This is the weird kind of crossover that will maybe appeal to three people but:
Lego Ninjago and Project Hail Mary has been occupying my mind with parallels and matching character arcs so please just hear me out on this one.
The fire is within him, it’s a part of his mind and soul. He has a passion for the craft and he’s good at what he does, but he isn’t a part of the “bigger mission” just yet. But when an unplanned disaster disrupts his somewhat normal life, he’s dragged to a new team with new stakes and have to change who they are and how they act. He is half forced half manipulated into taking a role he doesn’t want, but they come to accept that it’s important for who they care about. Then he finds new love, and grows to love what he does. Maybe it’s not perfect and maybe he does still miss his old, less dangerous life but this different is nice.
Now tell me which one of them I just described…
I feel like this one is fairly obvious, both are doing the wrong things for the right reason, making sacrifices they deem necessary for the sake of the world. They both forced/manipulated their chosen “saviour” into a mission and role, and while they do show a complex form of regret/sympathy they don’t regret their choice. Granted only Eva Stratt sings Harry Styles Karaoke but I’m sure Wu would be willing to bring back his pilot dance moves. The relationship between Kai and Wu is also similar with Grace and Stratt (at least in the ninjago pilot) with a mix of resentment and eventual love and acceptance. I think they’re both complicated and morally grey characters who put the weight of their worlds onto their own shoulders, while also offloading it onto others in their team when they suit the job.
Okay look I know this one is weird, and this post is way too long, but Kai became a ninja for nya, to save nya, and keep nya safe and alive with a world to live in. You cannot convince me he gave one ounce of care towards the “great balance” stuff Wu was concerned about. And I feel like Grace has some aligning thoughts about his kids. He doesn’t want to leave them, but you know he would want them to get to grow up healthy and happy on a surviving planet. I’d like to think that was what consoled him in the early days of the Hail Mary mission.
Jay + Zane = Olesya Ilyukhina + Yao Li-Jie
Okay if we’re thinking about the pilot episodes specifically then I reckon yeah, these roles would align. Jay and Ilyukhina share some funny character traits I think, with similar sporadic comments and inappropriately timed humour. I think they’d definitely talk to each other so fast no one else would pick up on everything. And Zane compared to Yao share the gentle sternness, disciplined character, and honourable moral integrity. They’re both mission driven and STEM focused. Going back to what makes it pilot episode specifically I think that Kai, despite not knowing the team explicitly well, would care and grieve for these people, provide them with a funeral and try send them off as they would like. And now I know what you’re thinking…
Cole = Rocky because of the earth pun (which would be funny) and last left on the team but let me instead present:
Specifically for two reasons, 1) The deep, beautiful brotherly love between Kai and Lloyd absolutely resembles the love grace and Rocky share and 2) hear me out but the Kai wanting to be the green ninja arc, and then getting to unlock his true potential via saving Lloyd and accepting that he will become the green ninja? Imagine Grace thinking he was alone on this mission and he was solely responsible for fixing this issue but then finding Rocky, another being with the same role and troubles, also being alone and charged with this responsibility. Maybe feeling some odd feelings towards not being the sole saviour but also getting to work and help Rocky, while being helped and fixing this together. I find matching elements there no?
Finally, to my Bloodymary and Lava shippers (the audience of three just dropped to an audience of one)
Ghost = Mutations, Boyfriend = Boyfriend, Gay = Gay!!! I haven’t seen Iron Lung due to me obscene fear of blood but I am still an avid Bloodymary shipper, hence why this analysis with have less comparisons. I like the idea of Cole master of earth and Simon’s relationship with earth/nature being a nice parallel, especially considering the concept of plants (or there for lack of) in Iron Lung and the fact that Cole’s element is rock, dirt, the “lifeless” earth. I also think Kai and Cole have more trauma than they let on, so they suit our traumatised little space blobs perfectly!!
Thank you for coming to my strange little TedTalk, if TL;DR basically in Ninjago x PHM Kai = Grace, Wu = Stratt, Nya = Grace’s students, Jay and Zane = Ilyukhina and Yao Li-Jie, Lloyd = Rocky, and Cole = Simon for some bloodymary content
I WOULD LIKE TO EDIT THIS AND DISCUSS THE SYMBOLISM SHARED BETWEEN THE RED OF KAI’S CHARACTER AND THE RED OF THE PETROVA LINE PLEASE AND THANK YOU. WHILE I TYPE THIS I ALSO REALISE THE ADRIAN PLANET IS GREEN AND RED (well green planet with orangey red bits and then the scene switches to red astrophage but lets pretend the planet is green with red hints) WHICH MATCHES MY LLOYD AND KAI AS ROCKY AND GRACE. BECAUSE THE COLOUR SYMBOLISM OF RED = DANGER BUT ALSO LOVE AND PASSION WHICH IS ALSO THE SAME SYMBOLISM OF FIRE. IM SORRY BUT LIKE THE LOVE AND PASSION FOR THEIR FAMILY/NINJA GROUP VERSUS FOR THEIR STUDENTS/COLLEAGUES/SCIENCE?? AND THEN GREEN = LIFE AND NATURE, GROWTH, RENEWAL, SAFETY AND ACTION?? LLOYDS WHOLE ROLE AS THE GREEN NINJA AND ROCKY’S TASK FOR SAVING ERID?? HELLO?!?
