#submas fandom

I am an artist who does not speak English, and I do not interact with fandom spaces in the way some people claim. Saying that I “associate with harmful people” is a false narrative based on assumptions, not on facts.

If a fandom has to disappear for bullying to disappear with it, so be it. No fictional universe is more important than real people being harassed, silenced, or harmed.

I will continue doing what I have always done: drawing cute, kind, and positive things for the people who need them. That will not change.

*Meanwhile on Coronet*

Akari: -AND HERE COMES EMMET WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!

Arceus: WATCH OUT WATCH OUT WATCH OUT!!!

I want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with the ongoing drama; I just can’t handle it anymore.

First of all, I want to apologize for my English; I’m using a translator. I’m writing this because in my last post I was labeled as racist for using words that were considered hurtful. This was especially painful to me, since I’m not a native English speaker and I don’t live in the U.S., and I’m not required to know every drama, debate, or cultural context from that country.

I want to talk about how I’ve been treated within the fandom, because I’m tired of pretending nothing is happening. I often remember a quote from a videogame that I once heard: “For evil to triumph, it is enough for good people to do nothing.” That’s why I’ve gathered the courage to speak up, because I’m tired of my situation.

When I joined the fandom, I was very clear about what I wanted to do: create positive art of Submas, show how wonderful they are, and do them justice. I commented on artworks I liked without making distinctions or thinking about whether someone was considered “problematic,” and I wanted to meet as many people as possible. However, I never expected what ended up happening.

At one point, I asked if I could participate in a Submas fanzine. I’m an artist—why not try? It would have been my first time participating in one, and I was genuinely excited. I received only silence. When I asked again, there was still no response. I haven’t been included in community activities either, like making merchandise, collaborations... It feels like I’m not really part of the fandom."

I also noticed that some talented artists had me blocked. On one occasion, I asked a friend to find out why, because I wanted to know if I had done something wrong. My content had always been harmless, and I wasn’t involved in blankshipping. Even so, that person gave my friend no explanation.

You don’t realize how much this can affect your mental health: constantly wondering why people seem to hate you, why they don’t talk to you, or why they block you without explanation. Was it because you were friends with someone? Because you commented on a “problematic” piece of art? I wasn’t even in a Discord server, and yet it felt like I was already on a blacklist.

Yes, I’ve liked content that some consider problematic (blood, bad endings, NSFW, etc.) because I enjoy angst and complex stories. I’ve also saved blankshipping fanart, but I’ve never retweeted it—just like with other ships. This is where I usually reference a meme that explains my stance quite well:

“Calm down, darling, I consume all the Ingo I see.”

Because in the end, many people only see things in black and white, when reality has shades of gray.

I especially love Japanese Submas art. Artists explore many different scenarios, think deeply about the characters’ personalities, and explore their psychology. One thing I truly appreciate is that if they don’t like something, they simply ignore it and move on—they don’t impose their views on others. In contrast, here it seems fashionable to attack whatever makes you uncomfortable, especially in Western fandom spaces (feelings yakuza)

There is constant talk about being “uncomfortable,” but honestly, I believe some people need to mature. If a fanart causes this much distress, I worry about how they will handle real-life conflicts as adults.

I had a yume pairing with Ingo, and despite that, I was treated as if I shipped him with problematic content. Some other yumes even blocked me. It’s sad that yumes are seen as rivals instead of recognizing that they share something in common: love for the same character. I know some of you will say that there are yumes who can’t stand seeing their favorite character with someone else, and that’s true—those people exist. But many of the cases I’ve encountered aren’t about that; they’re about toxic and envious behavior, people talking badly about others behind their backs. In the end, it all comes down to a popularity contest.

All of this caused me anxiety. For a long time, I wanted to open a separate account for NSFW content, but I didn’t dare to. I was afraid of being watched, singled out, or having screenshots taken to talk badly about me.

I even hesitated to draw a chibi of Ingo and AZ, because I saw people claiming that AZ is a genocider. Does that mean that by drawing him I’m supporting genocide? Please, step away from social media sometimes. Don’t turn this into your entire world.

The last incident was especially serious: I defended someone on the basis of artistic freedom, and I was labeled a “pedophilia defender.”

I have never drawn shipping content involving minors! I always draw adult characters, as the adult that I am. This is deeply unfair. Accusations like that are extremely serious and harmful, and they hurt real victims. I don’t belong to any problematic community, I don’t share content involving minors, and I consider myself simply someone who appreciates art and loves to draw.

I’m aware that there are minors in the fandom, but there are also adults. And as adults, their responsibility should be to avoid creating unnecessary drama and to behave appropriately. Honestly, blocking others just because you’ve heard a joke seems like childish behavior to me.

I sincerely hope that all the people who have ignored me, silenced me, blocked me, added me to blacklists, talked about me behind my back, or even labeled me as a pedophile never have to experience the same kind of treatment.

I am still part of the Submas fandom. Others chose to step away long ago, either because of behaving that way or because they only live to find “problematic” content to judge the artists. Don’t be surprised later if the fandom shrinks or if the artists leave.

On the other hand, I want to thank the wonderful artists who have enjoyed my art, who have responded when I’ve written to them admiring their work, who have supported me, or who have simply taken a moment to talk to me. (“The ironic thing is, the ‘problematic’ ones have been kinder to me. Surprise!”)

Emmet on less than 2 hours of sleep and hyped on caffeine: I am Emmet. I’ll sleep when the Hat Man tells me to