How do you feel about aro and/or ace representation in the media?

September 23

Hello! I want to run some research on how we, the aro and/or ace community feel about our representation in the media! This isn't a commentary on the amount of representation that we have, just on the quality/authenticity of what we do have. Please only think about canon aro and/or ace characters, and feel free to elaborate on anything in the comments!

September 23

You know, I don't really want people to try and « represent » me. I know that's not possible. We are all unique, so there is no way to represent all of us, make us all feel understood.

What so many people don't understand with representation is that people don't want to see an exact copy of them. These characters need to be unique, have their own traits, have their own opinions. They need to feel like real people, not a checklist.

I don't want to see myself, I want to see someone like me.

Now, does that already exist? Most likely, but I don't really watch queer media. For pretty much all of what I watch, sexuality is completely irrelevant to the plot. Adding an ace character won't make a story good, so I really couldn't care less.

September 23

I feel like it still isn't understood enough (which is bizarre to me, unless you want to literally bang everyone how could you not understand a lack of attraction?) and is still seen as us being naïve and innocent, just holding off until the "right" person comes along. 🫠 Then again, people who see us that way will probably never be convinced otherwise anyway, no matter how well it's explained.

I'm not sure how you could portray an asexual character naturally while also making it clear that they're ace (without them having to say it). Currently I can't think of any character of the sort I've felt personally represented by. 🤷‍♀️

September 23

I think ace/aro representation (which are very few) are rarely explored well as a character(their feelings, relationships (romantic/non-romantic) etc.) Say, for example, Isaac in Heaetstopper appears more like a side character.

The only good ace represantation I found in media was a character named Cash from Heartbreak High.

Abbi Singh from Imperfects is also a good representation but there is no conversation shown about it beyond her mentioning in two places that " I am ace". If someone is not paying attention, they might miss it.

Just saying that good represantation is not possible due to large spectrum, is only an excuse. The character doesn't need to represent every ace/aro person but a clear & well-rounded portrayal of character is necessary.

September 23

I've seen too much of aro and ace characters have their whole plotline and identity focused around relationship anxiety, and then have their story arc built around getting a relationship. Asexual characters are overly obsessed with romance, and aromantic characters are obsessed with their friends, both to the point it gets unhealthy. When asexuality gets mentioned, it's just a shoe-horned aside that contributes nothing to the character and is soon forgotten.

September 23

I honestly haven't even seen much representation in media, but I haven't sought it out either. And the little I have seen or heard of seems to run the gamut, from fairly accurate and even respectful to robotic to problematic in various other ways to outright erasure.

September 23

54 minutes ago, Picklethewickle said:

I've seen too much of aro and ace characters have their whole plotline and identity focused around relationship anxiety, and then have their story arc built around getting a relationship. Asexual characters are overly obsessed with romance, and aromantic characters are obsessed with their friends, both to the point it gets unhealthy. When asexuality gets mentioned, it's just a shoe-horned aside that contributes nothing to the character and is soon forgotten.

Can you mention some characters you have seen?

September 23

The question is too black and white - for just ace people, Todd from Bojack horseman sounds like pretty solid rep. Voodoo from Sirens is alright, but kinda blank. IIRC, there was also a movie in... I think Japan, that seemed to portray ace stuff pretty good. There's Alistair from Hazbin, but you only find out in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, and it can go over a lot of people's head, so I don't find that the best rep.

But the amount of rep is scant, obscure, and you kinda gotta be in the know to know.

There's some egregious examples, like House's episode.

So the very little amount of rep we have, some of it is actually pretty damn good, and other stuff is really bad. it's a mixed bag, not totally good or totally bad.

So I can't answer this question.

My main complaint is that there's not ENOUGH.

September 23

7 hours ago, Inferno_555 said:

You know, I don't really want people to try and « represent » me. I know that's not possible. We are all unique, so there is no way to represent all of us, make us all feel understood.

What so many people don't understand with representation is that people don't want to see an exact copy of them. These characters need to be unique, have their own traits, have their own opinions. They need to feel like real people, not a checklist.

I don't want to see myself, I want to see someone like me.

Now, does that already exist? Most likely, but I don't really watch queer media. For pretty much all of what I watch, sexuality is completely irrelevant to the plot. Adding an ace character won't make a story good, so I really couldn't care less.

How do you feel about erasure?

September 23

You ask about representation in the media, but I notice that most comments are talking about characters in some sort of stories. What's usually considered media are reports/articles/TV comments on media outlets. I haven't seen hardly anything of that sort, but haven't looked for it.

September 23

7 hours ago, Inferno_555 said:

For pretty much all of what I watch, sexuality is completely irrelevant to the plot. Adding an ace character won't make a story good, so I really couldn't care less

Making every character cishet doesn't make a story good either? Lots of media is about real-life issues, including queer rights?

September 23

1 hour ago, Olallieberry said:

How do you feel about erasure?

I mean, it's definitely not a good thing. I guess I didn't mention erasure in my first post, so I can explain my thoughts in this one!

How would that even work though? I guess implying in the show that romance and sex are the only option, but what kind of show would do that? That would just be a boring show, at least to me (and I do say show, because that is mostly the kind of media I consume). I mostly watch a lot of action packed stuff, so the characters don't really have time to talk about sexuality and what kind of people they like. Hearing people talk for the entire episode is just boring to me. At that point I'd just go read a book.

TL;DR: Erasure bad, but I have never seen any in media before.

51 minutes ago, Frameshift07 said:

Making every character cishet doesn't make a story good either? Lots of media is about real-life issues, including queer rights?

That's exactly what I'm saying. The stuff I watch doesn't have time to talk about sexuality. I don't watch shows with relationships in them, I watch ACTION, or DRAMA. Big, grandiose stories about intergalactic conflicts. With all that's happening, I really couldn't care less what gender the main character identifies as, or whatever orientation they have. It's completely irrelevant to the overall plot! If I wanted to watch deep personal stories with complex relationships and character depth, I would! But I don't! Not one! If you want to watch those kinds of shows, go ahead! I'm sure they're great in their own right, but I wouldn't know. I just don't watch these kinds of shows.

TL;DR: I don't watch shows that talk about sexuality, other social issues. I find those topics boring in television. In the kinds of shows I watch, it literally doesn't make a single difference to the plot.

September 23

1 minute ago, Inferno_555 said:

Erasure bad, but I have never seen any in media before.

Well, it's not something you see. Erasure is what it is when media ignores representation.

September 23

14 minutes ago, Olallieberry said:

Well, it's not something you see. Erasure is what it is when media ignores representation.

Yeah, when you put it that way, I guess I wouldn't really know if I've ever seen erasure…

I am still pretty new to this stuff, maybe eventually I'll be able to spot it.

September 23

I can't really say I'm 100% up to date on ace representation in western media, but from what I understand asexuality as an orientation with many nuanced sub labels is generally brushed over completely. A lot of ace representation is accidental, or due to fictional characters having some reason for being ace. The separation between romantic and sexual attraction is also generally not explored in a manner that allows equal representation of both aromantic and alloromantic aces.

Honestly, I think the single most important piece of representation would be the gradual deconstruction of allonormative assumptions about what "people" want and need from life. Characters who aren't chasing romance, or are just happily single do much more for me as "representation" than a character who is confirmed ace by a writer in an interview.

September 23

13 minutes ago, Inferno_555 said:

I don't watch shows that talk about sexuality, other social issues

I don't believe you. All shows deal with social issues, all shows are influenced by the world their writers and producers grew up in. Media doesn't just exist in a vacuum. Even Star Wars, that's meant to have parallels to real-world conflicts. This is not a comment on you, but when people talk about "so and so became political," it tends to be the case they were too young or focused on set pieces to notice any political substance. When people say things along the lines of "I don't watch things about sexuality," they always suspiciously don't care or notice the cis/heterosexuality of everything they watch, and never think "it's not fair that people outside this specific archetype never get representation." Not trying to be a hardass, I just can't be expected to tell if you're coming from an innocent place or if you think Star Trek/Wars/Doctor Who only got political in the last 10 years and that having 0 diversity is a non-issue, when you echo that vague kind of sentiment.

I mean, you say that erasure bad but that you don't notice it. Why's that?

1 minute ago, Inferno_555 said:

Yeah, when you put it that way, I guess I wouldn't really know if I've ever seen erasure…

Exactly.

September 24

I have only a few examples of ace/aro representation that is actually good, where the a-spec character(s) is treated like an actual human being (Isaac from Heartstopper is one of them). Most ace/aro "representation" includes the a-spec person being portrayed as an emotionless nerd, a psychopath, an alien, an organism that reproduces asexually, etc, etc. And yes, lots of people do have mental health issues, but why does the a-spec person always have to be the one with depression? That leads to the stereotype that a-specs only feel no/limited attraction because of a condition, which is super invalidating. The worst I've found is that many a-spec characters start off as a-spec, but because they need "character development", they end up "meeting the right person" and are straight at the end. I always get really frustrated when I'm reading a book where the main character says "I don't want a relationship and I don't experience that kind of attraction either" and then by the end, they have fallen in love, had sex, are dating. Don't even get me started on Riverdale. Ace/aro erasure is seriously so bad, it takes me forever to even find good representation in the media, and when I do, it is very often created by a person who is a-spec themself.

September 24

23 hours ago, Indian geek said:

I think ace/aro representation (which are very few) are rarely explored well as a character(their feelings, relationships (romantic/non-romantic) etc.) Say, for example, Isaac in Heaetstopper appears more like a side character.

The only good ace represantation I found in media was a character named Cash from Heartbreak High.

Abbi Singh from Imperfects is also a good representation but there is no conversation shown about it beyond her mentioning in two places that " I am ace". If someone is not paying attention, they might miss it.

Just saying that good represantation is not possible due to large spectrum, is only an excuse. The character doesn't need to represent every ace/aro person but a clear & well-rounded portrayal of character is necessary.

Thanks for the response! I agree, Isaac is definitely a side character, same with Tori! Though, I do know that Alice Oseman (the creator) has a series called "Loveless" that features an a-spec character as the protagonist, though I haven't read it.

What makes you think Cash and Abbi Singh are good representation? Any traits in particular? (I don't know what either of those series are haha)

September 24

18 minutes ago, SailorC said:

Thanks for the response! I agree, Isaac is definitely a side character, same with Tori! Though, I do know that Alice Oseman (the creator) has a series called "Loveless" that features an a-spec character as the protagonist, though I haven't read it.

What makes you think Cash and Abbi Singh are good representation? Any traits in particular? (I don't know what either of those series are haha)

Both Cash and Abbi Singh are significant characters in their series. They are shown as well-rounded characters with different sides to their personality. They are definitely not unemotional.

Abbi Singh is upfront about her orientation in general & even when she pursues romantic relationship with another girl.

Cash's character, on the other hand, gets to know & then comes to terms with being asexual when in relationship with his partner. His character shows the inner struggle that many of us face: not feeling good enough for our partner & feeling like we might always be a burden if we do pursue a relationship. It also shows conversation about this with his grandmother which I think was a good effort.

You can check out these series. Both of them are on Netflix.

September 24

14 hours ago, Aro-Acing It said:

I have only a few examples of ace/aro representation that is actually good, where the a-spec character(s) is treated like an actual human being (Isaac from Heartstopper is one of them). Most ace/aro "representation" includes the a-spec person being portrayed as an emotionless nerd, a psychopath, an alien, an organism that reproduces asexually, etc, etc. And yes, lots of people do have mental health issues, but why does the a-spec person always have to be the one with depression? That leads to the stereotype that a-specs only feel no/limited attraction because of a condition, which is super invalidating. The worst I've found is that many a-spec characters start off as a-spec, but because they need "character development", they end up "meeting the right person" and are straight at the end. I always get really frustrated when I'm reading a book where the main character says "I don't want a relationship and I don't experience that kind of attraction either" and then by the end, they have fallen in love, had sex, are dating. Don't even get me started on Riverdale. Ace/aro erasure is seriously so bad, it takes me forever to even find good representation in the media, and when I do, it is very often created by a person who is a-spec themself.

I also feel like a lot of a-spec representation has that person being an emotionless nerd, which makes me sad-it's strange to me that creators think about asexuality/aromanticism, and can only justify it by believing that person must have no feelings at all, just because they feel limited or no romantic/sexual attraction

Do you have any examples of characters like this that you've encountered in media?

And yeah, Riverdale's erasure was so sad

September 25

Peridot from Steven Universe is an example of a character confirmed to be asexual and aromantic, yet is portrayed as cold and is part of an alien race. Harry Vanderspeigle from Resident Alien is an alien lacking human emotions and also has no interest in sex. Dexter Morgan from Dexter is a serial killer lacking normal emotions and has a lack of interest in sex until he later goes through sexual intercourse because the writers wanted to "cure" his implied asexuality. Sherlock Holmes isn't confirmed to be a-spec, but he is often portrayed as an asexual without empathy and emotions.

September 25

On Asexual Representation in Media:

Asexual characters do exist in comics and TV shows, but their identities are often not fully fleshed out.
Most representation tends to:
- Focus mainly on sex-repulsed aces.
- Avoid microlabels or never specify where they fall on the asexual or aromantic spectrum.
- Reveal orientation late in the story, rather than integrating it early on.

Examples of More Nuanced Representation:

You’ve found a few works that do portray these aspects more thoroughly:

Shades Of A (comic) – depicts sex-repulsed ace man.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Anamnesis, Chapter 8 "Harmony" – includes ace representation.
- Especially the page titled "AnamnesisBirthday2_05", where the character is shown adopting. Anamnesis -- AnamnesisBirthday2_05
Boo! It’s Sex (Webtoon) – offers little ace-spectrum perspectives.
Eevee Tales by ryder205 (on DeviantArt) – another example of more in-depth representation.
My favorite is the anamnesis comic on ace representation it was so cute how Sappho tells Erinna if she can lean against her.

Anamnesis -- Harmony_16

There are many others like these, but still not enough.

What You Want to See More Of:

AroAce characters in quasi-platonic relationships (like queerplatonic or life partnerships).
Stories where AroAce characters are:
- Single parents or raising children in alternative family structures.
- Openly discussing their relationship to sex and romance.
Characters whose identity is:
- Revealed early, not halfway through the narrative.
- Central to their character, not treated like an afterthought or twist.

On Steven Universe and Fusion:

The show did well to show different kinds of intimacy through fusion (romantic, platonic, queer).
However, Peridot's arc raised questions:
- She never fused with anyone, despite fusion being about connection.
- Looking back I thought the reason why she didn't want to fuse is because she found it invasive — due to:
  - The physical touch involved.
  - The sharing of thoughts and feelings, which can feel overwhelming or violating.

Missed Opportunities in SU:

Fusion was established as a metaphor for many kinds of relationships, not just romantic or sexual.
So having Peridot not fuse at all felt like:
- A missed opportunity to explore a nontraditional or platonic fusion.
- A case where a quasi-platonic or non-romantic understanding of fusion could’ve been meaningful.
- A chance to show that fusion is not inherently romantic or sexual — it depends on context and mutual understanding.

Further Thoughts on Peridot, Garnet, and Fusion:

The concept of fusion depends on both individuals having a shared understanding of their relationship.
In the show, Garnet is the embodiment of romantic love (being a permanent fusion of Ruby and Sapphire).
This could create a disconnect between her and Peridot, who:
- Doesn’t experience or express romantic attraction.
- May form strong bonds that aren't easily categorized (e.g., not romantic, — something else).
Therefore, Garnet might struggle to understand Peridot's feelings, because:
- Her own existence is rooted in romance.
- She may lack the framework to interpret non-romantic, non-platonic bonds.
This would make it narratively consistent if:
- Garnet can’t define the nature of her relationship with Peridot.
- And that uncertainty prevents fusion — because fusion requires clarity about the bond.
- If the two of them were to fuse peridot would feel overwhelmed because she will literally feel the romantic love between the two that will make her either uncomfortable cause she is involved, or as a reminder that she will never have that (romantic bond) basically her coming out to steven after the fusion destabilizes. That second one works because she is literally fused with garnet before the fusion destablizes she can feel her thoughts and emotions which overwhelms her.

Clarifying Garnet’s Role and Relationship Priorities:

It's not that Garnet doesn’t understand platonic love — she clearly values all types of connection within the Crystal Gems.
However, she literally embodies a romantic relationship (Ruby + Sapphire) and often prioritizes romantic love above all else.
A key example of this is the baseball episode ("Hit the Diamond"):
- Garnet unfuses into Ruby and Sapphire to stay undercover.
- But Ruby and Sapphire are so romantically smitten with each other that they:
  - Struggle to stay in character.
  - End up fusing again mid-game, blowing their cover — simply because they won a baseball game together.
- This shows how deeply romantic connection overrides other goals for them (even teamwork or stealth).
Because Garnet sees the world through a romantic lens, it makes sense that:
- She might struggle to understand people like Peridot, who don’t experience romantic attraction.
- That misunderstanding could explain why fusion with Peridot never happened — Garnet can’t define their relationship in terms she understands.

Why Amethyst and Peridot Would Have Worked Better:

Peridot and Amethyst already share a strong, well-defined bond:
- They’ve spent significant time together.
- They’ve had emotional growth and conflict that led to genuine mutual respect and camaraderie.
- Their dynamic is comfortable, trusting, and emotionally safe.
Because they already understand the nature of their relationship, fusion would be more likely to succeed.
This could have been a perfect opportunity to:
- Show a fusion built on a non-romantic, non-sexual, but still deeply meaningful connection.
- Normalize and validate alternative forms of intimacy in a way that aligns with asexual, aromantic, and aplatonic experiences.

Peridot and Lapis – Another Missed Fusion Opportunity

Peridot and Lapis also had a close, deeply layered relationship:
- They lived together at the barn and shared a long period of cohabitation and personal growth.
- Their dynamic included conflict, healing, and emotional vulnerability, which made their bond more complex and realistic.
Like with Amethyst, Peridot and Lapis had a clear understanding of their relationship — though not necessarily romantic or traditionally platonic.
A fusion between them could have:
- Explored emotional intimacy without romance.
- Reflected trauma recovery, personal boundaries, and trust-building.
- Modeled a connection that’s not easy to label — resonating with aro, ace, and aplatonic identities.
The fact that they didn't fuse feels like a missed opportunity to represent non-normative relationships and expand what fusion can mean.
- Especially since fusion is meant to reflect a mutual emotional connection, which they clearly had at one point.

This is a lot I know but what do you think

September 26

On 9/24/2025 at 9:34 PM, Aro-Acing It said:

Peridot from Steven Universe is an example of a character confirmed to be asexual and aromantic, yet is portrayed as cold and is part of an alien race. Harry Vanderspeigle from Resident Alien is an alien lacking human emotions and also has no interest in sex. Dexter Morgan from Dexter is a serial killer lacking normal emotions and has a lack of interest in sex until he later goes through sexual intercourse because the writers wanted to "cure" his implied asexuality. Sherlock Holmes isn't confirmed to be a-spec, but he is often portrayed as an asexual without empathy and emotions.

Those are all great examples! It seems so strange to me that writers can only rationalize that asexuality and aromanticism are things if they only happen to people lacking other emotions. They can't always seem to understand that, just because a-spec people may not necessarily feel some types of love, it doesn't mean that they can't feel other emotions as well

September 26

On 9/25/2025 at 12:13 AM, CuriousCards said:

On Asexual Representation in Media:

Asexual characters do exist in comics and TV shows, but their identities are often not fully fleshed out.

Most representation tends to:

Focus mainly on sex-repulsed aces.

Avoid microlabels or never specify where they fall on the asexual or aromantic spectrum.

Reveal orientation late in the story, rather than integrating it early on.

Examples of More Nuanced Representation:

You’ve found a few works that do portray these aspects more thoroughly:

Shades Of A (comic) – depicts sex-repulsed ace man.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Anamnesis, Chapter 8 "Harmony" – includes ace representation.

Especially the page titled "AnamnesisBirthday2_05", where the character is shown adopting. Anamnesis -- AnamnesisBirthday2_05

Boo! It’s Sex (Webtoon) – offers little ace-spectrum perspectives.

Eevee Tales by ryder205 (on DeviantArt) – another example of more in-depth representation.

My favorite is the anamnesis comic on ace representation it was so cute how Sappho tells Erinna if she can lean against her.

Anamnesis -- Harmony_16

There are many others like these, but still not enough.

What You Want to See More Of:

AroAce characters in quasi-platonic relationships (like queerplatonic or life partnerships).

Stories where AroAce characters are:

Single parents or raising children in alternative family structures.

Openly discussing their relationship to sex and romance.

Characters whose identity is:

Revealed early, not halfway through the narrative.

Central to their character, not treated like an afterthought or twist.

On Steven Universe and Fusion:

The show did well to show different kinds of intimacy through fusion (romantic, platonic, queer).

However, Peridot's arc raised questions:

She never fused with anyone, despite fusion being about connection.

Looking back I thought the reason why she didn't want to fuse is because she found it invasive — due to:

The physical touch involved.

The sharing of thoughts and feelings, which can feel overwhelming or violating.

Missed Opportunities in SU:

Fusion was established as a metaphor for many kinds of relationships, not just romantic or sexual.

So having Peridot not fuse at all felt like:

A missed opportunity to explore a nontraditional or platonic fusion.

A case where a quasi-platonic or non-romantic understanding of fusion could’ve been meaningful.

A chance to show that fusion is not inherently romantic or sexual — it depends on context and mutual understanding.

Further Thoughts on Peridot, Garnet, and Fusion:

The concept of fusion depends on both individuals having a shared understanding of their relationship.

In the show, Garnet is the embodiment of romantic love (being a permanent fusion of Ruby and Sapphire).

This could create a disconnect between her and Peridot, who:

Doesn’t experience or express romantic attraction.

May form strong bonds that aren't easily categorized (e.g., not romantic, — something else).

Therefore, Garnet might struggle to understand Peridot's feelings, because:

Her own existence is rooted in romance.

She may lack the framework to interpret non-romantic, non-platonic bonds.

This would make it narratively consistent if:

Garnet can’t define the nature of her relationship with Peridot.

And that uncertainty prevents fusion — because fusion requires clarity about the bond.

If the two of them were to fuse peridot would feel overwhelmed because she will literally feel the romantic love between the two that will make her either uncomfortable cause she is involved, or as a reminder that she will never have that (romantic bond) basically her coming out to steven after the fusion destabilizes. That second one works because she is literally fused with garnet before the fusion destablizes she can feel her thoughts and emotions which overwhelms her.

Clarifying Garnet’s Role and Relationship Priorities:

It's not that Garnet doesn’t understand platonic love — she clearly values all types of connection within the Crystal Gems.

However, she literally embodies a romantic relationship (Ruby + Sapphire) and often prioritizes romantic love above all else.

A key example of this is the baseball episode ("Hit the Diamond"):

Garnet unfuses into Ruby and Sapphire to stay undercover.

But Ruby and Sapphire are so romantically smitten with each other that they:

Struggle to stay in character.

End up fusing again mid-game, blowing their cover — simply because they won a baseball game together.

This shows how deeply romantic connection overrides other goals for them (even teamwork or stealth).

Because Garnet sees the world through a romantic lens, it makes sense that:

She might struggle to understand people like Peridot, who don’t experience romantic attraction.

That misunderstanding could explain why fusion with Peridot never happened — Garnet can’t define their relationship in terms she understands.

Why Amethyst and Peridot Would Have Worked Better:

Peridot and Amethyst already share a strong, well-defined bond:

They’ve spent significant time together.

They’ve had emotional growth and conflict that led to genuine mutual respect and camaraderie.

Their dynamic is comfortable, trusting, and emotionally safe.

Because they already understand the nature of their relationship, fusion would be more likely to succeed.

This could have been a perfect opportunity to:

Show a fusion built on a non-romantic, non-sexual, but still deeply meaningful connection.

Normalize and validate alternative forms of intimacy in a way that aligns with asexual, aromantic, and aplatonic experiences.

Peridot and Lapis – Another Missed Fusion Opportunity

Peridot and Lapis also had a close, deeply layered relationship:

They lived together at the barn and shared a long period of cohabitation and personal growth.

Their dynamic included conflict, healing, and emotional vulnerability, which made their bond more complex and realistic.

Like with Amethyst, Peridot and Lapis had a clear understanding of their relationship — though not necessarily romantic or traditionally platonic.

A fusion between them could have:

Explored emotional intimacy without romance.

Reflected trauma recovery, personal boundaries, and trust-building.

Modeled a connection that’s not easy to label — resonating with aro, ace, and aplatonic identities.

The fact that they didn't fuse feels like a missed opportunity to represent non-normative relationships and expand what fusion can mean.

Especially since fusion is meant to reflect a mutual emotional connection, which they clearly had at one point.

This is a lot I know but what do you think

This is all very thorough, amazing!! I'll give you a thorough response in return

Ah, true, when we do have a-spec representation, it really never does delve into the microlabels, or other bonds that they may have, such as QPPs. Especially frustrating because, for me, someone who is aro/ace, I wouldn't want a traditional partnership, nor do I want it, but I think the idea of a partner that I share an emotional bond with sounds nice, and it would be cool to see media focusing on this aswell! You're right, Peridot and fusion in general would've been fantastic ways to explore this!

Webtoons in general are great with diversity and representation! There are so many Webtoons, so I'm sure there are a lot of a-spec characters that I've missed, but one fantastic example of representation is the Webtoon "Another Lovely Day!". I think that the protagonist, Nora, is fantastic rep, because it is established early on that she is a-spec, but the creator didn't feel the need to give her a cold or stereotypically nerdy personality (both seemingly ace stereotypes that I see often in media). She is extroverted, bubbly, loves her friends, etc. She's great! But the other protagonist, Elliott, is more of the stereotypical aro/ace in media-he is very cold, and seemingly doesn't care about others. Though, it is implied that he acts this way as (1) a result of growing up isolated from others, who would talk only about relationships, which he wasn't interested in and (2) He is conventionally attractive, so he treats people coldly to ward off unwanted romantic/sexual advances.

The protagonist Rex from the Webtoon "City of Blank" is asexual as well, and he has a partner, which is really cool to see! I'm not caught up with that one, but he seems to be asexual but not aromantic, so it's cool to see media that delves into that!

There is one character from the Webtoon "City of Blank" who is implied to be aro/ace (I'm not caught up yet)...I find that I'm not sure what to think about him. On one hand, he seems good-charming, polite, friendly, etc. But it seems to be implied that he acts this way because he feels obligated to? Like, there was one scene where he takes an injured kitten he found to the vet, and said that he doesn't particularly like cats, but felt obligated to take this kitten to the vet because he was the one who found it...I was honestly taken aback by the level of coldness here

How do you feel about aro and/or ace representation in the media?