You do realize that sonadow is a pro ship shadow is older than sonic tf is wrong with you
So funny that people are still going with this bullshit rhetoric. Shadow was frozen for 50 years, he didn’t age mentally or physically during that time, him and sonic are roughly the same age in SA2. He is also ageless. I don’t think that Ian Flynn would have made a podcast episode about if sonadow was canon if it was a problematic ship.
oh brother I've been wanting to talk about this but I've been a little skittishly to. I don't want people to feel upset/mad even though I feel as if this is a more lukewarm take.
I don't think 2D is strictly non-binary, despite the seeming use of They/then (or he/they?) pronouns. Damon and Jamie have made this whole things honestly as clear as a muddy puddle....
Here's the SLIVER we get for non binary 2D:
Ok, so... This does not explicitly say 2D is non-binary, the writer has it implied through the use of brackets. I have a...problem, with this, I suppose. What bothers me is not the use of they/them pronouns (or he/they Damon and Jamie don't make it clear here, let's be honest. )
There are so many other identities that 2D could fall under while still using they/them or he/they pronouns. They/them does not mean he's strictly non-binary. I don't have a problem with people who identify as non-binary hooking on to 2D in this way, finally people get a scrap of representation, you know? But, I dunno I wish more people could consider more identities for 2D, the sky is the limit. I like to think of them as genderfluid, honestly.
Getting the actually question of what do I think of non-binary 2D....The statement of use of new pronouns is not an issue at all, like I said, it's actually quite nice get more 'definitive' representation in Gorillaz. BUT I have an issue in the way this was gone about.
Really, Damon and Jamie? A few sentences in an interview and that's it? So far, as of writing this (2/8/2026) there has been no more mentions of this that I know of. It feels...so cheap.
This whole phase does. The minimal use of the characters in the way they were conceived to be being used, like they are the band. We haven't gotten anything fun this phase. No Tik Toks, no interviews with the characters, no twitter or Instagram posts from their accounts...nothing.
What's the point of doing it under the Gorillaz name if you're just going to strip the band of it's original charm? The music has always been the main stable, of course, but the idea of a 'virtual band' is critical to Gorillaz... feels like we've lost sight of that.
and do not get me started on the absurd volume of merch that is being pushed first for the 25th anniversery and now for the new album.
How many damn vinyl variants do we need for something that isn't even fully out yet? Cassette tapes? Currently there is four (vinyl variations) floating around, not counting the limited edition pressing that are going to be at the indie stores for listening parties.
Why the hell are we talking about a deluxe edition of an album that hasn't fucking released!!! Deluxe edition means songs that aren't on the vinyl you pre ordered....oops look like you have to buy another one!
COME ON. I'm so sick of commercialization of everything in general. Endless ads and promotions on every video on social media as a whole.
BUY! BUY!! BUY!!!
That's the point, isn't it?
But Gorillaz has always been this way, to be honest. Motorolla and Apple ads, partnerships with that watch company, converse shoes, windows 9. They've always been this way, but It hasn't smacked me in the face too hard before.
But when they were doing those ads...we had content from them. Murdoc's stupid ass mixology class for example. We've had nothing like that so far. Just the official Gorillaz social medias barfing out new merch and stuff.
It genuinely haunts me, the over commercialization of the love and music and art and the world in general. This rapid tailspin we're all doing into the fiery death of capiltalism
got off track.
So:
-No problem with the idea of non-binary 2D, I think the representation could be great, I just wish:
It was executed in a way that didn't feel cheap and pandering, like Damon and Jamie cared more about the community to be more clear on 2D's actual identity, instead of a small segment in an interview that will probably not be seen by the average joe fan of Gorillaz (yes I believe this is strategic they want their cake and they want to eat it too here.)
That we maybe consider more options for 2D, because I wanna write them as more genderfluid and so I shall, I just...worry about backlash? I suppose.
As for how this identity shift will effect my fics...I dunno yet. Everything I've written is either pre this album or an AU. For my WIPS (of which there are 3 someone please save me) I use exclusivley he/him pronouns because I wrote a lot before this was revealed, I wrote all of TD&SP before this.
I honestly do not want to retroactively comb through my fics to change pronouns, and I'm not going to start using different pronouns for 2D when I'm 10,000+ words through a draft. I'd rather focus on continuing to write rather than retrofit stuff.
For the future, we'll see? I don't really have any fic ideas for this phase, so I will continue to use he/him pronouns in my current and past fics, and will utilize he/they or they/them if/when I write a fic that happens after this reveal in canon. (Siren AU which is hardly off the ground has 2D using They/them but I cannot start that one oh god I need a writing break)
Anyways y'all please continue to find solace, comfort, and pride in this aspect of the character. I just think we all deserved better from this.
If It's just Damon Albarn up on that stage for SNL I am going to loose it. I don't wanna rant too much on my feelings about Gorillaz because I know it won't make any sense rn. But I'm so disillusioned with it right now and it hurts so bad. There's no point in having this album be under the Gorillaz title, you can argue and say it's always been more about the music than the characters, totally. But the characters are a piece of the performance, they are an integral piece in the commentary that Gorillaz is. By not utilizing them, the performance art looses a significant amount of, I don't know performance?
On my knees begging that the music video is actually something
I just find it so rich that Jamie and Damon want to have this whole anti celebrity and anti establishment talk while they pump out merch drop after merch drop and two temporary exhibits where the gift shops is part of the experience. I just, ARG UGH ARGH