Discover Top Posts Tagged with #queer coded characters

Finally got around to listing the KPop Demon Hunters buttons I made for Pride a few months ago. Because Rumi's arc is very queer-coded and I will die on that hill.

Soda Pop: ko-fi.com/s/48dbd55431 What It Sounds Like: ko-fi.com/s/d45bde165e Golden: ko-fi.com/s/844a4313a0 Saja Boys Concert Survivor: ko-fi.com/s/127a27f74d

#KPDH #KPop Demon Hunters #huntrix #saja boys #kpdh fanart #Rumi kpdh #mira kpdh #zoey kpdh #pride #queer coded characters #queer

Finishing Fruit Basket as a 33 year old

(Full spoilers ahead!)

I read the manga up until most of season one back when I was a teen, and I remembered a fair bit. I’d always been curious to see how the story wrapped up. I’ve preferred the anime’s art over the manga’s (totally subjective), so I went for the anime this time around. And honestly, I’m really glad I did. So here are some of my scattered thoughts.

Yuki had the best character arc by far. He starts off as that “perfect” prince-type character I found really annoying back then—and still found annoying rewatching season one! But as the story unfolds and we get more of his backstory, everything clicks into place. The pressure, the loneliness, the feeling of playing a role that didn’t fit him, the emotional distance from his mother… all of it hit harder now. I especially loved the scenes with his brother. The student counseling episode was probably my favorite moment in the whole series. His arc was subtle and strong, and I really liked his romance with Machi too. It’s a shame we didn’t get more of her in the anime.

Kyo and Tohru were adorable, beginning to end. They were my ship when I was a kid, and I was still rooting for them. I actually found it okay that Kyo told her he was disappointed in her at one point—it felt real. In relationships, people do hurt each other sometimes. What matters is coming back from that and growing. That said, I do feel like Tohru wasn’t the most compelling character as I watched with adult eyes. I would’ve loved to see her written with more depth.

I really liked Rin and Hatsuharu too. Honestly, both of them felt so mature, like they could’ve been in college. Their dynamic—trauma, trust, pain, healing—was emotionally rich and really moving. Two emo kids that I will defend with my whole heart.

I was also glad that Momiji didn’t end up with Tohru. Their dynamic was sweet, but there was a maternal, nurturing quality in the way she treated him, and turning that into romance would’ve been weird. I know he gets more closure with his sister in the sequel, which I haven’t read. But it would’ve been nice to get a little of that in the main story. That said, Momiji is definitely one of the most touching side characters, and it’s easy to see why he’s a fandom favorite.

I didn’t buy into the Kureno x Arisa insta-love at all, but Kureno as a character was interesting, and I found his dynamic with Akito compelling.

Akito's part of the story left me with mixed feelings, especially around her gender reveal. It’s a twist that worked narratively, and it’s very typical of early 2000s manga, where gender play was a common trope in shojo manga. But watching it now, it feels… off. There’s something about it that brushes up against the “crazy crossdresser” trope, or like a reversed forced transition. It’s complex, and I’m not sure how it sits today, especially for queer viewers. I’d honestly be curious to hear what LGBTQ+ fans think, because part of me sees some uncomfortable implications.

As for Shigure and Akito… I loved how twisted the relationship was. But they should not have ended up together. Their story felt like it needed to be a tragic almost-love. Something full of pain and longing, but ultimately about two people who did too much damage to ever truly be together. I would’ve loved to see Akito choose a life outside the Soma clan altogether, far from the old power structures. A real breakaway without Shigure in the picture.

I really appreciated how the show explored Kagura and Kyo’s bond. It was messy, and honest. Guilt, pity, affection, and ultimately, friendship. I wasn’t expecting to like their scenes as much as I did.

Tohru’s parents, though… I still find their romance creepy. The whole teacher-student thing just doesn’t sit right with me. But I did love the way they supported each other as two people rejected by their families, and I really appreciated how the movie gave us more of Kyoko’s grief and inner world. That part worked well for me.

Hatori’s romance, on the other hand? No thank you. It felt off. Falling for your friend’s fiancé and then dating him after she loses her memory just… no. That whole storyline had this weird heteronormative energy of trying to pair off everyone, no matter how awkward the circumstances. It was one of the few parts of the series I just didn’t enjoy.

I also really wish we got more of Tohru’s best friends. Not necessarily in romantic arcs, just more scenes of them. Their backstories were so well done, and the way Kyoko (and later Tohru) helped them find themselves was really powerful. They were such strong characters and deserved more focus.

Kisa’s arc was another highlight. The bullying, the selective mutism, the trauma—it was beautifully handled. Her slow healing felt real and gentle. Hiro’s guilt, and his complicated relationship with Akito, added layers to his character too.

I also found Ritsu really fun, and honestly wish we’d seen more of him. His relationship to gender presentation and anxiety had so much potential. It’s a shame he didn’t get more space in the story, especially since Fruits Basket already flirts with queer-coded narratives.

Despite most of the cast being in high school, a lot of the emotional themes are really intense and sometimes the adults seem even less functional than the teens. Watching it now, in my 30s, it’s still incredibly enjoyable and deeply relatable in places. I think if I’d finished the series as a teen, it would’ve hit me even harder. But even now, I’m so glad I went back to it.

It’s beautifully acted (I watched in Japanese), the music is great, and the tone feels much more grounded than the over-the-top comedy of the 2001 version, which I never really liked. This new adaptation strikes the right balance between sweetness and pain. I get now why Fruits Basket is considered a classic in the shojo world—and I’m not disappointed to have finished it, even if it took me this long.

i know mike would’ve been better off with will than el, just as i know harry would’ve been better off with draco than ginny, just as i know jonathan would’ve been better off with steve than nancy, just as i know nancy would’ve been better off with robin than jonathan — and no amount of heteronormative canon will change my mind.

happy pride 🏳️‍🌈 to closet gay eddie diaz specifically,,, don't worry king we got you 💕

#📌 pinned post #ex catholic closet gay eddie diaz my beloved <3 #closet gay eddie diaz #gay eddie diaz #eddie diaz #buddie #pride month #happy pride 🌈#9 1 1 #911 #queer coded characters #pride #queer #the gay firefighter show #the weewoo show #queerweewoo

you know what’s weird, eddie and chrissy’s scene mirrors robin and steve’s chair scene. i’m sure someone’s brought this up before but i’m just noticing on my rewatch. probably wasn’t intentional cause the duffers suck

#stranger things #stranger things 4 #steve harrington #robin buckley #eddie munson #chrissy cunningham #queer coded characters