#Does Wu count ??? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

naofaun · 7 months

Text

i see people asking what morro's appeal to the fandom is, and after some thought, i think i realised what it is.

it's the tragedy of his entire story, from start to finish. the helplessness of it all, the grief, the longing, the parts of your past that haunt you forever (ghost pun not intended).

you look at morro and you don't see the big scary monster that the writers painted him as. you see a boy, a child, who spent his entire life pursuing one single goal that was just barely out of reach. you see a child who died for that goal suffocated in toxic fumes, who lost his home and family and safety for that goal.

we don't know why he was cursed. but as if he hadn't been through enough agony, as if the world hadn't broken this child enough, he wound up in a realm flooded with evil. his mind couldn't handle the trauma of what happened. as if he wasn't fixated enough, his desire became stronger.

he wanted nothing more than to prove himself.

you can see it in the way he talks and acts. he doesn't care about taking over. he doesn't care about the preeminent's goals. if anything, dying in that cave on that night made him all the more determined to prove himself worthy.

he had so much anger, so much terrible sadness in him that he didn't know what to do with it. he had to blame someone. the only person he could reasonably reflect his agony onto was sensei wu, the only man to ever help him.

he came back to ninjago years and years later. the person who got the green gi was no more than a little boy, who had never been trained like he was. who never spent years and years of his life pursuing this goal, dedicating everything to it. hell, he didn't even want it?

even his defeat was tragic. you can see him panicking, doing everything he can to escape destiny. destiny will always wrap its chains around him once more though, because he was finally dragged down to the depths. once more, he would fail his goal. once more, he would watch everything he dedicated himself to simply fade away before his very eyes.

he could have saved himself. he could have taken wu's hand, dragged himself onto that dragon and started a new life.

but he didn't want to. i love the “morro takes wu’s hand and redeems himself” aus as much as the next person, but he didn't want to. he made the active decision to shove the crystal in wu's hand and let death take him once more.

because in the end, he'd lost so much that living wasn't worth it anymore. his goal was never going to be achievable. he was never going to be truly happy. he never learned how to stop and appreciate life, how to love himself and reach his true sense of self like the rest of the ninja.

he died before he could reach his true potential, guys. that dragon was not his, it was lloyd’s. he died before he even got the chance.

unlike the ninjago villains both before and after him, morro has genuine emotion and life to his story. he's not bad for the sake of being bad. he's not just another enemy for lloyd garmadon to defeat. he's a kid who got in over his head, who wasted away trying to break free of his own fate. and he failed.

if anyone reading this has seen day of the departed, then you know morro came back only long enough to warn sensei wu of what was coming for him. the other villains immediately picked up their weapons and scurried off to cause mayhem for the sake of it, but morro was different. he changed. he let go of his grief and accepted his role in the world.

he helped the ninja despite his prior hatred for them (although i truly believe it was jealousy fueled by insecurity and grief, not hatred). sure, he taunted wu a little at first, but you could tell that it was nothing more than a little fun. he was a boy again, he was okay again. there was no reason for him to hurt anyone. he's moved on.

no one knows what happened to him in the departed realm, or why he healed and the other villains didn't. i don't think i want to know, though. it doesn't matter. all that matters is the fact that he's better now.

so, yes. unlike the other ninjago villains, morro’s story is so painfully and breathtakingly human. he has emotion and development that no other antagonist like him got to have. or at least, it certainly didn't feel as raw as his did.

#i am so sorry omg 😭 idk what got into me #{ ♡ } nao : ninjago . . .#ninjago #lego ninjago #morro #morro ninjago #morro lego ninjago #sensei wu #wu #morro wu #ninjago season 5 #ninjago possession #lloyd garmadon #ninjago morro #lego ninjago morro #long post #tw long post #does this count as an essay... probably /j

149 notes · View notes

basicallyjaywalker · 5 months

Note

Wanna ramble about a moment/character in ninjago you think people need to talk about more?

I don't know who you are anon, but I'm glad you asked!

I am desperate for people to character-analyze Wu. I'm desperate for a lot of character analysis including Nya but since I got a lot of my Nya feelings out with some lovely folks the other night (edit: the other night was a month ago dw about it. this took a minute) I'm going with Wu this time

Master Wu to me is such an interesting case of a character who it is so easy to ignore the bits of the show that hint at his wider issues and traumas. He is a man defined heavily by his family and by his past. A lot of criticism he gets, I think, is due in part to that.

I've mentioned before that I've been rewatching S1 with a friend of mine and intermittently pausing to infodump on them about interesting character things I notice from that season. A lot of that has been Wu-focused because despite having seen RotS dozens of times throughout my life (watching it on CN, watching it on Netflix when only it and Legacy were around, rewatching it with friends) I have only just started noticing the seeds of character written in.

I might also just be reading too much into things, but hear me out

In S1 (and by extension, the pilots), Wu is characterized as your typical old wise teacher. In the first few minutes of EP1: Rise of the Snakes, he is chewing out the Ninja for playing video games instead of training. The line he uses? "Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today."

It's a line that gets repeated throughout the series. In fact, it gets repeated that very episode when the ninja go (pun not intended) to fight the Hypnobrai and a literal pre-teen. At first, it seems to just be a piece of wisdom. Some old proverb Wu's picked up over the years, possibly one he even coined himself. However, in EP7: Tick Tock, Wu tells the story of who, possibly, first told him this.

(Source: Tick Tock/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added.)

It was Garmadon. Now, I'm not gonna dwell too long on Garmadon, if you spend five minutes talking to me you'll learn he was the first character whose story I obsessed over and I want this essay to be about Wu, but I think he plays a role in Wu's overall story, as does Wu's family as a whole.

Prior to this, Wu and Garmadon's relationship has been more of a sibling rivalry taken to a good vs. evil extreme. We didn't know why Garmadon was evil and we didn't know about Wu and his relationship as kids. However, this scene establishes the backstory. They were, as Wu puts it, "the best of friends." That is, until Garmadon gets bit by the Devourer going to get the katana Wu lost.

Now, I know the Devourer bite was destined to happen because of the Overlord or some shit, but Wu doesn't. As far as he's concerned, Garmadon getting bit was a direct consequence of both his mistake and his cowardice. He lost the katana. He was too scared to get it. Garmadon went over instead. Garmadon got bit.

The scene goes on to show the FSM tending to Garmadon in the aftermath. Wu is watching from behind the door, likely told to stay back, but concerned. And in his POV, we get this intense moment, where Garmadon turns, looks directly at him (his eyes turning bright red for the first time), and says "It's all Wu's fault!"

(This clip should begin at the start of Wu eavesdropping. If it doesn't, skip to 0:58. I highly recommend also paying attention to Wu's body language during this scene.)

The camerawork does a great job of showing how this probably felt for Wu. It zooms in, Garmadon's voice echoes, and the background blurs. We see in the flashback that this is a moment Wu has etched into his memory. Not to mention, he was likely a very young child when this happened. LEGO characters' ages are weird, but Wu in this scene has the Big Eyes, which always seem to be used for characters under 12. We don't know exactly how much older Garmadon is to my knowledge, but he doesn't have the Big Eyes, so he's probably closer to 12 and a few years older than Wu for sure.

Imagine that. Being in elementary school and your older siblings gets hurt. They're acting strange. They're lashing out at your father. Then, they blame it all on you. They're hurt because of you. Wouldn't you internalize that?

I could go on about Wu's relationship with Garmadon, but again, I think I've spent enough time on it and I don't want to only focus on that. It's an important part, but there are others.

Let's talk about Wu's relationship with his dad.

Now, I have not yet read the Spinjitzu Brothers series. I cannot speak to any development of Wu and the FSM's relationship in there. I have, however, read The Book of Spinjitzu and blogged some of my thoughts on it here, including some of what it says about Wu.

For those who haven't read it, first, there is a Google Drive folder floating around with all of the canon spinoff books/graphic novels in it. Here's the link if you wanna read them!

The FSM is an... intriguing figure. I mean, in the series he's basically god? He made the entire world. That's already a very high bar to live up to. Then, in Book of Spinjitzu, there's a few specific parts that, when I read them, signaled that Wu internalized a specific message when he was young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 3).

Wu does not want to disappoint his father. It is up to him (and Garmadon until he turns evil) to "uphold the legacy of Spinjitzu" and, by extension, his family. He says he was "very young" when this was explained to him. Considering he seems to already be training at an elementary age, "very young" means VERY young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 16).

Here, we again see Wu being very aware that he has some large burden to carry. Something else interesting here is that the thought of the Green Ninja Prophecy is already weighing on him too. His considering if he might be the Green Ninja is of extra interest because of how the Green Ninja Prophecy and the--I wouldn't call it obsession, possibly fixation?--with who it is factors into his later actions, but we'll get to that later.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 19).

This one in particular gets me because it comes after Wu mentions Garmadon becoming more evil. It is a statement of power. Wu knows that the legacy of Spinjitzu now rests in his hands alone. He cannot let himself fall the way Garmadon did. He cannot disappoint his father. Whether or not the FSM intended it, Wu always knew the fate of the world rested, at least in part, upon his shoulder. He knew this from the time he was a young boy and it remains in his mind to this day.

Now, these quotes are indirect, but they all point to one clear idea: As a child, Wu internalized the idea that he alone is responsible for keeping Ninjago safe. He will play a pivotal role in its history.

There's not evidence in this book that the FSM's was a bad father, per se. However, just because one doesn't set out to harm their children, doesn't mean they won't. I often say Wu has an "Atlas complex," which I have no idea if it is an actual concept but use it to refer to this idea. Wu feels as though he is responsible for holding up the world, much like Atlas. He must keep the balance, he must solve the Green Ninja prophecy, he must make his father proud.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 61).

I'm going to get further into what this means for Wu as a teacher to the current Ninja Team, but for now let's look at Wu's first foray into teaching.

Morro. Wu's Biggest Mistake.

That might seem like an overstatement, but it's not.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

Okay he says regret, not mistake, but I was paraphrasing.

Let's turn back to his quote about his destiny. Wu writes, "Is my life's mission to be the Green Ninja? Or maybe it will be to find the Green Ninja and protect him (or her)??"

From a very young age, Wu was not only aware of the Green Ninja but prophecy but also thinking about his place in it. We see this again when he takes Morro in and trains him.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added)

A big thing Wu is criticized for here is making Morro believe he is meant to be more. That he is the Chosen One. And Morro, being a young homeless orphan just now given some semblance of power and protection, latches onto that. And I can see it, but when you take into account the above that he was trained from (likely) a younger age than Morro and given a similar level of responsibility, it becomes more understandable. Wu is just doing what he was taught. He doesn't believe that he is harming Morro until it is too late.

youtube

This is the entire story, but I'm specifically going to be discussing 1:36 onwards here. I also wanted to add that rewatching this scene made me lay down on the floor! What the fuck! But I digress.

There's a lot going on in this scene. For one, Wu washing his hands of Morro in some ways, but not others. He turns his back on Morro when he tells him that destiny has decided, but looks at him again when Morro storms out. He goes to save Morro from the Grundal, but decides that he cannot "teach those who would not listen." Most importantly, when Morro leaves to go find the Tomb of the FSM, Wu leaves the door open. He waits for Morro to return, but never goes after him. And Morro never comes back.

Wu gives Morro's fate a dismissive response at the end of his ghost story ("I am saddened he was banished to the Cursed Realm") but it's clear he still cares deeply about him in the finale of the season.

youtube

Wu's VA in this is phenomenal btw. That "Please Morro!" and "MORRO!" make my heart ache.

Morro believed Wu stopped caring, but he didn't. Even after all he's done, even after trying to destroy all of Ninjago--destroying what Wu had spent his life trying to protect--Wu tries to save him. He begs for Morro to come with him. Morro refuses, Wu watches him perish.

Someone else Wu is close to is gone. Wu again considers himself responsible. Everything is his fault.

And finally, we reach Wu today. A cautious, secretive man. He loves his students, this much is clear. Even as early as the pilots, he drops his wise teacher persona to joke around with them.

youtube

As with Morro, he trains them like his father did him. He even uses the same methods his father used when he trains them.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 32)

youtube

While he is hard on the Ninja, wanting them to succeed and training them to help defend the Realm, he lets his guard down more than it seems he did with Morro. He also learned a valuable message from his experience with Morro when he hides the Green Ninja Prophecy from the Ninja, getting angry when they start to push themselves in the same way Morro did upon learning about it. It's clear he doesn't want a repeat.

Now, I can't speak for later seasons (I will eventually) but this fear of repeats, his students going down a dark path because they're tempted by power or greatness, losing someone else, likely drives Wu not telling them other important information. That is just a passing thought though.

Final notes:

I'm currently in the process of rewatching S7: Hands of Time. I actually got this ask right after finishing EP68: Scavengers, which opens with Wu having a nightmare. In it, he and Misako are walking outside of Yang's temple. While walking, Misako delivers this line in response to Wu reminiscing about the time they've spent together:

(Source: Scavengers/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

This line, to me, is Wu's subconscious trying to tell him something he needs to hear. It's hinting at what might be his greatest flaw. Wu is haunted by his past, by his mistakes. He finds it difficult to tell others because of both his guilt and his desire to not put that worry upon them. In this very season, he makes the mistake of trying to face his past on his own, and he nearly dies for it.

In the same episode, you see Wu trying to make sure Lloyd doesn't make the same mistakes.

(Source: Prev)

Wu stresses the important of the team. It's as if he sees Lloyd blaming himself for what happened to Wu, sees him doing the same thing Wu has, and is trying to prevent him from doing the same thing. This is further emphasized when, after Wu falls asleep (well, fakes falling asleep), Lloyd says "Wu's mistake was going in alone. So was mine."

Master Wu is, like many characters in this show, someone who is more complex than meets the eye. He is not just a wise, old teacher. He is a man who, throughout his life, has made mistakes and carries the weight of each of them on his shoulders. He is a man who tasks himself with making up for those every day. He is a man who wants better for his students, his family.

Until the day he dies, he will guide and protect his students. And possibly? Even after death too.

#ninjago #lego ninjago #master wu #long post #anon tag #this made my day i looooooooooooooove character analysis #i know a lot of what i post about it may not encompass the full series but i just think that makes it more fun tbh #i'm working with what i have and later i may come back to this and add even more things #i'm also very passionate about wu analysis as a former wu hater because i think the fact that his character stuff is so buried #leads to a lot of the hate #Why didn't he tell the ninja things? well he told morro things and look how that turned out #he grew up believing the weight of the world was on his shoulders #in one way or another #i won't lie and say the man does not make mistakes #but like i mention in s7 when he does he is fucking haunted by them #he is not breaking the generational trauma but he is damn well making an attempt for someone who probably doesn't realize he has it #p.s i tried to add image desc to each ss to make it more accessible but if i messed it up please let me know!#i spent way too much time on this #somebody do a word count i'm curious but too tired to copy this all into docs #falls over #part 2 of this is just the dark island trilogy but i think i'm gonna wait to do that #this took so long and the words are now refusing to words #thank you for reading #i need to take a nap after writing this I feel physically spent #please enjoy another rook branded ramble disguised as a comprehensive essay #other essayists bring you professionalism and academic vibes #i scream into the void and put way too many links o7 #happy birthday ninjago!!!! i finished this in honor of you hopefully it is worthy

63 notes · View notes

heart-wit-strength · 4 months

Text

lowkey think we sleep on the fact that the one time she displays behavior of a 13 year old in Newtopia resulted in very casual attitude towards discipline through physical violence

#'they were being annoying' does that justify it tho #if u think it does then im sorry but I have concerns #i could count a dozen times Anne was a brat back in Wartwood #something about Newtopia just gives the vibes of enforcing proper etiquettes and code to maintain #and olivia gives me the vibe of super pampering guardian to Marcy until shes slightly crossing the line of what is expected #of someone in her position #maybe im looking too deep into it but something bout it just...strikes. for reasons #amphibia #marcy wu #text post

47 notes · View notes

stolaz-the-artist · 8 months

Note

Hey I like your style, would you ever draw this chat of mine?

https://www.tumblr.com/yoshimickster/172019176472/a-conversation-that-shouldve-god-damned-happened?source=share

I’m back! And with this very nice request here.

I haven’t been too much on the Ninjago fandom in a while, but i do like the change of dialogue. That episode did bother me when i first saw it, so this was a nice idea with a new optional ending.

I also tried this minimal shading technique since im not used with making comics and shading my normal art pieces take hours, but im rather happy with how it turned out. I wanted to make a background but i know I’d get carried away and it’d just add another week or so until this would’ve been done.

I did however add tiny details here there. But i do apologise if i forgot any mayor details of any kind. But i do hope you like it regardless.

#Ninjago #ninjago cole #ninjago kai #ninjago lloyd #ninjago zane #ninjago wu #ninjago garmadon #art #fanart #digital art #ninjago fan comic #Comic #help I’ve never made a comic with this program before-#I am aware i forgot Wu’s little thingy on his chest but when i finished this i was on the verge of falling asleep #Does this count as an au?#I guess since it would technically be an alternative timeline #Idk i dont think its my place to say

60 notes · View notes

siyi-draws · 1 year

Text

ouhhh..... seven and thirteen 😳😳

#siyidraws #my art #digital art #fanart #scissor seven #killer seven #cike wu liuqi #刺客伍六七 #伍六七 #梅花十三 #wu liuqi #meihua shisan #does this count as slight nsfw??

269 notes · View notes

lost-in-frog-land · 4 months

Text

Marcy.

#amphibia #marcy wu #tbh creature #autism creature #amphibia fanart #<- does this count as fanart?#i guess so

19 notes · View notes

m00nwaltz · 4 months

Text

tomorrow i will draw woozie. enjoy a week old lance vance drawing from a whiteboard for now

anyways Let's talk about how fine this man is. idk how he wasnt my first childhood crush (vc is literally one of the first medias ive consumed dont judge) but atleast another fine ahh man was aka dj lance rock 😝

#lance vance #gta vice city #grand theft auto #gta #does wu zi mu count too #whiteboard #digital art #sigh

10 notes · View notes

revel-inbluehues · 7 months

Text

Okay, now that I've got the fangirling out of the system, some initial thoughts on dialogue.

XL - he sounded more confrontational in the dub. He also said the best fucking line ever; "you don't know him like I do". Like, sweetie, you sound like you're defending your good-for-nothing boyfriend from your friends and family while they tell you that this is a bad idea. Tbh, that is kinda what is happening. But also, the one tiktok with this exact line and talking about opinion on assault/salt popped up instantly.

PM - he sounds hot, sue me. But, yeah, defo a honeyed hoe vibe from him.

JW - I praise whoever came up with the English dialogue and his va because the lines and delivery were amazing. By tone, he sounds confident, kind but watchful, and miffed, like a parent whose child didn't live up to their words or expectation, which is exactly what you would be expecting. The lines add to this. "Torture", "disrespect", "disappointed" and "selfishly" are the main words, where it's clear that JW blames XL for not reaching out, for pushing him away. It sounds like a concerned parental figure, but it also has manipulation, where JW wants XL to feel guilty for his actions. He then proceeds to talk about how XL's actions have made things more difficult for him and how XL has his implicit trust. This, combined with the guilt-tripping, made XL feel somewhat responsible for associating with HC, which he doesn't feel bad about, and for making things harder for JW, which XL might be feeling bad about. Technically, none of this is a bad thing; JW, as both a highly political figure, leader and mentor figure for XL, could simply be trying to guide a misfortunate subordinate and student to stay out of trouble and safe by gaslight, gatekeep, girl bossing him. But, knowing JW's full past completely recontextualises the whole thing, and everything sounds so much more sinister, an attempt at control and teaching, a perverse form of care, and a shit ton of manipulation. Either way, for both novel readers and donghua only, you can tell that something is off.

SQX - both male and female voices were unique but fitting to their physical form, and every line from them was absolute gold and had me laughing, especially when he was talking about how pretty he is.

HC - woof. No, but seriously, when I first watched season 1 dub, I genuinely thought that HC's voice actor was Tatum because of the Sebastian Michaelis resemblance, so it made sense when I heard that Sebastian was the inspiration. The difference between s1 and s2 is the fact that in s1, HC was softer and brighter when interacting with XL while being baiting and mocking towards everyone else. In s2, in the 2 lines we got, it was so obvious that he was leaning into the suave and self-assurance because he's not dealing with people he dislikes or XL. He's in his territory, in front of his subjects who adore and follow him. His tone speaks volumes of his power in the city; he sounds arrogant, but it's justified, so really, it's true, backed-up confidence. The last 2 lines reminded me so much of Sebastian with calm, poised, but ultimately vicious tone.

#tgcf season 2 #tgcf dub #tgcf donghua #does this count as character analysis? i'll tag it #character analysis #this was not meant to be this long but I had SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE LINES AND DELIVERY.#jun wu #shi qingxuan #tgcf sqx #hua cheng #san lang #pei ming #xie lian #okay they all sound hot but PM JW and HC defo sound hottest #i love JW's character; he is a foil to XL and shows how one deep flaw could change the paths they walk. He is complex and flawed.#i should do a proper rant on him one day #i should be sleeping rn but i won't until i can calm my brain after watching the dub #LQQ was also there and va did give off the shounen protag vibe well but i'll rant abt him when ep2 dub comes out #spoilers?#spoilers #see how XL sounded soft when waking up LQQ? yh THAT'S painful #SQX is also peak comedy #tgcf spoilers #heaven official's blessing

15 notes · View notes

peachyninjago · 2 years

Text

yeah thats them

(click for quality :])

#ninjago #lloyd garmadon #lloyd ninjago #morro wu #morro ninjago #green cousins - lloyd and morro tag #my art #does this count as #incorrect quotes #?

124 notes · View notes

nyaskitten · 2 years

Text

Bam, new idea. Jay and Pixal facing off against each other in a video game, it's the most intense competition that's ever occurred in the Monastery of Spinjitzu.

Cole is leaning on the head of the sofa yelling things like "kick his ass, Pix!", or "yeahhh you got it!" and then taking large sips from his guzzler, Kai constantly fucking with them, sometimes hugging them both of them, sometimes playfully shaking them around, anything to mess with them, Nya is clapping no matter what happens, she couldn't care less, Zane is saying enthusiastic remarks to both sides because he's cool like that, and Lloyd is so glued to the screen he doesn't care who's winning, he just really likes to see all the action on the screen.

Eventually, Wu comes in, hearing all the ruckus, about to say something, but then Nya silently gestures him in to watch and Wu, realizing the greatest gamers in his Monastery are at it with each other, decides to silently watch, like a supportive lil' grandpa.

The battle sadly ends in a draw, as The Chicken comes in and activates her lightning mode and running into the TV, causing it to short circuit, thus ending the game.

Pixal and Jay both accept it as a draw, and promise each other a rematch, and Pixal promises to remember to NOT leave The Chicken in the living room.

They shake hands and both electrocute each other a bit, as a way to say "next time, I will NOT go so easy".

Then the ninja all go out for pizza with Wu and Pixal joining along too, just for the fun of it!

228 notes · View notes

sea-jello · 1 year

Text

yeah idk. had a thought and used it to procrastinate

fun fact it was supposed to be just green cousins and a lil harumi bonus but i had more thoughts and ran with it💀💀

scroll for closeups if you want em

i actually?? kinda like them???

121 notes · View notes

quiznak-ofgrayskull · 1 year

Text

Um. I think I just wrote a whole essay on Ninjago love triangles I'm so sorry.

Has anyone ever touched on the parallels that Ninjago draws with its two love triangles? Like. Nya and Misako, Jay and Wu, and Cole and Garmadon (as the love triangles are presented in canon). Like I know both love triangles were shoehorned in, blah blah blah, but I enjoy the trope shush.

So like both Misako and Nya (until her elemental powers were revealed to her) were both normal people who were stuck with all the cool elemental masters.

Jay and Wu were the usual "good guy" in accordance to how love triangles must work, that the person typically ends up with. Falls in line with the "young Wu was an absolute dumbass" hc (is it canon? idk-) as well as with both of them being a bit more romantic in nature (the awkward s1 date, and the sappy love letter)

And Cole and Garmadon are the "bad boy" alternative (once more in accordance to Love Triangle Rules, and possibly one of the main reasons the Nya Jay Cole love traingle does not work - Cole doesn't fit this), and they come in to disrupt the "endgame" couple. And character parallels are a bit more difficult to draw because Cole really doesn't fit this, but I suppose they could both be more subdued characters (compared to Jay and young Wu), as well as not very romantic in nature (Garmadon not writing his own sappy love letter (that we know of), Cole in general). Cole is definitely more level headed than Garmadon but still.

And then where the relationships diverge: The endgames. Because Misako actually went with the "bad boy" character, which from what I've seen doesn't happen often. That sort of character is typically there to add tension for the inevitable endgame, but Misako actually did choose Garmadon.

And Nya chose Jay, which does fall in line with the actual love triangle logistics.

I'm not good enough at analyzing things to pinpoint exactly what this means about the characters, if it were to mean anything at all. Like, is there technically a right choice? Is the "good" guy the right choice, and did Nya learn from Misako's errors? Did Misako make a specific error that Nya never even had to face? Did Nya make the wrong choice because she'd never considered anything else before? (Or are they different characters under different circumstances in which different choices were made, may the be good or bad?) And listen, I am well aware that the love triangle isn't good writing. I enjoy it because I am stupid. But if there was a point trying to be made, I think it's interesting.

Plus how it affects the relationships between the romantic rivals. Brothers and best friends, respectfully. Like, the rift that it creates between both groups, and the friendships that have the potential to be destroyed over romance- which is actually quite rare from what I've seen in these tropes. Typically the romantic rivals aren't so close? They know each other, of course, but rarely is their own relationship being compromised a focal point. And yeah, I know it's annoying to see romance being put on a pedestal above friendship, but it's also just interesting to me.

Like, Misako, and Wu and Garmadon's rivalry mattered so much to the two of them that years later, Wu got mad over the letter. Like, as adults, that affected them. And Jay and Cole being able to resolve it, and be friends despite it is also very cool to me.

And Wu being hung up on it shows the general lack of resolution that he got from that. He might have been waiting for a response for his letter, that he put all his heart into (to the point he forgot to sign it), only to find out, in a letter from Misako he had hoped would be for himself (or maybe one from his brother), that the two were together. Maybe that stung a bit, that Misako hadn't even mentioned his letter. Maybe he wondered about it, why she never mentioned it one bit. Maybe he put the pieces together, but brushed it aside as jealous speculation, in favor of trying to support his brother. Maybe that's why he got so angry when he found out.

And I think we can agree that it never really mattered as much to Cole as it did to Jay, which also makes for an interesting dynamic. Their friendship was strained more so from the rivalry than the romantic rivalry. Jay was super invested in it, and Cole probably just wanted things to go back to normal (maybe he was just competitive, or got carried away in general). And I think Jay and Cole's friendship being more important, and resolved first, is actually really cool. I really love that scene in season four, always have.

Not to mention Jay and Cole being separated for a long period of time between seasons 3 and 4, which let feelings, and misdirected anger and grief fester. At that point, it was a lot more than Nya.

Same with Wu and Garmadon, probably. Not so much canon evidence, but I can imagine that after so much, they got bitter over the whole thing, too. Wu did, at least.

Okay I think that's it? If anyone wants me to rant more about the ninjago love triangles I will do so gladly (clearly). Though I severely doubt there's a market for this. Pretty sure it's one of the least favorite writing decisions ever made in the show. That does not stop me though-

#ninjago #wu garmadon #ninjago garmadon #ninjago misako #nya ninjago #jay walker #cole ninjago #I cannot believe I wrote all of this #I hope this makes sense #please enjoy my senseless rant #I should write a oneshot about this or something actually #does this count on its own?#please someone else understand me and my stupid love for these idiots and their stupid love triangle please I swear it's not *that* bad #it might be that bad

32 notes · View notes

strawberry-seal77 · 2 years

Photo

Sparrow friend!

inspired by @cowcowwow’s art here :D

#Does this count as copying you? hopefully not-#marcy wu #joe sparrow #finished art #amphibia #warriorfrogsAU

92 notes · View notes

roseverdict · 2 years

Text

more of kai making an Executive Decision woop woop badoop

"…hey, Kai?"

Kai knew that tone of voice. That was the I have a question and it might make you mad tone of voice he knew all-too-well from when Nya was little.

He paused the game and glanced at Lloyd. "Yeah, squirt?"

"Why aren't you trying to be the Green Ninja like the others anymore?" asked Lloyd, his voice small.

Kai couldn't bring himself to tell the whole truth, but he could tell some of it. "Eh, once you've seen one Green Ninja competition, you've seen 'em all."

Lloyd's cheeks puffed out. "No, I mean, you wanted it a lot! Now it's like you don't even care! It's weird. You're weird."

Kai sighed and slumped forward. "I guess I just had a bit of a wake-up call or something. It was you, me, and the Fangblade in the volcano. Sure, we had our whole competition going, and if I got the Fangblade, I'd win, but…you didn't see your dad before we got there. The dramatics, his refusal to play nice? It was just like me the time he'd had the Skulkin kidnap Nya, except this time it'd been done to him."

Kai smirked and mussed up Lloyd's hair. "Plus I may or may not have been worried about you, too, so the Fangblade would've been a hollow victory anyway."

"Hah, hey-!" Lloyd spluttered.

"I just…" Kai went on, "…after seeing you and your dad together, I don't think it could be me. But even if it is, I promise you, Lloyd, we'll do everything in our power to find a way out of this dumb destiny thing and keep Garmadon around for you."

Lloyd took a shaky breath. "R…really?"

"Really," Kai said. "In fact, I'll do you one better. Whoever the Green Ninja is, he'll work the hardest out of all of us for it. I personally guarantee it."

Kai caught a glimpse of Wu's hat as he shifted just out in the hall. Wu must really be out of it if Kai just caught him eavesdropping.

"And no matter who it is, we'll have his back all the way, and we'll have your back all the way," Kai continued. "Your dad's surprisingly harmless when he's not being compelled to do great evil, y'know. Even if that harmless evildoing does get on my last nerve."

Lloyd managed a wobbly grin at that. "Yeah, heh, I know."

"Aw, don't get all mushy on me!" Kai complained with a laugh. He still lifted his arm in time for Lloyd to slam into his side and hold on for all he was worth.

Kai pretended not to notice the growing damp spots in his gi, instead silently rubbing little circles in Lloyd's back the same way he would for Nya.

The events of the day seemed to catch up to Lloyd as he Definitely Didn't Cry, Kai Would Back Him Up On That, and eventually he blinked blearily up at Kai. "You gonna make me go t' bed?"

"I mean, not if you don't wanna," Kai said. "You oughta know I stick it to The Man by now, you little gremlin. Bedtimes, shmedtimes. Live by your own rules."

Lloyd giggled sleepily and wriggled a bit deeper into Kai's chest and the couch. "M'kay. Th'nks, Kai."

And then he made Kai's heart swell and break a little at the same time.

"Hope it's you."

And then he was out like a light.

Kai's eyebrows shot up. Wow, show this kid the tiniest scrap of affection and he really became the cuddliest, most trusting little monster to ever monster, huh?

Destiny could wait until at least the end of puberty. If it had a problem with that, it could take it up with Kai's fists.

Kai carefully manuevered the controller up so he could use both hands to save the game and turn off the console, then set the controller aside entirely and reached blindly for the blanket that had fallen off the back of the couch during their tournament.

"Here," said Nya from behind him, pushing the blanket into his hand.

Kai tilted his head back to look in mild surprise.

It looked like Wu hadn't been the only eavesdropper- literally everyone else in the Bounty stood at the doorway, looking in solemnly.

"I hadn't thought of it that way," admitted Jay.

He didn't even have to say it out loud.

Zane shook his head. "Nor did I."

"Kai, you know we can't guarantee that we'll find a way," scolded Cole weakly.

"That's why I didn't," Kai countered. "I said we'd try. That much, I know we can do."

Nya chuckled sadly. "We'll probably have to give him self-defense lessons if we're planning to upend his father's fate."

Kai thought about it for a second. Since he knew intuitively what Lloyd's destiny was meant to be, he knew fighting skills were probably in the kid's future anyway.

"Yeah, probably," he said out loud.

"We can all teach him," said Zane.

"Never pegged myself as a teacher, but this would be worth it," agreed Jay.

"It'll be tough," Cole warned. "We'll all need to get better at taking responsibility. Remember, Lloyd doesn't have an element."

Kai pointedly did not look in the direction he'd seen Wu's hat in.

"If we're doing this, we have to be able to keep him safe, then to teach him to keep himself safe, even with how strong our enemies tend to be," continued Cole.

Kai nodded firmly. "And we will."

They had to.

Lloyd grumbled in his sleep and weakly smacked in the general direction of Kai's face. "…sh'ddup."

"You got it, tiny," Kai said without a moment's hesitation.

"Eh, it won't be the first time you've stepped up to the plate," remarked Nya in a whisper. She gave Kai's forehead a kiss, grinned smugly at his disgust, patted him on the head, and started ushering the other ninja out. "Sweet dreams, softies."

"Excuse you, I am the epitome of aloof!" Kai hissed.

"Sleeeeeeeep," groaned Lloyd.

"Alright, alright," said Kai immediately.

Nya shoved her hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles, but then she and the rest were back outside.

Only Wu was left, out of sight from where the others had been standing.

"You cannot keep his fate away forever," Wu informed him wearily. "Believe me, Kai, I have tried this before. This is not my first attempt at doing so for someone in my family. Destiny has spoken."

Oh, huh, right. Garmadon was Wu's brother just as much as he was Lloyd's dad.

"Then I refuse to listen. You'll just have to tell destiny to take a rain check or something," Kai declared. "If it wants him to fight his freaking father, it can at least wait until he's grown up some."

Wu searched Kai's eyes for something.

Kai just held his gaze with a firm almost-glare. "I figured it out in the volcano, Sensei. All my training to be the best ninja was never to become the Green Ninja. It was to protect him. If I have to protect him from whatever bull they're writing in the Cloud Kingdom, then fine. If I have to protect him from his own destiny, fine! I'm not letting the only one on this dang boat who can relate to Jay on Father's Day just lose that."

Lloyd chose that moment to sit bolt upright, his elbow jamming directly into Kai's sternum, and tell Kai with the utmost urgency, "Hurry, Kai, we gotta catch up to Fritz Donnegan and his crew! They're gonna leave for the Golden Planet Of Light without us!"

Kai wheezed and fought to get his breath back, then took a look at Lloyd's face.

His eyes were barely even open.

Kai smirked before he even realized it. "Well, you go tell Fritz I just gotta finish up here, alright, little man? I'll be right behind you."

Lloyd "looked" over his shoulder, then back at Kai, his eyebrows scrunching up worriedly.

"Promise. Won't be long," Kai said, guiding him back down.

After a long moment, Lloyd nodded. "…kay." He then burrowed back into Kai's side as if he'd never sat up at all.

Whatever Wu was looking for, he seemed to find it as he watched them, and he sighed in resignation. "Very well. I hope you have a plan for when the truth inevitably comes out?"

"I do my best work when I'm winging it," scoffed Kai. He glanced down at the sleeping Lloyd for a moment. "Besides, he's nine. It'd be worth anything to hold this off even a little longer."

"…good night, Kai."

Wu leapt up into the rafters, likely heading to his room to meditate.

Kai shifted in place with a sigh, tossed the blanket over himself and Lloyd, and settled in for the night.

(Unbeknownst to any of them, Nya stood just a few feet past the door, frozen in place with horrified eyes, her hands pressed over her mouth, and a shiver running up her spine.)

#rosie writes #ninjago #kai makes an Executive Decision au #kai smith #lloyd garmadon #wu ninjago #nya smith #jay walker #cole brookstone #zane julien #does it count as a fathers day fic if fathers day is mentioned one (1) time #also shshshshshshshs the og bounty has rafters now dont question it #me sprinkling in stuff from previous seasons and also 'a sane reaction to finding out the gremlin has to fight his dad who he loves':#you put the peeps in the chili pot and add the m&ms

92 notes · View notes