#I’m rewatching MH and it’s 10/10

[gendervoid-zane]

You know what, I’m posting this here out in the public. So, consider the following ->

MCD Marble Hornets AU but The Operator is Irene???

[whaleofatjme1920]

I was rewatching MH again and I literally forgot about the drama in Entry #59, it took me aback like ouhhhhh- ✨Drama ✨

I almost drew something based off that episode! It’s A very good ep. 10/10 I personally like the one where Brian is like “that’s because I’m the star”, “ukulele with tim attachment.”

[minhamaniac]

thoughts on Min Ha x Suk Hyung... and Suk Hyung’s depression?

I’m still not sure what to think about episode 12... I’ve rewatched a few scenes a few times and espceially two scenes again just a few minutes ago ... and I’m so f*cking depressed right now lol

Ik Jun (IJ) noticed Min Ha’s (MH) feelings for Suk Hyung (SH) and confronts him about it in the last episode. SH tells him that MH confessed her feelings but he turned her down. Considering that MH confessed in October / episode 10, I’m suspecting that SH talked to her not long after her confession, as he tells IJ that he hates feeling awkward or uncomfortable while working and so he met her outside the hospital and talked to her. SH even feels the need to tell IJ that he really means it, that he’s not interested in dating anyone right now and that “obviously” he’s not interested in MH either. He likes being alone. When IJ tells him to not just rely on his friends but to get comfort from his family and the loved ones around him, SH replies with: “I don't want her to get hurt. She might get hurt because of me and my situation. After seeing how hard it was for Sin Hye (his ex-wife), I promised myself not to forge any relationships in the future.” (We never really got to know why it was hard for his ex-wife, though...)

When I first watched that scene, my shipper heart was in shock so I didn’t pay too much attention to the dialogue. After rewatching it the first time, I couldn’t help but start thinking that he might actually feel a bit more for MH than what one would feel for his junior but he didn’t want to start dating her because he’s worried and doesn’t want MH to get hurt...

They didn’t show us the scene when SH turned her down, so I don’t know how MH reacted and how she felt. At least we know she’s still around SH and she didn’t seem uncomfortable nor unhappy in episode 12. Maybe the scene in episode 11 (when she’s standing in front of his office and wants to ask him out for dinner) already happened after he turned her down?

Regardless of that, she still seems to seek his company and especially wants to eat with him at work. I’m pretty sure her feelings are the same but as she said herself she just wanted to be honest and tell him that she likes him and that she won’t make it obvious at the hospital.

She even texted and asked him out for dinner on Christmas. And as we all know her wish was to get her first kiss of the year on Christmas while wearing matching rings. MH messaged SH that she doesn’t want to pressure him and he doesn’t have to eat with her. With a sad (?) look on his face, he turns her invitation down. He wants to text her “Merry Christmas” but deletes that part before sending. Again, we don’t see how Min Ha reacts. Which makes me really sad. I want to know how she feels. She is a high spirit and that’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with her character. Despite that, she’s a very emotional person and I think that him turning down not only her feelings but also her invitation to have dinner on Christmas crushed her spirits. She seemed to look forward to have dinner with him even if there’s little hope she will get her kiss (because she also texted him that she really hopes the he can come). I just really hope that she was able to spend the evening with her friend and that that wasn’t a lie just not to pressure him...

...and then after that texting scene, we see SH’s ex-wife calling him.

You know, after SH told IJ that he turned MH down, I was bawling. But I was getting my hopes up again becaus of two later scenes in episode 12:

Song Hwa and Jung Won talk about SH and how he supposedly is a person who enjoys food the most when he’s eating alone. CUE scene of him eating alone. BUT suddenly MH turns up, wants to eat with him together and, after being a bit hesitant, he agrees. He even smiles when she’s pulling out the drinks and snacks from her pockets. ... SO, yes, we saw a lot of scenes of him enjoying his alone time BUT we saw a shift towards him feeling more comfortable eating with others (than just his best friends). And mostly, we saw him eating with MH. On top of that, two times just in episode 12. Yes, maybe it’s just because MH is kind of intrusive ...but SH didn’t shy away from running away from eating with others (episode 3, when several female colleagues want to join him at the cafe). And whenever he’s with MH, he seems less uncomfortable eating with someone else and he even smiles... (So why would he, as a person who likes to eat alone, eat with MH several times??? He seems to feel different towards her, in a positive way, than compared to other people, right???!!!)

After all the friends eat together one day before Christmas, they talk about what they will do the next evening. And SH doesn’t reply and stays quiet... as if he has plans for Christmas evening. (Maybe a date with MH?????!!!) SH tells them that he doesn’t want to waste time and wants to live doing the things he likes. (Did he change his mind and wants to start dating her????)

...but my hopes were crushed yet again when he turns down her invitation. WHat were his plans for that evening (if he had any)? Did he meet his ex-wife on Christmas evening? And that’s why she was calling him? And if so, why did they meet.....? We don’t get to know :///

And then, when I rewatched his scenes in episode 12, especially his scene with IJ and the ending scene, a baaaaaaad, really baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad thought hit me. What if SH is sick......? Terminally ill? It’s such a trope, I know. At first, I thought, maybe he’s kind of depressed because he turned MH down despite having feelings for her... but watching all the scenes back to back idk that didn’t really add up...? OMFG he looks so depressed when he tells IJ that he likes to be alone and that he doesn’t want to hurt MH because of his situation. He lookes so f*cking depressed when he tells his friends that he doesn’t want to waste time and wants to live doing the things he likes. Then again, he has this sad puppy look when he gets MH’s message and when he turns her down, but also when his ex-wife calls him.

Why would they end Hospital Playlist with that scene? Remember, Hospital Playlist even starts with a SH scene, together with Song Hwa, they enter the place where they are going to practice with their band. Who was the one who started talking about this whole band thing? It was SH. And in episode 12 he tells his friends with a depressed look: “I want to live doing the things I like and the things that I want to do right now. That's why I wanted to start a band. I... used you guys.“

It would even make more sense that in case he has some kind of feelings for MH, that he still turns her down because he might die soon and doesn’t want to hurt her and instead wants her to be happy with someone else...

I hope I’m wrong. I hope that SH is fine and that he has some feelings for MH and everything will work out in season 2? Whatever it is that troubles SH (yo please no terminal illness) gets resolved, and maybe he starts dating MH?? With a little help of IJ’s matchmaking powers??? ...or maybe SH isn’t ill but MH will not be a thing in season 2 which will make me increadibly sad but I just want MH and SH to be happy. If I get a scene in season 2 with MH being happy, it would be easier for me to cope when they both go their seperate ways.

Part of what made me feel so crushed about my sunken ship after watching episode 12 was not seeing MH’s reaction (to his rejections, especially her behaviour outside of work or when she isn’t with SH) or some kind of closure for her after being turned down... A sad sigh when she gets SH’s message but a smile afterwards that show she knows she’ll get over it? Or at least a scene that she isn’t by herself but eats dinner with her friend? ... but they didn’t show any of that at all... :((((

Which, regardless of my bad hunch, leaves me with a obviously -for whatever reason- sad looking SH, a most probably heart broken MH (because it isn’t shown otherwise) ...and because of all that, a sad me :((((

[cat-vase]

Entry #65 analysis/rewatch liveblog:

tim looks like he has a seizure at 1:53 

HE ALMOST DROWNS 4 TIMES HE HAS TO BE AFRAID OF WATER AFTER THIS 

 jay why did you just let tim drive off at the end of the entry JAY HE IS SO CLEARLY NOT OKAY JAY P L E A S E- 

looks like he has 2 psychotic episodes back to back. 1 being influenced by The Operator and the other is just worse bc it seems like he regresses back to when he lived there?? not influenced by The Operator but just as bad. actually it's not really 2 he's still acting weird when he drives off but!! The Operator isn't at the hospital so!!! they're kinda separated like that 

tim hesitates before taking the whole pill bottle!!! he physically brings his hand away and closes it for a second before bringing it back, open, and still waits a few seconds before deciding to go through with it. he even braces himself before doing it!! he has the pills in his hand and he braces himself!!! he pauses before he still goes through with it!!! 

 i watched a lot of videos and it seems like recording while you're experiencing psychosis is Not A Good Idea because it makes it worse. both people i watched who were recording their experiences only got about 10 minutes in before having to turn the camera off. the entry without jay in it is 11 minutes. 

 actually, just.... they have to record during all of MH. tim and jay record EVERYTHING. tim has to go back and edit some of this footage. he has to watch himself do this, he gave the camera back to jay to upload this!!!  

speaking of WHY DID JAY UPLOAD THIS. SERIOUSLY JAY YOU EDITED AND UPLOADED THIS WHY DID YOU DO THAT. IT HAS TO HAVE BEEN AWFUL TO WATCH WHY DID YOU UPLOAD IT WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU FIRST SAW IT- 

2:07 might be another seizure, not sure 

HE COUGHS UP BLOOD AT 2:16 WHY AND ALSO THAT IS NOT GOOD 

 2:31, the scene where tim is being dragged and screaming at the top of his lungs?? who is dragging him is The Operator dragging him?? i know The Operator can move, it does a lot in the earlier entries, but why is it dragging him and most importantly, WHERE. 

2:36, he doesn't seem to be falling. he has a good grip on the tree. why did he let go. 

 HIS BIGGEST CONCERN IS FINDING JAY RN 

 he seems to go straight from running and calling out for jay to appearing in The Ark. if there's any cuts i can't see them. 

 when he runs out of The Ark it's also a straight shot back into the water. no cuts there either.

when he gets out of the water around 3:33 i understand why he laid on his back, because there's a camera strapped to his chest, but 1 he can take it off and 2 i feel like laying on your back after you have spit up water before is a HORRIBLE idea i feel like that would just lead more water to your lungs and then you might dry drown?? no?? just me?? 

 also when he lies on his back now it parallels with later on in the hospital when he passes out(?). i love parallels and comparisons they are my FAVORITE thing!!!!

5:03, how does the chest mounted camera go from facing forward, toward the steering wheel, to facing toward the passenger seat?? why would he be facing that way while driving?? this isn't a detail about the series i'm just confused how and why does this happen

i know 5:48 is probably just for comparison bc tim's room is the one the fire started in and the other one is just normal but WOW it still hurts!!! and also he still stopped there in character. was a friend in that room??

AT 6:09 THERE IS A CUT. JAY EDITED THIS. JAY WHY IS THERE A CUT THERE. THERE AREN'T ANY GLITCHES THERE'S JUST A CUT FROM TIM LOOKING AROUND THE ROOM TO TIM CRYING. JAY WHAT THE FUCK DID TIM DO THAT WAS SO BAD YOU HAD TO CUT IT OUT OF THE ENTRY???? i know there's other cuts like minutes later but that one is just so... abrupt. just from tim calmly walking around to tim crying. jay why did you put it there-

6:36 it happens again!!! it goes from tim walking to tim on the ground crying again!!! they've never shied out of just walking footage before!! jay why did you put a cut there!! what did tim do!!!

6:48, "it wasn't me, i promise it wasn't me" is what i used to think tim said bc he did something and it seemed really out of place with the rest of the scene (insisting The Operator is real), but now i realized he's saying it bc he promises that The Operator is real and that it isn't just him seeing things this time. had he brought someone into the room to look to see that he wasn't crazy? that promise seemed really desperate, like he wanted to get out, and then when he was told it still wasn't real he freaked out even more. was he goes to get in trouble for wasting the doctor/nurse's time?? did he get in trouble for it??

tim seems super shaky around 9:30 and uses the railing on the wall to stay upright even though he hasn't any time before this, and it's definitely because he just took an entire bottle of pills, but... still something to point out 

 at 9:50 he looks into the room next to the "follow me" and "he is a liar" room where tim hits the walls with a metal pipe. i don't think this room is important?? so why. what happened there.

why does it cut at 10:16 it literally just would've been tim turning around and walking a little to pick the metal pipe off of the ground... jay what are these editing choices

why did jay record tim's voicemail message in the dark? usually he has a light on or something? or he turns it on whenever he's going to record? was it because jay was still up and heard the message at 3:44am but then waited until later to meet tim bc he was too scared to pick up the phone? bc he thought tim hated him bc he drove off with no explanation after The Operator showed up in the tunnel?

tim is rubbing at his arm nervously from the second he gets out of his car to meet jay to the second he gets back in it 

 jay angrily says "i'm sure you wouldn't be coming back." and tim just. looks at him to show jay he heard him before looking away and putting his head back down 

 jay may be asking "are you okay?" at 12:16 but also the camera is so close to tim's face. tim is right there why do you not trust him!! 

tim's head stays down and he looks away from jay until he's sitting down and has to look up at jay to talk to him 

 after tim says it's really important to go back to the hospital he looks up then down then up again. ashamed of what he's asking jay to do but also kind of pleading with him to not question it 

 "you sure it's gonna help?" "yeah." "you're positive?" "mmhm." tim puts his head down again. he really really doesn't want to go back and doesn't want to admit it to jay bc he has to convince jay to go there. he feels bad about it. i know he said he doesn't remember what happened, but.... he seems incredibly shy, drained, and just... different. off. we don't see him like this again until he's actively explaining he used to live in the hospital he's standing in, but then he gets angry at himself and then angry at not being able to catch brian. this never shows up again, it never comes up again, tim is just concerned about and angry at others until the end. i don't trust him. i feel like he remembers some of it. that hospital had a huge impact on him, and so did the teleporting brought on by The Operator. this is definitely a moment that changed him.

13:56, despite jay seeming angry about the whole thing he looks back at tim before he leaves again and you can see that he does in the car window. he wants tim to be okay, but is definitely confused about what's going on. this also might be because the last time tim left, jay thought he wasnt coming back, so... just in case tim is lying... jay looks back one more time 

 the "m'kay" jay says after tim says he needs to check if he still has a job is.. really soft compared to how blunt and annoyed jay is this entire interaction 

WAIT IF TIM DOESNT HAVE A JOB ANYMORE HOW GODDAMN LONG HAS IT BEEN??? when did tim send that voicemail?? how long has it been!!!! it's been a long time!!! wait!!! no!!! that's why jay doesnt trust him!!! but tim is still so clearly not okay!!!! jay please be nice to him he looks like hes going to start crying again this whole entry he cant even look at you for long!!! 

i just. i cant get over how shy and monotone tim is during this. it is SO out of character of him he's really bothered and it's really never brought up against except next entry but next entry tim seems more frustrated and a little scared rather than.... scared and sad in this entry.... it took such a toll on him and changed him and his relationship with jay and it's never!! brought up again!! not really!!!! D:<

how the fuck did i forget to bring up the fact that tim saw and touched a dead man that alex killed while he was in The Ark during all of that. what the fuck???

[takaraphoenix]

Buffy: Season 2

I took a slight break from my BtVS rewatch because some new seasons to shows dropped that I didn’t want to put off until after I finish the rewatch. But now I’m back on it and I just finished season 2!

1. Favorite character of this season?

Cordelia! She has come so far already since the airheaded, self-centered cheerleader, to see her integrate into the Scoobies, her relationship with Xander but also the way her dynamic with Buffy and Willow changes is amazing.

2. Outstanding minor character (positive or negative)?

Oz. Considering he is in less than half the episodes this season, I would count him as a minor character at this point. And I just love Oz so much, he is such a sweet, gentle weirdo. Him becoming a werewolf, getting put in the know, his relationship with Willow. He's so adorable and fun.

3. Favorite character dynamic?

The Angelus-Spike-Drusilla dynamic is amazing. For one, I love Spike/Drusilla so much but I also truly love the way their dynamic flips this season. Season 1 was all about Spike taking care of Drusilla during her time of need, season 2 is all about Drusilla taking care of Spike.

Only that this season also adds Angelus into the mix and it is so fascinating to watch. I love the bickering between Angelus and Spike, I love the love-triangle they have going on. Seeing Angelus as just this pure raw bad guy and the contrast to Angel, as well as getting to experience this dynamic of ¾ of the Fang Gang is so great.

4. Favorite canon romantic ship?

Tough choice this season, because there are both Xander/Cordelia as well as Oz/Willow, which are both two of my favorite ships. Xander and Cordy are one of the very few straight couples where the bantering and bitching actually works for me, I love the growth they shared together.

And yes, as a lesbian, I am loving lesbian!Willow very, very much, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the Oz/Will in the time-period it happens, not to mention... I can really make that work, even with lesbian!Willow, because Oz is literally the safest guy to fall for, honestly. First he is the most cliche guy to fall for because guitarist in a band, but then we get to know him and he is just so kind and accepting and soft and sweet. If you're a lesbian in deep denial about your own sexuality yet, that's the kind of guy you can easily pick to look straight.

5. Least favorite canon romantic ship?

Mh... tough one this time. I love Spike/Drusilla, Oz/Willow and Xander/Cordelia and I don't dislike the Giles/Jenny either, it works while it works. If I'd have to go least favorite, which doesn't mean dislike, it'd then be Giles/Jenny. Mainly because of the lying. Everything could have been avoided if Jenny had been upfront about this after learning who Giles and Buffy really were. Because then the rules would have been clear too – no sex for Angel – and thus... this entire season could have been avoided. Instead, she kept her heritage and reason for being there to herself, no one made the rules clear so they could be broken and chaos could ensue, breaking Giles' heart in the process. Also... not a fan of the fridging, though unsure if it'd really count as fridging because while her death was used for the sake of Giles' man-pain, that wasn't the reason for her death – she did die for valid reasons. Like, the bad guy killing the one person who gets close to stopping their plans? Makes sense.

6. Favorite episode?

It's a tie between two two-parters, actually. If that is too much cheating, I would take the conclusions of each two-parter and say those tie. But it remains a tie.

The two-parter episodes 09 and 10 “What's My Line?”. Kendra! Seeing those two slayers team up. The personal contemplation Buffy has to consider about her possible future, or lack thereof. Also really loving Drusilla/Spike as villains.

And the finale, episodes 21 and 22, “Becoming”. It was such a good conclusion of everything this season had been working toward. Yes, I am still very salty about Kendra's death and I hate that she only returned just to be killed off, but the rest of it and the conclusion where Angel's soul had been restored but Buffy still needed to sacrifice him and it just breaks your heart.

7. Least favorite episode?

Harder, because there were three duds in this season for me. Episode 5 “Reptile Boy”, because just... college boys preying on high school girls to sacrifice them to a reptile demon...? Really?

Episode 12 “Bad Eggs” was just... bland. There's always a bland one, one so boring that I kind of forget about it. Season one's was “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date” and this season it's this.

And the third in the set was episode 20 “Go Fish” which is just so weird and also cringey in a way, because the coach sacrificing Buffy to become the fish monsters' sex-toy was... yikes? And the body-horror of skin splitting open and fish-people emerging from them? Just, everything about this episode aside from the Xander/Cordelia was real bad.

8. Favorite Monster Of The Week?

Harder, because this season didn't have a lot of those, actually. Most episodes came with obstacles that the vamp trio put into their ways. I guess Ethan Rayne? I loved how he brought another layer to Giles' story and character, I also generally love the Halloween episode.

9. Least favorite Monster Of The Week?

When “sudden child-death” was turned into a German monster in episode 18 “Killed by Death” and Buffy literally got to fight Death in a hospital? That was just... strange. Like, even with the episodes I disliked, the villains were kinda “meh” or at least reasonable, but this one was off.

10. Rate the overarching villain!

Amazing. Honestly, I truly love Angelus and the contrast this paints considering we have seen kind, loving, good Angel in season 1. Also, major props to David for his acting. Angel and Angelus are so distinctively different yet still share enough characteristics because they are the same character. I also love the moral dilemma this puts Buffy in, to go up against her former lover.

Bonus: Other thoughts?

It was already annoying last season that they just... don't tell Joyce the truth, but this season, it becomes simply ridiculous. If Buffy's secret was something she would be guarding close to her heart, yes, okay – but between Giles, Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Oz and Jenny, she honestly just tells it to everyone who is even remotely close to her.

And last season, Darla already went into the house and seriously injured Joyce, could have easily killed her. A thing that would have been avoidable if they had looped Joyce in and she'd know not to invite strangers she never saw before into her house. For me, that episode will forever be the one where they should have told Joyce. But now we're one more season and many more dangers in.

And there really isn't any valid reason not to tell Joyce, because we tell literally everyone else.

Sure, she then learns the truth in the finale, but not because she is being told, rather because she witnesses the dusting and Buffy's hand is forced, which just sucks.

Aside from the Joyce-thing, I really did enjoy this season, there were a lot of episodes I really liked, even beyond the four that tied for my favorites – honorable mentions go to Oz becoming a werewolf in “Phases”, naturally “Halloween”, Giles-centric content in “The Dark Age”.

[jay-and-dean]

Favorite season?

Mh... That’s not easy.

For a long time I would have answered 5 and 9 pretty quickly, but now I’m not so sure. I rewatched 8 and really loved it, and it’s when they find the bunker ! I think I loved the 8-9-10 thing. But then I hated, HATED, the Amara plot line. 

Now when I close my eyes and think of Dean, it’s always season 12 Dean. The general plotline was not my favorite but there were big moments,  also because of “Who we are” and “All along the watchtower”, I loved that. 

All I can say for sure, and I know it’ will be a very unpopular opinion, is that I didn’t handle season 14 that good. The Michael plot line had me constantly sad, like really, during the Ma’lak thing, my colleagues thought I was depressed or something. And I knew the show was renewed very late so at some point, I really thought it would be how it ended. So there is only one person I hate as much as Amara : Micheal. (No matter how sexy he is).

And so I almost want to answer : All seasons made me really happy (yes even season 7), except season 14.

[aslaanjade]

Tagged by @katsvra thank you so much sweetie ♡♡

tagging: @vanizai, @dazai-is-an-angel, @tmakisamajiki, @pocketmochi, @axis-blue, @eijishima and @fantasique !!!!!! (only if u want to tho !!!!)

rules: answer these 85 statements about yourself, then tag 15 people

LAST

1. drink - water

2. 📱 call -  my mom

3. text - i texted a meme to my compare lmao

4. song you listened to - touch off by underworld

5. time you 😢 - last week i think

HAVE YOU EVER

6. dated someone twice - nope

7. 😘 someone and regretted it - nope x2

8. been cheated on - nope x3

9. lost someone special - ...mh

10. been depressed - :)))

11. gotten drunk and thrown up - nope

FAVORITE COLORS

12. teal

13. blue

14. green

15. black

in the last year have you

16. made new friends - yep !!!!!!!!!!

17. fallen out of 💛 - ....ggh

18. 😂 until you 😢 - yeppp

19. found out someone was talking about you - nope

20. met someone who changed you - nope

21. found out who your friends are - ...i don’t know honestly

22. 😘 someone on your facebook friends list - god no lmao

GENERAL

23. how many friends from your fb friends list do you know irl - unfortunately almost all of them

24. do you have any pets - cats !!!!!!!!!

25. do you want to change your middle name - i don’t even have one in the first place lmao

26. what did you do for your last 🎂 - went out for lunch and eat lots of cake !!!! 

27. what time did you wake up today - 9am

28. what were you doing last night at midnight - making gifs

29. what is something you can’t wait for - daiya no ace s3 !!!! also im gonna go to the cinema to watch the bnha movie !!!!!!!!!! 

30. what are you listening to right now - still touch off

31. have you ever talked to a person named tom - nope

32. something that gets on your nerves - ...too many things to count

33. most visited website - twitter & youtube & school website & tumblr

34. hair color - red !!!! (dyed tho)

35. long hair or short hair - long

36. do you have a crush on someone - nope

37. what do you like about yourself - my small wrists !!!!!!!

38. want any piercings - nope

39. blood type - 0+

40. nicknames - mmmh, i’ve got lots, but mainly anto x’’’ 

41. relationship status - single

42. zodiac - libra

43. pronouns - she/her

44. favorite 📺 show - b99 and the first 10 seasons of criminal minds lmao

45. tattoos - nope

46. right handed or left - right

47. ever had surgery - nope

48. piercings - only pierced ears when i was, like, pretty young lmao

49. sports - love watching them x’’’ (except soccer)

50. vacation - mmmhh, i think i might go to Budapest this summer ??? 

51. trainers - my air max !!!!! pretty old but the most comfortable shoes ever

MORE GENERAL

52. eating - a sandwich

53. drinking - still water

54. i’m about to watch - maybe i’ll rewatch hxh

55. waiting for - still for daiya no ace s3 and the bnha movie !!!!!! 

56. want - a two-years-long vacation

57. get married - not really ??? i don’t mind, i guess, but i don’t wanna rn

58. career - manga and/or books translator

WHICH IS BETTER

59. kisses or hugs - both

60. 👄 or eyes - eyes

61. shorter or taller - taller

62. older or younger - older or same age !!!!! 

63. nice arms or stomach - neither tbh

64. hookup or relationship - relationship

65. troublemaker or hesitant - a bit of both 

HAVE YOU EVER

66. 😘 a stranger - ugh nope 

67. drank hard liquor - just a sip once

68. lost glasses - fortunately not yet

69. turned someone down - yep

70. sex on first date - nope

71. broken someone’s ❤️- probably lmao im a bit dense that way

72. had your 💔 - ;))))

73. been arrested - nope

74. 😢 when someone died - ...what kind of question is that ??? of course ??? especially if they were someone i cared about ????

75. fallen for a friend - story of my life

DO YOU BELIEVE IN

76. yourself - on good days 

77. miracles - not really

78. 💛 at first sight - only once but it was more like ??? finding someone like, really really attractive at first sight (and when i say really really attractive im being serious lmao i find it difficult to look at someone that way lmao)

79. 🎅 - lmao

80. 😘 on a first date - i don’t think so ??? it depends ???

81. angels - not anymore ??? like only when i was a baby

other

82. best friend’s name - sofia ♡♡

83. eye color - brown

84. favorite movie - mmmh, i cannot think of one rn lmao 

85. favorite actor - steven yeun !!!!! 

[waffle--kun-blog]

Answer them all (*ﾟ▽ﾟ*) this is what I'm gonna tell you when you reblog an ask thing, always.

WHAT

BUT

AAAAAAAAAAAH

WHY DO YOU DO THIS AGHSJDFKG

1. Who was the last person you held hands with? My girlfriend.. I’M STARTING TO ANSWER AND I’M GLARING AT YOU EMILIA2. Are you outgoing or shy? Aaahh outgoing!!3. Who are you looking forward to seeing? My girlfriend AND my cup of coffee tomorrow morning~4. Are you easy to get along with? ..I hope I am!5. If you were drunk would the person you like take care of you? Yes..6. What kind of people are you attracted to? … Uhm.. next question all right~7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now? I.. hope so..8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind? All of my friends right now, I’m talking to them! And my girlfriend, always9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable? … Yes,  but eehhrr I know I probably shouldn’t, so.. I try to act normally…10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? Stella probably!!11. What does the most recent text that you sent say? “What?” AHAH12. What are your 5 favorite songs right now? Neptune, Saturn, Venus by Sleeping At Last, Forest Fires by Axel Flovent, and.. uhm… I know it’s four songs, but I wouldn’t know which one could be the fifth!13. Do you like it when people play with your hair? I’d say yes!14. Do you believe in luck and miracles? Y E S15. What good thing happened this summer? I got in a relationship with the person who is my girlfriend right now!16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yes!17. Do you think there is life on other planets? OF COURSE WHAT YES YES18. Do you still talk to your first crush? Nooooo ahah it’s been way too many years!! But I recently talked to her once because she casually found my number again!19. Do you like bubble baths? Mmhhh.. I can tell you that I like bubbles and I like baths!20. Do you like your neighbors? Yes, they’re really kind, especially the ones who live in front of us!21. What are your bad habits? I wouldn’t know.. I procrastinate? ahsdjfgk22. Where would you like to travel? The entire universe~23. Do you have trust issues? Nonononono24. Favorite part of your daily routine? Talking to others and looking up at the sky.25. What part of your body are you most uncomfortable with? .. I wouldn’t know..26. What do you do when you wake up? I immediately try to remember my dreams!27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker? Oh I’m actually okay with the way I am, luckily!28. Who are you most comfortable around? Kind of all of my friends, but mostly my girlfriend.29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up? Yes.30. Do you ever want to get married? I’M WAITING FOR THAT31. Is your hair long enough for a pony tail? NOOO AHAHAHAH32. Which celebrities would you have a threesome with? … what…….33. Spell your name with your chin. CHRFJDGZB NO ALL RIGHT34. Do you play sports? What sports? Can overthinking be considered a sport because ahsdjfkg35. Would you rather live without TV or music? Without TV, I actually don’t watch it often.. I’d never want to live without music!36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them? Uhmm.. no..37. What do you say during awkward silences? I think I often say something that comes to my mind like “That cloud looks like a horse”, or I simply ask “how are you?”38. Describe your dream girl/guy? Neeeext question~39. What are your favorite stores to shop in? There are very interesting shops here about Harry Potter and other fantasy series and just fantasy things in general, they even sell swords and fairy statues, they’re so magical.. oh and old fashioned shops that sell particular types of food and other things that you wouldn’t normally find, there’s one here in Italy called “Castroni” and I love it! 40. What do you want to do after high school? I’m already there, ahah! I wanted to study philosophy and here I am~41. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? Yes.42. If your being extremely quiet what does it mean? I wouldn’t know really! Maybe I’m really sad or wondering if planets have feelings.43. Do you smile at strangers? Yes and it makes me happy for some reason! I just hope they don’t find me creepy44. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean? AH. AAAH AH OUTER SPACE O U T ER SPACE O U T E R S P A C E OU T ER SP-45. What makes you get out of bed in the morning? The fear that I’ll miss the train asdfghhjk46. What are you paranoid about? ….47. Have you ever been high? Noooo48. Have you ever been drunk? NOOOOOOOOOO49. Have you done anything recently that you hope nobody finds out about? I ATE ALL THE COOKIES FROM THE PACKAGE AND MY MOTHER STILL DOESN’T KNOW50. What was the colour of the last hoodie you wore? Grey.51. Ever wished you were someone else? Maybe not..52. One thing you wish you could change about yourself? .. I wish I didn’t have such a hard time making decisions sometimes.53. Favourite makeup brand? AHAHAH I DON’T KNOW I’ll let you know though!!54. Favourite store? Read the question 39~55. Favourite blog? All of my friends’ blogs!56. Favourite colour? Periwinkle YOU GUYS DON’T CALL IT INDIGO APPARENTLY AH57. Favourite food? Chocolate and antything sweet!58. Last thing you ate? Boiled eggs and carrots.59. First thing you ate this morning? I didn’t really “eat” anything, I only had coffee!60. Ever won a competition? For what? Uhm.. maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.. I don’t remember ahah!61. Been suspended/expelled? For what? Never ever sh62. Been arrested? For what? NOOOO WHAT63. Ever been in love? I don’t know.. I don’t know what true love feels like, or if I do but I don’t realize it, maybe yes.. 64. Tell us the story of your first kiss? Oh I had just gotten in a relationship with my ex girlfriend, and I kissed her when I told her how I felt about her and she said she felt the same way.65. Are you hungry right now? Not really! Or maybe a little bit!66. Do you like your tumblr friends more than your real friends? I LIKE EVERYONE STOP67. Facebook or Twitter? Twitter!68. Twitter or Tumblr? TUMBLR SADLY69. Are you watching tv right now? Nope~70. Names of your bestfriends? SSSHH71. Craving something? What? The mineral…BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH 2013 MEMES72. What colour are your towels? Mostly white!72. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two pillows.73. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Yes ahah they’ll always be on my bed!74. How many stuffed animals do you think you have? Mmhhh.. maybe 20 or so..75. Favourite animal? Horses, cats and birds!76. What colour is your underwear? NO. ASDHFJGK. NO.77. Chocolate or Vanilla? Both!78. Favourite ice cream flavour? Everything that involves chocolate and cream!79. What colour shirt are you wearing? Dark blue.80. What colour pants? Black 81. Favourite tv show? Does Code Geass count? ahsjdfkg82. Favourite movie? A movie I couldn’t tell in English, but the Italian title is “Al di la’ dei sogni”.. and .. uhmm.. I need to think about this, I think there are a lot of them but I wouldn’t be able to make a list now!83. Mean Girls or Mean Girls 2? I never watched them!!84. Mean Girls or 21 Jump Street? I never watched these either ahsjdfkg85. Favourite character from Mean Girls? AAH I DON’T KNOW I’M SORRY86. Favourite character from Finding Nemo? I couldn’t tell! I’d need to rewatch it, but maybe Dory!87. First person you talked to today? Stella, SAY HIIIIIIIIII88. Last person you talked to today? My girlfriend for now!89. Name a person you hate? myfather I don’t hate anyone.

90. Name a person you love? My mother!

91. Is there anyone you want to punch in the face right now? Myself, all the time92. In a fight with someone? Uhm.. if you mean if I’m a fight at the moment.. no, I think.. 93. How many sweatpants do you have? Maybe just one or two!94. How many sweaters/hoodies do you have? EEEEEH. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH I LOVE HOODIES AND SWEATERS SO.. 100000000000000000000095. Last movie you watched? Does an X-Files episode count?? 96. Favourite actress? I wouldn’t know..97. Favourite actor? Nnnhhhh… I don’t know, I’m sorry!98. Do you tan a lot? Kind of, yes!99. Have any pets? A cat and a parrot and I love them so much aahh100. How are you feeling? ..I’m fine… coUGH101. Do you type fast? yeeeeEEEESS AND I’M STILL SURPRISED THAT I MAKE A LOT OF TYPOS102. Do you regret anything from your past? Yes, and no..103. Can you spell well? Ahah probably! 104. Do you miss anyone from your past? Yes.105. Ever been to a bonfire party? What is it?? 106. Ever broken someone’s heart? .. I wish I could say no… but..107. Have you ever been on a horse? I went to horseback riding for years!108. What should you be doing? STUDYING. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH109. Is something irritating you right now? … Irritating me… nothing! I just don’t really get “irritated”.110. Have you ever liked someone so much it hurt? .. Eeeh..111. Do you have trust issues? Mh? Didn’t you already ask this? MMH112. Who was the last person you cried in front of? I don’t remember.. ..113. What was your childhood nickname? Oh I should ask my mother, but I’ve always been called Chris by my friends even back then!114. Have you ever been out of your province/state? Yuup115. Do you play the Wii? It’s a miracle that I’ve had a Nintendo DS ahsdjfgkh116. Are you listening to music right now? No, but I’m going to!117. Do you like chicken noodle soup? OH YES!!!!! YES!118. Do you like Chinese food? Is spring rolls considered Chinese food? I wouldn’t know, but I’d like to try it, I love trying food from other countries!119. Favourite book? It usually changes depending on what I find!120. Are you afraid of the dark? No, I actually like it..121. Are you mean? YES. VERY. I’M GOING TO STEAL ALL YOUR WAFFLES AND EAT THEM ALL BWHAHAHAHAHAH122. Is cheating ever okay? .. I…- … ..is killing people ever okay.. ?123. Can you keep white shoes clean? NOOOO NOT EVEN THE BLACK ONES 124. Do you believe in love at first sight? .. I strongly believe that you need to build a connection with someone to fall in love, but.. love has no logic so I wouldn’t know.. I’ve happened to fall for someone at first sight… I couldn’t compare it to what I feel when I fall for someone after getting to know them though. I do feel that there’s something different. But to me, love takes place between souls and they need to get to know each other somehow. BUT AT THE SAME TIME I BELIEVE IN EVERYTHING125. Do you believe in true love? Of course!126. Are you currently bored? Not really~127. What makes you happy? Philosophy, the universe, waffles, my friends, my girlfriend, my pets, my mother, the sky…128. Would you change your name? Actually, no! 129. What your zodiac sign? Pisces130. Do you like subway? I’ve never been there!131. Your bestfriend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? .. Ah.. ah.. ahah… … uhm.. I.. never knew what to do..132. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? STELLA ONCE AGAIN SAY HIIIIIIII but wait, didn’t you already ask this? Or is it my impression??133. Favourite lyrics right now? “At first I thought you were a constellation, I made a map of your stars then I had a revelation”134. Can you count to one million? Aahsdjfg noo135. Dumbest lie you ever told? I wouldn’t know! Perhaps “I’m fine” while obviously having a breakdown136. Do you sleep with your doors open or closed? Open, mmh I feel like this says something about people..137. How tall are you? 178 cm, last time I checked.138. Curly or Straight hair? Wait wait what are we talking about??139. Brunette or Blonde? WAIT WAIT WHAT140. Summer or Winter? WINTER AAAHH WINTER WINTER!! I CAN’T STAND SUMMER IT’S TOO HOT141. Night or Day? Night, and the moon and the stars~142. Favourite month? December!143. Are you a vegetarian? Noope144. Dark, milk or white chocolate? Milk and white chocolate because they’re sweeter, but I just really love chocolate in general!145. Tea or Coffee? Both, but maybe coffee.. 146. Was today a good day? … Ahah not really buuuut147. Mars or Snickers? HA! Snickers!148. What’s your favourite quote? The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.149. Do you believe in ghosts? YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES ALSO IN ALIENS150. Get the closest book next to you, open it to page 42, what’s the first line on that page? ..OH.   “Names of stars and constellations were taking the place of a wonderful dream, where me and my parents were having lunch next to a river. Andromeda, Cassiopea, Centauri, and many other names from space were pronounced by his warm voice.” YOU MAY CALL THIS FATE. It’s a book that my girlfriend gave me because it reminded her of me, there’s one of the main characters who’s in love with stars and he talks about them all the time.

[takaraphoenix]

Buffy: Season 1

I’m finally getting around to that Buffy the Vampire Slayer rewatch. And I considered posting about it, but then I decided a seasonal summary would be more fun, especially since the seasons - the individual episodes - tend to blend together because I always watch all of it. So, I’ve decided to make round-up posts after every season!

1. Favorite character of this season?

Buffy. The first season so perfectly sets her up as a complex character – so often, female leads get shoehorned into one box, one archetype. They also either get to be a Tough Girl, or a Girly Girl. But Buffy is so... perfectly both. She is a total badass but she is also a giggly girl talking about boys and hoping about school dances and cheerleading. Yet at the same time, she also has these... very, very human vulnerabilities. Her fear of abandonment when it comes to her father, her fear in the finale about her death. Yet she remains standing strong and true to her ideals and her duties.

She is an amazing character all on her own, but especially groundbreaking as a female lead character – and she will always be that, because even right now, twenty something years later, Hollywood is still struggling with writing fully fleshed out female leads without just shoehorning them into The Lover, The Badass or The Mother role like they can't have more complexity.

2. Outstanding minor character (positive or negative)?

Jesse. Look, yes, he is only in the first two episodes but I am still not over this. Him, Willow and Xan were friends, were a trio, prior to Buffy coming to this school. They must have been friends for years and just... for these normal 16 year olds who never really encountered Hellmouth-ish things before to lose one of their best and longest friends? There is an impact there that sadly doesn't stick. Like, he's just dead, no one talks about him or mourns him again even though this would have been a cutting event for Xander and Willow. And then there is the potential of an alternate reality where he would have absolutely become a Scooby had he survived. I don't know, I think about this a lot.

3. Favorite character dynamic?

Willow and Buffy. I love the way their friendship stands out, even among the Scoobies – though naturally I love the whole Scooby dynamic. But just, from the first episode on when Buffy had the chance to join the Popular Mean Girls and saw the way Cordelia treated Willow, she chose to instead spend time with Willow and from thereon out, their dynamic just grew closer and cooler.

The shy nerd and the cool cheerleader (well, only for one episode but you know what I mean – the pretty blonde who had the potential to be a Cool Girl). It's especially outstanding because in her interactions with Willow, Buffy truly gets to be the teenage girl. The girly kind of teenage girl who giggles and talks about boys and gets to be carefree, even just for a few moments.

4. Favorite canon romantic ship?

Angel and Buffy. David and Sarah have such great chemistry, the way they play off each other, how they put the longing into their performance, just how tragic this set-up is for them, the weird mystery to it all. Best Romeo and Juliet, really.

5. Least favorite canon romantic ship?

Angel and Buffy.

Look, I know that tumblr only deals in black and white, in “pure, healthy ship that can be loved” and “unhealthy, problematic ship that needs to be condemned”, but personally I like nuances and I like applying some critical thinking even to the things I love.

So I can absolutely love the way this is played out, the actors' chemistry, the tragic of it all and still also acknowledge just how creepy and frankly uncomfortable it is that this 240 year old dude has the hots for a sixteen year old kid.

6. Favorite episode?

The finale, “Prophecy Girl”. It is such a good pay-off of the season and it is also so... painful. When Buffy realizes she's going to die, when she decides to go despite knowing her fate. Giles' act of defiance, his first time clearly stepping out of his role as the Watcher as he decides to go and face the Master himself to avoid Buffy's death. How Angel and Xander, of all people, team up to go and help Buffy out. It also marks Cordelia's first proper participation with the Scoobies, as unwilling as it may be (I can't quite count the whole 'invisible girl trying to kill Cordy' as Cordelia actually joining them). A lot of good stuff and good pain.

But also shout-out to episode 9 “The Puppet Show” - I like the creep-factor of this episode, the set up for the twist, the certain low-key pain linked with Syd. Also I am very afraid of creepy dolls so the whole thing is even more of a creepy episode for me.

7. Least favorite episode?

I don't like episode 4 “Teacher's Pet” because it's really gross overall – I mean, it's a giant insect posing as a teacher to perv on students so they'll fertilize her eggs. So many levels of eeew.

But episode 5 “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date” is incredibly bland and forgettable, like... really forgettable, as much as I appreciate the 'Buffy attempts to Regular Date' angle. So kind of a tie.

8. Favorite Monster Of The Week?

Fear, from episode 10 “Nightmares”, if that counts. Because it's not a demon, or vampire, or monster. It's... well, fear itself. It also presented such a fascinating insight into Buffy as a character, to show her fears, but to also show Giles' fear of failing her, of having her die on him. I love how with all the monsters and things she has to face, her biggest fear is that her dad doesn't love her. It's so surprisingly deep – surprising in the sense that we get to see that Buffy is a complex character, not just the girly cheerleader-type girl, not just The Chosen One, but rather that she is very much also just... a girl, with family issues, with very real and human fears.

9. Least favorite Monster Of The Week?

Mh, it depends, because for the most part I don't find the Monsters of the Week overly memorable this season. “The Puppet Show” has a very weak and forgettable actual villain, however he only takes a backseat because the other plot stands more in the forefront and the focus is deliberately elsewhere and that is what makes me like the episode so much.

10. Rate the overarching villain!

The Master always seemed to me like a... not very fleshed out villain. Vaguely archetypical ancient evil demonic overlord. But that's kind of just... it. Why is he so important? What really makes him so special? And he very much is the Thanos of the Buffyverse – just sitting on his throne, waiting, occasionally standing up. He's a good enough opening act for the show, I'll give you that – because he checks the boxes. And, admittedly, the main focus is on establishing the Scoobies and their dynamics and their individual personalities, so it checks out.

Bonus: Other thoughts?

As above mentioned, I find the whole centuries old being lusting after a sixteen year old really questionable and this season went hard for it – because it's not just the main romantic plotline of the season, it's episode 4 “Teacher's Pet” with the praying mantis who poses as a teacher and seduces her students, it's episode 8 “I Robot, You Jane” with the ancient demon catfishing Willow, it's episode 9 “The Puppet Show” with the adult-turned-puppet who is perving on Buffy and any other girl he can lay his eyes on.

Having it only be the main romantic plotline would be one thing, but if you have that and additionally three out of thirteen episodes that have a focus on the theme, then it becomes... questionable, in my opinion.

In other news, I absolutely love Cordelia and I love that even season one already gave a tiny bit of insight into her being more than just the shallow bully she pretended to be.

I also love the unorthodox/modern interpretations of things – the demon who got scanned into the internet, the prophecy about Buffy's death that was then just kind of canceled out by the existence of CPR to revive her, the 'techno paganism', the white bus as stand-in for Death's pale horse.

It also establishes the Scoobies really well already, both as individual characters and in their dynamics among themselves. I will always love the Found Family trope of this show. Always.

So, yeah, overall slightly weak individually speaking, but a rather good overall start for the show!

[takaraphoenix]

(This is a relatively long post, so here’s what it is: It’s a love letter to Haikyuu!!, the TL;DR is literally: I love Haikyuu!!)

I love this story a whole lot. I never expected to love it as much as I do now. It’s tied for my favorite all-time anime with my two other favorites (there is no picking the ultimate because these three stories and genres are too different to find a definite one that outdoes the other; all three fill certain needs I have in an anime).

But this one was... unexpected. You see, my other two favorite anime are One Piece and Sailor Moon, both anime that have been with me since the 90s, anime that I grew up with.

Haikyuu!! is different, because I got into it during season 1. Back in 2014. It’s... It’s a baby anime - in that it is still so young, compared to the other two. The same can be said about the genres; both magical girl and adventure/fantasy were basically the two types of anime I’ve been enjoying since the 90s.

2014 was the year I first got into the sports anime genre. In fact, Haikyuu!! was the second ever sports anime I watched (my first being Kuroko no Basuke). I never really took that genre seriously or cared to even check it out, because well... sports. Sports aren’t my thing, so what could possibly be the appeal of watching an anime about them...? But a friend of mine was very deep into KnB and after one convention where she cosplayed Kuroko, I figured I’d give it a shot and I really ended up loving it. And yes, I admit, the main thing that made me pick HQ!! next was Hinata’s hair; the bright orange really jumped out at me when helplessly browsing for a successor.

I watched the whole thing - well, there wasn’t much of it at the time, only the first season - and I literally immediately watched the whole thing again. I started my rewatch the same day that I finished my first watch. I’ve never done that before.

And after I finished the first rewatch, I started reading the manga. I don’t... do that. I do own two shelves filled with manga, so yes I read them, some of them are in fact corresponding to anime I enjoy, but usually when I watch an anime I don’t feel the need to also read the manga. (I don’t like reading much.)

In this case, I just needed to know. I needed to know how it continued, I needed more. The only anime that ever happened with is One Piece. And, much like with One Piece, I am horribly bad at actually keeping up. After a couple of weeks of being caught up and waiting for weekly releases, I drop the manga again so it can... gather more chapters for me to read. And usually I forget about picking it up again, tbh.

I rewatched the first season once more when the second season hit. And rewatched both seasons before the third, shortly after the second season had ended. And, after the third one ended, another obligatory rewatch of it all.

We’re in 2016 now, at which point I was pretty deep into sports anime and had started watching multiple ones with multiple sports and was so busy discovering new news that, admittedly, in the following years there was no rewatch. I was falling down rabbit hole after rabbit hole of new anime and the appeal of the shiny new beat out watching something for what would be the sixth time.

Only when 2020 hit with that fourth season did it happen again. At first, I only really wanted to watch that last episode of season 3, because well the release had hit me a bit out of left field and actually I’m kind of busy and there are so many things I’m already watching and supposed to do I can’t possibly watch 75 episodes of something I already know by heart. But mh, that final episode, how can I leave it at that? At the very least that final match, right? That third season. It’s only 10 episodes. I’ll just... skim through it, skip around it and watch the highlights - and oops, I forgot to skip anything. Well, now that only made me want more. I could maybe just--

Yeah, I watched the whole 75 episodes in a week. Which, admittedly doesn’t sound like much considering they’re only 20 minute episodes, I mean come on that’s ony 25 hours of TV. However it’s subtitles so it’s something that requires my whole entire attention and that’s not how I consume other media; I always write while watching TV. Anime is special, because no dubs for me. So it requires more time, in a way. And I usally only carve out time for maybe an episode or two a day when I watch an anime. With HQ!! it was that I accidentally kind of binged season 3 in a day like I didn’t mean to watch 10 episodes in a row but how do you stop? And it continued much the same (logically, if you look at 75 episodes over 7 days. That’s literally just math).

I had finished the rewatch and was left with the weekly wait and it is slowly killing me. My fingers are itching to just rewatch the whole thing again but I now have this girlfriend and like she’s super adorable and also loves anime and she made this whole list of recommendations so I’m kinda working through that and come on you can’t just watch one thing on a loop that’s ridiculous.

So I picked up the manga again, two weeks ago. I had left it off and bookmarked it on chapter 161. I’m currently on 311. That’s... 150 chapters in two weeks. That’s a lot for me.

That’s all a very long way of trying to express just how much I love Haikyuu!!, because I just... genuinely can’t stop? I’m so thoroughly enjoying this whole thing that I just wanna consume it again as soon as I’m done because it’s so good.

I love the character, I adore the characters. Hinata Shouyou is in my top five favorite male characters of all time. I love him so much. But not just him. Not even just his team, aka the main characters? This one just completely makes me love even the other teams - yes, naturally the main rivals the most because that is by design, but usually sports anime fall short on making me invest in anyone beyond the actual main team, it is very rare that the main rivals get some baseline investment from me. Usually I’m just in it for the main characters, why should I care about those... stepping stones? The teams they defeat on the way.

Haikyuu!! has me squeal and point stupidly when my big dumb owl shows his face (Bokuto ily). It has me excited for them all. Invested to a certain degree (naturally, I don’t want the other teams to win when fighting Karasuno, because duh).

I even love the female characters in it! I very rarely can even stand female anime characters because like... 90s American stereotype female characters be cringey but anime stereotype female characters are the bane of my existence. Here, I love them, I find them wholesome. They’re not being exploited like in certain other male-centric franchises where they need the biggest tits possible and the thinnest waists imaginable and only exist for the male gaze and for the male characters to be perverts about them.

Hinata isn’t some super gifted chosen one but he has to work hard, really hard. They all do. And they all get their growth and just the pure excitement whenever they do learn something new, whenever they do improve? Not to mention his character design, that short ball of sunshine and fluff. His hair kills me. Seriously, that orange fluffiness. He’s so smol but so energetic and so bright in that contageous anime protagonist way - meaning that he just makes everyone around him like him and cheer for him and smile with him (well, not everyone *side-eyes Tsukki*).

Tsukishima has such a great arch. He starts out as such a stereotypical bully who is just put into the way of the protagonist to create some tension, but then he actually gets fleshed out fully, gets his own arch and growth and I genuinely never expected to care about the damn bastard??

The humor in this one also kills me. So much dry-witted sarcasm and snark, so much of the humor lays in the facial expressions of the characters too! It’s a joy to watch and to read.

The pacing just works. There are some sports anime that rush too much through games and some that drag them out too long - but in boring ways. This anime turned one volleyball game into a 10 episode season and manages to convey so much tension and excitement that even after I had already seen it twice and absolutely knew the outcome, I still couldn’t even pause and had to watch the whole thing because I needed to see how it continues.

They manage to convey all this excitement and also the joy - the joy of the characters whenever a play works out - and the surprise when something new happens in ways that have me excited all over again, even when I really shouldn’t be because I already know exactly what happens.

And then there’s the animal theme. I love a good animal theme. The fact that basically all the teams have an animal associated with them. There are such great visuals given with the animal themes too.

Naturally, there is also always the component of shipping for me. Such great ships that I love so dearly and... honestly, nothing has ever made me ship an OT6 before because I’m over here, juggling all these overlapping ships and loving and cherishing them all.

I don’t know, on the greater scale of things and the vast, endless landscape of anime, this may just be one of many, but to me personally...? It is... It’s like this one was just perfectly tailored to me, specifically, in a manner I experience very rarely. TV shows are always about compromises. Sure, I like plotlines A and C and D but man do I hate B and yeah I love the main character but urgh X member of the main cast I just loathe and then there’s the unnecessarily forced canon romance that’s making me cringe - these kind of things.

With Haikyuu!! I just... enjoy everything. Every aspect of it. Every character of it. Every interaction between characters. The writing, the art-style, the animation, the pacing, the characters, the plotline, the execusion. I just love the whole damn thing.