#for my beloved followers and mutuals i give you: an analysis of a kid's show that's 20 years old

[meanderfall]

Been watching the 2003 tmnt show, and obviously I went in with some knowledge of who the turtles are and their roles and personalities, but it's been kind of fascinating to notice how Leonardo is actually pretty restrained in acting as a leader, at least in the more traditional sense (and from what i've seen so far in the first 2 seasons).

The moments where he actually directly takes charge of a situation and tells his brothers what to do, or puts his foot down on what he thinks is best, are actually few and far between. It usually only really crops up in life-or-death situations, or if his brothers are arguing over a course of action and he has to intervene.

To be honest, I think his more common leadership moments are understated to the point of barely being noticeable, and it's whenever they have a problem or situation to deal with and he turns to his brothers for suggestions on what to do. And the reason i consider this to be leadership moments are threefold:

First, by doing so, he's actually helping direct their focus on possible solutions or weak points, because his questions to them are never "what do we do" but more like "how can we distract the guards" or "is it possible to take down this machine", and like, listen. Listen. As someone who works with the general public and is one of the "leaders" of my department and has to guide my co-workers, the ability to assess a situation and even just know what kind of questions to ask to reach a solution is genuinely an underrated skill that far too many grown ass adults have not cultivated.

Second, he's actually keeping the line of communication open between him and his brothers. Sure, Don is usually the turtle who provides an answer, but Raph and Mikey are always welcome to speak up too and sometime they go with their ideas! I also think this makes them comfortable enough to speak up during more high pressure situations that aren't going great when they have a plan, bc they have full confidence that Leo and the others will back them up bc Leo really is always encouraging them to think and help him figure out what to do,

Which brings me to my third reason. By asking them for their thoughts and advice, it shows that Leonardo is willing to admit that he doesn't know something and he isn't afraid to look for them for help (at least in this regard lmao). And idk about yall but I'm much more willing to follow someone who won't pretend he has all the answers and is willing to seek advice, over someone whose ego is so big they can never admit to being wrong or humble themselves to ask for help.

And, like, I don't really know what came first, if, growing up, they were so close and good at working together that it never occurred to Leonardo to be more authoritative with his brothers now that they're a team, or if because Leonardo spent so much of their childhood more concerned with running after them and bailing them out of whatever scraps they get into and low-key knew telling them what to do wouldn't work that he just naturally fell into a more communicative and "we're all in this together, let's figure out what to do together" style.

But it does give off the impression of the brothers being a tight-knit team that pretty much work as one unit. Any friction between them is minimal at best (with most of it actually being between Mikey and Raph who take any opportunity to mess with the other). They don't really need to outline plans bc they're usually on the same page in the first place, and they have complete trust and faith in one another in getting the job done. No one is really in charge until it's necessary.

And, finally, all of the above combined is why I think his brothers usually listen and respect Leo on the rare occasions he does put his foot down on something. They know he wouldn't do it unless he was serious about what he's saying. Pretty much the only times they don't are when all 3 of them are united on wanting to do something and Leo was already kind of wavering on what to do, so they know they can rush ahead and big brother will rush after them to make sure they're okay. Or if they are also absolutely serious and fully believe in their own opinion on an issue (see the City at War arc where Leo and Raph are on complete opposite sides of the issue at hand).

but i still got 2 and half seasons to get through so maybe that changes!

[droughtofapathy]

I'm too lazy to get my phone out and scroll through emojis, which I know you'll appreciate. "what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?" "share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on" "what's the fastest way to become your mutual?"

And because I know this is going to cause internal bleeding: "give yourself some constructive criticism on your own writing"

Thank ya, love.

Oh thank god, I don't have to go scrolling back to find the post. Big fan of no-emoji asks.

"what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?" Essays. I'm lucky enough to have many beloved mutuals who will show up on the doorstep of my works with lengthy analysis, discussion, and favorite lines all ready to go. I'm a writer who wants to discuss the work in intimate detail, so these comments are like catnip to me.

"share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on" Stop giving a fuck. Do what you want and what you like and to hell with what others are doing or thinking. Having confidence in yourself is the easiest way to deal with problems. I have always been an extremely confident person, but as a kid I still had a lot of stress and anxiety, and though even at such a tender age, I was still doing what I wanted, I was also doing it with a lot more neurotic energy. I had panic attacks semi-frequently, but (and this is really bad advice from a professional mental health perspective because I'm realizing how trivializing it sounds) I got rid of all the stress and anxiety and neuroses by just...not having them. It sounds absurd, but I'm living the high life with none of the mental health issues so many of my friends have because I just decided to stop being anxious and stressed all the time, and more importantly, I'm so fucking sure of myself. This is not something most people are able to do. Proper treatment is important: I just... didn't need it. I looked at all those reasons I was stressed and upset and just said "who cares? So what? What's the worst that could happen and what am I actually going to do about it if it does? Nothing matters. I'm fantastic. So why am I wasting my time and energy being so worked up about everything?" And that's kind of just how I live my life. Nothing matters, things happen, life goes on. I know I'm a fucking delight. (And yeah, it's probably really aggravating to hear someone just say stop having anxiety, because it's not that simple. But it was for me.

So that's my advice: be confident. Be apathetic. I'm sure of what I think and what I do. Have trust in yourself. Just do whatever it is that you need or want to do.

"what's the fastest way to become your mutual?" Barrel into my DMs with lengthy rants/discussions at the ready. Talk to me about my writing or the theatre. I'm actually not great at fast-tracking mutuals. I know all of my current beloved mutuals can attest to the fact that it did take time for me to follow back. Just stick with me. I'll get there eventually if I like what's on your blog and I connect with you personally.

"give yourself some constructive criticism on your own writing" Me talking to myself: Jesus fucking Christ, why won't you take some goddamn time to edit your work? Would it kill you to take a breather in between finishing the last sentence and putting it up on the archive with barely a cursory reread for typos (especially given how they keep slipping by anyway)? Why must you be so stubborn? It's not admitting incompetence by doing a second draft. Try it out sometime and see what happens. You might even like it.

(Unfortunately, I am cursed with a staggering amount of confidence--bordering on arrogance--and my first drafts are pretty damn fantastic. I never had to try very hard to get top marks for school essays, so I was stuck in this no-edit lifestyle from an early age and just never bothered to get out. It's working for me.)

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasWatches: Little Witch Academia

Finally, a Netflix Original I care about![1]

I’d been waiting for this dub since the first OVA earned itself on Article on io9. An adorable, all-ages anime about witches going to school? Count me in.

Though I let the Netflix release of the OVAs sit on my list for an embarrassingly long time, I made sure to watch them right before starting on the series proper.

So let’s step into yet another world of magic and wonder![2]

The first of the two OVAs was… cute. A lot of world building by showing, good general aesthetic for the monsters and magical artifacts, hint of mystery and potential story, and Akko and friends are endearing. It’s very clearly a proof of concept, but the first Little Witch Academia has it’s charm, and certainly deserves the franchise it started.

The second OVA, The Enchanted Parade, is my favorite of the Little Witch Academia stories. It opens with Akko and friends messing up in class, then landing in trouble, with dialogue establishing quickly that, 1. Akko and her friends are troublemakers, and 2. Akko carries the sort of innocence that leads to her listing her past infractions. Their punishment? Organize a parade for the local festival!

At first thought, that seems oddly light, however, the parade is traditionally a time for the townsfolk to mock and humilate witches, so being ordered to participate is not great.

Fortunately, our three heroines shall not be alone, as we’re introduced to the B-Team to our trio: Amanda, a burglarizing witch with flashy broom skills; Constanze, a technomancer (and Luna Nova dislikes technology); and Jasminka, who was eating in class.

I like Amanda and Constanze a lot, and they carried over the best to the series.

The Enchanted Parade implied a format that I would’ve liked to see a lot more: Akko and friends letting curiosity get the better of them, landing them in trouble with their strict Headmistress while Ursula tries her best to smooth things over, before hard work and inspiration solves an even bigger problem to the amazement of all. It’s a format that I wouldn’t have mind seeing run longer in the series proper, but, unfortunately, the Main Arc had to get involved.

Also, Ursula gets to use her skills as a performer to great effect during the titular parade, something I would’ve like to have seen more of. She is blatantly Shining Chariot, after all (even if the name makes her sound like a dang pony).

So, these two OVAs were so beloved, that a series was commissioned! Yay! But… I do have a few nitpicks.

Besides the slight change in tone from the more ‘world of wonder’ of the OVAs to the more casual magic of the series, there’s also been few character changes. My largest complaint being changes to two characters that are oddly opposed when compared: Sucy and Diana.

In the OVAs, Diana was prideful. She was talented and of high birth, and would actually rub it in Akko’s face. She had a mean streak, was kind of a bully, and it made sense she kept her two flunkies at heel to build her ego. It was a nice contrast to Akko’s own arrogance, since Akko was just hot-headed and ambitious, eyes cast higher than her current skill, while Diana was innately talented and knew it. Not to an irredeemable extent, but it was nice to see some immaturity and mutual rivalry between the two. In the show, Diana’s just… nice. She’s toned down and more mature, and that ends up making her boring. The rivalry seems entirely in Akko’s head, since Diana mostly views the girl as slightly annoying, but little else. I just would’ve seen more of her and Akko butting heads, instead of just… generic talented girl trying to solve the main conflict while Akko stumbles about.

On the other hand, Sucy’s now more actively malicious. In the OVAs, Sucy enjoyed potioncraft and poisons and used Akko as a guinea pig, but the OVAs portrayed it more as a gentle prank done to her friends, and that Sucy never meant any harm. In the series, Sucy has no care for safety, no regard for her friends, and attends Luna Nova by accident. She doesn’t feel like she’s Akko’s friend, and has few redeeming qualities in a show about cute witches doing their best. Sucy isn’t doing her best, she’s just a jerk who happens to share a room with Akko and Lotte. I actively dislike this version of Sucy.

Aside from those two, Diana’s two boring worshippers, and the villain of the second act, I liked the cast.

Akko’s an adorable protagonist that you root for throughout her whole journey; Lotte’s a cute nerd girl (even if she likes the Twilight stand-in series… that’s 365 volumes long…); and the B-Team’s unchanged from their debut OVA, and I love Amanda[3] and Constanze dearly, while Jasminka just suffers from never getting her own focus episode.

The teaching staff is also a good mix of overly uptight to overly lax, and I wish we got to see more of them outside of Ursula and Croix.

As for the plot, when it was a slice of life episode about Akko getting into trouble or exploring the world, I liked it. When the episode focused on the decline of magic and Luna Nova’s difficulties, I was less thrilled. Akko’s dreams and ambitious were more infectious than the adults fretting over the future of their job field.

So the first 13 episodes[4] were stronger in my opinion, when the ‘Magic versus Tech’ elements were more subtle. It’s a trope I’ve grown less fond of over the years. Placing the two in opposition seems overly restrictive, and I’d enjoy having Magic tied into modern technology, which we see in the second half with Croix, but she’s the main antagonist, so it’s still being touted as a bad thing.

Even then, Constanze is sitting right there, using magic and technology without being evil, so even that message is fractured.

I’ve heard a theory that the series is a metaphor for traditional animation versus computer animation, and how the old ways are being crowded out by technology. It’s an interesting take, but the show seems more focused on emotion and following your dreams than about the landscape of the animation industry. But I also tend to be resistant to over analysis and such English Class nonsense. Just let it be a story.

There’s also a running thread about Ursula hiding her true identity from Akko, who would so love to meet Shiny Chariot.[5] And… well, you know me and unnecessary secrets. To the show’s credit, they do give a plausible explanation for why Ursula’s hiding her past, and maintaining the secret doesn’t cause anyone much pain outside of inconveniencing Ursula herself, as she could’ve used her true identity to swing Akko against Croix earlier, but the secret’s harmless.

Still a stupid secret, but Ursula’s ashamed of the damage she caused by accident while on tour, so I’ll give it a side-eyed pass.

So the first 13 episodes spend time world building, character building, and culminates in Akko and her friends getting the shortest straw for an annual festival, and Akko’s resolve and practice turning being human sacrifices (they get better) into a grand event that ends with no one ever having to do the job ever again. It’s a big moment, even if the win Akko rightfully deserved got passed to Diana.

Then Croix does an ominous, last fifteen seconds thing, and…

Croix was a boring villain, made worse by the fact she came in when the show tightened its belt and decided to commit to the magic’s fading plotline. Also, Croix spends most of her time sitting in her lab, smirking nefariously, and just… hanging around? Yes, we see her dark cubes and evil roombas flying around causing problems, but Croix herself is so passive it’s hard to care.

Though evil roombas is a hilarious parallel to brooms.

Admittedly, my opinions of the last 12 episodes may be unfairly colored by what I had wanted out of the show, as opposed to what the show was providing. And it wasn’t a terrible plot, I just… preferred the episodes about Akko than the mystery about Croix and Chariot’s relationship.

And the ‘find the Words’ half of that main narrative fit with what I enjoyed. Akko always found the words when she was just having adventures with her friends. Akko joining the side of the striking monster servants was both in character and very amusing, especially since the teaching staff’s reaction amounted to ‘Akko joined them? Okay, sure, that tracks.’ Then Akko visits Lotte’s family, where she has to first help gather ingredients to cure a curse on the town, then ends up having to complete the project herself, and it’s all very well written lesson on patience and compassion.

Which is then followed by two episodes co-starring Amanda and Constanze! Croix’s influence do cause boss battles for them, and Amanda’s episode did split its focus with Andrew’s character development, but still, Akko becoming better friends with the B-Team is great.

And Constanze’s focus episode was just perfect. Akko nosing in where she’s not invited, gets rebuffed several times, but her tenacity and ability to relate to the school service staff wins over Constanze, and they build the ship from Enchanted Parade.

Which Constnze then retrofits into a transforming mech (at Akko’s suggestion), because it’s Studio Trigger, and they want to remind you they made Gurren Lagaan!

I kid. The entire sequence was fun, silly fun; Constanze, despite her apparent mutism, is given plenty of stoic personality; the Stanbots’ antagonism towards Akko is funny; and the show gives as a positive example of Technology and Magic working together.

Which undermines the whole ‘Mixing the two is bad’ thing Croix’s supposed to have going, but even the devices she introduces helps expand the magical capabilities of Luna Nova, so the show’s all over the place with the message.

So, Amanda and Constanze were given focal episodes, so obviously the third one must be about Diana!

Poor Jasminka. All she gets is a bag of chips. She’s content with the bag of chips, of course, but still, complete the trilogy, show!

Anyways, Diana tries to leave Luna Nova to take over as the head of her family, which Akko doesn’t want to allow, and tracks the girl down to her family estate, where Diana’s evil Aunt and her daughters are selling off family heirlooms and just generally being jerks. Lot of high class drama.

Also, we see Diana’s got the last Shining Chariot Trading Card Akko needs, finally establishing Diana’s own fandom of Chariot first hinted at by her Cameo during the opening sequence of the show.

These are elements I feel would be stronger if Diana was a little more of a jerk. Akko’s attempts to get her to return to school would’ve shown a lot more of Akko’s general compassion had Diana not been generically aloof and a little more antagonistic. The two would’ve had their differences, but gosh darnit, Akko needs Diana to measure herself against!

Also, the Cavendishs are descended from one of the Nine Olde Witches, and taking over as head of the family involves a ceremony initiated by a Venusian eclipse. Which begs the question:

Are the Nine Olde Witches the Sailor Scouts?

And does that make Rita Repulsa Sailor Moon?[6]

Such intriguing lore.

The final five episodes are just all Croix plot. She’s going to use technology and cause an international incident to get the Grand Triskelion, and that’s bad.

Well, causing soccer riots is pretty wicked, but my understanding is such things are normal in Europe, so shrug.

It’s all… fine, I guess. We get a fuller explanation for why Chariot disappeared, as she was ashamed of accidentally stealing magic potential from her audience (hence Akko’s inability to fly), but Croix didn’t tell her that’s what the power-up technique she created did, so Chariot is kind of absolved, even though she maybe should’ve double checked Croix’s research.

So, turns out Ursula was keeping her secrets because she was ashamed of her actions, and it caused little damage, so… I give it a begrudging pass.

Although, had Ursula been a little more open earlier, Diana could’ve stepped forward after Akko has a meltdown over it and been all ‘Uh, I saw that very same show, and my magic’s fine’, and everyone would’ve felt better about the whole thing, and Akko could go back to trying hard.

The finale was exactly what it should’ve been: Croix’s designs backfire on her, Ursula’s identity as Chariot is out in the open, and Akko’s general optimism inspires everyone to go beat up an evil magic missile. The important characters do their part, with Croix and Constanze collaborating on making a super broom designed as a multistage rocket, a team up I wanted since Croix was introduced. Then Chariot helps by… giving the seven girls fancier duds? That’s not really participating, Ursula.

So the broom fires off, everyone gives their inspirational efforts, using their talents to help as they fall away, leaving Akko and Diana to do the final battle.

Fueled by the power of the world’s dreams, hope, and belief in the Little Witches trying to save the day. Saccharine and very MLP-esque, but we do have a character named Shining Chariot, so what can you do?

Okay, I joked about Ursula not really helping, but Croix does nudge her into what she should’ve done during the Mecha vs. Giant bird fight: act as announcer and narrator ala Enchanted Parade.

Chariot’s showmanship finally, after 25 episodes, returns from the best OVA! She tells the world the general situation, and tells them to believe.

And it’s great, and Akko and Diana fire a magic arrow into a missile and blow it up.

Then the Shiny Rod vanishes. Because reasons.

For the final scene, Akko finally gets a broom to float. Yay!

It was a satisfying finale. And a satisfying series. I might not have enjoyed aspects of the main plot, but that’s more an issue of personal taste than actual poor writing. I’m glad to have seen it and, if I’m being honest, I hope Netflix doesn’t pressure the staff into making more episodes. Anime has usually been good about telling a complete story in a timely manner[7] and letting it speak for itself, but Netflix is an American company, where we tend to stretch series out as long as it gets good ratings. I wouldn’t object, however, to more OVAs. And if they do a sequel series with a new plot, that might be acceptable. I’m also totally getting that game when it comes out, and likely will throw it on the Stream pile.

Though, there is still one final mystery:

How did Salem Saberhagen get admitted to a girl’s magic school? What trickery did that cat play?

Thanks for reading my review. Look at my blog for other works and projects, send me questions and messages, consider my Patreon.

And, most importantly, believe in the Magic that believes in the Magic in you.[8]

Kataal kataal.

[1] Well, okay, A Series of Unfortunate Events was also good, but I didn’t do a review of that, did I? [2] Because there’s such a shortage of them… [3] Even though people keep saying she’s Ryuko from Kill la Kill. I still can’t get my hands on that series, so the comparison’s lost on me. [4] Because Netflix split the series into two batches, so there was a break between them. [5] It wouldn’t be such a horrible name if everyone had ridiculous names. But, no, everyone’s got freaking normal names. Except Chariot. [6] Pay attention to the hats behind the headmistress’s desk. Rita’s is present. [7] Shonen fighty-man series aside. [8] Really need to get through Gurren Lagaan one of these days…