Thoughts on Kieran’s relationship with Ogerpon as a previously obsessive teenager:
(I did not proof read this. I just woke up, had the urge, and now it’s here.)
Kieran, to me, is a very relatable character. He is a shy, and quiet teenager in a small town. He lacks friendships and possibly meaningful connections with those who do spend time with him. He’s probably isolated due to the fact that he lacks a phone. Any friends he does make are likely school based only. So, Kieran latches on to anything he can to feel less alone in life. And of course he latches onto Ogerpon. Ogerpon is just like him. A sad “monster” all isolated and alone in the mountains. I’m certain that Kieran has fantasized about meeting Ogerpon and getting into wild adventures with her. I did the same thing with characters I enjoyed.
Princess Luna, for example (sorry to whiplash anyone with that), was a character I heavily related to. She was alone and isolated due to her previous actions. She struggled with fitting in and having a healthy relationship with her sister for awhile. To say I didn’t form an obsession with a character who understood my feelings would be a lie. I think Kieran is the same.
He became obsessed with Ogerpon. He become obsessed with the ideas he crafted of him and Ogerpon. In a way, that fantasy was VERY real to him. So when we come around and lie about meeting Ogerpon, and inevitably become friends with her behind his back, of course he freaks out! We stole his fantasy of him and Ogerpon! And that’s the key point here that people tend to not realize. We didn’t steal Ogerpon from Kieran, we just stole his fantasy and made it our reality.
With my obsession with princess Luna (again, whiplash), if anyone said they loved princess Luna it was a fucking attack on me. Princess Luna was my best friend, and she could only love me! Everyone else was just a jealous thief.
As an adult looking back on this mindset, it’s horribly embarrassing. It’s a mindset I carried into my real life, when I actually started making friends, that ruined so much for me. I lost friends because I was so angry that my fantasies were not reciprocated. I really do think Kieran does the same. He grows sad and frustrated over what happened with Ogerpon. His fantasy is just a fantasy, and that’s fucking with him. So naturally, he finds a new fantasy to, hopefully in his mind, make a reality. And so he chose battling and winning against you. The thing we used to “steal” Ogerpon away from him (Even though Kieran technically suggested battling for Ogerpon, I don’t doubt he used it to rationalize why she didn’t want to come with him). To him, being the best battler will solve everything. Kieran will get his revenge, he’ll finally be recognized, everyone can’t lie to him because they fear or admire him, and he’ll prove to Ogerpon he was the right choice.
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Now, I want to say something about Kieran. A detail that, for whatever reason, people don’t like to acknowledge: He’s just a kid.
I’m not saying “He’s a widdle baby. He can do no harm!” No, Kieran’s an asshole. He became a bully. I can have empathy for his emotions, but not excuse his actions. He’s a dumb and entitled teenager with issues. And, quite obviously, he doesn’t really have a way to deal with his issues in a healthy manner (seriously, his school is based solely on battling. Anyone who’s going or gone to a specialized school can understand how toxic people can get in that type of environment. And don’t even get me started on the incompetence of the adults in Kieran’s school).
Kieran is a teenage boy growing up right now. He’s got a lot to work through, and a lot of people he’s gotta confront about his behavior. He was an asshole, a bully, and genuinely a bad person for minute. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t growing past that. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve recognition for his growth. You can recognize someone has changed and not forgive them.
Kieran is a really intriguing character and holds a valuable lesson in obsession. And I really wish people would recognize that he’s not just an irredeemable prick or an innocent little guy. He’s a kid learning. He’s going to make really stupid and bad mistakes. Just like how I, and probably you reading this, did.
Anyways, hopefully we see him interact with the Area Zero buddies. I think those three have amazing lessons that Kieran can learn from. Maybe Kieran can teach them a few things too!
If Jason’s learned anything living on the streets, it’s that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Like that time he found an entire queen-size mattress in a dumpster outside of the apartment building he and his mom were squatting in and dragged it home, only to discover that it was crawling with lice. Or the time when he agreed to watch some drug dealer’s car overnight for twenty bucks and ended up smack dab in the middle of some kind of gang war. Or the time when he came across a nearly full take-out container of still-warm shrimp alfredo sitting abandoned on a park bench, then spent the next 48 hours becoming extremely well-acquainted with every public bathroom in a half-mile radius.
Anyway, by the time Jason stumbles across a shiny black speedster abandoned in one of Park Row’s many sketchy alleyways, chrome rims gleaming in the moonlight, you’d think he’d have the sense to know too-good-to-be-true when he sees it.
Just thinking about Husk singing a short reprise of ‘Loser, Baby’ when Angel is being sent to Heaven.
“You’re a loser, baby.
A lucky loser, baby.
But before you go I need you to know,
That I’ll love you eternally…”
And can you imagine that being the moment Husk finally reveals his feelings to Angel.
“You’re a loser, baby.
My lovely loser, baby.
And in your new home you won’t be alone,
I’m just sorry… that it won’t… be with me..”
I can just imagine Angel screaming and shouting as the forces of Heaven pull him upward. Yes, he wanted to be redeemed. He wanted to be free from Val more than anything. But he doesn’t want to go like this. Not without Husk. It just isn’t worth it if they can’t be losers together.
I made it work omfg, drawing Chil dancing with someone twice his size is a challenge and a struggle. Genuinely great proportions practice. He wears platforms + heels ok, didn’t push that enough tbh
I’ve been thinking about them dancing soo much they rotate in my brain like rotisserie chicken. I had a rabbithole where I was thinking what dance style they’d dance and salsa, rumba and merengue were on my list but the top one I decided was balboa.
This is where I’d be linking cool balboa videos and my marchil spotify playlist but Tumblr hates me and might not put my post in the tags if I do. That happened with a short funny animation of dunmeshi go check my recent posts if you can I worked hard 🥺
reminding myself on this busy morning that i also have dreams of taking piano lessons & singing lessons & also honing my writing skills & absorbing as many books as i used to when i was a kid & at the very least taking up cute tennis dates & dabbling into art & just becoming an artistic generalist. also reminding myself that there are pre-meds out there who managed to pursue something they’re passionate in (some are even professional athletes) & still excelled in medicine & if they can do it so can I