i only became a full part of the fandom this fall, but i've been existing on its periphery for over seven years now. all that time, i was somewhere nearby, even if not directly involved. this franchise means so much to me. back when i was a kid, even before i'd touched the series or the comics, i was already actively engaging with the fanbase. something was drawing me in, but at the time, i couldn't quite put my finger on what it was to me, it was just a teen cartoon with a school-adjacent setting — what could possibly be so interesting about that? and when i finally decided to give the franchise a chance(on the third try, i think), i was pleasantly surprised. beneath the layer of cynicism and misanthropic humor, a deep(in my opinion) story suddenly unfolded now i keep rereading and rewatching it, over and over. and with each new cycle, the story reveals itself anew — i keep noticing details i missed the first time around. even the lore, which has only reached us in fragments through unfinished scripts and notes, is endlessly fascinating to explore. for a comedic children's work, this is an incredibly impressive level of depth