Unpopular TM opinions you have

[SirGauoftheSquareTable]

Definitely. Though I heard that the novels are pretty suggestive of Iskandar and Waver engaging in a mana transfer. That, and Weaver's attraction to Iskandar's animal magnetism.

[Polly]

'Suggestive' is still scraps.

Sorry but I am not going to be generous with a massive franchise that has such a poor track record of queer characters and relationships

[SirGauoftheSquareTable]

I don't blame you for that. TM and really most mainstream anime that aren't BL don't represent queer relationships all that much, especially between men.

[mami-kouga]

That's not cheating though.

The cheating part is that him looking like a girl is the only reason he's allowed to explicitly show attraction with no room for "Maybe this is just friendship?"

- - - Updated - - -

There's also Iskandar

Iskander is canon bi yes, but he also doesn't show romantic attraction to anyone in the present or in flashbacks. Waver is honestly doing the heavy lifting in their ship's subtext and it still has the subtext anchor

- - - Updated - - -

Iskandar is bi. We're talking homo-only, which I can only think of Fina-Blood and Pepe.

I can't believe I forgot about Pepe!!! I am ashamed

[Snow]

The cheating part is that him looking like a girl is the only reason he's allowed to explicitly show attraction with no room for "Maybe this is just friendship?"

Oh I see where you're coming from. On one hand it's good that characters like Astolfo, who offer something different
to the series' usual in gender presentation and sexuality, exist. On the other with the rest of the TM track record it's understandable to be weary and wonder if Astolfo was made that way to ease it for the boring cishet men in the audience.

[SirGauoftheSquareTable]

Yeah, fembois do be walking that line IRL and in fiction.

[Polly]

Personally the fact that a prominent queer character like Astoflo exists in the form that he does is amazing to me, regardless of policies behind his design

[SirGauoftheSquareTable]

D'Eon as an openly non-binary character who gives chocolate to either gender Guda also exists.

[Snow]

Fergus with his rainbow dildo always did come off fruitily to me tbh

[pinetree]

Personally I give TM more credit for D'Eon than Astolfo. It actually feels like something they considered while writing the character, while Astolfo's otokonoko design feels like just a product of finding an oportunity to use a common anime trope.
Also, despite his crossdressing, it feels like they still refused to make him bi until it became profitable to do so in FGO.

[SirGauoftheSquareTable]

Fergus with his rainbow dildo always did come off fruitily to me tbh

He is bi, but TM made a last minute swerve IMo in making him prefer women as partners. I mean, I know actual bi people have differing types and gender preferences for partners, BUT the way TM did this seed like it was an attempt to make him not too bi.

[mami-kouga]

He does say he likes "mostly" women, but outside Guda's Valentine's scene by technicality and I guess the Nerofest CE by Asuza he has never actually shown attraction to any male character as far as I'm aware. Which puts him in the same area as Iskander where canon says one thing but we certainly have never seen it

- - - Updated - - -

Personally the fact that a prominent queer character like Astoflo exists in the form that he does is amazing to me, regardless of policies behind his design

Personally I give TM more credit for D'Eon than Astolfo. It actually feels like something they considered while writing the character, while Astolfo's otokonoko design feels like just a product of finding an oportunity to use a common anime trope.
Also, despite his crossdressing, it feels like they still refused to make him bi until it became profitable to do so in FGO.

After Apocrypha I have learnt to appreciate Astolfo more as a character and even love him a fair bit. It's just really, REALLY hard to shake off the vague thoughts of the actual intent made with him

[SirGauoftheSquareTable]

Yeah, Astolfo is great, but the way he's used by TM with regards to representation is sus.

[warellis]

The fact that one has to dig through side materials and interviews for scraps like these is pretty damn condemning of queer characters' presence in TM works.
We aren't exactly looking at mat books for different-sex relationships and (presumed) heterosexuality of this or that character

Honestly, TM has always struck me as the kind of company that is more okay with pushing yuri/lesbian as a homosexual thing than say any male-on-male stuff.

It's why I've personally come to ignore yuri stuff in anime, mostly because it's the safe homosexual option.

[Rafflesiac]

Personally I give TM more credit for D'Eon than Astolfo. It actually feels like something they considered while writing the character, while Astolfo's otokonoko design feels like just a product of finding an oportunity to use a common anime trope.
Also, despite his crossdressing, it feels like they still refused to make him bi until it became profitable to do so in FGO.

His feelings towards Sieg are passionate and frank. Incidentally, Astolfo doesn’t care about male and female gender differences at all. If he loves someone, whether they’re a man or woman is a trivial issue. If Sieg wished for it, he would have probably happily become his partner. However, Sieg himself is only aware of the “act of reproduction” as a phrase that means to bring into existence a life besides oneself.

Earlier than that.

[OnesFleetingGlory]

I think this chart officially confirms Astolfo's preferences.

[warellis]

Earlier than that.

Isn't it kind of telling that Astolfo looks so...girlish though?

[Rafflesiac]

shhhhhhh

[Snow]

Sieg aroace legend.

[pinetree]

Earlier than that.

Well that's good. I didn't remember that from Mats at all.