#gender analysis

For example, chulchuck is like the character that 'are technically adults' that cater twords pedophiles, he's technically an adult, but ryoko kui makes him a man and a divorced father as well showing how unrealistic the 1000 year old argument is.

Senshi on the other hand is put in the position of the 'mommy' type character. He trys to act like a parental figure, cooks, and has most of the fan service. But him trying to act like a parent is countered by the fact that everyone is an adult, so he's just being weird. He shows how weird Classic shonen tropes for group dynamics are.

Marcill and falen are the two men who everybody ships together.

Also, I'll focus on the movie just fyi, but some parts of the book will be talked about.

Rocky and Adrian's relationship, gender and sexuality in fandom analysis

[PT: Rocky and Adrian's relationship, gender and sexuality in fandom analysis]

Gender

[PT: Gender]

So the Eridians seem to be a unisexual species, with no gender as we know it. And the use of he/him pronouns by Grace towards Rocky can be attributed just to our human social biases with patriarchy —Which are the one's I'll be using to make no confusions, and I want to reiterate that pronouns don't equal gender. But apart from the headcanon of after that Rocky and Grace talking about it and either:

1- It's decided that he prefers they/them or another rendition of neo/xenopronouns or combination of some after he researches human gender identity and expression.

2- It's decided that he'll keep he/him to match with Grace.

There have been others, but these are the main ones done when exploring it. The thing is that he in the fandom seems to still be pretty much associated with masculinity/androgyny for the most part, probably coming too from the pronouns used.

The thing is that then when doing Adrian it seems like, subconsciously, people have associated Adrian to have to be associated with androgyny/femininity. That is seen as most dynamics that are done with the pair are very much subversions of the perceived patriarchal expectations of relationships —The man/masculine one being the strong big typical western idea of masculinity, and the feminine one/woman being the smaller, emotional typical western idea of femininity.

These expectations are not only commonly put onto monoallo cishet perisex relationships, but they always are expected in some way in its counterparts. That can be seen with the idea of Sapphic relationships being expected to be masc x fem, Achillean relationships being expected to have a clear bear x twink, etc.

With Rocky and Adrian this can be seen with the general idea the fandom has done. As when these things I will be listing are drawn/narrated they often have an undertone of "how good! We're subverting expectations!". But with that comes also the connotation that one is generally seen as more feminine and the other as more masculine genderwise, and this changes subvert that already supposed idea of gender they have been put on.

This goes for what I've seen the most and therefore see as the majority, this does not go for everything, as fandoms are always very varied, and this one in particular especially in regards of queer themes.

This can be seen with the making Rocky very emotional/fidgety/whipped when he's with Adrian, and the other being much more nonchalant/quiet/serene.

The depictions of Rocky being a lot smaller in comparison and the shape language too. As Rocky is commonly depicted as more round and Adrian as more triangular, which could come from this idea of subverting expectations as feminine people are generally seen as soft/cute/little and masculine ones as sharp/strong/big.

And with this comes the next part:

Sexuality

[PT: Sexuality]

So with what we've seen with gender, we tend to have this idea of femininity and masculinity appointed to both of them, to try to subvert it.

But with that tends to not only come these conclusions of gender —on an, again, genderless species— but also this supposed heteronormativity. As in, we tend to suppose in a relationship, even if not fully calling it a straight relationship, this idea that we need to have these opposite sides of the spectrum of femininity/masculinity clear. That there needs to be this binary within a relationship, even when trying to subvert it.

But we're more often than not seeing it, when turned human (as a lot of fanarts of AU has) as a heterosexual relationship. Again doing the whole gender thing and then putting it together with heteronormativity.

To me this feels like it could come from this idea that for one, we have very much normalized this as the standard, and we've come to associate Rocky with Grace, who's a man. And putting together our heteronormative and binary subconscious ideologies, and fully only having Rocky interact with a man the whole movie can be the reason.

As for one, the movie uses he/him pronouns for him. And socially we have been used to seeing only friendships with your own gender, and any crossover being seen as cheating/intrinsically romantic/sexual, with no platonic option if none are confirmed to only like the same gender.

Trigger warning for sexual harassment.

I’ve read a lot of takes about this, about whether or not she deserves better, and honestly, I think that’s beside the point. What I haven’t really seen, at least so far, is a gender-based analysis of this idea that women “deserve” something better.

The idea that a woman deserves something better comes from a patriarchal tradition in which women, before we were considered political subjects and therefore not full members of society, were basically commodities used to arrange marriages that served family interests; especially in upper-class families. It’s true that in more humble families there was sometimes room for marrying for love, like just liking the neighbor, but in bourgeois or aristocratic families, marriage was purely about convenience.

Women had no power of their own. They had no value on their own. The only value they could have was the one granted to them by the man they married. In other words, they were only as “good” as the man who chose them. Because women didn’t choose; men chose them, since men held the power.

So if a “great man” —wealthy, well-positioned, from a good family— chose a woman, that meant she was valuable, because a great man had chosen her. But if she was chosen by a man of lower status or reputation, then she was worth less. This strips women of agency; not just in their romantic lives and future as wives, but also as sexual subjects. Women weren’t seen as beings who desire, but as passive objects of male desire. A woman doesn’t desire; she is desired. A woman doesn’t choose; she is chosen.

So when a woman who was considered “valuable” (because of her family, dowry, or social position) ended up marrying a man below her status, people would say she deserved better. Why? Because it wasn’t even conceived that she could have chosen him. Women didn’t have the right to desire or to want. They were only passive objects within male desire and patriarchal society. So people would say: “No, no, you should be able to choose someone better.” Because what she wanted didn’t matter. What mattered was how society perceived her through the man she was with. If he was poor, she was poor. If he was a king, she was a queen. Never on her own, always through him.

And this perception still exists today. Not in the exact same way, obviously, but it’s still there. Just look at fiction: it’s always fine for a rich, handsome man to end up with a woman “below his level”, it’s even seen as romantic. That’s because there has never been an issue with a man, who is already a social and political subject with inherent power, choosing someone “beneath” him. His status doesn’t depend on her. But a woman’s traditionally has depended on the man she’s with. That idea has been passed down through culture and literature to this day. We’ve grown up not only in a patriarchal society shaped by this history, but also consuming romantic narratives that reinforce it.

Which brings me back to Jaime and Brienne. Sure, maybe Brienne could “deserve better.” But that’s irrelevant. Because when we say that a woman deserves better than what she chooses, we’re stripping her of autonomy. We’re taking away her right to desire, her right to choose.

A woman doesn’t need a “better” man; more attractive, richer, morally superior. She needs what she wants. She has the right to want what she wants. So if Brienne of Tarth wants an idiot —because Jaime Lannister is an idiot, I love him, but he is— then that’s it. It doesn’t matter that she could have the greenest flag in all the Seven Kingdoms. It doesn’t matter that he could be someone without a dark past, someone who hasn’t slept with his sister or pushed a child out of a tower. None of that matters. What matters is what she wants. And if she wants him, then that’s what’s right for her. Because denying women the right to desire—to want, even sexually—is deeply sexist. Saying “you deserve better” ignores that women are independent individuals, complete in themselves, capable of making choices, even bad ones. And having the right to make mistakes also means having the right to choose.

So this whole “Brienne deserves better than Jaime” rhetoric feels incredibly sexist to me. It treats Brienne the same way patriarchal systems have always treated women: as beings whose value depends on the man beside them, instead of recognizing them as autonomous individuals who choose for themselves. What that does is take Brienne as a character and basically reduce her to a passive subject; that is, someone who has no value on her own and no individual worth to choose what she desires, what she wants, or who she wants to be with. Instead, it turns her back into a woman who is merely a complement to the man she’s with, someone whose value depends on his status or reputation in order to have any worth herself.

And no, she’s a woman, and like all women, she has value in herself. On top of that, she’s an incredibly complete character within the story. She has her own plotline, her own personal struggles, her own arc, her own goals, dreams, and conflicts. All of that makes her not just a fully developed, well-rounded, three-dimensional character, but also, as a female character, a deeply complex and human woman. As an individual in her own right, she has the right not only to exist independently, but also to desire. And yes, she can desire a guy who’s an idiot. Does she “deserve better”? No. A woman deserves exactly what she wants. She deserves to pursue her goals, her dreams, her desires, and her passions. Whether she could “aim higher” or not is irrelevant, because she doesn’t need to prove her worth by going further. She is already valid in herself.

Rowling despises teenage girls with traditionally feminine interests. She only treats those who don’t want to be like “other girls” or the pick-me girls well in the narrative. It’s clear she projects a deeply personal issue onto certain female archetypes, which makes me think she must have a lot of unresolved resentment, probably dating back to her childhood. She portrays Lavender as foolish for being desperate over Ron, when in reality, that’s not foolish at all—it’s completely normal for a teenage girl experiencing her first relationship and not knowing how to handle her emotions. She also mocks Lavender and the Patil twins’ interests, like Divination, girls’ magazines, or gossip, as if those things were inherently frivolous and shallow. It’s as if being a girl and enjoying “girly” things automatically makes you stupid or as if femininity itself is incompatible with having depth and other, more “serious” interests.

Likewise, through Harry’s praise of Ginny for not crying—contrasted with Cho, who does—she implies that sentimentality, emotional expression, or a lack of self-control are negative traits, while repressing emotions (which is traditionally associated with masculinity) is a positive thing that makes you “tougher” or “stronger.” Narratively, Rowling always favors Hermione for “not being like other girls” and turns Ginny into the ultimate pick-me girl. She’s a character who barely matters or has any relevance throughout the series until she suddenly transforms into the perfect cishet teenage boy fantasy: the girl who is super hot and sexually desirable but at the same time doesn’t waste time with “girly stuff” because she’s too busy acting just as aggressive as any macho guy, being hyper-focused on sports, and being “one of the boys,” cracking jokes, being rough, and acting cool. She’s a girl bro, the embodiment of the perfect woman according to male fantasy, not female. It’s as if she were designed by a hormone-driven teenage boy rather than a woman in her thirties.

Monster Prom changed my life and impacted my life just as much, if not more than Danganronpa and made me realise I'm not cis at all. And one of those reasons.

Was Milo Belladonna.

(Abs are slightly edited for my guilty pleasure. Ahem)

For those who don't know anything bout them or the game they originated in, the Monster Prom series is a visual dating series where ya can date monsters and hook up with them. The series is rather colorful and has plenty of black humor and yet still charming and down to earth regardless, with so much love behind the series.

Now Milo Belladonna is a reaper and a non-binary influencer, who is extremely proud and haughty, but also gentle and caring and encouraging too. When I first met em I did dig their design but I grew to love em for a number of reason.

The first, was their voice. Being voiced by NB VA Casey Mongillo is certainly a plus for any character, especially for a queer one. It's just so charming and soft spoken, while still being firm and strong to boot.

The second reason is....how Milo defies gender entirely.

How Milo defies gender entirely and deconstructs it

When you look at Milo, you see both a blend of masculine and feminine qualities. Masculine wise their body is lean and sturdy, along with their short hair and usually masculine attire. Feminine wise though they have painted nails, cute clothing and pose suggestively. (Note: I'm not saying that those qualities are exclusive to their most common forms, it's just an example.)

When looking at Milos other outfits, they range from firm clothing to beautiful dresses. They defy gender and I love them for that. They show us, just how unique and individual we can truly be, if we let go off those norms. Not that it's bad to follow them, if they suit you. Nothing wrong with being cis or straight, whatever makes ya happy. Its about how you live your life in the end and ya should never live it in fear. But that's not the only reason I love them. I also do, because..

... they represent true freedom,

something we all aspire to be. Not bound by any rules or norms, but to be your own true self. And Milo being a reaper encapsulates that especially, because we only do live once (or not, depending on your religious beliefs).

If we do not make the best of our lives then what's the point?

Milo already realised that and thanks to that, they are so confident and free, dancing like leaves in the wind and following the flow of life itself. To go with the current yet to remain firm.

I love that about them. Whenever I see em I blush...I love them. To think that fiction can have such an effect on me, shows how powerful fictional characters can be, even if they are not sentient.

But I digress. Thanks to Milo I begin to realise what living truly means and for that I'm grateful for it.

Thank you Milo. And thank you Casey for doing wonderful work ^^ (Not that you'll read this but still)

Thanks ^^

(Also Viktor has a small waist due to illness and possibly malnourishment.)

In season 1, Viktor is very well put together. Short, neat hair and pressed clothes. But the further the season progresses—and the less control he has over himself—we see his hair get longer, unbrushed, and his clothes hang loose, so he hasn’t bothered to resize them.

In season 2, he wakes up made of metal, further losing control of his appearance. The way I interpreted the way he views himself in S2 is this: like the end of S1, he doesn’t care about his outward appearance. (The artists wanted to evoke religious imagery with his appearance, hence the robe and longer hair.) But in the astral realm, we see how Viktor really views himself: short hair, his body more filled out, healthier, stronger.

And in the very end, he looks even more like his early S1 self, when he was most in control of his body.

Viktor feels masculine to me, and if we’re being really spicy with our takes, Jayce feels more feminine-coded than Viktor is. (At least by society’s standards of what being feminine is.)