Aikoiya

Don’t get me wrong, I love Sensei Garmadon, but I also love what they’ve done with Garmadon during the Oni Trilogy and onwards. And people are constantly begging for Sensei Garmadon back, while I feel like doing so - at least in the way most fans want - would be a disservice to his character.

Let’s be real, consequences are temporary when it comes to main characters. Zane dies? Nevermind, he’s rebuilt new and improved! Cole turns into a ghost? Don’t worry he’s human again a few months later! Nya merges with the sea? They get her back eventually! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The loss of Sensei Garmadon is like, the ONLY instance that feels permanent. Or at least, isn’t undone within a few seasons. Even after Garmadon is resurrected, he’s not the same as he was, and he probably never will be. And I love that! When it comes to bringing characters back from the dead, it’s important to have a consequence of some sort as to not cheapen the death itself.

It’s also our first time seeing Garmadon as a legitimately threatening villain. Let’s be real, in seasons 1-2 he was more of a saturday morning cartoon villain. He was more goofy than he was threatening. And when he wasn’t goofy he was just sad. He never feels actually threatening. (With the exception of the pilots).

Emperor Garmadon though? That mf was terrifying.

And the arc that comes afterwards is the most important thing. He has to relearn compassion, empathy, kindness. Relearn the meaning of life. He has to unearth the parts of him that Harumi buried when she resurrected him. (He was never split in half, he was brought back in full, only imbalanced).

We never had a redemption arc for Garmadon before. The first time wasn’t a redemption. He literally had the evil purged out of him. He was evil, then he wasn’t. All was forgiven. No bad blood between him or any of the other characters.

This time Garmadon has to work to better himself. To atone and redeem himself to those he’s hurt. Especially his son. And watching him trying to reclaim the humanity that was ripped from him is a compelling story. He’s come a long way from the emotionless husk that was revived in SOG.

So when people constantly beg for Sensei Garmadon back, it just- kinda irks me. It doesn’t feel like Garmadon gets much appreciation for who he is now. People chase the "perfect" version of him. The "good" version of him that never did anything bad ever. (While the whole letter situation alone made it clear that he was far from perfect).

Like, I was watching a TikTok appreciating Garmadon’s development post-Oni Trilogy, and people in the comments wouldn’t shut up about human/Sensei Garmadon. 🫩

I think that speaks for the issue itself.

People act like he’s still evil. They’ll say things like "I want him to be Sensei Garmadon again so he can be on the side of good!" as if he isn’t already on the side of good as of Crystalized. Yeah, he’s still learning, but he’s effectively on the good guy’s side now. He cares for his family and wants to do right by them, and himself. Yet, his progress is hardly acknowledged by this group that longs for Sensei Garmadon.

And then there’s the obsession with his human form. The amount of times I’ve seen "we need human Garmadon back" is too much to count on both my hands. It’s weird because Garmadon was never human to begin with. He’s always been a pure Dragoni hybrid. He just looks more Oni now.

So why do people act like his human form is this pure, perfect shape he needs to return to in order to properly be redeemed? Why is "human" Garmadon the only "good" Garmadon? Idk it just kinda bothers me.

The reason I think Sensei Garmadon should stay gone is not only the fact that having him remain in his Oni form be a good way to send the message that "no, Oni are not inherently evil" (a message the show itself struggles to send), but also because having him look like Sensei Garmadon again would make it too easy to treat him and Lord/Emperor Garmadon as two separate characters.

People would dismiss Garmadon’s character from SOG to Crystalized as "not really him" or "an empty shell". All of his character development? Doesn’t matter, it was never the "real" Garmadon anyway. We got the "real" Garmadon back so we can forget about that other guy! 😀 (Sarcasm).

Like, no. They’re the same person. Just changed.

It would be a huge waste. It would render both Sensei G’s initial sacrifice and Emperor Garmadon’s development meaningless.

Sensei Garmadon was a great character, but it feels like the fandom’s obsession with him stems from nostalgia at this point. Garmadon deserves to be respected and loved for who he is now.

A man trying to reclaim the humanity that was stolen from him. Who thrives in destruction, but uses it to protect. Who regards an ordinary man as among the wisest he’s met. Who loves his plant Christofern. Who has a childish streak towards his brother. Who loves to lounge around and eat pizza.

Who doesn’t know how to be "good", but tries anyway.

If he were to become Sensei Garmadon again, it has to be a natural transition and not a transformation of any kind. Like, if he decides to start teaching again, and becomes a kinder, more flexible teacher.

But he shouldn’t be the same character from seasons 3, 4, and 5. He should still be a bit of an asshole, as a treat. He should still embrace his Oni nature. And overall he should still feel like the character we’ve gotten to know since the Oni Trilogy.

I’d be fine with him shapeshifting to look like Sensei Garmadon as well (because that would be fucking funny), but ONLY if he alternates between his human and Oni forms regularly. I don’t want the human form to become the default.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

They for sure like gardening together! Bugs do like the outdoors~ And I think they'd both enjoy being Marinette's mini models.

Also extra because I think the dragon is funner but idk 🥀

but it's an entirely new level of tragic when somebody you've actually spoken to gets turned into a bot account. it's like peeking at a zombie apocalypse through the window and realizing one of the shambling corpses was your friend.

and then the zombie catches sight of you, lurches up to your window, and shouts through the glass that they accidentally reported your account to tumblr and you'll be deactivated unless you click this link.

if you get something like this ↑ they're gonna follow up by instructing you to contact tumblr support on discord and give you contact info; or they're gonna link a website that looks sort of like tumblr support and say you have to email them; or any variety of "you must now contact tumblr, here is how you contact tumblr."

whatever they send you, it Does Not lead to tumblr. it leads to the master zombie that bit them and inducted them into the ranks of the undead, and will bite you the second they have your email and password. i might be confusing zombies and vampires. anyway,

it's easier to fall for these messages because the blog doesn't LOOK like a bot blog, because it ISN'T a bot blog. it's a normal person's blog that got accessed by a bot, meaning the blog's content CLEARLY looks like a real active user when you click on it. and yes—it might even be a blog you already know. sometimes bots like this go down a blog's DMs or reblogs and message people they've previously interacted with.

On the other hand baby lloyd would fight the quiet one.

What is your opinion on the Sub-Chapter, where the Family tries to get help from the Second Inquestion, as this episode has bureaucracy talk and shows the coalition bickering and other things.

Thank you!

Sorry about that, but yeah! It was interesting!

First off, let me just say that I'm SO glad that they didn't end up getting in bed with the Wyrmeffers.

Seriously, frick that noise!

And as awful as it is that Occam ended up in the situation that he did, for the moment, it's at least better than dealing with the Wyrmfreaks.

But good gravy! That Blacklaw chick was an absolute battleaxe! Yet somehow, I disliked the woman with the shades SO much more.

Liked the Union dudes, though. Just a bunch of normal guys trying to survive the nonesense that the world throws at them & being unfortunate enough to have to be on a leash held by the Coalition.

But beyond that, the family should've come in with intellectual ammunition. In a world like WoD where information isn't just power, but even a cause for murder, you don't just walk in without a means of gaining the advantage.

Yet, the only one there who did was Door & he let it go far too freely. That sort of info could've been utilized as leverage.

It's part of why I think D really messed up. Had he kept his cool half as well as Door, he could've utilized that well of information that he calls a noggin far better. If nothing else, he could've had the witch in the shades eating outta his hand had he applied the right preassure. *sighs* Truly disappointing.

But then, I can't exactly blame him. His son's life was on the line after all.

In very understandable ways, they were in a horrible situation.

But starting negotiations by insulting everyone at the table, and then telling them you are desperate enough to take any deal they might offer... is... uh... a choice.

As certain as I am that negotiations would have been the right choice, I am also fairly certain that the D-Family could have gotten the Union, the Swedes, and probably the Newberg Group to a reasonable deal. Definitly the Union and the Swedes.

Well, barring Pentex under Blair didn't come in there with a full plan to fuck over the D-Family, but I honestly doubt that. Before today, they were too small fries to really register for Pentex.

But uh... Door did not really get an advantage. I feel like he really painted a target on the family's back. Because Pentex and subsidiaries do not want anyone to know they worship the wyrm. That is high-level stuff, and more importantly, it hurts profits and the doomsday deadline. And Door very handily implied he knows they worship the wyrm. There are very likely corporate death squads in the family's future.

One thing you did not mention was how the D-Family also completely disregarded their allies. Occam was clearly on their side, and Blacklaw, despite his issues, had aligned interests. Yet every use of those resources was a courtesy extended towards the family, and not a discussed and bargained-for advantage. If Blacklaw was willing to pay for the Union for nothing in return and Occam was willing to invoke Treaty and Marriage, how much could the family have gotten out of him had they been willing to join forces, and essentially work the room together with their allies?

Obviously, in a more eloquent way. If nothing else, Pentex would have to wait until after the meeting to kill off the D family, because if they did it right there, they'd likely also need to kill off everyone else present which would prompt major scrutiny from all the other groups in question. Though, admittedly, even that would've been a gamble as it'd alert Pentex to the fact that Door was aware of their wriggly sugardaddy. So, I'm not about to pretend that my idea was foolproof. Far from it, in fact.

Also, YOU'RE RIGHT!!! I DIDN'T say anything about their failure to utilize their allies & I'm mad at myself for that! Though, the reason for why the D family didn't do that might have to do with them appearing to feel very disconnected even from Occam & the Chapter House. So, it likely didn't even occur to them to concider Blacklaw & Occam to actually be allies willing to work with them.

Though, I suspect that might have to do with D's own apparent tendency to alienate himself.

I think a lot of people misunderstand why enemies to lovers is so popular. It’s quickly become one of the most pervasive tropes in many novels. Is it the banter, the tension? That’s definitely part of it. But if that were true, then friends-to-lovers and literally any romance with good dialogue and characterization would scratch the same itch. For some, it does, but for many…enemies-to-lovers just hits different. 

My theory is that it isn’t actually about love, not really. I think it fulfils a fantasy that no other trope can provide: the fantasy of being seen as an equal. 

Think about what specifically makes someone an enemy in fiction. It’s not just someone the MC dislikes, it’s someone who can affect them in tangible ways, maybe even have the power to ruin them, challenge their worldview, expose their weaknesses, etc. The relationship begins with conflict because the characters are fundamentally opposed in some way. It doesn’t matter why, but they’re fighting. There is a struggle for dominance. 

I would argue that the most impactful enemies-to-lovers moments are never the romantic moments, they’re the scenes where power shifts. They BOTH lose: they’re forced into a position that would have horrified them at the beginning of the story. They end up needing (or wanting) each other. 

That’s why I think people are often disappointed when a supposed enemies-to-lovers story turns out to be a milquetoast attempt where they’re just kinda mean to each other for a few pages, and then immediately start making out. Where’s the risk, the actual threat? If the characters aren’t capable of genuinely affecting one another, then the relationship isn’t actually transforming in a satisfying way. The appeal is in the fact that they have power over each other, because the eventual trust they build requires real surrender.

Because here’s the thing about enemies; they pay attention, and usually more attention than anyone else. They notice weaknesses because they’re actively looking for them, they notice strengths because they need to account for them. They notice habits, blind spots, ambitions, fears. 

They study the MC with a level of scrutiny that borders (and later crosses) intimate, but unlike friends (or supporting characters in the MC’s corner) they’re not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, they don’t overlook flaws out of affection. Which is exactly what makes the eventual romance so satisfying. It feels earned. 

It’s easy to imagine being loved by someone who sees the best version of you, but it’s an entirely different thing to be loved by someone who has seen you at your worst. That’s why this dynamic often feels more convincing than romances where the characters are immediately into each other.

I imagine there are many who go through life feeling misunderstood, or worse, that the people who love them only love the polished, perfect version they present to the world, almost like impostor syndrome. But what if there was someone who couldn’t be fooled by this carefully constructed image? 

When someone more powerful chooses someone, maybe the fantasy is protection. When it’s someone less powerful, the fantasy might be admiration. But if there’s someone intelligent and observant enough to see the MC as an equal, the fantasy there is the most intense and honest validation. 

So, iirc, a zanpakuto spirit is born from the soul of its master, right? So it embodies an essential part of who they are. Their inner world is a reflection of their own soul.

My point. My point is that Hyorinmaru is Toshiro’s zanpakuto. Often cited as the strongest ice-type zanpakuto. And Toshiro has made repeated reference to how the struggle, for him, was never in unlocking or strengthening Hyorinmaru’s power, but in trying to hold him back.

And it just occurred to me. Toshiro is protective as all heck. Overprotective as all heck. Only of like, one or two people, but still.

It’s so freaking obvious and adorable I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner.

Hyorinmaru is overprotective of Toshiro.

You have this big eff-off Ice Dragon that could freeze anyone solid with a glance, and he sees his master—a tiny little boy—and this absolute primordial force of freaking nature looks at this tiny little lonely kid and goes:

“If anything happens to this child, I will kill everyone in a thousand mile radius, and then myself.” bruh you’ll already be dead but that’s beside the point

And whenever Toshiro goes into battle, he has to hold this guy back.

Hyorinmaru’s in full-on Papa-Dragon, I’ll-Make-Sure-You-Don’t-Ever-Speak-To-Me-Or-My-Son-Again mode, ready to murder everyone in the same area code of whoever so much as threatened his boy, and Toshiro has to focus on making sure he doesn’t.

And of course. Of course now I’m picturing their interactions through this lens. I mean. Can you just. Imagine an overbearing, manifested Hyorinmaru coiling around his little master and grooming him like a kitten.