#But anyway wouldn't it be so cool if I just wrote short hcs for the time being š«¶
Note
Heeello, hru?
i want a tsukishima kei Ć fem!reader, NO TIME SKIP, i want his reaction on the reader hugging him suddenly without saying anything and the reader doesn't pull away from the hug (aka gives him a long hug)
(Reader is clingy and doesnāt want to vent, but at the end she let it all out)
Genre: hurt/comfort, fluff, crying
Omg hi anonāāā I'm doing fine when I got this, but now I'm like a deflated grammar balloon ššš
SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO FINISH YOUR REQUEST I SWEAR I WAS THINKING ABT IT THE WHOLE TIME AFTER I GOT IT, I just didn't get the motivation at that time so I waited for inspiration to strike. But then inspiration hit me too hard and this ended up going waaaay off track ā°ļø PLUS I wrote the middle part during a campus tour and boy am I glad to have friends who are willing to be my beta readers bc past Yuu was NOT having a good time there š„¹. So sorry again in advance if this isn't exactly what you were expecting š
Btw, your all caps red NO TIMESKIP is kinda funny to me bc it's like telling me to REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A PRE TIMESKIP THING NOT POST since I'm someone who mainly writes for post timeskip š ntm how you probably had your own timeskip waiting for this thing š§āāļøbut anyways I hope you still enjoy this monster of a drabble fic hybrid š«¶
Also heads up, it's an established relationship, yeah sorry I didn't know if you would be ok with that but uh yeah sorry š
Word count : 3.5k (How did I get here)
There wasn't any indication as to why you started to feel the way you do, maybe you were tired. It could be from stress, school work has been piling up so it wasn't a stretch to say that you might've been feeling a little burnt out. But deep down, you know exactly why. You're just too embarrassed to say it out loud, because what kind of person would you be to think that your friends were that shallow? A bad manager and an even more awful friend, that's what.
Everyone has been asking about you, concerned for your lack of response as of late. You barely look up from your notebook, something about a 'full proof strategy for their next game'. One so full proof it apparently doesn't need any input from the team or Kiyoko...or the coach... It's obvious you're trying to avoid them without being absent. Which makes it even more strange, usually you'd want to get away from the people you're avoiding. So why aren't you?
"Oh no, [Y/N] lookout!" A voice suddenly calls out, snapping you out of your thoughts just as you see a ball coming straight for you.
Before you could react, someone beat it to you, "I got it!" A hand reaches out and blocks the ball, you don't register who it is untilā
"Nice save, Yacchan!"
Of course.
Yachi was the one who saved your face from getting pummeled while you sat there with your head in the clouds. All the more reason the team should justā justā
Just kick you off the team.
Ah.
There it is.
That's what's been on your mind. Why it was so hard for you to actually avoid them, you were scared to be pushed aside while trying to encourage them to do so. Thinking you were being good at your job, only to see someone new do it better.
You feel like you've been lacking as a manager, despite being in the club for longer. It felt like the newcomer, Yachi, was doing a lot better in the short time she's here. You know it was unwarranted, she's been nothing but helpful. Picking up all the little things you and Kiyoko taught her. The team also welcomed her with open arms, as did you.
It was a gradual realization on your end, with 3 managers on standby, it's easy to lose track of who does what job. But more and more it felt like you've been doing the least out of the 3 of you. It really affected you, even without you knowing.
You start to forget routines, things like after school clean up duty, homework, even going as far as to forget planned hangouts. It felt like all you wanted to do was finish the day as quickly as possible, you don't even get up from your seat much anymore. Your indifference in class is mostly likely why no one tried approaching you for stuff, which makes sense, you probably look unapproachable anyway.
Well, almost unapproachable. If it weren't for Tsukishima, who chose to come up to you on days you fully ignore the team.
"What's up with you?" His words were short and lacked any poise, fitting for the only first year keen on riling up opponents and allies alike.
"...Nothing is, I'm fine" Much like Tsuki, your words were curt. Hoping that the less you answer, the more he's inclined to leave you alone.
Giving you an unconvinced look paired with an equally unconvinced once over, he shrugs and turns to leave you be.
"Suit yourself"
That hurts more than anything your own mind can throw at you, because all it does is convince you further that they're better off without you. All you've been doing is feeling bad about yourself, starting to forget everything important in favor of ignoring the problem.
But strangely enough, even when you forget, nothing seems to have any big consequences. When you realize you forgot about cleanup duty, your class partner just shrugs, saying your friend stayed behind and helped them instead. You think that it could've been Yamaguchi, he sometimes helps with cleaning duty when someone's partner goes home early.
It makes you feel worse about your moping, inconveniencing not one but two people. All because you can't convince yourself that just because Yachi is doing a lot better than you, it doesn't mean you're useless.
Right?
Not to mention the heartwarming messages from your friends when you don't show up to a hangout, they seem so understanding in spite of how you don't even tell them anything. The messages telling you to "Take care of yourself" and "Work things out at your own pace" could honestly make you cry.
Even the team tries their best to cheer you up, or at least to get your attention. You can't lie and say you don't see Hinata trying to get the other first years to pull some cool volleyball stunt he saw once, hoping that you'll congratulate them. It's hard to ignore it, especially when you can just feel his occasional stare, trying to get a reaction from you. But, as much as you want to cheer them on, you just can't do that. And yet, they're still so understanding. Trying to raise your spirit, Yachi even tried to start a conversation with you by asking for help on different managerial duties. But to no avail, all you do is point her in the right direction before going back to your place in the stands. Her efforts weren't in vain, but not enough to really get to you.
But it doesn't add up, how would they know you're going through a tough time? Are you really that obvious? You probably are. Either way, it's sweet of them to still think about you even when you're basically ditching them.
What does make sense to you is the homework, which you still end up submitting on time. All thanks to, you guessed it, Tsukishima. He just started reminding you about homework due in 2 days, complete with the pages and formulas needed. A smart comment about your recent forgetfulness is always attached to the message, something to remind you that it's from Tsuki of all people.
Someone you got to know through Yamaguchi, a mutual friend of yours, and if that's not enough, then being on the same team definitely is. As a manager on said team, you were always there for whatever sarcastic quip he had at the ready. Complete with every short joke ever made and that snide smile of his almost everyday. Needless to say, it didn't take long for a friendship to bloom. No longer hanging out only when Yams was around, you both built a routine for when you have each other. Yet you were always one to break routine for something new, a habit the tall beanpole never fails to challenge.
"Why do I have to come with you? You can just go alone" He says, not too keen on the idea of skipping your usual bakery visit for a cafe.
"Because I don't want to go alone and you're the only free one" You were always so sure he'd come with you anyway, to the point where you don't even try to convince him anymore.
He did end up going with you in the end, even if he did have his complaints here and there. But overall, it was one of the few times you can visibly see him having a good time. You chose a cafe themed around the stars and space in general, which you knew Tsuki liked quite a bit. Sure it would've been better to go to a dinosaur themed cafe, but the ones you know about are all the way in Tokyo and Fukui. Nevertheless, that space cafe visit was definitely a core memory in both your and Tsukishima's friendship, no matter how much that salt shaker wanted to deny it.
Though you did promise that one day, both of you would go together.
As friends, cause that's what you are, right?
Wait, actually do you even remember what happened after the space cafe? Wasn't it really important?
It feels like you know exactly what it is, it's a *fact* that you remember what it is. But much like everything else around you, it as well, whether you mean to or not, is pushed to the back of your head. Your thoughts start to discourage your resolve in this self-driven solitude of yours, built upon claims with no support. But why would the evidence matter if the claim itself is enough to make you believe?
It really felt like you were going to keep up this ruse forever, nothing really served as a consequence to you. The only thing keeping you in this state were the small glimpses of the team above your notebook, always up to some dumb fun. Something you always looked forward to in spite of the grueling practice ahead of them, well it was something you looked forward to.
Your eyes catch onto the other first years happily chatting with each other, except for Tsuki who preferred to stand on the sidelines, only chiming in to add a sprinkle of sarcasm into the conversation. That seems fun, you knew it was. As you watch everyone laugh at something Yachi says, something in you starts coiling around your heart.
You're suddenly aware of every breath you take, your thoughts start to repeat 'breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out...'
Your surroundings start to feel heavy, like you were tethered to your place. The sound of your own breathing feels louder than the voices in the gym. So focused on your empty notebook that everything else blurs at the edges of your vision.
It wasn't until you caught golden-brown eyes staring at you from across the court, genuine concern masked under a nonchalant gleam. You hold his gaze for longer than you'd like, unsure if there's anything else hidden under the bespectacled stare.
Tsuki only tilts his head in the direction of the other first years, probably telling you to come with them. You can only refuse, solemnly shaking your head. They can't possibly want you there with them, not after ignoring them for the better part of a week. It wouldn't be right to just butt in like that.
He probably knows that you're still not giving in, because it looked like he let out a sigh before walking towards them. Not before one last stare down with you, his gaze asking if you're sure about your decision. You can only hesitantly nod, you're not sure, you don't want to pick this decision, but you've convinced yourself that you're backed into a corner.
A corner you made up.
Well, no use in thinking about it now.
"Oi [Y/N], I'm gonna lock up the gym now! Better get going" Oh coach Ukai, you forgot he was still here. Taking your notebook and pen into your arms, you nod at the coach before heading towards the exit. Body slightly hunched over when you pass him, unable to look at him in the eye.
"Whatever it is you're going through, you know they got your back, right kiddo?" Ukai suddenly says, right before you leave. It makes you stand in your place for a while, thinking. You know they do, it just doesn't feel right to, especially when you didn't give them a valid reason for your distance.
"Y-yeahā¦Thanks, coach" You mumble, fully facing away from him. Turning to leave, when you catch a glimpse of the orange sky outside. Realizing how late it got, you break into a sprint back to your classroom.
Through the now empty halls, doused in ombre. No other soul in sight, leaving the sounds of your footsteps to be heard. The sky is beautiful todayā¦wouldn't it be fun to experience it together?
Your pace slows right in front of your classroom, 1-4 written on a sign next to the door. Putting your hands on your knees to catch your breath from all the running, you stop to admire the light that passes through your classroom door.
And that's when you heard it, the faint scratching of a chalkboard being erased, you'd know that sound anywhere. It's soft, you could barely hear it over your own breaths, who could be cleaning it at this time? You know your partner didn't come to school today, they were sick. You yourself forgot, so why would anyone be there?
Slowly peeking through the door frame, you see a lone figure standing by the chalkboard. Short blond hair, a lean figure, headphones over his neck, the wire hanging loose. It's him, the one you felt the most guilt for. You watch him for a while, lazily swiping the eraser across the chalkboard.
So that's who your cleanup partner was talking about.
It wasn't Yamaguchiā¦
It was Tsuki.
He's been the one filing in for you, the one picking up after you. The one who kept pushing you to just talk to the team from a distance, he was looking out for you. The one that's been trying to reach out in his own way, you feel so stupid. Running away while yourā¦
Yourā¦
Your...
Own boyfriend looks out for you even when you unfairly pushed him away.
Your eyes glaze over and your breathing interchanges between short huffs and long shaky sighs. Feeling like you owe so much to him, keeping you afloat in an ocean of your own solitude. Step by step, you make your way over. Speeding up the closer you got.
Reaching him, you immediately press your face into his back. Arms wrapping around his waist, grabbing at the fabric of his school uniform to keep yourself in place. You can feel him tense, before slowly relaxing and going back to his cleaning. The guilt eating up at you even more, you clench your fists around his uniform, trembling in your place. Your lip trembles slightly, making your words sound even more pathetic than they already are.
"I'mā¦I-I'm so-so-...so-sorāryā!" You sob, voice breaking off the same way you are. No words could express the mix of relief and remorse you feel, relief to be able to express your true feelings and remorse for your actions that didn't. Your eyes fill with tears that linger at their edge, waiting for a push to get them down.
"You better be, do you know how much they miss you? Those idiots won't stop asking me about you" Kei's words striking right through your heart, the coil no longer tight. Your tears finally fall as your cries get louder. You press your face further into your boyfriend's back for comfort, letting out all the pent up feelings you've harbored the past week.
"Iā¦I just f-felt likeālike I wa-was u-useless!" You whimper, sobs reduced to short intakes of air between big breaths.
"Idiotā¦" Turning to face you fully, Kei's hand settles itself on the top of your head, sliding down to the back. Pushing you further into an embrace of his own, refusing to look at you. One hand on the back of your head, the other fiddling with his headphone wires.
All that you've done, the distance you tried to make, it all came tumbling down. All at once. It was never supposed to take hold of you the way it did, so all you needed was something to justify ending it. Kei, is that something.
"It's just tha-thatāYachi is such-such a good manaāgerā¦be-better than meā¦" The words flow out before you could stop them, a confession to your actions. Hearing it out loud, you truly realize how weak your reasons are. It just shows how little it took to have you questioning your worth as a member of the team, laid out in front of the both of you.ć
"..." His silence causes you to meekly look up at him, afraid of what he might think. Kei was always good at keeping a neutral face, never making it easy for you to know what he's thinking.
"I don't want to stop being your guys' managerā¦" You lower your head, voice a whisper, lip still quivering slightly.
"Then don't, no one's telling you to quit"
Huh.
"Butā" You quickly look back up at him.
"But nothing, Yachi's great and all but when will we ever get another clutz like you who pays for my drink?" He has a smug look on his face after saying that, eyes filled with nothing but mischief.
You say nothing, words stuck in your throat. Still staring at his stupid smile, he's probably so proud of himself for that. But, you knew he said that to cheer you up. Something to keep you out of your own head, and it's working.
"Way to ruin the momentā¦" You mumble, "Could've been a bit more dramatic" A soft smile takes over your expression, already feeling much more relieved than before.
"You can do that by yourself," Kei retorts, looking at you from the corner of his eye.
"But you'd still do it with me" Your smile grows, eyes filled with adoration for the pretty face in front of you. After being alone for the better part of a week, it was nice to finally talk again. Even if you had so much making up to do, to everyone in the team, maybe you could start with the one who still held you close.
"Oh? You sound so sure of yourself for someone who's been running away from me" Eyebrow raised in faux skepticism, waiting for your answer.
"I promise I'll make it up to you first" You tell him, before burying your face back into his front, basking in his familiar scent and warmth where you feel most at ease.
"You better"
And you will. To all of them.
Walking home from school during sunset is a special kind of rare to you, barely anyone on the streets. Your newfound goal for the following week, circling in your mind. Beside you was Kei, matching your pace with long strides contrasting your own smaller steps.
"Keiā¦Do you want to stop by Paprika heaven?" You suddenly ask.
"Paprika heaven? Really?" Kei is not convinced you're being serious, you can practically sense that raised brow.
"It's a cafe! I know the name isn't the sweetest sounding but trust me on this!" You insist, letting out an exasperated huff.
"Shouldn't it be closed?" He questions further, still doubtful.
"It closes at 9, I checked" You proudly exclaim, crossing your arms with a content look on your face.
Kei rolls his eyes at your antics, "Alright, I yield" he raises his hands in surrender, yet a smirk still makes its way onto his face, "But you're paying"
You freeze, realizing that he's right. You are going to pay for it, with your own money. Immediately, your figure deflates dramatically. Slouching forward with an exaggerated groan.
"Rightā¦" Your wallet will never forgive you. But not because Paprika Heaven was too expensive, a piece of your soul just dies whenever you take out a remotely large amount of money from your wallet.
This apparently amuses your boyfriend because he starts laughing, so much so that his shoulders move in time with each laugh. He turns to look at your stunned figure, which only entertains him more. Hearing his mocking laughter, it shakes you out of your stupor. Irritation starts to take hold of you, wanting him to stop laughing at your obvious misery.
"Whaā?! Stop laughing!" Your fists make contact with your boyfriend's chest, repeatedly hitting him to get him to shut.
"I'm serious! I might become poor after this!"
"That's your own fault" In between laughs, Kei is still able to call you out. Seriously, can't he take this seriously?
After a while he calms down, wiping a single tear from his eye. You also calm down, arms tired from the repeated attacks on your boyfriend. Leaning your forehead on his chest to rest, eyes closing on their own from the change in atmosphere. Kei only stands proud, hands in his pockets and a grin spread across his face in content.
Comfortable silence wash over you, the sun still peeking just beyond the horizon, lighting up the road just enough for you to see the way ahead. It's way too late for a bunch of high school students to be out, let alone ones who plan on staying out. But that doesn't matter, you can take the worried lectures from your parents later. Right now, you want to make up for lost time.
"Keiā," You raise your head to face him, taking a deep breath,
"Thank you" A closed eyed smile appears on your face, "For still putting up with me"
"...Whatever" He looks away from you, eyes gazing over the road in front of you.
But no matter how much he tries to hide it,
You can still see that small genuine smile on his face.
#ćā
It's showtime! ā
ć#haikyuu fluff#haikyuu drabbles#haikyu x female reader#haikyu x reader#haikyuu hurt/comfort#haikyuu x reader#tsukishima x reader#tsukishima kei x reader#tsukishima fluff#I DID IT#I'M DONE IT'S COMPLETE#Pls I'm so bad at anything angsty that this is just barely hurt and more comfort lmao#But still I'm so AKAJDHAJAHFNA#My first request and I took like 3 weeks to finish it AND it's probably way off track to what it's supposed to be#This could've been a nice short drabble but NO it turned to this#CURSE MY SLEEPY BRAIN IDEAS#But anyway wouldn't it be so cool if I just wrote short hcs for the time being š«¶#I'm going in drabble break after this ā°ļø
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Okay i wrote this and didn't realize how long my hc would get so like I just put it under cut so it doesn't clutter everyone's feed but anyway I wrote a hc of young Utonium and Chloe in college because I can and I suffer this cute widdle quirky thing called a brainrot aha
Okay so like I made an hc of younger Utonium before but like hhh right now I'm thinking like another au where somehow Utonium and Chloe met when they were in college and I dont think they were in the same course, maybe they signed up for the same co-curricular class. Younger Utonium striked me as a pure guy just like how he is canonically but he is more meek and naive especially around girls while Chloe is just the same as she is before, very friendly, outgoing and chill to have around. Although I think that Utonium might be scared of her at first because of her energetic attitude and he doesn't want to get himself tied up with the 'cool kids'. Anyway, because of that, the first person to greet him would be Chloe because she came in late to class and ask him if she missed out anything. He said not much but did write a few notes. She asked if she could see it and he gave her a peek. She thinks he has a very neat handwriting and said thank you for letting her see it. She then introduce herself to him and ask what's his name before they continue listen to the lecture. The next week she sat next to him again (and of course, late to class) and asked if she missed out anything. When class is finished, she asked him if he wants to grab lunch with her since she's pretty sure her friends bailed out earlier and left her and she also wants to be friends with him. He would be surprised at first because why anyone would want to be friends to a nerd like him especially a cute girl so he would decline at first until she asked him again 2 weeks later.
I don't think they would hang often and only talk while in class and after class when they grabbed lunch but I think they would totally enjoy each other's company in that short time. They really dont have anything in common but Utonium is very passionate about his studies and hobbies while Chloe loves listening to other's stories. Chloe wouldn't catch on feelings with him at first but she would totally thinks he is cute because he's clumsy and he has his own special way of talking about his things and it intrigues her a lot. Her friends would totally teases her for hanging out with a weirdo like him but Chloe would defend him every time and just call him special and very fun to be friends with. Utonium on the other end would be the one harboring feelings on her because she's like the first girl to talk to him and make himself feel good but he tries to hide it because he doesnt want to scare her off.
They only have 1 class together and when the semester almost wrap up and they have their last lunch after class together, he asked if he would still see her around and she said of course. She then gave him her dorm room number and said he could knock her door at any time if he wants to hang out or grab late night food. He knocked on her door 2 months later to her surprise because she didnt really expect to see him appearing at her front door at all but it was a pleasant surprise and glad to see him again (Utonium has been dying to see her and he couldn't stand the idea of not talking to her so he suck it up and brave his way to her dorm lol) They would catch up on the things they missed out on each other and takes walk around town at night while munching on snacks.
Despite this, I think they wouldn't consider thenselves to be that close until he came to her dorm one day to ask if she wants to grab dinner and when she opens her door, he sees her with her eyes swollen and nose red. She said she'll be there in a minute but he quickly interrupts her and say "You've been crying". And when she denies it, he furrows his brow and said he seen people crying before and assures her its okay to be sad and she just breaks down and spill everything and she cried to his chest all night until she feels sleepy for crying. She fell asleep and he left her a glass of water, a few painkillers on her stand and a note from Utonium that says "I hope you feel better soon. Meet me in my room if you needed listening ears." And scribbled down at the bottom of the note is his room numbers. She was embarassed that he had to witness her being vulnerable and brought tons of snacks and drinks for him when she come by to say thank you. When she's about to leave, he asked if she wants to hang out and eat with him since its too much for him to eat all alone and his roommate is away for the weekend. They talked until it was very late at night and he offered to walk her to her dorm since its very late and he wants her to be safe and she gladly accepted it.
At this point they probably see each other like twice a week because she really appreciates him being around her and loves talking to him and as for Utonium, by this time he already feel at ease being around her and more being to himself when they're together. Chloe probably starts to have feelings on him because she realized how sweet and kind he is and despite how close they are, he still respects her and never taken any advantages on her but she couldn't tell if he has feelings on her or not so she keeps it to herself. When Utonium finally had the courage to ask her out on a date, she sighs in relief before admitting that she waited for him to ask her out for so long.
Previously when I made this hc earlier, I said that maybe they wouldnt date because of Utonium's meek nature and would probably date themselves when they meet again when they're older amd more mature and able to rationalise better and he has kids but right now I want to imagine that they started dating in college and grow better together. Chloe taught him a lot about building his self confidence and be open about himself while Utonium taught her to embrace the quirky side of her she always embarass to admit she has (she likes to collect stamps and keychains and has boxes full of them).
Both Utonium and Chloe loves PDA, but I can see that Utonium might be embarassed about it at first (unlike Utonium when he is much older in his canon age) and inexperienced about dating. Chloe dates a few boys in high school and 1 in college so she definitely knew how dating works kind of but Utonium never dates anyone before her and very much new to it so he always don't know when was the right time to be affectionate or not without being annoying. I can see Utonium still apologizes for touching her without asking first and always ask if he could hug and she assured him its alright and he doesnt need to ask. Chloe has to remind him that dating is just basically them being close friends like they are right now just that they now have romantic feelings for each other and has hugs and kisses privileges lol. Utonium would get it eventually and loves hugging her whenever he could but he still has doubts about kissing her so usually Chloe would be the one that kisses his cheek before he even has the nerve to return it back. She is very patient about him and doesnt want to push him to do things he didnt like since she knows she is his first girlfriend so she just take things slow.
Also ahaha for their first kiss, I think Utonium is very flustered about the thought of it and afraid of ruining it for himself (he thinks his nose will bump her forehead and/or nose and since his nose is pretty prominent unlike her small ones, he doesnt want to accidentally hurt her along the way) and Chloe has to teach him how to kiss lips properly. When they break apart, she smiled sweetly before giggling "See? I told you the nose won't bumped" before whispering if he wants to do it again and they makeout in a car or something hgnnn.
God I love him so much ahshahskskakskaka //makes kissy noises and cries
#although now im thinking about how they would get the girls#i dont want to left them out theyre my babiesss šššš#im going to think of that later maybe but hhh im open to any ideas on that if anyone has it#also omggg i want to add this ahhh nwrdy utonium doesnt know fashion and how to dress up properly#so Chloe's the one that fixes his looks and said he should either ditch his dress or get a fitting one#because his dress and pants is too loose and he wears his pants so high#so she basically taugh him to dress up properly hhhh#and ahhh i should totally draw them young (or Utonium younger since Chloe is younger than him in my normal hc hhh)#sorry not sorry for gushing too much ahhh i love him so much and seeing him with his hair down makes my chest hurts for himmmm#ahhhh pleek i want to kiss this nerd in the cheekkkk šššš#asuka speaks#selfship#selfshipping#selfshipping community#selfship headcanons#you had me at hello š
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Season 4 Analysis
STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I am going to be applying the concept of criticism to a TV show you presumably love and adore as much as I do. If you do not want your idea that the show is immaculate to be challenged, I would not advise reading past this point.
Mood for the season: It's a SuPeR fUn HaPpY pLaCe!!!!!
You donāt need to, but if you are interested, and havenāt seen my analysis of past seasons, you can find those here:
Pilot
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Hey guys! Itās been a while, hasnāt it? Season 4! We are here! I am SO biased with this season. It has problems man. It has ALL the problems! ALL the plot holes! ALL the stupid, stupid stuff, but I LOVE ALL OF IT! okay, let's back up. I'm about to drop some context on you.Ā
So, when you're a military brat you tend to make friends with whoever you can, and when I lived in Germany I had a friend who was fandom OBSESSED. She, at the time, was super into Homestuck, something I managed to avoid being sucked into, though I do know more about it than I would like. Anyway, this was the point at which I started getting sucked into Ninjago. So, I figured that if I could trust anyone with a strange obsession, it was her. I showed her the last episode of season 3, and she decided she was just going to dive head first into it with me. We watched season 4 together as it came out, we talked about it, had a bunch of inside jokes about it, I wrote some very short fanfiction about it, she made some OCs, one in particular that I remember was Stormy, a ditzy cloud master who wore pink, we shipped him with... one of my OCs, I don't remember. She hadn't watched the first two seasons, so I had to fill her in on a lot, but she was the first person I ever fandomed with, and it was over season 4. So I guess you could say season 3 was the grand beginning of my love for this show, and season 4 was the peak of my fangirl experience (at least for that phase of my life).
Plot
This season is a real mixed bag. Coming off the heels of the first season, nothing makes sense. Suddenly there are more elements, completely discrediting Lloyd's supposed power of four powers. And now it's genetic, which brings up the problem of Jay, who... if either Ed or Edna were masters, they would have slipped by now (but also like, how cool would it be if Edna just busted out with lightning powers) and then Zane who... doesn't have genes. It makes the world bigger, yes, but it also discredits the lore of the last two seasons, and brings up the question "Where the hell were the rest of the EMs when the Great Devour attacked? Or the stone warriors? Or the final battle?!" Anyway, it's a bit jarring and sudden to say the least. It definitely was not planned beforehand. There aren't even any hints in season 3. Like wouldn't it be cool if in season 3 we saw them go to the noodle shop, or Wu was really vague about elemental questions. It would make a lot more sense then. Idk. It opens the universe up to the plotlines of most of the future seasons, but it does sort of discredit the first two. This season is also kinda choppy feeling wise. You go from the mood the past season have had in the first episode to this sort of native tribal feel on the island, and then the factory and then back to Ninjago. It's kinda a mess. Overall it was just an excuse to put these characters in cool situations (which I have done before, I understand). Which I get, and it makes for some cool stuff, but I don't think any of it ends up meshing together super well in the end. When I think of this season I think of the tournament. I forget about the whole snake stuff at the end most of the time. I forget about the while Garmadon conflict. The fact that I forget that's there has to be a bad sign, right?
Characters
Character work this season is really pretty good for the most part! There are a lot of new characters. And they all are very distinct and fun, and even when two people you don't know especially well battle, you're still really invested. All of the Cole and Jay stuff is pretty good this season! Major upgrade from season 3. The whole fight scene is absolutely fantastic. Garmadon is freaking awesome this season. He keeps on trying to kill himself, and it's stupid, and the show sort of acknowledges that it's stupid, cuz Lloyd is just like 'dude, what the heck'. Kai's arch this season is pretty good, exploring his darker side and putting that intense conflict in front of him was good. I can tell you one thing, I like it a heck of a lot better than season 7, but we'll get to that when we get to that. So, yeah. Overall improvement in character! It doesn't dive super deep or anything, but it all works and is all interesting.
Skylor
So... she is one of the reasons I call this season the fanfiction season. We have a whole bunch of other elemental masters we've never heard of, and one of them their power is... all the powers. I can not tell you how much this ticked me off! And she hardly ever uses them! She has pretty much infinite power, and she doesn't think to use it, pretty much ever! There are no restrictions on her! This is what I hate Skylor for. And I do mean hate. BUT aside from that, strictly character wise she is done pretty well. She feels pretty fake and overly sassy at the beginning of the season, but there's a reason for that. It's an act. But it's not like she changed her personality to fool him, she intensified her personality to cover her intentions. Her arch feels pretty natural. That one scene where she does the evil laugh... that was weird. But aside from that, it feels okay. She was raised to think that lying and cheating is the norm, so when someone presents her with another option she begins to change. It makes sense. I love the scene where Kai and her look at each other through the prison bars and (even though their freaking legos) you can feel her realization that she's ashamed of what she's doing now. And after she makes the transition, she's just really chill. Like, I would like to hang out with her. I guess it is kinda sweet that even though she had all of the powers of... ever, at the end she's happy to just run her noodle shop. It's kinda poetic. Anyway, she may be a bit overpowered, and she feels like a bit of a Mary Sue, but overall her personality and interactions are enjoyable enough for me to mostly ignore that. I do agree that she is best used in moderation. She doesn't need to be part of the team. I wish we had a quick cameo each season, but whatever. What we have now in season 9 is nice, but she definitely needs to step back out of the spotlight in future seasons (knock on wood) in order to remain as likable as she's been.
Karlof
Love him. Freaking love him. Honestly, I probably relate to him the most. He's the first loser of the tournament, he avoids trouble, he sticks to what he knows, and he says it like it is. I love his interactions with everyone down in the noodle factory. He's like this perfect blend of optimism and pessimism. His interactions with Cole are beautiful. Their chemistry is really great. One of, I think everyone's favorite masters, and there's a reason why.
Shade
So... typical darkness character. Obviously selfish. But once the climax hits, I actually like him a lot. He kinda serves as an antagonist at first and then flips. It's kinda cool seeing a character with moral boundaries that far out. He's purposely suspicious to take attention away from Skylor, which I get. I think he has a lot of missed potential, but nonetheless, a decent character.
Neuro
I absolutely love his power! I love his manor, I love his voice. He may well be my favorite EM. I don't even know what else to say about this guy. If Karlof is who I am, Neuro is who I'd like to think I am. Calculated, calm, reasonable, and much like Karlof again, not too risky. I like him a lot. Cool guy. I like seeing how far he's willing to go for the ninja, and where certain lines are for him. It's kinda cool to watch. He could use a friend though. I HC he and Paleman hang out. Both quiet. Both reserved. Neuro could probably locate him in a room even if he's not visible. Idk. Anyway, I like him a lot! Great character.
Griffin Turner
Classic speedster. Good enough. Not much to say. He's fun. He's cool. He's what you'd expect. Decent screen time. None of it particularly character developing. For what he is, he's good at it.
Jacob
So, let's ignore the part where they made us think he was dead. He's a lot of fun. Good for them getting a blind character in there. Still confused on what his powers can... do? But I like his spunk. I think we all have a little soft spot for him.
Chamille
One of the only girls and she's pretty much evil. Why do girls have to be evil at one point to be interesting? Idk. Don't really care for her, don't really think much about her. Whatever. She's there. She serves her purpose. Fine. Okay. Moving on.
Paleman
Friggin love him. For the master of light to be invisible is a great move, and pretty creative. His voice is kinda obvious, but very distinct. It's a creative background character to have. I like him a lot. Again, I feel he could use some more love. See above Neuro HC. Like him a lot and... yay.
Bolobo
Kinda missed the "mother nature" pun... could have had at least one more female master... that's okay. He's cool enough. Kinda disappointing though. I mean, vines? Is that it?
Gravis
Gravity is a dang cool power. Idk what else to say. He doesn't get a ton of screen time, so it's hard to praise him too much, but yeah. I really like that. Actually had an FC (she was a villain but you know whateves) with the power, so seeing that be a real element they used is really cool.
Ash
I don't like him. He's very strange. He's just got that one laugh. He seems comically over the top a jerk. I like the way his mouth looks though. Unique and kinda cool. I was looking on his Wiki page, and it said he and Chamille kissed in the background at one point? Is that true? I am way curious now
Tox
Okay. She's nonexistent here, no personality. I guess she's kinda tough. Yeah, this gets confirmed later in season 9, when she speaks. But even there she's pretty nonexistent. Here's my idea. Instead of having all your females being 'tough' why not flip expectation on its head? I think it would be way funny and clever if the master of poison was super friendly, and bubbly, and genuinely a nice person. I'm thinking almost like Jay's (lightning... or I guess adopted) mom, levels of talkative and nice. Wouldn't that be kinda fun? Idk. Whatever. It is what it is.
Kapau and Chope
Best villains ever 10/10. 'Nuff said.
Romance
KAILOR
Okay, I freaking love them! They're not my favorite couple or anything, but they work really, really wellā¦ under certain conditions. There are a few bumps I can't ignore. Can we have a protagonist in the show who doesn't send googly eyes at their future love interest the first moment they see her? And remember when they made us think Kai and Skylor were related... yeah... why did we need to do that? That was... kinda uncomfortable. BUT other than that, Skylor is exactly what Kai needed. First, he needed a redhead. Duh. Second, he needed someone who would see right through his Kai shmoltz and be real with him. Third, she had to be fun. And finally, she needed to wear the pants in the relationship. And Skylor fills ALL of those requirements! I like that Kai falls for her right away, and I love that she doesn't think she likes him until... she totally does and it's like 'Oh SNAP!'. I love that weird scene where Chen walks around with Kai like he's already his son in law, that cracks me up! I guess I like them more in theory than in practice. It feels a touch forced, and it needed a bit more time. Point being, the beginnings of the relationship are extremely awkward and strange, but towards the end of the season, it gets good! I just wish we could see more :)
The... love... triangle
Alright, by now, you guys should know how I feel about these things. They suck. They're stupid. I hate them. They're pointless. And this season is... quite possibly the stupidest. So... the whole Garma-Wu-Sako... thing this season is that Wu wrote a letter to Misako a long time ago, and Garmadon stole it, and then... Misako *groan* used it to determine which of them she was going to marry... okay. Yeah, Garmadon, that was a crap thing to do. But you know what, he was evil. Wu should have just signed the thing when he wrote it. But also, Misako... WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' GIRL?! Why... would you let a letter... be the final deciding point? I don't get that. And my main problem is that she basically chose her husband based on his writing ability. The thoughts Wu had in the letter obviously directly express what Garmadon wanted to say. In the end, his feelings for her were still the same. The only thing different is that he didn't write it. He's not good with words the way Wu is. But the show treats it like he lied about his feelings, and didn't even like her. Like he was using her for personal gain or manipulation or something. Idk. The whole thing makes no sense. Now, maybe if he did something to make Wu directly look bad or disingenuous THAT would be understandable. But... idk. I don't get it. Misako sucks. Let's move on.
Villians
Chen
Chen is my favorite villain. Hands down. No competition. Any way you slice it. I friggin love the heck out of this dude. And here's why. First off, he's a very comedic villain that still remains extremely threatening, which is an extremely thin line to walk. I mean, think about it. With all the other villains, they were intimidating, and the henchmen provided the humor. Here, I guess you could say they flipped it cuz Clouse is pretty intimidating, but Chen is still crazy scary on his own. And here's how they do it: He's insane. Straight up, he has lost his mind. Nothing he does makes sense, but that's fine, cuz it probably makes total sense to him. You can laugh at the quirky things he does, but also live in fear knowing that he has trap doors installed EVERYWHERE. Why? Cuz he likes them! Is there a better reason than that when you're crazy! That was my problem with people with Pythor. He is so smart, why didn't he ever think that the devourer might eat him too?! There is no explanation. But with Chen, that doesn't matter! He wants to be a snake! Why? Why not?! No flaws in that thinking, right? This is also why I like Ultra Violet so much. She's the only one to rival his position, but because she's more of a side villain, I don't feel that's enough to dethrone him. With insane villains, you never have any idea what they're playing at, if it's smart, or how to counteract, cuz they're just insane. I mean, seriously,
"Chen, the ninja have figured out our plan, what should we do?"
"COOL! Let's tell EVERYONE our plan!"
And it works! I love his voice. Just the way he says things makes me so happy! He's having so much fun, and I have fun with him! 10/10 villain. Great work.
Clouse
I can't get past the voice. It sounds so over the top evil and... it's kinda annoying for me? He has a decent backstory and such, but whenever he's on screen I always find myself wishing it was Chen. He just sucks the fun out of everything and leaves nothing there, so most of his interactions aren't particularly interesting. I don't know. Never really thought much of him.
Humor
Needless to say everything with Chen works! Everything with the EMs works. Jay's whole Positive Thinking streak is amazing! There's not a lot that falls flat on its face. It's really pretty fantastic.
Favorite joke: too many to count. If I had to pick one...
Chen's: the reds, the purples, the super dark purples!
Drama
This season has some damn good drama. It has my personal most sad moment in all of Ninjago. I'm of course talking about Garmadon's death... Ā JK! XD I WAS LAUGHING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT SEQUENCE! But weāll get to that later. Okay. But for real, my personal most heartbreaking moment is when we find out Pixal is scrapped (of course it's Pixal related) but seriously, watching this for the first time, it broke my heart hardcore. I audibly gasped. They have these conversations, and she realizes he doesn't remember her, and it hurts her because they were comPATABLE GOSH DANG IT! And then he starts remembering, and she knows she can't go with him, so she lies to him to give him the motivation to make it out, and then the reveal, and Zane's heart breaks, and your heart breaks. This whole scenario reminds me of my own writing, it has all these things I enjoy using. Distinctions between fantasy and reality, characters lying to each other to protect them, and an ending realization of total and complete emptiness. Of course, Pixal is added into his head, and all is fine and dandy. It works for this season but serves her worse in future seasons. Regardless, that moment when Pixal says 'scrapped' is the most depressing thing I've ever seen. All of the Zane drama this season works really well. Zane having an identity crisis is something I didn't think the show would handle. When Zane says he's just a clone if himself I was like 'oh, dang! They went there!'. It's almost like he's comparing himself to Cryptor, and it's some heavy stuff. Everything this season is shrouded in mystery. I love that. For the first half of the season or so, I really like the tournament stuff. But as we get Cole, and especially Jay in the noodle factory, that plotline gets much more interesting. I don't get into the Nya and Lloyd and Garmadon stuff that much. The stuff with Kai is okay. But overall, there's some good stuff.
Climax
Okay, so... I... I mean I like the build up. The thing with all the trucks is really good. Most of it was really pretty good with all the EMs doing stuff the ninja would usually do. But the whole ending thing, with getting mini Pythor involved, and you know. The whole Garmadon death thing. He died an honorable death and all that, but... idk, I can't get past Lloyd's voice. As he reads him off I just couldn't stop giggling! It's so overdramatic, they feel like they need to make Lloyd mad at his dad for whatever reason so he can come back at the last second, and it all feels so forced. And then the ending is super overly cheesy for how serious the show wants to take itself at that moment. Idk. I don't like it. One of my least favorite finales.
Spotlight episode
There are some good ones to choose from this season. Some real good ones. But the one I find myself watching the most is Ninja Roll. This episode doesn't have too high stakes, it doesn't make much sense, it's kind of pointless, but it perfectly encapsulates the reason I watch Ninjago. I don't know exactly why I watch Ninjago. I'm not into the action most of the time. The romance is cute, but not potent enough to warrant watching the show. The humor isn't revolutionary, the characters aren't especially deep. No, the reason I watch Ninjago is cuz it's fun. Ninjago is just a good time. It has just enough of all of those aspects to make for something I love. It makes me smile. With seasons 8, and especially 9, Ninjago has shifted into this darker action based, lore-driven thing, which I thought I would like, and I do, but I think it's lost a bit of that fun factor. In my opinion, Ninjago is it's best when it's self-aware, and doesn't take itself overly seriously. When you don't have to end the season on an ominous dark cliffhanger. I mean really. What is this? Chima? No. I just want to go hang out with the ninja and the gang, whatever it is their doing. This episode takes advantage of every situation a roller derby with the ninja provides. Of course Jay roller skates with his mom. Of course, Kai is incompetent at it. Of course, Chen cheats, of course, it all comes down to Lloyd. Of course, there's freaking buggies that Chen releases! This whole episode makes me smile and laugh and it has a good message. This is what I miss about Ninjago, and that's why it's my spotlight.
Misc
I know everyone always teases Jay about his TV show, but what about Kai and his wrestling career? I just feel like that would come up more often
I completely subscribe to the theory that Pixal was scrapped to fix Zane cuz they beat him up so badly when capturing. I'd kinda like to think Pixal even volunteered herself for it... ONE SHOT IDEA
I have to scratch... my face.
I need a number on the trap door to button ratio on the island
This season has my favorite intro of any season. Mainly cuz the remix is FIRE and I hate the fact that they don't have an extended version that sounds more like the opening itself.Ā
So all together, the word to sum up season 4 is fun. Definitely not technically the best, or the smartest, or the most well done, but it's my favorite because of nostalgia, my inner child, and because it makes me smile. I love this season.
- Maya (Parachutingkitten)
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