Yuki Yuna Is A Hero (but disabled people are tragic)

[sqbr]

So a while ago some (able bodied) friends said "Hey Sophie, you might want to check out this new show Yuki Yuna Is A Hero, it has a cool wheelchair using magical girl character."

I watched the first two episodes and had mixed feelings: episode 1 wallowed in Tragic Cripple tropes but she did get to be pretty badass in episode 2. Since this is male-aimed moe (always a chancy genre) and people were predicting a Madoka-esque turn into darkness I decided to wait until the end of the season and see how things played out.

And then as the end of the season approached those same friends said "OH MY GOD SOPHIE YOU SHOULD NOT WATCH THIS SHOW I AM SO SORRY".


**Spoilers, references to suicide and some REALLY GREAT attitudes to disability**

So I haven't watched it, but here's the plot as I understand it:

Episode 1: We meet our perky teen girl protagonist, typical schoolgirl Yuki, and her friends, including the slightly shy and angsty paraplegic Togo. Suddenly, monsters attack! The friends find out they have been chosen by the Magical Tree to become magical girls and save the world! Everyone but Togo does so. Togo says "I will just slow you down" and sits angsting in her wheelchair.
Episode 2: Yuki is in danger so Togo turns into a magical girl at last, her magical outfit has ribbons which let her move around and position her for using a sniper rifle. She saves everyone and is badass.
Episodes 3-5: typical magical girl shenanigans. Apparently much Togo/Yuki femslashiness is involved.
Episode 6: It turns out that being a magical girl makes you become disabled: they will get sicker and sicker but be unable to die. Naturally they want to commit suicide but their magical fairy friends are there to stop them. The government knows this and has sacrificed them for the greater good. This is why Togo is in the wheelchair (she had her memory wiped)
Episodes 7-10: Everyone gets more and more disabled.
Episode 11: Togo cracks and decides to just let the world be destroyed.
Episode 12: Yuki talks Togo down with the power of femslashy friendship. The magical tree decides to let them go and everyone, including Togo, is restored to full health. Yay! (nb the world is still under attack by monsters)

And. I just. This is the exact opposite of a positive portrayal of disability as a thing you can learn to live with and still be awesome and happy. Urrrgh.

I don't blame said friends at all, noone could be expected to predict that.

Comments

[bilqis]

Yikes, that sounds absolutely horrid!

[sqbr]

Yeah :/ (Also, randomly: that is a very pretty icon :))

[bilqis]

:) thank you :D
I love it. I found it at hermit_icons, the icon comm's great!

[shehasathree]

Oh nooo, that sounds awful. :/

[sqbr]

Yeah, glad I stopped watching!

[capri0mni]

Facepalming so hard, I can poke my fingertips out the back of my skull... UGH!

[sqbr]

Yeah as my friend told me I was like "what" "...what" "WHAT"

[firecat]

Ugh. Thanks for the warning.

[sqbr]

Happy to help!

[ember_keelty]

I'm glad you don't blame me but even so SORRY AGAIN.

[sqbr]

You reccomending what LOOKED like good respentation was really thoughtful, it's not your fault they went on such a bizarre and awful tack! And I didn't end up watching it up to that point so no harm done.