Purity culture really bothers me a lot, especially if it concerns art and writing. I'm anti-censorship and antifa, so I've seen a huge mess both on Twitter and Bluesky. Proship/profiction is the cornerstone of antifa, so I just say I'm antifa. It's because censorship is the cornerstone of fascism. A lot of queer content goes bye bye, unfortunately, which is very sad. I hope in time things change, but not sure if it will in my lifetime, but I'm willing to fight for change. I don't like how people are accusing people of real crimes over fiction of all things.
What people draw and write has nothing to do with someone's morals and them as a person. This has been proven a lot in the past. It's a cover up for some people that try to make themselves better than they really are, and why I'm wary of those proship dni accounts... I get having a boundary, but this doesn't feel quite right. Feels like bad news... That should be common sense and it's so frustrating seeing it happen so often on Twitter, even more so if the person is over twenty. I've met pretty cool people that love dark fantasy. What I love about dark fantasy is that it's not afraid to show characters that actually feel life-like. Whether they're good, bad, or just plain evil. It's just a breath of fresh air to read.
That's why I loved it so much. I think people get the wrong idea when I say I love dark fantasy. It's because well, humans aren't perfect. There's good and bad in all of us. So seeing how morally grey a character is, is just relatable. It helps me deal with all the evil in this world as well as to improve to be a better person because I'm sorry, the world is cruel a lot. I mean, it has its good moments, but lately it has been rough. My family and friends are hurting, and struggling so much.
I understand if people can't handle media like BERSERK, Castlevania, and dare I say Made in Abyss... Yeah, I know that last one I mentioned is something, but there's no proof of the creator hurting actual children. There has to be proof. An artist drawing fucked up shit, is not proof of their morals. It's what they actually do in real life. I know that this is a sensitive topic, but again, I think a lot of these artists that make dark fantasy/horror use it to help them deal with stuff. For me, when I got into BERSERK more so it was during the pandemic.
That was such a stressful time and I was worried about my family getting really sick. I thought I was gonna lose them. It really scared me. Wholesome anime and other stories just wasn't working as a coping mechanism anymore so I tried something else and it was uncomfortable at first, but I'm glad I gave BERSERK a chance. It now means a lot to me.
So, that's why I'm so sad about the state of fandoms because fandoms were so fun back in the day, but now not so much. As for LADS well, I get Caleb isn't for everyone because he gots that whole pseudo-incest forbidden love trope going on around him that's a core of his character and why he acts the way he does with MC. They grew up together, they're family, which makes the whole suddenly romantic, problematic... I don't condone everything he does, and I especially don't condone incest, related or not.
People don't have to be related to be family to be honest. Personally, I'm conflicted because I liked him more as just the big brother, and that's it. Although, it's interesting seeing the darker yandere side of him and I don't like how much of him is censored in the English version. The only reason why I knew was because back in April when I picked up LADS for the first time I saw his third myth, so that's why I knew so my experience is much different, so maybe I would see him differently if I was playing earlier, but knowing me, I still would have knew something was off as it's pretty apparent that MC and Caleb grew up in the same household around the lady the both call Grandma/Gran so, yeah... I would have connected the dots earlier on. Caleb's voice actor is pretty good at the whole big brother vibe. Zanye doesn't talk to MC like that since he has the childhood friends trope instead...
But on the flip side Caleb was meant to be added as a love interest. He is interesting as a love interest, I must admit though. That trope is a tale as old as time. If anything they're more like Adam and Eve which makes it less jarring, at least for me. I'll admit I was a bit uncomfortable with how the two see each other, while also now being in love.
It was more like an awkward feeling, like I could never imagine doing this stuff in real life. Absolutely not... I didn't make a big deal out of it because he isn't real. It's like Greek myths. They're gods, so I'm not gonna apply human morality to them, none of these men in this game are normal. Anyway, what happens in fiction, stays in fiction. This is a touchy topic so it's not something I like talking about, but I thought I'll at least mention it here and I'll try to write it as clear as possible as it sucks how media literacy is a lost art form.
I'll share some of my teachings here. I don't want it to get entirely lost, so sometimes I will ramble about it here and there. Damn, so glad I got my own website, it feels good to get this off my chest finally. Fiction is supposed to be fun, help people deal with things, and heal, it was never that serious. I do know there's propaganda, but that's a different conversation entirely, which I will talk about in another journal.
It also bothered me how people don't seem to get that blood isn't always thicker than water. Anyway, this game is in the dark romance area, which I wish more people would use instead of just calling LADS a incest game... Caleb isn't the only guy to choose from there's four, well supposed to be five other guys. This game is strange, but it's just a game at the end of the day, it's not hurting anyone. MC is pretty freaky too as I realized she was with these men in different life times, which is interesting, but wild. Xavier is god only knows how old he is, and is her co-worker, Doctor Zayne is well her doctor, that's not okay for a patient to date their doctor and vice versa. Sylus is a boss man and dragon, and oh my goodness he gets her in all sorts of danger, and it is thrilling to him. I don't dislike Boss man, but he isn't my go to guy. I love Caleb, my wonderland big bruh, imfao...
Rafayel kinda got on my nerves at first, but the mermaid thing he got going for him and him being a serial killer is interesting so yeah, all of them are messy asf. Valko is a werewolf. I was team Jacob Black in my teens so, I have a soft spot for werewolves... I just loved the story a lot so far from what I read. I had to read a lot of it on YouTube as I don't have a lot of the cards. It's so hard to find good media for women, especially games, and I feel like I found something decent, and now this issue with Valko is just exhausting.I will be taking a break from talking about it for awhile though as this whole situation is stressing me the fuck out. I've seen people call Valko mutt, which is heart breaking as it has racist undertones... So, it sucks seeing a good portion of Caleb mains call him that, when I was part of xyztwt. So now, the fandom is further divided. Just a sad state of affairs that really bums me out, man... With all that said, the games I enjoyed as a teen even wouldn't be here if they were censored and watered down like the stuff I'm seeing now. Xenogears is also one of my favorite media. Religion is something I'm not very comfortable with usually, but Xenogears has helped me deal with it in a healthy way, and that's one of the reasons why I love it so much. I want artists/writers to stay true to their vision. Never try and not be yourself just to make others comfortable. Regardless, it doesn't matter what I draw/paint or how tasteful I try to make my work, not everyone is gonna like it, and I'm totally fine with that.
This was a little long. I will be reworking my journal layout and adding most likely a next and previous on the bottom. I just gotta figure out how to do that. Y'all are free to block, mute, or whatever. I understand that my work, especially nowadays, isn't for the faint hearted. So, please take care of yourselves and step back if y'all need to. Having boundaries does not make someone a puritan. I have things I don't like in fiction either, and I avoid it. I know it doesn't seem like it to some people, but I also have boundaries. That's all for now. Good day to y'all! <3