Welcome!
Expect to see a lot of everything here. Mainly Xenoblade. And Nintendo everything.
And a lot of other things. *MOSTLY INACTIVE, BUT POPS IN SOMETIMES*
OP can we also talk about the fact that Flesh Eaters are rly heavily trans coded?
As a whole, as a subspecies, they are constantly and consistently treated with disdain, disrespect and cruelty, to the point that revealing one’s status as a Flesh Eater is seen as one of the highest acts of trust a Blade can bestow on another person.
Akhos and Patroka are a more minor example in this case; theirs was a generic sad backstory that linked into their existence as Flesh Eaters as such. Minoth followed a typical “overcoming societal rules and enforcements” narrative that is so common in trans culture almost to the letter in the sense that he decided, for himself, that he was going to accept, and be proud of, himself the way he was. It was decided for him that he would be a Flesh Eater, and he undermined the implications of that by breaking free of his toxic surroundings and making a better life for himself. Nia’s fear of being discovered? Sounds a heck of a lot like being in the closet to me!! Her big reveal, and her relief at being accepted once people found out her secret? Analogous to coming out, and being accepted by your family! Jin’s Flesh Eater form being both A) implied to be a higher form of himself and B) a source of power to him??? Trans empowerment!
Also, the way Judicium and Indol treated Flesh Eaters is directly comparable to how the media treats trans people. Judicium weaponizing Flesh Eaters and trying to produce more of them is comparable to how the media likes to use trans people as marketing props, and Indol vilifying Flesh Eaters and making them out to be horrible monsters is comparable to transphobia in the media and modern society.
There’s probably someone out there who can do a much better job than I did of explaining this theory, but I’ve seen it around several times and thought it might fit in here.
YES YES UES!!! GOD UR MIND!!! THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY I FEEL ABT IT. ESPECIALLY with Nia, where she’s so scared and only decides to come out when she feels like she can’t handle it anymore, and her absolute joy in no longer having to hide her true self because the people she cares about accepted her as she was. Rex loves her for who she is, and that’s all that matters! Indol can suck an egg. Especially Amalthus, peak transphobe.
Nia herself is the biggest example, whereas I feel that Jin is a very good example of trans empowerment and existence while also struggling with dysphoria. while having his bad times as a flesh eater and not always enjoying it (i’m referencing the amount of pain and recovery he goes through repeatedly in the story ofc) He Has His Days but in the end, he is who he is and nothing can change that, regardless!!
I feel that patroka and akhos while a very basic situation, are also good examples. Akhos seems to love who he is and plays himself up a lot which is Trans Self Love Rights, whereas Patroka is very angry. Trans Rage Rights.
GOD UR POINT ABOUT AKHOS YES
He’s learned to accept himself! He loves himself the way he is, and he doesn’t let anyone take that from him! And he’s a shitheel, and a little bit of a bastard, and he’s so unapologetic about it and I just. Respect that, I really do. Because at the end of the day, we will ALWAYS be painted as shitty people by society until people come to genuinely respect us, and being confident enough to love yourself despite your shortcomings in a society like that???? Unspeakably powerful
