LO, writing a quadruple amputee: "She's bitter and angry, has no reason to live but her love interest, and has no external goals or social life."
Disney's Gargoyles, writing a Black blind man: "He's a published author, dog lover, helped found a dog shelter, has a bunch of nerdy author friends, has supportive parents, accepts nonhumans and their status as people, and since he's immune to magic that you have to see to be effected by, he is key to defeating a major villainous scheme. He goes on to be happily married in the comics, and is both one of the characters' closest friends and his most honest critic, pushing Hudson and himself not to give up on learning new things purely because of their ages."
Elfen Lied, writing a quadruple amputee teenage girl: "She's fighting a serial killer with the same psychic powers both were born with, is bi, loves Mayu deeply but will forego a relationship rather than risk Mayu's safety, is happily adopted by a dad she loves, loves her foster sisters, refuses to hurt innocent people in a setting where good and bad guys alike usually do, and does not see becoming disabled as the end of her life or a reason to give up on life."
Yuki Yuna Is A Hero, writing a teenage girl who uses a wheelchair: "She's a magical girl who's also a sniper, has a close circle of best friends, is independent to a fault, is a femme lesbian, is a huge history nerd, loves cooking, and even when the villains hit her with amnesia and forcibly try to take her identity from her, she's so dedicated to justice that she just ends up becoming a hero in a different way, because her driving motive is a desire for everyone to live happy, peaceful lives."
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, writing a deaf teenage girl for one episode: "This girl does karate and gymnastics, wants to be a teacher when she's older, is crushed on by two guys normally depicted as shallow because even they understand that being disabled doesn't make her any less cool or date-worthy, teases her younger brother, is friends with both popular and unpopular girls at school based on shared interests, and is immune to the villain of the episode's magic flute due to being deaf but singlehandedly defeats the villain because while he's arrogant and thinks he's undefeatable, she's smart enough to watch him carefully, formulate a plan and wear him out before fighting him."
Wolf's Rain, writing a blind, albino woman who suffers from chronic fatigue: "This is our ultimate hero who will save the world. She loves plants, animals, and her close circle of friends. Although the world has been unkind to her and often cruel, she refuses to let the world end, because she will not give into despair and instead will focus on those that have been good to her, in stark contrast to the abled villain who has had a really good life but is fixating on the handful of bad things that have happened to him. She is quiet and too serious sometimes but also curious, thoughtful and loves bad puns."
Katawa Shoujo: "All of the characters in this visual novel are disabled. No two have the same disability. Every single one is portrayed as a well-rounded character, a love interest, someone with struggles, dreams, hopes, and a bright future ahead of them whether you choose to befriend them or romance them, because they're friends with each other and with one another to depend on, goof off around, vent to and feel normal with, they'll be okay. All a person needs to be successful in life is to feel connected to others and supported by them."
Once you watch anime/watch cartoons/watch cheesy 90's shows/play visual novels, Lily's disabled character looks horrifically underwritten. Fall The Amputee is barely a character. There's no agency, no inner world, no future, nothing outside of "became disabled, hates being alive, serves her spouse".
I know we've all moved on to talking about her sexually predatory ways. But as a disabled person I'm so tired of "being disabled means your life is over and the best you can hope for is someone who's willing to fuck you". No. That's not how this works. That's not how life is. We do not exist to sexually service able bodied people. We do not exist to be comforted by your OC stand-in who's oh-so-noble for doing so.
To crib from a Disney song, since LO only watches Disney, cartoons, and BBT: "I can slay my own dragons, I can dream my own dreams. My knight in shining armor is me."
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