Just to preface, I still haven't seen the 3rd season of cuphead.

...what? Really? Yes Fran, you know it is, she's given you more than you could ever re-pay her for. You must give this, you must give-

I know what I must give!! Good, then you'll do it? ...of course. Goodbye Fran.

There is no uncertainty nor ambiguity: Erchamion does not want to see me marry Gorthir. He wants me to stand up for myself, wants me to fight this.

Erchamion...wants me.

Even so, the only way we could be together is if we run, and I do not know what happens if we do. Despite his desire, will he even agree to come with me now if I suggest it? And if he does, what happens if this infatuation turns out to simply be an overinflated crush? What if, once we are alone with nothing but each other, we realize the spark is simply not enough to sustain us? Gorthir, while an insufferable man, is my best bet for a stable life that pleases my parents enough to ensure I remain heir to our estate. My work with the Void can only continue with their support, and that support only continues by making the right decisions with who I tie myself to. I have come to terms with the fact that marrying Gorthir is the sensible thing to do.

Yet still, against all my better judgement, against all rational thought and instinct for self-preservation, I...I want to run. I want to fight this. 

I want to surrender my claim to this life and be with Erchamion. 

To even just write it out fills my heart with an embarrassingly girlish delight that only he has ever been able to ignite in me; a warmth that inspires a true joy, something that I did not believe I would ever experience during the length of my life. The man has bewitched me, body and soul, and to fight against that truth so that I may marry Gorthir will likely serve to be the biggest regret I will ever know.

And so, that is it then, isn't it? I know what I must do.

Tomorrow eve, after the estate has settled for the night, I shall take Erchamion aside and ask him to come with me. Over the seas, across the deserts, through the forests – as far away as we can manage, to a place all our own - to a place where he may prove me wrong and show me what a living fairy tale looks like.

The ending was really intense, as it should have been, and I liked it well enough, even though it was a little weird. I feel like there are still a lot of loose ends that it didn't tie up very well, though, and, of course, that bothers me tremendously.

Basically, I liked everything about the series up until Maka decided to go and help Crona. After that, it was just one blow after another. It kept getting worse and worse, and not even the really big finale saved those final few episodes for me.

I was extremely disappointed that Crona didn't get to defeat his mother. That's probably the biggest thing that ruined the series for me. It spat in the face of his character development, and he never got his closure. He never got to truly defeat his own demons. Maka did it for him.

Marie's healing pulse was another thing that bugged the hell out of me. If she had that all along, why didn't she use it earlier, before Stein went to Medusa? I feel like, if she had done that, things would have turned out differently and, overall, better for everyone involved. It wasn't a one-time use ability, either, as far as I can tell. She could have used it at any time, and that's a big plot hole.

The series also had a bad habit of introducing characters and then not doing much with them, like Free. He was initially portrayed as someone who was going to be an important antagonist, but then he was hardly ever heard from or seen again. He was kind of replaced by Giriko. Don't get me wrong, I loved Giriko (and I loved his rivalry with Justin even more), but Free deserved a bit more attention, I feel.

Overall, I'm glad I watched it, and I'd consider it one of my favorite anime series, excluding the last few episodes. I'll just pretend that those didn't happen.

Crona was my favorite character, with Stein and Kid coming in as close seconds. I felt a very strong connection to Crona, given my own history with an emotionally abusive and manipulative mother. I guess you might say that he...resonated with me.

/play laughtrack.wav

I also resonated strongly with Kid. My OCD isn't nearly as severe as his was, but it was nice to see a character with similar obsessive-compulsive behavior. I'm all about order and balance. Even if a room is chaotic, everything has its place, and if something is removed from its place, I'm uncomfortable. I have a deep love of symmetry, as well. Asymmetrical things make me nervous and jittery. It was fun being able to laugh at Kid, and, in a way, at my own neurotic tendencies.

Then, of course, there's Stein. Do I even need to say why I liked Stein? I have a passion for characters like him, who fight against their own madness, but who can't do it all on their own. He's a strong person with a great sense of humor and a pretty hilarious premise. I was so glad when he finally snapped out of it and joined the fight against Medusa (even if I think that fight should have been Crona's). There was this sense of relief that washed over me, and I actually screamed, "He did it!" out loud.

I got really attached to all of the characters! Each one was unique and vibrant, even the villains, and that made me really love the series! The animation was gorgeous, the art style was fun, they weren't afraid to go a little crazy with facial expressions, the world building was a breath of fresh air; what more can I say about Soul Eater?