#yall are free to discuss!

[magpie-lu-aside]

What are some songs that you guys associate with the chain/specific LU characters? I want to expand mine (cuz it's mostly Four and Time) for when I write fics, but I'm also just genuinely curious.....

[hanakou-often]

I just happened to stumble upon your blog.. and I never really thought about HanaKou before, but these posts are very compelling. I love seeing other people’s ships in things and would love to be convinced into them.. heh. I’ve sort of fallen out of tbhk recently because the most recent arc hasn’t been compelling to me PARTLY BECAYSE KOU AND NENE AND HANAKO DONT KNOW EACH OTHWR?!?!? Which is really depressing, because I like them a lot. Ermm idk where I’m going with this I just was scrolling through the blog like “heh.. they’re cute I want to know more..” and now here I am. Please excuse my nonsense blabber idek if this makes sense 😔

Oh boy. Despite Hanakou being my hyperfixation for around 3 years, I still don't feel equipped to salesman my way into convincing someone 😭 most of my love for them has just come from PURE brainrot so I'll try my best to actually formulate more logical reasons why I like this sinking ship as much as I do. Long ass spoiler-filled rant incoming!!

1. Narrative Foils

A narrative foil is a character that contrasts another character, often the protagonist, to highlight certain aspects of their characters. Think Kabru and Laios from Dungeon Meshi, Sayaka and Kyoko from Madoka Magica, Draco and Harry from Harry Potter, etc.

To begin, Kou is a 'weak,' naive exorcist who always fights for justice and to protect the people he loves out of his own volition. Since he is the underdog of his family clan, the mediocre middle child next to his eldest exorcist extraordinaire brother, Kou is willing to do anything to prove his worth. This is primarily exhibited by his first meeting with Hanako as he recklessly plunges into a battle with the most powerful ghost in Kagome despite his inexperience with his weapon. When he's confronted about such, Kou states, "I don't care what happens to me as long as I can protect everyone!" and if that doesn't sum up his ideology, I don't know what does. He is shown to be the type of person to put everyone's safety, happiness and livelihood above his own, ultimately leading his selflessness to be his own detriment.

Contrarily, Hanako is a strong, knowledgable apparition who is given the role to protect students of Kamome, regardless of his detachment from the student body, as a way of atonement. As the long standing executive leader of the seven mysteries, Hanako has grown largely apathetic towards everyone, easily taking the cold, calculated and unconventional routes to reach the outcome he deems best no matter who it would hurt in the process. This is exemplified many times in the manga but to pick a lighter one: The time Hanako confessed to Nene under the kodama tree without telling her before hand that it wasn't real, leading him to hurt her feelings. It's clear that Hanako is the type of person to value his own goals and interests above everyone else's input, making him the more selfish antithesis to Kou's "selflessness."

Their differences in philosophy are really striking at times. Kou is endlessly optimistic while Hanako is more pessimistic, seeing the grimmer aspects of reality that Kou usually neglects. For example, Nene's lifespan has been a divisive topic between them for a while. Hanako had known about it from the start, originally intending to keep the poor girl in ignorant bliss for how much time she had left. At the point of the reveal in the clock keeper arc, he had no plans on trying to change her fate, solemnly stating that "there are things in this world that must not be changed...It's better for Yashiro this way." This is a direct contrast to Kou's more 'human' perspective as he immediately protests Hanako's claim of "There is nothing you can do," passionately asserting that he won't give up, he'll do whatever it takes save her and that is final. In the face of a dark reality, Kou completely rejects it, choosing to believe there's hope, like the naive son of a gun Hanako knows he is. From personal experience, Hanako knows it's stupid, it's idiotic, it's downright suicidal to go up against fate but somehow he ends up hoping Kou is right, trailing "I'm counting on you" as they settle back into a world that will never be the same after this revelation between them. (Something something Their differences are key to propelling the plot forward since Kou is the one to inspire Hanako not to just let Nene's life go by!!)

All of this is not to say they don't have anything in common. In fact, they are united by their desire to save the people they care about, grounded in their ruthless determination to see out their goals and are self sacrificing to an extent. I would love to go deeper on this topic but I'm afraid my brain is already starting to fry lol. In short, their differences are what make them interesting as a duo!! Each of their qualities can compliment the other's contrasting attributes and as people say, opposites attract!!!

2. Pivotal Roles in each other's Narrative

Hanakou are very important to each other's story since they are a key player in both their humble beginnings and tragic ends. Respectively, they are each other's gateway to a new life. Much like Nene, Kou is a symbol of hope for Hanako, his spunky attitude and determined nature igniting a humanitarian spark that Hanako lacked in the sixty years he lingered Kamome. For Kou, Hanako is the first apparition he meets, the one that sets off his rocky journey with navigating the world of supernaturals as a lackluster exorcist, and the second person to fuel his fire by believing in him. Specifically, Hanako tells Kou he looks forward to the day he can expel him with ease, a statement that foreshadows their distant future. In order to complete their whole character arcs (Hanako going from stubbornly clinging to the near shore to repent to accepting he's done every to atone and ready to pass on; Kou starting off weak and naive then ending as a stronger exorcist capable of understanding both the supernatural world and humanity) they'll have to do exactly what Hanako anticipated: Exorcise him once and for all. This aspect of their relationship is something intricately intertwined with their fates and while AidaIro may have forgotten about it, I can only hope they'll deliver so that they can bring their narratives full circle.

Now in the context of a romantic relationship, there are some absolutely soul crushing implications here. The hands Hanako loves to admire, intertwine his fingers with and adore are the same ones that will ultimately be his demise. Kou is Hanako's deathbed. That’s what they’ve known all along. It’s something that looms over their heads with a lingering heaviness neither boy wants address: Kou wanting to silently avoid his crushing responsibility while Hanako is just trying to savor whatever time he has with Kou. It's doomed just like everything else in TBHK <3

3. Young Exorcist arc

This one goes hand and hand with the second point but I felt that this needed to be discussed on its own since it's where many Hanakouers (ME) really took interest in their relationship. The arc begins with Kou being pulled aside by Teru, the two having a conversation about how Kou was supposed to immediately exorcise any seven mysteries he encounters. When Kou fumbles around him, insisting that he can't find it in himself to see Hanako as a bad supernatural, Teru is quick to remind him that "There is no such thing as a 'good supernatural'" and promptly takes him off the case. He was going to take matters into his own hands but the moment Kou looks at him with pleading eyes, Teru decides to give him more time to carry the duty out.

This is where Kou sets off to find Hanako, get some irrefutable proof that he's not evil like the generalization Teru makes. The effort he puts here into defending Hanako is absolutely adorable, if not a testament to their potential then a testament to Kou's sweet character. The suspicion he's built as he spies on Hanako who saunters around with a sack of stolen items is broken once the ghost explains that he's gathering them to return to their rightful owners. As stated previously, Hanako’s noble deeds are done more as a way to atone rather than out of his own good will so to see that he went out of his way to return stolen items to students, one of which being Kou’s safety earring, without being obligated to do so is great evidence to support Kou's idea that supernaturals can be good. Given this, Kou decides right then and there that he won’t exorcise Hanako after all. Now, Hanako here could have reveled in this decision, his kind act successfully manipulating Kou into compliance with his schemes, but instead, Hanako shows him exactly why he shouldn’t give up.

He cares for the kid. He does. Which is why he has to show how wrong he can be. It’s a downright dangerous thought because it lures Kou into a false sense of security that all supernaturals can be “good” like Hanako.

Cue Teru's dramatic entrance where he immediately apprehends the offending apparition and tries to execute him (for good reason). Blah blah blah Teru is condescending towards Kou because he made the wrong call again, something something Kou is trapped in Teru's bead bracelet and question his view of Hanako once more. For a moment, Kou almost gives into despair, letting Teru exorcise him without another word. After all, what does Kou know about the supernatural world? He's a weak link to Teru's infinite knowledge, power and experience. Maybe he should just let him do what he deems best.

However, as Hanako objects to his sentencing, screaming that “death would only be a release” and he still has so much to do here, it reminds Kou that Hanako is here for a reason. Sure, he’s an apparition, something that’s synonymous with evil, but all that time they spent together has to mean something, right? Hanako indulges Nene and Kou, joking around, Hanako has indulged Kou when no one else believed in him, he's saved them when he easily could’ve left them to their own devices. That definitely means something. Suddenly, Kou breaks free from the beaded prison, charges in the middle of the battle field and grips Teru's blade with an iron fist, all to save Hanako.

Just look at that. Kou slit his own palm trying to protect Hanako, someone he vowed to erase just weeks ago, because he's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He defies his brother, someone he highly admired for the past fourteen years of his life, for Hanako’s sake. Kou’s change in attitude towards his exorcist duties is largely attributed to Hanako. The sole notion of Hanako, the not so evil supernatural, has turned Kou’s world completely upside down.

I'll never forgive the anime for omitting this arc, not only because it excludes a pivotal moment in their relationship but also because it deprived an enriching detail to their development!!! Oh my god. Kou finally stands up for himself and owns up to his naivety. He knows he’s stupid for jumping from one extreme conclusion to the other before he has fully understood everything Hanako has to offer but he can no longer side with Teru’s one note view of him or supernaturals in general, lest more decent apparitions be erased without cause. He brings a level of nuance to the function that Teru does not appreciate!! When Kou decides to vouch for Hanako, undertaking the massive responsibility to watch over him all on his own, it shows a lot of growth in his maturity and his perspective of the ghost.

So yeah. A lot to say about the young exorcist arc. Not only has it deeply impacted the Minamoto brothers relationship, but it has brought a significant change within Kou’s mindset. He’s no longer trying to label Hanako as a definitive good or bad but trying to deepen his understanding of him and decide what to do from there. As for Hanako, he seems to respect Kou more now, giving credit where credit is due, and feels as though their bond is strengthened by the vulnerable state they saw each other in. He even acknowledges this in the first chapter of ASHK when Teru comes in to “help clean" by immediately taking cover behind Kou and questioning the commitment he made to keep Teru at bay. It's also weirdly sweet to see Hanako taking cover behind Kou here!! It really goes to show how much trust they've built for each other and how safe Hanako feels around the exorcist C:

To sum it all up, the young exorcist arc was an important part of showing how Hanakou work together and cement how their views of humanity/supernatural world are shifting because of each other!! I didn't get to talk about it too much but they also have a bunch of cute moments here which sorta feeds to the next point.

4. Classic Bromance to Romance

A bromance is defined as a quote en quote "close, friendly but non-sexual relationship between two men" and that's more or less what Hanakou brings to the table!!! First and foremost, they are complete opposites in a lot of their personality traits which makes it fun to see how they interact. Hanako's pervyness to Kou's disciplined innocence, Hanako's mischief to Kou's gullibility, Hanako's love of teasing to Kou's fiery denials, it's all just so entertaining to watch!!! They bounce off each other sorta like a coke and mentos relationship where on their own, they're absolutely fine but when they're together BOOM explosions, dumb arguments, rough housing 24/7, etc, etc. Just take a look at the shenanigans they get up to in this panel.

How? Just how did they get here? They used to be enemies, they're still supposed to be enemies but here they are, a hopeful descendent of a powerful exorcist clan and an executive leader of a important supernatural group, just play fighting with a mop and broom like they're no better than two clumsy best friends goofing off on their free time. I love their little bromance so much because it's the result of their growth during the many adventures they've had together. URUGHH After they've been through, it's deeply endearing to realize that they really are just boys being boys at their core!! C:

Now moving onto the romance part, I want to preface this with how I do believe men should be allowed to have intimate platonic relationships with each other without having to get accused of being gay but alas, I fear Hanakou's closeness as friends can easily pave the way for something more as they blur the line between friendly and flirty banter.

It's already been established that Hanako feels safe enough to be his usual self around the exorcist, knowing that no matter how mischievous, touchy and downright despicable Hanako can be, Kou won't ever hurt him. It's a sweet sort of trust that can be explored further with some typical bromance shenanigans, IE Hanako gets bored and decides to test Kou's boundaries just for the hell of it. At first, it's only joke flirting and some harmless teasing here and there. Maybe a lingering touch or two (only to push some buttons of course). Most of the time, Hanako finds this endeavor to be deeply rewarding since Kou reacts in a way that Nene doesn’t, his responses leaning into his more physical, boyish volatility as he either bashfully pushes Hanako away, chases him off or just straight up punches him in the arm, visibly flustered. The reactiveness encourages Hanako to keep upping the ante to the point where it's more unusual for him not to mess with Kou. It's grown into a bad habit of his: snaking his arms around Kou's shoulders, fiddling with his fingers with reverent fascination, sneaking glances at the boy and making funny faces in the hopes he'll look back and laugh, etc, etc. As Kou gets used to Hanako's antics overtime, his extreme reactions gradually diminish and it's becoming increasingly clearer that Hanako isn't (wasn't?) just doing it because "he's bored" anymore. No, it's something worse. With a sinking clarity, Hanako realizes boredom isn't the driving reason for being around Kou anymore, it's fondness of the cute (flustered) expressions he makes, it's the giddiness that swells in his chest when Hanako manages to make him smile, the electricity that floods his system when Kou flirts back, it's...something else he does not want to dissect. And so, Hanako will bury this revelation under the belief it's due to his unfamiliarity of friendship. Fifty years of isolation has to do a number to your perception of romance vs friendship, right???

Meanwhile, Kou is committed to the promise he made in the young exorcist arc so he's usually admiring from afar watching over Hanako to make sure he's in line and keeping an eye on Hanako isn't hard as of late; they're spending more time together before, during and after school and as much as he doesn't want to admit it, he genuinely enjoys the company. Kou likes what they have, it's good that they can rely on each other and still leave room to joke around but to be honest, Kou has some...weird feelings towards Hanako. Every time their eyes meet his heart skips a beat, whenever he lets his mind wander it usually finds its way back to Hanako, their friendly banter stuck in his head, and for whatever reason, Kou's body can't seem to forget the ghost's touch, even long after he's fucked off to who knows where. There's something different about it. It's not the detestation he had when he first met Hanako, nor is it the quaint glee he had when he decided to not exorcise him. It's something completely new, something foreign that has his stomach doing flips every time he sees Hanako's bright smile or hears his stupid laugh. Kou tries not to think about it too much, lest he gives Hanako exactly what he wants, so he just chalks it up to his view of supernaturals being challenged. After all, going from believing all supernaturals are dangerous, evil vermin that need to be exterminated to voluntarily hanging out with such a friendly one is bound to stir up some mixed feelings, right?

Do you see my vision now? The bromance to romance pipeline would be unreal with these two confused idiots!! There's so much room for the internalized homophobia, the confusion of trying to differentiate friendly feelings from the clusterfuck of emotions the other boy evokes and the funny fumblings of two teenage boys letting the joke flirting go a bit too far like a game of gay chicken gone wrong. Their relationship speaks to me in a way that can only be described as the entertainment you get from mixing two reactive substances and waiting for the inevitable chaos that proceeds. Even if you don't ship Hanakou romantically, you gotta admit their dynamic is super fun to explore!! C:

5. Other characters reactions

I swear I’m taking this somewhat seriously but I really enjoy the more wholesome aspects of this ship!! Nene being the third wheel to her two guy best friends, the LEAST romantic people she knows, is something that is deeply entertaining to me <3 She came into Hanako's life wishing for a boyfriend, failed to get one and then had to watch him get one himself. She would be so happy for them but at the same time, she'd be fighting demons trying to figure out how these two IDIOTS got more rizz than she does. (How much aura do you lose for this LMAOOOO)

Then you got Teru which if you liked this aspect of Mitsukou where Teru disapproves of his brother dating a school mystery then hooo boy YOU’LL LOVE HANAKOU!! Whatever apprehension he has towards Mitsukou it's increased tenfold because it’s one thing to date a school mystery, it’s a whole other thing to date not only the ghost of a murder but the LEADER of the seven mysteries??? Teru would absolutely flip his shit, wasting no time to charge into Hanako’s bathroom and expel him right then and there the SECOND he finds out (AND I DON'T BLAME HIM!! he just doing his job fr). I’ve been told it’s sorta like a Romeo and Juliet situation where two star crossed lovers are kept apart by a long-standing feud between their opposing houses (Montagues and Capulets WHO? I only know the Minamoto clan and Seven Mysteries) and I think that can just about sum it up!!

6. Hanako-San (ASHK)

This post is already as long as it is so I’ll save you the trouble of attempting an analysis and copy and paste my ramble from another post: “In regards to HanaKou discourse, I've always seen people say 'Kou's into Mitsuba!!' or 'they're just platonic besties! Plus Kou rejected Hanako!!!' and sure, maybe Kou doesn't have a thing for Hanako but has anyone REALLY stopped to consider Hanako has a thing for Kou??? And just. Didn't process it because of internalized homophobia AND his crush on Nene overshadowing his feelings for Kou??? Because THIS chapter had NO RIGHT to be so fruity on Hanako's part” and yeah why is the first thing Hanako decides to do when he turns into a girl is flirt with Kou??? And an even better question is why did he genuinely sulk when Kou rejected him??? If you didn't mean it why were you so butt hurt then huh??? Hanako really is the type of guy to passively think "if Kou was a girl or if I was a girl, I'd date him 100%" and it definitely shows!!!

7. Fanfiction. So. Much. Fanfiction.

This one doesn't have much to do with canon but it's more than likely why some people (ME) began to ship Hanakou!! My personal experience was I thought they were sorta interesting and I checked on ao3 to see if there were any others who thought the same. To my surprise, there were a bunch of fics lovingly written for them already and out of curiosity I started reading one. One became two, two became three, then suddenly I was tumbling down the rabbit hole feverishly consuming whatever I could get my grubby little hands on. As you've stated, seeing others' passion can be pretty compelling reason to start shipping something and I totally agree!!! Exploring the dynamics in such a freeing medium like Fanfiction can be much more invigorating than just reinterpreting canon so do give it a try if you're interested!! I promise Hanakou nation is a welcoming space and we'd be delighted to see more people on board with these two idiots C:

END

AUGHHHH I struggled to find the right words to express my thoughts but I hope it gave you a better understanding of Hanakou!! These two really are my Roman Empire and despite how much I floundered around this post, I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity to share my visions!!! Thank you so much for asking C:

[moonamite]

Feel free to disagree with me but I have to say:

I do NOT understand the hate for Johnny x Tylor.

I’ve seen arguments that it’s problematic because of the age gap but… Tylor is a grown ass adult in his early twenties. Just because he’s awkward and nervous doesn’t take away his agency as an adult.

And of course there’s the arguments that it’s gross because there’s a power imbalance. Yes, in the end it’s revealed Johnny was ultimately just using Tylor, but like… There’s plenty of other popular ‘toxic’ ships in the MI/MU/MAW community that nobody has a problem with. Randall/Fungus and Johnny/Randy being the best examples. So I’m left to assume the issue is the age difference.

I understand if a few people dislike the power dynamic, but I feel like some people are blowing it way out of proportion.

[lesbica-virtual]

i think asaden shippers should also find a deeply romantic song from the 80s that describes their situation just like how akiangel shippers did with 'out of touch' by hall & oates

[khathastrophe]

canon verse: mafia noir

me, clinically insane: so.....Stardew Valley AU?

When Porsche Kittisawatd, a struggling bartender and a part-time student, finds out he and his younger brother inherited a vast farmland in the countryside he'd never expect to meet Kinn, an ex-mafia son whose entire family had to escape from the horrors of mob wars. Even less so he'd expect to find monsters in the local mines but that's for another talk.

[trans-clown-catgirl]

homestuck fans investigating possible new contrived explanations for why drawing incest is actually ok and completely ethical

[the-sun-and-the-sea]

this anon movement is so fun omg

[statementlou]

tbh as an israeli, i was so embarrassed that they put the flags there and i wish they didn’t do that. I don’t support that at all.

❤ and that's why YOU are my people, not those flag wavers- it's definitely my identity as a Jew that makes me extra outspoken about this issue in particular because like you say I feel personally embarrassed on behalf of my kin, and a responsibility by association to speak out against the israeli state's genocide. And it's made so much worse by the way people think israel= all jewish culture, or that to be anti-Israel is anti-semitism which, as @captainrayzizuniverse pointed out in tags (YES! well said and thank you!! you are also my people❤), is a tactic of zionist propaganda used to shut down criticism of the Israeli state. I think anon meant well and wants to keep an eye out for anti-semitism during this terrible time of its rise everywhere and I appreciate that! But that's why it's important to talk loudly and constantly about the fact that taking a stand against anti-semitism does not have to include defending the Israeli state- and indeed to be broadly anti-racist, one must call out Israel's colonization and genocide in Palestine

[numy-numnum]

reposting this from my twitter because I'm tired and feeling extremely petty.

We should analyze this trope of "old men fuckers" who de-age the hell out of the old men they claim to find attractive

[crenna]

hi lovely people and especially my mutuals!! today i would like to inform you of three things:

i appreciare you so much, thank you for being here!! i hope you’re having a lovely day, and if not, i hope that something nice will happen to you. this stranger is wishing the best for you 💗

sorry about being so inactive, stress + not enough time to rest + not enough sleep is not a good combination and it got overwhelming so i just,, didn’t have the energy to post or do anything

i’m not going anywhere!! i’ve been trying to like you all’s posts when tumblr wants to show them to me and i’m hoping to get back to posting especially on my side blog (@onceuponaneverafter) as soon as possible 💗 i know i’ve been promising a lot of posts on there and i’m sorry about the delay!!

[artheresy]

No I love that headcannon. Autistic yingxing is REAL to me. This isn't exactly the same but I have some nerve damage due to some burns on my legs and I imagine it'd be similar to that along with what you described? Like usually they're numb but I will get weird tingling and weird pain along with phantom sensations sometimes lol. Blade probably has awful nerve damage (that's my headcannon for his hand issues) and pain compounded by his body trying to heal it constantly but never being able to quite get it right . . . Anyways I love all of your blade thoughts they are fantastic

Awh :D!! Thank you so much <3 <3 I'm so glad someone else is out here sharing the same headcanon >:D!!

And yeah! Yeah that's very much like what I mean! In my head, he has a mixture of these issues caused by nerve damage in certain areas and then in others, he gets milder sensations. Some of which might be sensory perception, but also some of the feelings I described are meant to be similar to sensations I feel in my legs when they get inflamed almost? (I have a lot of sciatic nerve issues and just issues with my joints and muscles)

Also I definitely agree with you in regards to your headcanon for the issues with his hand! The way they describe it in various places even if it isn't mentioned a lot, really does make it seem like his issue with it is this nerve damage that no matter how much the Abundance stirring within him tries to repair, it just can't be done, and God imagining how painful that must be makes me feel so sad for him :')

And thank you again ToT!!! That means so much to me honestly cause I just love him so much, I'm so glad that you enjoy all my Blade thoughts <3 This is like the first thing I just woke to so this has really made my day!

[allhailthefrog]

hot take thatll probably get me bullied off this platform but those drawing where people draw their favorite fictional charcters with signs that say “free palastine 🍉” are just “hello kitty says acab” rebranded

[roimp]

SO TODAY....

(THIS IS ONLY FOR ROSE)

[dwtdog]

going to start adding george situation tags to all the posts i make about it from here out btw <3 inspired by a few other ppl who are doing it

[aroaceleovaldez]

one of the interesting things about having run a pjo askblog for 7 years is because i started it before TOA was even announced but after HoO, when TOA started coming out with each book i then had to start balancing the weird combos of pre-existing blog canon from before TOA, addressing new TOA canon/storylines as they were being published, the weird coincidences of askblog canon lining up perfectly with TOA canon, and the TOA canon decisions that I’m looking at and just saying “no, we’re not doing that”

so it ends up really weird, which i guess is fun because it means i get to tell a new unique story instead of just following TOA verbatim. and it also means i’ve had 6 years to plan out the plot of weird TOA canon-divergence but in a visual format, which is also weird and fun

[timothylawrence]

finished the Handsome Jackpot, thoughts below!

-by far one of the most lovingly piece of borderlands content i've seen from the devs since tftbl. from the story to the characters to the dialogue, it's all so wonderfully woven together that I couldn't help but hope it never ended! which is saying a lot considering how the main campaign went!!!

-to start, all the characters are so wonderfully written and feel so real. Ember stood out to me as not another femme fatale or Girlboss(TM), but a real woman who's fighting for better things, for her friends, and for freedom. She has a cute quirk with fire and frankly her whole personality is amazing. Freddie, my god, he was so funny and cheeky. I knew he was going to betray us by the pretty boy's one line but i really hoped he wouldn't! he was written with so much personality and quirks, i actually felt for his robots :(. pretty boy is a funny type with sick intentions that only got worse as time went on and the mayor of Trashapolis (???) was SO COOL. i loved his design, just wish we got a name! Getting to FINALLY interact with Moxxi on a more personal level... ugh i love her so much. she's so human and funny and her revenge is justified, you go girl! I missed her proximity to the main campaign so it was nice to get level with her :(( Everyone in this dlc is a victim in one way or another and I think that's what makes everyone's dynamics work so well together.

-onto timothy, since that's one of the main points you guys are probably looking for LOL, his dynamic with all these characters is truly what makes him so... alive? the way he talks about his regret with Ember, his "im not as weird as Freddie" process, and his overall pining crush on Moxxi is just. so good. He feels 3D and isn't just a "sad, pathetic meow meow" as fandom portrays him to be. He's crass and rude and frankly selfish at points, but then he has moments where he is so, so sad and you realize that behind the mask (sorry), there's another victim of Handsome Jack's that you get to help. Just like Moxxi. Seeing him juggle between himself and jack is also so unique to him and frankly, it tugs at the heart :(

-Man. the story. this DLC is exactly what BL3 was missing all along. A sense of fucking connection. This whole story you're jumping from one character to another but they're all connected in such intricate ways. You hear Moxxi talk about her trauma from Jack and you feel sympathy, you find out Timothy thinks about her still and then you meet Ember, who despite being burned (sorry again) by Timothy, comes through to help him. Freddie, albeit a "new" addition, is just as much a victim to everyone else. The scene where they're all standing at the table coming up with a plan felt so, so good. I felt like we actually played a purpose in the story and getting to see everyone together like that? it was a genuine connection between the player and the story. It felt like we were back in Sanctuary standing beside Roland, Lilith, Brick and Mordecai. The characters made the story for sure, but being able to see everyone gathered like that? brought together for a good cause and better loot? that's what borderlands is fucking about. When you spend the entire main campaign forgetting the point of a mission, running from one place to another, never actually being together, it just... feels empty. and this DLC rectifies that so, so well. There's no more "talk to lilith on the bridge".

-the narrated plan scene has got to be one of the best scenes i've ever played. i laughed and it was still action packed and it was just, so, so good. instead of idly sitting back watching a character make a dumb decision, or being mocked, the player is IN on the game, invited to join and actually feel like a part of the plan!

-The UI deserves a praise for the dumb mission names, the silly names of the parts of the map, freaking casa de Timothy made me laugh. It's the silly humor that kinda tied a nice little wrap on a good story and great characters.

-The bosses, oh my god, that was SO FUN!!!! the claptrap revenge/zombie thing literally threw me back to COD zombies days, the JACKBOT was SUCH a cool multi-level boss- even Freddie was great! Just like Krieg's DLC, there was a lot of fun with these levels.

-The design of the Jackpot frankly felt like we were back in BL2 Pandora, which was such a nice refresher sorry! I really enjoyed running through what felt like opportunity again :,). all the jack stuff was CREEPY! I didnt realize the jack tower moved and then it did and i was like OH.

-bugs of course put a tamper on the fun, had to restart twice 'cause the audio bugged and then Timothy just... didn't show up to hack the forcefield LOL . Not exactly the DLCs fault.

-the ending music was the bow on the masterpiece, sorry!

Overall, this DLC nearly makes up for the awfulness that was the main campaign. there was heart to be found in every corner, love crafted in every piece of dialogue, and genuine FUN in each mission. I almost wished i didn't play 'cause now im longing for another GOOD BL thing to play. open to talking about it as always hehe <3

surprising from me, a peak 10/10