Peerless Cucumber

The Deeply Problematic Sideblog to a Morally Questionable Ethics Student (Don't be fooled- I'm a jester wearing a grad cap)

[p33rless-cucumber]

oh dear. hello everyone

[An Introduction and Navigation Post]

I was not expecting people to be so receptive to watching me dig up the dead horse and start hitting it again. However, this is notoriously a fandom of sick pervs so expecting less is on me.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

My name is Maraschino(You can also call me cucumber/OP/lowkey whatever, formalities don’t matter)! I’m a university student studying Bioethics and Postmodern Media, so most of my time is spent writing synthesis essays or ‘putting the fries in the bag.’

There are a lot of things I will be clarifying about my personal philosophies as I develop this blog, however, I would like to make it abundantly clear that the way I approach media analysis is based off three principles:

A separation of church(participation in fandom, so shipping, fan fiction, and head cannons) and state (formal analysis done applying collegiate research skills)

Analysis is a morally neutral thing that can lead you to moral or immoral conclusions. Your interpretation and reading of any text of piece of media does not reflect your character. (This is not the same thing as media not having an impact on reality mind you)

I am always whiling to change my perspective if presented with a reasonable counter argument.

All of these principles have a significant amount of nuance and I will expand on them below, but know that this is the mentality I am operating under as I go about this. I’m coming at Black Butler very objectively so I am always whiling to hear people out and engage in discussion.

That being said: I do hold this manga, and its fandom, very dear. As someone who values conversation, nuance, and debate I do ask that an effort is made to keep any debate civil and any rebuttal well constructed. If you are going to make a counter point please use the text and don’t attack someone's character.

I am at times disgustingly optimistic, so I am hopeful people both find this instructing, and that I gain some insight from others. But please, please be kind.

[Further Navigation/Information Below Cut]

────.✦Transparency✦.────

In order to keep my methods as out in the open as possible I am going to be very open about my research and analysis process for this project. There are several reasons for this outside of me wanting to show anyone looking at this blog how I came to any given conclusion.

Research and analysis are incredibly important skills that, in my opinion, are treated like this jarring and unapproachable thing. Through this transparency I’m hoping to not only show you my method but also subliminally message you into thinking research isn’t that hard and actually super easy and cool. We are in a literacy crisis and I, in a move of genius, am using a long winded analysis of the shitty shotabait manga to aid it.

Below I will be linking my sources and posts about the process I go through to make my more well polished posts.

────.✦Posts✦.────

Personal Thoughts

Initial Thread

On Sebaciel (Outside Analysis)

Formal Analysis

[p33rless-cucumber]

I am almost done with my finals and I would say then I could “cook” and start working on this blog BUT THEY JUST FOUND A METH LAB IN IN ONE OF THE BUILDINGS SO THAT SEEMS UNCALLED FOR

[p33rless-cucumber]

The Elephant In The Room (MY stance on Sebaciel)

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── One thing that didn't come across in my first few posts that I will clarify before I start— I am not a Sebaciel shipper. While I think there are underlying erotic themes and elements to their relationship, I don’t ‘ship’ them in the way I think it may have came across. 

Following that, I also don’t think their relationship is sexual. This statement problematizes my original statements on account of not wording those the best (my fault gang). What I mean by this is, while thematically I believe there is erotic elements used as key aspects of their dynamic, I don’t think that their relationship in universe is sexual.

This does not mean that those elements are not at times intended for the sexual gratification of the audience (or the author). All of it is so ‘doing brain surgery with my right hand and heart surgery with my left’ levels of complicated.

Also, my intent with this clarification isn’t for to create distance between myself and Sebaciel shippers, or align myself with Sebaciel antis. Moreso I’d like to establish how I interact with their relationship outside analysis so everyone knows where I’m actually coming from. 

[p33rless-cucumber]

My most unwoke, problematic, irredeemable take is that yeah actually Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship is inherently erotic.

The idea that the often uncomfortable sexual undertones of Kuro are just “fanservice” undermines its place as a work gothic fiction where disturbed and uncomfortable sexual themes are common place. I’m not saying that Taboso is always successful or tasteful in her use of these themes but writing them off entirely only does a disservice to the narrative and limits the discussion of the text.

Media should make you uncomfortable, and so rather than trying to justify it, latch onto it and figure out how that plays into what the larger picture of what the text is trying to tell you.

[starpunkd]

I wanna add another unwoke and extremely problematic layer on top of your take. It seems to me, that most of the time, it's Yana Toboso's intention to make you actually comfortable with their eroticism. Like, as a victim of years-long mass-bulling (not sexual, just very, very physical) I was literally praying for some sort of miracle defender to come and shield me from those people. So in this whole story I relate to Ciel a lot, and I gotta tell you these pictures (while borderline erotic), actually make me feel very VERY comfortable!

[p33rless-cucumber]

First thank you for sharing, there's a level of vulnerability necessary in this conversation but I understand poking old bruises is still gonna hurt.

From a few of the posts I’ve seen I think you’re in good company, Ciel is by design a protagonist who is very easy to project onto and that’s part of what makes him so appealing. He is quick witted, sharp tongued, and incredibly capable but has that carful safety net of Sebastian to fall back on, and yes I do think people like and are comforted by that idea. There’s something about being able to knowingly hold your own while still having someone there in your corner just in case.

It’s easy to understand how people become so comfortable/comforted by the taboo when Taboso invites you to put yourself at the center of it.

[p33rless-cucumber]

My most unwoke, problematic, irredeemable take is that yeah actually Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship is inherently erotic.

The idea that the often uncomfortable sexual undertones of Kuro are just “fanservice” undermines its place as a work gothic fiction where disturbed and uncomfortable sexual themes are common place. I’m not saying that Taboso is always successful or tasteful in her use of these themes but writing them off entirely only does a disservice to the narrative and limits the discussion of the text.

Media should make you uncomfortable, and so rather than trying to justify it, latch onto it and figure out how that plays into what the larger picture of what the text is trying to tell you.

[p33rless-cucumber]

This post is not all encompassing on my thoughts and to some extent is rage bait because I (affectionately) hate this hell house of a fandom.

I’d like to make a more thoughtful breakdown and analysis of their relationship however with close to 20 years worth of cannon though I also find myself liking the idea of saying “just trust me bro”

This is, well, a very jarring project. however if there is significant interest in an analysis of Kuroshitsuji as a (very loosely) semi serious piece of literature gothic literature rather than as a crass shota bait fantasy manga I’d be happy to speed my process up a bit.

[p33rless-cucumber]

My most unwoke, problematic, irredeemable take is that yeah actually Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship is inherently erotic.

The idea that the often uncomfortable sexual undertones of Kuro are just “fanservice” undermines its place as a work gothic fiction where disturbed and uncomfortable sexual themes are common place. I’m not saying that Taboso is always successful or tasteful in her use of these themes but writing them off entirely only does a disservice to the narrative and limits the discussion of the text.

Media should make you uncomfortable, and so rather than trying to justify it, latch onto it and figure out how that plays into what the larger picture of what the text is trying to tell you.