#svtfoe true ending

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Do you have an example of a well written "will they-won't they" couple ? Cause usually it seems like these type of couples always flop and not just in Miraculous (like I remember the will they-won't they main couples from SVTFOE or Friends also being very divisive within their fandoms).

The Good Place has a couple of good interesting romantic relationships that are drawn out over multiple seasons, but that's a bit of a special case due to spoilers, so we'll go with a couple I can actually talk about instead: Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Katherine Beckett (Stana Katic) from ABC's Castle, an episodic murder mystery show whose premise is summed up pretty perfectly in the opening.

This is the will-they-won't-they that I think of when I say that the love square could have worked if it was a b-plot. Rick and Kate quickly develop a romantic tension between them, but they are first and foremost partners. Multiple episodes will go by without any mention of their potential romance. When it does come up, it's subtle moments and not a major focus of the show because the focus is their partnership and solving mysteries. They are legitimately fun to watch together even if you don't ship them and - as the show progresses- you get this sense of deep love and respect that goes beyond romance.

The show has Rick and Kate date multiple other people to draw out the will-they-won't-they and those alternate romances actually work reasonably well. I never felt like they were just a cheap cop out even though they were mostly there as a delaying tactic. In spite of the fact that the alternate love interests are rarely on screen, they are not presented in the dismissive way that Lukanette and Adrigami were. They're genuine relationships that are used to give Rick and Kate this "right person, wrong time" feeling. It was one of the ways the writers justified dropping the romance b-plot for large swaths of time because Rick and Kate respected each other and their partners. Which was so lovely. I hate cheating plots and, while I think the show did have some occasional moments of tension even though one or both of them were dating, nothing comes to mind as going too far or crossing a line.

Whether or not you like this specific couple is going to be pretty hit-or-miss. Rick is very much a Peter Pan to Kate's serious adult, which works for me because of their professions and backgrounds, but I could see it getting under people's skin. Like them or not, they're still a good template for how to draw out a romance without it getting aggravating. I absolutely think that Ladynoir could have been played the same way. Not only are the personalities a match, but the general type of story matches, too. Castle was a formulaic crime show whose main focus was stopping that week's villain. Every episode stands alone. The only thing that changed over time was the characters and it was incredibly subtle. If Ladynoir had been allowed to be partners first and love interests as a more subtle second, then Miraculous could have been fantastic.

Quick note: I do recommend Castle, but only the first five seasons. Which I can do because it's a true episodic formula show! You can stop those before you get to the end and still feel satisfied! To be clear, you can totally watch the whole show, I don't think it ever gets horrible. Every season has good episodes! It's just that I'm only giving my full stamp of approval to the first five seasons as a cohesive whole. It's been a while since I last watched the show, but I remember that seasons six and eight have really bizarre endings, so I don't feel comfortable giving the entire show a rec.

To end on a positive note, I will say that it's one of the few shows that I can think of where the couple was allowed to get together before the end and it worked because it wasn't that big a change to their relationship. Their established dynamic was one that worked even if they were dating. Their romantic relationship was also pretty darn healthy. There was some weird TV-style drama, but it was all external drama and not internal toxicity because the characters didn't need to add much drama. The weekly mystery plots provided more than enough drama on their own.

[dreamwreaver]

yeah! Charlie may be in a committed relationship but she has insane chemistry with Adam and Alastor, I'd personally mark that as a positive because it really goes to show how good of a main character she is if she can be shipped with a number of people and still end up as in-character and engaging of a relationship it is!

These people really should stop gatekeeping Charlie in ships that don't involve men just because she's already dating Vaggie. I don't see as many complaints about fanworks like Lucifer dating the plethora of Hellaverse men when he's canonically not over his wife. When we're shipping Charlie with other male characters, hate floods the comments. Vaggie is Charlie's one true love, guys! It's canon, no amount of Charlastor kissing is gonna change that fact so stop harassing artists having fun with the main character!

Agree to disagree on the one true love thing. At the very least in terms of the writing. And I don't even MIND chaggie being canon. I'm just annoyed that the show gives fuck all about that fact. Like, I'm gonna say this; the quick turn around on the whole "I'm a former exorcist" bit goes down a lot easier for me personally when they're just friends who had a bit of a flirtationship going on. Like, that sort of betrayal killing any romantic future for them but not being enough to end their friendship over.

For all that people complain about starco and shipping "ruining" svtfoe like at least the relationships were written with care and nuance. Like the episode where Tom and Star break up? Heartbreaking and relatable and real. I just don't feel like the chaggie ship as is has anything to it. And no amount of sexy songs will change it.

Maybe if chaggie had been the asexual sapphic ship? Yeah they'd be great; loving and supportive and comfortable with one another while the sexual chemistry could be handled with other relationships. But it isn't. Again, guitarprincess? Adamsapple? Like I can think of fifty crackships involving Charlie gay or straight passing that work better. But whatever, I ship the het passing couple so my asexual ass is obviously lesbophobic 🙄

[pqt-tumble]

@ot3-week day 6: No one wants to leave the cuddle pile, or just cuddle pile!

My other true OT3.

Not gonna lie, I was planning on drawing them anyway out of spite because of some jerk who came at me about shipping a few weeks ago. Like, I think they just saw I liked SvTFOE and assumed I participated in the ship wars rather than seeing that how could I have when I am one of the ones who KNEW these three ended up all together.

DO NOT REPOST! Reblogs encouraged! All other uses please ask!

[neatangent]

I think I have cracked the chelby code , I was interested in the movie on the trailer alone but the compilation of chelby comics on YouTube made me seal the deal , on the topic of trailers

I never saw a trailer basically tell audience what’s supposed to be a surprise and the fact that by the end Ruby is fighting against a red giant monster with a trident and Chelsea appearing in this promo as a mermaid with red hair and a trident https://youtu.be/99_TZqyyDrE?si=DZKhz4qGt6wGfyls

If that wasn’t enough there also this

It’s kinda of embarrassing how telegraphed the twist was , and when the movie confirmed it , it should have sinked the ship right ? … weeeeelllllll no

and as someone who knew of it after the movie release , whenever you ship it or not ,

let me explain why it didn’t :

From scene one the story explains how krakens are misunderstood creatures , being labeled as bloodthirsty monsters but in reality they are noble guardians victims of prejudice , so much that the Gillmans have to pretend to be Canadians to live on Oceanside , it’s a simple story on how you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but there is a problem , and that problem are the mermaids , the trailer itself calls them vain narcissist , basically what people thinks the krakens were , the mermaids actually are ,

some saw a problem with this , the movie presents all krakens as good and all mermaids as evil which is true in the narrative , but something like this already happened before , back when SVTFOE wasnt a dumpster fire , it tackled the theme of historical revisionism https://youtu.be/O-mr46TOHmk?feature=shared

And the stories pass down to generations might have been modified to fit a narrative

The thing is the setup is not that much different from what grandmamah tells Ruby , both end up ruling unchallenged a vast territory even though many others inhabit it , it’s like if star was right from the start and monster were only evil and the were was no wrong in conquering their territory , so people were a bit confused on how the movie seemingly presented on side as missunderstood and the other as completely in the wrong , of course the actual answer it’s that riff on the little mermaid , but nothing on the movie is about the little mermaid, Chelsea just looks like her and people like her because they thought she saved Connor , but enough about that a movie should criticized what it is and not what it could been ,

which brings me to the main reason on why chelby still exist and it’s thriving (on tumblr) , the movie does a terrible job at presenting any character that are not the Gillmans , Chelsea or the captain that is actually pretty funny , Ruby friend group have one personality trait each , goth girl , clown girl and streamer , Connor exist as a reward for Ruby at the end and aside from maybe skating I cannot tell you what he likes aside from the things that Ruby likes ( I dare you to came up with something) ,

that leaves out Chelsea that despite being presented as a self centered popular girl until the very end it’s the only positive reinforcement Ruby has in the story , everyone else either disappears like Ruby friends ( which would have ditched to go to prom without her ) , grandmamah basically wants her to be the next in line to the throne ( a kraken always answer the call ) and Agatha left Ruby in the dark about the whole situation of her being capable of becoming a kraken , this leaves Chelsea in a weird position story wise she’s the main antagonist but it’s also a mentor to Ruby and it’s what she needs the most at the moment , case in point in a moment of vulnerability Ruby goes to her

and she actually received good advice and from this point on the movie is about Chelsea teaching Ruby how to be more in touch with her kraken side and with all the previous points it comes together to make them the most intriguing relationship in the movie and it made people want that the story would have been focused on them

[mimiri22-6]

oh yeah

I finlly watched Monkie Kid. Been meaning to for years, but kind of forgot it existed at some point. It was Amazing, in All terms of the word. Kind of perfect timing actually since season 4 was made 'available(?)' this year(idk how airing works for the show in gen yet).

I just really wanted to say, Several times while watching, even just in the first season, *deep breath* MK HAS 2 DADS!!! WOOOOO!!! Like it's not even subtext or implied!!! It was straight up Stated!!! In! The! Most! Recent! Season! HOLY SHIT IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD!!!

Holy shit Red Son! I was So prepared to go through some kind of redemption arc for him and him leaving his verbally abusive demon family, BUT NO! NO HOLY SHIT! THE DEMON FAMILY IS SO SOFT FOR EACHOTHER! OMG! I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO LOVE THEM!

Spider Queen and her goons, is it weird I kind of ship her w the Scorpion Demon? Idk, when that ep happend the first person I thought to be her companion was the Spider Queen.

Lady Bone Demon; I Loved hating her at first, how dare she give MK more insecurities, but now I just Love her. Like that final scene w her?! Lifechanging. This show really, like really, said 'everyone is the hero of their own story'. And they said it twice to really get it across!

The most recent season, AH, holy shit. EVERYONE IS THE HERO OF THEIR OWN STORY! It's True!!

Mai and Mk are NEVER gonna be an item and they touched on it in the first freaking season like, nahnahnah, we aren't like that. People w opposite genders Can be bffs with no undertones! I AM SO FUCKING HAPPY! SVTFOE COULD NEVER!

Mai is badass girl without Being the badass girl that everyone has to coment on how she's a badass everytime shes a badass!! FUCKING THANK YOU!

Monkie King is complex w a complex past and people that hate him for reasonable reasons. Mistakes were made, miscomunication without cringing, just Actual Miscomunication where both parties don't show their full hand. Holy Shit Macaque!

Macaque was So good! Once again I thought he was just gonna be another villain that was 'betrayed' by Sun Wukong. And Yeah! He Was! Or he Really thought he was and then Wukong doesn't try to mend their relationship. Leaving it to fester and Hurt. BUT MACAQUE IS STILL A SWEETHEART WHAT WHY HOW?!!?! My fucking god I love him.

Every Character Has Layers! Sunny has ptsd, Pigsy is actually the heart of the group, Tang isn't just a scared bookworm, Mai isn't just tough, Mk smiles to hide the pain, Sun Wukong has set fire to so many bridges in persute for immortality, Macaque helps the gang So many times over, DBK loves his wife and son unconditionally, Lady Iron Fan loves her husband and son to the point that she preotects her son from a possessed dbk, Red Son Also helps the gang several times over, Spider Queen wanted to be a good queen even if she wasn't, LBD was doing what she though was right, Azure was taking down a Tyrant to save Multiple Planes, No One Was Flat!

NO MISSES! Every ep I was Ready fo More!

Mk, holy shit, Mk. I could project onto this kid until the end of time. He's open for trans headcannons, he has so many dads and mentors, so many adults to turn to for different things, he's legitimately afraid he's not enough and previous enemies Stick w him. He Thinks 20 miles an hour, he has adhd, not in cannon but Very implied, can't focus, thinks outside the box, no one is Surprised when he has a good plan, no one is surprised when he Succeeds. He Does take time to think his next moves when he Needs to. He gets Angry. He's insecure, he's Developing. He's Actually different from his s1 conterpart, but he's also Exactly the Same. No Matter What, Despite Everything, He's Still MK. I don't think I've Ever encountered a character that that rings So True with. Despite everything, it's still you. What has to change and Can change Has Changed, but he's still hyperactive, he's always been a bit sad inside, but he's still putting on a smile to lighten the mood, he's still trying to help people.

This Entire essay started because I just wanted to say the pig and the glasses guy are so gay for eachother it's barely even subtext, there is no heterosexual explaination for so many of their interactions. Now I have this. -_-

tldr; Monkie Kid is one of the best shows I've Ever watched. And every ep is only 10 minutes long! How did they manage that?!

P.S. 4 final things

They/Them Prissy Bird(I screamed for a solid minute when I realised they so clearly went by they/them pronouns)

Tang is ace af

Red Son has Two Hands and I am So on Board w that mentality. I love himb so much. Finally, a poly ship where I don't just want to Really close a triangle. I can picture it So well in my brain, Please tell me I'm not the only one w this mentality

I love this show so fking much I just thought I'd let you know again

[froppy-butterflyfan2000]

My interpretation of Phoebe Jacobs’ Light Mewberty Form

This is an idea I have after looking through the SVTFOE AU - Era of Light and Darkness contents in Instagram a few weeks ago and finishing reading Cordelia & Phoebe - Chapter 11: A Beautiful Butterfly Part 2.

I saw some daughters of Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz unlocks or gains the power from their inter-dimensional sisters of Light Mewberty Form, and a few Dark Mewberty Form when joining the Special Forces as a Dark Sisters.

I was thinking about how none of the Tomstar, kids, Ostar kids, Janstar kids, Starkie kids, and of course children who associate with Star’s children-who-ends-up-getting-the-wand-from-circumstance-and-their-friend-allows-them-to-have-it-to-learn-magic-and-gains-a-cheekmarks do not have a Light Mewberty Form or a Dark Mewberty Form.

It is true that The Era of Light & Darkness, a SVTFOE AU story will be continuing, once the hiatus is over and will reveals more contents, and possibly giving the opportunity for Star’s children (Tomstar, Janstar, Starkie, Ostar, Star x OC) to unlocks or receive the power of Light Mewberty Form from Luminous Butterfly’s Light Magic or the other inter-dimensional sisters. So without further ado, the nice and kind Phoebe Jacobs unlocking the next level power of Light Magic, or any of Star’s children from another timeline, going Light Mewberty Butterfly Mode to protect her world and the people she love (and the ones who struck a nerve on her lol) from Darcel and the Mewni Empire.

P.S. the knife is a manifestation of Moon’s Light Sword spell that Cordelia casts.

Draft:

Phoebe is a character from Cordelia and Phoebe and belongs to the author of Cordelia and Phoebe and The Butterfly Ballade, @aj-thegreatest.

Luminous Butterfly (mention) and the Light Mewberty Concept belong to the creator of the SVTFOE AU - Era of Light and Darkness, @darcel-luminous.

[chaifootsteps]

I'm the anon that talked about Daron Nefcy. I'm wasn't bashing on her for having connections. One day I checked her Wikipedia page and saw it had her dad listed. I clicked on it and was overwhelmed with the information it provided. It had is IMBd page connected to the sources so I clicked on it and saw he had a very impressive resume. That stuff was removed and I asked my friend whose dad works as a camera man for paramount. She said they can make requests to get stuff removed through the company they work for. She also said sometimes it's best to keep those "hidden" people private cause they're just regular people who happened to work with actors and etc. And I totally agree with what that anon said. You can do the nails of Beyonce's accountant and she may have resources to help you if you're on good terms with her. Its all about who you know and how they can help you.

Also sorry for saying Daron obviously benefitted from Nepotism. I mean, she allegedly had a new show in the works at nickelodeon after SVTFOE ended, but now that stuff isn't on her Twitter anymore. I really do think she benefited from her dad. People have to take that to account. Nepotism goes far.

Just passing this along, because it's true.

[incorrectstarvs]

Happy 5 year svtfoe finale anniversary!!!

Here’s my starco/svtfoe playlist I made back in 2020!! It’s 19 hours long bc I’m clearly insane /hj

Here’s some lyrics I felt really resonated with Starco (mostly in order of the playlist)

My first day on Earth, I fell into your eyes. Look at how our galaxies collide / You and I will be fine, we belong together // I don't know where we're going, but I'd like to be by your side // And as the world comes to an end, I'll be here to hold your hand. Cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart // Were lying in the streets, staring at the stars. Everything we need, is everything we are //

(More under the cut!)

Tell me the story of how we met, not that I'll ever let you forget // Make a spark, break the dark, find a light with me // And I've moved further than I thought I could, but I missed you more than I thought I would // There is something different about you and I, and I feel like I have known you my whole life // To be where you are, but even closer to you, you seem so very far // Take my hand, I'll teach you to dance, I'll spin you around, won't let you fall down // And I know it's hard to tell, but I think I really like you // And yeah it's true that I'm a little bit intense, right. But can you blame me when you keep me on the fence, like // Life is not the things that we do, it's who we're doing them with // I can't help but love you, even though I try not to // But always know that you'll be safe, I'll be here throughout your days // And when I am feeling small, you get me through it all, Just like we were kids, just like we were kids again // Love, I think we got time to make mistakes, bitter and the sweetness, I just love the taste // You know I talk too much, honey come put your lips on mine and shut me up // Since I've been walking solo, dreaming you were back home // Can't be on my own without you, I'm a little bit lost without you // You've got it all, you lost your mind in the sound. There's so much more, you can reclaim your crown // I don't need the stars in the night, I found my treasure. All I need is you by my side, so shine forever // Dear soulmate, do you think of me? 'Cause I do. Do you have green eyes or are they brown like mine? / Maybe I already know you and love you, but we'll fall in love some day // Why do you have to be so cute? It's impossible to ignore you. Must you make me laugh so much? It's bad enough we get along so well // When your arms are around me, I'd swear that I'm holding the sun // One glance and the avalanche drops, one look and my heartbeat stops // Put your hand in mine, you know that I want to be with you all the time // You gave me something to believe in, we were the best of friends // You caught me when I was falling down, picked me up when I was on the ground / I thought I was lost but now I'm found, it's you I wanna be around // Travel light and see the world right, you'll never know if you never go //All we do is mess around, but I know that it's love we found // All I wanna be, all I ever wanna be is somebody to you // Well you've got a funny way, of hanging around // Even when we're breaking, I'll be loving you // Confess I loved you, just thinking of you, I know I've loved you from the start // And I will make sure to keep my distance, say I love you when you're not listening // I didn't wanna believe my feelings for you, I didn't wanna believe that I could lose you // You take the darkest days and fill them up with light // I got all I need when I got you and I // Wherever you take me, it's clear I will go. Your love's the one love that I need to know // Can I take you to a moment where the fields are painted gold? And the trees are filled with memories of the feelings never told? // I'll hate the goodbye, but I won't forget the good times // I'll find my way to you, though I'll admit it may take me some time // Well, tell her that I miss our little talks // What if we could risk everything we had, and just let our walls cave in? // Like a force to be reckoned with, a mighty ocean or a gentle kiss. I will love you with every single thing I have.

[ybcomplicated]

Owl House spoilers ahead:

I LOVED watching and dreaming. I loved how they wrapped up the series. I love that they didnt do what SVTFOE did (not dissing svtfoe b/c i love it too) and kept the demon realm and human realm seperate but still had a portal to and fro for Luz (and prolly whomever else that wanted to go between because they had a whole welcome speech). I loved that we got to meet Kings parent and that they were such a big supporter (fan) of King and his friends(family), and that their last words to him were “I loaf you” because they had been watching their son his entire life and knew he loved bread puns. I love that they didnt let Luz keep the Titans powers- but still gave her a chance to do magic because of King and his new glyphs. I loved that Hunter had Darius there for him while everyone was looking for their families in the aftermath. I love that the collector was just a kid that had yet to grow up but was abandoned and now has the chance to grow while still having the friends he made with/through King. I loved that they made a college for wild magic that Eda is Headmistress of. I love that Amity gets the ability to learn and be her authetic true self without her moms rule over her. I love the little easter eggs that were shown. I loved that in the final fight Luz says “EAT THIS SUCKAAA!” To Belos before completely ruining his shit- because its full circle with that being the first official conversation in the first episode of the show. The impact Azura had on Luz. I loved that she wanted to be the chosen one so badly but she had to choose herself in the end.

What i dont like is that Disney cut it short. I am not complaining about the last season. God no- not at all. Im mad as fuck at disney b/c the writers had a clear idea where they were going with the show. There is so much to unpack that they did NOT have time to fully display because Disney gave them a time limit. The creaters did an amazing job with what they had. And the animation- THE ANIMATION!!!!❤️❤️❤️Im just pissed on their behalf- on the fans behalf- on the actors, animators, writers, producers behalf. Disney cut it short and i will never forgive that.

But i will say again. It was still fucking amazing and i am going to rewatch Owl House again because i love it.

[thelreads]

I have a curious question that I wanna ask you L... Have you ever had a piece of media that you've been enjoying accidentally get spoiled for you and got mad about it for awhile...? 🤔

For me, it was the very last chapter of Bleach... I was looking up some fan art and stumbled on one drawing that I didn't realize at the time had to do with the final chapter, until I kept scrolling and saw more people depicting the same thing and finally realized that I inadvertently got the ending of my favorite anime/manga spoiled before I even caught up to that point...!! And I was about it pissed FOR YEARS!! 😩

My brother on the other hand, he was all caught up with Jujutsu Kaisen for awhile now, so he just assumed that he could watch any videos on YouTube that were talking about it... Turns out that the very first video he stumbled on was about the very next chapter that apparently got LEAKED!! And after he saw that one video, suddenly a bunch of other people wouldn't shut up about said leak... So when the next chapter finally officially released on Sunday and he read it, turned out that all the leaks were true and he has been upset about it even since it happened last week...!! 😓

Hopefully nothing like what happened to me and my brother happened to you L...!

Yeah I already had that happen to me before, especially during the GF/SU/SvtFoE era, me and my sister tried our best to be cautious, but spoilers were inevitable. Nowadays I'm far more careful with those things, but I did already had a few mangas that I'm reading on my spare time spoiled by accident

Luckily, I have such a bad memory that 90% of the time I just forget about it lol

[darkmasterofcupcakes]

I remember reading from someone that the ending was a middle finger to all the fan children in the fandom since it was very popular when SVTFOE had been airing. Now all these magical children won't exist!

If that is true....then I have to laugh at whoever thought that would stop fans. Like, most of us are smart enough to realize that our fankids will never be canon to any extent, so why would this change anything?

And most of the people who had created fan children before the finale either just ignored the finale or came up with an explanation that magic came back, if they were determined to keep their fan children as having magic.

But, really, having magic gone wouldn't stop fan kids from existing? Even if the fans didn't ignore magic being gone, it's not like the children being born was dependent on magic? They'd have still be born in their respective timelines, they'd just be born as regular humans.

But, in all seriousness, if that was even part of the reason, that is incredibly petty...And depending on who said it, if it's true, adds to the hypocrisy of them backpedaling and saying Magic could probably come back/wasn't destroyed when fans complained.

[edgybutnotveryedgy]

You know i cant help but feel like the reason there are hardly any fan theories in the mlb community is because everyone's so busy hating the show, and saying how they would change it etc, like that's literally what fanfiction is for. Or even better, if you don't like the way a show is playing out, make a story that you like. Like seriously mlb isn't even that bad. You know what was bad? Star vs the Forces of Evil. Y'all over here complaining about the direction of a story not going where you wanted it to go or not liking a character because x y and z etc etc. None of you know suffering. None of you know the absolutely decimating pain and anguish that is the svtfoe series finale. The last two seasons of a show that probably should have ended after the battle of mewni. The show with lore on top of lore that inevitably was destroyed because of shipping. Do you wanna know the worst part? Svtfoe was one of the best shows at the time, with a pretty decent fanbase (especially compared to su but we wont talk about that) and it is one of the biggest inspirations for me wanting to become a storyboard artist/character designer/something within that range of things. The painfully anticlimactic ending as well as the flat last two seasons was true agony for the soul. The only thing that kept me sane was my newfound conviction to create a better story out of spite.

Like seriously maybe it's because i only recently got into ladybug, but I can't help but feel like a majority of the fandom does not realize how good they have it.

Oh well. If nothing else the lack of fan theories has forced me to do digging on my own, and holy shit there is so much the fandom is overlooking because they're too focused on either shipping, or saying how they don't like x plot point. Like just the lore is really freaking intricate, and is embedded so deeply in the show.

Sometimes when i read peoples complaints, i wonder if we're even watching the same show. I will say in my opinion, the biggest problem mlb has is its pacing is horrendous. Also a lot of episodes need to be watched more than once to really be enjoyed. That is a huge failure that you never see anyone complain about. (Probably because im the only one crazy enough to watch these episodes over and over until my teeth fall out 🤡) if anything the fact that no one co.plains about it kinda proves my point. The episodes are written off as bad and or mildly entertaining, because on first watch they really are not good. But then when you rewatch them you notice things, they start to become good. Like no. Bad move writing team.

Anyways I'm just ranting to myself now. Soap box done.

[ultraericthered]

With Ironwood, there was nothing really wrong with him on a character/character arc level in Volumes 2-7, even if some of the writing around him got a bit ridiculous later on (there was precious little justifying Team RWBY deciding they "couldn't trust him", so that came off as a blatant Conflict Ball clutching for the sake of it). It's really just Volume 8 where they dropped the ball on him. A man like James Ironwood who is always looking at his own good intentions with tunnel-vision, who wishes to, as a natural born leader, do what's most right and necessary for the needs of the moment, of his troops, and of the greater good of Atlas and its masses, and who has a strong sense of empathy for others, could not fall from grace and start acting heartlessly for any reason but one - his heart was broken one too many times. And Volume 7 finally reached the perfect set-up for that...only for Volume 8 to escalate the arc so rapidly and end it so suddenly in the exact same Volume that it felt incoherent and a betrayal of the solid, expertly-told tragic set-up given to the character. I honestly think Viren's full vault into evilness in The Dragon Prince Season 3 was more sensible and less rushed than Ironwood's fall was! This needed at least two volumes to really nail and play out to perfection, not one. And as you said, Ironwood acting more crazy than heartless, with terribly muted or nonexistent reactions to his madness from others around him who should by all means give some sort of damn about him, only made the disapointment hit harder. Some have speculated the writing for Ironwood in Volume 8 was reactionary due to the amount of salt from fans and critics over his dark turn at the end of Volume 7, and if true, then it's a terrible shame. The stupid, needless ableist implications of "Ironwood's loss of body parts and replacement with mechanical prosthetics symbolizes his gradual loss of humanity" is icing on the cake here.

Adam, meanwhile, is just a bizarre but oddly unsurprising case of people let down that the character in full didn't match the character they were wishing he'd be and were even convinced he was, and blaming the show's writing for it rather than their own expectations. Admittedly, Adam being tied up with the White Fang plot thread despite being mostly there for what he meant to Blake's character arc contributed a lot to this, but that's part of what I talked about already - how hardcore Leftie fans will project onto any "Magneto" character (Amon in TloK, Bismuth's initial depiction in SU, Toffee in SvTFoE, and Adam here) and not want to see the narrative or good guy characters condemn them and their actions as wrong because they conflate that with condemning their initial cause, for which they believe any means of trying to achieve it to be necessary, as being wrong, which to them would equal an advocation for "complacency" with fascist white supremacist patriarchal oppression or whatever.

I am sure you are not but just to be sure, you are not an Adam or Ironwood stan right?

HA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Hoooly shit, that's the funniest thing anyone's ever asked me.

See, here's the thing, though: I think Adam and Ironwood are both fantastic villains. Adam is a pitch-perfect representation of the pathology of abusers (I even made a whole video about it!), and Ironwood's fall from grace is an expertly told tragedy of good intentions gone too far. And what their stans don't realize is that being unquestionably bad doesn't make them any less interesting for it. Both these characters are complex, multifaceted examples of the terrible things people are capable of, and trying to retrofit them into heroes ruined by "bad writing" or whatever robs them of all that complexity. Evil doesn't mean one-note! Evil is a rich tapestry that can be just as compelling on its own merits as moral ambiguity! Adam and Ironwood are proof positive of that fact! Stop trying to make characters less interesting, dammit!

[sentimental-darkness]

The Fixed Season 4: Star vs the Forces of Evil

I fixed Season 4. Or rather S4 experience through soundtrack. Thanks to well-grounded ideas, imagination and modified track names, with just a few tweaks I was able to enjoy the soundtrack of Season 4 so much more!

Many among the episodes or pivotal plot points/music themes remain the same. What’s different here is that the climax includes more depth, lore and completely different plot twists.

Here is the general outline:

- Tomstar situation gets resolved pretty early and there is no romantic Kelco. Tom is ready to become his own person, free of Tomstar shackles, and embark on his own self-discovery journey (such as in Junkin' Janna and A Boy and His DC-700XE).

- Mewman racism and the general distrust of Eclipsa’s rule results in the mid-season finale (similar to Coronation but it comes sooner in the season’s schedule). Rhombulus enacts his scheme and the rest of MHC go along with it. Mina joins the battle and she is the main racist threat, willing to harm poor little Meteora, even after Globgor gives himself up. It is revealed that Rhombulus, Mina and even Manfred were all working together in order to overthrow Eclipsa (maybe Manfred was actually the instigator behind this operation, now that would be a funny, shocking twist, don’t you think?). MHC is furious and takes the traitors away, Mewmans and Monsters decide to give Globgor and Eclipsa a chance, Moon sees the error of her ways (she was reluctant to warn Eclipsa).

- We get some sweet Starco moments along the way but there is always some sort of tension or trouble ahead (Star occupied with Eclipsa) so no, they don’t start to kiss immediately after Tomstar breakup!

- The Blood Moon episode (which comes after the events of Coronation) marks their first date. Maybe that’s how the Blood Moon comes into play and it appears when they kiss at the begining of the episode? Maybe they panic? Maybe they fear it is indeed the Blood Moon that’s forcing them together? Fortunately, by the end of the episode they are wise enough to know that, curse or not, they make their own choices... and their feelings are what they choose (no Severing Stone bullshit). Also, we learn that the Blood Moon bestows upon the chosen lovers a special kind of magical bond... See where I’m going with it? Yes, something crucial during the climax of the series.

- No “Beach Day Photo Comes From the Future” plot point, because it was essentially needless and emphasis on it took away some precious screen time. But maybe they plan to have a SECOND Starco Beach Day? Which is the reason for their Earth visit? Better reason than “Marco needs to consider college” and “Star chases after him because she is such a terrible girlfriend, inconsiderate to Tom"

Below you’ll find the rest of the *dream plot* -> illustrated by the music pieces and their changed titles.

Just listen to the soundtrack provided in the links and let it all sink in!

The Magic Realm & Finding the Solution

Star and Marco (and potentially other characters) end up in the Realm of Magic for some reason (not on purpose). Maybe something is wrong with the place so they no longer lose memories, at least not permanently? Sure, why not, give us the “no-memories-Starco,” it doesn’t matter they are already an official couple, the whole situation wouldn't be any less cute. But restore their memories afterwards and allow them to explore the place. Include some neat details or plot regarding the unicorns and maybe even the place’s origins! Season 3 suggests Moon was the cause of purple corruption in the Realm. However, Star and Marco discover that it was only a tip of an iceberg and there is something else afoot here, of multiverse proportion. Magic isn’t merely corrupted. There are weird reality distortions in the place. Maybe that's why pure magic didn’t stop the purple darkness from spreading? Because the place was already broken and now it is becoming unstable?

Escaping the Magic Realm

In any case, something strange is going on, they need to use the Mewni well and inform everyone. The “daughter” unicorn is already corrupted (or gone completely mad) and stands in their way. Now she is even worse and impossible to reason with. In Season 3, she was creepy, composed, unknowable and unhelpful, so don’t try to make her look “normal” and “heroic.”

The Storm Approaches

Things aren’t so great on Mewni, something isn’t right. Someone is stirring up conflict and social tensions. It is very visible on the streets of the capital. Star arrives at the Monster Temple to inform Eclipsa about the situation in the Realm of Magic and then... the Septarian army appears on the horizon, much to Star’s shock. They’ve been so caught up in the “social justice” matters (or making Eclipsa a popular queen) that they completely forgot about the REAL enemy. Deliver some bittersweet comedy with a neat piece of dialogue from Globgor. “Wait, so those guys are still around and nobody bothered to tell me? That’s bad, really bad.” Mewni is in danger and Moon needs to be convinced to come to their aid. The Magic Realm concern needs to wait, the battle with lizards begins! Maybe give Rasticore a villainous role once again, on the Septarian side, and reveal that the Guild of Assassins was responsible for stirring up tensions on Mewni (they never liked Eclipsa, right?). Moon arrives just in time to push back the first wave of assault but many of her people refused to come. River stayed behind to reason with them.

Butterfly War Room

Based on Toffee and Rasticore’s arsenal... I imagine that Septarian troops have some kind of technology to counter the royalty’s magic. Plus they can regenerate. That’s why they are a tough enemy here. Star, Eclipsa, Moon, Globgor and everyone else gather to discuss their strategy against Septarian army. The enemy army isn’t huge but extremely capable and led by Seth (replace the discussion about Solaria and Solarian warriors with a discussion about Seth/Septarsis).

Maybe That Was A Mistake

The next wave of assault is underway but something else manages to infiltrate the temple... something magical and dangerous. Star and Marco are having their “romantic retreat.” Unfortunately, Glossaryck appears and completely destroys the moment with a weird riddle about mistakes. Then, they encounter the enemy who infiltrated the temple! Yeah, this famous line spoken by the little blue guy at the beginning of Season 4, it finally comes into play. Glossaryck’s meaning becomes clear. Star’s actions ("killing” Toffee and tampering with the Realm of Magic) were all part of Glossaryck’s big agenda. She was never really supposed to “kill” Toffee because he wasn't easy to kill. The deep down powers only slowed him down but he survived, which was supposed to happen. But why was Eclipsa freed, you ask? Well, maybe Toffee got rid of his body (replaced it with the shape-shifting goo form/became one with magic) and he remains like this, having difficulties to sustain his original form for longer periods of time, especially after Star’s deep down. But he remains strong and able to regenerate, thanks to his magical body. Getting reduced to melted remains wasn’t fun and he never planned for this but everything else was a part of his agenda - take over Mewni and restore Monster-Septarian supremacy, with Eclipsa and Globgor completely powerless as they watch. According to Glossaryck, maybe it was a mistake to trust Glossaryck. He told her they weren’t friends. The main point being that Star's actions played right into Glossaryck’s (and perhaps Toffee's) hands. Also, a surprise!Toffee appears alongside Glossaryck, indicating there is some kind of “mutual understanding” between them. The episode ends with Toffee making his creepy entrance before Globgor, Eclipsa and Moon. “Hello, queens. Your time is up.”

Toffee's Past - Septarian Aristocracy Theme

Maybe we get to see Toffee’s past during the very first Monster Massacre and Septarsis’ downfall? Maybe we get to see his past with Eclipsa/Globgor and how it fits into his schemes and grudges? Also, the main musical theme for Septarian forces! Noble, proud and ruthless, as lizards are.

Bitter Rivals

We get to see the badass side of Globgor (when he is really pissed off) - with some flame attacks and wild, angry demeanor (like his “Miners” joke). His old political rivalry with Toffee gets really intense here (+ Toffee dated Eclipsa just to further his own agenda, yikes). Toffee taunts him with empty promises. “See, no matter how hard you try, you’ll always be THIS terrifying monster to them, we should rule over them.” But Globgor knows better - Monsters like Seth and Toffee don’t want power to protect other Monsters. They want it for the sake of power, to be in charge of Mewni (and probably enslave both Mewmans and Monsters). Unfortunately, Toffee’s abilities are pretty impressive + Globgor suffers from a technological Septarian bracelet that limits his size-shifting abilities. This puts Toffee in a position of a big magical bully. “Jerks like him never change,” right? Eclipsa joins the fight to save her husband!

Desperate Fight

Star is broken by these recent revelations. Septarians/Seth are already in the city, Team Free Mewni is outmatched, all because nobody suspected that the little, weird Glossaryck has been lying to them this whole time... not even his own misguided children (who are strangely absent and Glossaryck admits that “he might have closed some portals to slow them down”). Now that’s some GOOD reason for Star to get REALLY mad at something and have us feel the same rage. A betrayal twist with a decent build-up... but it is no use to throw magic at Glossaryck.

How It All Turns Out

“I told you. You don’t get to make plans, I do.” Septarians are here. Along with powered-up Toffee. Moon’s Mewmans aren’t coming to fight alongside Monster Temple citizens. Toffee and Seth want the wand and the crown. They want to begin a new age of Septarian rule and this time they’ll have a hold over magic. Maybe they were actually original rulers of Mewni? Doesn’t make their methods right but their claim is true (which makes it a lot harder to swallow). Luckily, River and Moon’s folks arrive to rescue Moon. This allows everyone to escape into safety (maybe a secret monster temple chamber?). Or maybe Hekapoo/MHC arrive to portal them out of there and keep Toffee busy?

Magic Endgame of Terms

No more violence, no more angst. Star confronts Glossaryck and seeks honest answers. She manages to enter his mind/eyeball/whatever. While there, she learns about Glossaryck’s planned endgame, something of cosmic proportions. Maybe he wants to create a brand new multiverse, his “ultimate soup” or “pudding.” Maybe he wants to die but it requires some serious magical effort. Toffee’s corruption was the intended outcome - the Realm of Magic got prepared for some kind of “fateful change in the Multiverse” and is to be ultimately consumed in the process. Star’s excellent deep down and sudden surge of pure magic only accelerated this process - made it more rapid but also increasingly unstable. This is why everything started to go so awry in the place and explains why Toffee refused to kill Star when he had her at his mercy. Star was supposed to end up with Glossaryck... Toffee was just making sure it’ll happen... and then just walked away... but the surprising thing was how quickly she managed to achieve the deep down and purify magic, thus turning Toffee’s callous walk into a melting nightmare. Glossaryck applauds Star’s resolve and skills but that’s pretty much it. There is no arguing with him. The Multiverse and magic are going to change, period. Glossaryck admits there might be some unpredictable consequences to this, like some dimensions being closed off forever/changed/decimated but “don’t worry, Mewni will be fine.” As to the final fate of magic - he made a deal with Toffee which is why Toffee was willing to help (in exchange for power and revenge). If Star and the rest aren’t able to resist him, then maybe it’s only fair magic and Mewni remain in the hands of Septarians. Like, maybe Glossaryck was wrong letting magic remain in the hands of Mewmans and his incompetent children? Now don’t judge me because this is just my own headcanon. But let your imagination run wild. I’m sure you’ll find your own. His reasons don’t need to be super specific (after all, he is Glossaryck), we don’t even need to comprehend them, and it doesn’t matter if the things he talks about seem reasonable. Just make him come off as untrustworthy and unsympathetic. So Star might go “you’re just like Toffee!” on him and who would blaim her. Instead of an awkward and dumb “Toffee was right.”

BONUS: Star’s tapestry and “where is Marco” don’t really matter here. So maybe replace the Grandma room with the mysterious room from St. Olga? Do something with it? Give it more significance? Maybe the floor signs were some kind of ancient prophecy that talked about Glossaryck’s endgame for the Multiverse? Furthermore, they showcase Marco (Sol = Sun), Star and their Moon connection and this magical Blood Moon connection will become very significant in the final episode of the series!

Mewni Stands United

Yes, Mewni finally united against a common threat. Because nobody wants Septarsis in charge! Damn, maybe even Rasticore turns on his own? Because he grew a soft spot for united Mewni? He confronts baby Meteora and it’s cute: “miss Heinous, you are such an adorable baby now... I can’t fight you” Well, even Mina can help at the pivotal moment. Though she is still a racist scumbag and may even turn on the good Monsters... just to have her ass kicked by other Mewmans (to remind us that Mewni has indeed changed). In other words, this music piece represents the united Mewman/Monster forces and their struggle against Seth and his loyal Septarians.

The Ludo Cometh

Not really a changed title but hey... we get to hear this awesome piece again! Ludo is here to fight back and inspire Monster/Mewman friendship with his badass speech! The final moment of his redemption arc!

Together Into the Unknown

Meanwhile, Star and Marco prepare for their final challenge, not knowing what awaits them on the other side in the distorted Realm of Magic that’s been turned into Glossaryck’s boiling soup. But it is clear this is the only place where they’ll have a chance to strike a fatal blow against Toffee and (maybe) Glossaryck. They trick Toffee into pursuing them. The rest defends Mewni from Septarian forces.

The Multiverse Soup

Glossaryck turns evil. Well, maybe not evil evil. He is just a cosmic force, after all. But he isn’t happy when the good guys bother him and plan to stop his weird, possibly-very-dangerous Multiverse project. Also, they figured out Glossaryck is the cause of all this (MHC, dimensions, Mewman history, everything) and the true source of all magic, including Toffee’s powers. Their plan is to weaken Toffee by striking at Glossaryck who IS magic and hopefully putting it out of balance. In the extremely unstable Multiverse Doomsday circumstances? They may actually have a chance to do it and this is their only hope. Glossaryck gets to show-off his most maniacal self. Remember Star’s vision of Glossaryck’s “ghost”? Remember his “other selves” in the comic book? Remember his maniacal laughs throughout S4? Or how he treats his children? Well, THAT Glossaryck. Pretty interesting fight to animate, don’t you think? Marco attacks him with the wand (and Tom is here to help). Meanwhile, Star needs to confront Toffee. 

BONUS: Marco never really liked Glossaryck and the guy always makes a fool out of him whenever they interact. So Marco VS Glossaryck? It would have been such an AMAZING pay-off! The real Season 4 doesn’t feature any meaningful Marco-Glossaryck interactions and I was really frustrated by it, especially after all the “Globgor” shit he pulled off, not to mention his uncaring jackassery of Season 4. So yeah, that’s why I need to create my own version of events.

Just Give It Up - The Last of Toffee

The epic showdown against Toffee. He wants Star and Mewni to accept their fate. There is much to gloat about: Glossaryck has abandoned them and made a deal with him, wasn’t even their real friend, has never tried to tip the scales in their favor. “You don’t have a side, do you? Excellent.” Hint, hint, hint. Pay-off, pay-off, pay-off. I really don’t want to think about thousands of different ways he can be defeated but one of them is that it doesn’t happen by brute force of magic (the thing Toffee hated but needed to become one with in order to advance his Septarian goals). Perhaps the magical power of love might help? Their Blood Moon connection? Also, Toffee gets weakened by Marco’s efforts and becomes easier to beat. This is his true death. Having secured neither revenge nor dominance, he reacts to the fact that he lost his bet with Glossaryck and we get to see a more humanized, less gloat full version of Toffee for a short moment there, before he and his violent ways fade into oblivion and Star delivers her final “Mewni may have belonged to you once, Toffee, but you are wrong. Brute force is not the way.”

The Source of All Magic

Unfortunately, safe Mewni isn’t enough and now there is more at stake here. Glossaryck’s project is too risky and Multiverse needs to be saved as well. The ghost queens may appear to aid in the final battle against their old mentor, the Source of All Magic. But maybe it is Magical High Commission whose noble sacrifice turns the tide, even through they are aware No Glossaryck = No High Commission. “You created us to protect magic, to keep balance in the Multiverse, and you were always disappointed. But you get to do whatever the fuck you want. Well, maybe it's time we stand up and protect the magic from you.” In the end, they manage to beat him (much to his own surprise) and stop the dangerous project. Glossaryck reconciles with his dysfunctional family and they go down together. Since the ghost queens are possible + we established the reality of the place is distorted, Lekmet can come back from the dead to be reunited with Rhombulus and the rest. Also, let’s start this sequence with an unexpected arrival of Reynaldo the Bald Pate who no longer speaks in riddles and we go from mad Glossaryck (the rebellious children are the��cause of his failure and death, yikes) to proud father Glossaryck to soft Glossaryck and they all die together. Then, the same result as in the original show. Except there are already no portals and everyone else (Tom, Moon, Eclipsa, Meteora, Queens, MHC) got teleported out by Glosaryck’s magic during the fight or faded away afterwards. Star and Marco are in shock because only now they begin to realize all magic (and thus travel between realms) seems to be fading out along with its source: Glossaryck. They managed to save the world but they are about to lose each other. That’s a perfect bittersweet moment for this magical princess show. Not easy solution to all their problems, certainly not how they would plan it, but something that happens as a result of the struggle and allows them to save everyone: Mewni, Earth and the entire Multiverse. See? Much better than “destroy the magic to defeat the ridiculously overpowered army of racists because apparently there is no choice and magic is bad” The emotional music theme ends with the tragic Starco goodbye, similar to what happens in the show itself.

Goodbye Marco - The Multiverse Saved

The last hug and then they disappear, back to their own dimensions. The Multiverse and Mewni were saved but Star was separated from Marco - a high but unexpected price to pay. We get to see the last moment of the battle and Septarian forces are finally beaten. Outnumbered (since Monsters and Mewmans were able to work together), having lost Toffee, with Rasticore and some other Septarians openly against his age-long hatred, Seth decides to retreat. Mewni has changed, even though there is still some work to be done. Perhaps Seth and Mina spit on the ground and then leave in opposite directions, swearing revenge as they ran away and curse each other. But Mewni said NO to their meddling, at last, so it should be fine.

Magic Always Survives

Indeed, magic cannot really be destroyed. Maybe Glossaryck appears in Star’s vision to reveal his final surprise. Something like... he needed to pit them against one another to see who has the biggest resolve to take care of the future of magic and see if they deserve the united Mewni. But he always counted on Team Star and believed in her. “Don’t give up on Marco because magic always survives.” Now it’s just magic free of Glossaryck’s control. One that maybe can be shared. One that needs to be found. No more Magic Realm, powerful royal artifacts or licensed scissors, no control, no privilege, no containment. Except there is no portal and maybe they chase after the sparks of magic. Oh, and maybe when they reach some small magical clouds (which indicate the magic isn’t gone), their unique Blood Moon connection comes into play and that’s how they create a portal, are able to reunite, travel between worlds and eventually restore even more magic to the world. The magical Starco and happy ending we've been all waiting for, I guess.

The New Age of Magic

Magic is never gone and the New Age of Magic was Glossaryck’s goal all along. But collateral damage isn���t really a problem for this guy so even though he nurtured and favored Star and her noble ways... if they failed to stop him, he would simply force his ultimate pet project on the Multiverse, achieving a similar result and perhaps his own death. If they weren’t able to defeat Toffee the right way, maybe he would have allowed Septarians to take control of Mewni and establish their own privileged domain in place of the Mewman one. You see... he has given everyone a tool set and roles to play, including himself, but the final outcome depended on their individual choices and resolve. So yeah, a truly ambiguous, manipulative and omnipotent freak of a magical show (but also sympathetic, good-hearted). Much better than real Season 4′s ending for this guy. Because... if he wanted magic gone and there was no cosmological test of resolve... why influence history, why teach and nurture magic in the first place? Also, no Mewni-Earth merger, please... those dimensions are simply FINE and need to discover/rediscover magic. In other words: everyone is safe and well, there is no immediate danger, no chaos. Star and Marco can visit each other in their dimensions and go out on more adventures. A happy ending, right?

WOW, the fact that I put those ideas in the post is heartwarming. It made me a bit nostalgic of past seasons. Impressive how amazing it could have been. Much better than Gravity Falls or Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, for example. It would have everything: great characters, romance, fun, bigger plots, complex setting, mysteries, great writing, lots of plots, hints with decent pay-offs, lovely songs, and huge complementary material that brilliantly ties into the show's last season. But now it is just... well, I’m really going to pretend my version IS the actual Season 4 while listening to S4 soundtrack. Makes the experience so much better!

Here is the public YouTube playlist with all those tracks put in chronological order, in case you’re interested. Happy listening!

[ravenclawisms]

just finished watching star vs the forces of evil all the way through and realized something and suddenly i have a lot to say about it

i am aware that it is a kids show and they might not have intended for this but hear me out!!

there are obviously a ton of inconsistencies and unanswered questions posed by the ending and the sudden merging of worlds but we're not supposed to know!! the show spends four seasons spelling out many many things, one of them being how the presence of magic in any world is a double-edged sword: what happens when people reserve the use of that magic for, say, a monarchy; what can come from this structure governing a diverse population (ie mewmans and monsters) where the monarchy is entirely comprised of one faction of the population; the discomfort, growth, and radical change that it takes to get people to confront their own biases and accept a new reality. which is why the show ends with the "no magic" angle.

but another one of those pillars of central themes (or, i argue, THE central theme) is the crazy, wonderful, amazing, terrifying, uncomfortable and supernatural things that can happen when we connect with each other and relate to each other deeply. we see this in terms of the previous theme of magic, and in terms of mewmans and monsters, mainly through eclipsa: her struggle with being accepted by the public in season 4; her turbulent relationship with meteora in season 3 turning to her genuine deep love and admiration for her baby daughter; her attachment to and borderline obsession with freeing globgor and how, at the start, it governs nearly all of her decisions and actions as queen. we see it through moon literally building a community out of nothing in the middle of the forest because she simply can't help but care about people. (and river's subsequent complete adoration of her.)

but we also see it very often through the lens of star and marco. at first (and the vast majority of the time) it isn't even in a romantic manner--literally the day they meet, they are already fighting in sync, a pattern that continues throughout the first season--they finish each other's sentences, etc etc etc. and it could be argued that a lot of that is a direct result of the blood moon ball, where their souls are (theoretically) bound together at the ripe age of fourteen. but whether or not it was a magical curse (again, the role of magic and its positive and negative effects in life) doesn't matter in the end. to me, it is simply a story of two people who have something real and beautiful and powerful, and how the presence of magic first hinders but then helps them uphold that.

we're not supposed to know what happens after the worlds merge because we're supposed to believe that by the power of friendship or love or any combination of the two they will figure it out. it's because of that very power that they've always figured it out in the past!! the ending raises a ton of good and important questions about worldbuilding, society, etc but we're not supposed to care about those questions; at the very least, we're supposed to accept that they themselves don't care about those questions. there's a reason the last scene is the two reconnecting: it is clearly ALL that they care about. and that's beautiful!!!

literally everywhere you turn in this show, basically every single plotline or arc you can think of, boils down to people (or not-people) loving, wanting to love, wanting to be loved, wanting to be accepted, wanting to feel connection. ex: ludo didn't get love as a child and so resorts to commanding respect to cope, and the only way he's able to snap out of this cycle is when dennis finds him and they both experience the first real loving connection either of them have ever had. meteora knew nothing of her family history growing up and was taught that everything natural about her should be shunned and suppressed, and the only times we see her drop or even soften her guard before the end of season 3 are when she is trying to foster a connection with rasticore (which doesn't go well) or when she finally finds eclipsa and is overjoyed at the prospect of true, unflinching motherly love. tom starts the show obsessed with star, driven solely by the idea that someone who once loved him might be able to do so again, and as the show progresses he not only learns to control his anger issues but learns how to respect both her and himself in doing so, leading to a relationship that is visibly much more healthy the second time around.

star and marco are another example of how this concept is done so beautifully, and an example of the fundamental idea that fierce and true love shouldn't break a world, it should make it. and i think the ending aims to show that. we know that there is a story after the one we stop seeing, and we know it's one that's going to be driven by empathy and connection and hope, and to a certain extent (especially in a kids show) isn't that all you ever need??

tldr: at its core svtfoe is yet another piece of media about the otherworldly power of human connection which is why the ending is Like That

(i'm aware this is a contrarian take and i'm sorry in advance i just like to be positive)

[fandomsonmysleeve]

What a ride it’s been.