#this isn't even all my thoughts of MotO (obviously)

[figs-oliomedley]

March of the Oni good

@ninja-guy-yo​ ‘s post about Crystalized got me thinking about how good of a sendoff March of the Oni was. It wrapped up all the main characters’ story arcs while giving them all something to do.

Lloyd Fresh off the heels of Hunted and SoG, Lloyd initially doesn’t trust a word his father says. But when they get 1-on-1 time on the Bounty and in the city, whenever Garmadon shows the smallest hint of humanity (saving Lloyd from an Oni, looking wistfully at a pic of his past self), Lloyd immediately clings onto it, looking for the good in him that Garmadon swears doesn’t exist. He only backpedals whenever Garmadon does, angstily claiming “fine, he doesn’t care either >:’I” in an attempt to mask and push down his own feelings as well (it doesn’t work lol he’s too sweet). I think the perfect summation of their relationship is the scene on the Bounty. Garmadon looks at a past picture of him and Lloyd, struggling to remember the memory and what it felt like before ultimately brushing his feelings aside and throwing the image, cracking it and claiming that feelings of the past are useless to cling onto or something like that. Lloyd spitefully (angstily) yells back in agreement and throws the photograph in the trash, only to return a few seconds later and pull it out again. Despite everything Garmadon’s done to him, done to the world, Lloyd still loves and wants to trust his father (Crystalized FUCKED my boy what the fuck).

Jay Jay gets a subplot of trying ask Nya to be his Yang. After the rollercoaster of buildup and all the shit they and their relationship have been through, he’s finally ready to pop the question... iff he wasn’t so bad at it. In true Jay fashion he fusses over the “perfect moment” and getting it “just right”, his own awkwardness and anxiousness often contributing to ruining the mood (though his horrible timing doesn’t help either). He finally asks her in the final episode, and it’s a very nice cherry on top of their relationship that’s been building since before Season 1. He finally found the confidence to ask Nya while being himself, wrapping a bow on this ongoing plot thread in a heart-wrenching way (look I’ve been a Jaya fan ever since I was a kid, that scene hit me hard).

Pixal Pixal gets the chance to be badass as she dives head-first into a cloud-covered Ninjago City to save Lloyd and Garmadon, risking her life while she burns through her suit’s fuel above the cloud. Without her being there, the ninja wouldn’t have been able to save the others at the NGTV news building while also getting the Garmadons out of there. The scene where she narrowly avoids the building is so cool because like, they could’ve just had her miss the building. It would have been easier to animate, as they wouldn’t have had to worry about the effects of the sparks, or the Garmadons reacting to the impact, or the camera shaking and sound effects, or anything, but they did that for us. They had Pixal nearly collide with the building for dramatic effect and put in the extra work to really have us feel the tension. Just a really great moment for Pixal, she’s come such a long way from Season 3.

Cole Cole’s role in this season is actually HUGE, WAY bigger than you’d initially think. After his fearful encounter with the Cloud and death fake out, you think, “oh that’s it, just a cheap trick to create an emotional reaction.” But NO! Cole’s supposed fall to the cloud is super important in the way the story splits after this. The loss of Cole creates a huge gap between Garmadon and the others, which leads to his introspection and question about the meaning of life. It leads to the moment between Kai and Nya, which is super emotional and sweet. Even when Cole is revealed to be unfrozen he gets to do something. By getting to his car outside the building, he forces himself to face his fear of the cloud, harkening back to his initial fear of dragons in the Pilots. He forces himself to confront his fear and risk asphyxiation for the sake of his friends who need him, and I dunno how to end this, I just think it’s really cool and neat. :>

Zane While not as big or impactful as the others, Zane gets a little moment when he tells off Garmadon for thinking he’d be the “logical one” as a Nindroid, instead getting the chance to display just how human he is. He isn’t just “the smart one” or “the robot”, he’s Zane, and he won’t just avoid greiving his friend just because he’s the most “”intelligent””. This defiant stand is a real culmination of Zane’s identity problems.

Nya Nya gets a sweet moment with Kai after she blames herself for Cole’s fall. It’s probably the first genuinely good sibling moment they’ve had since like, ever. Kai comforts Nya in his own Kai way, stumbling over his words but still managing to say the things she needed to hear. After the encouragement, Nya then gets the idea to recreate the golden weapons. There’s a really nice comedic moment when she’s explaining it to Kai, who doesn’t quite get it the first few times, but after he does, she turns the encouragement back on him when he doubts that his blacksmithing skills could recreate the weapons. It’s a really sweet moment where both siblings contribute emotionally to the conversation and perfectly leads into the recreation of the weapons while acknowledging and discussing Nya’s guilt. She also gets a cool moment with Pixal as they speed towards each other, claiming “I’m not gonna lose another one today!” Fuck yeah girlbosses fuck it up

Kai The main man who’s no longer the main man and keeps getting sidelined lol. Ignoring Kai’s visceral reaction to Cole falling (I don’t think I could take it right now that scene is really good), Kai returning to blacksmithing after 10 seasons is a really, REALLY good way of having things come full circle. It perfectly shows just how far he’s come as a character by having the patience and experience to recreate these important and powerful weapons. Some may find it bogus or whatever, but in the pilots, the advice Nya gives to him while blacksmithing is to “be patient”. While Kai still has the firecracker energy sometimes, he’s grown, and now knows how to stifle and control the fire when he needs to, slowly and meticulously working to recreate the golden weapons. It is just, such a good way to circle back to the beginning of his journey and the entire series as a whole guys you have no idea.

Garmadon Evil daddio himself. At first you think, haha, this’ll be fun, Garmadon being a comedic and morbid foil to the ninja with his cynical take on life. But then after Cole’s “death” there’s a shift. Lloyd’s snap at him causes Garmadon to contemplate the real “meaning” of life. Up to this point there were a few hints that he’s not all evil, and the Cole event is what pushes him over the brink. They beautifully follow up on Garmadon failing to kill Lloyd during Hunted, being held back by feelings deep within his being, by showing him awkwardly trying to understand the others and be more “human”. The scene where he tries to smile at Lloyd becomes so much more sad and impactful when you realize that he wasn’t giving him a “haha I’m totally gonna betray you and run away just you watch”, it was a “you can trust me” smile. The way his attention holds on the picture of his past self is really impactful, and that conversation with Vinny man, *mwah* perfection incarnate, perfect blend of comedy and emotion, with a laid-back attitude thanks to Vinny’s way of speaking mixed with solemn contemplation thanks to the mood, music, and the stoic way Garmadon reacts, pure brilliance. And if you still didn’t get it, Omega taunts Garmadon for being more human than he lets on, trying to grapple (and in some cases, suppress) that side of himself that yearns to understand mortals that he pushed down in order to be an effective conqueror, but has been slowly coming to light.

And finally, the Monastery, the place where it all began. Having the fog start at ground level was the perfect way to ensure that the final stand be at the Monastery, high up on the mountain. The weapons are back, Cole reunites with the others, and everyone gets in a bit of butt-kicking before they’re forced inside. They once again believe this may be the end, reminiscent of their conversation in Season 2 when contemplating if this battle would be their last. Jay proposes to Nya and she accepts, which, <33333, and Lloyd gets the idea to try the Tornado of Creation against beings of Destruction, even getting Garmadon to join in (really cool to have Lloyd come up with the idea, since from the beginning he’s usually the one to offer a different point of view [the idea to look for the Serpentine underground]). There’s a really sweet moment where, as Garmadon’s watching the others begin the tornado, wondering is he should, or can, join in, he looks to the murals and sees the green Lloyd get covered by the darkness, hardening his resolve and finally spurring him into action (looking too far into it, but it’s also the first time he’s used his father’s art after being revived I think). After Lloyd meets the FSM and is brought back to life, there’s a sweet moment where the others bring him inside while talking with him, real found family stuff, you love to see it. Finally, before Garmadon leaves, he and his brother share a look, as Garmadon leaves. You don’t know where he’s going, but you get the sense that he isn’t going to bother them again, instead leaving to find his place in the world. Though him and Lloyd don’t make up by the end of MotO, I don’t think they could’ve satisfyingly with all the damage Garm’s done. But just standing by his son’s side once again is enough to signify that at least a little, their relationship is healing.  I could keep gushing about the final mural they make, the side characters we’ve gotten to know celebrating with them, the pan up to Firstborne, etc., but I think the scene speaks for itself. While a bit rocky in excution, March of the Oni was a perfect sendoff for Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu and the characters within it, giving each character an emotional and narrative contribution to the story while wrapping things up.

And then Season 11 opened with a fart joke :p

P. S. No hate to Season 11! I’m just joshing.

[realisticjupiter]

hi! :D i hope u're doing well !! i was wondering if i could request chishiya x gn reader? where after the borderlands, chishiya faintly remembers the events while reader does not, so reader doesn't know who chishiya is but chishiya knows who they are. they're both admitted in the same hospital after the meteor, and chishiya has to fall in love with reader all over again, "coincidentally" meeting through a hallway and introducing himslef and slowly building a relationship and just AGHGJJAHAH this runs thru my mind a lot !!! ty for even reading this anyway hope u have a great day love u 😘😘😘 and also make sure to stay hydrated, healthy and happy :))

ꔫ ⸝⸝ summary: chishiya helping reader who is struggling with a snack, and at the same time remembering exactly how the two of them met.

ꔫ ⸝⸝ pairing: chishiya x gn!reader

ꔫ ⸝⸝ genre: fluff

ꔫ ⸝⸝ warnings: mentions of hospital medication , lmk if anything else !

ꔫ ⸝⸝ word count: 1k

A/N: I love this idea sm bc i also think of this a lot LOL. just the idea of chishiya's cookie moto when reader can't find a snack is just special to me -- also I apologize to literally everyone who has sent me a request I TRY I SWEAR IT'S NOT ON PURPOSE

Your hand pounded on the clear glass that separated you and the snacks inside the vending machine. It had completely eaten your money just for the simple snack you've been craving all day not to fall to the bottom.

It obviously hasn't been a good day for you, but this was just the cherry on top.

Waking up in a hospital with hundreds of bruises and one big gash across your torso wasn't exactly your definition of a good time. You don't even remember how it happened.

In fact, you barely even remember what you did that day. You were walking to the mall? Maybe? It was clearly all a blur.

When he approached you, you almost thought you were hallucinating from all the medication the hospital decided to give you for the pain.

He was almost glowing in the hospital light, like he belonged there like some type of ghost whose soul is trapped inside the building.

"Those cookies aren't very good anyways." Were the words his naturally curved mouth spoke.

Something was off about him, you couldn't tell what it was though. Maybe it was his body language; how his eyes couldn't leave your face and studied your every move. Or maybe the way he spoke; so nonchalant but hard to tell where his social skills lied.

"I've been craving them since I woke up. But, obviously now--It doesn't really matter." You were already irritated, it was clear in your voice when you spoke. You weren't exactly in the mood to make friends.

His eyes looked down, which made yours follow along to the yellow bag that rested in his hand. He reached out to you, letting you see the cookies that sat inside.

"You can have one, if you want." He offered, his eyes watching your face once more.

You couldn't exactly read him, and it was clear that it was his persona. A man who wants to be known as an unsolved mystery. A closed box that couldn't be opened by anyone.

But in this Cheshire man's mind, he felt conflicted; confused. He swore he knew you from somewhere, but he wouldn't dare ask. He'd rather find out from his own mind. He always had a thing for puzzles, but this one felt more complicated than anything he's ever experienced.

You sighed, but with a shrug you dipped your hand into the bag to grab a single cookie. You brought it to your mouth with a crunch and your rating of the snack was written all over your face, and at the same time it almost felt familiar.

He had a good eye, or you guess taste for good snacks. You were almost surprised you've never tried it before, you've always seen it in other places.

"It's good, isn't it?" He raised a brow, a small grin showing on his face.

"Mhm, can I have another one?" You responded mid chew.

He couldn't hold back the soft chuckle as he handed the bag to you, watching as you dove straight in with no questions asked.

"I'm Chishiya, by the way." Chishiya finally introduced himself with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Y/n." You replied, mouth full of cookies.

He nodded at the sound of your name. It tried to click in his mind, and when it did--it felt like he had just been given some stranger's memories.

He knew now, the borderlands and the person he was stuck with--merely because they were almost smarter than he was. For a second he was confused, concerned and almost convinced he was remembering an old dream.

It wouldn't be the first time he mistook a dream for reality, but he knew this time was different. In dreams there were no names or faces, but your face, the person standing in front of him wasn't just a dream. And nor were the memories he continued to remember.

"Do you... know me?" He asked, his tone unsure as if he was asking a foreign question.

You looked at him with a confused stare, looking him up and down and then studying his face--but none of it clicked.

"No, I don't think so." You shook your head, handing him the bag just for there to only be one left inside.

You gave an apologetic smile when he took it back, but somehow he didn't mind. Mostly because he had bigger things to think about.

Like how the person he told he loved doesn't remember him. It was almost funny when he thought about it that way, but it was honestly sad.

But when he thought about it another way, like how he may have a second chance with you. It felt different, like the god whom he never really believed in decided to grant him the good karma he wasn't so sure he deserved.

He couldn't care less though, the only thing he wanted from his experience in the borderlands was a second chance; and now he has it.

"Shouldn't you be resting? Your injuries seem worse than others." Chishiya tried to keep the conversation, although it almost sounded like he was trying to end it.

You shook your head, "Mm-mm. Doctor said to walk around, to stretch my legs." You explained, crossing your arms to shield yourself from the cold breeze of the hospital.

"Want to take a walk then? We can go outside, I know you aren't exactly fond of hospitals." He suggested, crushing the bag in his hand to stuff inside his pocket.

You stopped for a second, furrowing your brows and opening your mouth. "Uh--sure. But, how did you know that?" Your mouth shaped into a smile because it genuinely freaked you out a bit. He made it sound as if he knew you forever.

"Lucky guess." His response was quick as he turned and began walking. You hesitated at first, but soon followed after him as he passed a girl who pushed an older woman in a wheelchair and an older man following a bit behind them.

Maybe now was a good time to admit you felt like you had seen him before as well. But you couldn't think of where, so you convinced yourself you were crazy.

But what wasn't crazy, was thinking you had a chance with this Cheshire man. He made you comfortable in a way you couldn't understand, and weren't exactly sure if you wanted to.

reposts and comments are appreciated <3

[yeonban]

Unprompted.

Anonymous asked: Soma, if everyone in Hi no Moto was about to die but you could choose 1-2 people to survive who would they be? Would your answer change if you survived along with them?

❛ Shishikado and the Obsidian Goddess' vessel. ❜ The answer is immediate, no hints of hesitation, yet taking the contents of his reply into consideration it's clear that Soma's choice isn't a mere spur of the moment one (if it had been, his closest friends would have certainly been selected). ❛ "If everyone in Hi no Moto was about to die", ❜ He repeats calmly, highlighting the core of his thought process. They obviously meant if everyone was about to get killed. ❛ There's nothing capable of a feat like that other than the kishin. Even then, it'd take more than three of their strongest ones to kill all of us. ❜ If the war from fifteen years ago, in which three great kishin and four black dogs had stood in their way couldn't obliterate humankind, then only something of a greater magnitude would be able to do so, which only really left the black kishin as an option to consider (at least as far as he's aware).

❛ If I could only save one or two people, it'd be an useless effort to choose a blue, green or yellow soul. They can't cut a kishin's horns. Red souls can, but we rely on a link to do it, which means we'd only be as good as a distraction can be. If there ever is a need for one, Musashi could double as the vessel and the red soul. ❜ The Goddess is an abstract concept to him, a fairy tale in the flesh, but in a scenario as bleak as the one provided... Soma has to agree that she would be one of their last bastions of hope.

As for his other pick... ❛ Shishikado would be our safest bet, in my opinion. He knows more about the oni than the rest of us combined, and he has a white soul. The only color that can fight on its own. If anyone could figure out a way to deal with the kishin alone, it'd have to be him. ❜ That, and although Soma doesn't mention it, he has taken Shishikado's psyche into account as well. The other grand general has never been a people person (always seeking refuge somewhere else, in his head or otherwise) and out of everyone he's come to know, the white soul is perhaps the most likely to get over everyone's deaths in the long run rather than wallow in misery for the rest of his life.

The answer to the second question comes just as swiftly as the first, and Soma is aware that under these circumstances, his life would completely lose its meaning. He's pushed onwards despite the cadavers burdening his shoulders for far too long as is, enough times to have lost count over the years, with the sole purpose of ensuring his people's safety. If everyone he'd ever held dear was to disappear... if he remained with nothing to fight for or protect... then what would even be left of him, if not an empty shell of an existence? ❛ I'd choose those two regardless. I'd end up dying either way. ❜

[bougiebutchbitch]

I know the Sak/ura stuff happened hours ago, but I just happened to see it, and I have a couple Thoughts (along the same lines as you & the other anon were talking about - i'm not trying to convince you of my opinions or anything, i'm just casting them out into the world)

When I was first watching the original Naruto series, I honestly thought she was pretty annoying - but in fairness, I thought they ALL were annoying. And that's okay! Because they're all like 13 during that series, and who isn't annoying at that age?? I know I was for sure

But I think the reason I love her is mostly from what she could have been. And I think the scene from the chunin exams where she cuts her hair could've been the perfect turning point, where she could have realized that while she loves sas/uke, she's not IN love with him (no hate to people who ship them, I just don't) and could have moved on to being her own person

And I loved that she was at least slightly more mature during shippuden (and had the first akatsuki kill!!), but it seemed like every time sas/uke was mentioned, she almost reverted back to how she was at 13, and I think that's unfortunate

And obviously everything ends up coming down to the writing and the story, I just think that it's unfortunate how it ended because she seemed to have so much potential, but every time the story provided the perfect opportunity for her to fulfill it, she didn't and I just think it's unfortunate

Now obviously, she's not perfect, and did some kinda fucked up things (the way she treated nar/uto during the academy & while they were genin, and even during parts of shippuden, among other things), but I feel like that honestly gives her more potential or possibility for growth that she never gets

because that's the thing, people aren't perfect, good people do bad things sometimes, and bad people can do good things. Nothing is ever truly black and white

Anyways, I didnt mean for this ask to be so long, sorry about that

Nah that's super valid!

She had so much narrative potential as a character. Sadly, it felt like she was always made to play second fiddle to Naru/to and Sas/uke - whether she was fulfilling the in-universe acknowledged role of 'girl specifically put on a team to make boys fight over her, so the boys can become stronger', or only getting one badass boss fight against Sas/ori, while Nar/uto and Sas/uke have SO MANY AMAZING FIGHTS.

But y'know what? This could've been a REALLY INTERESTING THING TO EXPLORE.

Obviously, it's a bit cringe that so many of the 'main' women in Naru/to are medics (Sak/ura, Shi/zune, Tsu/nade, and In/o, I believe...). There comes a point where it's just feeding into the 'healing and nurturing support-class women' stereotype, even if medics are badass and they can Punch Stuff HardTM.

But if Kishi/moto had truly committed to giving Sakura more screentime and delved deep into what it's like to be a battlefield medic, the trauma of not being able to save everyone, and how she formed her own identity separate to the boys that wasn't centred around fighting... I would LAP THAT SHIT UP.

I mean, sure, she starts a therapy centre in Bor/uto... but I want more on-screen development!

I want her to slowly realise her own self-worth, and stop comparing herself to her two literal god-level teammates!

I want her to make a name for herself among civilians! Of Team 7, she's the only one born to civilian parents, and that's a link I'd love to see explored.

Of course, that's not possible, because Nar/uto is a shonen manga and the focus is always going to be on Wham Bam Big Fight Scene. Sak/ura could've had an incredible arc, but she's hampered both by the writer and the genre. I understand, but I think there were ways that the manga could've kept its shonen feel without doing her character such disservice.

Give me a Sak/ura arc where tensions between civilians and shinobi in the village are rising, and Nar/uto, Sas/uke and Kak/ashi are blind to the problem, because they're all so entrenched in the shinobi world. Give me a Sak/ura arc where she gains her own super badass technique and has her own boss villain to fight. Give me a Sak/ura arc where - maybe even after having Sar/ada! - she starts to question her relationship to Sas/uke and how she acts around him, and starts demanding more respect!

Obligatory note that I haven't watched much of Bor/uto so maybe Sak/ura and Sas/uke have a vaguely healthy relationship now and they've worked out all their issues... idk slkdfjhgksjdg

But just - yeah. She deserved better. As a result, I can understand why people disliked her in the anime, and loved her - for all the reasons you said.