#ninjago rewatch is going great

[bastardlybonkers]

you were my son once

[jewelthenerd]

Absolutely NOBODY asked for this but Papaya trio sketches because for some reason out of ALL the characters in Ninjago my brain could’ve picked to latch on to, it chose the three who have never canonically met

I’m sorry but I love them dearly

I also apologize for not allowing any character that I draw to NOT have at least one inhuman trait, as you can see Morro got the worst of it here

[summerlimeismethebrony]

[Image Description: a screenshot of a bulleted list, cropped so that only three bullet points are shown.

The first point reads: Aaand [the word "and" with more than one "a", meant to signify drawing the sound out verbally] here we are, at the crux of the problem. Because the beginning of the episode set up a “don’t push people to grow up too fast” and “don’t demean kids just because they’re younger than you” theme, and the middle of the episode mainly focused on the ninja having to see what it’s like to be demeaned because you’re younger, the climax being Lloyd sacrificing his childhood and forcibly grown up is…. awful, on a thematic level. It implies the ninja were right to say that Lloyd didn’t have time for “childish things” anymore, and that he needed to choose his duty over his childhood. Which, y’know… is a terrible message to put in a kids’ show. This was not the right story to set up this plot beat, is what I’m saying.

The second point reads [in all caps, for emphasis]: AND HE TURNS DOWN THE COMIC, THE SAME “CHILDISH THING” FROM THE BEGINNING?????? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU, NINJAGO WRITERS!!!

The third point reads: Your little over-the-credits speech about the value of childhood does Not ["n" is capitalized for emphasis] make up for that thematic mess, Wu >:((( [an emoticon of an angry face, with extra parentheses to indicate intense upset]

End Image Description]

I am very normal about LEGO Ninjago season 2 episode 5 Child's Play

[totallynotobsessedwithfandoms]

the fact that the love triangle was orchestrated by the Overlord to sow chaos in the team

the fact that Harumi never actually loved lloyd

the fact that the Misako is actually a pretty good mom after her first introduction and none of the other characters harbor any resentment towards her and it seems to be a fandom-created thing that she’s a terrible parent. I don’t know why she left Lloyd at Darkley’s, but she’s proved time and time again after that she does care for Lloyd and has been an otherwise good mother (sorry I can ramble about Misako’s moral-ness for a while cause it’s interesting to me)

the fact that all the team members are important and they all have their own characters flaws and while I fully agree on making fun of them (cause jays an idiot and I love him dearly), they’re still smart? And kind? And important?

Anyways what are y'alls "show don't tell" moments you noticed in Ninjago that you thought were obvious but for some reason caused a lot of confusion and complaining (the some reason in question being shitass media comprehension)

[only-lonely-stars]

I'm watching DR season 3! 4 episodes in and I have a few thoughts/comments.

Note that I've seen tons of spoilers, so some of my reactions are a bit tempered... that, and I have different guesses than if I'd watched it blind. My comments are in no particular order.

Prismatic blades, eh? There sure are a lot of "rare metals" in Ninjago and the other realms. Prismatic steel, Chronosteel, Vengestone, gold from the Golden Peaks... I'm going to mentally call this one vanadium now.

Ras is a piece of crap. Not just an idiot, a piece of walking garbage. And he's not even convincing! The nonsense he's peddling to Arin this whole time is actually getting kind of annoying (lol) but I'll be patient.

PIXAL MY QUEEN. It's about dang time! The entire episode where she's found (episode 3 I think?) is just great. Her commenting on Zane being uncharacteristically emotional is funny, and besting one of the Five in combat is kick-butt. Love her.

Why is Zane huge? I don't know if I like it. I hope that's not permanent.

RIP Roby. I'm sure he'll be fine. RIP his tiny dragon too. (Hermes!!!)

Rogue is awesome. I like him. Wonder who he's going to meet with... probably someone who's trouble. It would be cool if he met with some previous villain, like Dr. What's-Her-Name from Imperium. Also, I just love how he's showing off Jay's inventive side again! I missed that!

Nya is admitting that Jay is the love of her life, and saying she loves him, so frequently! To anyone! Especially to Kai, who's not poking fun at her for it. Man how they've changed over the years (in-story and in reality)... I do like this change.

So many hairpieces with Euphrasia's design, but no Euphrasia. Sad. I liked her.

Speaking of the Master of Wind, why is Morro... like that? He seems a little too noble, but maybe I'm just cynical. It's been quite a few years, I can let it slide. I do wish he'd be just a little more vindictive, but maybe that'll come with time? I sure hope we haven't seen the last of him.

Wu's not dead? Interesting...

Dancing with birds again - fun! Zane calling his dragon buddy (Zav?) weird for it was a pretty good joke too.

Frak and Sora's arguing in this season is actually really entertaining. I can see why people are shipping them! (Especially with how Frak compliments Sora in episode 1 - I see you, showrunners, you're not slick.) Seeing as people ship Sora and Arin too, I think we'll see some fun stuff coming down the pipeline in canon and fandom.

I want more Cole, what a surprise. Also, PLEASE bring back Vania, we are starving!

(It's okay actually, I kind of like that they've removed some characters. The cast was too large, and paring it down into a few small groups makes it a lot easier to follow the story. I appreciate the narrative structure of this season so far.)

Overall a pretty good start to the season. I think the next few episodes will be pretty good too! Hopefully I'll get a chance to marathon the next 4 like I did today. (Or not, who knows, my schedule is nuts. I'm stalled out in my rewatch of ATLA so I might not finish DR quite as soon as one might think...)

[l1-b1]

If someone was going to get into Ninjago for the first time, where would you recommend starting?

There are multiple approaches!

Approach 1 that I now in 2024 would recommend is actually starting with dragons rising! (I know starting with the latest series sounds weird but hear me out)

As a new viewer, Ninjago Dragons Rising actually works well as an introduction to the ninjago universe and introduces new and old characters! The writing is of higher quality and animation is good. Of course you will not be aware of all the things that has happened in ninjago timeline but ninjago dragons rising does a great job introducing you to ninjago! Which I honestly think can work as an “oh wow this is cool I gotta check out the previous series” which can motivate you to sit through the rest of the seasons of Ninjago that came before Dragons Rising! Because ngl some parts of the earlier seasons can be more difficult to get through as it can feel quite slow at times (it is a kids show after all) and there’s a LOT of seasons

Approach 2 is the classic chronological one!

This approach can be a bit harder to get through as you would then be going through 17 seasons in total from first to last!

-ninjago pilots (they are a bit hard to find, when I had a total rewatch I watched them in low quality on yt lol)

-season 1 Rise of the snakes

-season 2 Legacy of the green ninja

-season 3 Rebooted

-season 4 Tournament of elements

-season 5 Possession

-season 6 Skybound

-Lego ninjago special: Day of departed (this one is also hard to find, I found the English version on Vimeo)

-season 7 Hands of time

-season 8 sons of garmadon

-season 9 Hunted

-season 10 March of the oni

-season 11 secrets of the forbidden spinjitzu

-season 12 prime empire

-season 13 master of the mountain

-(Lego ninjago miniseries: The island)

-season 14 Seabound

-season 15 Crystalized

-“Season 16” Dragons Rising season 1

-“season 17” Dragons Rising season 2

Side content that aren’t essential to watch to have the complete timeline :

-the Lego Ninjago Movie (basically an alternative ninjago universe)

-the YouTube shorts! This playlist has put together all YouTube shorts so they’re easy to find!

As you can see, there is A LOT of content to get through, which is why I recommend starting with Dragons Rising, it makes it easier to start with something fresh and new and then going back and see everything that built up to Dragons Rising!

Some fans will insist you’ll need to start at the very beginning to watch ninjago but that is not true. This show is 13 years old, starting with dragons rising can be a new fun way to explore the ninjago universe! Dragons Rising does a good job introducing new fans to this 13 year old franchise!

[pan-annigans]

Jay x Nya: best ship!!!

Zane x Pixal: they are soulmates and no one can say otherwise.

Kai x Skylor: the two of them balance each other well, plus seeing Kai get all lovey-dovey around Skylor is just cute.

Lloyd x Akita: Akita likes Lloyd for himself and isn’t interested in his status as the Green Ninja, she just might be the one person he could be with without having to worry about keeping up appearances.

Cole x Vania: they’re just great together (as lovers or as friends), their dynamic is sweet and both admire and encourage each other with just simple honest words.

hi!! thank you so much!

I'm going to post art for all of these, along with a few of my thoughts on the ships that have been sent to me. Just for funsies :)

Fun fact, I used to hate Jaya. I thought it was really forced in the canon, and Jay's really obsessive behavior that is the catalyst for all of the events in Skybound always really bothered me? But tumblr has completely turned me around on this ship. They have their moments in canon, but in fanon they're really wonderful. thanks tumblr <3

these two...... 🥺they are really good i will admit. I'm a big fan of glaciershipping myself and I tend to prefer it over pixane, but these two are so lovely to each other and i totally see the appeal. I just wish pixal wasn't so sidelined in the canon fr what were they doing with her character??? let her be around more often let her and zane be sweet together. please smh

SKYLOR ALSO HAS NOTHING TO DO MOST OF THE TIME-- honestly this show sidelines like all of its female characters so hard. but these two are great toooo theyre sweeeet 😊 i just wish skylor was used for more than cameos. i like that she's the only one that can consistently shake kai's ego it's a great dynamic

lloyd and akita!! i'm gonna be so real with you guys i forget about akita so often ;v; which is a shame... i give her the award for most sidelined female character because she existed for half a season. but she and lloyd are sweet! I don't tend to ship lloyd with anyone personally, but i do love that they meet under the circumstances of "lloyd is in a world where his name and status mean nothing so he has no pressure to perform". it's a fantastic break for him. holy shit he deserves it

im gonna be so honest with all of you um. i actually. havent seen MotM yet. i was in the middle of my rewatch, and i got up to the point i stopped, right before MotM, and then Netflix changed their watch policies. and then of course i got busy

but from what i've seen of these two in fanon they seem alright! I usually prefer them in other wlw or mlm ships because of ONE ninjago vine compliation thing i saw with the two of them as this one tiktok and i've never been able to think of them as a couple since then. But they seem like they have a lovely friendship, whether that ends up turning to romance or not!

Thank you so much for sending me an ask, this was a lot of fun and I got to draw a lot of characters that I've never drawn before! To those of you who have sent me asks and reblogs and comments on the original post, I will be working through all of them in chronological order from when I received them in my activity tab :)

[lightning-and-dragons]

Here's a random thought I had while rewatching Ninjago.

What if Jay, instead of being adopted by the Walkers, was adopted by Dr. Julien? Just imagine all of the fluff and angst that could come from it.

Edit as of May 26, 2024: Now on A03!

Jay could've learned all of his building skills from Dr. Julien, and when it came time to build Zane, Jay helped out a bit. There are bits of Jay's mechanics in Zane, little pieces that only Jay created, so that there was always a part of him with Zane.

When Zane was activated, much like waking up, he and Jay hung out together ever second of every day. They grew up together, learning all there was to learn side by side. Jay never thought that Zane was odd, and he knew that Zane was his brother, despite being made of metal.

Zane always thought as Jay as his older brother, because he was. Jay loudly taught Zane all that Dr. Julien didn't, even convincing Zane to learn how to dance and sing. He was a constant in Zane's life, one that he was thankful for.

Jay grew to be a joy that Zane still struggled to understand, because how can someone be so happy all of the time? And Zane began to be a steady presence in Jay's life when his nightmares became too vivid, rubbing his back comfortingly every time Jay woke up sobbing.

They ate every meal together, trying new recipes as often as they could. Dr. Julien taught Zane how to cook, Jay sitting back and tasting as they went. They were a family, made up of broken pieces of both hard pasts and machine parts, but they were as flesh and blood.

And Dr. Julien mourned the day that he would have to say goodbye to the both of them. He knew who they were both meant to become. He knew what he had to do.

Jay cried when he learned that Dr. Julien had to hide away, and didn't eat for days when he learned that Zane would get his memory wiped. He was going to lose his father and his brother, and despite Dr. Julien's assurances that he wouldn't truly loose Zane, Jay knew that what they had would never return. Not when all of Zane's memories were gone. There relationship would never be the same.

Zane would forget all that they had done together, all of the games of tag in the snowy forest, all of the inside jokes the two had been collecting, even the stories Dr. Julien would tell them every night.

Zane didn't understand why Jay was sad, and was even more confused when Jay accepted a job at a junkyard, more than two day's travel away. He didn't understand why Jay was crying when he wrapped Zane in a hug, telling him that he was the best brother he could ever have. He didn't understand that when Jay said goodbye, he meant it.

--------------------------------------------------

Zane becomes a ninja, being led up the steps to the Monastery by Master Wu, and Jay is waiting for him. At the sight of his brother, one he hadn't seen for years, a flood of joy filles his heart, causing a bright smile on his face. All he wants to do is run up to Zane, wrap him in a big hug, and tell him all of the adventures he's had. But before he can, Zane gives him a smile, and introduces himself, his eyes friendly, yet giving no spark of recognition, no joy at seeing his brother again.

"Hello. I am Zane."

Zane didn't recognize him. He didn't know Jay. He didn't recognize his own brother.

With a heavy heart, Jay knows that the plan worked. His father was gone, and Zane forgot everything. And now, for everything to go as Dr. Julian wished it, Jay had to pretend that he didn't know Zane. He had to pretend that Zane was a human. That Jay hadn't helped build him. That they hadn't grown up together. That Jay wasn't his brother long before they were ninja.

So he rebuilds their relationship from the ground up, starting with his name.

"I'm Jay! It's great to meet you!"

--------------------------------------

Zane grows to see Jay as a little brother, and gladly lets Jay taste the food he makes, ignoring the sad look in Jay's eyes when he does so. He learns that Jay loves to invent, that he's especially fond of cold weather despite him being the Master of Lightning, and enjoys reading books before resting for the night. Jay tries to read to Zane, but Zane is more confused by the practice, and Jay soon stops, his voice soft as he says goodnight.

Jay learns to talk to Zane like they are just meeting, pushing away the inside jokes they once shared, and tried to make new ones. He tastes Zane's cooking, trains beside him, and plays videogames with him. It's good, it's nice, but it's not the same. He still misses everything. He still misses his brother. Every part of him wants flip that memory switch, make Zane remember, but he couldn't. He couldn't do that to Zane or his father.

Zane was happy. Dr. Julien was safe. And that was all that mattered.

--------------------------------------

Zane does eventually learn he's a robot, back in Jay's childhood workshop, in the woods that they both had called home. Jay has to pretend that he didn't know, and acts shocked around the others. But Jay never counted on Zane finding the memory switch so soon, and flipping it.

Zane remembers. After all of those years, he remembers.

As soon as Jay saw Zane's eyes, right after he defeated the Treehorns, he saw a recognition that he hadn't seen in years, one that reminded him of late nights talking, making pillow forts, drawing on blueprints while singing songs that they made up as they sang.

Jay expected Zane to be mad. He no doubt wondered why Jay didn't tell him the truth, why Jay hid away, pretending to be a stranger. Why Jay had lied for so long. And he would be angry with him, wouldn't he? For lying about everything they were? Everything Zane himself was?

Jay prepared for the worst.

But Zane pulled Jay into a hug, crushing him in his comforting grip, letting Jay rest his head on his shoulder, rubbing his back steadily like he did when they were young. Jay began to cry, sobbing, shaking in Zane's arms, and Zane only held him tighter.

"Jay! I remember! You're...you're my brother. My brother!"

Jay nodded, unwilling to let go, unable to speak. Zane didn't let go.

And Zane would never let go again.

[ninja-confession-go]

So I'm from Croatia and unsurprisingly I first watched ninjago in the croatian dub. Now for the most part it was was actually pretty decent as far as croatian dubbing goes, but still it had it's moments.

One of them being a rather goofy nonsensical translation that was trying to be funny, but it was so unfunny that it went around and I found it funny again because how dumb it was.

The episode with that translation was the second episode of Possession. The scene in question was when they were in that desert going to Stiix and when they stopped to rest at that mini train station. They hear one of Morros buddies laughing and Cole asks if they heard that, as many of you already know in the original Jay then says 'But we are in the middle of nowhere!' Croatian Jay instead says 'Ali u Čačincima smo!' (But we are in Čačinci!). Čačinci (Chachincee) are a little village in the region I'm from, the first time I heard it on TV little me wasn't even sure if I even heard that right. I was like 'wait what Čačinci? That place I pass trough every time I go to my swimming lessons, whaaaaat?' I rewatched older seasons with the dub not that long ago and yep I did hear that right. Except this time I just found that stupidly funny, like why the hell did that person or people who translated that episode decide to randomly slander a random village in Slavonija (the region I'm from). What is it because hehe haha we needed a random small place to make fun of, guess Čačinci of all places will be our victim. Mind you that place is actually fairly big for Croatian village standards and it's nicely kept so it feels like a mini town when you go trough it. Also that pretty much means that this place is canon in the croatian version of ninjago which I just find stupidly funny. Like you got all these fictional asian based locations and then just a random irl croatian village.

But wait there's more to this! Mom and I actually drove trough that place few times recently and we will probably keep going trough it. And of course every time we passed it I just kept giggling like an idiot and my mom was like, oh here we go again. Also I've nicknamed Jay 'Čačinci hater' because of this.

Ok sorry for me writing an essay about random nonsense have a great day/night goodbye!

.

[summertide-treehouse]

season 1 review im really dead on tumblr but expect alot of ninjago art asap.

It only took me a year ( don’t let me procrastinate on ts again ) but I finally finished Season 2 of my Ninjago rewatch, heres my review.

Similar to Season 1, there was a lot of things that I ended up liking more than I remembered even though there were some inconsistencies.  I think the pacing worked really well.  It did drag a little bit in the first few episodes, but it worked since they were still finding themselves again after Season 1’s finale, and the transition from Season 1 villains to Season 2 villains worked really well.  I’d probably have more to say if I didn’t stop watching half the season for almost a year ( I graduated and just.  Life </3 ) but from all I remember and wrote down, I definitely liked this season more than the last.

I know a lot of people don’t like Misako for their own reasons, same as Wu, but I loved Misako here, and her chemistry with Wu and Garmadon.  She is so smart and always brought a new and different approach to situations, and she always reassured Lloyd that his father does love him, even if its someplace far away.  It may not be important to a lot of people, but’s such a powerful message for me; having to confront a parent who’s harmed you when you don’t want too, but you need to anyway, and your other parent, who’s been hurt the same, stands with you without villainizing the other.   Misako and Garmadon themselves are so deeply tragic as well, there was absolutely love between them at some point.  I like to think there still is, but it’s clear they miss what they had rather than what they have, especially in Misakos case, since she told Garmadon that he “is not the man she married”, and although Garmadon still loves her the same, he doesn’t understand that he could never be a good husband/father, let alone a good person, by selfishly going through with the plans he was making, completely destroying the chemistry they once had.  It is SUCH a realistic dynamic that I’ve seen growing up.  There is love, they do not hate each other- but they are not good for each other, it can only be salvaged if the one at fault makes a positive change, but nothing can be done to fix the damage, even if things are at their best.  I think this ties into why Misako is so close to Wu.  I’m not a big Wusako person myself, but it makes sense why she would seek him out; he is the closest thing to what Garmadon once was, and there is absolutely security with him since she knows Wu won’t change the same way Garmadon did. 

On the topic of Garmadon now, I found his growth interesting.  I feel the same in Season 1, it’s kind of hard to root for his redemption since we are constantly seeing him regret and hesitate when it comes to fighting Lloyd, but as soon as his motives are questioned he goes through with it with more energy than before.  In spite of the venom, we’ve seen him fight it before, and not act on those urges, so there’s no reason he can’t when it comes to fighting Lloyd.  Although it’s a bit ‘bittersweet’, for lack of a better word, once he realizes the Overlord lied to him and takes possession over him, and seeing Garmadon finally take initiative and fight back was absolutely a real step in the right direction.  It should’ve been Lloyd or his family that should’ve been what convinced him, but it’s still a kids show, and the fact it was “destiny” made things a bit inevitable, so I don’t totally hate how that was his final straw.  I did enjoy how Lloyd defeating the Overlord was what cured Garmadon of the venom, I just think that’s too soon of a redemption arc for him.  With how long he’s been evil for, I don’t think he suddenly would’ve “felt good”, old habits definitely would’ve stuck that we should be able to see him work through to continue to make positive steps, but they make great headcannons even if its not canon.

Overall, I really loved the villains, all the character growth the Ninja and other characters go through, there was A LOT to unpack in this season and it was really fun.  You can really tell that Ninjago is beginning to discover itself here and I feel hooked into this show all over again despite me being a huge fan since 2018.  Solid 8.5/10

Also is it just me or did Kozu sound alot like Count Orlok.  I giggled everytime he was on screen

[destinygoldenstar]

The Amazing Digital Circus Episode 3 - "As Iron Sharpens Iron-"

To say I was excited for this Episode to come out is an UNDERSTATEMENT.

Ever since Episode 2 PROVED it to me that this show was going to be something very special to me, I've been very invested and eagerly waiting the next installment.

This also marks the FIRST Digital Circus Episode where I CAUGHT THE PREMIERE.

I didn't see the Pilot until a month after it came out because I didn't know about the show. And Episode 2 I was at work at the same time of the release. I had a nerve-wrecking day.

But this time I CAUGHT IT, AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER TO.

So I was excited, especially when it was hyped up as the best episode so far!!!

...

IT WASN'T, BUT I STILL REALLY LOVED IT.

Yeah... I said it. I will be the first to say this:

As of right now, this is my least favorite episode.

NOW HOLD ON, THAT IN NO WAY MEANS I DISLIKED IT. THIS EPISODE IS GREAT.

Which should really tell you the quality of this show.

This IS a review based off a first viewing, so be aware of that. Y'all know I'm gonna rewatch this multiple times. So maybe my problems will become less problems.

I also CANNOT WAIT to see all the Angry Karens raging on the Internet about the show! "THIS CARTOON IS TOO DARK AND SCARY FOR MY CHILDREN!! I OUGHTA SUE YA GLITCH!!"

To that I'll say "F%#K YOUR KIDS, CARTOONS ARE FOR EVERYONE!!" (No I won't, but you get the message)

You want a kid friendly haunted mansion episode, NINJAGO SEASON 5 GOT YOU COVERED. (One of the best episodes in that show btw)

I would argue the circus tent is a lot scarier than a haunted mansion, but whatever.

But I do need to explain WHY I find this episode the weakest, and also gush over the good stuff cause there IS good stuff.

So I need to get into spoilers:

I've complained before in the previous two episodes that the B Plots were my least favorite thing about this show. They weren't bad, they just didn't grasp me like the A Plots did (AKA whichever plot Pomni has going on).

But I was really looking forward to them fixing this issue with this episode, especially to aid the characterization of Zooble. A character that has been very neglected. I was expecting this therapy session with Caine to be both chaotic (Because it's Caine) and inciting.

Did it deliver with that??

Yes AND No.

Technically, YES, it was inciting and we learned more about Zooble. They're not straight. They have dysphoria. They're very uncomfortable with their body which is why they're constantly changing parts. And because of that they don't feel like they fit in with the people around them.

LGBT+ Symbolism. Trans Symbolism. Zooble has dysphoria. CALLED IT.

(I mean, Jax even SAYS Zooble isn't straight in the episode)

And hey, just because I guessed what it was and saw it coming, doesn't mean I'm not very appreciative they brought it up. It helps with Zooble's character, and I'm sure the trans audience enjoyed it. I'm cis though, so I don't find it personal. That can't be helped.

We also learned about CAINE's mentality. The A.I was only programmed to create adventures. So he relishes in that because it's the only thing he knows how to do and knows how to help. And Zooble snarking at the very thing Caine was designed to do... BREAKS HIM.

And I am already theorizing, because Caine mentally breaking like that CAUSES A GLITCH IN THE ENTIRE CIRCUS.

So... CAINE'S mental state is what's keeping the circus afloat. THAT SAYS A LOT.

Yeah I definitely think he's getting redeemed, AND this is gonna come up later.

But other than those two scenes, I was a bit disappointed with this plotline. I feel like it could've been longer and we could've learned more. Or, let me rephrase that, at least ONE more cutaway to them.

As it stands, while this is TECHNICALLY the best B Plot of this show's episodes, it is still a B Plot that suffers from being much less interesting.

Idk, maybe this is a 'first viewing' issue, and when I watch the episode again, I'll understand it better.

Oh yeah, speaking of B Plots, we BARELY get ANYTHING regarding the pacifist route.

Once Pomni and Kinger fall into the hellhole, we don't hear from Ragatha Gangle and Jax FOR AWHILE.

And then the next time we see them, they're having tea and being friendly with the hunter's ghost wife, who DID NOT get an in person introduction. And they tied up Jax off screen. WHAT?!?! HOW DID Y'ALL GET HERE?!?!

It wasn't their episode, I understand why the episode wouldn't focus on them, but I DID want an explanation as to how we went from THIS, to THIS.

AND NO ONE BOTHERED TO SHOW CONCERN FOR POMNI AND KINGER THE WHOLE TIME?!

I also feel like it could have, at the very least, benefited Ragatha. But because we don't get anything, her little moment with Pomni at the end felt quite out of nowhere. Because... they didn't have any exchange this episode. I mean good for Pomni for finally expressing she likes her I guess.

Also... that whole exchange was really platonic...

(I don't ship them)

Overall, I really think this is a pacing issue. The pitch black scene with just their eyes is VISUALLY GREAT, love that they're experimenting with different art styles, BUT OH MY GOD THAT SEQUENCE DRAGS. It could have been HALF as long and the point would've still come across.

I also am just not a big fan of haunted mansion stories. And I know that MIGHT be just a me problem.

But in my defense, Ninjago Season 5 had a haunted mansion episode, and that was one of their best episodes that really SAID SOMETHING and taught the main characters something valuable.

THIS haunted mansion feels more like an obstacle more than anything else. Unless there's some deeper meaning behind the mansion's lore in the future, but I doubt it because it's designed to be a one time thing.

I'm MUCH more invested in the PSYCHOLOGICAL horror of the show instead of the PHYSICAL horror. And I think that's why The Pilot and Episode 2 felt a lot more scarier to me than this.

Don't get me wrong, the dismantled heads and the corpse monster ARE scary. The lit up severed head MADE MY SKIN CRAWL when I first saw it. So did Possessed Pomni.... is it bad that I'm kinda obsessed with Possessed Pomni though? But the scary imagery doesn't do much for me unless there's a deeper meaning behind it. Because after my skin crawl I was able to say "Yep. That's the severed head alive and glowing." "That's it's headless body."

When Pomni got possessed by running through the hall of souls, I remember saying aloud "NO DON'T DO IT".

And the thing that ACTUALLY scared me was when they said "How's your wife, Kinger?"

THAT'S the scary part of that for me.

They also OUTRIGHT TELL you the message of the episode this time.

Now I DON'T hate that they did that, it's meant to be a nice moment between Kinger and Pomni. But I MUCH prefer the approaches the previous episode had with showing its message and letting us pick it up for ourselves.

I don't think that's too much of 'dumbing down' though. Episode 2's incident is different. And this episode it IS meant to be a nice moment between Kinger and Pomni and that's why it had to be told.

So yeah, that's what's keeping this episode back for me.

Okay let me talk about the great stuff now. Aside from what I already mentioned.

ANIMATION.

I LOVE that they're experimenting with different styles, like I said. The 2D eyes look really good, and the little hand drawings at the beginning? Love them. They're so cute. PLEASE keep experimenting with animation techniques.

I was also REALLY WORRIED that the Episode's lighting would be too dark for me to see anything that was going on.

This is a BRIGHT show, especially in the previous two. So it's kinda offputting to see these cartoonish characters in a realistic setting. (That's probably on purpose)

But no, it ended up NOT being an issue for me. I followed everything that was happening perfectly.

Also POMNI AND KINGER.

They were EASILY the BEST thing about this episode. Hands down.

EVERY scene with them and their interactions is GOLDEN.

I SERIOUSLY thought Pomni was gonna take a backseat for a couple of episodes to make way for everyone else. But she IS the main character, so I should've suspected that wouldn't be the case.

The story LETS her BE the protagonist, WITHOUT taking anything away from the other character's development. Every scene aids BOTH HER & THEM.

She's such an incredibly written protagonist AND WE STAN IN THIS HOUSE.

But enough about her.

I KNEW this episode was going to make me understand the Kinger hype and love him, AND I WAS EXACTLY RIGHT.

I was wrong about it being schizophrenia. Instead his issue is dementia, which is memory loss/problems. But I'm not mad at all that I got that wrong.

I'm not someone who has dementia, so I can't speak if it's accurate or not, but I LOVE how it was handled here.

Kinger's brain works much differently from everyone else due to his past experiences, and there are certain triggers to his sanity. SO THAT'S WHY HE STAYS IN A PILLOW FORT. I GET IT NOW.

Also HIS WIFE.

Okay yeah so I was wrong about what the relationship was. But I don't care. I LOVED THIS BACKSTORY.

(Abstractions can be tamed?)

Kinger DEFINATELY went up my list for me thanks to this episode, and I KNOW he's gonna be a key player in the future. If his "seven years of computer science" line is anything to go off of.

I love him so much. Your honor, I love him. I wanna protect him.

These two make such great friends and I'm completely here for it.

And the episode STILL maintains all of Digital Circus's great qualities. Thrilling action, sharp comedy, great character interactions, excellent characterizations. And also much more theorizing material that will rot all our brains.

Great Episode. 8/10.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be welcoming this beauty in my nightmares.

[basicallyjaywalker]

Wanna ramble about a moment/character in ninjago you think people need to talk about more?

I don't know who you are anon, but I'm glad you asked!

I am desperate for people to character-analyze Wu. I'm desperate for a lot of character analysis including Nya but since I got a lot of my Nya feelings out with some lovely folks the other night (edit: the other night was a month ago dw about it. this took a minute) I'm going with Wu this time

Master Wu to me is such an interesting case of a character who it is so easy to ignore the bits of the show that hint at his wider issues and traumas. He is a man defined heavily by his family and by his past. A lot of criticism he gets, I think, is due in part to that.

I've mentioned before that I've been rewatching S1 with a friend of mine and intermittently pausing to infodump on them about interesting character things I notice from that season. A lot of that has been Wu-focused because despite having seen RotS dozens of times throughout my life (watching it on CN, watching it on Netflix when only it and Legacy were around, rewatching it with friends) I have only just started noticing the seeds of character written in.

I might also just be reading too much into things, but hear me out

In S1 (and by extension, the pilots), Wu is characterized as your typical old wise teacher. In the first few minutes of EP1: Rise of the Snakes, he is chewing out the Ninja for playing video games instead of training. The line he uses? "Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today."

It's a line that gets repeated throughout the series. In fact, it gets repeated that very episode when the ninja go (pun not intended) to fight the Hypnobrai and a literal pre-teen. At first, it seems to just be a piece of wisdom. Some old proverb Wu's picked up over the years, possibly one he even coined himself. However, in EP7: Tick Tock, Wu tells the story of who, possibly, first told him this.

(Source: Tick Tock/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added.)

It was Garmadon. Now, I'm not gonna dwell too long on Garmadon, if you spend five minutes talking to me you'll learn he was the first character whose story I obsessed over and I want this essay to be about Wu, but I think he plays a role in Wu's overall story, as does Wu's family as a whole.

Prior to this, Wu and Garmadon's relationship has been more of a sibling rivalry taken to a good vs. evil extreme. We didn't know why Garmadon was evil and we didn't know about Wu and his relationship as kids. However, this scene establishes the backstory. They were, as Wu puts it, "the best of friends." That is, until Garmadon gets bit by the Devourer going to get the katana Wu lost.

Now, I know the Devourer bite was destined to happen because of the Overlord or some shit, but Wu doesn't. As far as he's concerned, Garmadon getting bit was a direct consequence of both his mistake and his cowardice. He lost the katana. He was too scared to get it. Garmadon went over instead. Garmadon got bit.

The scene goes on to show the FSM tending to Garmadon in the aftermath. Wu is watching from behind the door, likely told to stay back, but concerned. And in his POV, we get this intense moment, where Garmadon turns, looks directly at him (his eyes turning bright red for the first time), and says "It's all Wu's fault!"

(This clip should begin at the start of Wu eavesdropping. If it doesn't, skip to 0:58. I highly recommend also paying attention to Wu's body language during this scene.)

The camerawork does a great job of showing how this probably felt for Wu. It zooms in, Garmadon's voice echoes, and the background blurs. We see in the flashback that this is a moment Wu has etched into his memory. Not to mention, he was likely a very young child when this happened. LEGO characters' ages are weird, but Wu in this scene has the Big Eyes, which always seem to be used for characters under 12. We don't know exactly how much older Garmadon is to my knowledge, but he doesn't have the Big Eyes, so he's probably closer to 12 and a few years older than Wu for sure.

Imagine that. Being in elementary school and your older siblings gets hurt. They're acting strange. They're lashing out at your father. Then, they blame it all on you. They're hurt because of you. Wouldn't you internalize that?

I could go on about Wu's relationship with Garmadon, but again, I think I've spent enough time on it and I don't want to only focus on that. It's an important part, but there are others.

Let's talk about Wu's relationship with his dad.

Now, I have not yet read the Spinjitzu Brothers series. I cannot speak to any development of Wu and the FSM's relationship in there. I have, however, read The Book of Spinjitzu and blogged some of my thoughts on it here, including some of what it says about Wu.

For those who haven't read it, first, there is a Google Drive folder floating around with all of the canon spinoff books/graphic novels in it. Here's the link if you wanna read them!

The FSM is an... intriguing figure. I mean, in the series he's basically god? He made the entire world. That's already a very high bar to live up to. Then, in Book of Spinjitzu, there's a few specific parts that, when I read them, signaled that Wu internalized a specific message when he was young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 3).

Wu does not want to disappoint his father. It is up to him (and Garmadon until he turns evil) to "uphold the legacy of Spinjitzu" and, by extension, his family. He says he was "very young" when this was explained to him. Considering he seems to already be training at an elementary age, "very young" means VERY young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 16).

Here, we again see Wu being very aware that he has some large burden to carry. Something else interesting here is that the thought of the Green Ninja Prophecy is already weighing on him too. His considering if he might be the Green Ninja is of extra interest because of how the Green Ninja Prophecy and the--I wouldn't call it obsession, possibly fixation?--with who it is factors into his later actions, but we'll get to that later.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 19).

This one in particular gets me because it comes after Wu mentions Garmadon becoming more evil. It is a statement of power. Wu knows that the legacy of Spinjitzu now rests in his hands alone. He cannot let himself fall the way Garmadon did. He cannot disappoint his father. Whether or not the FSM intended it, Wu always knew the fate of the world rested, at least in part, upon his shoulder. He knew this from the time he was a young boy and it remains in his mind to this day.

Now, these quotes are indirect, but they all point to one clear idea: As a child, Wu internalized the idea that he alone is responsible for keeping Ninjago safe. He will play a pivotal role in its history.

There's not evidence in this book that the FSM's was a bad father, per se. However, just because one doesn't set out to harm their children, doesn't mean they won't. I often say Wu has an "Atlas complex," which I have no idea if it is an actual concept but use it to refer to this idea. Wu feels as though he is responsible for holding up the world, much like Atlas. He must keep the balance, he must solve the Green Ninja prophecy, he must make his father proud.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 61).

I'm going to get further into what this means for Wu as a teacher to the current Ninja Team, but for now let's look at Wu's first foray into teaching.

Morro. Wu's Biggest Mistake.

That might seem like an overstatement, but it's not.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

Okay he says regret, not mistake, but I was paraphrasing.

Let's turn back to his quote about his destiny. Wu writes, "Is my life's mission to be the Green Ninja? Or maybe it will be to find the Green Ninja and protect him (or her)??"

From a very young age, Wu was not only aware of the Green Ninja but prophecy but also thinking about his place in it. We see this again when he takes Morro in and trains him.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added)

A big thing Wu is criticized for here is making Morro believe he is meant to be more. That he is the Chosen One. And Morro, being a young homeless orphan just now given some semblance of power and protection, latches onto that. And I can see it, but when you take into account the above that he was trained from (likely) a younger age than Morro and given a similar level of responsibility, it becomes more understandable. Wu is just doing what he was taught. He doesn't believe that he is harming Morro until it is too late.

This is the entire story, but I'm specifically going to be discussing 1:36 onwards here. I also wanted to add that rewatching this scene made me lay down on the floor! What the fuck! But I digress.

There's a lot going on in this scene. For one, Wu washing his hands of Morro in some ways, but not others. He turns his back on Morro when he tells him that destiny has decided, but looks at him again when Morro storms out. He goes to save Morro from the Grundal, but decides that he cannot "teach those who would not listen." Most importantly, when Morro leaves to go find the Tomb of the FSM, Wu leaves the door open. He waits for Morro to return, but never goes after him. And Morro never comes back.

Wu gives Morro's fate a dismissive response at the end of his ghost story ("I am saddened he was banished to the Cursed Realm") but it's clear he still cares deeply about him in the finale of the season.

Wu's VA in this is phenomenal btw. That "Please Morro!" and "MORRO!" make my heart ache.

Morro believed Wu stopped caring, but he didn't. Even after all he's done, even after trying to destroy all of Ninjago--destroying what Wu had spent his life trying to protect--Wu tries to save him. He begs for Morro to come with him. Morro refuses, Wu watches him perish.

Someone else Wu is close to is gone. Wu again considers himself responsible. Everything is his fault.

And finally, we reach Wu today. A cautious, secretive man. He loves his students, this much is clear. Even as early as the pilots, he drops his wise teacher persona to joke around with them.

As with Morro, he trains them like his father did him. He even uses the same methods his father used when he trains them.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 32)

While he is hard on the Ninja, wanting them to succeed and training them to help defend the Realm, he lets his guard down more than it seems he did with Morro. He also learned a valuable message from his experience with Morro when he hides the Green Ninja Prophecy from the Ninja, getting angry when they start to push themselves in the same way Morro did upon learning about it. It's clear he doesn't want a repeat.

Now, I can't speak for later seasons (I will eventually) but this fear of repeats, his students going down a dark path because they're tempted by power or greatness, losing someone else, likely drives Wu not telling them other important information. That is just a passing thought though.

Final notes:

I'm currently in the process of rewatching S7: Hands of Time. I actually got this ask right after finishing EP68: Scavengers, which opens with Wu having a nightmare. In it, he and Misako are walking outside of Yang's temple. While walking, Misako delivers this line in response to Wu reminiscing about the time they've spent together:

(Source: Scavengers/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

This line, to me, is Wu's subconscious trying to tell him something he needs to hear. It's hinting at what might be his greatest flaw. Wu is haunted by his past, by his mistakes. He finds it difficult to tell others because of both his guilt and his desire to not put that worry upon them. In this very season, he makes the mistake of trying to face his past on his own, and he nearly dies for it.

In the same episode, you see Wu trying to make sure Lloyd doesn't make the same mistakes.

(Source: Prev)

Wu stresses the important of the team. It's as if he sees Lloyd blaming himself for what happened to Wu, sees him doing the same thing Wu has, and is trying to prevent him from doing the same thing. This is further emphasized when, after Wu falls asleep (well, fakes falling asleep), Lloyd says "Wu's mistake was going in alone. So was mine."

Master Wu is, like many characters in this show, someone who is more complex than meets the eye. He is not just a wise, old teacher. He is a man who, throughout his life, has made mistakes and carries the weight of each of them on his shoulders. He is a man who tasks himself with making up for those every day. He is a man who wants better for his students, his family.

Until the day he dies, he will guide and protect his students. And possibly? Even after death too.

[ninjagoingsinceiwas5]

Ninjago x Barbie and the Three Musketeers

Barbie and the Three Musketeers is in my top 3 favourite Barbie movies of all time, and I had this AU idea about a year or two ago during my annual rewatches. But I’m less shy about sharing all my AU ideas now so here it is!

Nya as Corinne - I think these two are similar in personality and Nya fits Corinne best (though she would be a great Renée as well). Maya would be Marie, obviously, and Kai will be mentioned along with Ray near the beginning as being musketeers. Maybe Kai will return if I plan out a story?👀

Skylor as Aramina - While Skylor definitely isn’t as theatrical and “hopeless romantic” as Aramina, I do see Sky having a dramatic flair and she’s definitely flirty in my eyes. Plus their character designs fit well! Seeing Aramina’s fans is what made me give Skylor bladed fans in my AUs and stuff.

Pixal as Renée - This leans mostly into how Pix and Renée make weapons for their team and are the smart ones. Though they are also both hard-workers, who are cautious of new people and protective of their loved ones. I think it’s a solid fit (also Pix’s throwing stars + Renée’s slingshot skills = both great at aim)

Lula as Viveca - Okay, I first decided this probably because Viveca’s my favourite (IM NOT ALWAYS THIS BIASED I SWEAR) but they have similarities too! Lula is the team’s designer with robes and patching up suits, she’s also quite stylish (practical, yes, but in-style) and I HC she’ll pick up embroidery somewhere in her life (it’s got a connection with her mum, who was a seamstress in Stiix). Both Viv and Lulu are witty and bold with their comments, so this is a nice fit! (also Lula reacts to Riyu like how Viveca does with Miette hehe)

Mystaké as Hélène - OF COURSE!!! Throw Master Wu away, it’s time for some badass Mystaké focus. I have to figure out who will be Madame de Bossé though.

Jay as Prince Louis - If Nya is Corinne, of course Jay is going to be Prince Louis. But also, as characters themselves, they’re similar in ways (minus the stupid sexism from Louis😭) They’re both tinkerers and wanting to invent something that’ll make them fly, both have a nerdy charm about them, both fall for a badass woman who saves them. Yeah, this is solid. Who will be Cousin Philippe and Bertram is the question now.

This is the main cast so far. Riyu can be Miette! Monsieur Treville could be Master Wu (since he knew Ray and Maya well). I still have no idea who to place as Cousin Philippe💀 But I’m probably not going to expand on this AU too much, I’ll definitely get to drawing it (hopefully!!!) and maybe a oneshot may arise from this? Cole, Zane, Lloyd, and Kai are their own gang of musketeers gallivanting in some other city of France🙏

[ep2nd]

@remy-a

Today's topic- the change in animation in LMK

I know like the majority of the Fandom has probably been sent to the ER after season 5 animation (or the emotion couldn't tell) but I think someone said that the animation slightly changed from like the Pilot to s 1-3, somewhere there, so like 3 different animation at this point, maybe??

Alright here's my thoughts

AGGAGAGAGGGGHHHHHHHH

Okay for real this time-

When I first watched LMK, I fell IN LOVE with the fluid motions, the active movement, the anime-style Influence, the exaggeration, the most random fun moments, pop ups, yse of environment, angles, camera movement, facial and body expression and other stuff I don't know the name of

Now as someone who's never watched Anime, please don't kill me, I don't exactly know what that looks like, but try going anywhere on the internet without tripping down the stairs and falling into the basement of ANIME

Also, I'm used to more rigid, beautiful backrounds, great lighting, or basic show animation. Such as Trollhunters, Amphibia, The Owl House, Big City Greens, Ninjago, How to Train your Dragon, Carmen Sandiego and others

So as you can see, this was new to me, and I fricken loved it

Now I can tell there definitely has been change from the Pilot to season 4, more refined, less sloppy

So, when season 5-

Oh dear, I love you Wild Brain, I really do, Ninjago and Carmen Sandiego WERE BEAUTIFUL

BUT AHHHHHH

I will say this, this is a new artstyle, they need practice, and I'm sure it'll improve, but this is not that time it's time to CRITISIZE GET THE RED PEN (maybe I am an English Teacher)

Remember what I said about what I love about LMK animation? Okay now throw it out the window into the Fire of FRICK THIS

Now I will say, they used some angles pretty well, such as using the environment to show emotion/tension, like when it would Pam out and something was blocking the two characters, from Wukong to Macaque to the poll in the Pagado and then a mountain between MK and Wukong near the end- look for its cool- someone pointed it out here on Tumblr can't remember name sorry

2nd, the expressions look really typical, like I miss the shot eyebrow from Wukong, or the the pathetic puppy eyes of MK, or the :3 for Mei, or the furious faces of Pigsy, the sparkly pure joy of Sandy, the chaotic gremlinness of MO, the evil Edit maker smiles of Macaque (I've seen your tiktoks) ALL THE LITTLE EXTRA THAT MADE THE EXPRESSIONS AND HUMOR/TENSION/EMOTION BETTER

3rd, the movements. Seen especially in the second episode when they escape. It's just, so basic running, like compare them running to MK's run in s2 running from the LBD and then when he ran in s4 away from the Ink scroll. Just so much more fear and dread. Also talking bout LBD, her voice actor? Phenomenal as always? Her movements and how they animate her? She seems more like a red headed doll with button eyes than the horror of something like FNAF(haven't played FNAF so can't really compare) what I'm saying is she seemed less huanting, a weary, fear-instilling, and bone-chilling(shut up let me pun) presence this time around, which really makes the scene less dramatic, but the camera angles, voice acting, and some animation still make it somewhat good.

Okay, this post is getting long and I can rant all day, and that's not even with me rewatching the show to pick it apart, someone probably already has good for them I'll look for it👍

In conclusion, comes of more dull, simple, rough, and rushed. S5 story, which has some problems, really hit deep in the last few episodes, mostly MK and Wukong, and if the studio beforehand continued animating, then I think it would have been a masterpiece, really sad to see the wasted potential

I know it's a new studio, but I wish they took more time to practice and learn, and maybe do it on a season that wasn't like the big reveal and end (I'd say a more happy season but let's be honest the Trauma train ain't stopping for a LONG TIME)

so, I guess I'll give it a 4/10, points for using the backround to storytell, still got some great angles, some funny bits here and there (the soldiers where a joy), action scenes were somewhat good, not a lot can't judge more, and pity points because I know they're still learning

[agenericplaceholdername]

Dragons Rising E1-5 Thoughts

In the run up to the official release of Ninjago: Dragons Rising Season 2 Part 2, I’ll be posting my thoughts on the episodes already released in chunks of 5. This also marks the end of the Ninjago full series rewatch I started at the start of this year. These will just be bullet points, not full episode or character analysis – if this is popular, maybe I’ll do that later. No real spoilers for S2P2, but I’ll make slight allusions to events that happen.

First: The Merge, Part 1:

Solid beginning. I love how Arin introduces the Ninja as they pan across the screen in one-take – reminds me of the Skybound intro

It is very unclear how long Arin and Sora have known each other. This episode implies they just met with lines like “best new friend” but next episode Arin says they met “right after the Merge”

A LOT of exposition that consists of Arin and Sora telling the other person something they probably already know

It’s interesting that Arin says he wants to create a monastery for people who lost their parents in the Merge – the Monastery is now home to a ton of people who have found family in the Ninja

Frohicky is great. So is Lobbo

In the time that Arin and Sora argue about whether or not to chase Riyu, they could have passed the finish line. On the other hand, this would have prevented Lobbo from winning

Rapton sees two children fall to their death and doesn’t care lol

Ras is ridiculously cool in his intro scene. He just spawns in midair, wins, and leaves

Arin and Sora are so much fun in this episode. Some of the dialogue is strange but I am sold on their friendship and they have good chemistry together

Love Lloyd’s entrance

The Merge, Part 2:

Man Lloyd is just so cool here. He might have 0 self confidence later but at least physically he rightfully outmatches almost any opponent

How do you accidentally make a bomb? It’s funny tho so who cares

“Do elemental powers come and go?” “No. Well, sometimes.”

Kai and Lloyd’s reunion is so insanely sweet

Arin and Sora playing catch with Riyu is great

Is it “Claws of Imperium” or “Claws of the Imperium”?

Is Firstbourne an unofficial Dragon Matriarch?

Okay what is with Rapton being okay with children dying by falling from a great height? If not for the Matriarch he would have just dropped Sora into the abyss

Lloyd is so cool again, and probably didn’t even need a spark from the Matriarch given how easily he handles the five Claws of Imperium at once

The Ninja standing for hope is a recurring motif in S1P1 – it’s part of E1, E2, E3, and E10 iirc

“If he ever needs us, he will be able to find us” … oh

Why did Ras want Lloyd to bond with the Dragon Matriarch? What did that have to do with hunting Source Dragons?

Crossroads Carnival:

Lloyd copying Wu from the Pilots is funny, but it does imply that after the Monastery was rebuilt, Wu made Lloyd complete the course before he could finish his tea. At that point Lloyd had defeated the embodiment of evil, fought in a war, and defeated and depowered Emperor Garmadon (among other things) yet that wasn’t good enough? Okay knowing Wu yeah probably not

The beard gag. Nuff said

Arin must be in crazy shape to be handling the training course this well

Couldn’t Arin and Sora have just asked Lloyd to go? Like at dinner or something? Training was over for the day

You can see the parts of the carpet ripping off Riyu’s disguise

Just realized that SA Mark 1 = Sora & Arin Mark 1 that’s so cool

Look Lloyd at least Arin and Sora didn’t tie you up and banish themselves to another realm

This is a rare sighting of Sora’s bike helmet with cat ears

“Ninja help everyone” but what if it was Rapton, Arin? Would you help him?

The tent scene is really well done. The music, Lloyd being so overwhelmed, it’s really sweet, especially as an older fan

“DO NOT TYPECAST ME”

Protective parent Lloyd is great

Sora and Lloyd – is dreaming about giant marionettes that normal?

Object spinjitzu!

Lloyd uses the pieces of the mediation carpet to defeat the marionette, so that’s a cool detail

This conversation between Lobbo and Kreel is pure gold. I hope Lobbo finds love <3

Can someone pour salt onto Grab-Barg please?

This is a great one-off episode, and Dorama is easily at his best here. As much as I love the other DR characters, the Arin, Sora, Lloyd trio (+ Riyu) all bounce off each other really well, and this is a light, low stakes episode that includes some important growth for Lloyd 

Beyond Madness:

“Worst student in the history of students” – is there something about being in Ninjago that saps all your self confidence?

There are a lot of Bounty crash scenes, but this might be the funniest: Sora having to use the ladder to see what’s going on, Lloyd and Arin leaving her, the toolbox falling, Lloyd trying to land, “Let us never speak of this”

I love the pool of water on the Bounty. No the water didn’t seep into the wood or spread out on the ground – it’s just perfectly still

Autobiographical one man musical? As a diehard fan of Clutch Powers: A Musical Life, I’m excited to watch The Dorama Drama this winter!

Nya’s water blast knocks Arin to the ground, but Lloyd (far more trained) is fine. It’s a minor detail but cool nonetheless

The Lloyd-Nya reunion is really sweet

“The important thing is to accept others for their flaws and– Why is that foul thing here?” Thanks Crag-Nor very cool

Wait so where did Nya end up after the Merge? What stories are there?

Why do the “Earth Dragons” shoot fire from their mouths?

“Kai’s… gone?” [Cut to Kai] “I’m starving!” okay they got me there that’s actually pretty funny

Arin says Kai was his favorite Ninja, then corrects to saying second favorite – but he’s talking to both Lloyd and Nya! So which one is the favorite?

This battle is fun and the music is great

So Lloyd catches Sora and Kai catches Nya… but no one catches Riyu? He literally just falls to the ground. Riyu villain arc?

Wow Riyu just ended racism. Beautiful

Sora’s last line is a good setup for the next episode

Writers of Destiny:

This episode implies that the only reason Arin learns Spinjitzu without being formally taught is because of the Merge. If so… how?

The Spiderverse-esque glitching effect is super cool

Spinjitzu basically allows for flight here

There’s a running trend of Arin and Sora falling to what should be their deaths. No wonder Wyldfyre is afraid of heights

It’s good to see Kai’s confidence hasn’t gone anywhere. Yes, Kai, I’m sure the monks would love to tell you how awesome you were

The Cloud Kingdom retcon is definitely a net positive for the series, but it doesn’t really square with Kingdom Come. The destinies written in that episode have an immediate effect on the characters. I think the synthesis of the two would be that the Writers are very good at predicting events and even have a slight ability to change outcomes, but mostly they just guess accurately and when they’re wrong, events “defy destiny.” Their ability to change outcomes is gone after the Merge

My heart is breaking right now at this hug

But how can storm clouds wash ink stains out of white togas? Marcus please I wasn’t listening

The way Euphrasia delivers her words when explaining how she can’t have a power (“Writing destiny is our power. Anything else, especially actions, violates who we are”) sounds like she’s repeating what one of the other monks told her. I wonder if she started to tell someone but was shut down

“Euphrasia’s Destiny” is such a good soundtrack

“I released the ninja from the evil worm cocoons in the cloud basement”

“I knew the last one. I already like you more” low bar Lloyd but fair

The worms were cursed to not reveal forbidden information? Wow they really were planning ahead – that’s a very specific word

This episode can very easily be read as a coming out allegory

Kai ribbing Lloyd is great

So was Imperium responsible for the Mergequake? My assumption is no but Rapton implies that it was (or at least was aware it was coming)

This episode is like a mid-mid-season finale – the Ninja fight a miniboss, Sora finishes a small character arc, and the rest of the “season” (up through the S1P1 finale) takes place in Imperium

See you next time for the conclusion of S1P1!

[strelitzia-mystery1097]

Rewatching Ninjago be like-

I haven't watched Ninjago since I was a kid. I think I dropped off around season 10 but tbh I wasn't nearly as invested after everyone's designs were changed to the Movie designs. I was extremely bitter about that, even if I liked the movie (it was a 7/10 experience for me).

So my younger sister, who has only seen the movie, wanted to watch the series and I wanted to watch with her and finally finish this show since I knew it ended back in like 2022 (I don't know what Dragon's Rising is about).

Currently we are on season 4 and it's been a blast.

Season 1 is honestly better than I remembered it.

Season 2 was good.

Season 3... actually wasn't as good at I remembered it. The ending, Good Garmadon, and Zane/Pixal were the highlights though. (Also... I really doubt that Cole had feelings for Nya. My sister and I both agreed there's no straight explanation for him because didn't really seem to really like Nya in that way.)

And so far Season 4 holds up really well to my memory.

Honestly though the most shocking thing for me was how much I really like Lloyd now. Like as a kid watching it I thought Lloyd was good (Kai was my favourite and he's still great) but now Lloyd is my son and I want to protect him and I just want good things to happen to him and for him to just have a happy life and to have his dad-

Yeah I was shocked about it. I think it really hit me when Lloyd sacrificed his childhood in Season 2 that this sweet summer child needed to be protected.

My sister likes show and she keeps getting shocked about how badly- I mean differently the movie portrayed these characters. Her biggest shock was how much of a good dad Garmadon was and how even as an evil guy he still loved his son.

... She hasn't seen the end of season 4 yet. And I haven't told her about how Garmadon comes back in like Season 8 or 9 as evil. (I remember being extremely bitter and upset that Garmadon didn't remember anything from Seasons 3 and 4.)

But yeah I'm excited for Season 5, my favourite season! Literally Kai and Lloyd's brotherly dynamic means everything to me. Not to mention the Possession season is the reason I love possession tropes (Kai trying to reach Lloyd and Lloyd fighting Morro's control was extremely compelling to me).

My sister knows that Nya becomes the water ninja (it's one of the few things she saw when she actually paid attention to when I watched the show as a kid) and she's not excited. She prefers Nya as Samurai X and that's valid.

But yeah, it'll be interesting to finally get to Sons of Garmadon (was that what the season was called?) And finally watch it from a non-bias PoV instead as an extremely bitter kid.

I've also heard a few spoilers about Lloyd's character gets screwed up in the later seasons, so that's... not great.

But I'll go into it with an open mind.

Edit: What's with this last names on Tumblr? Are they canon?