#ferb is nonverbal theres nothing wrong with that

[dirt-grub]

When i was little and watching pnf i didnt really care about candace’s crush on Jeremy but actually its really kind of cute and accurate to what teenage crushes are like which a lot of people waaaay overshoot trying to write like theyre BOTH just dorky kids! and pnf does a good job staying true to that

Like ive never liked the trope where the girl has a crush on a boy thats inexplicably perfect despite also just being a teenager, or is worshipped like he’s perfect until the character learns he’s not and “gets over” the crush just like that.

Jeremy is dorky too, he has quirks and traits separate him just from cute teenager made for lead girl to like, and that wasn’t as apparent early on bc he didnt appear as much, but he got some development and so did their relationship with each other both before and after they started dating. Its a character written to be a love interest, but isnt just confined to that as his only defining attribute. He’s a part of the friend group too, he’s friends with her friends, he shows up in episodes for reasons other than Candace to have to impress him or hide something embarrassing from him or fawn over him. I really like it, same with Isabella. 

She’s a part of the crew, she has a lot of personality, and it just so happens that she has a crush on Phineas. It’s clear she was first thought of as a love interest, but from the very beginning they put more thought into her than that. It’s also a little different than Candace and Jeremy, and is staged differently as such,  which is essential. It’s a cute kid crush, and he doesn’t notice because of the different levels of emotional intelligence, and that’s a big part of their dynamic, but its not all there is. They’re friends first and foremost, and the crush isn’t debilitating and affects every interaction they have because they’re still kids, its a smaller thing at that age. Phineas just isn’t at the age to like anyone yet, and it’s well done, I’m glad they stuck to that. He’s not oblivious entirely, he just isn’t old enough to really know what those things mean. He does that kid thing of being like of COURSE I love Isabella! I love all my friends! :) and thats awesome. 

So many shows just want that teenager-level romantic awareness for kids that aren’t always at the teen age yet, and its kind of weird how normal that is not only in entertainment but in society. Adults confuse kids so much more than need be by either casting off their childhood crushes completely or over legitimizing them. I remember as a kid who was afab everyone told me if you have friendly feelings towards a boy, its a crush. even if it feels like the same way you feel towards your girl friends, once its on a boy its different somehow. I was always confused and it felt bad. I know I like boys now, but I felt I had to reject boys entirely then. I had to refute that claim or I could never have boy friends that are just friends. It strained friendships because my best friend was almost always a boy.

Its important to remember what kids are really like at that age, and not pressure them to feel any which way. Same with younger kids that DO get crushes. It’s okay that Isabella is already thinking of people that way, and its okay that Phineas isn’t, kids develop at different speeds and that happens a lot irl. They’re both what, like, ten? It makes sense for BOTH of them to be where they’re at romantic-awareness wise. Also, it’s not really presented as a gender thing, that Phineas is clueless because he’s a boy, which I appreciate. Girls are often seen as maturing faster because they’re expected to start earlier with the performative heterosexuality. They mimic crushes bc its what they’re supposed to do. They’re taught to be thinking about their weddings before they’re even a decade old. Boys aren’t, and they’re allowed to be like ew yucky romance for longer (which tbh is also a taught behavior) or to just not be interested in it. Phineas isn’t clueless because he’s a boy, he’s clueless because he’s 10. Isabella isn’t starting to get crushes because she’s a girl, it’s because she’s 10. Both of these things can be factual without contradicting each other. 

ALSO important to note that Ferb has a crush on Vanessa. He’s a boy the same age as Phineas. It’s just on a personal basis, people develop different. Candace and Jeremy are older, not adults, but older, and the way they act is perfect for their ages, same with the kids. Idk i think they did a really good job. I usually have a lot of complaints about how canon relationships go down but there’s not much to criticize. The relationship stuff is also never the be all end all of any plot, which is very nice, because a lot of people don’t care at all who likes who, they just want to see the giant rollercoaster lmao, which was me when i was 10 so yeah! everyone is different and rollercoasters r cool idk