Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita – 07

「騎士団副団長はヤな奴でした」 (Kishidan Fuku Danchō wa Yana Yatsu Deshita)
“The Horrible Lieutenant of the Knights Brigade”

All right, here we go. If you know anything about me, you already probably know what my big quarrel with this episode was. At least know this, I don’t blame the series, it’s totally a lack of empathy from the original writer, however, the insensitivity towards homosexuality shines clear as day.

“Ugghh!! – BlaBlaBla FJ once again wants to rant about PC BS and gay rights! I’m so done, I came here for my anime reviews, not this flamboyant shit!”

And to that I say, you’re totally right, RC, in essence, is an anime review blog where several personalities get to take the helm every week, some more than once, and talk about their favorite shows airing during a specific season. However, isn’t that the same reason all voices should be celebrated? Specifications aside – this particular episode showed something that really irked my bone. Yes, I’m talking about the annoying captain that was prominent during this week’s episode. You would be remiss to think that this was only an annoying character that fully displays a very over-the-top personality, and probably deserves to stand behind a bar and serve you drinks all night while calling you honey and listening to your straight woes.

However, it’s that same format that allows writers to express their opinions in full, and from my understanding, celebrates different opinions and views, so shouldn’t that apply to people of different genders and sexualities? Look I’m sorry – it’s something I can’t control and if I could just choose not to be like that, then I would, in a heartbeat. But baby, I was born this way. Why would I choose something that constantly gets belittled and pushed down by society, and only those that are of open mind are able to accept it? Sure it has changed in recent years, but nevertheless, is still present, especially in a medium such as the internet where anonymity reigns.

Anyroad, the writer clearly went out of his way to show a side of this character that is clearly meant to be mocked, and clearly is not interested in redeeming him, but instead provides a much-needed impediment towards Fran and Shishou. Since he serves as the catalyst for the start of this new arc.

I’m not upset, I’m just disappointed, once again anime used the gay token to promote a stereotype and made it even worse. Apparently, this character has a skill that allows him to make others doubt themselves, so he goes around telling people they are liars for his own benefit. When Fran and Shishou are able to steal this specific skill, they start making this captain sweat nervously and start going through other bodily functions such as passing gas for comedy. In hindsight, this ‘comedy’ is played off at the expense of this character, and things are just about to get worse. I’m okay with this – I honestly didn’t see this character as gay, just a flamboyant man who is annoying. It’s not until Shishou and Fran discuss his backstory that we get to see this character surrounded by a posse of men, who fan him like a king and feed him grapes as he lies on their laps or backs in this case. It’s a short moment, but this is what really irked me, why would the Luitenant of the Knights Brigade, choose to have men at his lap, unless it’s some kind of twisted power game? Which I would very much like to believe it so, but the way he’s portrayed here, with an almost feminine body, gives me the impression it’s not.

I’m not sure if the inclusion of this scene was meant to be played off for laughs, further demonizing this character in the viewer’s eyes. These are hot – tiny waisted men, who are almost naked. With his personality plus this scene, it’s hard not to put two and two together.

Then to give a cherry on top, this man who shall remain nameless because I failed to find him in Anilist or MyAnimeList and thus have forgotten his name already. At the end of the episode, they showed him like he has lost his dam mind, in a deprived state of lunacy, wanting Fran to get what she deserves, which is absolutely nothing! Fran did nothing wrong. However, his man-child-like projection toward Fran is both pitiful and disgusting. But this man brings out a blue cat, and Fran gives us the insight that her race and the blue cats actually hate each other, leaving us on a cliffhanger.

I’ve actually enjoyed every single part of the episode that did not involve this captain of whatever the hell commandment he belonged to or had command over. I can’t however, let it go, it’s just another example of sexuality being used as a joke and taken to an extreme in an example of bad writing. I was really wishing this was not so and would skew my thinking to believe that this guy was a woman, which would not be a lot better, however, the gate guard specifically tells Fran this man has been looking for her, and when he finally does, he’s in a deranged state, almost going insane and blaming Fran for his misfortune.

Absolute idiocracy.

It’s just really bad writing for a character that was meant to play off as a joke, yet what was the need to put him in drag and belittle him?  I’m not defending him, just sticking out for my community (He is deplorable as a person). Whether it be in Persona 5 with those bar guys thinking Ryuiji is cute and dragging him to his misfortune, mocking the only other male party member as undatable. Or Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita making an annoying character even more vexing by assigning him such traits in the name of comedy. Not knowing what makes drag funny, should probably deter you from using the art of copying it, and copying it badly. I’m not saying every single character has to have such things added to them but was it really necessary to have this man surrounded by men instead of women? Making him fat, and giving him man boobs, just for the sake of wanting the audience to hate him or make him a villain. There are much better ways to do so, and it doesn’t involve mocking a prevalent part of gay culture.

Or even say – maybe – not at all. It’s safe to say he paid for those men to be there. Making his character even more pathetic. Japan is just ways behind on this stuff, and I can’t blame them. Just urge them to do better.

I just found it really cheap.

No, I did not like this man one bit, he’s already pretty annoying, plus making him gay or putting him in drag, choose your poison, for the sake of a joke is frugal and demonizes and perpetuates stereotypes. I can’t even focus on anything else that happened in this episode because blind rage has just impaired me from seeing past this flaw. For example, Shishou and Fran had a great cookout making curry, which was super cute and actually made me smile. And I have already run out of space for this post. Everything else was great – except for this one bit. Which rubbed me the wrong way in more ways than one. Hopefully, since the light has now shone on the fight with the blue cat we won’t be seeing any more of this annoying charachter. And will only become a minor running gag for the series.

I’m really unable to come up with another conclusion, if you have any other view on the matter please let me know, however, why would he choose to use a bunch of guys as a sort of sirens who accompany him to watch a bout? He resembles Ursula here, yes from the Little Mermaid, which is another character based on a drag queen.

I’m unable to rationalize it any other way except the one I’ve mentioned above. So be it – that’s just how much I despised the character.

Full-length images: 36.

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