fran's Topics (322)

im dead

Even Vikings were considered Barbarians at the time, it's not always all about the skin color...
It's mainly about xenophobia, and a negative term associated with the violent or cruel ways of invading/feared cultures in past turbulent times.

Yes but, is it appropriate to carry on calling these people being represented barbarians? Even for the sake of historical accuracy?

What do you mean "appropriate" and "even for the sake of historical accuracy"?

When that woman says "Allowing a barbarian to cross the threshold of this sacred mansion is utterly unbelievable!" It is just there to dress the portrait of the attendants surrounding Mirza. Instead considring the reader an idiot, and telling us directly in a speach bubble: "The people surrounding Mirza where ignorant, xenophobic and self-righteous." The author cleverly chose to add that scene so we can deduce that ourselves, because the author believes we have the bare minimum intelligence to know 1+1=2.

If you mean to say that actual media, be it manga, books or even movies, shouldn't contain any derogatory terms or behaviour, then how could they condemn such problematic behaviour without being able to portray them?

For example, a movie about a person of color suffering from racism at school. Would you need a narrator saying "and that child is suffering from racism at school?"
The shock of portraying those scenes live, is more impactful for people who aren't aware of those social issues, and even refuse to believe them, saying "racism doesn't exist anymore." x(
I see that that it is the best and most effective way to raise awareness.

That is expecting way too much from this crowd.

They need everything spelled out to them in the most simplest, dumbed-down way for them to be able to digest it. Trust me, it's been an ongoing battle of mine since before the great comment section banning lol

It's easier for them to cry racism than to understand what is being contextually conveyed. It's called storytelling but what they want is to be spoon fed.

“understand what is contextually conveyed” as if the material even warrants such “in-depth” understanding! It’s probably easier for you to deflect this is because you’ve never experience such portrayal. Also please, the “context” you’re talking about is orientalism in this story when there isnt even a concrete or respectful way of showcasing their culture, its always treated as if culture is monolithic and a one-dimensional identity. ALSO it is racist when one of the descriptions of the flower goddess’ skin isn't literally “color of innocence” oh please its because they’re white & pale We’re perfectly capable of being able to absorb context without being “spoon-fed”—pray tell, what does the “his skin being the color of innocence” even mean? What are we supposed to understand? literally fuck off, obtuse dick.

Have you ever read Snow White? A girl who comes from a kingdom of white people but is described as the "fairest of them all" 'cause of her outward and inward appearance? This is similar to that but make Snow White a stand-in for a god that these religious fanatics believe him to be.

And the person I was replying to described it better than I did in terms of environmental storytelling.

Mirza himself doesn't see himself as some innocent, benevolent God 'cause he isn't blinded by the religion and knows where the source of his "power" actually comes from. It's done in a way to portray the xenophobia of the people in that kingdom and the contrast of what the earth kingdom citizens actually are.

But you're too fucking stupid to tell this 'cause you see white people as some sort of monolithic evil-- even if these people are clearly of asian decent lol

After reading your comment, I directly remembered that one anime I just started watching. Its title is: The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King.
Here is the link to its MAL page if you want to check it out: https://myanimelist.net/anime/60028/Himekishi_wa_Barbaroi_no_Yome/characters
The barbaric king is white though, and there are even more anime/manga I can remember.

So no, it's not "always" people of color who are depicted as barbarians. x)

People should just stop bringing up politics everywhere. This is why people are getting fed up with this discriminatory discourse. It's always the white people against the people of color, but we're all just humans. We should stop looking at people's skin color, we're all the same.
There are bad and good people in this word regardless of their skin color.

You can find "problematic" things everywhere if you look hard enough, in every manga/manhua/anime/book/movie..... so if it's your hobby to point them all out, I can't stop you. Enjoy yourself, I guess.

the question is just, is the author revealing their potential racist ideology by labelling that man as barbarous. Thats it. Is the author trying to teach us something about how ethnic groups were characterized or are they pushing an agenda? Is that detail there to educate or is it racially motivated?? lol thats all im saying. If you believe i’m off about the author titling this The Flower Goddess and the BARBARIC King because of the color they made the king’s skin. then please feel tree to tell me.

In fiction, there is a massive difference between an author using a biased perspective to tell a story and the author sharing that bias themselves.

Often, a writer will label a character or group as "barbarians," "savages," or "monsters" specifically because that is how the biased, closed-minded society inside the book sees them. By the end of the story, the author usually turns that label on its head to show the reader that the "civilized" people are actually the cruel ones, while the "barbarians" possess deep honor, culture, or truth. It's a deliberate narrative trap meant to make the audience question the labels we give to people we don't understand.

The story does use the label to point out hypocrisy. Mirza is trapped in a "civilized" society that is actually corrupt, manipulative, and living a lie. Asura, the "barbarian," is blunt, dangerous, and violent, but he is also the one who offers Mirza truth, genuine freedom, and a broader perspective on the world. In that sense, the manga is playing with the classic theme of: "Who is the real savage—the wild outsider, or the polite society pulling the strings?"

The author is just trying to tell her story is what I think. The only person trying to push an agenda here seems to be you. It's always black and white. There can never be any nuance or deeper reason. Instead of looking at how the story actually unpacks these labels, you jump straight to a shallow, surface-level accusation of racism.
What I find most disappointing is the tendency to flatten complex art into binary checklists of "problematic" or "not problematic," completely ignoring the actual narrative context.

This aggressive oversimplification destroys media literacy. It trains people to stop thinking critically and instead react purely to surface-level keywords and imagery. If people cannot handle nuance in a fictional comic book, they will struggle to navigate the messy, non-binary realities of real-world systemic policy, which will in turn harm the real-word anti-racist combat.

So basically, the people preaching that they are the only ones reading these series "critically" are actually the ones not thinking critically.

I feel like the boom in socmed and shit like "booktok" have completely destroyed people's perceptions of what media literacy actually is. Their brains are subconsciously wired now to give these surface level takes to get a chance at going viral and they don't even realize it. "If I say 'racism bad' then surely everyone will agree with me!" when the source material is clearly already sending this message.

I don't even know how to describe it in a way that'd make perfect sense. It's like watching trained circus animals perform tricks for treats, but at least the animals are conscious of the reward system.

Like, we are only 1 chapter in and it's abundantly obvious that the kingdom that has trapped Mirza is the problem. He was basically kidnapped from his village to protect them from being pillaged for the water by said kingdom. He's a hostage and the earth kingdom's king is the one who is going to help him regain his freedom. He's being painted in a positive light despite what the rest of the kingdom thinks of him.

It's environmental storytelling instead of slapping narration over everything to state the obvious.

I'm tired, boss lol

hi i js read the novel. SPOILER ALERT THO. you should drop this if you dont like it cuz its gonna get worse like they gonna do those things like daddy baby thingy

Ohhh

its js a play tho

Are you white? Why are you using the term bird like this? Does it not embarrass you to use words you don't know the meaning of?

It was an oversight on my part that I didnt realize not everyone knows that there is also another bird insult being bird-brained. So sorry that I have to specify what birdish behavior I’m referring to, so sorry that ya’ll are slow as fuck, no, more appropriately—BIRD BRAINED. CAWCAW as my apology. pag hikog

Why would you use bird as a shortened term for bird-brained when bird is a term in an of itself? You don't get to use a different word and then get upset when people perceive a different word. I'm sorry you don't know how to use words correctly. I'm also very sorry you have to come back and clean up after your horrible comprehension of the English language. Get it right the first time.

im not listening to someone from tel aviv bruh

also immediately doubles down after finding out im not white and zones in my “lack of comprehension of the english language”. a little racist and white supremacist if you ask me, but who am I to dictate Netanyahu?

I didn't find out you weren't white, you didn't answer that question, not to mention even if I did assume you were a poc you were still using words incorrectly, showing a lack of understanding of the English language, using bird as a shortened version of bird-brained is like using thin as as a shortened version of thinking "I was thin the other day..." it creates confusion and unnecessary conflict. If you really thought bird-brained was the only well known insult referencing a bird, which I highly doubt considering your response, just admit you were wrong and move on. Do you mean tel aviv as in Israel? I'm African American, why the fuck do you think I'm from Israel???? What the hell are you even talking about???? Where are you getting this information from????????

Also don't refer to me as "y'all" I am one person and don't appreciate being grouped in with the other....0 people that responded to your comment, if you're going to insult me do it directly.

idgaf israeli

go after my english all you want, I’m not taking back anything I wrote. if you got an issue with that, i dont really give a fuck. y are you so pressed anyway? If anything, get off the damn phone and find something else worth you’re time because im muting this

Did you even read what I said, I'M NOT FROM ISRAEL YOU FUCKING CUNT, I'm African American, AMERICAN, AMERICAN, AMERICAN

Why are you so pressed? I correct your term usage and you condescend me and call me "slow as fuck" if you want to call me the r slur at least do it outright.

At least read all the replies before giving asinine responses like this, If only you could read as quickly as you type you would have seen the reply where I told you I'm not from Israel and your still saying that stupid shit. Now I'm pressed.

Bro.... first story was good secomd one is mid..third one is DIABOLICAL and 4th one is uh mid ig??

how do u let a robot version of urself have more rizz??? u r destined for the cuck chair