alias_sqbr

My non-spoilery thoughts on this horror/mystery anime.

Spoilers below!! I explain the context for anyone who doesn't know the plot and is curious, mostly just to try and lay it out for myself and try to figure out the mystery. I knew the basic gist of some of this going in, and it didn't ruin my enjoyment, but I think it's more fun being confused if you can handle it.

Content note: death and violence.
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I have caught up with Welcome to Night Vale and it is amazing. It's a good time to get into it too, since the first 25 podcasts make for a fairly well rounded little story (not that I'm not looking forward to episode 27!) What plot there is is slow and sporadic but it all holds together remarkably well for a setting combining glow clouds, angels, vague yet menacing government agencies etc. Also, there's canon m/m! The main character is unambiguously interested in men, but it is very much just one facet of his character, he is much more focussed on informing his listeners, not being eaten by station management etc.

There a cute little fandom on tumblr I haven't dipped my toes into much yet. Though as with Elementary fandom, I find myself charmed by all the adorable gen and glad people share my shipping tendencies...but kind of wish there was more kissing. *is shallow*

Not a huge focus on female characters in the show or fandom though there is definitely some. The writers feel like well meaning white guys, they do better than most of the influences they're drawing from (like Lovecraft haha) and there's a major POC character but also some weeeird stuff around American Indians. There is in general a theme of it being ok to be to be weird or damaged, it's just something you work around, which is a nice change from the "FEAR THE ABNORMAL" tone of much horror (of course they conflate missing ears with being haunted by the voices of the dead, possessed by aliens etc but hey)

Also some people find it scary but I really don't. The one exception was the morning I woke to a weirdly familiar noise and just for a second thought "OH GOD IT'S STREET CLEANING DAY D: D:"

There are transcripts of most episodes and a twitter account which posts strange little messages in addition to information about tshirts etc.