#is it not extremely obvious that they are enby

[hana-bobo-finch]

every time someone uses he/him or she/her for kris an angel loses their wings

[beanghostprincess]

There's a trans character in Wind Breaker and nobody was going to tell me?????

[wlwcatalogue]

A Gay Girl's Guide to Takarazuka

L to R: Sagiri Seina, Ouki Kaname, Amami Yuuki, Asumi Rio, Wao Youka, Asaji Saki, Shiraki Ayaka

If you’re queer and into theatre or Japanese media, chances are that you will have heard of all-female theatre company Takarazuka Revue… but it’s also equally likely that you won’t have checked out anything of theirs. For those who are curious but were intimidated by its over 100 years of history, or who just want a quick primer to ease in, click below!

1. Why get into Takarazuka?

L to R: Rei Makoto in Tiara Azul (2024), Yuzuka Rei

For those into androgynous women

As you probably already know, Takarazuka's big selling point is that it's an all-female theatre company where the male characters are played by women. The actresses are expected to continue presenting that way off-stage, which in practice means a lot of handsome women with short hair in binders and men's clothing... Why that might appeal to people who are into androgynous women (or GNC/enby folks) is pretty obvious.

Reality Check:

Sadly, after "graduation" (i.e. leaving Takarazuka), nearly all such actresses will transition into feminine presentation and take on female roles. It's similar to the "lesbian glasshouse" idea in Class S yuri, but for gender non-conformity. That said, there are some notable counter-examples: Shion Yuu and Nanami Hiroki have basically refused to change their presentation after graduating (the latter still frequently plays male characters in both anime and stage productions), and things are more relaxed lower down the rungs too.

L to R: Wao Youka & Hanafusa Mari, Sagiri Seina & Sakihi Miyu

For those into butch/femme pairs

Just as roughly half of Takarazuka's actresses specialise in male roles (otokoyaku/男役), there is another half specialising in female roles (musumeyaku/娘役). On top of that, Takarazuka is split into five different troupes, and for any given production, the male lead and female lead are automatically assigned to that troupe's "top star" (leading otokoyaku) and "top musumeyaku" (leading musumeyaku) - the "top combi".

Unlike leading pairs in other theatrical traditions, the "top combi" concept extends to them being marketed as a pair in interviews, magazine features, TV programmes, etc. Just watch the mini TV special where Sagiri Seina and Sakihi Miyu visit Tokyo Skytree and Sumida Aquarium-- it's basically a date, and is described as such by the commentating TV announcer. Likewise, Wao Youka and Hanafusa Mari were interviewed about being a "golden combi" by women's magazine Fujin Kouron (though to be fair this was after they had, improbably, managed to win a Kikuta Kazuo Theatre Award - an award for individuals - jointly, for their "splendid performance as a combi" in 2004's Boxman).

Taken to its extreme, there have been cases where the Japanese public have been convinced that a top combi was dating, as with the immensely popular 1980's pair Daichi Mao and Kuroki Hitomi... It's no wonder that the actresses themselves frequently describe it as being like an arranged marriage.

Separately, due to certain reasons, it's practically part of the job description for top musumeyaku to adore their top star partners. This, in theory, inadvertently creates a safe space for any top musumeyaku who could be gay for their stage partners... Just to illustrate, during her graduation speech, Hinami Fuu repeatedly referred to her feelings for her top star partner Hokushou Kairi as koi (恋), a word specifically denoting romantic love, and nobody blinked an eye.

Reality Check:

Due to conservative attitudes in both Japan and Takarazuka itself, most actresses go on to marry men, including many of those named above. Vanishingly few are publically out, though former otokoyaku Higashi Koyuki (stage name Aura Maki) is a queer activist and was one half of the first same-sex couple to be married in Japan, and another former otokoyaku, Misuzu Aki, has been living with her female partner in Europe for years. Just, well, don't forget that being married to a man isn't necessarily evidence of heterosexuality.

L to R: Asumi Rio in The Poe Clan (2018), Sagiri Seina in Rurouni Kenshin (2016)

For lovers of anime and manga

Takarazuka is probably best-known as the inspiration behind Revolutionary Girl Utena, Revue Starlight, Kageki Shoujo, and Sailor Moon’s Haruka and Michiru, but did you know that it also inspired seminal works featuring androgynous female leads such as Princess Knight? If you enjoy “prince-type” characters in yuri, you’ve got them to thank

Apart from inspiring anime and manga, Takarazuka also does quite a few animanga adaptations itself! Most famous are their Rose of Versailles musicals, but other popular adaptations include Ace Attorney, Rurouni Kenshin, Lupin III, Boys Over Flowers, and Hagio Moto’s bishounen vampire vehicle The Poe Clan. They’re also doing a Castlevania musical this year!

Wao Youka & Hanafusa Mari in Phantom (2004)

For the theatre nerds

Female Phantom of the Opera, duh

Jokes aside, Takarazuka’s unique position in the theatre world can't be overstated. As a rule, all-female productions are either smaller-scale, one-offs dependent on the work, or part of a theatrical tradition completely separate to Western-style plays or musicals (hello, Chinese Yue opera). Takarazuka is the exception: it offers productions comparable in size and scale (and budget) to the largest West End and Broadway musicals - it just so happens that it's all-female.

If the all-female aspect doesn’t excite you then why are you here, then let me emphasise again: Takarazuka is totally worth checking out as a production company in its own right. It is very much a part of the broader Japanese musical industry, and one of its powerhouses at that. Just take a look at some of these clips from past productions (all around 5 mins or less):

(a) Maeda Keiji - a musical loosely inspired by real-life samurai Maeda Keiji; features an uncannily convincing horse performed by two people in costume which needs to be seen to be believed (b) Ephemeral Love - a period piece about the doomed love between Prince Rudolph of the Hapsburgs and his lover Marie Vetsera (c) The Man Who Never Sleeps - a biographical musical about Napoleon Bonaparte (d) Casino Royale - an adaptation of the 2006 James Bond movie of the same name (e) BADDY - an off-the-wall sci-fi comedy featuring loads of velvet suits, silly shellfish outfits, and queerness.

Wao Youka and Hanafusa Mari in Dracula (2011)

2. Random Queer-ish Trivia

It's pretty common for former otokoyaku to be cast in WLW roles: Sena Jun headlined the 2018 Japanese production of Fun Home, Otozuki Kei cameoed as a lesbian escort in 2022 LGBTQ-themed J-drama Kojinsa Arimasu, and Seto Kazuya played the owner of a lesbian bar in 2024 yuri J-drama Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko. (Incidentally, Sal Jiang, the original creator of Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko, has mentioned being a fan of Sena Jun when she was younger)

Otokoyaku are sometimes mistaken for men, with amusing results: Yuzuka Rei was thought to be a “host” by a passer-by while talking to her fans, and Houshou Dai has mentioned being hit on by a woman before. But the prize goes to Todoroki Yuu, who like many women once had to rebuff unwanted advances from a man—except in her case, he thought that she was a guy

Before entering Takarazuka, Sou Kazuho – eventual Snow Troupe top star – went to a co-ed school and had long hair. To her confusion, this didn’t stop her classmates from asking her to play a male character (possibly the male lead, IIRC) in the school play. They saw her as an otokoyaku even before she did!

Continuing with the high school theme, former Cosmos Troupe top star Wao Youka has boasted about how in her high school days, she received more Valentine’s chocolates than her brother, and in fact second-most out of her year. Important note: she went to a girls’ school

Speaking of Wao Youka, her 2011 Dracula (see photo above) - from @cryoverkiltmilk's “Cunt Dykecula” post - wasn't actually a Takarazuka production! Since Wao was acquainted with and later married its composer Frank Wildhorn, some assume he was the one to cast her, and that Hanafusa Mari was brought in due to being her old stage partner. But Wildhorn had wanted Wao to play the female lead. It was she who insisted on Dracula. And Hanafusa wasn't just a third party... she had been Wao's manager since 2007, having retired from the stage after graduating and only just returned with 2010's Dietrich. (She played Edith Piaf, legendary chanson singer and “very good friend” of bisexual icon Marlene Dietrich, played by Wao.) Dracula was the swan song for their partnership, with Hanafusa going on to conquer the Japanese musical industry as she had Takarazuka-- but it marked the first, and so far only, time a top combi performed as romantic partners after graduating.

On a separate note, renowned queer photographer Leslie Kee has been responsible for taking the cover portraits for Takarazuka's offical monthly publication Kageki (歌劇) since 2010. You should definitely check out his ongoing "Out in Asia" project – he's taken literally thousands of photos of out queer people in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan in a bid to raise visibility

Lastly, in November 2015, Takarazuka City became the first Japanese city outside of Tokyo to announce its support for same-sex partnerships… though this may of course be a total coincidence.

Flower Troupe in Takarazuka Fantasia (2015 Taiwan tour)

3. Where to Start?

Nearly all Takarazuka shows since the 1990's are available on DVD (earlier ones are on VHS), and these recordings are very well done - they have great video and audio quality, are well-edited, and use a large number of camera angles

They do livestreams and live broadcasts of performances as well! You can watch a livestream from your mobile or PC by spoofing your location. For a more communal experience, if you're in Japan, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, you can catch live broadcasts of Grand Theatre performances at a local cinema

VODs of selected productions are available on various platforms, including Amazon Japan, though this still requires location spoofing. If you're actually living in Japan, you can also consider subscribing to Takarazuka's official TV channel (yes, that's a thing) Sky Stage - they do a lot of reruns of past performances

With that done, here are several recommendations if none of the productions mentioned throughout the post caught your eye!

(a) Elisabeth - Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay's musical about Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi") of Austria and the fall of the Hapsburg Empire, featuring an (inevitably very sexy) personification of Death and fantastic music. Takarazuka has done many, many productions of this, so just search them and pick whichever looks most appealing - but you won't go wrong with the 2014 Flower Troupe production, which has a very strong cast and a more refined version of the staging

(b) Phantom - Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston's adaptation of Phantom of the Opera. Though obviously not the ALW version, the music is actually pretty great and Takarazuka goes all-out on the costumes and stage magic. All the productions are wonderful, but my favourite is the original 2004 version (which is also the one which went viral on Tumblr before - thanks, @wheel-of-fish!)

(c) Rose of Versailles - no list would be complete without Takarazuka's representative work, buuut I wouldn't necessarily recommend starting here if you're looking for a typical musical experience. There are loads of productions to choose from - note that these are split between a version focused on protagonist Oscar, and another focused on Marie Antoinette and her lover Fersen - but the 1991 Moon Troupe production is my personal pick

(d) Casanova - a light-hearted romp in which Casanova is reimagined as a charming playboy who falls for the feminist-minded daughter of Venice's mayor... only, she doesn't know his real identity. The very catchy music was commissioned from Dove Attia, the producer behind French musicals Mozart, l'opera Rock and 1789: Les Amants de la Bastille. Check out the performance digest here!

(e) Shinjuu: Koi no Yamatoji - Takarazuka puts Chikamatsu Monzaemon's tale of the doomed love between a commoner and a courtesan to a classic rock score (see this clip!). An Edo-era work that doesn't just focus on samurai and nobility, this romantic tragedy offers a grounded look at the social pressures of the time. (Though if you do want to watch something focusing on Japanese nobility, I highly recommend Takarazuka original and guaranteed tearjerker Hoshiai Hitoyo.) There are quite a few productions of this, but I've only watched the 2014 Snow Troupe one, which was very good.

Thanks so much for reading! Please feel free to DM me or send an ask if you have any questions~ I definitely want to do a follow-up post on musumeyaku, and maybe delve into Wao and Hanafusa's history (it's messy, but fascinating)... but we'll see!

[clowndragonhonkhonk]

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Romantic Headcanons ˖ ࣪⊹

Just some nonsensical ramblings about some of my favourite characters and otherwise underappreciated characters (that I also love.)

➲ 𝐏𝐨𝐦𝐧𝐢, Ragatha, Zooble, Gangle, Princess Loolilalu + Reader (Separately)

➲ Romantic ☒, Platonic ☐

➲ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 Count; 5,298 Words

➲ Warnings/notes; Gender neutral reader, Ragatha's is purely self-indulgent, enby Zooble, more story-focused in Zooble's part, Gangle is a weeb, Ragatha is a girlfail, Princess Loolilalu is much taller in my mind than in the show, tiny bit of angst in Zooble's part, everything else is extremely fluffy

𝐏𝐨𝐦𝐧𝐢

✪ You are only anchor of sanity in this world, at all

✪ To be honest, Pomni probably didn't even notice you until the very end of episode one, which is fair considering everything she went through

✪ You or Ragatha were the one who probably snapped her out of her little episode at the feast. Like, Ragatha was the one who noticed and cared first, but you were the one who shook her out of her little stupour

✪ And that was how you introduced yourself to Pomni. Which totally freaked her out how she managed to miss an entire person when she first spawned into the cirucs, but you also just jumpscared her by appearing out of nowhere

✪ Despite that, you were still a part of the group she somewhat trusted - The group that she could imagine catching her when she fell in her nightmare

✪ You probably had some quirk to you like everyone else, but at least you weren't up in her face being an asshole like Jax or babying her more than she really cared for like Ragatha. You were some lukewarm mix in the middle that could joke around by still made sure she didn't go spiralling in the middle of nowhere

✪ Which she did appreciate, but she just had a lot of stuff on her mind

✪ I feel like if you were the one to comfort her about the whole Gummigoo incident, that would immediately make you feel much more safe to her

✪ Like, you didn't berate her or give her sympathy she didn't really want. You just let her vent and talk about how he deserved better, giving her a much needed outlet. And she would be so grateful for it, even if she had a really hard time showing so

✪ After that, she would follow you around if she was ever forced to leave her room, almost like an anxious cat with attatchment issues. You just felt like the most sane person here that she could somewhat rely on and who would answer her questions with no hassle

✪ Pomni doesn't necessarily want to get attatched to anyone, considering there's a tiny part of her who still thinks this is a dream and she really doesn't want to wake up only to realise you and anyone else she befriended just never existed, but on the other hand it's really lonely walking around the circus looking for an exit

✪ You don't strictly believe there is an exit, but you don't bring it up at least. Pomni can work with that, as long as you just join her. Last time she went out on her own she ended up in the void and that's kind've the last thing she wants

✪ Touch-aversed but also touch-starved. She hates the idea of being restricted and hugged and doted on because she's so small and anxious and doesn't want to feel trapped, but she also can't remember the last time she just felt appreciated

✪ Maybe just let her hold your hand or something if she feels like it. I can also see Pomni being the type of person who just needs something to fidget with when she gets nervous, and sometimes she plays with her fingers or the buttons on her outfit, but on those days when she's feeling extra icky maybe she'd just like to tug on your sleeve or something

✪ Anyway, skipping forward to when the two of you actually end up together (it involved Pomni being so obvious but just so girlfail about everything it took Caine threatening to get involved for her to pluck up the courage. Of course, you were the only one who didn't realise she had a crush on you)

✪ Yeah, you're still her safe person that she clings to. The one that makes her purr or her pupils twist into silly little hearts

✪ In return, you now have an attack dog girlfriend. Jax found out the hard way you don't want to deal with a pissed of Pomni who would do nothing for herself but everything for her partner

✪ Sometimes her circus themed room makes her feel sick, so she'll wander over to your room in the dead of night (otherwise known as your designated sleeping hours), looking like the very epitome of 'I frew up' as she just stands awkwardly at your door

✪ Little jester likes it when you sleep half on top of her, even if you are bigger than her. You're like a warm, weighted blanket that makes the nightmares not as bad. But she also makes it that much harder to get up in the morning when she clings to you (she may not be incredibly strong, but she is incredibly stretchy and that somehow makes up for it)

✪ After a while of being in the circus, when the exit isn't at the forefront of her mind, I can see her trying to seem cool in front of you. This is when her inner girlfail comes out

✪ She tries to seem cool as you're walking past. Tries to lean on nothing and falls over like a little idiot (please give her a kiss on the forehead it would make her feel like less of a fool)

✪ I think at some point she'd also try and lift you up in a princess cary. Key word being 'try' because she has no strength. Turns out her stretchiness doesn't make up for her lack of strength after all. She's trying her best though

✪ Please give her cute little nicknames. I can't imagine she's the biggest fan of her name considering she got it from an oversized slot machine, so getting a little personalised spin on it from you would make her feel all melty and flustered

✪ Oversized lap cat Pomni

✪ She tries her absolute hardest to give back to the relationship - Late at night when the two of you are falling asleep together, I imagine she'd quietly talk to you, even if you're already asleep. She'd talk about the future the two of you could have once you'd escape this living nightmare, about the apartment you could share and all the plcaes you could go and the things you could do together

✪ She would never give up looking for an exit, but unlike Kaufmo, she has you so giving up is the furthest thing from her mind at this point

𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚

⚉ Absolutely 100% sweetest person you've ever met and will ever meet. Heart of gold, perfect little rag doll and I absolutely love her and please be kind to her she so deserves it and I think she just needs a hug

⚉ Treats you how she treats Pomni (that is if you joined the circus after her). Probably babies you until she feels that you can somewhat stand on your own after acclimating to the digital world. That doesn't stop her from keeping a very close eye on you for a while after, especially if your first few cycles or so are rougher than others

⚉ For a little bit afterwards Ragatha does feel a little lonely. She's gotten used to hovering around you and having you nearby, so she definitely wouldn't say no to you wanting to stick around as her friend (she'd really appreciate it actually, especially if you just ask her how she's doing. She'll still lie and say fine, but it's the thought that touches her metaphorical heart)

⚉ It's difficult to tell when Ragatha first grows a crush on you. Not only does she keep it hidden at first, her usual peppy, smiley and friendly nature means she can be close to you without it seeming out of the norm with her

⚉ As her crush gets bigger, though... Then it becomes much harder for her to keep it under wraps

⚉ If she's not careful, she finds her face becoming just a tad too soft with a love-struck smile, and if she's really in deep a little halo of hearts floats around her head. That parts she hates, because it's way too obvious for her liking

⚉ But Ragatha can't keep it together forever. She's got too much on her plate already as the circus's residential 'glue that keeps everything together' that the mental strain of keeping her romantic feelings hidden is just not something she wants to deal with, so I feel she'd spill the beans rather quickly after catching feelings

⚉ Even if you don't end up reciprocating, she reasons she could deal with it. It wouldn't be the first heartache she would go through, and what's one more to add to the everygrowing pile

⚉ Lucky for her though, you do end up accepting and she finds herself absolutely over the moon

⚉ Definitely one for physical touch - She absolutely loves to just hold you tightly in her arms like you're the ragdoll in the relationship. It's totally not her trying to ground herself in reality to keep herself from breaking down (not fully at least)

⚉ I am firmly in the camp that Ragatha is a girlfail at heart

⚉ Like, her throughout the entirety of episode 2 was just her being a girlfail and I for one am absolutely living for it

⚉ Reasonably, she's still put together, smart and able to hold her own if she really wants to, but whenever it involves you her heart turns to mush and she just finds herself stumbling over her words and fumbling absolutely anything

⚉ It's adorable to watch, though

⚉ I've seen this somewhere before, but, she just has a bright red heart embroidered right where her heart would be in real life? And it's so pretty, like, almost like a tattoo? Just, imagine cuddling snuggly together after another arduous adventure and you just gently trace the shape of the heart and I think she would just melt at the affection? That right there would be the shit that keeps her from going insane in this hellhole

⚉ The same goes for if you like to trace the invisible seams of her stitching. Ragatha just loves the fact you love her despite the fact that her digital avatar is literally just a Raggedy Anne doll

⚉ Backtracking a bit, but if you were the one to confess before she could, I think the girlfail in her would be increased by about fifty percent

⚉ She is stumbling over her words, fidgeting with her woollen hair as her one good eye darts all over the place as those little hearts start spinning around her head. Ragatha starts scuffing her plush shoes against the floor, swaying back and forth and swinging her arms nervously as she finally manages to just say something along the lines of 'oh, yeah! Yeah, I like you too!'

⚉ I just think she gives really nice hugs

⚉ Like, I imagine Ragatha's decently strong (or I like to at least, because I would love it if she was somewhat buff when she was a human). I mean, she can certainly wield a butcher's knife decently well, as shown by her character trailer

⚉ And all of that strength translates into really nice, warm hugs that make you feel safe

⚉ Of course, if you don't like touch she wouldn't push it. I can imagine she'd still want to hug you every chance she got, but she would definitely put you before herself

⚉ Besides, I don't think Ragatha has a specific love language. She's happy to express her affection in any way possible

⚉ The two of you hanging out in her room with her either playing the piano or teaching you how to sew? Absolutely loves it because any time spent with you is far better than getting harassed by Jax on an adventure

⚉ Hearing you so verbally love her? It'll get her stumbling all over the place, and the rest of the day cycle she'll have this sort've happy dumb smile on her face

⚉ Even just wearing similar clothes as her (if possible, because, y'know, digital circus logic) will make her feel all fuzzy inside. For example, if you were a blue ribbon similar to her at all, I think that would just make her feel so neat

⚉ At some point she 100% gifts you a small bouquet of paper daisies for good luck (or just one really big paper daisy that you can carry with you), and also because real flowers don't really exist in the digital world. The paper daisies turned out to be much more durable, too

⚉ I'm just so 'kicks feet and twirls hair' about her

𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞

𖦹 Y'know, between the antisocial personality, the short-ish temper and them never going on adventures, it would honestly take forever for a relationship to form between you (even just a platonic one)

𖦹 I feel like Zooble's stance on relationships in the digital world is probably zilch - They don't want to have anything with anyone because there's always the chance of abstraction or, if you ever find an exit, never seeing you again afterwards. As stoic as they seem, I feel like it would kill them inside having the thought that you could've moved on without ever seeing them again

𖦹 Because underneath that 'I don't give a shit exterior', there is a person who actually does give a shit about quite a few things, and it scares them when all of that could disappear within an instant

𖦹 Anyway, friendship comes before anything romantic, and it stays like that for a while. It honestly snuck up on Zooble, which genuinely surprised them. It was like, one day you were just chilling quietly in their room with them, probably doing your own thing but just existing in the same space as them, and it hits Zooble over their triangle-shaped head

𖦹 'Wow. I'm attatched to this person. Shit.'

𖦹 And that certainly was a shock to the system

𖦹 A part of them wanted to withdraw themselves as a defense mechanism, but they just find themselves getting increasingly lonlier and lonelier and more and more guilty about how sad you look when you think no one is looking

𖦹 And so that doesn't last very long.

𖦹 Their apology was short, but it was probably the most you'd ever heard them speak without being interrupted or pissed off by Jax

𖦹 And then you sort've went back to how you usually were, which mostly just consisted of the two of you wandering around the circus tent together while everyone else was out. It was a nice break, considering Caine didn't tend to bother you during these times, and there were some genuinely interesting places hidden around the main hub

𖦹 (Cue you trying to wrestle Zooble's head back from a stray gloink that hadn't been snapped out of existance. Not a very fun experience, especially when you kept snagging your fingers one Zooble's antennae)

𖦹 Neither of you really know who got feelings first, but it would probably have to be you who ultimately confesses. Zooble's already way out of their depth with this whole 'romantic feelings for your only friend in a digital hellscape' shtick going on, so chances are they're not gonna say anything in fear that it might drive a wedge between the two of you if you don't return their feelings

𖦹 But, y'know, maybe if something really bad happened, perhaps something to do with an abstraction like Kaufmo (depending on when you joined the circus), that might freak them out enough to say something

𖦹 For instance, they peek their head out of their room after hearing some strange noises lurking around outside that have them somewhat concerned, only to find the dorm hallway in absolute ruins

𖦹 So, not good. They brave the unknown and start wandering around just looking for the others. Chances are it was just another one of Jax's pranks that got out of control, but they hadn't seen you in particular for a while which was unusual (they dreaded to think about the fact they were getting a bit too used to your company)

𖦹 And then they hear a noise that makes their very being turn cold. A general static hissing along with the very panicked voices of their fellow hellscape attendees

𖦹 They hobble over, only to be met with the sight of Ragatha and Gangle trying desperately to lure away an abstracted circus member

𖦹 That was already terrifying enough, but to see you being cornered, form already glitching out with tears spilling down your face

𖦹 Yeah, they don't hesitate and grab the nearest thing that wasn't fixed to their floor (probably an oversized alphabet block or something) and chuck it with all their might. It wasn't the easiest thing to do with one rubberhose hand and one crab claw, but by god did they do it and did it land with an almighty thwack

𖦹 For a split second, Zooble might consider throwing down with this bastard, until they remember it's like four times their size and could easily kill them

𖦹 (Caine finally showed up at this point, and that was the end of that whole fiasco)

𖦹 Zooble wobbled their way over to where you were still curled up against the floor. Ragatha was trying her best to calm you down, but it was Zooble's prescense that got you off the floor at least

𖦹 This moment was an exception to their 'limited touching' rule, because it was downright traumatic being cornered by a monster that you once knew as a friend. They didn't exactly hate the way you remained huddled up next to them for the rest of the night cycle in their room

𖦹 Zooble probably would've said something not long after - Not so much a stereotypical confession, but more like casual 'hey, I like you and I really care about you more than friends probably should and I just wanted you to know'

𖦹 If not, that event would've sparked you to say something a few 'days' later

𖦹 Either way, from that moment on, you two are somehow closer than before.

𖦹 Very chill and laid back, almost hands off with their emotions. They do soften up around you, but only ever around you. Sort've like what we see at the end of episode two when they're more emotional about Kaufmo's funeral

𖦹 You eventually find out that their antennae wiggle not only when they're pissed off or when their limbs for the day are put in the wrong spot, but they also wiggle when they're happy. Kind've like an abstract form of them blushing

𖦹 Which was very embarrassing for them, but a priceless memory for you. And it's also not something they can hide without looking really suspicious

𖦹 Aside from personal time with each other, every now and then Zooble might accept some physical touch. They weren't the biggest fan of it back when they were a human, and now that their body looks like it does there's just something about it that makes them hate physical touch even more

𖦹 But even they can't deny that the rare kiss between their eyes does feel nice whenever they feel like shit

𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞

🎭 Oh wow, this poor baby is mask over ribbons for you, hands down. 100% smitten and nothing could convince me otherwise

🎭 Follows you around like a lost puppy, no matter the mask on her face. Although, her happy mask usually means she tailing you around for fun, probably because you're on an adventure or because she just wants to hang out. With her sad mask, though, it's probably because she just wants to be around you because your prescence makes the saddness a little more tolerable

🎭 Also, you're pretty much the only person she trusts to handle her masks properly, but even then it's only to get them back to her room or to Caine to fix them.

🎭 Please give Jax a kick or a smack or something. Gangle might not generally like violence, but Jax's had it far too good for too long and she's really sick of being bullied

🎭 Gangle with a partner who becomes her bodyguard against anything (especially Jax) has the same vibe as 'big & beautiful + shrimp' or, if it's more your cup of tea - 'Sir, she's asked for no pickles'

🎭 Obligatory anime nerd Gangle

🎭 Any cheesy romance anime absolutely influenced her reaction to realising her feelings toward you. Like, she would act shy, but in a different more exagerated way and only ever around you, and I think she would just kind've expect you to understand? (She doesn't know any better, just please be patient with her)

🎭 And I think that would just be with her sad mask. With her happy mask, she's probably whipping out words like 'kawaii' and shit. Cringe Gangle is very real and we (or at least I) love her for it

🎭 I think being in the circus would also mean her actions would have sound effects accompanying them. Like, she could smile at you with the :3 face and a little 'squeeb' sound effect would play with perfect timing and it would mortify the both of you

🎭 (Caine is just trying his best to be a wingman)

🎭 Dating Gangle is kind've like dating two people, or maybe one and a half. The shift in personality and tempo between her happy mask and sad mask is definitely noticeable enough for her to almost be considered two people, but there's still something about her that is so undeniably Gangle that it links those two emotion together

🎭 Happy Gangle is like a whirlwind. She's so peppy and bright and energetic that she's almost like a puppy. She can never sit still and her ribbons are flailing around happily whenever she sees you

🎭 It's these moments when she's most happy to accompany you on an adventure - She's probably the most excited about the new adventure out of all of you anyway, but just having her by your side like this can make the whole experience ten times better (especially considering what the adventure is)

🎭 PDA is no problem for happy Gangle. In fact, if she's clinging off you, chances are Jax is going to want none of that and will leave her alone, which means she can be happier for longer, which is certainly a win in her book. Plus, it means she has the confidence to give you all the love she thinks you deserve.

🎭 Sad Gangle on the other hand is much more shy and reserved. Not necessarily bad, but a much more mellow version of happy Gangle. Around you, she's not a sad wet pile of ribbons, but she isn't bouncing off of the walls with happiness either

🎭 She more likely to just want to huddle up in her room with you, buried under her mess of blankets. It's the one good thing about her room, the nice big bed and access to the countless bootleg animes Caine has made specifically for her

🎭 A lot of people say that because she's made of ribbons, Gangle is extremely light with little to no bodily weight. And that makes sense, at least in reality. I would like to propose the idea that Gangle's body has the same weight her human body was, just in the form of ribbons

🎭 It's a little confusing, but much like the rest of the digital world, it's something you get used to with time. It's almost soothing when she just wraps herself around you like an odd weighted blanket, although her mask is a little cold

🎭 Speaking of, kisses with Gangle are a little odd

🎭 Unlike the other characters who have odd face/mouth shapes, Gangle's face isn't pliable enough to properly move and give you a kiss, so she usually resorts to gentle affection headbutts like a cat (which in some ways, she actually prefers)

🎭 She still does love to receive little kisses every now and then though, just not in excess. Probably one to prefer hugging over kissing, at least in the digital world. Her body makes her feel uncomfortable at times, being almost completely flat, and I think she would much prefer to wrap around you to gain some semblance of a bodily shape

🎭 Sticking this here because I don't know where else it would fit, but posing for Gangle's drawings

🎭 As an artist myself, Gangle would aboslutely be grateful to have someone around who'd be willing to do the occaisional pose for her drawing, especially if she was trying to drift from her early 2000s anime style into a more realistic one (or even if she was just gesture doodling for fun)

🎭 Even if you're not comfortable enough to pose for her drawing, she 100% draws inspo from you for her art more often than she is willing to admit. No, those fanfics and fanart are definitely not based on your and her, why do you ask?

🎭 Caine forbid that Jax ever finds her hidden stash of fanart and writings

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐥𝐮

🍬 Okay, so if you're dating Princess Loolilalu, chances are you're also probably an npc like everyone else in the Candy Canyon Kingdom. You could be there to help with the heist quest, or maybe Caine planted you there with the intentions of giving you a quest in the future

🍬 All everyone knows is that you and the Princess are very sweet. Like, sickeningly sweet - Cavity giving sweet. Jax probably pretended to throw up when he saw you (or he actually threw up, depends on how committed to the bit he is)

🍬 Which, it makes sense, seeing as you're living in a literal kingdom made of Candy, it only made sense that the people who lived in it were as sweet as their home

🍬 That being said, you two can still go a little overboard sometimes

🍬 Not really either of you faults, Loolilalu is just a very affectionate and soft person (or ai, if you want to get technical), and that's certainly doubly so when it comes to her most beloved

🍬 Chances are, the almost overwhelmingly sweet and sugary vanilla and strawberry syrup scent that she emits also clings to you. You could read this as her being very clingy and loving, wanting to constantly touch or hug you whenever she can, or you could read this as just being in her prescence for an extended amount of time does the same thing

🍬 Either way, Loolilalu smells very sweet, and, by extention, so do you (even if you already smelled sweet as a candy npc)

🍬 Not much to say about an npc/npc relationship. Y'all are just coded to be very wholesome together

🍬 However, if you were a human player character, things suddenly get much more complicated and much, much more angsty

🍬 The most likely scenario is a very much one-sided unrequited love situation. If only for the fact that the npcs don't retain any memories from previous adventures, and therefore can't grow feelings for a non-npc character

🍬 But Caine also probably steps in the minute he feels than an npc is getting a bit too immersive for his liking

🍬 However, let's just say for simplicities sake, that somehow Loolilalu's ai developed into a similar ai to Caine - That is to say, above the coding.

🍬 She now has complete control over the Candy Canyon Kingdom map, though she's nowhere near as powerful as Caine and therefore still has to hide herself in some way

🍬 100% The two of you met through one of Caine' wacky adventures, and this was way before her ai had 'grew out of control' to say.

🍬 With her memories as addled as they were from the constant wiping, she probably doesn't really remember the first time you met at all. Maybe some fuzzy pieces she could put back together, but otherwise most of her early memories of you and the rest of the circus are incredibly vague

🍬 And because of this, the most likely scenario is that you develop feelings first, and because of this you always looked forward to the Candyland adventures more than any other ideas Caine comes up with (unlike a certain jester). And seeing someone so invested in his little wacky ideas, Caine probably brings you and the rest of the group back to the specific map more and more often

🍬 Repeated exposure apparently snapped Loolilalu out of her ai trance, and as soon as she started remembering more and more details as well as preventing the map from properly closing after Caine deemed the adventures done, the relationship between the two of you blossomed not long after

🍬 After a hostage situation gone out of control ended up with a chase through the rocky roads, you decided to stay back in the kingdom to nurse the growing ache in your body as a result of a strange candy cane (thanks for that, Jax), Loolilalu approached you

🍬 Probably because she was now sentient and everyone else was a faceless mannequin, but also because she just thought you were cute (and maybe because you seemed a little more mellow than you cohorts, and potentially more open to answering any of her questions.)

🍬 One thing lead to another, and now you're dating a candy kingdom ruler npc

🍬 As a partner, she's very similar to how she would be toward you if you were an npc

🍬 Maybe a tad bit clingier, to be honest. She can't really help it, not when you're away for extended periods of time, leaving her alone in a world with no one but very repetative mannequins to talk to

🍬 All she wants to do is sweep you off your feet and never let you go (and probably carry you around as she goes about her day because damn this woman is tall-)

🍬 There's another part of her that also wants to absolutely pepper you in sweet kisses. However, after one run in with some very red and very stubbourn lipstick (that almost got you in trouble once with Caine), she decidedly tones it down as much as possible

🍬 However, there's certainly probably no repercussions if you decided to give her a little smooch (or a lot of smooches perhaps? Please?) She'd absolutely melt if you gave her a little peck on her gloved hand

🍬 (You totally don't do it because it's pretty much the only place you can reach by yourself)

🍬 And despite the very dainty princess appearance she has, if she gets the chance, Loolilalu will 100% take you horse riding on one of those gummy elephants. They're not too fast, but by golly was the one rocky ride (she totally planned this. She wanted you to hold on to her like you were in a romcom)

🍬 She restrains herself until she's pretty sure you're alone, because she'd rather not let any mention of your relationship somehow get back to Caine.

🍬 I like to think that everyone else in the circus (besides Caine and Bubble) know about your relationship, and for the most part, they're all supportive (can't deny Pomni would probably be a little salty that you get to date the princess but she couldn't even keep her gummy friend). Jax has contemplated letting something slip, but honestly? He hates Caine more than he dislikes you, so for now his lips are sealed

I think my ittby bitty crush on Princess Loolilalu was almost certainly influenced by my crush on Princess Bubblegum when I was younger.

Pink divider by animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Masterlist, Rules & Info,

[siryouarebeingmocked]

That list.

This just sounds like a dude who's kinda feminine. I've noticed that a lot of people seem to think being gender-non-confirming is the same as being enby.

Which seems kinda sexist, actually.

Given how most of these are from non-European cultures, gotta wonder if this particular thing is related to the revived Noble Savage idea.

...Ancient Greek Mythology? Really?

This just sounds like extremist Christianity. Like conversion therapy.

Ironic that the list Tena linked to included a Christian sect.

Assigned gender at birth = bad, assigned gender at some indeterminate later point = good?

I'm sorry, isn't this what pro-trans people are supposed to be against?

If you're claiming all of those identities are valid, then you're also endorsing multiple contradicting religious beliefs. And saying mutilating people's bodies in the name of the belief their bodies are inherently wrong is inherently okay.

You're endorsing Christians so extreme they make the actual Puritans look like National Baptists.

This is not logically consistent. In fact, it's awfully close to certain stereotypes of trans supporters.

When those total strangers want society, law, and government to validate their self-identity, it becomes everyone’s business.

And those are, naturally, very important to trans people. Explicitly, for many of them. 

For obvious reasons!*

Also, I love how this is coming from someone with an entirely ideological objection to Trump’s actions, who can’t explain how this will allegedly actually affect people.

Seriously, she threw her toys out of the pram.

renardtrickster tried (archive), and he had to use someone else’s line-by-line analysis, which is clearly not the one line point Tenafly made.

And that’s putting it generously.

Tena was implying that believing in only two genders and not non-binaries is the same as being anti-trans. Which it isn't.

A detailed analysis of Trump's Executive Order is trying to motte-and-bailey the argument. And Tena's own childish tantrums.

This is not the way to make an actual argument if you want to convince people.

Irony is, it's this exact same sort of disconnect from what normal people believe - maybe even normal liberals and progressives - that helped the Dems lose.

I also like how Renard's tags imply he's "arguing with pigs", when this whole thread was started by someone who was angry and confrontational and kept engaging with blatant bait and did nothing constructive.

The meanings of words are determined by usage. And  everyone I've seen who claims gender and sex are two different things is a pro-trans progressive person. And I'm not sure it's a majority belief even among that group.

Which suggests that they formed this belief out of ideological convenience, not working from first principles.

At the very least you can't act like it's a universally accepted fact.

*This is not the first time I’ve seen people imply that LGBT stuff should just be ignored, even though there’s a great deal of effort being spent by LGBT advocates on making it part of international, everyday discourse.

Same with a lot of Diversity™ stuff. They don’t want to address the criticism, so they say you’re wrong for even caring in the first place, even though that also applies to the supporters.

Though these folks are rarely so silly as to talk about apparent anti-LGBT discrimination at the highest level of American government and then insist LGBT stuff is a private matter. 

Which makes it extra ironic when Renard’s goalpost-moving defense includes talking about lack of government support for trans people as a negative.

[broketoko]

I need to reiterate on Angel’s identity. You’ll see in media people bitching and moaning about some character’s gender being thrown into the audience’s face. Like, a character bluntly and unceremoniously saying, “Oh, I’m nonbinary that means I don’t feel like a guy or a girl” or “Oh I’m was born a girl, but I’m a guy” and yeah I get that’s cringe, but seeing how Clinical Trial laid out Angel’s enby identity so smoothly and yet still somewhat obvious, but people still just reroute to saying they’re a girl just goes to show that if you don’t say it in the most blunt and direct fucking way that people will miss that point and even just ignore it and say “oh if it was that then the creator would’ve said it” BITCH PEOPLE COMPLAIN IF THE CREATOR SAYS IT. That’s the queer media literacy dilemma, you have to be extremely in your face about a character’s identity because, and this is sad to say, the audience really is too dense to understand.

[hydropotato]

Since Temple's coming in a week, let's talk about nonbinary characters in video games.

I first want to disclaim that I am not nonbinary. I am transgender, yes, and I know nonbinary people, but that doesn't make me an expert. This is my personal critique on my observations; feel free to give your input, disagreements, additions, etc. so long as you're certain that you're being civil about it.

Content Warning: Discussing society's "Gendering" of Nonbinary Characters. If you dislike reading about how genderless individuals get wrongly gendered by others, I'm sorry. Please click away.

So, Temple, and their protoframe Flare Varleon! Warframe's... 2nd they/them character. Huh.

Flare takes some pretty obvious references to glamrock and - as even the devs have pointed out - David Bowie. David Bowie often explored gender and sexuality, and while he wasn't (as far as I know) nonbinary, he was definitely interested in playing with androgyny. To me, this is a great design direction, as Flare was thus designed to be covered in so much styling that it's nigh impossible to truly discern any male or female biological gender. This is one issue I will cover later on; undeniably, those who are less accustomed to gender as a spectrum will try to compartmentalise a nonbinary character as either male or female. I don't like that it happens, but I'm well aware that denying this phenomenon would not help in moving society's culture forward.

Flare has been (accidentally, I hope) misgendered by fans as 'he' and as 'she' to a decently equal measure, though teetering more towards 'he'. Considering the popularity of David Bowie, my assumption is that having him as the point of reference, Flare would then, in their minds, most likely be a 'he' by assumption. Let's hope they learn to gender them properly in the future.

But that's about it for Flare. Temple is practically Flare but with a more Warframe-y head & body, so not much to say about them. I do think Lizzie being an infested living guitar was a cool touch but that's not really on topic.

Let's look now at Xaku. As I mentioned, Temple/Flare was the 2nd Warframe character to go by they/them. Xaku was the first. Firstly, I think Xaku being they/them was a great way to test the waters, and we couldn't have a canonically nonbinary person without Digital Extremes (DE) first seeing if a nonbinary Warframe would be well received.

Xaku's gender/sex is stated as "nonbinary (pluriform)", because they're literally three warframes that were fragmented and reassembled into one by the Void. Again, I see this as DE testing the waters by giving a blatant "reason" to be they/them, and then checking for player response. Some may see Xaku's lore reason to be they/them as a cop out, but I personally see it as a great way to introduce the concept. Xaku was well received & rarely misgendered, with their Prime version being more recently released, much to the playerbase's delight.

Design wise, having Xaku be fragmented allows for greater androgyny, as every component can be different. Even the torso being slim and flat chested is an intentional choice to maintain gender ambiguity. The limbs each have different appearances, making Xaku neither masculine nor feminine, just really cool.

So, good job DE!

Let's look at other games, though. Starting with Riot's Valorant.

Clove is Valorant's non-binary character. They're Scottish, and I have no idea what Scottish culture is like so I can't tell if any part of their designs is a cultural reference, sorry. What I can talk about, though, is their design. Now allow me to be a little blunt.

The pinks and purples are beautiful, but they're also very... feminine. So are the short shorts and tights. Frankly, they look like they could be a trans woman. This is a pretty great design direction for a nonbinary character, as enbies, from what I know, can in fact express themselves in a variety of ways. Hiring a nonbinary voice acting talent was also a good idea, to show that yes, nonbinary people can be feminine, and much like with feminine men, it doesn't invalidate their gender.

The playerbase, however has wrongly assumed them to be a 'she' far more than 'he'. To me, this is not a failing of Riot's part, it is more so society not being quite ready to view gender from an open, non-dichomotised perspective. We can do better, we just need to learn and grow and correct one another when our fellow human makes a wrong assumption.

Moving on, let's look at Blizzard's Overwatch.

Venture is Overwatch's nonbinary character. Putting aside ActiBlizz controversies, and focusing on the art and design team's choices, Venture's design is very androgynous. The earthy tones are an excellent design direction, as it serves as a nod to their role as an archaeologist while also being a genderless colour scheme. The large baggy clothes also work to conceal their body's form, meaning that in a game where most female characters have visible or even emphasised breasts, Venture's body could be of any shape and still fit beneath their clothing. This helps the playerbase perceive them as neither man nor woman, with the assumers having a more balanced misassumption of their gender.

If only they got more cosmetics... That said, I do love the Toph skin.

Now to a slightly less known video game, but one I play and love: Path to Nowhere, by AISNO.

Path to Nowhere is a Chinese game, and Oliver's gender is labelled as "Unknown" instead of nonbinary. Considering Path to Nowhere's setting involves healthcare and mental healthcare for the people you take in, it is more likely that Oliver is nonbinary than actually "unknown".

The pink hoodie and plush unicorn may suggest young girl, but the shorts and the short hair are more akin to a young boy. As such, the designers succeed in conveying the absence of binary gender to the players.

Path to Nowhere has canonical ladies with flatter chests, with McQueen (right) being an adult woman. In most gacha games, flat chests would only exist on male characters and small (child sized) girls, but since Path to Nowhere's design variety is so vast, Oliver having a flat chest does not indicate them being male. I am trying to not sound like a creep; I genuinely appreciate, as an art student, the artistic decisions within this game to vary characters body proportions and forms, allowing for a nonbinary character like Oliver to fit in without being funneled into a gender binary. The only reason I can see for Oliver's misassumptions is their name, which is more typically a boy's name. That said, this game has characters called Ninety-Nine, Shalom and Summer, so I wouldn't think about it too deeply.

In conclusion- wait this isn't a school essay. I don't have to conclude. I think nonbinary characters shouldn't be a token thing, and Warframe having two proves to me that they have the will to be inclusive not for tokenism but rather for more creative variety. I think the characters I've mentioned each have great designs, and their respective design teams did a good job creating these characters despite the much easier option of just designing another masculine man or feminine woman. Telling people a character is nonbinary is easy; getting the point across enough that gamers who have never met LGBT folk in real life can go "oh yeah, they're nonbinary" is where the challenge lies. Anyways, I shall end here. I wanna hear your thoughts, on these fellas or on any other instance of gender expression in media that you thought was neat!

[thinking-about-girl-tummies]

There we go! My introduction to this here silly blog

Hallo, hallo! I'm the one and only Tummy Knight! I figured that it would be a good idea to add my DNIs and my preferences on this blog. First and foremost, this blog will mostly be either me rambling about tummies or writing silly scenarios about vore and feedism. You probably won't find any art on there since I cannot draw, lol. Aswell, my writing will mainly be sapphic/WLW with the enbies and gals so sorry boys, you won't be on the spotlight :C. Also, feel free to DM me if you wanna do some rp, I'm open to ideas :3 Anyways, without further ado, let's get onto the juicy bits. What I LOVE (Aka, I could drown in those by how much I love these) The girlies (I love EVERY type of girls, especially those who can lift me) :3 Aswell the enbies Oral Vore/Anal vore (Of the soft vore variety) Cuddling your prey after you ate 'em Comfort/Wholesome vore (Though, not non-sexual vore since I do see it as a kink) Inflation/stuffing/feeding Big, squishy tummies that I can just sink my face in Belly rubs Digestion in some cases (Those cases being painless and without the prey being scared for their life) And for last...Freckles! They're adorable! What I like! (This would mostly be used for my writing's settings) Robots goobers Science-fiction/fantasy (Modern fantasy just scratch a specific itch in my gay little brain) Taurs (Lamias are my favourite) Slight weight gain in stuffing/digestion, keyword being slight since I kinda only like when it’s a couple of extra pounds or the goober gets a bit chubbier. Nothing too extreme, lol.

And for last...Hot choccy for a comfort drink And now, my list of DNIs! Transphobes, homophobes, lesbophobes, biphobes and really any kind of phobes can just fuck right off this page. Those people are just nasty >:C Hard vore and scat enjoyers, I got nothing against you personally if you like it but these two are just not for me, sorry... Minors, I see vore as a kink and for obvious reasons, I WILL block you if you're a minor.

[qiriex]

Why do DnP have such a large transmasc/lesbian following?

Hi! So I put out a general feeler post about this, and it seems like y’all are interested in a big ass post about Dan and Phil’s relationship with their LGBT audience. Click on the read more for a bit of unhinged analysis.

I have… a lot to say on this matter, and tbf I warned you it would be long. This will mostly be focused on the wlw (specifically lesbian) and transmasc experience with DnP. Before I get into it, I wanna state that I am NOT transmasc. I’m a he/they afab lesbian, but I am in no way talking over any transmascs who have differing experiences. This post will mostly deal with the AFAB experience, as I am not AMAB and can’t speak for our lovely transfems/enbies/cis men! I love you guys, and I would love to hear about your experiences too, though! I’m going to be using as much non-gendered language as I can, however I’m talking about some pretty gendered topics so bear with me. One more thing to note is that when researching this, I found a lot more examples of Dan shouting exact communities out. This is a post about them both, as they are both extremely important to queer communities! It’s just that Dan has generally done more press runs relating solely to his sexuality, so there is more content there. I’m sure I’m missing a lot, though, and if anyone has more Phil focused clips/screenshots I would love to link them here. This is very much a work in progress post, I’m sure I’ll be adding more later and if you have screenshots/clips/anything, my dms and my submissions are open! Okay, done with disclaimers for now, I think. This post will be split up into a few sections: DnP talking about the LGBT community (both pre and coming out), how they empower their wlw following, how they affirm transmasc identities and what they mean to the LGBT community as icons. I would like this post to be free of any in-fighting drama, both from the Phandom and LGBT side of things. We are all awesome! 

Dan and Phil are both queer men who came out after acquiring a large fanbase that was predominantly AFAB (love you transfems and cis dudes going strong btw). However, a community that started out as a common “fangirl” fanbase over the years has shifted into a predominantly LGBT fandom with a disproportionate amount of specifically transmascs and lesbians. The word fangirl was often thrown around as an insult to people like us back in the day, but I think it makes perfect sense that a group of disenfranchised, young, queer AFABs would be drawn to DnP. Both of them were, for obvious in hindsight reasons, vocal supporters of the community. I can’t find an unedited version of the clip, but this clip from 2017 is a great example of that. Correct me if I’m wrong, but not a lot of non-out YouTubers educated their community in the way that Dan does in this clip.  I think sometimes it’s lost to time how bad YouTube used to be, that 2013-2017 time period was peak anti-SJW era. As basic as what he said was, somebody with his level of influence taking the time to educate his audience on queer issues as a presumed straight man was very meaningful. This not only created a safespace for young, queer AFABs but also made their specific audience more saturated with us than your typical “straight” YouTuber of the day. Their audience shares more demographic similarities with someone like Tyler Oakley than someone like Zoella, which makes sense in recent years.

This tweet from Dan from before he was out displays my point perfectly. To my enby ass, things like this meant the world to me and I can imagine it’s much the same for my transmascs out there. Going back to the clip earlier, though, I think that how willing to break gender norms they both were had even more of an effect in attracting transmascs who hadn’t yet fully discovered themselves. This isn’t denying that a lot of transmascs who were already out were drawn to DnP! Most of my Phandom friends were actually transmen back in the day. However, I think in retrospect there’s a huge pipeline from going into the fanbase as a cis person to coming out of it as… not. It makes perfect sense to me that a generation of transmascs would be drawn to and model themselves after the two of them. Going back to the YouTube landscape of the time, even their contemporaries had a much meaner edge that DnP just never had. This unfortunately made them targets of their fellow “vaguely emo relatable YouTuber” scene; people like Shane Dawson and Onision immediately come to mind, at the time they would have been in a similar category but in retrospect are nothing alike. There was an air of cruelty that Dan and Phil never fed into, consistently remaining themselves. I think that as a baby transmasc, people who stayed loyal to their principals even when it wasn’t the cool thing to do was really empowering. In a time when my friends were all fans of LeafyIsHere, Dan and Phil weren’t afraid to be kind. To be soft, even with the context we have now of how scary that really was. After BIG/COTY dropped, it was easy to see why they were great queer role models.  But I’d argue that they’d always been this, even before we knew they were queer.

This one will be a little bit more personal, but I would like to start this section out with a personal anecdote. I grew up in a fairly liberal household, in which I was told being gay was just fine. However, my mother just so happened to use the word ‘lesbian’ as a descriptor for any woman she thought was “unsuitable”. Ugly, boyish, mean, it didn’t matter; to me, lesbian was an unmistakably bad word. I knew that the word didn’t mean that, but intrinsically I had never heard it as something positive until I heard Dan simply shout out the lesbians on a YouNow stream. Simple, right? Four years later, and BIG came out. I identified as a bisexual “who would never actually date a man ahaha” at the time, and it was life changing. Dan and Phil have frequently shouted out their lesbian fanbase over the years to the point where it’s developed into a bit of an inside joke. This is meaningful for a multitude of reasons, one of which being just how demonized not only the word but the group can be. Even when poking gentle fun, neither of them ever lean into hurtful stereotypes. I went to We’re All Doomed last November, and when Dan took his jumpsuit top off the audience screamed. He yelled into the mic “I thought you were all lesbians!”, to which the crowd screamed even louder. You can poke fun at each other without playing into things like the mean lesbian stereotype, for example, and I think it’s things like this which show that they have a genuine appreciation for their lesbian audience. I can only speak from my own experience when I say that I was originally drawn to them for their authenticity even in a hostile environment. I was a closeted lesbain who had grown attached to closeted gay men, because on a level I didn’t understand yet I related to them. It was a parasocial relationship that if I never had, I wouldn’t have come out. This section is a lot less objective than the others, because for me it’s impossible to look at this objectively. A lot of the reasons that transmascs would be drawn to DnP are why lesbians would, especially in a less than LGBT friendly era like the 2010s. They were never afraid to be perceived as weaker than their peers if that meant being kinder, and from a lesbian lens this wasn’t how I modeled my new relationship with gender off of but what I wished the world was like. I grew up with a deep, fundamental fear of men that is still there, but when I would watch actual sunshine Phil Lester and Winnie the Pooh ass Daniel Howell it made me realize that there are people out there who have your back.

I think this is where the conversation turns to now; we are mostly all adults, DnP have been out and proud for four years now. The pair have returned to YouTube (gloriously, might I add) and can talk openly about even the most mundane parts of being queer. Dan has been a very outspoken part of the community, doing a really lovely bit of standup about it. Watch it if you haven’t. I don’t think either of them are obligated to be spokesmen for the community, in a way I think one of the most powerful things they’ve done after BIG/COTY is to just continue living. Watching two queer people thrive how they have is incredibly important. They’re still just as great role models as they have ever been, just with nothing to hide this time. I think now that most of their younger fanbase has grown up, we’ve been very reflective of our past with the Phandom. Certainly not me (lie). It’s not a mystery to me, though, that two groups of closeted AFAB children would attach themselves to figures like DnP. The pair’s content encouraged a level of creativity, of believing in yourself against all odds that was and is unmatched to this day. We can moan about how much of a demonic fanbase we used to be, but the fact is that we turned out alright. People wonder why our fanbase feels like the most healthy parasocial family this side of Tumblr, and that’s because in a way we are. We were raised by these two British dudes to be how we are today; smart, funny and creative. All kids have a rough teenagehood, don’t they? It’s no wonder why queer kids would be drawn to a culture like this, one in which despite everything there is still hope that we will one day grow up to be our honest selves. Dan and Phil did, and so will we.

Thank you if you made it this far! I know this is a bit over sentimental, but they mean a lot to me. They did back in the day, and they definitely do now. Like I said in the beginning, feel free to add on. I would love to hear about this from a transmasc perspective, or any other perspective! I just love talking about these two lol. Love you guys.

[femforcebutcher]

if/when you feel more settled about it, if you feel comfortable, would you be open to talking more about your shift in identity from butch to potentially femme man?

i definitely relate a lot to eroticizing what u fear and ik the road to figuring urself out can be. rough. and ofc no obligation ik this can be deeply personal

not going to claim to be settled in anything but i'm an external processor so

my masculinity as a butch was god's most fragile object. i was constantly asking for reassurance from my spouses if it was ok if i did [thing] As A Butch. i was hypersensitive to anything that challenged my butchness & constantly fighting off dysphoria, i felt so tense & restricted — all while butchness was giving my wife massive relief/freedom/enjoyment that i somehow couldn't access.

for extremely personal reasons i won't get into here, my manhood came back with a vengeance not too long ago and i made the conscious decision not to subdivide it into 1 million microlabels as i'm prone to do. i realized i was using them to "compromise" my way between what i felt & what i thought some obscure audience wanted from me. my stormy genderfluidity calmed into something expansive when i set down everything except being a man.

i think both of these things fueled my forcemasc obsession: (1) reassurance for my masculinity, (2) a "compromise" that made it a sex thing so i didn't need to unpack desiring manhood past "mmm yes i like kink", (3) an obvious audience with explicit desires i can fulfill just by doing what i already enjoy (writing & photo editing).

not to be a huge dork but what really pushed me to look at myself differently was the video "how jordan peterson's suits taught me fashion" by artist/philosopher CJ the X. it is an examination of fashion as a social language (something JP is so bad at these days because he is weak to flattery and free ugly suits). one of the things they say is:

And it hits me — stop thinking about what you like & don't like, and just look at what you are.

i like butches. i like them a lot. i think they're really hot and gorgeous and handsome, and there is nothing that feels better than being offered trust by a butch who's been hurt. i like the sweaty white tank tops and the grin from one corner of the mouth and strong arms and feeling tension melt away when i hold them.

i don't like being a feminine woman. being a feminine enby feels frustrating in a way i can't articulate. i do not enjoy the sensory experience of skirts, and a not-insignificant conventional feminine fashion makes me dysphoric.

if following my likes didn't bring me closer to looking like myself or feeling free, i thought — what if i stop trying to define myself from that what i like & don't like, and look at what i already am? if i follow my desires for my body and then look back at it, instead of trying to plot a course into a box?

i am still very wary of putting it down into words. this is all new to me. but the picture being painted by this outlook is, so far, that of a man who takes great pleasure in being a high femme.

TLDR what if this was me but a man

[razzamult]

insert witty title

Being an ally is a interesting thing, growing up in a conservative family i've often wondered where my unconscious biases are, how do i spot them if i'm not conscious of them? How do I learn what I need to unlearn? For me, it's been a journey. I got into queer communities via furry twitch during the pandemic (and yes, i'll wear the Furry label). 2020 was one of the times ever. we all wanted some form of interaction with people even if it was just to know that other people still existed and we weren't living out some 'book of eli' lone survivor scenario. Being stuck at home, the obvious answer was the internet, but reading text posts on reddit & news articles doesn't have that same level of interaction....and then i found twitch. ooooh....i can pet the furry streamer....and chat with them.....and this is ticking boxes in very weird ways....learning what 'parasocial' means....it was a wild ride (and still is)! Part of this was joining discord communities and getting to know people a bit better, and as someone who had just come into those communities who didn't understand a lot of queer culture and history and just wanted people to hang out with while the world burned down outside my door....it was scary! was I going to say something wrong? do something wrong? offend someone? what if i get banned?

Obviously that didn't happen, and the communities i joined were actually great places, warm & welcoming, gave people room to explore & understand, we shared memories and created new ones together. But I wanted to do better than that, I wanted to understand better what terms like enby and ace meant, terms I hadn't heard growing up or in school, I'd seen the terms on the internet in the past, but never had cause to look into it myself at the time. Learning is a dangerous thing, you discover things that challenge you, asking you to question your beliefs and preconceptions, but I knew if i wanted to be a better ally I needed to learn some things, challenge myself to understand and embrace it (whatever the answer is). so i started buying books. It was extremely convenient that at the time there happened to be an lgbtqia+ bookshop next to the train station where i was working, picked up a few things, understood some terms better, got a better handle on some ideas, asked some discord friends to clarify some terms. Then i bought this:

I'd seen people use the aroace tag on discord and twitch and wanted to learn more and I WAS NOT PREPARED TO READ A BOOK ABOUT ME. Ok, so i've been single my whole life, and never felt like dating, and don't want to have sex, and there was one point where i was wondering if I could RP with a fursona....but that whole concept just ended up feeling way too weird and never got onto the runway and basically exploded in the hanger... I wasn't ready to find out that I was part of the A in LGBTQIA+, I was supposed to be an ally not an allee?....is that even a word??....i decree this is a word. After the initial bout of confusion and wtf-ness, i've come to accept the label, it doesn't change who i am, but i does help myself & others to understand me better. I'm still pondering microlabels, leaning toward aegosexual (unless i find an even better match), but happy to live under the a-spec umbrella.

Learning is scary! you can find out that you were wrong for your whole life, that you're not in fact weird or broken in some way for not "getting" relationships like so many others, but that you are in fact perfectly fine. Finding out that i'm part of the queer community really highlights how i see other people's actions toward it....I get it now, maybe i don't get "all" of it still, but I do get a lot more of it. It's given me a lot to think about. So thank you furry twitch for giving me the space to learn about myself, and thank you Sarah & Kayla for the awesome book!

I'm an aroace ferret and that's ok! and yes, i do like garlic bread.

[axzeelspeckles]

Random thoughts and ramblings about the amazing film Nimona! Warning this is a huge tangent and does talk about spoilers for the movie and a bit of spoilers about the graphic novel (that I haven't read since my copy hasn't arrived yet) also I've tried to write this post like 3 times but it keeps breaking so oof.

Kudos to the creator ND Stevenson who I swear is a massive source of creativinies that I would absorb like a sponge if I had the energy to because everything they're apart of is something I feel like I'd adore if if I took the plunge. Also he identifies as enby transmasc (which, I am too, and I didn't realize how huge of a blow it was to realize that people like me exist). I really ought to look into She-ra and their other works at some point. Anyway, anyway, anyway - this is about Nimona!

I love that this obviously queer movie decided to be release during the later stage of June aka "Pride Month" because I feel like it gives people the chance to watch it with fresh eyes during July, which is Disabled Pride Month (I'm Australian so it isn't really a thing here as far as im aware sadly) which Ballister is such a fantastic and amazing character who is gay and disabled.

He is never portrayed as weak or lesser for his disability, I imagine for people that it'll actually be easy to forget that he is disabled as an amputee with how capable he's written. I feel like it might just go over peoples heads at some point because you never get to see stuff written so well unless if its poking you with it every few episodes or its extremely obvious at a glance. But with Ballister it 'just is who he is' and it moves on to focus on its plot like it has from the beginning.

And its never used as a plot set back or change the storybeat or anything of that sort of matter. Which is amazing. However it isn't just ignored either! He has a moment of weakness when he sees Ambroius again. He hesitates, he withdraws from reach out to him while looking at his arm (Oh, Nemesis!). It is still fresh and new and he's trying to handle it (you're doing great sweetie).

I'm not physically disabled (I do have a weak knee however) but a mentally disabled and experience fatigue constantly and I'm sure I'd have chronic pains if I didn't have a high pain tolerance. So while this sort of character isn't someone I can directly relate to it is someone I can connect with (Although I don't believe you need to be the same as something in order to connect/relate to it).

However I am at home a lot and I don't get exposed much to other people and that includes a lot of people with other cultures, beliefs, body types and disabilities. So being able to see people different than me on the screen is always awesome, and being able to connect with them is too. Which the Queen, Nimona and Ballister is fantastic for everyone and hopefully the Director will give the other sort of audience of this movie a time to think back and work through things.

But I haven't seen many disabled people in media, because I don't really have the energy to engage with much content for long. So I have a limited selection of characters who seem like fantastic representation - because while yes Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender is fantastic she has literal superpowers compared to the every day person so I love and praise how she's handled because everything she does is fantastic-

Seeing Ballister's strong and dedicated personality which still has that life to it made me instantly feel for him along side Hiccup from How to Train your Dragon (And before you ask - no, AstridSpeckles is not due to HTTYD, its inspired from Zelda actually!) And I just love how it was all written and displayed. In HTTYD it was to connect Toothless and Hiccup together in a beautiful narrative. Here they used his arm to make a beautiful narrative too - he uses it, constantly.

He fixes his arm with just one hand which is insane because its also his non dominant hand which wow thats amazing. And he doesn't shy away from using his arm for anything, he still touches people with it, still wields things with as much confidence as ever to do so. He reaches out to Nimona with it too in that scene. Also Ambroius reaches out to hold his hand in that scene too! So tenderly and without hesitation! Which if it was another case with other characters I reckon I'd be a little upset but you see how much they love eachother and how gentle and tactile and soft they are so it is just so beautiful to see here...

Also I don't really know where else to put this but since im on a tangent about Ballister ima just say it here. He is such a fantastic knight! He knew the moment his sword was handed to him that it was off. He knew it didnt feel right, the weight was wrong? Or it just felt off? He knows his sword. He knows his morals. He knows what he has to do to make things right. He never betrayed himself ever!

Also the eye sparkles change. At the start their diamonds, but Ballister's turns into squares as he gets more exposed to different views where Ambroius turns into a triangle as his views are being pulled (the director whispering in his hear, his own heart, and his love for Ballister).

Also he too is a fantastic knight! His life falling apart? Never lashes out. Never hurts those around him (Okay, cutting off an arm isn't a love language.) So yes that is a case where he did hurt someone but that is addressed in its own ways.

But he never hurts or lashes out at the people he's protecting. He could easily just take it out on them, stop caring, fall into a pit of despair at his own problems. But you actively see him dealing with this own issues and then instantly being a knight the next scene and he doesn't falter or fall.

He is also so strong and I love that he had these moments, would of liked some more though but he isn't a main character like Nimona and Ballister so I understand why he didn't.

Also back to Ballister for a moment because the moment he heard Nimona's not really handling the things she's carrying, that she was able to tell him about her most vulnerable, scary and intrusive thoughts after knowing him for so little, that his thoughts in an instant was to get her the hell out of there and go with her.

He would try to work things out with Ambroius I believe, but he saw the hurt of Nimona who he hasn't known that long over the love of his life and said this is my priority. That would be so hard for anyone to do, for example a parent knowing their child is queer and the other parent not accepting them - there are cases where the parents stay together because its too hard for them not too, and lose the kid or kick the kid out.

The fact Ballister in a heartbeat acted accordingly to keep this new precious person in his life to abandon (like they did to him) without hesitation is absolutely insane and I love it so much. Also that it wasn't a move out of malice or defiance. It could of easily of been written differently that they need to protect her and they have to leave right now. But no. He took action (he always takes actions!) and while he lingered on Ambroius, it wasnt hesitation. It wasn't to hurt Ambroius either. He put Nimona being at risk first.

So I've actually been aware of Nimona for a few years now. I've heard about its ups and downs and its eventually cancel to its amazing revival! But I was watching it as a passive observer, never interacting with it because I know I hyper-fixate, I didn't want too get invested and attached and because off the rollercoaster of it not coming to the big screen while being in the fandom at that time (im sorry you are all so much stronger than I am haha!)

However, it is alive and amazing! And I'm finally here in the fandom - I've finally watched it - I've finally decided to order the graphic novel like I planned to back during its first movie announcement so I can quote "Enjoy the movie and then read the book since the books are always better", so I can love both as much as I can, yknow?

From what I've discovered reading online here and there so far (and its likely that this is wrong so take this with a grain of salt since I haven't gotten my graphic novel yet) that apparently that the movie is leaps and bounds improved compared to the graphic novel (Note: Not better, improved.)

Improved origin stories, improved personalities, improved characterizations. So much of the voice actors provide life and inspiration to these characters bringing them to a level that the graphic novels didn't have the resource to do.

I also love how people also aren't going crazy (negatively) about the change of races to the characters - im so used to seeing discourse about this sort of thing but its so accepted here that it is so refreshing to see.

The graphic novel has a larger and looser timeline and I believe a darker story and not as much as a happy ending compared to the movie. I can't wait to read the graphic novel though it looks very interesting!

But the ending of the movie implies such a happier ending for everyone, since apparently I've seen that in the graphic novel Nimona visits Ballister while being shapeshifted as a nurse while he is in hospital and he caught on too late after she says goodbye and he never sees her again and is constantly reminded of her when she sees people with her hair colour and that is so bittersweet!

The fact we get her coming to him at the end with him going HOLY SHIT is because it is saying here that it doesn't end with that note. They are together still. And I really hope something more comes out after this because I need to see a bit more to know what is happening there.

I had written a lot more here but my post keeps breaking and doing ctrl+z is making me lose entire paragraphs and gifs I put in as text breakers so I'm gonna leave this here or maybe do another post when I end up reading the graphic novel, who knows. But yes. I love Nimona :D

[bigbroadvice]

My parents are extremely transphobic, which makes it very unsafe to come out to them (last time i tried they threatened to disown me). Thing is, I'm a transmasc enby who has known that I am trans for around 2 years now and still looks like a girl. I am only out to some of the kids around my age and most of them still misgender and deadname me. My mother controls everything about how I look: she barely ever buys me enough clothes and when she does they are super feminine, she hasn't let me get any other haircut than my current one since I was born, etc. I have never had any money or the ability to get a binder and maybe some clothes and a haircut that make me feel comfortable.

I am also autistic and have known this for a long time, with very obvious proof that this is the case. But for multiple reasons including how oblivious my parents (who have a very negative view on autistic people) are. I have extremely high anxiety and struggle with my mental health but can only rely on a few close friends to look after me.

I live in a country where the schools will call my parents and out me if they think that I am trans, and trans kids are being attacked when they just want to be themselves. I just want to be myself and it sucks. Sorry for the vent, I am so close to cutting my hair off, but I'm too scared to do it ngl.

I’m so sorry to hear that dude. I’ve been through a lot of the same stuff and I know it’s rough. My best advice is to get a job if you can. Having a job will mean you have your own money to buy the clothes and things you want as well as a very good reason to be away from home. Keep your eye out for places where other queer people are working. You may be able to find a place where you can go by your preferred name and pronouns, and unlike school, an employer has no responsibility to report to your parents.

If you’re not old enough for this to be an option yet, be patient. I know it sucks and I know it’s hard. I’ve been there. But it will get better. You will find people that love and respect you for who you are. You will get your independence from your parents and they won’t be able to make you do anything anymore. You will make it someplace where you’re free to be yourself. And trust me, it’s worth it. You’ve just gotta hold on till then. Keep your spark alive among good friends, either in person or online, and within your own resilient soul that no one can touch. And one day, you will be able to let that spark burn bright and free.

Vents are welcome anytime. That’s what I’m here for. You’ve got an entire community out here cheering you on. You’ve got this, you’re gonna make it out of there.

[vvhitecloud]

ah, i see!! i also mostly meant people — although i don't really communicate with many people anyway. but i have one and only friend, and the very thought that i can defile them with my words or actions upsets me sometimes to the point of tears and refusing to talk to them until i calm down — and in general, my instability usually manifests itself precisely in one or another breaking of ties with people, temporarily or not. someone else's patience with me is a guarantee that the relationship will not fall apart until they themselves want it to, so this is very important to me. thanks for gazing deeper into my psyche tho, i guess. i hope you like what you see, haha.

yeye, i'm enby if that's what you're asking. it's just a pity that given where i live, iykwim, i can't look or even act the way i'd like. not that i really care anyway tho.

I have a break of about 1 and a half hour so I'll use it to answer you as I missed you greatly during these hours without you — also, I'll be answering to everything here for your own privacy as my blog is public after all, I won't go into details but know that I heard you and appreciate the trust you put into it.

Ah honestly I quite understand it, I suppose we're two extremes then — if you ever try cutting ties, I'll simply chase after you and drag you back to me whether you'd want it or not.

Mhm thats interesting I think, well at least to me. I haven't seen a lot of people with different views on genders so it's quite pleasant to see — I do hope you'll be able to act on it one day, though.

Now for the rest, it's obviously not your fault though it's understandable you feel this way. You might be right about what it is due to the memory of it coming back etc — talking with your therapist about it will surely help but I'll add again how courageous it is of you, it's not an easy process regardless of how you process it.

As for the last paragraph, I'm thinking it might be caused by the medicines actually,,, when they don't work, they tend to have others undesirable effects, causing the opposite of what they're supposed to fix whatsoever — also, mayhaps it calmed you down because that's all you've ever known so you find comfort in it? I might be wrong but, pain and suffering can be comforting to someone who's only known it all their lives ( I myself am an example of it if it wasn't obvious enough ).

Worry not, I do not consider you " edgy " or anything of the sort and if yours symptoms persist then, let me guide you through a new side of life, a new possibility where you wouldn't have to worry about anything — that's what a creator is for, after all.

It's too early for it though, I suppose I'm simply giving you another reason to stay — on that note, what are you busy with if I may ask? Is it exams or something else,,,

[variouscolors]

Uh yeah, pride tiem. Some HCs i have for some of my muses.

Rui → He's Ace + kinda Enby because he really does not care about what others think about him anymore. Perhaps after spending almost a decade (from March 26 2003 to Feb 29 2012) avoiding people for obvious reasons, he decided this is who he is and he doesn't want to change it. Also has a big crush on Daisuke, meaning he's at least demiromantic (?) -- Well, he is free to be himself now...

Daisuke → Definitely Pan, he does not care about gender norms and etc. Yes he had a crush on Hikari a long time ago (and it may still exists) but he also had a celeb crush on Ken (then the Kaiser reveal made him give up on that) and obviously a child crush on Taichi (he's still Taichi's biggest fanboy anyway). Tho he is very oblivious and good luck Rui-kun. (he and Rui like each other BUT this a terrible mutual pinning...!)

Ken → Demi, but pretty much Bi-romantic. Had a crush on Daisuke once, got extremely frustrations at all of his attempts to make Daisuke notice him being a failure... Spent a few time with Miyako, telling her about this boy he had a crush on he was young, she cheered him up and gave him emotional support... then it happened and he fell in love with her around their High School to their College days. (obviously they god hitched around late 2012)

Miyako → The biggest vocal Bi girl in the group. Has no fear of admitting she has a gay crush on Tachikawa Mimi, also that she had crushes on boys as well. Despite having a celeb crush on Ken at first and being disappointed with him being the Digimon Kaiser, once Ken became her friend she just cared more about his feelings and his friendship rather than his looks and said silly crush. Well, said crush didn't die and was proven to be legitimate... After her dating other people (all genders btw) and not working well. Then she got more and more closer to Ken and turns out they really liked each other. Oops, another Bi-couple!?

Iori → At first glance, he seems to be straight, but honestly Iori is somewhere around AroAce and Demi spectrum. He prioritizes his career and business more, but once he gets someone special for him, well... He will probably enjoy their company.

Takeru → He's bi, but has more interest in boys. Sorry folks i don't ship TakeHika... 💦

Hikari → AroAce, though she admits she had a crush on Miyako once. But she's really not into it and wants to get a good personal life stability so she can at least enjoy romantic dates or something...

Wallace → Bi-disaster. Watch out with this guy folks.

Meiko → Ace and Demiromantic. That's all.

My OC Nöel → He's a digimon, therefore human concept of gender make no absolute sense to him, but if he has to put a label on himself, he would consider either enby or genderqueer due to the fact he's a shapeshifter and can have more than one identity. Noel is his main and most favorite identity, so he tends to refer to himself by male pronouns. However, if he's using different forms, he will also change such pronouns according to the personality and identity he is taking form.

[somethingforsenro]

As yet another example of a fandom with lots of female characters (an extreme example, in this case), please consider my own stomping grounds of Splatoon.

Now, in Splatoon, out of all the PROTAGONISTS in the various singleplayer campaigns, there are:

4 gender-ambiguous player characters (who are most often depicted as girls or fem-presenting in official content, and also in the fandom by my experience)

6 women

2 men (or three, if you count Sheldon, but… the fandom doesn't)

1 enby (but fem-presenting again)

This gives us a ratio of 6:2:5 – six girls, two boys, and five enbies (counting the player characters as enbies for simplicity's sake). This means just 15% of the major characters in the singleplayer campaigns are dudes, and… well, what do we see?

That's right! The fandom is dominated by femslash ships! Because almost half (6/13) of the major characters are girls, and most of the remainder can be written as girls depending on the author's choice!

You'll also notice that there are exactly two major male characters. And guess what? People ship them! RABIDLY, in fact!

This leads us to another point: the sheer number of ships alone is not necessarily indicative of bias. It's also relevant to ask: how big is the following for each ship? And while we've avoided that question thus far for simplicity's sake, we know the answer in this case, so let's tackle it here.

Those two characters are named Cap'n Cuttlefish and Octavio, and the ship between them – Cuttletavio – is one of the most popular ships in the entire fandom! It's not THE most popular, but it punches well above its weight. (Especially considering both of the characters in question are well over a century old…)

Does that really sound like a bias on the part of the fandom? No, of course not! That's about as equal as it can possibly be, given the obvious character disparity!

But even if we DO take it as "bias," that still means this goes BOTH WAYS. The male shipping bias doesn't just exist when it's male-dominated – there's also a FEMALE shipping bias in female-character-dominated media!

In other words – it's a product of the character list, not the fandom!

It just kills me when writers create franchises where like 95% of the speaking roles are male, then get morally offended that all of the popular ships are gay. It’s like, what did they expect?