Xenoblade's LGBTQ Representation

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
  • The Xenoblade series has many queer coded characters written into its stories. So, for Pride Month, I thought it would be cool to take a look at them!
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    0:00 Introduction
    4:09 Ramsus/Sigurd
    7:44 KOS-MOS/Shion
    10:28 Definians
    11:29 Floren
    13:14 Morag/Brighid
    16:10 Sheba
    18:43 Malos/Jin
    23:52 Juniper
    26:09 Sena
    30:47 Eunie/Ashera
    34:39 A
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    Thank you for watching! Let me know what you think of the video down in the comments!
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ความคิดเห็น • 783

  • @XenoBits
    @XenoBits  ปีที่แล้ว +289

    If you dislike this video or leave a nasty comment because you don't like "woke culture" or whatever excuse you people are using these days, I'll just recommend that you see a therapist because you probably have some complicated feelings you need to sort out with yourself.

    • @grantabeyta9054
      @grantabeyta9054 ปีที่แล้ว +107

      Nah the problem I have is that all of this video is just head cannons

    • @arran4285
      @arran4285 ปีที่แล้ว +78

      This video is 99.9% headcanon and tropes found in stuff

    • @MediocreChuch1837
      @MediocreChuch1837 ปีที่แล้ว +86

      I genuinely don’t think there’s a single nasty comment in this entire comment section because they don’t like the “woke agenda”. They’re not spreading hate, they’re not insulting anyone, they’re just disagreeing and giving valid reasons why, only to get shut down as bigoted. You’re allowed to say what you want, but we’re allowed to make our case too.

    • @grantabeyta9054
      @grantabeyta9054 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      Yeah thanks for saying it everything he brings up are to big of stretches that kind of stupid no one is Harding that they are gay they are just saying your ideas are not that great

    • @thedontpanic
      @thedontpanic ปีที่แล้ว +14

      To all the people saying this video is mostly about headcanon... what's the problem with headcanon? The games have queer readings and some outright canon queer elements. Is there anything wrong simply with the notion of presenting these things as potentially LBGTQ? If it is beyond your own personal credulity to read what is in this video as even *possibly* queer, not absolutely 100%, then that's your problem.

  • @GRK_21387
    @GRK_21387 ปีที่แล้ว +262

    how the hell can you forget reyn
    "you cant have a rainbow without reyn baby"

    • @XenoBits
      @XenoBits  ปีที่แล้ว +76

      genuine missed opportunity

    • @alpakafantasy5134
      @alpakafantasy5134 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Well he didn't mention Lanz as well. Even if he has no concept of romance like other characters develop one in the story progression he definitely gets very emotional only with male characters - Sena aside - but with Sena its also different. When he talks with Mio in the city when she is cooking soup its like Noahs and Senas talk when the flutes are exchanged.
      Lanz gives me way more gay vibes then Reyn to be honest. He loves - like Rex - all of them guys, Noah, Zeon, Joran and even Taion. So that got overlooked imo
      But otherwise: great Video
      Loved the parts about Jin and Malos and Sena and Mio

    • @GRK_21387
      @GRK_21387 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@alpakafantasy5134 if i amma be honest i didnt view anything as queer related except A. i didnt know rex having 3 wives was LGBT related either but i respect that perspective

    • @alpakafantasy5134
      @alpakafantasy5134 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@GRK_21387 that thing with the Rex quote was more a meme. But maybe not a got one lol 😅

    • @grantabeyta9054
      @grantabeyta9054 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      ​@@GRK_21387 A is not queer she literally has a female number in the game.

  • @nightshadeotter
    @nightshadeotter ปีที่แล้ว +44

    ah yes, the three genders. Ontos, Logos, and Pneuma.

    • @angeldude101
      @angeldude101 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Gay, enby, and plural? Or just male, enby, and female?

    • @phantomzpro250
      @phantomzpro250 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Somewhere in between, male and female.

    • @kira516
      @kira516 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@phantomzpro250 shemale?

    • @corrinflakes9659
      @corrinflakes9659 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@angeldude101 more specifically genderfluid for Ontos.

    • @ShadowEclipex
      @ShadowEclipex หลายเดือนก่อน

      This works rather well.

  • @hunterst.arnold6646
    @hunterst.arnold6646 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    Juat watched the Xenoblade X section of the video and am genuinely surprised you didn't bring up those two over-the-top flamboyant gay men nor the revelation at the end of Mia's quests that she has two dads.

    • @SpringDryad
      @SpringDryad ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Glad someone else thought of Mia's dads! Also there's a quest for some a very very overtly lesbian catgirl couple at the end of the game.

  • @user-vw9zw2xq1v
    @user-vw9zw2xq1v ปีที่แล้ว +52

    Takahashi pretty much confirmed that Sena thinks that Mio is like an older sister to her and Mio think that Sena is a cute little sister. And yes, this is canon, you can google "relationships chart" of XC3.

    • @elinacarmina3050
      @elinacarmina3050 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I'm not strictly against Sena being LGB, but she shouldn't be in love with Mio.

    • @Magic_Ice
      @Magic_Ice 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      One problem is that both Mio and Sena don’t really have an idea what a familial sister is though since being soldiers means they don’t understand the concept of genetics and biology. Since the relationship chart was one of the very first things shown for 3 I think the text was more done to establish to the audience what type of character dynamic Mio and Sena are rather than how they exactly view each other.

    • @user-vw9zw2xq1v
      @user-vw9zw2xq1v 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@Magic_Ice but their dynamic is pretty much the same after they learn what family is, so my point still stand.

    • @samboi123
      @samboi123 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@elinacarmina3050 she’s a badass strong woman with (literally) fiery blue hair who wields a hammer. Sena is absolutely ace material imo

    • @redbirdtribe
      @redbirdtribe 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@Magic_Iceyou dont have to know what to call a bond to have that kind of bond with someone we call it. Sisterly bond only because most siblings have one. Dosnt mean you have to understand the consept of a sibling

  • @arambles1
    @arambles1 ปีที่แล้ว +50

    Never gonna forget how rex just turned to the camera, infodumped what bigender people are, confirmed that a/ontos/alpha/alvis is one and then the scene just continues. Actual king shit

    • @xenostar6482
      @xenostar6482 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      He only confirmed the Ontos core as being somewhere in between

    • @aylinilya.
      @aylinilya. 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      gigachadness continues

  • @Shadow_OA
    @Shadow_OA ปีที่แล้ว +124

    X has a bunch of rep beyond what you said actually! One that I think some people forget is Mia, the final party member you can get.
    In her long line of quests leading up to her final one, shes always talking about how her parents were adventurers and she wants to be a BLADE to follow in their footsteps.
    In her affinity mission she mentions very casually that her Dads would be proud of what shes accomplished, which while Cross acts a bit surprised it isn’t treated like a joke. Just that shes never mentioned it until that point.

    • @ValToadstool
      @ValToadstool ปีที่แล้ว +15

      I might be remembering wrong but isn't there a pair of explicitly gay npcs?

    • @Shadow_OA
      @Shadow_OA ปีที่แล้ว +14

      @@ValToadstool Yeah! They're twins and one of them is in HB's final affinity mission if I'm remembering correctly.

    • @DrewTNaylor
      @DrewTNaylor ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@Shadow_OA Them being twins explains why they look identical. That confused me when I ran into the second one for the first time thinking there was only one and I read the name wrong.

    • @alvesraphsrevenge6616
      @alvesraphsrevenge6616 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      U rly just reminded me of that. Man.... we rly need an X port, people complaining about the final boss in 3 need to be reminded of the one in X. I love Mias whole storyline tho❤

    • @emp7884
      @emp7884 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Also Phog is my boyfriend

  • @ArtZoey
    @ArtZoey 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    I'm woke af but I gotta admit half of these felt like reaches. Lifelong platonic love for someone is something deeply important too and assuming that every time two characters of the same sex/gender identity show concern for one another just limits the kinds of love queer people can have. I'm at a point in my life where I'd love far more to just have more queer friends, than more partners. Did love learning more about A & Juniper though! That was great!

  • @Starcat5
    @Starcat5 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    Sheba creates water constructs with enough surface tension to interact with. So no, that tub is not a part of her. Now Beary and Ursula... I got nothing. Multi-part bodies is apparently something Cores can just do. Best guess is that Beary is Ursula's "imaginary friend" she willed into existence a few Drivers back. Not exactly the DID that Mythra and Pyra have going on, so much as Beary simply running in the background of Ursula's subconscious.

    • @Nelsito99
      @Nelsito99 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      When you think carefully about it beary is her blade weapon as her default weapon skin is those of polar bear fists

    • @SteelPokeNinja
      @SteelPokeNinja ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@Nelsito99 Plus on top of that, the only time Beary ever shows up during combat is when Ursula uses a special, which is when the Blade gets the weapon.

    • @Nitram4392
      @Nitram4392 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I see it similar to newt's floating arms: An extention of her body.

  • @black1blade74
    @black1blade74 ปีที่แล้ว +66

    I was crying at the cutscene then sena said "she just needed to vent" and I laughed HELP!

    • @swaanm
      @swaanm ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Noah: Uh, can you take that to the venting channel?

    • @aylinilya.
      @aylinilya. 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      noah: mio? sus?

  • @heroicgangster9981
    @heroicgangster9981 ปีที่แล้ว +157

    Xeno series truly is about accepting people that are not the norm or majority, and embracing those aspects as one's traits and strengths.

    • @aylinilya.
      @aylinilya. 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      it’s abnormal for japan but it’s such a breath of fresh air after so many persona games denied us to date the male characters. still upset about that

    • @heroicgangster9981
      @heroicgangster9981 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@aylinilya. there shouldn't be sexuality preferences for a game that practically asks you to play as a self-insert - w-"""" I bought the game, i should be allowed to be gay. let me get beat up by both men and women when i choose to go all harem!!!!

    • @aylinilya.
      @aylinilya. 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@heroicgangster9981 lmao, yea i wanted to date ryuji so effing bad omg. persona 6 better allow you to date at least one male, (if the protag is male). i have hope because 1: it likely will have been at least 10 years since 5 and 2: they removed a transphobic joke in reload, so let’s stay hopeful

    • @heroicgangster9981
      @heroicgangster9981 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@aylinilya. it's wild there is no gay stuff when their Japanese fanbase is kinda half and half on the straight stuff and yaoi. Yaoi should sell XD

  • @elinacarmina3050
    @elinacarmina3050 ปีที่แล้ว +44

    Mio and Sena were listed in an official relationship chart from MonolithSoft to be like sisters to each other. The fact that you call them queer-coded yet call Jin and Lora "brother and sister" despite the multiple scenes of them in Torna having not-subtle romantic undertones (at least on Lora's side,) is a wee bit odd to me.

    • @Magic_Ice
      @Magic_Ice 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      One problem is that both Mio and Sena don’t really have an idea what a familial sister is though since being soldiers means they don’t understand the concept of genetics and biology. Since the relationship chart was one of the very first things shown for 3 I think the text was more done to establish to the audience what type of character dynamic Mio and Sena are rather than how they exactly view each other.

  • @KanoPX
    @KanoPX ปีที่แล้ว +96

    Lol Jin and Lora were most definitely not like “brother and sister”

    • @Magic_Ice
      @Magic_Ice ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I do agree especially from Lora’s angle.

    • @KanoPX
      @KanoPX ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@Magic_Ice Ngl there was a lot of takes I disagreed with in the video, but it doesn’t really matter what people headcanon lol.

    • @mysteriouscolours1532
      @mysteriouscolours1532 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I find it tough to read Lora and Jin romantically because she was a child when Jin was awoken. But your opinion on the subject is a valid as mine

    • @micahbarrus8406
      @micahbarrus8406 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      He conveniently leaves out the cutscenes in the village before the desert where it explicitly talks about blades marrying humans, and then cuts to lora and jin being alone in the cabin together. The whole video is like that, and it's dishonest at best.

    • @kyurei4478
      @kyurei4478 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      ​@@KanoPX Yeah, I especially disagree for Sena. It's clear to me that she's envious of Noah for understanding Mio so well cause she wants to be the perfect friend for Mio who inspired her and absolutely wants to be useful in order to be accepted, which is her main point of character development throughout the game. I feel like the line between close friendship and romantic love was crossed rather easily at some moments.

  • @MediocreChuch1837
    @MediocreChuch1837 ปีที่แล้ว +54

    Didn’t Takehashi say that sena and mio have a sisterly relationship?

    • @biggreen1456
      @biggreen1456 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I dont know the source but that's what I inferred, Sena being the Melia of 3 feels really weird to me especially with her strong bond with Lanz

    • @MediocreChuch1837
      @MediocreChuch1837 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      @@biggreen1456 i think he said it in a tweet. But yeah. Sena has identity issues and sees Mio as a role model. She occasionally treats Eunie the same way, mimicking the way she speaks and stuff.

    • @darkrain9229
      @darkrain9229 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Yes thats why this is super disgusting to think she has romantic feelings for her bigger sister.

    • @MediocreChuch1837
      @MediocreChuch1837 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @@darkrain9229 Honestly theirs sisterly relationship was one of the most wholesome parts of the entire game. You lose that when you decide that sena is actually in love with mio.

    • @elinacarmina3050
      @elinacarmina3050 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      He did.

  • @FireFury190
    @FireFury190 ปีที่แล้ว +56

    I never really read Sena as having those kinds of feelings for Mio. It felt more like she viewed Mio as a big sister. And moving to Morag x Brghid I really hope that Sena is their daughter in some way.

    • @triplek-dysongamingwithdan7771
      @triplek-dysongamingwithdan7771 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Apologies if I come off as homophobic, but I don't think Sena is the kid of Morag and Brighid. While it's true she has Brighid's hair, her skin color doesn't match either of them. And sure, there could always be a donor (I think most believers of the theory assume she comes from both of them because of the fictional universe), but other than that, it's not likely.
      But I don't want to come off as someone who shuts down the Morag x Brighid thing or anyone who likes the theory, I just think it's something that people haven't really considered

    • @FireFury190
      @FireFury190 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@triplek-dysongamingwithdan7771 My personal theory has been that Sena is Morag and Brighid's daughter in the sense that Morag just awoken another Blade. And her influence on wanting a child with Brighid caused Sena to share some traits with her. Namely the blue fire hair.

    • @triplek-dysongamingwithdan7771
      @triplek-dysongamingwithdan7771 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @FireFury190 Yeah, I believe in something like that too, but instead that Sena is Mio's blade, since Sena is quite devoted to Mio like a Blade. Although I'm unsure if the Blade system even exists anymore after Klaus' final gift. XB2 is pretty vague in terms of the ending, but then again that's all three games.

    • @SJrad
      @SJrad ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@FireFury190i like to think that king niall of mor ardain, aka morag’s cousin(but treat each other as siblings), is sena’s biological sperm donor father so that the child of brighid and morag has royal blood

    • @grantabeyta9054
      @grantabeyta9054 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Uh two woman can’t have kids yo

  • @Demonskunk
    @Demonskunk ปีที่แล้ว +24

    I never picked up on a lot of these. Didn’t realize A was only ever referred to as A. Didn’t realize the archer was referred to as They/Them (But frankly I hate their class, so I didn’t get to see much of them). I did pick up on Sena and Mio, that was a good one. I’m really glad Rex ended up in a polycule. His relationships with Pyra/Mythra and Mia were really strong, and I’m glad they went the “Yeah, we’ll do this together” route instead of the jilted lover route.

    • @donicx1
      @donicx1 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Here's the thing about yuzuhara tho the Japanese original never uses pronouns to begin with cause Yuzu is gender ambiguous, so the character saying they and them in that sentence when they first met them is not them referring to yuzu's pronouns it's just them referring to the person that they just meet whom they don't know whether or not said person is male or female.

  • @Decubitus
    @Decubitus ปีที่แล้ว +37

    In the Xenoblade X section, I'd have also mentioned the flamboyantly gay twins Lara Nara and Lara Mara, especially since Nara also plays a pivotal role in Erio's acceptance within NLA. Otherwise, excellent video.

    • @lazypines
      @lazypines ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yeah, after a certain event in the game NPCs mention that one of them (can't remember which oops) had a boyfriend that passed away during the event, even though its incredibly minor it's cool that there's representation that's treated so casually in the game

  • @369destroyer
    @369destroyer ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Honestly, as woke as Ive tried to be, Polygamy was the hardest one to get past the wall society built into my head. And most Harem Anime reinforced it by being kinda gross and fanservice only.
    Xenoblade 2 actually helped by showing a way healthier version, finally cracking the wall of assumptions and misconceptions, and now I have a way better understanding of polygamous relationships.

  • @airrider-jk9ik
    @airrider-jk9ik ปีที่แล้ว +25

    25:07 ive always said, Moebius might be evil, but at least theyll respect your pronouns

  • @cobraaaaaaaaaaaa
    @cobraaaaaaaaaaaa ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Headcanons are nice. You also got 1 character right out of the entire video.

    • @XenoBits
      @XenoBits  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That's super interesting considering that 5 of the sections are 100%, without a doubt, factually canon.
      Definians, Floren, Sheba, Juniper, and A.

    • @cobraaaaaaaaaaaa
      @cobraaaaaaaaaaaa ปีที่แล้ว +12

      @@XenoBits Except they aren't. Genderswapping isn't the same as trans, femboys aren't trans either. Sheba and I guess Juniper are the only ones you got right. Everything else is headcanon or trying to claim things that aren't trans as trans.

    • @XenoBits
      @XenoBits  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I'm not saying femboys are trans. Femboys are queer by nature by challenging the gender binary. Transitioning from one gender to another is trans. A literally doesn't have pronouns and also operates outside of the typical gender binary.

    • @cobraaaaaaaaaaaa
      @cobraaaaaaaaaaaa ปีที่แล้ว +10

      ​@@XenoBitsFemboys aren't queer at all. I get you want representation but trying to claim characters isn't the right way to do it.

    • @XenoBits
      @XenoBits  ปีที่แล้ว +3

      ??????? What do you mean it isn't queer? A boy dressing up in feminine clothing and wearing makeup to the point where people may assume that they're a girl is 100% queer. That's about as objectively queer as you can get.

  • @masterofblabber367
    @masterofblabber367 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    Malos and Jin have always just struck me as doomer bros. The embodiment of two best friends from Twitter who constantly rant about how much they hate the world meeting in real life.
    I will be frank, when I see people so sure they're "secretly gay lovers" I have to wonder what people who think that think close male friendships are like.
    Like if you think Malos and Jin are gay I'd think if my life was a TV show you'd also think I was secretly gay with some of my friends.
    You don't have to like someone romantically to love someone.

    • @XenoBits
      @XenoBits  ปีที่แล้ว +7

      When a boy and a girl have a very close friendship in media or even irl, there is typically an assumption that have feelings for one another. This isn't the case with gay characters for some reason. It's a double standard. If you completely remove the genders of the characters from their actions, it makes things a lot clearer. People in relationships are typically "best friends." That's just how it looks without the relationship component. So, when you see 2 men in a very close relationship in media, there's nothing wrong with wondering if they're together or not. Just like you would do with a boy and a girl.

    • @masterofblabber367
      @masterofblabber367 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @XenoBits it's a double standard, sure, but rooted in statistical fact.
      If I see two very close guys, I'm going to assume friends because that's far more common. If I see a close guy and a girl, I'll generally assume romance because that's generally more common when you see a guy alone with a girl.
      Always? No. Of course not.
      But most of these situations are examples where friend makes just as much sense, and if they were going for romance, I think there would be something more beyond what we got.

    • @angeldude101
      @angeldude101 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@masterofblabber367 There's a simple solution: headcanon everyone as aro-ace and every relationship is just different degrees of "very good friends."
      In all honesty, we are absolutely _atrocious_ at accurately distinguishing between platonic love and romantic love.

    • @miimiiandco
      @miimiiandco 27 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      ​​@masterofblabber367 I think this world needs more platonic male and female relationship representation.

  • @Axecon1
    @Axecon1 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Great video! Honestly Jin and Malos's relationship deserves a video all for itself. All of new Torna's characters are so tragic and complex villains.

  • @estebeast
    @estebeast ปีที่แล้ว +8

    I'm surprised and not surprised you didn't include Irma from Xenoblade 3 in the video. Not surprised because she is kind of a minor character in the game. From what I've seen from her, she does seem to have some feelings for Fiona due to her keeping presents she gave her and locking them in a box and considering them very precious to her.

  • @triggerpigking3741
    @triggerpigking3741 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Loved the vid!.
    I'd disagree with Sena/Mio and Ashera/Eunie though, I don't think they ever felt romantic but simply very close on a friendship level, but I get that they're fairly common ships and it's a nice look into their relationships regardless.
    The section on Malos is fantastic.

  • @GameMaster00744
    @GameMaster00744 ปีที่แล้ว

    I wish I could have watched the xenogears/saga section, but I still think what you brought up in the blade section was still really interesting. The amount of content in the series lead me to missing out on some of these interactions so it was cool to be able to see them without going back

  • @idreppy
    @idreppy ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hey man, great video! Just a tip, I’m one of the people playing thru Xenogears and Xenosaga for the first time. I appreciate the time code letting me know where to go to skip that section of the video. However, the time stamps are labeled for who the characters are that you’re going to be talking about. So I was low key spoiled anyways

  • @UltravioletNomad
    @UltravioletNomad หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I'm always very cautious of the RPG harem trope, because often its just not an authentic poly experience, its either fence sitting for the writers who don't want to pick a side in a love traingle or flatout male escapism. And Rex's dream sequence almost feels like a parody of that (while also happily participating in it)... but man, that start screens with the quintuple is fucking adorable, and it became immediately obvious just how Bi/Pan coded Nia was. When I observe the relationship from Nia's perspective, it turns from a young man getting a harem to a tragic bisexual cat girl getting the family she damn well deserves. You GET those busty robot twins and massive lughead, what a fucking girl boss.

  • @emp7884
    @emp7884 ปีที่แล้ว +70

    THE “HI IM AGENDER” KILLED ME AHAHAHAHAHAHA

  • @pkmntrainerlewis2434
    @pkmntrainerlewis2434 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    If you complete a certain characters affinity quest in Xeno X, you will find out that (insert late game character) had two dads growing up.
    Also the side quest with the wrothian women .

  • @whereswarren3719
    @whereswarren3719 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    40%+ dislike ratio on this vid when the TH-cam average is around 9%?
    Twisty "hmmmm" face?

  • @NicoTreecko
    @NicoTreecko ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I was personally hoping in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 that we would see some romances that would also be a bit more unconventional, in particular from the main cast outside their Ouroborus pairings. Like I saw the potential of Lanz and Taion going from the most heated, hated enemies to deeply connected partners as their dynamic followed the tensions of the main story. But that's also because I read sapphic energy from Sena too. So Lanz and Sena, being the queer bestie pair, made sense to me. The main cast just had so much potential in dynamics that I loved these characters, and I wish we got more of them. The impossible dream was DLC giving us more Ouroborus forms with other combinations like Noah and Taion for a very technical form, Eunie and Sena for like heal bombs, Lanz and Mio as like an ultimate defender, Noah and Sena for max damage output, Eunie and Mio for an untouchable healer, and Lanz and Taion to be the debuff shield. Like 12 new forms and models to make, but cool fever dream and even more types of relationships to show

  • @yusefdoesthings7669
    @yusefdoesthings7669 ปีที่แล้ว

    This video is great!
    I never thought about some of these characters these ways, and it adds soooooo much more depth to these already amazing characters.

  • @airrider-jk9ik
    @airrider-jk9ik ปีที่แล้ว +43

    i think its also important to note, during the scene where Sena calls put noah, lanz says to Taion thats hes not interested in romance, showing that lanz may be coded as a aro/ace character

    • @LordHonkInc
      @LordHonkInc ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I would like to counter that with Eunie's "Hear that Noah? Lanz wants something a bit meatier ;)" xD That's not _not_ a euphemism (a Eunie-mism?).
      Also, maybe it's just me, but didn't it seem like Lanz was the one most tormented by [the thing that happened to their friend]? I'm totally reading too much into that, but you can't argue that's more far fetched than many other headcanons ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But I can totally see where you're coming from, Lanz (and many of the cast) seems to not quite have the same understanding of relationships as, for example, the people of the City, which of course is only reasonable when you're raised with literally no emotional education.
      PS: I don't intend to infer relationships where there aren't any, I should be perfectly content with a deep but platonic affection between friends… but then my stupid Disney-raised brain goes "no they must love each other and get married and live happily ever after, _that's the law!" 。゚(゚´Д`゚)゚。

    • @airrider-jk9ik
      @airrider-jk9ik ปีที่แล้ว +10

      @@LordHonkInc i mean, the context of eunie saying "meatier" matters, she's clearly referring to lanz wants a tougher fight, lanz never openly flirts with anyone or even does anything remotely romantic, i think his personality and existance has led him to not look for romance, i think he just wants to be there for and protect his friends, sure he loves them, just in his own non romantic way, hence him saying "you can count me out for all that" when referring to noah and mio's romantic troubles

    • @Nelsito99
      @Nelsito99 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@airrider-jk9ik I thought of the cutscene more are lanz seeing the tension and knowing to not get involved as he says something closer to yeah I'm not touching that

    • @airrider-jk9ik
      @airrider-jk9ik ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Nelsito99 possible, but consider taion's reply he replies "oh i dont know about that" while looking towards eunie, the scene is definitely supposed to be read as lanz saying he's not interested in romance

    • @AstralXen
      @AstralXen ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Qeustion: does not having any interest in romance automatically make you aro? Even in a world where you were born to fight and kill?

  • @teletank
    @teletank ปีที่แล้ว +21

    None of these characters are gay.

  • @fireembliam9090
    @fireembliam9090 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    23:00 He said thank you for being a part of this team.

  • @lione_r1393
    @lione_r1393 ปีที่แล้ว

    Woah I didn’t expect this to be a 40 minute video

  • @meteor9573
    @meteor9573 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    My theory about the files that state that A is gender 1/female: I have a headcanon that Juniper is not only non-binary, but also intersex, which would mean that they are also biologically not male nor female (with would explain the gender 2), while Alvis/Alpha would be "biologically" male and A would be "biologically" female, but they would identify as "somewhere in-between", since there's the artbook that states that Alvis is "Male(???)", and when Shulk questions why A look like that(a feminine body), Rex gives that explanation about gender identity and the Trinity Processor.
    Alvis and Alpha are referred to as "He/him", but no line of dialogue uses "she/her" when referring to A, and that seems intentional.
    Pronouns are not always an indication of gender. There are so many non-binary people that are comfortable with he/him and she/her, which is why i think that:
    1: Alvis/Alpha's pronouns being "He/him" doesn't automatically makes A's pronouns be "She/her", specially when we have the dialogue purposely avoiding that;
    2: Alvis/Alpha's pronouns being "He/him" doesn't make him completely male or less non-binary coded, since there are plenty of non-binary people that are comfortable with "he/him".
    Before anyone says that Ontos is a machine and they would not have "this real world gender stuff", I would like to remind you that nothing was stopping Malos from being male and Pyra and Mythra from being female. Pyra and Mythra are a curious case, since they got pregnant and had children, which means that they are biological beings to some extent, not just machines. Also, saying that the Trinity Processor has nothing to do with "gender stuff" despite Rex's explanation requires a surprising amount of denial.
    Anyway, those are my thoughts about the Ontos' Gender Dilemma. As a non-binary person myself, I know that being "somewhere in-between" is not just putting "they/them" in the Twitter bio, and I think that Alvis/Alpha and A are good representation to how complicated it may be sometimes.

  • @EnbyFish
    @EnbyFish ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That intro was gorgeous thank you

  • @antikmonke7524
    @antikmonke7524 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    I don't think Sena loves Mio in a romantic way. She seems like a very close friend or sister. It reminds me of Harry and Hermiogne'a (sorry, I spelt that wrong) in Harry Potter. She is more of a dependable sister figure to the character. I feel like it's not enough to understand each other majorly. I don't know, just my opinion.

    • @Vandalieu
      @Vandalieu ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Kohai admiring there senpai and the senpai doting on the kohai is a common trope in Japanese media, and you'll even find it without.

    • @crystalcove99
      @crystalcove99 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Same here. I never got the feeling that Sena had romantic feelings for Mio; it always came off as very close friends or a sisterly relationship. While I could kind of see how the conversation between Noah and Sena in Ch4 could be interpreted as Sena hinting at romantic feelings, I see it simply as someone being a bit jealous to know that one of your closest friends share feelings with someone else but not you. I could also imagine that it has to do with Sena being present when Miyabi sacrificed herself, so she might just not feel comfortable discussing her feelings of anxiety about how much time she has left with someone who is already aware of those events. This is probably the only character in this video that I outright disagree with XenoBits' stance on.

    • @antikmonke7524
      @antikmonke7524 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@crystalcove99 Yeah however I do slightly disagree with what you said regarding Noah and Sena's interaction in Chapter 4. I believe Sena talking to Noah in the way she does is a very much friend to friend interaction and the way she talks is more like her clearing up the situations for Noah. She has realized that her closest friend loves this guy and when they are not getting along she helps Noah figure out why and make ends meet. Sena is basically me in High School. I was exactly the same type of kid at the time and I remember when one of my closest friends started having friendship issues (because high school) I remember that was really the first time i actually had more than a five minute conversation with somebody and that was when I told them (not trying to reveal gendre here but they were a boy/ girl I realize using gender nutral pro nouns in a video talking about LGBTQ in games is a bit stupid but here we are) and it was about the feelings between those two friends and advice for him to help this friendship still move forward. Actually though thinking about it know I REALLY was Sena in high school. I actually think I did say con- science one and if you don't know that is in Segiri's hero quest. Sorry for all the typos I just wanted give a 'small' counter argument to your point but I can see where you are coming from I just think it was more of a 'Hey Noah stop being such a boy and understand girls idiot!' comment from Sena instead dof her being jealous

    • @crystalcove99
      @crystalcove99 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@antikmonke7524 I totally agree with you there; Sena definitely gives "she likes you, stop being a dummy and apologize" vibes in that scene. Especially the way she says "She needs someone to tell her that everything will be alright... I mean *you*". She definitely sees how important Noah is to Mio and wants to push Noah in the right direction and help him ammend things. I guess I wasn't super clear in what I was saying in my comment, though. (To be fair, Sena does quite literally say "I'm actually kind of jealous" after saying that Mio just needed to vent.) I focused on the whole jealousy thing because I supposed that was likely where people would get the idea of Sena having romantic feelings; her being jealous that Mio tells Noah stuff but not her.
      lol don't wanna be left with a guilty con-science XD (and people try to argue that this game takes itself too seriously and doesn't have any humor)

  • @dragongamer4753
    @dragongamer4753 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Am i remembering this wrong? I thought floren said he was a boy multiple times throughout the questline and not just at the end. I remember him saying im a mister and im a boy so it cant only be once. And i thought he wasnt decieving people he corrects them when they gat it wrongm

  • @fenix0seraph
    @fenix0seraph ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Surprised there's no segment dedicated to Tony. There's a line from his ex-girlfriend where she says he broke up with her because of what's heavily implied to be a crush on Captain Matthews, and he is explicitly bisexual in Xenosaga Freaks.
    Anyway I always thought it was interesting how these games are all ultra-heternormative on a surface level, but by their very nature of homaging Jung and Jewish mysticism even unintentional LGBTQ subtext is basically inevitable.
    Kabbalah is interesting in how a lot of it is simultaneously gender traditionalist but also chock-full of what we'd consider gender role-transgressing themes, like Adam Kadmon being bigender and more perfect because of it, men gaining knowledge of God by becoming like wives (and using a lot of overtly sexual bottoming imagery), and the Tree of Life being a guide for men and women to live better by acquiring yin-yang aspects of the other. Anything that references it in a meaningful way is going to stumble into queer subtext whether it's trying to or not.

    • @reddragonmode
      @reddragonmode ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank you for bringing up the kabbalah (and explaining some details for those who don't know), as a jewish person who loves xeno, the series taking inspiration from judaism is super important to me and its often overlooked by goyim. >_< it warmed my heart to see someone who understands how important it is to xeno's themes. ;;_;;

  • @wahwaffles
    @wahwaffles 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    personally i dont see it with sena and mio; it looks clearly like a sisterly bond to me. i dont think she has a thing for lanz either like they also have a sibling thing going on. lanz is definitely gay though and mightve had a crush on noah and on joran growing up. i think he quite admired joran for trying harder, despite others not believing in him. and he also will definitely follow noah into any battle for no particular reason but wanting to be close to him lol. (eunie would too but for her its more camaraderie than romantic feelings). also yeah eunie and ashera were definitely close in a past life. bi best girl!!

    • @shulkyboi
      @shulkyboi 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      I agree with the Sena and Mio thing but the other stuff is just kinda crazy headcanon tbh
      But u can have ur own opinion

  • @alexibeshears7549
    @alexibeshears7549 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You made mention of other representative characters, and I would like to expand on them as well as add more for those who may not know about the others.
    You joked that Roc's gender was 4. While the injoke is funny and comes from how the game handles the coding for genders of the blades, the in game stories give actual emotions. Roc has been quoted as referring to places as "a good nesting place" when skip traveling. Nesting is a typically female role for bird species. Roc, though presenting male, shows this urge as well. Combined with the fact that they have no gender code in the game, it can be safe to assume that they are non-binary.
    Azami is another interesting character to look at. She has a very promiscuous personality, always referring to her "darling driver" casually. The sultry tone implies that this would be a relationship that goes beyond the normal driver and blade bond. She acts the same way with Nia and Morag as she would with Zeke and Rex. This is an indication that Azami is either bisexual or pansexual. Either way, fans have run with this headcannon.
    Finally, I want to talk about Milton. I will admit, this is a personal headcannon, but I want to share my thoughts. Throughout the course of Torna, we see the interactions between Milton and Mikail. The two are young boys and their actions can be explained away with that fact, I think there may be something deeper for Milton. I believe it possible that Milton was gay. He is successful in getting Mik to come out of his shell and he shows that he has a deep care for him. Milton, beyond being one of the most important characters in the story of Xenoblade 2, acts in a way that extremely outgoing, which I think gives room for headcannon potential. Again, this one is my own interpretation, but I still thought it was worth sharing.
    This was a very nice video, I enjoyed it lots.

  • @bluevalor491
    @bluevalor491 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Ok well there’s no need to completely deny Jin’s love for Lora and say there were “best friends” as if ur a straight person denying homosexuality 💀
    He was VERY clearly in love with Lora, Bisexuality exists…

    • @happynaruidv
      @happynaruidv ปีที่แล้ว +4

      bro raised her from a child that's mad fucking weird

    • @elinacarmina3050
      @elinacarmina3050 ปีที่แล้ว

      You'd have to have your head pretty far up your ass to say that Jin and Lora were like siblings. It's like saying Shulk and Fiora were like siblings.

    • @elinacarmina3050
      @elinacarmina3050 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@happynaruidv She was 27 in Torna. That's more than enough to consent.

    • @jeveritt8398
      @jeveritt8398 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@happynaruidvwhat I like to call the Errol Musk grooming tactic. Dude had a child with his stepdaughter

  • @sirensong1794
    @sirensong1794 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    great video! also weird tangent on sheba's bathtub i think its just the same as a blade manifesting clothes, its probably not part of their "body" but its like. probably ether or smth condescended into. a bathtub. dunno about the bear for ursula though that ones got me stumped

  • @sentoworf
    @sentoworf ปีที่แล้ว +2

    It's been a while but in X isn't there two stereotypical flamboyant gay dudes in the hangar lol

  • @Cillo89
    @Cillo89 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    No mention of Mia's dads in XCX :(

  • @2011supergamer
    @2011supergamer ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Since when does a fantasy character being "In-between male or female" mean they have some weird real world identity that definitely was not prevalent when the story of the trinity processor was first being written?
    I really think thats a pretty big reach. The files litterally refer to A as female, and if she were trans, Shulk deadnames her in the ending. I dont think thats the look you want.

    • @Condor-gb1xp
      @Condor-gb1xp ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I can’t believe I didn’t realize that Shulk deadnamed until you just pointed it out lol.

    • @meteor9573
      @meteor9573 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      As a non-binary person myself, although I disagree on your take about non-binary/transgender being a "weird" real world identity, I cannot deny that you made a really good point about Shulk deadnaming A.

  • @Talkative_Introvert-i2s
    @Talkative_Introvert-i2s ปีที่แล้ว +34

    this video is incredible. I love seeing how Monlithsoft and its founders where writing characters like this 25 years ago and how there continuing that today. Just another reason why Xenoblade is my favourite video game series. Happy Pride Month.

  • @jackstephens9657
    @jackstephens9657 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    i disagree about jin and malos because if I was in love and it was the last time I would see my partner, I would kiss not hug

  • @fernando98322
    @fernando98322 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    This was a nice vid, I just wanted to point some things, respectfully of course.
    I think seeing Jin and Lora as "brother and sister" is insane LOL, especially from Lora's side. This doesn't take away from Jin's and Malos' relationship though. Unrelated, but I have a feeling that a lot of Drivers and Blades find romantic affection for one another. They either end up as 'war buddies' or 'happily ever after'.
    And for Sena, I can definitely see she feels something for Mio but many things you mention like "accepting defeat against Noah" (not in these words but it's the best way to describe it) are literally impossible because they don't know what romance is. Only the City folk do. So, obviously romantic feelings can grow in the soldiers, we have examples of that, they aren't able to tell what they are or what they feel like this. They just don't know. I read that Chapter 4 scene as Sena accepts Mio has a very special connection with Noah which is why Mio vents more easily to Noah, and this plays a bit to her insecurities plotline because she is probably reminded of Mio's special connection to Miyabi too

    • @elinacarmina3050
      @elinacarmina3050 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      It COULD be argued that Jin only thought of her as a sister. But Lora? I don't think many people would _swoon_ over their brother.

    • @fernando98322
      @fernando98322 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@elinacarmina3050 very fair

  • @cowboybarbaryn1302
    @cowboybarbaryn1302 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Malos and Jin is such a massive brain take I never could’ve imaginined

  • @petergotbored9306
    @petergotbored9306 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    This video was so great! As a queer xeno fan I loved this, I honestly never even thought of Sena or Ashera/Eunie that way before, but I love that interpretation of their arcs. I know you mentioned that you might make a separate video about the polycule but I definitely think there's a lot of cool queer subtext not just in that but specifically in the ways Nia and Pyra/Mythra interact in XC2 and I can't wait for that if you decide to make that video!
    Also shoutout to all the 4gender homies. We love Roc in this house

  • @uncleiroh5983
    @uncleiroh5983 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    It all adds up to me
    *Rex walking towards the camera*

  • @mrelectrodude9391
    @mrelectrodude9391 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I agree with all of this, except Eunie - Ashera. I feel like the dynamic between Eunie and Taion is made pretty obvious so I see the relationship with Ashera more like a deep friendship

  • @chromecobalt5131
    @chromecobalt5131 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Fantastic video!
    I just wanted to add that, as a nonbinary person, Nia was a big gay role model for my coming out. She has a very similar arc to what I experienced, having to hide away her true self and waiting until revealing it to rex and the rest of the team. Also I find it interesting that she is a blade that was forced to live as a human by her "father". While Nia is never explicitly queer, her story felt to me like a queer one.
    I also have some gay friends that told me they felt it too and that they fought she was a lesbian for most of the game

  • @chlonk9276
    @chlonk9276 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    My favorite queer coded moment in the series is when gael'gar jumped off that cliff!

  • @Abarax
    @Abarax ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It's been brought up a lot already but you heavily did X a disservice by not properly playing it/researching - apart from missing the most obvious (one of the main themes of the game: identity and vessel: see Elma's lines in Chapter 11 and Doug's in Chapter 12), you've missed the Lara twins (who play an important role in the Definian quests...), the Wrothian couple, Mia, the various alien races, and Kiefer and Leland (from "Fathers and Sons", which explores being able to choose an appearance that does not match their actual selves), and in it's place put a very weak, short, and even half-hearted section on the Definians.

  • @dabbingperson9236
    @dabbingperson9236 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Can’t really speak on Gears and Saga because I haven’t played them. Your take on Ramsus/Sigurd and Kos-Mos/Shion is definitely interesting though, might have to seriously look into getting my hands on those games.
    As for the games I’ve actually played, starting with X because that’s where you did, yeah it’s kind of impossible to not read the Definians as some sort of non-binary and/or trans. Also in X are Mia’s 2 dads, the Lara twins (one of which is actually important for a Definian’s questline), and a pair of *very* lesbian Wrothian women.
    Roc I personally read as non-binary. They very much present masculine but also mention stuff like nesting which is typically something female birds do.
    I actually read Floren as transmasc, the final scene of his quest essentially being him coming out about his gender identity. And just a note, he does actually correct people, quite a few times actually.
    I definitely agree Morag and Brigid have *something* going on, not necessarily romantic but maybe it is, but there’s *something* there and it’s very sweet.
    The RPMN polycule is great too. It’s a really healthy relationship compared to a lot of depictions of polygamy/polyamory which is nice.
    Beary is sort of a part of Ursula, I don’t think anyone’s really clear on it. I personally see him as almost her imaginary friend willed into existence.
    Sheba is definitely doing the royal we thing. And she’s a giga-lesbian, hard agree.
    Not a big fan of the interpretation of Malos/Jin, it very much feels more like doomer dudebros rather than gay lovers. It’s definitely interesting though, and I can see where it’s coming from. As for Lora/Jin, I don’t see them as romantically involved either, it definitely comes off as more familial although there are a lot of romantic undertones throughout Torna so I’m not super sure.
    Nothing much to say about Juniper, they’re non-binary through and through and I love them.
    I don’t personally see Sena/Mio as a romantic pairing either, again it comes off more familial. I actually really like the relationship dynamic they have, Mio being like an older sister to Sena. To be honest, I adore the whole cast of XC3 and their relationships, it absolutely reads more like a found family story than anything else, especially Sena’s relationship with Lanz.
    With Eunie/Ashera, again I’m not *sure* I agree, but again I can see where the idea is coming from. That said, it’s a really well developed relationship and I like it a lot.
    Ontos is a strange situation. The way I see it, Alvis/Alpha is male, A is female, and together they’re some sort of non-binary (perhaps agender or bigender, I’m not sure).
    One thing you didn’t mention though, you can’t have a rainbow without Reyn!
    And that’s my ramblings about queer characters in the Xeno-series.

  • @Tronk_
    @Tronk_ ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Loved this video, it’s great to have a comprehensive and dense video detailing this franchise’s LGBTQIA+ characters. I say this as a cisgender guy, but I found Nia’s story to be incredibly compelling in a way that I think many members of the LGBTQIA+ community could relate to. The way she finds the strength to finally reveal herself by having a strong support group in a world that has routinely wronged her was incredibly touching, and I think can be similarly comforting to others who have had to “come out” to anyone. You can guess by my pfp, but it resonated with me a lot, and I’m happy this franchise is so abundant with varying characters with different life experiences that someone could relate to.

  • @spiritdancer36
    @spiritdancer36 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you so much for this. Love it!

  • @GSavel
    @GSavel 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Finally, the Gayblade Chronicles™️

    • @greatlife1047
      @greatlife1047 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Gayblade let it rip

    • @Cieln0va
      @Cieln0va 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      XENOGAYDE CHRONICLES WAS RIGHT THERE AND YOU MISSED IT OH MY GOD

    • @iamLI3
      @iamLI3 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@greatlife1047 roflrofrofl

  • @rowanatkinson3594
    @rowanatkinson3594 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    As an aside with Juniper, their ascension quest features a moebius that has some colossal chaser (ie someone who seeks out trans partners purely out of fetishizing them, often due to it giving easy feelings of dominance) vibes to her.

  • @SearchmanDS
    @SearchmanDS 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    To me this is the strength of Takahashi's writing. The characters just exist and no one questions it in universe. They aren't just a [BIG REVEAL] for brownie points like some gaming companies do these days.

    • @aylinilya.
      @aylinilya. 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      yes, xenoblade is awesome for that. it treats as human beings, our sexuality and gender aren’t our personalities like how a lot of western media portrays it

  • @a-zfan3229
    @a-zfan3229 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Sena is the daughter of Morag and Brighid you cannot change my mind

  • @Planet_R.M.
    @Planet_R.M. ปีที่แล้ว

    Who made that YMCA remix at the start of the video?

  • @sirTyperys
    @sirTyperys ปีที่แล้ว +40

    i don't think friendship between two people of the same sex necessarily means there's any romance going on. i guess caring for your friends in a platonic way is no longer a thing?

    • @angeldude101
      @angeldude101 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Part of the problem is that it often feels like caring for opposite-sex friends in a platonic way isn't really a thing. The truth is that we're just trash at distinguishing between platonic and romantic relationships, so since people are more used to opposite-sex romantic relationships, they get assumed to be romantic and same-sex relationships are usually assumed to be platonic. When LGBT+ concerns became more widely known, either _both_ kinds start to get treated as romantic to balance things out, or things get flipped entirely likely out of spite.
      Sheba is probably the only homosexual character that's impossible to argue with, and even then it's only thanks to the context of the original Japanese script.

    • @heroicgangster9981
      @heroicgangster9981 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      same-sex relationships are just more unique to analyze than straight ones. The mainstream already does straight shipping to begin with, I don’t see a big problem of people analyzing queerness of people in the same sex as long as it ain’t about real people.

  • @NintendoSegaGuys
    @NintendoSegaGuys 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Theres also these two npc in X named Lara Mara and Lara Nara.

  • @angeldude101
    @angeldude101 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I knew about David Menkin claiming Malos was gay, but I didn't know he was gay himself.
    The fact that one of the _most_ queer coded characters want really talked about probably means that that video on XC2's polycule _will_ happen. You can _not_ get more blatant than a character in a dysphoria hoodie who's just as affectionate with same-sex party members as the opposite-sex one and has an emblem which is literally pink and blue which gets revealed when said hoodie gets ripped off as she comes out of the closet in spectacular fashion. I should also mention that this is after literally being hunted down for violating a believed-to-be immutable binary between people of their world and getting saved by a support group composed of other people who violate that same binary.
    Also, while not strictly LGBT, that same polycule also consists of an even less well known marginalized minority, and yet the party manages to support _them_ just as much as they would anyone else.

  • @danielfarrugia8494
    @danielfarrugia8494 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    People will see what they want to see I suppose. Personally, it comes across as big headcanon outside of Sheba but if you have that view I think that’s fine. Just don’t tell others they are wrong for a differing view

    • @swaanm
      @swaanm ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Juniper is pretty explicit, though. People try to claim that Taion just said “they” because he didn’t know Juniper at that point, but even after you get to know Juniper they still go by they/them.

  • @MineNAdventurer
    @MineNAdventurer ปีที่แล้ว

    I always felt A is more Genderfluid than Agender since A is Alvis who identifies as male but in the code A the game identifies A as female but we also never see A be referred to anything but A

  • @UltravioletNomad
    @UltravioletNomad หลายเดือนก่อน

    Itoi is the GOAT. Just flat out saying "Gay kids exist" like its fuckin nothing.

  • @kyurei4478
    @kyurei4478 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I see it more as a reason to talk deeper about character relationships in Xeno games and that's what I find really interesting about this video at the end of the day so great video !

  • @camusreviews6877
    @camusreviews6877 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Malos and Alvis being part of the trinity processor means that they are not only queer coded, but they were likely coded queer

    • @angeldude101
      @angeldude101 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Even if you headcanon Pyra and Mythra being straight and only sexually interested in Rex, they also are from not an LGBT+ minority, but an LGBT+ _adjacent_ minority. So ya, all three members of the Trinity Processor (under the interpretation that Malos is gay) are from different marginalized identities.
      I'm of course talking about _the fact that Pyra even exists._ Yes, they have their own pride flags. The most common seems to be white orange and black, though it also seems to be somewhat controversial in their community.

  • @microwaveoven7201
    @microwaveoven7201 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I’ve always been really glad with how respectful and common queer representation is in the Xeno series, especially since it was a major part of me realizing I’m trans. It just makes me happy to see other people talkong about it too, y’know?
    Thanks for making this video, it was super well done!

  • @atelalafford4794
    @atelalafford4794 ปีที่แล้ว

    just wanna say i appreciate this video a lot

  • @Zoeila
    @Zoeila 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    i read shion and kos-mos as gay in part because shion sees synthetic humans as having more value than actual humans and doesnt obscure her emotions around them and kos-mos is her knight that serves her in any way she needs

  • @KariannaSheffrey
    @KariannaSheffrey ปีที่แล้ว

    Personal headcanon: HB from XCX is trans. Everything about his personality is about being the ideal man and becoming the perfect man, and he’s very forward and proud of his masculinity. Plus, minor spoilers about the humans of Mira, but… Once the main character remembers that they and all the other active humans are mimeosomes, you can make a case that HB somehow requested a male body to fully realize his desire to transition. But that’s just a theory.

  • @thatonearanara
    @thatonearanara หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    It all adds up to me

  • @olivinebranch
    @olivinebranch ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Wonderful video! I wrote a whole paper for grad school about how fascinating Xenoblade 3 in particular is when thinking about queer themes, as there's this really interesting contradiction present. The party is fighting against the "endless now" and how the war denies anyone the ability to make human connections and relationships, something that reads very queer to me (fighting against the way society tells you you should exist and love). But then the narrative also often pushes heteronormativity- you've got the City being presented as the "right" way for humans to be living, as encapsulated through heterosexual reproduction and the baby cutscene. But also there's Ouroboros in itself, in the way that all the base game Interlink pairings are male-female, combined with the way that fusion is often coded in media as a sexual/relationship metaphor (ex. Steven Universe, Ghost in the Shell) it sort of reads like compulsory heterosexuality acts as this magic power to end the war. And of course, this manifests with Noah & Mio who literally have this Sailor Moon romance where they're always reincarnating and finding each other. Then, although you've got Eunie and Ashera's subtext, Eunie and Taion have a decent amount of romantic coded subtext as well. But then you have Lanz and Sena-- everything you have to say with Sena stands, but Lanz's arc is also centered around grappling with Joran being part of Mobius, and these arcs are arguably more significant than Lanz and Sena's relationship with each other. Overall, I think the game is just incredibly fascinating from a queer perspective.

    • @PJDAltamirus0425
      @PJDAltamirus0425 ปีที่แล้ว

      Well, not to be bigoted, but the endless now is sort of a false crusade and the origin of hate against homosexuals came from the most violent region on earth . I’m Bronze Age judea, not wanting to reproduce is essentially in crime against your people. Sexism and homophobia had a rational basis. Also, the city has a vested interest heteronormativity cus people for the resistence. Also, xeno is basically founded on Freud, anima and animus, which is depicted as male and female. Finally, Japan is going through a birth rate crisis and has been for a while, so in a way this game is really well done propaganda to get people to get married and have kids. Hell, the photo with Red could be seen as instructions to get married and have kids. But if they were bigoted, I don’t think they would have had Morag and Brighid end up together. Zeke and Morag would have been the indicated ship in the photo.

    • @nathanblackburn1193
      @nathanblackburn1193 ปีที่แล้ว

      Not Xenoblade related but in Steven Universe fusion is clearly a metaphor for relationships including platonic (Opal), familial (Steg), romantic (Garnet) and even abusive (Malachite), while I'm not saying your doing it when people go FuSiOn = SeX in reference to SU it's incredibly reductive and pretty much flat-out wrong

    • @olivinebranch
      @olivinebranch ปีที่แล้ว

      @@nathanblackburn1193 Yeah I'm talking more about the general trope of fusions as relationships, which is occasionally sexually coded, than anything specific w/ SU

  • @shadowwalker9683
    @shadowwalker9683 ปีที่แล้ว

    I what to point out Rico form xenogears, there is... something there.

  • @AlfalfaAlpha
    @AlfalfaAlpha ปีที่แล้ว +1

    515 comments, hoo boy this is gonna be interesting

    • @XenoBits
      @XenoBits  ปีที่แล้ว +5

      It's dangerous 'round these parts

  • @venusstar2963
    @venusstar2963 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Ah, yes the two characters who developed a bond based on a shared misery and suicidal depression rooted from their pasts must be gay for each other. Yup.

  • @StuffSomethingIguess
    @StuffSomethingIguess ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Absolutely wonderful video!! I've caught a lot of these interpretations myself in the last decade+ playing through Xeno. It's my favorite series ever and seeing more content creators passionate about sharing it with others is awesome, so you earned a sub!
    A few others have pointed it out already, but I love Mia mentioning her dads at the end of her affinity quest in X. It was a nice surprise and a good final moment for one of my favorite characters in that game!

  • @HaywoodStudiosOfficial
    @HaywoodStudiosOfficial 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    The entire section in regards to the Xenoblade characters is just you grasping at straws. Morag and Brighid's bond is the same as the bond between any Driver and Blade, one that is forged through many battles and hardships. it feels more like a bond between two people who have known each other for a long time, and thus have a deep sense of trust for one another. That is not love, that is just a strong friendship.
    I can see why you would say Malos and Jin have a thing for each other, but saying the voice actor is a homosexual doesn't mean the character he voices is also a homosexual. Malos and Jin's relationship is more like a brotherly bond, it's obvious they care about one another, but not to the point that they have developed a "romance" between them. They're shared goal to destroy the world is probably one of the things that makes them friends.
    Juniper is NOT non-binary just because she is referred to with the words they and them. People will use words like "they" and "them" when referring to people they don't know.
    Just because Sena is being bullied for being different (because she wields a giant hammer), and just because she has a strong bond with Mio doesn't mean she's romantically attracted to her. If I had to offer evidence to counter this, in the last chapter of Xenoblade 3, she calls Lanz "Lanzy", indicating she has feelings for him, probably because they are both in the same class, defense, and prioritize strength and training. Sena's "love" for Mio is more akin to a friendship kind of love, not a romantic one. You can understand and knowhow someone feels and acts without falling in love with them.
    Eunie and Ashera do have goo conversations with each other, and watching them clash over their differing views of the world is fascinating, but just because someone asks you to do something drastic like killing them does not imply romantic love. That is an extremely large stretch. If Eunie was in love with Ashera, she would have protested Ashera's request, and refused to do it.
    A is not agender or gwender fluid. She is part of a machine, Alpha, and thus is a machine herself. Sure she may be half male, half female, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's a gender fluid person or whatever term you use. She clearly meant to be the female version of Alvis,
    Overall, while I can't say anything on the other franchises you bring up, since I haven't played them yet, I can say that you really pull at straws when you try to make some Xenoblade characters part of the lgbtq group. This is not coming from "hate," but from someone who enjoys the Xenoblade franchise deeply,.

    • @qrowthebird7496
      @qrowthebird7496 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Seems people forget that about A while Alvis states that he is a machine

    • @skylandersfan6954
      @skylandersfan6954 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Juniper is referred to by gender neutral pronouns even after they're introduced and have a different gender code than both the male and female characters in the code

  • @gc79006
    @gc79006 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Hate to ruin it, but you missed some representation of Xenoblade X
    There's a playable character, Mia, who reveals in her affinity mission that her parents were two men, and a quest about two possible lesbian wrothian and a couple of flamboyantly gay npc (human) twins called Lara Nara and Lara Mara
    I know they aren't that visible or important in he game or are just minor/optional chatacters, but I think it's cool they are there
    Still, love the video ❤

  • @miimiiandco
    @miimiiandco 27 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Xenogender Chronicles

  • @SicklySeraph
    @SicklySeraph ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I love this video a lot and definitely feel it should have been made, though i do personally feel like some relationships definitely feel more like headcanon then implication. Mostly just Mio/Sena as ive mostly seen them with a sibling-like relationship than one sided romance, and ashera/eunie. But that is just me, i do like how people tend to interpret those relationships though

    • @SicklySeraph
      @SicklySeraph ปีที่แล้ว

      Also i personally see Lora and Jin’s relationship as romantic, Atleast definitely from Lora’s perspective, i think if anything jin is bi but I definitely see the gay implications with Malos

  • @swwetsour7697
    @swwetsour7697 ปีที่แล้ว

    17:27 Don't you mean "wash OUR feet"?

  • @loycross
    @loycross ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The only thing I'm not fully sure how to feel about is calling Laura a "sister" to Jin when to my eyes she expressed much more than that during Torna (specially the scene when Jin finds his old place)
    I never thought about the dynamic he has with Malos in such a way, though, so I guess that makes Jin a bi icon for me now
    A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one

  • @espinita.
    @espinita. ปีที่แล้ว

    TH-cam is when I watch countless hours of content I have no interest in normally but have a blast anyways
    Thanks :)

  • @Stairmaster_
    @Stairmaster_ ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video! I'm really glad we have something exploring the various queer characters in this wonderful series.
    I never personally read Eunie and Ashera's relationship as romantic in nature (although I think that Ashera is 100% lesbian), even though they both deeply understand one another. I think just because of that and the terrifying realization of their approaching mortality, their promise to one another is something they can both take solace in. It wouldn't work with anyone else because of that understanding. Honestly, I'm not sure if Eunie is a romantic person at all, I think there's a very good chance she's aro. This is just my headcanon though, of course.

  • @lemmyxpro
    @lemmyxpro 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I'm completely straight, but i honestly still wanna get that A shirt, it's so good!!! 😂😂

  • @a-zfan3229
    @a-zfan3229 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I will forever love the meme of Rex Xenoblade walking randomly into a scene to confirm the canonicity of a character's gender identity or sexual orientation

  • @aglitchinthematrix4002
    @aglitchinthematrix4002 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    As a non-binary person myself this video is great but at the same time it feels invalidating my bisexuality at times because it feels like ‘sweeping’ Lora and Jin’s relationship away to build on Jin and Malos’ relationship
    Jin can be both queer and in love with a woman

    • @XenoBits
      @XenoBits  5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I personally find it extremely weird if Jin, as a fully grown man, met Lora at age 10, took care of her through childhood, and then as adults, we imply that they enter into a romantic relationship. To me, that borders on weird groomer behavior. I had no intent to invalidate your sexuality. My apologies if it seemed that way.

    • @aglitchinthematrix4002
      @aglitchinthematrix4002 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@XenoBits I can see that viewpoint, and Jin and Lora is only one ship in many and I appreciate you replying to my comment even this late
      Have a nice day!

  • @seraphshou9697
    @seraphshou9697 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    My bad if I sound like a joyless asshole lol, if you can see queer people and themes in this series then that's great. But like XC3 has to be one of the most heteronormative pieces of media ever made. At times the entire plot feels like its about restoring the nuclear heterosexual family. Chapter 5 exists solely to almost fetishize birthing, the typical family, and how great the original natural way is. Meanwhile the Kevesi and Agnus are presented as icky and unnaturally born test tube babies. A core part of the protagonists reason for defeating Moebius becomes...basically just restoring a status quo similar to real life.
    Why did the goal of an oppressed cast forced to fight in repetitive meaningless wars have to be just a heteronormative status quo? Noah is all like zomg we're gonna make a world for the future where everyone has choice, but the choice sill ends up pretty limited. Like the writers couldn't imagine a new meaningful progression for the world. And side note: I just kinda find NoahxMio and NxM a little forced.
    And besides A, who is actually good nb rep, I still think the way gender is treated is a bit regressive. Near the very beginning of the game we see the Kevesi trio casually have a mixed bath together without any odd sexualization or embarrassment. However after becoming ouroboros the characters become embarrassed to change in front of each other and this also continues in some side quests. I don't really understand what the point of this change happening to the character after becoming y'know the destined heroes is other than to in some way critique it.

    • @rileyomadadhain2173
      @rileyomadadhain2173 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      One theory I saw was that being freed from the Flame Clock allowed them to start noticing romantic feelings for other characters. One corroborating evidence is the scene right after they are reunited in Chapter 2 where the boys are suddenly embarrassed about changing in front of the girls

  • @Thorcarmine
    @Thorcarmine ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Look at that the Definians from Xenoblade X are a reference to the Gerudo's from the Legend of Zelda series, there both a race solely of women cleaver. For those who don't know Monolith Soft also works on the Legend of Zelda series as well.

  • @ThadFC
    @ThadFC ปีที่แล้ว +10

    10:35 Lara Mara and Lara Nara are also kinda obvious gay stereotypes in X and also Mia mentions in a heart to heart that she misses her dads

    • @famillesabot5719
      @famillesabot5719 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I thought for Lara Mara it was just me who thought it was a queer cliché. I also mention the two dads.

  • @mikiwibu
    @mikiwibu ปีที่แล้ว +10

    This is such a cool video to have around in the Xeno(blade) community now. I know there’s been Twitter discussions about these characters, some for years even, but it’s cool to have most of it compiled into a TH-cam video.
    I think Mòrag though is good representation for someone who’s non-conforming to gender roles. I don’t think I’d say she’s non-binary, she has no objection to she/her pronouns as far as we know, but when told to put on a skirt and some heels by Zeke she tells him to “die in a fire.” And in the quest for Poppi Buster (I believe) Tora is explicitly shown to have thought Mòrag and maybe seems slightly offended. Even though I’m the opposite birth gender as Mòrag, I feel like I can relate a bit. I absolutely hate society’s normal image and expectations of my gender and don’t really want to be perceived as that, but doesn’t want to be seen as feminine (or masculine in Mòrag’s case), and not quite sure I want to fully commit to they/them pronouns (although for me it’s fear of how I’d be treated, not how I feel about myself).
    I also think Nia as Flesh Eater has some solid parallels to someone coming out as Trans. Initially not doing so in the fear of being ostracized, and then concludes that there’s not much point in hiding who they really are. But I’m not trans so I’m not an expert on that, I just feel like it’s got some similarities. Plus one of Nia’s DLC outfits is trans pride colors.
    Lastly, was cool to learn that Alvis is you’re favorite character. For me they’re only slightly below Jin who only beats him because of how interesting I find his arc in Torna and 2. But I fully believe that Alvis was my gay awakening, it was after seeing him in my first XCDE playthrough that I became a lot more open to who I’ve been interested in romantically (and physically). And I’m glad he was repurposed into A, one of the coolest things the series has done imo.

  • @Ghonf
    @Ghonf ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I really love the relationship between KOS-MOS and Shion and the one between Malos and Jin! It is also heavily implied that Tony from Xenosaga is bisexual, and for Shion and KOS-MOS in Episode III, in the same cutscene as Allen admits his feelings to Shion, KOS-MOS is pretty much doing the same, just not as directly as Allen. Besides that, really awesome video. Hope to see you continue to create such great videos! :D