Queer Subtext & Symbolism in Sk8 the Infinity
14,664
Published 2024-01-23
Sources (in order of appearance):
1. Conti, Liborio. “Sport.” Modern Without Vocals, track 2. www.no-copyright-music.com/modern-vocals/
2. Kon, Satoshi. Perfect Blue. GKIDS, 1997.
3. “Free Vector: Realistic Metal Prison Bars with Jail Door.” Freepik, www.freepik.com/free-vector/realistic-metal-prison-bars-with-jail-door_10317737.htm#query=prison%20bars&position=3&from_view=keyword&track=ais&uuid=1c9b72f3-9243-48f4-bacf-554d3fae5b81
4. “Free Vector: Realistic Metal Prison Bars with Jail Door.” Freepik.
www.freepik.com/free-vector/realistic-metal-prison…
5. Rubio, Irene. “Queerbaiting: The Unfulfilled Promise of Queer Representation.” Academia.Edu, 14 July 2018
www.academia.edu/37045999/Queerbaiting_The_Unfulfilled_Promise_of_Queer_Representation
6. Arakawa Hiromu, creator. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Studio Bones, 2009-2010
7. Unknown. www.reddit.com/r/CharacterRant/comments/muaajf/sk8_the_infinity_why_cant_two_guys_be_friends/
8. Sharkbath. “Hyperfixation Hell on Tumblr: In Defense of Sk8 the Infinity and Queer Coding.” Tumblr, 3 Apr. 2021,
www.tumblr.com/sharkbath/647489761730232320/in-defense-of-sk8-the-infinity-and-queer-coding
9. Baya-Ni. “The Queer Appeal of Sk8.” Tumblr, 4 Mar. 2021, baya-ni.tumblr.com/post/644744410466222080/the-que…
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All Comments (21)
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Why is the audio so echoey? Because I recorded this in an underground abandoned mine. You know, for authenticity.
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SK8 The Infinity is pretty much the anime personification of “there is no heterosexual explanation for this.”
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I also ship Adam with court mandated therapy. 😂
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"If Reki doesn't win a freaking beef I'm gonna skateboard off a cliff" THAT HAD ME DYING.
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whenever i rewatch this anime i get whiplash from how gay it is, after awhile of not watching im like “maybe im trying too hard to make it gay” then i rewatch it and LMFAOAO bro you can not deny the tension between charaters
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It’s so nice to see a SK8 video in 2024, especially because of the OVA announcement! Thanks so much for this video, it’s such a thorough analysis!
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To add to Rekis fear of abandonment: his past friend who got hurt skating and never wanted to skate again is (from what I’ve seen) often discussed as Rekis ex who after getting hurt decided to go all the way back in the closet and blame reki for turning him into a skater . So the risk of Langa doing the same is very real
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The site I use to watch allows comments. On the last episode, all the comments were “I’m glad they didn’t make any gay shit happen.” Which means that the people who commented could see the subtext and were “frightened” by it. You heard it, everyone, even those against agree there’s tension
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Dropping casually here that there is a fan made video on YouTube called "Cindereki DVD" that takes to characters we love from Sk8 and transposes them to the world of Cinderella. And the voice actors are the original cast !
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To me there is no question. When your English VA's are actively conspiring behind the scenes to get lines to sound gayer (i.e. "Reki, my love... of skateboarding"), you know it's gay all the way. If it quacks, it's a duck.
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I think an important thing about queerbaiting is that it’s often used to criticize shows and say it’s just to get the lgtbq+ audience on board. Which can definitely be true at times but I think it’s important to realize just how hard it is for shows to put queer representation on screen. For those who know western kids cartoons, Gravity Falls and Steven Universe faced a lot of trouble and censorship for trying to represent queer couples and sometimes they had to go along with the cuts and changes studios told them in order to keep their show going. While some will brave the cancellation, like with Steven Universe, others aren’t willing to risk the time, the loss of money, jobs, and their creation. So I think there’s a level of empathy that should be present when looking at queerbaiting situations for at the very least the creators that are obviously trying and the people working on it because they are trying to represent but also trying to make money, their livelihood.
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PREACH MY FRIEND PREACH but seriously, this is such a great video. im a huge fan of the anime and i hadn't noticed some details until you mentioned them.
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I love this video, it’s so good to see Sk8 the infinity videos in 2024 I hope season 2 gets released this year! ☺️ Edit: I finished watching episode 9 with my mom and she said that there’s a high chance that season 2 will come out during the fall !! :>
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i am no more then 21 seconds into the video and am already subbed, you my friend, are a genius of comedy. upon seeing the bingo card please i want it all to happen!
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You should make a video about female anime writers and directors like Hiroko Utsumi, their styles in writing, their choice of cinematography, the way they portray fanservice, etc. It would be a good way for you to spotlight women in the industry directly. Also Hiroko Utsumi is such a degen it's fucking awesome lmfao
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finding your channel a bit ago was a pleasant discovery, it's nice seeing you cover an anime i've actually grown to become attached to
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Ok omg i love the bingo card, i want to make one now
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"SHOW HER SHE'S A LUCKY GIRL!^^" "..What girl?-"
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Your video really make me see SK8 in a new light. I never saw so much of the symbolism for the characters implied feelings, but it's now super obvious when you present the scenes like this. I can't not see the gayness now. It's funny since I hate it when fans refuse to acknowledge the other side, girl's love, so I suppose I have my own blind spots too which is humbling
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Thank you for making me watch Sk8! I went to watch it because your description of the show at the start sounded cool. I absolutely loved the show, and I came back to finish your vid.
