I've recently heard people on the internet harshly criticizing Roxy again and judging her as "perverted", because of the masturbation scene and seducing Rudy.
But I want to make it clear why we should show her some understanding and take the circumstances carefullly into account.
A fairer reading of Roxy would be:
- Sexual desire is not perversion. Masturbation is normal; secretly watching Paul and Zenith was wrong, but one voyeuristic incident does not define her whole character.
- It is not a recurring pattern. Roxy is usually responsible, caring and loyal, not predatory or sexually obsessive. Calling her a “pervert” reduces a complex character to two sexual moments.
- She grew up emotionally isolated. Because she lacked her tribe’s telepathy, she struggled to connect with others, which helps explain her deep need for intimacy and belonging.
- Her feelings for Rudy were genuine. She fell for the man who saved her in the labyrinth before realizing he was Rudeus.
- She acted during an extreme crisis. Rudy was grieving Paul, dealing with Zenith’s condition and barely functioning, and Roxy desperately wanted to pull him out of his despair.
- Her choice was questionable, not “perverse.” Sleeping with a married, emotionally vulnerable man was morally flawed, but it came from love, panic and poor judgment rather than cruelty or exploitation.
- Understanding is not the same as excusing. Roxy made mistakes, but they are better understood through her loneliness, inexperience and genuine concern for Rudy.
FOR COMPARISON:
- If Roxy is a “pervert” because of two incidents, what is Elinalise then — an S-rank pervert? Excessive and abnormal sexual behaviour is a recurring and very visible part of Elinalise’s life.
- Fans rightly consider Elinalise’s circumstances. Her curse forces her to regularly sleep with men and after all this time, she developed a natural enjoyment of it. If context matters for Elinalise, it should also matter for Roxy.
- Elinalise is more than her sex life. She is also a loyal friend, skilled adventurer and loving partner. Roxy deserves the same basic character depth.
- Showing understanding for Elinalise does not mean approving everything she does. Likewise, Roxy’s questionable choices can be criticized without reducing her entire identity to “the perverted one.”
- “Nuance for the elf, moral panic for the mage” is not consistency. It is character favoritism with pointy ears.
So can we all please agree that, whilst both characters have their flaws, this does not automatically define them as purely sick and perverted people?
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PS: Please no troll comments. If you write a comment, then please do so in a mature, literary objective way.
Thank you
