#and capitalism is one of the main roots of that. i just know it

[ilovelickingrocks]

being at work makes me so miserable

[deliciousangelfestival]

Echoes Of Revenge || Part 1

Character: Bucky x Reader

Summary: Y/N, an analyst at Goldenlix Capital, discovers her promotion hopes crushed by favoritism. Seeking solace in a nightclub, she encounters her past tormentor, Bucky.

Warning: Betrayal, heartbreak, manipulation.

Part 2 : Shattered Echoes

Part 3: All The Lies

Part 4: Sweetest Dreams

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

Y/N, an ambitious analyst at Goldenlix Capital, had consistently delivered profitable predictions for the hedge fund. 

Despite her hard work, the promotion she longed for slipped away when the CEO's nephew, Simon, secured the portfolio manager position.

Frustrated, Y/N sought solace at a nightclub with her colleagues. As Y/N immersed herself in the pulsating beats and vibrant atmosphere of the nightclub, she was unaware of the watchful eyes observing her every move. 

The rhythm of the music and the clinking of glasses provided a temporary escape from the frustrations at work.

Suddenly, a lavish display of expensive drinks arrived at her table, catching Y/N off guard. The waitress informed her that they were compliments of the house, leaving Y/N momentarily puzzled by the unexpected gesture.

Just as she wondered who might be behind this gesture, Bucky entered.

Bucky made his entrance with confidence, navigating through the crowd with a swagger that suggested a newfound maturity. 

Dressed in an impeccably tailored, expensive suit, he exuded a sense of self-assuredness. His arrival was accompanied by the subtle clink of cufflinks and the rich scent of a high-end cologne.

As he approached Y/N's table, Bucky flashed a charming smile, his eyes hinting at a mixture of mischief and sophistication. 

However, Y/N, ever focused and unswayed by external displays, remained unimpressed by his polished appearance. She eyed him skeptically, silently signaling that material possessions wouldn't alter her priorities or impressions.

With a smirk, he approached Y/N, confidently revealing, "I thought you could use a taste of the finer things tonight, Y/N. It's on me.”

There, she unexpectedly encountered Bucky, a college classmate with a history of teasing her. Now claiming to be the club's owner, Bucky attempted to flirt with her.

Unimpressed, Y/N looked down on his attempt to impress her. "Owning a nightclub doesn't change who you are, Bucky. I'm focused on my career," she retorted, dismissing his advances.

Undeterred, Bucky tried a different approach, acknowledging his past mistakes. "People change, Y/N. Maybe you should loosen up and enjoy the night," he suggested.

Maintaining her composure, Y/N replied, "I'll pass on the life lessons, Bucky. I have bigger goals than spending my time with someone who hasn't really grown up.”

Y/N's colleagues discreetly made their exit, leaving her alone with Bucky. He nodded appreciatively, acknowledging their departure, and sat beside her, pouring a drink into her glass.

"So, what's the problem? I never thought the nerd of my class would spend money on the expensive table," Bucky remarked teasingly.

Y/N scoffed, "This is expensive? I didn't realize."

Surprised by her nonchalant response, Bucky commented, "Where is the timid Y/N I know? She's gone.”

Y/N gulped her drink, contemplating his observation. "Money. Everything could change because of money," she admitted. 

Her past, rooted in a modest upbringing, had shaped her determination to succeed. Working hard to escape financial constraints, her dream was to become a fund manager.

She looked at Bucky with a hint of disdain. She doesn't appreciate people like him who lead careless lives just because they come from wealthy families.

Bucky noticed the scattered name cards of Y/N's colleagues on the table and picked one up. Reading it, he remarked, "Goldenlix Capital? You work there? That's impressive."

Y/N responded with a nonchalant "hmm."

Bucky, perceptive, ventured, "Let me guess, you didn't get the promotion?"

Surprised, Y/N asked, "How...?"

Bucky leaned back, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "I've seen many types of people come and go in this place," he said, revealing a hint of insight into the workings of the professional world they both navigated.

Bucky's casual revelation about his observations at Goldenlix Capital intrigued Y/N, prompting her to give him a scrutinizing look. As she contemplated his words, Bucky continued, "It's a tough world out there, especially when you're navigating corporate ladders."

Y/N, still guarded, responded, "You seem to have it all figured out."

Bucky chuckled, "Well, not everything, but I've learned a thing or two. Sometimes it's not just about hard work; it's about playing the game.”

Bucky leaned in, a glint of sincerity in his eyes, as he proposed, "Let me be your client."

Y/N, skeptical, questioned, "Why?"

Bucky shrugged a hint of nostalgia in his tone, "I don't know. Perhaps because of a nostalgic feeling. I want to help an old friend."

Y/N, maintaining her guard, retorted, "We were never friends. You always used me."

With a sly smile, Bucky countered, "Then, I'll use this as my apology letter."

The air between them carried tension, a mix of unresolved history and an unexpected proposal.

As Bucky got closer, the alluring scent of his elegant perfume enveloped Y/N. Their proximity seemed to amplify the tension, a subtle dance of conflicting emotions.

"I'm serious. Give me your name card," Bucky whispered, a soft murmur against the rhythmic beats of the music.

Y/N, somewhat reluctantly, handed over her name card. Bucky took it with a charming smile, his gaze lingering on hers. "Tomorrow your boss will go nuts," he predicted, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

With a final, lingering look, Bucky gracefully rose from his seat. "See you next time," he said, leaving Y/N in a state of contemplation, the lingering scent of his perfume and the enigmatic encounter resonating in the dimly lit ambiance of the nightclub.

Excitement mixed with intrigue surged through Y/N as she stepped into the bustling office the next day. Her boss, Ivan,  beckoned her into his office with an animated expression, "Y/N, we've just landed a significant new client. The funds have been wired, and you're in charge."

Perusing the financial statement, Y/N's eyes widened at the substantial amount. "This is impressive, sir. I'll ensure it's handled with utmost precision," she assured.

Ivan leaned back in his chair, a shrewd smile on his lips. "Not just impressive, Y/N. Make it triple. We need to show our new client the prowess of Goldenlix Capital.”

Y/N nodded, her mind already racing with investment strategies. "I'll diversify the portfolio, perhaps allocate more in growth stocks, considering the current market trends. And we can leverage options to enhance returns without taking excessive risk," she suggested.

Ivan impressed with her immediate analysis, nodded in agreement. "Exactly, Y/N. Show them why you're the rising star here."

As she left his office, Y/N couldn't help but reflect on the unexpected turn of events—Bucky's proposition at the nightclub, the mysterious new client, and now the challenge to triple the investment. 

Now witnessing his portfolio's profits tripling under Y/N's adept guidance, Bucky couldn't help but be impressed. As rumors circulated about Y/N potentially becoming the next portfolio manager, her boss and colleagues acknowledged her exceptional skills.

One day, Bucky approached Y/N with a mixture of admiration and amusement. "I knew I could count on you, Y/N. Looks like you're not just the 'nerd' from our college days anymore."

Y/N, maintaining her professionalism, Y/N replied with a slight smirk, "Money talks, Bucky. It's all about making the right moves in the market."

Bucky, however, seemed persistent in keeping the conversation personal. "Or maybe it's about making the right moves in life," he teased, a suggestive glint in his eyes.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, unyielding. "Let's keep it professional, Bucky. This is business.”

As Y/N attempted to make a swift exit, Bucky intercepted her, his hand gently restraining her. Irritated, she shot him a sharp look, demanding, "What?!"

Bucky, undeterred, asserted, "I'll double my money."

Y/N, skeptical, retorted, "What for? You already have enough. You need to learn about limits."

With a wry smile, Bucky countered, "If I have to pay a high price just to have a date with you, then I will pay everything."

Rolling her eyes, Y/N dismissed his proposition, "Yeah, right."

Bucky leaned in, a teasing glint in his eyes. "My silly Y/N. Don't you know why I always played with you back then?”

Y/N, unamused, shot back, "You bullied me to get my attention. Are you in kindergarten?”

Y/N, after a moment of contemplation, finally relented, "Fine. One date. But no, I don't want your money. The stock market is not good this time. What if you get mad because you lose money?"

Bucky chuckled, his tone playful, "There's no way I'm going to be mad at you, silly.”

As Y/N and Bucky shared that one date, their connection deepened, weaving a thread of unexpected intimacy into their lives. 

The complexities of their relationship unfolded like a carefully scripted narrative, intertwining the professional and personal in a way that left Y/N simultaneously exhilarated and hesitant.

Her life, seemingly perfect after successfully handling Bucky's portfolio, took an unforeseen turn when her Ivan dropped a bombshell – he wanted to hand over Bucky, her biggest client, to his nephew, Simon. 

The news sent shockwaves through Y/N, her world suddenly tilted on its axis.

Y/N, with a mix of frustration and anxiety, found herself standing at Bucky's doorstep, the weight of her predicament evident in her eyes. Sensing her distress, Bucky welcomed her inside, "What happened, Y/N? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Taking a deep breath, Y/N explained the situation, "My boss wants to hand over your portfolio to his nephew. It's a complete mess, and I don't know what to do."

Bucky, leaning against the wall, studied her with a thoughtful gaze. "You came to me for help. Looks like our roles are reversing."

Y/N, a hint of vulnerability in her voice, admitted, "I never thought I'd need help, especially from someone like you.”

Bucky, his expression softening, replied, "We all need help sometimes. It doesn't make you weak.”

As Y/N faced the uncertain aftermath of seeking Bucky's help, she soon discovered that her most significant competitor, Simon, had mysteriously vanished from the office scene. 

The absence of the rival candidate created a void that only she could fill, paving the way for Y/N to enter the role of project manager uncontested.

The news rippled through the office, and Y/N found herself at the center of surprise and admiration. 

Colleagues congratulated her on the unexpected turn of events, and her boss, puzzled by his nephew's disappearance, acknowledged her as the natural choice for the project manager position.

Gratitude and curiosity again led Y/N to Bucky's door, a soft knock signaling her presence. As Bucky opened the door, a knowing smile played on his lips, "Come to thank me, Y/N?"

Y/N responded with a hint of appreciation in her eyes, "I can't deny that your mysterious touch might have played a role in my unexpected promotion. So, thank you."

Bucky, stepping closer, his gaze lingering, remarked, "I'm always here to help, especially when it comes to you.”

Three months had passed, and Bucky, in the routine of his daily activities, eagerly anticipated seeing his girlfriend. The past week had kept Y/N busy as she jetted off to Dubai to meet with a new client.

However, on this particular day, as Bucky went about his usual tasks, his assistant interrupted, a hint of apprehension in their voice, "Sir, the police are here."

Bucky, initially thinking he had misheard, questioned, "Huh?"

The police, standing with an air of authority, informed Bucky that he was accused of money laundering. Unfazed, Bucky dismissed the accusation with a roll of his eyes, stating, "Money laundering? I'm a legit businessman.”

The police countered, accusing him of using Goldenlix Capital for money laundering. Bucky scoffed, insisting the company was legitimate. 

The turning point came when his assistant displayed a live news report on their phone, revealing that Goldenlix Capital was now branded as a scam company.

Bucky, disbelief written on his face, uttered, "What?!" Realizing the severity of the situation, he urgently reached for his phone, attempting to call Y/N, only to face the frustration of her unanswered calls. 

As the news of Goldenlix Capital being labeled a scam investment company flooded every media outlet, Bucky was engulfed in chaos. Desperate for information about Y/N's whereabouts, he pressed the police, hoping for reassurance.

Bucky questioned, anxiety seeping into his voice, "Have you seen any news about Y/N?"

The police, maintaining an air of detachment, replied, “She went missing."

Bucky's eyes widened in disbelief, and he uttered a baffled "Huh?!" The absence of Y/N from the news coverage added another layer of mystery to an already bewildering situation. 

As he grappled with the unfolding events, uncertainty and concern for Y/N's safety overshadow the chaos surrounding Goldenlix Capital.

The unfolding chaos threatened his professional empire and the stability of the connection he had built with Y/N in the past few months.

Fury burned within Bucky as the realization sunk in – he hadn't merely lost money; he had been played. The anger surged through him, a relentless fire fueled by the betrayal he felt. Determination set in, transforming his frustration into a resolute mission.

His mind raced with questions about Y/N's motives, but the lack of information only intensified his desire to uncover the truth. 

Bucky, driven by a newfound resolve, vowed to track down Y/N and unravel the mystery behind her involvement, or lack thereof, in the scandal that had befallen Goldenlix Capital.

As Y/N sat on the beach, watching the chaos unfold on her tablet, a sense of satisfaction washed over her. Finally, her carefully orchestrated plan to destroy Goldenlix Capital was playing out as intended.

The roots of her vendetta can be traced back 15 years when her family, once content in their middle-class life, had fallen victim to a deceitful investment scheme. 

Flashback Start

Introduced by a relative, Y/N's father had invested a small amount in Maxim Capital, enticed by the promise of a 7% monthly profit. The regular returns had built a false sense of trust.

However, driven by greed, Y/N's father had invested half of their savings into Maxim Capital. The deceptive scheme vanished six months later, leaving the company in ruins and wiping out a significant portion of Y/N's family's hard-earned money.

As Y/N's family crumbled into financial ruin after the Maxim Capital scam, her relative, who had introduced them to the fraudulent investment, callously shrugged off any responsibility. The repercussions were severe, forcing Y/N's father to take desperate measures.

Unable to secure a traditional loan due to his plummeted credit score, Y/N's father sought assistance from a loan shark. The borrowed sum might have been small, intended for crucial medicine for Y/N's ailing mother, but its interest was exorbitant.

The loan shark in question, Nicholas Barnes, was none other than Bucky's father.

Fueled by a burning anger and a thirst for revenge, Y/N channeled her emotions into her studies, delving deep into economics to comprehend the intricacies of investments. 

Her pursuit of knowledge became a double-edged sword, with academic excellence as a guise for a more sinister motive.

Even as she immersed herself in her studies, Y/N never lost sight of her plan for retribution. Every lesson about investments and financial strategies became a tool in her arsenal to orchestrate the downfall of those who had once exploited her family's vulnerabilities.

As Y/N navigated the complexities of her revenge plan, an unexpected twist unfolded in the form of Bucky. Fortune seemed to favor her, and she couldn't quite comprehend why the "Goddess of luck" appeared on her side. Bucky's growing interest in her became a peculiar element in her carefully crafted narrative.

While Y/N couldn't fathom the reasons behind Bucky's fascination, she saw it as a stroke of luck. 

Y/N, cleverly using her position at Goldenlix, exploited the opportunity to gather information about the victims of the investment scams discreetly. 

The guise of her role gave her access to crucial details, names, and backgrounds that would later become instrumental in executing her revenge.

In the case of Bucky, her intentions were more straightforward – to pilfer his wealth. The intricate dance of trust and vulnerability between them served as a cover for her ulterior motives. 

Y/N, driven by a desire for retribution, saw Bucky's financial downfall as a key component of her revenge plan.

Their shared history of friendship only fueled Y/N's determination to make Bucky understand the anguish of misplaced trust. 

Just as Nicholas had played with her father's trust, she intended to manipulate Bucky's emotions, leading him down a path of betrayal that mirrored her family's pain years ago.

Flashback End

As Y/N settled into her seat, her fingers danced across the keyboard with purpose. Each keystroke represented a meticulous calculation, determining the amount of money – with the accrued interest over 15 years – that Goldenlix Capital had pilfered from their unsuspecting victims.

With a determined click of the 'Send' button, Y/N initiated a digital cascade that would return the ill-gotten gains to those who had fallen prey to the investment scams.

Despite the years that had elapsed since their losses, she hoped this restitution would bring peace to the victims.

As Y/N gazed up at the sky, a quiet moment of reflection enveloped her. The weight of her actions, the meticulous plan for revenge, and the redemption she had sought for her family hung in the air. 

She hoped, somewhere beyond the vast expanse above, that her parents would be proud of her unconventional method of reclaiming their lost money.

One year later, in the quiet embrace of a small town, a remarkable female teacher had become a beacon of inspiration at the local elementary school. 

Known for her exceptional skills in teaching mathematics, she cultivated a passion for numbers among her students. She led them to triumph at the Olympic level, earning gold medals for their achievements.

The echoes of her dedication resonated through the halls of the school, leaving an indelible mark on the young minds she nurtured. 

The once-sleepy town now boasted a newfound pride in its educational achievements, thanks to the remarkable teacher whose commitment and expertise had transformed the academic landscape.

The routine exchange of greetings became a familiar melody in the small town's elementary school. Every morning, as students hurried through the hallways, they would greet their beloved teacher with a cheerful, "Morning, Miss Y/N."

Y/N, now a beacon of knowledge and guidance for these young minds, responded with a warm smile, echoing, "Morning, don't run in the hallway."

"Okay."

The simple yet affectionate interactions spoke volumes about the transformation Y/N had undergone – from a seeker of revenge to a nurturing educator shaping the future

As Y/N reflected on the passing year, a bittersweet smile played on her lips. Justice had been served as the boss of Goldenlix, and Ivan faced the consequences, forced to part with his ill-gotten wealth to cover legal expenses.

However, when it came to Bucky, a twinge of regret and sadness lingered in her heart. The connection they had forged amidst the intricate dance of revenge carried a weight of impossibility. The revelation that he was the son of the loan shark, Nicholas Barnes, cast a shadow over what could have been.

Y/N, despite the passage of time, Y/N found herself haunted by a lingering fear that Bucky might seek revenge. The uncertainty gnawed at her, and she wished she could overcome the apprehension that one day, the consequences of her calculated actions might come knocking at her door.

As Y/N returned to her small home, an unsettling feeling crept over her. The once familiar space now emanated an unusual coldness. A sense of foreboding settled in, causing her to hesitate before stepping further into the house.

When she decided to leave, her hand reaching for the doorknob, she discovered a chilling truth – the door was locked outside. Panic set in as the realization dawned that she was trapped within her own home.

Fear gripped Y/N's heart as she grappled with the possibility that her past actions might be catching up to her. 

A chill ran down her spine as Y/N stood trapped in her own house when the front door creaked open. The atmosphere shifted as an unwelcome presence entered, and the smile that once held warmth now appeared cold and calculated.

Bucky, who had stepped into her sanctuary, greeted her with an unsettling calmness, "Hello, sweetie. You have some explaining to do.”

Author Note:

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2023 End of Year Post - cdrama edition

Yes, we have a lot of December left, but I don't think anything else I want to check out will air before 2024 hits (it's cdrama so caveat is - you never know.)

This is only going to cover cdramas that aired in 2023; if I watched it but it was made in a different year, it's not on the list. This was a pretty good cdrama year, all in all.

DRAMAS WATCHED

(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

30 legend of twin flower - Not dignifying that drama with capital letters, as the only capital that should be associated with this is capital punishment - which is what watching this feels like.

29 Dominator of Martial Gods - sounds like a bdsm gay porn title. Would probably be better acted and written if it was.

28 Beauty of Resilience - you'd need a lot of said resilience to sit through this incoherent, barely acted mess. The thing that I remember the most other than my annoyance is all the jingly-jangly head gear on JJY. Perhaps they could have sold some of them and spent the money on a better script.

27 Divine Destiny - if you think you have too many brain cells and want to get rid of some, boy do I have a drama for you!

26 Wanru’s Journey - honestly it's probably tied with SEL - I mean it's worse but it has actors who are nowhere as well known and a fraction of SEL's budget. Still, this is a big fat nope. I will not say what I think of Aoi Rupeng's "acting" or I'd have to put money in the curse jar.

25 Snow Eagle Lord - Gulinazha's stone face, nonsense plot, terrible CGI. Take your pick as to why this is terrible.

24 Scent of Time - it was uneven but fun but then that ending was dumb enough to destroy the whole thing. Show me on the doll where common sense hurt you, makers!

23 Royal Rumors - Jeremy Tsui and Meng Ziyi are utterly wasted in this nothing trifle of a drama.

22 Legend of Anle - I had high expectations but alas. This is the drama version of color beige. There is nothing offensive about it but nothing good either. Mediocre actors are mediocre, good actors become mediocre, this is just a waste of our finite time on planet earth.

21 Romance on the Farm - it's not you, it's me in action. I can see why people would like this wholesome slice of farming family life, but it's tailored to trigger every one of my "nope" opinions.

20 Back from the Brink - if I were 12, it would be my favorite thing. I am not 12.

19 Journey of Chong Zi - objectively a terrible drama with plot holes the size of Mars and a leading lady whose face has apparently frozen when the wind changed. But I am a total sucker for the trope of upright shizun falling for his demonic disciple and going mental so here we are. Objectively, garbage, subjectively my precious!

18 Love you Seven Times - just call poor Ding Yuxi "Atlas," he carried this mess so hard.

17 Blooming Days - trashy dogblood harem fight fun throwback. It's not that great (and the fact that it was shredded doesn't help) but it's probably the last gasp of that genre for the foreseeable future, so I am grading on a curve.

16 The Starry Love - a fun fantasy where the secondary OTP stole the thunder but overall a really solid fantasy xianxia romance.

15 The Longest Promise - it could have been better - the secondaries were unbearable and there was too much of them and what they did with Alen Fang's character still gives me rage fits, but the main couple was impeccable and lovely and I rooted so hard for them.

14 Chang Feng Du/Destined - visually gorgeous, solidly acted, impeccable first half. Bland as hell second half. Win some, lose some.

13 Circle of Love - this drama is a nonsense trash heap on fire. After a typhoon hit it. It was also the most entertaining, addicting drama on this whole list.

12 Hidden Love - the sole modern on this list, this story has barely any plot but it made me care about the young, decent lovers so hard.

11 Choice Husband - starts out wacky, continues with angst and blood and happy ending. I loved it, but I've always had a soft spot for melo and schemers turning devoted.

10 Pledge of Allegiance - bromance, super solid acting, visuals, a really dark take on officials and the world. Insanely underrated.

9 Provoke - a truly fun Republican revenge and love tale, showing that short format can be wonderful.

8 Gone with the Rain - some of the secondary characters are rage-inducing (hi there, cardboard boy!) but the scheming, ruthless, vulgar FL is amazing and her slowburn with her age gap general who is delighted by her out-there-ness is great!

7 Wonderland of Love - Fei Wo Si Cun goes wholesome and the result is surprisingly entertaining. Battle couple, glorious visuals, a fast paced plot. It's the first Xu Kai drama I enjoyed in years (and he plays a rare cdrama ML it would be pretty neat to pair up with in rl.)

6 My Journey to You - that ending is infuriating (and I am OK with open endings if done properly) but what a visual feast, probably the most gloriously shot drama on this list, and that's a tough competition. Also it packs a hell of a lot of couples and familial and adversarial relationships into its slim running time; assassin lady won over by a gentle man is my favorite trope and so this is extra great.

5. Till the End of the Moon - the ending is a rage-inducing disaster for me, but this drama was the most incredibly emotionally intense, visually eye popping experience. It was deeply flawed but when it was amazing, it was like nothing else in its visuals, its characters and its narratives. It took insane risks; some paid off and some did not, but it was glorious.

4. Story of Kunning Palace - I don't often care for reverse harem stories but this one was such fun - the main OTP was glorious (strong FL, unhinged ML) but honestly everything about this was just so excellently done.

3. The Ingenious One - the most adult drama on this list. Smart protagonists, intelligent plot, emotions that felt true, this is a revenge and a mystery and found family and goes into so many directions you do not expect (Su Mengyu's PTSD after his first kill - that is something you never see in dramas, definitely not prolonged and profound - not like this.) If I was to say which drama was objectively the best on this list, as opposed to favorite, it would be this.

1 (tie) Lost You Forever 1 - this is an exquisite emotional jewel of a story about damaged people moving forward, with damage always present - their past informs their present and always will. The narrative about Xiao Yao and three very different men in her life makes me think that it's an equivalent of a neutron bomb going off right before the main narrative starts and now we are watching the survivors wander in the wreckage. This is very high fantasy setting but it's one of the most emotionally human narratives out there.

1 A Journey to Love - everything I ever wanted - assassins, ride or die adult OTP with genuine believable conflicts, great and complex secondaries, beautiful fights. Oh, and yeah Liu Shi Shi domming the hell out of every man in a ten mile radius, as she should.

FAVORITE DRAMA

It's a tie between Lost You Forever Part 1 and A Journey to Love. LYF1 is a bona fide art piece but it's only part 1 and who knows if part 2 will be any good (seeing the huge ep number cut, I have my doubts) and so it's incomplete. AJTL is an old school wuxia romance with incredibly competent, adult people in love and great cast of secondaries. I can't pick.

WORST DRAMA

romance of twin flower - this is a drama that should not exist. If I could hex everyone involved with it, I would. It's a terrible, stupid, shrill, badly acted drama to start with, but where it really is catapulted into stratosphere of horror is that is took my very favorite non-danmei web novel of all time, a smart and complicated tale with incredible protagonists and turned it into that barftastic abomination. Peng Xiao Ran kept making horrible drama after horrible drama but I kept giving her a chance because of Goodbye My Princess but after this disaster, I've had to accept GMP was a fluke and she is on my "if she's in it, I am out” list. Ding Yuxi is not that far yet (his performance in Seven Lifetimes was the one thing carrying that mess afloat) but he's on freaking thin ice. Anyway, I like to pretend this drama does not exist.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

It was hard because there were so many I loved this year - Deng Wei's traumatized, gentle Seventeen from LYF1 (if someone told me I'd swoon and weep for a character played by Deng Wei, I'd have told them to examine their brains asap), Liu Yuning's incredibly capable, deadly, contained Ning Yuanzhou from AJTL, Zhang Linghe's unhinged Xie Wei from SoKP, Chen Xiao's schemer with a heart Yun Xiang from TIO.

But ultimately, it couldn't be anyone else but Luo Yunxi as Tantai Jin/Demon God/Ming Ye/Cang Jiumin in Till the End of the Moon. He was everything - a demon, a saint, a martyr, a monster, a tormented abuse victim, a savior, joyful, unhinged, smart, pitiable. It was the cdrama performance of the year for me. Luo Yunxi even in a mediocre role is impressive but in a complex (series of) role(s) designed for his strengths, he is a force of nature.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Xiao Yao (Lost You Forever Part 1). Once again, there were runner ups - Bai Lu's smart a little evil FL in Kunning, the gloriously unhinged assassin domme Liu Shi Shi in AJTL, Esther Yu's assassin longing for a different life in MJTY etc etc etc. But Xiao Yao's damaged, difficult, very self-aware woman stole my heart. I was skeptical going in because I haven't enjoyed a Yang Zi performance in a long time, but she was the wounded beating soul of this incredible drama.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Where do we start? How about all of Seventeen's (LYF1) monster family? His brother, who tortured him for years physically and emotionally to such a degree his body is a horror map and his personality is permanently altered because "mommy liked you better." Psycho mother who created a situation where the kids were going to turn on each other and "let's get my grandson raped" grandma. Where is a well-placed meteorite when you need one.

FAVORITE SHIP

Xiao Yao/Seventeen, LYF1. Yes, a ship of characters played by Yang Zi and Deng Wei is my favorite. Leave me alone, I am on my tenth helping of crow already. They are both incredibly damaged, barely functioning survivors who find what they need in the other - he finds a savior and someone who sees him as a man and rebuilds himself around her and she finds someone who will always put her first and only, and subsume himself in her. Is it healthy? No. Does it make sense for them and is it making them slowly functional? Yes.

Runner up: Ren Ruyi/Ning Yuanzhou, AJTL - two adults, so competent, so chemistry full. She has so much damage and so little normalcy but is so strong and he is oddly gentle (in between murders) and incredibly self-reflective. They are each other's mirrors and I love them.

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Su Mingyu/Ke Menglan, The Ingenious One - the idealistic merchant who wants to join jianghu until he sees its horrors firsthand and a slave entertainer who wants security but decides she wants him more. They are gorgeous and glorious and wholesome and I adore them.

Runner up: Liu Gong Quan/Ming Zhu, The Ingenious One - that drama was a shippy gift, especially impressive considering it wasn't even romance-centric. He's the officer who has to bring down her treasonous father but loves her. Delicious.

Another runner up is Chao Feng/Qian Kui, the angelic good girl and the scheming bad boy in The Starry Love. They stole the drama from the main OTP for me.

NOTP

Scent of Time endgame. What the hell was even that. It made NO sense.

FAVORITE SCENE

So many good scenes this year - Tantai Jin taking apart Li Susu in prison in TTEOTM, the OTP fighting in perfect sync and insane rhythm in the gorge battle in AJTL, Chen Ruoxuan's character stopping the execution in Pledge, Yan Lin's coming of age in Kunning, the poison/antidote "gamble" in MJTY, Cang Xuan detoxing in LYF1. But I think ultimately, me being who I am, my favorite scene is Xiao Yao kissing Seventeen's damaged, scarred knee to show he is in no way inferior for her. AAAAA!

In terms of pure jaw dropping visuals tho nothing will ever beat Ming Ye’s battle against the Devil God in TTEOTM.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Ning Yuanzhou, AJTL. He's sexy as hell (that height, that way he moves in battle) but he's also so incredibly competent, so adult, so self-reflective and so attracted to a woman for her strength. He also gets whumped on the reg. Anyway, my hormones are ready.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Gong Yuanzhi (My Journey to You) - I loved the unhinged, brocon poison boy. He was everything. Also Yan Lin (Kunning) - talk about sunshine; I totally got why all these people felt they needed to save him.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

My Journey to You - what the HELL was that ending?

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

legend of twin flower - that is, stab it with scissors like it stabbed the novel until it's dead.

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Till the End of the Moon - they clearly cut stuff to fit into the new regs about runtime and it made the last 1/5 rather abrupt. Gimme!

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

The emperor cannot be irredeemable. WTF, China, you are a communist country!

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

This is the year of a ML who yearns to be dommed by his FL. Long may it continue.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

The Legend of Anle - the novel had a great plot, the cast were all actors I either enjoy a lot or somewhat and we got - whatever that soggy piece of wonderbread toast was.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

LYF1 - I only checked out to mock because nobody could explain the story to me and nobody in the cast did anything I like either ever or in years. And then I fell utterly and completely in love and had to eat so much delicious crow.

2023 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

Ancient Love Song is the only one on that list. It looks really good, I just need to brace myself.

BEST NON-2023 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2023

The Imperial Doctoress - best slowburn and pining and glorious character development and adult leads.

MOST ANTICIPATED

Anticipating any nonaired cdrama is a mug's game but if they air, I will definitely check out all the Fox Matchmaker dramas, LYF2, JoL2 and The Last Immortal. If Prisoner of Beauty ever is allowed out of the vault (dubious), it goes on the list too.

[imakatperson22]

I’m back with more thoughts:

(It’s long but I put a lot of effort into it so please read!):

I’m seeing a lot of concern for buddie’s canon potential from a network/business standpoint. People are worried it will be too much of a gamble for the network to go all in on buddie. Let’s break that gamble down:

(This is considering the sole factor of network strategy and not whether the actors are willing to do it or if the writer’s choose to go down that road. For the sake of argument, let’s say everyone is on board except network execs.)

Let’s start by looking at the environment of the television industry. Back in ye olden days, at the dawn of modern fandom, queer ships were not ever expected to be canon. Those who shipped them had this understanding and shipping largely remained a thought experiment or creative inspiration. It was always JUST FOR FUN because there were no meaningful consequences to it. In this era, it probably would’ve been a bad bet to introduce a queer love story because we hadn’t reached a place in society where it was not only tolerated but rooted for by a meaningful amount of a show’s audience.

Today is an entirely different ball game. Today queer people have gained enough power in society and proven they will consume media involving queer romance enough to make it profitable to include these plots. Today, we as a community have enough allies who also have a desire to see our stories told. Coupled with internet fanfiction and social media platforms, we now have the opportunity to engage in a pseudo dialogue with those who produce content. Now, shipping and fandoms have reached a point where our voices and our opinions do actually have weight to them. Now, we have the opportunity to affect change to a piece of media. We have somewhat of a say. There are now consequences to our actions.

It’s a risk, yes, to get the two (until recently, presumably heterosexual) main macho male leads together because of homophobia. But this show already has a lesbian couple. The viewers who will leave if buddie gets together because “the writer’s turned them gay” are probably not the same fans who are tuning in every week without fail to watch their favorite characters. They’re more likely casual viewers. They come and go, drifting in and out because it’s something to put on in the background or because the rescues are interesting. So yes, it’s quite possible viewers abandon the show due to buddie canon, but these fans were likely not a solid, dependable group in the first place.

On the other hand, it IS also a gamble to NOT make Buddie canon. This is the (flag)ship (flagship ship?) of the show. Not every loyal viewer ships them, but probably most do, and they do so strongly. If they shut the door on Buddie becoming canon, this will absolutely alienate a hefty chunk of the shows viewers as well. If they don’t walk the line close enough on the “will they, won’t they”, these fans will get frustrated with the lack of payoff and leave. Gone are the days where fandoms stay satisfied if the show tosses them a crumb, a wink in their direction, for their ship because now the option for more is on the table. We know the network knows what we want. We know they see us asking for it. Ignoring it in and of itself is a decision. Competition is stiff and if you decide not to capitalize on fans’ desire for queer romance, they have other options. If they choose to not make buddie canon, many of these viewers will also abandon the show. The difference is this group is the one who’s coming back every week for their love of the characters. This group is the one generating the hype on social media and flooding the internet with fan edits. This group also attracts viewers.

So. Here we are. Two decisions. Both will cost fans. How many fans? Who knows. But only one will also attract them. And that’s the thing. Keeping the status quo isn’t going to generate hype around the show. Only one decision will bring new viewers in. How many people have we seen online say “I’ve never watched this show before, but now that I’ve heard about it, I’m curious.” How many of you reading this came to this show for that reason? We’ve already seen this happen with the bisexual Buck storyline. The ratings for that episode are the highest in the season. The internet is abuzz about it.

Another unique position the show finds itself in is that all the groundwork for a Buddie storyline has already been laid. They could easily avoid falling into the trap of shameless bad fan service because the ball is already tee’d up. They just need to knock it out of the park.

I firmly believe that making buddie canon, if the story is told with skill and care, is the right bet. I believe that not making buddie canon is a greater risk to the show’s revenue. From a business standpoint, buddie canon is the better choice. Whether or not the network execs choose to do so remains to be seen, but I have hope.

If you’re still here, thank you for reading. Here’s a cookie as your reward 🍪.

[lover-of-mine]

No, because the thing is, 911 has 3 established main couples, 2 we see them getting together, bathena and madney, and the other is introduced to us already established, henren are already married when we get introduced to Karen. But an interesting thing there for me, is that Karen is introduced to us while Hen does something that most people find unforgivable, cheating, which makes us sympathize with Karen even though Karen technically only exists to be Hen's wife, so even tho the audience is usually biased towards the main character, we end up caring about Karen more, which makes it so even though she only exists through Hen, we like her, we like them together. Madney and Bathena on the other hand work because they exist individually, we care about all four of them, the relationship is an extra point for the character, it's not why they're there, so it works because we are not heavily biased in any direction. And that's the thing that makes me question what's going on with the love interests for Buck and Eddie. Ali barely existed for us but there's a really heavy point against her with the whole not being able to deal with Buck's job. Taylor is right off the bat introduced to us as someone who will use anything to get on top, including wanting to capitalize on Bobby's addiction, so we always end up suspicious of her because she was willing to hurt a character we care about for her own gain, so she never really had a chance, she only exists through Buck, and she already hurt someone else, so most of us don't care that Buck cheated on her and we're not really surprised when she uses the Jonah thing, so no real chance there. Natalia is a little too excited about Buck's death at first, I personally can't get past the cool comment, that feels insensitive but maybe that's just me, but either way she learned more about Buck and she left, so right now, she only exists through Buck and we know she's capable of leaving at any inconveniences (I don't really think finding out the guy you're trying to date is a sperm donor and is gonna end up housing the mother is just an inconvenience but you get me) so we will be heavily biased towards Buck on any future conflict because Buck is the only one we care about there and she left him before. Imma add Lucy here because it's also interesting the way that Lucy is the one that has the best fighting chances here, Buck and Luck could work and be a fun couple to watch, Lucy is a firefighter so it would be easy to make her exist outside of Buck and make the relationship balanced but the whole kissing Buck while he's drunk and dating someone else makes it so most people will be biased against it, the same cheating thing that makes us root for Karen and despise Eva, ends up working here, even if it's very mild version because we don't really like Taylor. And like, Shannon, she was always written to be fridged, it is very clear that Eddie was always planned to be a single dad army vet widower, so she never had a fighting chance to begin with, but she left Christopher, abandoned Eddie to deal with it all, so most people would never root for her anyway, because even Eddie is shown as not sure of her. I kinda think Ana falls into the same category as Ali, I don't think we see enough of her to care about her, but the panic attacks really kill her chances even if she didn't have something wrong about her introduction. And, well, Marisol has 3 seconds of screen time, there's not enough information to do anything there. Also, I think Lena falls in the same category as Lucy, it could work if they really wanted (I don't think they did) but Lena was the person that took Eddie to the first fight so she has points against her.

So the thing is, the show knows how to build relationships, so what the fuck are they doing with Buck and Eddie considering they are making sure they work together and individually if there isn't some sort of plan to eventually get them together?

[bioethicists]

Your post about unfollowing people who’re really combative online made me think about someone in particular. Apologies if this is out of nowhere so feel free to ignore.

If somebody (with thousands of followers) who isn’t a part of a specific marginalised group habitually seeks out bad takes regarding them to dunk on, isn’t that a little weird? I’m not talking about defending your friends when they’re facing discrimination or dunking on the main bigot character of the day, but regularly seeking out bad takes from small accounts that’d otherwise never seen the light of day.

It’s nobody on here I’m referencing. I feel a little crazy because this person gets heralded as a huge ally and has a lot of people in this marginalised group who’re really devoted to and defensive of them but it just really rubs me the wrong way because they seem really discourse-brained more than anything else.

yeah haha ironically i think some of the ppl on that post are seriously missing the point (which i probably could have made clearer) in terms of some of them are like. people who clearly think being told they're racist is the same as the type of behavior i'm talking about.

but also yes! this is more what i meant- people who are seeking out fights with those who would otherwise never get any attention! especially when it's takes that are NOT popular or the response is just totally disproportionate. or just building a social media brand off of over-exaggerated hatred/meanness towards people who "deserve it". it reminds me of all the cis people on here who constantly reblog shit about like... putting terfs in meat grinders but then never even lift a finger (or, more likely, are part of the mob) when trans women are sexually harassed or viciously bullied.

i don't think joking about harming bigots is some grand moral wrong, but it's often just gratuitous in a way where... are you actually expressing outrage or are you using the performance of outrage to get followers? what if that outrage is directly putting people in danger (e.g, if you find a terf with 45 followers + start sending her death threats, is that helping anyone or is it potentially provoking more violence, which you know full well you will NOT be the primary target of). i can see how this behavior can result in members of certain groups defending you, because if nobody has shown their willingness to defend you, isn't it refreshing to see someone who will? it's not so simple, either, cuz i do think ppl who do this do CARE, but i'm not sure the way that they care is sustainable or would hold up to a real, complex situation where allyship is needed.

it's so contextual + i'm not arrogant enough to pretend like i'm the one who can see the context right 100% of the time. this is a little sappy but i feel like the difference is whether the root of the anger is love/hope or if its fulfilling your own desire to lash out/release tension/look good. like "i'm pissed because i care about my trans siblings + it hurts me to see them treated this way + nobody else is saying shit for them so i'm stepping up" vs "raging online meets a need in me that i'm not willing to acknowledge + here's the perfect target". not exactly that simple but sometimes u can tell someone would be a kiwifarms bro if they didn't need social capital from a different crowd, ykwim (which btw we regularly learn that certain leftists will comb through + disseminate kiwifarms shit if it fits their vibe, which is an automatic red flag to me that you only care about drama, not morals)

it reminds me of how some "callouts" are clearly written with the intention of preventing harmful people from maintaining the power to do more harm (e.g x popular artist sexts underage fans) while many others are clearly written with glee about someone turning out to be Bad (e.g x popular artist has a private twitter that i, op, SCROUNGED to find, where they say horny things about genshin impact characters)

[mirageofadesert]

Till The End Of The Moon and the issue of audience identification

Who do you think is the main character in TTEOTM? Who do you like the most? Who do you identify with?

One of the things I loved the about this show is its approach to story telling. TTEOTM centers on two main characters with unique perspectives, who's goals are at odds with each other. This pattern is continued with the other characters as well, each of them having a perspective based on their experience and limited knowledge of the overarching story-line.

Reading some comments (mostly on reddit), this approach to story-telling seems to have gotten mixed responses. Among the fair criticism, however, are some comments that at times made me doubt, that we even watched the same show. And while a lot of it could be explained by difference in cultural background, age and media literacy, I think there is a potential problem in whom the audience identifies with, and what they consequently project onto the character.

Who is the main character?

The Main Character is the character with whom the readers most identify and around whom the passion of the story seems to revolve. In theory TTEOTM has two main character, however, these two are not equally fleshed out in the course of the show.

While we first get introduced to Devil God 2.0, it's Li Susu through who's eyes we experience the world. She is the main character for the first part, meanwhile Tantai Jin gets introduced later, but he quickly takes up more and more space. Most of the plot, action and emotional moments are soon linked to his character. The show succeeds in making us pity Tantai Jin and root for him - even through Li Susu is still the heroine of the story.

After Ye Xiwu's death, the story switches and from this point own, we get to know a new world, the sects of Buzhao Mountain, through Tantai Jin's eyes. Both emotional scenes and plot are still mostly linked to his character. Li Susu becomes more and more quiet - and I think some of it is due to the editing. In the last few episodes there are a couple of scenes of the camera just silently circling her. Going by the pattern of cinematography establish so far, these scenes probably had Li Susu's internal dialogue, which was later cut; same as some central moments of personal growth for her character (e.g. most of the demon arc in the Jing capital).

Who does the audience relate to?

Another common criticism is that Li Susu's action "don't make sense" or that she isn't well written. I have already dedicated a long post to this topic (and why I disagree). I believe, the main problem is that parts of the audience can't relate to her.

Some of it might come down to our media consumption habits and even expectations when it comes to Chinese dramas. In my personal experience and following the discourse on different platforms, some c-drama viewers seem to struggle with self-inserting into Li Susu. She doesn't have your usual relatable c-drama problems: parents, marriage, self-esteem, controlling family, social status, popularity etc. Instead, her problems are of the world saving kind. While there are relatable subplots later on (e.g. conflict between siblings, struggling with falling for the "bad boy"), it makes sense that not everyone will feel the same way about her.

Tantai Jin on the other hand is portrayed quite relatable. In an attempt to humanize him, the audience does not only empathise with his situation, his struggles evoke the majority of emotions. While none of us can relate to the pressure of potentially becoming an evil God, motives like marginalization, being ostracized and bullied, abandoned by a parent, fearing both commitment and loss, experiencing a more or less one-sided love or one's life being controlled by forces outside one's control, are human problems and therefore relatable to a broader audience.

I do relate to both differently, and it has elevated my experience of the show. However, Li Susu's character deserves a more flashed out character development, which might have made her accessible to more people.

The be him and to be with him

Like probably many of you, I tend to relate more often to male characters than females. A reason for this is, that female characters in media are often not written well or portrayed from the male gaze. You don't identify with the eye candy, you relate to the hero. Fortunately, Li Susu is not written from the male gaze!

From the glimpses I have seen of the international fandom, fans want to be Tantai Jin (because they identify with him), but they also want to be with him (duh). This is - to no small extent - because of Luo Yunxi's acting skills and popularity. Tantai Jin is not only most people's favorite character, he is "poor little meow mew", "babygirl" and a badass anti-hero. He is both romanticized in his relationship with Li Susu and sexualized on his own.

Identification can - and this is by no means a problem - lead to female-coding male characters in head-canon. Seeing them as a desirable character at the same time, however, can bring a different dynamic to the sexualization. Please, don't understand me wrong - I'm not saying this is something I'm criticizing, nor are these the only factors are at play in this.

I think, it's rather interesting to see the different reaction to male and female leads, and how e.g. cultural bias and gender socialization plays a role here.

With this in mind, the criticism of the characters in TTEOTM becomes understandable - not agreeable, but I'm beginning to understand why people have come to these conclusions. To say that Li Susu is heartless and unfaithful, that honest communication from the beginning would have solved all problems, or that Tantai Jin's sacrifice is a blasphemous appropriation of Jesus' death on the cross (not kidding), always tell more about the person making the interpretation, than about the medium itself.

Thank you for bearing with my rambling on why Tantai Jin is the best boy, and why I think Li Susu deserves better!

[autolenaphilia]

I think it’s important for lefists to know that there is such a thing as a reactionary anti-capitalism. The root of recognizing it is that it objects to capitalism on the basis that capitalism destroys traditional culture, family and religion, and thus must be opposed to preserve tradition.

Marx’s Analysis

Now this charge against capitalism is of course completely true. Capitalism in Marxian analysis is a revolutionary force, one which destroys the material and social conditions of feudalism.

As Marx himself put it in the first chapter of the Communist manifesto:

“The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his “natural superiors”, and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous “cash payment”. It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation... In one word, for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation. “

“The bourgeoisie has torn away from the family its sentimental veil, and has reduced the family relation to a mere money relation. “

“The bourgeoisie has through its exploitation of the world market given a cosmopolitan character to production and consumption in every country. To the great chagrin of Reactionists, it has drawn from under the feet of industry the national ground on which it stood. “

The most famous quote on the subject from that chapter is probably this description of what capitalism brings: “All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind.“

This is ultimately a good thing in the Marxian analysis. The concepts of family, religion and cultural tradition swept away by capitalism are just sentimental nonsense and itself a mask for exploitation and oppression. Any queer person knows that intimately.

The origins of reactionary anti-capitalism

Now this revolutionizing of the world does not only leave the working class, dissatisfied, but also the old elites of the feudal world left behind by this development. In the European context in which Marx was writing, the old aristocracy reacted violently to capitalism and liberalism sweeping away their old feudal privileges. This led to the creation of conservative and reactionary ideology, in the original sense of the word, which was fiercely anticapitalist. Also the old religious elites of course also react negatively to all that is holy being profaned. The Catholic Church thus became and remains one of the main reactionary forces on the planet.

And this reactionary ideology was anti-capitalist, and can take on a deceptively socialist form. This was true even in Marx’s time, and he devotes the third chapter of the Manifesto to taking on “reactionary socialism” and “feudal socialism” and “clerical socialism.” which are well worth reading even today. As Marx notes, the exploitation of the working class was often used as a cudgel against the new capitalist system, but the old medieval feudal system that these reactionaries romanticized (quite literally in the case of the romantic artists) was no better towards the peasantry.

After Marx’s time

And in the 175 years since the manifesto, while the old feudal aristocracy is no longer a political force to be reckoned with, reactionary anti-capitalism is still a thing.

Of course the Catholic reactionary tradition has been very much alive in this period. It started with Joseph De Maistre, one of the founding ideological fathers of conservatism and through groups like Action Francaise still informs catholic politics today. The Catholic church supported fascist or fascist-like dictatorships in many countries during the 20th century, like the Estodo Novo in Portugal, the Francoist regime in Spain, the Austrofascist ständestaat in Austria, the Nazi puppet regime led by a Catholic priest in Slovakia and the extremely violent Ustashe in Croatia. And this is not in the past, you can see similar developments in Poland and Hungary today, where a kind of far-right fascist catholic dictatorship is developing.

And the Catholic church ideologically tends to not fully accept capitalism but instead preaches an social teaching and their own somewhat incoherent economic philosophy distributism as an alternative to both capitalism and socialism. It opposes capitalism from a reactionary standpoint, it’s why the Pope and the church both make anti-capitalist statements and anti-lgbt statements. The Catholic clergy is an old religious elite who doesn’t appreciate competition from the bourgeois.

Of course, the Catholic church is not alone among Christian churches to engage in this kind of rhetoric, the Orthodox churches have similar views, and you can find all kinds of politics in the protestant churches. Catholicism however is unified, global and consistent in a way no other religious movement is, and its politics are defined by this kind of reactionary thought.

20th century Fascism inherited the reactionary anti-capitalism of reactionary catholic thought. “The first feature of Ur-Fascism is the cult of tradition.“ as Umberto Eco put it, and that puts it somewhat with odds with capitalism as capitalism does play a revolutionary role. And so fascists use anti-capitalist rhetoric. They often appropriate socialist rhetoric for this end. Benito Mussolini was a former Italian Socialist Party member and knew how to sound like an anti-capitalist man of the working people when it suited him. And the Nazis called themselves National Socialists precisely to exploit popular enthusiasm for socialism and anti-capitalism.

Much of modern fascism are influenced by the French Nouvelle Droite, which borrows extensively from the left, not just anti-capitalist rhetoric but also anti-colonialist rhetoric. They have a doctrine of “ethnopluralism”, where each ethnicity should live and develop their cultures separately, and accordingly immigration to Europe of non-white people and European colonialism of non-white people are both condemned.

We can also speak of there being reactionary anti-imperialism in non-western countries. They have developed largely independently of the European forms of anti-capitalism, but arise from similar social conditions, like a religious leadership fearing being swept away by capitalist development and western imperialism. The forms of islamism that are explicitly against the west are a good example of this reactionary anti-imperialism, like the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran. There are of course other forms of islamism that are effectively aligned with the western world, like that of Saudi royal family and Erdogan’s government in Turkey.

Of course, none of these movements I mentioned have when they have come to power actually abolished capitalism. In fact, these fascist movements has frequently been backed by and controlled by the capitalist class. Reactionary anti-capitalism has remained a matter of rhetoric and ideology rather than practice, but that’s the point of it. It’s purpose is to manipulate people’s discontent with capitalism to support reactionary ends. Their position in practice is very much “not all capitalism.” And the dividing line is drawn in blood.

The Anti-semitism of reactionary anti-capitalism

This deserves its own section because it’s very important. Practically all the movements I mentioned above have been violently anti-semitic, and their antisemitism is central to their ideology. And antisemitism is central to practically all forms of reactionary anti-capitalism. This has been well-known for a long time, even by the 1890s antisemitism was called “the socialism of fools” by German socialists. Nowadays it’s sometimes hidden, in terms of “bankers” and “globalists” or by calling out individual wealthy Jewish people like George Soros rather than outright writing “the jews are doing this.”

The Jewish heterodox Marxian historian Moishe Postone wrote a brilliant analysis of Nazi antisemitism in his article “Anti-semitism and national socialism”, where he discusses nazi antisemitism as a “foreshortened anti-capitalism.” Antisemitic “anticapitalism” often condemns an abstracted and parasitical finance capitalism associated with jewish money-lenders/bankers, while valorizing industrial capitalism for producing concrete and real things. This was in practice how the nazis could justify allying itself with gentile industrialists while condemning jewish bankers. This is what runs through a lot of reactionary anticapitalism, and explains a lot about them.

What reactionary anti-capitalism is today

How do we recognize this reactionary anti-capitalist thinking and keep us from being drawn in by it and spreading it? As I said before, reactionary anti-capitalism objects to capitalism on the basis that capitalism destroys traditional culture, family and religion, and thus must be opposed to preserve tradition.

This means that it often is anti-modernist and makes appeals to nostalgia, to a mythical past golden age. The modern capitalist age has decayed and we must return to tradition to revive this golden age. It’s the concept of degeneracy, which I’ve written about before.

There is a strong but often non-explicit antisemitic current to this idea, where the wealthy jewish conspiracy is deliberately doing this to weaken the white race, by weakening white individuals moral and genetic strength.

One part of this that often goes unopposed by supposed leftists is the opposition to modern art, to atonal music and abstract art and other modernist artistic innovations. I have also written about this before.

The Family

The family is seen as all important, but also universally threatened by modern capitalist developments. Capitalism causes alienation, but in reactionary anti-capitalist discourse this term loses its complex Marxian definition and becomes simply about loneliness. And the cause of this loneliness is the capitalist destruction of the traditional family. The community offered by religion and other forms of traditional culture is also praised as curing this alienation, but also threatened by capitalism.

Feminism for example is often blamed in this kind of discourse. There is a type of anti-capitalist anti-feminism which focuses on women working outside the home as some unique great evil, because they are exploited by capitalism. And then the anti-feminist tells this story of a mythical golden age where women were mostly housewives and that was good because they didn’t have to work. And then capitalism destroyed this utopia to exploit women.

Of course in reality, being a housewife was only a thing for a minority of women at any point in history, working class women have pretty much always worked outside the home. And women being financially dependent on their husbands was not a good thing. The problem nowadays is not both partners in a straight relationship working, but the fact that they both are exploited by capitalism, and that women in addition to wage labor are often given the entire burden of taking care of children and the home, due to misogyny.

The threat of Queerness

And another threat is of course queer people. All forms of queerphobia, homophobia, lesbophobia, transphobia and transmisogyny are all part of reactionary anti-capitalism. Queerness is seen as the product of modern neoliberal capitalist degeneracy, and rainbow capitalism is seen as proof. The global spread of capitalism, globalization, is seen as spreading a kind of “globohomo”, which seems to both stand for “global homogenization” and “global homosexualization”, destroying the traditional family and culture across the globe by spreading queerness.

The reactionary hatred of queer people is of course tied to the antisemitic conspiracist thinking that pervades this discourse. I can recommend the article “The Eradication of “Talmudic Abstractions”: Anti-Semitism, Transmisogyny and the National Socialist Project” by Joni Alizah Cohen that examines how antisemitism, transmisogyny and nazism are all tied together.

The reactionary thinking of radical feminism

And this also goes though most of radfem thought, which is often a form of reactionary anti-capitalism. I criticized how antifeminism is given an anti-capitalist coat of paint, but you can also give reactionary thought (including antifeminism) a feminist coat of paint. Radfem ideology uses the arch-reactionary binary between the good, natural, concrete and gentile and the bad, artificial, abstract and jewish. It thus reproduces uncritically traditional ideas about womanhood. I talked about this before in this text, which I’ve already linked, but it’s relevant again. In radfem thought, trans women are the products of capitalist bioscience run amok, whereas cis women are natural. Modern commercialized forms of femininity such as make-up are “degenerate”, while a womanhood grounded in the ability to bear children is natural and thus unquestionably true and good. It’s the same ideas about womanhood fascists have, which is why radfems are able to work with them.

The opposition to legalizing sex work is often rooted in a reactionary anti-capitalism. The opponents of legalized sex work have a visceral reaction to it, because of a sentimental view of sex as some special act of intimacy. Sex work to paraphrase Marx removes that “sentimental veil” and “reduces” sex “to a mere money relation.” And the wish to criminalize sex work is trying to restore that sentimental veil. It’s often justified to save the sex workers, but in practice it just makes their work far more dangerous. In James Baldwin’s words, sentimentality is “the mask of cruelty.”

Conclusion

It’s all nonsense of course. The reason women and queer people are rebelling against the family is because it’s an oppressive institution for them, it is a patriarchal structure that favors the straight man. The community offered by traditional family, culture and religion often depends on the subjugation of women and queer people. And the traditional form of womanhood centered around childbirth is not good for neither cis or trans women, so we reject it.

To the extent that capitalism does destroy the family and traditional values, it’s a good thing. The problem with capitalism is actually that it doesn’t really destroy the family. Capitalism actually uses misogyny and queerphobia to keep the working class oppressed, and true liberation can only be achieved under socialism.

Of course there are lots of leftists that swallow this reactionary nonsense since it’s given an anti-capitalist coat of paint, even here on tumblr. So a lot of right-wing positions are seen not as right-wing at all by credulous uneducated left-wingers.

There are a lot of queer leftists who react to the topic of abolishing the family and criticizing misogynistic and queerphobic forms of religion in ways that is barely indistinguishable from the right-wing nonsense. You will hear a lot about the importance of “tradition”, “religion”, “culture” and “family” that wouldn’t be out of place in any fascist nouvelle droite website. The tumblr “leftists” won’t use words like “degenerate”, “globohomo” or “ethnopluralism” of course, but the ideological concepts behind those words are very much there.

And that’s the point of reactionary anti-capitalism. It’s to launder reactionary ideas by appealing to people’s discontent with capitalism. It redirects that discontent into dark territory.

[strawberryqueen00]

Sorry but I’m gonna support the Disney wish movie.

I’m rooting for everyone black.

More Wish, less Frozen 3 & 4

So I want to make it clear that despite the tone of my post, you do not have to not Boycott this film if you want to support original content and black representation. This is an important cause for people and it doesn’t make you suddenly anti-Palestinian or Pro-Genocide to see a single motion picture. You are the only one who knows your own morals. I don’t want it to seem as if I was condemning black people from supporting a film they are experiencing representation in/placing an balance-scale style comparison between the struggles of POC in the world and Palestinians. I fight against the notion some have online that the matter of seeing Wish is just someone “succumbing to capitalism” or “being weak.” It has been seen before how the lack of monetary achievements for minority lead films discredits that representation further. Why do we think it has taken this long for another mainline black Princess after Princess and the Frog? It’s not rocket science here.

It is not my place as a non-Palestinian to say if you are allowed to see this movie. That is a choice you can make after looking at the information. But it should also not be my place to shame people into supporting the movement either. Especially because of the complicated nature of this specific issue. I tried to rewrite this to be more clear in my initial post but for the sake of brevity I didn’t make this point more clear and that’s my fault. I’m going to go in more depth about why I am personally choosing to be so Anti-Disney with my Boycott but I want to make things crystal clear before the cut,

Disney is not an official Boycott target by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement(BDS). Disney is a Pressure Target technically not Boycotted but is complicit in Israel's apartheid behavior.

The targets they are listing consumers to Boycott monetarily are:

Siemen

PUMA

Carrefour

AXA

Hewlett Packard Inc (HP Inc)

SodaStream

Ahava

RE/MAX

Israeli produce in your supermarkets

Now, more details about all of that.

So there are two Boycotts currently being implemented against Disney on different fronts.

A joint one with Starbucks, McDonalds, and Disney that seems to have started independently of the. I anecdotally remember there being posts around the week after the first October 7th event. This seemed to be driven mostly by the three companies being

large companies which will notice the impact on their stock going down as an impact of the Pro-Palestine public.

They in some way have publicly Pro-Israel in their support with little acknowledgement for Palestine. And I’m using ‘little’ generously here.

Starbucks Sources for this:

https://www.arabnews.com/node/281313

Above is a fantastic article that looks critically at these claims. And below is one that shows the trend of Starbucks over the years to keep the support their CEO has for the Apartheid hidden.

McDonald Sources

Giving food and support to Israel and nothing to Palestine.

An article detailing the action Starbucks had against its union for posting Pro-Palestine statements, the Meals already discussed, and how McDonalds is trying to just throw humanitarian money at the issue to save face.

But now the main stay of the post.

Initially Disney was joined for this independent three way Boycott because it was a larger media company. More recently they gave 2 million in Humanitarian Aid to Israel.

I don’t want disinformation to spread this is humanitarian aid, yes, but it is only for Israel. Not Palestine. Not the people of Gaza that are being subjected to war crimes. Supporting just the apartheid state and not Palestine is the problem here. Disney is still showing their cards of what they’re supporting.

Now, what about the BDS?

The BDS is responsible for the second Disney Boycott. What is the BDS? The majority of this next section is going to come directly from the BDS website which I recommend people check out for future Boycotts.

BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions and is one of the largest Palestinian-led movements for organizing for spreading awareness. They weaponize these main three types of non-violent pressure to discourage the support corporations have under capitalism for Israel.

Now, how is the BDS treatment of Disney different than the three way McDonalds, Starbucks, Disney Boycott?

Firstly, they in support for the monetary boycott of just McDonalds. Starbucks is not listed on their updated list and specifically with McDonalds they had this to say,

Further with regard to Disney it sees it as a Pressure-Target and not a monetary one.

What’s a Pressure-Target Boycott?

Boycotts cannot target everyone all the time, which is why sometimes Boycotts split up their targets into groups to not make the process seem to daunting.

The BDS points out a Pressure-Target as,

This pressure could come through social media, emails sent to the company, or petitions.

Under this cut I am going to be posting such links to some petitions I think are productive here.

Why is Disney being targeted as Pressure-Target?

This is Sabra, an Israeli hero from the 1981 who has an extensive plot involving her as an Israeli and the Palestine suppress-oops I meant ‘War’(tell that to anyone believing this started only a few years ago).

Quoting this CNN article of what her first comic was,

The classic 1981 Marvel comic page shows the giant green Hulk, tears streaming down his face as he yells at Sabra, an Israeli superhero and agent of the country's Mossad spy agency. The corpse of a young Palestinian boy, killed in an explosion by apparently Arab "terrorists" at his feet.

"Boy died because boy's people and yours both want to own land! Boy died because you wouldn't share!" the Hulk says.

A few panels later, the woman in the white and blue costume with a Star of David on her chest kneels next to the boy. “

It has taken the Hulk to make her see this dead Arab boy as a human being," the comic says. "It has taken a monster to awaken her own sense of humanity."

It is not my right to speak if this is tone-deaf or not. There are quotes in the article that support this notion but it’s not my place.

Now, why is she important?

Disney is looking to reuse this character for the upcoming Captain America film. This is why it’s considered a Pressure-Target. The BDS lists the problems with this representation down below. They are calling not for Boycotts of films but for online pressure to have this Israeli propaganda dismantled.

Something not brought up here is that releasing a character with the name of Sabra after the more than a thousand Palestinian and Lebanese Shiite people were massacred. Especially with a planned release date of a week after the incident is in poor taste, even if the name had other contexts surrounding it.

So, do I see Wish?

This is not an easy answer I can give you. This is something you need to come to terms with and also understand, this is no ‘correct’ way to Boycott a business. In my post I strategically underplayed this point to keep the message brief. But as we just saw here, there are two different valid methods of Boycotts against Disney.

If you are choosing to not monetarily give Disney money that is valid with a Boycott.

If you are seeing the movie but giving pressure by @ing Disney’s social media, signing letters, and petitions you are valid with a Boycott.

Both people I presented here are Boycotting against Israel's apartheid. There isn’t a correct form of activism and it was my fault to imply that so extremely before. I am choosing not to see Wish because of looking around at all the Western propaganda around this. Walking through the walls of what I considered a liberal school to saw Israel flags supporting the apartheid state.

But that is my choice.

It doesn’t have to be your non-violent protest journey. Do what you think is right with the information you have. Stay educated, don’t let disinformation spread.

And have a good day/afternoon/night everyone.

[cyber-corp]

Suburban music videos: What's the deal?

Some of you may know that a couple of days ago I started a playlist of music videos from the 1990s and 2000s which all seem to be featured in or prominently feature American suburban areas. I forget what the actual post was that pointed this out, but I think I kind of had that idea before I saw it.

One of the first music videos I thought of was 'Rockin' the Suburbs' by Ben Folds from 2001, because not only does it explicitly mention a suburb, but the video is done in such a way that I think it was meant to poke fun at the angry white boy music that plagued the late 90's (Limp Bizkit, Korn, etc).

The other video I thought of was 'Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)' by the Offspring from 1998. Like RTS, it's meant to poke fun at middle-class white dudes who think they're hot shit because they listen to rap, when in reality they come off as cheesy wannabes. So it would make sense for the MV to have that setting.

The main trope these MVs have in common is that they both have the "haha 90s ironic edge" on them. Like it's very obvious that the songs are about how tough some dudes think they are, when really they live in a relatively safe and secure area. "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden did something similar in 1994, but I think that it has a completely different vibe to the others. More surrealism, less irony.

But I think the true golden era of the "suburban neighbourhood music video" was during the early to mid-2000's. With a rise in pop-punk and emo, comes a rise in angsty teens going "blehh!!! screw this place!!!! screw the establishment!!!!!! its not a phase mom!!!!!!", which then resulted in music videos featuring an environment they were probably most familiar with (and probably stuck in).

Here's '1985' by Bowling for Soup, released in 2004. The colour palette for this video is a lot more muted, which is (I find) a common link between most MVs in the 00's. Which gives a more "this is the way things actually are" vibe, compared to the much brighter palettes of the 90s.

'The Anthem' by Good Charlotte (2003) is quite possibly the most early-00's MV ever, and I consider it to be the definitive suburban neighbourhood music video. The song is about "not living the way you're meant to live" according to Joel Madden, and the video reflects that sentiment! Just a bunch of punk and emo kids going out and causing a ruckus, having a gay ol' time.

It also has this weird blue/greenish filter on it, which is very indicative of its period. That's a whole other story.

The suburban neighbourhood continued to thrive in music videos throughout the 00's, mainly in pop-punk and emo. I believe this was an attempt to target its demographic; adolescents aged 14-19 who had yet to find their place in the world. Some notable MVs include 'You're Going Down' by Sick Puppies (2009), 'Only One' by Yellowcard (2003), and 'Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground' by the White Stripes (2002).

(side-note: michel gondry, director of the white stripes vid, never misses when it comes to his music videos. this is one of my favourite music videos ever, but it definitely isn't one of my favourite suburban music videos ever.)

SNMVs began to go out of style around the early 2010s, presumably along with pop punk and emo. The closest to it would be 'I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo' by Capital Cities, which came out in 2014. It's very much of a more nostalgic style compared to the others, but it's most likely one of the last of the SNMVs.

So: Does this specific sub-genre of MV mean anything?

I think individually the videos definitely represent and reflect certain zeitgeists of their eras, but the SNMV is very much rooted in adolescent angst. That feeling that while you are living comfortably, there's definitely something more. Boredom is present in every teenager, and these videos are like a fantasy for them: getting to live out your days without responsibility with your friends, but are suppressed of having any fun because of the 'system' at large.

"Let me tell y'all what it's like

Being male, middle class and white"

(also i think all star is partially responsible for the rise of interest because of course it is. it's all star by smash mouth. mentioning its very existence feels redundant.)

[dirtbra1n]

WAIT I FORGOT ABOUT KRISNIX VS WRIGHTWORTH

HI SUNNFISH it’s been eight days and I’m not getting any work done right now anyway. Ha ha ha ha. I’m gonna go dig up some of my nutjob krisnix hashtag #Posts

okay that done I’m actually gonna talk about wrightworth first. baby’s first yaoi probably It makes sense and it compels me.

really really beautiful thing about wrightworth is how many people go into the first ace attorney thinking that the prevalence of attorney yaoi is a result of typical fandom behavior and get blasted with the concentrated blast of shu takumi’s vision of how chronically strange normal guy phoenix wright decided to completely change the trajectory of his life for one of his boy best friends from the 4th grade. unnecessary feelings and its ramifications. miles edgeworth choosing death gate. the ugly ways phoenix does not cope with this, on account of his many issues. redacted hospital scene. sundry textual instances of phoenix’s well-adjustment re: edgeworth shot at the player point blank. miles edgworth That man… gate. wrightworth is so fucking much you guys……..

I do not see either of these two biting the bullet to establish a formally romantic relationship in any capacity until they are well into their thirties. they need to be extraordinarily strange at and about one another for decades on end and then elope on a thursday afternoon, which will not ease up the strangeness but will grant them various legal benefits. love wins! Longer post would talk about how and why they’re weird. but I need to talk ab

sunnfish when I tried the media tab first for collected krisnix miscellany I passed this and it made me cry laugh

I need to talk about krisnix

trying to pin down my deepest rooted beliefs is like pulling teeth. You know there was a time where apparently I saw nothing interesting about kristoph. I’ve become a better and weirder person in the meantime. it makes sense. it compels me. ha ha ha ha.

^ 2dirt2brain krisnix breakdown of december ’23. of which we’re all very aware I’m sure. kristoph wants control of the world around him and is as incapable of fulfilling that desire as any mortal man. phoenix has a lot more free time nowadays. regular dinners together. seven years. play hooky, get hooked. unkillable phoenix wright. you can’t fake an affection that long—seven years. come on, now. get back to the office after they take him in and slump a little. you ought to say, now or never, that you kinda like the guy.

you’ve (🫵 not him) got to know that phoenix wright is a hard as hell guy to know We’ve compared him to tashiro before sunnfish I know this. he doesn’t open up. clam shut tight of course I think we should give kristoph a paring knife to try and crack him open. just can’t trust him with knives bigger than that one.

like of course the psychosexual warfare is the main thing. but seven years together and zero reason to believe that the guy who cost you your attorneys badge would murder anyone means seven years of some of the heartiest insane appealing-directly-to-me Situation the world has ever, ever seen. some of this is psychosexual warfare. everything else is a secret worse thing.

I think flawed attorney and devastatingly loyal man phoenix wright should try to save kristoph’s life. bet you never thought you’d care this much about capital punishment, huh, phoenix?

also kristoph should be time looped

now considering the VS. statistically I trust more people with wrightworth because the sheer numbers go crazy. I trust myself and my friends with krisnix more however because krisnix is fundamentally custom built for me to chew on and bite into. two cakes. we should put edgeworth and kristoph in a cage match. I think they just WOULD NOT get along, separate from phoenix entirely. tear each other’s dicks off!!!!!

as a bonus here is a short list of things that remind me of krisnix

boris by lo-fang

that myth about a dog locking its jaws as it bites into you

magnet poem I spent actual hours laboriously stitching together whilst listening to kristoph’s solitary confinement theme

Also munchausen by proxy have I said that already

and of course the second bonus:

[takerfoxx]

Okay, Gundam: The Witch from Mercury! As I said, got caught up, liked it a lot. Delivered pretty much what I expected: surprisingly enjoyable high school comedy/drama with giant robot fights and yuri that leads to the big moment where the show reminds everyone that Baby's First Gundam is still fucking Gundam, so enjoy the trauma!

I know a big part of the appeal was having a more accessible Gundam with, you know, lesbians, but honestly, while the school stuff wasn't exactly reinventing the wheel, everything was just so well done. Like, all the standard tropes were there, but there was obviously a lot of effort put into making them the best possible versions of those things. Like, I actually got invested in Suletta making friends and winning battles. The robot duels absolutely held my attention every time, and I actually was rooting for the hero to win. It's such a simple thing, but you'd be surprised how often I root for the rivals just to have something shaken up. But here, Suletta and her gang were just so danged likeable and her rivals were that perfect balance of infuriating and interesting that I did want them to lose, but I was also interested in what they did next. Like, give it up for Guel for having one of the most interesting character arcs. Also, kinda want to smack Shaddiq in his handsome face.

And what I also liked is that when something kind of started to bug me, kind of made me go, "Huh, is this really working?", suddenly it became the main focus and revealed itself to be a deliberate plot point all along.

Like, sure, Suletta and Miorine's engagement is a big selling point, but while I'm practically obligated by law to root for them, I started to notice a distinct lack of any real romantic chemistry. Like, Miorine did sort of make it clear from the beginning that their engagement is purely political in nature and would be called off the moment she could work out her escape, and until then she just needed someone good at robot piloting to hold off all those annoying suitors until then. So you can't say it was bait or anything. But even so, as the show went on, Suletta started crushing on Elan (or rather, his poor double), and Miorine continued to be dismissive and self-serving about, well, everything, I did start to wonder if Miorine even liked Suletta.

Fortunately, just as I was gearing up to make a post about that very disconnect, the show revealed that it's smarter than me and showed that that was the intention all along. Suletta had her heart broken by Miorine's dismissiveness of her, had her breakdown, and then she and Miorine had their big air-clearing fight and reconciliation that seemed to say that, yes, this is a couple that needs each other, they're just a little different and have a lot to learn about one another.

And honestly, I can't really blame either of them for that miscommunication. They just come from such completely different worlds (literally) and have completely different ways of looking at things. Miorine was raised in the world of cutthroat capitalism, where it's all about business deals and personal advantages, and all relationships are about what benefit they bring to the table. Marriage is a political partnership, romance is a silly thing for other people, and everything is a transaction. Suletta, however, is basically a country bumpkin raised by her (admittedly manipulative and vengeful) affectionate mother, but because of how sheltered she is, she's riddled with nerves and anxieties and just wants people to like her.

So to her, even though she didn't ask to become Miorine's groom, once she was in that position she resolved to be the best groom that she could, and probably made herself fall in love, because that's what one does for the person they're going to marry! She saw any request and responsibility as a token of trust, and her heart absolutely broken when Miorine hired those gardeners and casually told her to go ahead and date other people. It made her feel devalued, like she wasn't worth Miorine's consideration, whereas Miorine probably thought nothing of it. She had told Suletta from the beginning how things were, only asked her to look after her plants because she didn't have time to hire somebody else, and since Suletta was basically just standing as vanguards from other suitors, she ought to go ahead and date other people.

But I really liked how they handled that disconnect. We see how much Suletta is hurt, how it brings out the worst of her insecurities, and then the two basically confront one another and get everything out. I know Suletta serving up Miorine's order of extra ketchup will probably put a damper on things, but I do hope they can work past it, because I live for these sorts of relationships.

Ah, what am I saying? It's Gundam. We all better prepare for pain.

Speaking of which, I'm calling it now! Suletta is most definitely NOT Eri, Eri got Yui Ikari'ed into Aerial, and Suletta is likely a clone of her. It lines up with how she refers to Aerial as her sister, how Lady Prospera calls them both her daughters, how she speaks to it while piloting, and the fact that the timeline does not line up otherwise. And her "If you move forward" motto is a conditioning phrase instrumental in her brainwashing. She's a weapon.

Yeah, I know this ain't exactly new ground and people have been saying it before I started the show, but I just wanted to throw it out there.

Though can I just say one thing? I know Lady Prospera is all manipulative and using Suletta in a rather cruel way for the sake of her revenge, but she's kind of a baddie. As if in, she a MILF. As if in, Suletta's mom has got it going on.

Would.

[ltstrikesback]

I know none of you like this show, but here’s more The Impossible Heir ramblings [spoilers ahead] because I do like it:

SO, I liked The Impossible Heir at first because I was queerbaited (lol), the main leads were all hot, and it had an ~eat the rich~ vibe.

Some shenanigans happened here and there that I didn’t love but I just attributed it to the writing and looked the other way. I’m willing to suspend my belief for entertainment and sometimes just want to turn off my brain. Mainly I was rooting for the main three characters and their plan.

WITH THAT BEING SAID: now that one of the main characters is a certified murderer, I’m rooting for the other two to continue their mission to eat the rich. Full stop. Fuck Inha. And if we’re being honest it was always Fuck Inha.

It is here however that I am having some trouble looking the other way. My brain will not turn off—this is directed towards the writers and the audience.

To the writers: asdfghjjk.

My main gripe is Inha. He was always characterized as arrogant. He picks a fight in school with multiple classmates in episode 1/2. He refers to his father as a God, and how that makes him more important than other people in society. He’s frustrated that his family won’t let him live up to his own potential. Because of this characterization, it’s not a shock that he has turned into a power-hungry person who is coming for the chairman’s position. In fact, this feels pretty consistent with the character; it was the plan he made with Taeoh all along.

I suppose that he turned on Taeoh, however, was supposed to be the twist. I’m having trouble with that because it feels consistent with how rich people are lol. Since I’m watching this through a Marxist lens (lol) his position in society was never far out of my mind. I wish that the writers kept his emotional characterization a little more consistent and treated his reach for power less like a revelation. Specifically, in the early episodes he was funny, dramatic, and comic relief. Now his facial expressions are all angry and aggressive. I’m guessing it’s because the show just revealed that he’s a murderer and abusive and now they’re trying to sell it to us. I think those choices would have hit harder if he was still funny, dramatic, “comic” relief through them! This is always who he’s been. It’s just now that he’s come within grasp of his power that he’s able to throw away his friends from a lower economic class. He’s finished using them. It’s a harder pill to swallow if the person who’s acting like a friend is actually fucking you over. I think that might be a more fun viewing experience and convey a more compelling message.

For this same reason (the idea that this was always who Inha was) I wish the writers didn’t treat the murder and abuse as a mystery. We saw cutaways of phone calls being made, and photographs being taken and feet in a hazy memory. When it’s revealed that Inha the one who called Hyewon’s mother, who killed his own brother, who set up his friend, it’s supposed to be a shock. I just don’t feel shocked that he would stoop this low. This would have been better for me if the story being told was that rich people are always going to be rich people. They shouldn’t be trusted.

To the audience: you know you hate women right?

I shouldn’t be surprised but here I am. I am going to quote my own post and reiterate: Taeoh and Hyewon were neighbors growing up. They’ve Seen each other with a capital S. They relate to one another and understand one another’s drive. The reason Hyewon says she’s too busy to date early on is the same reason Taeoh doesn’t pursue her. They individually have long term visions.

They are parallels in my opinion. They’re kind of the same person AND THEYRE BOTH EMOTIONLESS FOR THE RECORD. And it’s fine! Or at least it would be fine except you people hate women because they don’t smile at you. Or worse because a fictional character you’re crushing on likes her. I keep seeing comments like “why does he like her?” and you sound bitter tbh. Also I’ve seen comments where you think just Hyewon was using Inha. What?? They literally all say they’re using each other. You know what makes Taeoh and Hyewon different?? They haven’t sent their spouse’s abusive parent to harass said spouse. They haven’t assaulted their spouse. They haven’t killed anyone. They haven’t framed anyone for murder. They haven’t tried to get someone the death penalty. But you know who has? Inha. And Inha deserves to get used for the record. I hope the show ends with her as the owner of Kangoh tbh. Now that would be fun.

[mommy-issues-haver]

i try to interact with as much reasonable anti-terf content as possible (as in, there's no reason for me to engage in "kill all terfs!!1!" content) and i think the main issue i see in most of it is a misunderstanding of what actual radical feminists believe versus the far-right spokesmen who just hate gender nonconformity. i just watched a video where the creator used ben shapiro as an example for terf beliefs, as if he is actually at all relevant to any feminist.

all the "terfs" i know are radically gender non-conforming. none of them are trying to reinstate gender roles but based exclusively on sex. we are not following patriarchal beauty standards and we actively fight against them. no makeup, no leg shaving for most of us. in many ways we are not presenting in the gender role of "woman" but simply believe in the importance of keeping that label as something to define us as an oppressed sex class.

the denial of how your sex "assignment" at birth affects most people throughout their lives feels very bizarre to me. no, i don't think that mtfs can escape male privilege and i don't think ftms can escape misogyny. if nothing else, these things will always be present internally and in their actions because of their socialization. looking at the poorer treatment of mtfs and generally better treatment of ftms, we can see that these are both based in misogyny, which is, as anyone will admit, a form of oppression originally established to control women and their reproductive capabilities. if there were no misogyny there would be no "transmisogyny." we can't attempt to reduce oppression by starting from the surface. or, even if that were to work and we were to eliminate transmisogyny, we would be doing nothing for boring old sex-based misogyny. and if that's where your values lie then i genuinely don't know what to say -- you are an old school misogynist.

there also seems to be a confusion on how radical feminists actually see the concept of gender. we do see it as something that obviously and clearly exists -- gender is the expression of sexism and the entire structure by which women are oppressed. but it is not the same as gender identity, which is an ephemeral, immaterial, and metaphysical concept. separating these terms is necessary for understanding radical feminism.

the radical feminist approach is a multi-step one. much like marx recognized the necessity of capitalism as an interim step before first socialism and later a moneyless and classless communist society could exist, radical feminists see protection of women's sex-based rights and spaces as a crucial interim step before gender abolition can occur. and even among radical feminists there are disagreements about what the root of misogyny truly is -- that is, do men oppress women because of the societal structures that have been upheld over millennia, or is it because of something innate to the male existence? (personally i prefer to think that it is a socialized response, though you can make an argument for either.)

further, women have to survive. i find it odd that it's acceptable to have a job in the professional managerial class for leftists because of the acknowledgement that everyone has to make money to live in our society, but it is a clear sign that radical feminists have no real principles if they are not the stereotypical frumpy, fat, hairy, man-hating lesbian feminist (which plenty of us are anyway. i'm not not that, but i don't feel more principled for being it). i can't speak for radical feminists in the global south, where i imagine this issue is amplified tenfold, but it is incredibly difficult to completely eschew gender roles while trying to exist in our society. it can get you fired from some jobs. it'll definitely keep you from getting hired at others. people won't care about harm coming to you if you aren't traditionally attractive. there is a significant degree of privilege, social and financial, awarded for conforming to gender norms. this is relevant.

most radical feminists don't care if a man actually fulfils a traditionally female role or "emasculates" himself by doing something like baking. but they also believe that that doesn't make them a woman, because they don't believe that erasing the boundaries of oppression by allowing anyone to identify in and out of an oppressed class is productive or relevant. and when it comes to medical transition, i think that the main points of contention are, first and foremost, that radical feminists only see gender as an invalid structure of oppression within which internal identity is irrelevant and second, gender dysphoria is something that cannot be separated from misogyny. (for ftms the relationship to misogyny is more obvious, but more mtfs the misogyny lies either in the pleasure of becoming the submissive woman or in no longer being seen as a homosexual -- something that is inherently gender non-conforming.)

finally, there is a distinct ahistorical thread present in the trans conversation. we need to respect the women of the second wave movement, who did more than they are given credit for not only in advancing women's rights but social acceptance of gender non-conformity and gay rights as well. we should heed their warnings when they tell us to talk proudly about women and women's bodies and to not allow femaleness to be erased. fundamentally, i believe this comes back to a point i have never heard someone criticizing radical feminists bring up -- the idea of a sex class and how it is relevant to the conversation of oppression. the sex class is the root, and class consciousness is the key.

[lordadmiralfarsight]

A religion of peace ?

Well now, that's a hell of a clickbait, isn't it? Well, believe it or not, this isn't MAGA-style fearmongering. There's actually a nuanced take in there. Just keep reading.

Recently, I answered a post talking about how Islam has been romanticized and mythicized by the Western Left, based on two myths :

The first myth is the idea that Islam is an intrinsically revolutionary religion that fights against Imperialism, Colonialism and Capitalism. The fact Islam has a History of imperialism and violent colonization, supported by a large a vivacious trade network is conveniently forgotten.

The second myth is that Islam is intrinsically more tolerant than the West, because it has bits in its holy text that say to let Christians and Jews live in exchange for a tax. Not everyone is aware of the tax. The conditions associated with the status of Dhimmi, the social and legal violence that comes with it through obligations and restrictions is not explored.

And quite often, when this is brought up, I see people say that "Islam is a religion of peace" as a debate-killer. Muslims and non-muslims. But is it?

Was the Islam of the Rashidun Caliphate, as it spread out of Arabia with violent conquest, a religion of peace ?

Was the Islam of the Ottomans, as they abducted Greek children to turn them into slave soldiers away from all their roots and never to see their famillies, a religion of peace ?

Was the Islam of the Berber raiders that were stopped at Poitier in their Razzia, a raid to kill men and enslave women, a religion of peace ?

Is the Islam of Hamas and ISIS, who yearns to murder non-muslims and openly dreams of world subjugation, a religion of peace ?

And I know what you're going to tell me.

The House of Knowledge in Bagdad allowed thinkers of many creeds to talk as equals! But for how long ? How long did this period last, and how mythicized and embellished is it ?

Al-Andalus was a beacon of tolerance and acceptance, a jewel of culture that was destroyed by the Reconquista, another show of Christian intolerance and cruelty ! But how long did it stay thus ? Did it remain tolerant as a constant throughout its History ? And, wasn't it rather ... colonialist in nature ? Neither Berbers nor Arabs are native to Iberia, after all.

I'm not saying Islam is evil. In the hands of many, it is not. I have eaten, joked and worked with people whose Islam IS a religion of peace. I now teach some whose Islam IS a religion of peace. There are millions of Muslims, in my dearly loved country of France whose Islam IS a religion of peace and who often are our main allies in finding out terrorists before they can kill. Millions who simply want to live, freely and in peace, away from violence.

And it is a disservice to them to say that Islam IS a religion of peace, wholly, totally, entirely. It is a disservice to them to make such a broad, uncompromising statement, because it kills and banishes reflection and thought and leaves the average Muslim at the mercy of extremists that get the benefit of the doubt long after it should have disappeared.

Islam CAN BE a religion of peace. In the right hands.

Much like Christianity CAN BE a religion of peace, in the right hands.

Much like Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Animism, Shintoism, and so many others CAN BE religions of peace.

And they can all be religions of hate in the wrong hands.

All I'm saying, in the end, is that we need to stop "noble savage"-ing Islam, treat it realistically a fairly. Reject its extremists as surely as we reject those of Christianity, and embrace its moderates as surely as we would any other.

Do I have all the answers ? No, I'm just one guy. But I can tell you that unless Leftwing people get their heads out of the sand, stop denying the issue and start making actual, thought out, deep proposals, it's the far right, the Nazis and the Fascists that will win this, because when there's just one thing on the table, that's what you pick.

[martyrbat]

every few days i see hockey(?) liveblogs from you (I enjoy the enthusiasm even if i have no idea whats going on). What are the main teams you're following? is it just hockey?

this is so sweet, thank you for the support even if youre a little lost! it is just hockey! but i got plans to get into baseball when it starts in february (go pirates and cubs!) but a little too wordy vomit under the cut about my teams :)

my top team is pittsburgh penguins. for better or worse (and usually worse)—i will be there for every game and saying we're so back after one score when we're down by 5. i will defend them until my last breath, theyre the team ill always put on when having to choose between which ones are currently on. its not a hockey team, its sidney crosby building an ice family with his 5 and counting partners and being known for his banana bread and kind heart and fat ass while literally being the inspiration for over half the players in the nhl because hes been wonderful since he was a rookie. its 18 years of love and friendship despite the odds and how theyre so open in loving and supporting their teammates while hockey culture is filled with toxic masculinity. its the narrative loving and hating us, its sidney being gods most loveable and tortured lamb, its geno whos hilarious and dramatic with a heart of gold, its tanger and his greasy hair, its the babygirlifying grown men AND rooting for the old underdog who are in the 4th spot for the playoffs in their metro area despite our powerplay being a joke and our star players ages (late thirties isnt old by any account but for a high energy physical contact sport?? average retirement is 25-30 instead while 13 of our guys is 30+ and playing some of their best hockey)

after that i really like the leafs despite them being the leafs! theyre a blast to watch (sometimes) and theyre a big third period game, for better or worse. so its always exciting (sometimes unfortunately)! auston matthews is my top favorite from them, hes absolutely remarkable and doesnt get the credit and appreciation he deserves. but i also love the other players, mo, willy, and mitch all especially have a place in my heart :) third fav tosses around with who i can catch a game from most to be honest since a lot of times they overlap too much. im fond of the wild because their goaltender (flower!) was ours for forever. kraken is a blast and has lots of old penguin players too. avalanche is fun to root for when ive seen some games :) im less familiar with all of them but hockey is a fun sport to just throw yourself into and learn as you go so its never been an issue!!

teams i hate is anyone who won against my special guys in the last month tbh HFIFJ but i REALLY hate the chicago team, flyers, and vegas knights. chicago is.... a lot of bad shit off ice and has so many controversies—from their name and jerseys to players being abusive and cover-ups of sexual assault from coaches. just hate them and anytime i see those jerseys and remember theyre allowed while flower was threatened with a lawsuit if he wore his helmet (was designed specially by an indigenous artist to honor flower's indigenous wife and their kids during native american heritage month).... god i just get too pissed, theyre number one for who i despise. flyers are the biggest rivals to the penguins so it makes more sense (but also fuck the capitals and canes for personal grievances. also still mad at the canucks) vegas golden knights just annoys me so much with how theyre still calling themselves the misfits and i associate them with flower leaving so!!!

sorry for the little. word vomit lol but !!! if you ever want to get into hockey, please dm me! im no expert by any means and i know me throwing names out there is intimidating but i promise its fun once you get into it and you dont need to know much to just start watching! for me its great to have something to look forward to every week and watch something happen as it actually happens and liveblog—it kinda feels more like a loose community experience that i never got because of my health issues and disability! its also just fun to be dramatic (screaming its so over when scored on /celebrating a goal) over something thats kinda... not that important. (important for the players and fans ofc but it doesn't change anything in MY daily life outside of how i feel which is refreshing!) sports in general kinda encourage those big emotional responses and it can be great catharsis and silly if you let it be :) and the fan community here can be so welcoming if you just fully ignore twitter and the straight white angry men on it <3

come look at gifs of people calling a 36 year old babygirl and the excitement of a goal celly. come watch funny videos and clips and at how *our* captain wore tiny little shorts and a white shirt to get dunked in a water tank for charity. come and slowly learn how much shit the players put up with as rookies and have the happiness of hindsight at what happiness their futures would hold and why me saying 18 years of love and friendship despite the odds is so big because thats genuinely so rare (only 127 retired players in all of nhl history has accomplished this). come get emotional at poetry over getty images hockey pictures and relish in the delight that is finding art everywhere you go. come see people say that sidney needs to get knotted up and mpreg debates in who will abort that thang or not. take my hand and become a hockey fan, i prommy its not scary—not even during the 'who the fuck is this' stage <33