#always human

Granted, two of them I don’t know and might check out (Sunny Side Up! by Chocotoon and The Imperial Court of Internal Affairs by Daki), and the other two I love and deserve recognition (Star Catcher by Ro-taniah and Cinderella Boy by Punko). But the lack of more comics irks me, when the original catalogue is absolutely FILLED with LGBTQ+ comics that deserve a spotlight on them! Another thing that bothered me is the fact that all four of these are BL. Nothing wrong with that, of course, we love our gay guys (genuinely Cinderella Boy is one of my fav comics on the platform), but for a *pride* collection, I’d expect more diversity from, again, the ample choice the originals catalogue provides. And we’re not even talking about the seven seas of queer that’s canvas.

So I decided that I will personally put some of my all time favorite queer original stories in a very handy list for everyone to enjoy.

Hey so for no particular reason at all, today I’d like to recommend to you some queer media, with queer characters, who get to love each other openly and are not, like, turned into dust or written out of existence or only get to love each other after being reincarnated and dying 30 years later. As some completely random examples.

Heaven Official’s Blessing

8 volume novel series, 800 years of pining (not quite 6k but we’ll live), super fun cast of characters and a great demon/god romance center stage. They get to be together in the end and live openly and they do not, as a random sidenote, become human at any point. They also kiss. Several times. If that’s something that was maybe lacking from something you watched recently. It’s also very funny and has really cool worldbuilding.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

A manga from the 90s, 14 volumes (7Seas republished in English as 5 big volumes), features two android women who slowly develop a romance set against a beautifully rendered but climate-destroyed Earth. Super soft and sweet, the android women get to live together at the end and neither of them die or become humans or even wish they were human. There is basically no hardship in their coming together and the whole setting is lovely. The relationship is not the focus of the story, but it is present and as blatantly gay as 90s Japan could make it.

When the Angels Left the Old Country

A novel about a Jewish angel and Jewish demon who immigrate to the U.S. The genderfuckery is centerstage and their whole vibe reminds me so much of this other random angel/demon book from the 90s. Pretty aroace coded and incredibly sweet and dedicated relationship. They’ve been together longer than anyone remembers and will always be together. And they will never turn into dust and be reincarnated as humans. Join a union!

Other random recommendations that are less tailored to This Specific And Completely Random Day:

Navigating With You (graphic novel, super freaking heartfelt, exploring grief and two girls falling in love over a shared piece of media, great disability rep)

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon (4 volume manga, explicitly queerplatonic, aroace relationship between women who start as coworkers, incredibly sweet)

The Mars House (novel, science fantasy bullshittery and an arranged marriage between political opposites in a Mars colony, it’s honestly a wild read)

Always Human (webcomic available in print, 2 volumes, two young women in a sci-fi future in Australia navigate their new relationship and the trials of life together, all about communication)

These queer animated short films:

Drawn to You

Prince Ivan and the Clockwork Heart

Piece of Cake

Tellervo

The Acorn Princess

Honorable mention: this series of animated short films about a bunny and cat that fall in love in a world where that’s discriminated against. Not actually queer but also, not hard to read into. Good ending. https://youtu.be/3quYcNI3dOs?si=LA8ubXNJFaPI25GB

✨Love and Gravity (the print edition of Always Human season 2, chapters 38 through to the epilogue) is out, in bookstores, tomorrow!✨

Like last time, I have cool goodies to give out.

The release campaign is running through to the end of August, please go to https://alwayshumanbooks.carrd.co/ for more information and to submit your receipt! There's a Q&A on the site and hopefully that answers most questions. If you have further questions, please ask here and I will answer :)

Always Human (Webtoon):

Rae (aromantic and asexual) - canon, discussed in the media itself (link)

And Another Lovely Day (Webtoon):

Nora Chestnut (aroace) - canon, main character, discussed in the media itself

Elliot Lam (aroace) - canon, main character, discussed in media itself

AstralSounds (Webtoon, Website):

Resilient (aromantic) - canon, main character, confirmed in a bonus episode (link)

Yunni (asexual) - canon, main character, confirmed in a bonus episode (link)

Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra:

Toph Beifong (aromantic and acespec) - I really see her as thinking she has a crush on Sokka because she's never really been allowed to explore that before. But those thoughts die as quickly as they came. Later in life, she wants kids, but she really does not want a husband or long-term sexual relationship. She finds some people who are cool with that, and then raises her kids alone!

Deadloch:

Eddie Redcliffe (aroallo, romance favorable) - She just has aro vibes, okay? She does. I talked through it a bit in the comments on this post.

Dungeon Meshi (Manga Series, Anime Series):

Laios (non-sam aromantic) - I don't think he's even ever considered romance as a thing he would be interested in. Dating someone has simply never occurred to him. If someone asked him out it would certainly lead to a lot of thoughts.

Mithrun (loveless aromantic, romance indifferent) - I'm right and I know it. This unfortunately means I'm the only person who truly understands Kabru/Mithrun (/lh).

Every Heart a Doorway (Book):

Nancy (asexual) - canon, main character, discussed in the media itself

Fablehaven (Book Series):

Kendra Sorenson (asexual) - She makes one comment about "never going to the playground" in book one and I took that and ran with it

Seth Sorenson (aromantic) - I honestly just think it's fun to make one sibling aromantic and the other asexual

Gravity Falls (Cartoon Series):

Mabel Pines (aromantic) - I view Mabel's obsession with boys as playing into her own internalized amatonormativity and comphet. She'll be much happier once she realizes she doesn't actually want to date anybody (I also love the cupio and lesbian hcs, this is just my interpretation)

Dipper Pines (asexual) - once again, very fun to make one sibling aro and the other ace

Stanley Pines (aroallo) - vibes

Stanford Pines (aroace, non-partnering) - I mean the Book of Bill all but confirms this, right?

Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss (Cartoon Series):

Alastor (aromantic and asexual) - canon, main character, hinted at in canon, confirmed outside the source material (too complicated to link)

Angel Dust (asexual, sex favorable) - read a fic with this (no, I don't remember which one unfortunately) and it's compelled me ever since

Octavia (asexual) - canon, major character, confirmed outside the source material (link)

Mammon (asexual) - canon, confirmed outside the source material (link)

Marvel Comics/MCU (Comic Series, Movie Series, TV Series):

Daisy Johnson, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. show (aromantic, acespec) - vibes, but also I just don't see any chemistry between her and the people she dates on the show T-T

Ruby Hale, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. show (asexual) - canon, major character, confirmed outside the source materal (link)

Nadia Van Dyne/The Wasp, comics (aroace) - canon, confirmed outside the source material (link)

Yelena Belova, Black Widow movie, Hawkeye show, comics (aroace) - canon, confirmed in the source material (link)

Gwendolyn Poole/Gwenpool, comics (aroace) - canon, confirmed the source material (link)

Muted (Webtoon):

Silvia Severin (aroace) - canon, major character, confirmed in the source material (link)

Market Of Monsters (Book Series)/Not Even Bones (Webtoon):

Nita Sánchez (arospec and acespec) - Canon, main character, confirmed in the source material

Kovit Sangwaraporn (arospec and acespec) - Canon, main character, confirmed in the source material

Adair (aromantic) - Just how he talks about romance

Diana (aromantic) - Again, how she talks about romance

Protector of the Small (Book Series):

Keladry of Mindelan (aroace) - canon, main character, confirmed outside the source material (link)

Roar Howl Run (Website):

Ata (aroace) - canon, main character, confirmed in the source material

Seven Days in Silverglen (Webtoon):

Mira (arospec) - canon, main character, hinted at in the source material, confirmed outside the source material (link)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Cartoon Series):

Mermista (fluxromantic) - mostly vibes but also it just makes sense to me

Seahawk (fluxromantic) - same as with Mermista

Glimmer (aspec) - idk what she is but it is not alloallo

Bow (arospec and acespec) - I think it's fun for the arrow-ace characters to be aroaces

Entrapta (cupiorose) - I relate to her character a lot and as such I can stretch canon to make her aroace too

Steven Universe (Cartoon Series):

Peridot (aroace) - canon, hinted at in the source material, confirmed outside the source material

Amethyst (arospec, acespec) - saw someone say this once and I liked it

The Dragon Prince (Cartoon Series):

Rayla (aspec) - Once again, vibes. I saw both her and Callum this way all the way back in S1 and it hasn't died for me.

Callum (aspec) - Vibes, read above.

The Good Place (TV Series):

Eleanor Shellstrop (demiromantic) - she doesn't fall in love easily, because she doesn't connect with people easily. Her falling in love with Chidi multiple times is a huge deal for her.

Chidi Anagonye (demisexual) - I think it would be fun if he was demisexual and Eleanor was demiromantic

Tahani Al-Jamil (aroallo) - She really just seems unbothered by the romantic parts of her relationships in the show, and her arc ends up with her staying single.

Michael (aroace) - I know this because he told me personally

The Owl House (Cartoon Series):

Luz Noceda (asexual) - If you flip her outfit upside down it makes the asexual flag

Lilith Clawthorne (aroace) - canon, major character, confirmed outside the source material (link - I could not find the original)

Vespertine (Book):

Currently re reading the very first Yuri I read and wanted to redraw this frame 🐱