Recent Reading: Earthlings
Mar. 2nd, 2026 09:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rocky41_7 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
booksThe second book I finished this weekend was Earthlings by Sakyaka Murata, translated from Japanese by Ginny Takemori. This book is about Natsuki, a girl who's always felt she doesn't quite belong with humans. This has been book #16 from the "Women in Translation" rec list.
I've struggled a lot with what to say about this book, or whether to say anything at all. First, as many other reviews note, the book description does not in any way prepare you for the trigger warnings that may apply, so if you have no-gos for reading, do have a look around for a list before you crack this one open.
There are a lot of things you could take away from this book. The lifelong impact of childhood sexual abuse. The damage of a child having no safe adult to confide in. The pain of feeling alienated from society. The pain caused by strict social expectations that leave no room for individuals to pursue other modes of living. The danger that refusing to allow deviations from the "norm" will lead individuals incapable of conforming to that norm to reject society altogether. The idea that rejecting smaller social rules eventually leads to complete anarchy and amorality. The suffocating impact of the absence of privacy and the extremes to which it may drive people.
It is an exploration of the harm done, intentionally and unintentionally, to those who don't "fit" into the mold of society. How much of it is reality and how much of it is Natsuki's imagination is also up to the reader.
It's also a book about interrogating taboos, which leads to the trigger warning above. Natsuki's choice not to marry or have children is in and of itself, violating a taboo of her culture. Her feeling that violating this taboo does no harm to her or anyone else naturally leads to questioning other taboos, and you can't write a book about questioning taboos and then say "but not that taboo, that's too taboo!" so the book does go some dark places as Natsuki and her companions ask themselves if there's anything rational in refraining from theft, murder, and assault.
The translation is well done, particularly in dealing with a number of sensitive subjects.
I'm not sure what I ultimately take away from Earthlings. Perhaps how much damage societal rejection has on a person's psyche and the harms that can spawn from that. We are, in the end, social creatures. Feeling from a young age that you don't belong is bound to have detrimental developmental impacts.
I've struggled a lot with what to say about this book, or whether to say anything at all. First, as many other reviews note, the book description does not in any way prepare you for the trigger warnings that may apply, so if you have no-gos for reading, do have a look around for a list before you crack this one open.
There are a lot of things you could take away from this book. The lifelong impact of childhood sexual abuse. The damage of a child having no safe adult to confide in. The pain of feeling alienated from society. The pain caused by strict social expectations that leave no room for individuals to pursue other modes of living. The danger that refusing to allow deviations from the "norm" will lead individuals incapable of conforming to that norm to reject society altogether. The idea that rejecting smaller social rules eventually leads to complete anarchy and amorality. The suffocating impact of the absence of privacy and the extremes to which it may drive people.
It is an exploration of the harm done, intentionally and unintentionally, to those who don't "fit" into the mold of society. How much of it is reality and how much of it is Natsuki's imagination is also up to the reader.
It's also a book about interrogating taboos, which leads to the trigger warning above. Natsuki's choice not to marry or have children is in and of itself, violating a taboo of her culture. Her feeling that violating this taboo does no harm to her or anyone else naturally leads to questioning other taboos, and you can't write a book about questioning taboos and then say "but not that taboo, that's too taboo!" so the book does go some dark places as Natsuki and her companions ask themselves if there's anything rational in refraining from theft, murder, and assault.
The translation is well done, particularly in dealing with a number of sensitive subjects.
I'm not sure what I ultimately take away from Earthlings. Perhaps how much damage societal rejection has on a person's psyche and the harms that can spawn from that. We are, in the end, social creatures. Feeling from a young age that you don't belong is bound to have detrimental developmental impacts.
Recent Reading: The Seep
Mar. 2nd, 2026 09:38 pmrocky41_7 posting in booksThis weekend I finished two books, the first of which was The Seep by Chana Porter, which has been on my TBR for years. In this book, Earth has been peacefully invaded by a parasitic alien which goes about solving all of Earth's problems in exchange for insight on what being human is like.
If you're looking for a SFF book with heavy world-building, this is not it. Very little explanation is ever given about the Seep (the alien, not the book), how it works, how it got here, what its initial invasion was like. The practicalities of the Seep are not what this book is about; this book is about its protagonist, Trina, learning to live in a world where the Seep dominates everything, for better or worse.
The Seep itself could be an allegory for any number of things, but to me, it correlated strongly with modern technology, especially since the advent of AI, although the book was published in 2020, before AI hit the public market. The way Trina's misgivings about the Seep are brushed off as a sort of Ludditism, an old fogey being old (Trina is 50 for the better part of the book), the way even Trina acknowledges a lot of the good the Seep does but no one is willing to seriously discuss what's being lost, the way it has so quickly and totally seeped into every aspect of life on Earth so that those who choose to live without it are relegated to an isolated, ostracized community roundly mocked by everyone else.
However, while the book starts off with something to say about Trina feeling lost, about being unwilling to give everything up to the Seep, it peters out at the end without anything really to say about Trina's society (and by extension, our own). It floats around the idea that friction in our lives is good--various characters admit, under pressure, that they miss some of the more difficult aspects of life before the Seep, perhaps the sense that accomplishments meant more when you really had to work for them. Now everyone does whatever they want and it's easy, everything's easy. It hints that Trina, who is trans, has some resentment about how easily people are able to modify their bodies now with the Seep--friends walk around with angel wings, cat ears, change gender by day of the week--while Trina had to fight so hard to become who she is and feels that struggle is part of what made her who she is. It makes salient points that part of freedom is the freedom to chose wrong (the Seep is fixated on keeping humans from any unhealthy behaviors, and Trina longs for the days when she could have a drink without the overwhelming sense of alien disapproval, or the chance to grieve as she wishes to without someone trying to fix it for her). It implies that immortality takes some of the meaning out of life, because part of what makes our experiences meaningful is knowing that we only have so much time for them.
Yet the climax lacks a follow-through to these premises, in my view. When a book starts off with such strong opinions, I expect it to conclude with a solution, a criticism, a proposal...something. But here, Trina makes her speech to the Seep about why each person's individual experience shapes them and why we're all unique, but she also returns to the fold of the same community she left before, which, I think, substantially failed her in her grief for her lost wife, and partakes in the social rituals they had been demanding of her. Her end feelings on the Seep aren't even clear. She just sort of...goes on with life as she was doing before her wife's departure. Which would be perfectly fine if the story was only about grief, but this one felt like it was about a lot more than that.
I still think The Seep raises interesting, and very relevant in today's world, points, but I wish it did more with them in the end. However, the book is quite short, so I do still think it's worth the read.
If you're looking for a SFF book with heavy world-building, this is not it. Very little explanation is ever given about the Seep (the alien, not the book), how it works, how it got here, what its initial invasion was like. The practicalities of the Seep are not what this book is about; this book is about its protagonist, Trina, learning to live in a world where the Seep dominates everything, for better or worse.
The Seep itself could be an allegory for any number of things, but to me, it correlated strongly with modern technology, especially since the advent of AI, although the book was published in 2020, before AI hit the public market. The way Trina's misgivings about the Seep are brushed off as a sort of Ludditism, an old fogey being old (Trina is 50 for the better part of the book), the way even Trina acknowledges a lot of the good the Seep does but no one is willing to seriously discuss what's being lost, the way it has so quickly and totally seeped into every aspect of life on Earth so that those who choose to live without it are relegated to an isolated, ostracized community roundly mocked by everyone else.
However, while the book starts off with something to say about Trina feeling lost, about being unwilling to give everything up to the Seep, it peters out at the end without anything really to say about Trina's society (and by extension, our own). It floats around the idea that friction in our lives is good--various characters admit, under pressure, that they miss some of the more difficult aspects of life before the Seep, perhaps the sense that accomplishments meant more when you really had to work for them. Now everyone does whatever they want and it's easy, everything's easy. It hints that Trina, who is trans, has some resentment about how easily people are able to modify their bodies now with the Seep--friends walk around with angel wings, cat ears, change gender by day of the week--while Trina had to fight so hard to become who she is and feels that struggle is part of what made her who she is. It makes salient points that part of freedom is the freedom to chose wrong (the Seep is fixated on keeping humans from any unhealthy behaviors, and Trina longs for the days when she could have a drink without the overwhelming sense of alien disapproval, or the chance to grieve as she wishes to without someone trying to fix it for her). It implies that immortality takes some of the meaning out of life, because part of what makes our experiences meaningful is knowing that we only have so much time for them.
Yet the climax lacks a follow-through to these premises, in my view. When a book starts off with such strong opinions, I expect it to conclude with a solution, a criticism, a proposal...something. But here, Trina makes her speech to the Seep about why each person's individual experience shapes them and why we're all unique, but she also returns to the fold of the same community she left before, which, I think, substantially failed her in her grief for her lost wife, and partakes in the social rituals they had been demanding of her. Her end feelings on the Seep aren't even clear. She just sort of...goes on with life as she was doing before her wife's departure. Which would be perfectly fine if the story was only about grief, but this one felt like it was about a lot more than that.
I still think The Seep raises interesting, and very relevant in today's world, points, but I wish it did more with them in the end. However, the book is quite short, so I do still think it's worth the read.
Smoke Rises Over Big Cypress National Preserve
Mar. 3rd, 2026 05:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
earthobservatory_iod_feed
February 25, 2026
On February 22, 2026, a wildland fire was discovered in Big Cypress National Preserve, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Naples, Florida. The blaze, dubbed the National fire, moved through dry vegetation and sent a plume of smoke billowing over parts of the preserve and nearby communities.
The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on the afternoon of February 25. By then, the fire had burned around 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares), according to the National Park Service.
After carrying smoke southward in previous days, winds shifted to start pushing it north by the time Aqua captured this image. According to news reports, the smoke reduced visibility and led to the brief closure of I-75—the interstate nicknamed “Alligator Alley” that runs east-west through the northern part of the preserve. It also contributed to smog over Lake Okeechobee.
The fire continued to spread over the next several days, reaching just over 35,000 acres (14,000 hectares) by February 28, according to InciWeb. As of March 2, it remained roughly the same size and was 38 percent contained.
The fire’s cause remains under investigation. Officials noted, however, that its spread was driven by ample fuel, including vegetation that was dry from persistent, extreme drought and damaged by recent frost. The National Interagency Fire Center’s wildland fire outlook calls for above-normal fire potential across Florida through May.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen.
References & Resources
- Big Cypress National Preserve (2026, February 27) News Releases. Accessed March 2, 2026.
- Gulf Coast News (2026, February 26) Alligator Alley reopens following smoke-related closure from Big Cypress National Preserve fire. Accessed March 2, 2026.
- Gulf Coast News (2026, February 26) Smoke from Big Cypress National Preserve fire shuts down Alligator Alley. Accessed March 2, 2026.
- Lake Okeechobee News (2026, February 27) Smoke from Big Cypress Preserve wildfire results in smog over Lake Okeechobee. Accessed March 2, 2026.
- National Integrated Drought Information System (2026, February 24) Florida. Accessed March 2, 2026.
- National Interagency Coordination Center (2026, March 2) Outlooks. Accessed March 2, 2026.
You may also be interested in:
Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.
Smoky Skies in the Pacific Northwest
3 min read
Smoke filled river valleys in northeastern Washington and parts of British Columbia.
Article
B.C. Wildfires Send Smoke Skyward
2 min read
Lightning likely ignited several large fires that sent smoke pouring over the Canadian province in early September 2025.
Article
Fire Threatens Rare Forests in Argentina
3 min read
Blazes spread across Los Alerces National Park, home to some of the world’s oldest trees.
Article
The post Smoke Rises Over Big Cypress National Preserve appeared first on NASA Science.
“Let the Life I’ve Lived Speak for Me”. I'm Afraid What It Would Say Right Now.
Mar. 2nd, 2026 10:59 pmdays_unfoldingIt occurred to me to get a nail gun and Westminster Chiming Clock on eBay, and I ordered both. And they’ll arrive at my door!
Facebook was showing clips of the Harry Potter movies, and I have an urge to watch them again.
It looks more like rain than snow out, or at least the snow is melting when it hits the ground.
Got up at 7:30 AM. There was a very light dusting of snow. Lay down again for 15 minutes. It was nice to snuggle under the blanket. The dogs came in on the first try.
Huh. I expected the stock market to go down due to the war in Iran, but my stocks look pretty good, except for financial services stocks.
I asked my boss if it was okay to skip the annual conference for the software that we manage (it's in LA this year), and she was cool with it. Excellent. I need to get more organized before going to another one.
I ordered a hook-and-eye fastener for the upstairs door because Oliver knows how to open it when it's closed. It comes in a two-pack, which is what I need so that I can hook it from the inside or outside. Free delivery from Home Depot.
Lily is being a dickens today. She walked on my computer twice and shut it down once, and jumped on my lap and dug her claws in. Sheesh.
Finished a project at work.
Choir went well. It was our piano player’s birthday so we had pound cake and berries. We’re singing another song that I might like for my memorial service, “Let the Life I’ve Lived Speak for Me”. Maybe the choir could sing it if it’s still around.
Submitted a Walmart order for way late because tomorrow is going to be a zoo. I have meetings most of the day up to my mammogram mid-afternoon. The order took a long time because this has been a glitch-ridden day.
I'm staying up late to wash clothes for tomorrow because I'll need to go to my mammogram.
Oliver and Lily are being manic.
Oops, forgot to mention that I got my vegetable seeds. Now I just need the planters.
Facebook was showing clips of the Harry Potter movies, and I have an urge to watch them again.
It looks more like rain than snow out, or at least the snow is melting when it hits the ground.
Got up at 7:30 AM. There was a very light dusting of snow. Lay down again for 15 minutes. It was nice to snuggle under the blanket. The dogs came in on the first try.
Huh. I expected the stock market to go down due to the war in Iran, but my stocks look pretty good, except for financial services stocks.
I asked my boss if it was okay to skip the annual conference for the software that we manage (it's in LA this year), and she was cool with it. Excellent. I need to get more organized before going to another one.
I ordered a hook-and-eye fastener for the upstairs door because Oliver knows how to open it when it's closed. It comes in a two-pack, which is what I need so that I can hook it from the inside or outside. Free delivery from Home Depot.
Lily is being a dickens today. She walked on my computer twice and shut it down once, and jumped on my lap and dug her claws in. Sheesh.
Finished a project at work.
Choir went well. It was our piano player’s birthday so we had pound cake and berries. We’re singing another song that I might like for my memorial service, “Let the Life I’ve Lived Speak for Me”. Maybe the choir could sing it if it’s still around.
Submitted a Walmart order for way late because tomorrow is going to be a zoo. I have meetings most of the day up to my mammogram mid-afternoon. The order took a long time because this has been a glitch-ridden day.
I'm staying up late to wash clothes for tomorrow because I'll need to go to my mammogram.
Oliver and Lily are being manic.
Oops, forgot to mention that I got my vegetable seeds. Now I just need the planters.
I wish I didn't know
Mar. 2nd, 2026 11:29 pmcornerofmadnessI've been looking at what's been going on at Ohio U for things to do and relax at. Somehow even though it's linked to the literature festival ongoing there, it was never mentioned on their site. Tomorrow LeVar Burton is at OU. OMFG. It's FREE first come first serve b ut that's the rub. I wish there were tickets (even free) because it's an hour drive with nightmare parking so I am not sure I want to go out (into the icy rain) drive 40 miles, park, walk blocks only to find out it's sold out. Sigh.
How did I find out? I was telling the new admin assistant about the Irish Storyteller at the library next week (I can't go) and he's like so did you hear about LeVar? Sigh. If I had known earlier, I could have had local friends get us seats. Ah well
Today was the rescheduled writers group zoom. It was very productive.
And now I need to hurriedly submit one more story. It's about time. It took me until March to submit anything.
It's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is 16 a song that calms you down Share your faves too.
( I didn't have time to really think this one thru so I went with an old standard )
here's the whole prompt list
( It's under here )
How did I find out? I was telling the new admin assistant about the Irish Storyteller at the library next week (I can't go) and he's like so did you hear about LeVar? Sigh. If I had known earlier, I could have had local friends get us seats. Ah well
Today was the rescheduled writers group zoom. It was very productive.
And now I need to hurriedly submit one more story. It's about time. It took me until March to submit anything.
It's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is 16 a song that calms you down Share your faves too.
( I didn't have time to really think this one thru so I went with an old standard )
here's the whole prompt list
( It's under here )
Peter Plymley's Letters And Selected Essays
Mar. 2nd, 2026 10:47 pmmarycatelli posting in booksPeter Plymley's Letters And Selected Essays by Sydney Smith
Primary source. And polemic. Smith writing on the treatment of Ireland and the laws against Catholics, and reviews of books on Ireland. Sometimes very skillfully:
"When I hear any man talk of an unalterable law, the only effect it produces upon me is to convince me that he is an unalterable fool."
It is useful as a view of the issues -- one notes he heartily assures everyone he shares their views of the terribleness of the Catholic Church -- and of the era in general. He quotes one author, who discusses how one explanation of Ireland's backwardness was its elective kings, but points out that Poland also suffered horribly from the kingship being elective but wasn't so backward. Ah, the views one wants to research, sometimes.
Primary source. And polemic. Smith writing on the treatment of Ireland and the laws against Catholics, and reviews of books on Ireland. Sometimes very skillfully:
"When I hear any man talk of an unalterable law, the only effect it produces upon me is to convince me that he is an unalterable fool."
It is useful as a view of the issues -- one notes he heartily assures everyone he shares their views of the terribleness of the Catholic Church -- and of the era in general. He quotes one author, who discusses how one explanation of Ireland's backwardness was its elective kings, but points out that Poland also suffered horribly from the kingship being elective but wasn't so backward. Ah, the views one wants to research, sometimes.
Peter Plymley's Letters And Selected Essays
Mar. 2nd, 2026 10:47 pmmarycatelli posting in book_lovePeter Plymley's Letters And Selected Essays by Sydney Smith
Primary source. And polemic. Smith writing on the treatment of Ireland and the laws against Catholics, and reviews of books on Ireland. Sometimes very skillfully:
"When I hear any man talk of an unalterable law, the only effect it produces upon me is to convince me that he is an unalterable fool."
It is useful as a view of the issues -- one notes he heartily assures everyone he shares their views of the terribleness of the Catholic Church -- and of the era in general. He quotes one author, who discusses how one explanation of Ireland's backwardness was its elective kings, but points out that Poland also suffered horribly from the kingship being elective but wasn't so backward. Ah, the views one wants to research, sometimes.
Primary source. And polemic. Smith writing on the treatment of Ireland and the laws against Catholics, and reviews of books on Ireland. Sometimes very skillfully:
"When I hear any man talk of an unalterable law, the only effect it produces upon me is to convince me that he is an unalterable fool."
It is useful as a view of the issues -- one notes he heartily assures everyone he shares their views of the terribleness of the Catholic Church -- and of the era in general. He quotes one author, who discusses how one explanation of Ireland's backwardness was its elective kings, but points out that Poland also suffered horribly from the kingship being elective but wasn't so backward. Ah, the views one wants to research, sometimes.
#92 Progress, Perhaps (part 1 of 1, complete)
Mar. 2nd, 2026 09:54 pmdialecticdreamerProgress, Perhaps
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1628
[Saturday, May 16, 2020, 11 am]
:: Edison’s morning has been very busy, and he can no longer contain his enthusiasm. Part of the Edison’s Mirror (Teague Family) story arc. ::
Back to Work Discussion (part 2b)
To the Edison's Mirror Landing Page
On to
Ed stared at the spreadsheet, biting his lower lip until the stinging sensation stole his breath. His shoulders heaved as he gulped in air. He scanned the area around his workstation in the library, saved his work, and locked the file with a password before going to the librarian to ask if there was a study room with a computer. His hands trembled as she helped transfer his file to her tablet. She gasped when he deleted his work on the desktop machine, logged out, and set the machine to shut down completely.
“Uh… It doesn’t really,” she murmured. “The IT department sets the machines to go to deep sleep, not shut down, because it causes problems if they aren’t watched through the server logins.”
( Read more... )
By Dialecticdreamer/Sarah Williams
Part 1 of 1, complete
Word count (story only): 1628
[Saturday, May 16, 2020, 11 am]
:: Edison’s morning has been very busy, and he can no longer contain his enthusiasm. Part of the Edison’s Mirror (Teague Family) story arc. ::
Back to Work Discussion (part 2b)
To the Edison's Mirror Landing Page
On to
Ed stared at the spreadsheet, biting his lower lip until the stinging sensation stole his breath. His shoulders heaved as he gulped in air. He scanned the area around his workstation in the library, saved his work, and locked the file with a password before going to the librarian to ask if there was a study room with a computer. His hands trembled as she helped transfer his file to her tablet. She gasped when he deleted his work on the desktop machine, logged out, and set the machine to shut down completely.
“Uh… It doesn’t really,” she murmured. “The IT department sets the machines to go to deep sleep, not shut down, because it causes problems if they aren’t watched through the server logins.”
( Read more... )
(no subject)
Mar. 2nd, 2026 07:33 pmstardust_rifleThis is in response to some JPN-language Twitter discourse, but I'm posting it on my DW, in English, because 1: my Japanese skills aren't good enough to express these ideas, and 2: I have no desire to get into dumb Internet arguments with strangers in a language I barely speak. I will now commence with my wildly unsourced Takes.
Disregarding whether or not it's actually true that stuff aimed at female otaku has gotten more fujo-pandering over time, I think there's an argument to be made that it stems from the idea that fujoshi have more potential profit for less cost than yumejoshi.
Firstly, while the archetypical yumejoshi will buy merchandise of at least one character (the one she ships herself with), the archetypical fujoshi will buy merchandise of at least two characters (the members of the pairing she likes) (actual purchasing practices may not apply perfectly to this, we're talking about averages and perception by the suits, signed, a bruabba and diopucci freak who basically only buys abbacchio and pucci merch because they are my favorites and i am not made of money) I feel as though the reason why fujos may be thought of as more profitable by the suits is obvious.
Secondly, and more interestingly, adding characters to a cast in order to fujo-pander is multiplicative in a way that it really isn't with yume-pandering. Well, what do I mean by this?
Take a series that is primarily yumejoshi focused. If they have five cast members, and they add a 6th, Number 6 will largely, on his own, bring in one group of fans- the fans that are attracted to the kind of character that Number 6 is. Thus, with yume-pandering, 1 new character = 1 new group of potential fans.
However, with fujo-pandering, the focus is on the relationships. If you add a 6th character to a cast of five in a fujo-pandering franchise, then each individual relationship that Number 6 has can each be different, and thus reach 5 entirely separate groups of fans. Maybe 6 has a senpai/kohai thing with 1, is fluffy childhood friends with 2, sworn enemies with 3, getting stalked by 4, and has a really weird codependent relationship with 5, who is his brother. You get the picture.* Adding more characters in a fujo-pandering franchise inherently gets you more bang for your buck than adding more characters in a yume-pandering franchise.**
(*This gets weirder as the cast gets bigger. In practice, adding a 40th cast member to a fujo-pandering thing will not result in the writers going out of their way to develop intricate and unique relationships for that new character with all 39 previously introduced cast members. However, I think the general principle of the argument still stands)
(**This is also why a lot of fumuke-but-not-BL series don't explicitly confirm pairings. Confirming one pairing as canon cuts off potential fans who like other pairings more!)
More potential fans with less characters to design seems like a win for the budget, so, again, fujo-pandering is more money-efficient than yume-pandering.
TL;DR: no, extremely stupid person on twitter, fumuke content isn't taking over joseimuke because people hate you, personally. it might just be because it's more economically efficient. maybe. has anyone actually checked if we're seeing a rise in fujo-pandering over time?
Disregarding whether or not it's actually true that stuff aimed at female otaku has gotten more fujo-pandering over time, I think there's an argument to be made that it stems from the idea that fujoshi have more potential profit for less cost than yumejoshi.
Firstly, while the archetypical yumejoshi will buy merchandise of at least one character (the one she ships herself with), the archetypical fujoshi will buy merchandise of at least two characters (the members of the pairing she likes) (actual purchasing practices may not apply perfectly to this, we're talking about averages and perception by the suits, signed, a bruabba and diopucci freak who basically only buys abbacchio and pucci merch because they are my favorites and i am not made of money) I feel as though the reason why fujos may be thought of as more profitable by the suits is obvious.
Secondly, and more interestingly, adding characters to a cast in order to fujo-pander is multiplicative in a way that it really isn't with yume-pandering. Well, what do I mean by this?
Take a series that is primarily yumejoshi focused. If they have five cast members, and they add a 6th, Number 6 will largely, on his own, bring in one group of fans- the fans that are attracted to the kind of character that Number 6 is. Thus, with yume-pandering, 1 new character = 1 new group of potential fans.
However, with fujo-pandering, the focus is on the relationships. If you add a 6th character to a cast of five in a fujo-pandering franchise, then each individual relationship that Number 6 has can each be different, and thus reach 5 entirely separate groups of fans. Maybe 6 has a senpai/kohai thing with 1, is fluffy childhood friends with 2, sworn enemies with 3, getting stalked by 4, and has a really weird codependent relationship with 5, who is his brother. You get the picture.* Adding more characters in a fujo-pandering franchise inherently gets you more bang for your buck than adding more characters in a yume-pandering franchise.**
(*This gets weirder as the cast gets bigger. In practice, adding a 40th cast member to a fujo-pandering thing will not result in the writers going out of their way to develop intricate and unique relationships for that new character with all 39 previously introduced cast members. However, I think the general principle of the argument still stands)
(**This is also why a lot of fumuke-but-not-BL series don't explicitly confirm pairings. Confirming one pairing as canon cuts off potential fans who like other pairings more!)
More potential fans with less characters to design seems like a win for the budget, so, again, fujo-pandering is more money-efficient than yume-pandering.
TL;DR: no, extremely stupid person on twitter, fumuke content isn't taking over joseimuke because people hate you, personally. it might just be because it's more economically efficient. maybe. has anyone actually checked if we're seeing a rise in fujo-pandering over time?
Fitness Fellowship: Check-in Nine
Mar. 2nd, 2026 06:25 pmsylvanwitchWelcome back to the beginning of the third month of our mutual endeavor! It is both difficult to fathom that it's already March and also possible that this year has lasted four hundred months. Time is so weird that way.
I hope the past week has been a good one for you. Please share your ups and downs of the past week and any new goals and/or plans you've got for the week ahead.
( My Week in Review )
May the week be a good one for us all.
I hope the past week has been a good one for you. Please share your ups and downs of the past week and any new goals and/or plans you've got for the week ahead.
( My Week in Review )
May the week be a good one for us all.
How to download an AO3 fic when the site's intermittently down
Mar. 3rd, 2026 11:59 ammificYou may already know this, but I found it worked today, when maybe not all of the site's down even though I still get the error message. Recently when the site was fully down, it didn't work. Worth a try, from time to time, especially if you've saved rec list links or are using a rec list site other than AO3. 😉
Paste this into your browser: https://download.archiveofourown.org/downloads/000000/fic.epub
And put the fic number in instead of the zeroes.
That's it! I read on kindle so epub works for me. If you want an html or pdf of the fic, just change that bit - it'll probably work.
ETA: also, time to visit the Audiofic Archive and enjoy your favourite fics as podfic!
Paste this into your browser: https://download.archiveofourown.org/downloads/000000/fic.epub
And put the fic number in instead of the zeroes.
That's it! I read on kindle so epub works for me. If you want an html or pdf of the fic, just change that bit - it'll probably work.
ETA: also, time to visit the Audiofic Archive and enjoy your favourite fics as podfic!