Episode 20 Hit Me Hard

Episode 20 hit me hard

What Ninjago Means to Me

A sagely man with a bamboo hat walks up to a young teenage boy with brown, spiky hair and a scar over his left eye, as well as a girl who is two years younger with a black bob cut and bright red lipstick.

As a 10 year old girl, I found that intriguing. Little did I know, that would be the start of my writing career. Introduced to me by a church friend on a ski trip in 2012, LEGO’s Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, later simply Ninjago, is an ever-growing fantasy TV show saga of six teenage ninja with elemental powers who defend their homeland, also named Ninjago, from impending doom, while facing challenges of their own. Unbeknownst to me at the time I was introduced, the show drastically changed my life.

My favorite aspect is the platonic relationship between Garmadon and Lloyd. Lloyd is my favorite character, a child at heart and the destined Green Ninja, forced to grow up and sacrifice his youth for the greater good, but a majority of the time, his relationship with his father becomes a weakness for him. Later in the series, villains, like Harumi and Morro, use this trait as a means to weaken him. He reminds me of myself: a pure “cinnamon roll”, and a kind, loving, naive, determined person. Garmadon, on the other hand, was forced to become evil at a young age because of the Devourer, and his relationship with his son brings out the humanity that is left in him. He wants what is best for his child, and doesn’t hesitate to protect him. Later, he is purified by Lloyd’s element. Their reunion is my all-time favorite part of the series. However, their happiness was short-lived, as Garmadon was sent to and killed in the Cursed Realm—I guess I could call it the Ninjago equivalent of the netherworld in Biblical texts—as a sacrifice to save the world, protect his child and make up for his evil past. He is resurrected pure evil in Sons of Garmadon, going as far as almost killing Lloyd in a battle broadcasted to the world while disowning him. Yeah, pretty deep for a LEGO show meant for kids. It’s gotten deeper since then.

This same relationship also inspired me to write fanfiction. After feeling overwhelmed by Garmadon’s banishment in Tournament of Elements, I discovered @firstfandomfangirl’s story on FanFiction.net entitled, Return to the Cursed Realm where he ended up getting brought back. I remember a few years passing after that, and I got extremely hooked with the idea of writing about a previously written work. I decided to write some myself. There are endless possibilities. Bringing back people who weren’t alive in canon, creating alternate endings or universes; those are my favorites. It’s an escape for me. My actual life, way less tragic than the show, is still extremely overwhelming for me. I’d rather not get into the details, because it’s personal. Writing is a way to let my emotions run free, a type of journaling. I’ve even created a fan character to represent myself.

Currently I am one of the lead directors of a 60+ person virtual team of international fans to create a musical about the franchise’s television show, Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. Keeping the work on a project forum allows for us to easily share ideas and documents with team members. We even have attracted the attention of some of the producers and voice actors of the show itself, but I am mindful about copyright and giving due credit to authors and musicians.

Through fanfiction, I’ve gotten to meet other people in the Ninjago community, and I am truly glad to be a part of it. I love you guys!

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