#it all still works and the relationship at the center of this episode (gus and hunter's friendship) isn't undermined from it

[voids-voyager]

I've become so torn on the emerald entrails messaging at the end of ASIAS. Because on one hand Darius gifting Hunter a scroll so he can make friends is a wonderful moment, giving Hunter a means to contact people outside the castle and the Covens, with the people he's just connected with and had fun playing a sport with! And Darius just gave it to him and expects nothing in return! It's a wonderful moment between them!

But the time it would have made perfect sense for it to pay off in Labyrinth Runners, there's nothing? The next time Hunter interacts with the emerald entrails, they all behave as if this is the first they've spoken since ASIAS. Insisting they save Hunter from the coven scouts could be easily explained as them having no hard feelings for the whole forced recruitment thing after Hunter jumped in to save them, not that they necessarily talked it through afterwards via messaging.

None of them speaks up for Hunter when the whole room is doubting him and treating him like the enemy. Which is a reasonable reaction if they haven't spoken since the last time they met, when he was still the Golden Guard and singing the Emperor's Coven's praises. But it comes off as weird if we're meant to assume they've chatted between Any Sport in a Storm and Labyrinth Runners.

(Also absolutely love how between these lines Hunter says "there was a sandwich". Both shows how frazzled he is right now and what a dork he truly is. A good sandwich indeed)

And even if you try to say 'well maybe Willow is the only one he talked to', Willow only decides to step in once she hears Hunter mention the breathing technique she taught Gus, meaning she didn't trust him or believe his words until that moment. At least not enough to defend him. Even though we see her getting a message from Hunter on penstragram at the very end of ASIAS and the group playfully poke fun at his slow typing, and Luz says Willow is the one who gave her Hunter's contact info in Reaching Out. (Though this is a really cute moment for Gus and Willow's friendship, Willow trusts his judgement even if Gus himself doesn't.)

But in the end, if I had to choose between leaving it as is with the implications left hanging, or just cutting Hunter recieving a scroll entirely, I'd pick what we got every time, no hesitation. Giving Hunter a scroll is such an important point for the development of the relationship between him and Darius. For an abused kid like Hunter, who is completely isolated from people his age, giving him a means of communication Belos is unaware of is one of the best things he could have recieved. Darius giving Hunter a scroll is so important for both their characters!! And the story!! For the themes present in Hunter's whole arc!!

And it gave us this precious image of a sleeby Flapjack

[cherrymoonvol6]

i was rewatching TTT for uhhh, [redacted] fanfic reasons :) and i am yet again annoyed by huntlow framing that has like, no resolution at all.

after luz and hunter find each other in the bathroom at the beginning of the episode and they talk about the secrets they’re keeping, there’s a pointed cut framing only amity and willow:

and then, while staring at them, luz says: “we’ll tell them, when we’re ready.” the implication being that these two will have pointed reactions to the discoveries that 1) luz helped belos and 2) hunter is a grimwalker, for amity and willow respectively.

and like, sure, that’s what happens with luz, right?

even before the main plot kicks off, there’s a precedent of luz hiding stuff from or straight up lying to amity. of course, this is all justified within luz’s mental state and she takes every chance to open up (at least a little) to amity and deepen their bond as a result. by this time, the tally is at three with the collector reveal.

beyond the moment where everyone in the main group gets access to this information at the same time, there’s a scene setting up how luz feels that amity’s disappointment is imminent (lucy’s betrayal in the azura movie). and sure enough, once the fight is over, the show goes through luz’s biggest fear in this scenario.

and after all of luz’s paranoia the “twist” is that obviously amity doesn’t blame her - it’s the rational outcome of the scenario that luz can’t internalize because of all her guilt and trauma. so amity explains why she’ll stay loyal to her (since luz is fighting against belos) and hunter seems to find some peace for his years of gaslighting and abuse by telling luz that belos tricked them and it’s not their fault.

so like, setup and payoff 101, yadda yadda. well done TOH. what just doesn’t pay off at all is willow’s involvement in the grimwalker reveal.

sure enough, she has the biggest reaction when luz mentions it during TTT:

but it rings so hollow since she’s not the first to come to that conclusion. it’s gus.

tbh i think this is an underrated gus moment... how he also follows in the guilt-ridden emotions at the center of almost everyone in the main cast (luz, camila, willow, hunter and belos) by bringing back his trusting issues. he clearly thinks this is a choice he would’ve been able to make if he wasn’t so scared of putting himself out and making important decisions, given his past experiences doing so.

it also follows on the foreshadowing of gus learning that secret on the fight against belos during king’s tide.

like, even if willow initiates the moment that triggers hunter’s grief process from anger to sadness, it’s gus who ends up having a bonding moment with hunter. which is why it’s completely baffling that by the end of the episode hunter and willow summon a romantic pseudo-relationship out of fucking nowhere.

and like, i wouldn’t be saying any of this stuff if the show had only added gus to that scene. legit, only gus was needed in that frame. he’s even sat at the table two seconds after that bathroom scene ends.

maybe you consider the nature of this post to be very nitpicky, and i get why. but, in my eyes, this is just the ongoing trend of TOH doing nothing to deepen hunter and willow’s relationship beyond only stating that they’ll become a couple soon - and the only time hunter and willow had a real conversation before FTF was when she still thought he was “caleb”.

as it stands, the first scene only works to point out that huntlow is canon. which is also the entire extent that the show is willing to do for them.

[lonelylonelyghost]

Love me, love my voice - a Cdrama where good things happen to good people

Fair warning - it's the fluffiest fluff that ever fluffed the Earth, so if you crave some drama and violence at the moment, then maybe save this one for later.

The plot of this drama is extremely simple. A university student, going by her second identity online as Sheng Sheng Man, produces/sings traditional style music. Due to a coincidence she gets acquainted with Qiang Qing Ci - a very famous but mysterious voice actor who never shows his face in public, with whom she bonds over a shared passion for good food. And a slow, gentle love story starts from here.

If you are tired of misunderstandings, love triangles, stupid decisions and unnecessary conflicts between your romantic leads; if you want to witness healthy relationships, tight friendships and just an ungodly amount of cuteness - then you came to the right place.

(Also there's a lot of cooking and/or eating delicious food. In every episode. Really, don't watch it when you're hungry, you'll die)

Now, I don't usually read or watch something that has romance at its front and center (though there are always exceptions, albeit rare). But I'm obsessed with Under the Skin, and I loved Word of Honor, so I decided to give Tan Jianci and Zhou Ye a chance for at least one episode, and well - here I am, writing this whole thing after watching the show and then even reading the original novel.

Qiang Qing Ci (or Mo Qing Cheng irl) is a smart and kind man, a doctor, who can cook and has an absolutely gorgeous voice that he uses for good but could use for evil (Tan Jianci could hypnotize people and I wouldn't even mind tbh). How can he work as a doctor and actor simultaneously, you might ask? That's Cdramaland for you, baby! His outer softness doesn't mean that he is completely harmless however. For all of you little freaks out here (myself included), there are some *ahoy!* moments too

Sheng Sheng Man (or Gu Sheng irl) is a girl surrounded by the love of her parents, five slightly overprotective cousins and her friends. She's shy and a bit sheltered, but not stupid, and Zhou Ye's acting makes her character very charming instead of the cringe that is usually associated with this kind of type of girl on screen.

Almost every character there is a good person, and you know, sometimes you just want to see those kinds of people have a great time. They do what they like for a job, fall in love, go on holidays, have friends that are ride or die for them and vice versa. There's no jealousy and backstabbing, all problems are resolved quickly, and everybody can actually COMMUNICATE.

One thing that I'd noticed while watching that surprised me a lot - is how everybody's acting is so relaxed and natural. When they're in a group together, you genuinely believe that all of them are good friends with each other in real life too. The light teasing, interrupting one another while talking, their mutual support and closeness. The actors probably had a lot of fun while filming. And goddamn, it's so good to see it! I'm also insanely jealous.

Music

Traditional music and the profession of voice acting are as much of main characters as our romantic leads are. The way that it was shown was so full of love and respect for the craft and people involved in it, it's amazing.

Despite the simplicity of the plot, there are still moments of heightened emotions, and people there deliver! Their acting shines through especially during the on-stage performances.

That "Swan Song" broke me. I swear, during this whole performance I was bawling my eyes out.

(also insert here a joke about Shen Yi probably being able to recreate Qiang Qing Ci's face based on just his silhouette).

(This is a Night Show in Yangshuo that the characters attend at some point, "Impression Liu Sanjie", an absolutely incredible performance, and I'd pay all the money I don't have to go see it personally)

Side characters (a completely self-indulgent section):

This is a rare Cdrama where there are no annoying side characters. I love them all and would kill anyone who'd think of bothering them even slightly.

These are MuMu (outwardly cold but actually very kind and empathetic) and MoBai (a lovable dumbass), a couple of cosplayers that pop up here and there, and nothing that you say will convince me that they're not together.

(And sure, you can read it as purely platonic friendship between bros, but honestly why would you. Also, I think the creators made a perfect recipe to avoid the wrath of censorship - just get two guys, occasionally make them say that they're single and looking for girls, but then show them always together, and just don't explain anything.) (Watch me finding a subtext even in the straightest show I've watched in years.)

The same goes for singers Fei Shao and Wang Ke, except for they're both bumbasses, and I love them dearly.

Dou Dou Dou Bing, a manager of their recording studio as well as the voice actress, and she's awesome.

Jue Mei Sha Yi, a voice actor, a CEO of his own company and the one that the Viki's live comment section thirsts for A LOT.

Feng Ya Song, a voice actor and a pediatrician as a side gig, and he's cute.

Geng Xiao Xing, a friend of Gu Sheng, works for some app (?) that collaborates with the voice studio. She's also cute and I like her hairstyle.

... And some others.

***************************************************************

If what I've described here interests you at all, then feel free to check it out. I think this is a good show to watch right now, as we all collectively try to crawl out of the winter depression.

This has been your friendly ghost from Abyss, with some recommendations on how to distract yourself from the horrors of existing（*＾-＾*）

[emilyrox]

“Thanks To Them” Liveblog

I’m not gonna reblog it over and over like last time. All my thoughts will be posted at once.

Spoilers for The Owl House: “Thanks To Them” Under The Cut

~

- I know we saw it already, but I never said anything til now. That is one of the best intro sequences to any tv episode I’ve ever seen.

- VEE’S SPANISH WAS SO FLUENT OMG

- Also Duolingo parody lol

- Hooty is with them in spirit

- “I never expected to be a mother of six” You have officially taken Eda’s role of being everyone’s mom, Ms. Noceda.

- The squad ‘boutta go on an adventure

- Also their poses are adorable af

- Luz...honey...listen...

- Ok i’m gonna go into more detail. I have a theory. Everyone thinks that when the hex squad finds out Luz and Hunter’s secrets, that they will turn on them. I don’t think so. I think that when they find out, they’ll be like...”Damn, that really sucks. But it’s not your fault. We don’t blame you. We’ll get through this, like we always do :)” And Luz and/or Hunter will react in the EXACT same way Luz just did in class. Even if their friends, the ones they think they hurt, tell them “it’s okay,” they’re not gonna be able to deal with that. They’ll be like “NO! You’re supposed to HATE me! I deserve to be not exist!” And it’s gonna be depressing as fuck.

- (If that actually happens I stg)

- “We’ve had enough of crusty old men” Agreed

- Belos you’re a crusty old man. Get TF outta here.

- I never thought “Hunter loves wolves” would be on a list of things I needed to know about him, but here we are.

- Ok the Cosmic Frontiers stuff was either Luz’s, her dad’s, or both. I’m calling it now.

- Ok that flashback...Camila DIDN’T WANT to send Luz to that camp. She LOVED Luz’s creativity and weirdness. She was peer pressured into doing it by other parents and the school staff.

- Also some people have theorized that Camila was similar to Luz when she was a kid, and now that’s confirmed.

- “Mom, why aren’t you mad at me?” LUZ STOP-

- BELOS STOP-

- Wait do the hex squad not know what year it is???

- Also Hunter is a cosplayer confirmed. And Gus and Willow are living for it. Amity and Vee are questioning their friend’s life choices.

- Also didn’t talk about this before but I LOVE Vee’s new design!

- HUNTER KNOWS ABOUT BELOS. BELOS STOOOOOOP-

- Willow with a pitchfork is everything

- Do Willow and Gus recognize the statues of Philip and Caleb?

- Amity trying to open the cabinet I can’t-

- Vee...

- VEE’S CAMP FRIENDS WORK THE HISTORICAL CENTER

- VEE HAS A CRUSH ON THE TAROT CARD KID WE ALL CALLED IT

- Vee why are you so cute oh my god

- Vee: “You guys must’ve been friends forever :)”

- The Squad: .....

- Ok they’re literally like the new scooby doo gang solving mysteries and I love it so much.

- Also how is there Titan Blood in the human realm?

- Does Luz’s magic work now!!!???

- Also NO LUZ you DID NOT mess up that Palisman’s life! It’s just taking it’s time to figure out it’s best form! And you’re gonna LOVE IT!!!

- Ok it’s time for the masks everyone’s been talking about. Either Luz and Hunter are gonna end up just like how Caleb and Philip did, with one of them betraying the other, or they’re gonna be Caleb + Philip gone right. They have a sibling-like relationship, but they’re not gonna turn on each other, and they’re gonna kick ass.

- Secret basement go brr

- Hunter you are her brother now. You will accept.

- I DO NOT LIKE THAT SHADOW. BELOS GO TF AWAYYYYYY-

- Camila, are you okay?

- Ok so Captain Frontier being Luz’s stuff is out. It’s either Luz’s fathers, which brings back memories and trauma for Camila, or it’s Camila’s, and it represent something embarrasing/traumatic about her past.

- MoringMark predicted Azura making Luz feel guilty. He was just wrong in how it would. Still convinced he secretly works for the show.

- “I know what I have to do now.” Luz...what does that mean??????

- WHY ARE YOU ON HIM, BELOS?????

- oh my god it’s this bitch again

- It’s Halloween so it makes sense that Gus can get away with having witch ears. Everyone just thinks it’s part of his dope costume.

- “The Tale of the Brothers Wittebane” oh my fucking god it’s happening

- “Sounds like big bro got a witch girlfriend and little bro got upset, but that’s just me” No no no, you’re on to something

- Belos fuck off jfc

- Also Hunter telling Luz about the puzzle be like “Hey so your gf found a puzzle that leads to titan blood but you didn’t here that from me k sis?”

- She got attached to Azura because of her dad LISTEN-

- That’s why she cut her hair omg

- Camila is shocked that Luz plans on staying permanently. She now sees that the demon realm allowed Luz to be herself, make friends, grow, etc. She just wants Luz to be happy. That’s all she wanted for Luz.

- Luz you are a GENIUS. And Don’t you EVER forget it!!

- Ok real quick I love that Luz and Vee have grown accustomed to each other’s ways of life. Luz is using magic, a boiling isles thing, to track Hunter, and Vee is using a cell phone, a human realm thing, to track Luz. I love it.

- YEAH!! She got the magic back, BITCHES!

- It’s like the core with Marcy all over again...

- Ok first off, f u Belos for being the one to tell them Luz’s secret

- Second off, the animation is popping off again

- At first I’m like “Vee what TF are you doing???”

- But then I remembered “OH YEAH! Basilisks eat magic!!!”

- FLAPJACK YOU’LL BE OKAY

- YAS HUNTER, FIGHT HIM!!!

- FLAPJACK WASN’T OK

- BUT HUNTER IS

- Ok my theory was half-correct. The squad isn’t mad at Luz for unwillingly helping Belos.

- Also Camila going in with Luz...I just...

- Also Vee posing as Camila now. I love it.

- Vee you are Camila’s daughter and Luz’s sister now. And it looks like you’ve already accepted.

- “Aw man, Camila still has the car keys!” I can’t-

- The art during the credits is beautiful I love it

- And you’re telling me the next episode doesn’t come out until JANUARY??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

- Also forgot to mention this earlier but Luz and Amity going as Azura and Hecate was amazing.

- Also just noticed the tarot card kid’s name is Masha! And they’re non-binary! And Vee has a crush on them!!!

- Also when Belos stabbed Flapjack and said “Goodbye, Evelyn,” was he doing that since Evelyn gave Caleb Flapjack, so Flapjack was the last trace of her? Or was Evelyn somehow a part of Flapjack? Also her name hints at her being a Clawthorne (Gwendolyn, Edalyn).

[toa-kirhan]

First time watching ToH S2E11 (Follies At The Coven Day Parade). Thoughts below:

Detailed thoughts:

I’ve started to realize that I should be modeling my expectations for S2 of ToH on S2 of Gravity Falls. This isn’t just another season of a show, but the season building up to the endgame that is S3, in the same way that S2 of Gravity Falls started building up to its multi-part finale.

It’s clear that Luz’s (temporary) return to the Human Realm has had a serious effect on her. Luz is desperate to convince herself that everything is fine, that everything will manage to work out w/o disappointing everyone that she loves (namely Amity and Camila).

While Luz wants to return to Human Realm and be w/ her mother, she also wants to stay at the Owl House in the Demon Realm and continue training to become a witch, driving her to vicariously solve Kikimora’s similar dilemma in place of her own (choosing b/w seeing her family and her career).

However, unlike Luz, Kikimora cares more about herself than those she loves or those that help her, leading her to abandon seeing her family in pursuit of a potential promotion. When the time comes, I can’t imagine that Luz will do the same.

Luz’s desire of not wanting to disappoint those she loves is also why has such a hard time admitting the truth about the portal door to Amity, knowing that her quest to get Titan’s Blood, her sacrifice of the portal key, and her efforts to learn Spanish, didn’t even amount to Luz being able to actually enter the Human Realm while the portal is now destroyed.

Speaking of Amity, I really appreciate her plotline this episode. While the show could have had Amity look at Luz’s phone and confront her about it in a loud/tearful argument, Amity instead turns to Willow for advice who tells her to just ask Luz about it herself, enshrining the importance of proper communication that is the bedrock of all healthy relationships.

A brief lament for Raine. While I thought the coven mark was just going to be used to forcibly control them, it seems that combined w/ Terra’s magic, Raine has had all of their memories relating to stopping Belos, their life mission, suppressed if not outright erased. The one thing they admired most about Eda, the person who inspired Raine to become who they are, ends up driving the two apart, no matter how much it hurts both of them.

From what I’ve gathered, Belos’ plan is to use Titan’s blood and magic to stabilize and amplify the portal. The Titan will be at the center of the unification site, allowing magic to exist in the Human Realm.

Magic from the Coven Heads, and possibly every other coven witch  through the activation of their coven marks, will have their magic used in a powerful spell, presumably using the Basilisk’s magic draining technique, to bind the two realms together.

According to Belos, he also looks forward to meeting Luz again (either as part of his plan or as expected interference to it) and has stated he has a role set aside for Hunter, whatever it might be.

General thoughts:

Luz’s starting up her vlogs again!

The detention pit has finally been repaired!

“The real emperor was society all along.”

Amity’s speaking Spanish now! From a Dominican Republic cookbook? I’m surprised Gus has that.

Oh, emotional flashback. :c

So, Amity’s going to find out that Luz did use the portal. She’ll probably be upset w/ Luz to learn that, but I’m not sure what other consequences will come of it.

The abomination balloons are cute. c:

The EC is out in force today for this Coven Day parade. 

Kikimora has an overbearing mother?

Luz can see herself in Kikimora and her desperation to be w/ her mother.

Private inspectergator.

King’s just telling Luz everything he can about Raine. >:p

It’s a Raine episode! We’re going to get the truth about the Covens from Raine (assuming they can still speak freely w/ the Coven mark)!

AWW! KIKIMORA! ;_;

Kidnapping! The solution to so many of life’s problems!

Morton sure is a standup guy!

Porta-Hooty returns!

Ed makes his own fireworks! Definitely fits his character.

Whelp, they’re telling us the plan so it’s definitely going to fail.

Hooty’s been around? What’s that supposed to mean?

Willow lifts weights? Awesome!

Just an aside, but whenever I look at Amity’s new design I can only imagine an Oldschool Runescape character wearing that same outfit.

Amity used to braid Willow’s hair? V. cute! c:

Shoutout to Amity for respecting Luz’s privacy, just like Luz did for Amity’s diary (this shoutout will be revoked if Amity does check her phone later).

RAINE’S GOING TO SNITCH ON THEM! THE COVEN MARK IS THAT POWERFUL!

TERRA’S BEEN BRAINWASHING RAINE!

The Guardian of the Looking Glass Ruins is in charge of the Illusion Coven parade float?

More ratworms! I could have done w/o them coming back.

I love Amity being the only one that understands Luz’s references.

WAIT, AMITY WASN’T PART OF THE PLAN! She was tracking Luz down! I assume to ask her for the truth.

Imagine forgetting about your entire life’s mission. Raine’s going to need a big hug by the end of this.

Eda vs Raine, a fight that I didn’t want! :<

Terra Snapdragon is a fantastic name! Especially since snapdragon flowers look like skulls when they die.

Hooty the anarchist!

Amity, Luz, and Kikimora vs Terra!

I love Kikimora just holding onto Luz while Luz and Amity have this conversation.

Again, Bard magic seems to be incredibly powerful. Why don’t more people practice it?

RAINE’S TEAR! ;_;

Luz’s reintroducing Princess to Kikimora as if she didn’t steal her from Kiki in the first place.

Oh no, Kikimora is dumb. Damn.

Terra’s come to punish Kikimora! She overheard her conversation w/ Luz and Amity!

The opposite! She’s come to test Kikimora and reward her loyalty!

Oh, there is no promotion after all. Kikimora turned her back on seeing her family for nothing.

We stan good communication in relationships! ^^

Belos is projecting an illusion of himself to Bonesborough? Or is another witch doing the projection?

The Day of Unity will happen in one month during the eclipse at low tide.

There he goes again: “for the worthy.”

Is Belos going to kill everyone that isn’t in a coven? Is that who the worthy are, or will the binding spell kill witches who aren’t powerful enough?

I appreciate the meta commentary on Belos’ face reveal.

WHAT’S W/ THE TONE OF THAT ENDING? Is something happening soon?

NEW END CREDITS! AMITY AND LUZ ARE HOLDING HANDS NOW! HARPY EDA AND KING! CAMILA AND VEE! DARIUS, EBERWOLF, RAINE, AND TERRA! LUZ AT THE SKULL OF THE TITAN!

[sepublic]

Malphas and the Coven System?

I have to really wonder what Malphas’ relationship is with the coven system... Given how he let a known criminal Eda continue to check out books, and amidst being pretty chill, it’s usually libraries who are targeted by dictatorships when censoring.

And it stands to reason that a well-educated reader who wants to protect and preserve historical texts would have some issues with the coven propaganda, and know enough to realize its flaws. The coven hides the truth from people, and someone whose occupation centers around letting people access knowledge isn’t going to appreciate that.

Malphas has access to plenty of accounts from centuries before Belos, people talking about life before him; Which makes me wonder if the Forbidden Stacks are only forbidden because they’re contraband, necessitating that Malphas hides it from the coven system?

Hence why he takes it so seriously when Amity breaks this rule, as much as he adores her; The Forbidden Stacks contain a LOT of knowledge and information that would get the entire library shut down and the contents inside destroyed, so Malphas really can’t take these risks. He has to crack down on any breaches of security here.

(It doesn’t help that Amity DID end up destroying a book while in the Forbidden Stacks, which would just contribute to Malphas’ disappointment here.)

Considering his possession of Philip Wittebane’s journal, Malphas probably has a LOT of information in those Forbidden Stacks that Belos would prefer hidden. And for all we know, this section might be some compromise with the coven system;

Malphas doesn’t want to destroy these historical records, so the most he can do is lock them away in the Forbidden Stacks, where they still exist, but can no longer be accessed nor used by the public anyway... Making them functionally non-existent to the coven system, and as good as destroyed.

Which just adds to Malphas’ policy on the Forbidden Stacks and firing even Amity over this, because opening them to outsiders could be seen as a violation of that agreement- Given the coven system’s parallels to the American school system, I wouldn’t be surprised if Belos saw knowledge as similar to magic, as something reserved only for the ‘best’.

Spreading it all willy-nilly for anyone to use decreases its value, makes it mundane; Which for magic is a sin and insult to the Titan’s sacred work! I wouldn’t be surprised if Belos and members of the Emperor’s Coven had exclusive access to the Forbidden Stacks thanks to government authority, and Belos even treated them as a necessary ‘evil’ for him to use; In case he ever needs to access the texts within for reference...

(AKA a certain journal that he might notice has been destroyed, perhaps frustrating Belos but also alleviating certain fears, unaware of the Echo Mice?)

And again, if Malphas is in some precarious agreement where he can still keep this contraband, but only for the reference of the system... Then of course the system will hold him and his employees accountable for any breaches.

(Maybe that’s another reason why Malphas fired Amity, so she’s not considered to be underneath his jurisdiction, and wouldn’t be involved in any consequences that the library might face; Its a precautionary gesture to protect her, but obviously still hurts the both of them. Wishful thinking, but I just want Amity to have that caring adult that she can always trust!)

But yeah, Malphas might have a lot of controversial texts that he’s only allowed to keep because it’s not like the public can access them anyway, and/or so the Emperor’s Coven alone has access, in case they ever need it. Which would make Malphas a lot like Bump, as someone who IS beholden to the coven and cautious of its rules, but out of genuine concern for others as a necessary evil he has to tolerate;

Plus, to further the parallels to the covens and the American government, who knows? Perhaps libraries are already massively under-funded the way schools are, with discussions that they aren’t “needed” and should even be made private...

Which like Bump, places Malphas into a dilemma where he doesn’t want to deal with this censorship and oversight, but he really does need those snails to uphold the library, so that future generations can benefit and learn from it. Wishful thinking, but maybe one of the cancelled Season 3 episodes could’ve involved Malphas finding his own way to rebel against Belos, the way Bump did?

Being inspired by Luz and Amity especially, the former of whom convinced Malphas to let Amity back in (kind of like a parallel to Gus giving up his HAS leadership for Luz’s Hexside enrollment), while the latter has always been someone that Malphas has valued and respected.

As a young blood, Amity could appeal to that moral compass of Malphas and make him more inclined to listen as someone he knows and has guided throughout the years, a really personal example of the kids he’s affecting with these decisions, and how he wants them to flourish.

Plus, if they bring up funding, perhaps Malphas might get that support from the Emperor’s Coven revoked, only for the Bonesborough community to really come together and show their appreciation for the library, how much they used it, and contribute donations? Bonus points if the Blight kids leverage their own family wealth to make the library set, which given Amity’s own involvement here, would be incredibly sweet to see; With Malphas looking after this kid, and her paying him back literally as a result!

[peachhoneii]

I just saw your post on Willow and it reminded me that Dana Terrace, as wonderful as she legitimately is, is still a middle class cis white woman(sorry if I sound too woke here), and unlike Matt Braly, doesn't really understand the cultural nuances of what it means to be a child of immigrants. We've kind of seen that with Luz: we never get any backstory into her being Dominican other then spanish speaking, or want being an lgbtq Latina would mean (again this is a disney show so they wouldn't delve into that otherwise but still)

I don't mean to Bash her, but it kind of reminds me the live action mulan: it's not enough to just plop poc and call it diverse. You actually have to understand their lived in experiences. I think that lack of knowledge is why she centers amity even if unintentionally. Sorry for the long rant and ask.

I appreciate your rant; so, please, don’t apologize. Thank you for bringing other points up too. (I went off on a rant on my own, so it’s all good.)

A dear friend of mine and I had this conversation a few days ago. I don’t mean anything bad about Dana but you can really see where she feels “safest” with writing in regards to the non-main characters. If I remember correctly, Amity is a character she relates a lot to, so we can expect she’s an easier character to write. EDIT: This is incorrect. She finds her hard to write and doesn’t relate to her all that much, lol.

My rant isn’t meant to say Dana is racist or anything like that but that The Owl House, for all it’s good intentions, does fall in the same trap as many shows do. Gus and Willow aren’t the main characters and aren’t romantic interests and their involvement doesn’t really play much into the main plot either.

An argument can be made that Amity doesn’t either but she very much does. Even her parents’ work is now being utilized by Belos. She gets onscreen development and backstory and is made into a tragic figure and she ends up dating Luz. She has an overarching development Willow and Gus aren’t getting and what we do get is minimal compared to Amity’s.

Another observation I’ve noticed is that both main ships are interracial relationships involving a white coded person. Lumity. Raeda. It’s not bad or wrong but something that hit me recently. Just a “huh” moment.

Amphibia does have that edge ahead of The Owl House. Anne’s culture really doesn’t come out and she shares it with her new friends in Amphibia. There are episodes dedicate to it because she’s a homesick teen. Braly really catches the big and tiny bits because he has the experience. He even brought in his MOM to voice Anne’s mom. We see so much in the little time we’ve got available.

I browse TikTok from time to time and was surprised to find a significant portion of the fan base aren’t pleased with Luz’s design and it got me thinking about Willow, who is as far as we know, canonically biracial since the argument was made that Luz’s design doesn’t reflect her multiracial heritage. I can’t say it doesn’t because genes do what they want and it’s not my area, but knowing Luz is based/inspired by a real person and her hair not naturally straight, I see where they’re coming from.

We know Willow’s voice actress is biracial. Korean/black. We don’t know if her parents were meant to reflect this or this was pure coincidence when Tati was cast. Just feels…Willow is really getting shafted and even with her potential episode won’t do her justice in the long run of the show unless she’s given a prominent role. I don’t see that happening.

As much as I know people will disagree, Lumity happening is a little unfair to Willow considering what Amity put Willow through for years. Parental pressure or no, Amity actively participated and bullied Willow for years. That was our introduction to their characters.

So, yeah, it would suck that your best friend started dating your former friend turned bully without some sort of conversation. I blame the network for that (speeding up the time and all) but seriously, Luz didn’t come off as a good friend for doing that. Knowing their history, she should’ve talked to Willow or at least had some sort of conversation talking about this.

Sadly, the second it was confirmed Amity had romantic feelings for Luz, we knew the series would focus less on Willow and Gus and more on Amity and Luz. It happens and it’s marvelous for the representation. So many deserve to see a full blown wlw romance portrayed but…at the same time, intersectionality is a thing and well, characters get shafted.

While Dana and her crew may have the best intentions, they’ve failed (so far!) when it comes to other POC side characters, but at the end of the day, creators write what they want to read and I don’t have high expectations for white creators to get it right when it comes to racial representation. I’ve accepted that. So, I’m not mad but am a little disappointed.

Like I said, this could totally change. We have half a season left and a few episodes for S3.

[loosescrewslefty]

I acknowledge that Luz is still the MC, but I honestly doubt we see Eda & King at all in the first special, I think it'd be more impactful if we see the changed BI for the first time after Luz & the others get back. I just think with Belos likely to be the antagonist of the 1st ep, Hunter's arc will probably be concluded. Considering how much about Hunter's relationship with the Clawthorns, Caleb, Flapjack and the Portal needs to be explored, I think at least he'll be as prevalent as Luz.

True, there is a lot to wrap up in that regards. But I do think that while we'll see the kids in the Human Realm dealing with this and all the points I mentioned previously, we'll still need to touch base with the Collector, King, and Eda, and hopefully Willow, Gus, and Amity's families as well since none of them have any CLUE what happened to the kids or where they might possibly be. We need to see both how they all are dealing with the aftermath of the DoU, AND continue to build up the Collector as the new big bad, rather than letting that fall to the wayside. Much of Hunter's growth works as well as it does because all of his episodes have featured him learning and growing alongside another character without overshadowing them or making it all about him, often more as a B plot while the other, established character is the focus. I don't think that they are going to change that formula now when it's worked well for them so far and make him front and center when other characters and relationships need to be featured and resolved as well.

[ordinaryschmuck]

Let's Talk About Willow...

As many people have pointed out, Season Two of The Owl House severely lacks Willow-related content. Whether it's how she has yet to take center stage in an episode or does very little in her few appearances, there has yet to be anything that could satisfy the Willow fans everywhere. Gus at least had half of an episode to himself, but not her. Now, depending on your thoughts toward Willow's character, you could either see this as a huge problem, or you just don't care. But I'm not going to discuss that. Instead, I'm going to ask the one-worded question that I don't think anybody has asked yet (and when they do, it's with the equally simple response of "racism"). That question is "why?"

Why haven't we seen that much of Willow this season. And I have two theories.

My first theory relates to why she hasn't taken charge of an episode yet. Simply put...there's really no reason to.

And before you crucify me, give me the chance to explain! Ok? Ok.

First, let's start by looking at Willow in "I Was a Teenage Abomination":

She's shy and has little resistance toward Luz's scheme.

She's at the bottom of a class she sucks at.

She's ridiculed by her peers.

And she has a bad relationship with Amity, who we later learn used to be Willow's best friend.

Now, let's look at Willow in "Wing it like Witches":

She's confident in standing up for herself against Boscha and being more vocal about her feelings toward Luz's plan.

She's the most academically talented witch in Hexide, and we see how much stronger she grows with plant magic in each appearance.

Her peers respect her, and she even gains a fan.

And Amity is the first to tell Boscha to grow up when mocking Willow's talents.

In fact, the more I think about it, "Wing it like Witches" is an episode that brings Willow's story to a somewhat fitting end. She has everything she could want, and seemingly, her character growth has come to completion. I suppose we could get another episode that celebrates that same growth, like how Amity went against Hunter, who represents almost everything she used to be and could have been. Or maybe have Willow go up against her anti-thesis, like how Gus dealt with Bria, a character who wanted a shortcut to being the best instead of relying on years of hard work and dedication like Gus did. As for anything that could develop Willow further, that's not entirely possible because she's already fully developed.

But what about how she barely does much in episodes she makes an appearance in? Well, that brings me to my second theory. In which there's not much she could have done in the episodes she's been in. Er, or rather, she could have, but...let me explain.

Willow could have helped Amity stop the abomiton in "Escaping Expulsion," but it would take away how impactful of a crush Luz gains on Amity.

Willow could have tagged along with Gus and Luz to the library, but Gus needed a reason to prove himself, and Luz and Amity needed alone time for their relationship to develop. Not to mention that if Willow did tag along, she would have easily talked Gus out of joining Bria and her stooges to do some graverobbing.

Willow (and maybe Gus) could have tagged along with Luz to return Little Rascal. But it would slightly take away from the desperate times call for desperate measures situation Luz and Hunter were in and this sweet moment of them voicing their insecurities to someone they'd probably didn't plan to see again.

And Willow could have done more to help Luz's recovery, but there's not much to do in a short time that wouldn't cut important scenes like Luz learning about fools' blood or these discussions between Amity and Hunter (which I wouldn't cut down for anything).

As for Willow making an appearance in other episodes we've seen so far, all I have to ask is this: How?

...How could she have made an appearance? The best I could think of is that maybe she could help King and Luz train for Grand Prix. But even then, that still feels like a stretch. And do you really think that "Echoes of the Past" would have been better with more Willow? Because I feel like you have to be obsessed with her to think like that.

Like it or not, and I'm sure you don't, but there's not much to do with Willow in what we've seen so far. "So far" is the thing to take away from that sentence.

Again, this is only the first half of the new season. There are still eleven episodes left, and I'm positive that at least one of them will somewhat satisfy the Willow fans out there. Just know that if you're upset with how little we've seen of her, it's because there's probably more to it than you might think.

Not everything has a straight answer, and it's essential to look at something like this from all angles.

[daysswiftlycomeandgo]

I've been thinking about how upset some people get about fans shipping non-canon gay or lesbian ships. There are plenty of arguments out there on both sides, some more valid than others. But what I want to talk about is the assumption that someone who ships a same sex couple, only ships same sex couples and that these fans can't enjoy a friendship between two characters of the same sex without wanting it to be romantic.

Now I've been reading fanfiction for close to 2 decades and I've shipped couples across the spectrum of sexuality. And I fall firmly in the camp of: I ship couples that have the most development and it just so happens that most media up to this point has been dictated by white men and thus the characters who get the most development are white males and males in general tend to have more characterization than women.

So as someone who ships same sex couples and also loves a good friendship/found family, I just want to give some examples of different forms of storytelling and how they affect shipping. (This is only from my perspective and I am in no way a professional.)

Now of all the shows I've loved and obsessed over in my life, the two shows that come to mind quickest in terms of quality friendship storytelling are Psych and Scrubs. The center of both of these shows is a friendship between two males and yet the most popular ships of these shows are the heterosexual ones. I would argue this is the case because the shows gave actual storylines to their female characters and gave them lives outside of the male characters. When you have fully fleshed out characters it's way easier to become invested in their relationships.

Let's take a closer look at Psych. We meet Juliet in the second episode of the series, and while the attraction between her and Shawn is obvious, it takes 4 and a half seasons for them to start dating. Throughout the first four seasons there is a much greater focus on Juliet adjusting to a new city and new job and proving herself. We see her build close friendships to Lassiter and Chief Vick as well as Shawn and Gus. Throughout the series we see Shawn change more as a result of his relationships with Gus and Henry than as a way to get Juliet to go out with him. Juliet and Shawn build a mutual respect and love for each other before ever dating. And they have other relationships in their lives that are just as important to them as their romantic one.

Which leads into the friendship between Shawn and Gus which is the most important relationship in the entire show (followed closely by Shawn and Henry). Shawn knows when to push Gus out of his comfort zone and Gus knows when he needs to pull Shawn back. They are open with each other about their jobs, their sex lives, their families, their insecurities, etc. Something interesting to me is that there are multiple scenes in Psych in which Shawn and Gus pretend to be romantic partners when working a case. Usually something like that would be shipping fodder, but Psych treats it as a given, a natural product of their closeness and the situation at hand. There is no gay panic or even an ounce of awkwardness afterwards. The scene happens and they continue on as they always do.

I feel no desire to ship Shawn and Gus because the relationships presented to me are already the best version I can imagine. Shawn and Juliet are great as a couple and I love seeing them together. At the same time Shawn and Gus have the best friendship on tv and I appreciate Psych for giving us that content.

Now compare that to my current obsession: 9-1-1. I very much ship Buck and Eddie together and I truly feel it is a product of the show making their relationship to each other, and to Christopher, as the most significant in their lives. Outside of Abby, and Shannon to an extent, the love interests for Eddie and Buck have been bland. Ali was only around a short time but what do we even know about her? We learn more about her in the earthquake episodes than we do during her entire relationship with Buck. Other than learning she travels for work during her last episode, we know nothing about her and nothing about her and Buck's relationship. Now Taylor is a little better as we learn in her first episode that she has always wanted to be a reporter and that she is willing to do anything to get there. Then in Season 4, we see her friendship with Buck first and get an idea of what they're like together. But we still don't know anything about what's important to her or her values or what she wants in life outside of her job. We see her tear up when talking about Covid but we get no context for why this is effecting her more than other stories. It doesn't feel like we ever really get a reason for why they like way other so much. Which is different from Buck and Abby who connect through their jobs and appreciate someone understanding the difficulty of being a first responder.

As for Ana, what do we know? She was Christopher's teacher and is now a vice principal and is pretty? She has no history, no agency, no motivations outside of wanting to date Eddie. We see her with Chris but not actually interacting with or talking to him. She is a nothing but a stock photo version of a girlfriend.

Compare that to what we see of Eddie and Buck together. Buck going to visit Santa with Eddie and Christopher, actively spending time with Chris, being the person Christopher goes to when he is panicking, taking care of Chris after Eddie has been shot. Buck losing it when Eddie is buried alive and when he's been shot. Eddie losing it when the lawsuit keeps him from being able to talk to Buck. Eddie being Buck's major support during Buck Begins. All of the tiny moments we get of the two, really three, of them at parties and at each other's places. Eddie using Buck's first name as a way to reinforce that Evan is important, not just Buck. That he made him Christopher's legal guardian in case of Eddie's death without even telling him because that's how confident Eddie was in that decision. That Buck doesn't have to sacrifice himself to matter and in fact should never sacrifice himself because that's how much he already does matter.

When a show gives me that much emotional context to characters that we know so much about already, of course I'm going to ship them together rather than with the love interests who are barely even real people within the story.

[luzswonderland]

Thoughts on Season 2 Thus Far..

I gonna keep most of my thoughts on all the episodes brief, but also long enough where you guys can get the idea of where these episodes stand in levels of importance to me. I already have a lot personal favorites in this first half of the season and hope that the second half will deliver the same energy.

EPISODE 1:  Separate Tides

Good episode to start off the second season

Episode does a good job of addressing the different circumstances that Eda, Lilith, and Luz have with adjusting to life after the events of “Young Blood, Old Souls.”

We see the Golden Guard for the first time. With a voice too. I have more to say about him later when I get to the future episodes. But he is a treat!

The reintroduction of the portal and Emperor Belos’ plans for the human world in this episode, does a good job of reminding the audience of what is as stake this season.

Adore Luz and Eda’s pirate outfits ❤ 

Overall, a strong start to a very ambitious season.

Episode 2: Escaping Expulsion (Personal Favorite)

We finally see Amity’s parents!!!

Wasn’t expecting Odalia’s eyes to be blue, but both parents fit the personalities I originally envisioned them to have

Luz teaching Eda and Lilith to use magic through the glyphs was so cute and shows how different both Eda and Lilith are when it comes to approaching magic

Love how Amity’s separation from Luz was the trigger that caused her to stand up to her parents

Even though I kinda knew the expulsion from Hexside wasn’t going to permanent, it still shows how much pull Amity’s parents have at Hexside and the Boiling Isles. 

Looks like the abominations that Alador has made for profit will be used to fulfill whatever plans Emperor Belos has for the human world. 

Loved Amity and Luz’s interactions!!!

Episode 3: Echoes of the Past (Personal Favorite)

Fantastic King centered episode

I know that invisibility spell will come in handy in one of the later episodes. Good job, Luz

Hooty and Lilith are a riot this episode. Was not expecting them to get along at all this season.

I thought the show was going to make them polar opposites, but good to see that Hooty has a fan in the house.

King trying to remember his past and recounting his childhood memories was so sad because you realize that he has been trying to find out who he really is this entire time😭

The temple where King was born holds so much history and I hope we go back there soon

Will we find out what happened to King’s dad? What potential does King hold? Find out next time on DBZ!!!

Episode 4: Keeping Up A-fear-ances

Finally get to see Eda and Lilith’s mom and her palisman’s a hawk.

Love the pattern of all members of the Clawthorne family having bird themed palismen. I wonder what palisman Eda’s dad has.

Love how the episode addresses the blatant issue that Gwendolyn has with trying to find a cure for Eda. She cares for her daughter, but she is being blinded by ambition

The scams in the book she was reading were kinda funny tho

Lilith being upset that her mom favors Edal more than her is relatable, but also makes sense considering how the curse impacted Eda’s childhood

Lilith wanting to travel with her mom makes sense and I’m happy she made the decision to do that

Lilith’s beast from is cool

We finally get more information about there being another human that came to the Boiling Isles long ago!!!

We finally catch up with what’s going on at home and see that Luz’s imposter is blending in just fine and Camila is none the wiser. At least that buys Luz some time in the Boiling Isles

Episode 5: Through the Looking Glass Ruins

We get a Gus-centered episode and I’m here for it. I love it when the show deviates from the main narrative and focuses on the supporting cast

Even though I’m not the biggest fans of their personalities, the introduction of the students from Glandus High was great

I really love the character designs of these students, especially Bria, she looks so cute

Gus getting more character development and bonding with Mattholomule was good to see, I hope we see more of their interactions in future episodes

SO MANY LUMITY MOMENTS!!!

Luz getting more attracted to Amity

Amity putting her job on the line, so they could find Philip’s diary

Luz saying that she hopes to show Amity the human world one day

Luz successfully getting Amity’s job back

The kiss on cheek at the end of the episode by Amity

The blushing!!!💜💚-I can go on and on

Amity’s new look fits her well and shows that she is starting to live for herself and not her parents-Good!

Through the help of the Echo Mouse, we also get more information about why Philip came to the Boiling Isle in the first place.

But the Echo Mouse is being picky and stops before it gets good😫

Episode 6: Hunting Palisman (Personal Favorite)

This is my favorite episode of the season so far and probably my top ten favorite episodes of the series.

We are finally introduced to Hunter as the Golden Guard and he is a treat

Everything from his character design, to his goals, to his interactions with Luz make him very intriguing.

The kids begin to pick out their palisman and a lot of them fit their personalities, especially Willow’s.

I’m glad the show is addressing the fact that Luz doesn’t know what she wants to do when she becomes a witch because tbh I’m not sure either. I know she wants to help and protect the people of the Boiling Isles but she can’t really do that if she wants to go back home.

What a good time to bring up this internal conflict

Kikimora wanting to get rid of Hunter makes sense seeing as how the Emperor’s Coven is based of performance

LIST OF FAVORITE HUNTER AND LUZ MOMENTS:

Hunter and Luz’s interaction on Hunter’s ship

Luz slapping Hunter to wake him up😂

Luz stealing Hunter’s staff

Hunter revealing his family history and why he defers to Emperor Belos

These two give off a good sibling vibe and I want to see more of this later

I originally thought the red cardinal was going to be for Luz, but it ends up being Hunter’s palisman at the end of the episode-Interesting

Whatever Luz’s palisman is going to be, I hope it’s an animal that fits her personality because I thought the red cardinal would have been perfect

Maybe she will get a violet-backed starling as a palisman🤔

Hunter comes off as very complex immediately and I love that the show let’s us know that he trying to figure out his place in the Boiling Isles as a powerless being.

Episode 7: Eda’s Requiem

An Eda centered episode is such a plus for this season

So far I feel like the show has had Eda be a main plot point, but she hasn’t really been given her own episode-This episode takes a good step in the right direction

Eda feeling like she’s losing both Luz and King because they have both trying to find out more about their personal journeys is equivalent to a mother accepting that fact that her kids are moving across the country 😥

Eda reuniting with Raine is nice to see. You can automatically tell right off the bat that they have history

Raine being a rebel against Emperor Belos while working under Emperor Belos as a coven leader is BOLD AF

I see why Eda fell for them

We are introduced to the Abomination and Beast Keeping Coven leaders and I love their character designs, especially for Darius

The scene where Raine and Eda play together was so beautiful and does a fantastic job of representing how pure their relationship was and currently is 

I love how Raine realizing that Eda has more to live for than she thinks and puts a stop to the song they play in order to sacrifice himself

I know we are going to see Raine again, but I really hope Belos doesn’t do anything bad to them. Raine is a sweetheart

Even though Luz and King lose the Gland Plix race, it was still nice to see that Eda came towards the end of the face.

The reveal of King wanting to take Eda’s last name at the end of the episode is one of the main reasons why I love King and Eda’s relationship. They really do come off as mother and son❤

Episode 8: Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Hooty’s Door (Personal Favorite)

This is a Hooty’s centered episode which is a first for this show, but this ended up being one of my favorite episodes of the show because of what it addresses

Hooty helping King accidently discover his powers was a shock to me because I just through their interaction was going to end up being pointless

King can now be more useful in battle 😁

We finally see Eda’s dad and see why Eda has a hard time accepting her cursed side.

We also learn how the curse has negatively impacted her relationship with so many people, such as Raine 😥

Eda accepting her cursed side is the first step to begin this traumatic healing process. At this point, I don’t think the show will cure Eda of her curse and I don’t think they should honestly. It teaches the audience that you sometimes have to live with what you have whether it be a disease, a physical disability or mental illness.

GOOD LESSON👌👌

Eda’s harpy form looks amazing. I can’t wait to see what the show will do with this form in the future.

Hooty helping Luz with her crush on Amity was one of the best parts of the episode.

The Tunnel of Love scene and the mixed signals from Luz and Amity had be dying🤣

Luz building up the courage to ask Amity out was so sweet and so real at the same time.

It came off as real conversation between awkward teens trying to figure a romantic relationship out🥰

LUMITY IS CANON!!!😍💜💚

This happened sooner than I thought, but I’m glad it did. This is huge, especially for a Disney show.

Just when I started to like Hooty a lot more, he had to mess it up when he ate a letter from someone who could be King’s dad (?)

DANG IT, HOOTY

Hooty freaking out when he thinks he messed with helping King, Eda and Luz never got old 😂

The comedy was on point with this episode and I love how everything just falls in to place.

Episode 9: Eclipse Lake(Personal Favorite)

This episode had so much going on and I have a lot to say.

We get back to the Emperor Belos plotline of him trying to get to the human world and find out the Belos has actually been to the human world previously🤔

I wonder what Belos wants to do with Hunter and how he relates to these “plans”

Hunter is totally going to get betrayed by his uncle 😥

Amity’s palisman is adorable, I guess she got it off-screen

“DragonClaw Z”😂😂😂

Love how everyone is coming together to protect the house, it shows they really know what’s at stake

Amity using every opportunity she gets to call Luz her girlfriend is so cute❤

Hard to believe she hated his girl’s guts at the beginning of last season lol

Sick Luz is funny Luz

More lore about the secrets of the Boiling Isles and Titan’s Blood

I really wish Luz could have came to Eclipse Lake with the rest of the cast, but I guess the rest of the cast needed to experience Hunter for themselves lol

Hunter being roasted by Eda, King and Amity was hilarious 😂

“A bad, but sad boy.”-Yep that’s our Hunter 🤣

Hunter trying to get into Amity’s head concerning her relationship with Luz and her role in the Boiling Isles was surprising

I’m going to assume that Amity hasn’t been in a romantic relationship before so everything with Luz is new to her. Amity is usually very level-headed.

Even though Harpy-Eda is cool, I like that Eda doesn’t know how to control his form yet, it shows that she has a lot to learn before this form this 100% mastered

Hunter’s desperation to get his uncle’s approval is just sad; I really want to know his backstory because this isn’t it at all

Praise King for helping Amity figure out the text messages🙌

I love how Amity tries to relate to Hunter, it sweet and shows how much she has grown. If only see did a better job of hiding the key 😣

The fight between Amity and Hunter is amazing. I love when the show just flexes its animation like this. 

It may not be better than Eda and Lilith’s fight, but I still felt the tension between these two characters. When these two grow up, they are going to be some of the most powerful witches in the Boiling Isles for sure.

Hunter getting to Amity’s head about harming Luz is a low blow imo, but I’m glad Amity knew what was at stake in the situation

Crushing the key was smart tho. Even in stressful situations like these, Amity still keeps her cool. We love to see it😉

Luz can now use some of the Titan’s Blood from Amity’s glove to try to return back home!!!

This episode had no business being this good. When the plot kicks in the show, it never fails to deliver.

Episode 10: Yesterday’s Lie (Personal Favorite)

We finally catch up with what’s going on back on Earth and find out more about Luz’s impersonator. 

The gang making a makeshift portal out all of Eda’s junk is very creative. I wondered what they were going to do with that stuff now that Eda can’t sell human collectables anymore.

The dimension that Luz enters through the portal is very trippy and creative. It makes sense since the portal they made is not authentic. 

Luz mirror hoping and seeing someone impersonate her had to be scary. I couldn’t imagine.

We find out that Luz’s impersonator is actually a creature from the Boiling Isles known as a “Basilisk”

Vee’s backstrory is awful, I completely understand why she came to Earth and got comfortable after what she went through

We find out that Eda interacted with humans with an alias known as “Marylin”😂

Even though Luz doesn’t find a way home, this is the next best thing to let her mom know that she is okay.

Jacob gave off weird vibes immediately, so when he captures Vee to use her for fame, I wasn’t surprised.

What did surprise me was the fact that Jacob has been watching Vee for a while and he had the house where she transformed in monitored

I wonder if he’s seen anything else🤔

Camila is the GOAT. She came through and helped Vee out. A lot of people would have just ignored the situation, but she knew that Vee was important to Luz and I respect that👏👏

I’m glad she also agrees to keep Vee despite the situation

The scene between Luz and Camila was very heart-wrenching. Luz came clean about everything and Camila’s reaction to that was expected but it was still sad to see

The music and Camila trying to reach out to Luz was just 😭

This episode is a great mid-season finale. This episode addressed so much and foreshadows a lot of plot points to come in the later episodes.

The first half of season 2 had some bangers. More than half of these episodes are already in my top favorites of the series and we still have 11 episodes left. Good Job Owl House. I can’t wait see what the other half has left in store 🙌🙌

[incorrectlumityquotes]

FULL REVIEWS: “Hooty’s Moving Hassle”

I’ve only seen Howl’s Moving Castle once and I thought it was just okay. The animation was amazing. The story and characters were just...okay. But we’re not here to talk about that today.

A Hooty centric episode? Count me in, hoot hoot. The hype train just keeps on going and I was so glad that I found my new favorite show. AND my niece loved it too, so that’s a huge plus. The only thing that I was sure about this episode going in way back when was that Gus and Willow were going to be in it. Let’s check it out and see if it’s still as good as I remember it, hoot hoot.

“Cards! The paper rectangles that old people think are fun.”

Hot damn, Luz. The episode just started and she’s already out firing shots. But to be fair, she did grow up with smartphones and game consoles being a thing so I doubt she sees the appeal. Do kids even still play with toys anymore? Or do they all just play on tablets now? Probably why Toys R’ Us closed. 

Speaking of things that can only happen in this generation, callbacks and continuity! Eda’s curse is rearing its feathery head and like the irresponsible adult that she is, she’s out of elixir, hoot hoot.

It’s not our full introduction to Owlbert, but at least he gets some screen time where he actually moves and stuff. I totally get where Luz and King are coming from. When a friend discovers they’re really good at a game and they want to play it all they time because they like winning but it’s super annoying and you always lose because it’s not a game you would ever play on your own, hoot hoot. Yeah. Eda is that friend. 

People watching in a fantasy world would actually be a fun little way to do some worldbuilding, but I’m afraid some people would call it lazy. We get a bunch of set-up for the third act and then the spice of life returns, hoot hoot.

“Who hurt my babies?”

Hyper fangirl Luz spots her babies wearing frowny faces thanks to Amity and her little group. Apparently Amity’s forced friend brigade is going to have a moonlight conjuring which is basically just a slumber party. It’s literally exactly like a slumber party. I have proof. Just check out this video and see that slumber parties are just modern witch gatherings. 

Thanks to Luz though, Willow has enough friends to have a moonlight conjuring of her own. Wow, typing out that sentences actually made me feel really sad. Willow is a sweeties and she deserves the world. Okay I feel better, hoot hoot.

Also Penstagram? Really? Like freaking really? I hate Instagram. The feed is never in chronological order, I don’t know what “link in the bio” means and I never have enough pictures to just be on there. I mean, who freaking takes pictures for everything all the time? It’s a madhouse, I tell you. A madhouse, hoot hoot.

Like Owlbert, this is our kinda introduction to Boscha and her crew. It’s not a full introduction, but it’s not like we’re not going to see more of her later. There’s Skara again and Cat. Thank you, Owl House wikia.

Eda’s dealer suggests going to the Night Market to pick up what she needs and shoots down Luz’s moonlight conjuring idea. But Luz isn’t going to let something small like a parent’s permission stop her from helping her friends, hoot hoot. So Luz pulls the laziest plot device in all of fiction and lies. 

Sleeping King in a baby sling and Willow saying “I’m a sneaky sneakster” hoot hoot? This episode is all kinds of cute.

Eda heads to the night market and Luz has her little slumber party. A sad thought just occurred. What if this is also Luz’s first slumber party too? Her mom did say that she didn’t have any friends. I made myself sad again, hoot hoot. 

Luz, ever the good host, tries to accommodate her friends and they get to work on the moonlight conjuring. Luz chanting that she doesn’t know the words made me laugh. Especially because I’d do the same thing. 

Side note, but Gus insisting that Beefy Bob is a figurine is just kinda funny. All I kept thinking about was the difference between action figures, dolls, and figurines. Dolls don’t move but you play with them. Action figures do stuff and you play with them. Figurines don’t move and you don’t play with them, hoot hoot. “A real man never takes accountability” is hilarious and unfortunately true. 

“Light as a feather; stiff as a board. Light as a feather; stiff as a board.”

“Something ridiculous this way comes, hoot hoot.”

And just like that, our heroes conjure the whole house. How? Why? Never mind that shit, here comes Bosha! And the set up from early in the episode, hoot hoot. 

Meanwhile at the night market, Eda meets the recurring villain of the series. I like to call these guys jobber villains.

For those who don’t know, a “jobber” is a pro wrestling term. It’s a guy who is hired to just lose to the big name guys. I use the term “jobber villain” to describe any antagonist who isn’t the main villain who is used frequently to lose to the heroes. Think Team Rocket in Pokémon, Dr Light in Teen Titans, Ludo in Star vs the Forces of Evil, etc, you get the idea.

Tibbles hustles Eda over the Hexes Hold ‘em game and we get a bunch of funny ass jokes that I dare not ruin for you. The two plots cross for just long enough for Luz and co to get busted. 

I have concerns, hoot hoot.

Meanwhile, back in the other failed moonlight conjuring, the moonlight conjuring has failed. The girls do what every young girl would do in that situation and complain on social media. Amity gets a really cool shot that I don’t have and the episode ends with a hint that someone on our main trio is more powerful then they are letting on.

FINAL SCORE: 5 - Loved it.

This episode is funny as hell. That’s the main highlight for me here. There are so many good jokes especially since it’s my type of dialogue humor. 

Lots of character work. The reveal that Willow and Amity used to be friends adds depth to both characters, making the relationship a bit more complex than just bully-victim scenario.

I love it whenever Luz speaks Spanish. As a Hispanic guy myself, I’m really happy about this kind of representation. This plus Marco Diaz. 

We kinda get introductions to several characters who play bigger parts in later episodes. Bosch and Owlbert get soft intros while Tibbles takes the center stage as the episode’s main villain.

I’ve never been to a slumber party but I doubt they’re as fun as this.

.

.

.

I forgot what the next episode is so I don’t have a lead up line for it...hoot.

[beneaththetangles]

Reader’s Corner: Carole & Tuesday, Rascal Does Not Dream of Siscon Idol, and The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya

Rascal Does Not Dream of Siscon Idol (Rascal, Vol. 4)

My most consistent complaint about the Rascal series, which I otherwise find charming, is that the stories are too full of contrivances. with plots points and character actions often making little sense. Though these developments are often small, such as an explanation that the sisters at the center of this volume aren’t apologizing to each other after a fight because neither would accept such apologies, when that hardly seems true, the way they impact character development and the plot by changing both for the sake of reaching certain resolutions and mile markers in the text, rather than letting the characters and their situations play out naturally, is frequent and significant. The same issue continues, though thankfully at a lesser extent, with Siscon, the fourth volume of the Rascal series, which introduces Mai’s half-sister, Nodoka, an idol in her own right but one far less famous than her actress sister. Both are impacted by Adolescent Syndrome in this volume, switching bodies and being forced to act as one another in different realms and levels of show business. The dialogue between Sakuta and Nadoka is almost as delightful as between him and Mai, and features frequently throughout the text in this fun and warm read which continues the series’ delightful balance between playful adolescence and development of authentic relationships between characters, in whom I’m now fully invested. ~ Twwk

Rascal Does Not Dream of Siscon Idol is published by Yen Press.*

Yokohama Station SF

Not every robot overlord is like Skynet, intent on killing all humanity, with android enforcers that are nigh impossible to kill. Sometimes, the enforcers are turnstiles that not only keep the ticketless out of the station but eject rules violaters to unoccupied spaces to meet their deaths by starvation, and sometimes the master computer is just railroad infrastructure consuming the entire island of Honshu via slow, automated urban renewal. This unique and immensely absorbing post-apocalyptic novel begins long after the “Winter War” devastated Earth, and Yokohama Station, a concrete and metal structure growing seemingly without end, has covered almost all of Honshu and threatens the neighboring islands. Hiroto, lives on a sliver of land just outside the behemoth structure on a tiny beach community until an “Insider,” ejected from within the station, gives him a chance to explore the vast unit for five days, also charging him with finding a resistance leader, while he brings in a personal quest of his own. From the description, you may sense both Terminator and Ready Player One vibes, though its more similar in tone and eventually story to the latter, though cutting out that work’s affection for nerd culture and replacing it with efficient writing. Yokohama Station SF features a clever and well-crafted but familiar world, interesting artificial intelligence units—always a plus for me—and believable science fiction, having been written by an actual scientist, Yuba Isukari. Yokohama Station SF is his first novel, and as a compelling piece of sci-fi with anime sensibilities, it is a significant achievement. Paraphrasing another overlord of a sci-fi franchise, I shall be watching Mr. Isukari’s career with great interest. ~ Twwk

Yokohama Station SF is published by Yen Press.*

Love of Kill, Vol. 1

The quiet, beautiful Chateau Dankworth is a bounty hunter, working for an organization that contracts with mafia families to eliminate targets. Ryan-Ha Song is also an assassin, but an especially notorious one, skilled and feared for his prowess. When these two become entangled, it’s not in a deathmatch—it’s because the enigmatic Song wants to date Chateau! Volume one of Love of Kill features plenty of action and establishes the deadly world in which the protagonists work, but otherwise gives very little information about the two. Structurally and thematically, the opening volume is engaging, functioning through leaps back and forth in time and filled with grisly episodes of violence. It’s quite jarring, most particularly when the volume mixes in a romantic interlude between the leads that feels as awkward to readers as it does to Chateau, and for the same reason: Song appears to be entirely psychotic. That also makes it hard to root for the killer, while younger assassin displays so little personality that she’s also difficult to care for. With such coldness, it’s hard to imagine why this manga, which in its initial version was published through the Japanese art site, Pixiv, necessitated a fuller release. Perhaps future volumes will reveal that answer, but for now, the tale of Pixiv to published is the most engaging part of this manga. ~ Twwk

Love of Kill is published by Yen Press.*

Eniale & Dewiela, Vol. 2

This second volume of this very silly series continues within the same framework of gags from volume one. In one story, Eniale causes havoc to the world by using supernatural noises to create sonar in an attempt to find Dewiela’s earring, which she’s lost. This humorous storyline and other chapters also provide a view into the interesting cosmos of this version of the world. While Eniale and Dewiela represent the Lord and Satan, respectively, from a Christian framework, this world setting has other deities and belief structures both existing and being true concurrently. Eniale and Dewiela are trying to reap souls for their respective afterlife locales, while local deities they encounter are pushing back, saying that the local souls belong to them. The duo face especially harsh pusbback by local deities when they enter Japan. The most interesting story comes from the tale of a Catholic priest who, according to Heaven, may become an angel one day to battle during Armageddon. However, something changed in his life and Eniale is sent to investigate. This bittersweet tale ends, as usual, on a gag, reflecting how fun this series is overall, even if it’s theology is just wildly inconsistent. ~ MDMRN

Eniale & Dewiela Vol. 2 is published by Yen Press.*

Carole & Tuesday Vol. 2

Volume two of Carole & Tuesday has the titular girls experiencing new challenges on their way to recognition and success in the music business, but it opens with a focus on a third girl. Angela, a child prodigy famous for modeling, wants to try something different and to become a singer. The manga shares some of her backstory and how she teams up with Tao, a man of mystery who creates popular songs using A.I. He riles up Angela throughout the manga, pushing her (rudely) to try harder. Meanwhile, Carole and Tuesday are try to get DJ Ertegun to listen to their song, which he refuses. Later, they struggle to find harmony on a new song, and take a little break outside on their own, considering their journey up to that point. When they return to their apartment, their slovenly manager, Gus, convinces them to enter the Mars Brightest competition. It’s like American Idol, but on Mars! Angela also enters in the test that will show how skilled these three girls really are as singers. I’ve seen the anime so I knew what to expect, but the manga still entertained me, particularly with its fantastic artwork. The panels pop out and feature intricate detail, connecting more with the characters through the facial expressions, dialogue, and the challenges they face. ~ Samuru

Carole & Tuesday Vol. 2 is published by Yen Press.

The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya (Haruhi Suzumiya, Vol. 5)

Having watched the episodes, but never having read the novel from which they were adapted, I expected the “Endless Eight” story to be much like the anime version: repetitive, dull, and overly long. It is in fact none of these things, taking up just 1/4 of The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya, the fifth light novel in the Haruhi Suzumiya series. While I still admire KyoAni’s decision to spend eight episodes on almost identical material to reflect the time loop aspect of the story (this despite the disastrous reaction it received), the much shorter chapter in Rampage doesn’t need the repetition to convey the peril and anxiety of the situation. It’s an excellent story, joining the funnier material in “The Day of Sagittarius” and “Snowy Mountain Syndrome,” the longest story in the series so far, which initially feels like material already covered but in a winter setting, though it later reveals itself to be a story that not only reminds us of how Nagaru Tanigawa excels as a science fiction writer, introducing further elements of the genre into his work, but also one that conveys serious heart. The last story provides another one of Haruhi’s sincere explanations of her behavior to Kyon and heavily features character development of Nagato, as subtle as it is, which is equal parts uplifting and mysterious. ~ Twwk

The Rampage of Haruhi Suzumiya is published by Yen Press.*

Maison Ikkoku Collector’s Edition, Vol. 3

Some forty years after it was first published, these chapters from volume three of Maison Ikkokku Collector’s Edition show precisely why this romantic comedy is so beloved, displaying the full retinue of humor and charm that are pervasive throughout the series. This volume continues to demonstrate Rumiko Takahashi’s talent at using misunderstandings to develop strong comedic content, which then gives way to reveal her character’s personalities and hearts. With Godai now knowing Kyoko quite well, but still miserably immature in his outlook on romance, he struggles to “make the leap” into a relationship with her, but each chapter shows that despite the obstacles that get in their way—some significant and others more figmental—the two are more and more making connections between their hearts. And as laugh out loud funny as many of the panels are, it’s these moments of caring, which increasingly find their way into the lives of Godai, Kyoko, and the rest of the Maison Ikkoku residents, that make the series memorable, driving it closer and closer toward fulfillment while keeping us just far enough away to crank the angst up to 11.  ~ Twwk

Maison Ikkoku Collector’s Edition is published by Viz.*

The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat, Vol. 1

The world’s best assassin has run out of time—or has he? On the verge of retirement, he is tricked and killed during his last mission. But upon his death, the assassin appears before a goddess (what a surprise!) who needs him to do her a favor: Kill the hero of the world she’s in charge of before the hero causes trouble in the future for her and the world he is in. She chose the assassin because of his skill and allows him to be reborn whilst choosing his own skills. Much like Rudeus in Mushoku Tensei, this protagonist is reborn literally, as a baby, but retains his previous memories. As he grows up among a wealthy family of assassins in a world of magic and knights, he trains to become better and to prepare to face the hero. Along the way, he meets a girl named Dai who becomes his magic teacher and Tarte, whom he rescues from poverty (she eventually becomes his assistant/servant of sorts). Although it’s rather rushed and features fanservice moments I felt were unnecessary, I enjoyed volume one. It’s a good selection for fans of isekai, though not without some flaws. ~ Samuru

The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat Vol 1. is published by Yen Press.

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Reader’s Corner is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works their reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works and older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

*Thank you to Yen Press and Viz Media for providing review copies.

[takerfoxx]

The Owl House, Season 2, Episode 9, "Eclipse Lake," First Impressions!

And so the rivals meet.

And the masks come off.

Literally.

I know I open each review praising this season, but I can't help it. It's been such a drastic leap in quality from the first to the second season that I am continually impressed. We get plot threads and lore that was so noticeably missing in season 1, and delivered so well. The animation is incredibly impressive, to the point where each episode's climax feels like it could be a season finale. We get some awesome new characters, wonderful interactions, cathartic emotional moments...

And Lumity is canon.

REMEMBER ALL THOSE TIMES WHERE I SAID THAT I HOPED THAT THEY WOULD PULL THE TRIGGER MID-SEASON SO WE WOULD ACTUALLY GET SOME EPISODES OF THEM BEING GIRLFRIENDS? I GOT WHAT I WANTED!

But before we get to that, the episode decides to just casually drop a bomb on us.

We get to see Emperor Belos's face.

(ignore the red circles, it's the only image I could find so early)

Now, I've seen a lot of people express disappointment that such a threatening villain has such a non-threatening real face, horrific scars aside, but I really like this look, even with the "kindly" expression.

See, Belos already has a classic villain look, and it's awesome. But this add an even more uncomfortable dimension to him. Evil often wears a fair face, and you can honestly see how someone like Belos could keep such control over Hunter.

And let's be clear: Belos and Hunter's relationship is 100% abusive. It's a mixture of flattery and cruelty that creates a very uncomfortable dynamic. Hunter is basically dependent on Belos for validation, and fears disappointing him above all, and Belos knows this. It's very...Horde Prime, I guess.

Now, if you'll recall, I was supportive of the theory that Belos is Philip Wittebane. Now that I see his face, I'm not so sure, as that ravaged ear could go either way. I would not be at all surprised if he and Hunter are Philip's descendants though. It would explain their lack of natural magic if they were part human. If he's not Philip, Belos having gone to the human world in the past is very interesting.

Though you know who he reminds of? Principal Bump. I wonder if they're related.

Also, I noted that Belos is studying something called the Grimwalker. Whatever that is, it cannot bode well.

Meanwhile, back at the Owl House, another victim of an abusive parental figure is very much trying her best! Luz is sick with the "common mold," and since she's human, it's really hitting her hard, so Amity is taking charge to be an awesome girlfriend and do everything she can to take care of her. And she has enlisted Gus, Willow, and Hooty to help.

Poor Amity. She's come a long way, but she still hasn't shaken the damage her parents had done to her. She still judges herself by her usefulness to others, and now that Luz is the most important person in her life, she's still terrified of letting that person down, possibly getting rejected as a result. Of course that won't happen, as Luz is Luz, but that's not a mode of behavior you can just shake off.

Also, I do note that Gus and Willow are really starting to feel so first season. I'm not saying they lack depth or don't have a place, but considering how much growth all the characters have had, they do kind of feel like they're just fulfilling the supportive friend role instead of acting as fleshed out characters in their own right.

Though King namedropping Lofi-Beats did make me pop.

Meanwhile, Eda's got her own thing going, specifically trying to figure out how to change into the harpy at will. Which involves knockoff Dragon Ball Z for some reason? Which she apparently saw in theaters when it first came out three decades ago? I know she made multiple trips to the human world, but how much of that time was spent just binging on anime?

ANYWAY, though Luz is really sick and out of it, she manages to coax another bit of information from the echo mouse, and that is she'll need some of the Titan's blood in order to go home. And apparently the best sort is a place called Eclipse Lake.

Which is where the increasingly paranoid Kikimora is currently staging operations.

And where Hunter heads in order to one-up her.

You see where this is going.

It was very interesting watching Hunter and Amity interact, since they're so similar in how they've been manipulated and abused by their guardians and the ridiculously high standards they set for themselves, whereas Luz, the person that connects is their absolute foil. And I honestly don't think Hunter was trying to manipulate Amity when he misinterpreted Luz's texts. That is just how he feels about things. That's how much Belos has messed him up. And while Amity is further on the path to healing, she still has a way to go. That's how Hunter was able to get into her head so easily. She's terrified of being rejected by Luz. Luz is the only person that makes her feel good about being, well, herself.

I'm going to skip over a good chunk of this episode and get to the really good part. Namely, the fight between Hunter and Amity. Oh, my God, it was so awesome. The animation, the direction, seeing how far Amity has come as an abomination-centered witch, see Hunter display a host of new abilities from accepting Rascal as his palisman (which does...raise questions), to that final confrontation. I did notice Amity breaking the key as soon as that cracking sound happened, so she has some Titan's blood to work with. There's more in the key Hunter now has, but is it enough? And now that he has accepted his palisman, how much is that going to change between him in Belos? Because Belos is totally going to find out.

But yeah, stellar climax. They're really breaking the bank this season.

So, let's review: Belos has the portal, but no key. Hunter has the key, but it's cracked and doesn't have enough Titan's blood. The Owl House gang have some Titan's blood, but whether or not it's enough to get Luz home remains to be seen.

Also, Kikimora! Relax! Jesus.

[fermented-writers-block]

Just how important IS Hooty?

You know, I can’t help but wonder if some of the secrets and codes in the episodes have been working as a bit of misdirection, diverting our attention away from the deeper mysteries tucked underneath the surface. 

After all, I’ve been seeing plenty of speculation about stuff like Eda’s curse, the Boiling Isles titan, and King’s backstory/possible true form, but not a whole lot about the titular Owl House itself, the silly goofball pictured below:

Now, to be fair, he is particularly easy to overlook due to the lack of focus and weight given to him and his actions beyond the apparent role of sheer comedic relief, and much of what he has said is rather dumb-sounding with others emphasizing how annoying his voice is, but it feels very telling to me that this whole show isn’t named after Luz and Eda or their adventures in particular. 

I mean, while the show has mainly been focused on the main characters of Luz, Eda, and King, they are the inhabitants of the Owl House, not the Owl House themselves, and with the way this show likes to reframe seemingly minor jokes and offhand lines as important in later episodes, I get the sense that the same might especially happen with Hooty but on a much grander scale.

We’ve seen throughout the series how he can manipulate different parts of the house like the weather vane and shutters, and in Hooty’s Moving Hassle alone, we both learned that the walls literally breathe and had the demon hunters - who were noted at the beginning to capture and sell the most powerful beasts - view Hooty as some sort of house demon tied to the house.

Though the latter could possibly be chalked up to the demon hunters mistaking a powerful display of animation magic from Luz, Willow, and Gus as a demon, the way that Hooty grew feet and the kind of aesthetics with the house’s design makes me wonder about the kind of importance Hooty could potentially be revealed to have.

Namely, that he either used to be or will become one of THE most important, powerful characters on show.

As @elementalist-kdj​ has noted before, the stained glass eye window of the Owl House comes from the tower behind it, but it has always struck me about how closely the whole house resembles the owl mural - or perhaps the Owl Deity as I’ve speculated before.

For those who don’t know, I’ve made a post before about how the mural and a few other parts of the Owl House seem like they could have come from some kind of temple or building dedicated to an owl spirit/deity that Eda may have found as a kid rather than having made it herself, and said “Owl Deity” appears to be reflected in stuff like Owlbert’s depiction on Eda’s wanted poster and etc, with particular focus on the following:

Obvious house geometry and chimneys aside, the front of the Owl House to me looks both like a more abstract and more realistic depiction of the Owl Deity than the mural itself. For comparison, let’s look at an actual life horned owl, one with brown streaks and a white spot in lieu of triangles and a diamond shaped star:

The dark brown streaks in the chest plumage are hardly uniform or symmetrical, and the kind of “diamond shaped star” that can be imagined with the spot of white in the center of this owl’s chest is less outlined as a clear star and more as a splash of color.

Now, with the Owl House, all of the glass windows on the front besides the eye-shaped one could be abstracted into right side up triangles while at the same time realistically varying in size and placement just like a real owl. And just like the white splash of color in the above picture, the door - aka Hooty - is placed roughly around the same spot on the house as the diamond on the Owl Deity in the mural. Heck, the owl weathervane could be interpreted as a stand-in for the subtle flame/crown above the Owl Deity’s head.

Just turn the eye-shaped window ninety degrees, make the outside more feather-like, and add some horns/ear tufts above the eye, and you could get what would likely look to be a more accurate version of the Owl Deity - albeit one with the wings tucked in as if roosting rather than spread out in flight - with some slight alterations to the feet of the following picture and getting rid of all the dirt right below the house and above the legs:

All in all, what I’m suggesting is that - as Hooty IS the Owl House itself - he could be either a reincarnation of/a new vessel for/an aspect of the Owl Deity, or a severely weakened and amnesiac Owl Deity that Eda had discovered and incorporated into her house. 

With this, I believe that the power of the Midnight Conjuring and its effects on Hooty could be an indication that it would require both a LOT of magical potential/power to restore/bring back the Owl Deity in full force, AND the correct spell or ritual to do so. 

Obviously, Luz and her friends easily fulfill the first requirement with their showing in Hooty’s Moving Hassle, but that incident merely channeled that power through Hooty rather than into him, and as such, Hooty’s true potential only partially manifested itself with very limited independence. 

Heck, it didn’t even manifest in the correct manner at that, what with the feet in the above failing to match the kind of feet the Owl Deity and the IRL owl have as @sepublic​‘s pointed out to me before, so to me, the implication seems to be that for as powerful the combined might of Luz and her friends under the Moonlight Conjuring was, that is still just a flash in the pan compared to the sheer amount of power required to actualize the entire Owl Deity.

As for what is the exact relationship between Hooty/the Owl House and the Owl Deity, I suspect that it could be related to how Hooty’s been often described as the house’s defense system and ‘guardian’ both in and outside of the show, and if my theory about the mural and curtains having come from just one of many rooms out of a whole temple is correct, then maybe the Owl Deity is a guardian being that has a mutually symbiotic relationship with its supporters.

Specifically, a being that is the temple housing said supporters itself.

In exchange for offering protection and maybe even some ancient wisdom as befitting the traditional image of a large and incredibly powerful owl in pop culture, its followers may have taken up residence within this temple and ritually offered to help bolster the Owl Deity’s strength and abilities with their own magic, which helps it more easily manifest its true power and knowledge.

However, I’d like to propose that something might have happened to the Owl Deity’s followers a long time ago, whether from something like all of them dying or being killed, the Owl Deity having fallen in some kind of battle or fight and such that led to its followers being forced into hiding, or its supporters somehow being swayed over to the side of someone else - perhaps someone with a closer association to corvids and ravens rather than owls.

From there, the Owl Deity lost a good amount of its power and strength, its temple body eroding away by the currents of time and its legacy falling into complete obscurity until a chance discovery by a young Eda Clawthorne during her studies at he Hexside School of Magic and Demonics.

And within these ruins, she found a miraculously intact room containing the owl mural and its associated curtains, among which she also uncovered a young/infant owl-like ‘house demon’ she brought back with her, eventually giving it the name “Hooty.”

Though I know the justifications for this theory are admittedly rather circumstantial and flimsy at the moment, I just can’t think of any other conclusion that feels anywhere close as likely to actually happen within the show.

I mean, a very recurring semi-major character often being the only one constantly being re-established as ‘just silly comedic relief’ among a whole cast of characters whose small quirks and funny antics constantly returning to show hidden depths?

And the owl mural itself - a topic of much theorizing - is a part of the owl house and therefore part of Hooty himself much like the breathing walls in the ‘living’ room, so wouldn’t that mean that Hooty has a MUCH closer relationship with it?

How about all the points brought up about how Hooty is supposedly a “state of the art defense system” and how Eda has a LOT of people after her who ought to have been able to get past Hooty despite his many showings of incompetency?

Either all of this is just coincidental set dressing and have no actual bearing on Hooty and his role in the story, or this is all part of a massive bait and switch where, between the idiocy and comedy, things are subtly building up towards a MAJOR demonstration of just why the show itself is named not after any of the inhabitants of the Owl House, but after Hooty himself. 

[cogentranting]

One of a handful of things I really liked about Psych the Movie 2 is the story line they had going about Shawn facing the prospect of fatherhood and working it through with Henry. 

The scene where Henry makes the comment about how Shawn is going to fail as a father was well done, and even better was the follow up, with Henry realizing that he really hurt Shawn and coming to apologize and let him know that he will be a good father. Those scenes were good and emotional, and really connected well back to the original core relationships of Psych. 

Because the core relationship of Psych was never Shawn and Juliet, or even Shawn and Gus (much as I love those dynamics). The core relationship at the heart of the show is Shawn and Henry. At least for the first 4-5 seasons, the show is really about Shawn reconciling his relationship with his father. 

So bringing that back to center for Shawn in this movie, having him fearful that his relationship with a kid of his own would be just as fraught, fearing that he’s not ready for the responsibility or that he’s going to fail and having Henry come in and demonstrate the progress that the two have made by being able to openly apologize, both for hurting Shawn in the present and tacitly for mistakes he made during Shawn’s childhood, and to openly talk about loving Shawn which is explicitly something both of them struggled with in early seasons, is great. And having Henry affirm Shawn in his ability to be a parent is great. It ties back to the beginning of the show and it really brings it full circle. 

And then the movie just... dropped the ball so hard. Because they basically throw away all of the progress that Shawn makes in the movie. The Henry apology scene is great but it isn’t the end of that arc and even after it Shawn is still pretty fixed in the idea that he can’t be a father and I think the last genuine comment on it he gets to have is saying that Gus would be much better than him at it. 

The resolution is supposed to be the moment where Shawn steps out in front of the gun in order to protect Juliet and (he believes) his unborn child. But while this is a really nice moment, its not the progress that the arc demanded. Shawn plays the coward but he’s not really. There’s never been a point when Shawn wasn’t willing to run head first into danger to protect someone he cared about. Honestly not even just the people he was close to. There have been plenty of times when Shawn has put himself at risk to try to help a random person involved in a case. So again, Shawn stepping in front of the gun its a nice moment, but its not growth. Shawn has always been willing to do that. And its not really related to what Shawn’s fears in this movie actually were. 

Then they go from that to revealing that Juliet is not pregnant. And that, in itself is fine. But Shawn’s reaction is just relief, nothing else. He’s affirmed in the belief that Gus is ready to be a father and he is not, and any progress he’s made toward feeling capable is essentially wiped away as he and Juliet both dismiss the whole thing without even a real conversation and treat the idea of the two of them having a kid as absurd. I don’t have a problem with Gus being the one to have a kid-- that’s fine, that’s good. But I do think Shawn and Juliet should have at least had a conversation in some way expressing the idea that Shawn is at a place where he’s confident enough that one day he will be good father, or even more have him and Juliet decide that they do want to have a kid soon. 

Of course not every couple has to have kids, that’s fine, that’s not the problem with this story line. Because this story line was NOT that Shawn didn’t WANT kids-- he explicitly says he and Juliet had talked about it and planned on doing it one day, and at no point does express even doubt about wanting to be a father, only about not being good at it. And if he didn’t want kids I doubt Henry’s comment about him failing as a father would have cut so deep. If Shawn seemed like he didn’t want kids that would be fine-- though it would make an arc about him trying to overcome his fears of fatherhood a really odd choice for the writers-- but by all indications he does, he’s afraid, and they do nothing to fix it, he makes no final progress, and he ends in the same place he began. And by doing that, they left off resolution for Shawn. 

Also this plot for Shawn is basically identical to the one in “Neil Simon’s Lover’s Retreat” (6x09). But it works a lot better as  a plot of an episode in an ongoing show than a movie that is meant to somewhat stand on its own. 

Anyway, they shouldn’t have made a movie where the main character’s arc is all about overcoming his fears about becoming a father if they weren’t going to end it with some sort of indication of progress in the direction of actually having a child. If you don’t want Shawn and Juliet to even consider having a kid, don’t make a movie all. about. that.