Grencia Mars Elijah Guo Eckener

Picture 13 year old me, baby gay, uncomfortable with gender and straightness but unable to articulate why. I was seeking out weird shit online, reading every scrap of gay stuff I could get my grubby little mits on. Downloading obscure scanlations, streaming through winamp (high five if you get this).

And then there I am, watching a "mainstream" anime. And there he is, this genderweird man with the gay psychosexual obsession with the bad guy. Well, I mean, instant obsession.

And yeah, Gren (and Cowboy Bebop on a whole) is pretty problematic through a modern lens. It is how it is.

Oh and honorary mention to live action Gren. They're pretty great, and a much more nuanced take on the character. Yeah, I liked the live action show. It was exactly as tacky as it should've been, and the female characters were given some amazing new storylines. (And better outfits, looking at you Faye.)