Or anyone else for that matter…
Look I’m not big on that show either but for very different reasons. It tried to be the next she-ra and Steven universe on a platform suited for subbed anime only to get fucked over by company shenanigans and backlash. The story from what I heard had no direction until the final few episodes, attempts at rep were questionable at best, animation could use a budget boost, and a whole myriad of minor nitpicks. It will be remembered by many in the anime community as the reason why the west is so cringe.
So enters me, a person who might as well be the punching bag used by woke white girls on Twitter to deflect any form of wrongthink by who ever they’re peeving today. I happen to be a creative myself, being both an artist and a writer (believe it or not). I’ve always dreamed of getting of my stories published and adapted into cartoons, shows, and even anime if it scratches some itches of my nonexistent Japanese audience. But lately, it feels like each day the animation industry makes it harder for people like me to break in without licking a few boots. I have my qualms with corporate suits being a bunch of fucking cowards when to comes to making good animated content, but at the same sometimes you have to make sacrifices. In a better world, maybe shows like these wouldn’t end up in the state they’re in.
But nope, instead of being on Netflix, getting a better more passionate group of people, and actually good writing that humanize people who normally don’t get the spotlight, we’re left with a Mediocre CR original which does more harm than good for the “people” they’re pushing into the forefront at the cost of making the majority (straight white dudes) look bad.
Ey, personally, I was always reserved around white people regardless of their beliefs but I find it petty for any progressive show or comic to put the good majority consuming their content under the bus. Unless one of them realizes they’re actually a girl, it doesn’t change the fact that one can’t help but be that way. Yea know, it’s the same logic levied by actual racist homophobic assholes who think I (a black GNC lesbian) doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air they do. I have the right, no, the need to exist on this planet. You have every right to disagree with my existence or even my “lifestyle” but I want to exist. I want to see others in my demographic exist on tv, anime, comics, or any other medium without being reduced to shitty cliches to make the straight woke whites happy.
I wish to make content to entertain people while also having a diverse range of characters from all walks of of life. Because, yea know, humans are a very diverse group of people who are all unique in their own way. And to only represent a small fraction with no good reason to, is quite frankly bullshit. And it doesn’t have to stop at skin tone either, characters can have diverse aliments, diverse opinions, diverse lifestyles, diverse customs. The list goes on with how to spice (no pun intended) up a cast of characters. Because believe it or not, the friends and family you have are just as unique as you and I wish to represent that in my work. Even if my skills at art and storytelling are kind of dogshit.
Tl;dr: to get the sentimentality out of the way, I’m tried of diverse characters being shoehorned in with the same plots over and over again. I just want to see them exist. HGS is going to discourage a new group of diverse creators from making their own stories just because they just so happen to share the same superficial themes of diversity with this nothing burger of a show. Let people make what they like without the added baggage of probably stealing people’s money for a pet project. Might not be a good summary but I always sucked at this.
Just another note: Even when a character is written to be the most well realized person in the whole story, assholes will still find ways to start shit over the fact the character mentioned they’re black or gay or trans once. Or hell, having a same sex love interest who didn’t kiss them until the end. Or even being in a pre-established relationship by the start. I’m just tried of this, quite frankly.