AlsoI realized my wording was too vague when I said they haven't even talked about intimacy. I meant sexual intimacy, just to be clear. (Also, kissing as an action isn't inherently sexual to begin with, so there's that)
SPEAKKK YOUR TRUTHHHH BAE. LOUDER FOR PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!!!! I’m glad you also mentioned that weirdo. Like, they kept spreading that and it was so????? Like wth.
I’m also ace and I’m so glad you pointed those out!!!<3
YESS THANK YOU it really made me mad seeing that like you cant be serious!!
AYYY I'm happy u agree!!
I 100% agree. I am also asexual and I am not "sex repulsed," and even have had intimate moments with my ex partner, and that doesn't make me any less asexual (still have never done it). The fact that someone is trying to disprove SOMEONE ELSE'S SEXUALITY is f*cking crazy. Like you said, it's a SPECTRUM people! I am not sure what this "FANBOX image" is, but I am hearing that there was a "spicy?" (I think he was literally just topless or something) picture of Hirano.... yeah, so? Shou-sensei has control over her own characters... if she wants to show a different side of the characters that is her choice. Shou-sensei is an ARTIST and it's HER art. It's not like it is canonical? but whatever, anyways... leave it alone
Weirdo in the comments sharing the paywalled fanbox content to disprove Hirano's asexuality... it doesn't, BTW.
Coming from an ace person who is (probably) sex-repulsed, I think some of yall are too busy "expecting" a certain kind of representation that reflects your personal experiences that you're also invalidating others in the process. Yes, you can be disappointed if it turns out that Hirano is not against/enjoys being intimate, but acting like this somehow lessens his asexuality and that representation is pretty harmful, no? Because ace people do exist that have sex. Because asexuality isn't sex-repulsion (even though it CAN be for some), its about (the lack of) attraction. It has always been a spectrum. This is still representation.
I've just noticed how some of y'all put so much emphasis on representation but only ever mean it as it applies to yourself (or what you consider valid/real), which I get it because of course you want to feel seen in something you really like, nothing wrong with that! But in doing so, sometimes, people start to talk down on the author's work, their intent, and their relationship to it. It might not be the rep you want but it is no less valuable as rep. This could easily be personal to the author. They do not owe us a certain kind of story even if this kind of representation "has been done before". That's why I feel to an extent we gotta tone down the "rep" talk in this way. You're setting yourself up to be disappointed by expecting it to be in a way that aligns with you even though hrkg aren't even "together" yet and we haven't even talked about intimacy, just kissing.
Like, I think so far, Hirano's character is very well-written and clearly with love. That alone should be a hint that sensei isnt "faking" his journey or isn't gonna just turn on her heel and suddenly make him "not ace". (I get being skeptical but I have no reason not to trust her from what she has shown us!) Like, that's literally a whole part of the plot and always has been. So it's very annoying seeing people talk about how Hirano feels like he's forcing himself as if this whole manga hasn't been his journey of discovering what love can be and look like, and how it can feel to give and receive it. How one can read this manga and decide that Hirano doesn't love Kagiura is beyond me, but a part of that is people viewing love in one specific, biased, and/or allonormative way and unable to look past that. Thats on YOU homie.
Anyway, points im making? A. Stop spreading around the fan box link. It is EXTREMELY disrespectful (and obviously prohibited) to do that. B. None of it takes away Hirano's asexuality. Even if you don't personally experience asexuality that way, or you expected a story where he ended up being sex repulsed/indifferent, his asexuality is not invalidated if he at any point is intimate with Kagiura, or if he enjoys it, or if he ends up being okay with kissing. He's 17 guys, experiencing these things for the first time, wanting to understand his feelings, wanting to make Kagiura happy while also understanding his own limits and boundaries, which there is absolutely nothing wrong with. No one is being forced. No one is being pushy. They're teenagers in high school. They've barely even lived yet. Their sexualities do not have to be set in stone, or at least, not in the way you personally think they should be. Again, reductive. Please just read the story and see what happens (or don't ig). Just my two cents.
Live laugh love hirakagi