@midnightsmerlot - Tumblr Blog

Buzz buzz or whatever

i was so scared for him

No, because what do you mean Arcane has completely rewritten the rulebook on queer representation in media, and it did it so effortlessly that it puts so many other shows to shame. Like, how are you going to tell me this animated series—ostensibly a spin-off of a video game—has given us some of the most nuanced, unapologetically powerful sapphic characters ever without reducing them to stereotypes, side plots, or, worse, trauma porn?

Vi and Caitlyn? Their dynamic is ELECTRIC. You’ve got Vi, the rough-edged, fiercely loyal, scrappy brawler with a tender side that could wreck anyone emotionally, and Caitlyn, the sharp, principled, deeply empathetic enforcer with a heart of gold. The way their relationship is built on mutual respect and trust while navigating all the insane, tragic chaos around them? Literal chef's kiss. And not once do we get the tired, lazy "coming out" narrative or the "but what about the gays?" rhetoric. Their queerness isn’t the story—it’s just a beautifully natural part of who they are. And THAT is revolutionary.

And let’s not even stop there. This show handles gender like it’s been waiting for everyone else to catch up. Characters like Sevika, who could give you chills with her sheer badassery and gender-nonconforming energy, exist unapologetically without the narrative ever feeling the need to spoon-feed us explanations. It’s just there, woven seamlessly into the fabric of the world.

So many shows claim to want to "normalize" queer relationships or push the envelope, but Arcane has quietly dominated the space by just writing characters who feel authentic. Their struggles are about class, power, loyalty, trauma, not token representation or forced diversity. This show said, “We’re just going to make some of the most layered, compelling characters you’ve ever seen—and oh yeah, some of them are gay. Keep up.”

Like, the bar wasn’t just raised—it was launched into the stratosphere. What do you mean this level of representation isn’t the norm yet? Arcane said, “We’re not asking for permission to exist. We’re just existing.” And that? That is art.

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This is how that scene went right

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ARCANE LEAGUE OF LESBIANS: 2x08 - “Killing is a Cycle”

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"That which inspires us to our greatest good... is also the cause of our greatest evil."

VIKTOR, THE MACHINE HERALD | ARCANE S02E06

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I need to get this out, because this moment baffled me at first.

Vi is convinced that she's lost everyone, and it's not quite her lowest, but she is turning all the pain of having lost her sister and her happy little family from Act 2 onto herself. I always make the wrong choice and because of that I've lost everyone.

And she starts this little vent off with Go on, say I told you so.

She thinks Caitlyn is here to berate her for siding with her sister again, but Caitlyn surprises her. Caitlyn instead comes clean about having known all along that Vi was going to choose her sister.

And not only did she know, but that she supported it.

Caitlyn went "vi is going to try and break her sister out. i will remove the barriers to their reunion."

SO from Vi's perspective, she's just had her resurrected father die, her sister walk away--choose to leave--and now she might lose Caitlyn too because Vi "chose wrong" again, BUT instead she is met with acceptance. And this is more than Caitlyn accepting that Vi is always going to choose her sister, this is also Caitlyn accepting that Vi is going to fuck up (something Vander didn't give her much room for with all that leader talk) and accepting just how much Vi's family means to her. This one act washes away all that "its her blood in your veins" crap.

This was Caitlyn fully accepting who Vi is and who she's been and where she's from. And she did it with a smirk and some swagger.

Yeah, I'd of grabbed her and kissed her too even if that was .5 seconds after my sister basically said she was going to end it all.

sophiehattcr

can we talk about this? can we talk about how the biggest western adult animated show in the world right now has a lesbian couple as its main (endgame!) couple? can we talk about how nothing about either of their characters or the way their scenes are handled are fetishised or reliant on stereotypes? can we talk about how their s*x scene is treated with care, reverence and respect, demonstrating their intimacy and passion in a way that FEELS like wlw wrote and directed it, rather than catering to the male gaze? can we talk about how they got a sapphic artist to create the song that plays over this scene? can we talk about how both of their characters are written so well, in a show that has so many interesting characters but still manages to give each one the attention and development they deserve? can we talk about how their queerness is just a fact of the show - it is never commented on, never highlighted, never used as a source of conflict. they are both incredible and unique characters in an incredible and unique show, and they just also happen to be lesbians. i fucking love arcane, man.

still not playing LoL though, sorry.

(gif credit: https://www.tumblr.com/sophiehattcr/767977783059218432 )