#now I'll surely have something to cling onto when having breakdowns lmao

[lesbianneopolitan]

wdym tomorrow's the last day of 2024

I'm also kinda hyper because of the Monster and I'm sure I'll regret it later, but for NOW

[seven-snails]

MY FRIEND MORTIS HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG IN HER LIFE (<- just finished this week's ave mujica)

honestly i don't think i'll have a ton to say this week, a lot of this was set-up for later plot pay-off with very little of that coming in this episode, but i do have some thoughts i want to get down.

i wasn't entirely sure how serious tomori was going to be in asking sakiko to be in a band again - i still think deep down she kind of knew it wasn't going to happen, but this was obviously an instinctual outcry more than anything, and it's interesting to me how this mode of communication and connection sakiko herself gave to tomori, the only "language" tomori really knows how to speak, is one that no longer reaches sakiko. it's also interesting to me that sakiko has been saving tomori's post-it notes; she's in so much pain, and driving people away and closing herself off, now to mutsumi and mujica as well as crychic's old members, both because she feels like they won't understand (and sometimes genuinely can't, like in mortis' case), and because it hurts so much to have anyone else touch it, but she's so desperately lonely she can't help clinging to what love is extended to her, even when she publicly scorns it, because she's just so in need of an anchor.

i honestly wasn't expecting to see so much of mygo in ave mujica, but i think everything going on with their characters here is fantastic, especially soyo. so much of what we see her do in this episode is because of how her experience as a member of mygo has changed her, things she could never have let or made herself do before, and it's wonderful to see her opening up a little and forgetting to be self-conscious in reaching out to mutsumi and mortis.

speaking of mutsumi and mortis. god. i love that it was seeing raana play guitar, her one real passion, that woke mutsumi back up. and i love the conflict that's developing between the two alters here, because mortis doesn't really understand what mutsumi wants - she herself only wants to take care of mutsumi, to protect her and keep her from burning herself out on sakiko again, but mutsumi is so concerned for sakiko and can't help being drawn back to her, and the idea that she would again confront this person that's only caused her so much pain is one mortis just can't comprehend. i really loved the scene where they were arguing together at ring, i think it was just so carefully executed and it came out great. there's something to be said too for how mutsumi's suffering is so repeatedly commodified: first her despair at the unmasking, when people around her praise her perfectly "emotionless" portrayal of mortis; then after mortis takes over, when all the way to mujica's disbandment she's the star of the show; and now again, people filming her breakdown in front of ring, speculating online about whether it means a comeback for ave mujica. she can't get out from in front of the camera eye, and it almost seems as if everything she does is doomed to be for the entertainment of an audience (woah. meta lmao)

i did like the detail of raana immediately noticing there are two personalities in mutsumi's body (because she's a cat lol), and her bonding with mortis was really cute. nyamu recording at galaxy ramen was another really cute detail, though i'm a little sad we didn't get to see masuki-- hang on. im just realizing nyamu probably heard about galaxy ramen through rei since they're neighbours 😭😭

i'm interested in how things are going to develop for umiri from here on out; she's consistently the least developed ave mujica member, and i'd been wondering if she had a personal/emotional reason to be in the band, but it's apparent this was indeed just another gig for her. i really enjoyed taki's question to her, about whether she really cared about mujica, because i think it for the first time caused umiri to have a glimpse of bands as something less mercenary, a place in the world that's your own and worth fighting to hold onto, and i'm curious if this is going to cause her relationship to mujica to wrinkle as the story moves forward.

excited for next week as always!! (FROTHING AT THE MOUTH WHAT IS GOING ON WITH UIKA. I NEED TO KNOW. I NEED TO. WHERE WAS SHE THIS WEEK)