I’m not going to treat discussion of a fictional character a if it’s about a real person. Real people cannot be written badly - characters obviously can.
How would we ever discuss stories that handle these topics, if anything an author made up was as absolute as a living person’s private decisions? Sometimes authors fuck up. Sometimes that fuckup is more useful as a teachable moment than any kind of representation. I’d argue this qualifies, not because Bridget in Strive is handled poorly, but because Bridget was the goddamn patron saint of Y-boners. This character taught 4chan that Kinsey zeroes can still appreciate anime thighs of any gender. 4chan! And now it’s hard to even describe that situation, let alone fondly remember and praise it, specifically out of deference to how we address real living trans people.
If this was a new character - there’d be no issue whatsoever.
It’d be downright hilarious to introduce Bridget’s unnamed sibling, the entire reason Bridget was raised as a girl, and reveal their parents got it completely backwards.
But instead, all appreciation for who this character was is spoiled, all past support now sounds like hatred, and even acknowledging that shift is condemned. What needless turmoil over such a cheerful character in the silliest fighting game.
imagine if Bridget were a real person then reread your last two paragraphs
No.
I’m not going to treat discussion of a fictional character a if it’s about a real person. Real people cannot be written badly - characters obviously can.
How would we ever discuss stories that handle these topics, if anything an author made up was as absolute as a living person’s private decisions? Sometimes authors fuck up. Sometimes that fuckup is more useful as a teachable moment than any kind of representation. I’d argue this qualifies, not because Bridget in Strive is handled poorly, but because Bridget was the goddamn patron saint of Y-boners. This character taught 4chan that Kinsey zeroes can still appreciate anime thighs of any gender. 4chan! And now it’s hard to even describe that situation, let alone fondly remember and praise it, specifically out of deference to how we address real living trans people.
If this was a new character - there’d be no issue whatsoever.
It’d be downright hilarious to introduce Bridget’s unnamed sibling, the entire reason Bridget was raised as a girl, and reveal their parents got it completely backwards.
But instead, all appreciation for who this character was is spoiled, all past support now sounds like hatred, and even acknowledging that shift is condemned. What needless turmoil over such a cheerful character in the silliest fighting game.