Oh for the love of God can you guys just stfu?
Mirza isn't sheltered like he was born into it. He knows of his hometown and even the areas surrounding it. If anything, by the people in the mansion's standards he's already corrupt since he goes out frequently to get the healing water. He's just never been outside the country on the account that he was basically kidnapped as a child to protect his village's secret.
As for Asura, it isn't uncommon for people to be in succession or whatever for king at a young age. As far as we know he's been king for years based on his merits and the stories about him.
And once again, this has been argued so many fucking times, but in this story it is the cult worshippers who are bigots. Mirza knows Asura isn't a bad guy and that he just wants to break his curse ((so far)). They are the ones twisting their idolatry and using it to "rightfully" judge those outside of their own. They don't believe that anyone who doesn't follow their religion is pure or righteous. Everyone is a barbarian in their eyes.
If they knew Mirza was lying about his powers they'd kill his ass in an instant.
Now can we stop this stupid ass, regurgitated bullshit already?
The concept of being critical of something you’re consuming must be foreign to you. I didn’t need a plot summary, I already read both chapters. Going back to his village and lying about the water does not take away from the fact that he was raised in a very sheltered environment after he was taken in as the Goddess. It’s so funny that you mention him being kidnapped at a young age but fail to see how that may have caused him to have a limited world view. His position means he is essentially protected (to his own detriment) and not allowed to have experiences that would challenge him or cause him any further inconvenience to his daily life.
It isn’t uncommon, sure, yet it is far too common in these kinds of stories. It is always a young, tan or dark skinned, “barbaric” man.
Making the temple a group of bigots does not take away from the stereotype that is reinforced in this story and others like it. Someone coming into another nation and settling in like they own it, ignoring or refusing to do research on customs (like the fact that they are mostly vegetarian for instance) are the safe and innocent ways to display the “wild” nature of this character. Because that’s what this always comes down to. He’s not actually a barbarian, he is just a free and wild spirit. Like I said before, this song and dance has been done many times already. This is nothing new.
As for your last sentence, that’s exactly how I feel about this overused premise.
I've been reading bl for over 2 decades and have been watching anime since I was 4.
There are times to be critical about what you are consuming and other times where you need to realize shit ain't that deep.
I've stated several times that Chise is using environmental storytelling to show us that what we are being told by the characters is not the truth. Asura and the earth kingdom citizens aren't actual barbarians. Rambunctious and festive, yes. They might also be seen as such due to how they hunt animals for food while most of the religious folk are vegetarians. The religious cult is also just flat-out xenophobic 'cause they don't ever leave their closed-off city.
I never said Mirza wasn't sheltered. I said that by the religious standards he's already corrupt. He is straight lying to everyone and the only people who know this are Asura and his group and Das. Mirza might not have worldly knowledge, but he's smart enough to have gotten by as long as he has while also protecting his village.
Ya'll are so tied up in the word "barbarian/barbaric" 'cause ya'll think it's an exclusive term for dark skinned people. Which says more about ya'll than it does someone who understands what is actually being played out here in this story.
I do not care how long you’ve been reading BL. That isn’t some kind of badge of honor and it doesn’t give you some kind of high ground to decide when people can or cannot be critical of a BL manga.
There are hundreds of stories that do this exact kind of story telling and it does not change the stereotype that it reinforces is negative for brown and black people. There’s a reason why they are predominantly chosen to be the barbaric race. You’ve read BL so long but somehow forgot this isn’t a new trope and they’ve done the barbaric Arabian Prince plot many times already.
Being smart does not mean he isn’t sheltered. Thats not what that term means.
Oh I love how y’all always go back to the “well it says a lot about you” stance. Maybe you should have read less BL if you can’t understand why this trope is harmful and rooted in exoticism of west and south Asians.
Feel free to get the last word in after this because I have nothing else to say on the matter. Cheers!
lmao stop trying to out-woke everybody in the comments when yall are little reading one of the most known problematic genres (yaoi)
literally*
Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to leave such a thought provoking reply. Have you considered the fact I can read something problematic and still be critical of it?
I like this author’s style but am not always a fan of the content of their works (because it just be balls ass stupid sometimes). Gotta say I’m not thrilled by the title but gave it a chance. I’m not even surprised by anything anymore but come on, this is so fucking generic and this tale is as old as time. Can we please stop with these generic porcelain beauties being “corrupted” by “barbaric” tanned men from vaguely West/South Asian countries? And by corruption it’s always just showing some sheltered doll how to laugh and live life of course. I’m also just disappointed that Mirza is so textbook to the trope instead of being a reserved and depressed character like the opening pages would imply. Also why is it always some freewheeling, just-crowned-yesterday, ignorant king in these stories?