#glinds

First of there are many reasons for me to keep things like they are on this blog. The most important for me is that I like it that way. Simple as that.

But wait, there is more!

Glinds don’t have a gender:

As you can see Shin said it himself. This should obviously be the main proof and close the case for me, right? Well, I have some issue with this because of two things: language/translation and gender representation.

I don’t speak japanese, so I will take my time to do some research later. Though I take this statement with a pint of salt, simply because he says “gender”, not “sex”. In english there are massive differences between these two words. Sex refers to the genitals and bodily function of reproduction while gender is the overall appearance and recognition as feminine, masculine or otherwise. In my native tongue there are no two separate words for these interpretations, but just a single one (which can be heckin confusing). If it is the same in japanese I have to find out later. I don’t deny that today, in such a connected and open world, the studio or translators put this wording with the right idea and intention into this place. Could totally be! But at first I will stay skeptical of that statement, simply I still lack some very important background here.

The fact that Shin says “gender” in the english translation simply implies for me, that all glinds are non-binary representing, which I personally don’t really see as fitting comparing this to the first episode and character sheets from Toei. Shin is always referred to with masculine pronouns and stated as a brother, same with Degesu. Their sister Dr. Arisu is referred to with feminine pronouns, praised for her beauty (a social structure amongst us humans mostly used with feminine presenting individuals) as well shown with an obvious feminine body structure and clothes to show it pretty good. Seeing the other inhabitants of the Demon Realm we can definitely say that Glinds know what gender and sexes are and mean to the individual. So, there is stuff showing us that this statement cant be correct, right?

The Glinds totally can still be non-binary! Yes, I don’t deny that. Though this usually depends on an individual themselves and not on an entire race. Saying ALL Glinds are non-binary is very strange for me and that’s why I cant really believe it.

So, as long as there are no new statements on these two parts of the conversation, I stay with a he/him for Shin and Bonto. If Im wrong with the series, then I don’t really care, simply because I prefer them like this on my blog.

Fruits don’t have (a) sex:

This is something that haunts me for years now and the new series doesn’t make it any better. If Shin isn’t talking about gender then is he talking about sex? But, even Goku mentioned that Shin must be a fruit or plant, which obviously don’t need a sex or sexual intercourse, right?

Well, if we really want to compare the Glinds with regular earth fruit or plants... then yes. Earth fruits are simply a baby-plant covered in nutritious material that helps the sapling to grow in the beginning of their lives. Many fruits are also delicious for animals so that they can carry the seeds far away to new grounds. Comparing that to Glinds its kinda similar. They hang from their mother tree as babies und walk around. We don’t know yet what happens when a Glind dies and/or if they can transform into a Glind tree, but it’s a possibility.

But fruits don’t need a sex, right? Wrong again, simply because this is how earth plants work. Plants and similar individuals like fungi have sexes! And not even two of them, but many many more and so many different variants! That’s how they mix their DNA and prevent inbreeding. That’s how we humans changed some of their DNA and breed different species together to new plants we use now (our first apples were tiny and rare compared to the big monsters we now know). And that’s why I also see that Glinds can be born with sexes. Depending on the things they need to do with their DNA-like information later on in their life having a sex and genitals for mixing might be necessary.

(Yes, Im fully aware that they can be totally build bonkers with DNA and genitalia and bodily functions, since Glinds are just not the same like earthlings in any way! But I wanna keep things smooth here and I think Toriyama liked the simplicity of just putting earth-like structures onto aliens. I mean, Goku and Vegeta can mix their alien DNA with humans!)

Last point: do Glinds have to have sex? Yes. Even if they are simply a fruit and not a tree, which does all the pollinating stuff here on earth while the fruit is just the offspring, I can totally see it being a thing. For one, their bodies might just easily be built like this during all their generations. They grow and mature from a baby stage to adulthood, just like humans do. Its not a big thing for nature to involve something onto their bodies to make reproduction easier, right? That would also be a reason for the gender dimorphism Shin and his siblings show.

Even if Dr. Arisu can artificially or magically modify her body to simply look “female”, it would still be a hint for my second point here: social benefit. Sex for us humans isn’t just for the babymaking. We crave sex for its intimacy, its fun, its power, its releasing magic and many more reasons. It bonds us and I think its also something a race like Glinds would be using, too. Even if they really don’t need something for reproduction, I can absolutely see sex as a part of their social and cultural life as a group. For me, there is no way they wouldn’t other than they don’t want to.

And that’s why I will keep going with Shin and Bonto having sexes and sexual intercourse.