#I've also kept these in order of season/episode appearance and it feels kind of telling

[thelassoway]

Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso Seasons 1-3 » T-shirts

[crispie-art]

Miraculous Ladybug Season 4 Episode 2 "The Luka Episode" - An Analysis of Luka Couffaine

My first impression of Luka was a guy who was about as interesting as sandbag who liked Marinette, interacted with no one else, and the only reason he was liked was because of his e-boy/sensitive/soft-boy appearance. I preferred Kagami way more than him, since it felt like her and Adrien had really good chemistry, and also she had a lot of character development for her episodes. I'm assuming in order to give more depth to Luka, the writers decided that Luka was going to get a few episodes as well, and...I think I'm starting to like him a lot as a character.

One thing that Luka was missing in my opinion was identity. In many episodes it felt like he was just kinda there to fulfil the new Marinette love interest since Adrien got one. All I saw was a guy who was obsessed with music, and that was it. He was more of an archetype than anything to me. Even the episode 'Silencer' didn't do much to convince me that he was interesting because it was just music and Marinette again. He was barely given the time he needed in the season he was introduced, and the few tidbits we see of him gave off a feeling of a chill guy with not much going on in his life.

My criticism of Luka was 100% too harsh, but I will say that he was not given the attention that should have been given to a new character. Take Toph for example, she had a lot of time to assimilate herself with the 'new group of friends' and had a fascinating introduction. They used what was interesting about Toph, her earth-bending skills and the quiet-girl persona that she had in front of her parents, to help us be excited for her character arc.

How I would've structured Luka's introduction is if Marinette saw the first thing that he did was play music in front of a crowd. The passion he showed for music is one of his defining traits. If he were a bit more lazy and too-lax off-stage, and was introduced to Marinette by Juleka, that would create an interesting juxtaposition for his character and make him more likeable. The way I see it is, a character can only become interesting and relatable to the viewer when they show flaws or are in conflict somehow. Miraculous Ladybug rarely uses the first anymore and always uses the latter. Conflict is way easier to deal with than character flaws when every episode needs to have an akuma. Since character flaws need to be resolved and change the character.

Now onto the episode:

One thing I will say about this episode is that Luka has become vulnerable. And I love it. Vulnerability is kinda what we needed from Luka since he always seems like a stable, well put-together kind of guy. If his nonchalance was better-expressed and given more screen-time in earlier episodes, this vulnerability could have had a really, really great effect. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, and I'm not letting the writers get off scot-free for giving us Stormy Weather 2 instead of focusing on the new characters they had.

This episode makes it really easy for you to feel sorry for Luka, since he seems like the type to bear the weight of emotions and hardly express himself to others. He knows for a fact that Marinette is still in love with Adrien despite dating him, since literally everyone in town knows and he still has to pretend as if he doesn't care.

(Side note: I'm really curious on what Adrien would have said Marinette's secret was if Truth asked him.)

She comes late to every date they've had, skipped it, and hardly gives him any time. And finally, when he tries to open up to her in the most authentic way and probably most emotional way, talking about his abandoned father, she is still unable to tell him the truth, whatever it is. I love what they used with the melody under the bridge - it's a smart idea and fits his character really well.

It's really obvious that Luka has a lot of patience with Marinette, and even that is wearing thin. A part of me wanted him to just break up with her already, but then again he's a love-struck 17yr old who loves Marinette, so his simpiness makes sense here. The problem I have with this is that it makes Marinette look like a real jerk, which is not a good look for the show. Breaking-up was probably the right thing to do at the end, but it feels like taking responsibility and leaving her friends behind for her superhero stuff is a problem that Marinette could have had and dealt with in earlier seasons.

This abandoned father plot-line like I mentioned before is really, really out of nowhere, I don't like it. Now, the idea of an unknown father is nothing new, like South Park did it more than two decades ago, but the issue is that it's resolved way too quickly. I literally laughed when Luka's mother straight up said it's Jagged Stone between the five minutes he told Marinette he was searching for his father and his mother telling him as a villain. It honestly felt like parody or an abridged episode.

There's no explanation as to why his mother kept this as a secret from him, and the explanation the Jagged gave was half-assed, and wasn't worth being forgiven for that quickly. I really expected this to be some interesting drawn out Pretty Little Liars type mystery where fan theories would be stewing for a while, but they nipped it in the bud pretty quickly. Which is really, really annoying. Luka hasn't had a motivation like this before, he was a chill side character, but when they finally gave him one, they ripped it away from him in a matter of minutes. And since Marinette is hardly involved with Luka anymore, I'm going to find it difficult to believe that we'll see Luka and Jagged hang out that much anymore. What I'm assuming is going to happen is it's either gonna be Jagged akumatised because of some dumb conflict between their relationship or we'll see bits of their father-son relationship in the background now and then. Also what about Juleka? Is she Jagged's child too or is she Luka's step-sister?

Everything here is resolved way too quickly, to an unreasonable degree, and it follows back to a general problem I've had with the series - the plot is way too dense to allow for an akuma every episode or be this formulaic.

Fighting scenes need to be cut down more, or the akuma should just not be there because if the episode is too formulaic, we don't get the character moments that we needed. This release schedule is also, I can tell, a really big problem for the writers, and would have me ripping my hair out if I was writing this show. Because let's take this Luka thing as an example. If it was intended that Luka have a secret abandoned father that no one knew about and was revealed as being Jagged Stone in later episodes, what if that reveal episode was released before the episode where Luka confides in Marinette that he wants to search for his father?

While I do kinda wish Luka could get more development, I find it hard to believe it will happen unless he becomes Viper again. Same with Kagami. Since the show is entirely centred around Marinette, unless Marinette interacts with side-characters, they won't get development, albeit from some rare scenes. And that's not always such a great idea. Sometimes you need the side-characters to feel alive, to feel like they do what they want as well. We need scenes or even episodes sometimes without Marinette.

It's not always about her, and Marinette needs to learn that as soon as possible, because they kinda butchered her character this episode.

[autisticmight]

how does someone who knows little-to-nothing about it get into sanders sides? i saw thomas' vines, and i've been sort of tangentially aware that the facets of his personality that he portrayed in the vines have since become characters, but there's a whole bunch of new ones??? what the fuck is a janus???? HELP. tldr where do i find The Lore? plz obi wan ur my only hope

it’s very simple!!! you hyperfixate on thomas sanders’s content in, like, 2016? and then he uploads a video called ‘my true identity’, which is a bit weird, but you love those vine characters. then he uploads more, and it becomes a trend. apparently people in the comments are shipping the prince guy and anxiety. you rewatch the new year’s video an embarrassing amount of times with your dog

i had a whole paragraph here about why i like the series, and why i dropped it and then picked it up again, but it was just a block of lowercase text and i guess it’s kind of hard to read

anyway, here’s the playlist of every episode, but i’m going to put a summary of the series and individual episodes under the readmore, while also ranking them, because i am Special Interesting and i like being useful. and i guess i’m gonna write using. like. actual grammar. if the readmore doesn’t work, then. have fun reading my infodump

here we go

Sanders Sides: A Summary

Fictional Version Of Thomas Sanders (known as Character!Thomas, and will be simply referred to as ‘Thomas’ henceforth) has ‘Sides’, which are parts of his personality that have been exaggerated and personified. It’s a nice little series set in some kind of semi-urban fantasy world, but mostly in Thomas’s living room. It mostly uses the idea of ‘Sides’ to represent the inner schemata of an individual. In simpler terms, you know when you’re conflicted, and you end up arguing with yourself? Yeah, it’s that.

Also, don’t read the comments, unless you want to disregard the care I’ve taken to not put spoilers in the Season 1 Summaries.

Season 1

I’d like to split this into parts, because there are a lot of things in earlier episodes that conflict with later characterisation. However, it’s also fun to watch them, and then rewatch them after some of the longer episodes, and feel your heart shatter!

This half of Season 1 was made solely by Thomas. It tends to be a bit more scattered, and can be watched out of chronological order, or completely skipped. Yes, I’m telling you that you can skip literally all of this section, if you want to. However, these are also the easiest videos to watch, and offer a taste of Silly Sanders Sides Hijinks without the emotional commitment.

My True Identity (6 min) - Thomas delves into the three aspects of his personality; his Logic (Teacher Guy), his Creativity (the Prince, also called Princey), and his Morality (Dad Guy who is Not Thomas’s Dad). At this point, the characters are far more similar to their Vine counterparts, and the characterisation clashes with later episodes. (3/5 - A nice way to see if you’ll enjoy the humour of this series)

Way Too Adult (5 min) - Thomas is asked by his family to help cook Thanksgiving dinner. Dad Guy pops up and discusses with Thomas how he can better learn to take care of himself. Features a talking stove, which is part of the reason why I classify this series as urban fantasy, and the start of a running joke. (2/5 - A fun, albeit rare, look into Dad Guy being responsible. I actually prefer this to My True Identity, but ranks lower due to conflicting with later S1 characterisation.)

Taking On Anxiety with Lilly Singh (6 min) - Thomas hopes and dreams to get rid of his Anxiety, who is a sassy, snide guy, sitting on the staircase. Princey, as the embodiment of Thomas’s hopes and dreams, is... Usurped by an imaginary version of Lilly Singh, who helps teach Thomas how to cope with feeling anxious. (3/5 - Introduces some secret tools that will help us later. The tools are Thomas being able to travel to various places in his head, and also Anxiety.)

A New Year of Lying to Myself... In Song!! (7 min) - The first video wherein you realise that this is A Thing. Thomas welcomes in the new year, hoping that 2017 will be better than 2016. Logic shows up to help him figure out some New Year’s Resolutions, accompanied by Dad Guy and Princey. Anxiety joins in to point out that Thomas has rarely, if ever, kept to his resolutions before. Through the first musical number of the series, the Core Sides and Thomas figure out simple, achievable resolutions that Thomas can use to improve his wellbeing. (4/5 - Unintentional foreshadowing in the form of a bop.)

The Dark Side of Disney (6 min) - Princey, not for the last time, enthuses about the wonders of Disney. However, Anxiety also appears, insisting that Disney is not as wholesome as it first appears. They argue and bond, despite the fact that Thomas still hasn’t redacted his statement regarding his hopes and dreams to get rid of his Anxiety. (2/5 - I have strong feelings on the meaning of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘The Little Mermaid’, both of which are shrugged off in favour of the tryhard-edgy ‘blegh stockholm syndrome’ and ‘blegh change yourself to get your man’. Still, it’s a fan-favourite for a reason, and the endcard always makes me smile.)

I’m in a Disney Show!! (6 min) - Princey enthuses about the wonders of Disney, because Thomas is in a Disney show. He talks about what happened, while the Sides (mostly Logic) suggest clickbait titles in order to entice people to watch the video. (2/5 - L*gan P*ul is mentioned, as he was also in the episode.)

The Mind vs. The Heart (6 min) - Thomas finds himself split between following his mind, Logic, or his heart, Morality. Features onesies, and looks further into the characters of Logic and Dad Guy. (3/5 - Pretty calm and peaceful, to be honest. It’s nice.)

Then we move onto the second part of Season 1. This is when Thomas’s friend, Joan, began to offer their input into scriptwriting and directing. They’re most of the reason why Sanders Sides is an actual series, instead of being silly skit characters in short vlogs. From here on in, episodes become more complex, and work on an actual timeline.

Alone on Valentines Day (9 min) - Thomas is rather upset that he will be, as the title says, alone on Valentine’s Day. The Sides try to help him figure out how to get a date with an imaginary version of his friend Valerie, but each of them has a weirder way of going about it than the last. (4/5 - Far more cohesive than previous videos, but Thomas still wasn’t fully out as gay, so his hypothetical date is a woman. Yes, I took points off because of that. Yes, I’m about to erase the 3/5 to make it 4/5 because Valerie is a delight.)

Losing My Motivation (9 min) - When Thomas finds himself procrastinating, Logic takes it upon himself to find out which side is causing it. In order to get into a deductive mindset, Logic dresses up as Sherlock, while Dad Guy joins in as Watson. Once the case is solved, an important piece of information is revealed: the Sides have names. (Logic’s name is revealed) (3/5 - It’s just a fun little video, and I can’t keep giving every video from here on in 4/5, or that’ll ruin the whole thingy.)

Sanders Sides Q&A (9 min) - Exactly what it sounds like. There’s not much else to say. (2/5 - I love it, but it’s not really necessary to understand the whole series. It’s just extra characterisation.)

Am I Original? (12 min) - Thomas finds himself in a creative rut, trying to think of a completely original idea. Princey requests full creative control - “full-on Daydream Mode�� - in order to rapidly consider and enact many different concepts, all while trying to make something that has never been seen before. (Princey’s name is revealed) (4/5 - Important characterisation for Princey. I originally rated it lower due to Thomas’s inability to rap, but upon rewatching, i found that the ending dialogue between Princey and Thomas was worth two points, rather than the single one I gave it previously.)

My Negative Thinking (13 min) - When Thomas messes up in an audition, his ego - Princey - is out of commission and being cared for by Dad Guy. Therefore, the only Sides available to aid him in this situation are Logic and Anxiety, neither of whom can help Thomas in the way he wants to. Anxiety is worsening Thomas’s mental state, so Logan proposes a debate in order to combat those cognitive distortions. (4/5 - A fan-favourite episode which offers a lot of insight into Logic and Anxiety as characters. It is useful as a tool for identifying cognitive distortions in real life, which may help with the individual’s mental health. Even though it introduces another running joke, it’s educational and fun, and it develops their relationship in a positive manner, I just don’t particularly enjoy it.)

Growing Up (15 min) - It’s Thomas’s birthday! He’s in his late twenties, and he’s still a kid at heart. He hasn’t done his laundry, he's silly and immature, and he feels like he isn’t at the point that he needs to be in his life. Therefore, all the Sides, except for Dad Guy, who ironically embodies Thomas’s inner child, work on trying to make him more mature. (Morality’s name is revealed) (3/5 - Features the concept of Voltron Shirt. I love this episode, but there is a noticeable change in audio quality at the end which affects how enjoyable it is.)

Making Some Changes (15 min) - Back in Thomas’s living room, and in opposition to his view from the last episode, Anxiety is worried about how life changes in unpredictable ways, and especially about losing contact with Thomas’s friends. Therefore, in order to keep Thomas’s friends permanently by his side, Princey gets them all to shapeshift. (3/5 - It might be skippable, but it’s just really, really fun.)

Becoming A Cartoon (10 min) - Adding to the whole urban fantasy thing, it turns out that animators can literally, physically turn people into cartoons. Thomas wants to be a cartoon. Princey catches Anxiety in his arms and says “everybody loves the villain,” and I think that’s all you need to know. (1/5 - Co-stars B*tch H*rtman, known for Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, and Being A Bigot, who did the character designs for the Sides, if not the actual animation. And the designs are kind of. Eh. Just watch some fanmade animatics.)

Accepting Anxiety (23 min) - Part 1: Excepting Anxiety (10 min), and Part 2: Can Anxiety Be Good? (14 min) - HOO. If the musical number or the animation didn’t clue you in, this video confirms that Sanders Sides is A Thing. Remember how Thomas hoped and dreamt to get rid of his Anxiety? Remember how he never redacted that statement, or even expressed a bit of remorse? Well, here, his wishes come true, and he doesn’t feel bad about it at all! That’s because he has absolutely no shame, caution, or fear of death. Yeah, he’s a mess. Therefore, the Sides make him take them on a magical quest to Anxiety’s Room, in order to un-mess-ify Thomas. (Anxiety’s name is revealed) (5/5 - The team really went above and beyond with this one. Like. Hoo. That’s it. Just. Hoo. Hoo. I’m an owl.)

And that’s Season 1!!! I’m going to add Season 2 in a reblog, because this has taken roughly three hours and it’s been really difficult to not spoil their names!!! which i did anyway because their names are all easier to type from muscle memory!!!