[Meta] On Aqua's sexuality
Oct. 10th, 2010 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
runespoorI cannot possibly be the only person on the Internet thinking that Aqua is gay. Not crushing on Terra, not crushing on Ven - which, lemme tell you, hits me much harder in the squick department than actual incest - but just plain ol' batting for her own team. AQUA LIKES THE LADIEZ.
Of interest:
1.
watch 2:06, and from 4:03 to 4:25. Look, I'm sorry but on 4:22 she clearly has her hand on Cinderella's ass. I'm not saying she's copping a feel, but she's being very physical with someone she barely knows, especially when you take into account that Aqua is not the most physically affectionate or demonstrative of the trio. She generally doesn't touch people, and by that I mean I don't think she touches anyone except Ven, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder when he's down.
As for 2:06, there are two interpretations. They're not in any way incompatible, and I personally think they both hold. The main point here is that Aqua taking Cinderella's hand and guiding her toward the chair doesn't conform to gender role; it's an obvious deviation. This is a gesture befitting of a knight, and as Aqua is for all intents and purposes a knight (the most obvious one out of the trio: she carries on her duty with honour and respects the orders she's entrusted with, and there's a certain code she follows, rules of conduct she never violates.) it's within her role to perform this gesture. However, it's a gesture that has more implications than, say, Aqua's apologizing one knee to the ground to Queen Minnie. This is a gallant gesture. She takes the Duke's place in the movie; this is Cinderella, where chivalry only survives as gallantry.
It's a knight's gesture, and it's a gallant gesture.
Taking Cinderella's hand and leading her to her chair is a completely conscious decision on Aqua's part, one I would argue goes further her duties as a knightly figure. Absolutely nothing forces Aqua to steal the Duke's moment; she has to walk past him to take Cinderella's hand.
Whether you consider the gesture to be 'romantic' in nature, there's no denying at least that Aqua's playing the other gender in that scene.
2. Olympus Coliseum
Okay, first we have to say that that world has a really rotten view of women. Phil and Hades' attitude toward Aqua is nothing short of repulsive, and she definitely agrees with that. Takes it into stride with Phil by refusing to play his game and responding as professionally as she can, and is pissed at Hades for looking down on her because she's a girl. Her stopping Zack from taking part in the fight may be mostly due because Hades messed with Terra and you do not mess with Aqua's boys, but I think also owes something to the fact that Hades has been nothing short of dismissive of her abilities. Aqua has something to prove to Hades by kicking his ass, both for Terra and for herself. She'll do the same in the Final Episode by stating for the first time in the game that she's Master Aqua.
As for Zack, who is the reason why I'm including this world here - my post being initially about Aqua's sexuality - the vid is relevant from 3:30.
It doesn't sound to me like a 'maybe', much less the 'sure let's!' Zack clings to. It sounds like a pretty definite no. Zack asking her on a date throws Aqua utterly out of the loop. And yet, objectively, the idea of a date between them doesn't sound so ridiculous. It may run into the problem that Aqua might see him as a little brother figure reminding her of Ven, but Zack looks older than Ven, so he and Aqua are close in age (he's younger, but probably not that much), and they have a good relationship. Why does it surprise her so much that he's thinking of her like that?
It's mentioned she blushes. She's flustered, I think, because she wonders how Zack could misunderstand their interactions so much. 'Oh god, how could he get the idea-- oh god, turning him down, so embarrassing.'
For me, the complete and utter shock and subsequent embarrassment are easily explained if she simply doesn't think of boys that way, at all.
When she leaves, the journal says that she's very strongly reminded of Terra. It may be because Zack asks her on a date and there's a romantic entanglement of some sort between Terra and her, or it may be because of the fact that Olympus Coliseum is all about heroes looking for strength and Hades manipulating Terra and Aqua being concerned for him. Or, again, both.
And that's the two most prevalent things I can think of the top of my head relating to Aqua's sexuality.
One last minor point: in the intro.
when she give the charms to Terra and Ven and Terra remarks that it's "awfully feminine of her" (7:40), she reacts strongly to that. It's obviously because she refutes the idea that Real Women Never Wear Dresses; she can kick ass at Keyblade wielding and like typically feminine stuff.
If you interpret Aqua as lesbian, this moment is Fridge Brilliance. It's not just Terra having trouble to reconcile the ass-kicking and the girliness; it's trouble reconciling her being a lesbian and her being girly.
So yeah, for now I'm advocating Aqua as a lesbian. I'll be glad to discuss/add any stuff I missed, if you're in the mood.
Of interest:
1.
watch 2:06, and from 4:03 to 4:25. Look, I'm sorry but on 4:22 she clearly has her hand on Cinderella's ass. I'm not saying she's copping a feel, but she's being very physical with someone she barely knows, especially when you take into account that Aqua is not the most physically affectionate or demonstrative of the trio. She generally doesn't touch people, and by that I mean I don't think she touches anyone except Ven, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder when he's down.
As for 2:06, there are two interpretations. They're not in any way incompatible, and I personally think they both hold. The main point here is that Aqua taking Cinderella's hand and guiding her toward the chair doesn't conform to gender role; it's an obvious deviation. This is a gesture befitting of a knight, and as Aqua is for all intents and purposes a knight (the most obvious one out of the trio: she carries on her duty with honour and respects the orders she's entrusted with, and there's a certain code she follows, rules of conduct she never violates.) it's within her role to perform this gesture. However, it's a gesture that has more implications than, say, Aqua's apologizing one knee to the ground to Queen Minnie. This is a gallant gesture. She takes the Duke's place in the movie; this is Cinderella, where chivalry only survives as gallantry.
It's a knight's gesture, and it's a gallant gesture.
Taking Cinderella's hand and leading her to her chair is a completely conscious decision on Aqua's part, one I would argue goes further her duties as a knightly figure. Absolutely nothing forces Aqua to steal the Duke's moment; she has to walk past him to take Cinderella's hand.
Whether you consider the gesture to be 'romantic' in nature, there's no denying at least that Aqua's playing the other gender in that scene.
2. Olympus Coliseum
Okay, first we have to say that that world has a really rotten view of women. Phil and Hades' attitude toward Aqua is nothing short of repulsive, and she definitely agrees with that. Takes it into stride with Phil by refusing to play his game and responding as professionally as she can, and is pissed at Hades for looking down on her because she's a girl. Her stopping Zack from taking part in the fight may be mostly due because Hades messed with Terra and you do not mess with Aqua's boys, but I think also owes something to the fact that Hades has been nothing short of dismissive of her abilities. Aqua has something to prove to Hades by kicking his ass, both for Terra and for herself. She'll do the same in the Final Episode by stating for the first time in the game that she's Master Aqua.
As for Zack, who is the reason why I'm including this world here - my post being initially about Aqua's sexuality - the vid is relevant from 3:30.
It doesn't sound to me like a 'maybe', much less the 'sure let's!' Zack clings to. It sounds like a pretty definite no. Zack asking her on a date throws Aqua utterly out of the loop. And yet, objectively, the idea of a date between them doesn't sound so ridiculous. It may run into the problem that Aqua might see him as a little brother figure reminding her of Ven, but Zack looks older than Ven, so he and Aqua are close in age (he's younger, but probably not that much), and they have a good relationship. Why does it surprise her so much that he's thinking of her like that?
It's mentioned she blushes. She's flustered, I think, because she wonders how Zack could misunderstand their interactions so much. 'Oh god, how could he get the idea-- oh god, turning him down, so embarrassing.'
For me, the complete and utter shock and subsequent embarrassment are easily explained if she simply doesn't think of boys that way, at all.
When she leaves, the journal says that she's very strongly reminded of Terra. It may be because Zack asks her on a date and there's a romantic entanglement of some sort between Terra and her, or it may be because of the fact that Olympus Coliseum is all about heroes looking for strength and Hades manipulating Terra and Aqua being concerned for him. Or, again, both.
And that's the two most prevalent things I can think of the top of my head relating to Aqua's sexuality.
One last minor point: in the intro.
when she give the charms to Terra and Ven and Terra remarks that it's "awfully feminine of her" (7:40), she reacts strongly to that. It's obviously because she refutes the idea that Real Women Never Wear Dresses; she can kick ass at Keyblade wielding and like typically feminine stuff.
If you interpret Aqua as lesbian, this moment is Fridge Brilliance. It's not just Terra having trouble to reconcile the ass-kicking and the girliness; it's trouble reconciling her being a lesbian and her being girly.
So yeah, for now I'm advocating Aqua as a lesbian. I'll be glad to discuss/add any stuff I missed, if you're in the mood.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-10-10 09:14 pm (UTC)I'm not trying to start anything here, as we are all civilized people.
Don't you think you're digging far too deep into the character? This is a Disney thing afterall.
A very intersting piece. ^^
no subject
Date: 2010-10-10 10:52 pm (UTC)I'm not sure I see your point about KH being Disney; Aqua isn't just a Disney character. And even if she were, Disney has created ambiguously gay characters before, such as Ryan Evans of High School Musical. If that's what you meant about this being Disney and I didn't misunderstand you.