Does This Look Familiar?

I just watched the first 6 episodes of Ninjago Dragons Rising Season 2 that came out in Germany (I learnt some German as a kid so I understood about half of what they were saying) and I'd like to give just one minor early spoiler.

You know how some of us have been complaining for years that for as much as Lloyd's been traumatized season after season, villain after villain, it doesn't really affect his personality or mental stability all that much? Like for the most part, Lloyd is pretty chill, reasonable, wise even, and that's great. I always liked that about him and watching him grow into this person over the last 10+ years has been nothing short of amazing. I'm seriously so proud of the little green dude, but sometimes I feel like the writers are afraid to really dive into the long lasting effects this kind of trauma would normally have on someone's mental health. Probably since it's a kids show and they think they can't handle this sort of thing, although some kids face some pretty traumatic experiences in real life which really should be acknowledged more.

Anyway, they finally did it, THEY GAVE MY BOY ANXIETY!!! 🥳🎉

Like actual panic attacks, he even calls them that! They usually don't last very long and he can snap out of them relatively quickly, but they are handled pretty well and well integrated into the story.

Also, Nya is Lloyd's emotional support (yay Dragon Siblings), like she's been since Hunted or Sons of Garmadon actually. She's the one Lloyd opens up to the most and she's the first to notice whenever something bothers him.

It can be as subtle as a glance, a smile or a touch on the shoulder, but Nya always knows how to comfort Lloyd, and this just makes me so happy

Anyway, this season's been great so far and I can't wait for the rest of the episodes to come out. Sorry for ranting

Lloyd: If you took a shot for every time you made a bad decision, how drunk would you be?

Cole: Maybe a bit tipsy?

Nya: Drunk.

Jay: Wasted.

Kai: Dead.

I found an old Ninjago comic I made back when I was 13 I think. My sense of humour was something else

If you're wondering what Kai is doing, he's sharpening his fire sword. Yeah, this is the fire sword

"save Cole from the goblin"

Screw that. Let my boy Cole date whoever he wants

Dashi: What are your goals?

Chase: To pet all the cats.

Dashi: No, training goals.

Chase: To be strong enough to climb every tree.

Dashi: That's good.

Chase: So I can pet all the cats.

Dashi: Chase, no.

Every Lloyd ship is so unhinged it's crazy when you think about it.

I mean, there's this psycho princess who's secretly the leader of a biker gang and also a cult who wants to resurrect his departed father and conquer the city.

A girl who can turn into a giant three-tailed wolf and is on a revenge quest to assassinate the evil emperor who turned her tribe to ice.

The prince of an underwater civilization who had to battle his evil octopus brother for the throne.

An anthropomorphic tiger man who's also the leader of a cult trying to resurrect an ancient evil after his home land had been compromised.

And then there's frickin Brad at the flower shop

Like you can't make this stuff up 😭

Branch's Poem

Told you this really fits. So I made this little edit to test my theory. Whoever wrote this really knew what's going on. Look:

"Fall came early (meaning early-childhood trauma, also fall has a double sense here. It both refers to sudden change in the season, and falling from above, which physically and metaphorically happened in the mist of events)

My sun was taken (highlighting either the loss of his Grandmother or of his colors)

So I locked myself inside (well, literally)

Restart (him joining Poppy in her adventure)

Fresh start (getting closer to the Trolls while helping out Bridget)

Head start (being the only Troll ready to give out hope, while everyone else became faithless)

Spring (if Fall meant the loss of his Grandma, then Spring means finding Poppy, someone new to love)

Chains become strings (how he found his long-lost voice, thus freeing himself from the chains holding his mind back to the past, and getting back his colors)

Lift up (he lifted up his own spirit)

Lift up (he lifted up everybody else's spirits)

Rise (becoming as one with she who just became the new ruler of their kind)

I am Branch (simple say, though indication of wholeness in identity)

Bloom" (metaphor for growth with the flower symbol, mentioning what happens to branches on Spring-time, but it could also refer to Poppy, of course)