What makes For My Derelict Favorite’s misogyny even more egregious (and this going to be rant mb) is both Diana and Cael are ‘flawed’ characters, but the story is only interested in treating one of them like a human being. (Which is objectively generous for Cael considering his depression only lasted for 2.5 seconds.)
we all know Diana was abused by the Orchus family, kidnapped, raised by a corrupt church, thrown into impossible political circumstances, and spent her entire life being shaped by systems that failed her. but somehow all of that immediately stops mattering the second the story needs you to feel bad for Cael.
we all know Diana was abused by the Orchus family, kidnapped, raised by a corrupt church (which is mostly used to show how much of a hypocrite she is rather than how thoroughly they groomed and conditioned her), thrown into impossible political circumstances (which is the Orchus family targeting her and literally threatening international conflict because of her), and relentlessly dehumanized by Hestia. but none of that is actually allowed to matter beyond how it affects other characters, two of which are men.
even if Diana grew up in circumstances that made her whatever the story needs for her in the current moment, the story doesn't seem interested in exploring those circumstances.
the abuse isn't there to explore abuse. the church isn't there to explore religious conditioning. the political pressure or the social pressure isn't there to explore how impossible expectations can break a person.
not to mention that, just like Cael, Diana has emotional baggage equal if than more than Cael’s that should logically shape every aspect of how she sees the world. except when Cael's baggage affects him it's characterization, and when Diana's baggage affects her it's proof that she's wrong.
plus, the entire plot literally starts because she was being abused.
so yeah, like I said, they're both ‘ flawed’ characters, and that's exactly why the writing feels so dishonest.
because whenever Cael suffers, the narrative slows down and asks you to understand him.
whenever Diana suffers, the narrative speeds up and asks you to move on.
Cael murders an entire noble family and the story practically throws itself on the floor begging you to understand his feelings.
Diana gets abused, kidnapped, politically targeted, religiously conditioned, publicly humiliated, and dehumanized for dozens of chapters, and the story barely seems interested unless one of those things can be turned into sympathy for Cael or justification for Hestia.
To the point where you can literally see the author's hand reaching into the story.
Diana gets abused? don't focus on Diana. focus on how much Cael suffered because of it.
Diana gets kidnapped? don't focus on Diana. focus on what Cael did afterwards.
Diana is raised by a corrupt church? don't focus on how that shaped groomed her. focus on how hypocritical she is.
Diana gets targeted by one of the most powerful families in the setting? don't focus on what that pressure would do to a person. focus on how inconvenient her reactions are.
Hestia spends the entire story reducing Diana into an object of resentment rather than a human being? don't focus on the dehumanization. focus on how satisfying Hestia's revenge feels.
and that's why the misogyny angle is impossible to ignore.
because the story keeps giving Diana experiences that should make her one of the most psychologically interesting characters in the cast, then immediately redirects all of that emotional weight toward the people judging her.
her abuse becomes Cael's tragedy.her trauma becomes Hestia's justification. her humanity straight up doesn’t exist in a story literally built on humanity.
Yet it calls itself a fucking deconstruction.
it wants the fallen saint.it wants the morally gray FL.it wants the tragic 2nd male lead.it wants all the ingredients of a deconstruction.
but it doesn't actually want to engage with any of them.
Honestly, I couldn't have said it any better. FMDF is the perfect example of how misogynistic the manhwa industry really is.
The story, just like any other Otome Isekai story, focuses on male pain and suffering while ignoring the pain and suffering of any female character that isn't the fl. Diana's trauma is never addressed, instead we must care about Cael's trauma and his suffering while condemning Diana for not being the perfect saintess.
Diana isn't treated like a human being, she is instead treated as the reason for Cael's suffering and an object for Hestia's hatred. She isn't allowed to be complex because any negative personality trait she has or bad a decision she makes is seen as her being a failure instead of being seen as traits of a complicated character.
Anyway, I don't feel like adding anything else since you pretty much covered everything wrong with FMDF
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