Hi I’m just your normal fanfic addict. And part time fanfic writer. I am a Percy Jackson fan at heart but I love so many other fandoms. She Ra, Heartstopper, Spider, Teen wolf(Thiam, it should have been ) (sterek) Danny Phantom, Solangelo, Willex, Owl House, Nimona and Star Wars rebels. Here you will find all of the above, and an ungodly amount of memes. My pronouns are she/her ☎️🧰🎵🐳🌊💗💜💙🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ welcome (homophobes are banned ) Our love isn’t dangerous the hate is
ok was rewatching the apothecary diaries again and noticed something crazy i haven't seen anyone talking about yet
so in the episode "the new pure consort" (s1ep14) loulan is introduced right, and the colors are really muted, like so:
in contrast, here's what a similar shot looks like in regular color
and here's what that same shot looks like when put through a red/green colorblind filter:
in fact, the only red and green we get during loulan's introduction are her eyes and accessories
anyway really cool detail i noticed and wanted to share cause i was losing my shit but my friends had never seen the show so i couldn't say anything lol
The official English version of the Apothecary Diaries translation is rather notorious for being full of problems. The fan compiled document of mistranslations focuses primarily on outright errors and information that has been cut or altered, generally keeping to being an objective record of these issues.
What a compilation of mistakes can't provide, though, is an account of how beautiful and evocative Hyuuganatsu's writing is. Her work is woven with symbolism, poetry, foreshadowing, and cultural references that are simply lost in a direct translation.
There's plenty of straightforward re-translations of the text out there-- so what I'd like to do is try to honor Hyuuganatsu's prose in English. Understanding and communicating intent, tone, and general artistry, even making the occasional addition to the text for clarification, or to explain iconography that the Western audience is very likely to be unfamiliar with.
Since the Bench Scene of Light Novel 5 and the choke it contains is so notoriously mistranslated, I've spent the last few weeks working on this part. I have downright STUDIED this scene like a SCHOLAR so I can properly retell it in English.
In fact, I've even created a document with line-by-line annotations, in case you're curious! I took lots of notes for the sake of sharing them with anyone who'd appreciate a deeper dive, plus some conjecture about my own reading of the moment. If you have any further questions, please feel free to shoot me an ask here on Tumblr.
Thank you to everyone who helped me with this crazy little project! I couldn't have done this without my friends and acquaintances!
I hope that this clarifies the intent of the scene in the broader narrative, I hope that this makes for a generally better read, and most of all, I hope you enjoy this as much as we did :D
(You can either open up the Cryptpad document linked above, or hit "read more.")
(Man, it’s cold.)
Maomao shivered and clutched her thin gauze shawl, but it didn’t make her feel any warmer. Sure enough, not having another drink was something she’d come to regret.
It would have been warmer inside the building, but in truth, she’d rather just suffer out here than go back in and deal with all that hot air. Especially from Lahan. He kept begging her to perform impromptu veterinary care on the lion. She did worry about what would happen to the animal now that the poor thing had its muzzle smashed, but that didn’t mean she was going to risk being bitten in half to help it. Yeah, it was a tragedy that the pitiful creature had been starving away in a cage, but Maomao was also a pitiful creature and she was the one who almost got eaten tonight.
He just wouldn’t stop. Lahan lamented that the lion was a beautiful array of values, complained that the collapsed nose was disrupting that sequence, going on and on about how it was “a waste,” and when he just wouldn’t stop badgering her into trying to fix it, she fled.
Apparently, even a giant, shaggy cat was simply a string of numbers in that Freaklet’s eyes.
Still shivering, Maomao sat down on the bench at the front of the garden. Finally alone and unwatched, she took the opportunity to huddle up, hugging her knees and nestling her chin atop them.
The sky stretches beyond the horizon, taking her thoughts with it. With no moon in sight, the stars twinkle and beam all the brighter. Her mind drifts to three brilliant stars in the void, drawing the summer triangle with its furthest point on the opposite side of the milky way. Were those lights truly the souls of starcrossed lovers, kept apart by the celestial river?
(I wish this party would just end already.)
As she considered ways she could sneak back to Gyoku-en’s estate unnoticed, the sound of footsteps crept up behind her.
"Your honorable cousin is urgently looking for you."
"May I suggest that you urgently ignore him, then?"
It seemed like she wasn’t the only one who took advantage of the chaos to dodge social obligations.
She pressed, ”Don’t you have work you should be doing?”
Being outperformed during all the action earlier may have made him seem rather limp, but now and then, he could rise to the occasion. Yes, Basen might have taken the lion’s share tonight, but Maomao expected this man could probably provide another little scrap or two.
“Are you hoping I’ll work myself to death?”
“Not at all.”
Jinshi, who had been shirking his work, regarded her with a suspicious pout. It looked like he believed her just as much as he’d believe a charging barbarian hoard only wanted a friendly chat, but he sat beside her all the same. The bench creaked beneath his weight. He set down an object between them– on closer inspection, Maomao recognized it as a shard of scrap iron.
“Something was wrong with the metal, just like Basen said. High quality iron wouldn’t have shattered like this.”
There are various ways to strengthen metals, and various ways to weaken them as well. A flaw in the process of smelting iron could fill it internally with dozens of tiny air bubbles, making it deceptively brittle.
“It’s as if those bars were forged to be broken.”
“An unsettling thought.”
That wasn’t the only suspicious detail nagging at her mind, either. That lion made a beeline right for Lishu. If anything, it was like Maomao just got in the way of its real target. Why?
Because the lion was starving and Lishu was simply the first thing it went for?
That didn’t seem right…
Because Lishu had a full plate of meat?
That didn’t seem right, either…
It was something else that kept bothering her. The odor.
That perfume had to be it. The so-called “accident” and the stench. You didn’t need a sense of smell as sharp as Maomao’s to notice that Lishu absolutely reeked of that musk. To such a deadly predator, a scent that overwhelming would have been a punch in the nose.
So if the lion had a strong reaction to that smell, strong enough to lunge at the sabotaged cage–
“……”
“......Hey! Don’t just go quiet on me!”
Jinshi’s voice broke Maomao’s train of thought, but not her silence. This guy should know by now that she was never the one to take the initiative in conversation, and yet, he kept insisting on being by her side. What did he expect? Why were his brows knitted with such desperate emotion? He should just get back to work instead of fooling around!
“You just want to tell me to get back to work, don’t you?”
“No, not at all.”
Every now and then, this man demonstrated the uncanny ability to sense what she was thinking. It was quite bothersome. She felt a cringe but kept her face serving tranquility.
He sighed, “Why go back, anyway? It’s either nothing but endless paperwork, or else get besieged by fawning women.”
"Don't say that too loud. The dregs of high society would demand restitution if they heard you complaining about being too popular."
A man of wealth, status, and good looks to boot– Jinshi was above and beyond. Truly divine, in every sense of the word. On a dark, moonless night like this one, where you could be accosted from any shady corner… Well, he ought to be prepared.
“They all want to suck me dry of the imperial blood in one way or another, don’t they?”
Was he saying they meant to bleed him for his influence in the court, or was it just innuendo about how they wanted to breed him like a prized studhorse? She wasn't sure.
“I’d say at least half of it is just your beautiful face.”
“Don’t say that.”
Jinshi’s expression twisted, jaw tight, like he was chewing on a bitter bug. This was a man of divine beauty, and somehow, he regarded this blessing as a curse. With his right hand, he traces the scar on his cheek, the one part of his face where the perfection wanes. Everyone in the entire empire grieved the wound as a national tragedy, so was it just her imagination that he treasured it?
Not that Maomao disliked it, either. Human beings aren’t supposed to be perfect. In Jinshi’s case, his outward appearance had been so immaculately tailored that his own face didn’t suit his true self. Logically speaking, this was simply the mending of an error. A restitch overdue, even.
What was so wrong with adjusting something mismatched at birth?
Besides. It might be a scratch in a conspicuous spot on the cheek, but it was also her dad's handiwork. Every time she'd stroked it while applying medicine or makeup, she'd admired how neatly it was healing. The sensation under her fingertips was fading– slowly but steadily.
He spoke again, “Maybe I should say I burned my face and apply new scars every time I go out in public.”
“No, the color will eventually stain,” Maomao's gaze flicked over the powder he was using to cover up the reddish-pink blemish the sticky makeup left behind. That's what happened when you used it for about twenty days straight.
She had a suggestion though, “If it's burns you want, I'll help you.”
If he was going to do it anyway, she may as well take the chance to test out this new burn ointment recipe she’d been concocting.
“Stop that,” He dismissed, “Gaoshun would die before I even finished roasting. The makeup’s a bit of a bother, but, well… easy. It was so easy it made the rest easy, too. All along the way, I was free from worry.”
Between how none of the village girls wanted to take a pass at the dour “burn victim,” and how the journey liberated him from his chronic desk job, he had plenty of reasons to be over the moon. Meanwhile, Maomao had nothing to do except watch the scenery roll by. AND all the sitting made her butt hurt. Even just thinking about the return journey was making her start to feel… heavy.
“It seems like you didn’t like the carriage very much, did you?” There was that mind-reading ability again, “Would you like to practice riding a horse?”
“I’d really rather just be able to take the bed.”
Maomao had already modified the carriage for the journey by making herself a bed. The problem was, everyone else also liked her bed. Whenever she went to use it, chances were that some lump was already lounging in it.
“Aah, yes. I’m also hoping to sleep more comfortably.”
Her belly flipped to a rolling boil. That was a BOLD thing to say when he was the biggest lump of them all. He'd go riding around on the horses, enjoying the great outdoors, then come flop down on HER bed whenever he got bored. Easy for him to be so “free from worry” when he was always snug as a bug in a rug!
“After all, I’m on His Majesty’s imperial orders to enjoy this trip. And,”
Jinshi flashed a small, wry smile,
“I was told to choose carefully.”
If he was told to choose carefully, that could only mean he’d been told to choose a bride. This bounty of women had been gathered for that purpose. Whichever one he picked, a reaction from the court would follow. The nation’s future, its direction, the fate of the empire itself, laid upon the fruit of his choice.
Would he strengthen ties with neighboring countries? Would he join forces with domestic factions at home? Either way, his position would shift depending on his choice. Additionally, the intention behind hosting such an event in Sei-Yi-Shu was loud and clear: Deepen your ties with the west. That would explain why Uryuu had brought along his other daughter, too.
‘Who will he choose?’
No matter. His choice didn’t involve her. Maomao would always behave in accordance with what was expected in her role as practitioner alone. Nothing less, and nothing more.
Or, well, behaving was the plan…
But the instant it occurred to her that their fingertips had connected, her hand had already been seized. His grasping hand pressed desperately against hers, palms together, fingers intertwined. It was a full size bigger than her own, rough and calloused. Long fingers ensnared Maomao’s hand, as if he intended to hold on forever.
“Sir, could you ever be obliged to let go?”
“If I let go, wouldn’t you keep trying to run away?”
“Do you plan to do something I’d want to run away from?”
“Sometimes I just want to smack you!”
Jinshi’s gaze sought Maomao like an animal tracking prey. That look, reminiscent of a starving, stray dog, belonged to neither the eunuch official nor the imperial prince. If it belonged to anyone, it was someone else entirely.
“Good sir, a mark on the face would surely draw attention. I humbly request that you smack me somewhere less conspicuous."
“I wouldn’t actually hit you.”
“Yeah, I’m aware.”
The noble Jinshi wasn’t the type to lay his hands on women, children, and other innocents. Well, wait– actually, he would lay his hands on her; whenever she’d swill down something toxic, he’d either force an emetic down her throat to clean it out, or wrestle her until she spit it up.
“At best, you’ll twist my arm and choke me out until I’ve spilled my guts.”
“That's on you! Why do you keep trying to poison yourself?!"
She shrugged, “I wouldn’t know…”
The saying goes that “experience makes the best teacher,” but it seemed that Maomao was the only one putting that into practice. People thought she was so much smarter than them, but she wasn’t. She simply had her specialized interests, and that would cause her to put more thought into learning about them. Even worse, it always seemed like she had more thoughts than feelings. Joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure– she felt those, just… less than other humans, apparently.
And yet, there were emotions that everyone else seemed to have that she didn’t understand.
His pulse throbbed through her palm, echoed in her veins. Sweat slicked their shared touch. She looked up at lowered lashes. Eyes dark as the moonless night fixed on her with intent, so close that Maomao could see herself reflected upon them.
The courtesans had a saying, thus had she heard; “You know hell when you know it.”
The customers had a saying in turn, thus had she heard; “That’s why we come here, to get it.”
That unspeakable word was written with four letters in the west, thirteen strokes of a brush in the east, and in both it bore a slot where a heart could go. It was branded vulgar. It was dismissed as a toy in a game. It was something that she’d heard some say they couldn't live without.
Jinshi’s free hand reached up to the side of Maomao’s head. His fingertips gently rounded the curve of her ear, brushing a wisp of hair down, down to the nape of her neck where his touch came to a sudden halt.
“You’re really wearing it, after all.”
His hand hovered where her hair was tied up in the kanzashi. Pure silver of the finest make, crafted into a motif of poppies under the light of the moon. She’d assumed Lahan prepared it, but apparently, she’d assumed wrong.
That explained why everyone was so interested in her hairstick.
"Oh, was this from you, sir? I already don’t know how to feel about the moon, but the poppies are just in poor taste."
The flowers reminded her of the White Lady, Pai Niangniang. Though they had a superficial resemblance to the common field poppy that grew in disturbed soil like a weed, the much larger opium poppy was cultivated for making drugs– opiates.
“No more. Don’t ruin the moment. Had it made before the journey. Made sure you’d have a replacement for the old one.”
Jinshi’s hum came from above. His chin rested atop her head, hooked on her crown. He toyed with her hair, a lock between his fingertips, idly twirling round and round. Warm breath fanned her neck from a deep, dreamy sigh. Anyone who happened to pass by would have mistaken them for a couple in an amorous embrace, and Maomao was struck by the concern that an onlooker would get the wrong idea.
“Master Jinshi, you have to move on.”
"What do you mean?”
“What would you do if someone saw this?”
Maomao wasn’t the only little kitty who might slink away from all the commotion. This spot was hidden away from the banquet’s firelight, protected from prying eyes by the trees and shadows, but that didn’t mean no one could stumble across them. He had to know the reason why he was brought here in the first place.
“It's been settled that Lady Lishu is not your niece by blood. You needn't worry about the effects of inbreeding.”
Maomao’s words let loose with all the cold detachment of shooting an arrow. Jinshi winced like it was a direct hit.
Nevertheless, she continued, “Surely you understand that’s the safest option?”
Forget about that whole affair about Basen and Lishu earlier. Just, pretend it never happened. Even if there was a desultory spark, a tiny little sprout between them– It could never have meaning. Never be more than a painful waste of time. Best to nip it in the bud. Safest for it to have never existed at all.
“To hell with safe!”
The chill grazed her ear as his voice went cold as a blade. The playful twirling of her hair came to an end, one hand sliding down her nape, circling round her throat. Long fingers across the whole of her neck that began applying pressure.
“Too much…”
“Too much what?”
Just too much! Pressure, pain, whatever, what did it matter what it was too much of? Yet, he only pressed harder. Entwined fingers seized her hand upward, twisting her arm behind her back. Lunatic! Moron! Freak! Her joint was going to pop right out of the socket! Neck in the gallows of his grip, her arm kinked around the back, Maomao's face was painted with anguish. Her jaw flung open like a flapping fish, tilting back to glub for any bit of breath she could catch. All her dignity had been drained out of her dumb face, and worse, Jinshi was looking down at her from above, admiring his view of her silly, stupid expression, and then—
"……"
Maomao inhaled his heavensent air with raga– the lust of a glutton who indulges in desire. The scent of flowers tickled her nose. She’d expected the divinity of peach blossoms in early spring, but instead this was tea jasmine, simple and sincere. It wasn’t what she’d imagined for the breath of a divine envoy.
His thin lips were slightly dry and just a bit hot.
The hand that choked her neck was now relaxed to cradle her head, and the one that twisted her arm loosened to take her hips in an intimate embrace.
However long they stayed like that, she didn't know. They lingered for exactly as long as he felt it would take for his breath to fill her lungs, pass through her heart, and circulate through every vein of her body. It was only then that he broke the kiss to leer down at her, a glimmer of victory in his gaze.
Tears that had welled up in her eyes, tears he’d squeezed out of her, were now being tenderly swept away by his thumb. Inexplicable fury surged out instead.
“...if you’re going to kill me, have the decency to do it with some venom.”
“I said I would never do that to you,” Jinshi’s fingers traced Maomao’s lips, “and I won’t let you poison yourself either.”
“So,” He declared, “Don’t even try to claim you didn’t know you were one of the candidates. You were clearly prepared to play dumb until the bitter end.”
He wasn’t done, “And what was that guy about, anyway? It’s not like you to dance along to someone else’s tune.”
So he had been watching them, then. Intently.
“That was just the cost of a cheap drink.”
Maomao tried to twist away to avoid his searching gaze, but she couldn't, not while he kept her head locked in his grasp. Her mind was running like her body couldn’t, spiralling around and around down to a single urge; run! Run! Run away! Until escape was the only thing she could think of.
She blurted out, “There’s no good in picking a nobody like me!”
“Lahan escorted you here, didn’t he? Everyone will take this as your debut.”
Okay, fine. She could see Jinshi had a point. Maybe deploying her as the La Clan’s marriage candidate was the plan from the start as Lahan’s opening gambit. Ew. Her belly revolted just thinking about it. She would have to crush his toes later.
That aside. If the prince picked a blood relative of the La Clan… well, among the Named Clans, the La Clan was unique in that it maintained a strong sense of neutrality between the factions at court. In that sense, if you were to say this was a safe choice, you probably wouldn’t be wrong. Exactly like Rikuson said earlier. However! They’d all left out a crucial point on the board!
“You’d have to face that man as your adversary.”
She was, of course, referring to the old crank with the monocle. Just imagine the chaos he would have caused if he’d been present! He would have unleashed utter pandemonium so fierce that the escaped lion would have looked like a kitten in comparison, no doubt about it. That was sure to put him off, and she prepared herself to watch Jinshi waver-- but his resolve only faltered for an instant.
"...you agreed to pick up where we left off, didn’t you?"
Once again, she found herself seized. His body pinned hers against the bench, pressing into her so fully that even her hair felt quashed into place. Something slicker than his breath negotiated its way past her lips, sweeping away any remnants of protest. Up close, she could see that his obsidian eyes had gone feral. Brighter than any star even through their dusky haze, both shaded and fervent at once. This was a man who could choose to live a life without want; and yet, within him were the occasional hunger pangs of wanting. He was starving for something and to satisfy this craving was all he wanted.
(He should just choose someone else.)
That which he craved could surely be found within anyone else he’d been provided. A countless number of people were desperate to be the ones providing! Why was he going out of his way to beg at the altar of a broken being for what she didn’t have and couldn’t grant?
Her anxious mind was still urging her to run. Devastation was surely looming. She wanted to evade disaster, but the wild eyes of the hound wouldn’t let her escape. He had his own raga, his all-consuming desire, driving him to hunt what shouldn’t exist. He would rip her apart and find nothing there. Maomao could only meet his feral gaze with the hollow eyes of an effigy.
It only served to stoke the stray dog’s desperation, pressing ever heavier, rooting even deeper.
(This time I might be smothered to death.)
She’d been mounted by a man nearly twice her size. Yet, she knew that courtesans just had to suck it up when they took on clients more than thrice their weight class. They couldn’t whine about it being “too much.” If she coughed up a pathetic complaint like that in front of her beloved sister Pairin, Guru of the Pleasure Garden, do you know what she’d say?
“Even a respected visitor mustn’t be allowed to take the lead. This skill will make or break your value in this house!”
And she’d lay out that teaching in her most seductive tone, accompanied by an erotic display. This was a memory from when she’d been initiated into the doctrines of the courtesan, in spite of the childish fits she’d pitched at the time.
“......”
Maybe it would have been better to just keep laying there, let him see for himself that she was a doll with nothing but stuffing inside. Maybe that would have been worse. Who knows. The only thing we can know is this; Remembering Pairin’s precept also meant remembering everything Pairin prepared her for. Everything she’d had to do to get out of that locked room, every submission she made to get that passing grade, every tear she’d just barely stopped from spilling out when she’d finally performed well enough to earn her big sister’s satisfaction.
It had been drilled into her until reluctance was replaced by reflex.
That’s why she insisted that the author say this clearly; 猫猫に罪はない.
And that’s why the translator now says it clearly (but in English this time); Maomao did nothing wrong.
And what does that mean? Well! It means, when push came to shove–
Maomao sucked up all the saliva he’d pooled in her mouth and swallowed it in one gulp. She parted her lips, a lure, and when the opponent had been reeled into her feint, she slid her tongue across enemy lines.
Wonder and delight sprang to Jinshi’s face, but he didn’t last very long. His body responded with a twitch, and then it twitched again, which caused his hold on Maomao to soften. Enough to turn the tables on him– or maybe the bench.
We’ll say it again; Maomao is innocent of any crime. This act was, legally, vis major– the Will of Heaven.
In her attempt to pay him back, Maomao mistakenly used all of her Pleasure Garden training on Jinshi, subjecting him to an artisanal whore’s finest techniques. Oops!
Uraraka's quirk counselling program is nothing but a pale imitation of the Remedial arc, and does everything so much worse.
The remedial arc explores how the license trainees can get through to the unruly kids with quirks that affect their development and it comes up with ideas ideas like cooperation, treating them like equal and emphasizing how the kids' "splendid quirks" are essential to make the slide work. The quirk counselling program on the other hand gives them a competition based on quirk hierarchy that favors the best emitter quirks. Not only that, but Mirio (the No 1 hero) is lording his superior abilities over the kids in direct competition between an adult pro hero and some untrained kids with various levels of quirks.
In the Remedial arc, the kid standing apart gets heartfelt and sincere, life-changing advice from Bakugo that changes his perspective on things. In the quirk counselling program, Uraraka helps the kid cheat giving him a fake sense of confidence that will be useless to him long-term both for accomplishment or peer acceptance.
In the Remedial arc we get a long, thoughtful discussion about the challenges quirk singularity poses for the education system. The heroes and the homeroom teacher communicate with each other. Quirk counselling program is basically "don't worry about the paperwork, you will for sure notice the signs" (that the teachers for some reason can't).
In the same chapter that present Deku sensei to us as a transformative force in society, the rest of the teachers are so useless that heroes in their spare time surely will notice more than them. So is teaching a worthwhile profession or not?
In the Remedial arc we actually get to see a kid's quirk getting reconceptualized from purely destructive to something that can help society. Quirk counselling program: pseudo-Deku is momentarily popular thanks to Ochako helping him cheat. Even pseudo-Bakugou is impressed.
Remedial arc: a personal connection is formed between the trainees and the kids.
The quirk counselling program couldn't care less about the kids. It's just a fig leaf to cover up how empty the "society then changed" claim is.
The Remedial arc is one of my favorite arcs in the whole manga, because the lessons it taught went really to the heart of quirk society's imbalances, as well as what it means to save someone. I'm sad all the build-up and themes were forgotten and thrown away and the quirk counselling program has no traces left of the ideas that made the remedial arc work.
It's also kind of annoying to again take away something that was built up for other characters and give it to Uraraka to fill her meandering arc with something but whatever.
@mothervvoid let me reblog your tags because they are so interesting. Especially the idea of Mirio actually talking about how his own quirk was at one point considered both dangerous and not having great potential would have been so much better showcase, than meme-ing himself.
I hope deku wont forgive bakugou only because he said sorry. The lack of consequences for bakugous bullying of deku for 10 years is killing me
What are you talking about? Bakugou has had a lot of consequence - much of it self-inflicted.
He lost his battle training exercise
He was shunned by the class
He was put on a grotesque display at the Sport Festival which led to his kidnapping
He got the crap beaten out of him by All Might
His kidnapping led to All Might's downfall
He was villainized on public TV and people were talking behind his back how he ended their beloved No 1
He failed his provisional licensing exam
He was the victim always to be saved, while his rival had kickass villain fights and got stronger and got acknowledged by their personal hero
He realized what a shithead he was and started to atone by helping Deku get stronger, by protecting him
He laid down his life for Deku and his last thought before his almost-death was not for himself but that he needed to apologize
His first waking thought in the hospital was how he wanted to apologize...
And now he publicly humbled himself, admitted to how he was in the wrong the whole time, apologized and vowed his loyalty and support to Deku.
Like what the hell else should he still be doing so the antis shut up finally?
You want him in prison or dead when there are thousands of dangerous villains running around for stuff he did when he was just a dumb kid? You want the class to kick into him now that he's stepped up and keeps doing better? You want Deku to push him away when all he ever wanted was to be close to him?
Bakugou learning the hard truths about his misconceptions is consequence. Facing his weaknesses is a consequence. Owning up to his shit is a consequence. Holding himself more accountable than anyone ever could is a consequence. Having to live with it for the rest of his life is a consequence.
Luckily, there is about 0% chance of Deku not forgiving Bakugou. Deku who cared for and admired Bakugou even at his worst, who behaved like a true friend through it all, who celebrated every baby step Kacchan took, who so sincerely cheered on his progress - and you seriously think now that Kacchan is putting himself out there all vulnerable and open, full of remorse, Deku would tell him to fuck off?
Are we reading the same manga? Do you understand Deku's character at all?
Welcome to the Language category of Paragontic’s List of Zosan Doujinshis.
I’d like to remind everyone that this is a post aimed for English-speakers. So I will not repeat the same manga but in different languages in each category.
Engrish
We’re making love at the age of 19 and 21 (Prequel of At 19 and 21 years, the caresses continue)
Boukyaku Countdown [1 & 2 / ??]
Boukyaku Countdown [3/??]
No, No
No, No 2
Pointless Perverted Gag
Hito Wa Maigo Iu Keredo
Spit Soul
Yuigon Wa Iru Ka
Pirate Ship Noah
Kierkegaard no Jitsuzon
Pool Bar (Read Version)
Jelicle Cats
The Ecstasy Zoro
The Dice is Cast
Display Fight
Damn Summer
Ordinary Sweet [2/4] (Part 1 Not Available)
Ordinary Sweet [¾]
Ordinary Sweet [4/4]
Pink Noise Babies [½]
Pink Noise Babies [2/2]
Unwanted (Watch Version)
Unwanted (Read Version)
Under Bar
Curiosity kills the Cat
Be All and End All
Biribiri
Attack No 11 (Watch Version)
Attack No 11 (Read Version)
As You Like
A Toast In The Bathroom
24 Hours
White Locked Room Solution
Three Days of Extreme Extravagance
Dark Nights Opened Doors
Shirokujichuu [½]
Shirokujichuu [2/2]
Fox Weather
Drop [½]
Drop [2/2]
Lotus Maker
Seishun Tone Dial
Your Voice
No Joke
Cook Hunting
33-307
Uso To Oni / Lie and Demon
Umi Utushi
Lover Boys [1/3]
Lover Boys [2/3]
Lover Boys [3/3]
Dasein [1/3]
Dasein [2/3]
Dasein [3/3]
To Aru Kaii (Prequel of Pointless Perverted Gag)
Iromono Club [½]
Iromono Club [2/2]
Samurai Cowboy
Progpose
Veterinarian Super (Prequel of Veterinarian Return)
Veterinarian Return (Sequel of Veterinarian Super)
Oishii Soba Ha Kimi No Soba [1/3]
Oishii Soba Ha Kimi No Soba [2/3]
Oishii Soba Ha Kimi No Soba [3/3]
All [¼]
All [2/4]
All [¾]
All [4/4]
Having a Signal
Island Walker [1/5]
Island Walker [2/5]
Island Walker [3/5]
Island Walker [4/5]
Island Walker [5/5]
Petito Principii
Jargeting Slow Green
A Walk Until The Next Year
A Chance of Victory or Defeat
Not Perpetual Mind
Yves Piaget
Sweet Martini
10 Minutes More
Your Love Put Me At The New World
A Good Luck Charm So You’ll Return Safely
All Day Love
An Omnivorous Feeder
Drunk
Tiger’s Keeper
Simple Guy + Extra
Pool Bar (Watch version)
Count Time
Hot Dog Press
Very Berry Sweete
Natsubi
Lose Himself and Then Win Out
A Kiss Coram Populo
Amayadori / Sheltering From The Rain
Raws
At 19 and 21 years, the caresses continue(RAW) (Sequel of We’re making love at the age of 19 and 21)
No Pain, No Gain (RAW)
Danshi Mikka Awazareba Katsumokushite Kore Miyu (RAW)
Apparently, in China, the traditional way is for the wife to wear her ring on her right hand (it's free choice though) :3c
Your insulin shot is under the readmore (this is a warning)
I will try to keep this post updated, but under cut here is all Momojirou moments. Keep in mind that there will be spoilers of the manga.
I added everything from manga, spin off mangas, novels, ovas, extra hero fest skits and movies. Drama cds and the latest ovas are still missing.
If you want to see these moments´ screenshots I am posting them here.
MOMOJIROU MOMENTS
MANGA
014-016: Kaminari, Momo and Jirou fight together against the villains. Momo at one point cover Jirou with a blanket - to protect them from the electricity - and Jirou finds out how Momo´s quirk work. She is pretty embarrassed/shocked and blushing at Momo´s naked chest.
020: Still in the same fight, with Kaminari, waiting for rescue
031-032: Momo and Jirou are having lunch together when Kaminari and Mineta approach them to tell them about the cheerleading stuff. Momo and Jirou are both quite unhappy with the cheerdleaders uniform
058: Momo and Jirou comment on Deku´s power, agreeing that it is pretty bad that he has to hurt himself every time
060: Finding out Momo´s grades are amazing, Jirou and Sero ask her for help. Momo blushes, happily and accept. She is later shown teaching them at her house. Momo is also shown blushing, excited about helping people and both Kaminari and Jirou are blushing, thinking about how adorable she is.
072: Momo explains how her quirk and food are related, Sero comments "Just like poop", and Jirou defends Momo, by slapping him, angrily.
088: Momo admiring Jirou´s room
114: Jirou is impressed by Momo´s grades and Momo blushes, happily
169: Kaminari wants to convince Jirou to play at the festival. Momo stops Kaminari and Koda from their attempts, telling them that it should be Jirou´s choice. Behind her, Jirou finally says that she cannot turn down these requests.
172: Momo offers herself for the band, saying that she used to play piano. Jirou accepts and Momo enthusiastically agrees that she will do her best. They are then shown practicing in the band with Bakugou, Tokoyami and Kaminari.
174: Momo tells Jirou that she is a natural at teaching. Jirou compliments Momo´s tea, and Momo is excited she noticed, saying that she would like to share her new tea with everyone.
183: At the festival, Momo and Jirou are shown smiling and laughing, looking at a toy
241: Momo and Jirou comment on Todoorki and Bakugou´s interview saying that it was a bit of a waste that they were wasting so much good press
257: At Christmas, Momo and Jirou are shown sitting together and raising their glasses
263: Jirou admits she is worried about Tokoyami and Kaminari, with emphasis on Kaminari. Momo reassures her
278-280: Momo and Jirou work together with the others, in the war, following Momo´s plan. Momo is shown covering Jirou and Hagakure with cloth material to protect them from debris.
327: Jirou grabs Kaminari, Tokoyami and Momo, taking them closer. Momo is later shown looking at them smiling
TEAM UP MISSION
Just a small snipped of Jirou checking what Momo is reading
MOVIES
Movie 1: Two heroes
Momo and Jirou (alongside Uraraka) both end up at the Expo, and later have some tea with Melissa and Deku. Momo got the invitation and Jirou won her plus one
Momo and Jirou arrive together, dressed up for the evening, and Jirou is hiding behind Momo, blushing. Momo explains that Jirou is feeling shy
Running to the tower, Momo creates a device to explode a door and find a new passage. Jirou smiles in admiration. Jirou looks in worry while Momo is exhausted while using her quirk. Momo gives her the cannon, while she makes some ammo
When Momo almost faints because of her exhaustion, Jirou immediately runs to her, catching her
Movie 2: Heroes Rising
Iida teams up Momo, Jirou and Mina
Jirou comments that Kaminari and Momo are using their power too much, as she is worried for them
When Momo sits up, from where she was resting, Jirou moves a hand towards her, worried
ANIME EXTRA/FILLER EPISODES
In season 3, during the license exam, the anime adds a whole episode about Momo and her team. There are a couple of scenes where Momo worries about Jirou getting hurt. They also plan and strategize together
During the same episode, when Momo creates something opening her shirt, Jirou jumps back blushing
At the end, they succeed, and the episode ends with Jirou helping Momo walk out of the room where the other team had trapped them
SCHOOL BRIEFS
Novel 01
Ch6: Mineta is talking about Jirou being flat chested, and Iida comments that breasts are breasts at any size. Momo agrees with him, and reassures Jirou, who can only think about Momo's extraordinary bosom
Novel 02
Ch1: Jirou is very nervous about meeting Momo's parents at her house
Ch1: Jirou explains to Momo's mother about the nickname they use ("Momo")
Ch1: Momo is gently explaining a problem to Jirou, who compliments her making her blush
Ch1: Momo's mother compliments Jirou's clothes and style, and Momo apologize if her previous behaviour offended Jirou, who is instead pretty relieved she had not been the one to offend Momo's parent
Ch2: On the bus ride, Jirou talks about a new band that does classical arrangements and she offers that the listen it together to Momo, so they share earbuds
Ch4: Momo knows Jirou gets along well with Kaminari, during their talks about possible boyfriends. Jirou comments that he is a womanizer
Novel 03
Ch4: Jirou is teaching Momo to play the guitar. Momo asks for an encore and even if Jirou is blushing she still does it
Ch5: Iida sees Momo and Jirou yawning in the morning and they awkwardly explain that the night before they were studying/listening to music. Iida is suspicious
Novel 04
Ch2: Momo prepares Jirou some milk tea to help her with her singing voice. She sits to enjoy her own tea only when she sees Jirou's expression relaxing
Ch5: Momo expresses her regret for not having been able to experience Jirou's singing from the front row, during the festival. Jirou blushes and fidgets with her earlobes, and Momo says that she was a sight to behold even from behind so it was worthwile
Novel 05
Ch5: Momo asks the girl to come for a sauna at her place. Jirou is not a fan of saunas so she says no, but she says that she would love to hangout at Momo's place again. Momo's smile is so dazzling that she almost makes Jirou reconsiders her no sauna policy
Novel 06
Ch2: It is San Valentine and a bunch of girls bring chocolate to Jirou (a lot of it), saying that they loved her singing. It is confirmed by the novel (by how Mineta's react) that it is heartfelt-chocolate (not friends-chocolate). Momo comments happily that her singing was indeed lovely and Jirou blushes.
Ch2: The girls and Sato are cooking friends-chocolate for San Valentine. Momo reprimads Ochako for eating directly from the bowl, before taking a spoonful of chocolate to offer to Jirou.
EXTRA SKITS
Hero fest 2022 skits (@dekob0ko and @shibuyasmash summaries)
Kaminari accidentally spoiles the new volume of a manga they love and Jirou gets mad because he is spoiling the story to Momo. Momo comments that Kaminari is very unaffected and Kaminari seems to think it is a compliment… but Jirou angrily tells him that Momo just meant he doesn't care about spoilers
Been a long time since I did one of these Top 10 lists! In honor of the Culture Fest Arc beginning in the anime, I felt it was high time to give some Jirou ships their due. Starting with MomoJirou! Before this, I wasn’t really able to come up with any specific MomoJirou moments because they always seem sort of in the background, not really ever the focus of an episode. However, over time I accumulated a list of a Top 10, and decided I’d finally make this compilation. Let me know if there’s a moment I missed!
#10. Dressing up in the Film
What Happens: Momo takes Jirou to the island; they hang together, go to the party dressed up together, and work together throughout the film.
Why I like it. While the film’s canon status is a little ambiguous, I believe Hori did confirm that it can be seen as canon, so I’m counting it. Momo and Jirou are glued at the hip throughout the film, and they grace our screen together in fancy dress going down to the party. It comes across like they’re attending as each other’s dates.
#9. “You got 98?”
What happens: In the aftermath of the provisional license exam, Momo shares her results with Kyoka, who is surprised but pleased.
Why I Like it: It’s a pretty casual interaction, but one that shows Momo is comfortable talking to Kyoka about her score and what’s going on in her life.
#8. vs Saiko Intelli (anime)
What Happens: In the Manga, Momo and Jirou definitely fought in the Provisional License Exam together. However, the anime gave them a filler episode where they get to team up and fight Saiko Intelli, alongside Tsu and Shoji. Momo prioritizes saving her team, makes Jiro blush again, and Jiro in return comes back to protect her.
Why I like it: They definitely teamed up together in the manga, but the anime was nice enough to add them worrying about each other, Jirou blushing over Momo again, and coming back to save her. They did a good job coming up with what these two would be doing (alongside Tsu and Sho)
#7. Hanging/Shopping (#183/#69)
What Happens: Two scenes where Momo and Jirou go off together to either shop or hang out, demonstrating that they have a strong friendship and hang independently.
What I Like it: Again, more instances where they come across like girlfriends on a date, going off on their own and just being happy in each others’ company. The Culture Fest is a little more meaningful because they just wrapped their show. But both are nice.
#6. “Don’t force her”
What Happens: Jirou is being badgered by the guys to organize the musical act for the Culture Festival. Momo steps up and defends her, telling them not to pressure Kyoka and let her make up her own mind.
Why I Like it: Momo and Jirou have each others’ backs. Their friendship goes beyond simple fun and games and into genuine personal caring and watching out for one another. Here, Momo steps in to ensure Kyoka will be happy.
#5. “Apologize!”
What happens: Sero points out that Momo’s quirk is kinda like pooping, which humiliates Momo and drives her into a corner. Kyoka gives him a sock and tells him to apologize (in the anime).
Why I Like it: Here’s Jirou’s counterpart to Momo’s earlier action above, standing up for Momo’s wellbeing, looking out for her and caring about what happens to her. She cares about what happens to her friend and has her back.
#4. “It’s Imperial Golden Tips!” & Stage Show
What Happens: While prepping for the Culture Festival arc, Momo and Jiro bond a lot over tea and music. They then put on a show together, after much collaboration, that leads to everyone having a great time and Eri’s smile being saved.
Why I Like it: Momo and Jiro really work together well during the Culture Festival aRc and get a lot of screen time. They bond over tea together here for Momo, and music for Jiro, showing interest in each other’s pastimes and passions.
#3. “I see. That’s what Jiro’s planning”
What happens: During the USJ arc, Momo and Jiro are cornered by a villain and forced to try and think their way out of the problem. Momo basically reads Jiro’s mind. Also, their earlier teamwork.
Why I Like it: These two make a good team, like any good HeroAca ship. I really like that Momo is basically able to guess exactly what Jiro is thinking and does her best to cover for her. They have good synergy.
#2. Study Time
What Happens: Before the final exams, as Momo is feeling a little down about herself, her friends come up to ask for tutoring, Jirou among them. This helps perk Momo up about her tutoring skills just in time for the fight
Why I like it: Many fans have pointed out that Jirou is in fact 7th in the midterms and probably not that desperately in need of counseling, but probably wanted to hang out with Momo and cheer her up a little about her failures. This is certainly a favorite moment among fans of the ship, but not quite my favorite.
BONUS
#1. “She’s stacked.”
What Happens. During the USJ Arc, Momo protects Jirou and herself from Kaminari’s electricity by creating a thick shield. This causes her shirt to tear and Jirou sees her half naked. She responds by blushing, noticing her breasts, and then defending her from Kaminari.
Why I Like it: The Moment that started it all. They demonstrate caring for each others’ wellbeing, teamwork and camaraderie, and in Jirou’s case, possibly even attraction. She definitely takes notice of Momo and certainly seems more than commonly pleased by what she sees.
The boy who came from Slistas: in which I theorise that Qifrey is a tree
So I have read Witch Hat Atelier, I have connected way too many dots, and I have concluded that Qifrey is a silver tree who was turned human and experimented upon to allow the Brimhats to perform blood magic. And he is a little freaked out about the whole situation.
Please come dive down that rabbit hole with me (detailed spoilers up to Chapter 40 under the cut):
After the Naruto ending Kishimoto once said his wife was mad about the end pairings so he calmed her down by telling her Hinata was modelled after her. Do you think Hinata is some twisted fantasy of what Kishimoto really wants in a wife? I think he once said he would want Hinata as a girlfriend too
No, Kishimoto’s wife was mad about the fact that NaruSaku didn’t become canon since Sakura was modelled after her, so Kishimoto further explained how he lied to his wife that Hinata is actually modelled after her; not Sakura. Nevertheless, you actually have a point there. Hinata embodies the sexist idea of desired female behaviour in Japanese culture, meaning that “rough” and therefore “unfeminine” behaviour is undesirable.
On the other hand, submissiveness and subordination are considered attractive traits in a woman. Furthermore, I don’t see anything twisted in Hinata’s characterisation on Kishimoto’s part. You can find low self-esteem men in Detroit who lust after girls like Hinata, too. Now, I do not believe that Kishimoto thinks Hinata is the perfect wife; he thinks that others think Hinata is the perfect wife, thus forcing a relationship between Naruto and Hinata. As for your last claim, I cannot verify the validity of that statement.
Itachi's forehead poke is not about putting distance !
Damnit, people really don’t understand Itachi’s character.
When he poked Sauce forehead, it was mostly when Sasuke asked to do something with him. But, for any reasons, Itachi couldn’t do what his little bro wanted.
Of course this poke mean “sorry, not now” and so puts distance. But why do everyone forget about the “next time” part ? Itachi always said, “next time ok ?”. But why ? Why can’t he just says “Sasuke I have to do homework I can’t play with you right now”.
Nobody forced Itachi to promise a next time.
But he did. And do you know what that means ? It literally means “I want to, but I can’t play with you right now. But I want to. We will do it a next time”. It sound more like an apologize. If he really did want to put distance between him and his bro, he would have say “No. I don’t want to play, stop asking”. That’s all.
In other words: Itachi loves his little brother. The poke was something he did only to him, something especially for him. Something he used to apologize and to show his love.
So understand that: The forehead poke means “I am sorry. I can’t spend 100% of my time with you even if I want to. But don’t worry, I love you. And I will keep taking care of you even if we can’t always be together. We will see each other a next time, I promise” or if you prefer, “I will always love you”.
So stop saying Itachi put distance between him and Sasuke.
Stop saying Sasuke did the same with Sakura and Sarada.
I would like if you could remove your post from all the tags that have nothing to with the content such like “NaruSaku, SasuKarin, etc.”, for it is considered as cross-tagging, no matter whether you have good or bad intentions. Furthermore, such behaviour will only encourage other people to do the same and upset those who don’t want to see anything that isn’t related to their preferences. Thus causing unnecessary stress and drama.
It would be nice if you could respect the tags.
As for the content of your post, I have to say some things, and that is that it contains some logical flaws.
First of all, you claim “Itachi’s forehead poke is not about putting distance” but you then say “ Of course this poke mean “sorry, not now” and so puts distance”, which is a contradiction.
Sasuke himself says in chapter 576: “When you were alive you would always run away from me by poking my forehead and saying ‘Forgive me’. Are you going to keep running away even after dying?”
This is clear-cut distance which is even more stressed by your own words: “I want to, but I can’t play with you right now. But I want to. We will do it a next time”.
While Itachi wants to spend some time with his brother, he has important duties to fulfill. So he keeps Sasuke away with his arms while showing his affection through the fingers which emphasizes their own emotional connection that extends past their barriers, metaphorically speaking, of course.
This is the same when Sasuke poked Sakura’s forehead to politely distance himself from her for an undisclosed amount of time. He wants to make a trip of atonement which portrays the barrier between the canon couple.
There’s the ‘I care about you deeply’ and the promise that ‘maybe, next time, we can share some nice mutual moments’, however, it does not change the fact that he is distancing from her for an uncertain period. And I wonder why else would Itachi bring Sasuke’s forehed closer to his own only to erase the distance?
I am not sure why some SS fans are against the idea of distance as it is only a half circle. It wouldn’t surprise me if one day, Sasuke would bring Salada’s forehead closer to his to indicate he finally can spend some time with her. He can erase the distance, thus creating a full circle.
As for “But why do everyone forget about the ‘next time’ part?”, this is a hasty generalisation. Just because it isn’t mentioned by some people, doesn’t mean that everyone is dismissing the other part. Those people I have seen are very much aware that the forehead poke is not only a sign of distance but also of deep affection, and I myself share this view.
And I hope people don’t confuse the ‘I love you’ part with a romantic one, unless they want to admit ItaSasu is canon.
I repeat again: The forehead poke is a sign of distance and a gesture expressing familial affectionate, love.
Thanks for the compliment.
I’m not sure either how to explain why Sasuke would never poke Naruto’s or Karin’s forehead. Maybe, different bonds = different treatments?
SNS have all the wonderful deep moments, and after the end nothing hinders them anymore? There’s no need of a barrier.
The same applies to SK who have proven to share a good camaraderie. I quote my own words from a past discussion:
Pardon, that I bud in but I would like to remind anon that claiming “She kept bitching about it, he just gave her what she wanted so she would shut up” is a disservice to Sasuke’s character, implying that he’s an asshole for not having feelings of regret when he almost killed someone he obviously cared about as madara-fate already has well explained, and to strengthen his points I would like to mention that when Sasuke apologized to Karin it was more than just a simple “gomen”, it was a “sumanakatta” which is like saying “My sincere apologies” to a wife/girlfriend/respected subordinate.
They are respected comrades, which is even more stressed by the fact that Obito said that Karin is Sasuke’s favourite–not in the romantic sense if one may try to throw a straw man–, someone that enjoys special favor or regard, someone that is trusted, indulged, or preferred above all others, especially by a superior: (x).
Not to forget that he did risk his life to save her during the Hachibi fight even though Juugo tried to stop him, and by doing so Sasuke awakened a new power, namely the ability to extinguish the Amaterasu flames.
On top of that I would like refer to Tobirama’s words because the Uchiha’s eyes are effected by their struggle with the despair of having lost or potentially losing a person the Uchiha feel a strong love for (non-romantic), and if one wants to resort to the moment where he stabbed her just know that it happened the same way to Naruto in part 1, the one and only one. Downplaying the SK bond is the same like downplaying SNS bond. ;]
And now, I want to end this post with another quote that portrays the SK very well:
And while she may not have a child to connect her with Sasuke, she has her memories with him and all the shit they went through together. That’s not going anywhere and not being romantically entangled with him does not make any of that, nor their care for each other, any less meaningful. And Karin knows this.And another thing that this Gaiden ended up proving is that Karin effectively was and is the closest to Sasuke out of Taka. Not only did she keep traveling with him for a while (which should pretty much guarantee she knows about his mission - which apparently only a select few do), but she helped in the delivery of his child (which happened in her hideout - a testament to Sasuke’s trust in her) and she is taking care of the umbilical cord.
Historia kept living because Ymir gave her reasons to. She wanted to die as “Krista” the goddess, but she lived for Ymir and subconsciously lived for herself.
Historia would only show bits of her true self to Ymir. Not once did it show her sticking up to anyone else. She was probably a pushover to everyone else as “Krista” but not to Ymir because Ymir treated her like a person.
Historia acknowledged that although Ymir’s words may seem harsh, they actually hold a lot of kindness to them and agreed with Ymir’s points.
Historia was not repulsed by Ymir being a titan shifter. Initially she is shocked, then realizes that Ymir is trying to save her and their friends and begins cheering for Ymir to destroy the tower.
In the snowy mountains during their training, Historia and Ymir promise to someday reveal their secrets to each other, thus deepening their relationship.
When Connie was angry at Ymir for her words to Armin, Historia diverts a probable argument by standing in front of Ymir and giving a little speech. After Utgard, Connie questions Ymir’s true nature only for Historia to explain that Ymir is not the enemy; Ymir’s actions were never with negative intentions.
When Ymir lied about needing Historia to come with her and BR so that her life could be spared, Historia was willing to abandon the SC to go with Ymir. She did not do this to be a martyr, she did this so that she could stay with Ymir.
When Connie told Historia that Ymir was lying so that she could once again protect her, Historia jumped to Ymir and told her that she wanted the both of them to live for themselves, together. She said that it was mysterious, but for as long as she was with Ymir she was not afraid. Historia was willing to fight BR alongside Ymir or abandon humanity just to stay alive with Ymir.
When Ymir left with Bert and Reiner (out of guilt), Historia was was ready to go back beyond the walls to get Ymir back. She was weak and exhausted, even emotional because she felt abandoned, but she wanted Ymir back. She begged for Eren to use his powers and go after them. Being emotional, she said she would not forgive Ymir for leaving, which she only said because she was emotional and exhausted. Once she had her flashbacks during the political arc, it is clear that she continued to see Ymir in a positive way.
When Historia was being manipulated by her father, she was ready to become a titan and eat Eren for the coordinate powers. She was ready to inherit memories of the first king, her ancestors, and especially her sister. Just as she was about to administer the injection, she suddenly remembered Ymir. She remembered the last time she saw Ymir, at Utgard. She remembered Ymir’s wish. Ymir’s wish was for Historia to renounce her false identity of “Krista” and to live under her true name, to change the fate her parents had set and to live for only herself with her head held high. Historia remembered this, which fueled her to reconsider becoming a ‘god’. Historia kept her promise and fulfilled Ymir’s wish, a wish that Historia had subconsciously yearned for.
In the latest chapter, Historia asks Eren what he would do if he saw Bert and Reiner. Notice how she did not say Ymir’s name. Why? Because she knew that Ymir was not an enemy. Even Eren knows that Ymir is not an enemy, which is shown when he first told Historia (after Utgard) that Ymir’s only goal was to protect Historia.
Historia genuinely enjoys her moments with Ymir; her smile looks most sincere when Ymir is with her. One of her fondest memories with Ymir was shown in a flashback, when Ymir was giving her beer while celebrating about Historia being in the top 10 as she tried to convince Historia to going to the MP.
Aside from manga interactions that clearly shows that Historia cares deeply about Ymir in a romantic sense, there is also:
Official merchandise constantly coupling the two. An example of this is would be one of the Ichiban Kuji charms showing the two embracing, how they are constantly put together in merch, and an official ID card with Historia’s greatest stat being her feelings for Ymir.
Official art pairing the two together. The art placed together shows Historia smiling/interacting with Ymir often.
The stories and interviews in the SmartPass AU. In one interview, Ymir and Historia are asked what they would like in a SO, which they begin describing each other perfectly. Ymir also says that she wants someone who would understand her, which Historia says, “I understand you!” Historia said she wanted someone who protects her - which with everything else can further tie in that she was describing Ymir. In the same interview, Historia talks about how she wants to live far away with just Ymir, where the others could visit, but where she would be only with Ymir. In the dream stories, Ymir would get nightmares and Historia would embrace her and make her feel better. Ymir would do the same whenever Historia had nightmares. For anyone wondering about how canon the SmartPass AUs are, they are supervised by Isayama himself and I believe the app is through Kodansha.
Not quite canon, but still with canon-ish materials is the Attack on Titan Junior High spin-off. Like the other spin-offs and the actual manga, this spin-off is published by Kodansha and Isayama has spoken with the creators (obviously he would not allow something ridiculous to be made, and obviously Kodansha would not publish it against Isayama’s wishes). It features MANY YumiHisu moments. Historia makes Ymir chocolates for a Valentines Day, Historia is wary of Reiner and likes to stick by Ymir, etc.
An ambiguous but probable confirmation of Historia and Ymir’s romantic feelings made one year ago today by George Wada.
I have no doubt that Historia loves Ymir very much. Ymir is very important to Historia and is a driving power of what Historia is now. Historia respects Ymir and sees Ymir for what she truly is: a selfless and selfish but wonderful person with a cranky personality and kind words.
Damn, I can’t wait for their reunion.
*EDITED*
Added another part from the interview and fixed where it said Isayama was next to Wada during the ambiguous confirmation; Isayama was not present.
I see a lot of bad and weird definitions floating around, especially from antis. I figured I‘d make a post with my personal definition, and the one many people in my pro-ship friend circles use as well. Also I can‘t format this well because I‘m on mobile, lol.
So, first things first, pro-ship does not automatically mean someone ships things that are considered “problematic”. Pro-ship does NOT mean “problematic shipping” as I‘ve seen a fair few people define it (lol). Pro-shipping means being against the idea of harassing or being rude to others on the basis of them having a ship you don‘t like. That‘s it! Nothing to do with abusive dynamics or anything like that, it just means “cool, you ship that. I don‘t, but I‘ll respect your ship.”
A lot of pro-shippers I‘ve met are actually highly uncomfortable with “problematic” ships. Many have ships they dislike, or even hate. We all have dynamics and tropes we don’t like, either. And that‘s okay! The point is, and never was, shipping things for the sake of being problematic, or shipping everything. It‘s a pushback against fandom harassment culture, which leads into the next point.
The anti-anti movement (also known as pro-shipping. The terms are interchangeable) started as a pushback against the trend of fandom “antis”; people who would dedicate entire blogs to harassing people over their ships and shaming, accusing, and otherwise being awful to others on the basis of ships. First and foremost, pro-shipping is an anti-harassment movement. Yes, it has evolved further, but that was the original purpose of it.
Now, here‘s a few misconceptions about pro-shipping cleared up, based on my own experiences as well as many others I‘ve talked to:
False. Most pro-shippers do understand that fiction affects reality. HOWEVER, we also understand that the effect isn‘t a 1:1 ratio, and the ways fiction affects reality is very complex and nuanced topic. Yes, fiction has an effect on reality, but reading something in fiction will not automatically make someone agree with what is presented, especially if what‘s presented is already seen negatively in one‘s experiences.
- Pro-ship/anti-anti is a pedophile dogwhistle!!!
Also not true. Enjoying something in fiction is not an automatic reflection of one‘s real life morals. This is just a generally stupid take.
- Pro-shippers support pedophilia/incest/abuse in real life!!!
Many pro-shippers are actually survivors, and are very adamantly against such things! We understand that problematic fiction is problematic for a reason, but again, enjoying something in fiction is not an automatic reflection of one‘s real life morals.
And a bit of an FAQ:
- Why would you support problematic fiction if you don‘t consume it?
This is a big topic right here that I can‘t really explain in a few sentences. I‘d suggest doing some research on why censorship is bad and who it has affected the worst historically. It also might be worth looking into library codes of conduct and how even libraries are actively against any censorship.
- Why would people consume problematic content anyways, especially if you don‘t support it?
A lot of reasons! The human mind is really interesting, honestly. Sometimes people simply want to see a different point of view or dynamic. Fiction is a wonderful place to explore these things that can‘t be explored in real life, and can be a wonderful creative outlet. For problematic content, many people use it as an outlet for their own personal trauma. A big part of the appeal is that when you‘re creating, you control the outcome, and many survivors find that extremely comforting! Aside from all that, it really isn‘t anyone‘s business why someone is consuming a certain kind of fiction. People don‘t owe you an explanation for you to decide whether they are allowed to consume certain content. Anyone can consume any fictional content! It‘s that simple.
- Ew, why are you getting off on my trauma?
It‘s not yours! It‘s fictional. The trauma is happening to fictional characters and even if you find similarities, it probably isn‘t yours because I can almost guarantee the content creator doesn‘t know you.
- But your content is gross! I can‘t support that!
And you don‘t have to! A large part of being a pro-shipper is encouraging the curation of your own online experience. You can block people, tags, words, etc. so you don‘t have to see it. There‘s no shame in not wanting to see certain content. The problem arises when you harass others over it.
-What about [insert problematic group irl]?
Pro-shipping is entirely about fiction and fandom. Once you step outside of the fandom space and into the real world, pro-shipping doesn‘t matter, and has no affect on other opinions. Sure, many of us share other opinions, but being a pro-shipper is solely about fictional discourse.
So here‘s the bottom line, being a proshipper means being anti-harassment, anti-censorship, pro-curation (such as blocking), and just having fun! Enjoy your favorite fictional content, and don‘t be ashamed to do so.
I’m proship because I’m antibullying and fandom antis do nothing but bully, harass, destroy and ruin everything they touch. They ruin lives, they’ve ended lives and I can’t stand with something like that.
There’s stuff I don’t like. Lolisho weirds me out. Certain pairing dynamics are too unsettling for me.
If someone ships something I don’t like, I’ll just ask them to tag it and let them ship it to their heart’s content over where I won’t see it. I don’t care how gross or immoral someone’s fiction is, I pay attention to how they treat real people.
Maybe it’s because I’m a fandom old fart and have been around for various purges. All I know is censorship hurts marginalized people, and it can be turned onto the people calling for it just as easily. It never curtails the fake problem of removing the bad things fandom antis think are ‘enabling’ predators.
If fiction actually normalized all those things, society wouldn’t be livable right now. All fandom antis are doing is feeding into a moral panic. Replace their buzzwords with different buzzwords and you’ll see how obvious it is. Change “pedo” to “satanic” or “incest” to “homosexuality”. Use find and replace on any fandom anti argument and it’s so clear. They’re not enlightened or saying anything new.
Take away fiction and predators will use something else to groom. But fandom antis would remove oxygen and end us all to stop one perceived predator.
They have no logic or morals, and any who see my post will jump immediately to calling me a pedo apologist because they won’t separate fiction from reality. I’ll read a SessKag fanfic and enjoy it, but would try to beat the snot out of any real adult who puts their hands on a real child in any way that harms the child. I have seen and reported CSEM, and seeing it twisted my stomach in ways lolisho artwork never will.
Fandom antis have spread CSEM because they thought it was just more gross art, which proves they are the ones who can’t tell reality apart from fiction, so they think everyone has their narrow worldview and tries to shove it on everyone else. Meanwhile creeps like Nafedude (a person who raped their sister!) slide right past them, uncontested.
Every predator warning I’ve seen from pro shippers has been legit with proof, and every “pedo warning” I’ve seen from fandom antis has been “ew they ship SessRin, BakuDeku, Kaeluc, etc” and the screencaps show no real people being creeped on or harmed. It’s exhausting.
Fandom antis make spaces safer for predators and I ain’t okay with that.
Fandom antis aren’t welcome in my space. I block them on sight.
Someone made an incredible animation of the scene in hidden inventory where Gojo gets screamed at by teen girls fawning over him, and it's beautiful ✨
https://youtu.be/5l9_O51-YYs
Also, it highlights my previous point that when Gojo's confronted by women flirting with him, he doesn't really do... Anything. He's just chill about it. And the little °^° face he makes and the little confused "hm?" from the manga panel in the beginning could indicate that Gojo might not be hit on by girls as often as we think- Jujutsu sorcerers are busy and have even their time off interrupted on the regular. Other than being mildly amused, we don't see Gojo actively bask or pursue attention from women (other than Utahime ofc, which could be because she's as straight-laced as Nanami).
The little content smile he gives at the end basically says it all: Gojo enjoys the attention, but most likely isn't interested in pursuing anything more than that, including sexual relations (with more reasons from my previous posts).
I could see Gojo being the type to allow himself to appreciate just a bit of affection from random women he encounters on missions and then casually walking off with a lazy wave of his hand- just like he did with Miwa.
The man's on a mission (literally) with the goal to change the world. Virgin Gojo is very possible seeing how unaffected he is by women throwing themselves at him- or at least, he allows himself a moment to enjoy the attention but is quick to dismiss the thought from his mind to focus on his duty.
Honestly, non virgin Gojo is still possible, but unless we see Gojo actually show interest or actively flirt with someone (which seems unlikely), we may never know. To me, analyzing Gojo with his interactions with other characters (not his antics) makes me think it's more likely Gojo is a virgin than not, simply bc the argument for Gojo being a non virgin is his looks and immaturity (or his act of immaturity, we know Gojo thinks in a much more complex way than he lets on) which I'd argue is not an accurate description of his character, because that's only a part of it, and is in fact only what Gojo shows on the surface. And there's plenty of reasons why his lifestyle would make such getaways difficult. Also, Gojo's lack of enthusiasm for it. Gojo allows girls to fawn over him, but he hardly stokes the fire more than just taking off his glasses when they asked him to.
If Gojo was more like Osamu Dazai from Bungou Stray Dogs who flirts with every women he sees, I would have an easier time believing he would not be a virgin, but his lifestyle, behavior, and even his Six Eyes and his goal makes me think he wouldn't choose to constantly go on small getaways like that. Personally, I'd say Gojo spends more of his time plotting and maximizing his efforts on recreating Jujutsu Society.
Really, when Gege said he couldn't see Gojo being faithful to a woman could be because he's already committed to his job. Not because he's out womanizing, but even because the type of woman he'd commit to is so rare. And even if he did find a woman he'd commit to, being the ENTP he is means he's incapable of immediately recognizing and acting on his emotions- not because he doesn't have them, but because they're not really his forté. He'd rather rationalize his behavior than attempt to understand his own feelings. It'll take time and patience, but Gojo committing is still a possibility.
Honestly, I'd like to hear why people would think Gojo's a cheater/womanizer to begin with? Besides him teasing Utahime, Gojo's been pretty respectful to Shoko and Mei Mei. He even complimented and recognized Mei Mei's strength as a sorcerer. He didn't flirt once with the hoard of girls fawning over him. In fact, he was quick to focus on his mission despite the attention. I don't think Gojo's ever even teased Shoko about anything (other than commenting on her terrible way of explaining things, which is more of a fact than teasing). Though, correct me if I'm wrong.
Also, I haven't mentioned Riko much in previous posts and idrk why lol. But while Gojo is dominated by logical thinking, he's emotionally inept enough to notice Riko's mood. He may seem cold in how he comforted her by saying he'd leave her behind, but it's more of his ENTP personality that has him expressing his emotions in a more objective manner- even if it hurts, it's the truth, and that's fine isn't it? (Typical ENTP way of thinking).
Also slight tangent I read that one long meta about Gojo's interaction with Riko someone linked, and I'm completely appalled that they would think Gojo is only "pretending" to have emotions, "mimicking" them even! That he's incapable of truly feeling when in fact it's inherently characteristic of any ENTP to express themselves in a way that, to others, would be considered "cold" and unempathetic. It just goes to show just how misunderstood ENTPs are. They only make up 3% of the world so are often confused for socios/narcs/psychos which is understandable-
But I wanna make one thing clear: all sociopaths could be considered ENTPs. But not all ENTPs are sociopaths. (Switch Socio with psycho/narc/etc and it still works). Why?
Purpose.
Arrogance, boastfulness, unrefined emotional sensitivity, recklessness, impulsiveness- all of those fall below the importance of Purpose. Regardless of how Gojo "acts," it's been expressed time and time again- Gojo acts for the sake of the next generation. Sociopaths/Antisocial Personality Disorder/Psychopaths have one most common defining starting point: "it all starts with cruelty to animals and lack of response to their own actions, or actions of other people."
Let's make it more simple: regardless of whatever end of the spectrum sociopathy can be- high functioning, low functioning- antisocial personality disorder, in it's most simple terms, along with psychopathy and narcissism, condensed into one common trait is very clear: Their actions, while easily blendible into society, are for the sole purpose of pleasuring themselves.
Why don't people notice those with these disorders? Because their *behavior* is so similar to not just the typical ENTP, but also the ISTP AND ESTP. They can easily be mistaken for common members of society, but again: their sole purpose is the pursuit of pleasure themselves, while acting with complete disregard for the consequences of not just their own actions but others'. Staying in one job for extended periods of time is especially rare for a sociopath in particular, and this is one very clear difference between Gojo and a sociopath.
Gojo is willing to spend the rest of his life as a Jujutsu Sorcerer for the sake of others. This sentence alone defies any inclination that he could be a sociopath regardless of any other symptoms commonly associated with sociopathy, such as emotional insensitivity, hostility, risk taking behavior, lack of restraint, and impulsivity- there's a reason such people blend in with society, and that's because such symptoms are common with *any* person, regardless of personality type. Other than with the higher ups, Gojo hardly shows the anger, irritability, or general discontent that a sociopath is most commonly is associated with as their established mood - and even if he did, would being easily irritatable while in the position of the Strongest, the one who carries the burden of establishing a new future of Jujutsu Society on his shoulders alone be so unrealistic? That is why Purpose is so important.
If Gojo truly was a Sociopath, he would have dipped long before Jujutsu Kaisen had even started.
And I apologize for yet another tangent! Someone said Gojo sees his students as weapons or tools to be used in furthering his agenda. While that is not necessarily untrue, the implication is hardly close to reality. Like someone else commented, Gojo goes far and beyond for his students. While he is undoubtedly lacking in his ability to show affection in the most traditional of ways, it's clear that Gojo cares for his students-and others- deeply, whether that be when he went to see Yuta on his business trip to ensure Yuji would be safely taken care of in his absence, when he goes out of his way to personally supervise his students, when he willingly spends a whole day with Nanami just to ask him to mentor Yuji for him (in the Light Novel) regardless of Nanami's disdain, when he turned his Infinity off to allow Yaga to punish him (Gege made it clear in the manga that Gojo had done so to be a good role model for his students and that he recognizes his behavior deserves punishment), and when Gojo commented that he didn't want to think any of his students would be the traitor. Gojo does not express himself as most people do- he's only one of the most misunderstood personality types (on record, along with a few other personalites if you've researched them) and to say people have misinterpreted his character is much more plausible when even in real life, people who behave like Gojo are statistically reported to be misapprehended more often than more populated personality types. When inspected closely, there are so many ways Gojo himself expresses his care for other people, only hidden thinly behind the surface of his lofty attitude and uncaring demeanor. It only takes a few looks at his behavior, not his mouth, to recognize how much he goes out of his way for his students, doing he things that don't necessarily help further his agenda simply because he wants to, not because he has to. Changing the world isn't even something the average person would strive to do, yet Gojo makes it his life goal to accomplish. How could a heartless, emotion mimicking person possibly endure the strife necessary to accomplish such a task? It's appalling.
Gojo is more charitable than most people on the earth, simply because of the perseverance and diligence he takes to withstand the stress and hardships of Jujutsu Society for others. Remember that he chose to become the Strongest, it didn't happen overnight, and in becoming the Strongest, he carries the heaviest burden.
That's without mentioning that even though Gojo is the Strongest, and while to most he seems to proudly state so, it's clear that despite Gojo's antics, he recognizes his weaknesses as a sorcerer and is able to rely on others to make up for them. He had asked Nanami to mentor Yuji because he acknowledged his own flaws as a teacher and that Nanami would have a better capacity than him in that area (in Light Novel). He travelled to see Yuta to ask him to care for Yuji in case something happened to him- and Gojo knows that it's possible that he could be defeated somehow, someway. He's not so deluded to think he's untouchable, even despite his playfulnesses. He is always thinking ahead, calculating his next move while understanding his own shortcomings, acting prudently to ensure a better future.
He is a much deeper and complex character if one only takes the time to look past his antics and analyze his behavior- Something many people in real life seem to miss, and that is the true reason why Gojo struggles to commit.
Sorry for the long tangent and repetitiveness in the beginning lol! Back to the main issue!
Tl;dr there's more evidence of Gojo being a virgin who's more focused on work than pleasure. There's plenty of handsome men who don't seek out sex for reprieve but seek mental stimulation instead for relief. It's totally normal. Gojo could even spend his free time playing video games. He did admit to spending long hours beating 99 years of Momotarou Dentetsu to Geto. He's a gamer, and we know how gamers are commonly known for being virgins lol. Gojo could even be asexual for all we know. He could even be demisexual- someone who doesn't pursue sexual pleasure unless he's made an emotional connection with then. He doesn't necessarily have to even be straight or bi. Therefore, Gojo is very likely to be 28 year old virgin, and there's nothing wrong or strange about that.
Sources: ENTP articles, statistics on mbti rarity, other mbti articles, some quick Google searches, articles on sociopathy, psychopathy, narcissism, and antisocial disorders, etc, the manga, light novels, other metas in threads I remember reading, the anime, graphic organizers
Thanks for reading! 🙏
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AHHHH CAN I JUST SAY THE ANIMATION IS DAMN GOOD 🔥🔥🔥 this scene in the manga is absolutely iconic prepare yourselves for season 2 😤 I literally had to stop the video and stare at him...I think one of the reasons Gojo behaved that way is becuz during childhood he probably didn't go out and be around people hence his confused reaction with the screaming teens. I mean everyone enjoys being complimented and getting attention from time to time and gojo is not an exception to this. Yes I definitely agree that when Gege said that he probably meant he's too busy for a relationship. The way it was translated made alot of people confused hence the player/cheater gojo was born. But then also the remember the comment he made when Gojo won the popularity poll? "Pick Nanami instead" ahhh hilarious
MY GAWD 🤔 ANON CAN I JUST SAY THAT YOU'RE AMAZING?! You explained in a way that easy to understand and you made statements backing it up with evidence. I learned from your ask than I ever did in university 😂 wow its truly fascinating though I never knew much personality types especially ENTPs I DON'T BELIEVE FOR ONE SEC GOJO IS A SOCIOPATH OR PSYCHOPATH fight me if you do. Exactly exactly just as anon said "He is a much deeper and complex character if one only takes the time to look past his antics and analyze his behavior." I COULDN'T AGREE MORE 😤 thank you so much for once again educating the community I'm a fan of you 🤔 anon ❤
I don’t consider myself “anti-zutara” and I don’t hate anyone that ships it. However I do feel weird towards it being a ship involving a (former) colonizer and someone from a tribe his nation colonized/oppressed (especially when their first meeting is him is him trying to attack her village) Because of this I feel especially weird over Zutara fans on here painting it as the ship that should’ve happened, or paint Kataang as a one sided fantasy and painting Aang as terrible to Katara, but Zuko as so caring and loving towards her… especially when Zuko endangered her life so many times like
-during book 1 where he hunted Aang, and thus her and Sokka as well, down relentlessly
-the season finale of book 2 where he betrayed her, even after she was willing to open up to him about her trauma and even heal his scar, sided with Azula and almost got both her and Aang killed
-book 3 where he literally hired a nearly invincible mercenary to hunt them all down in which the gaang barely all escaped with their lives the multiple encounters they had with him…
Zuko stealing Katara’s mother’s necklace, her last keepsake from her, and using it as leverage against her. Zuko also being a part of the Fire Nation’s Royal Family, the very one that caused a great deal of harm to the Southern Water Tribe in wiping out all of their waterbenders and killing Katara’s mom… the very nation that she said she couldn’t stand wearing their clothes?? I don’t understand why people would think that she would be willing to marry into that just because she and Zuko eventually found common ground.
Many of the criticisms I see of Aang are vaild, but many others are just completely misrepresenting him. One I see commonly is of Aang telling Katara that she shouldn’t take revenge on Yon Rha and that being proof of him being controlling? When the whole point of him trying to dissuade her from it was to protect her from crossing the line of letting vengeance consume her. Do we not remember that Aang had personal experience in this in dealing with the Sandbenders who stole Appa, the last remaining living thing from his culture, one that he’s been connected with since he was a young child? He knows personally that he could’ve gone too far and how detrimental it could’ve been. People use Aang bringing up Jet as a terrible thing, when he was just mentioning how Jet let himself become consumed by vengeance and how that almost caused him to go too far in taking lives even innocent ones. And in the end, Aang still wanted Katara to make her own choices and even allowed her to take Appa to go to find Yon Rha. But I just don’t understand how Zuko’s actions in pushing her to try and get revenge are considered fine, but Aang trying to dissuade her from acting recklessly isn’t especially when we see that throughout the entire episode, Katara was acting incredibly out of character: she was bloodbending (something she swore not to do again because of how terrible it made her feel), she accused Sokka of not loving Kya like she did (when he went through the same trauma of losing her), all things she would never do in the right mind.
As for the shipping itself, I don’t understand why Kataang is painted as a one sided romance that was just Aang pushing Katara till she accepted when she was getting jealous of attention he was receiving in episode 3, was suggesting that they kiss in the cave of two lovers and got mad when she thought Aang was making it out to be gross, literally threatened to kill Zuko if he were to endanger Aang’s life, specifically, again. (The criticisms of Aang forcing a kiss on her during the Ember Island Players episode are however valid and that scene was really uncomfortable to watch.) While the ship isn’t perfect (and I’m not some kataang superfan), I don’t understand why Zutara is painted as something that would be far better when
1. Zuko endangered Katara’s life multiple times even up to when he was trying to join the Gaang with hiring the Combustion Bender to hunt them
2. As I stated earlier, Katara would be marrying into a family that literally ordered the genocide of her people which caused the death of her mother.
3. Katara and Zuko both never even once hinted that they had romantic feelings for each other??
It just feels weird that people paint Kataang as Katara settling for less and Zutara as having the happy ending she deserved (especially since the Fire Nation wasn’t perfect after Zuko became Fire Lord and even had many notable Ozai supporters as well?? Like putting Katara in that situation as a member of the tribe that was targeted and made victims of a genocide for what, close to 100 years? would just be putting her in direct danger of those people) and fans who say that Katara was simply a prize for Aang while insisting that Katara should’ve instead been a prize for Zuko confuse me even more.
Zuko’s redemption is one of my favorites in fiction and he was also a victim of the Fire Nation, but I feel him being able to be on good terms with Katara and the Gaang in general was enough. Him becoming a love interest for Katara, considering all of the trauma she had from the Fire Nation, would be too much.
first things first, kindly tag your post anti zutara. i understand you don’t consider yourself to be anti zutara, but the contents of your post certainly are, and it is not polite to put this post in the zutara tag, where zutara shippers are looking for content of their ship and general positivity. tagging correctly is basic tumblr etiquette.
secondly, zutara is not a colonizer/colonized ship. zuko is not a colonizer. this is not me stating an opinion, it’s an actual fact. please look up the definitions of words before you fling them around anyhow, because colonization is a serious fucking matter and not a trump card to disparage a fictional ship. i’ve addressed the colonization argument in this post below, if you genuinely wish to know more:
did you watch the show all the way to the end? i ask genuinely, because your post makes it seem like you quit watching partway through book 3. for your information, zuko had a redemption arc. he was held accountable for every single one of the wrongs you pointed out, actively worked to right those wrongs at the risk of his own life multiple times, and ended the show having fully redeemed herself and firmly on the right side of the war. he was completely forgiven both by katara and the rest of the gaang.
“Zuko stealing Katara’s mother’s necklace, her last keepsake from her, and using it as leverage against her” except zuko didn’t know kya was dead. he didn’t know that was katara’s last keepsake from her. his negotiation with the necklace was actually a more humane tactic than simply fighting, a way to get the avatar without hurting katara in the process. and once again, unless you are throwing zuko’s entire redemption out the window, there is simply no point in judging him for things he did as a villain.
“Zuko also being a part of the Fire Nation’s Royal Family, the very one that caused a great deal of harm to the Southern Water Tribe in wiping out all of their waterbenders and killing Katara’s mom…” zuko didn’t wipe out the southern water tribe waterbenders. zuko didn’t kill katara’s mother. zuko was a child when that happened, a child who was himself targeted by the same man who targeted katara (his grandfather, azulon). zuko himself was a victim of his own family, the same family that he turned against and singlehandedly fought, nearly dying himself in the process, because he knew they were in the wrong. do you genuinely think it fair to judge zuko by his ancestors’ actions, actions he cannot change and had no part in? do you truly think that no matter how hard someone tries to make things right, they are inevitably condemned simply by virtue of their lineage, something they could not choose and have no control over?
“the very nation that she said she couldn’t stand wearing their clothes??”
yeah, katara really looks like she can’t stand wearing fire nation clothes, all right.
seriously, i’m going to need you to show me where in atla katara said this, because all i remember is katara being excited to wear fire nation clothes, enjoying fire nation climate, and risking herself and her mission to help the fire nation people. not once does she show an ounce of discomfort about being in the fire nation or dressing in the fire nation style.
“Do we not remember that Aang had personal experience in this in dealing with the Sandbenders who stole Appa, the last remaining living thing from his culture, one that he’s been connected with since he was a young child? He knows personally that he could’ve gone too far and how detrimental it could’ve been.”
aang does not have personal experience in it. aang’s loss of appa was terrible, yes, but appa wasn’t dead. he still had a chance to get appa back, but katara could never get kya back. and while appa is incredibly important to aang, temporarily losing your animal companion is completely incomparable to permanently losing your mother. it was incredibly disrespectful of aang to even make this comparison, especially when he has never even expressed his sympathies or condolences to katara for the death of her mother.
and fyi, aang DID flip shit when he lost appa. he was far more uncontrollable in the desert than katara ever was in the southern raiders, and the only reason he didn’t go too far is because katara had to put herself in danger to pull him out of the avatar state. and she didn’t do that by making false equivalences, or preaching, but simply being there to comfort him. that is what aang should have done, if he truly wanted to help katara.
“People use Aang bringing up Jet as a terrible thing, when he was just mentioning how Jet let himself become consumed by vengeance and how that almost caused him to go too far in taking lives even innocent ones” aang’s exact words were “katara, you sound like jet!” as if katara wanting justice for the man who killed her mother and likely countless others is the same as jet being willing to hurt innocent people. aang comparing his friend to the boy who manipulated her and nearly made her culpable in the murder of an innocent town simply because katara wanted to avenge her mother’s murder is a terrible thing to say.
“And in the end, Aang still wanted Katara to make her own choices and even allowed her to take Appa to go to find Yon Rha” because he knew katara could not be dissuaded, and would take appa and find her way to yon rha regardless. he literally gave in only when he had no other choice, and even then he did not give katara the autonomy to make her own choices. he literally spelled out for her what he wanted her to do: “but when you find him, please don’t choose revenge. let your anger out and then let it go. forgive him”. that isn’t aang giving katara free reign to choose for herself. that’s aang dictating to katara what she should do.
“But I just don’t understand how Zuko’s actions in pushing her to try and get revenge are considered fine” zuko pushed her to get revenge, did he? want to know what zuko tells katara before they embark on their field trip?
“i know who killed your mother. and i’m going to help you find him.”
that’s it. zuko doesn’t say a single thing about murder, revenge, forgiveness, or anything else to katara. katara decides that she needs to go after yon rha, now that she knows where he is. katara takes the lead the entire time. the only thing zuko does is defend katara against aang after she makes it clear that she needs to find yon rha. zuko is the one who gives katara the agency to make her own choices, not aang.
“Katara was acting incredibly out of character” katara was dealing with incredible grief and trauma. grief that she had never been able to process before, because she was too busy helping everyone else and mothering her own brother. i don’t know how to tell you that people aren’t going to act the same when they’re working through trauma, and that isn’t inherently wrong or bad. katara’s actions in the southern raiders are a result of pain that has been festering for years, and while it was wrong of her to snap at sokka, it is also wrong to say that sokka went through the same thing.
sokka didn’t have to bear the burden of survivor’s guilt, of knowing his mother died for him. sokka didn’t have to become surrogate mother in kya’s stead and look after his older sibling, sacrificing his own childhood in the process. sokka had the chance to process and heal from his grief while katara never did. that is why the southern raiders is about katara’s closure.
“I don’t understand why Kataang is painted as a one sided romance that was just Aang pushing Katara till she accepted when she was getting jealous of attention he was receiving in episode 3, was suggesting that they kiss in the cave of two lovers and got mad when she thought Aang was making it out to be gross, literally threatened to kill Zuko if he were to endanger Aang’s life, specifically, again”
because for every “romantic” moment you can point out for kataang, there are a dozen more where aang pines for katara and katara is oblivious or even worse, acts like his mother (katara calling aang “a sweet little guy, just like momo!”, katara being unhappy when aang kisses her on day of black sun, katara never seeing aang the way aang sees her with rose tinted vision, katara never talking about her feelings for aang the way aang talks about his feelings for her… i could go on and on). it happens to the extent that the show itself makes a joke about katara being aang’s mom, and even has her play his mom in the headband. no one is denying that katara loves aang, but the show (purposefully so) remains ambiguous on exactly what kind of love that is, often skewing it more to maternal or platonic love than romantic.
“1. Zuko endangered Katara’s life multiple times even up to when he was trying to join the Gaang with hiring the Combustion Bender to hunt them”
zuko risked his life to defeat combustion man. zuko risked his life in turning against his nation and teaching aang firebending. zuko risked his life in breaking into the boiling rock with sokka to save hakoda and suki. zuko risked his life in infiltrating the southern raiders ship with katara. zuko nearly died because he took a fucking bolt of lightning for katara.
you say yourself that zuko’s redemption arc is one of your favourites, so i cannot understand why you continue to bring up things he did in the past that he has a) already made up for and b) been forgiven for. the point of a redemption arc is that the character moves past their mistakes and becomes a better person, instead of being forever punished for things they’ve already been held accountable for and worked to correct.
2. As I stated earlier, Katara would be marrying into a family that literally ordered the genocide of her people which caused the death of her mother.
the man who ordered the genocide of her people and the death of her mother is gone. both katara and zuko fought to overthrow the regime, and succeeded. everyone involved in the wrongs against katara’s people has been defeated and brought to justice. katara has the chance to both reform the fire nation and help her own tribe by marrying zuko and strengthening the relations between their nations. she would be gaining power by marrying into the fire nation, not subjugating herself under a tyrannical regime.
3. Katara and Zuko both never even once hinted that they had romantic feelings for each other??
there is certainly plenty of romantic coding in zutara scenes that would easily lend itself to the development of a romance between them. besides, the argument for zutara is that there should have been canonical romantic feelings, regardless of what actually ended up being shown onscreen.
“fans who say that Katara was simply a prize for Aang while insisting that Katara should’ve instead been a prize for Zuko confuse me even more”
if you actually engage with zutara fandom, you would know that the vast majority of zutara shippers do not want katara to be a prize for zuko. most zutara fics and content make her his equal in every way, a ruler who loves both the southern water tribe and fire nation and cares for both her peoples. maybe there are a minority of zutara shippers who do what you say, but that is nothing compared to canon making katara a prize for aang, and reducing her to utter irrelevancy in the legend of korra as nothing more than a sad housewife, and the majority of kataang shippers still supporting it nonetheless.
i strongly suggest rewatching the show, because much of your argument against zutara is just factually inaccurate and/or based on a misunderstanding of the show. atla is actually pretty good, if you make it all the way to the end instead of stopping halfway.
idk about people but i've always thought of pidge as a cisgendered female. i just don't think she's trans. from flashbacks she seems to be comfortable in her female identity and it's explicitly mentioned in the show that she's passing as a guy so people don't suspect she's katie holt.
hi! I think pidge is great in that her gender can be interpreted in a lot of different ways, and everyone’s headcannons on that are valid. Pidge does use she/her pronouns and given the mulan feel to her story, i can see why a lot of people see her as cis.
but also that being said i am trans, so personally i do like to think of her as a trans girl or nonbinary. This isn’t really based on the scenes pidge is in so much as the emotion and relatibility those scenes evoke. like, the look on her face when she goes to cut her hair, but she stops and her hand shakes? like she’s throwing a part of her identity away? im a trans boy not out to my family, and i cant tell you how much it hurts to hear comments like “why dont you grow your hair out itll look so pretty” or “that isnt ladylike” so for me, im the opposite. if my hair gets too long, it makes me feel a lot of disphoria, and i need to cut it right away. i could kind of see that same sort of reaction in pidge when she has to cut her hair and she feels like its forfeiting part of herself
another thing is the way she reacts when shiro calls her katie. it means a lot when everyone’s calling you something that isn’t you and then someone you care about finally reaffirms your identity with your own name. and the line shiro says about keeping it a secret until she’s ready to come out? ya, ive heard that from someone i really trust before.
something else that’s really relatable is the bathroom scene. like, i cant tell you how many times ive watched it and just thought same.
it seems to me like the creators are pretty aware of the implications you could draw from pidge’s gender, and put this in as a reference to that specifically. it’s also worth noting that, while on the surface its funny becuase “ha, alien bathrooms, she can’t tell which is which,” the fact of the matter is, it’s not the stall signs she’s confused about. theyre coded blue and pink, so both we the audience and other characters in universe (hello keith) are perfectly aware of what that means:
and i mean, if anyone is gonna be able to read alien signs, it’s the person who literally made their galra translation program and also learns altean in her spare time. So its a matter of picking one that she’s hesitant about, not a confusion of which is which. lastly, the creators did mention pidge’s gender while talking about possible representation in voltron:
also, while pidge may be cis, being in the closet–having to hide your gender from everybody, feeling like youre living a lie, like you arent who everyone thinks, having to change the way others perceive your identity against your will, the worry about things like public bathrooms, and all the stress and anxiety this stuff causes–these aren’t issues that cis girls have. They are, however, very relatable to trans and nonbinary people, which is why a lot of people, myself included, can kind of see a bit of ourselves in her story.
so basically just to recap, while pidge could be cis, the problems with her gender identity arent ones that cis girls typically face, and are more relatable to people who are trans or nonbinary, and in many ways her story seems like a metaphor for that, which is why she’s often headcannoned as such. i hope that makes sense??
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