side blog for my silly byler stuff

To preface, I’m honestly not even convinced the animated series is a sincere thing the way they’re advertising it. But even if it is, man is it disheartening the way I see ppl taking about Nikki…

I understand the frustration around byler and the way it seems like they’re erasing their childhood dynamic. I agree with a lot of the critiques and sympathize with the anger, but the way I see this very clearly more masculine presenting female character being talked about is making me incredibly uncomfortable.

I also dislike the introducing an endless cast of new characters and the way it’s thrown a wrench into the dynamics of the established characters (not in a good way), but I don’t see people stating that, it’s just a lot of “wow who is this ugly bitch?”

And again even if the show ends up being sincere and really warping the characters, falling back on “we need to eliminate this ugly interloper” instead of like idk critiquing the creators?? Strange.

And I am biased of course. I will always go to bat for the most masculine female character in a cast no matter what lol

I think what put this over the edge for me was seeing apparently Nikki’s mom is gonna be a character in the show (yknow another new character) who is definitely feminine presenting and the response on a particular post I saw was uhhhhh telling…. Mostly in the vein of “well idk she’s kinda cute so I don’t mind as much”

And comparing the response to her compared to characters like holly or her friends? Suspect. There was definitely frustration about the kids in the main show but the immediate vitriol to a character who is at the least a very visibly queer coded female character? Also suspect.

If Nikki ends up being a piece of shit or evil or something, I’m gonna express my frustration toward the writers, not her mere existence yknow?

Anyway there’s my rant

Tiny disclaimer I’m butch so I’m coming at this from a slightly projecting point of view lol

Will in canon is bullied for his more gnc traits (his colorful clothing and soft caring attitude) and I think that would apply to a female version of him too in a similar but different way. I think girl Will would still go by Will even if her full name was like Willow.

Will still gets dogged on for being soft, and reserved, but colorful and passionate, while being an outwardly masculine girl. But not masculine in the cis-het-perisex way. She likes colorful comfy men’s clothes most. She’s someone who wants to feel like not a burden to those around her and cares deeply and openly, and also desperately wants to be taken care of (by her bff :p). Shes contending with not wanting to/not being able to perform femininity the way society around her expects, and wants to embrace her masculinity without ridicule. People who don’t know her can’t grapple with her desire to be her own version of masculine that sees her caring and cared for.

Mike. I have less evidence for him being gnc (setting aside his sorta androgynous appearance but that doesn’t automatically equate to being gnc) but in my heart he is some level of gnc because it makes me happy lol

Michelle is a girl who, despite being pretty blasé about gender expectations outwardly, is contending with a deep deep desire to be strong and reliable to her loved ones and reckoning with expectations of femininity in a conservative household. She is trying to untangle the weird relationship she has to Will who is so open in her masculinity but sees she’s still bullied for it, and Michelle has a fear of presenting more masculine because of that (and also bc of some repressed lesbianism). She also has some traits that are automatically read as more masculine so she overcompensates when she’s in middle and high school by trying to be hyperfem in an alt kinda way. She doesn’t strike me as someone who would wear stuff like canon Nancy would, but she’d still feel pressured to dress in ways that are still aligned feminine and acceptable enough to not rock the boat too much.

Michelle loves to feel like the knight in shining armor in her campaigns, and doesn’t really fully understand why she feels so drawn to it. Will loves to be an expressive magic user in campaigns that lets her express herself without shame.

Both of them, assuming a scenario where they fall in love and get together, get to click together in this very congruous way. Will shows Michelle she gets to be exactly the type of person she wants to be for Will without any shame, and Michelle gets to show Will how loved she is for being exactly who she is.