#my two cents

[1thesewordsaremyown1]

I know there are some bucktommy fans that aren't happy with the Maddie and Buck scene at the end of the ep (for a variety of reasons). And while there are aspects of it I don't like, I think it's actually crucial - for me, it's the scene that TRULY puts buddie to rest.

In the morning after scene with Tommy, if you try to watch it with buddie goggles on, I could *kind of* see how they would claim buddie still has a chance. Buck is talking to his ex, who he just slept with - you could claim that he is in denial because he doesn't want to admit that it was a factor in their relationship (I absolutely don't see it this way, but like I said, I'm trying to put buddie goggles on here), or he doesn't want to hurt Tommy (which he ended up hurting him anyway, but I digress). They even have Tommy scoffing at Buck's denial, and one could interpret that as "well, TOMMY thinks Buck's in love with him!" Which ok, fair enough, but Tommy isn't Buck, is he? The only one who truly knows his own feelings is Buck.

Cue the conversation with Maddie. Maddie, his sister who has always been his sounding board for his relationships, who was the first person he went to when he realised he was bisexual, who he goes to for advice when hurdles in his relationships appear (instead of the person he's actually in a relationship with, but again, I digress). Maddie, who is sitting there basically telling Buck, "hey, if you ARE in love with your best friend, there's nothing wrong with that, and I'll support you." If Buck had any feelings for Eddie, here was the safe space to finally start to address any doubts or potential feelings.

Instead, when asked, Buck gives a firm, definitive "I am not in love with my best friend." Listen to his tone of voice. There is absolutely zero doubt there - he knows what he wants (or doesn't want, as the case may be). Then when he suggests calling and Maddie assumes he's talking about Eddie, Buck gives a flippant "no, I'll call him later" before stating, again, very firmly that he was talking about calling TOMMY.

And all this time, while they are having this conversation, what is Buck doing? He's getting all the tools and ingredients out to start baking again. Even if you dont listen to his words, his actions are showing that he cant stop thinking about Tommy.

Now, I could go on about how I believe they were using Maddie as a stand-in for the buddie fans and Buck as a mouthpiece for the writers to try and shut buddie down once and for all, but that's all conjecture. But everything else i mentioned? That is stuff that was shown ON SCREEN. We heard those words, we heard the tone, and we saw their actions. You can interpret anything however the hell you want, but if you listen to Tim and Aisha when they said "we are going to let what we show you on screen do the talking", what is the show is telling us?

Buck is 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, NOT in love with Eddie.

[seventeenlovesthree]

Yeah, overall, all of this - in the grand scheme of things, while ignoring some of the inconsistencies - WOULD make the most sense. And I have just successfully adopted the headcanon of Jyou just wearing the lab coat because he LIKES it (I mean, the way he throws it over himself is pretty damn cool after all).

A few days have passed now (and honestly speaking, I was mentally burnt out by it all on Friday, so I had to cool down for a bit). And I think I am content with both options - either there being a separate timeline that is a little to the left (= "the Kakudou timeline") OR, if we have to contextualize it SOMEWHERE in the OG timeline, it'd take place before Kizuna.

... Then there's also the secret third thing we all keep forgetting. And that's that, everything about Digimon Adventure we see, hear and read about - stems from Takeru Takaishi's narration. Beyond even STARTS with his narrator voice, so he is basically the GOD of the narrative. What he writes about becomes visible to the viewer - and that may mean that he puts his WIPs out there without proofreading them first. Hence why inconsistencies exist. ("BUT TAKERU, WE HAVEN'T MET RUI AT THIS POINT YET, THAT WAS TWO YEARS LATER!" - "DAMN, YOU'RE RIGHT, WHOOPS, I FORGOT.")

So... I completely overheard that Iori said he was a Japanese high schooler. Which really would mean this takes place around 2008-2010, so it'd be prior to Kizuna's events, making Taichi and Yamato 20-22 in Beyond. Which would explain why the Digivices and partnerships still exist, regardless of the split timeline theory.

... But then we get Rui (whom Takeru should only meet in 2012, so there COULD be a timeskip WITHIN the PV) and there also is a "blink and you'll miss it" shot of someone who could be Maki Himekawa... Implying that they actually managed to bring her back.

My brain hurts.

Edit:

Who would have thought that Iori's age would throw me for a complete loop here.

So let's break this down. He's in his second year in high school in 2010 - let's ignore the hair inconsistencies for now.

In Beyond, he says, he is "a Japanese high schooler". Japanese high school has three years, he's 17 in Kizuna... So the range for Beyond shall be: between 2009 and 2011 then (and not 2008 like I initially thought).

If Beyond takes place before Kizuna (minus the potential time skip when Takeru and Shuu meet Rui, minus the hair inconsistencies), it'd be around 2009-10ish, putting the characters' ages here:

Taichi, Yamato, Sora: 21/22

Koushirou, Mimi: 20/21

Jyou: 22/23

Hikari, Takeru, Daisuke, Ken: 18/19

Miyako: 19/20

Iori: 16/17

Edit 2.0: I'm gonna give up, maybe this is really just a split timeline and I am overthinking it all.

[brightbluedot]

to succeed in adult friendship you must remember the key tenets of child friendship:

Play Toys

Play Pretend

Snack Time

[symphonyofsilence]

Let the poor man rest.

[sauraunderscore]

I would die believing that Arthur had some magic inside thanks to it being involved in his birth.

Otherwise he wouldn't have been such a magnet to magic users and beast. And, of course, he would never have survived the Questing Beast bite for as long as he did on his own.

[anticoquette]

Another thing about ATLA that applies to both the original and live-action is that Fire Lord Ozai doesn't love Azula, he just hates Zuko. Ozai's disdain for his son is the only thing that pushes him to his daughter. If it weren't for the fact that Azula shares the same disdain for her brother, and is incredibly desperate for her father's validation, Ozai wouldn't care for her either. The only reason I can sympathize with her a little is because her dad groomed her to be like him. Azula never stood a chance, really

[coinandcandle]

Thoughts on Offerings

The thing about an offering is that it has to come from you for the being you're offering it to. It is specifically FROM YOU meaning it has to be something within your power to give.

This could be something more easy or more difficult, but gods, spirits, ancestors, etc. aren't stupid--they know what you can and can't do.

They know if you're a minimum wage worker, or a broke college student. They know if you're well off financially but maybe you've burnt out and can offer expensive gifts but not much time or energy.

An offering shouldn't be the easiest thing in the world to give, but it never is, because if it was then you could do it without thinking about it. Even offering a prayer or words of veneration is an offering. If you can do more then do it!

The point behind an offering is intention and the means to give the offering. However that manifests for you is almost always gunna be good enough!!

For example: Hunting may be one way you could give offerings to the god Lugh--who I follow. Or taking part in competitive games, but I am asthmatic and trans and organized sports don't tend to like people like me very much.

And he has never asked this of me cuz he knows that's not my vibe!! Nor would it be much of an offering since it's not much within my wheelhouse, lmao. But did I spend 2+ hours painting my nails as perfectly as I could and offer that creative energy and time to him? YES!

TL;DR - Sometimes offerings are like:

"I'd like a coke." "We don't have coke, is pepsi ok?"

[lordship-posts]

Fuck it im gonna write James x Reader stuff. I shouldn't care but what is going with all the hate towards himmmmm. Wtfff.

There are SO MANY WORSE and much more awful people that tiktok Editors and Twitter folk simp over SOMETIMES EVEN IRL MURDERER and suddenly everyone decided "Jep James from the Silent Hill 2 iS THE guy to hate and shame people for finding him hot or interesting" ok then everyone who ever simped on ghostface or THE GHOST from call of duty needs to be shamed as well. They killed a lot of people?! Or Joel from The Last of Us... but y'all ain't ready for that fucking convo and it showwws.

(Not shitting on them I had a huge Joel and ghostface phase)

I like James. He's a very conflicted and interesting character who happens to be hot too. So I write some EQUALLY as bad and evil and terrible dirty fucking Reader smut with him :)

Especially the hate on people who edit him on tiktok is fucking crazy.

Let people like what they like why are we always going back in time with this.

I don't tell you pink as a color fucking sucks and you shouldn't like it. So don't tell me blue is terrible and I shouldn't like/write about it.

Thanks.

The most insane thing is that we are talking about a fictional game character bruh.

[erinwantstowrite]

A while ago you liked a comment of mine on TikTok where I said that there should be no second Batman bc having Bruce retire/die means his fight should be over and he should be able to rest properly, (idk if that’s exactly what I said but I think it’s in the ball park) so can I ask what you think about a legacy Batman? And who would you have be the second Batman? Also your art is amazing and I love leap of faith, hope you have a great day

i remember that comment!!!!

i honestly believe that having a "legacy" for every single hero is just,,, boring. the reason this happens is because they are never going to NOT have Batman. how else would they make money??? so they just keep giving us reasons why his mantle has to be there. just like the Joker HAS to always come back, why new characters are always tied in to existing characters somehow, etc.

in a perfect world, we'd get new characters sometimes and overarching storylines that aren't regressed the second we make any headway on character development. we'd have new villains by now that make a name for themselves outside of the original villains, we'd see an impact on our settings and characters, all that jazz. and in this perfect world, we wouldn't have so many legacy mantles

and i mean, like, one of the supers taking up the Superman name? that's cool. they're a family, thematically it works. even with the Flash family, I accept how they do it (though I hardly keep up with their comics)

but Batman?????

STOPPPPP

Every other Batfam member has an arc where they branch away from Bruce and the name, save for Tim and Cass, I think. Tim is... a gray area. I only put him here because he's back to being Robin (because DC can't let go of that money maker!). It's an insult to their characters to put them into the Batman mantle, but in universe, this keeps happening because "Gotham needs Batman."

No! No they do not! They do not need Batman specifically. They need his ideals! His kids do not need to be Batman to have Batman still be around after he's put up the cape or died, because they are that future without the cape! There is no magic tied in to that stupid cowl, they just see it that way because Batman is this larger than life figure. Of course they think their dad is impervious to the world, that the cape that protected them is special, that they need Batman. But that is NOT the case.

Just like with any family, life will move on. The legacy continues through the lessons that the kids learned. In many ways, they are better than Batman because they learned from his mistakes, too. Just like every kid does with their parent.

But they don't want to be Batman. And it's kind of insane to keep putting them in someone else's suit, basically someone else's identity. Dick is a great Batman, but his biggest fear is losing himself in Bruce's shadow. What happened to Jason was because of Batman's failure, and it isn't healthy to put him in the Batman suit. Tim should be allowed to move on from Robin and finally get his own mantle because he has always used someone else's. (Yes I am purposefully forgetting that Drake existed do not remind me.) That and the existence of Gun Batman. Do NOT put him in that suit!!!!!!! Damian is branching out of vigilante life altogether, which is so so so good for him. Him becoming Batman after struggling so much with his identity, purpose, and blood ties, is a spit in the face to character development. I think Duke should get to choose his own name for a hero mantle (because Bruce thought of Signal), and thematically I don't think he fits into the Batman role. He is a shining light the way Robin was, but this time more literal because of his powers. Batman is very human, that's what makes his character. Duke deserves more than being Batman.

The best person for that job is Cass.

Not only does she understand the No Kill Rule in the way that Bruce understands it, she is also his equal or superior in every way. Whether it's her physical abilities, or her intelligence, or her morals, Cass fits the bill. She's one of the strongest members of the Batfam and I think she would be able to take on the burden without crumbling under the pressure or feeling scared of that responsibility. She's fit in to the Batman role before, has mirrored him in many ways, and is also her own character (and man I just really love Cass). She strikes the same amount of fear into people that Batman does, a master of the shadows, the dark, and she has a hope that I think Gotham could need.

But she doesn't need to be Batman to do it. She just has to fill in that role. Sure, she could pick up the name Batman, it won't kill me. But so long as she fills in the space that Bruce left behind, becoming the next leader and mentor, she could be anyone.

I think it's more powerful that way to show that the time has passed. That Bruce's time as a vigilante made an impact. Gotham has changed. His kids have grown up. And the Dark Knight is still there, at home.

[sanmarzanhoe]

i think that carmy being a much/eater, particularly with sydney, is deeply rooted in his character. with syd, he’s constantly trying to provide, give, and please her, sometimes to a fault. he provides the resources she needs to fulfill her dreams—he agrees to open a restaurant with her. he gives her that fucking thom browne jacket, promises to give her his full focus when she asks for it and tells her she deserves it. he’s striving for a star because he knows that would please her.

going down on someone embodies the very essence of providing, giving, and, of course, pleasing. it’s an act that requires selflessness, attention to detail, and a genuine desire to please. the dynamic between them is one that is built on pleasure. carmy loves pleasing her, all he wants to do is please her and make her happy and sydney wants to be pleased by him, wants to be seen and understood by him, wants to feel valued and appreciated by him—and they’re both at least a little aware of their respective desires. so he wants to give that her pleasure, knowing she wants to receive it.

so that being said, yes, carmy is a complete and total eater and he’d be so deliberate and attentive, completely focused syd’s comfort and her pleasure. he’d be mindful of her needs and desires—and yeah, he’d probably be a little too confident and not completely in tune with her at first, but he would take them time to learn and understand what brings her joy because at the end of the day he just wants to please her whether that is outside or inside of the bedroom.

[marzghost]

Guys guys guys I know we gotta give scar a title or motif thing now that he's a winner and you've all been giving him all these cool ones like Mercury and Pluto but i propose Earth! Like look at him he's a terraformer! Plus if you look at it like this the earth is the only known planet with life. It's the only planet that can "truly see". Scar has won twice. He's won with the Sun by dying and now won by killing the Moon. Two things that WE associate with Earth are , you guessed it, the Sun and Moon. Two things we associate with scar now. The earth who's played each game. The Earth that can see the Sun, the Stars,the Moon, and Mars. It's scared by the humans who call it home. It's where WE know capitalism exists. It's where our own greed hurts us. It's the only known planet with life all alone in an empty galaxy. It's a winner standing alone amongst every other planet in our solar system that has no known life. It's the planet that stands far and yet so close to the Sun so that it may give it life and the planet with only one moon in it's night sky. Scar in the end is earth. Plus if grian is the sun then the fourth planet from the sun is earth and since 3rd life there has been four new games...

I hope this makes sense I'm going to explain it better later for sure

[kaygee-doodles]

I don't get why Reader having a bad family is so common in XReader stories?? Idk if it says something about the writers or what

Some of these are just guesses, BUT!

Reason one: conflict! A good story thrives on having antagonists, and family is usually convenient.

Reason two: Healthy family dynamics are often nuanced and most people don't want to read an entire chapter based on your family and how it works, especially since it's a reader insert.

Reason three: Ease! The stories are about you. Not your aunt, sister, cousin, whatever. Easier to just write them out if they aren't going to be interesting.

Reason four: Popularity. The stories with a lot of OCs don't tend to do well, numbers wise, in fanfiction. People want to see who they know doing stuff. They came to kiss a skeleton, not bond with a family member that they might not have in real life.

Personally, in G&D, Readers' parents are a plot point for why she's Like That, and a good tool to highlight just how ingrained and messed up the segregation in her universe is. It also bolsters the notion that Reader was very alone, emotionally, and physically until Shinanigans happened

[brightbluedot]

[symphonyofsilence]

Dazai's idea of a date (and it's getting repetitive. So in the next update he might add an "only true love kiss will save him" scenario)

[ad-caelestia]

not shielding or warding is like entering your home, not locking the door, and then having someone attempt to break in - except, this time, they have a door they can just walk right on through.

[seventeenlovesthree]

Mimi Tachikawa's clothing style - a meta analysis

While their clothing styles are arguably an underlying theme in both Koushirou's and Sora's ways of self-expression (even if it's never at the forefront of their arcs), no other character lives and breathes the idea of expressing themselves through fashion as openly as Mimi. So after Taichi, Yamato and the two redheads, let's take a closer look at Digimon Adventure's very own fashion queen, shall we:

Adventure (+ Our War Game), age 10/11:

If there is one thing the viewer can immediately tell about Mimi, it's probably her favourite colour: Through the course of Adventure, you will rarely see her wear an outfit that doesn't include one pink item of clothing (or at least an accessory) at minimum. While she also has a preference for red shades, she absolutely loves pink in all its variations - on her everyday outfits as well as on her pyjamas! In terms of style, Mimi loves to combine comfort with "being fashionable". The feminine red cowgirl dress and beige-brown - assumably - shearling boots are not exactly the most practical items to wear during a camping trip; but they perfectly complement her favourite item, the pink cowgirl hat she hides her long, wavy hair under in a ponytail. In general, hat(s), dresses/skirts and boots are a repeating theme for her, as we will see later on.

Mimi didn't exactly start Summer camp unprepared, as she wears brown gloves (in a similar colour as her hair) and carries around a brown bag with camping equipment all the way. On the other hand, as Mimi grew up in a sheltered household, at the beginning of Adventure, she is very prone to let everyone around her know when her comfort is being disrupted. Thus, it's no surprise that she got coerced into exchanging her travel-ridden outfit (probably sweaty and dirty at this point) for a fancy white-pinkish (!) princess dress, as PicoDevimon's intrigue aimed to corrupt her. After all, she was overwhelmed by the situation - and loves pretty clothes and being comfortable, so she (understandably!) gets lost in the convenience of luxury for a bit. Thus even Taichi telling her how "impractical" the dress would be as a traveling fit couldn't shake her out of it for a while. However: As a mix between red's passion and white's purity, pink symbolizes love, nurture and compassion - and so it shall also come as no surprise that Mimi (encouraged by Sora) eventually found her way back to the right path and leave the spoilt attitude behind for the sake of her duty.

Even though she'll leave the beloved hat behind with Palmon in the Digital World at some point as well - it won't be the last hat she'll own. And also not the last pink one!

02 (+ Diablomon Strikes Back), age 13/14:

The transition phase between Adventure and 02 already shows Mimi getting a little more experimental with colours, as she actually added white, blue and green - her signature colour - to the mix. However, the viewer is not prepared for just how experimental Mimi would turn out to be! And neither were the animators, as several of Mimi's incredibly varied concept outfits didn't make it into the anime - but let's go through it step by step:

At the beginning of 02, we learn that Mimi's family has moved to the USA - and if the cowgirl aesthetic hasn't been an indicator before, 13-year-old teenage!Mimi will go all out on the American aesthetic and a style that couldn't be more early 2000s: Wearing a crop top that couldn't be closer to the US American flag if she tried, a white short skirt and high heels with white kneesocks. Most notably, for the majority of the season, her favourite colour pink will be a permanent part of her - as she chose to dye her (a little shortened, but more voluminous) hair pink. Additionally, she has adopted the star motive for herself - which we have previously only seen on Taichi! Mimi herself wears them either on her shirt - or as small hairclips in her hair.

Speaking of hair - unfortunately, the viewer won't get to see most of her hair experiments (namely the dark brown dreads, the highlights and the space buns). In one episode, her strawberry blonde perm (and pants!!!) can be witnessed at least - and eventually, we'll see her return to her natural hair colour. She also returns to the cowgirl aesthetic in Summer, once again wearing a pink hat (!), a white cowgirl dress, boots - and pigtails.

In general, one can tell that Mimi undoubtedly enjoys her youth abroad, as she seemed fascinated by American culture and the idea of "expressing herself freely" as a 10-year-old already. In the Adventure novels, it is already implied that Mimi stood out among her peers in school and - similarly yet differently to Koushirou - may be considered an "odd" in contrast to more "more traditional" Japanese customs (such as Sora's kimono-wearing mother as a traditional iemoto). Mimi also never fit into lifestyle aesthetics like Gyaru or Lolita, but definitely thrives in experimenting with extravagant, less traditional clothes and hairstyles through Summer that draw attention and display her personal interpretation of femininity; outfits that are funky, stylish (mainly crop tops, short skirts/shorts and high boots) and, most importantly, individualistic.

By the end of the season and the start of winter, she goes in a bit of a different direction: Her winter outfit is probably one of her most iconic ones - as well as the most high-femme she's ever been: Mimi fully commits to the spirit of Christmas by wearing a pine green goat and hat, accompanied by her long(er) flowy hair, a mahogany red skirt and light brown boots - it's cozy and mature and very Christmas-tree-y! A similarly mature vibe is maintained during Diablomon Strikes Back, as she wears a yellow turtleneck, a mahogany red skirt, a star necklace and brown boots. She doesn't exactly grow out of the experimental expressionist phase - but gets more balance into it. It's all very symbolic for 02!Mimi, who isn't just incredibly self-confident, but has also grown out of her "spoilt princess" tendencies. Instead, she has her own mind and insists on it - in a constructive, self-assured way!

Tri, age 16:

Tri!Mimi is mostly consistent with the majority of style elements we have discovered so far and actually adds a fashion-related element to her arc. First, let's focus on the things we are familiar with - and add the aspects that are new:

By now, Mimi has stopped dying her hair regularly and mostly sticks to wearing it open and/or with a headband. Sometimes, she does wear a ponytail, still cherishes the cowgirl hat whenever it fits - and in one scene, is even seen wearing unconventional bangs (and bunny ears that almost let me doubt that it was her for a moment, but since she actually wore stars - for the first and only time in Tri -, we can tell that it's her!). Thus, she still likes to experiment with variety!

Clothes-wise, she still prefers (mostly short!) dresses/skirts/shorts, (sandal-)boots - and of course the colour pink in most of her everyday outfits (with splashes of red, green and blue in between), including yukatas! Tri also lets her wear jeans for a change - but rather rarely.

Her school uniform includes exactly two aspects that differentiate her from the way Sora wears it: First of all, she adds a splash of colour by wearing red-white sneakers (whereas Sora wears standard loafers). Second, she wears rolled-up long sleeves in Summer - and is the only one who does so besides Yamato.

Last but not least, let's talk about the formerly mentioned US American influences that got her in trouble for a bit: After transferring back to Japan, she suggests hosting a Hooters-like café for the school festival - and thus her outgoing, funky (and undeniably more revealing) ideas clash with her more traditional, reserved Japanese classmates.

Her general sentiment is that she doesn't see the use in holding back or hiding her true feelings and thoughts for the sake of pleasing others. It's her sense of sincerity, which gets perceived as egotism by her classmates, that requires her to balance herself out again (and not just in terms of fashion, as she also got into a fight with Koushirou over priorities as well):

She has to find a way not to give herself up while simultaneously not stepping on everyone else in the process - and just like when she got seduced by a princess dress at age 10, things eventually get resolved. Working with Sora and Meiko to create an orange-purple cheerleading outfit, her performance and enthusiasm doesn't just impress her classmates, but help her to reconcile with them. Even though the outfit may have shown more skin than they initially anticipated, it was still a good mix between practical, fun and cute for them to seem more open to the idea of experimentation themselves. This subplot also greatly contributes to Meiko's character development, helping her to get a little bit more confident herself!

To quote Mimi in the English dub here: "Fashion demands courage."

Kizuna, age 21:

Kizuna represents a small shift in Mimi's expressionist attitude - or rather, as she stepped into the world being an entrepreneur, running her own online business, she interprets some of her prior style elements a little... Differently, depending on the situation:

She still loves (short) dresses and will never give up on pink - however, her everyday outfit appears a little different than what we are used to with her. It's still colourful and funky, complemented by earrings and bracelets with splashes of colour. But gone is the cowgirl hat - and the hair she used to wear open for most of the past ten years has been tied back into a (loose) bun. The style is very difficult to describe and even though it's very much Mimi-esque in the way it's individualistic - it looks a little more kindergarten teacher-esque as well. In contrast, her business meeting outfit - a strapless long-sleeve shirt, a black belt and a high-waist skirt in burgundy red - combines familiar elements of Winter02!Mimi and Tri!Mimi.

The epilogue, approximately age 38:

38-year-old Businesswoman-slash-experimental-TV-star-cook!Mimi elaborated on the look of 21-year-old Businesswoman!Mimi - and while her look definitely evolved, she also returned to her roots again, finding a balance between "more traditional" and "individualistic": She's back to wearing her hair open, it's a little shorter and, depending on how she styles it, either wavy or frayed. The pink cowgirl hat is back too - as well as the whole cowgirl aesthetic, because, let's be real, she would always find a way back to it, considering how it had become such a reoccurring theme for her.

Final thoughts (and headcanons):

Mimi being as experimental as she has always been, trying out all the different things - in both fashion and life itself - absolutely stands for her honest, pure nature. She absolutely has her own mind and trusts her intuition a lot - and this experimental yet straightforward mindset will lead her to make decisions in the end: It helps her to learn exactly what she wants/likes and what she doesn't want/like. Go big or go home, don't hide who you are deep down inside!

It's a very progressive, empowering mindset - and so it shall not even come to any surprise that it's mainly (but not exclusively!) female characters she inspires with her way of thinking. Whether it's Miyako who heavily idolizes and wishes to be like her as she blushes and smiles serenely to herself; Meiko who gains a lot of self-confidence through Mimi's support and encouragement and kisses on the cheek, so she bursts through her self-destructive thoughts and gets "out of the closet box" at least a little more; her female classmates who actually adore and admire her school festival outfit and performance; or, last but not least, there is Sora, who used to take Mimi under her wing, and is, as an adult, reassured by her in return to "spread her wings freely" herself. Personally, it's very difficult for me not to see Mimi's influence and general theme as a metaphor for self-discovery in terms of gender-representation and sexuality as well. (I've made similar points for Sora and Koushirou in their respective analysis posts as well; the former is such a strong contrast to Mimi not only in the way their personalities, styles and arcs contrast each other, but in how Sora struggles so much with her own self-representation in return. The latter's temporary crush on Mimi may even play into the idea of self-discovery as well, but that's a topic for another day. Mimi - in my personal opinion you don't have to agree with! - actually has a lot of aroace energy, as she never actively pursues romance herself in the series. But at the same time, the wlw vibes she causes when she's in the same room with other girls cannot be overlooked! Also, not to say that she doesn't inspire male characters - such as Jyou, Koushirou and Taichi - at various points as well, but that's the beautiful part of Mimi's theme: even more empowerment AND power to the bisexual vibe!)

However, as it is often the case with themes of self-discovery, that kind of sincere, outgoing attitude may not be to everybody's liking. It may even cause Mimi's more revealing/emotion-based choices to clash with other people's preferences and ideals. And, as Tri suggests, it may even be controversially considered self-centered and indecent instead of self-confident and empowering by some.

For example, the fact that she spent most of her early teenage years in a - in comparison to Japan - more open society in terms of fashion choices may be met with suspicious eyes among some of her Japanese peers. 02!Mimi did pick more revealing clothes after all, which were typical for Western teenagers in the 2000s - and Tri!Mimi was 100% used to that kind of style, liking to show skin and feeling free and happy while doing so! Which definitely collided with Meiko's more closed-off clothing choices.

(On a different note, it shall not be ignored that she was also the focus of a lot of heavily sexualized/objectified marketing materials back in the Tri era. So while her wearing crop tops, short skirts and high boots absolutely IS a Mimi!thing, Tri's half-naked fan service promo art can and should be taken with a grain of salt. And while it's not exactly linked to her clothes, Mimi had already faced a lot of Digimon (!) back in Adventure hitting on her as a 10-year-old - such as Numemon and Sukamon -, trying to date her in a rather scummy fashion. So her being the center of weird "fan service" and uncomfortable encounters has always been a thing.)

On the other hand, her learning/knowing exactly what she wants also includes her having reoccurring preferences she will always come back to. And thus, as she grew more mature and self-assured, Mimi never gave up on her own personal roots: The comforting power of pink - let's remember: as a mix between red's passion and white's purity, it symbolizes love, nurture and compassion. And, of course, the nostalgic cowgirl hat that will always link her to her literal soulmate - who wears a pink, almost hat-like flower on top of her head.