Sigh

The answer to your question hinges on one's individual interpretation of the bond shared between Ciel and Sebastian. The two exist in a relationship characterized by mutual possession and dependence. Ciel exerts ownership over Sebastian. Sebastian exerts ownership over Ciel

Ciel's transformation into a demon (season 2 of the anime) invalidates the contractually-mandated consumption of his soul by Sebastian. Despite having received no benefit from their arrangement, Sebastian remains steadfast in his allegiance to Ciel. Conversely, Ciel wishes to have Sebastian by his side, implying a non-conventional form of romantic love. Disregarding this potential reading would amount to gay erasure, yes

The concerns regarding age difference are irrelevant. Demon-demon pairings operate on a different set of standards

If I ship Ciel and Sebastian, I imagine an alternate narrative wherein Ciel, now fully matured and of equal stature to Sebastian, enters a romantic partnership with him. Fiction can explore scenarios that deviate from the canon material

Though, even in the anime's canon (season 2), Ciel transforms into a demon. Demons are ethereal entities, with the power to manipulate their appearance at will. Human notions of age and maturity don't apply to their interactions. A romance between demon Ciel and demon Sebastian wouldn't constitute "pedophilia"

Ciel has been exposed to experiences reserved for adults, it's arbitrary to draw the line at romance. And it's repugnant that you anti-shippers mistreat real people over their preferences for certain fictional gay ships/pairings

The beauty of the drama is in its focus on the camaraderie and loyalty between the team members, which is often lost in the shuffle of "romance" plotlines

The drama is perfect the way it is, no kissy-face or heart-eyes necessary

You don't need to be a kid to have good taste

I'm an adult, and I know adults are wasting their brain cells watching others bump uglies on screen. They're not doing their IQ any favors

What's toxic is that people put labels on actors' sexualities based on how they present themselves in public. They assume the actors are "straight," then turn around and accuse others of assuming the actors are in a relationship with their costars in real life

Continuing to promote past BL couples isn't toxic. It's a marketing strategy that maintains the popularity and visibility of certain actors and pairings, which in turn leads to future opportunities

The entertainment industry, in general, is built on creating illusions for the audiences. Actors are professional liars, playing "straight" or gay for pay and making people believe those on-screen "kisses" aren't just sweaty faces bumping together. "It's full of lies and everything is fake." That's how acting works

They’re probably busy deciding if they want to use the gay couple as a prop for their made-up straight one’s storyline. "Should we have the boys hold hands for a split second behind a potted plant so noone notices? Or should we cut to a commercial every time they share a tender moment?" Meanwhile, their made-up straight couple will get the VIP treatment. They will exchange cliched lines, "confess," "hold hands," "kiss," etc. I'm throwing up in my mouth thinking about it

Chan Young and Ji Yu were as important to the source material as a background tree. They didn't even end up together and I didn't want them to. The first and second gay couples were the hearts and souls of the story that made the whole thing worth reading. They were the real heroes, the real MVPs, and I cared about them

I’m not going to apologize for expecting a gay story to be gay and represented accurately. If you're going to take a gay story and censor or straightwash it, you deserve to have your adaptation canceled. Use your creativity to come up with something original instead

I can't in good conscience give this adaptation any credit. Create a new story instead of taking a beloved gay one and turning it into something that caters to a homophobic audience

They created a straight couple that doesn't exist in the manhwa to cater to mainstream homophobic audiences, it completely disregards the importance of gay representation in media

Drama adaptations can change many things, but erasing gay relationships should never be one of them. Erasing the second gay couple is a harmful statement that gay relationships are disposable and unimportant. We should demand adaptations that treat gay main and side couples with respect and care

All that "second gay couple is just a side couple" stuff is crazy and wild behavior to me. Side gay stories are the bonus fries at the bottom of a bag. They're a tasty, welcome addition to the meal, and as delicious and essential to the narrative as main gay stories

Chapters 50 to 89 of the manhwa cover the development of the second gay couple's relationship. That's a lot of content. The producers could have bidden farewell to the unnecessary straight storyline or extended the drama to accommodate both gay couples. The second gay couple deserves more than a cameo in the final moments

@PrettyCarEye charged into the battle with accusations of me "running away," they shouted their insults, blocked me and disappeared into the night before I could respond. It appears that @PrettyCarEye is sprinting from their own cowardice

Why would I "debate" someone who's regurgitating the same crap they heard on a conservative talk show? Please stop flattering yourself with this talk of "debate." I'd have a more stimulating, original exchange of ideas with a rock

This deserves a 1/10 rating, if not a big fat 0 for making me want to gouge my eyes out

I'm sure the women who've done "sex" scenes regret selling their privacy, "soul" and peace of mind to the devilish desires of producers and their audiences in exchange for a fleeting moment of fame and fortune. They can afford high-end therapy to cope with it, but deep down they know the damage is done

The thing remotely "beautiful" or "elegant" about those ugly "sex" scenes was the graceful arabesque my finger did as it hit the fast-forward button to rescue me from the nightmare

I believe in the scientific fact that @PrettyCarEye is full of it. Kudos to you for handling their misogynistic crap with grace and poise. I tip my hat to you

Those "petty" reasons were the previews. I could give you a full-length feature film of more serious reasons, but I wouldn't want to overload your brain. Let's say I'm a woman who knows what she wants, and what I want is to stay away from men IRL. You're welcome

Why thank you, my friend, I appreciate your recognition of my eloquence

You're under the mistaken impression that a life without a man (or a partner) is a life without joy and beauty. One can find that joy in hobbies, friendships, a good book or solo travel. Nothing says adventure like navigating a foreign city without a companion who might snore, steal the covers, or worse, misplace the hotel key

"Running away" from potential complications is what we do with toxic people, bad rom-coms and expired dairy products. Why wouldn't we do it with half the population? The rarity of a good male partner is such that the majority of men cause more harm than good. Women are free to cut men out of their personal lives. And men are free to cut women out of their personal lives

Life is a complicated mess. If it's not a man, it's traffic, or an overflowing sink. But without a man, a (successful) woman has sidestepped a slew of common complications. She wouldn't have to decode vague texts like "I'll be there soon" (meaning anything from 5 minutes to 5 days) or try to understand why he leaves the dishes in the sink to marinate overnight. Fewer complications mean fewer headaches, and who doesn't like fewer headaches?