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algernoninwonderland · 5 years

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Miraculous, the Monster of the Week Format and the Status Quo, or Why Things Barely Change At All

TLDR; while the monster-of-the-week format doesn’t mean there is no overarching plot in Miraculous, these monsters are variable in terms of quality and the overarching plot itself is not something the show explores.

The fact that you can watch 80% of the show in any order without feeling lost is quite telling: the goal is to have self-contained stories during the space of one episode, not to have things that happened in such and such episode have consequences in the following ones. Which is frustrating in the long run, even more so when the monster-of-the-week format doesn’t mean that episodes are aired weekly.

It isn’t that the people working on Miraculous aren’t talented enough to write something good, simply that the format they have to work with makes the story what it is.

Now, if you want to read something a little more detailed, just click the thingy!

With now 64 episodes aired, it’s safe to say that Miraculous is a show that is meant to stay on our screens for quite some time. For exactly five seasons, so far. Yay! Or perhaps not?

With its reused villains (when you’ve got 2.0 in your title, that screams Electric Boogaloo, I’m sorry), its apparent lack of character development and little focus on the overarching plot (if there is any, at this point), it sounds like this is pretty much stretched out.

The show has two focuses, so to say, our two cinnamon buns and their love story, and superhero stuffs with different villains in each episode (and that guy alone in his lair, and sometimes that woman with the fan but eeeeh, don’t sweat it, besides they’re interchangeable so far)

What do I mean by Monster-of-the-week format?

Exactly what the title says. For each week/episode, one villain. Who is defeated at the end of the week. Yay! The prime example of this is the original Scooby Doo cartoons, Scooby Doo, Where Are You!

Now, what do we think of that show? Other than the laugh tracks, it holds up well enough. More importantly, though, every story is self-contained, and the appeal of the Scooby Doo is its mysteries. We don’t care about Velma’s backstory, or how Fred became the leader, these characters have very little depth and that’s OK, their interactions is not the main point of the story.

Scooby Doo has a very simple formula:

The gang goes somewhere, finds mystery, chase one, traps, chase two with a bubblegum pop soundtrack this time, then the mystery is solved, very basically. And we can move on to the next mystery

You can air any episode in any order, you can get the story without feeling lost.

And for most Miraculous episodes, it is true as well! They follow roughly the same recipe:

Something something civilian life, Hawk Moth akumatises someone, Superhero Time, Lucky Charm, Status Quo again.

The first episodes that aired never explained how Marinette got her Miraculous and… It didn’t seem to matter all that much?

But there’s a problem here. MLB isn’t just about Superhero Thingies™. We’ve got that Love Tesseract™ thing too. And a love story requires a progression and character growth to work.

You can’t have a monster-of-the-week format if you try to explore things that are character-driven, unless there is a clear follow up, an overarching plot.

Like, say…

Revolutionary Girl Utena.

Utena is one of my favourite shows of all time, and I’m talking live action and animated. It is stylish, the writing is great, the direction work is awesome. It’s a masterpiece and for a show aired in 1997, it aged pretty well in the way it handles it themes. (some of the animation is wonky, though, characters are definitely not always on model, it’s not perfect but hey, 1997)

You should watch Utena. It’s available on Nozomi if you’re from Americaland, otherwise I’m sure you’ll find a way to stream it somewhere. Or buy the BluRay.

So, Utena has a “Duel of the Week” format, it follows a clear formula. And just like Miraculous, it recycles animation and some sentences are said at least once or twice per episode. Hell, Miraculous references Utena quite a few times (but I’ll make a post just for that).

Having a repetitive formula does not mean you cannot have a sense of progression. And Utena shines because of that. Things… Things have consequences, a duel leads to another because of reasons that become clear. It’s not a “we need that many episodes” thing, everything is needed, you cannot not watch an episode, even the recap ones, even the Nanami ones, especially the Nanami ones (Nanami who is a much better Chloé than Chloé is).

Unlike Miraculous, Utena has an overarching plot, you can’t play the episodes in any order. Repetitions and variations are meaningful in Utena, it is not simply a matter of style, or rather, style in Utena is meaningful, not only there for “the show”, a spectacle which in itself is meaningful too. Hell, everything in Utena is meaningful. Meaningful. Could you imagine that much meaning in Miraculous? Me neither.

But, you may say, you’re not fair; you’re comparing Miraculous, a show aimed at schoolchildren, with Utena, an anime aimed at an older audience.

And you wouldn’t be entirely wrong if you thought so. Which is why I’ll reiterate my point with a show for which Thomas Astruc himself worked.

Code Lyoko

Code Lyoko is super formulaic, replace Hawk Moth with XANA and superpowers with going inside a computer and that’s about it. It recycles a lot of its animation, the character design is… A bold choice. I barely watched it when I was younger though it was a pretty big thing for us Frenchies (but hey it’s available on YouTube now in French so I binged the entire thing in a few days and while it’s not groundbreaking, it does some things really well)

Code Lyoko is all that, repetitions, terribly formulaic, XANA-tised person/plushie of the week thing with towers to deactivate and whatnot, and a “return to the past” to erase whatever has occurred during the episode. Literally.

But.

Once again, a visible overarching plot, and can you believe it, things have consequences. William is lost on Lyoko, and the kids spend episodes looking for him. There’s romance, and though it is dealt with clumsily, there’s a sense of progression to it. Things… Happen… With… Consequences.

Miraculous is, for the most part, an inconsequential show

Yeah, the problem with Miraculous is that its overarching plot is muddy and flimsy, the status quo is very much that, I’d argue that it’s a show in which nothing truly happens because nothing has consequences. I mean… Nino and Alya are dating, I guess? Adrien… Is still allergic to pigeon feathers? There are sometimes more than just two heroes? But it doesn’t really matter.

And Oblivio is the perfect example of that.

That’s the message of the episode. Even if we forget things, it still works, there is no need for memory, for remembering what has happened in all the previous episodes because we still make it work somehow. What happened before this episode does not matter to the story we are telling now.

The show keeps telling the same things about its characters, over and over, and whenever something new is introduced… Well it’s great but don’t expect to see it in the episodes after that one.

Which is why specials, story arcs which last two episodes, are good. There is room for developed character moments, interesting interactions, plot, sometimes good fights too. Chloé shines in Queen’s Battle, “Origins” is, for me, probably the best bunch of episodes in the entire show so far because things happen and we can see change happening. Like, actual change. Characters who learn how to do stuff, whose interactions with one another changes over the course of these two episodes.

Outside of this however… Here, have that very important book, we’ll see it in one or two episodes because we need a macguffin and voilà. Here, have new heroes, but don’t expect to see them after that episode, unless we need a real showdown.

It’s hard to get hyped by Jeremy Zag’s posts, because no matter how cool Dragon!Kagami looks, because of that format of self-contained stories with the only connection being them being the same static characters. Kagami with a Kwami? Eh. It’ll be a one-off thing, sure it’ll be cool but to make the plot move on… Don’t sweat it.

Speaking of Kagami, she is presented the exact same way in Frozer and Selfinsertepisode Animaestro, nothing has changed about the character, don’t worry, she’s still going to be used the exact same way, perhaps we’ll show once again that she really cares for Adrien but hey, we already knew that, there’s nothing new in Onichan. And that is symptomatic of the entire cast.

Is that format something the creators of the show absolutely wanted? Is near-stagnation what they wished for? Let’s decide it’s not their choice, and that they try their best with the limitations they have.

Would these flaws be this glaring if new episodes were aired weekly? Like, say, air three episodes during three weeks, a break and then some new episodes again? I think not. The wait and the lack of follow-up from one episode to the next makes them really noticeable, and watching them feels unfulfilling.

So that airing schedule I just suggested? That’s not how things work, that’s not how television works apparently and there’s nothing the people who work on Miraculous can ask about it. Thomas Astruc doesn’t know when the episodes will air, blah blah blah. Television networks not really caring about the shows they air? Never heard of that before, huh. SU

So I guess this is it, then. I hope you enjoyed this overlong post!

(shameful self-promotion moment, but about Kagami, I wrote a Kagaminette/Marigami fic, it’s 80,000 words so far and I update it on Mondays so give it a look if you want! It’s here.)

#miraculous #love square #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #ladybug and chat noir #kagami tsurugi #this show #could be so much better #instead it's a frustrating watch #rena rouge #carapace #hawk moth #thomas astruc #oblivio #monster of the week

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the-darkness-does-not-bargain · 7 years

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The Fire After the War, Chapter 7

Here it is, after such a wait. Now it's Utena's turn.

AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/4670804/chapters/25987323

Chapter 7: 101 Dalmatians

A week passed from Thanksgiving, and December rode in on its usual bitter breeze. Utena lifted her gloved hands to her mouth and blew on them as she struggled against a strong headwind on the way back to the apartment. It wasn't a long walk, but the wind and the cold made it seem eternal, not to mention the deep growls her stomach was making. The firefighter found herself inadvertently mulling over what had transpired at her parents' house the other day. It wasn't a happy train of thought, but it had been nagging at her since the drive back, demanding her attention.

Everything had seemed to go well at the time. Anthy was winning over everyone in Utena's family and absolutely cunt-punting anyone that tried to act out of line. Watching it had made Utena very proud and viciously pleased. Dinner went very well, and even the awkward questions about Akio didn't seem to shake Anthy. Getting chewed out by her mother afterward hadn't been fun, but Utena's reasoning was sound and nothing would convince her otherwise. She had hoped to steer away any conversation that veered too close to the subject, but when Uncle Petyr started asking about Ohtori directly, she couldn't find a way to subtly change the subject. Thus, she was left having to watch Anthy smoothly handle everything, all while feeling a knot of dread in her stomach as things moved further and further out of her control. She'd felt guilty at the time, despite Anthy's insistence that it hadn't been an issue. Now, in retrospect, she wondered just how sincere Anthy had been in her reassurances.

The outburst---Utena didn't like that word; it felt wrong for the situation---was, of course, completely unexpected. The accusations---that wasn't the right word either---the admission of jealousy, and then the personal feelings that Anthy had revealed with such difficulty; they haunted Utena's mind as she turned onto the next block.

Danny made Anthy jealous, Danny of all people. Anthy was jealous because she was afraid. Utena was sure of that, whether it was really because of Danny or not. Anthy was afraid, and she was reacting badly to it. Utena counted a hundred possible reasons why, and too many fit with what Anthy revealed about herself and her past. Anthy was scared of losing her to someone else. A ridiculous fear, but Utena supposed she could understand where it came from. Anthy had said that nothing belonged to her before Utena, and the other woman believed it.

She felt an annoying stinging in her eyes when she thought of the former Rose Bride and her deprived life, existing with nothing to her name, not even enough to hold her to the physical world in some instances. Like a ghost. Transient, Utena thought proudly when she remembered the word. It had been on an old word-of-the-day calendar she'd had years ago.

No longer the Rose Bride, she pondered sadly. That should mean something beyond existing as more than a phantom. Anthy needed something more, something else to tie her to her life. Yet, at the same time, Anthy's freedom was very new after god knows how many years of imprisonment. She was clearly still adjusting to her new situation, with more success in certain areas than others. Utena was hesitant to make real suggestions. Yes, she encouraged Anthy to go outside, explore, and grow the scope of her world, but she was scared to propose any specific course of action. Who could say what might tear up an old wound, turn a hairline fracture into a shattered bone, or infect a healing burn? One wrong step could send Anthy falling, maybe beyond the point that she could ever recover again. Utena shuddered at the thought. Still, they wouldn't make any progress at all if they just sat around, too afraid to try anything. "What a conundrum," she murmured, remembering another word from that calendar.

Her worried musings carried her the rest of the way back to her apartment. She breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the warm lobby, crossing to the rickety old elevator and pressing the button for her floor. Creaking and shuddering, it carried her upwards as she tried to cheer up, at least on the surface.

She walked in to the apartment to find Anthy mulling over newspapers at the kitchen table. She had a pen out and was circling certain parts. Utena realized that it was the ad section.

"Are you looking at jobs?" She asked as she pulled out the open chair and sat down. She had to lift up her arm to let Chu Chu through with a pen of his own.

"Yes…" Anthy said slowly as she scanned a column. "I heard that they offer jobs in newspapers these days, so I thought I might look at them." She glanced up briefly and then went back to scanning. "I thought I might take you up on your challenge."

"Did I issue a challenge?" Utena didn't remember anything like that. Was she talking about that night?

"Yes," Anthy confirmed. She sat back. "You said I should try to get out more. I thought I just might."

Hmm. Utena picked up a paper. "Well, what have you been looking at?" She asked cautiously.

"There are so many," Anthy said, sounding genuinely surprised. There was wonder in her voice. Utena couldn't say she had heard that before. How would she react if she knew how many jobs were posted online? "But I was thinking about putting in an application to that flower shop down the street. It says here that they're looking for help." She pointed to the passage in question. The ink circle around that was especially thick. "I was also considering this grocery store. They say they offer $7.25 an hour. Sounded promising…"

Utena's brow furrowed, and rightly so, but Anthy continued on without noticing. It wasn't until Utena gently took the newspaper from her and commandeered Chu Chu's pen that her girlfriend quieted. Utena used the pen and put an X over the grocery store ad as well as any other ads that advertised $7.25 an hour.

"What are you doing?" Anthy asked, and she sounded mildly affronted. Utena looked up at her. She didn't want to burst her bubble, especially when the older woman sounded so active and even excited, but she had to make her aware of this if nothing else.

"Babe, do you know what minimum wage is?"

"Minimum wage?" Utena's prediction was correct. Anthy looked confused. She was innocent in this, still unaware of many inner workings of the mundane, even after nine years.

Utena sighed. "Minimum wage is the lowest legal wage an employer can offer an employee. It's the lowest of the low in this country. It's almost not enough to live on."

"So what… are you saying?" Anthy asked.

"I'm saying that you shouldn't waste your time with jobs like that when there are better options." Utena paused. "You could also wait. There's no need to jump in so quickly. We're not rich but we won't be out on the street any time soon."

"What are you saying?" That again. How to answer…

"Just that, you don't need to worry about things here, if you are. You can just relax if you want. Take it slow, you know?"

"Are you saying I shouldn't look for a job?" Uh oh, it was a trap. Utena had never been very good at avoiding those. Let's see if she could get out of this one. The firefighter turned back to her, frowning. Anthy was watching her carefully, showing nothing, but no doubt cataloguing every word and reaction. Once upon a time, Utena wouldn't have noticed cues like that, but she wasn't an oblivious teenager anymore.

"No," she said firmly. "I'm saying that you should be careful not to do too much too soon. You're strong, Anthy, but everyone has their limits. They can be difficult to change. I don't want to see you crash and burn."

"Crash and burn?"

"It's an expression. Look, jobs are good, but they're tough. Jobs like these, where you have to deal with and talk to people every day, they can be difficult. You admitted yourself that you have a problem with crowds. Jobs like these are crowds all the time. If you're still having problems with that, jumping into a job like this honestly isn't going to help you. It might actually make it worse." Utena ran a hand through her hair. "It's good to do things slowly every once and a while. And don't say 'I told you so', because I already know."

"Baby steps. Isn't that what you said?" Anthy was still watching her, waiting to see if she would say something stupid and ruin this or maybe make it through cleanly after all.

"That's right," Utena said, standing resolved. Her expression softened. "I want you to be able to do everything you've ever wanted. I'll do what's in my power to get you there. But there is something to be said for caution, acting responsibly." She smiled shyly. "I know that's a strange thing to hear from me. I know you want to tell me to take my own advice; I can see it in your eyes. I think that this must be in some part because of what happened last week, and I just want you to take things at a good pace."

Anthy sat back, and she seemed to be mulling over something. She glanced down at the table and then to the pen still resting in her hand. Utena waited, feeling a little strange just standing there. It seemed like several minutes had passed before Anthy finally looked up at her; it couldn't have been, surely, but it felt that way.

"So what would you suggest?" Anthy asked slowly.

Utena let out a breath through her nose, thinking quickly and carefully. When the idea came to her, she snapped her fingers. "I might know a good place for you to apply," she said. "I gotta take a walk. I'll be back in a bit."

"Should I order something for us?" Anthy asked as she watched her girlfriend grab her coat.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Utena said as she tied her shoes. "I shouldn't be gone too long. 30 minutes tops. You should give some thought to your resume while I'm out."

She was halfway out the door when she heard Anthy mutter, "Resume?"

Oh boy.

Four days later, Anthy was standing in front the Fair Friends Animal Clinic. She was dressed in a pretty pink suit and jacket that Utena had never seen before. Her hair was up in a ponytail; at least as much as a single hair tie could bind such a powerful mane. She was wearing the cute little beret she had worn on the day they had first found each other again. She wore white shoes that, amazingly, miraculously, managed not to get dirty at all on the walk down here. Probably magic, Utena thought. She looked up to watch Anthy's face. She might not even know she's doing it.

Anthy's expression was one of unadulterated apprehension, bordering on fear. Her posture was tense and she was standing very still. She was clutching a manila folder to her chest. It held her resume, a hastily constructed thing that they had spent a full evening poring over. The paper didn't look too bad, all things considered, but Utena was concerned about the amount of information Anthy seemed to make up out of the blue. She was also worried that the paper would horribly deform if her girlfriend held it to her body any tighter.

"Anthy," Utena said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What is it?"

Anthy looked down at the street, and her hands were shaking. "You were right," she murmured, almost too softly for Utena to catch. "I'm not ready for this yet." Anthy's self-defeating habit was becoming increasingly noticeable.

Utena stepped in front of her and lifted up Anthy's chin. Utena smiled reassuringly. "Crowds are no good, I know. They might not be for some time yet. But fortunately, this job doesn't handle crowds. Of people anyway." She mimicked exaggerated breathing motions. "Take a deep breath. You're going to be great. Look," she said, pointing to the window of the clinic and into the clinic itself. "There's a grand total of six people in that waiting room, and that's it. And look at those dogs." Utena wrapped an arm around Anthy's shoulders and smiled brightly. "Look at that big blonde one. Isn't she beautiful? Or, ooo, look at that little guy in the cage. He must be riled up about something cuz he's barking like crazy. Heh, I feel kind of embarrassed for his owner. And there's---" She was cut off when she heard a soft, shaky laugh.

Anthy was laughing, leaning against Utena. The sound was a little breathless and it stuttered, matching the shaking in the older woman's shoulders. Utena waited, lowering her hand.

The woman next to her carefully dabbed tears out of the corner of her eyes and looked up with a smile. "Thank you," she said turning to embrace Utena fully. The firefighter returned it, still trying not to squish the documents in between them.

"You're going to do great, babe," Utena repeated encouragingly. "Just wow them like you do everyone else. It's natural for you."

"Thank you, darling." Visibly gathering herself, Anthy smiled at her girlfriend before turning back to the door of the clinic. "I guess I'll be done in half an hour. That's how long these take, right?"

"On average, yeah. I'll get us something to eat while you're in there. Gilardi's okay?"

"Yes, that will be fine."

"Okay, I'll see you in a little bit." One last grin, tinged with nerves, and then Anthy practically marched up to the glass door and went inside. Utena stayed standing on the sidewalk for another second or two, and then she began her walk down to the restaurant.

The delicious smell of sandwiches, a little bickering with George, and enjoying the heat of the room left her feeling more cheerful. She waited to order the food until it was closer to time and when it came out she grabbed the bag and strolled out of the shop. Arriving at the clinic again, she leaned against a parking meter and checked her watch as she thought over what was going on.

She chose the clinic because it was the least of many evils. Anthy didn't like people, but she loved animals. She knew how to take care of animals, and Utena had never seen her happier at Ohtori than when she was with her unusual pets. Come to think of it, all she ever had were unusual pets. Weird even. Fitting, she thought, and smiled. Weird pets for a weird girl.

Who could say if this kind of job would suit Anthy in the slightest? The Rose Bride would have put up with anything, did put up with anything, but what could Anthy handle? Utena sighed, checking her watch a second time. She supposed they would just have to wait and see.

Anthy emerged from the clinic fifteen minutes later, and Utena pushed off the parking meter where she had been waiting. She watched her girlfriend's face carefully as she approached her. Anthy noticed, and to Utena's surprise, she started to laugh. The dark woman's free hand hovered over her mouth as she laughed openly. Utena was relieved, and she smiled as she wrapped her arms around Anthy.

"What're you giggling about, missy?" She said, in a funny accent that made Anthy laugh harder into her shoulder. People looked their way oddly, but Utena ignored them. Anthy pulled back and kissed her on the cheek.

"Your face," she chuckled. "Were you worried for me, Utena?"

The firefighter shrugged. "Not too much. Just wanted to know you were okay." She kissed Anthy's temple, eliciting a peaceful sigh from the witch.

"Thank you for your concern, my love. But you were right. It went swimmingly. I feel… good."

"Glad to hear it. Hopefully, you'll hear back from them soon. Meantime, you still hungry?"

Anthy got the job. It didn't surprise Utena in the slightest, of course, but she was surprised at just how quick the call back was. She supposed Anthy, in her special way, made a better impression than most.

She started the following Monday, walking with a barely perceptible bounce in her step that made Utena smile. Anthy was excited, nervous yet happy, and seeing it was so new and wonderful that Utena couldn't help but bounce too. Her worries had been replaced with cautious optimism, knowing that Anthy would thrive in an environment with more animals than people. Anthy still wasn't quite comfortable walking outside alone, so Utena accompanied her on her own way to work. When they arrived at the clinic, Anthy turned around to face Utena and took a careful breath.

Utena smiled encouragingly and rubbed her shoulders. "Are you ready?" She asked.

Anthy exhaled and nodded. "Yes."

"Good," Utena said, withdrawing her hands and putting them in her pockets. "If you get some time during your lunch break or something, throw a phone call my way. Let me know how the day is going."

"Of course, darling," Anthy said. After pecking Utena once on the cheek, she turned and walked into the clinic. Utena stood silently for a moment, staring at the door as it slowly closed, before she too turned to continue her way to the firehouse a few blocks down the street.

She pushed through the front door and immediately went over to the dispatch desk, where an older woman sat typing briskly on a keyboard. Her hair was dyed bright orange to hide the gray underneath and she wore exquisite make-up to cover up the little wrinkles that lined her face.

"Morning, Mary Ellen," Utena greeted, leaning against the wall next to the desk.

"Oh, good morning, baby girl!" Mary Ellen responded enthusiastically. Her voice was as rough as the gravel the team tracked in every time they came back from a call. Whenever someone pointed out the irony of her career choice, Mary Ellen would always say "Smoking is like a first husband: complete trash but hard to throw out." Utena thought it made her uniquely qualified for her position as the best damn dispatcher in the county. "Didya have a good Thanksgiving, sweetie?"

Utena shrugged. "As good as ever. What about you? Were you able to see your grandkids?"

"Oh now that's a story!" Mary Ellen said with a laugh. "But you've got no time for that now. Come visit me during lunch. I'll talk your ear off!"

Utena snickered as she was waved off. She walked out of the dispatch office and down the main hallway of the station to where the common area was. She could already see some of her team sitting in the set of couches and armchairs, watching footage from yesterday's rounds on a big flat screen. They looked around when she made noise by pulling out a chair from the lunch table to watch.

"Hey, girl," greeted Henry as he reached one burly arm back to high five her. Next to him was David, who turned around to fist-bump her in way of greeting. In the armchair to the right of the screen sat Antonia, the only other female fighter at their station. Antonia was much like Utena herself, a tall and muscular woman with flowing black hair and golden dark skin denoting her strong Italian heritage.

"You're rolling in a little late this morning, ain't ya?" Antonia commented.

Utena shrugged. "Had to see my girlfriend off to her new job. She's still getting used to the city." That was putting it mildly. Utena turned to face the last member of the team present in the room. "Morning, Ricardo," she said, watching the man in the other armchair.

"Morning," he said without looking away from the television screen. No one could kick him for his tone choice, but it was obvious to anyone with ears that he was trying to ignore her. David certainly noticed, and he reached back to give Utena a sympathetic thunk on the back.

Utena sighed softly, trying not to let frustration poison her mood. Ricardo was her ex. Okay, well, not her "ex" exactly. They were never even close to being an item, whatever he may have thought. He was the first part of the double fling Utena had had last summer. They had shared a single night together, both of them drunk and making poor decisions in a dive bar. She regretted it dearly, especially when he seemed to take it as cue to ask her out. She didn't remember much of that night, but she thought she had told him nothing else could happen. In any case, it was far from her finest moment, and Utena worried over how long the ice between them would last. Nothing would change today, though, so she tried to put it aside.

The morning progressed sluggishly, with no calls coming in. Utena had backed out of playing cards with David, instead sitting alone in one of the armchairs, nursing a cup of coffee. She didn't much care for coffee, but had learned to put up with it when she found she couldn’t stomach tea after waking up in the hospital. It took several years for her to overcome that strange aversion, and by then she'd been drinking coffee too long to pull away from it. Tea was still unbearable in summer, which didn't help anything.

She let out a slow, quiet breath. Summer. She hated it, and that never failed to make her sad. She didn't remember much of her birth parents anymore, nothing more than half-imagined flashes and approximations, but she remembered that she used to love summer. The sun, the heat, vacations, and all that. But ever since Ohtori, summer was something to be dreaded, a weighty and lingering curse, unavoidable and unforgiving. Utena never felt more alone nor more hopeless than when she could feel the heat in the air and look up into a bright blue sky.

She'd heard of seasonal depression, sure, everyone had, but all of those stories were about winter; scientists talking about vitamin deficiencies and the psychological impact of colder temperatures and less daylight. Can't relate, she thought with bitter humor. Since Ohtori, she preferred the cold. Since Ohtori, she preferred the dark.

The first episode hit hard and fast with the end of May nine years ago. She had been sent to her first foster home, and though most of her memories were hazy she clearly recalled the desolation she felt in every sultry afternoon, the sharp-edged emptiness that she could not explain to anyone, least of all herself. When her mood had begun to improve with the first morning frost, she had rejoiced, thinking the trouble over, only for the next May to drag her back down mercilessly. Each subsequent summer was worse than the last without fail, as her memories returned and the feeling of her loss intensified. Things came to a head this past summer before she ran into Ricardo by chance while getting smashed. Maybe the alcohol was ultimately to blame, but as they drank and talked and fucked, he made her forget her jagged past, her shattered heart, and the rope she had bought from the hardware store just hours earlier. Utena had never told Ricardo exactly what he did for her that night. She wasn't certain how he would respond to such a confession, so she kept it to herself.

Her coffee was getting cold. She grimaced and got up to toss it out. She made a mental note to ask Mary Ellen to buy some tea. She noticed it was lunchtime when she checked her watch, and went to grab the food she had packed. Her phone rang just as she was sitting down at the table. "Hey, babe," she greeted Anthy as her free hand unwrapped her meal.

"Hello, darling." Anthy's lovely voice brought speedy relief to Utena, as it always did. "How are things at the station?"

"Eh, boring, no action yet today. But what about you? Save any fluffy lives yet?" She joked.

Over the line, Anthy giggled. "Nothing so dramatic, just simple appointments."

"Dogs? Cats? Unicorns?" Utena smiled widely as Anthy laughed again.

"If someone brings in a unicorn, you'll be the first to know. Two cats and three dogs. Someone had a beautiful python, but I wasn't able to help with that one."

"Figures you'd be more interested in the unusual pet," Utena teased.

"Oh the dogs and cats were lovely too," Anthy said. "But it's been a busy morning. Did you remember to eat?"

"Eating right now, babe. You?"

"Yes. I only have an hour to eat. Is that common in this world?"

"Kind of, yeah. Most places give you 45 minutes to an hour."

"How quaintly arbitrary," Anthy commented.

Utena chuckled. "Probably don't let your boss hear you say that, just to be safe. Speaking of, how are your coworkers? Things going well?"

"As far as introductions go, yes. They seem… amiable." There was a pause, and Utena could picture Anthy sitting at a table with her phone and her salad and that trademark pensive expression on her face.

"Well, that's good to hear. Do you have to get back to work soon?" She asked after peeking at her watch.

"In a moment," Anthy said. "What shall we do tonight, my love?"

Utena hummed thoughtfully. "You ever seen 101 Dalmatians?"

"That's an oddly specific number of Dalmatians to see tog---"

"No, no, babe! The movie, 101 Dalmatians," Utena clarified with a laugh.

"Oh. Then no, darling, I haven't."

"That's our plan for the evening," Utena said, grinning.

"Very well, Utena. I… look forward to it. But I should get back to my duties. Be safe, my love."

"You too, Anthy. Watch out for Jack Russell Terriers. I hear they like to bite. Love you."

"I love you too. See you soon!"

"Bye," Utena said before she hung up. One conversation with Anthy, and just like that her day was good again. She hoped that never changed. Anthy's voice was like a brisk hand batting away the sadness and frustrations bothering Utena like insects, letting her finish her food in peace. There still hadn't been any calls for their team, so Utena took a little extra time before she went to work on the trucks.

The thought of summer still lingered. Utena wondered what might happen next summer, now that Anthy was here at her side. It was her grief that dragged her down so deep into the abyss, her pain over losing Anthy and her self-loathing over her many failures. The guilt, not unlike a million swords, was pervasive and ever-present. But Anthy was here now. Anthy was here, safe, free, and she didn't blame Utena for what had happened. Amazing, really, that Anthy could be so forgiving, dismissive even, of her mistakes. Utena did not agree, but it was hard to be angry about the warmth and peace forgiveness brought.

Summer was a long ways off, but for the first time in a decade, Utena felt herself looking forward to it. Tentatively, with extreme caution, but with surging hope as well. If she had Anthy, she could survive it. If she had Anthy, she could survive anything. She was sure of that.

Suddenly the bells in the station were ringing, and she jumped to her feet. She strode to the suit-up station and threw on her gear before running out to the trucks. Mary Ellen told them the address over the radio as they peeled out from the garage. Utena settled into her working groove, becoming alert and focused, but not before she had a cheerful thought about 101 Dalmatians.

#the fire after the war #my writing #revolutionary girl utena #utena tenjou #anthy himemiya

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animemisogynist · 7 years

Text

The End of Anime Misogynist?!?!

I’m writing to you from a secret underground bunker somewhere in North Dakota, not far from the Canadian border. I have only 7% battery left on my Kindle Fire, and getting this post out in time may be my last hope. Any moment now, the forces of the Matriarchy are going to break down the door. I’ve eluded them for over a year, but they’ve hunted me like an animal, determined to make me pay, both for my heinous crimes against all womynkind and questionable use of semicolons. When they find me, they’ll probably strangle me with one of my many dakimakura covers, hopefully the Hestia one--

--Oh, right, I was supposed to end this now.

Hi, I’m Karen, and I’m the Anime Misogynist. Normally, I blog about otaku stuff and other fun things over at Otakusphere. Now, I can’t be absolutely certain, but I’m pretty sure I’m not really a misogynist. I do however take issue with feminist criticism, both of anime and pop culture more generally, when it’s ill-informed, illogical, and myopic. There is good feminist criticism out there, but unfortunately, the type that seems to be popular online right now-- particularly on major anime websites-- is the ill-informed, illogical, myopic type. I created this site to illustrate why this is a poor way to critique anime…or, well, anything.

Does Anime Misogynist seem like mean-spirited trolling? I hope not, because that was never my intention. I believe that a viewpoint should be able to stand up to mockery, and if it can’t, people should be given the opportunity to see that (yes, I am one of those tedious “the best remedy for bad speech is MORE speech” people.) I also believe that critics should avoid using terms cribbed from academia that they don’t fully understand, which is perhaps the biggest problem with current feminist criticism of pop-culture. Most of these critical pieces make the same couple of mistakes over and over again, hence I find myself making the same jokes over and over again; that’s why I’m closing up shop.

Still, before I go, I’m left with the concern that some people misread Anime Misogynist to be a mockery of the very idea that misogyny exists in media, which it isn’t. I myself have found certain shows misogynistic at times; I don’t then make the leap to calling all fans of said show misogynists, but that’s bringing up a separate issue. No, some media is sexist or misogynist (they are not the same thing), and there isn’t anything wrong with sharing your opinion on that. However, you know what is wrong? Constantly using terminology that undermines your goals right from the start.

Why would you use the term “male gaze” when it’s completely heteronormative? Not only does it ignore the existence of lesbians, it also ignores the fact that even straight women sometimes enjoy looking at images of attractive women. The repeated use of that term assumes a male-centric worldview that’s probably more harmful than whatever the show in question is doing.

Why would you use the term “Objectification,” when it clearly doesn’t work in practice the way it does in theory? The alleged problem with objectification is that once someone becomes an object to you, you cease having sympathy for them as a human being. Putting aside the fact that anime characters aren’t real human beings to begin with (which has always seemed like a pedantic argument to me), if you’ve ever talked to an anime fan, you should know this isn’t how most fans operate. Fans have incredible passion for their favorite characters, and can simultaneously enjoy looking at sexy images of these characters, while still caring a lot about their storylines and character development. I’m sure there are instances where objectification does work as advertised, but why would you bring that concern to anime fandom, where it’s completely out of place? If anime fans are objectifying characters, wow, we sure are TERRIBLE at it.

Why would you use the term “male fantasy,” with its implicit criticism that men shouldn’t have (or perhaps, do not deserve) a fantasy life? Are only women entitled to fantasies? That makes it seem like we must need them more than men do, because we’re less engaged with reality; a firmly anti-feminist position to take.

Why would you talk about “oppression,” without acknowledging that it’s highly context-sensitive; the same person is likely an oppressor in one scenario, the oppressed in others. If you label women (or any group) as an oppressed group without further elaborating what you mean, you’re engaging in such a gross oversimplification of how the world works that it makes anything you say on any topic appear suspect.

Why would you use the term “Patriarchy,” unless you’re writing some kind of paranoid conspiracy thriller…in which case, why are you wasting your time on anime crit? You have a novel to write, let’s see some ambition!

Why would you use the word “problematic” for anything ever? It is the most useless word.

In addition to all the other problems with them, the constant use of these kinds of terms in anime criticism makes it all seem very cookie-cutter; like people are cutting and pasting from a template rather than forming their own thoughts. Even if I was more inclined to agree with the points these critics make, I would still find this approach boring as shit. We don’t need even one article that complains that an erotic anime is catering to the male gaze; we certainly don’t need 300 of them.

Do you want to actually talk about sexism and misogyny in a given work of fiction, without resorting to using your standard issue Third-Wave Intersectional Feminism Magnetic Poetry Set? Please do! Please talk about how a given show makes you feel, using your own words, your own logic (although try to refrain from the “this show is so misogynistic it made me cry for 17 hours” school of doing this; it becomes a game of perverse misery one-upmanship that doesn’t do anyone any good.) Talk about why specific creative choices appear to be promoting misogyny, as opposed to examining or undermining it; sometimes, the shows that are the most insightful in their critiques of misogyny get labeled as misogynist, simply because they address it, which is just unfair. Write about your own experiences, without speculating on what other fans must think, especially if you’re not prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.

If a critique comes from a place of sincerity, without the need to kiss the ring of any particular ideology, then I respect it, even if I strongly disagree. Everyone is entitled to have their own unique take on what they watch; even if you think that Revolutionary Girl Utena is the most misogynist anime ever made, then by God, that is your right as a viewer. But don’t lecture me using language you don’t understand, don’t promote the very ideas you claim you’re trying to discredit, and don’t claim to know what’s going on in MY head when I watch something; that’s for me to know. I care about your opinion, not your opinion of what you think my opinion would be if I were a very dumb person.

And if you feel the need to talk about how you think a given show effects society at large, then acknowledge that you’re engaging in something extremely complex, where there are about a million lenses to look through and each have their own limitations. Broad assertions like “Big boobs in anime condition men to hate women” are an insult to everyone’s intelligence, pure and simple.

I’m not the criticism police; it’s not my job to tell everybody how to do their anime criticism, and I realize I’m being a hypocrite right now, since that’s basically what I’m doing. However, if you write really poor, illogical criticism, I probably won’t take what you say very seriously. If you write really poor, illogical criticism and then act extremely pompous and condescending on top of that, then I’ll probably mock you for it, because it’s comical. This site exists because so many of the people who write bad anime criticism are also pompous and condescending to other fans; I don’t know why that is, but it’s true at the moment. I don’t know if my efforts have any chance of changing that, but it seemed worth a try, at any rate.

So, what’s next for the Anime Misogynist? Well, “he” might pop up from time to time on Otakusphere, when a show needs to be examined through a rigorous, misogynist lens; it’s a service I rather enjoy providing. I’ll leave this site up for the time being, although I doubt I’ll be adding more to it. To all of you who were in on the joke and enjoyed my posts, thank you; to those that weren’t in on the joke, or were just confused, I hope reading this post has at least shown that I’m not a horrible, woman-hating slimeball who deserves to burn in hell.

I mean, hey, maybe I do deserve to burn in hell (no sense in ruling anything out), but not for that reason.

Love,

Karen

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