Another Bit of Everything

It's actually so important to me that a character like Yasaka exists and that she's a girl. Someone who very clearly wants to be loved but has put the temporary vindication she feels from using double meanings and misleading actions and reactions to gain things and hurt people. She enjoys seeing boys get hurt - serves them right for having dared chase her in the first place right? Never mind that she's developed a habit of indirectly encouraging it using unspoken social rules even if her words at face value mean.... exactly what they would mean at face value. She makes girls angry by stealing male attention away - serves them right for rejecting her based on assumptions and unfair judgments. Except she definitely didn't make the choice to lean on those assumptions to hurt people. And she has firmly made herself believe that this is what she wants.

In a way, she IS a confusing character because her motivations and desires ARE contrary. It's no longer just an innocent desire for love masquerading under a manipulative personality that breaks down once exposed. She knows what she's doing, feels justified in it, and still wants real love...but also still wants to hurt people using their own unspoken rules and assumptions against them. It's not a storybook tale about someone having a lovely soul deep down because humans are complex...and she DOES deserve a chance at redemption, but so far, she's given us the idea that she won't take it...

And I love the way that other girl's warning was framed. It was angry and frustrated but also clearly a little bit scared. The kind of fear women have for other women when they're playing with men in a society where male violence against completely innocent women is too easily justified. And I'm afraid because with the way things have been going in her episodes, she might actually need to get scared really badly to make her question things. Even then, she might simply say it's their fault for getting upset - and she would be right. But at the same time, everything about this is wrong.

Lu Guang: My demon is red and trapped me in a dungeon

- they really aren't subtle about how a specific knowledge is kept from the general population only to be held by an elite "chosen" few. They're all so afraid in the horror of forbidden magic, that they don't get that Coco used it BECAUSE she didn't know and because even if magic is kept behind locked doors, those within locked doors will take advantage of the public who doesn't know and - *gets dragged off the podium*

- I'm now interested in seeing Coco's relationship with her mom. It's been so long since I read the manga, that I didn't clock how tense things were between them. They clearly love and adore each other, but Coco's mom obviously has issues letting go of her daughter, crushed her dreams to become a witch, and yet still taught her so much and DOES trust her a lot

- ....I'm watching the dub, and I won't lie. I get why some people were instantly suspicious of Qifrey. Sir, why is your voice actor using That voice to talk to a 12 yr old child asjdjfkfjfhsj. I think they could have kept his soft tone without adding the slight sultriness to it hdkdsf

- THE ANIMATION AND THE MUSIC AND THE ANIMATION AND THE ANIMATION AND DID I MENTION THE ANIMATION????? YOU ALL DON'T UNDERSTAND???? It gives SUCH studio ghibli vibes I'm crying 😭😭😭. Whoever directed the scenery deserves some kind of medal of honour because they did not have to go that hard just for the background

- the pacing is so far so good... everything feels so...chill, then INSTANT ACTION but it let's you slow down again to remind you magic isn't this horrible and only harmful thing