Board Thread:News and Announcements/@comment-98.247.168.42-20181122042639/@comment-32987979-20190526200549

Elf races are mixed all over the world, or at least they'respectable supposed to be. I'm sure there are lots of different skin colors in Shangri La. I don't remember them ever visiting Asia, so forgive me. But there is no such thing as Chinese Elves, because race just doesn't exist to them. I definitely agree that it's super confusing; I mean, how come Tam and Linh's parents are both "Asian," yet match lists supposed favor elves with different skin tones? Seems a bit odd, like why didn't they make one of their parents another skin color? That's kind of bothered me since we were even introduced to the Song parents (I just don't see why there's some kind of Asian lineage in the Lost Cities, and considering they're the ONLY Asian family we ever see... how/where did Quan meet Mai???) But I digress. I personally wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a Korean, Vietnamese or Japanese person, not because I'm racist, but because I just don't know HOW to tell tell the difference (aka things to look for, certain traits, etc.) Just like I wouldn't be able to tell tell the differences between Mexicans, Puerto Ricans or Brazillians, or Germans, Canadians or English people. I've never been taught how to, and I wouldn't blame Sophie if she hasn't either. Just because she's smart doesn't mean she's learned everything.

I agree that they should've at LEAST made the series more diverse with races, and explained it a little better. (I guess I can SORT OF understand how LGBTQ+ elves don't exist- the theory that elves can't be LGBTQ+, or that if an elf IS LGBTQ+ that they would be heavily discriminated against for being different so they all hide it.) Why do races even exist in this world? Well, to make us relate to the elves more in real life, but within the story there's no explanation. I 100% agree with you that it makes no sense.

Elves are racist in other ways, too, not towards other elves but towards pretty much every other Intelligent species. They except gnomes, dwarves and goblins to work for and serve them, and look down upon humans for being "barbaric," "stupid" and "inferior." The only reason they don't force the ogres to is because they're the biggest threat to the elves; perhaps the only species the elves see as strong enough to defeat them. The issue isn't just with the gnomes, it's with the other species. (I don't know about trolls, though; we never see them helping the elves really.)

The 'time line to extinction' point you made was something I never thought about but agree with you most about. They have every species that every existed, including the neanderthals that existed before humans? Or do those not count because they evolved into humans? I'm guessing there are many sanctuaries around the Lost Cities, not just one, but still, they'd need a LOT of them to house EVERY SINGLE SPECIES TO EVER EXIST.

And the vegetable thing- gosh, I'm glad I'm not the only one who was upset by that! I'm so against taking away the natural lives of animals, like declawing animals, forcing carnivorous or omnivorous animals to be vegan, forcing nocturnal animals to become diurnal, etc. Just because they could live on a diet of vegetables doesn't mean they should. Just like a cat can live without claws, but it'll still be stressful and wrong for them to not be able to exhibit natural clawing behaviors. And we know for a fact that some of the animals in the Lost Cities don't like being forced onto a vegan diet- Iggy and Verdie, for example, who resist the vegetables as much as possible because it goes against their natural dietary needs. It's just wrong, in my opinion. Animals in the wild eat other animals, and that's how it's supposed to be for them. Humans and elves can be vegan, doesn't mean that every species of every animal should.