#blaer talks

[blaerbear]

This is a really big mood

[blaerofvalenwood]

so i, uh, used one of my kanamari fics for an application to get into a creative writing class at my school and i actually got accepted aksjdakd

[blaerofvalenwood]

I wish ppl would stop joking about Dia and Ruby being a couple bc it's not funny it's creepy :')

[blaerofvalenwood]

me: im fine

me: *remembers festival kanamari UR set exists*

me:

[blaerofvalenwood]

Aqours + Cohesion

With the arrival of the second season, and episode 3 specifically, I kinda wanna revisit Aqours’ cohesion as a group and how I think they’re actually in a really, really strong position rn. And I apologize in advance because this is gonna be a long one.

This feels like an unpopular opinion, but I think Aqours is just as strong, if not stronger, as Muse. Disregarding the pacing of the first season, which was a present issue in BOTH gens, I think Aqours progression into a effective group is actually well done. I wanna turn to Mijuku Dreamer because I feel as though that song perfectly encompasses Aqours:

Being with my friends lets me overcome anything. Things are just getting started, so lets work hard. No one knows what the future holds, but I really want to make it fun. Being with my friends makes me want to push my limits. I want to keep growing. I’m still a novice dreamer.

Aqours IS convincing because their progression to inevitable stardom has, so far, been taken in small chunks. At the beginning, they weren’t always on the same page. For example, the third years had baggage that needed to be worked out before they could function in their roles properly. Even now in the second season, it’s clear they don’t have perfect cohesion, but what matters is that they understand that and want to improve. There is a really important scene in the second episode that highlights this.

They’re aware that they have issues with being on the same page and how that affects necessary processes like creating new songs. But we can see that that self-awareness allows them to improve through scenes like the one in the temple. They work together to keep the roof from leaking all over the room, and after they complete their task, this dialogue ensues: 

Dia: The tempo, the tone, and the volume...

Ruby: They’re all different from each other and out of sync, but...

Yohane: They’re coming together one by one.

Mari: They’re harmonized one by one.

Kanan: And they’re becoming a song.

Hanamaru: So are we.

The fact that they’re all aware of how Aqours is currently functioning proves how effective of a group they really are. In order to improve, they MUST understand what flaws and shortcomings are preventing them from completing their goals. They also need an understanding of the scope of their dreams, and Aqours has done nothing but prove to me that they get it. 

Their goals typically start big (getting to nationals, competing in the Love Live, creating songs in groups with no issue at all) but they’re always hit with the reality of competition and they lower their expectations. The whole concept of turning that 0 into 1, that 1 into 10, that 10 into 100, is really well done because it mirrors what success typically looks like in real life. It starts slow. It’s a grind, and Aqours knows that. 

This is where their cohesion really starts to shine. What makes them so inspiring and pleasant to watch is how they’re willing to work for those small goals no matter how hard they are to achieve, yet they still refuse to sacrifice the cohesion of their group for that success (see S2 EP3 decision to perform as a full group) This illustrates how deeply they care for one another, and even as disagreements arise (and they do with any group of close friends), they care enough about each other to work through them. As they say in Mijuku Dreamer, “Let’s start by baring our hearts to each other. When we do that, I’m sure we’ll see a new light.”

Finally, their cohesion as a group is tied together by the powerhouse that is Chika. I am absolutely enamored with her as a character, and my reasoning is that she is a FANTASTIC leader. Like yeah, she has the same comedic immaturity/stupidity that Honoka had for Muse, but the reality is that she’s the complete opposite of both? Chika has brilliant moments of maturity, and she is far from stupid. What makes her such a potent leader is that she NEVER gives up. 

Her willpower and ability to problem solve easily makes her one of the most dependable characters in the series, and I am constantly in awe of how inspiring she can be. What makes her character so convincing is that while she IS the problem-solver, she isn’t without her own doubts. She gets down, confused, upset, but like a mature person, she talks through it with someone she trusts (with this person being Riko) and she regains her strength. She becomes someone who her friends respect and look up to, a crucial trait within an effective leader (again, see S2 EP3 regarding the orange train)

tl;dr Aqours is a lot stronger than people may think. They deeply love and care for one another, and they all truly believe that they have what it takes to succeed. They will never stop working hard and never stop being there for each other, and that’s what makes them such an amazing group.

[blaerofvalenwood]

[blaerofvalenwood]

@God i rescind my ability to read pls take it back

[blaerofvalenwood]

how is kanan LITERALLY the love of my life