OKAY DISCLAIMER I'M ABOUT NINETY FIVE PERCENT SURE THERE'S NO ACTUAL GRAVEYARD COMMENT DIRECTLY REACTING TO MAYASPLOSION... beyond how little reaction to that there was, Mahiru had so many damn feelings that didn't even make it into tags. That shit is so on lock
Anyway technically internalized homophobia is my interpretation given that Danganronpa doesn't have a whole lot of open discussion about LGBT issues WHICH PROBABLY SAYS A LOT IN ITSELF TBQH... but she does have a very strong opinion that there are womanly spheres and manly spheres for example. In fanon this is misandrist but in canon it's more like she knows boys are supposed to be stronger and is angry that in practice they're just lazier. Those attitudes tend to be linked to heteronormativity... early up in my Kyoya comment you can see my interpretation of the route where she ends up in a dating relationship with the protagonist, I.e. she figures being close to a boy means that they should date.
On the other hand, there's Hiyoko. I said this weird part about Mahiru having modern anxieties and this includes an idea that nudity in general should be 100% private, while Hiyoko feels that in same-sex settings nudity is okay. Hence soapies. And then there is Sato, this girl Mahiru knew in high school... I could actually write a whole separate essay comparing Aya to Sato because they have a somewhat similar warped carefree attitude that Mahiru agrees with coming from a more affable place of neutrality. There's only one flashback but Sato's like "hi Mahiru-chan sup sup you here to confess your undying love to me?" Which would make the most sense if Mahiru did love Sato, I mean that's not why Mahiru was there though because this is Danganronpa so she actually had to talk to Sato about a murder which took priority. Furthermore Mikan and Ibuki were the other two girls who were Mahiru's personal friends; Mikan is actually in a relationship with a woman I AM SAD MAHIRU WAS NOT ALIVE FOR THE REACTION... and you've seen Clash/Ibuki in action so you know how gay Ibuki is.
So when you put all of this stuff together it makes the most sense for Mahiru to be a huge gay, and yet the only time she really overtly expresses the idea of dating is with the dude protag. Combined by her aforementioned gender-conscious aspects, I think she thinks she *should* only date boys, whereas the desire to date girls is self-indulgent and wrong. (this feeling persists regardless of the alternate interpretation where she has actual bi feelings for the protag) Even in the context of being alone with girls as the most meaningful experiences in her life, that's sort of justified to herself as how only girls can be friends to each other, but guys and girls can't just be friends.
BASICALLY my point is that if someone pointed out she was kinda yuri for Aya, Mahiru would deny it a lot, and at this point in time she would not feel comfortable asking for a date herself (she might say it's a date in a joking way) and that sort of "girl with girlfriend?? What no"thought process is on top of the eight days now go back to Gensokyo situation.
no subject
Anyway technically internalized homophobia is my interpretation given that Danganronpa doesn't have a whole lot of open discussion about LGBT issues WHICH PROBABLY SAYS A LOT IN ITSELF TBQH... but she does have a very strong opinion that there are womanly spheres and manly spheres for example. In fanon this is misandrist but in canon it's more like she knows boys are supposed to be stronger and is angry that in practice they're just lazier. Those attitudes tend to be linked to heteronormativity... early up in my Kyoya comment you can see my interpretation of the route where she ends up in a dating relationship with the protagonist, I.e. she figures being close to a boy means that they should date.
On the other hand, there's Hiyoko. I said this weird part about Mahiru having modern anxieties and this includes an idea that nudity in general should be 100% private, while Hiyoko feels that in same-sex settings nudity is okay. Hence soapies. And then there is Sato, this girl Mahiru knew in high school... I could actually write a whole separate essay comparing Aya to Sato because they have a somewhat similar warped carefree attitude that Mahiru agrees with coming from a more affable place of neutrality. There's only one flashback but Sato's like "hi Mahiru-chan sup sup you here to confess your undying love to me?" Which would make the most sense if Mahiru did love Sato, I mean that's not why Mahiru was there though because this is Danganronpa so she actually had to talk to Sato about a murder which took priority. Furthermore Mikan and Ibuki were the other two girls who were Mahiru's personal friends; Mikan is actually in a relationship with a woman I AM SAD MAHIRU WAS NOT ALIVE FOR THE REACTION... and you've seen Clash/Ibuki in action so you know how gay Ibuki is.
So when you put all of this stuff together it makes the most sense for Mahiru to be a huge gay, and yet the only time she really overtly expresses the idea of dating is with the dude protag. Combined by her aforementioned gender-conscious aspects, I think she thinks she *should* only date boys, whereas the desire to date girls is self-indulgent and wrong. (this feeling persists regardless of the alternate interpretation where she has actual bi feelings for the protag) Even in the context of being alone with girls as the most meaningful experiences in her life, that's sort of justified to herself as how only girls can be friends to each other, but guys and girls can't just be friends.
BASICALLY my point is that if someone pointed out she was kinda yuri for Aya, Mahiru would deny it a lot, and at this point in time she would not feel comfortable asking for a date herself (she might say it's a date in a joking way) and that sort of "girl with girlfriend?? What no"thought process is on top of the eight days now go back to Gensokyo situation.