Has anyone else watched The Dragon Prince? It's a cartoon on Netflix made by Aaron Ehaz (the head writer from Avatar: The Last Airbender). The sixth season just came out and I have some thoughts that I can only express here on Ovarit. LOL

The show seems to exist in a fantasy world where homophobia isn't a thing and nobody sees gay marriage as a big deal (there are multiple gay/lesbian couples featured on the show). Which is normally fine. But I feel like the show stumbles because it's afraid to show ANY challenges or downsides to a character being homosexual.

SPOILERS ahead just in case anyone plans to watch the show themselves and doesn't want certain plot points ruined.

The main issue I have is with Amaya and Queen Janai getting together. First off, the characters just don't have chemistry and I don't find them hooking up believable. And its just weird that Janai almost never uses sign language (Amaya is a deaf character who communicates via ASL). It makes their relationship less believable. It would have made more sense for Amaya to hook up with the librarian elf chick who interpreted for her when her regular interpreter was unavailable

Also, a big plot point in the 5th and 6th season is Janai's brother Karim challenging her for the throne of their kingdom. He brings up the problem of his sister marrying a human (there are racial/cultural tensions between humans and elves in the show). He challenges her worthiness for the throne because he sees her as a weak leader, he thinks she's abandoning their traditions and culture in order to integrate with humans, etc. He continually looks for reasons why she should step down and let him be King instead. But he NEVER goes for the obvious gotcha that Janai is marrying a woman and, therefore cannot create heirs with her spouse (whereas her straight brother has a girlfriend that he can make little princes and princesses with). Like....considering what an asshole Karim is, it makes no sense for him to not use that against his sister. And it's not a bad point to make because he and his sister are the last surviving members of the royal family. So continuing the royal bloodline SHOULD be a big deal (especially for a character who is so big on preserving his people's traditions and heritage)

I feel like the show is afraid to make anyone (even the villains) say anything negative about homosexual relationships. Even when a character being gay presents a legitimate problem (like a queen who is the last of the royal line once she banishes her brother for challenging her right to the throne). Like...I'm supposed to believe that NOBODY brought this up during the power struggle between Janai and Karim? Really?

There is a minor character in the show who is a princess with two mothers. But the show doesn't delve too deeply into their backstory because her mothers died in a battle when she was little (so it can be assumed that one of her moms might have been a step-mother who came into her life after her father died).

And then there's Terry The Trans Elf! Terry is a TIF character. And its funny because she's very much presented as a male character (she's Claudia's love interest in the 5th and 6th season). The only indication of her being trans is a super cringy "coming out" scene that feels totally out of place. Basically, she comes out to Claudia's father (who is super racist against elves and clearly isn't a fan of his daughter dating one) by giving some dumb metaphor like, "My people thought I was a doe. But it turns out I was a buck" (no. seriously. that's what she says). And Claudia's father is super supportive of this person that he couldn't stand just five seconds prior. Because, apparently, the only thing more evil than racism and murder is transphobia!! I imagine they did it this way so they could easily make Terry just a regular dude in certain foreign dubs 🤣

Also, while Terry and Claudia are cute together, its another case of their relationship making no sense at all. When did Claudia stop being racist against elves? Why the fuck would Terry (who is presented as a very sweet, sensitive person) team up with the two assholes who started a war in the previous seasons that got a whole bunch of elves and humans killed? How is Terry okay with all the fucked up shit that Claudia and her father do? It's implied that Terry is an outcast from her elf tribe for being trans. But that still doesn't explain her hitching her wagon to two people who have caused so much chaos and misery in the world (and have been super bad for elves in particular)

It sucks because the show is otherwise very good (Aaron Ehaz is a fantastic storyteller). Claudia is one of the best tragic characters I've seen on television. But the clumsy attempt at LGBT representation gets in the way. The only gay couple that doesn't feel forced and unrealistic are Runaan and his husband.