linefaced:

hermitswag:

linefaced:

suckmymara:

Daily reminder that Kanji isn’t gay, Naoto isn’t trans and Rise isn’t a slut.

Like, those are the three characters the Persona 4 fandom has the hardest time understanding, even though it is explicitly stated that Kanji’s problem was with acceptance, Naoto’s was trying to be taking seriously as an adult and Rise only showed attraction towards one person.

You can like/dislike whatever characters you like, but don’t like/dislike them based on a misinterpretation of them.

okay you know what, here’s the thing:

I have my fandom opinions.  I have a lot of them.  I don’t interpret Naoto as trans, I don’t interpret Kanji as gay (nor do I interpret him as straight) but I have a lot of problems with the way this post is worded.

You are not a fandom gatekeeper.  This goes for anyone on either side of the issues here.  You don’t get to decide who likes and dislikes characters and for what reason, you don’t get to decide how other people choose to interpret them.  Everyone has their own reasons for liking and disliking certain characters and you don’t get to tell them how they can enjoy fandom.  Stop.  

If you disagree with someone’s interpretations, Tumblr has an ignore function for a reason.  Just let people have fun with it the way they want.  You are inevitably going to encounter people that have opinions that differ from yours, but chances are you are not going to magically change their mind, and if you take it personally if someone disagrees with you (like if you have a particularly strong connection to the character), then it’s not that hard to find people who agree with you and you can surround yourself with them on a less public social network, instead of trying to tell people what they can and can’t do with their interpretations.

Also, as a slightly more minor thing: I agree that Rise’s not actually a “slut” but I also have issues with wording that implies that she’d be a lesser character even if she was. 

I also just want to put out there that even though I personally don’t view Naoto and Kanji as trans and gay, respectively, keeping an open mind about interpretations led me to some REALLY REALLY GOOD fanfic about both situations and the struggles it causes.  So there’s that to think about, too.

So basically, they’re free to completely misinterpret these characters because it’s THEIR opinion, but when it comes to OUR opinions, we should just keep our mouths shut? Because I guess we’re not “fandom gatekeepers” or whatever. It isn’t even about interpretation as opposed to what is EXPLICITLY STATED in canon, but okay.

As long as they’re not trying to tell you that you’re wrong, then uh, yeah, they’re… free to do whatever they want.  That’s part of what makes fandom fun, is exploring possibilities.  

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you you’re not allowed to have your opinions or express them.  Like I said, I have my own, and I agree with a lot of the interpretations of that post, and people are free to agree/disagree/follow me/unfollow me/block my ass for them if they feel like it.  What I took issue with is the wording, and I’m saying that going out of your way to make inflammatory posts or getting in someone’s face for interpreting canon the way they want is really pointless and doesn’t accomplish anything except making everyone involved upset for no real reason.

The Persona 4 fandom has not been convinced 100% of one way or the other on a lot of issues and it’s been around for years, so chances are they’re never going to, and it seems silly to keep repeatedly dragging out these arguments.  If you want to keep having them, that’s your deal. /shrug.

Thank you, Line  :)  Just… yes, all of this.  Guys, come on, we’ve been doing the “interpreting things as we see them” dance for ALL fandoms forever!  I’ve paired people together who speak two sentences to one another.  I’ve paired boys together when said boy was canonly with a girl.  I’ve done it all.  I’ve done the “These two boys are hot they should hook up” and the “Hey he looked at him for 3.2 seconds that means they’re in love.”  The point is to not say someone is wrong, because honestly, people see what they want to see and if you don’t agree, that’s fine.  That’s a huge part of being a part of a fandom!  

For every post you disagree with, there’s going to be one you run into that you do agree with.  There’s no point in saying, “You’re wrong,” when there’s an entire part of your fandom that agrees with you.  "It says so in canon,“ sure, that’s fine, but let the people who see other things in the game/anime/TV show/whatever have their fun.  If they see a character a certain way, let them, because trust me for all of your canon they’ll find something else in your canon to support what they want.    

And for that matter, why are we allowed to go crazy with pairings but not with characters themselves?  I mean I love Kanji and Naoto, love them all day and night, write headcanons like crazy, but canonly?  They’re not together.  No one comes to me like, "Hey sweetie, just so you know, this isn’t canon.”  Sure, there was that wave of confession posts of “I don’t like them together,” and you know what?  That’s fine.  That’s an opinion.  They never left me any messages in my box going, “Stop writing that shit it’s not canon and here’s a list of reasons why it’s not.”  I know they don’t hook up.  Not in Persona 4, not in Arena, not in the anime, not ever.  But I write it because THAT’S WHAT I SEE!  I see hints here and there, just like people see hints here and there of Kanji being gay and Naoto being trans.  If you don’t like it, just keep scrolling, the tag is full of things and I’m sure you’ll find something you like, otherwise, you wouldn’t be in this fandom anymore. 

The problem isn’t people “misinterpreting characters.”  The problem is people going, “Guys seriously stop he’s not gay she’s not trans.”  That’s the problem.  As soon as you say “absolutely not” there’s this giant war and just… stop.  Just leave the fans be.