#kfp discourse

[beasts-of-jadewood]

So my input on the recent Kung Fu Panda shipping discourse is this:

Under ancient Chinese confucianism, you can have as many partners as you can financially support as a man, but you need one "main wife" who is capable of bearing your children and passing down your legacy. As long as you have her, the rest of your harem can be of any gender and sex. Bisexual Chinese emperors and landlords were more common than you might imagine.

Back to the world of Kung Fu Panda, Po is the Dragon Warrior/Spirital Leader of the Valley of Peace, and he's probably pretty well-off for that given how he described his job as one with a lot of growth potential to Zhen, so he can probably afford to take care of multiple partners. I wouldn't be surprised of he technically qualifies as nobility or something. Therefore, my personal OTP is that Tigress is Po's "main wife" and the rest of his harem can include a number of other people. Song? Luthera? Viper? Zhen? Tai Lung? If you can dream it, you can put them in there.

Back in the Tang dynasty, Empress Wu Zetian married her ex-husband's son for political power and both of those men were already married to multiple other women. People were just doing that kinda thing back then. There are so, so many Chinese period dramas about the interpersonal conflicts between concubines in a royal harem or whatever so there's a lot of story potential here, too. Think about it. Po doesn't have to choose.

[crescentbea02]

Lesbian or at least sapphic Tigress is a headcanon that I hold so dear in my heart. It's probably because I was in love with her when I was like 5 but I dont know it just brings me so much comfort. Imagining Tigress falling in love with a girl and just being all awkward and embarrassed omggg I would love it so much!! Like give me sapphic Tigress in Kung Fu Panda 4 and I'll already love that movie.

[crescentbea02]

I've been seen so many people hating on Wandering Blade from all around the place ever since kung fu panda the dragon knight was released and while I understand where some of those opinions are coming from and while I agree with some, I think we have to look beyond her character dynamic and dig deeper into her.

Again this is pretty much just my view on her character and of course not everyone thinks the same as I do. It's just my perspective.

First off I very much don't agree with the idea that Blade is just a copy of Tigress. I don't see what they have in common besides being hardcore, no nonsense and having a lot of thick skin. Their goals, moviations, trauma and the way they cope with it is completely different. If you want to compare Blade to a character it makes more sense comparing her to Shifu (I have a whole essay on this actually).

Now, Blade was indeed cruel to Po in the series. Because she found Po and his antics to be a bareer to the goal caused by the trauma of watching her brother being killed in front of her AT 8 YEARS OLD and living with the guilt thinking it was her fault. Her motivation ever since her brother was killed has been to avenge his death and to fix the mistake she made. Because it wasn't just watching her brother die in front of her (which by itself is already pretty traumatizing). It was also thinking that if it wasn't for her he would still be alive and living with that guilt since she was 8 years old.

I dont think Blade ever disrespected Po and his abilities in a "I dont like you because I am a respected knight so I am better than you" way. I think it all comes to the fact that Blade is extremely impatient and hyperfocused on fixing the mistake she's made. Her character arc is she learning that there is more in her than fixing things that can't be undone at all costs. She found Po and his antics to be a bareer from her and her goal that would eventually bring her peace (like Shifu *winks*). Thats why she always got so mad, because she had no time to waste and Po's contrasting personality would be, to her, one more obstacle that she had to face, and she had to focus on her mission at all costs. Even after Po proved that he was actually useful.

Blade's cold and high strung personality ends up also being a mask because of her self doubt and her need to prove herself. By saying that she was a knight, she could have the chance of everyone to know her worth and to respect her. And it also reflects what she thinks it is to be a knight "Knights dont relax" "Knights don't have fun" "Knights don't have feelings". She takes what she thinks being a knight is and hides herself in it. But thats not her true self, and we can also see that by the way she opens up with Po way quicker than Tigress (we also have to stop comparing the two relationships considering Po and Tigress know each other for years and Po and Blade for days), has break downs and is very vulnerable

And (taking away the fact that I also have issues with the way her character was developed) she grows in the story. Before abandoning Po she says that if she had ever have to choose between him and her mission she would choose the mission. And as she eventually learns to enjoy Po's company and he gains her trust, when the weasels escaped them and Veruca blackmails her to make Blade say where the whip is by threatening Po with the gauntlet, he tells her to not let another weapon go because of him. And yet, Blade chooses to tell where the whip just in order for Po to be safe. In other words, she ends up choosing him over the mission.

We have to understand that Blade didn't just want to arrest Klaus and Veruca. She was blinded by it, she lived her life for that.

Again this is just my persoal view in this ^^ its okay to disagree. I very much hope in season 2 we see a less impatient and more genuine Blade that doesn't constantly blames herself for his brother's death. And I hope she realizes that she is indeed more than her mission.