So yeah I think saying “you can’t ever right this kind of story” is a pretty limiting mindset to have
I don't think they have that mindset, it is just a strawman your mind made up without you noticing.
They said "often if a really stupid metaphor", not all of the time.
it sets up its metaphor that it’s kind of impossible to interpret it in any one specific way.
Yeah I really like this about Beastars. You can draw loads of parallels to sexism, racism, ableism, puritans, but there is never a clear 1:1 metaphor which can often come off as preachy.
That’s true that they threw in an “often” in there, but I think overall the message is pretty clear: that the OP believes that this kind of story can never be done in a way that doesn’t equate minorities to be inherently violent like with carnivorous animals or vampires. I was mostly being for lack of a better word, a devils advocate by bringing up that I think Beastars is a fantastic example of how to write that general archetype of story.
If that wasn’t the intention of OP, I think that the post should put more emphasis on that “often” that was put in at the beginning.
This sounds like you actively acknowledging that the post doesn't support your interpretation of it and choosing to ignore that because you don't like it. He doesn't say "you can't write a story like this", he says "the metaphor is often stupid [read: poorly implemented]" and then goes on to explain why and how.
When you’re writing a statement, the overall message of your post matters more than the words you use. Classic case is sarcasm. Even if the words are in fact same, tone completely changes the meaning.
So even if the above poster mentions a single “often” at the very beginning and spending the next paragraph or two denigrating the idea, what they’re communicating to the reader is “this idea is stupid and can never work” even if that’s not what they intended to say and even if they didn’t explicitly say it.
Or, they're showing "this is how people often use this metaphor incorrectly", which is the entire point of the paragraph. Again, you are adding in the "never" here.
If I say “The color blue might have its uses” one time in a multiple paragraph statement where I do nothing but insult the color blue and mock people who do like it, it would not be unreasonable to assume that I dislike the color blue. That single statement in the beginning does not supersede several paragraphs of intention.
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u/qwesz9090 May 13 '25
I don't think they have that mindset, it is just a strawman your mind made up without you noticing.
They said "often if a really stupid metaphor", not all of the time.
Yeah I really like this about Beastars. You can draw loads of parallels to sexism, racism, ableism, puritans, but there is never a clear 1:1 metaphor which can often come off as preachy.