For me it's Vinland Season 2 and Frieren for storytelling. Jujutsu kaisen 2 and The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 for raw fun.

  • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
    ·
    6 months ago

    I dunno, just based on the past few episodes I think it's gonna be more "male lead opens up and shows more emotional vulnerability, MC gradually lowers her emotional defenses, and they begin a relationship based on mutual respect without either of them having to give up their careers/aspects of their personality" which is still cishetero as fuck but better than most portrayals of romance.

    • Awoo [she/her]M
      ·
      edit-2
      6 months ago

      That's only marginally better. I'd rather it just continue being episodic sherlock holmes solves a daily mystery in old china. It still ultimately changes course to a traditional values thing.

      • CriticalOtaku [he/him]
        ·
        6 months ago

        I get the feeling that this show was written by a cis woman for cis women, with a large part of the vicarious escapist fantasy of being the only feminist in ancient china is landing the hot eunuch boyfriend

        • Awoo [she/her]M
          ·
          6 months ago

          Mmmmmm maybe. Plausible. Still ends up being "the feminist who behaves combatively with men ends up falling to the hot guy's wily charms and giving in to the natural feminine heat aching in her womb"(yes i'm aware how uncomfortable that is to read) though even if written by a woman. It makes it marginally better but is still something worth criticising as a trope, at least imo.