fatass want to read (All 15)
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is it impossible to find historical shoujo manwha with no romance and instead a focus on found family?
it’s hard reading manwha sometimes due to all the rampant misogyny, colourism and other shit. I can’t read stuff without being reminded how horrible it is to have dark skin, how you are less than human if you’re fat, and how women are treated like objects constantly. No matter what genre I go to, woman aren’t allowed to exist without someone breathing down their throat for not being conventionally attractive
it's really hard to find a character with a bigger body type without them getting drawn like something so out of place from the other characters. it makes me feel sad.
i know right, i also have to add that women are literally not allowed to have ANY other body type than big boobs, small waist and extremely slim but the men all have different body types like being fat, short, poc, muscular, skinny etc.. and also if a woman IS strong, she cant have any kind of muscles or abs. but if the mc or a guy trains for a week suddenly he’s ripped. this shit makes me so mad ngl
i think it’s mainly because in asian countries they’re extremely behind on woman’s rights, therefore the misogynistic culture which is hidden under the guise of being “conservative” or “traditional”. Especially in east asian countries which is where most of the content on this website originates from, they’re known to have extremely toxic beauty standards for women to uphold or else they’re heavily discriminated against. It’s extremely upsetting seeing these views being reflected in art! Art which should be used to protest, to draw attention to these horrible practices against women and yet instead I see them conforming.
Right now I’m really into historical shoujo webtoons but I cannot stand it. It is the most stereotypical bullshit known to man. The mcs problems are solved by marrying a rich man who can solve everything for her, as she is too weak to fend for herself. Even manwha that advertises themselves as having strong female characters are so mild that I have to drop it instantly. All the characters are copy and paste: Thin, light skin, straight hair, and soooo beautiful. It doesn’t matter if they’ve been training with a sword since they were young, they’re still as thin as a supermodel with no muscles. They have no close friends or bonds with other women on an equal standing, instead they just have a ton of servants who are devoted to serving someone who really isn’t that special. Their personalities are to look pretty, say a few witty lines every now and again, make money and then fall in love
this isn't the main point but i recommend a manhwa called queen cecia's shorts! it deals with a lot of issues of misogyny that women faced in that historical time period (the mc disguises as a man to be able to work, and focuses on making clothes for women), and it was one of the few historical shoujo reads that i felt didn't shy away from that topic (also the mc actually has a personality )
there is romance but it's not the main focus, which is the mc's work and overall relationships!
This story fails to create a genuine emotional connection between the mc and the audience, and then expects us to go omg her life is so hard and tragic!! I’m sooo sad for her uwu. If you enjoyed this story, Good on you! I also enjoyed it enough to read it all then write a long ass criticism of it. Thank you in advance to anyone who reads this, and I really want anyone who disagrees to let me know why.
we know nothing substantial about mc that makes her likable as a character. she’s “hard working” and “smart” until when she tries to elope TWICE she has no plan whatsoever despite having access to so much money and education thanks to her background. Despite studying so hard, she ends up being trailed and attacked or captured and turned into a slave cos she took 1/NO guards!!! Wtf?? she’s apparently “kind” for letting her younger sister and fiancé walk all over her and also for remembering the name of a maid…??? How low is the bar??
Sure it’s sad that no one loves her, but why am i expected to care? The forms of “punishment” enacted on her are so damn tropey it’s actually comical. Everybody hates her for NO reason while adoring her younger sister, She’s forced to watch her fiancé fall in love with her weak younger sister, and she ends up suffering over and over again. Not to mention the last minute rape added in to add shock factor. Why would i care about this essentially piece of white bread being shitted on. Nothing about her suffering makes sense, so why should I care? You know what I would care about? An interesting, developed character having to deal with extremely personal and real issues. I’d feel bad if everyone hated her if, for example, she struggled with social cues. I’d feel bad for her having to study so much if i was shown that she actually had a life which was taken away from her, or if it was emphasised how her sister is able to do things she can’t. I’d feel bad for her fiancé cheating on her if there was an actual relationship between them
And lastly, “do you think you’re the only one miserable?” I cannot explain how much i hate this. The idea of her repeatedly suffering as some sort of punishment for her sins is actually a really, really interesting idea but then it’s trampled on by this lazy, last minute line. Is this the authors way of trying to make this story seem deep and invigorating? It’s just a cheap way of making us the audience feel bad because all of the shit that’s happened to her is invalidated by this character (Crow) who she seems to find solace in, and also to try and add some mystery. But guess what, i don’t care if the other characters are suffering! Why would we, when we are literally pitted to hate them.
there’s so much other stuff i could write about but in the end ive been typing and editing for half an hour now. This story touches on interesting albeit overused themes which i really enjoy, yet it utilises them badly which overall highlights the lack of love and care put into it
After so many deaths, she could have started collecting data to see how she can escape. How she can make/steal money, which are best places to hide... Anyone with little sense would improve on their situation. Though I am leaning towards her being in purgatory.
i haven’t read the entirety of your comment yet but she honestly couldn’t afford to take any guards because nobody, including the servants like her in their house. it would probably go against her plans. and also after this much abandonment, no wonder she can’t trust anyone, guard or not, to be part of her plans.
the punishments being tropey i completely agree with.
however, we have been shown that she has had a terrible life. being devoid of affection and care for NO REASON at all, since she’s been treated like this since she was a child, i feel is enough of a reason to at least care a little? and you can’t exactly expect someone who’s lived through so many lives and suffering to still be sane enough to act in a very smart manner.
also the characters hating her for absolutely no reason i feel like is some sort of “you can’t change fate” sort of plot since you can see soleil (iirc) try to break out of his hate in these more recent lives but he’s programmed to act a certain way and with a hateful disposition.
personally, i think the most interesting part about this story is that she reincarnates when it’s ‘too late’ to change anything. as in, she’s already engaged to soleil and her sister already has a relationship with him so she can’t even stop it because just her own disposition makes it look more like she’s bashing on her own sister for hanging out with her (mc’s) fiance. i kind of prefer this to when they reincarnate extremely young and we never see the pre reincarnation story resurface again. but definitely agree that it should be more fleshed out and for her character to develop at a faster rate but this seems to be heading in the direction for tragedy.
however, i still stand by the notion that we have been given enough reasons to want to to support illya despite her futile attempts which just showcases the frustrating situation she’s in where she feels she has no support and can’t put her trust even in guards
i feel like that is what makes this story realistic. after so many lives, it’s highly improbable to be sane enough to see reason that your life could ever change because nothing is giving you a sign that it’ll change. the average person would probably not be able to take that initiative after so much trauma that you HAVE to keep reliving. and there is no escape.
the manga is leaning into the tragedy theme moreso than the improvement and happier life/ revenge theme. it’s just showcasing another type of theme if that makes sense.
but yeah, it’s a messy story. the premise is good
i get your criticisms, but i guess i always found the story compelling because it seems like she isn't actually able to make big decisions, just pulled along by some "plot" that other characters are pulled by just the same. like fiance guy thinking it was weird that he was so cold with her, i saw it as him being unable to control his own will and actions.
honestly that there is no solid reasoning for why bad stuff happens to mc, why her family hates her, why she's unloved - i've always thought it was because she was stuck in a "plot" of some kind that she was aware of, but could do nothing to stop, or at the very least nothing to stop the major plot points. they haven't really revealed why bad stuff happens so its entirely speculation.
but also - i think that mc's inability to think through her own actions is actually very well explained, because she's severely traumatized (from what we can see). your ability to make sound decisions, to act with proper emotional maturity, to make meaningful relationships, these are all affected by mental illness - which i think we can all pretty much agree she suffers from lol.
i honestly thought the narrative of not being able to change anything, being pulled along with no control, is the point being made - about how trauma makes you feel entirely out of control with no ability to help yourself or your condition. i've considered it allegory to the "plot" being unchangeable.
but i've also been holding out hope that... something will change. like i know this is a tragedy but i WANT things to get better for her. i really do.
i also don't think an mc NEEDS to be likeable to be enjoyable. i can't imagine i would be very likeable under the same circumstances... idk.