“Mental Illness Recovery Series” book contains 100 true life stories of people all around the world battling daily with their mental disorders. It’s an inspirational book, that gives rise to the silenced truth of mental illness and the exhausting, but noble journey of recovery.
So after the big reveal, there was a lot of uproar, with people getting furious over what Pink Diamond did. Heck, I was one of them.
But after thinking it over, I realized that maybe some of it is being a bit overstated. There’s been a lot of talk about how Rose was evil or how she created a war because she was bored or how she only created Steven to run away from responsibility.
Y’all. The vast majority of evidence does not support this.
So anyway, here are some important reminders:
The Gem War was already going on for 1,000 years before Pink Diamond decided to fake her shattering. She did this because she thought it would end the war, and allow the Crystal Gems to live in peace. Yes, it backfired, and yes, she should have considered that the other Diamonds would seek revenge, but at the end of the day, she legitimately believed that the Diamonds wouldn’t care enough to take action if they thought she was gone.
She still started the war to protect the humans who lived there. Like, seriously, none of that changed. EARTH WOULD BE DESTROYED IF IT WEREN’T FOR HER. I mean, what did she have to gain by picking a fight with herself? All she wanted was a colony of her own. When she got it, she discovered the organic life on Earth and realized she didn’t want to go along with it anymore.
“Curiosity turned to appreciation. Appreciation turned to fondness. And fondness turned to love.”
Yes, Pink didtry talking to the other Diamonds before starting a war. Remember what Steven heard in his dream. Pink Diamond did try and talk to the other Diamonds, bringing up the organic life, but they saw it as a sign of her incompetence, not as a reason to let the planet be free. After that, she tried arguing that the cities were too hard to dismantle (which obviously was a lie), but when that didn’t fly, she created the Crystal Gems and used that as an excuse.
After the war, she spent 6,000 years trying to find a way to heal the corrupted Gems. Why do you think the Crystal Gems have been bubbling all the monsters they fight? It’s been said that Rose always hoped to find a way to heal them. It’s not like they died and she just went “Eh, what can ya do?” She felt guilty about what had happened, and she spent ages trying to atone.
Honestly, I still stand by the theory that she created Steven at least in part because she hoped that a human’s capacity to grow might mean that he would eventually become powerful enough to heal them. I mean, he did go further in healing Centipeedle than Rose ever did, and he still has a lot of growth to come. It makes sense that Rose saw that she had reached a plateau and hoped that Steven could do better.
It’s not her fault that there was a power imbalance between her and Pearl. Look, this was fucked up, and it kills me, too. But Pearl’s devotion to Rose wasn’t something Rose could have helped more than she already did. Remember, she gave Pearl the choice to stay loyal to Homeworld. She encouraged Pearl to come into her own. She declared Pearl a free Pearl. But there’s only so much she could do. Yes, Pearl’s devotion to Rose/PD and her feelings of being lost after Rose was gone was tragic, and it breaks my heart. But what more could Rose do?
“Why won’t you just let me do this for you, Rose?”
“Did Rose make you feel like you were nothing?” “Rose made me feel like I was…everything.”
She left Bismuth for Steven to find. It’s clear that the reason she bubbled Bismuth (and kept it a secret) was because Bismuth would have known the truth about the shattering and wouldn’t have stood for it. But when she created Steven, she left Bismuth in the same place as her video for him. She probably figured this was her chance to let Bismuth finally be free.
Look, obviously Pink Diamond made some pretty huge miscalculations that caused a lot of pain and death. That doesn’t make her a bad person. She had to constantly face a number of hard choices where there was no easy answer, and each time, she went with what she thought was best.
Should she have ordered Pearl to keep quiet? No. Yet, at the time it seemed like the best choice.
Should she have told the other Crystal Gems the truth after the Corruption Song? Maybe. Yet, at the time it seemed like a better choice to keep it hidden.
(Should she have challenged the other Diamonds head-on without a disguise? Hell no, summoning their full wrath would have been suicide, and the Earth would get colonized anyway.)
I get it: it’s easy to demonize someone who comes from a position of power when things go wrong on a major scale. But the fact is that it’s not that simple. People have limits, people have flaws, people make mistakes. Pink is a Diamond. Her choices were always going to have far-reaching consequences, and she tried her best given what she had. We’re in a morally grey zone with both positive and negative outcomes.
There will dozens of people who will take your breath away, but the one who reminds you to breathe is the one you should keep.
So I was watching the pilot episode and noticed how different the art style was compared to current seasons, and how the paladins actually looked a lot different/younger at the start of the show then they do now. I found it super interesting seeing the subtle changes, and wanted to do some side-by-side examples!
Keith honestly hasn’t changed much at all (aside from his BOM suit) but one thing I did notice is that Keith is a lot stockier than before, and his mullet looks softer haha (must’ve gotten a new shampoo)
Hunk omw you are so pure Like Keith, Hunk’s only major changes are just being stylistically more polished. It looks like he also gained some muscles over time, and the way his body language is drawn shows how his confidence has grown over the course of the series 😀
Lance in recent seasons has been drawn waayyyy softer: bigger pupils, shorter chin, floofy-er hair XD It’s actually really interesting to see how his entire design was so angular and rigid, and now all those rough edges have been smoothed out. He’s also gone from a literal stick to a pretty well-filled out dude. *sniiifffff* he’s a growin boyyy
Pidge looks waaayy different as the show progresses! She looks a lot older and softer. Her face is longer and thinner, her body isn’t as tiny, and her hair is wavier, longer, and has actually reddened throughout the series. It used to be more of a yellow/blonde color, but now it’s red/orange and darker. I think this was to differentiate hers and Matt’s hair
Allura has also lost a bit of her younger looks since the pilot episode. Her hair pulled back in a bun and her paladin armor make her look very mature. Her posture is more poised and confident than in early episodes and really shows how she’s grown as a women and as a leader
Then we have Shiro, undoubtedly the character who has undergone the most change through the series. Not only with his apperance, but with his demeanor. There is a sadness–a tiredness–behind his expressions, even when smiling. His days of war are slowly catching up to him, and it’s starting to show in his character design.
So yeah I hope you enjoyed this, i hope it kinda made sense haha. I was supposed to be asleep three hours ago, so my brain is essentially mush. Let me know what your thoughts are on how the character designs have changed, and how those changes relate to each characters’ development over the course of the series!! 😀
This one’s gonna be rather long Natalie, so apologies in advance ^_^
Regarding Zero Two’s recent behaviour, I think it’s been rather nice to see her acting so carefree and really integrating with the group. She’s shown that she has still retained her mischievous side, but now she’s just a lot happier since she’s certain that she’s finally been reunited with her darling. She’s just really genuinely enjoying herself and making up for a lot of lost time with Hiro. How long the good times last, now that the Nines and the Klaxosaur Princess have made their presences known, remains to be seen.
Now with regards to the reason Kokoro was so drawn to Mitsuru, I always just kinda felt that he was the only one she was truly able to talk with, you know? Even long before the partner shuffle, they often spoke in the greenhouse, and you could tell those conversations held a much deeper meaning than how they appeared on the surface.
In contrast, Futoshi just seemed to idolise her, even to the point of worship:
And he didn’t seem to really have an idea or an understanding of who exactly it was he was placing on this untouchable pedestal. However with Mitsuru, Kokoro always just seemed to have something there, and I think the main reasons that she was drawn to Mitsuru were because not only was she able to connect with him on a much deeper and more personal level, but from what I saw, Mitsuru was also the one who inspired her to become more bold, assertive and voice her desires, regardless of what her peers may think.
I’ll get into more detail on that shortly.
But from early on in the series, Kokoro was shown as having paid particular attention to Mitsuru. She was the first one to notice that he was still feeling the effects of having partnered with Zero Two, despite his outward demeanour:
And she truly cared for his well being, even though at the time, he continuously brushed off her attempts to help him, because he viewed it as pity:
At that point, Mitsuru still had a lot going on in his head so he wasn’t the easiest of people to approach, but Kokoro chose to do so anyway because even at this early stage, Mitsuru was someone she held slightly closer to heart than the rest of her peers. This was only but the first of many examples which illustrated the connection between the two of them.
Then there was the time they explored the ruins of a nearby town. Kokoro soon began to feel rather anxious at the prospect of what they could potentially run into should they venture further into the unknown, so Mitsuru told her that she didn’t have to come along if she didn’t want to:
This was important because it ties into the running theme of Kokoro simply going along with the plans of her peers, regardless of what she herself wanted. This theme will increase in significance later on because I feel as though it’s pivotal to explaining why Kokoro was so drawn to Mitsuru.
So at this, Futoshi demonstrates more of his overbearing protectiveness and borderline possessiveness by reprimanding Mitsuru for what he said, despite the latter not having said anything wrong or in a rude manner at all. (This possessiveness would be on display again during episode 17 when Futoshi said “My Kokoro”, but I digress). Yet, Mitsuru responds simply by saying how from that point onward, he wouldn’t be able to guarantee their safety:
So essentially, he was saying that he’d bear no responsibility if something were to happen to any of them.
Yet, despite having said this, Mitsuru still went looking for Kokoro when she wondered off on her own, and managed to save her from some falling debris:
Just a small example of his heart of gold, despite his aloof demeanour, because he demonstrated here that he may seem cold and uncaring on the surface, but the lives of his comrades still mattered to him.
Later on, they would meet again at the greenhouse, which would essentially become a form of “special” place for the two of them, as Mitsuru would explain that he often went there to get away from the rest of the group and to spend some quality time to himself:
I’d imagine that Kokoro also frequented the greenhouse for similar reasons, other than to indulge in her love of plants of course.
They started talking about the different types of plants held in the greenhouse and the “Language of Flowers”, which allowed Mitsuru to know Kokoro on a more personal level, something which Futoshi wasn’t shown to have done.
The conversation then switched to the ongoing feud between the girls and boys where Mitsuru expressed his complete and utter disinterest in the entire ordeal. This struck a big cord with Kokoro and she found it very admirable that Mitsuru was able to voice his disapproval of something so easily, because when it came to her, she usually just went along with what the others suggested (like she had done when they explored the ruins of the town).
She told Mitsuru that she found his outspoken nature really cool, because unlike him, she was too scared to say anything to the others:
However, towards the end of the same episode, Kokoro finally found a spark of resolve which enabled her to speak up, and to stop being on the fence about everything. She told the other girls that they couldn’t continue as they were, and that they had to make up with the boys because the things they needed to do could only be accomplished if they all worked together.
Ichigo and Ikuno immediately noticed the change in Kokoro, and commented on how strange it was for her to be so assertive:
And I think a lot of that was because of the influence that Mitsuru had on her following their private exchanges. She greatly admired his boldness and how he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and act on his desires, and she aspired to be a little more like him in that regard. So this was just the first example of her trying to change and better herself because of his influence.
Then, shortly before Nana announced the idea of the Partner Shuffle, Futoshi asked Kokoro if she could be his partner forever, and the look on Kokoro’s face as she gave that short pause before answering spoke volumes:
You could tell that an eternal partnership with Futoshi, despite his good heart, wasn’t what she truly desired. However, she would unfortunately once again allow her fears of speaking her mind to overcome her, and would accept Futoshi’s request, despite her heart yearning for someone else:
So a short while later after Nana made the Partner Shuffle announcement, Futoshi would rather forcefully tell Kokoro that they didn’t need it because they had already promised to be partners for life:
I’d imagine that Kokoro felt as though she was essentially being backed into a corner here by Futoshi, but she knew that her predicament was entirely of her own doing due to her lack of mental fortitude, so she once again just went along with Futoshi’s desires while demonstrating a familiar and despondent smile:
However, when Nana gave the group their final chances to propose any partner shuffles, Kokoro knew that this was her very last chance to follow her heart. And so, despite the obvious ramifications this would have on Futoshi, Kokoro shyly raised her hand, and voiced her desire to partner with Mitsuru:
I’m sure she knew that she couldn’t have picked a worse way to go about riding with Mitsuru, but in that instance, her desire to be with him overpowered any lingering fears of what her peers may think of her due to her actions.
Also, not many things in the series were shown to have caught Mitsuru off guard at that point, but Kokoro’s declaration certainly did:
So during their first true outing as Genista’s pairing, they would initially struggle because of Mitsuru’s severe lack of self confidence due to everything that had happened with his failed attempt to ride with Zero Two, and his general feelings of inadequacy in comparison to Hiro.
He viewed himself as an incompetent pilot whom no one should rely on. Or to put it in more meaningful terms with regards to his and Kokoro’s relationship, Mitsuru didn’t believe that anyone should “lean” on him. However, Kokoro would comfort him, telling him that by no means was he incompetent:
Kokoro not only restored Mitsuru’s belief in himself, but also his ability to put his trust and faith in others. She wanted him to believe in himself, to believe in others, and to believe in her, because she always believed in him:
Her words were eventually able to find their way through the barriers that Mitsuru had surrounded himself with:
And with his faith in others and confidence in himself restored, he and Kokoro were able to pilot Genista back into the fight.
Now following on from this, I think it’s fairly safe to assume that Mitsuru and Kokoro only grew closer from that point onward, as the former felt comfortable enough to ask her to cut his hair, something which is often portrayed as being a rather intimate thing for someone to do in Japan.
As she was cutting, he confided in her all of his insecurities regarding Hiro, which itself was a big testament to how much closer they had gotten. Prior to this, Mitsuru was always depicted as being very closed off and always brushed aside any attempts from people to get to know what was underneath his stoic exterior. And yet here he was now, spilling the beans to Kokoro without prompt.
After further words of comfort from Kokoro, Mitsuru said some rather nice things about her, including how her words made him feel as though he could do anything. Therefore, in what was a very bold and assertive move, Kokoro simply kissed him in response, and she didn’t even hesitate:
Contrast that to how Kokoro was toward the beginning of the series before she started having her personal talks with Mitsuru in the greenhouse. She always admonished herself for constantly going with whatever others wanted and never voicing or acting upon what she wanted. But after showing great admiration for the way Mitsuru wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and act on his desires, she was influenced by him, and now acted on her desires with an assertiveness which greatly surprised both Mitsuru and even herself.
They would continue to spend time at their special place – the greenhouse, and after discussing how important their time together was for each other:
Kokoro once again began demonstrating the boldness which had at that point become characteristic of her, and she explicitly let Mitsuru know of her desire to join her body with his and create a new life:
However, at that point, Mitsuru was still very confused and in the process of mending his relationship with Hiro, and so he was unaware of his own budding interest in Kokoro. Thus, he rebuffed her advances:
However, during a talk with Hiro, the latter helped him to realise the nature of his feelings towards Kokoro:
He was then able to recall the times in which Kokoro was there for him, the times she comforted him, and pulled him up from rock bottom. He recalled the time during their first outing in Genista when she restored his faith in allowing others to “lean” on himself, and his faith in allowing himself to “lean” on others:
This is very significant because during one of their earlier greenhouse talks, Kokoro wanted Mitsuru to “lean” on others because she could tell how much of a burden he was putting on himself by always wanting to do everything alone. But at that point, while his faith in others and himself was still broken, he only viewed this as an act of pity on Kokoro’s part:
However, because of Kokoro’s influence and after all the times she had comforted him in his moments of need, now he was comforting her in her moment of need, asking her to “lean” on him more. Because it was she who restored his faith in others and himself, it was she who enabled him to be able to “lean” on others again, and it was she who enabled him to once again have the confidence in himself to ask others to “lean” on him:
That speaks volumes regarding how much they have helped each other on such a personal level. Mitsuru was the one who influenced Kokoro to stop constantly fearing the idea of voicing her desires, and to start being more bold, assertive, and to act on her desires more often.
Similarly, Kokoro was the one who helped Mitsuru to restore his faith in himself and others. Therefore, with Kokoro being unafraid to act on her desires to become closer and have a child with Mitsuru, and with the latter now free to open his heart to others with a desire to make Kokoro happy, it’s unsurprising that they eventually ended up spending a very intimate night with one another:
And while there will certainly be very large scale ramifications for their actions of clear disobedience, I’m sure that both of them will be more than willing to face whatever consequences may befall them together – It’s ride or die for them now.
Cadet-For-Your-SpaceRescue 