#megumi discourse

[jjk-confessions]

It’s rough out here for us Megumi fans. I swear we can't catch a break. I honestly feel so bad for misinterpreted characters like him. But, hey at least he still has his life and I guess he has his Shikigami still…I think.

I tried to gaslight myself for months into liking his character arc and his ending, but I finally realized ts was not it. And this is coming from someone who wanted the trio to be reunited no matter what. But now it feels like yayyy we have the trio again, but at what cost?

Man, I blame Megumi cause he’s always on that damn phone.

.

[arottenlust]

‘I can write xyz character however I want bc they’re fictional!’

yeah ofc! people are still allowed to complain. to critique perceived mischaracterizations. should they be rude? No. but if you yourself are admitting that you are changing a character (bc it’s ur right and they’re not real yadda yadda yadda) then why are you mad that people are pointing it out ? If it is not rude, if it isn’t a direct attack, if it’s a simple observation, then what is the issue? idk

Another thought, one that idrk how to communicate so bear with me, is I feel that a lot of people are extremely resistant to any form of conflict or critique, basically anything that isn’t support or silence. and it’s a little off putting to me, like how is anyone meant to improve without input from others? furthermore, a critique of your work is not an attack on you, but more an observation. so why is it so wrong to share? are creative spaces not a place for discussion?

but I also do think u have a right to reject advice wether its constructive or not. if u do not want it then it shouldn’t be forced on u. a hobby can be a hobby without the need to get better or improve, like if it’s smth u do for the joy of it then thats that.

both of these sentiments ring true to me.

so idk how to even explain what I feel. idek what I feel tbh

bleh

[cinderella-ish]

It’s so interesting to me how some fans see Megumi as obviously gay, and some see him as obviously bi/pan. (And hilarious to me how no one bothers to argue that he’s straight because… well…)

Also interesting is how it all comes down to how these fans interpret the scene with Todo before the goodwill event.

In this essay I will-

[gotorux]

Fandom Discourse Analysis

Mentions of aging up, enjoying villian characters, and disliking popular characters.

Something I have noticed about anime becoming more popular and mainstream and also the rise in minors in certain spaces is a constant level of discourse over certain topics. I truly believe it’s a good thing anime has become more popular. However, as it brings in more viewers, I think it’s important too open up the conversation surrounding the necessity of distinguishing fiction from reality. There is a lot of posts I see while browsing tags and although I don’t post often I think something needs to be said about three very specific topics that, for me, mean a lot and seem to have a lot of discourse surrounding them. 

One of the things I see happening a lot lately within the community is the hatred against people for liking fictional characters who happen to be minors in their respective animes. The aging up dilemma. First off, let me start by saying that a fictional pixel on a screen does not = minor. It can not be a minor because it is a drawing that was made up whenever the author wrote it. And in a lot of these instances, these characters are crafted by the authors with traits that appeal broadly to audiences, transcending their canon ages. This is particularly evident in shonen anime, where characters are often depicted with maturity, wisdom, or exaggerated physical features that align more closely with adult aesthetics rather than with children. This stylistic choice by many authors is done purposely to cater to a wide demographic, enabling viewers to form connections with characters regardless of age. 

It's important to recognize that a great majority of the time it is NOT the age that attracts viewers to the character which differentiates them with people in real life who are attracted to minors. Having a crush on, or writing about a fictional character that, like I said previously more closely align with adult aesthetics, does not make someone a pedophile. I think when it comes to loli and shota, then yes maybe we can open up this conversation as those characters are made to look like children. But that’s another topic. Acknowledging the fictional nature of these characters and their resemblance to adult fictional characters should be taken into consideration and not be misconstrued as indicative of real-life inclinations towards minors. Not to mention many of these authors don’t want them to be minors which is why they write about them as adults. Again, these are NOT minors. They are drawings and their ages can be changed depending on who’s writing them. An author could come out tomorrow and say the character has always been an adult and that would make it canon. It is not the same as pedophilia. Most people like characters like Sukuna that doesn’t reflect their real life tastes. Which brings me to my next point. 

Liking a villainous character does not correspond to endorsing those actions in real life. Anime often portrays "evil" characters with a depth that makes them appealing through usually through some form of tragic backstory, a charismatic or confident personality, or having extremely complex motivations. I think this makes people often misunderstand that liking them is a reflection of one's real-world values. That is not the case. 

Some people even like these characters just for being attractive and due to the fact they are fictional, and again an authors way of getting people to appeal to said characters, it can not be misconstrued of saying that those actions would be okay in real life scenarios. These characters allow viewers to explore themes of conflict, redemption, and moral ambiguity that can be explored in safety because it’s fiction. I think one of the main reasons people find themselves drawn to them is that villian characters are often created with flaws and authors give them depth to explore said flaws. This is why anti-hero characters are also often seen as more relatable and engaging. Anti-heroes, like villains, aren't bound by the usual moral constraints and often make decisions that are more realistic than heroes would. They can express doubts, conflicts, and vulnerabilities that mirror real human experiences. This makes them intriguing and allows audiences to connect with them on a deeper level.

All that said I think the attraction to villainous or morally grey characters often stems from their complexity and the opportunity they provide for viewers to engage with difficult ideas and emotions in a safe, controlled setting. These characters challenge our perceptions of good and evil by navigating a blurred line between the two which is appealing for most people. 

The last thing I want to bring up which kind of ties in with liking villainous characters is that disliking certain characters beloved by others is not necessarily a negative stance. Anime characters are crafted with diverse backgrounds, personalities, and motives, which naturally produce varied reactions among viewers. Understanding a character's motives yet still disliking them is completely valid and should stop being treated as inherently wrong or a negative reflection of someone. 

People are allowed personal preference and I think that encourages a a better discussion within anime communities whereby differing opinions can coexist. It is through these discussions that fans can dig into character analysis and conversations revolving around characters. Recognizing that disagreement over characters is totally normal and that people can be cool with each other, or be friends and disagree is important in both real life and fiction. 

At the end of the day there is also the block button which I will admit I use when needed, if you disagree with someone’s take. Instead of sending them hate and being a horrible person on the internet. 

[olasketches]

so because we have only three chapters left, I’ve decided that I’m going to wait for the official release instead of going through the leaks as I’ve been doing for… almost the past 2 years. I don’t want the leaks and the fandom discourse to ruin my last experience with jjk as a still ongoing manga… plus I thought it would be more fun and enjoyable this way... more special ig (I’m being so sappy ik) wish me luck guys!!

[goatyuuji]

Oh fuck off this is so cute i need them HD version NOW

[ziezii]

nerd & introverted megumi with his popular bestfriend nobara who he also tutors

[sanasanakun]

Maybe I’m stupid (likely) but I feel like Gojo resembling Toji in his battle with Megumi!Sukuna is trying to show that he is a paternal figure in Megumi’s life. Like the two different sides of Megumi’s male paternal figures (or I guess the two most consistent male adult figures in Megumi’s life)??? I don’t buy that Gojo was a father figure for Tsumiki and Megumi (to me he was more like Spencer from ICarly lmao) but like…i feel like the outfit similarity is trying to say something about their relationship on a familial or paternal scale…but im too dumb to fully phrase this how i want so maybe just ponder on this for me hahaha

[alpaca-clouds]

Let me basically go through my Digimon Anime Ships

I know I have rambled about this before, but let me just make a proper list of my Digimon ships by season. I might also do more lists for the games and manga later on. But for now... Let's focus on the anime, given that this is what most people know.

Digimon Adventure/02

Taichi/Koshiro: Honestly, I think out of all characters in the Adventure crew those two work best as a team. And I also do like how they have those opposites. Koshiro is this fairly introverted kid, Taichi meanwhile is outgoing. Still, both read as neurodivergent to me, which makes them perfect for each other. Though it should be noted that I read Koshiro as demisexual, very close to ace.

Miyako/Mimi: I shipped those two since Mimi showed up in 02 for the first time. I mean, come on: Miyako has a whole ass fantasy about her and Mimi playing Utena. I also kinda hate Miyako/Ken, because frankly, I read them both as homosexual. Miyako as someone who absolutely tries to perform comphet, Ken as someone who doesn't really care. But yeah, I really do love Mimi and Miyako together. <3 They are so sweet.

Daisuke/Ken: I mean, those two are probably the ship pushed most in 02. And yeah, what can I say? While I read Daisuke as bisexual, I also see him as someone trying to perform comphet. I do not think he actually has any interest in Hikari - I mean, he is only 10 - but feels like this should be the kind of girl he should have interest in.

Sora/Jou: While this is not a ship I am writing that actively, I still have the headcanon with them. Sora does eventually have a kid with Yamato (one of the unplanned child), but her relationship with Yamato works never out as a marriage. So she eventually finds a more stable partner with Jou.

Jun/Momoe/Shuu: Now, this is one of those very headcanon heavy ships I have. In one of the Drama CDs those three get Digimon partners. And Jun does have a cursh on Shuu, while I headcanon Momoe having a crush on Jun, but never admitting to it. Due to that... Well, they do struggle to figure that entire thing out.

Michael/Maria: Okay, admittedly, this is just a random thing that I decided at some point. I headcanon Michael as bisexual, mind you, but yeah. In my stuff he eventually gets with Maria, the other American Chosen Child. :)

Digimon Tamers

Takato/Juri: This is one of the few straight ships that is kinda pushed by the show itself, that I kinda get behind on. While I do think that this is going to be a relationship, that moves very slowly, due to Takato being an absolute sweetheart and Juri waiting for him to make a move, I do think they do eventually take a long while to actually get together.

Ryou/Ruki: I talked about this several times. I do not know who came up with this idea, but yeah, whoever was the lead writer on Ryou clearly was pushing for him at least being interested in her. This is obviously a bit creepy, given he is 14 and she is 10, but yeah. I do still think they will eventually date for a while, because he is someone who kinda wants to do that. However, I do not think that that relationship has a happy end.

Mitsuo/Reika: To this day, something that confuses me immensely is that Konaka spoke on his blog about the other writers being confused when he revealed that indeed, those two are in a relationship. Because I picked up on that from like very early in the series on. But yeah, I do like them. I liked to see adults having an adult relationship.

Megumi/Keith: I will once again say, I know this is an absolute crackship that makes no sense without the context of my sequels to Digimon Tamers. But yeah, the two are about the same age and I kinda am interested in Megumi as a character - despite her being a very sidelined character.

Denrei/Shaochung: I spoke about this before. Denrei is my original Goggleboy, who is very close with Shaochung, and yeah, they do get eventually together in a relationship. I honestly think they are kinda sweet together, but then again, that is my own writing, so... lol

Shoji/Ruki: As I said, I do not think that Ruki does want to stay with Ryou for her life. And yeah, in my stuff she eventually ends up with Shoji, the lone wolf of the generation after the first Tamers. Though he is only two years younger than her. But compared to the entire Ryou/Ruki thing this is going to be moving a whole lot slower.

Ai/Rin/Takumi/(Makoto?): Rin and Takumi are among the kids later joining the cast with me. And frankly, the entire Ai/Rin/Takumi thing is a fairly strong triad, though they are kids and need to figure that out eventually. There is later also a bit something between Takumi and Makoto, though that kinda needs a whole lot longer to develop.

Jian/Alex: What is there to say? Yeah, I also eventually gave Jian a girlfriend. lol

Mind you, I do have two gay headcanons here, but not really established characters. In my stuff Linda ("Daisy") eventually ends up with a woman. She is bisexual in my stuff. But yeah, I never wrote about her wife. And Hirokazu in my reading is completely gay. However, he does not get with Kenta, who I have pitched as fairly ace. And I never made up a boyfriend for him. I might at some point get onto that. lol

Digimon Frontier

Takuya/Izumi: To be honest, this is not a ship I am super passionate about, but I do think that during their teens they are going to be a thing for a while. But I also think that Izumi will eventually end up in another country and join the dating pool there. lol I do have written two fics on them, though. Which I might at some point upload. I guess.

Digimon Savers

Miki/Megumi: This is a ship that I feel is fairly strongly supported by canon. While canon does not outright say, that the two are romantically involved, the show most certainly hints at them living together and being a romantic couple.

Chika/Ikuto: I do feel that in some way, the show kinda pushes the idea that the two of them might eventually develop romantic interest in one another. And I think it is cute enough.

Digimon Xros Wars

Okay, here is the thing. I do not really care much about the anime. Now, in the manga I mainly ship Taiki/Akari/Nene/Kiriha as an OT4, but... I feel this is something I should talk about in regards to the manga, as this is very much a manga-ship for me. Not the anime-ship.

Digimon Universe: Applimon

Haru/Yuujin: What can I say? This is probably the clearest, most canon gay ship that Digimon has ever provided outside of the games. It is very clear that Haru has romantic feelings for Yuujin, even though he himself is struggling to figure this out. His infatuation with Alice does feel a lot more like him trying to play out comphet than anythin else.

Eri/Alice: Compared to Haruujin this is very much a crackship. But man, I will always find a good girls-love ship when I try. I do really just like a bit of fluffy sweetness with the two of them. <3

Digimon Ghost Game

Digimon Ghost Game is kinda funny, because it is the one seasons shipping for the other... thing.

Ruli/Angoramon: Yeah, what can I say? I mean, the show literally puts in a romantic story, and then parallels the two of them with it. This show really pushes for the Tamer/Digimon ships so hard. I even have written one story for this.

Kiyoshiro/Jellymon: Again, this is very much supported by canon. It is weird, but... I do kinda like it?

[ackerbabezzz]

can we put the whole who is the real MC discourse to rest now, gege has made it clear that jjk centers on both yuji and yuta and of course in the end yuji will shine in this fight with sukuna, so some fans can stop being bitter on yuta taking over briefly when gege made it clear they are both working together

[astriddestelle]

Ship rant

Finally figured out why I don’t like sukufushi ships so much. It’s because in most of the fics Megumi has no agency. I’ve read like five where he’s written with a backbone.

Like just cause Megumi is quiet doesn’t mean he wouldn’t fight back. His whole arc is him literally being on the verge of suicide because of how much he fights back.

Sukuna will abuse, beat, etc this boy and Megumi just takes it and doesn’t fight back yet somehow they’re in love. The power dynamics are so skewed like what?

Every time he’s paired with Sukuna, he’s almost always turned into a trans man or omega boy (which fine that’s your kink go off) but why is it only ever Megumi and never Sukuna oh it’s cause yall feminize and fetishize Megumi to the extreme.

Whereas when Sukuna is paired with Yuji, Yuji fights back, the relationship dynamics seem more even. Even in the fics where Yuji is a trans man or omega boy, he still has more power and agency, he gets to fight back. Yuji isn’t fetishized the same way cause he’s buff and roguish.

The same shit happens in itafushi fics where Megumi is the bottom, they put so much focus on him being girly and feminine and it reeks of fetishization. Yuji is this buff man with a huge dick and Megumi is so tiny and just takes it like wtf?! (Not taking about PWPs btw)

Just normal fics. He has no agency he’s just this pseudo weak little anime or k drama girl stand in but has Megumi’s name and looks.

The same shit gets applied to Inumaki as well just cause he’s pretty/effeminate (which he’s not he’s just short and skinny?!?)

There’s nothing wrong with liking pretty men or effeminate men but the fetishizing starts to get weird af when you can almost never find a normal story that doesn’t focus on how soft and pretty and tiny he is.

This is a thing across the board in all fandoms. (Draco Malfoy for one but he gets to keep his snark and personality, so does Dean Winchester and Stiles, etc they all get to stay pushy and sarcastic and aggressive despite being feminized in fanfics ) but for some reason Megumi doesn’t and it just gives me the ick. (Lowkey Dick Grayson has the same issue but this ain’t about him)

If you ship sukufushi this ain’t at you persay just the type of fics I’ve come across one to many times.

I guess all I’m saying is if you’re gonna make Megumi a uke at least give him a backbone or something man.

Also just cause a man is pretty and thin doesn’t mean he’s a uke for real. Y’all really ignored Megumi’s dominating ass personality, the way he bosses Yuji around, straight up ain’t afraid to die to fight Sukuna or whoever and twinkified him cause he’s pretty. 🙄

And dadified Yuji the same man who legit has an almost canon praise kink, housewife skills, and does whatever anyone tells him too ok.

[jjk-confessions]

I will always be on Megumi Fushiguro's side regardless of what anyone says. But, I do sometimes wish that he crashed out and turned nihilistic after he gained control of his body. lol, I do not care if that wasn't the point of the story. Bro should've started the merger and ended it all for himself and everyone else. I don't want peace, I want problems and Megumi could've said f it and carried out Kenjaku's selfish and stupid plan.

Man idk sometimes I think Megumi had the perfect setup to be a villain or maybe even an anti hero. I never cared about his potential to be the strongest (never did he honestly), I only cared about his potential to embrace and let his "darker" qualities take root. Exactly like his reaction to opening his domain for the first time. Or when he released Mahoraga on the ponytail guy and said good luck with a sinister smile as his last words in Shibuya.

I felt that within the entire series he was struggling to embrace his darker side because he didn't want to disappoint his sister. It's a sweet notion, but it's a big reason as to why he didn't have a sense of self. Bro's dream life/purpose in life was to make his sister happy. Did Tsumiki say she wanted all of that? Did you ever ask her what she wanted? And what did you want for yourself Megumi? Something that isn't attached to someone else's expectations of you?

He deserved way more than he thought he did and to get what he wanted he needed to accept who he was first. But it's okay I like him for who he was in canon and the gray area that he resides in. He's neither good nor bad. He’s just a boy who received the Zenin's genetic rbf.

.

[gwandas]

i forgot how insane anime fans are... maybe the acotar fandom isn't so bad after all

[nanamiskentos]

I saw your ask about writing for the student characters and I mostly agree, but I disagree with the last part. Refusing to engage with 'less' conservative topics like inc/est makes for puritan culture and as a society we need to get comfortable with reading/watching media that doesn't fit in your comfort zones. I think it's unfair and holier than thou to claim that one type of fic is okay, and the other isn't, nor is it fair to throw around words like 'weird' to describe authors who write inc/est fics

if i entertain this on the basis that this is not some type of rage bait or goading 😭 i would say it's not a crazy or puritan take to claim that i don't want to read inc*st fics lol

but also on a more serious level, i see the point you're trying to make but i would counterargue and say that *yes* it is important to sometimes step out of your comfort zone and absolutely, often darker themes are explored in fiction and they can have a purpose. to tell a story, or to explore a plot. but to me, theres a big difference in using something like inc*st to tell a story, versus just romanticising it in someone's fantasies.

idk like take the show house of the dragon for example (or game of thrones), you know that the targaryens are an incestuous dynasty and u watch it and go hmm these blonde folks are wack crazy for all this 😭 but u see the other parts of the story and see why it makes sense. rotten dynasty, doomed family, strains of madness, blood magic, blood of the dragon, and u nod and go yep yep, no wonder theyre like that.

like it serves a narrative purpose and u don't watch it and go omgggg cute!!!!!!! brother sister relationships 😚 and yes people can bend over backwards to try and justify why they write their little age gap, dolled up fics with jjk men with like inc*est and frankly...what the hell sure... but obv for my own comfort, i'm blocking all that

[sttoru]

bro. how are you born in the 80’s and still decide to write for megumi. god the chills (/neg) i feel so nauseous

[witchlingcirce]

JJK MANGA SPOILERS

While I think that writing for Nobara’s death was well written and ties in nicely with the themes of the story, I’m always really upset by her wasted potential.

ONE, she’s genuinely got such a cool and a unique cursed technique that we never got to see grow. I think she’s also got an interesting fighting style, and while she isn’t physically the strongest we could have seen grow more. Her technique literally hurts BODY AND SOUL. She can BLOW HER NAILS UP! And we’ve seen that she’s a smart combatant. I think with more training and a little more refinement to her cursed technique she could have been broken. Her straw doll technique literally lets her hurt her enemy’s from afar as along she has something of there’s in her possession. I think it’s kind of unfortunate that Gege never let this side of her show…all of her fights her interesting, and she contributed something to all of them. It’s so hard to find strong characters in shounen series! And obviously we have are lively, our amazing Maki buttttt this series lacks female characters (who aren’t killed off *cough* Yuki)

I think it’s also unfortunate that Gege didn’t let relationships with the other characters grow. Besides Maki and Yuji (and panda IG) we never saw Nobaras relationship with others to much. And in particular I would have loved to see her and Fushiguros relationship grow. The two of them are such opposites and they didn’t interact as much when Nobara was still alive, I would have loved to have seen there relationship grow and to see it become something beautiful and meaningful. It’s a real shame that now the only characters who even mention Nobara or think of her are Yuuji, we didn’t even get to see her proper relationship with Gojo. I guess that’s the point since no Jujutsu sorcerer dies without regrets BUTTTTTT then why would Gege add this line?

I know this implies she’s dead but I would’ve rather he just straight up say she is. It gives me to much hope knowing she will never return (GEGE WHEN I CATCH YOU GEGE!)

I know I made this point already before, but I hate the wastage of female characters besides Maki. There always dying, always being done dirty, always being weaker. Nobara had such an amazing opportunity to be strong and to be this wonderful girly character but nooooooooooo she just had die. We had Yuki, who was amazing with the short period of time we had her until she died, Tsumiki? Dead. Hana? Kind of wasted potential. I’m so upset they he chose not to explore Nobaras full potential before offing her. While I’m not saying her death was bad or poor writing, I’m just saying there was more to do with her.

How cool would she have been with an eyepatch as well???

(first image I couldn’t find the artist, if you know please let me know)

(Second image - @/TheJessC0de)