#also thinking about miya and how gaining competency can be painful

[nevergeneralize]

“Nice try but I’m not adulting today”: the Millennials of Sk8

It’s really delightful to me that the grownups in Sk8 are recognizably millennials and I was really pleased by the way the show employs the visual hallmarks of my teen years to establish the flashbacks to the youth of the last generation. Feels like Officially becoming a Media Adult

Like obviously I am no longer the shonen target demo / main character being well out of my teens and that is not new, but I’ve been in a weird gap because Media Grownups have still seemingly been gen-Xers, aesthetically and values-wise (retro = the 80s, for seemingly forever), and that’s not me. But these Manic-Panic-haired Hot-Topic-shopping X-Games-watching sk8er bois absolutely are:

Kaoru was edgier in his youth than I would’ve dared in my own but I sure did have those bangs. Look at his eyeliner you could cut glass with those wings!!! He’s serving Avril Lavigne and I just know he’s got Death Cab or his local equivalent playing in his (wired, on-ear) headphones. This is ostensibly a school uniform but I wanted identical trendy skinny plaid pants so bad

Note the wallet chain and the aggressive side part which TikTok would have me believe is no longer cool?? This nice young man will go get a Godsmack shoulder tattoo at chef school and it will become part of his personal brand when he moves back to his hometown and decides to maintain a quirky high school hobby at great personal injury risk and what must be a disastrous sleep schedule situation. He’s somehow the best-adjusted man in all of shonen

And I know there’s not even a full generation between the two groups of main characters (as the show itself constantly jokes by way of Shadow’s objections to being called an old man) but they are separated by life-phase-dependent narrative trajectories: Reki and Langa and Miya are in coming of age (cough first love) stories, Kaoru is in a healing from old wounds story, Kojiro is a mentor figure (does he have character development or just a rockin bod?? Who’s to say) and Shadow is also mentor/supporter/team-mom. (Ainosuke is an important exception which I will discuss in a separate post; he’s in some ways belatedly coming of age.)

So the older group feels narratively/functionally like The Grownups but they are aesthetically My Peers. It’s kind of wild! “Feel old yet?” Yeah I do, finally, thanks! Congrats on graduating to anime adulthood my fellow millennials!

I’m sure there’s tons of other media where my generation is represented this way but this is the first one I’ve really noticed, maybe because it touches on a specific subculture that evokes my experience of youth, or maybe I don’t watch that many things set in the present anyway. Who knows. I think my particular delight in this experience also has to do with how Sk8 treats coolness and how the adults (at least The Founders) still get to have it. Maybe also the fact that the show’s characters get to be generationally differentiated but not at odds for that feels fresh to me; there are clearly marked aesthetic/narrative differences but they’re not hinging the conflict on the grownups being out of touch or the kids being immature. That feels a little bit utopian, actually, and opposed to a particular strain of discourse that paints Gen Z/The Youth as incomprehensible to the “olds” and separate from millennials, who should implicitly start to identify instead with more traditional values and attitudes, i.e. those of our parents. In fact I would argue that Sk8 actually models that identification with outdated parental values via Ainosuke and his family, and frames it as sad and toxic and villain-making, but we see a healthier alternative in the core squad, where Reki jokes about Shadow being an old man, and Joe and Cherry bemoan the kids joining vacation, but it’s lighthearted and we get to have fun joking about age/generational differences without it creating conflict! Found family/intergenerational dynamics without manufactured parent-child tension, except for fun at the beach! Neat! (Also the actual parent-child dynamics of Langa and his mom are pretty great)

So it’s cool to see my specific peer group’s aging represented without any suggestion that it should necessarily mean generational conflict or value-stagnation, or even uncoolness or the trope of inevitable adult boredom and the loss of youthful freedom and joy. We can have our own millennial culture AND separate adult narratives/problems AND solidarity with younger people AND empowered fully-realized maturing selves with fun hobbies! I can see myself in the Media Adults in a piece of media that’s got a pretty optimistic view of what adulthood means and I think that’s neat.

[ssamie]

one. new beginnings 

oikawa tooru x fem langa!reader

(hq x sk8 the infinity)

warnings: spelling mistakes, 2k+ words, u have langa’s blue hair sorry 

gen masterlist.            “snow” masterlist.

"eh?! what do you mean you're moving?!" reki shrieked out in surprise, accidentally tripping over his feet and landing on the ground

the distant sounds of cars honking and the few civilians chattering filled the air. it was almost dark and they had just gotten off work and were on their way home. 

y/n sighed and picked up his skateboard, nodding her head lightly with a frown. "yeah.. my mom said we have to move soon" she said. "but.. why?" reki frowned as he stood up to meet eyes with her.

"well, my mom got a better paying job there so she said we should just move, i guess" she replied, her tone laced with guilt. "oh.." reki muttered. he kicked his feet on the ground, looking down as y/n peers at him with a guilty frown.

"im sorry reki" she whispered with a soft whimper "i guess i should've told you a lot sooner.." she said

reki looked up at her and shook his head. "no, no! it's fine, don't worry.." he reassured with a shaky smile "um..where exactly will you be moving to?" reki asked her 

"miyagi" she answered quietly, sheepishly kicking her feet back and forth, causing the rumbling sound of the wheels hitting the pavement to fill the tense air. 

"wow uh.." reki chuckled in surprise "that's really far.." he muttered. he then cleared his throat and shot her a shaky grin "well, atleast it snows over there!" he exclaimed. "maybe you can try snowboarding again" reki said, though it didn't seem to fill her with much comfort 

"i heard there's a good amount of snow when you're deep in the mountains! you can even-" 

"reki.." she cut him off with a soft whimper of his name 

reki stopped and looked at her with a sad sigh. he pursed his lips and finally dropped the enthusiastic façade. "i don't wanna leave okinawa" she admitted with a pained sigh. "i don't wanna leave you" 

".. a-and the others too ofcourse" she continued with a nervous chuckle "not just you.." 

"i don't want you to leave too" reki chuckled as he wiped the tears brimming his eyes 

he lightly punched her shoulder and took his board from her hands. "agh! you're gonna make me cry, you know!" he exclaimed. y/n smiled and let out a soft laugh "sorry, sorry" she said 

reki pouted and hesitantly brought her into his arms, nibbling on his bottom lip and letting out a sigh as he squeezed her tight. "i'll really miss you, y/n" reki said. 

she blinked repeatedly in shock and flusteredly wrapped her arms around him as well. "um-i-i'll miss you too reki.." she stammered out as she tried to fight off the heat that was rushing to her cheeks 

suddenly, reki pulled away, much to her distaste, and fixed his stance. "let's skate together before you leave, yeah?" reki mused "just for tonight.. then we'll continue when you get back" reki smiled 

"yeah. let's skate" she replied with a fond smile 

the pair skated home, taking their usual route and doing some tricks here and there. though their usual chatter and banter was not present, and all there was, was silence that seemed to weight down on both of their chests with varying emotions. 

they stopped at the block separating their houses, right under the street light where they always meet up with each other. 

reki looked back at her and smiled. "well, this is where we part" he chuckled ."yeah.. i guess so.." y/n muttered back with a frown 

reki sighed and nudged her with his elbow. "cmon, don't be like that" he said "its not like we'll never see each other again!" reki exclaimed with a laugh, though even he wasnt able to convince or reassure himself. 

"you're just moving, no big deal! we have one more day to spend together and our friends and visit S" reki explained in a comforting tone 

y/n sighed in distress and crouched down on the ground. she kept her board in place with her feet and stared at it with furrowed brows. "i guess you're right" she said. "but i really don't want to leave. im completely fine here in okinawa with you and the others." 

"i wanna keep skating with you and go to hotsprings together and eat bentos and keep working at dope sketch!" she exclaimed with a look of affliction 

reki frowned and sat down beside her, resting his chin on his hands and nodding along. "yeah, i wanna keep doing that too" he said "but we can't really do anything about it anymore" 

"unless you wanna try begging your mom or something" reki joked with a laugh as he nudged her with his shoulder. "but it's not like that would work-... y/n?" reki sweat dropped as he looked at her only to be met with a look of determination and sparkling eyes. 

"you're so smart, reki!" she praised "that's a great idea, we should do that! you're so amazing" 

reki chuckled and cheekily grinned at her "ah shucks, you flatter me too much!" he giggled 

"but were not gonna actually do that, right?" reki asked with a soft chuckle

".. right?" 

"WE BEG YOU!" they simultaneously exclaimed as they got down on their hands and knees to bow 

"w-what?! kids, what are you doing??" nanako exclaimed with a nervous smile as she tried to get them to stand up 

"PLEASE! DON'T TAKE Y/N AWAY!" reki cried out as he wrapped his arms around her in a bone crushing hold. "please!" y/n followed up with a determined look in her eyes as she stares at her mother expectantly 

y/n loosely wrapped her arms around reki's waist and pouted "please, mom?" she pleaded as she accentuated her 'puppy eyes'. "please, hasegawa-san?" reki pleaded as well as he gave her his 'puppy eyes' for the extra cute effect 

nanako seemed conflicted as she stares at their cutesy expressions with a look of dread. "what do i do?! they're too.. too cute!!" she cried to herself "help me, oliver !!!" 

she then composed herself and cleared her throat. "well, im really sorry kids" she said "but my desicion is final." she stated with a determined huff "im doing this so we can earn more-" 

she cut herself off as she caught sight of the two teens sulking and holding ecah other while a dark gloomily aura loomed over them. "ah well- i-" nanako stammered as she shakily reached her hand out to them with a guilty smile 

she then sighed and let her arms hang by her sides. "im sorry, y/n, reki. but we need to move so i can earn more money and y/n won't have to work for me anymore" she explained "plus, i've already purchased the house so there's really no going back now" 

"but im okay with working at dope sketch.." y/n muttered with a frown 

"i know, but.." nanako smiled nervously "look at it this way! you'll go to a new school and make some friends! we can even try snowboarding during winter, won't you love that?" 

y/n briefly glanced at reki and sighed. "sure.." she mumbled 

nanako smiled and gently patted them both on the head. "you should hang out with your friends before we leave" she said "you'll regret wasting your time here, yknow?" nanako mused 

reki and y/n nodded and went to put on their shoes. they grabbed their boards, and hastily skated to joe's restaurant 

"ah jeez.." nanako muttered to herself as she watched them skate away. "teenagers are so hard to handle!!" 

"help me oliver!!!" 

"guys, we have something to say!" reki exclaimed as he abruptly slammed his hand down on the table, effectively gaining all of their attention. 

"y/n is-" 

"what is it you slime?" miya sneered as he continued sipping on his drink 

"your girlfriend?" they all simultaneously said with a bored tone as they continued on eating their meals 

"..." reki and y/n blinked and looked at each other in confusion. "what?" reki asked cluelessly "no that's not-" 

"well its kinda obvious" shadow said with a chuckle "yeah, we kind of saw it coming" miya agreed 

"what? no seriously, that's not what-" reki was once again cut off by joe who playfully punched him in the shoulder and grinned. "damn, didn't know you had it in you to ask her out" joe laughed "and i didn't think y/n would ever confe-" 

"I'M MOVING TO MIYAGI!" she immediately cut him off, mainly to prevent joe's big mouth from spilling anything, and just to get it out of the way. 

"WHAT?!" they all collectively exclaimed 

"are you serious? that's pretty far away" shadow said with furrowed brows "yeah... what about S?" miya asked with a small frown 

"i'll have to quit" y/n says as she steals a fry from cherry's plate "i'll go one last time later." 

"miyagi.." cherry mumbled as he swats her hand away from his food. "where in miyagi will you be staying?" he asked. "i don't know" she answered with a shrug. "but im going to a school named aoba johsai i think." 

"carla, tell me about that school." almost immediately, carla had responded. "okay master" it said. 

"aoba johsai, also known as seijoh, is a private school located at miyagi prefecture. they are mostly known for their performance in volleyball, having competed in numerous tournaments and had made a name for themselves through the sport and successfully deemed themselves as a powerhouse school. "

"volleyball?" y/n hummed in curiosity "how do you play that?" she asked cherry. "i wouldn't know." he replied "though it's a sport where you play with a team. why? would you like to join?" he asked 

"probably not" y/n shrugged 

"oi, rookie! are you really moving?" joe asked with a small frown "S would get boring without you, yknow?" 

"i am" she replied "and i think S would be fine with you guys and reki in it" 

reki looked at her and smiled. the redhead slung his arm around her shoulders and picked up his board "how bout we have a beef one last time before you go?" reki suggested "we could all go against each other. just for the fun of it." 

"sure, but you'll lose, just so you know" joe boasted as he flexed his biceps. "hah?! just cus you're bigger and more muscular doesn't mean you'll win!" reki whined 

"yeah!" y/n agreed with a huff "reki has gotten better and much faster! and he knows more tricks now. he even did a snowboarding trick and-" 

miya quickly cut her off before she could go on a full rant about the redhead. "let's just go" miya groaned out as he grabbed his board. "man, are you sure you're not together" shadow sweat dropped as he followed miya and dragged them both out of the restaurant 

"we're not!" reki exclaimed with a laugh "why would you even think that would happen? we're just best friends" 

"right.. best friends" y/n agreed 

shadow sweat dropped as he turned to look at her, only to be met with her teary eyes and her quivering smile, looking like she’s on the verge of crying her eyes out like a child. 

"are you okay?" shadow muttered sheepishly as he watched her hastily wipe her eyes and pout like a child "yes" she replied with a huff 

"oh, is that so?" miya cooed with a cat-like grin as he stalked closer to her side "i mean it makes sense" he said "the heroine shouldn't be with a slime, after all" 

shadow deadpanned as he watched miya slyly lock their arms together with a grin "so who should she be with? you?" he scoffed "ofcourse!" miya wholeheartedly agreed. "im the hero so the heroine should be with me!" 

shadow sweat dropped as he watched miya hug her arm and look at them with a smug cat-like smirk. "dude, aren't you like thirteen?" shadow deadpanned 

y/n smiled and patted his head with a soft laugh "yup, you're right" she agreed jokingly, her smile widening as miya's face exploded into bright shades of red. "i-it doesn't mean i like you though!" he shrieked out "im just saying that we would be compatible!!" 

"i see." she muttered "japanese people are so hard to decipher" 

cherry and joe came out of the restaurant and got on their boards, urging them to do the same. "cmon, let's go there before too many people arrive" joe said as he stretched his arms 

"last one to arrive buys everyone boba!!" reki announced as he skated away, pulling y/n along as he does so 

"ha?! oi! unfair you should've counted!!" shadow exclaimed before hastily catching up to them "hmp, as if i'll lose to any of you slimes." miya muttered as he sped up 

"oh please. you all make me pay anyways." cherry mumbled with a sigh as he got on carla and calmly caught up to them 

"well you got the most cash" joe shrugged with a grin 

"shut up you gorilla." 

"i'll really miss their banters." y/n mumbled as she looked back to watch joe and cherry hit  each other with their board. "hey, it's not like we can't visit you" reki laughed 

"would you visit me reki?" she asked with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "it would be strange not being with you.." 

"of course! i'll visit you like every week!" reki reassured with a wide grin 

"heh, as if you got the cash for that" shadow sneered from beside him. 

"i-im gonna save up, then i'll visit you every week!" reki cleared his throat with a nervous laugh 

her smile widened as she stared at reki in admiration and pure glee. 

"okay, im counting on it!"

im making miya have a cute little puppy crush on u cus why not lol, yall won't end up together tho that's weird ����‼️