It Was Fun :(

skip and loafer episode 12

Skip and Loafer is one of my favorite mangas. It's a beautiful story about high schoolers growing up and their relationships with one another. I had been wanting to reread the manga for a while, but I realized I had never actually watched the anime! So, I finally decided to watch it, and I was blown away.

Episode 12 was a perfect season finale, and the entire season blew me away. From the beginning, we watched as Mitsumi adjusted to life in the city by making new friends and joining the student council.

One of her best friendships is with Shima Sousuke, a popular, handsome boy. What I love about episode 12 is that we see Shima's character arc hit its climax. Throughout the show, he is a laid-back guy. However, his internal conflict has to do with his constant need to perform for validation.

While Mitsumi is sure of her future, Shima doesn't have a clue what he wants to do because he has always done what others have asked of him. Of all the people in his life, Mitsumi is one of the few who knows about Shima's child-acting phase. She's pretty perceptive when it comes to Shima. Even when many others can't tell Shima is having a difficult time, she can see through his facade.

This scene may look silly initially, but it's Mitsumi's attempt at protecting Shima.

Ririka, Shima's childhood actress friend, went through a rough patch that she blames on Shima. Since Shima believes he is at fault, he is always at her beck and call despite feeling uncomfortable. At this point in the episode, Mitsumi realizes Ririka purposefully sent Shima's mom away. Despite Mitsumi having some moments where she can't read a room, in this instance, Mitsumi knows that ririka means trouble.

The only way Mitsumi can think of warding off Ririka is to strike a pose similar to that of an anteater. It's silly, but it's a testament to Mitsumi's character. She isn't afraid to look weird if it means she can help someone. Throughout the season, Mitsumi was always making little messes, such as throwing up during the assembly and getting called the "big boss" of the school. Despite these awkward moments, Mitsumi doesn't let this get her down; she gets back up and keeps moving forward.

Shima is aware of Mitsumi's resilience. Unlike himself, Mitsumi isn't afraid of messing up. Shima finds himself drawn to her. Out of all the people he's met, Mitsumi is the one that he finds himself reaching out to.

During the season finale, Shima has a monologue that is one of my favorite moments in the entire manga. It's a testament to his character and the foundation of his future development.

Shima's constant need to perform has forced him to believe his OWN ideas and feelings don't matter

Since childhood, he has thought acting would be a way to make his mother happy. Although he hasn't worked since childhood, he has held onto that mentality his whole life. If he gives people what they want, they'll be happy, even if it costs Shima happiness.

Shima is tough on himself despite his "laidback" appearance. He believes his words and actions have no meaning and that he has no purpose if he isn't "performing" for someone else. He even calls Mitsumi and Kanechika "dazzling" and says that they're so far away from him. He doesn't see himself as someone who can fearlessly do what they want.

Although Shima clearly admires Mitsumi, it isn't until his big performance that he realizes what many of his feelings boil down to.

"I know this feeling. It's envy."

During his performance, he engages in an inner dialogue that circles around the idea that Shima doesn't know himself. Did he want his mom there to watch him perform? Does he want to keep acting? Was he glad she didn't stay? Is his lack of confidence the reason he is uncomfortable around girls? "Does it mean I can act if it's for myself?"

At the end of the day, Shima does not know who he is or what he wants. Unlike Mitsumi and Kanechika, who go 100% into everything they do and are genuinely happy about their choices, Shima has no clue what he finds joy in.

"You'll never be one of them."

It's a simple quote, but this is what leads Shima to understand his jealousy. He has separated himself from those he finds resilient, and despite believing he has to put on an act to make others happy, Shima is envious of those who can live freely.

Yes, this way of living may have been "easy" for Shima and may have even made many people happy, but it doesn't work anymore. After meeting someone like Mitsumi, he sees someone who isn't afraid to "get her hands dirty." Even Kanechika, who has succeeded with his plays, wouldn't have been able to get to this point without doing a few awful projects.

To find success, you need to be willing to make a mess and fall a few times. Although finding success is significant and unique, the most important thing is finding what you love and doing all you can to achieve your dream. This is why Mitsumi and Kanechika are so resilient. They understand there will be troubles along the way, but no problem is too big if it means they can accomplish their goals.

Shima takes a step forward to a new way of living by being vulnerable with Ririka.

Shima feels guilty about what happened with Ririka from the beginning, but we see him gather the courage to finally form a boundary. He isn't completely cutting himself off because he genuinely cares about her, but he tells her he can't keep following her down this destructive path.

I can not stress enough how important this moment is. He had spent so long doing what people expected of him because he believed it was the right choice. He was a people pleaser to a fault, but now he wants more for himself.

"I enjoy this school."

This is one of the rare moments when Shima is honest about his feelings, especially when he loves something. He loves his school, he loves acting, and he loves his friends, and he isn’t going to keep being the same person who was once passive about everything.

This scene is just so impactful. Following his inner monologue, where he talks about doing what others want and being jealous, now he can unapologetically say what he feels. This entire sequence is just so perfect.

I may be incredibly biased since Shima is one of my favorite characters, but this episode was one of the best-written episodes I have seen. It was a perfect way to end the season, with Shima finally stepping forward to become his own person.

Of course, he'll have moments when he's clumsy, but the important thing is that Shima is ensuring that he has a chance to find himself.

Towards the end of the episode, we get a cute moment between Shima and Mitsumi, which leaves her thinking, "But today, he seems almost like...a kid?"

I just love these last few moments of the episode. The little interaction between Shima and Mitsumi was too cute and such a nice touch to the season finale.

What I love the most about this scene is that Mitsumi notices that Shima has a more childlike air. It's almost like all that weight that was piling up throughout the season is finally gone, leaving Shima with the chance to spend his high school days comfortably.

All in all, this episode was the perfect season finale! The writing, the voice acting, the animation—everything was just so well done. It truly brought the story to life.

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There aren't enough words to describe how much I loved this episode, but I hope this post at least gave insight into why I love this series so much. Shima's growth is one of the best parts of this series, and this episode begins a new chapter in his life.

I love Shima and Mitsumi so much. Skip and Loafer is one of the best pieces of media I have ever read, and it will always have a strong impact on my life.

retro haikyuu!! 🧡🏐✨ the complete series!

prints available 💫

i just finished watching vinland saga s1 and all i can say is WOW. for starters, this season was so well done; i was hooked from the first episode. the overall theme of war and violence was so well written. as it was stated by askeladd, before it was the danes causing destruction, it was the saxons and others before them. violence is a vicious cycle that, unfortunately, causes its victims, thorfinn in this case, to become just as violent or even more so than their perpetrators.

askeladd's last words perfectly emphasize how lost in revenge thorfinn was. while all the characters in the story move forward to achieve their goals (canute, askeladd, and thorkell), thorfinn is always stuck in his revenge plan. he goes along with whatever askeladd says to have the chance to duel and kill him, but that's all there is. thorfinn has been fixated on revenge for 10 years. everything he has done has been for the sake of killing askeladd. compared to canute who was much like the 6 year old naive, innocent thorfinn, he didn't stay in one place emotionally. after ragnar died, it didn't take long for canute to grow from his loss and search for a purpose in his life. however, thorfinn can not seem to let go. so when canute kills askeladd, all thorfinn can do is scream, beg, cry, and yell. his entire life's purpose is dying in front of him, and there's nothing he can do about it.

the look of despair on his face makes my heart break. despite his hatred for askeladd, the two had a genuine fondness. after all, throughout these 10 years, thorfinn had decided to stick beside askeladd in hopes of completing his revenge. thorfinn's one reason for living, his reason for never going back home, was to kill the man that murdered his father. now he's lost his one true purpose. thorfinn never thought beyond his revenge, almost like he had planned to live that way to the end. who could blame him? he was a child when he started seeking vengeance, and he's still a child now. being able to kill people doesn't change that fact. everything thorfinn has known for the past decade is now gone in the blink of an eye. what else does thorfinn have to live for?

"be a true warrior…son of thors”

this line, in particular, made me so emotional. out of all the last words to have for thorfinn, he chose these ones in particular. it shows the amount of respect he has for thors as a warrior and how he believes in thorfinn's capabilities. under different circumstances, i'm positive that thorfinn could have looked up to askeladd and developed a proper bond.

there's so much room for thorfinn's character to grow. with no sense of direction or purpose, it leaves room for many opportunities to develop his character so much more. although i'm sure there will be many challenges for him, i'm very excited to see where he ends up at the end of next season.

i miss greed island arc so much. it was so much fun watching it the first time. there was so many sweet moments between killua & gon. it just felt like a great adventure!! with bisky being there helping the boys get stronger, they learned so much about their techniques. it’s not as “drama” filled or intense as the other arcs, but i loved watched killugon get closer and learn! just a very comforting arc overall!

akayona has completely shattered my heart in every way possible. from the dragon gods wanting to take yona away from earth to watching the current dragons we love struggle to survive. zeno, kija, jaeha, and shinah are willing to lose everything just to bring yona back to earth, while yona is willing to do the same.

in each new chapter, we watch their love and devotion to one another be tested. there is always an obstacle that threatens to tear apart their family, and each character is putting their life on the line to save one another.

chapter 267 finally brought back hakyona but in the worst way, i could ever imagine. they have been separated with no way to communicate; they have no way to know if the other is alive or not. but right when it looks like yona is able to reach hak's hand, the dragon gods come in to threaten his life.

i have no idea how this series will end, but if anything were to happen to hak in the next chapter, i would feel sick to my stomach. hak and yoon have been on earth with no way to help the dragons and yona, completely isolated from the rest of their family. i can't imagine how helpless they are feeling at this moment.

all i hope for in the next chapter is that hak is safe and yona can return to earth. hakyona's relationship is one of my favorite ships ever created, and i just hope that we can see them back together again, along with their dragon brothers <3

new hakyona art!!

i’m obsessed with this new autumn official art!! the colors, the outfits, the birds, ao in the bottom with hoh! hakyona always look so beautiful but in this art they are SO perfect!!! they look so cozy reading the book together. the overall vibe is just so comforting, i’m obsessed!! AND HAK WEARING THE NECKLACE!!! kusanagi is so talented!!

i love when kyo just puts his head on tohru's shoulder - 50/50 shot of transforming i'm sure

i can't believe it's taken this long for me to watch hunter x hunter...i was missing out on peak

finished reading veil!!! so beautiful and mesmerizing. the art is stunning, the relationship between emma & aleksander is so intimate and genuine. there’s no need to label what they have, just being together everyday is enough. so charming and so amazing!!