Hey gays! So, I saw someone hating on Miya in his tags. I won't @ them, but I do want to broach the topic.
Just as a general basis, it is perfectly fine to dislike a character. Hell, you're valid if you post about it. What's not okay, is putting that hate in the characters tag. Full stop, I don't care who the character is.
This isn't to say there aren't bad characters, characters who do bad things, etc. But guess what? They're just a character! If you have an issue with the portrayal, an issue with clichés, whatever, that's an issue with THE AUTHOR.
I don't care if you rag on the author all day, fuck there are some authors I'd bitch out for free (JKR anybody?). But don't put it in the character tags.
'But Moss', you ask, 'why shouldn't we do that?'
Because to many people, those characters and sources are comforting, relatable even. Some people care very deeply for characters you dislike. That doesn't mean excusing their action, or saying they aren't potentially bad people, but that they're a character somebody enjoys. Sometimes, people enjoy characters for coping reasons even!
Basically: Don't be shitty, let people enjoy things!
As for the hate on Miya specifically, I want to address two points. In addressing them, I'll make it clear first that explainations are not excuses. There is however a thing, you may or may not know if it, called intent vs impact.
What this means, is that someone can intend to do a good thing, and cause harm. People can make mistakes. Sometimes, people don't even realise the harm they cause until it's pointed out.
Into the nitty-gritty. Quotes are not exact, just surmised.
1. "Miya is the kind of person who would bully me in school"
So, it's funny to say this. Considering that Miya is bullied, ostracised, and outright neglected by those around him. He's been abandoned by his friends, abandoned by the other skaters at his academy, and clearly has been taught that perfection > enjoyment. Those ideas don't just come out of nowhere.
The way Miya acts is him lashing out because he's been mistreated. His intentions aren't to harm others, though that is an impact he can have, his intentions are to protect himself emotionally from others.
2. "Nobody can relate to Miya"
Yes, yes they can. I in fact know people who do. Miya is NPD coded, ED coded, and depression coded. To say that those things aren't relatable, to at least some degree, is ableist against those mental illnesses, and belittling towards people who suffer from those things.
And finally, 3. Threats of violence.
Let's just not, okay? First of all, Miya is literally just a character, if you don't like him, focus on the other characters or watch something else. And if you don't want to acknowledge that he is literally just a 2D character, then you just threatened to harm a middle schooler.
Sorry if this is a little all over the place, but yeah! Have a good day! :)
