phaasch

Hiccup has always been one of my favorite characters because he’s not an overtly masculine hero. His arc seems to be a validation of difference, because like you stated, it is because of his differences that he succeeds. I love his development and the fact that he succeeds not in spite of his lack of traditionally masculine qualities, but because of them.

I am so in love with Steven Universe, basically because of the reasons that you mentioned. I do think one of the elements that truly makes it stand out from other cartoons is, as you said, the queer representation that it provides. It’s incredible to see queer characters in fully fleshed out relationships that don’t end in tragedy like so many queer relationships on television do. Steven Universe succeeds in presenting queer relationships to children in a healthy, desexualized manner, which is something that I think is critical especially for queer youth. I also love how it deals with concepts such as healthy or abusive relationships or consent through things like fusion and starts teaching kids about important topics in a way that makes sense to them. Steven Universe is just… so good in so many ways.

I love the argument that you make in this article, and I’m a huge fan of the villains in LOK because, like you said, they’re not “relatable” or “misunderstood”. They’re characters with definitive motives and ideologies that are at times very morally ambiguous or downright immoral. However, I love that each character is crafted to serve a crucial function in Korra’s development and at the same time acts as a sort of foil to her character at a given point in time. This seems to be especially relevant with Kuvira, whose physical strength and fortitude starkly contrasts with Korra’s bending crisis in Book 4. Loved reading your analysis, and you’ve definitely got me thinking about how well-crafted these villains are!