#but I love Mami and find her character really interesting

[wyfy-meltdown]

One thing that I don't see talked about as much is Mami's dependant-related personality. Of course there's the stuff with her wanting Madoka to become a magical girl and join her (which is the obvious one), but there's also her relationship with Bebe in Rebellion and her witch Candeloro.

Mami feels a NEED to be the "responsible" and "dependable" type, highlighted by how she takes care of Bebe like she's her mother (all the pictures she has with Bebe really look like family photos to me). This is juxstaposed by her witch form Candeloro, who is tiny and carried around by familiars that look like the rest of the holy quintet.

Mami really wants to be "carried", to be weak, to depend on others, and to be selfish. She's isn't bad for this; her circumstances are tragic, and she didn't even really get to choose her wish. Because she's older and has more experience than the other girls, she feels like she HAS to be the rock of the team.

Most of all, she simply doesn't want to be alone. She's lost so many people she's loved, and the chance of having other people around again for once gives her so much joy she can't help but try to push Madoka and Sayaka into becoming magical girls. And unfortunately, that was her doom in the main-series timeline. I find it bittersweet that she died at her most happy; on one hand she felt hopeful and unalone, but on the other hand she never got to see and fight alongside Madoka and Sayaka.

[anthropologyruinseverything]

Summerslam venting - my opinions are based on personal experiences and feelings.

I’m a Roman fan but honestly this is getting old and stale and I’ll completely lose interest if he isn’t at Summerslam. (And listen, for a dude with his health issues I’d be happy to hear he was gonna mostly retire and make movies. Get your paper while you can babe!) I agree with a number of folks here that they’ve missed so much in regard to tension building between Roman and Solo. I just don’t care. And of course he’s gonna cheat against Cody. It’s a classic bad guy vs. the hero set up.

At least they gave Damian something to fight for. I am loving the new angle. But if he loses to a N@z* who called him street trash I’m gonna throw up because you’re just not hiding it at this point. Fair warning, you will not find any love for Gunther on my page. Yes, he’s great at what he does but until his character changes I’m not cheering. (Stood across the protest line from too many of the real-deal bad guys who sing his praises online at this point.)

Rhea’s gonna have to face the monster she herself created in Liv. I’m interested in the long term implications for Judgement Day and her relationship with Dominik. But it’s Mami’s fault so it’ll be satisfying to see what happens and I have faith in these performers to put on an amazing show.

Bayley and Nia lacks the same level of emotion but I also think it will be a great match. Nia is better than a lot of people give her credit for and with this last title run Bayley has won me over. Normally I leave the room when Tiffany Stratton is on the television so hopefully her fake ass won’t be too involved.

Drew, Punk and Seth will be fun to watch but they’ve screwed with other storylines so many times I’m just ready for it to be over. I think the highlight will be Seth’s outfit.

I want Sami to beat Bron. I’m a sucker for heart and hard work paying off. Bron is Goldberg 2.0 and I find him just as interesting as his predecessor, meaning I’d rather watch paint dry. He’s got potential so I hope they don’t stick with the angry meathead persona for long. I figure they’re setting Sami up to lose, probably due to being drawn back into Bloodline mess with Jey. It would be almost okay if he and Jey got a nice run as a tag team together.

Side note if you made it this far:

I was so excited for Jey’s single run. It’s personal and I know that’s silly but I FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL to escape an abusive family and make a life for myself. It really spoke to me to see him do the same sort of thing. And now, it’s all been wasted because he’s almost assuredly been nuked at every turn so he can go back to the Bloodline drama. He deserves better, deserves a better singles story and a title. It’s sad he probably won’t ever get it at this point. Like I said before, I will watch a different promotion if he goes to it.

Anyway, thanks for listening. My couple of 7 day, 18hr a day work weeks are coming to a close so I’ll have way more time to work on my fanfics and novels. I’m considering entry to a competition for some of my original stories so I may post a few blurbs for feedback. If you’re waiting for a request or just a story update, that’s what I’ll be working on! Some very much needed stress relief.

Thanks for giving me some space to share my thoughts and my work!

[guesst]

MANHWA REC LIST PART 3 courtesy of @ihavenobigbrain

have tried my best to put in all the nice platonic manhwas i’ve read! theres still a bunch of romance but fun and games and lightheartedness is the main focus of these for sure 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

first of all i will rec the obvious and popular ones so they dont get missed becuse they are Popular for a Good Reason:

the s classes that i raised (super good, ive read the novel mostly but the manhwa is JUST as great. mc is collecting people like pokemon)

trash of the counts family (amazing art, little dragon child, mc is collecting people like pokemon)

also gonna plug some ones from the previous rec posts just cus i truly believe they are some of the best non romance manhwa: susu, han; i see you; the tale of goldiluck the black kitten

okay onto the actual recs !

WHEN THE THIRD WHEEL STRIKES BACK

HILARIOUS. genuinely so good, pretty underrated too (in that i havent seen anyone talking about this?) but it has a main character who isekais into a second male lead and decides to stay awayy from the leads — this fails miserably, obviously, and its comical. the misunderstandings, the unlucky run-ins… also the mc is a priest and theres a pretty interesting magic system and worldbuilding!! and as a final bonus the art is nice. genuinely so fun to read, highly recommend

A STEPMOTHER’S MARCHEN

favourite manhwa of all time tbh its the only one ive bought a physical copy of (so far, anyway.. hehe). has a romance sub plot but the characterisations, relationships, plot development etc is exquisite. the family relationship takes precedence here especially in the first few arcs, the characters are REALISTIC, the art is gorgeous…, i love it so so much highly rec if you havent read it already. i guess this doesnt fall as much into light-hearted, because there are quite a lot of heavy moments… but its nicely balanced out with the comedy n all so i’ll put it in anyway :]

SCHOOLMATE FRIEND

super cute! this one is a school romance and it doesnt have many chapters out but its simple and the two mains are adorable. its a nice fluffy read and the artstyle is also lovely.

THE DEMON KING DAD AND HIS HERO DAUGHTER

jdjsjd can you tell how this goes from the title? speaking of which i type it from memory and i cant find the tab i had it open in so it might actually be “his daughter the hero” not “his hero daughter”… not sure. anyway i havent read much of this one but the first few chapters alone had me screaming the dad and his lackey are idiots please read it for him. he loves his daughter but this is backfiring on him so badly djrnfj

^ idiot lackey, everyone

RETURN OF THE WAR GOD

you would assume the war god goes to war! but no. he picks up a little girl and then he’s like. ok mine now. and the rest of the manhwa is spent getting money out of people and living in the woods in his homemade mansion with his daughter and the mamy many sidekicks that they pick up along the way. lovely art, lots of funny moments, plenty of action -- this is a martial arts story -- n the side characters are great (especially the governor lol) .

SCREW THE NOBLE LIFE, I’M GOING HOME

there arent many chapters out for this one (24 i think?) but im so invested already. as it stands this is centred entirely around the isekai’d main character and her new family, there is a heavy dose of angst about identity issues but every chapter has a new misunderstanding and it has me rolling fr ,, oh also the mc’s new brothers are her stepsiblings but they shoot down that romance route really fast and their relationships are so entertaining if it keeps going the way it is this will definitely become a favourite. heres an out of context foot pic

SIGRID

AMAZING TRULY AMAZING the character arcs in this one are so !!! yummy !!! mc time travels n endeavours to correct her actions n save people and in the process makes sm friends and all the characters have depth and grow and theyre all so !!! lovable !!!! the friendships in this one are amazing even without the romance subplot (and also speaking of romance, its a slow burn mainly cus sigrid is as dense as a brick but its NOT frustrating because it actually makes sense for her character!! like im usually the first one to move on from a thick fl but honestly you cant help but cheer them on) its so so good, i love it

THE MEANING OF YOU

this one is an isekai romance with again some lovely character arcs :D the main character is pretty depressive but its also got plenty of light/funny moments to balance it out, and the plot centres around her learning to take care of herself and becoming more confident,, i love the characters a lot ! they care a lot. the romance does get a bit cheesy at times but it really is so wholesome with solid characterisation n its completed too so you have a nice 3am read.

HOW TO BE A DARK HERO’S DAUGHTER

urgh one of the best kid leads ever, plenty of plot and the art is gorgeous as well like its a winner all around okay. as it stands its on an indefinite hiatus (author had cancer and i assume is still recovering or just taking a break for a while) but season one is already completed and its an excellent family centred read with a few mysteries scattered here n there also did i mention the entire family is so yummy. im so gone for the butler fjddjdnndd

MY BROTHERS, THE PROTAGONISTS

simultaenously super funny and somewhat angsty. this is one of those dungeon manhwa but the caveat is each of the mc's brothers has a different trope going on (time travel, became demon king, isekai'd) while mc is a decent potion maker and has to deal with all their bullshit (affectionate). it handles family issues and balances it with comedy perfectly. the main character is really really likeable and you cant help but cheer her on. so far its almost entirely platonic but i spy a few male leads lol

MY CUTE BEAST!!!

romance manhwa again !! fjdmcjf the author of this one looked at all the classic miscommunication and misunderstanding tropes and noped the fuck out its so easy to read because you will NOT stress out and the male lead is so cute also. they play with the typical gender roles so fl has the knight aura while the ml is the damsel. its great and the characterisations are also awesome. big big fan. look him

WEE!!

iirc this is actually either malaysian or indonesian, not korean i think..? its mostly slice of life iirc n its been like.. 2 years since i read it so the humour might be . slightly outdated haha,, the cast is pretty diverse which is cool and there are a few angsty backstory chapters scattered here and there but on the whole it is chock full of shits and giggles if you want silly times. the only caveat is there isnt an official translation afaik so like… fan translation will have to do djfnc

A FREE RIDE EVERYDAY

back to romance ! romance manhua this time, slice pf life office type of thing and its pretty much just fluff. its a cute low stress read for times where u just want to sit down n smile about something and the characters r not thick about everything like they can be in SOME romances fjfnf and also the art is lovely! look at the cover, thats what its like the whole way through.

PURRFECT WORLD

mad underrated djfhdn it’s pretty chill, its a story about a human girl working at a salad restaurant on a planet full of cats. the art is super cute, the cats have jobs and all but they also act like cats and its great dhsks like the owner of the restaurant likes to sit in random cardboard boxes. its been a while since i read it but there is not much romance (if at all??), but plenty of cats and shenanigans. heehee

read it for him !! its also complete and its not particularly long either btw forgor to say

ONI NO KO

this one … i think is a manga actually? in colour?? its about a random oni kid that gets picked up by a high schooler’s family. very very cute art, it’s short and sweet and i will repeat very cute.

look him! hes so small ! he likes baseball!!

BONUS REC which doesnt fit the mood but i think more people should read it: the goldfish osushi. i wont elaborate anymore but its truly… your heart will be touched after it lol

also if anyone has more to add to this list (preferably things u think r underrated !! and no orv because everyone automatically recs that to me and im tired ajfndn) please do i would also like recs. also also if anyone has requests i love making lists

[aspoonofsugar]

hey! Good day :) here to ask a question!! I was wondering about your process for analysis, character analysis, theme analysis- do you just write or are there specific things you look for? I suppose I’m curious if you have an idea/general gist of what you’re doing or steps you take to do your breakdowns. I’m trying to do something similar out of interest and your works are simply fascinating to read. I look up to your writing a lot!

hello!! Can I ask how you started analysing shows, how you went about it? I’m learning literary analysis and trying to do the same for hunter x hunter but I find it infinitely harder to analyse shows. Especially since I most notably consider diction in literary analysis lol

Hi!

Thank you for your nice words anon(s) and yay! I love meta-asks <3<3<3

So, it depends on the meta. In general, I try to focus on a specific topic, which can be:

a character (arc + foiling between characters)

a theme

the use of a specific motif, when it comes to a character or a theme

These are my three favourite kinds of analyses, but there are other types, as well. For example, some people are really into plot theories/predictions. Others prefer to focus on characters from a psychological viewpoint. Some other writers like to use philosophical lens or to compare different works. It really depends on your preference.

My preference is mostly for thematic analyses. This means that my character metas too tend to use a thematic lens. So...

WHAT IS THE THEME?

In short, the theme of a story is both:

the topic the story is exploring

the moral of the story, aka a phrase which summarizes its message

Stories explores topics through characters and plot, while the way the conflict is solved tells us the moral.

Some examples:

RWBY's main topic is humanity in both its weakness and strength and its moral is that victory is in a simple soul

Madoka's main topic is wishes and its moral is that it is worth to want things and to fight for them, even if it is painful

HXH is strange structurally, but its main topic is self-search, with its moral being that a person should not focus on the goal, but enjoy the journey

All of these messages and ideas aren't just things stated in dialogues (even if someone saying the theme helps). They emerge from the story itself.

RWBY's main conflict is about a destroyed world (remnant) surviving the anger of an evil witch (Salem). If humans let hate divide them, they lose. If they unite, they win. The main thematic question is then... can humans make the right choice? And the answer is that they can, as long as they remain simple souls (Ruby, but also Pyrrha at Beacon, Blake in Managerie, Yang in Mistral, Weiss with her family, JNR when they tag along and Penny in Atlas). The main message is that several people making the right choice leads to change. And that is humanity. This is why the characters keep being asked to give up their idealism and to embrace a more utilitarian way of doing things. And this is why every time they refuse and stick to their idealism. The conflict itself keeps testing their resolution.

Madoka's power system works through wishes, so the girls' powers and their backstories are all defined by their wishes and by how they relate to them. Madoka doesn't know what she wants. Homura's wish turns into an obsession. Mami makes a wish too early and thinks only about herself. Kyouko and Sayaka make a wish for someone else and have opposite reactions to their wishes ending poorly. Finally, it is revealed the girls' wishes are literally the force that keeps the world at balance. So, the plot, character arcs, conflict and worldbuilding are all about wishes.

HXH is made up of several arcs and each arc has its own theme. That said, the overall structure conveys the main theme. Gon's objective is to find Ging, but he keeps taking detours and getting engulfed in unrelated conflicts. However, the moment he meets Ging he realizes it is not his father who defines him, but rather it is all the people he met in his journey and his own experiences. Basically, HXH's strange structure conveys the main theme.

So, the theme (both topic and moral) should emerge by the characters, the worldbuilding, the conflict and sometimes even by the structure itself. In order to find it, one should start with the topic and ask themselves "What does the story really talk about?". The answer to this question will let you understand the theme as topic. The second step is to see how the story explores it.

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW ON THE TOPIC

There are different ways a story can explore a topic. Still, the best stories have different perspectives clash with each other. Very often these different points of view are embodied by different characters.

Here are some examples, with some linked metas that explore the respective stories more in depth.

Madoka (topic= wishes):

Homura is determined to fulfill her wish no matter what

Kyubey is her opposite, as they are unable to wish since they lack feelings. This is why they need to recruit girls into creating energy through wishes

Madoka is in the middle, as she wants to wish for something, but doesn't know what

Mami, Kyouko and Sayaka all explore negative effects linked to wishes, which are connected to other secondary themes. Specifically, Mami explores the consequences of an immature wish, while Sayaka and Kyouko explore the selfishness/selflessness inherent in wishes

The conflict is solved through Madoka learning about the price of wishes, but still choosing to make a wish and to sacrifice her whole self for it. This ending conveys a specific moral: despite the pain and sacrifice that comes with them, wishes are still beautiful and worth it all. If Madoka had chosen to give up being a magical girl and had ended up the series without making a wish, the moral would have been the opposite: that a normal life is better than grandiose and dangerous dreams.

Monster (topic = the value of life)

Tenma believes that all lives are equal, which is why he chooses to save Johan as a child, despite being ordered to operate a far more influential patient.

Eva and Nina believe that not all lives are equal. In particular, Eva thinks that social status and importance in society influence the value of one's life. Nina instead believes that people who commit crime should be punished and lose their lives.

Johan believes no-life has value, including his own. In his words, the only thing all humans are equal in is death.

Here, the moral is conveyed through the Tenma/Nina vs Johan's conflict. Tenma is tested in his beliefs, but ultimately does not abandon them and ends the story by saving Johan. Nina instead is asked to change her mind, as she ends the story embracing Tenma's point of view.

RWBY - The Atlas Arc (topic = trust)

Ozpin lacks trust, as he is unable to trust others, no matter how loyal or dedicated to his cause they are

Ruby wants to "trust safely". She wants others, like Ironwood, to prove themselves to her before disclosing the truth to them

Ironwood is initially on Ruby's same page, but he spirals and comes to embody the "enemy of trust" aka control. He doesn't trust others, but wants to control them.

Oscar embodies trust, as he wants to trust Ironwood since the beginning. Even later on, he keeps on trusting people like Hazel and Emerald who are his enemies.

Cinder embodies another "enemy of trust", aka manipulation. She doesn't need to trust others to work with them, as she can use their feelings and wishes against them.

Penny embodies faith, which is a more extreme form of trust. She sacrifices herself and leaves the maiden power to Winter. She has no proof Winter will be able to save Weiss, Jaune or the relic, but she entrusts the future to her.

All these characters struggle with trust and its dangers. Some, like Ozpin, Ironwood and Cinder decide that trusting is too dangerous. Others, like Ruby, Penny and Oscar realize that to trust is the only way to move forward. Moreover, they learn there is not way to trust safely. As a matter of fact the moral of the arc is that "trust is a risk" and risks mean that things can end up badly. Still, not to take risk means to give up hope.

Hazbin Hotel - You didn't know song (topic= knowledge)

This song explores the idea of knowlege. The characters are after all in the middle of a questioning, which leads to several secrets coming out. Moreover, throughout it all the characters either admit or realize how ignorant they all are. The way they deal with this lack of knowledge establishes different thematic stances.

Charlie and Emily are both naive and ignore the darkest sides of their loved ones. Charlie doesn't know Vaggie used to be an exorcist and Emily has no idea Sera ordered the exterminations. Still, their answer to ignorance is to keep on questioning. They have no idea why only certain souls are admitted in heaven. Still, they think it is important to investigate the phenomenon and use it as evidence that there might be hope for the spirits in hell.

Lute and Adam don't know why some spirits end up in hell and others in heaven. Still, they do not bother to question it. So, Adam is caught by surprise by Charlie's question and has to improvise an answer. Not only that, but even later on the duo insist that Angel not being in Heaven proves he is unholy. And that's it.

Sera does know about the extermination, as she knows the system is unfair. Still, she refuses to question it and forbids others to do the same. She is the only one whose sin isn't ignornace, but knowledge.

There is no a clear thematic resolution to the question posed by the song. This is because the series is not over yet. However, the scene sets up the theme and the way characters will deal with it in later seasons will give us the moral.

As you can see, not only whole stories (like Madoka, or Monster) have themes, but also arcs (RWBY) and even episodes or scenes (Hazbin Hotel). That said, the way to go at it is always the same. Pintpoint the main topic and start investigate how the characters or the worldbuilding deal with it. You are gonna get several stances. The one which emeges victorious is the moral.

Let's highlight that the moral is not always embodied by the protagonist. For example, in the Madoka and RWBY's examples, Madoka and Ruby are initially at a loss and come to learn the moral by the end of the story (for Madoka) and arc (for Ruby). Similarly, Tenma initially does believe the moral, but doubts it throughout the story, only to be reminded and helped by other characters (like Nina).

In any case, the way the protagonist and characters in general relate to the main theme and to secondary themes is key for their arcs.

CHARACTERS AND THEME

When it comes to theme a character can either:

Believe the moral since the beginning

Not believe the moral since the beginning

In the first case, the character either stops believing the moral by the end (negative arc) or keeps believing the moral until the end (positive arc). In the second case, the character either learns the moral (positive arc) or doesn't learn the moral (negative arc).

In short, the story keeps challenging the character on their beliefs and they must either stick to their point of view or change it, depending if they believe in the moral since the beginning or not.

Exhibit A:

Charlie's belief that sinners can be redeemed is right. Still, in the beginning nobody else agrees with her, so she is challenged by the world around her. Her objective is not to lose faith in the Hazbin Hotel and to inspire others to change their mind too. Throughout her journey, she is bound to grow too. She starts as sheltered and naive with a simplistic idea of what redemption is. By the end, she will gain a deeper understanding of redempion and will grow as a result.

Exhibit B:

Eren's journey is about realizing what freedom (the main topic) is about. The problem is that he fixates himself on the idea that freedom means no boundaries, either natural nor humans. This leads him to embrace destruction and nihilism and to lose himself. In the end, the character who realizes what freedom truly is is Mikasa. She doesn't discard her bond with Eren, but is still able to make independent choices and to live as herself. In short, Eren doesn't learn the moral, hence why he spirals instead of growing.

Charlie is a protagonist who knows the moral and will grow with it in a positive arc. Eren is a protagonist who doesn't know the moral and never learns it. This is why he has a tragic negative arc.

These are just two examples, but there can be different combinations. By interrogating yourself on how characters relate to a theme, you get better a better understanding of their role in the story and of their overall arcs.

Still, how to find themes in a story? Luckily, each text is full of hints that are there for us to interpret them.

MOTIFS

Motifs are repetitive details within a story, which are used to communicate themes.

Anything can be a motif: a line, a musical tune, a specific imagery, an object. By repeating them in key moments throughout a narrative, they become symbols, which means they can lead to bigger metaphors and convey specific meanings.

In the song More Than Anything, dream is one of the main topics. We realize it because the characters keep mentioning it. At the same time, light keeps popping up. Lucifer summons light and throws it away, Charlie rememebrs a light show Lucifer imrpovised for her. Lucifer and Charlie start the song in the shadow and they end it in the light. This means that "light" is a motif throughout the song and by seeing how it is used we better understand the theme and the relationship between the two characters. We understand that light is a metaphor for dreams. Lucifer gives up on it, Charlie is inspired by it and eventually Lucifer summons it back as he has decided to believe in Charlie's dream. By looking at the way light is used, we can see that Charlie teaches Lucifer the moral that it is worth it to fight for dreams and not to give up on them.

In the CAA of HXH, gungi is a motif that comments both the topic of humanity and Meruem and Komugi's relationship. Their matches become a metaphor of monstrosity vs humanity, as humanity slowly conquers Meruem to the point he himself chooses to live and die as a human, rather than the King of the Ants. Similarly, Kokoriko symbolically becomes Komugi and Meruem's child, in the sense they give birth to this move and evolve the game.

Sometimes, their meaning is unique to the story. For example, gungi is a motif that makes sense within HxH and can't be brought outside of the series, as it is not a real world game. It only exists in that universe. Some other times, a motif can tie to bigger sets of symbols. For example, light and shadow are universal symbols that bring with them several additional meanings:

Good and Evil

The Jungian persona shadow

In the Hazbin Hotel song the first dychotomy doesn't fit, while the second one does. Initially both Lucifer and Charlie hide things from each other (shadow), whereas by the end they show who they are (light).

In short, to analyze a story, you should find its key motifs. They are hints to better understand the theme and the characters. Different stories will use different motifs and tie them to different wider sets of symbols. To find the right ones can help a lot in better understanding a story, as a whole.

Some examples:

RWBY uses fairy tales and alchemy as its main motif, so these two sets of symbols are the most useful to analyze the series

HxH is a shonen and uses its powers and fights to convey character arcs and themes, so to analyze one's nen abilities helps a lot

Hazbin Hotel is a musical series that takes inspiration from religion and mythology. So, it is probable that the best understanding of it will come from analyzing its songs and from looking into its religion inspiration

Of course this doesn't mean you should only use one motif to analyze a story. For example, you can use RWBY's semblances to look into the characters, as well. And there are some fairy tale allusions in Hazbin too. In the end, it is about using what best helps you understand a story as a whole.

What is more, there are general sets of symbols that can be useful in most stories, such as jungian archetypes. Finally, you might want to start from other aspects of the story itself, rather than theme or characters or plot. For example, you might be drawn to the world-building and realize it is used in a special way to explore the theme. Or you might be curious about character designs and see that they have their own symbolism (for example, I believe RWBY ones do and probably Hazbin Hotel ones, as well).

SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE

I have linked in the title of each paragraph, but this last one an article by @septembercfawkes. Her posts are great to better understand narrative structure and I found them enlightening.

I think the best thing you can do is to start with focused metas. Choose a scene, a character, a motif that intrigues you and start exploring it. It is better to start small and to narrow your focus, it would be easier to organize your article.

I usually outline the contents of the meta before starting to write it. Still, it sometimes changes as I keep writing.

It can be useful to write at the beginning of your analysis what you are gonna do. It will help you remember what the point of the meta is. For example, in my RWBY allusion meta or HxH nen meta, I always start with the motif I am analyzing. I summarize the fairy tale (even if many people know it already) and I explain what the character's ability is about. It helps organizing the flow and the contents.

The more you analyze the better you become at it, so it is just a matter of starting :)

Thank you for the asks, I hope this was helpful and not too much confusing!

Have a nice day!

[mahou-furbies]

Miss Meguca contest (casual outfits), comments

All preliminary rounds are now over! Since there was some variance in how many people voted each round, I'll have to calculate everyone's scores with percentages. So I think the final round won't start until tomorrow. In the meantime, here are the comments:

Round 1

Let’s Hope Madoka Wins this Thing Again. I want to See an Idol or Maybe a special Surprise Image song round or something.

Most of these outfits are so good. I only docked off points for some of them cause they weren’t as interesting. Also Ayaka’s outfit is perfect except for the color of her tights

Always glad to see my girl, Ashley!

Hoods are always a good taste, so…

I'm a sucker for suspenders!

Yuuna, Rena and Kokoro are the TOP of winter fashion!!!

There're quite a few outfits I WANT to like but they're just drawn so weird. Like. Why is Mitsune's sweatshirt Like That.

Also why is Mami dressed like she's in her 40s.

I really love all the varied silhouettes Magireco gives its characters in their casual clothes. Yuuna's is probably my least favourite because it's so boring. Ikumi's cat socks are extremely 2010s fashion and I love them.

Ashley has the best one here! It's practically something I would wear!

Rena's was so cute… until the short shorts. Girl!!! Your thighs are going to freeze!!! At least with skirts it's easy to wear skin colored thermal tights!

Ikumi: I'm going to wear e-girl cat socks with the most boring fit possible.

Round 2

Ren's outfit is so adorable!

Bring On Da Next Round! I Need Madoka to Win!

Yuma stands out not being super detailed, but I like it.

Scene 0 Madoka's outfit isn't bad but I don't think the silhouette and blue jacket necessarily suit her. Also adult Hikaru's outfit looks like something I'd wear in IRL help

Yuna: I don't understand the transparent fabric on her, but aside from that, is a pretty fashionable outfit

Akari: The bunny purse? The bow with the scarf? The puffy shorts? *chef's kiss

Moka: teh top part is a 10, but the bottom is a 3

I would once again kill for Mami's, but Ria's on the block too

Felicia ily but THAT clothes???????

Round 3

It's designs like these that get my hopes up about character design and fashion.

Alina wins out because of the paint on her clothes!

No Madoka Here but I’m Alright with That Besides Madoka Is Gonna Be the Winner Again!

I love Alina's painting clothes 💚💛❤️

So many cute designs in this round💖

ADORE alinas outfit, its so unique among the rest of the super feminine and cutesy casual outfits!

What is up with that bow on Tomoko’s outfit? It feels like everything was just slapped together when it comes to how she’s dressed.

Round 4

sorry, kyouko. i cant stand orange+green color combos.

Finally a good outfit for Kyoko!

Why does it feel that they put more effort into making the winter ones and just slap some ramdom shirts and skirts for casual?

They really did Kyouko dirty in this game.

Looking Good I know Madoka is the Winner nothing ordinary or new!

Thought Homura had a mustache necklace for a sec

I was gonna give glasses Homura a -1, but she's getting a 2 for the mustache necklace actually. I don't like it but it's such a bold choice and I love that for her lmao

I dislike Kirika but her clothes are in my fav choices ;;

I find my choices a little funny in hindsight because Kokoro's outfit is a hiking outfit and it looks nice but it also feels very generic, but I also feel like Leila's outfit looks like she's about to go camping or something. Also I am OBSESSED with Homura's mustache necklace.

Round 5

I'd like to make a disclaimer that I'm not rating Ranka's outfit 1 because I hate it, I just don't think it makes a good winter outfit necessarily. But does this also mean she's into larme kei and shops at places like MA*RS and Ank Rouge? Also: 1) Yachiyo's cold shoulder sweater dress amuses me for some reason. Girl your shoulders! 2) Green is a very interesting colour choice for Temari.

Hotaru, my beloved!! Sleepy queen!!

This is getting Good Final around Ahead and Madoka must Win!

I want Konomi's one so baaaad!!!!

Homura with glasses has the best outfits ;_; I have seen a lot of hers in the polls and always I love how she mixes cutesy with black clothes

Some of these are awful

Round 6

Lots of threes this time for interesting silhouettes or designs that make me go "yeah, that's [character]"! Also Mifuyu's outfit is just one of my faves in general

These are not as awful as the other but somehow most of them has something that ruins the look for me.

The thing is, a magical girl costume is always so extravagant and beautiful, that when we go back to their casual clothes, we expect nothing less. Bu then it comes some disappointment, because they look so plain and simple.

Last One I Need Madoka To Win!!

hard to be picky abt it ;-; they're all so pretty tbh

ui looks adorable!! i love her little outfit! you can certainly tell she's a kid. i find her outfit works really well over all. a lot of others i felt like there'd be one or 2 elements just don't fit with the rest but ui's just matches perfectly in my eyes

This is so difficult because imo the game has really really good designs for the casual outfits

Round 7

Kyoko looks really good in purple

After seeing Yachiyo's dress everything seems pretty.

Disclaimer I like Kyouko's outfit but I don't think it suits /her/ personally. I don't really like the mauve on Oriko? I feel like she should be wearing white or a very pale lilac at least. Tsubaki's is okay I guess and there's something about Tsukuyo's I don't entirely vibe with for some reason

I came to the conclusion that Homura is the Fashion Queen…

And poor Kyouko has so much to learn…

Let’s Hope Madoka wins this whole Thing!

Kyoko's outfit is great, but not a good fit for Kyoko.

Nagisa gets a 3. The OG deserves it. Too good for this world. Too pure. Deserves all the cheese.

Again, Homura has the best outfits

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

so, madoka magica! how you're feeling, three episodes in? how did you feel about Mami's demise? what about other characters reactions to it? also I had a feeling you would enjoy the way witches are animated - what do you think of that? how do you like our little white fox? ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人＼

Yeah, Madoka Magica... hooray....... D:

Well, I knew it was going to be a little screwed up going in, and I knew there was going to be deaths, so Mami's death didn't necessarily surprise me in that it happened, but more that it happened so soon into the show and so suddenly. (Especially when she had that reaction to not fighting alone anymore I just kind of went. Ah. Death flag. Bye Mami.)

I do think that Homura may have known Mami was going to die - she was the one to say the witch was different from the others, even though it hadn't hatched yet. I have my suspicions about her, but I'm going to keep watching before I say anything. I think Madoka is just... stunned, and Sayaka has this interesting sense of "deserve" or "rightness" I've noticed that both endears me to her and uh... worries me, given the nature of this show.

Kyubey though. (A fox! I kept thinking "weird cat thing" but yeah he is a little more like a fox, isn't he?) I do not trust him. Now, I probably wasn't supposed to know this in advance, but I know that the fanbase largely hates this guy, so I am on alert for why that is. Even without that though, I find it weird Homura tried to kill him, that he has this unchanging soulless expression, that he grants wishes through contracts (notorious in magical stories for going awry), that he urges Madoka and Sayaka to make their wishes right when Mami is killed (convenient timing...), that he and Homura are fixated on Madoka. It's just. Odd.

The witches!!! I love the way the animation changes - it's incredibly surreal and disturbing in a good way. This is probably my favourite aspect of the show right now. I'm not sure if it's just because the numbers of anime I've watched is quite limited, but it really does remind me in some ways of the uncanniness of Lain - I wonder what the inspirations were for this show?

Anyways, I'm about to watch episode 4 now! I'm sure things can only get better!

[to-thelakes]

I also think that if he gets hurt on a case you would be the first one he'd call. The first one he'd wanna see, in the hospital? First thing he asks about

Also what do you think Luke would call his partner?

luke would absolutely want you to be the first thing he'd see after he got injured but i think part of him also wouldn't immediately say. like, he's a military man and in one of the episodes i watched in s13, he was saying how he always preferred to work alone. and i honestly think some of that would still linger and as much as he cared about his partner, i don't know if he'd immediately call them. i feel like he wouldn't want to worry you but also the team knows how much he loves you so like emily/jj/garcia would absolutely call you before he even got the chance.

but you being the first thing he asks about is ABSOLUTElY something i can see him doing. like, he wakes up in a hospital bed after getting injured or he's in the ambulance and the first thing he would ask about is you. he would ask where you were, if you were okay, if you knew about the injury.

it would be 10 times worse if you were on the team with him because he would wake up and not know whether you were injured. or if you went to take down an unsub and it got dangerous, the second you were all out and the unsub is arrested, he would find you first, check on you, ignore his injuries just to make sure you were fine.

i feel like when he falls, he falls hard, yk? like we see that with... uhm i've actually forgotten her name but i've just met her, but his love interest in like s13 or whatever, he falls hard for her and he's really smitten about the date and that would definitely translate into being worried about his partner.

and nicknames? oh god, honestly, i really struggle with nicknames that luke would use. my go-to is carina (it really should have a squiggly line above the n but i keep forgetting to do it) which is a spanish term of endearment. i picked that up when i wrote a moonknight fic ages ago and i feel like it fits luke's character.

like i feel like he calls his important women in his life with terms of endearment, i know in the show he called his mom 'mom' but i think he'd also call her like 'mami' and then his partner 'carina'

but as for other ones, i honestly really struggle with like hearing (if that makes sense) him say anything but i think the terms of endearment i feel like fit him the most (with his personality) would be like 'baby' or he'd call you 'my girl'. i'm not really sure, i feel like i'm still tryna to get a feel for it and that is something i'm struggling with while writing 'built to fall' but they're the ones i think most suit him but it might change

[queer-and-dear-books]

Title: Blue Flag

Author: KAITO

Genre: Comics | Friendship | Romance | LGBTQ+

Content Warnings: Homophobia | Sexism | Mentioned Sexual Assault

Overall Rating: 9.8/10

Personal Opinion: One of my favorite stories ever. It’s a bittersweet journey as we follow Taichi Ichinose, Toma Mita, and Futaba Kuze navigate their last year of high school together. Along the way, they struggle against gender norms and the curse of falling for someone you can never have. I love these characters with my whole heart. They actually inspired one of my novel ideas, the only one I ever finished so this manga has a special place in my heart.

Do I Own These Books? Yes! The photos I used for this post actually are of my own copies.

Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:

Likes:

- That ending! Holy fucking shit! Taichi is presented as the main protagonist in this series so when we reach the epilogue, we naturally assume that we’re in Taichi’s POV. We’re led to believe that since one of the first things that character does is write the name “Ichinose” at Futaba’s wedding. But then post-wedding, we see Taichi! By process of elimination, the only possible character that could be the POV is Toma! Meaning Taichi and Toma got married! And we know they are married because they live together, they hold hands in the epilogue, and they’re both wearing rings. I squealed. It was such a twist but it also didn’t come out of left field. Toward the end of the series, there were hints that Taichi had reciprocated Toma’s feelings, he just never knew loving men could be an option for him until Toma confessed! Ugh, that epilogue was just so good.

- Anyway, let’s talk about some of the other stuff. I adore the art style. It’s cute and wholesome and each of the characters have their own flavor. Toma exudes big dog energy. Taichi is indeed a tiny gremlin with a good heart. And Futaba is a hamster through and through. The way their drawn matches their personalities so well. And specifically, I love the way the artist drew Toma’s smile. It’s just so radiant and beautiful, I had a crush on him by the end of the series.

- Mami speaks to me on a spiritual level. Why can’t men and women be just friends? Why can’t a girl just hang out with the bros? Why can’t guys wear makeup and why can’t girls play video games? Why should she be cut out from friend groups just because she interacts with a guy? It’s ridiculous and the unfortunate part is, I’ve seen girls treated the way Mami has and it disgusts me. So to see her find a friend in Taichi and Toma and Futaba after everything she went through in middle school, I just wanted her to be happy. And honestly, she had such a badass moment when she said, “Screw everyone else, I’m doing what I want when I want.”

- Mad respect for Shingo for always being there for Mami even when his girlfriends would tell him they were jealous of her. Like fuck you, he was friends with Mami first, why should he stop hanging out with her just because you’re insecure? He also only fought Toma to protect Mami and I love that. But he has no ulterior motives, no romantic interest in Mami, he sees her as a woman but more importantly, as his best friend.

- The deep conversations where Masumi would allude to her sexuality were always so gripping. Like, I really felt for her whenever she was lamenting being in love with a girl and being unable to find happiness with a guy. But Mami was also right that Masumi needed to meet people halfway. Seeing them cry together really tugged at my heartstrings.

- The board game that Taichi and Toma came up with together is such a cute ass detail. Landing on a space where everyone gets friendship power? Ingenious. But the part that really got me was Toma putting their character pieces inside of the charm he gave Taichi, that got me so emotional. “Friendship Power” fuck you, I’m in tears.

- One of my favorite moments was the festival. Toma in a yukata and the girls in kimonos was so great, they looked amazing! But also, that was when Toma gave Taichi his birthday present and I just about bawled my eyes out over it.

Dislikes:

- Kensuke. The source of all the homophobia and vulgar sexism in this series. I hate him. I do understand where some of his homophobia comes from considering his past but the girls were right when they said that has nothing to do with Toma. Anyway, Kensuke isn’t even who I have a big problem with. No, it’s actually Shingo. Yo, he said to the girls that they were just like Kensuke for not tolerating his intolerance. BITCH! And the story framed it like he was right. Ugh, that’s fucked up.

- I wanted more of Taichi and Toma. I want to know how they got together. What happened in between the main story and the epilogue, please tell me KAITO! I need to know how they found each other and fell in love!

[mulchette]

i used to be so obsessed with the madoka and homura ship when i was 13 but now I no longer reallt ship them anymore. Not cause it’s toxic and abusive or whatever I find that dumb. But like. the drama and the constant discourse surrounding it made me stop shipping it. now I can’t look at the pairings of pmmm without feeling fully fond at all. Like I still do love Madoka magica to bits but I hate it’s fans so much and i find most of the fandom culture around it to be really stupid and all because it’s so hellbent on hating teenage girls and adultifying them. not to mention rebellion got grown men ARMCHAIR DIAGNOSJNG a 14 year old girl with “scary or creepy” mental health disorders, like sociopath for example. which is just really disgusting tbh. like. WHAT!!! Anyways sorry for the Madoka ask I know it’s been beaten to death atp but i still have so much mixed feelings over the ship. I love the characters but how the fans interact with the relationships puts me off a bit. don’t know why. Anyways I only like that show cause it has Madoka and sayaka and homura. Mami and Kyoko are rlly great as well but Madoka and homura and sayaka were my #itgirls when I was like 12-14 years old #tbh

anyways I’m also real sayaker I genuinely support manipulative insane women #sayakamaizono4life

ARMCHAIR DIAGNOSING CHARACTS W CLUSTER B DISORDER LITERALLY NEVER ENDS UP BEING WEIRD, ITS ALWAYS ENDS UP DEMONIZING PPL W THOSE DISORDERS MOSTLY BECUZ OF THE LANGUAGE THOSE PPL USE

as 4 sayaka maizono she made me in2 the person i am 2 day i was ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED w her when i was 13 . like i don't even like dangarnonpa all that much anymore but she (and the entirety of thh tbh) is so deeply engrained w my art she's sososoossosos interesting and i can talk about her 4EVERR she's so fucked up i wanna blend her

[strawberryjamsara]

Do you have any madoka magica hot takes/unpopular opinions?

Maybe a few

- I don’t really like Tart Magica. It’s considered one of the best spin offs and I’ll frequently reccomend it to people looking for side material because of this, but to me it felt very boring, almost shounen esque in how generic it was, did not make use of the concepts of PMMM in a historical setting in an interesting way, and none of the characters were interesting to me.

-I think that people (rightfully) defending Homura against people who wish to demonize her (get it? Demonize? Cause she’s a demon.) go into a whole other extreme of dogpiling on anyone who tries to analyze her by including her flaws. Like yeah, she’s not evil in the least. But a 14 year old girl with all the trauma she’s experienced isn’t always going to make perfect choices. Homura was literally dying when she made her choice to pull Madoka down and in doing so, revoked Madoka the choice in what would happen with her life anymore. It’s a messy complicated decision where yes, Madoka certainly wouldn’t have chosen a normal life on her own, and Homura needed to do something but it’s also not a simple black and white. Like I once made a comparison between the bad ending of p5 royal and rebellion because I love both shuake and madohomu and someone really tried to ‘well actually’ me that Homura did what she did out of good intentions so I shouldn’t act like it was wrong of her or like some bad end dude and I was like ‘so… did… the p5 protagonist?’

-I prefer Nagisas magireco backstory to the original solely based on the fact that we actually got to see it. Like, it was cool being able to put an image to the telling even if it was different.

-I don’t like how pretty much every Madoka media makes it so every girl goes after familiars despite the og series and Different Story saying otherwise. It’s oddly sanitized to have everyone in kamihama city be a familiar hunter, despite how it was a pretty significant to the world, (and more importantly to Mamis story) that fighting familiars would make you weaker when it really mattered so there were some teenage girls who came to a, frankly quite understandable decision of ‘I’m sorry, I don’t want to risk my life for this’ and it made the people who did fight familiars have something truly significant about them established when they were willing to take that much more of a risk. When Mami in the different story couldn’t have a partner because none of them fought familiars, and for a short time she had Kyoko, someone who truly understood the value of fighting them, which gets pulled out under her it hurts! And it hurts less when every Madoka media we see afterwards has the characters saying ‘there’s a familiar here, we gotta fight it!’ Maybe they were worried people would find any character who leaves familiars behind would come off as unlikeable, but people adore Kyoko so idk.

-Mami usually gets treated as the ‘cool stoic leader’ which doesn’t sit right with me. The whole point of her character is she isn’t strong as she seems. She joined a literally cult in magireco. She goes into a murder suicide breakdown in the og series. There’s a lot of emphasis placed on the fact she knows being a magical girl isn’t a good deal (she doesn’t know the full extent of how much but she still has lived it for years) and she still urges Madoka and Sayaka into the job because she doesn’t want to be alone. But the reason she goes after familiars is specifically because she doesn’t want another story like hers. It’s tragic. SHES tragic and she doesn’t deserve to be discounted because she doesn’t have a main ship.

-I like Oriko Magicas art. It’s a really cool unique style. You guys are just mean.

-Speaking of Oriko Magica- ORIKO MAGICA IS SO GOOD. I actually like it more than the different story, which is a pretty high compliment.

-One last Oriko Magica point- I need Yuma to be in the main series. I hate knowing she’s stuck with her abusive parents in every other timeline.

-I made a post about this a while ago and more people are acknowledging it, but I’ll say it again: KYOKOS RELIGIOUS TRAUMA DESERVES TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED AS MUCH AS HOMURAS.

-Alina Gray is a sympathetic character. You guys are just fucking weird about her.

-I liked season 2 of the magireco anime. Sure, some points were rushed (Mifune) and the yachi/iro stuff was. Bad. But I loved how it sort of turned it into its own story, and I’m especially glad to have Kuroe exist.

-Also I remember people getting really upset Sayaka was the one to save Mami because she idolized her more than anyone and like. Buddy. That’s the point. She’s grown to understand Mami and is now willing to take on the task of ultimate understanding.

-People who hate kyosaya are really annoying. I spent years having people come onto my posts about kyosaya to be like ‘I personally prefer kyo///mami’ ‘I don’t think they liked each other romantically’ ‘I think it was kinda forced :/‘ and once I was accused of not listening to others opinions when they did this and I told them to fuck off. I don’t really frequently check the kyosaya tag anymore but the reason I stopped was because people kept posting their inane rants about how kyosaya made no sense and kyo//Mami was much better. So now you know why I fucking hate kyo///mami. Anyways if you’re gonna harp on kyosaya for not knowing each other for that long (in the SERIES timeline one out of many) then you gotta acknowledge Kyoko said Mami was like an older sister to her. Sorry not sorry.

-homophobic Hitomi jokes will never be as funny as deeply in the closet Hitomi jokes

[curedeity]

For the bingo: kyoko and/or mami?

While i may have surprisingly few boxes for kyoko colored in, its not from a lack of love. Kyoko, imo, is the best redeemed villain character ive ever seen. Its not about her apologizing to sayaka or whatever, its about her slowly understanding sayakas worldview and growing closer to her, how their differing philosophies intertwine as the world slowly beats them down. Kyokos redemption arc is just her choosing to change and try to help sayaka, such a simple thing and yet masterfully executed. Its even more impressive when kyoko really only had 4 episodes in the show to execute all that. Saying she didnt have enough screentime is a bit tough, especially considering what a short and tightly plotted show pmmm is, but i really think kyoko couldve used a few more scenes to show what she does when shes alone, shes normally only with another character.

She does work very well off of whatever character shes paired with though. She and sayaka have (imo) the best dynamic in the entire show, what with how much they impact each other and how their dynamic builds up over time. Kyoko also has great chemistry with madoka despite having only one episode together. I know theres a manga of her and mami somewhere which i really want to read. (Rebellion spoilers for the rest of the paragraph) I also love how she and homura get to grow close in rebellion. I just wish rebellion had given time to kyoko and madoka, and kyoko and mami, but it isnt a huge problem.

Basically, i love kyoko a lot and what she means in the series. Her arc is incredible and she works well off of anyone she comes in contact with. The only problem is that i think the show doesnt give her a chance to show off what she can be like solo.

Mami. Gosh, this feels lkke payback for me giving you her. Shes such a hard character to describe.

First off minor point not everyone is wrong about mami im mostly joking bc i really hc her as aroace. Shes got so many aroace vibes. Shes the character through which i truly understood what relationship envy was. But i dunno if i wanna say all her ships are bad or anything yknow. They just dont work for me. So mostly that point is kinda a joke.

Also ghsjfnnsks so hard to choose whether shes wasted potential and not enough screentime. To say those things would i think imply something in the writing wasted her, and i dont think so. She is a character with very little of an arc, very little time, but she dows a lot in that time and is incredibly important to how the rest of the show plays out. Plotwise, i think shes used perfectly. I think what redeems her short tome is that they strongly characterize her in short moments. That scene in episode 10 reveals so much about how mami views the world, and makes so much sense. Not to mention how much they let mami do in rebellion. Its clear they have a strong characterization of mami and show it off whenever possible.

She did get done dirty by the creators though, she did not need to be fanserviced in rebellion. Shes a middle schooler.

Other than that i find her very interesting to think about but i will admit she is my lest favorite magical girl in pmmm. Which means shes still an incredible character, but the weakest in her cast.

EDIT: i forgot to mention i love her dynamic with madoka but idk if thats necessarily where she works best. Its just fun.

[daisyachain]

hi!! i've been reading through your ao no flag liveblogs lately and they're really interesting! i enjoy seeing someone so passionate about this manga and it makes me want to reread it .... i'm really interested in hearing what you have to say about masumi's ending though!! part of me thinks it makes sense but i'm mostly conflicted on it and would love to see it from your perspective ^^

haha well thank you! ah yes, the arc that created as much controversy as you can get in an active readership of like 10 people...

Blue Flag is an imperfect story, but it also gets a lot of flack for things that a) didn't...actually...happen, b) didn't happen in the way people think they did.

Part 1: Is it actually straightwashing?

The most common criticism I see of Masumi's ending is that she was written as a lesbian character and straightwashed at the end. Marrying off a female character as a way to 'fix' her issues is a common and harmful trope, and saying that lesbian women just need to get a man is a widespread homophobic trope and talking point. So, it's not a good look. To have a character angst over interest in a woman and end up happily married to a guy reads like a '50s pulp novel that just uses f/f attraction for marketing.

But, if the intention of the ending was to show that Masumi should give up on women and force herself to date men, then it doesn't. Mitsuyuki's description of her is 'look at my bisexual wife who has dated both women and men and could also have married a woman', which is an odd choice if the intention was straightwashing. It feels more like a clumsy way to make sure that, in a series full of ambiguity, there could be no argument that Masumi was queer. That isn't to say that cisstraight people don't view bisexuality as less/better than/straighter than her being lesbian and that making a previously gay character bisexual isn't still straightwashing (increasing the appearance of straightness).

Part 2: Was it actually a retcon?

So: Masumi's ending reaffirms that she's a WLW. One question is, was she always meant to be bisexual, or was she originally written as lesbian?

Blue Flag doesn't have a lot of straight (no pun intended) answers. Taichi never expresses any explicit attraction to guys, but there is enough subtext to suggest he's attracted to Touma well before the finale. Futaba believes she is attracted to Touma at first and is shown to be attracted to him using the visual shorthand of manga (blushing, etc.), but she later says that it was just misinterpreted admiration. Mami doesn't want to date Touma or any man, but she implies that she is attracted to Touma when she says around him she was 'glad to be a woman.' Within the main romance, Futaba says that it was specifically because Taichi was a friend to her that she grew to like-like him. The lines between friendship and romance are blurred in Blue Flag, and sometimes romance can only grow out of friendship.

Masumi has a tense conversation with Taichi in the first half after she breaks up with her boyfriend that most people (me included) read as her saying that she tried guys and she just isn't and can't be attracted to them. However, it's Blue Flag, so the conversation is unfocused and doesn't paint a complete picture.

"Even if I get a boyfriend, I can never make it work"/"I don't know why [I don't like him anymore]" seem to imply that Masumi realized that she was feeling compulsory heterosexuality and that she will never like men. "[I don't know] why he like someone like me"/"You can be friends with potential sexual partners? With both guys and girls?"/"I just wanted to hear how you men feel about [a girl liking other girls]" seem to imply that Masumi is bisexual and is afraid to date because someone might find out. Maybe she's written as questioning--she knows she likes Futaba, but she's feeling out other possibilities. It's Blue Flag, so it's unclear.

Part 3: How does it work with Masumi's arc?

Diving further into Masumi's story, she acts as a foil to Touma (and Futaba, see later). Touma feels free to show his affection for Taichi as a friend as well as a love interest and almost confesses to him of his own free will, well before he's forced to. Touma tells her that he intends to try and set Taichi up with Futaba (because they would be good for each other), and also that he intends to pursue Taichi in some way. He tells her he's "not like [her]."

For Masumi's part, she tells Touma that she wants to express more affection for Futaba--not necessarily in a romantic way, just to participate more fully in that relationship--but she's afraid to, she doesn't feel confident enough to try, and that she's "the worst" because of it. We see this theme repeated, that Masumi is pessimistic, is afraid to trust people and hates herself for being afraid. Her conversations with Aki and Mami explore this; Aki tells her that it's not bad to be insecure or unready and that it's fine to keep a secret/stay closeted until she's ready, Mami tells her that she does have people she can trust, who care about her and who will do their best to understand her and help out. Why am I typing all this out? Because Masumi is a bitter, insecure wlw and that is an Established Trope, but her twist on it is that her negativity or bitterness isn't over her attraction to women/to Futaba or even over the reaction she might get from others (as Touma's is), it's over her own insecurity. Like Futaba, she's hesitant to act on her feelings, and like Futaba, she gets frustrated and hates herself for her own inaction.

All that is to say--Masumi is never shown to have a problem with her attraction to women. Her angst isn't gayngst, she's not ashamed of her feelings for Futaba bur rather her inability to express them. Her problems are with social attitudes and more with her own personal feelings--she and Touma face similar problems, but Touma is simply aware of the consequences (being roughed up and ostracised by a certain group of people) while Masumi feels a more generalized and ambiguous fear.

If Masumi were shown to have mixed feelings about her queerness/were shown to be in denial/were shown to be trying to move on from Futaba, then her ending would read more as straightwashing. As it is, there's nothing in her character and arc to say that she'd ever want to erase that part of herself or get rid of it, rather, she wishes she could embrace it but she just doesn't feel confident in doing it. Her ending shows her as an openly bisexual woman who is out to her friends and husband at the very least, which is a completion of her arc in the manga (of learning to trust other people and express her feelings honestly).

Part 4: What context clues does the rest of the series give us?

This is branching off a little from the strict text of Parts 1-3. As I've said, as we know, Blue Flag is 50% subtext and interpretation. Characters speak, but they don't say what they mean, characters think, but they're not always honest with themselves or in tune with reality. Mami is an ominous and antagonistic figure in the first half, but then it just turns out that Taichi was jumping to conclusions. Taichi is the main character and narrator, but we get radio silence from him for like 7 chapters after the climax. Taichi is bisexual, but the reader has to guess that from the way the art style shifts between PoVs, the similar panelling between Futaba and Touma's confessions, the things he does and does not think about Touma and how he feels about them. It's safe to say that there is room for speculation.

First, there is no explicit evidence that Taichi could be bisexual before ch 54. It's easy to tell that he is, but again, there's nothing specific. Some people reading Blue Flag have said that him marrying Touma was out of character, unforeshadowed, bizarre, inexplicable, etc. because their experienced is coloured by their own heterosexuality. Masumi is shown to have dated a guy and in saying she didn't like him "anymore," implied that she did like him. Her conflicted feelings over her bf could well have been foreshadowing her liking men as well, and my reading that as comphet could have just been my own experience colouring the text. Who knows! Taichi's bisexuality was intentional from the start but could be read as a last-minute twist, so why not Masumi's?

Second, Mitsuyuki is Futaba 2.0. Same colouring, same personality. This could feel like a way of saying "Masumi just needs to like guys instead," but to me it reads deeper with some of the trans subtext around Futaba. One of my issues with Blue Flag is that it doesn't go further into Futaba's admiration/envy for masculinity and her uncomfortable relationship with femininity. As a cis woman who wants to be buff and mildly masculine, I can understand why she's a cis girl throughout and I don't necessarily think that she was supposed to be a trans guy. However, her relationship with masculinity draws a parallel to Mitsuyuki. Reading Mitsuyuki as a cis man, he is the combination of Futaba's personality and looks with her 'ideal form.' So, Masumi marrying Mitsuyuki can read as Masumi marring Ascended FutabaTM.

Third, Futaba having a faceless prop husband is interesting in the context of Mitsuyuki getting a name and personality. Mitsuyuki = Futaba and Mr. Kuze is a blank space, so the reader is prompted to reduce the scenario and slot Masumi into that blank space. Given Masumi and Touma's history as foils, I'm inclined to think that Mitsuyuki exists to show the road not taken. Back at the fireworks, Touma tells Masumi that he hasn't given up on Taichi, and Masumi says she doesn't intend to pursue Futaba even though the pining is making her miserable. Given that Futaba reacts a lot better to the idea of Masumi liking her than Taichi reacts to the idea of Touma liking him, given that we see Masumi has successfully wooed male!Futaba, I think that Masumi's ending shows that she could have ended up with Futaba if she chose to pursue her. She didn't and she still got a happy ending where she is confident in her sexuality and unafraid to trust, but she could have also had a happy ending where she married Futaba. Mitsuyuki is a man because desire-for-masculinity is a key aspect of Futaba's character, and Mitsuyuki is a named character with a personality because KAITO wanted the reader to know that Masumi could have ended up with Futaba (as Touma ended up with Taichi).

Fourth, KAITO's notes on volume give us a few hints. He comments that there was remarkably little interference with his story and that he was able to tell it as he wanted, and that the ending was meant to be a "question" to the reader. The way I see it, Masumi's ending wasn't meant to say "maybe you'll be fixed if you get a man" but rather was meant to complement Taichi's ending and say "things happen in ways you might not expect, but that doesn't mean they're bad."

Fifth, Touma/Taichi ending up together shows us that the series is willing and able to show queerness as a good thing and a happy ending, so it's unlikely that Masumi was meant to come off as "actually she just needed a man" and more as "life can be unpredictable but you can always find happiness"

Summary

It's unclear whether Masumi was written as a bisexual woman or a lesbian woman or a questioning wlw

I personally read her as a lesbian and I wish that part of her character had gotten more exploration

Masumi's ending wraps up her arc (struggling to trust other people with her feelings in general and her queerness in particular) in a satisfying and logical way

Masumi being bisexual does not in any way negate or lessen her identity and experienes as a wlw, bisexual people still face external and internalized homophobia and all the associated issues

Masumi's bisexuality may well have been foreshadowed, but the execution makes it easier to read her as a lesbian, which makes her ending seem like a homophobic cop-out in the style of the Hays Code

Masumi's ending doesn't straightwash her and goes to unusual lengths to affirm her attraction to women

Masumi's ending seems to be written to contrast Touma's ending, showing that getting or not getting the love interest depends entirely on whether you choose to pursue them

It's unlikely that authorial intent was to straightwash Masumi

[heyhellohihowareyou]

Let's see Madoka Magica in 001!

Alrighty Candy 😊

Asks

Favorite character: Sayaka! I like her character design and her plot is super interesting. Her witch is also one of my favorites.

Least Favorite character: Kyubey I guess. I don’t actively hate them per say but yeah. Also that guy who was talking shit about his wife on the bus

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Madohomu, Kyosaya (I think that’s the name. It’s supposed to be Kyoko x Sayaka if you’re wondering), Madosaya, and that’s pretty much it for now 😅

Character I find most attractive: Homura. Specifically her demon form

Character I would marry: None of them really. Sure I love the characters but not to the point I would want to marry any of them

Character I would be best friends with: Madoka. If she would want to befriend Homura than why not me

a random thought: Imagine if there was another season of the show and maybe we’ll get more slice of life

An unpopular opinion: Kyosuke isn’t really that big of a jerk that I’ve seen others make him out to be

My Canon OTP: None of them are canon unfortunately

My Non-canon OTP: Madohomu

Most Badass Character: Homura

Most Epic Villain: Not “technically” a villain but Homura again

Pairing I am not a fan of: None of them really

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I wouldn’t say screwed over but I wish we got to know more about Kyosuke

Favourite Friendship: Madoka and Sayaka

Character I most identify with: Hard to say

Character I wish I could be: Mami. I just like her vibe.

[drops-of-moonlights]

The Winx club as magical girls from Madoka Magica. What would their wish be?

another question I've been waiting for forever!

Per my own headcanons and a bit of canon, Bloom is obsessed with all things magical, so I feel she would become a magical girl for the sake of being a magical girl. However, I could also see her wish being to either find more people that share her interests or to make Mitzi stop bullying her. With the first wish, her powers would be similar to Mami's, making some sort of ribbons or threads to represent how she can now make connections with other people; with the second wish her powers would most likely be something like generating barriers, I can see her using them offensively as well, like sending the barrier to you as if being hit with a wall. In both cases, her magic motif would be hearts, with her Soul Gem also in the shape of one. Her weapon would be a cutlass, like Sayaka.

Stella's wish is easy, especially if we assume Kyubey got to them all at the right time - getting her parents back together. Her powers would revolve around unifying things, sort of like fusing objects, and would retain a sun and moon motif due to her parents, as a show of how she got them. Her weapons would be a pair of quarterstaffs, like Kuroe - one sun themed, one moon themed. Her Soul Gem would be eclipse-shaped.

Musa is also another easy wish - to heal her mother's illness. She would have strong healing powers, and they would probably manifest the same way as Sayaka's powers, given the recipient of the wish in both cases are music-aligned. Her weapon would be an axe, and her Soul Gem would be volume-icon-shaped.

Flora is hard, because in canon we really don't have anything to go by that would make her wish for something. So for this I'm gonna have to come up with something, and say that Flora would become a magical girl if someone she cares about is in danger, like her family or her friends of the time. She would have powers and a motif related to plants, and her weapon would be a chain or whip, to get her loved ones out of the way. Her Soul Gem would be leaf-shaped.

Tecna is also hard, but not by much - she would wish to change herself, so she could be more open to other people's emotions. She would become a far chipper and outgoing person, but her real self is still inside and her love for technology would still drive some people away even with her new personality. Her weapon would be a crossbow, her motif would be emojis, and her Soul Gem would be power-shaped, as in the icon for turning on a device.

Ending with Aisha as another easy question - she would wish for her parents to stop micromanaging her entire fucking life, to be free. Her powers would be wind-related, "free as the sky" and all that, her motif would be air currents and clouds, and her Soul Gem would be wing-shaped. Her weapon would be a pair of daggers.

NOW FOR THE ACTUALLY INTERESTING SHIT, AND BY THAT I MEAN

THE WITCH FORMS.

Raiponce, the Witch of Fairytales. Her nature is daydreaming. She lives in her own world of fantasy, surrounded by characters from epic tales and romance arcs. However, nothing in her own world really attracts her, so she spends her days dreaming of a life she can no longer have. Some say she can be heard sobbing and laughing at times, when her dream fades as all dreams do. Her familiars are Azurro, the knight and Carmilla, the princess. Their jobs is to bring the Witch back to reality and defend her from those that try to keep her dreaming.

Aurora, the Witch of Threads. Her nature is spiteful. She lives under the deepest of seas, threading red strings for one and all, drawing people to each other even when they hate each other, forcing them to comply with her idea of union as revenge for ignoring her. If her tears reach the thread she's working with, they dissolve and free those tied up in them. Her familiars are Marcel and Ivanna, whose role is to be tied by the witch into eternal bonds.

Guillermina, the Sylph Witch. Her nature is free-spirited. She flies around her endless sky without a care in the world, singing a song that no one but her people can hear. Those that refuse her offer to fly and perform alongside her are quickly tossed into the hurricane feeding the endless wind of her neverending realm. Her familiars are Sophia, who offer backup vocals for the Witch and assist her when her flying falters.

Lucinda, the Rotten Witch. Her nature is anger. Her forest has been decaying and wilting for aeons now, and all of her tries to revive it and failing have turned her to rage and fury, now determined to destroy the forest that refused her help, unaware that it's her own presence that feeds the decay. Her familiars are Alejandro, who assist her in destroying the forest with their sharp shears.

Marcille, the Witch of Summer. Her nature is moody. The sky of her world is a kaleidoscope, changing from bright sunny days to overcast gloom to torrential storms to relentless heat in the blink of an eye to fit her current emotion. She cares not for how this affects her subjects, and demands attention at all times - those that refuse or don't make it in time are quickly destroyed by the current weather. Her familiars are Diana, Gerald and Frederic, whose must always assist their Witch with anything she wants.

Emilianne, the Shadow Witch. Her nature is joyful. She lives her days in a dimly-lit place, enjoying the cover of the partial shadows and spending time with her friends, unaware that her friends don't seem to pay attention to her at all. Her familiars are Lucas and Julia, who play the role of her friends and protect her from realizing they don't care at all about her.

[muffinrecord]

Kirika and other thoughts

Also I am SO curious about what Kirika was like pre-wish.

She seemed kind of somber and sad. She was framed at one point for shoplifting by a (former) friend, and came to distrust people. She mentions in that one manga where she was a good person uhhh Citrine? Don’t quote me I don’t remember this stuff that she was making friends in school and doing better at home-- which implies that she didn’t have friends and wasn’t doing well at home before.

What kind of person was she? The Sadness Prayer manga kind of implies that she looked down on people around her, but that was more a reflection of how she felt towards herself. A lot of her character can be kind of extreme, but I always thought that was kind of realistic-- a lonely, kind of emo character who keeps away from others.

I’ve also always wondered if she and Oriko could have become girlfriends if Kirika didn’t make her wish. I don’t think Oriko would have ignored Pre-meguca Kirika exactly, but I don’t know if they would have connected at all.

Honestly-- the Oriko manga does some interesting stuff that I want to go into some day if I can ever manage my focus better. Like, I think it’s interesting that a character completely changed herself for her love interest... But never has any sort of regret about doing that. There’s no big moral at the end that says “Don’t change yourself to appeal to someone else!”

Or how Mami literally is going to kill Kirika at one point. 

Of course, Mami doesn’t know about the whole soul gem = actual soul thing, but she was actually going to KILL someone. Mami! The ideal magical girl! 

Compare that to the Cross Connection event where fuckin’ Nanaka, the schemer who (kind of) uses people, doesn’t kill Suzune at the end.

I actually really love this. There’s no worry on Mami’s part. She isn’t standing here thinking “but if i kill her i’ll be just as bad.” No, this is a serial murderer and Mami is going to put a stop to it. She’s not going to try and redeem Kirika here.

I find that really refreshing for this kind of genre. I’m not trying to say that all magical girls need to murder people to solve their problems, but I like that this morally pure magical girl is like “this person is just going to keep killing people if I let her go, and she’s not going to listen to what I say or change her ways. I’ll do what I have to do then.” 

Anyways that was a tangent. But yeah, lots of thoughts.

[recentanimenews]

Rent-A-Girlfriend Manga Author Draws Naniwa Danshi Member Ryusei Onishi, The Star of Live-Action Drama

    To celebrate the birthday of Kazuya Kinoshita, the male protagonist of his popular manga series Rent-A-Girlfriend, manga artist Reiji Miyajima posted a special collaboration illustration of Kazuya and Ryusei Onishi (Johnny & Associates' boy idol group Naniwa Danshi member), who is cast as the character in the upcoming TV drama adaptation. Miyajima says, "I'm really looking forward to seeing a different Kazuya from the manga!" 

    ＼祝❗️和也生誕祭✨／ ドラマ「彼女、お借りします」主演の大西流星さんとのコラボイラスト描きました！ 漫画とはまた違った和也が見れそうでとても楽しみです！#木ノ下和也生誕祭2022 pic.twitter.com/nlmNYJF0MA

— 宮島礼吏 Reiji Miyajima (@Miyajimareiji) May 31, 2022

    Ryusei Onishi as Kazuya Kinoshita:

    TV drama is set to be aired in Japan in July 2022, the same time as the second season of the TV anime adaptation. The drama will be aired every Sunday on ABC TV's "Drama L" programming block, directed by Daisuke Yamamoto (Ossan's Love) on scripts by Kumiko Aso (Wakako Zake).

  In addition to the previously-announced Hiyori Sakurada (Shizuno Takakamo in the Saki Achiga-hen episode of Side-A live-action series) as the main heroine Chizuru Mizuhara, 19-year-old fashion model Shiori Akita (Tsuzura Hanatemari in Kakegurui live-action series) is cast as Kazuya's former girlfriend, Mami Nanami.  

  She says, "I hope that the drama will retain the charm of the original manga while conveying its unique and interesting aspects. I have never played a character like this before, so I am trying to find my way through trial and error every day while filming. I would be happy if you look at Asami and think, 'I hate her!' (laughs)."

    #ドラマ彼女お借りします ▷新キャスト発表???????? ⋰ 七海麻美 役 #秋田汐梨???? ⋱ 主人公・和也（#大西流星）の元カノで、 小悪魔系あざと可愛い女の子を好演???? コメント▷https://t.co/jgqSEh7o2w#彼女お借りします #ABCテレビ #テレビ朝日 7月放送スタート！ pic.twitter.com/px9Mx4nlWd

— ドラマL『彼女、お借りします』【公式】7月スタート (@kanokari_drama) May 31, 2022

    Hiyori Sakurada and Ryusei Onishi:

  RELATED: Naniwa Danshi Member Ryusei Onishi to Star in Rent-A-Girlfriend Live-Action Drama

    Sources: Reiji Miyajima official Twitter, "Rent-A-Girlfriend" live-action TV drama official website / Twitter  

  ©ABC

  By: Mikikazu Komatsu