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fantastic-nonsense · 2 years

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Can I ask what you think of people wanting to change percy Jackson's ethnicity for the tv series ?

Okay so this ask is very old and was sent before the casting news came out (sorry for taking forever to answer), but since Annabeth, Grover, and a few other characters were racebent for the series I think it's still relevant enough to answer. I have lots of complicated thoughts on racebending in general, mostly for two reasons:

It's often used in superhero-based media specifically as an excuse for companies to engage in erasure by omission while still getting credit for "increasing diversity": why bother using Cassandra Cain or Duke Thomas when you can simply cast a black woman to play Barbara Gordon and a biracial Black/Asian kid to play Tim Drake (but refuse to do any creative work to engage with how Babs' and Tim's lived experiences and crimefighting perspectives might be different if they weren't white), for example.

It's also often a signal that a company simply does not care enough about the character to ensure they look visually similar to how the source material depicts them; it's also why I heavily dislike whitewashing, because (besides whitewashing being a lovely example of Hollywood's racism) a lack of care regarding visual appearance in adapted media is often an early warning sign that the adaptation is going to have a lack of care for the source material in general, just like Brunette!Annabeth in the Percy Jackson movie was an early warning sign that the movie was going to be a truly terrible adaptation of the PJO books (basically, "if you can't even bother to make her blonde, what else don't you care about getting right?")

However, I don't inherently have a problem with racebending when it's in tune with the intention of the source material and thought/care is put into how an adapted character being a different race than that character is canonically depicted might change their lived experiences and perspective on life. Given that, there's a few reasons why I don't have much of a problem with the racebending in the Percy Jackson show:

One, Rick Riordan is heavily involved in the creation of the show this time around. I'm not particularly worried that the characters' visual appearances not closely matching their canonical appearances is an indication that we're going to get another terrible adaptation, because Riordan was involved in the writing and casting process; it's clear this isn't just an empty corporate choice to gain brownie points with the progressive crowd, but is actually because the creative team felt like they were the best actors for the job.

Two, it's in the spirit of Riordan's intentions when writing the books, which was always to give under-represented groups stories that showcased them in heroic, protagonist-level roles. He wrote the PJO series for his son, who had ADHD and dyslexia, and in every subsequent post-PJO series he's made a notable and purposeful effort to increase positive representation of various under-represented and marginalized groups by including them in his stories (whether he's been successful is a different question, but that's a topic for another time). So I don't feel particularly uncomfortable with a character being racebent, because if Rick were writing PJO today I think most of us can agree the books probably would have been quite a bit more racially diverse than they are.

Three, the characters who've been racebent are either characters whose arcs and struggles can be updated for social relevance if they're racebent or are characters whose race doesn't matter (and are thus an example of "well...if it doesn't matter, why not?").

Annabeth, for example, has a minor subplot in the early books about being percieved as a "dumb blonde." This stereotype is outdated and somewhat incomprehensible for a 2022 audience who weren't middle schoolers in 2005 when Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan were running around, dumb blonde jokes were a dime a dozen, and Hollywood was putting out movies like Legally Blonde as a direct critique of that stereotype. It's simply not a salient cultural issue anymore.

But in the spirit of that subplot, Annabeth being a black girl who has to deal with and defy stereotypes about black girls being smart (of which there are many) is a lovely update that speaks to current issues without actually changing anything about Annabeth: she still has a subtle chip on her shoulder because she feels pressure to defy stereotypes relating to intelligence. It just comes from a different place now. So casting a black girl is actually lowkey a brilliant decision, even if I still hope they'll make her blonde.

For Grover, it makes no difference either way. Yes, he's canonically white in the books, but visually race has no impact on him because he's a satyr; canonically, his hooves and horns pose the biggest issue for him when he's trying to blend into the human world and do his job. His life doesn't really change in any way if he's a different race; as long as he remains identifiably Grover, it makes no difference whether a white boy or a black boy or a desi boy plays him.

tl;dr: "I have a lot of complicated feelings on racebending in general and in most circumstances, I really urge creators to either create new characters or find ways to effectively utilize existing diverse character slates. However, in the case of Percy Jackson I have no real problem with it because it's in the spirit of the original work, isn't a reflection of a studio's lack of regard or care for accurately adapting the source material, helps keep the social commentary embedded in said source material up-to-date, and is clearly a creator-led decision rather than a corporate marketing decision."

#percy jackson #pjo #racebending #long post #asks

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total-drama-brainrot · 2 months

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Hello hello ophe 👋😇

How are you going so far? 😊

I just want to say aletrent has taken over my brain and I’m here thinking if I should make it happen for cruise stars but then I remember that I promised the fresh people in the server that AleNoah will happen. I’m here thinking to myself

“😟 damn why do you ship AleTrent? Aren’t you a AleNoah shipper? Alejandro and Trent deadass never even interacted, besides this is gonna be like the last time where you joined a fandom and got brainrotted by a crack pair/rare pair. And Noah and Alejandro’s dynamic is more interesting to write and think about. Besides brain you can shove Trent with Duncan it will be funi 😁.” -me to my Brain 😇 🧠 as I try to keep my brain cells in check

Anyways enough about me taking about stuff that doesn’t matter I finally thought of the main villain(s) for Shitwrecked and I’m really excited to write about them bitches scheming 😈 (but I kinda want to do another idea throwing session sometime again in the future, it was fun to talk and do the funi throw shit together and see what happens 😁, social interaction my enemy😔)

But as always let the brain rot commence as we speak

Lindsay and Noah friendship real tho!

Shitwrecked crap that was on my mind recently-

Emma and Trent friendship- they both are a disaster (lovingly way) one is literally a mess while the other is in the inside (I think in Trent’s bio thing it said that his sprit animal or favorite was a cat and Emma is cat person)

Nemma divorced conformation/rr cameo in a challenge and heather kissing Emma(rr)/j

leonard bringing a horse into the competition

Courtney is remind of Brittney(raccoon) when Zee brings back out lord and savior Oilvia Von Trashpanda

Topher tries to run over Chris with a golf cart

Skyella sweep! Dave becomes more emo as skyella sweep happens

Prillie divorced arc as Millie feel like priya thrown their friendship away for a guy and that priya is hanging out with Caleb more

Hear me out Trent and heather Secret alliance or some shit (I think it sounds funi to me😁) probably not go with it but it was fun to think about tho

Trent being annoy/passive aggressive to Geoff and Justin(oh how who can my favorite character be/j🤪)

Chef probably treating the reboot cast more favorably(no one can stop the Wayne)

Axel being the reason why Duncan is scared of Celine Dion cardboard standees

Gwen having to deal with her golden retriever cousins

Thinking of a scene where Emma is talking with Gwen/courtney about dating advice or something as she describes Axel (Emma doesn’t say name) “they have an eyebrow piercing and they got their ears pierced too. They are all tough as nails and abrasive but they can be surprisingly sweet and caring.” Both Gwen or/and Courtney be thinking to themselves “damn why Duncan of all people?”

Noah with the whole divorce dad look “Owen I miss my wife..”

Don big naturals/j 😈

Damn I think I kinda went a bit off with the rambles😳 brain rot do be hitting harder than the kitchen floor 😔

-Ass Stars anon

Hello hello ASAnon, it's nice to have you back! 👋😊

Alejandro and Trent are very shippable characters, so it was inevitable that someone would start seriously shipping the two despite their complete lack of canon interaction. So long as you're enjoying yourself, who's to judge?

I'm happy to hear you've figured out some of the details of your AU! It can be super hard to figure out what direction you want to take your ideas in, especially for an AU as broad and character-filled as your own.

The brainrot is real and it consumes us all. If these ideas are what make you happiest and/or are the ones that you find the most amusing, then include them in your story! Self-indulgence is half the fun of writing/drawing/creating your own AUs. 😌👍

Don's big naturals are canon though. They're a non-negotiable inclusion in any fan-content. /j

#don big naturals is going to end up as a fandom wide meme at some point. like leshawna ball. /pos #ass stars anon #replies

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hamliet · 2 years

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So, you said qaf is full of symbolism can you make some examples with some of your favourite imagery? Thank you!

Honestly I could do an episode by episode breakdown but ain't nobody got time for that (and no one would read it lol).

Scarf/Art as Life

One of the best ones that I noticed as I went through for the first time was the blood-stained scarf as Brian's life, which is tied to Justin, and also Justin's art, which is symbolic of his own life. I already wrote about those in depth here. But I do recall watching the episode and as soon as the scarf appeared, I noted that it was a symbol for Brian's life; when it ended up bloodstained, this was even more reinforced. And then, when it reappeared in the second season, I was genuinely shocked--it should have, but that is a detail that could easily have been neglected since symbolism is a lost art these days. Instead it's given its final focus after Justin and Brian make love for the first time since the incident. The art symbolism continues into the series' finale.

Sunshine

Justin is nicknamed "Sunshine" by Debbie and "sonny boy" by Brian, with of course the double meaning since "sonny" is pronounced the same as "sunny" in English. But the idea of Justin as a light appears numerous times in the story: he first meets Brian under a streetlight, and realizes that he wants to be back with Brian post break-up while again sticking his head under a lamp.

The Race

I've also written in-depth several times now about the race symbolism at the end of season 4. I love it. Also, I love how it calls back to Justin working so hard to get out of the hospital to see Brian in season 2... but Brian was always there.

Peter Pan

I've also mentioned how Michael's name is probably an allusion to Peter Pan, since Lindsay constantly calls Brian "Peter" starting from episode 1, and Brian calls Lindsay "Wendy." Of course, Peter Pan syndrome is at the core of Brian's character arc: he's gotta grow up. But it's also reinforced through other ways--for example, Brian's bratty nephews are actually named John and Peter, two other Peter Pan characters.

"Have Some Balls"

Minor thing, but during the confrontation where Justin shows Brian he wants to get back together, Brian tells him:

Oh, that is so like you! You don’t hear what you want, so you leave. Try standing up for yourself for a change? Have some balls!

Followed, of course, by a kiss. But that's season 3. Season 4 reuses this phrase by making "Have Some Balls" the literal title of the episode where Justin shows up and tells Brian off for hiding the fact that he had cancer and tells Brian to deal with him being taken care of for once. Standing up for yourself sometimes looks like accepting you need to ask for help (another theme throughout multiple seasons).

Home

Home is a motif really more so than just a symbol, but it's one of two major motifs introduced in episode one of the first season that then continues throughout all five seasons. When Brian's son is born, he tries to kick Justin out so that he can go see Gus, but Justin says "I can't go home." Because he has nowhere to go, Brian allows Justin to stay with him. Justin then quite literally ends up homeless, with Brian unwilling to commit but also not willing to throw him onto the street. But Brian in the end helps Justin find a temporary home with Deb.

In season 2, Brian tells Justin that he wants to "come home to" him every night. In season 4, Brian firstly kicks Justin out of their home because he thinks Justin will split now that he's got cancer, and then makes the big step of asking Justin to move back in, and Justin does in season 5, but it doesn't last. Why? Well, in season 5, Michael and Brian have this dialogue about Michael's suburban life with Ben:

Michael : It’s a home!

Brian: It’s a farce! It’s a freak show!

The point is that Brian mistakes a home here for a suburban life, instead of remembering where home has always been for him. Home being another person. He's Justin's home, and Justin is Brian's. When Brian finally decides to commit, he goes and... buys a home to symbolize it. But in the end, Justin doesn't want the home. He wants Brian, flaws and all.

Religion/God

I'm absolutely going to fumble this explanation because there is a lot of nuance and deeper dives needed into the nature of humanism and empathy and existentialism on the show to fully make this one clear. I just don't have time for that now, so have a messy ramble.

The second motif that's introduced in season one, episode one. For starters, Brian and Justin meet outside Babylon, a rather Biblical name. Yeah, yeah, you can associate with promiscuity and I don't doubt that's why the club is named that, but in terms of symbolism, Babylon is in the bible a place of exile, of wandering, of lamenting for... you guessed it, home. So. It's rather fitting Brian meets Justin outside of it, even if it's not intentional (it might be, though).

But anyways. The motif is then brought up when Justin tells Daphne "I just met the face of God. His name is Brian Kinney." Michael and Emmett also compare Brian to a god at various points--Michael in season 1, Emmett in season 3.

Ted later tells Emmett and Michael that:

I think God appreciates it even more. Because he created you in his image. At least that's what I was always taught. And since God is love and God doesn't make mistakes, then you must be exactly the way he wants you to be. And that goes for every person, every planet, every mountain, every grain of sand, every song, every tear... and every f****t. We're all his, Emmett. He loves us all.

The idea of "God is love" is how the show defines God, regardless of faith (though it does rely more on Christian symbolism unsurprisingly because America's literary zeitgeist is saturated with ideas of sacrifice and resurrection; to its credit, QaF largely rejects the former (but not always) and celebrates the latter). Lots of people use religion to hurt our characters (and frankly, in real life, lots of people use religion to hurt queer people). But love is something all these characters have for each other, and so there's an element of the divine in these relationships, of always finding their way back to one another, of things like forgiveness and grace and rebirth and resurrection (something Justin, Michael, and Brian all explicitly go through, with Justin and Michael's respective near death experiences and Brian's dream of himself in a casket right after he tells Justin he loves him for the first time. This symbolizes Brian finally growing and transcending his childish, petty self to an extent).

QaF is also fundamentally about humanity, and a celebration of life. There's an idea that everyone is put on this earth to love, no matter how that looks, and that's what the show ultimately upholds as its central value. Love is good. Simple, yet radical. Showing people they are loved is even better, and that's again also something associated with the divine in some ways in the show. For example, the moment where Brian tells off his highly religious, homophobic mother by saying God gave him another chance post-cancer so he can fuck every hot guy he sees, and then God actually comes through and he gets hard for the first time since his surgery (and goes to immediately find Justin). It's a funny scene, but it also could be read as having thematic depth in that Brian is given another chance to go and show Justin that he loves him.

#ask hamliet #qaf #queer as folk #britin #brian kinney #justin taylor #michael novotny #qaf us #overanalyzing is what i do #i should shut up but no #qaf meta

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frazzledsoul · 3 months

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I think it's interesting that in season 4 we get one (1) appearance from Dean at the beginning of the season (the episode where he gets married) and although it's clearly not a good idea and he's moping over Rory, he pretty much drops out of the narrative completely and we don't see him again for ten episodes. There's a lot going on in Stars Hollow at that time: Lorelai and Sookie are getting the inn put together, Lane starts working for Luke and has a falling out with her mother, Sookie gives birth, there's the Festival of Living Art, Luke and Lorelai "break the bells", and of course Liz and Jess show up at the Firelight Festival and cause a lot of drama. Rory's social life at Yale is somewhat pitiful so she comes home pretty much every weekend yet she has zero interaction with Dean and Lindsey and they are not involved in anything at all that happens, even the major town events.

I mention this because Rory is drawn back into Dean's orbit in the episode after Jess drops his love bomb and runs in a major way and their relationship continues to get more and more inappropriate in the last third of the season. Dean sells Rory his sob story of how Lindsay is pushing him to work (even though we later see that she's trying pretty hard to be the stay-at-home wife he wanted and make him happy). Rory chastises Dean for dropping out of college, seemingly oblivious to the fact that his goals were never the same as hers were and wanting them to be the same isn't going to erase their incompatibility. And of course, while this is all going on Luke's ill-advised marriage is also unraveling as he and Lorelai become closer. Given the previous example Lorelai set for her by hooking up with Christopher while he was with Sherry and then making out with Max while she was still technically dating Twilight Dad as well as the separation of the grandparents, it was fairly easy for Rory to conclude that this marriage business really doesn't matter and to look to Dean for comfort and and affirmation as she reminisces about the relationship she thinks she remembers.

And you know what goes away around this time, too? Any of her half-hearted attempts to socialize at Yale or to get something started romantically. She tried being independent and it sucked, so she interprets Dean's possessiveness and desire to limit her interactions with Jess as affection (which is all kind of messed up in itself, but that's another issue). Jess's second love bomb sends her further down that path where she's willing to do just about anything to feel safe again, because she never was allowed to process that break-up and Jess is too messed up at the time to offer her much of an explanation because he doesn't have the language for that either yet.

I still have a lot of trouble processing how Rory suddenly becomes convinced that she wants to relive the halcyon days of a relationship where Dean was often very unhappy with her and that ended because she fell in love with someone she found more intellectually compatible. Even though she is doing some pretty messed up rationalization leading up to her deflowering, she literally goes from "maybe you and Lindsay should go away together" to "Oh, I always knew this would happen! Let me play you this atrocious song to commemorate the occasion!" in two minutes (and we all know the sex took even less time). She backs off pretty soon afterwards and doesn't seem to mourn (and only seems to date Dean out of pity) but the whole thing is still so improbable, even all these years later. I still don't think she ever wanted a relationship, but she got drawn into the idea that losing her virginity in this way was something that wasn't as threatening as dealing with her feelings for her other ex.

(You know what would be even less threatening? Just boinking Marty and leaving your high school boyfriends alone. Just saying).

So was this character arc planned, or could we have gotten rid of Dean after his wedding? I honestly think it's the latter. He could have disappeared after the wedding and we'd have a completely different storyline. Probably a better one.

#frazzled rambles #rory gilmore #gilmore girls

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ash-and-books · 2 years

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Rating: 1/5

Book blurb: Head to Brooklyn's Whitman Street Cat Café: the coffee is strong, the desserts are delicious, kitten cuddles are never out of stock—and finding love is guaranteed.

Pastry chef Brad Marks is the new hot thing at the Whitman Street Cat Café; he makes tasty treats for both the human and feline guests at the café. All the patrons love him, and freelance writer Lindsay Somers understands why; five years ago, she was smitten by his charms too—until Brad broke her heart. Lindsay is happy with her new gig at a trendy weekly magazine, but when her boss assigns her to do a story on the cat café, she's thrown back into Brad's orbit yet again...

Review:

Two exes reunite years later when he is hired to work at the Whitman Street Cat Cafe that her friend owns, can they clear up the misunderstandings and give each other a second chance at romance or will the old hurts ruin it all. Lindsay Somers broke up with her boyfriend Brad Marks when they were in culinary school when she walked in on him kissing another girl. Lindsay has extreme trust issues so when she catches him its over, she cuts him out of her life without so much as another word and now he is back in her life. Brad Marks is a famous chef now and when he lands the job opportunity of a lifetime he takes it up... and it just so happens to be connected to the girl that got away and he takes it as a sign that he should win her back or at least let him explain to her what actually happened the day they broke up. Brad loved, is still in love with Lindsay, but when his friend kisses him out of nowhere and Lindsay just dumps him he is at a lost, now he wants to explain to her that he still loves her, except she absolutely loathes him. Even when he explains what happened the true issue is that Lindsay doesn’t trust him, she reasons that if they didn’t work out the first time why should they give it a second chance? Brad wants her back in his life but he can only bend over back for so long and he can’t do anything about her trust issues especially since no matter what he says or tells her, it won’t change the fact that she has to want to open herself up to him again. I’ll say this, Lindsay’s trust issues were extreme and so was her jealousy, I absolutely understand her anger, I would be angry too but the fact that neither she nor Brad really grew or changed made the romance unlikable. Lindsay is extremely jealous when Brad flirts with other people, but he isn’t really flirting and just being nice and talking to people... and honestly I was hoping they didn’t end up together but rather, Lindsay just worked on her trust issues and grew. I just didn’t enjoy this “second chance” romance despite it having all the markers of being a story I would like: cats, pastries, fun friend group, etc... Overall it just didn’t work for me but if you enjoy slow SLOW burn romance then give it a go.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #romance book #romance review

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mythoughtsxxblog · 2 years

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19 years ago today (September 23 2003) One Tree Hill premiered on the WB.

To celebrate I thought I'd post yet another opinion thread about my favorite show of all time.

Nathan Scott is quite possibly the best teen drama boy/man to ever exist. He had his flaws, but was ultimately the best husband, father, brother, and son anyone could ask for. Despite having a rough childhood, he managed to overcome and stop the toxic cycle of neglect/abuse. He made his children's lives something he had wished for himself. It takes a strong person to do that. Forever will love this man.

Lucas Scott aggravates me to no end.

3x20 is TV excellence. That no look shot is iconic and nothing will ever top that moment in TV.

Nobody does music like OTH. All those performances? Amazing.

Nathan and Haley >>>>> every other couple on the show. Idc what anyone says they were the #1 ship to come out of OTH. They went through hard times, but came out stronger in the end. I don't think there's any other TV couple with this much of a hold on me. And I've watched a lot of TV shows lol. They make me feel so comfy and warm inside. They're safe and overall written so damn well.

Going with what I said above, James and Joy's chemistry is what made Naley work tbh. They had such insane chemistry and it's mind boggling that they never even had a chemistry read when auditioning. OTH writers struck gold with them.

Dan is one of the best villains in TV show history.

Grandpa Dan....an angel lmao

It legit infuriates me that CMM was looked at as the heartthrob of the show when James Lafferty was right there. That man was and is still gorgeous. And if I'm being honest, his acting felt more natural to me than CMM. But that's a conversation for another day lol

We should've got more Skills than Mouth

Brooke's best seasons were the adult seasons tbh. Yes, she had iconic moments in the high school years, but her actual development doesn't really hit until the adult years imo

I'm convinced they only did the Nathan/Brooke sextape because they wanted the audience to sympathize with Peyton. Also Nathan and Brooke are quite possibly the most liked characters, the writers probably thought why not try destroying their development 🙄🙄

I loved Jamie 🤷🏻‍♀️ it seems like so many people find him annoying but I loved him lol I can understand why he might be annoying to some, but I really enjoyed him and thought he was a great addition to the show. He had great chemistry with all the core characters

6x03 is the saddest episode in TV history and if you don't cry watching it, you're not human

Nathan's NBA story arc is amazing storytelling. I loved every minute of it and believe it's one of, if not, the best story arc to come out of the show

Peyton was so much more likeable when she wasn't with Lucas. I honestly enjoyed her and Lucas being friends way more than when they got together

I didn't mind Lucas and Lindsay

Season 9 was so chaotic, but I loved it

I loved how Julian went from this hot mysterious producer to an absolute dork that loved chasing butterflies. Best development lol

This cast deserved an award for 3x16. The acting was on point. The storyline was on point. One of the most well done sch*ol sh*oting episodes I've seen a TV show pull off. It's a shame they barely got any credit for it

Never got the appeal to Karen/Keith. I honestly shipped Deb/Keith more lol

Nathan's depression storyline deserved better. The writers dropped the ball on a lot of mental health storylines, but this one in particular upsets me. First it was the race car incident in season 2. He should've gone to therapy. Then it was season 5 and his back injury. It felt as though he was being told get over it and "man up" when that sends a pretty toxic message. The scene with Peyton and him in the hospital pissed me off. As if seeing a child with cancer is supposed to make him feel better. I get what they were trying to get across, but it could've been done differently. Also Haley throwing dishes/bottles???? Why? Great acting moment from Joy, but unnecessary for Haley's character. I also applaud James for his acting throughout this storyline. Just wish it was written better.

Continuing with the above statement, Haley's depression storyline was done much better. It was a bit rushed, but it wasn't as frustrating to watch.

I always preferred Brooke and Haley's friendship to Brooke and Peyton's

Brooke and Nathan's friendship deserved more screen time. That scene when Nathan goes to check on her before Quentin's funeral will forever break me

Nathan getting harassed in the shower doesn't get talked about enough. Absolutely foul.

Although I loved Brooke getting her happy ending, I kinda wish they settled with her adopting instead of miraculously being able to have kids. Her adopting would've been more relatable.

Rachel deserved better

Quinn deserved better writing. I feel like she was treated more like eye candy than anything. Justice for Shantel VanSanten

FUCK M*RK S*HWAHN

I have many more opinions, but this is already long enough lol. Anyways, this show will always and forever have a place in my heart.

#one tree hill #oth #happy oth day #nathan scott #lucas scott #peyton sawyer #brooke davis #haley james scott #james lafferty #chad michael murray #bethany joy lenz #hilarie burton

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vielzahlislands · 2 years

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OKAY SO—I noticed you have a NG character named Andrew. I didn't see what his last name was, so who are his parents? What kind of dynamic does he have with each member of his family?

Idk…feel free to tell me whatever you want about him if you like 👀

OMFG YES!!! I'm actually so glad you asked about him — he's so fun to write and get into the head of, and I have a feeling a lot of people will really like him!

Andrew is Chloe's son and the older of her two kids, and the next generation's cat holder; Gatto Nero. But there are a few details that separate his story/arc from the other four's, namely:

Andrew gets the Miraculous by a coincidence. Marinette initially chose another holder (I won't say who), but a series of events were what caused it to end up in his hands. And while it's definitely played off as a mere coincidence/as if it happened by chance at first, it has a HUGE effect on the fallout of the story, and without it, a lot would be different — obviously including, but definitely not limited to just the fact that it ended up in his hands in the first place.

On that note, with the other four (Emma, Camellia, Tristan and Lindsay), they all know at least one of the others' identities (being relatives, all three Couffaine kids know each other's identities, and Tristan also knows Emma's, being her best friend), while Andrew doesn't know any of theirs and vice versa. Which is a huge reason he's the super mysterious guy on the team as Gatto, lol.

Gatto Nero is Italian for 'black cat', because Andrew was actually born and grew up in Italy! His father (OC of mine; Marco Milano, who's a modeling agent and the son of a fashion executive) is Italian, and Chloe met him bc she studied abroad. Their other child is Andrew's little sister Ella, who's eight at the beginning.

His arc is really like seeing one story told through the eyes of two different people — in this case, one being Andrew's and the other being Gatto Nero's. The two sides definitely blend into one another and are both a part of Andrew, but I will say that at the beginning, Gatto Nero is definitely less cynical and more charming/easily to like than Andrew, but if you love angsty white boy™ characters then you'll love both of them LMAO (but I promise that he's definitely not just an angsty teenager)

As for Andrew's personality, he is nice deep down, but he's very reserved and can come off as very cold at first. And like I mentioned above, he's very cynical. So at the start, he's portrayed/written as a major asshole, but I'd say he's still a lovable one, lol. But when it comes to him being nice deep down, he doesn't show it in the same way as others. He does care about his family and friends, but he isn't and has never really been super affectionate, and that's partly because of how introverted he is.

As for his relationships with his family:

Chloé: Andrew does love and respect his mother, but it's safe to say that he's always been a lot closer to his father. And this is especially so after they move to Paris full-time/permanently — considering that he was in a pretty bad place after their divorce was finalized and didn't want anything else to change big time, and then found out just days later that they were moving, he was really mad at her for it, and still is at the beginning. But a huge part of his arc is learning to adjust and grow to enjoy/find good in his life in Paris, and in that, their relationship is mostly repaired and the issues there are are resolved.

Marco: He definitely understands/knows Andrew's emotions on a different level than Chloé does, which is a little surprising considering.

Ella: Out of everyone in his life, Ella is probably the person Andrew has the biggest soft side for. He's definitely a very protective older brother and really cares about her a lot. One of the first things he ever really enjoys in Paris is going to see her gymnastics meets at her new studio, and they hang out a lot after school at Jacques', which is a restaurant that all the kids in the AU go to, which serves all sorts of things, and they mainly get hot chocolate and muffins together.

Zoé: Andrew really looks up to his aunt, and like a lot of other kids, finds her to be a lot cooler than his mom at times, lmao. One of his favorite childhood memories is actually going to see her when she performed in Broadway shows — of course, living in Italy, which is pretty far away from New York he and Chloe couldn't go to see her all the time, but when they could, he honestly really enjoyed it. She also helped pique his interest in things like opera and classical music a lot.

Brianna: Considering he's the older of his parents' kids, Andrew's viewed Brianna as more of an older sister than a cousin since they were both really young. Even though they are extremely different personality-wise, that doesn't stop them from being extremely close, and they do share some common ground when it comes to their hobbies/interests — Andrew likes cooking and Brianna likes baking, and he also really is into opera and classical music while she wants to be a theatre actress, and plays keyboard. And we love some grumpy bisexual/sunshine lesbian solidarity <3

André: Being named after his grandfather, Andrew is definitely close to him, though it is safe to say they don't always see eye to eye on some things — namely how Audrey treats Brianna, which you'll find out a little more about below. And besides, Andrew isn't the type who's really into stuff like how business works, which is what he grew up hearing his mom and grandpa talk about a lot, lmao 💀

Audrey: Andrew tries his best to be cordial and polite to his grandmother, but he honestly doesn't really like her like. At all, LMAO 🤣🤣🤣 Which mainly has to do with how she treats Brianna, and considering Andrew is very close with his cousin, he obviously doesn't condone the way Audrey treats her. I won't explain the whole story behind that, but I'll say this — when Brianna's parents split when she was around two years old, Audrey grew to really resent and hate her father, Devon, even though he and Zoé split on good terms and remained friends. And Brianna's always known that it has to do with his race, considering her father is black — and while she herself obviously didn't do anything, Audrey sorta takes it out on her bc she's mad at her father. But don't worry; she gets put in her place eventually, by both Zoé AND Andrew <3

Thank you so much for the ask! I really enjoyed talking about Andrew's character, and I hope you enjoyed learning about him! I can't wait for you to get to see him in action in the main story 💙 Feel free to send more of these about the other characters, this was so fun to do and I'd love to do it again!

#andrew milano bourgeois #miraculous ladybug #cat!verse: miraculous ladybug #tales of the miracle crew #extremely pearlmethirsty #cat answers #cat.txt #chloe bourgeois #zoe lee

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mrneighbourlove · 7 years

Text

Snake who Smiles: Ch 1. Zemalocke, Baron of Hyrule.

The whole court grumbled to itself, aristocrats, nobles, council members, lawyers, and even a few governors. King Covarog along with Prince Ralnor was in negotiations over new laws to be established and workflow with the tribes assisting Hyrule. The court however was concerned with another matter. Most were afraid, too old or scared of the Gerudo brothers, but not one man. A man powerful enough and bold enough that his words could land him in no trouble.

Wearing a purple suit with gold buckles and a fur collar, a man with piercing blue eyes and blonde hair cleared his throat. Victor Von Zemalocke, the recently appointed Baron of his family line in a long line of Baron's was not afraid of the Gerudo, in fact, they were disgusting mammals to him. Vermin, insects far beneath him. "Tell me, Covarog, when are we going to get to the matters that really matter to this kingdom. You waste our time with talks of, oh what was it? Oh yes, wage increases for Lorleidian? Bah."

"The Lorleidians have helped us rebuild Hyrule from rubble." Covarog stated for what he felt like was the millionth time. This was getting old. He hated going through this argument again and again, yet he would do so for his wife's people. Even Ralnor, who was calm and collected in the face of the court, was getting rather annoyed. "It is only fair that they receive a wage that is presentative of their work and dedication to the kingdom. I do not want this matter brought up again for all citizens of Hyrule, regardless of race, will receive a fair wage for their occupation." He took a breath. "Next matter on the memo..."

"Your lack of children." The court muttered in agreement. They backed Zemalocke completely. Zemalocke leaned in with a light smile on his lips, his white flawless teeth shining. "When can we expect an heir Covarog? Don't tell me the more diluted the Gerudo Gene gets, you get infertile? You do understand how important this is and what the court can do about it."

Covarog visibly stiffened when the issue of an heir was brought before the court. More than anything, he hated talking about this. He and Zarazu agreed it was best to wait for children until Hyrule was on its feet again and not at risk of falling to pieces. It had been several years, true, but this was a delicate situation. His hands clasped together tightly, Ralnor giving his brother a sympathizing look.

"As you can see from my siblings, having children is certainly not a problem." He spoke clearly with a clenched jaw. "My beloved queen and I have been waiting until Hyrule is returned to its former glory before starting a family. It would not be fair to us or to the citizens of Hyrule if we acted too hastily. Besides, Hyrule has almost stable now. I imagine before long, my queen will be able to give me many healthy sons and daughters."

"So a whore for a wife." Zemalocke chuckled to himself. "Honestly I don't see what has taken you so long. Under MY leadership, I had my province rebuilt within a year." Of course he had to break the backs of foreign workers to do so and secretly bring in slaves, but it was worth it. The people adored Zemalocke and his provinces income boomed as a result. "You ever think of having a Hylian for a wife instead of an island witch?"

Covarog's fist slammed down on the table so hard, the wood cracked. His flare of anger caused the other members of the court to jolt, knowing it was unwise to push the king on anything related to his wife. It was very clear to most of the council and the nobles of how close the two were, that bond of love growing ever stronger. Ralnor whispered to his brother to keep his cool, though he doubted Covarog would. He was too much like Ganondorf in that way.

"My wife is the reason that all of you are still alive today and I will not tolerate any disrespect toward her or I will consider it treason, is that clear?" Covarog's voice was full of loathing and malice. He would defend Zarazu no matter what the situation. He knew the court still did not approve of him having a foreigner as a wife, but he did not care. "Your province, Zemalocke, had... foreign labor if I recall correctly. Not to mention, it is a lot smaller than the vast kingdom of Hyrule." He could always use the silver tongue his mother taught him how to wield at an early age. "As for a Hylian wife, all of us know how... let's just leave it at "distasteful", that the Hylian women find me. My queen is powerful in her magic and soft in her heart... though we all do know that she has a temper that makes mine look insignificant if you continue to press her." The King dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. "There will be no more of this talk of me having a Hylian concubine, replacing my wife, or disputes with Lorleidian pay. I expect all of you to remember this, even though the lot of you are aging with each day. There are other matters at hand which are far more important. If you do not like the way this court is run, you are free to leave." He pointed to the door. "This is my kingdom and I will rule my people alongside my wife with a fair and just hand. Next issue."

Zemalocke scowled hard at Covarog, unflinching from his power. The more he had to deal with this fool the longer it made him feel unclean and unclear in his emotions. "And you best remember who the men and woman are that really run this country, and that work hard to keep it running. Of course you could lock us away for 'treason' for hurting your ‘feelings’. I'm sure the people of Hyrule will just love their tyrant king. My lawyers even more. All hail the desert rat, felled by a few hurtful words to him and his precious little wife. Tsk tsk tsk." The Baron's eyes narrowed as Zarazu arrived. Commander Klinge accompanied her as a bodyguard. This was the first time Zemalocke had actually seen the Witch Queen in person. "And I take it this is her?"

"Don't think I do not know what you are up to, Zemalocke." Covarog snapped at him bitterly. "You want Hyrule's throne, but you'll never get your slimy paws on it. Just remember I am far more merciful than my father ever was. You'd do well to remember that."

As his wife entered with the undead commander, a few of the nobles shrunk back while others displayed their disgust. Just being near Klinge gave several of them the creeps. Many of the council had distaste for the commander as they did the queen. Why did Covarog insist on keeping that undead dog around?

"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Zarazu greeted the council with a polite smile. "I trust you all are faring well?"

A nobleman wiped his nose at the sight of Klinge."Queen Zarazu, is it really necessary for you to... have a... um... guard, in this room?"

"Why, of course. Commander Klinge has been given the assignment to be my personal body guard." Zarazu was not going to kick out the commander just because the council did not like him. "Besides, if it eases my husband's mind, then I will not object." As Klinge held her hand, escorting her to the chairs, the commander pulled out her seat and then pushed it in for the queen, standing at her side. "I do hope I have not missed too much?"

Zemalocke studied her carefully. No wonder Covarog was attached to her. Despite the utter savagery her people shared, she was undoubtedly physically beautiful. That tanned skin and lush hair. Certainly better eye candy then the Lorleidian whore he came across at the brothel outside Hyrule. And, from the rumours he gathered he gathered, she was a screamer too.

He extended a smile to her. "Thank you for finally arriving. I am Baron Zemalocke, ruler of Hyrule's Western-Northern Province. We were just discussing the tax system throughout the surrounding territories."

“Tax system?" Zarazu repeated, glancing at Ralnor and Covarog with a quizzical expression. "Forgive me; I thought we had already gone over the newly implemented taxing system last month? Has something changed?"

"The wages concerning the Lorleidian population, the Goblin community, and the majority of Hylians in Castle-Town," Ralnor cleared his throat with a frown, trying to give Zarazu a fair warning. "We were just finishing up the discussion on how it would affect all citizens."

"Oh on the contrary, it won't affect Hylians. Just the Goblins, Lorleidians, and whatever other species want to live and work in Hyrule and its beautiful territories. And the tax only affects mostly those that don't live in the centre of the country. Or natives. Queen Zarazu, you are aware how the Governors can apply their power don't you?"

"I am aware, though, I do find this a bit unfair to the Goblins, the Lorleidians or any incoming allies who might wish to stay here." Zarazu crossed her legs and smoothed out her dress. "Several 'outsiders' or 'foreigners', as you love to call them, have played a rather critical role in the rebuilding of Hyrule. Not to mention, it is not like newcomers cannot apply for citizenship. Also, seeing that I am now Queen of Hyrule, my people should automatically have the rights and privileges of citizens here." She had rehearsed her law books well enough thanks to Zelda's help. "I do know how government works, Mister Zemalocke. Besides, the people look to me to make sure all is fair and running smoothly, both in and outside of the castle. What kind of queen would I be if I did not campaign for all of my people? Hylians, Goblins, and new allies included."

"The queen has a point, Zemalocke." Ralnor flipped open the dusty old law book from the library. "According to our doctrines, any newly appointed citizen of Hyrule, whether it be by marriage to the crown or migration, will have the same rights, taxes, and wages as the current citizens if he or she is a contributing member of society."

Zemalocke eyes grew with fury, a rage burning against Ralnor, this lower dog. "I'll forgive the Queen, as this is our first meeting, but you know better to address me as ‘Baron Zemalocke’ Ralnor." His gaze stayed on Ralnor, before putting on a smile again for Zarazu. "Then I'm sure you are also aware, that there are provinces that Hyrule shares a stock in ownership. The higher the stock the more impute you can give to the governors. If you have a higher stock that's over fifty percent you apply most of the laws, no questions asked. If you, say, have a stock that ranges in fifteen percent, you will find that even your own people that have made contracts to live in my territory must apply to my laws and regulations."

"Oh, do forgive me." Ralnor grinned, knowing his homework paid off well. "Two corrections on my part. The first is, the people must apply to your laws and regulations only if it suits the majority. Seeing that the Lorleidians are not a majority, as are the Goblins, you'd effectively be taxing a minority which can be seen as discrimination. The second is, the Lorleidians are still new in Hyrule, so a few of these laws have been changed since the war. We've implemented a new clause to protect minorities from the power of the majority, seeing that the Lorleidians are allies as well as newly appointed citizens. So yes, Baron Zemalocke, you are most certainly right, however, seeing the Lorleidians are a people under 400 souls, a minority, the laws governing them come straight from the monarchy. The Goblins are considering a minority as well, due to the various, ah... how did you put it? Ah yes, races... you see, there are Bokobins, Moblins, and so on and so forth..." He pointed to the paragraph, almost able to see the steam rising from the baron. "Shall I read the exact clause for you?"

Baron Zemalocke locked eyes with Ralnor once more. "Binding laws are exactly that. For those who live under my lands, will follow my rules...the people are more than happy to follow them.” Because if they don't, their punishment is quite well deserved. That brought a smile to the Baron. "Oh Queen Zarazu, maybe you'd like to make a point to Covarog that if you don't produce a child soon, the court might deem you....unfit to carry on the legacy of this kingdom."

"Might I still remind you that while you govern the lands, it is the king and queen who rule you. If they change the laws, well... the laws are changed. You do realize you'll have to follow them regardless of whether you like it or not, correct, Baron Zemalocke?" Ralnor stated with his devilish smile. "After all, this is a new generation, a new kingdom, a fresh start... the old Hyrule of the past is changing to make way for the new and improved. More accepting, more expansive, and more open-minded---"

"Excuse me?" Zarazu's voice interrupted Ralnor when the topic of a child was brought up by Zemalocke. "Make a point to my own husband, Baron Zemalocke? Would you insist that a queen challenge her husband? The topic of an heir is a private matter."

“A matter, that needs to addressed. The whole court would like to know that we'll have a heir soon." Zemalocke waved a hand dismissing Ralnor. Having the Gerudo rat shut his trap was therapeutic. "A Hylian child would be preferred. But if I am honest, a Lordeidian hybrid would be much preferable to a Gerudo...yes, a Hylian/Lordeidian would be worthy and powerful indeed. Maybe a Gerudo and Lordiedian aren’t just compatible..." Baron Zemalocke enjoyed the instant rage that came on both the brothers. He knew how long Covarog had tried to impregnate his wife. The court muttered and agreed amongst each other.

"Oh, I assure you, baron, we are quite compatible." Zarazu placed her hand atop Covarog's hand in an effort to calm him. This infuriating man called Zemalocke was testing her nerves, but she could handle this coot. Zelda had taught her well. "No one loves me like my dearest husband. Besides, I do think you are forgetting the fact that my king is half Hylian and half Gerudo. When we produce a child, it will have all three of our legacies, Hylian, Gerudo and Lorleidian combined. I'm sure any child we have will be worthy, because it will be ours... and of course, your future king or queen." Giving a fake smile to disarm Zemalocke, the Lorleidian queen then added, "Besides, who knows? I could be pregnant right now and not know it. Another reason to have Commander Klinge as a bodyguard. He will be protecting Hyrule's future heir as well. I know not a better person for the job."

Zemalocke kept his smile but his eyes rested. So she'd be an enemy too? So be it. "I'd hardly call Covarog a half breed. Gerudo genetics overrides the purity of Hylians….” Zemalocke stood up giving a sigh.” Well I suppose the topics for today have been addressed. The other governors and I will be sure to be lenient on the people, but the taxes are staying, maybe just on everyone. After all, I am an equal opportunist." Zemalocke turned to the other court members, and they started to pack at his command, rather than the kings.

Once the council exited the chambers, Covarog's tense shoulders finally relaxed.

"... I want to choke the life out of him." The king muttered underneath his breath.

"Not if I get to him first." Ralnor grumbled as he shut his books. "Don't worry, Zarazu, we'll figure something out. I won't let him single out everyone but Hylians. It is not fair and it is not right."

"I know, Ralnor, I know you'll find a solution, you're good at that." Zarazu sighed. "... all this talk of an heir..."

Klinge gripped his sword tightly. He wanted to snap the man in half as well. He leaned down to the royal family. "You know. I could always take care of him..." Klinge had done it in the past. It was surprisingly how easily one could kill and dispose of a noble.

"If you do, then the others will suspect it." Ralnor rubbed his forehead. "While I would personally love for you to do so, we have to find someone who could be pinpointed as a culprit instead of the throne."

"Unfortunately, Ralnor is right." Covarog sighed, running his hands down his face. "That bastard has been itching to get his hands on the throne ever since I can remember."

"His whole family line has always been power hungry. I remember when his father, the previous Baron, was ready to sell out Hyrule to Ganondorf for more territory. Then the marriage between your mother and father went through."

"I'm surprised he did not try to marry my mother himself." Covarog was ready for this day to end. He was looking forward to some decent sleep. "... and don't worry about an heir, Zarazu. It will happen when it happens, all right?"

"Still... the way he looked at me... urgh, it made my skin crawl."

Klinge took one last look at where Zemalocke had left with the rest of his posy. "Just...keep your distance from him if you can Zarazu. The man can be quite cruel."

#OC's #Legend of Zelda #A Ruler of Two #Zemalocke #Zarazu #Covarog #Ralnor #Klinge #Another story arc by Lindsay and I #ridersoftheapocalypse

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k-s-morgan · 2 years

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Have you ever been in a fandom where the canon ending disappointed you?

For sure! It's easier to list the fandoms where the endings didn't disappoint me first :D From such examples, there is 'Hannibal' - it mostly solved every arc and brought the characters to their happy ending together in a subtle and beautiful way. I loved the end of 'Black Butler' the anime - it was somewhat open but perfect in every way to me, with Ciel and Sebastian destined to stay together forever. I loved 'Shadowhunters' ending - Magnus and Alec got the biggest and most explicit HEA imaginable. They got to address each other's insecurities, the last episode focused on their beautiful wedding, and Alec is implied to become immortal.

I was mostly indifferent about 'Harry Potter' ending. I'm glad the trio lived, but I didn't like the epilogue. Can't say I hated it, but it felt too forced and oversimplified.

Now, as for the disappointing shows... 'Sherlock' is the biggest example. I always prepare myself for the worst, but even I couldn't imagine the nightmare of S4. I managed to find some good fics that continue from S3, but all in all, I could never look at this show the same. I could deal if one or two arcs were ruined, but the writers destroyed literally everything - every character, every relationship, every plot. I'm baffled to this day.

I wasn't all too happy with 'Merlin' ending either. I would accept the outcome of Arthur dying and Merlin waiting for him if it was done in a more logical way, but Arthur's death just feels very dumb. Merlin is suddenly not a great warlock, he suddenly forgets he has a dragon and an immortal cup at his disposal, etc. It makes no sense and you have to really suspend your disbelief to buy it. But there are beautiful stories out there that helped me do it.

'Supernatural' ending is just... lol. I ignore the existence of E20 because it's one of the most ridiculous and offensive pieces of writing I've ever seen. I only accept it as a part of "Chuck won" narrative, which is what I think they'll got for if there is ever a renewal. This ending can compete with Sherlock. Dean forgetting Castiel exists, Sam forgetting about Eileen; Castiel forgetting he loves Dean and being too busy doing 'stuff' to announce he's alive; Sam forgetting their son is a God and Jack just... doing something, I guess. Dean's death is as absurd as it was in the episode where he died in 1K crazy ways. I could go on forever, everything about it is awful and illogical, and it breaks every rule all other seasons established. You could really watch E1 of S1 and this episode, and you won't feel like you missed much of anything.

'The X Files' had an open ending that I found satisfying in S9, but after that... I was more or less positive about the second movie, but other seasons were just a big no. Carter really doesn't know how to wrap things up and finish the arcs he started instead of creating new ones all the time and using cheap tricks to fool the audience.

'Queer as Folk' ending sucks. Characters suddenly regress in the last 1-2 episodes and do things that are completely illogical. Brian and Justin getting married was probably too saccharine for the writers, so they decided to remind the audience that bisexual Lindsay, who's in a long-term relationship with another woman , is actually in love with gay Brian and jealous of Justin. So she gives the worst advice, manipulates the situation, and gets Brian to think that by marrying Justin, he will be holding him back. Cue him pretending to be miserable about their upcoming marriage and Justin deciding that they don't need it & going to NY to be an artist in a way that's entirely impossible. Ugh. The whole E13 and parts of E12 are so forced and illogical.

Endings are hard, but not so hard that so many writers constantly create so much nonsense. I really don't know what it's about.

#fandom #hannibal #merlin #shadowhunters #the x files #queer as folk #sherlock #black butler #harry potter

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medea10 · 2 years

Text

My Review of Marmalade Boy

How did I get into this anime? I’ve heard of the title several decades past and put it on the back-back-back burner for God-knows how long.

So Miki Koishikawa is a relatively normal high school student. Has friends, loving parents, and loves to play tennis. Let’s drop the mic here!

Her world is turned upside-down when her parents decide to get a divorce. But wait, it gets better! Her parents announce they’re going to remarry to another couple that’s also getting a divorce. But because these parents don’t hate each other to live separately, these two couples are going to buy a big house and live together under one roof. Okay, these parents are total swingers and I can’t help but think they went to a few-too many “Key Parties” in their past. But wait, it gets better! The other couple in this mess has a son named Yuu Matsura. And wouldn’t you know it, Miki thought from the get-go that Yuu was kinda cute and they end up…uh-oh!

Surprise Incest!

In this surprisingly 75 episode series, we see a lot go down with this particular couple as there is a lot to cover. This story covers a lot involving the main characters and their love lives. And it gives you what you would expect including love triangles, petty fights that go nowhere, long-distance relationships, and of course hiding the fact you’re in a relationship from your parents because his parents are her parents now!

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: This was originally licensed by Tokyopop. That is kind of a rarity as we all know the ups and downs of that particular distributor. But long story short, this is currently under the licensing of Discotek. Better yet, while I was viewing this, Crunchyroll decided to be kind and stream the series on their site (sub only). The dub had many recognizable voices from folks stationed in L.A. So we get to hear from Michelle Ruff, Yuri Lowenthal, Carrie Savage, and the late Michael Lindsay. The sub version of course has several folks I’m familiar with like Ryoutarou Okiayu, Aya Hisakawa, Akira Ishida, Junichi Kanemaru…

Wait…did I just say Junichi Kanemaru! Holy rare items! The voice of Harley from Pokemon! FUCKING HARLEY! Before I turn into a screaming/fainting goat, here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Yuu is played by Ryoutarou Okiayu (known for Scar on FMA, Shigure on Fruits Basket, Akio on Clannad, Byakuya on Bleach, Tiger’s Eye on Sailor Moon SuperS, Mr. K on Gravitation, and Igor on Blue Exorcist)

*Miki is played by Mariko Kouda (known for Sakura on Pokemon, Yuri on Dirty Pair Flash, Kaya on One Piece, Nayuki on Kanon, and Juri on Vampire Knight)

ENGLISH CAST: *Yuu is played by Michael Lindsay (known for Urahara on Bleach, Kankurou on Naruto, Tamaki on Code Geass, and Joe on Digimon) [R.I.P]

*Miki is played by Michelle Ruff (known for Luna on Sailor Moon [redub], Nagato on Haruhi Suzumiya, Tsukasa on Lucky Star, Anri on Durarara, Euphemia on Code Geass, Sinon on SAO, and Chii on Chobits)

DISLIKED CHARACTER: In other words, which relationship road-block did I despise the most? There were quite a few people after both Miki and Yuu throughout the series run. And despite the many reservations I have involving with this ship and will glare at their relationship with a surprise incest hate going on, I didn’t want to see these two go out with the worst person.

Honestly, I thought I would be putting Ginta and Arimi up here. Both of them supremely got on my nerves in the first arc of the series. Particularly Ginta with the way he did Miki wrong in middle school and again by stealing a kiss from her. Jinny in the NY arc really aggravated me, but not as much as I thought she would.

But then you have Suzu and Kei. These two characters just wouldn’t stop! Suzu would deliberately invite Yuu over or involve him in some stupid activity to get close to him and make Miki jealous. And Kei straight-up lied to Miki about having her medallion for almost 10 episodes. After all that shit, I thought there was no way in hell dude was ever going to get with Miki, even if she and Yuu broke up. Never say never! She goes out with him. What the fuck, Miki? I know he got a little better after the dishonesty Kei brought about, but still. I did however feel sorry for Kei and lost stamina in my hatred for this kid. I knew he was going to be the rebound guy and that he still stood no chance of being with Miki in the long-run.

Suzu on the other hand, fuck the bitch! Especially after the ski-trip episode! Suzu almost killed Miki. Okay, Arimi might have stolen a kiss from Yuu. Jinny might have lied about sleeping with Yuu. But Suzu almost committed negligent homicide. Fuck her! So yeah, Suzu is my least favorite character on Marmalade Boy.

SHIPPING: Okay…this might take a while, but I want to cover everything as much as humanly possible. And if you don’t want to be spoiled by what I say, probably don’t watch the eye-catches in every episode. They kinda show who’s supposed to be with who.

*Yuu x Miki: Ah shit, here we go again! As if I haven’t written enough opinions on shipping couples that are step-siblings recently. Despite my prejudice against surprise incest ships, this one is the least infuriating of the ones I’ve watched in the last two years. This ship has gone through its share of drama. Yuu had several girls interfere with his relationship with Miki. And Miki had her fair share as well, including a rebound boyfriend. But no matter what, they always found their way back to each other. I shouldn’t hate this ship. I should shake my head with those parents of Miki and Yuu’s. Good God, I thought I’ve heard it all!

*Miki x Ginta: So Ginta was a boy that Miki had a crush on a few years prior to the story. But dumbass Ginta read Miki’s love letter out loud to a bunch of friends and that soured their friendship (which was a misunderstanding). They eventually reached a mature level of casually speaking to each other again in later years. But this gets ugly again when Ginta gets jealous over Yuu and steals a kiss from Miki. Who do you think you are, Dio Brando? Not only that but Ginta does some ugly methods in order to win Miki’s heart including be in a sham relationship with Arimi (Yuu’s former girlfriend). It was at this point of the series that I despised Ginta and hoped he would never find happiness. But thankfully, that hatred passed.

*Yuu x Arimi: Yuu also had a romantic past. But in this case, Arimi had the crush and begged Yuu to date her for three months. And they had fun during those three months. It’s just that Yuu sees Arimi as more of a friend. But Arimi still has it strong for Yuu and ends up trying to make him jealous by dating another boy. That went over as well as a lead balloon.

*Ginta x Arimi: This ship actually started out being a fake relationship. So almost on the same level as what you saw in the anime Toradora. Both of them had feelings for other people, but of course neither of them had any chance with Miki or Yuu. Ginta already dug his grave years ago when he read Miki’s love letter publicly and Yuu had no interest in Arimi even when they were dating. So these two ended up together in an attempt to make their crushes jealous! But it wasn’t really smooth sailing as Arimi is quite popular around her school. She has a lot of fanboys including Ginta’s loud and annoying cousin.

Oh yeah, Ginta’s loud and annoying cousin. I don’t care for him.

*Meiko x Namura-sensei: There will be plenty of episodes involving this ship. They are no threat to Miki and Yuu’s relationship. Meiko is Miki’s best friend and Na-chan is their teacher. It’s just that every now and then we take a detour into “Meiko: The Miniseries”.

Oh man, I thought the surprise incest was enough. Now we get a student/teacher relationship. By the looks of it, this does seem non-sexual and both are consenting (so no one was taken advantage). It’s just that this is VERY taboo. It especially gets dangerous when Na-chan ends up as Meiko’s homeroom teacher and they couldn’t see each other out in the open anymore. Oh, did I forget to mention this relationship kinda started when Meiko was in middle school. Silly me! Have fun with that tidbit. Then it gets crazier when this relationship is found out and ultimatums are put on both of them. I’m not as bitchy about these sorts of relationships and again I point out other controversial student/teacher relationships that raise an eyebrow like Sakura’s parents on Cardcaptor Sakura or Tohru’s parents on Fruits Basket. But I do see Meiko as the successful story that Natsuo from Domestic Girlfriend could learn from.

At least she didn’t have a child with Satoshi and leave him for Na-chan!

*Meiko x Satoshi: And here we have a Johnny-Come-Lately/Rebound! Meiko’s heart still belongs to Na-chan, yet Satoshi persists Meiko at every opportunity. Now there were some moments where it felt like Meiko was going to cave in and start falling for Satoshi. And he has been very supportive of her writing, even if he entered her story in a contest without her consent. He does care for her.

She did give in every now and then to her confused emotions with Satoshi. Hey, she even gave up a kiss too. But she will never be over Na-chan. This ship was a whirlwind of emotion, especially when Meiko sees Na-chan again and she tries to get back with him. Na-chan turns the tables by telling Meiko he doesn’t love her and that he’s now in a committed relationship with their teacher Miss Ryoko. But that was a lie. Na-chan loves Meiko and just used Miss Ryoko as an excuse. Did I mention Miss Ryoko loves Na-chan too? Feel like I should have mentioned that. Thankfully, Na-chan and Meiko end up realizing they love each other too much to let the other one go. Fuck all, fuck the families, fuck what society thinks, we’re engaged. Apologies to Miss Ryoko and Satoshi who are now in Dumps-ville!

Let’s get away from the Meiko drama. In the second arc to this story, we ease away from the drama that consisted of characters like Arimi, Ginta, and even Satoshi. However, more love rivals come into play, especially after Yuu and Miki hook up.

Now that Ginta is out of the picture and has hooked up with Arimi, you’d think it’d be smooth sailing for Miki, right? Hell no! Miki gets a part-time job and works with a boy named Kei. Kei eventually gets the hots for Miki but knows she’s off-limits as she has a boyfriend. What does Kei do? Hold onto Miki’s memento from Yuu and lie about it for several episodes. This guy really put unnecessary strains on Miki and her relationship with Yuu to a point where Miki is hiding stuff from Yuu. Thankfully, this didn’t cause as much damage as I thought and Miki x Yuu is back in business. While Kei has accepted that Miki loves Yuu, he will be back to get her!

Yuu on the other hand had to deal with an annoying little princess by the name of Suzu. After meeting Suzu, I gotta say this girl is persistent. She would always drive him and Miki away from each other or try to drive a wedge between them. Suzu would do everything in her power to have Yuu over at her home. But Yuu has his priorities straight about why he’s over there. Suzu’s father wants Yuu to tutor her and Yuu wants to learn from Suzu’s father to further his interest in architecture. Priorities! Still doesn’t stop Suzu from being an annoying nuisance. And did I mention the almost negligent homicide incident? I’m never going to be over that!

There was also another girl. But you can’t really hate this girl like Suzu. Let’s talk about Ann! She is actually a really good competitor for Yuu’s heart and I can see how Miki could be intimidated by her. A sickly girl with a bad heart whom Yuu has known since childhood! Oh fuck yeah! Ann doesn’t mind being second place in Yuu’s heart actually. She sees that the two love each other and Ann stows her feelings to the side.

…

I suppose I should talk about this stuff as well.

So when Yuu moved to NY, there was a lot of fighting for people’s love in the big apple and in Japan. Yuu and Miki still love each other despite the long distance relationship. However Miki is being hounded by Kei (AGAIN) and the student exchange boy Michael. Meanwhile, Yuu is being pursued by a girl named Jinny. And Jinny is being pursued by a guy named Brian (the brother of student exchange boy Michael). Problem is, Jinny has no interest in Brian and only has eyes for Yuu until she totally fucks it up with him. But then Miss Priss over here gets jealous when another friend, Bill, gets friendly with Yuu’s long-time friend Ann. But then Jinny ends up with Bill. And Brian settles for forever-friend-zoned Doris.

I hope you all followed that NY drama because I don’t feel like going over that web of shit again. Oh wait.

Miki and Kei hooked up too. Don’t worry, it didn’t last.

THESE PARENTS, I TELL YA: Miki and Yuu’s parents are a trip! They tell their kids everything at the last, possible minute. They spring on the most messed-up surprises on them and expect them to just go with the flow. Yeah, I’m slightly with Miki when it comes to the parents remarrying each other. I’m glad they still have a relationship that they still like each other even though they’re divorcing. But for fuck’s sake, you cannot expect anyone to smile and go with the flow when they suddenly tell you that the parents you’ve known your whole life divorces on the fly and trades partners with another couple. But it isn’t just that one thing! Miki and Yuu’s parents constantly drop news on them at the very last minute (especially with Miki).

Why are you moving furniture?

We invited a foreign exchange student to live with us!

Why are you guys dressed up?

We’re going out for dinner! Have fun with the leftovers.

Why do you have all that luggage?

We’re going on a surprise honeymoon! Take care of the house while we’re gone.

These parents are so flighty I want to hate them on the same level as Brock’s parents from Pokemon. But there were certain moments in the anime that cause me to back off. One particular moment was when the school found out about the living arrangement with the mixed family and the vice principal got her panties in a bunch about how unorthodox this was. Yuu and Miki’s parents came in and told them that they love these kids and would do anything for them. But for real guys, stop springing surprise news on your kids.

MOVIE: I actually decided to watch the movie before viewing the television series. After the television run of Marmalade Boy, a 30 minute movie came out one year later. This movie showed us Yuu’s reaction to the news of his parents divorcing and remarrying another divorced couple since the series focused more on Miki’s reaction. Yu’s reaction was hard to tell since this boy really showed no big reaction to this news. Yuu’s got one hell of a poker face. But for most of the special, he ends up following this girl he catches a glimpse of. Only later does he realize that she has the same name as his soon-to-be step-sister.

ARCS: In an anime like this and at the time of its airing, you know they were going to cover quite a bit compared to animes of today. The fact that Marmalade Boy had a total of 76 episodes proves that this was full of love triangles and fillers. It felt like after 25 episodes or so, things change with something monumental happening with the main ship of Miki and Yuu.

The first part of this anime consisted of Yuu and Miki adjusting to life with a very unorthodox, mixed family and figuring out where Yuu and Miki were going to go with their romantic lives. Was Yuu going to go back out with his old girlfriend Arimi? Was Miki going to give Ginta a second chance after their turmoil in middle school? Can Yuu and Miki get together without a wave of disgusting looks from fans and others because of this borderline incest concept?

The second part of the anime consisted of several different characters wanting Yuu and/or Miki for something romantic. Characters like Suzu and Kei came to the picture and were dead-set on keeping Yuu and Miki away from each other. Suzu tried everything in her power to keep Yuu all to herself during study sessions and the like. Hell, there was an episode where she led Miki away from Yuu by having her go to a hard ski-slope during a snowstorm, almost killing her. Have I mentioned the negligent homicide yet to you all? I feel like I should! Kei lied to Miki on several occasions and held something important of hers just to get what he wanted. We also had another girl who was interested in Yuu, but Ann had other things to deal with like her health. But she doesn’t mind being second best girl to Miki.

The third part tests Yuu and Miki with having to deal with a long-distance relationship as Yuu is going to study abroad in New York for his final year of high school. And you all know that long-distance relationships can cause the likes of cheating, apathetic phone calls, and rebounds!

ENDING: Yuu moving to New York really put a major strain on his and Miki’s relationship. These two crazy kids missed each other, but as we all know, most long-distance relationships are doomed to fall apart. I mean, you’ve got Miki being pursued by her foreign-exchange friend Michael and former co-worker Kei. Meanwhile in America, Yuu is being pursued by a girl at his dorms named Jinny. And this bitch goes above and beyond to detour Miki away from Yuu by lying to her about sleeping with Yuu. I truly want to place blame on Jinny for Miki breaking up with Yuu, but let’s face it, Miki can’t live like this. Miki was literally at a breaking point when she made a surprise visit to NY and Jinny’s stupid comment about sleeping with him was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.

In the aftermath of this breakup, Miki ends up taking comfort in Kei. This is what we call “the rebound”. It won’t last! But I think Kei knows that Miki’s not going to be his forever love. And this gets put to the test when Yuu comes back to Japan for summer break. No surprises that Miki breaks up with Kei and goes back to Yuu. Happily ever after right?! Not even close. Kei and Ann are left heartbroken (again). Then again, we went through the same shit when Meiko broke Satoshi’s heart and Na-chan did the same to Miss Ryoko. But then we got the biggest bombshell to date.

Around episode 24 or so, we learned that Yuu’s father was NOT his real father. And in that part of the story, Yuu thought that Satoshi’s father was his biological father. But it was later proven that he is not (no matter how much the two are heavily into architecture). Yuu comes across some pictures of his parents from the past that were very troubling. It turns out Yuu and Miki’s parents didn’t just randomly meet during a vacation in Hawaii. They actually have history. Jin’s arms around Yuu’s mother could only mean one logical explanation.

These parents are fucking swingers!

No, but seriously the incest aroma is coming in strong that Oreimo is saying “this stinks”.

So Yuu, not even a week after getting back with Miki breaks up with her, doesn’t tell her this revelation involving their parents, doesn’t even confront his parents and step-parents about this, and ditches her to go back to America.

Yuu, you punk-ass, pussy-ass bitch! Meiko should have slapped your brains out. Do you have any idea how many things Miki has been left out of involving her damn family? Those flakey parents don’t even tell their kids anything until the last minute. She should at least know that her father might have had relations with Yuu’s mother. Yes, this is a really fucked-up turn, but I think Yuu could have handled this better than he did. After Yuu broke things off with Miki, she decided to lock away all memories of Yuu, got a new look and put on a happy face. But she’s still huring inside. So she goes to NY to confront Yuu. Yuu FINALLY says they might be half-brother and sister and Miki ends up having a big enough meltdown that it involved the Manhattan police and a search team.

But after almost being stabbed in Harlem, Miki and Yuu don’t care if they’re related or not, they’ll be together forever. They’re fine with not having kids or not being legally married, they’ll stay together. And perfect timing, Miki and Yuu’s parents, along with Meiko and Satoshi came to NY to make sure Miki was found safe. So it’s time for Yuu to hammer his parents for hiding stuff from them. And here were the results of that!

Yes, these parents did know each other and dated one another in their college days. Yuu’s mother Chiyako in fact was impregnated by Miki’s father Jinn. However, they broke up and Chiyako wound up with Youji. But that baby was NOT Yuu. Chiyako suffered a miscarriage years before Yuu was born. Youji Matsura is Yuu’s father all along. Oh and all four parents know about Miki and Yuu’s relationship. Skeptical at first, but they’re okay by them being together.

And the happiness continues as we fast-forward to Na-chan and Meiko’s wedding. Ginta and Arimi are still on good footing. Miss Ryouko might find love in a new person. Suzu and Kei might be getting together. Same might be said about Michael and Ann. And then Yuu and Miki’s parents announce they’re expecting babies. THIS FAMILY IS INSANE! We end the series with a medley of the best and worst kisses, ending on Yuu and Miki kissing at their own wedding.

That was Marmalade Boy! It was as 90s as you could get with the vibrant colors, dramatic stings, romantic J-Pop playing in the background during the juicy moments, constant close-ups of peoples faces during the shocking moments, and riddled with heterosexual romances. I’ll be honest, there were times where I would completely forget that Miki and Yuu were step-brother and sister and would just go on and root for them. But then near the end of the series where we learn that there’s a good chance they might be blood-related, then I was ready to shove this ship in the trash. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

I can’t be the only person to say this but, I think Domestic Girlfriend took a lot of things from Marmalade Boy. Not straight-up plagiarized it, but was inspired by it. We had parents suddenly get remarried and the main character now has a brother, romantic happenings with the step-brother and sister, and of course a relationship between a student and teacher. But give Domestic Girlfriend some credit, the parents weren’t as fucking crazy as the ones in Marmalade Boy. I thought I felt sorry for Natsuo’s future kid. I saw some stuff involving Marmalade Boy’s sequel manga. That family tree grew and sprouted some confusing branches after Miki and Yuu’s step-siblings came into the picture.

If you are heavily into love-triangles of every form, check out Marmalade Boy. Every episode is now available on Crunchyroll (sub only).

Okay, what’s my next Nozomi Entertainment/Discotek/Animes made before Oct 1986?

Get ready to go back to the year 1983 with this one.

Cat’s Eye? Okay, let’s do it.

#anime review #marmalade boy #miki koishikawa #yuu matsura #meiko akizuki #satoshi miwa #kei tsuchiya #arimi suzuki #ginta suou #shinichi namura #jinny golding #anju kitahara #suzu sakuma

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serpenteve · 3 years

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funny how haters keep saying darklinas are old white women and throw race accusations but i and all my darklina friends are non-white (and non-american) and most of those screaming at us about how darklinas are freaks ARE white lol

Okay, so I have a lot of thoughts about this.

Sometimes certain demographics will gravitate towards particular stories because some part of it resonates with their own experiences. People from marginalized groups have a history of being demonized in fiction from banned books to the Hays Code. It's how Guillermo del Toro basically took Creature from the Black Lagoon and subverted all the tropes to create Shape of Water. Lindsay Ellis did a great video essay on the appeal of the monster boyfriend that tracks the evolution of the monster being recast as a sympathetic hero whose struggle for acceptance can be mapped to real-world marginalization.

In a lot of these stories, you have a conventional white hero saving an infantalized white woman who gets cast as the damsel in distress with little to no agency. Does she even like this hero? Who knows or cares because the fact that he saves her means he's entitled to her. The monster "corrupting" her can often be read as a societal fear that since women clearly have less moral fibre to resist temptations, they will be the conduit that brings the evils of communism, interracial marriages, the gay agenda, pagan religions, and anything else that will doom polite WASP society and bring the end of civilization as we know it!!!!1111 😱😱😱

The ironic thing is that the original source material tracks very closely to this historical idea of the white hero having to save his white love interest from the "evil" monster, who can be read as being part of some marginalized group (*cough usually a stand-in for a MOC cough*). I've already written a lot about why book!Mal really grinds my gears, but one of the most irritating and sinister things about his character is his unwillingness to accept Alina's Grisha status. He hates it because he feels entitled to have her and can't stand that this means there will always be a part of her that doesn't exclusively revolve around him. Now, maybe if he had a character arc that was paced similarly to Matthias' bigotry towards Nina, I'd feel differently about it. But Mal getting rewarded for his hostility towards Alina and her relationship to her powers was one of the grossest parts of the original trilogy. Meanwhile, the person who accepts her powers becomes the villain and every step Alina takes towards embracing her powers and that part of herself gets demonized and painted as "oh noes corruption!11" 😱😱

Accusing Darklina shippers of being racist is entirely a new thing that only popped up because of the Netflix adaptation racelifting Alina and Mal. Importing real-world prejudices and racism into a fantasy world with existing fantasy prejudices is incredibly awkward considering the direction the source material takes.

On the one hand, we have the Grisha as a marginalized group whose only sanctuary is the Second Army. Because this is fantasy and nothing is explicitly coded, lots of readers mapped their own experiences as a POC, as a queer person, as a Jewish person, as a member of any group that gets unjustly demonized and institutionally discriminated against. The metaphor was very flexible that way. On the other hand, we have anti-Shu racism and inconsistently written anti-Suli racism that doesn't go challenged. So as POC, we are told to map our experiences in how Alina navigates this mostly-white world because the prejudice she faces has been made explicit as racism (specifically anti-Asian racism). But then we're told we can't map our experiences in the way Grisha are treated, nor are we meant to root for them trying to improve their rights as a persecuted class because the Darkling is the villain. It's just messy and confusing and a complete headache to navigate.

Two kinds of bigotry exist in this fantasy world (one made explicit and imported from the real world, the other left implicit and completely fictional) but the way the story frames and treats them completely contradicts one another.

#viv answers #cw: racism #ummmm i wasn't expecting to write this much but oh well #sorry for having OPINIONS yall #anti mal #archie can be excused from this narrative thank you lol #darklina

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trauma-express · 3 years

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Grace and the Mean Girl

Get in loser, we’re talking about Grace Monroe

Grace is a very interesting character to mean, perhaps best summarized by Lindsay Katai describing her somewhat paradoxically as a “mean girl full of love.” I think it’s interesting, because usually the archetype of “troubled yet spoiled rich girl” in the media usually starts out cold and snobbish (ex., Gravity Falls’ Pacifica Northwest, The Owl House’s Amity Blight, RWBY’s Weiss Schnee). Not to say Grace does not demonstrate those characteristics, but she puts on a very charismatic and friendly mask as leader of the Apex. And further still, her journey from charming cult leader to a genuinely caring and penitent person is fascinating to watch unfold over the course of the season.

The flashbacks from her tape explain a lot about the foundation of who Grace becomes. From her parents, we can see how she felt neglected and ignored. She wanted her parents, but they did not care to make time for her, shoving her off on tutors, caretakers, instructors, anybody that means that they don't have to deal with her. They held her to high standards, pushing her into contests and controlling what she wore and how she did her hair. But they also did things like use their status to keep her out of trouble for things like shoplifting. These things gave her both a sense of importance of status, but also left her with very low self esteem. This was furthered by her lack of friends, where upon feeling hurt and rejected by the other girls at the dance class, she lashed out at them to make herself feel better. However, given her serious tone when recounting the incident to Hazel, and evidently counts it among her worst memories, I think deep down, despite the satisfaction at causing the other girls to argue, she knew it wouldn’t help her make friends or make up for the lack of attention from her parents, things she really wanted.

This manifested in how Grace led the Apex, with the tribute scene being a prime example. She has the children give her gifts, a way to reinforce her position as leader. But she also acts grateful for the gifts, personally thanking each child by name even if the gifts are not very good. This makes the children feel like she cares about them, and they have a special relationship. Given her own past, it seems she is trying to be nice to the kids and keep them happy. It’s notable that she generally tries keeping her temper with them, as shown in Debutante Ball Car with Hazel and trying to talk to Lucy in The New Apex. Still, we can look at the darker interactions with Lucy, where she takes a mocking tone to chide her for referring to the stagelight denizen as a ‘person’. We can also look at the end of The Mall Car, where she coldly tries to get Jesse to fall in line by convincing him it’s in his best interest to be rid of Lake. I think the issue here is that while she does genuinely care, she never properly processed the way her parents affected her. Hence that her way of trying to keep people with her is to make herself seem important to them. I think it’s less about control and more having issues actually relating to people due half of her life being spent under neglect and even emotional abuse while also being spoiled, and the other half on the Train with little chance for socialization.

Grace is not someone who has an easy time being vulnerable. As I said, despite her bravado she has little genuine self esteem. She fears that if she shows her weakness or vulnerability to others, they might reject her. So instead, she puts on the facade of the confident leader, and approaches new people by trying to figure what they might want her to say in order to get them to listen to her. Writer Justin Micheal says “Grace: she keeps a lot inside, and a lot from other people because of her fear, and that was veryyyy hard to explicitly convey in the shifting narrative since she rarely talked about it out loud.” However, by spending time with Hazel, she begins to open up. Hazel is a sweet little girl who does not care about Grace’s pretenses, and the shift starts when Hazel reassures her over the story about the ice cream incident, which Grace is touched by. In the next episode she opens up to Simon about her worry over numbers. And following Tuba’s death, she allows herself to grieve for her and tries to comfort and protect Hazel. Unfortunately, she tries to do so by encouraging Hazel to hide her true self from Simon. This is both from a desire to keep them both with her, and also probably again from her response to issues being to hide them and put on an act in order to keep things calm. She is forced to acknowledge this in the finale, realizing how she handled her fear of being alone, and admitting to the Apex that she was wrong and that they need to find their own path.

Another thing I thought was interesting, was Grace’s use of physical contact. She often uses this in both genuine and manipulative ways. I noted that a common gesture she used was to put her hands on someone’s shoulder. She does this repeatedly to Jesse in The Mall Car, and to Hazel in the Jungle Car. It’s a bit of a patronizing gesture, in a way, making her seem more confident and in charge than the other person. I also think it’s interesting that Simon attempts to imitate this gesture with Jesse in The Mall Car, with Hazel at the end of The Color Clock Car, and even Grace herself in The Origami Car. She also touches Lucy and Hazel’s faces when giving or trying to give a spiel about her beliefs about the Train, another somewhat domineering gesture.

With Simon, she is more casual, often putting her arm around him and playing with his hair. While there is a lot to say about their dynamic, she feels most comfortable around him. She even hugs him following their heart to heart on the stairs in Le Chat Chalet Car. And as her relationship with Hazel becomes more genuine, so do the displays of affection. She holds her hand a few times throughout the Debutante Ball Car, and they have fun in the snowball fight and on the slide. Then after Tuba’s death, she stops being so comfortable around Simon, with the scene in The Hey Ho Whoa Car where she uses her previous gestures of affection as an attempt to keep him on her side, and otherwise not wanting him to touch her, However, she hugs Hazel at least four times in comfort throughout the The Campfire Car and The Canyon of the Golden Winged Snakes Car. There’s also her general protective body language as she holds Hazel in the scenes with Amelia in the cave and on the bridge. Lastly, since I mentioned the shoulder touch as a more manipulative gesture, I think it is very interesting that Lucy uses it in a sincere attempt to comfort Grace over Simon’s death. A nice touch to the theme about trying to improve things.

So all in all, Grace is a very fascinating character to me, and I love watching her character arc and seeing how nuanced she is.

#infinity train #grace monroe #infinity train book 3 #meta #i love grace so much i cant believe it took me this long to write this anyway enjoy #i cant believe that serial killer Regina George w a redemption arc is one of my fave characters but im not mad fdgfdgffd

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hamliet · 2 years

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Why Michael is Important as Folk

Or really, a character analysis of Michael Novotny, one of Queer as Folk’s best characters whose friendship with Brian is deeply important, and without whom Brian/Justin wouldn’t work nearly so well. I said what I said.

I’ve seen a lot of Takes that seem to view Michael (and sometimes Lindsay too) as an obstacle standing in the way of Brian and Justin, and I just don’t think the writing supports this. If anything, for Michael especially, he’s an integral part of what makes Brian and Justin work as characters and as a relationship.

Michael helps Brian and Justin grow towards one another. His character pushes them together. He does this in a number of ways, but the most flagrant way throughout all five seasons is through all three of them acting as mirrors to each other. They all reflect different aspects of one another, showing the reality of how each of them needs to grow as well as the possibilities of who they can become. Only through this three-way reflection of each other’s flaws and dreams do Brian, Michael, and Justin grow into the men they want to be.

The three-way foiling also embodies the delicate tension of the motif of fantasy vs reality in QaF. This motif is most clearly present in Michael’s arc and challenges (fitting, because Michael is the narrator). Michael’s name may be a reference to Peter Pan, which Queer as Folk frequently references with Brian as Peter and Lindsay as Wendy. Michael Darling is Wendy’s littlest brother, and the one who starts to forget what life back in London is like as he spends more and more time in the fantastical world of Neverland. (Intentional or not, I don’t know, but it’s an interesting bit of trivia regardless.) Michael Darling is actually based on a real person, Michael Llewelyn Davies, who was probably gay, and died a tragic death at a young age (20) alongside his likely lover. (Davies’ siblings believed the pair committed suicide together.) But instead of dying in this story, Michael Novotny, Brian Kinney, and Justin Taylor all live and grow.

Season One: Justin as the Inner Child

Season 1 is really the only season where Michael deliberately tries to come between Brian and Justin, but the irony is that he ultimately needs Justin in his life just as much as Brian does (albeit in a different way).

When Season 1 opens, Brian and Michael have been kind of stuck for years in a sort of prolonged adolescence. Justin enters their lives as an actual adolescent and thereby shines a light on how exactly both Brian and Michael need to grow. Their adult lives aren’t exactly fantasy lives, but neither of them are able to admit it.

Brian, despite seemingly having a successful career and social life to go and appearing to go after everything he wants without a care, actually isn’t really good at pursuing what he wants. His life of sex and partying is pretty much a fantasy to dull the reality of a nightmarish childhood.

Meanwhile, Michael clings to the fantasy of Brian one day loving him at the expense of the reality that Brian does love him--just not romantically. Frankly, the reason Brian doesn’t ever sleep with Michael is because he loves him: that would be too much, too close for Brian, and he’d then push Michael away and Michael would actually go because Michael doesn’t demand things. Brian doesn’t want to lose Michael, so he doesn’t cross this line.

As for Justin, he claims that what he really wants is Brian, which he does. But he also has a fantastical notion of what that means--dates, boyfriends, romance. He describes Brian to Daphne using rather fantastical language, and Michael even comments that Justin’s taken artistic liberties when he draws Brian. However, unlike Brian and Michael up until that point, Justin digs in and commits to what he really wants:

Brian: Look, I don’t believe in love. I believe in fucking. It’s honest, it’s efficient. You get in and out with a maximum of pleasure, and a minimum of bullshit. Love is something that straight people tell themselves they’re in, so they can get laid. Then they end up hurting each other, because it was all based on lies to begin with. If that’s what you want, then go and find yourself a pretty little girl, and get married.

Justin: That’s not what I want. I want you.

Justin wants Brian, no matter what that means. He unapologetically goes after what he wants, and in doing so drags Michael and Brian along. In this, Justin is the key that unlocks Brian’s and Michael’s ability to develop and evolve. After all, Brian tells Justin that Justin can see him in his dreams, and Justin says okay, but let’s make that dream reality.

In terms of literary archetypes, Justin is Brian’s inner child. The “inner child” is a Jungian concept (and as always with Jung, his ideas are better applied to patterns in literature than real life psychology). The inner child represents a person’s younger self, a purity in a sense, a divinity--but also the traumatized part of us that, childishly, assumes it’s our fault that our traumas occur. Sometimes it’s even called the “wonder child” (which is literally what Michael calls Justin in the very first episode: “boy wonder”).

In every adult there lurks a child— an eternal child, something that is always becoming, is never completed, and calls for unceasing care, attention, and education. That is the part of the personality which wants to develop and become whole (Collected Works of Jung Vol. 17)

It’s symbolic that Brian has sex with Justin in Michael’s childhood bedroom. Terrified that his mom knows he’s gay, Justin flees towards Michael’s house--exactly what Brian used to do when his family was a nightmare growing up. Justin snoops through Michael’s bedroom, looking at photos of Michael and Brian as kids. Brian shows up for him, and in a sort of retread of the story of how Brian and Michael jerked each other off as kids (but Michael never got off), this time Justin gets Brian off in the same room. Michael is then furious at Brian:

Michael: You can fuck him at your place, you can fuck him in his gym class, you can fuck him at the zoo, but you cannot fuck him in my mother’s house--in my room!

But, the reason this seemingly-cringe scene works so well is because Justin is also Michael’s inner child; after all, he moves into Michael’s old bedroom, and Michael moves in with David--two events that are thematically paralleled. You see, despite Debbie et al thinking Michael has “a real chance with David,” he doesn’t. Why? Because David doesn’t love Michael for Michael--he loves the idea of Michael. Which? Is precisely what Michael loves about Brian.

Now, I don’t mean to suggest that Michael doesn’t know or love the real Brian. He does. But he clings to the idealization of Brian over the reality, which in turn prevents Michael from growing up. Through Michael’s failed relationship with David, he’s confronted with his own flaws in regards to his relationship with his best friend, and his ideas about love. Once he faces this in himself, he’s able to actually show up for Brian when he needs it, as a true friend.

The inner child is “healed” in Jungian works by grieving the loss of innocence, by appreciating the value of a childlike kindness. It’s not healed by looking at ti with contempt and telling it to grow. It starts to heal with Brian when he decides to make his inner child happy and go to prom with Justin. It starts to heal for Michael when he sits with Brian and grieves with him after their inner child is wounded and possibly dying in Justin.

Season Two: Brian as the Hero

Season 2 contains the most meta melding of fantasy and reality in the story: Michael and Justin’s team-up to create a gay superhero comic, which mirrors their real lives. But real life is messier than glossy comic books. Heroes are complicated.

Both of them choose Brian as their basis for Rage, because he’s their hero. Of course, Brian hates himself, so doesn’t react well, but the reality is... Brian has been their hero. But any hero has to face challenges to be able to become said hero.

Michael: I was thinking that Rage save some other kid's life after he was bashed...

Justin: I think it's a great idea.

Michael: You do? I mean, it's awfully personal.

Justin: The best art usually really is. Besides, I wanna talk about it. The trouble is no one would ever listen. They all pretend it didn't happen.

Michael: Now, here is your chance.

Justin: And it could be how Rage meets the love of his life.

Michael: I thought Rage didn’t believe in love.

Justin: We’ll let him think that.

[They smile]

In their creation and writing of Rage, we can see the differences in how Michael and Justin approach fantasy, reality, and their relationships with Brian. Justin’s name in the comics is just JT (his real life initials), symbolizing again his determination to bring the fantasy into reality.

In contrast, Michael’s is Zephyr, a completely fantastical name (also potentially an allusion to Zephyr the Greek god whom some legends say kills a man named Hyacinthus via hitting him in the head with a discus out of jealousy for Hyacinthus choosing to love Apollo, the god of the sun (sunshine, anyone?) over him; Apollo resurrects Hyacinthus and Hyacinthus achieves immortality and all is well). Michael is more willing to swallow the fantasy in some ways and in others, not so much. Plus, as mentioned earlier, Michael’s arc is about growing from a jealous, immature kid with a crush and into a supportive, loving friend to both Brian and Justin.

When Brian pisses on the drawing of himself as Rage, Michael and Justin’s reactions show us what they each bring to Brian. Michael accepts Brian as he is, as does Justin. But what makes Justin different is that he knows Brian can be better, and pushes Brian to grow (this is why, romantically, Michael and Brian would never work, but Michael and Ben work really well). Michael is a lot more willing to let things slide. But if Brian is actually to be a hero (which he becomes in season 3), he’s gotta be pushed.

Michael: I guess even a superhero can morph into a jerk.

Justin: Don't tell me you're gonna forgive him.

Michael: Who said that?

Justin: Knowing you guys’ dysfunctional history, you’d put up with anything... All this time I was fooling myself, thinking he loves me.

Michael: He does love you. You saw his face this morning. We could have removed his teeth with pliers and he would have let us.

Justin: Maybe we should have. He deserves it.

Michael: Well, now we know Rage's fatal weakness, and it's not kryptonite.

Through this conversation we see that Justin forces Michael to grow as well. Michael tells Justin, firstly, that Brian loves him (something he would not have said in the first season), and acknowledges his friend’s weakness, the weakness he’s always known was there: Brian is human. Brian wants to be loved just as much as every other person. And he states it directly to Justin, and then goes on to back Justin up when they demand an apology from Brian.

Brian: What I did was immature, childish, and addictive. It was an act of cruelty because of irrational fears and unfounded--jealousy. If I were you I've never speak to me again.

Justin: That's better.

Michael: It's really good.

But this applies to Michael as well: he realizes Brian is just like him. They have the same weakness Michael struggled with throughout season 1: jealousy. Thus, the power difference between them erodes. They share many things--including flaws. He doesn’t have to reach up to Brian anymore, and he can even pull Brian up at times. In fact, part of the reason Brian can face his own jealousy is because he’s seen Michael overcome it by now working with Justin

Part of the reason Michael is able to accept it this time--that he shouldn’t always just accept and can push Brian to grow--is because of Michael’s own personal struggles in season 2. The best people are still, well, people, and therefore flawed and in need of forgiveness. Earlier in the season, Michael had accept this about himself too: that he’s not always a good person. He can be cowardly, and he rejects Ben quite cruelly (really hurting Ben), and has to apologize to and grovel to get back together with Ben after. Because of this, he can accept that while he can be a jerk, he can also still be worthy of love--and has to promise to do better and live up to being better. Only after Michael accepts this challenge to grow can he be in a mature relationship of his own. (He’ll also have to accept that Ben can be a jerk, and still be worthy of love.) So Michael’s already been doing the work.

Michael can face his flaws because people like Justin and Ben forgive him, and because he can forgive others. The season ends, however, with Justin cliff-diving into his own encounter with his flaws, an encounter that will end up evening out the playing field in his and Brian’s relationship as well.

Season Three: Illuminating the Unconscious

Or, the season where Michael starts off at his most assholish but it’s all for the greater good.

The ironic aspect of Michael and Justin working together resulting in jealousy from Brian is that, well, at the launch of said project, Brian gets dumped. Justin leaves Brian for Ethan, who is literally all of Justin’s worst traits personified in what he assumed was an ultimate fantasy romance.

True to form, Brian then delves into deep, deep, deep denial. He’s always been expecting Justin to leave him. Michael is the character who provokes Brian into showing how much he cares--no, not in a calculated, deliberate way, but he does it all the same. Michael does this by showing how much he cares about Brian, even if he is a jerk himself about it.

Michael: Can you believe the nerve... I told him to stay the fuck out of our lives!

Brian: Why’d you do that?

Michael: After what he did?

Brian: He didn’t do anything. We were never happily married; he was always free to go, and so was I.

Michael: You’re just saying that. He’s a selfish little shit.

Brian: Be quiet, Michael.

Michael: He used you, he took from you, and he never gave back a thing.

Brian: I said be quiet!

Michael: And this is the thanks you get for saving his life? If you ask me, it wasn’t worth it. You might as well have just left him lying there--

[Brian punches Michael]

This is a rotten thing to say, no defense possible. Did Michael deserve to get punched for saying something so horrible? Absolutely. To be fair, which of us has not said something terrible about a friend’s ex who hurt them? ( ＾▽＾)っ✂╰⋃╯Still, this was just... below the belt.

What Michael says, though, provides several revelations for Brian and for Michael.

For Brian, the punch wakes Brian up to the reality that he could lose Michael, and he doesn’t want to. Brian apologizes and finally admits in a roundabout way that he loves Michael:

Michael: You never hit me before!... But I guess after what I said, I deserved it. You must really love him.

Brian I told him from day one, I don't believe in love, I believe in --

Michael: Fucking, yeah, I know.

Brian: Except for you, of course.

Michael's horrendous comment also shows Brian that Michael believes Brian deserves to be loved, which is something Brian struggles to believe. Brian's punch also demonstrates that Brian hates himself immensely, and doesn’t really want people to side with him. He’s still a hurting, self-loathing child who doesn’t think he deserved to be born. Michael ironically brings this out of the unconscious and into reality by being shitty out of his love for Brian (love is never inherently not selfish).

But, you gotta fight for love if you really want said love. That’s part of being a hero. Brian goes on to do this in subtle ways in season 3, like continuing to honor his commitment to pay for Justin’s college, which in turn inspires Justin to honor his commitment to work on Rage with Michael. Brian is also later able to give Justin a path back after his encounter with his worst self because Michael has helped Brian do this, and Brian has helped Michael do it as well. That’s why right after confirming he loves Michael, Brian tells Michael he wants Michael to “make up with [Justin]”.

So that’s what the punching scene does for Brian’s character arc. What does it do for Michael’s? Well, it gives Michael a consequence that brings him back to the messy reality where superheroes can be jerks--and sidekicks can be assholes.

The reality is that they can’t ever go back to the time before Justin, nor should they. Just because something hurts doesn’t mean it should never have happened--an important lesson for Michael going forward. Brian still loves Justin despite how badly Justin hurt him, and he will still love Michael despite the terrible thing Michael said.

Michael doesn’t get off scot-free from his cruelty either, nor should he. The narrative calls Michael out by having his own partner say something similarly cruel to him:

Ben: ... Sometimes I just think...

Michael: What? Sometimes you just think what?

Ben: That it might just be easier to be with someone who's positive.

In Michael’s struggle with Ben this season, he starts to move beyond his initial understanding in season 2 and truly live the messy reality that people are flawed and that, even when hurting, cruelty fixes nothing.

But back to the point of Michael’s terrible comments about Justin--what does it offer Justin? Justin never hears it, after all. But what it offers is that it clues the audience in to what Justin’s arc in the third season is all about.

No excuses for cruelty, again, but Michael is the only character who doesn’t excuse Justin for hurting Brian. This is a good thing for Justin’s growth, because Justin needs to face himself. Lindsay, Debbie, everyone--they excuse Justin when they shouldn’t. Now, I know I’ve said myself Brian was absolutely pushing Justin away and it wasn’t surprising Justin chose Ethan at the time, but that doesn’t make it okay or not hurtful to Brian. You’ve got to take responsibility for your own actions.

After all, Justin is the one who sets the rules for their open relationship, but also the one who repeatedly breaks them. He’s the one who chose Ethan at an event set up to celebrate Brian, which humiliated Brian.

As mentioned earlier, Ethan is the ultimate fantasy boyfriend--over-the-top romantic, loves art, incredibly talented and passionate... but he also lies and cheats and makes promises he can’t keep. Like, who else does that sound like?

After being with Ethan and then finding himself cheated on, Justin realizes that while Ethan always said he loved him, he never loved Justin more than his music. As flawed as Brian’s love is--and it is--Brian keeps proving he loves Justin even after Justin leaves him. Brian’s actions mean more than Ethan’s pretty words.

Brian is reality, while Ethan is fantasy. That doesn’t mean Brian can’t be better at showing he loves Justin (he can), but it does mean there’s an actual foundation there that there is not with Ethan.

Brian and Justin finally get back together after a conversation about their mistakes, not solely their strengths. They then work together as equal partners in Justin’s art campaign against Stockwell and Brian’s plot to capture the Dumpster Killer.

Season Four: Michael as the Reconciler

In the latter third of season 3, Michael again chooses a fantastical possibility over reality when he worries obsessively over the unborn child he has with Melanie, while literally wanting to turn an actual breathing, hurting human child (Hunter) out on the streets. But in the end, Michael overcomes this, risking it all to run away and protect Hunter from his abusive mother--the thing he was never able to do for Brian when Brian’s parents were abusing him during their childhood. Thereby Hunter becomes a sort of inner child for Michael as well, symbolizing his break with Brian--not in a bad sense, but in the sense of growing into his own person.

In season 4, Michael gets to show how he’s grown. He’s healed the inner child with Hunter, and continues to help his friends as they struggle with their own inner child issues: Brian with whether or not he deserved to be born (deciding to be treated for cancer or let himself die), and Justin with whether or not he should have died in Chris’s attack (via refusing to let Chris steal more of his future by not killing Chris).

In a reverse of Michael tattling on Justin to Brian in season 2, he tattles on Brian to Justin (I mean, I’m using the word “tattle” but don’t mean to imply it’s immature, because it’s not). Michael reminds Justin (who here has the right to be hurt, because Brian was at his absolute worst as a non-defined, nonconventional boyfriend after his cancer diagnosis) of who Brian is. Two steps forward towards vulnerability, then a jump back.

Michael brings Justin and Brian together again instead of trying to wedge them apart. He gives Justin the perspective he needs to go back there and take care of Brian, and the courage to show Brian the same kind of love Justin’s mother showed him in season 1, when, as Debbie tells Jennifer:

Debbie: ...the truth is, the thing [Justin]’s the most afraid of, even more than his dad finding out and beating the shit out of him, is that you will stop loving him.

This is not to say Brian and Justin, Brian and Michael, or Michael and Justin are 1=1 parallels to Jennifer’s love for Justin, but instead to say that the comparison with a mother’s love shows a maturation of all three of these relationships.

They choose to live and continue despite the obstacle course that is life, and despite the injuries they carry. In fact, the reason all three of them can continue is because of each other, which is most perfectly displayed in the finale of season 4.

Michael and Justin both try to warn Brian to face reality: his body’s not in any shape to handle the bike ride. Brian, true to form, does not care. When reality sets in and Brian breaks his collarbone yet still insists on continuing, Michael sets in to help him along. Even when reality is crushing, if they help each other, they can achieve the impossible. Loving relationships make a little magic, bring a little fantasy to our world.

At the end of the race, Justin waits for Brian over the finish line, but Brian needs Michael to get there. The metaphor is clear: Justin is endgame. But Brian would never get there if it were not for Michael.

Season Five: Michael, Brian, and Justin as Fully Realized Individuals

Come season 5, Michael, Ben, and Hunter move to the suburbs. Michael’s reality is what Brian sees as a fantasy, and Brian doesn’t respect it. He lashes out at Michael for Michael’s life looking differently than Brian’s own, and panics when Justin’s desire to have a domestic life becomes more and more apparent. He blames Michael for it, trying to see Michael as the problem. But as Michael tells him, the problem is Brian:

Brian: You infected him, with your petty, bourgeois, mediocre, conformist, assimilationist life! Thanks to you he's got visions - babies, weddings, white picket fences - dancing in his blond little head.

Michael: And you think I put them there?

Brian: Before you and your husband tied the noose around your necks he was perfectly happy! But now, he's a defector, just like the rest of you!

Michael: He was never perfectly happy! Waiting for years for you to say "I love you, you're the only one I want."

Brian: That's not who I am!

Michael: Don't we all know!

The reality is, as has been clear to any viewer of the series, that Justin has always wanted these things. Like, he’s talked about it since the first season.

Here, Michael stands up to Brian and says no, he cannot project Justin’s desires onto Michael. They are Justin’s, and if Brian wants to be with Justin, Brian has to decide what to do on his own. That’s what it means to be an adult. Justin, too, needs to think about what he wants.

Of course, it all comes to a head when Babylon--the safe haven--gets bombed and Michael almost dies. Brian rushes into Babylon to save Justin. Justin is the one who brings up that he can’t find Michael, and only then do we realize Michael’s been gravely wounded. Brian tries to donate blood to save Michael, but he’s not able to.

Through what happened to Michael, Brian finally gets the courage to tell Justin what he has never said in direct words to Michael: I love you. Out of fear of almost losing Michael, Brian then proposes to Justin, but neither of them are quiiite ready for that yet. However, I’ve talked extensively about Season 5 before, and how the ending is more to symbolize Brian and Justin being fully alive than anything else, and imo a happy ending for Brian and Justin was clearly implied to the point where it’s barely implied.

Yet again, we can look to Michael and his relationship with Brian as part of this implication. They may be on different paths at the time. Accepting this is also part of growing up--leaving your egocentric, childish beliefs behind. Yet still, the thumpa-thumpa continues, and they’ll continue to meet and celebrate life together with their other loved ones, too.

Michael: Some things aren’t meant to change.

I don’t think this line was ever about Brian’s hedonistic lifestyle necessarily, but instead about the core love that binds the relationships in the show--Justin and Brian’s included. Time won’t change their love. They will always love each other. Even if they part ways for a bit, they’ll always find their way back to each other. It’s been true for Brian and Michael, Michael and Ben, Blake and Ted, Emmett even dances with an old high school pal of his; it’ll be true for Justin and Brian as well.

Love might be a fantasy in some ways--it’s an ideal. The reality is that love is an awkward path to follow, full of potholes and debris and steep climbs. But the story of Queer as Folk suggests that love, no matter how hard it is, is the only way to grow and navigate the difficult reality of life.

Thereby, reality and fantasy aren’t actually two binaries. It was never about reality vs. fantasy, but instead about integrating reality and fantasy--because we all hope for a better life each day, despite the quagmire and disappointments and injustice of daily life. Through our friendships, romantic relationships, parental ones, we bring that divine magic into the world.

#michael novotny #qaf meta #queer as folk us #queer as folk meta #queer as folk #qaf 2000 #britin #brian kinney #justin taylor #ben bruckner #hunter montgomery #hunter novotny-bruckner #qaf analysis #ethan gold

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