The Found Family Aspect In Wha Is So Beautiful. All Of These Girls Have Grown So Close To One Another.

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.

robin’s backstory is incredibly heartbreaking but so well written. learning the reason WHY ohara was obliterated while also seeing why robin is the way she is. for 20 years she had been hunted by people and the government without anyone to lean on. she lost the library full of knowledge, the archeologists who supported her, and her mother who she had JUST reunited with. she was only 8 years old when she had the entire world chasing after her.

the scholars of ohara had the ability to read poneglyphs that could explain what happened during the blank history. simply wanting to learn more about history is what caused ohara’s destruction. now robin is the only one in the entire world who can learn about what happened during that time. all because one single person is ABLE to learn about what really happened, the world government put an enormous bounty on her so she could be caught one day.

i have always liked robin’s character because of the small moments where it was clear she wasn’t TRULY evil. all she wanted was to get closer to what her loved ones devoted their lives researching. her life has been far from easy, having to run around finding ways to live. hearing people call her a “devil”, saying she couldn’t be trusted when it was all a way for her to live without getting turned in.

the scene where she finally speaks from the heart, shouting “i want to live” is one of the most beautiful moments in media i have ever seen. although it hasn’t been long, but robin has learned what it means to find people who love her. she has a crew full of people who not only care for her, but who would willingly declare war on the world government just to have her back with them.

all those years of suffering, her childhood of loneliness, having to deal with her trauma, have all led to this one moment. now robin can be true to herself. she can say what she truly wants because she isn’t alone anymore. robin now has friends who are willing to protect her.

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

I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE EXCITED FOR A NEW SEASON THAN I AM FOR SKIP AND LOAFER S2!!!! THEY LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL AND HAPPY!!! SHIMA AND MITSUMI LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND SMILING SO BRIGHTLY!!! I CAN’T WAIT FOR S2 🩷🩷🩷

i finished thriller bark!

this arc was so much fun!! the world building is crazy and SOOOO GOOD!!! every arc i love the crew more and more. seeing the scaredy cat trio try to find their way back was so fun. had so many funny moments and one of the best zoro moments! AND WE GOT A NEW MEMBER YAAAAY 🫂🫂🫂🫂🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

they are so in love!

cheolmae

finally caught up on vinland saga. this is a masterpiece. thorfinn is one of the greatest characters ever written. overcoming hatred and devoting his life to peace is so beautiful and inspiring. there is genuinely no other character like him I'm so unbelievably attached to this story. thorfinn is so lovely and hardworking. my second favorite character is hwho'sho's storyline is so moving and emotional. her being able to forgive thorfinn after watching him for 4 years was one of the best moments in the series. just so wonderful. i loved watching thorfinn become more gentle as the years went by. i hope he's able to achieve his dream and be happy forever. i love this series so much <3333

i’m so glad people are finding this & enjoying it!!! i plan on writing more posts like this for other characters in haikyuu and other mangas :)

kita shinsuke: the modern-day philosopher

one of my favorite things about haikyuu is how realistic the story is and how the messages can be applied to everyone. kita was one of the characters i felt impacted by. of course, many of the characters before kita's introduction impacted me, but kita's philosophy deeply affected me.

kita is a character who played the sport diligently but wasn't in it for the glory. although he was raised by his grandma's words, "someone's always watching," he isn't concerned about being praised by others. being able to do stuff the right way is enough for him. before kita, we've been introduced to many characters who are willing to do anything to win and continue playing volleyball in the future. kita isn't concerned about any of that. playing to the best of his abilities and doing it correctly is more than enough.

the importance of daily maintenance is something i will always think of when i see kita. he takes care of his body, cleans up, respects his traditions, and practices volleyball daily. it's a routine he follows every day without fail. to many, this seems tedious. doing the same thing everyday without a break? without fail? without anything to gain from it? most people wouldn't bother to use as much time and effort as kita does for no desired result. i'm one of the many that find it hard to keep up a routine, especially if it requires so much consistency and effort. but kita does it without complaint, without fail, and finds genuine joy in it.

but even though kita didn't care about people's approval, the moment he was offered the captain's jersey brought him to tears. whether he cared or not, his efforts to improve himself did not go unnoticed. all that time he spent cleaning, taking care of his body, honoring tradition, and practicing volleyball led to this moment. but kita never had a goal in mind. being chosen as captain is a high achievement, but kita didn't join the team to eventually have this honor. he did what he believed was the best thing to do, and being chosen as captain was simply the result of his effort.

this panel changed everything for me. i even used this as my college graduation quote because i have such a heavy attachment to this scene.

kita didn't do all his daily practices to gain anything. he did them because it felt right, doing his best no matter what was more important to him.

i have a habit of always determining my worth based on the results. if i don't get a good enough grade, i see my effort as useless; if i'm not praised for something, then i feel i'm not doing my best; if all my efforts don't give me the results i want, i see my time spent as wasted but reading this scene changed everything for me.

the time you spend bettering yourself is more valuable than a result. after all, the only reason you get a good result in the first place is because of your time and dedication to your work. even though kita was emotional about his hard work being seen and rewarded, his goal wasn't to become captain. at the end of the day, he spent all this time doing things for himself.

the little things I do every day might not be valuable in the grand scheme of things; the time I spend dedicating myself to anything makes me who I am. the small, everyday things make us who we are. we care for our bodies, study or work, unwind, and prepare meals for ourselves. It doesn't lead to anything extraordinary, but it does matter. it matters because it's who we are. every little thing we do is a part of us, and the good or bad things that come with it are simply the results of what we decide to do.

kita's philosophy of doing things right because it's the right thing to do is simple, yet it's one of the lessons of haikyuu that has stuck with me the longest. we, as people, believe we need to produce results that have meaning to us, but devoting ourselves to daily tasks is essential to who we are as people and how we live our lives. we do the things we do because they are necessary, and the outcomes that follow are just byproducts.

kita is such an important character to me, and I wish this rant could do him some justice. all in all, kita shinsuke, you are the greatest philosopher of our time.

i’m a sucker for any type of training/festival/games arc. it may not always be the “coolest” part of the series but i love watching the characters interact with one another and face new challenges in order to grow. it’s so much fun to me.