL DOESN'T DESERVE WHAT HE SAID

💖🫶

Thank you for reading this again, anyway. The show builds Ash's character like this from the beginning and Serena's character has supported him through everything in the same way.

She deserves more recognition than just being called "submissive" that's pure misogyny really.

[geography-matters]

I believe the the theme of this week’s Andor arc is the idea of “fighting for what you love” Cassian clearly loves Bix, going as far as blowing up the building of her abuser with her (relationship goals tbh), Luthen and Kleya actually sharing some nice moments together, and Vel only going on the mission only because Cinta would be on it too (bad idea, RIP girly).

Which brings me to Wilmon and Saw. When Saw is talking to Wilmon, he can only remember the Rhydonium from Onderonn, he can only remember the hurt, the pain, the *grief*. He admits that he’s not entirely sane and whether that’s the Rhydonium, adrenaline, revolutionary fever, or a combination of all three, he tries to pass that same feeling, that same *high* onto Wilmon. When he talks about the Rhydonium, he calls it his sister, not even thinking about his real sister who died, Steela.

So the question for Wilmon is will he follow the same path? Will he remember working with his dad at the speeder parts store? Will he remember the late nights and early mornings and hot meals with his dad? Will he remember them both trying to help Bix get un-handcuffed? Or will he just remember his dad’s body? Or will he not even remember that… will all he remember be the white hot pain…

[sugar-grigri]

I know I've said it before but I'm always so surprised to see people reading the crap I write, even I have trouble rereading after posting so to see people motivated like that I really see you as veterans.

[lacerta123]

Even though I am the biggest Gintama simp of all time, this show still shocks me every time I come back to it and realize how good it is again. I was going into Yoshiwara in Flames and was like, yeah, this arc sold me on the series when I was a kid, but does it hold up? It doesn’t get talked about a lot. And the first two episodes I was like, yeah, the animations not as hot as i thought it was back then. Things that blew my mind, like Kamui fighting Hosen, Kagura losing her shit, maybe they were only good because they caught me off guard.

So I dropped it, and just now came back to finish the arc. Holy cow. I cried. Twice! What do I even say about Sorachi’s writing man. Is it in the way things are woven together? How does it get me every single time?

I’ve thought this before, but all of Gintama’s fights are more or less agents for expressing the strength of the feelings of its characters. It’s really effective.

And also, the strength of the symbolism. The sun, moon and flame imagery is really important for all of Yoshiwara, especially this arc.

The dialogue? The character writing? All amazing, of course.

Maybe it’s the theme. The themes of human dignity, connection, and how indomitable the human spirit is in the face of oppression. Maybe those are just good themes. Except if it was that I’d feel the same way about One Piece!

I think it’s the love. Every character, their actions are driven by their love for one another. It’s the common denominator. Everything becomes sharper in the light of that. Sorachi has an impeccable understanding of human emotion. He knows that deep down people just want to belong, to love, and to stand strong with human dignity. And he tells stories about that. About how it can go wrong, about how it can save us. About fighting for it.

Idk these are my unorganized thoughts after just watching Yoshiwara in Flames. This is still my favorite series.

[delusinaldreamer19]

Sebaciel vs. Dadbastian, an analytical essay (not really)

Oh boy am I excited and terrified to start this discussion.

I’m just going to say right off the bat that I am absolutely biased towards one interpretation of Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship over the other, that being Dadbastian. However, my goal is not to criticize, but to analyze and point out the differences and, yes, correlations between the two versions of their relationship.

I’m going to start off by making a disgustingly blatant assumption about the reason why I believe both of these pairings exist in the form of a theory...Both the idea of Sebaciel and Dadbastian are coping mechanisms taken on by fans of the series to grapple with how dark the character’s canonical relationship truly is.

Now, I can’t speak for how much this really applies to Sebaciel shippers, as I am not one. But it certainly applies to me as someone who enjoys the idea of Dadbastian.

Let's start with the correlations that support this theory. Both of these concepts are versions of Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship that is more positive than it actually is. The plot of black Butler revolves around the fact that Ciel sold his soul to the demon he named Sebastian, and that upon their contract's completion Sebastian will kill Ciel and consume his soul as compensation. It’s a relationship that is predatory, manipulative, and just simply toxic for a plethora of reasons. While the manga is still ongoing so we have no definitive way of knowing exactly how their story will end, I don’t think it's controversial to say that it's very unlikely to have a happy ending.

Even so, black butler is a comfort series for many, including myself. But how is that possible?

By looking at the series as a whole and the characters through different lenses. A pro and con of black butler is that it’s very easy to interpret in many different ways, and the same applies to the relationship between Sebastian and Ciel.

I’d say there's 2 to 3 main ways that people have interpreted their relationship. In no particular order… - As it is in the series, where it’s strictly based on business and mutual benefit. They work together so that Ciel can get his revenge and Sebastian gets his soul. - Them being friends / frenemies - A ship, where they have romantic feelings for each other. (I’m not going to be discussing how people ship them for sexual reasons, as that's a topic for a different day.) - And Parental, where Sebastian serves as a father/mother (no I'm not specifying which) figure towards Ciel. I'm focusing on the latter two, obviously.

There’s one commonality between these two interpretations; Sebastian caring about Ciel (and vice-versa, but you'll see in a moment why that's not as relevant). There is loving nature to both, but romantic and parental love are not the same thing. So why, baseline, do both these versions exist?

My thought is that they both remove the main cause of distress in their canon relationship. Which is, you guessed it, Sebastian. More specifically his feelings/intentions towards Ciel. By creating scenarios where something changes his intentions of ultimately killing Ciel, it creates the illusion that there's a possibility that the series could have a happier outcome in the end, and a happy ending for Ciel.

Which brings in a new idea. Ciel, being the main character that we follow, despite having his own complex character, serves as the…how should I put this…automatic ‘self-insert’ for people. He goes through/has gone through trauma & struggles that people can relate to and see themselves in. That's why there is a strong desire to see him have a positive outcome through these two different relationships with Sebastian, because as a reader/viewer it will feel like we ourselves are experiencing that positive outcome.

See? Coping mechanism : )

Now here's where things get tricky…Discussing the differences between these two types of relationships. Ok, I could probably find a way to say this that's long and fancy, but I’m just going to be super straight forward. This is as an absolute read, I apologize :’) People ship Sebaciel because they want someone to love them, where they picture themselves as Ciel with Sebastian as the one loving him romantically. People like the idea of Dadbastian because they long for a parent's affection, where they picture themselves as Ciel being cared for by Sebastian.

Now, this is definitely just a theory, and absolutely not the only reasons why people come up with and enjoy each of these interpretations. But the Dadbastian one most definitely applies to me.

Here’s where my own opinion comes into play. Only one of these relationships is really ‘positive’ in nature. Both of these relationships when applied to the canon would be problematic in their own ways, but when looking at it outside of the context of the series and its plot, a parental relationship between Sebastian and Ciel, a thirteen year old boy and an adult figure, is more healthy than a romantic relationship between a thirteen year old boy and an adult figure. Please don’t make me explain why :’)

I’m really hoping this reaches the right audience. I’m not trying to start a war or offend anyone, just share my thoughts and an outlook that I haven’t really seen from the black butler fanbase before.

[tsugarubecker]

Sometimes I kinda laugh at myself for being 30 & writing analyses of queer subtext depicted in a show about teenagers (as I work to heal my inner child who didn’t get to see this representation on TV). And I think about how I am hanging out with a bunch of y’all here who are, in fact, teenagers. And then I feel a bit sheepish. But then I realize that 1) y’all are teenagers getting to see adults having thoughts/writing intense analyses about the harms of heteronormativity etc and 2) sometimes it’s you teens who are the ones writing these analyses! And sometimes - often - I can’t tell who’s who! And then I reflect on the fact that when I was a bit younger I def would not have had the same perceptiveness or grasp of these ideas that some of y’all have at a younger age. And then I realize that through our shared virtual space here on tumblr, this lil virtual forum, we’re sharing ideas about dismantling some of the harmful power structures of the world - such as heteronormativity - and then I think about how together, across generations, we’re working to heal the world bit by bit. And then I get emotional 😭 Big love to all y’all 💓 I really enjoy sharing space with you!

[misstallulah]

Good and Evil in “Good Omens”: A Theological Reflection on Aziraphale and Crowley ⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

In the world of Good Omens, the eternal debate between good and evil is explored in unexpected and profound ways. The series, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, offers a theological reflection that challenges traditional concepts of divine justice, revealing how the boundaries between good and evil are not always so clearly defined.

Aziraphale and Crowley: The Unlikely Pair of Good and Evil

Aziraphale and Crowley are emblematic characters who represent good and evil, respectively. Aziraphale, the angel, is often seen as a guardian of divine rules, but his tendency to deviate from celestial norms reveals an unexpected complexity. Despite his role as a bearer of goodness, he often questions divine decisions and acts according to his own judgment. For instance, his act of giving the flaming sword to Adam and Eve is initially seen by him as a potentially wrong choice, although Crowley reassures him that, as an angel, Aziraphale cannot truly do anything wrong. This resonates with James 1:17: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Crowley, the demon, is also a surprising character. Although he represents Hell, his actions and motivations demonstrate that even a demon can have positive intentions. Crowley reflects on the issue of temptation and worries whether, by tempting Adam and Eve, he acted correctly. His reflection raises questions about the role of the demon in causing trouble or doing good, and suggests that even when a demon seems to act with good intentions, it can create chaos in unexpected ways. Romans 8:28 states: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This verse suggests that even in the most controversial actions, there may be a divine plan guiding towards good.

The Ineffable Plan of God

The concept of the Ineffable Plan in “Good Omens” is central to the plot and theological reflection. This plan, which transcends human understanding, implies that every action, whether good or bad, fits into a larger, incomprehensible divine design. The Bible itself mentions the ineffability of the divine plan in Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This passage underscores that human understanding is limited compared to the divine plan.

The Act of Giving and Tempting One of the main concerns of the characters is whether their actions align with the divine plan. Aziraphale, worried about giving the flaming sword to Adam and Eve, reflects on whether he acted correctly. His concern is eased by Crowley, who reassures him that, as an angel, Aziraphale cannot do anything truly wrong. This reflects the idea that angels, as messengers and servants of God, always act in accordance with divine will, as highlighted in Psalm 103:20: “Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.”

Crowley, on the other hand, is troubled by whether his role as tempter may have had positive or negative effects. He wonders if it is possible that, even if a demon does something right, it could still create disastrous consequences. This theme is explored in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” This verse suggests that even in situations of temptation, God provides a way out and guides towards salvation.

The Question of “What is Right and Wrong”

Crowley raises fundamental questions about the concept of divine justice and understanding what is right and wrong. In the series, his reflection poses a crucial question: if a person is punished for a mistake, why not instead guide them to understand where they went wrong? This reflection raises deep questions about the nature of divine justice. If punishment is the only response to errors, then the process of learning and moral growth is sacrificed. Crowley suggests that understanding and guidance are more effective than mere punishment, and that true moral progress comes from awareness and improvement rather than simple sanction. Proverbs 3:12 says: “Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” This verse highlights that correction and teaching are tools through which God guides and disciplines, rather than mere punishment.

Conclusion: Beyond the Dichotomy of Good and Evil

“Good Omens” invites us to reflect on how categories of good and evil may be more nuanced than they appear. The complexity of Aziraphale and Crowley’s characters, and the concept of the Ineffable Plan, show us that morality is often a gray area rather than a clear-cut boundary. Actions that seem wrong or evil may ultimately serve a higher good, and decisions that appear right can have unexpected consequences.

The series challenges us to reconsider our ideas about justice and redemption, suggesting that true good and true evil are not always what they seem and that a deeper understanding of the divine may reveal a grander and more complex design than we can imagine. Ultimately, good and evil might be more interconnected than we believe, and actions that seem immoral or wrong could, in the grand scheme of things, serve purposes that transcend our immediate understanding.

[musicalmoritz]

this gonna be a weird question but ever since i have know Aoinene. I have always found a consistent theme of Aoi being a lesbian. While it cool, interesting and all, it hard to found anything canonically to use to prove the interpretation beyond "it just a vibe" . It doesnt interfer with the shipping experience but it still an interesting HC that i would love to found some canon material to build on.

I’m so glad you asked this, I’ve been trying to find a way to talk about my feelings on the lesbian Aoi headcanon for a while now. I’ve written it in my own fics a lot but I have some issues with the way people treat it so I’d like to make this a more nuanced discussion

First off, where does it come from? To answer that question you have to keep in mind that as the manga chapters were being released, fans had no idea where AidaIro planned to go with Aoi and Akane’s relationship beyond what they could infer. While it seems obvious in hindsight that Aoi always liked Akane, a lot of lesbian readers overlooked those hints because they were able to relate to being pursued by a relentless man that they didn’t want. They found comfort in Aoi’s character because her perceived disinterest in Akane was something they could connect to their own experiences with their male best friends falling for them

Then we have this scene, which is a whole rollercoaster in and of itself. At this point in the manga, fans didn’t know Aoi was faking her personality. She only existed as Nene’s popular best friend, the girl with the rumors. And, of course, the girl who kept rejecting Akane. Aoi and Nene seemed to have a very close friendship, so when this scene came out, many readers jumped to the conclusion that Aoi planned to confess to Nene. This, coupled with her constant rejection of Akane, led many fans to believe Aoi was a lesbian. Not just as a cool headcanon, but as an actual theory. To this day some fans still call her queercoded, and that’s where I have a bit of an issue with the headcanon

Because, despite all of this, Aoi isn’t a lesbian in canon. She’s not even coded to be one. In fact her and Akane’s characters aren’t able to develop without each other. Some fans chalk this up to bad writing or lesbiphobia, stating that Aoi never showed interest in Akane up until chapter 69, but this simply isn’t true. There were numerous hints that Aoi liked Akane back, since his feelings for her were first introduced. She’s shown to be absolutely devastated at the possibility of him dating someone else, and in the Clock Keepers arc we see that she’s been encouraging his pursuit of her this whole time. Fans may not like them, but it’s impossible to deny they’ve been set up since the beginning of the manga- on both sides

However, if you were to call Aoi sapphic coded/bi coded in canon, you wouldn’t be far off. In the Hanako-Kun Of Magic au, Mei fell in love with Aoi through a spell. After the spell wore off, they were confirmed to still hang out. They hang out so frequently, that it makes Mei’s little sister jealous because Aoi is stealing all her attention

It wouldn’t be a reach to assume they’re dating in this au, which would make Aoi bi or bi-coded in canon (though it’s very up to interpretation so I wouldn’t say she’s as strongly bi-coded as Kou or even Nene). It rubs me the wrong way when people discuss her potential queercoding and entirely ignore her feelings for Akane just because they don’t like the ship, it feels biphobic. It’s also been implied that Aoi has liked men (or people in general) other than Akane, he joins school clubs based on whoever her current type is

Canon aside though, I’d like to talk about why people like the lesbian Aoi headcanon. Namely, why I still like it in fanon despite feeling that it has a very weak basis in canon. Because for some fans, Aoi’s true personality reveal only made their love of the lesbian Aoi headcanon stronger

Remember how I said fans overlooked Aoi’s feelings for Akane because they projected onto her? I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with that as long as they aren’t bringing their bias into analyses. I’ve read many Aoi queercoding analyses where the creator completely ignores Aoi’s attraction to men in canon due to their own projection, and I hate to say it but that is a bad way to analyze. I’ve mentioned before that I strongly relate to Nene’s shallow crushes on men because they remind me of my own experiences with comphet, but I would never call Nene lesbian coded because that would ignore her entire arc with Hanako. Project onto characters all you want but leave that out of your analyses

Anyways, the reveal that Aoi had been faking her personality only gave the lesbian Aoi headcanon more fuel. At this point in the manga, fans were already fully convinced that Aoi was a lesbian…so to find out the pretty popular girl was hiding her true self from the world?? I mean that sounds queercoded as hell. And I won’t lie, I relate to that a lot too. The need to hide who you really are is a nearly universal queer experience, so pretty much any character that has that storyline is going to hit home for a lot of queer readers. That same trope also plays into Mitsuba’s queercoding, so yeah. Despite all the romance stuff with Akane that happened in those chapters, the big takeaway for lesbian Aoi truthers was that Aoi had been hiding a part of herself that the world would shame her for

This is furthered by her relationship with femininity. Aoi plays the role of the ideal popular girl, a common archetype in media. These girls are feminine, passive, kind, humble, and all the boys love them. That is the image Aoi presents to the rest of the school. However, the real Aoi is nothing like that. I wouldn’t go as far as to call her masculine, but she doesn’t act like the poster child for femininity when she’s being her true self. She’s bitter, arrogant, spiteful, and she only really cares about two people. Lesbians tend to have a very complicated relationship with femininity, because heteronormativity asserts that the defining trait of being a woman is your relationship to a man. As a woman, you are someone’s wife, daughter, mother, sister. So when a woman has no interest in men, she loses a core part of her “femininity.” Some lesbians choose to embrace this, they have no interest in femininity so they perform whatever gender presentation they want. Other lesbians reclaim femininity as something defined by themselves, not society. So when lesbians see a character faking her personality to conform to the societal expectations for her gender…oops she’s one of us now lol. This is also why the transmasc Aoi headcanon is popular, though I won’t be getting into that today

There are more simplistic reasons people like the lesbian Aoi headcanon. It fits a trope, the popular girl who’s pressured to be perfect is secretly a lesbian. Then she falls for her fun and quirky bisexual best friend. Unfortunately this is where the headcanon gets very boiled down, people want Aoi to be something that she’s not in canon. They want her to be a trope rather than her own, unique character. The aesthetic girlboss lesbian. She hates Akane and has a huge crush on Nene, maybe some mommy issues and that’s all there is to her. I don’t like these type of headcanons very much, they reduce queerness to an aesthetic rather than an experience. As I mentioned, the lesbian Aoi headcanon does have potential for fanon content, but some fans sadly reduce it to a stereotype

I’ve written both bisexual and lesbian Aoi, and I think they both have their perks. Lesbian Aoi requires a bit of stretching/rewriting of canon, which can be fun but it has to be handled very carefully. Otherwise you get fics that villainize Akane and ignore Aoi and Nene’s complexities. It’s perfectly fine to project onto a character and headcanon them a certain way for comfort, but in terms of characterization I would recommend people try to look past those biases when they’re writing analyses. Fanfic is a bit different bcuz that depends on whether or not you’re trying to stay in character lol, this might be controversial but some writers just don’t care and that’s fine too. They’re just writing it for fun, it doesn’t have to be that serious. Still, I would like to see more fics that keep Aoi and Nene closer to canon (they absolutely exist dw)

The reason I hesitated for so long to address this headcanon is because I wanted to find a way to talk about it sensitively. Queer fans, especially lesbians, already get a lot of flack for their headcanons and I didn’t want to make it seem like I was invalidating anyone’s experiences. If the lesbian Aoi headcanon brings you comfort then, yes, Aoi can absolutely be a lesbian. Fandom is about fan enjoyment, not authorial intent, so headcanon the characters however you want. Just don’t push those headcanons into others, and try to at least be aware of what’s going on in canon. And again, don’t write an analysis if you’re going to be biased. A better way to do it would be something like “I recognize that AidaIro didn’t go this route but it would’ve been interesting if they made Aoi a lesbian.” An analysis like that might have some weight to it!! Aoi and Akane are a super cute ship, but another straight relationship is nothing revolutionary in fiction. However, canon lesbians in a shonen series?? That’s something you don’t see every day. People have valid reasons for wishing Aoi had been written differently, I just wish they would accept that she didn’t get written that way rather than ignoring canon

Sorry if this isn’t what you were expecting, I hope I explained all sides of the headcanon well enough. Tbh a lot of it is just “vibes” but once you look past the surface, it goes a lot deeper. I also want to clarify that Aoi faking her personality reading as queercoding could absolutely work with her being bi too, bisexuals also have to hide a part of themselves and that’s something other lgbtq+ individuals often overlook. The reason it reads specifically as lesbian coding to some fans is because of her projection of femininity being fake so, by extension, her encouragement of the men who pursue her must be too. That’s obviously not canon but some fans believe it would’ve been a cool route to go. Okay that’s it I think I covered everything lol

Thanks again for the ask, I’m glad I finally got the opportunity to talk abt this <3

[empressofthewind]

Honestly it always makes me a little upset when people say Near is a copy of L/too similar to him, because as much as that's the point of his character, I also don't even think it's that accurate?? Visually he's similar, but in personality, there are a lot of key differences that get overlooked in favour of the cosmetics. Their treatment of Light/Kira is a major one that comes to mind, with regards to the notable respect L shows towards Light and his methods. Near is also quite a bit more expressive than L; L mostly alternates between "deep in thought" and "mildly annoyed", with some minor flexibility outside of that, whereas Near has a distinct look of excitement when things are going his way, looks distraught when his team members die, and gets angry several times to the point of physically breaking things. Near's manner is more blunt, and he's a much bigger nuisance to Light on the basis that he's more inclined towards brutal honesty, whereas L is a notorious liar with a habit of deception. Near also focuses more on morality in his approach to the Kira case, and doesn't have the same ego or personal investment in detective work that L does. L is a lot more physically active than Near too, with his record as a tennis champion and occasional tendency to pace while speaking. The move to enrol in college, for example, is not something I could ever see Near doing. Near was specifically groomed to be L's successor, so there's definite overlap in their attitudes and methods, but they're actually quite different characters if you look beyond the surface, and I think it's important to treat Near as a unique character who takes on L's role rather than an outright clone.

[aeonofladys]

MY ANALYSIS OF THE DANCE SHARED BETWEEN ACHERON AND BLACK SWAN

I did this when the video came out so some stuff might have changed since now we have more information, but a lot of stuff here is pretty accurate so here, i hope u enjoy:

(btw on the right bottom corner are the numbers of each slide)

If you have any questions or concerns, please tell me i would love to talk about them!!

Also i would love some recommendations of what to analyse next :D

This is my first post so i hope its good😭

[bebebisous33]

Jinx: Illumination 💡in the Tiled Sanctuary

The locked essay "Illumination 💡 in the Tiled Sanctuary " is finally finished. it's long: 5850 words. I hope you like it. Retweet/like it as support. 🙏For password, DM me. #징크스 #Jinxmanhwa #Jinx #kimdan #jinxchapter55 #joojaekyung

Please support the authors by reading Manhwas on the official websites. This is where you can read the Manhwa: Jinx But be aware that the Manhwa is a mature Yaoi, which means, it is about homosexuality with explicit scenes. Here is the link of the table of contents about Jinx. Here is the link where you can find the table of contents of analyzed Manhwas. Here are the links, if you are interested…