the thing about mxtx novels is that they demonstrate both a significant degree of authorial misogyny and a better understanding of feminist theory than the average Tumblr user
on the one hand it is clear from her work that she understands how patriarchy and similar systems of power and oppression (notably classism) work, as well as an understanding of Why They Are Bad that goes beyond the typical "girlboss" or "men bad" forms of feminism.
on the other hand she does not give a single fuck about her female characters.
#every woman she writes has depth and internality and a relationship to the society she lives in#and it's really impressive how she manages to do this while allergic to having a woman present for longer than 3 pages at a time#like damn miss moxiang this character was very compelling for the 5 lines of dialogue she was allowed to have. how do you do it? - via @lgbtlunaverse
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I began trying to answer this question because I thought it would be an interesting quest to try and create it.
I came up with several potential components of an answer:
It corresponds to reality. On Youtube I began watching some of the oldest videos that had ever been uploaded, from 20 years ago. At the time, these videos were simple moments in real human life, but now, in an era when many of these records are no longer extant due to the passage of time, and millions of fake videos could be created using AI, these videos become extremely meaningful because they represent reality from two decades prior.
It is intensely intentional. Every stroke, every word, every sound, every image, would be specifically selected and chosen or created for this project. Nothing could be included thoughtlessly; everything would have purpose behind it.
It is unique because of an artist's unique vision, intention, and process of creating. A similar piece could not be easily created because it is so heavily influenced by the decisions the artist made, the skills and experiences they have or do not have, and the process of assembling the piece.
It comes from physical interaction with the physical world. Even if the art was presented in a digital form, it would have to be created through the artist's interactions with physical objects. The artist's interaction with the material world would be obvious in every part of the piece.
The origins of each constituent part could be tracked down and understood. You could investigate and learn how each part was created and where the pre-existing materials came from.
The act of creating it would be crucial to what it is. The art would not just be a finished product, but the actual process and motivation of creating it.
I say that these are part of an answer because none of them in isolation are the answer, and together they do not form a complete answer. A complete answer is impossible. But they form a very interesting basis for an art project.
Possibly this would allow me to explore "Why is it important that humans continue to make art?"
An interesting thought experiment, but I think in the end of limited use in exploring why it's important humans continue to make art, as your listed criteria cuts out too many interesting art forms. (e.g. The first one strongly devalues fiction over non-fiction, which is a position I know some people still hold, but generally not artists.) Unless maybe also consider why we might give different value to those criteria in different contexts?
In many ways, AI art vs Human art seems like a continuation of ongoing discussions the art world has been having through modern art since the invention of photography on the different uses of art (e.g. what value realistic painters in a world of cameras), so you may find interesting food for thought there too, if that's something you've not previously been exposed to. But I think in the end humans find it important that we continue to make art because we like to communicate to each other, not just to computer.
Is it just me, or has Georgette Heyer kind of... gone away? Ten, maybe fifteen years ago, she was a name I'd hear quite often. Especially in the circles of science fiction and fantasy fandom that also overlapped with the avid readership of Jane Austen or Patrick O'Brian, she was often recommended as a sort of Austen methadone. Over at Tor.com, as it was then known, fantasy author Mari Ness did a whole season of reading through Heyer's voluminous back-catalogue. These days, even as romance writingâand especially Regency romance, the subgenre that Heyer arguably createdâhas gained enormous mainstream visibility, and as science fiction and fantasy romance has become its own wildly successful subgenre, Heyer seems to come up less and less. One might have expected the success of Bridgerton, for example, to inspire some film or TV adaptations of her books (it was, after all, the reason the Austen fanfic series Sanditon came back from being cancelled after its first season), but so far nothing.
This might be one of those cases where the answer is contained in the question. The reason fewer people are reading Heyer is that, although she more or less created Regency romance, there are so many people writing within it now that readers looking for something like Jane Austen, but not quite, have a lot of other options on offer. Which makes it easier to notice the problems with Heyer, or simply the ways in which her style has fallen out of fashion. There is no sex in her books (and no queerness, obviously), but there are poisonous sexual moresâall her heroes have had mistresses who are, quite obviously to them and everyone around them, not the sort of woman one marries, while her heroines, even at the moment of declaring their love to their HEA, feel obliged to "resist" any physical display of affection. Her books are rife with chauvinism, antisemitism, and most of all classism (and frankly, I think the only reason racism is absent is that everyone in these books is white), and while this is arguably more realistic than a lot of starry-eyed modern Regency romances, it is also a reflection of Heyer's own prejudices.
Still, I took in all those recommendations a decade or more ago, and while I may be slow I will usually get around to reading something if a lot of people tell me I should. In the last year I've ended up reading a lot of Heyerâmostly stuff I had in my enormous TBR, or found at a used bookstore, or at the local library, so there's not a lot of intentional choice happening here. I'm not here to say that Heyer is an overlooked gem. All those problems noted above are very much present in her writing, and in addition she has some favorite tropes that she goes back to again and againâin a mere twelve books, the plot strand in which one character is kidnapped across the channel to France, while another character pursues them, going deep into the logistics of finding them and catching them up, recurs a surprising number of times. But she's nevertheless a more interesting writer than I think is commonly acknowledged today, more likely to pay attention to the psychology of her characters (and not in the modern, sometimes quite exhausting, therapy-speak way), and more interested in her setting (Heyer also wrote historical fiction, and some of her romances shade into that genre). I dipped into some of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton novels this year as well, and I have to say, beyond the fact that Heyer is just a better writer, it's a bit more palatable to encounter nasty sexual politics in novels written in the 40s and 50s, than to have to accept that the implied threat of sexual violence is but a stepping stone to true love from a writer whose books were published only twenty years ago.
Below are some thoughts on the Heyer books I've read so far. I will add to them when and as I read new ones, though I think I will continue to leave the selection of those books to happenstance.
S-Tier
Cotillion (1953) - This is the first Heyer I ever read, and to an extent it has spoiled me for the rest of her writing by being such a high water mark. Kitty Charing has been informed by her guardian that she will be forced to marry one of his nephews, and instead decides to run off to the city to find her own match, with the help of gadabout Freddy. The two end up first pretending to be engaged, and then trying to throw Kitty in the path of eligible bachelors, while inevitably falling in love themselves. This is a great book first because it's extremely funny. Heyer had a great ear for the absurd slang of the fashionable London set, and gets a lot of mileage out of Kitty's cheerful refusal to let logic or common sense stop her, and Freddy's Regency himbo antics. More importantlyâand rather rarely for Heyer's writingâKitty and Freddy are true equals. They're both a bit silly and a lot sheltered, but also able to rise to the occasion when it's required, and they lock into each other's wavelength early in the novel and never let go. Inasmuch as they change each other, it's only in revealing that they are able to pull off audacious schemes when someone they care about needs them to, and you can imagine the two of them having a long, ridiculous partnership in crime for the rest of their lives.
Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle (1957) - Informed that Lord Sylvester, who has a bad reputation that is only partly earned, is about to propose marriage to her, Phoebe runs off with her best friend Tom. When the two of them run into trouble on the road, they are rescued by none other than Sylvester, which throws him and Phoebe together for extended periods, with predictable results. This formatâolder, powerful man; younger, sheltered womanâis one that Heyer returns to quite often, but it works better here than in any other of her novels. Sylvester isn't cruel or a rake; he's arrogant and high-handed, though often with some justification (most of his bad reputation comes from his self-absorbed, thoughtless sister-in-law). Phoebe isn't a naif, but an intelligent woman with a hidden career as an author that she's quite devoted to. The two of them develop a compelling friendship long before they fall in love, rooted in the fact that they are often the smartest person in the room, and able to help each other steer a tricky situation towards calm waters. The twist that threatens their relationshipâbefore meeting him, Phoebe wrote a novel in which the villain was a thinly-veiled version of Sylvesterâis highly original, and the novel's final act, in which Sylvester must pursue Phoebe and his kidnapped nephew into France, is one of the most hilarious sequences I've ever read. By the time the two get together, it's obvious that they could only be happy with each other.
Good
False Colors (1963) - Returning from his diplomatic post abroad, Kit Fancot discovers that his twin brother Evelyn has disappeared, right before he was about to propose to Cressida Stavely. Persuaded by his mother to impersonate his twin for one night, Kit quickly finds himself hosting Cressida and a whole raft of other characters in his country home, while trying to keep up the charade and, of course, keep from falling in love with Cressida himself. This is a book that's interesting more for the background than the main romanceâKit and Cressida are quite sweet, but more because they're a point of calm amidst the chaos of all their relatives and friends. But it's that chaosâespecially Kit's mother, an airheaded inveterate gambler whom Kit nevertheless adoresâ that is the real source of the novel's fun. The fact that Kit and Cressida are able to put all the various crises around them to rest is what convinces you that they will be a good couple, but it's not their further adventures that you'd like to follow.
Charity Girl (1970) - While visiting relatives, Ashley Desford encounters Charity Steane, the penniless ward of a family who are mistreating her. When Ashley later finds Charity running away, he convinces her to let him try to find her a respectable situation, and places her with his childhood friend Henrietta Silverdale. In any other novel you'd expect Ashley and Charity to fall in love (and indeed this is what several characters in the novel assumeâwhen they're not assuming something more salacious). Instead, Ashley's efforts to untangle Charity's family situation, get the best of her odious relatives, and find a safe place for her are a method of throwing him in company with Henrietta, whom he has for years insisted is only a friend. It turns out that Ashley and Henrietta, having rebelled against their families' plan to marry them off at a too-young age, have been shame-facedly pretending that they haven't fallen in love for ten years, and it's only by becoming jointly responsible for Charity that they can work their way around this predicament. The stakes aren't particularly high, but the scenario is original enough (especially for Heyer) to make this a worthwhile read.
An Infamous Army (1937) - Heyer was simply mad for the Napoleonic wars, and this is one of several books she wrote set in and around them. As aristocrats and officers await the arrival of Napoleon's army in Brussels, Colonel Charles Audley encounters Lady Barbara Childe, a widow with a scandalous reputation. The two feel an instant, powerful attraction, but end up having to navigate Barbara's habit of playing games with her suitors, and Charles's impatience with them, before the battle of Waterloo erupts and forces them both to confront more pressing issues while also realizing the depth of their feelings for each other. It's nice to have a central couple who are older, more experienced people, but An Infamous Army steps away from Charles and Barbara quite often. Sometimes this is quite interestingâthe absurdity of 18th century warfare, with Wellington throwing balls for the who's who gathered in Brussels while everyone debates when to flee the cityâand at other points quite tediousâseveral subplots in which Charles's extended family play forgettable matchmaking games. In the end, however, Heyer's interest is in Waterloo itself, with the novel culminating in an 80-page, blow-by-blow description of the battle. This can sometimes be quite moving, when it captures the sheer extent of the carnage, or the confusion of individual officers. But mostly it's just descriptions of military tactics, which is not what I signed up for when I picked up a Regency romance. By the time Charles and Barbara find their way back to each other, you'll mostly be feeling exhausted rather than overjoyed.
A Civil Contract (1961) - Adam Deveril is called home from the peninsula by the news that his father, a viscount, has died, and that the family finances are in such dire straits that Adam may be forced to sell their ancestral estate. The only solution, Adam is quickly made to realize, is for him to marry rich, to which end he's introduced to Jenny Chawleigh, the daughter of a fantastically rich but boorish merchant. In most books we'd expect Adam and Jenny to fall in love, and it takes a while to realize that this is not going to happen. Adam continues to think wistfully about Julia, the woman he had been attached to before his finances made the idea of proposing to her impossible, and the narrative is at pains to point out that he doesn't feel any attraction towards Jenny. What A Civil Contract is about, instead, is class relations. The complicated push and pull between Adam and Jonathan as they negotiate one's social position, and the other's wealth; the delicate negotiations between Adam and Jenny as she learns to understand the importance of tradition to him, and he realizes that she is actually capable of being a great viscountess if he just trusts her a little. The whole thing is a lot more Edith Wharton than Jane Austen, with some great scenes in which Adam is torn between genuine appreciation of Jonathan's energy and intelligence, and disgust at his determination to tear down everything old and replace it with whatever is newest and most expensive. In the end, however, it's all a bit too bleak, and Heyer doesn't quite have the courage to let us sit with that. She tries to assure us that Adam and Jenny have found a genuine partner in each other, and that this, too, is a form of love, but this is not very convincing. In the hands of another author, A Civil Contract would have been the half-tragedy it actually is.
Meh
The Convenient Marriage (1934) - Intending to propose to the eldest Winwood sister, who is already in love with someone else, the Earl of Rule is persuaded, by her younger sister Horatia, to marry her instead. That's basically the storyâa marriage of convenience for both parties that turns into a romance. But while in other books Heyer has made a meal of this premise, The Convenient Marriage never convinces you of either its lovers being especially suited to each other, or the rather thin obstacles it places in their path. There are some interesting worldbuilding detailsâsome information about how the invitations to Almack's used to work, or about the mechanics and norms of duel-fighting. And towards the end, there are some good scenes in which Horatia has to outsmart a kidnapper, or her brother has to arrange a highway robbery to retrieve a stolen jewel that might destroy her reputation. But ultimately, the fact that this is all in service of a couple who aren't particularly engaging (and whose age differenceâ35 and 17âis hard to get over) makes the whole thing a bit of a slog.
Cousin Kate (1968) - Kate Malvern is at the end of her rope, having been chased off yet another governess position by an employer with wandering hands, when a long-lost aunt invites her to visit her country home. When Kate arrives, she soon realizes that her aunt Minerva plans to pressure her to marry her cousin Torquil, and that there are secrets in the estate and the family that are being kept from her. This is Heyer working in the Gothic mode, complete with an isolated great house, a young woman being manipulated and lied to, and a dreadful family secret. It's reasonably well done for what it is, but there were better authors than Heyer working in the Gothic modeâby 1968 you could have read something like Mary Stewart's The Ivy Tree (1961) or Nine Coaches Waiting (1958), both of which do something much more interesting, innovative things with the Gothic form than Heyer is even attempting. Finally, there is the fact that the dark secret being kept from Kate has to do with mental illness, whose handling is as tragic and sensationalized as you might expect from this author and era.
The Spanish Bride (1940) - Based on the real experiences of Captain Harry Smith and his Spanish war bride Juana, this is another novel deeply rooted in the minutiae of the Napoleonic wars, beginning on the peninsula and culminating, of course, in Waterloo. In itself this might simply be boring, but right off the bat we get a scene in which Harry and other officers stand back while their soldiers, enraged after the bloody siege of Badajoz, murder and rape their way through the town for several days. Harry's marriage to Juana is arranged in the wake of this atrocity as a means of protecting her, despite her being only fourteen years old. The rest of the novel is spent careening between detailed descriptions of various battles, and cutesy interludes between Harry and Juana as they settle into their marriageâHarry often exasperated by Juana's stubbornness and emotional outbursts (I don't know, man; if you didn't want a wife who behaves like a child, maybe you shouldn't have married a child); Juana almost slavishly devoted to him but also prone to jealousy and anxiety. (Harry Smith left copious journals so one assumes his side of the story is fairly realistic; Juana Smith's feelings on the whole matter are, as far as I know, lost to history.) The whole thing is alternately boring and gross.
The Grand Sophy (1950) - Charles Rivenhall is informed that his family will play host to their cousin Sophy, whose diplomat father is being sent abroad. Accustomed to keeping house for her father, Sophy quickly takes over the Rivenhall household, rearranging her cousins' financial and romantic lives while a stunned Charles is at first outraged, and then won over. This is a solid premise, but the execution is appalling. Sophy is a bulldozer who interferes in people's lives not because she cares about them but because she always thinks she knows better, and eventually she comes to feel more like a bully than a savior. That Charles is attracted to these qualities might be taken as a defensive trauma response (or, in the hands of a more open-minded author, a kinky tendency), but at no point did I even begin to believe that Sophy had any romantic interest in him (there are a number of Heyer characters who would make a lot more sense if they were queer, but Sophy, in particular, is so clearly a lesbian that the very idea of her happily married to a man breaks one's brain). Adding insult to injury is a lengthy sequence in which Sophy "defeats" an odious Jewish moneylenderâread, a collection of poisonous antisemitic stereotypes in human formâwhom her cousin has borrowed money from and who, completely unreasonably, expects to be paid back until Sophy threatens him with a gun. I will no doubt ruffle some feather by placing this bookâgenerally held to be one of Heyer's bestâso low, but reading it nearly put me off her for life.Â
Do you think the forgetting of Georgette Heyer in particular is different from the general phenomenon that female authors seem to get forgotten more quickly than male authors?
I now wish I could point to an article describing that phenomenon because I'm sure I either read one or saw a presentation in Glasgow about it. Sadly, at the moment, I'm drawing a complete blank (we can only assume the author of the piece was a woman).
It was the first thing that came to mind and feels of a piece with your observation, but you might not agree with it.
Reblogging both for @abigailnussbaumâs cherished description of (also my favourite) Cotillionâs hero as a Regency himbo, but for this great point.
Joanna Russâs How to Suppress Womenâs Writing touches on it, but a book I keep going back to in my mind is Barbara Michaelsâ Houses of Stone, a meta gothic about a scholar of gothic novels, which examines how incredibly popular womenâs novels get pushed by critical and social scorn into obscurity. âI bet youâve never heard of Charlotte Templeâ says the heroine, speaking of the first American bestseller, published 1791 and still beloved in 1912 (but only by âhousemaids and shopgirlsâ a critic jeered). And I hadnât heard of it! I hadnât heard of Jacqueline Susann, writer of Valley of the Dolls, who invented book publicity as we know it. I feel like we all watched it happen before our eyes with Twilight. Iâm not saying anything about any of these works, aside from the fact that they generate disproportionate social scorn and once rendered obscure are seldom revived - while the Wind in the Willows, considered the authorâs great failure at first, was brought back into public consciousness and is now his final blazon.
Thanks for this post, because it made me curious again why there are no Georgette Heyer film adaptations (a thing I idly wonder every time I do a re-read) so I did some internet sleuthing - only to find out there have been SEVERAL BBC RADIO ADAPTATIONS.
Also a 1950 film adaptation of The Reluctant Widow so bad rumour had it Heyer herself forbade any future film adaptations, although Heyer biographer Jennifer Kloester disputes that pretty vigorously - and also mentions a modern adaptation of The Grand Sophy. (Sadly looking to be in development hell though...)
All that said, I don't know if Heyer has faded, so much as she has never quite hit the same mainstream, everyday name recognition as Austen. Still, she remains in print (and from my most recent search, I even see new covers!). Despite her noted flaws, she is so influential, not just as the founder of the modern regency romance, but perhaps amongst surprisingly many fantasy/sf writers (right here on tumblr, SARAH REES BRENNAN!? Inevitably all authors I love, love Heyer, it just keeps happening...)
I would also add for first time readers to the good/interesting section Frederica and the The Unknown Ajax - both are very funny and lively, full of large family casts with lots of group dynamics, and the Unknown Ajax in particular builds to a very action-packed climax that is masterful to see pulled off. I think they are generally less polarising reads to start with too. (I personally also rank Cotillion and Sylvester as S-tier, but know people who will bounce off the romance- and both hinge on the romance.)
Every single time YQY leaves the mountain for important business, Shen Qingqiu is sent with him. SQQ of course finds it annoying/thinks YQY is purposefully doing so. He doesnât realize that itâs everyone else that makes the decision pretty much.
YQY without SQQ is kind, attentive, but also dissociative. He experiences long periods where he retreats into xuan su. Mu Qingfang doesnât know exactly why he becomes so aware when in the presence of SQQ, but he understands enough to know itâs best to have him around for important meetings.
Hence YQY has a âSQQ prescriptionâ all the other peak lords know about. Anything important must have the pair. All the peak lords know that Yue Qingyuan is absolutely useless without Shen Qingqiu, which is why he is always listed on outings to important dignitaries and such. And that way the sect leader can be sharp as possible when dealing with foreign affairs.
One day, Shen Jiu overhears a conversation to the effect of: we need to fill up YQYâs prescription soon, because heâs been spacing out a lot during the new disciple trainings. Thinking this strange and being hyper-paranoid, Shen Jiu decides to use one of his artifacts to disguise himself as a random disciple and spy on YQY.
What he finds is Yue Qingyuan, sorting through paper as if on autopilot. Face blank. His eyes scarily unfeeling. The only thing that seems to have any life in the room is Xuan Su, who is on the table and practically vibrating with energy. The disciples all try and rouse Shizun with food, training, etc, but nothing seems to work until YQY eventually gets up, says goodnight to his head disciple, and shuts himself in his leisure house to be alone for the night.
SQQ begins searching through his leisure house the next day, but doesnât find anything. Then he tries to find out exactly what is wrong with YQY from MQF, who refuses to commit a xianxia HIPA violation. Frustrated, he starts interrogating Shang Qinghua, who gives vague hints and alludes to something being wrong, but is shockingly tight-lipped as to what is actually the matter.
The worst thing is probably the fact that YQY appears totally fine during his visits to SQQ! Which is driving him crazy! Donât pretend like everything is fine if itâs not! And SQQ becomes so bitter about not being told whatâs going on that he blows up at Qi-ge and tells him to stop visiting (which is typical), but it causes something to happen that this time he notices.
For a brief second, YQYâs gaze goes from lively, almost sparkling, to totally blank. As if a candle is blown out. As if the soul is pulled from his body, he goes cold. It only lasts a second, but Shen Jiu sees it this time. He notices the micro expression as YQY plasters on another smile. He sees it all and doesnât know what to do. Because Qi-ge has to be sick but isnât telling him anything. What is he supposed to do?
Eventually, he will find out what these dissociative episodes are, and about how Xuan Su has YQYâs soul. But for now, SJ will slowly begin being more lenient to YQY, because he canât stand the thought of losing him. His possessiveness and terror outweigh his angerâ for now.
I'm super out of it but hopefully I can word this well...
tumblr danmei fandom, how widely do you read?
i have only read one danmei book
I have read danmei but only by one author (and it's mxtx)
I have read danmei but only by one author (and it's meatbun)
I have read danmei but only by one author (and it's priest)
I have read danmei but only by one author (and it's someone else)
I have read danmei by multiple authors but less than 5
I have read by multiple authors, 5 or more
I am in danmei fandom but I haven't read any of the books at all
other/nuance (tell me in the tags)
Voting ended onJun 21, 2025
Idk I just feel like tumblr danmei is heavily dominated by mxtx readers who haven't read much else (I'm not judging, you do you) and I got curious if that was true.
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I just think Shang Qinghua should get so angry one time that he unconsciously overrides the System and unlocks Admin privileges and just deletes entire clans out of existance in the blink of an eye while going "writing you in was a mistake".
And I also think everyone who saw that refuses to ever talk about it, but they're all scared shitless of the tiny human by Mobei-jun's side now because they realize he's not just really smart and an amazing strategist, he's also a god and can kill them all in 0.5 seconds. And now they all think that Shang Qinghua is actually the one running the show and Mobei-jun is just, like, the face of the Northern kingdom only.
Shang Qinghua is utterly horrified when he snaps out of it and realizes what he's done (somehow??? He doesn't know wtf just happened) and how now everyone is terrified of him except for Mobei-jun who is just looking at him with heart in his eyes lmao
I was reading a piece of fan fiction about a girl so beautiful, all the heroes wanted to make her their wife, yet so powerful, no villain dared fighting her. Instead they sought legal action against her.
Had to lay it down, I can't stand these marry/sue characters.
I'm looking at you with very narrowed orbs right now
Here's an unpopular MDZS opinion. I don't think there's much textual support for Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao being lovers in the novel. The Untamed added that (with the pinky fucking, etc.) and I wholly approve, but in the novel, they do read more as sworn brothers to me.
agreed! i think we get so little from both characters in the novel tbh, that itâs just kind of a vast blank space with plenty of room to add romance if one wishes. but there is no real textual support for it.
clearly they are very close, and i think one could conclude that they consider each other soulmates, but whether thatâs in a romantic or platonic sense is not indicated. i think the fact that most people believe that your romantic partner is your âsignificant otherâ and should be the most important person in your life kinda gives this romance wings, bc clearly they care more deeply about each other than almost anyone else. but i think thatâs a bad belief so. yeah, agreed. thereâs nothing contradicting the ship in canon, but it isnât in the text either.
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FUCK YEAH I just found out that Firefox now natively supports translating Chinese, Japanese and Korean and with offline support too? Hasn't hit mobile yet, but a feature I am happy to see.
remembering the scene in arrival when our linguist protagonist talks about how language is what separates humans from animals. and then a scientist she's talking to says hmm personally I think it's science that separates humans from animals. and I really wanted that scene to just keep going with experts from more fields weighing in on how their field of study is the most fundamental thing about humanity. just showing all their perspectives
linguist: language is what separates humans from animals
physicist: i think it's science which separates humans from animals
linguist: but lots of people don't do science. and anyway, how would people publish their research without language? language is a necessary precursor to science
physicist: i don't mean the specific ways that we do formal science and research, i mean more like how humans analyze their environment to learn, rather than relying on instinct
zoologist: well lots of animals are capable of curiosity and learning. some species are even known to make and use tools. and as for language, while no animal aside from humans has been known to be capable of the narrow linguistic definition of 'language', many of them are capable of quite advanced forms of communication, and really, it's pretty unfair to say that the communication methods that other animals use are 'lesser' just because they don't fit the human standard. if you tried to teach a human to use bee communication, they would probably struggle as well. in the end, i don't think that humans should be considered separate from animals
linguist: you make some interesting points, but i still think that human language is superior for communication compared to other forms of animal communication because human languages allow for infinite regresses of embedded metalanguages, which makes it possible to talk about any aspect of consensus reality, at least theoretically
physicist: your comparison with other animals lacks nuance. sure, there are animals aside from humans who are capable of reasoning and tool use, but humans are far cleverer and can create for more advanced tools than any other animal-
linguist (under her breath): because language allowed humans to pass on increasingly complicated information for how to create increasingly complex tools
physicist: -if you could show me an animal that was capable of advanced metallurgy or something of that ilk, then maybe i can believe that they're not so different from humans, but i don't think there is anything like that native to earth
zoologist: you're both biased because you're humans, and you want to have a rational reason to justify your instinctual feeling of kinship with other humans over other, non-human animals. yes, humans do have particularly good reasoning, tool use, and communication abilities, but even if humans are especially good at them, they're still all things that other animals do in a more general sense, so i still don't think that they should be sufficient for considering humans as separate from the rest of the animal kingdom
theologian: you're all talking around each other here. you all have different standards for what is and is not significant, so even if you can agree on the facts, you will never agree on the conclusions. but there is one thing that sets humans apart that none of you have considered: humans are separate because humans --unlike animals-- were given a higher purpose by god
physicist: wait, why did they bring a theologian on our mission to try to communicate with aliens? no offense, but i don't see how your field of knowledge will be relevant at all
gastronome: the answer is cooking, by the way. we're the only species that prepares our food
zoologist: we are certainly not the only species that prepares our food. famously, a certain group of macaque monkeys have been observed to clean their food and season it with saltwater. as for more cooking-like preparations, big headed ants marinate their food in the spit of their larvae to make it easier to digest. it's not exactly the same method, but it has a similar result of making the food quicker to eat and easier to digest. cooking in particular as a method of preparing food is unique to humans for now, but i have little doubt that you could teach a macaque how to make fire and they would be inventing new culinary traditions within a generation
gastronome: fine, other animals prepare their food, but cooking still makes us special. preparing food by cleaning is it so much more basic, and monkeys being capable of learning to cook is just speculation. and that whole thing with ants is specifically because ant's waists are too small for large bits of food to pass through; it's resulting from a completely different type of evolutionary pressure
zoologist: we don't really know the evolution of ant digestive tracts that well, and it's best not to assume that they started using larvae spit because they had narrow waists; maybe they were able to evolve narrow waists because they could rely on larvae spit. after all, humans would have a difficult time eating raw meat with how our teeth and jaws currently are, but we're pretty certain that we only became like that after we started cooking
linguist: cooking may be somewhat unique as a form of food preparation, but language is unique as a form of communication, and i still feel that language is the more important thing to our identity as a species and our moral considerations. if an animal started cooking, they would be a curiosity, but if an animal started talking, we would have to accept them as an equal
physicist: cooking is only possible because of fire, which i would argue is just another example of technology borne of humanity's unique ingenuity.
gastronome: cooking was pivotal in human evolution though: it allowed people to extract more energy from their food, and coincided with increased brain size. the language and ingenuity which humans demonstrate is only possible because of cooking
major league baseball pitcher: ya know, i've never seen an animal pitch a fastball
[all look to zoologist]
zoologist: yeah, no, you're right. throwing is pretty unique to humans. no other animal specializes in it
physicist: oh come on! after all this, you can't seriously be saying that throwing is what sets humans apart from animals!
i've documented 19 moments featuring sy!shen qingqiu's feelings for yue qingyuan with the express purpose of showing those who think that sy!sqq doesn't like yqy that they are factually WRONG
this is a long one so buckle up, grab a snack, get a drink, etc etc
number one
as it's the usual with shen qingqiu, the first thing he notices in a man is whether he's handsome or not. and here you go: the first thing he sees upon waking up from getting isekai-ed is a handsome, elegant young man looking at him with concern. we do know how shen qingqiu likes that look on pretty men (he likes it a lot)
i also want to point out that yue qingyuan is the first pidw character shen yuan meets. he's already linked to him, not only because he's shen qingqiu's martial sibling, but he's also intrinsically tied to shen yuan's rebirth, to the moment he opens his eyes to the pidw world for the first time. keep this in mind.
number two
upon getting up to date on wtf happened to him and learning his new identity, the second thing shen qingqiu does is worry about yue qingyuan's fate. he doesn't even know him yet and is already giving him the blorbo treatment. why is that? oh, maybe because he likes him???
do you know how many characters shen yuan was "rather fond of"??? not that many i tell you. he's only derailed from worrying about whether he'll cause yue qingyuan's death because the system gives him a little sneak peek of the human stick scene.
so up to this point sy!shen qingqiu has characterized yue qingyuan as a brother type, an amicable, elegant and handsome man, a bleeding heart, too good for this world.
number three
now we add 'considerate' to the many praises shen qingqiu extols on yue qingyuan. the man has to be really busy with all the sect leader work he has to do and yet he makes time to visit shen qingqiu regularly. we know why yue qingyuan does that, but shen qingqiu won't learn about qijiu's backstory until much later, and right now it doesn't matter. the fact remains: shen qingqiu is grateful to the point of tears to have yue qingyuan. even if he doesn't talk about it, we can theorize that he feels a bit lonely: he's a stranger in a new world, like a newborn baby. he may be obsessed with luo binghe but at this point of the story he still hasn't got time to bond with him. so the person shen qingqiu first latches on immediately after his transmigration is yue qingyuan.
number four
"how dare that scumbag shen jiu not treat his shixiong like the god he is, with the kindness and respect he deserves? well i'm not the same, so i WILL treat yue qingyuan better!"
(it's the intention what counts, okay? we know he kind of fuck ups a few times and gives yqy much stress)
also love how shen qingqiu says "brotherly covenant", he really values familial bonds, and he'll come to treasure his bonds with all his martial siblings really quickly.
also, may i point out that shen qingqiu decides to be a good shidi for yue qingyuan and treat him well without any "ulterior motives"? it's not even tied to his survival. he's a kind person by nature, yes, but he doesn't even try to convince the reader that he's going to be a good martial sibling for selfish reasons, which was the case with liu qingge. he just up and decides that yue qingyuan deserves his respect and consideration. he officially adopts yue qingyuan as his big brother.
number five
"at home in the atmosphere of brotherly love", do i need to say more? yue qingyuan makes him feel at home in this new world, he's comfortable around him. his presence soothes shen qingqiu.
number six
furthermore, yue qingyuan reminds him of the brothers of his first life, but the sorrow he feels for losing them is overpowered by a "comforting sense of warmth" so great it makes him feel cheerful. this is the scene where yue qingyuan welcomes him back upon his arrival from the skinner demon incident. in that scene, the first thing they do is smile at each other. shen qingqiu is happy to see him.
he's surprised when yue qingyuan takes his wrist to examine his spiritual circulation, but when he notices what yue qingyuan is doing he instantly relaxes. yue qingyuan's touch doesn't bother him at all.
see how yue qingyuan's presence is often linked to feelings of comfort, warmth, home, brotherly love, joyfulness? keep this in mind too. don't you dare to forget it.
number seven
this is post-demon invasion, while they are discussing the effects of without a cure. shen qingqiu is making good on his word of treating yue qingyuan better than his predecessor, by tamping down yqy's tendency to blame himself for everything.
"i understand that yue qingyuan is genuinely worried about me, unlike SOME PEOPLE, so i have to reassure him in case he decides to be more stressed than normal"
bonus: 7.5
("the three of them" refers to shen qingqiu, mu qingfang and yue qingyuan)
i want to quote this part too, because i can, and because this scene in the donghua was 100% faithful to the novel. just another reminder that shen qingqiu likes martial siblings.
number eight
now we're coming to the siblings-coded moments
exhibit one: "oh oh i figured it out so i'll say it before you do"
i want to point out that shen qingqiu says "obviously", because from his POV yue qingyuan only does things for a good reason. shen qingqiu idolizes him.
number nine
siblings-coded moments exhibit two: "i know how to make you let me do what i want"
we've jumped 3 years, this is the prelude to jinlan arc, and this is how their relationship has evolved. shen qingqiu knows what he has to say for yue qingyuan to allow him to go to jinlan. this is a method he's used the past, of course, because this isn't the first mission he went on after getting poisoned or after the IAC.
+bonus: 9.5 yqy being a mother hen
(this is the day after lbh chased him around jinlan)
number ten
shen qingqiu has just been accused of abusing his disciple, consorting with demons, murder, and being demonic cultivator wu yanzi's disciple. yue qingyuan almost starts a fight right there and there because they want to take his shidi away, but shen qingqiu stops him and his other martial siblings before it can escalate.
he gives yue qingyuan a deep bow. we've already established he respects yue qingyuan a great deal. he's ashamed that he's caused yue qingyuan so much trouble and grief, because he really cares about him, and his opinion of him, and he genuinely didn't want to be like the original who made yue qingyuan suffer a lot. shen qingqiu cares about his sect, about his martial siblings, and about yue qingyuan to the point that he GIVES HIMSELF UP to be imprisoned.
this is plot relevant! remember it, because shen qingqiu only feels ashamed and guilty when he thinks he has wronged the people he loves!
on that note:
number eleven
(this is when luo binghe is laying siege to qiong ding to recover sqq's stolen body and sqq, in the mushroom body, sees his sect siblings for the first time after five years)
number twelve, AKA THE ULTIMATE QUOTE
"the one who placed first" YOU HEAR THAT? YUE QINGYUAN IS THE PERSON HE ADMIRES AND REVERES THE MOST. AND NOT BECAUSE HE LOVED SHEN QINGQIU, IT'S NOT AN ADMIRATION BORN OF A SELFISH FEELING. it's because yue qingyuan is The Protector. THE BLEEDING HEART. he admires his kindness, his self-sacrificing nature, and even if shen qingqiu doesn't know, this are traits they have in common.
number thirteen
siblings-coded exhibit 3: when your other little brother tattles on you to your older brother and you're planning revenge
Remaining seated, Yue Qingyuan looked at him. âA lot of nonsense youâve stirred up these days,â he said mildly. âAre you done?â
Yue Qingyuan had never assumed such a severe attitude when speaking to him before, even going so far as to use a word like ânonsense.â This was already the equivalent of a flogging. It seemed that Liu Qingge had badmouthed him quite thoroughly.
Shen Qingqiu swore that one day heâd steal Cheng Luan and use it to chop all the pork hock in all the kitchens of the Twelve Peaks. Heâd chop until the oily sheen smothered all its sword glares!
so yue qingyuan being mad at you feels like the equivalent of a flogging. i get you sqq. like when my mom or my brother are mad at me i really feel like crying. anyway. it's hilarious that sqq is planning on stealing chen luan because liu qingge allegedly tattled on him to yue qingyuan.
it's obvious that shen qingqiu recognizes yue qingyuan as a figure of authority in his life, he respects him and as i said before, he cares about what yue qingyuan thinks of him.
number fourteen
we know that shen qingqiu's unconscious actions say a lot about him as a person, and the fact that he unconsciously took a step towards yue qingyuan speaks volumes. he's practically wavering between following yue qingyuan or staying with luo binghe.
this will not be the first time he hesitates to go with luo binghe on the face of yue qingyuan's request/order to stay with him. and in this case, he does stay with cang qiong because the situation has gotten pretty bad.
He didnât know how long he could hold the others off, and he absolutely couldnât abandon this mess of a situation and escape with Luo Binghe. Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge had been brazen with their show of bias, and Wu Wang was already furious. Either Shen Qingqiu or Luo Binghe had to stay behind, or open conflict would erupt between Zhao Hua Monastery and Cang Qiong Mountain.
yue qingyuan and liu qingge just protected him in front of everyone, so he chooses to stay with them. shen qingqiu is incredibly loyal to them, and most importantly, he doesn't want cang qiong mountain to get into trouble because of him.
this is as good a moment to remind you all that in a lot of instances cqm = yqy in shen qingqiu's mind. obviously there is also the other peak lords and the disciples, but this is important. it isn't just because yqy is the sect leader. yue qingyuan was the first martial sibling he met, the one that welcomed him to the world of pidw and the one that kept him company those first days post-transmigration.
+ bonus: siblings coded exhibit 4:
yqy, out loud so others hear: you're grounded
also yqy, whispering: let's have dinner and watch a movie once we get home, what do you want for dessert?
i can't stop laughing
+ bonus 2: parallelisms
(this moment is right after shen qingqiu has learned of shen jiu's past and woke up after being unconscious for 5 days)
When he next opened them, what filled his vision instead was a white bed curtain, its corners decorated with tassels.
At the sudden change in scenery, Shen Qingqiu froze in place, surprised and unable to reactâat least not before he heard Yue Qingyuanâs voice beside him.
âAwake?â
Shen Qingqiu mechanically blinked a couple times. His throat felt a bit dry, but he forced out his voice. âZhangmen-shixiong.â
(...)
Shen Qingqiu awkwardly sat up. Suddenly, he thought this scene was a little familiar. The first time heâd woken in this world, Yue Qingyuan had also been at his bedside, watching over him.
number fifteen
so shen qingqiu knows he can get away with disobeying yue qingyuan and doing whatever he wants because yqy will forgive him anyway, and yet he chooses to respect yqy's decision and authority. of course he'll later convince yue qingyuan that he should allow him to go, like he's done many times before, but he won't deliberately disobey his zhangmen-shixiong.
so later, when they're on their way to maigu ridge, he tries to convince yqy that he must go with them. this is when yue qingyuan gets THIS CLOSE to locking him up in qiong ding hall.
now this is officially the only time yue qingyuan has done something remotely yandere-y adjacent. and not without reason! shen qingqiu died by self-detonation, then he returned after 5 years, then he was taken by a demon emperor, then he spent 5 days unconscious etc etc. he's admittedly very worried that shen qingqiu will die on him again, this time without a miraculous return. and the best thing? shen qingqiu doesn't know what to do. he didn't know whether to reach with his sword or not, whether to fight yue qingyuan on this or not. he wants to listen to yue qingyuan, but he also wants to go save the world.
and EVEN when he's finally allowed to go to Luo River, he hesitates again when he notices yue qingyuan may be struggling!
number sixteen
the reveal at maigu ridge's scene is really long, quoting it all would be a complete nightmare. so i'll just tell you to go read it because it reiterates some of the things i've already pointed out:
-shen qingqiu worrying about yue qingyuan
Thinking he was fine, Shen Qingqiu let go, but once he did, Yue Qingyuan didnât remain standing for long before he unexpectedly collapsed again.
Shen Qingqiu blanched with shock, then hurried to help him up again. âZhangmen-shixiong? Zhangmen-shixiong?â After a brief examination, even with his superficial medical knowledge, he could tell that Yue Qingyuanâs current condition was horrible.
-shen qingqiu feeling guilty for causing yue qingyuan trouble
-shen qingqiu almost crying because of qijiu's tragic story and because it breaks his heart seeing yue qingyuan like this
number seventeen
i pointed out earlier that shen qingqiu idolizes yue qingyuan, and this is the first time he sees him so weak, which understandably makes him panic a lot. shen qingqiu thinks yue qingyuan is being talkative because he's dying, but shen qingqiu is having none of it
sobs shen qingqiu is so desperate to keep him alive.
+ bonus 3: yet again shen qingqiu's heart breaking for yue qingyuan
number eighteen
shen qingqiu, post-maigu ridge, wakes up, and upon remembering that he'd left zhangmen-shixiong in a pretty bad situation, he runs out of the lingxi caves in a panic.
you don't know how much this scene makes me feel
like, the moment luo binghe is out of the picture, yue qingyuan's safety becomes his main worry
then when he finally sees him, he's so happy that yqy is fine!
number nineteen: the goodbye scene
But even though he was the sect leader, Yue Qingyuan didnât go with them. Instead, he stood in place, silently staring at Shen Qingqiu. For some reason, it became comparatively more awkward.
As if testing the waters, Yue Qingyuan said, âXiao-JiuâŠâ
âShixiong,â said Shen Qingqiu, âitâs Qingqiu.â
Even though it would be too difficult to tell Yue Qingyuan the truth, Shen Qingqiu still hoped he could demonstrate the difference in other ways.
Yue Qingyuan was stunned for a bit, then gave a small smile. âItâs Qingqiu. Qingqiu-shidi.â
i think this is the first time they've ever been awkward with each other. shen qingqiu says it would be difficult to tell him the truth, whether because the system won't allow him or because it'd be emotionally stressful for him to do so we don't know; but he still wants to mark the difference between the original and himself anyway, because he doesn't want to deceive yue qingyuan.
âWhat are your plans for the future?â asked Yue Qingyuan.
âI have no plans for the time being,â said Shen Qingqiu. âFirst Iâll wait for Luo Binghe to return and see how heâs doing.â
Yue Qingyuan smiled. âYou truly adore that disciple.â
Shen Qingqiu was searching for a way to answer when Yue Qingyuan said, âShidi, Cang Qiong Mountain will forever be a place to which you can return whenever you tire of wandering the outside world.â
These words were said with utmost sincerity and solemnity.
Yue Qingyuan had always been this way. Whatever he promised, he would definitely deliver. And what he couldnât deliver, he would endeavor to make up for, no matter the cost.
after learning of his past, after all that's happened, shen qingqiu's admiration remains unwavering. their relationship has become more complicated on account of the ghost that haunts it, but if anything, shen qingqiu's feelings for yue qingyuan have only deepened with this new understanding.
After assuming the role of this novel character, Shen Qingqiu had always refused to become the scum villain from the original work. Heâd drawn a clear boundary between them and taken great pride in walking the opposite path. So never before had he felt such a powerful and impulsive thought:
If only he really were Shen Jiu.
If only that person could really hear these words.
but his heart still breaks for yue qingyuan and shen jiu and what they have lost.
[Luo Binghe] stood utterly alone, without a single person beside him. When the people walking past saw his face, their own faces filled with all sorts of expressions. Shen Qingqiu involuntarily ran forward a couple of steps, then turned his head to look at the person behind him.
âGo on,â said Yue Qingyuan. He stood behind Shen Qingqiu, silent and with good grace.
It was as if one was the past and the other the future.
this is the last interaction between shen qingqiu and yue qingyuan in the main novel. before leaving with luo binghe, he turns back and silently asks for yue qingyuan's permission, his approval.
it's like getting your family's blessing before running off with your paramour.
this is yue qingyuan to shen qingqiu: the person that stood by his side from the moment he was reborn into the world of proud immortal demon way, the steadfast, strong and reliable older brother that gave him a family and a place to call his, that has fought for and defended him against all his enemies to the detriment of his own reputation. shen qingqiu respects, admires and will try to do what yue qingyuan says, because he's the only authority figure shen qingqiu recognizes in this life. even if yue qingyuan's care was born out of his feelings for shen jiu, shen qingqiu can't stop caring for him, being grateful for his presence and the comfort it gave him throughout all these years. even after learning the truth, his only regret is that he can't bring shen jiu back so yue qingyuan and him can get some closure.
Liu Qingge sneered. âMisunderstood? He forced you to self-detonate, tormented Huan Hua Palace, laid siege to Cang Qiong Mountain, burned and smashed Qiong Ding Hall, and injured Zhangmen-shixiong. Were these all misunderstandings?â
Upon hearing that last part, Shen Qingqiu immediately asked, âIs Zhangmen-shixiong all right? He looked to be injured last time. Has Mu-shidi treated him? Was it really Luo Binghe who did it?â
âWho else could it have been?â Liu Qingge spat. âAre you still looking for excuses for him? Youâve lost your senses!â
No. He wasnât looking for excuses for Luo Binghe. Rather, he was genuinely unsure as to whether Luo Binghe could injure Yue Qingyuan so easily.
excuse me while i fangirl for a minute
OKAY SO. sqq here is actively trying not to blame binghe for stuff he hasn't done. because he' been doing that, lately. but what's important in these scene is that his first question is "Is Zhangmen-shixiong all right?". Immediate response, instant concern.
also catch shen "the protagonist is the protagonist is the bestest in the world" qingqiu casually letting drop that LUO BINGHE, the PROTAGONIST, couldn't defeat yue qingyuan ever and had to use a trap instead
It must be known that Luo Binghe and Yue Qingyuan had fought head-to-head several times in Proud Immortal Demon Way, and not once had Luo Binghe gotten the better of the sect leader. In the end, he had needed to use the original flavor Shen Qingqiu to drive that sect leader to his horrific death, pierced through by ten thousand arrows.
chapter 18: origins
"ohhh sqq/sy is binghebrained" GUESS WHAT HE'S ALSO A BIT YQY BRAINED. HA!
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Since BL and fujoshi discourse is the hot topic du jour, letâs talk a bit about gay stereotypes in Japanese manga and anime.
Iâm seeing a worrying number of people not only saying that all BL and fujoshi promote homophobic stereotypes, but that BL is the primary or sole instigator of homophobia in Japanese society (excuse me, I choked on drink there).
For those who donât know, Boyâs Love (BL) is a niche category of shoujo/josei manga that focuses on M/M relationships (commonly known in the west as âyaoiâ, though that is a misnomer). Itâs still frowned upon, both for being gay content and for being mainly romance aimed at women. The word âfujoshiâ â used today to mean âfemale fan of BLâ â even has seriously misogynistic origins.
So far, BL is published on specific magazines, and most anime adaptations are OVAs that arenât aired on TV. Although it has a significant following, itâs definitely not popular enough to change the opinions on gay men of the entire anime fanbase, much less of Japanese society as a whole.
Homophobia in Japan has a long history, but one of the most impactful chapters was the Meiji Restoration (1867-68), when Japanâs isolationist foreign policy was abolished and rapid westernization began. Negative Christian views on homosexuality disseminated throughout the country and public opinion of practices such as nanshoku/wakashudou declined until they were practically criminalized and banned.
For reference, both BL and yuri had their origins more than a century later, in the 1970âs-80âs.
I find that a lot of criticism of stereotyping in BL is, unsurprising, very US-centric. The thin, androgynous, pretty and emotionally sensitive characters of BL may coincidentally fit western gay stereotypes, but this type of character just represents an East Asian beauty standard for men. Guys who fit these bishounen and ikemen types are considered desirable by Japanese women and are generally assumed to be straight.Â
A handful of pretty boys from Touken Ranbu.
In the US, your idea of a stereotypical gay dude may be a metrosexual twink with a lisp and a limp wrist, but different countries have different stereotypes. In Japan, the appearance of ă€ă«ăăą/ă€ă«ăăą (âikahomoâ or âikanimoâ, a stereotypical gay man) is a heavy-set masculine guy with short haircut, strong face, and facial hair.
Sort of like the guys you see in geikomi, right?
Pin-ups by Jiraiya, long-time artist for G-men magazine.
But weâre talking about entertainment media, more specifically about animanga. Weâll get there soon.
Gay men in Japan are stereotyped by the general population as being camp, and using feminine clothes, language and pronouns. Those who present femininely are often referred to as ăȘăăš (âoneeâ) because they use ăȘăăšèšè (âonee kotobaâ, feminine speech), and may or may not identify as male. Many entertainers who are out use onee personas on TV to, well, entertain the audience. That may be the only exposure an average Japanese person has to a real-life openly gay or trans person.
As for fiction, media creators tend to fall back on archetypes based on prejudices for minority characters, and that includes gay men. A bit like how the US has the âfairyâ archetype, Japan has the âokamaâ.
Now, ăȘă«ă (âokamaâ, lit. rice pot) is not a word used in polite conversation to refer to people. Itâs a homophobic and transphobic slur, directed at people who fit the onee stereotype. If youâre not a Japanese queer man or transfem individual, you shouldnât direct it at anyone, period. Not even yourself. Although there are some who reclaim the term, itâs still largely considered derogatory and insulting.
Japanese media has an okama character archetype, which reflects how society thinks a gay man looks and acts. You may be surprised to hear that itâs not the willowy, androgynous bishounen of shoujo manga.
Wanted to emphasize this part because itâs a long read, so I want to highlight the point because I think it opens up a more nuanced discussion about BL and fujoshi:
âDonât fall into the trap of using a rather niche type of media as a scapegoat for a widespread and complex societal problem.
Donât fall into the trap of viewing LGBTQ+ issues in other countries through a solely US-centric lens.
Donât fall into the trap of thinking that Japanese queer people are too dumb to criticize homophobia in their own society and need foreigners (cough cough Americans) to âenlightenâ them on it.â
And I did some additional fact-checking on aniparo since the source linked to another tumblr post and found this text which is free to read online as a PDF.
Basically ani-paro was used to refer to anime parodies in general, and much like how a lot of fanfiction is just smut, women started making ani-paro that was just smut.Â
Relevant excerpt:
During the 1980s, the popular genre of female-oriented narratives of male homosexuality expanded when what is called the ani-paro (anime-parody) culture developed. Certain Japanese women started recasting the male characters in popular animations, manga, and other genres in homosexual pairings (Nishimura 2002).Â
The term yaoi emerged originally as a reference to amateur ani-paro productions. One hypothesis regarding the origin of the term yaoi is that it is an acronym of the phrase âyamanashi ochinashi iminashiâ (no climax, no ending, no meaning); this phrase is considered to have originally been a cynical remark, used to criticize works in which artists dedicated themselves to depicting pornographic sex scenes while ignoring narrative functions and structures.Â
Emphasizing the last part because it sounds a lot like how people stereotype fanfiction, and how in turn fandoms will apply the same stereotype to BL.