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chiibinomonodamon · 3 days

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WHO WANTS TO HEAR ME RAMBLE ABOUT GAY FURRY DEMON SEX? XD

(damn, there's a sentence I never thought I'd say....)

Okay...so I see some Stolitz confusion and bashing online and I need to type up a defense here because I won't be able to sleep otherwise lol

I consider myself to be a Ship Critic and someone who takes shipping rather seriously.

What I mean by this is, I like to analyze and break down romantic relationships between fictional characters because it's just interesting to write for me. I especially take delight in friendly debating with opinions that I strongly do *not* agree with.

Let me start off by saying I am NOT a "this ship is awesome because gay furry sex lol" type of girl.

FAR from it. I'm generally more passionate about hetero ships between human characters (because I can relate to them more) among other reasons. So if you wanna dismiss my defense as "shallow fangirlism", you can forget about that lame excuse.

I fell in love with Hazbin Hotel when it was finally released in February and suffered waiting for each new two-parts per week. During that time, I decided to watch Helluva Boss as well, after a friend showed me a particularly soul-crushing clip (Moxxie's childhood trauma about his mother).

Yes, I like funny sex jokes as much as the next goofy adult but scenes like this, scenes that carry a very heavy emotional weight are what really get me in the end, even moreso when VERY little dialogue is exchanged. I knew I had to watch the entire episode run after seeing that the creators had a talent for this.

I saw people asking:

"How did Stolas go from using Blitz as a sex toy to being painfully in love with him?"

Oh I can tell you. I can tell you the EXACT moment this is revealed. But it's not spoon-fed to you; it's quite subtle actually and this is why lots of people miss it.

See, one of the strongest talents Vivenne has shown me is that she REALLY knows how to get her characters to communicate their feelings to the viewers JUST from their expressions and body language. These can be 'blink-and-miss-it' teeny little scenes and it may require a couple rewatches.

But since people demand time stamps for all information others post here, I'll rewatch a few scenes from S1 E7 'Ozzie's' as I'm typing this.

'Ozzie's' remains to be not just my favorite episode of HB...but probably my favorite episode of any adult-targeted animated show outside of Japan (aside from S2 E7's Mid-Season Special)

It has this huge reveal for both Blitzo and Stolas.

We'll first address Blitzo's irrational, stalkerish behavior of Moxxie and Millie.

He's obsessed with them. He finds both of them very attractive, fantasizes about threesomes with them and is constantly inserting himself into their personal lives.

Why?

Because they have everything that he badly badly wants for himself.

They have the perfect marriage and he is trying to live THROUGH them.

This was hilarious to me at the beginnning of the show but it's slowly revealed that it's one of the most tragic and depressing things I've ever seen. And it's scarily realistic too.

But you know this already so let's move on...

Blitzo follows the couple to Ozzie's but he can't get in without a date. So he calls up Stolas and yes, this is very low but he doesn't realize how much this means to Stolas (hell, I'm not sure even Stolas realizes it himself!) but the owl man is giddy with joy, he rushes over and they enter Ozzie's.

When Ozzie and Fizz mock Moxxie for being so sappy towards his wife, this strikes a chord with Blitzo (because they're his IDEAL relationship) and he speaks up to defend them.

NOW PAY CLOSE ATTENTION; THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART:

Fizz, still holding onto his past grudge turns on Blitzo to humilate him:

"Some nerve you got commenting on a relationship"

Time Stamp: 11:37

As Fizz says "-ship", Blitzo VERY QUICKLY makes eye contact with Stolas who has a look of panic on his face. Blitzo is seeking VALIDATION from Stolas in this sharp, subtle second of screentime, as if to ask

"Well, ARE we in one?"

And then what happens next...Stolas remains silent, Blitzo's ex joins in to announce how selfish Blitzo was in bed with her, tearing him down further. Stolas stands up like he's going to put a stop to it but then Ozzie notices him and interrogates him about sleeping with Blitzo.

Blitzo looks incredibly ashamed and guilty as Stolas blushes with similar feelings...and hides his face behind his menu; HIS BIGGEST MISTAKE IN THE SERIES SO FAR.

Time Stamp: 12:24

The look on Blitzo's face as he grits his teeth and darts his eyes away basically says

"Yeah, I should have known...boy am I an idiot for trusting him to stand up for me".

(look how SHOCKED he is...wow, this hurts fr ;_;)

This is a silent betrayal on Stolas's part. Afterall, his reputation is on the line, so if he were to defend Blitzo, it confirms they are in fact, dating. He chose his pride over Blitzo and Blitzo is crushed by this betrayal.

Moxxie finishes his song and kisses his wife tenderly. Stolas watches this and also wants to have an affectionate moment with Blitzo (who is rightfully glaring daggers at him) and tries to reach for his hand.

Blitzo rejects his touch and suggests they leave. As they do, Blitzo still looks furious and hurt. Stolas is now realizing how badly he screwed up with a "What have I done?" face (13:41)

He even looks disappointed with himself.

After Blitzo drops Stolas off, he thanks him and tries to smooth over the awkwardness with sweet talk but Blitzo just rolls his eyes in disgust and pulls on his face like "I don't want to hear this bullshit".

He responds coldly and curtly, "Yeah." Stolas makes more suggestions to spend time with him, which just makes him even angrier and he snaps

"I'm not fucking you tonight, okay!

I'm really just..." (14:28)

he pauses to wipe a tear because at this point he can barely hold it together (top notch voice acting and animation directing btw)

"...not in the mood, Stolas."

Stolas still tries to talk him into doing couple things unrelated to sex.

Blitzo's face switches back to anger and frustration because Stolas isn't getting the message so he goes for the blunt tactic;

"Stolas, don't act like what we have is anything but YOU wanting ME to fuck you, okay?"

(14:42)

"You make that really clear all the time."

(again his voice sounds like he's about to break down)

"But I-I just can't do it tonight, okay?"

(Finally meets his eye)

"...I'm sorry."

I believe this is code for "I'm sorry we're even in this situation and how your reputation got damaged. " Or, more painfully, "I'm sorry I'm such an embarrassment to you".

Stolas replies "Okay" and takes a deep breath to compose himself. They say goodnight and depart.

An important note here is that Stolas calls him "Blitzo" instead of "Blitzy" to show more respect.

As Blitzo zooms away coldly, Stolas looks up at the sky with tears in his eyes, surprised at how much it hurts.

He then sits down with his head in his hands in anguish...because he's getting that

"Oh...no. These feelings are real" epiphany.

And as if this wasn't enough angst, Blitzo collapses onto his couch at home, goes through the memories on his phone and starts sobbing.

I'm going to be real with you; this is the most heart-breaking shit I have ever seen in an adult show of this type. It's also the first time a show of this type got me to cry.

The last six minutes have revealed so much information without spoonfeeding it to the audience because the show RESPECTS its audience.

To recap:

*Blitzo takes Stolas on a first official date to use him

*Stolas is extremely happy about it

*Blitzo gets humilated and looks to Stolas for validation

*Stolas betrays him and breaks his heart

*Blitzo snaps that their relationship is nothing more than lust-driven sex

*Stolas realizes he's actually in love with Blitzo and it's a huge problem because (he believes) that it's unrequited.

*Blitzo breaks down because the ONE person whom he thought would protect him didn't do so.

So these two are convinced that neither one loves the other...while the irony is, it's quite the opposite.

Because if Blitzo REALLY didn't feel anything towards Stolas, he would not have gotten this emotional.

Yes, they are both lonely...but I really don't think that's all there is between them.

So..........we know WHEN they started falling...now the question is why;

I think the answer's quite simple; single-target affection.

It was mentioned in S2 that Stolas and Stella did sleep together ONE TIME...but Stolas didn't enjoy it at all. He is stuck with a wife who hates him so much that she put a HIT on him...and a daughter who thinks he's a loser. Blitzo is pretty much the one person in his life who is able to make him happy. That one small, bright spot. He enjoys the sex with him but he also simply enjoys his company, as shown in Ozzie's episode. He is thrilled to simply talk to him about his day...and do anything else that couples do. They're complete opposites. Stolas is an intellectual but naive and sheltered. Blitzo is poorly educated but cynical and street-smart. Opposites attract...though this is likely more from Stolas's POV than Blitzo's.

In other words, Stolas is into bad boys xD lmao

In Blitzo's case, Stolas is the only character who shows him physical affection which he desperately craves. He's pretty tsundere about it most of the time...but I think he actually does enjoy that attention...especially when he's always getting disrespected by Moxxie and Loona..and quite a lot of people around him. BUT he's too scared to get serious with anyone because of past trauma and he also believes that no one could possibly love him as a person. :(

Reasons I Think This Love is Real

Aside from what I pointed out in the Ozzie's episode...there's quite a lot of evidence, esp from Stolas's POV.

After he realizes he's in love, he goes to Asomodeous for an ALTERNATIVE method for Blitzo to use so they will no longer sleep together. He wants to set Blitzo free. Which means he DOES truly love him because love is about being generous to the other person. He COULD be totally selfish about it but he isn't.

Asomodeous mentions how against love potions he is and Stolas agrees. He thinks that's out of the question.

'Look My Way' music video. Lol I don't have to say anything more.

In S2 E6 OOPS

This exchange at 16:57

Fizz: Seems your taste has gotten more 'regal', lately?

Blitz: Yeah, well unlike you, I fuck who I want WHEN I want. I'm not gonna be tied down to some big blue-blood asshole.

Fizz: You coulda fooled me the way Prince was cozying up to you at Ozzie's.

Blitz (gets very defensive) HEY! Stolas only cares about have a rugged peasant raw-dog him into his mattress, okay!

It's nothing...(gets hesistant and looks away)...you know...

(Fizz gives him a 'bitch please' look xD)

"it's nothing else."

Fizz: Then why were you even there?

Blitz: OTHER very important reasons of course.

Fizz: Whatever. I don't actually care.

Blitz: Stolas is just a loud, thirsty BITCH!

(Fizz is rolling his eyes again)

Blitz: He loves feeling the thrill of getting dicked by the lower class.

It's a novelty to him.

Fizz: LITERALLY just said I don't care!

Blitz: And then he'll call me and try to see how my day was!

And he'll pretend to care about me and comment on my photos laugh at my jokes...

Fizz: (Smirking) OH! That's definitely your clue right there that it's all bullshit!

Blitz: I KNOW, RIGHT??

Fizz: (Making a 'What in idiot' expression, shaking his head)

Blitz: HE'S JUST A FAKE, PRIVELEDGED ASSHOLE...

Fizz: Sounds like you just hate him for being a prince!

No one (laughs) and I mean NO ONE pretends to care that much just for a cheap lay.

All right. IF ANYONE knows what real love is like, it's Fizzaroli...who is in a very HEALTHY relationship with Asomodeous. He recognizes the signs because he's IN that place. He sees it...and he's annoyed that Blitzo keeps denying it and brushing it off...yet clearly can NOT stop talking about Stolas (amusing irony)

To sum up (this freaking essay lol) 'Stolitz' ABSOLUTELY has the potential to be pure and true...these two just need to communicate...or Stolas has to PROVE to Blitzo that he's serious about his feelings in another way.

There is no doubt that this ship is 100% endgame and is a case of the 'Earn Your Happy Ending' Trope. I look forward to the rest of the journey. Ron is putting my feelings about Stolitz in a perfect phrase:

#shipping #helluva boss #blitzø #stolas #stolitz #blitzo x stolas #stolas x blitz #vivziepop #animation #man they really have a firm grip on my heart #it's so strange to me lol #OH THE ANGST

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firstkanaphans · 3 days

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genuinely what do you consider high heat then? boston and nick were fucking hard every episode, boston rode top to freedom in that car, etc etc. maybe you have a different definition of what that means

I wanted to wait to answer this until I had the results of that poll. 347 total people responded with the majority agreeing that they do not consider Only Friends high heat (54.2% said no, 32% said yes, and 13.8% selected “show results”). The biggest argument I saw in the notes for OF being high heat was some variation of “But Boston rode Top in front of both God and Mark Pakin. What more do you people want???” So I will attempt to answer that question here.

The problem, obviously, is that what someone considers high heat is entirely subjective, so I can only speak for myself, and for me, high heat isn’t just about the presence of sex in a narrative. It’s about how the narrative treats and frames those sex scenes.

The sex scenes in Only Friends are short, there’s little to no simulated nudity, and camera angles frequently come into play to lessen the audience’s presence in the scene. In higher heat BLs like LITA or KP, the sex scenes are intensely choreographed and often several minutes in length. They are given equal importance to any other scene. If the sex scene was not there or if it faded to black, you would lose plot and/or character development. Sex scenes in these shows are part of the narrative themselves.

There’s also just more realism in shows that I would consider high heat. For instance, in Only Friends, there are two separate scenes where Sand puts his hand down Ray’s pants and you are supposed to believe he is touching him. It is very obvious in both cases that he is not. And that’s fine! Maybe the actors weren’t comfortable doing more or maybe the network wasn’t comfortable showing more, but Porsche literally gave Kinn a foot job on camera, so…

I don’t have any hard and fast rules about what I consider high heat—it’s more about vibes than anything else—but considering Only Friends is able to be shown on YouTube uncut, it seems like someone out there agrees with me. To me, high heat would automatically earn an NC-17 rating. These are shows it would be inappropriate to show to young teenagers.

So while Only Friends is certainly high heat by GMMTV’s standards, I would not call it high heat in general. In fact, I don’t even think it’s the highest heat offering at GMMTV. The Warp Effect takes that one.

I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts because I’m sure someone probably has a more nuanced take than me, but I do wonder if maybe there’s a cultural aspect to this as well because some people seem absolutely appalled by the idea that anyone wouldn’t consider Only Friends high heat.

I would also just like to say that this is in no way meant to be a value judgment about whether high heat is better. I adored Only Friends. It’s just not the show I’m going to rewatch when I’m in the mood for something horny. Love in the Air takes that spot easily.

#now i want to rewatch lita #asks

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andromeda3116 · 6 months

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people actually went on about how game of thrones made it socially acceptable to be a fantasy nerd, as though the lord of the rings movies hadn't been released less than a decade earlier and left far greater cultural ripples and i am just

got may have made the adults feel better about liking fantasy, but lotr got into the kids' heads when they (we) were just young and impressionable enough to be absolutely transported and emotionally rewritten by don't you leave him, samwise gamgee and my brother, my captain, my king and and rohan will answer

lotr was rewriting entire generations' brain chemistry long before asoiaf and so obviously it's not fair to compare any post-lotr fantasy novel to it, and each book series was trying to do different things within their own spheres and so that also is not a fair comparison, but in terms of the cultural impact of the adaptations that came out within a decade of each other, saying that it was game of thrones that made fantasy mainstream is baffling

game of thrones could only run because the lord of the rings movies laid the path, and i will die on this hill

#lotr #lord of the rings #lord of the rings movies #i started this post because ''may it be'' came up on my playlist but now i think i'm going to start my nth rewatch of the trilogy #there is a lot to discuss about it re: comparison to the books but it's like...#for all the changes they made - good and bad and neutral - everyone involved in making the films *loved* the source material #they all *wanted* to do justice to it and believed in it and it shows #i think of some posts i've seen about how frustrating this modern push towards tongue-in-cheek irony over sincerity #so afraid to be corny or cheesy that you have to tack a joke onto every real emotional moment #like no fuck that #give me sam hauling frodo onto his shoulders saying ''i can't carry it for you but i can carry you''#give me aragorn gently kissing boromir's forehead as he dies #give me merry and pippin throwing themselves at the uruk hai to distract them from frodo #give me theoden's grand speeches and gandalf's pained expression when frodo says he'll carry the ring #tbh i think that sincerity is a large part of *why* it has such staying power even now #because it is a story you are meant to get deeply emotionally invested in and not hold yourself a little ironically apart from #it isn't meant to sell merch it's meant to bring you to middle-earth and capture your heart and make you believe that the war can be won #with love and loyalty and hope and fellowship and fidelity and integrity and just... just refusing to give in to despair #it is earnest. it is unafraid to be melodramatic or corny because it believes in the story it's telling.#and so it imprinted onto a whole generation growing up right at the cusp of a barrage of apocalypses #anyway. i have Feelings about these movies and their impact and how that mirrors and enhances the books' own impact

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baeshijima · 4 months

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it is now officially the 25th which means...

merry christmas everyone !!! regardless of whether u celebrate or not, i hope u all have a lovely day with whoever u spend it with or with urself <33

#sophie's idle chatter #this is scheduled so im HOPING it posts at 12 am.... prays....#i havent been super active in the past month or two bc life is kicking my ass (<- has said this countless times already but its still true)#also !! i see asks and ill try and answer them when i actually have the time and energy 😭 ik i say this a lot but ive been drained good god #(not so) mini life updates :#the new lovebrush chronicles main story update has made me weep so much... ive done both clarence and ayns routes and....#my god.... this story is darker and honestly im loving it AND i love how they did the chara roles in this world (alkaid... ourgh...)#my tear glands arent tho bc ayn ending 3.... what the fuck was that i couldnt sleep after doing that ending??? ITS WAS SO SAD AND FOR WHATF #currently having to wait until the 27th so i can do lars route 😔#the recent ep of apothecary diaries.... ourgh my heart.... jinshi and maomao beloveds :((#oh !! and ive gotten back into my ace of diamonds/daiya no ace phase and have been rewatching the series...#sobbing chris and yuki and miyuki my beloveds.... kissing ur foreheads and holding u gently.....#the way i got back into it bc im catching up on s2 of a clean sweep (a korean baseball variety show that i love with all my heart ;w;)#my mum is a traitor tho bc she watched every new ep that came out on tuesdays while i was in uni 🧍‍♀️ so now im catching up on the 30 eps #on my own 🧍‍♀️#OMG AND ALSO DR STONE S3??? WHY WAS I NOT NOTIFIED THAT PART 1 CAME OUT MONTHS AGO AND PART 2 WAS MORE RECENT???#i havent been doing that much writing recently tho bc the fingers wont type but the brain is exploding with ideas i cannot handle this #i do want to get back to the haitham sxf series tho.... and also my oc various x reader series.......#tbh ive been contemplating abt publishing the haitham series on ao3 once i write more chapters before publishing them #idk i feel like the series would be nice to have on ao3 as well as tumblr JHDG #thats abt it i think?#anywho if u read this far then know i am giving u a warm cookie as a condolence prize for getting through this life dump <33 #ill leave it off here but i hope u all have a lovely day !! mwah mwah merry chrysler everyone 🎄🫶#queue... ueueue

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lieutenant-amuel · 4 months

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Elena of Avalor is genuinely such a good show.

#Personal #You know I've never forgotten about this show for a single day even after it ended #Just thinking about it makes me happy already but I recently listened to all the songs again #and directly interacting with the show and rewatching the clips from it hits so much different #I really need to do a full rewatch someday I haven't watched the show in ages #Just episodes I love most or something random for the content making purposes which is certainly not the same as watching for pure enjoymen #I probably realized it long ago but I'm currently in the 'analyzing my life' state of mind #and this show means so much to me on a personal level too because it brings up so many important topics to me as a person #And it just does it so well it's clear to see that creators actually cared about the story they wanted to tell #And really EoA also has absolutely fascinating and unique worldbuilding #and in the combination of important not trivial messages and dynamic layered characters this is just such a solid show #It really deserved to get more recognition #I wouldn't even say attention because lots of attention may cause more harm than good #It's actually more about recognition and acknowledgement #Really I'm not even talking about what a huge impact being a part of the fandom has had on my life #it's worth the whole separate post #I'm just talking about the show itself and how great and meaningful it is #Anyway EoA warms my heart and I'm so happy I encountered this show

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thaliagrayce · 7 months

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i've been talking abt my voltron playlists and @iveofficiallygonemad asked to hear them and i want to share with anybody who wants!! i know they're not perfect, i'm working on them & trying to make them better. if you have any recommendations for any of them, let me know!! there's like A Lot and i want to give a lil explanation for most of them, so i'm putting them under the cut ^-^

SO first i have my favorite one <3 it's just. all of them. it's the whole team. it's a mess and it's a bunch of different genres because it's them fighting over the aux cord on a road trip. it's them trying to make each other laugh or annoy each other or play something catchy enough it will infect everyone in the vicinity with brain worms.

Hunk: i'm pretty happy with my Hunk playlist! chill vibes. he strikes me as the kind of guy who listens to calm music to try to find his own calm, and that's what i got here :)

Pidge: this is messier and less cohesive than my usual playlist because frankly i think pidge would have a shit taste in music. all over the board. this is a mix of meme songs and 8-bit covers and vocaloid and stuff that i think pidge would genuinely connect with, and i think pidge listens to all their music on shuffle without any regards for genre or mood because they're a gremlin. nobody gives pidge sole control of the aux.

Coran hears 80's music for the first time and loses his mind. He thinks ABBA is humanity's single greatest achievement.

Lance: i have ideas about where I'm going with this but haven't really settled yet. Lance seems like the kind of boy that loves to dance (is that canon? i forgot) so most of these are Bops That Make You Move in some way or another. he likes to present an upbeat face to the world, so there's no angsting in this playlist! we are clinging to the things that make us happy with both hands until our knuckles turn white!

Keith: i'm gonna be honest. i made him a playlist but i honestly don't think he cares about music very much. it's very important to some people! he's just not one of them! i haven't cracked this playlist open in a while but i'm pretty sure it's full of songs that i think he would conceivably train/work out to.

Shiro: this playlist involves the dumbest headcanon i have for shiro that has just not left me alone since i first thought of it. most of the playlist reflects the fact that he had an emo phase in middle school (that one isn't a headcanon, you just have to look at him to know) but BUT there are a few songs on here that are on here because. little known fact. he also went through a Twilight phase that he told nobody about. (keith knows. keith was there.) he has the entire twilight soundtrack memorized. he moved past the story but the music stays forever. he used to daydream about slow dancing to Flightless Bird, American Mouth. the first time Coran mentions that they have to avoid a place because there's a supermassive black hole there, he has to bite his tongue in order to keep a straight face. do NOT ask me why i believe this so wholeheartedly.

Allura's playlist sucks right now. I think it's because in my heart of hearts i know that, were she on earth today, she would go fucking nuts for taylor swift. i have ambivalent feelings for taylor swift. i cannot do allura justice like this. if you see my vision and have recs as to what might actually fit her, PLEASE.

Klance: i haven't done it yet but i'm gonna go through this and sort it to be a sort of progression of their relationship, starting with the more combative Rivalry songs, then slipping into "oh shit oh shit" songs, then maybe ending on the more lighthearted purely romantic songs <3

(i have two songs in a shallura playlist which does not at all encapsulate how much i'm obsessed with them. the tiny cop inside my head is just constantly screaming at me that i'm going to get yelled at for liking shallura. i am going to kill the cop inside my head.)

#mj talks #oooooh i don't know if i actually want to put this in the show tag. that's a lot of people. that's a lot of people that might see this.#fuck it we ball #voltron #anyway. as i said if you like music and you have songs that you think fit please send em over #also who wants to talk about shallura? i want to talk about shallura.#i rewatched the first ~3 seasons (the best part of the show and some of season 3) with my roommate a while back and.#ngl if we're strictly talking about the show itself and not fanworks. i care about shallura SO much more than i care about klance.#oh i should probably tag #klance #in case anyone has that blacklisted and just doesn't wanna see it #BACK TO MY POINT.#rewatch seasons 1 and 2 and you will see there was a REASON everyone included shallura in the background of their fics #and it wasn't just shoving 'space mom' and 'space dad' together #there is a very real and very compelling dynamic there. the mutual respect. the connection that comes with taking responsibility.#watch shiro's whole deal after allura gets herself captured so that he can go free and try telling me it's all in my head. just TRY.#anyway i have a lot of complicated thoughts about shiro's sexuality and most of them boil down to I Don't Think It Was Planned #i think they shoved it in last minute because somebody higher up #(not the writers i don't blame u writers i know that you have people breathing down your necks telling you what you can and can't do)#some higherup didn't like any queer storylines that might have been in the works and pulled them from the show #but then there was fan backlash because... gay people are loud now? people wanted A Queer In Space? wild thought #so they had to save their ass and actually deliver on what they had promised in interviews/on the internet/idk i didn't keep up too much #because it was so clumsily revealed! there was no buildup!#it felt very shoehorned to me unfortunately. when a) they had already built a solid and compelling potential relationship for shiro #(see above)#and b) klance was? right there? like. dude. you /had/ to have seen that. or at least some of it????#backstory dead fiance was not the best move vis a vis queer representation and i reject him #if you want me to care about a relationship try going back to storytelling basics and Show Don't Tell :)#not giving you brownie points for that 'queer representation' :)#anyway. that's my shallura manifesto in the notes.

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jemmo · 1 year

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bad buddy rewatch: ep 1 - the substitute smile

so i’ve decided for this momentous anniversary and for this rewatch period, bc i can’t emotionally put myself through watching the show again without it taking over my entire existence, to return back to my roots and get back on my analysis/meta/glorified ranting shit, bc i still have way too many feelings about this show to keep them all inside, even after a year. so i’m gonna fondly call these posts ‘jemmo’s best bits’, where for every episode i’m just gonna pick a scene or detail or piece of dialogue or underlying theme and just ramble about it.

for episode 1, i call this literally 15 second part of the opening montage the substitute smile. it’s an introduction to one of the literally thousands of threads and details that span this series in such a masterful way, that being pran’s love of these emoji faces, particularly smiley faces and that signature reversible face. we later see these in every nook and cranny of his dorm room, his fairy lights, his bedside lamp, his sticky notes, his doorhanger, and even see them in his childhood bedroom, which shows us that this isn’t a recent fad. and why is that? well, its a bit of a consensus that pran likes to fill his spaces with these faces as a kind of substitute for pat, this ever smiling face that for so long couldn’t be there. he saw these big grinning faces radiating light and they reminded him of this loveable kid he was supposed to hate so he surrounded himself with them.

that underlying theme could have its own whole post dedicated to it, but what is great about this scene in particular is that it not only establishes the theme, not only shows where its rooted from, but also masterfully conveys how pat and pran in these earlier years had this almost miscommunication that reinforced the narrative being fed to them by their parents. now you might think, miscommunication? in my bad buddy?? no way, pat is a walking green flag, he’d never allow it. but i really think that there was a period in their lives, early high school, even after saving pa and returning the watch and the lapse in the narrative that was, where they still didn’t quite manage to see each other for what they were. where they still viewed every action of the other through the lens of rival, even when said actions were never done in hostility. it shows perfectly how the feud and their parents have conditioned them both to always read the other negatively, and its done in such a quick, throw away scene that’s so easy to see on a surface level but can be dissected to death upon rewatches with all this new context and understanding and thats why its genius!!!

so lets get into it. the scene opens up like this.

pat is blasting his tunes (on his headphones) and banging his drumsticks on any available surface, basically causing a ruckus. pran is sat at his desk doing something, homework i’d guess. before we move on, lets just appreciate this first introduction to the geography of their childhood rooms, how they were always this close for their entire childhood, growing up inches apart with an invisible wall between them. so much goes on in a childhood bedroom, you lie in bed sick with a cold, you explore your hobbies there, you strum a guitar or whack drumsticks around or do some doodles, you stay up late finishing homework, you get sent there when you misbehave, you decorate it to ft your evolving tastes and likes. the fact that pat and pran always had this insight into this private space, were close enough to see a lamp on until late or see the pictures on each others walls or hear glimpses of conversations or the sound of sniffling or the quiet hum of music, i just think thats so good. bc its like here they are, two feuding families, and let you let these two kids have this insight into the other’s life by literally situating their place of privacy and sanctuary next to each other. its that thing of how could i continue to hate him, continue to not empathise with him when i see every little mundane thing he does, when i am forced every second of the day to see him at his most normal and human. so much of this you could mistake for gimmick, think it has no substance, this framing is just to show ‘oh they live next door’, but then think about how different the show wouldve played out if their rooms were at opposite ends of their houses, if they weren’t there in each others faces whenever they looked out the window, if they couldnt climb across balconies and invisible walls and bridge that insurmountably tiny gap.

anyway, tangent over (apologies), in the next shot we get confirmation of what pran is actually up to.

which is probably still homework (come on, he’s pran), but he’s sidetracked, distracted by something, more specifically a ping pong ball, and even more specifically drawing a smiley face on it. when you see this action on your first viewing of the show, you think nothing of it. the montage is fast paced and you don’t know that these smiley faces are gonna be associated with pran’s character so you dont pay attention to it above just thinking this is something pran just does, no reason. its only upon a rewatch when you know how pran is connected to these smiley faces that you even give it some thought, and then you get this look and your mind starts ticking

he looks across at pat with this look on his face. what do you read this as on a first watch? idk, bored? quizzical? maybe a bit annoyed? more likely you dont read into it at all. but upon rewatch, when you realise he’s looking at pat while drawing a smiley face and what that could mean, this look becomes more thoughtful, pondering. maybe its pran just thinking about pat, maybe its the start of his crush, maybe he’s had the crush for a while and he’s thinking about how, even though pat is a couple of meters away, he cant have him for so many reasons, and so he replaces him with a smiley face on a ping pong ball. no matter what it is exactly, its the fact that this connects pat with these smiley faces, which makes seeing his room later so much more meaningful, and its the fact that this once mundane action now hints at so much more that was always bubbling under the surface, its just that we, much like pat, weren't yet privy to the thoughts inside pran’s head.

pat looks over at pran and pran gives him this look in response. on first watch, this is nothing more than a look of anger and annoyance, which make sense, because they hate each other. even if pat wasn’t getting on pran’s nerves by being noisy, even just the presence of your enemy is enough to earn this kind of look. its all so damn unassuming, so easily read the way you’ve been told to read it. but when you rewatch, again, the look could be something completely different. it might still be annoyance, but now it more like ‘”god why am i in love with this loud, annoying dude? he’s just banging some drumsticks, why do i think that is so cute?” yknow?? but jokes aside, it just speaks to how well the show sold us that falsity in the early episodes, put us in the shoes of one of these families, always reading every look or action as hostile bc you aren’t being asked to see anything else there. you see a look like this, that could just be pran thinking, could be pran getting annoyed at himself for his feelings, could be getting mad at their situation, and just read it as anger directed at pat, bc thats what the story tells you to do, and so you dont question it, not until you take the initiative to look beyond.

what happens next perfectly encapsulates how their miscommunication works. bc pat sees pran give him that look, and being the good guy he is, probably thinks “oh im being noisy and annoying pran. let me shut my window so he doesn’t have to hear me” and he does it and thinks nothing of it, doesnt think about how his actions could be misinterpreted by pran just as he misinterpreted pran’s expression. again, you only see the kindness of this action upon rewatch, after the character pat is expected to be is fully subverted and shown to be good and caring, so far from this big macho man’s man he’s expected to be, both by the people in the story and by us. on first watch, this is shutting pran out, ignoring him, blocking out a presence that is constantly shoved in his face. its only when we learn more that we realise this wasn’t shutting pran out for his sake, but for pran’s sake. its the exact opposite of hostility, he’s just trying to do something nice. but as is always the case with pat, these acts of kindness are always read negatively, always framed with bad intent, or even when they’re not, the constant message is that no matter what pat tries to do, things never end well when touched by his hands. he has fundamental badness. but when you realise that this output only ever came from his fundamental goodness, your heart breaks a little, for a kid thats only ever tried to things right, but the world always tells him he’s wrong.

and finally we see pran misread pat’s actions, misunderstand him. he sees hostility, not kindness, and in retaliation closes his curtains. but again, the nature of this retaliation differs upon rewatch. first time around, this is just a tit for tat exchange, you shut your window i shut mine, we can both be equally annoyed with each other for no reason other than we hate each other. but the second time around? well now we know not only has pran been taught to misinterpret pat by his parents, but he’s also made himself do that too in a romantic sense. he’s never let him see anything pat does as either kind or romantic, never let himself see a side to him that is good not bc he doesn’t know its there, but bc he cant let himself, bc once he sees goodness and kindness and god forbid sincerity, that might get his hopes up. that might be enough to let him believe that something could happen, that pat’s actions and words could mean more. but no, instead he sees pat look at him and close his window, ignore him, shut him out. and that hurts him. he was just thinking about pat fondly only to be reminded of the reality, that pat doesnt care, that pat is exactly who hes been told he is, and in frustration he closes his curtains too bc he cant face seeing that closed window every time he looks up, cant face being reminded of the valley between them, that divides them, cant face the reality that pat is not the person he hopes him to be, that he gleams from actions that could betray some better intent, he’s in fact just that same old rival he’s always been.

the layers upon layers of this scene really never cease to astound me. you’ve got hints to future themes without knowing their importance, you’ve got pat and pran misreading each others actions, you’ve got us the audience misreading their actions, all bc the story is set up to be one way, but the entire time there’s the real narrative underneath, hidden by an imposed feud and our own misjudgement and the fact we don’t initially seek out anything else. we’ve been told what were supposed to see and what we actually see matches with that story enough that we dont question. and it would’ve been so easily for pat and pran to do the same, not question what they were told, have the facts match the fiction enough to make them become one and the same. but they dont. and thats exactly what sets them on this path, their willingness to see past it all, to look for whats actually there. bc when you do, when you rewatch and see past the surface, its so fucking rewarding. i remember my first rewatch and latching onto this scene for dear life for this exact reason, bc its an encapsulation of what makes bad buddy great, both narratively and thematically and structurally. its 15 seconds that doesn’t ask to be paid attention to, doesn’t sell itself as anything more than set up, its done and gone and you get your surface level message from it. it does its job perfectly. but it also hides in plain sight a story that you are on the edge of diving into before you even know what you’re getting yourself in for, and in that sense, it also does its job perfectly. its masterful. its genius. its bad buddy.

#i so needed to write a love letter to this scene bc its so pinacle to my bad buddy viewing experince #the way that first rewatch shook me with just how much the early episodes change and evolve with context #its a whole other show #and you understand that before you were not only getting half the story but you were getting the wrong story #you fell into the trap the parents wanted you to #it makes you part of the narrative by making you misunderstand just like they do #like i cant convey how insanely creative and impressive and genius that is #thats storytelling at its fucking finest #and all bc pran drew a smiley face #bad buddy #badbuddyrewatch #made by jemmo

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