So a recurring opinion I’ve seen in a couple different places where I creep/lurk (reddit, tumblr, etc) is that XV should not have pummeled the shit out of Tsubasa.
I strongly, vehemently, aggressively disagree even though I can see where they’re coming from. The first time I watched XV, I literally texted someone: “What are they doing to my poor baby Basa this season?”
I think the reason my opinion differs is because I think I come from a vastly different background than most viewers. Not to say anyone’s perspective is wrong, it’s just different. First, let me tell you why I love Symphogear.
So, to be fair, this is the first anime that kicked off my midlife discovery of anime. And while Symphogear holds the top spot in my heart, Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid is a very, very close second. Symphogear fulfills my need for warm fluffy fuzzies and adventure. Valkyrie fulfills my need for... everything else: lesbians, sex, lesbian sex, humor, over-the-top-ridiculous premises, zero male characters, and just... literally everything. If Symphogear is comfort food, then Valkyrie is my favorite meal that is hella bad for me, but I just don’t care.
I don’t even remember how I stumbled onto this anime, but I thank the fucking gods that I did. I found it, watched the entire series one night, and again the next two nights with the girls. Also, thanks to this show, Diana taught me two important anime terms: ecchi and oppai. We’ll start here:
And so it begins...
Let me start here: you best be grown for this post. And you best be grown if you’re watching this show because damn they is a lot of sex.
The whole premise of this show is that girls infected with the Arm Virus are quarantined on islands away from the rest of the world. Infected girls can be either Extars or Liberators. Extars transform into weapons (”Arms”) that Liberators use or “drive.” And in order to transform, Extars must be sexually stimulated by a compatible Liberator. Yup.
I was actually concerned at first because I thought this setup had a lot of potential to have all the attitudes and ideas I find super squicky in anime (and in media in general): questionable consent, objectification, toxic relationships, etc. But I was pleasantly surprised that consent is actually addressed really well in the series, and overall, I thought it handled excellently so I wasn’t squicked out at all.
So, onto the characters:
Above you see our two main characters: Mamori, the red head, is an Extar. The blond, Mirei, is a Liberator. And as is seen above, they were meant for each other. That being said, bless Mirei and her heart of gold, because Mamori is real simple. If I have one complaint about this show, it’s that Mamori is that annoyingly innocent and oblivious and simple protagonist. You know the one. She’s that dog you have that can’t figure out how to push open a door with its nose even though it’s already mostly open anyway and whines until you get up and cross the room and push it open the remaining three inches so she can come in. Lord love her, she’s adorable and sweet, but just... not bright.
But Mirei is phenomenal. Despite Mamori’s obliviousness, Mirei is immediately staunchly devoted to her. All she wants to do is protect Mamori. She is tall and mysterious and proves to be a badass fighter in her first thirty seconds on screen. You can’t help but fall in love with her strength and stubbornness. And I’m a sucker for the strong but silent and awkward types.
What I like best about their relationship is how Mirei automatically does whatever she thinks is in Mamori’s best interests or aligns with her desires from word one. She sees Mamori under attack, she places herself between her and her attacker. Mamori complains about a character being cruel to another, Mirei moves to put a stop to it. Mamori asks Mirei not to hurt some one, so she doesn’t. I’m not a big fan of “love at first sight” type shit, but I can’t help but just fucking adore Mirei’s instant devotion to Mamori. Not just her, but to her thoughts and feelings.
Next up, we have the dynamic duo referred to as “Lady Lady.”
Oh, I cannot say enough about these two. Lady Rain and Lady J. Both are both Liberators and Extars, able to switch between roles as the situation dictates. SWITCH, get it?? One transforms into a sword/gun and the other a badass motorcycle. They claim it isn’t the sex that allows them transform but the strength of their bond. It’s actually quite beautiful how dedicated they are to one another. Former members of a paramilitary government organization, they chose exile and quarantine over being tools of others.
Next up, we’ve got Meifon. Meifon is a schemer obsessed with making a buck. What I adore about her is that she is an asexual/aromantic character. On an island where everyone is fucking everyone all the time. It is such an interesting idea of how someone who doesn’t experience sexual arousal/stimulation in a “typical” way functions on an island where sex is so highly prioritized. It was a really neat idea that I was surprised to see the show tackle. While it isn’t addressed in a super deep or meaningful way, it is an unexpected and nice touch.
The “Governor.” Normally, I am all about avoiding spoilers, but I was surprised that we were supposed to think the governor is a dude. I know sometimes it can be hard to tell in anime, and I am guilty of more than once being like “What a super hot lady!” and it ended up being a fella and cue disappointment. But Akira was clearly a woman from the first time we see her. It wasn’t until the fourth episode that I learned she was supposed to be a “man.” She is so clearly a lady. If you can’t figure that out in ten seconds, you’re as simple as Mamori, bless your heart.
I feel it’s a missed opportunity for Akira not to be trans, but she’s not. She’s just pretending to be a fella for power, to stand out on an island full of women. It would have been a lot more interesting and compelling in my humble opinion. But whatever.
I could go on and on about all the many fantastic characters on this show, but there are a few other things I want to talk about.
1. I usually prefer the original Japanese voice actors, but this is one of the rare times when the opposite is true. The English voice acting is on point, very well acted, and an utter delight. Mirei in particular has a fantastic dead-pan delivery that I adore.
2. This show is hysterically funny. I laughed so hard so many times. Especially during the episode “Giant Girl, Little Heart.” I mean... just look at this:
The giant girl’s name is Nimi Minimi. I can’t even. Dear god. It’s so funny. I have a great appreciation for anything that can make me laugh. There are a lot of jokes about pitching and catching. And this is an actual quote from this episode: “Nimi, you’re the only one who can catch my fastball. Only you can catch my body and soul!” It’s classic.
3. The power and relationship dynamics are very interesting. Poly seems to be a pretty readily accepted practice. Platonic “driving” seems to be a thing. Consent is approached several different ways, and each is very interesting. Another thing this show does well is examine the problems inherent in such a system. It isn’t all girls kissing girls and touchy touchy fun times. There is a lot included on how that power can be abused and what corruption may look like in a hyper-sexualized state. So, maybe trigger warning? I’m pretty sensitive, but I did not find it trigger-y. It was actually nice to see such abuse of power highlighted as abuse without a veiled attempt to make it okay because it’s sexy times between two (or more) women.
4. Story/plot/etc - I’ll be real. The bar was really low when I initially started this. I mean, I didn’t expect much given the premise, but ended up being very pleasantly surprised. The story is reasonably compelling and more thought out than expected. There are more complexities than I anticipated, and it all wraps up neatly at the end of the series in a satisfying way.
So, I guess that wraps up Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid. Conclusion: Watch it. It’s beautifully NSFW and unashamedly queer. There needs to be more anime like it. I think next I’ll write about Flip Flappers as it was recommended to me on my last post, and it currently holds the number three spot in my heart.
Today marks the fourth week of working from home, so please please please keep the recommendations coming. I have literally nothing to do but work and watch anime, and I’m super grateful for the recs I received already. Thanks. :-)
I thought that I could just take a deep breath and soldier on. After everything I’ve been through in my life. I thought there was nothing I couldn’t face with strength and grace. But I was wrong.
I peeked at AO3 for Symphogear.
I can’t help it. I’m weak. I don’t have the strength to stop myself.
I... I... I’m going to write a fic for it. Dammit.
At the tender age of thirty-five, I have discovered anime. Don’t get me wrong, I first watched Princess Mononoke at sixteen. It was my first exposure to Eastern thought, and it blew my tiny adolescent western mind, and I loved it. But outside of Ghibli movies and Voltron (which I don’t count), I’ve never sought it out on my own.
As a previous post might indicate, I am obsessed with Godzilla, so it isn’t as if I’m closed off from Japanese media. Most of the video games I play are Japanese. (Fire Emblem, Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, pretty much anything Nintendo.) One of my partners is even a Pacific Islander of Japanese descent, who lived in Japan, who speaks Japanese. And we’ve been together seven years. But all of the sudden, now I’m on this quest to make up for lost time and consume all the anime I can.
(Note: If you have suggestions, I would love them. But I would prefer if they were queer. I want women in love with other women. It doesn’t have to be overt, but I don’t want any heterosexual romances, and would prefer as few male characters as possible. I’ve seen enough male-driven storylines, thanks.)
But today, I am here to word-vomit all about the queer extravaganza that is Senki Zesshou Symphogear. Because I am addicted. I’ll start with this picture.
And so begins our journey...
The show starts out the gate being super gay. Tsubasa (Blue) and Kanade (Red) are each a half of the singing duo Zwei Wing. They refer to one another as partners and there is a lot of “We can do anything as long as we’re together” and “I’m going to sing with you forever” type stuff.
Then there is Hibiki and Miku:
Friends since childhood, they are the core couple of the show. Hibiki is the main character who typically discovers she’s not just a normal girl and has the ability to wield a Gear, which allows her to become this adorable badass superhero. Miku is her anchor in the mundane world. She is frequently the one person or thing that can reach/inspire/motivate Hibiki. She is what drives Hibiki.
Hibiki calls Miku her sunflower, the place where she is warmest, where she will always return to.
Which brings me to the point that they share a bed. Despite having bunk beds, they always sleep together. Except when they’re fighting, then they go to their respective bunks. It’s just so cute.
The characters are delightfully complex. Hibiki is as pure as the driven snow but she isn’t naive. Usually, pure characters are oblivious or ignorant to the danger or evil around them, but Hibiki isn’t. She knows fighting is dangerous. She knows people can be evil, but those things never deter her. It makes her incredibly brave, even when confronted with someone she knows is malicious, she extends her hand in friendship because she chooses to believe the best in others. It is nice to see a character who is sweet and pure without being an utter dumbass.
We’ve all seen it. The sweet, precious hero is surprised that the bad guy who has been trying to kill them for an entire season won’t be their friend. Hibiki is NOT like that. She always gives people the opportunity for kindness without expectation, with the full awareness that it might be rejected.
Miku is the sweet, somewhat demure, nurturing one. She is the caretaker character. You might initially think she’s the standard timid and meek best friend stock character. But nope. She does not suffer fools. She is not an enabler. She is not afraid to call anybody out on their bullshit, regardless of who they are. She does what she thinks is right which also makes her very brave. She wants to protect Hibiki as much as Hibiki protects her.
Their dynamic is just lovely. Hibiki can kind of be a mess sometimes. She’s absent-minded, never on time, doesn’t prioritize school work. Miku is always there to pull her back down to earth, to center her. If she feels Hibiki is losing focus or deviating from who she is, Miku will always be the one to ground her. She truly is Hibiki’s anchor, her safe place. And I love it.
Oh and there is my dear Yukine Chris. I won’t go super in detail, but I will leave you with this:
It is exactly what it looks like. A queer D/s relationship. Unfortunately, it’s toxic and unhealthy. A whole lot of “I’m the only one that can love you” and “You have to obey me or I won’t love you anymore” and “I’m angry so you have to let me take it out on you” and so on. It’s all taken directly from the Abusive Relationship Handbook.
But worry not, we are not subjected to the toxicity for terribly long, and Chris gets the kindness and love she deserves from her new friends and senpai. I’d go more in depth, but y’know... spoilers.
Now, let us march forward to season two where our Roster of Queerness is completed by three additional characters. Two of which are so cute I cannot even fucking stand it.
I call them my Precious Gay Babies.
Kirika and Shirabe are two little baby gays that grew up in an orphanage with only one another and Maria, who is like a big sister to them. But oh my fucking god they are so precious I can’t even handle it.
Kirika is the more animated of the two. The sweet, cheerful ray of sunshine. And Shirabe is the quieter, more solemn of the two. They literally have a fight where they are shouting back and forth at each other how much they love one another. If this show was only about them, I would watch it. They are just way too cute.
Shirabe can be a little possessive of Kirika, and Kirika knows who she belongs to. If another girl touches her, she knows Shirabe will put the stomp down on it. I usually find behavior like that kind of squicky and toxic, but in this instance it isn’t too gross because I think it’s rooted in their background. They’ve only ever had one another so they’re extremely protective of each other.
I mean, just look.
Look at my Precious Gay Babies!
LOOK AT THEM!!
They are so cute and precious and I love them.
Let me wrap this up with Maria.
I won’t go too in depth with Maria because I don’t want to be spoiler-y. But 1) She’s fantastic. 2) No, I don’t know what’s up with her hair. 3) She is totally queer for Tsubasa, and I’m sailing on that ship.
I am midway through the fourth season. So, I haven’t caught up to the most current season (5) but holy hell. I am invested.
It’s just a bunch of girls (oh! And there is even a genderless, sexless character who is precious and I love) being in love with other girls and fighting monster things.
I fucking love this show. Right now, it’s kind of vying for top spot with Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid. Which may only be my number one because it’s a little more overt in its women sleeping with other women thing. It’s equal parts “fuck yes!” combined with “am I high right now?” That’ll be my next post, I digress.
If you are in the mood for some light but surprisingly good entertainment featuring a strong line of female characters who all fall in love with one another, then I cannot recommend Senki Zesshou Symphogear enough. It is fan-fucking-tastic. It doesn’t require too much thought, but it makes up for it by giving you a ton of warm, fuzzy feels.
And if you can recommend me anything similar. Or anything that heavily features queer women, I would be forever in your debt.
Oh, and PS there is a mobile game, which is how I found the show in the first place. Downloaded the game, played it, then got all fucked up on the anime. Worth it.
After watching the WW1984 trailer for a 73rd time, I finally feel confident in saying that Kristen Wiig as Cheetah is what I am most excited about this new movie.
Don’t get me wrong, Diana is my girl. But Cheetah, and Barbara Ann Minerva, has always been my favorite villain for her. (The only exception being Medusa during St. Rucka’s run, but does that even count? It’s mostly just for this moment:
Because Jesus titty-fucking Christ, Diana BLINDS herself with the venom from the SNAKES SHE CUTS FROM MEDUSA’S goddamn head so she can fight without being turned to stone. Still the most badass moment she’s ever had and I’m still cheesed that Rucka’s run is out of continuity or no longer apart of current Wonder Woman canon. Oh yeah. Cheetah. Oops.)
Coincidentally, Rucka’s run was where I was first introduced to Cheetah. But when I heard Wiig was going to be playing her, I was stoked. She is hysterically funny, and I can’t wait to see her range playing some of the more dramatic aspects of Barbara/Cheetah. I didn’t know how desperately I wanted to see Wiig as a villain until I heard she was playing Cheetah.
Besides, the promo photos? The trailer? She looks amazing. She’s going to be badass and I can’t fucking wait. And I better not have to come back and dig up this post in six months and take back everything I am saying now, dammit.
I mean just look:
And then this...!!!
I can’t even. She’s beautiful. Perfect. Down right lovely.
She has my whole heart, and I cannot wait for this movie.
Real talk. I am super late to the fandom, I know. But I’ve watched all seven volumes, and I am no closer to a point of clarification on this.
I feel like the show wants me to like him. I don’t think the goal was to create a character so loathsome that every time he opens his stupid mouth I want to stab myself to spare me the agony of his existence. Which is why I am confused. If the show wants me to like him, why did they make him a bad person.
He has zero redeeming qualities. The best thing I can say about him is that he isn’t Trump. In fact, I might do a post just listing all the ways he is a horrible person. Because he’s the worst. He is selfish, self-involved, entitled, weak, and toxic.
I’m sure there are people out there that like him. But I assume they are the same kind of people who like Dimitri from Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The sort of people who excuse bad behavior because he’s “tortured.” He’s not tortured. He’s a piece of shit.
And it isn’t as if all the characters don’t have flaws and complexities. They’re not all perfect, they make bad decisions, they fuck up. I hate Ozpin, but I think he’s a great character. Hate Cinder, love her character. But I just plain hate Jaune. He never does anything that redeems him, he has no charm, no purpose.
The sad truth is that when the girls are out of the house and it’s just me and the dogs, I watch Godzilla movies.
I crank up my surround sound system (which is in my room, and yes I need it thank you very much) as loud as it will go because I want my neighbors to think we are being attacked by Godzilla and Ghidorah. Or at the very least, I want to be able to feel the concussive shock of his roar in my chest.
And no matter the movie, I always cry when Mothra dies. Every. Single. Time. Even though I know she’s got an egg somewhere to replace her. I still cry.
Do not for the love of god group me in with these children that think this phrase is okay. As a millennial I personally think the phrase is immature and shows that younger people today don’t like being told they are wrong or when a person older than them doesn’t listen to them. Go fight in the war or live through the depression than come back and cry to me about how older people don’t listen to you. Maybe it’s for this reason.
I am a millennial. And a fifteen year army veteran. Those wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Where we’ve had troops for years and years and years? Almost exclusively fought by millennials and Gen-X. The only boomers in those wars were people too high-ranking to get their hands dirty.
Remember 2008? The huge recession? Housing market tanking? Unemployment? Not to mention, the Depression was in the 1930s. The Boomers weren’t even alive for that.
Furthermore, if you’ve been through some shit and are unwilling to listen to others just because they haven’t “suffered as much as you”, it just shows your hardship has failed to teach you any compassion/empathy, and you’ve failed to learn anything from it. If you use your personal struggles to belittle or minimize the struggles of other people, you’re pretty much a shit person.
I love The Dragon Prince, but what is everyone in this fictional world eating??
How come the only characters I am taller than are two pre-pubescent children and a glow toad? Even Ava is taller than me. The three-legged wolf dog is taller than me.
I think 5’5” is an average height for a woman. But apparently I must be a garden gnome to the creators of TDP that even teenagers and dogs are taller than me.
I know I’m getting my hopes up, but this is the Book IV screen for Fire Emblem Heroes.
Let’s look closer, shall we:
Look at the eye contact! Look at how they are gazing soulfully at one another!
The only way I look at something that way is if a) it’s a triple chocolate meltdown with extra whipped cream and it’s shark week or b) it’s another woman I’m about to make my wife.
And I know Japan has a different culture that I confess to be largely ignorant of outside of the Godzilla universe, but come on... That gaze is two parts adoration, one part teenage infatuation, and three parts “I’ll be in my bunk.”
They are holding hands for crying out loud!
I really need more canon queer Fire Emblem ladies outside of Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Please?
Is anyone else floored by how gorgeous Rayla’s parents are?? No wonder Rayla is such a cutie with the genes of these two paragons of Moonshadow sex appeal.
Look, I’m super gay. However, I would not say no to being the middle of a Moonshadow sandwich with Rayla’s parents.
