La Ron S. Readus
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Amity Blight is the PERFECT Gay Disaster! (VIDEO SCRIPT)
🕑 Added 2021-06-23 20:00:04 +0000 UTCWell, Pride Month is almost over. And thanks to the ignorant-ass comments I got on my first Luca video, there’s only one thing I wanna talk about now. Queer kid characters in media meant for children!
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Readers, because of you either noticing my opinions about how Katie Mitchell’s queerness was handled in The Mitchells vs. The Machines...
Or what I stated about me being ready for more queer representation in visual media OTHER than just coming out stories in my opinion piece about Love Victor season 1...
A lot of you suggested I watch season 1 of The Owl House; an animated fantasy series aimed at children 7 years old and older.
So I watched the 19 episode first season at your request and I LOVED it.
/A female Latino protagonist swept up in this fantasy world ruled by an easily defined fascist government that doesn’t make it hard for its target age demographic to digest?
/A cranky witch mentor voiced by Wendie Malick and a small demon sidekick with a Napoleon complex that even the characters in the show agree is the most adorable thing to ever exist?
/A school of magic that ISN’T created by a TERF that contains the eventual best friends of said protagonist -- a nerdy girl with two dads and a nerdy dark-skinned black elf boy? I pretty much loved everything about this show within the first five episodes!
But I would have to say that one of my favorite things about this show -- especially this season...
/Is how they handled the development of Amity Blight, and her transition from an entitled jerk of a bully to a reliable friend and potential romantic interest./
Because not only is it revealed later on in the season that Amity has a crush on the show’s protagonist Luz Noceda...
/But that Owl House creator Dana Terrace confirmed that the two were in fact queer; Amity being Lesbian and Luz being Bisexual./
Honestly, I was surprised to hear about the latter; Luz felt like more of a Biromantic Demisexual to me. But sure, I’ll take the Bi rep, no problem!
Now the reason why I felt so impressed with Amity’s transition was because of how authentic it felt from the moment we’re introduced to her to where we leave off with her by the time the end of the season comes along.
/We’re first introduced to her as a goal-oriented Mean Girl who picks on aforementioned nerdy girl Willow with the rest of her click thanks to her not being able to capture or control abominations. And it isn’t until Luz helps her out with her assignment and that her reputation is being threatened when her grades are being effective that we see her out for blood./
Now normally this would be where Amity would take up the foil archetype to Luz; a negative reflection of Luz’s gung-ho selfless and positive nature.
/And this is mostly established during the Convention episode; the second time they meet/
But its in THAT episode that things begin to shift. It’s obvious that the two contrast each other from the way they converse and how they act in general.
/But it isn’t until Luz calls her out on Amity’s toxic behavior that we start to see that shift from Luz’s antagonistic foil to reconciling ally and love interest./
Because from then on out, we see the reasons WHY Amity was the way that she was when we were first introduced to her. And more importantly, we see her make progress into acknowledging the damage she’s done with that mindset and seeking to undo it.
/From cutting off certain people she used to associate with in her click, to trying to mend friendships she snipped away from BECAUSE of said mindset. All while dealing with the emotions and feelings she was gaining from the individual who initially shined a light on her toxicity./
And I’m not gonna lie, Readers; as I was watching all of this unfurl by the time I finished the episode that focused on Amity and Willow making the first step in fixing their relationship, I couldn’t help but go:
Damn... I’d probably see the appeal of Bakugo from My Hero if he was handled like Amity.
So for everyone who follows me on Twitter, you’ll be familiar with a tweet I posted the day after I finished season 1 on Disney Plus. I posted a pic of Amity next to a pic of Bakugo from My Hero Academia and stated:
/One of these characters underwent an arc that started them off as antagonistic, but had their layers steadily peeled away by the actions of the protagonist and willingly decided to be a better person at a reasonable pace according to the show. The other person is Bakugo./
Now I understand the reason why people like Bakugo. I truly do
But in regards to how Bakugo reflects how the Foil archetype in this current generation of animation is utilized, I couldn’t help but compare how Amity’s OWN transition from Foil to Friend of the main character was done in The Owl House and how much I have to give the writing team props to how they handled it in comparison to what I saw in My Hero.
So, bear with me; I’m about to talk about a Shonen anime in a video focusing on a western animated children’s television program in order to make a point.
Because My Hero is a manga-slash-anime, Bakugo’s development into wanting to willingly become better happens slower not only because he’s constantly marketed as the angry-ass hothead, but because of how Deku just deals with the behavior -- sometimes even encourages it -- over the course of the series until Bakugo learns about One For All.
And I have to witness this dynamic for two and a half seasons until Bakugo finally decides it's time for him to re-evaluate some things.
Meanwhile, Amity’s arc is such a refreshing take on the archetype that Bakugo represents when it comes to the dynamic between her and Luz.
/Yes, she still tries to befriend Amity and both acknowledges and apologizes when things go too far in doing so, but Luz isn't afraid to call her out on her shit or naively stand up to her when she’s being an asshole over the course of it./ (I challenge you to a witches duel!)
With every interaction between the two, we ALSO see what Amity internally struggles with that coordinates with the plot of the episode the two of them are involved with...
/Causing more spurts of growth and development to happen with her that simultaneously allows us to understand why she was the way she was when we were first introduced to her, and make us feel genuinely proud of her for getting over that hurdle./
And she’s able to achieve ALL OF THIS in just ONE SEASON OF THE SHOW.
Not only is she able to make this change to her character in such a significant amount of time, but it's both believable and organic when you watch it play out
Versus My Hero, when the only character Deku REALLY does this for is Todoroki in the first half of season 2 during the tournament arc every male-aimed Shonen anime-slash-manga has.
So, yeah; one of the things I really appreciate about how Amity was handled over the course of season 1 of The Owl House was how well they handled her transition from Foil to Friend in comparison to other forms of animation mediums utilized it.
/Especially when I saw that they found a way to naturally fold Amity’s romantic attraction to Luz into said transition./
Yes, you heard me. Amity’s attraction to Luz was established and progressed around the same time she started her development arc.
/I easily saw the signs of it during the convention episode. Not only was that the first time we see Luz rightfully call out Amity on her Mean Girl shit -- establishing the points I made earlier on in the video -- but its through Luz showing Amity that she discovered a way of casting magic despite being human that we see the spark that would eventually ignite if you pay close enough attention./
Then there’s the Lost in Language episode, where every book inside the Boiling Isle library comes alive with the passing of a wailing comet...
/Including Amity’s diary in a secret hideout of hers, and basically gives the most evidence of Luz being on her mind since Convention and before its confirmed with the episode Enchanting Grom Fright/
And it's not even the way it's revealed that Amity has feelings for Luz that’s well done, even though it is.
/It’s also the way its portrayed in both the animation and Mae Whitman’s voice acting that absolutely sells Amity’s complexities/
Because once you piece together that Amity is learning how to be a better person while also processing her feelings for Luz AT THE SAME TIME, it not only makes you look at her arc in a COMPLETELY different light, but proves just how much of a disaster gay she TRULY is.
Being the equivalent of a High School freshman burdened with high expectations from your parents, both dealing with and unlearning toxic behavior SPARKED from said parental manipulation, making better choices and actively applying changes to your livelihood as a way of making good on your apologies...
/All while developing feelings for the individual who initially pointed out said toxicity within you, forced you to take responsibility for your actions surrounding it, and was still willing to help see you through it in spite of your actions, has to be one of the most perfect examples of the initial meaning of a gay disaster./
It’s almost as if it's possible for young children -- kid, tween and teen alike -- to be consciously aware of where they possibly are on the spectrum of sexuality before puberty hits, and could benefit from seeing that representation and relatability in either film or television in order to get a better understanding of why it's okay to be the way that they are instead of being paraded by the societal norm of heterosexuality that's completely overpopulating the medium (pauses while dead-panning the camera) I can do this all day.
But, I digress, Readers. Your homework assignment for the day:
Write in the comment section if YOU appreciated how Amity’s overall character development was handled in The Owl House Season 1
Or, if you feel like sharing with the rest of the class, let me know in the comment section of another kid character in children’s animation that falls within the queer spectrum that does a great job at balancing displaying their queerness and their overall personality and role in either the movie or television show
Whichever you decide to answer, I’d LOVE to know your thoughts.
