Hello! I’ve changed my username—including my rentry link—on all platforms, and I haven’t updated the rentry link attached to my ata yet. I’m aware that isn’t working, but I’m pretty sure my partners rentry link and the link I have on my Twitter work fine? I checked both, I think it’s a rentry issue. Thanks for telling me, though!

No.

I am mixed! I’m blasian and native. The different sides of my family are very big on partaking in the different cultures they’re made up of, so I was brought up appreciating all of it. I’ve put a ton of research into what makes me who I am, and I am an advocate for anti-racism through and through. I also have a lot of knowledge on cultures I’m not apart of due to that fact. :D I think a lot of advocates are very selective with where they extend their beliefs. I think with racism in specific, they (white people specifically) only point out the obvious as to not grow uncomfortable, but you can’t truly call yourself an anti-racism advocate if you don’t acknowledge every truth. That includes what your group of people may have done to facilitate that harm.

Thank you. :,D? I appreciate it I suppose. Although the conversation is both richer and more accurate when you open your eyes to more than one perspective. This especially applies to an anime like Utena, too.

SHOCK!

I don’t hate akikasa! I don’t ship it, but that has nothing on how I view their dynamic.

Thank you. This means the world.

NO. T T I listen to every genre you can think of, although I do listen to him and other breakcore artists pretty often too.

Hello anon! :D While the way Utena handles race reflects how Japanese media often encodes racism (which differs from Western media), that doesn’t mean it’s free of racial issues—especially given the show’s age. Firstly, I wouldn’t say Utena is ever explicitly hateful or racist, but episode 8 (The Great Curry Hightrip) is racist. <\3 It relies on stereotypes for humor. Instead of subverting and criticizing these tropes, they play them straight up. It uses the curry to be ‘funny’ and treat other cultures as disruptive or comedic. That’s pretty common in older anime, unfortunately. Dark skin is also used as a visual shorthand for “outsider.” This could have been a critique of racism, but the show doesn’t engage with it that way; foreignness is mostly treated as atmosphere rather than something explored. Overall, race is a blind spot in Utena. The series rigorously examines gender and power, but doesn’t apply the same depth to racial dynamics, even though viewers can sometimes read them into the text. The show doesn’t support that reading, because it isn’t the primary focus. Ikuhara has also said that he didn’t make Akio or Himemiya Indian for political or critical reasons, he just did so for visual appeal. Very strange. There’s also the very obvious whitewashing…

Hi hi! Yes I do. I think it’s unfair to restrict others. You can take a ton of inspo from me without credit, but I’d like credit if you used a hyper specific idea from my stuff! For example: recreating the bit in my Twitter banner where Tenjou is coming outside of the coffin (with another character or with her) and anything similar. Otherwise, I have no issues! Although I wouldn’t want someone to attempt to remake my stuff in its entirety without asking, but that’s a given. ^^

I’m open to it! ^^ I see no issue with doing so. :D

Hi hi! Yes I do. I’m Japanese. I have multiple reasons for not referring to Akio as ‘ Ōtori’. Firstly, Ōtori isn’t just a surname in Utena’s story, it’s a system! Referring to him with that name kind of feels like I’m blurring him into the academy building? If that makes sense. :,D Secondly, Akio weaponizes intimacy, and you as the viewer pick up on the linguistic cue that he is not just ‘Chairman Ōtori’. Third, Akio resists traditional placement in Japanese society. He constantly shifts between different roles. There’s no social box he primarily plays into, so the surname never quite locks for me. Also, I find him personally intrusive. Referring to him as Akio keeps him close, invasive and uncomfortable like the narrative wants from you! Plus I think referring to him as Ōtori gives him more dignity than he deserves. There are other characters that I refer to with only last names for similar narrative reasons, like Ikari Gendō from Evangelion! I hope this makes sense. :,D

Akitouya only. I used to be a multishipper, but I don’t really see the major appeal behind ships like Akikasa or Akirui. With that said, I still like Akikasa’s dynamic in particular still! It says a lot about how Akito goes about interacting with ‘better’ people. Or at least it did so in the beginning.

Hi! Probably not? :,D It honestly depends on if I ever get hyperfixated on it again. I doubt that’ll happen because Blueycapsules is what got me *back* into the series, and that comic has ran itself into the ground. I’d have to get new Elizabeth or Circus Baby content to care for fnaf.

No! I have far too much going on in my personal life to open up editing commissions in good conscience. I used to take commissions for graphics for stuff like rentries and carrds in the past though! If I were to open anything up, it’d likely be that as it takes less time. ^^