An In-Depth Analysis of Voltron: Legendary Defender

[@audre02]

"How am I the first person who has thought of this?!" A moment later. "Ok, I am not. There is a fanfiction" Best quote.

[@pigeonsatahotdogstand5912]

1:07:44

[@sarahdyclon3093]

I know! Right?

[@nint357]

@@arcaeio9008 If you do find it please tell me, I'd really like to read it!

[@cybersearcher1041]

arcaeio found it yet?

[@pridecat]

arcaeio let me know too, please!!

[@rintintin2363]

when quarantine hits and you watch a 2 hour analysis of a show that literally broke your heart just to be salty

[@Krossxc]

This video has more than tripled in views in the last couple weeks and I can't believe I never realised it's probably because of quarantine

[@sk1b00t]

I am legit here doing the same exact thing 😅

[@uranium404]

when quarantine hits and you watch a 2 hour analysis of a show that you haven't seen just because you're bored

[@alliemae895]

hi hungry i'm dad lmao i thought i was the only one😂😂

[@Eli-rn4qq]

I loved this show so damn much that it's really hard to let it go and not stay salty. It almost makes me more angry that I have these intense feelings because of a damn fiction, but it shows how well they captivated the audience in the first seasons and how well written it was then compared to the latter seasons. Ngl, it honestly feels like they spit on their fans faces because of how poorly it ended.

[@blackkitty369]

You forget that Spiderverse was the same plot of season 8 but 10 times better

[@caguaitodie412]

HOLY FUCKING SHIT, YOURE RIGHT

[@SkyEGofAir]

Oh shit... you’re right. But Spider-Verse is better because it handled its plot elements so much better. We spent time with the characters and got to know them (the comic-style intro scenes helped), there were certain plot elements that were referred to consistently and were relevant up until the credits rolled, the music... I could go on.

[@roxan_1314]

I legit binged season 8 when it came out (informed my friends of the horrible news of how bad the season was) then 4 of us went and watched Spiderverse in theaters that night. It had the 2 of us who had seen the new season going "HOLY SHIT why does Voltron have to suck so much"

[@someidiot6545]

Only ten times?

[@abigailhansen2247]

season 8 and spiderverse came out on the same day. December 14, 2018.

[@MrMoomoomoocowz]

Don't forget the fact Keith was literally suicidal and Lance had died and no one brought it up at ALL :')

[@isabellatornabene6129]

I remember when Keith almost killed himself at the end of a season and I clearly remember the whole fandom thinking about how they would handle that and how the other characters would react. Turns out they completely ignored it, for me this was a huge hint that they show was going down hill. It also made it feel like the characters that we thought were found family, don’t actually care for one another

[@MrMoomoomoocowz]

Isabella Tornabene EXACTLY pissed me off, because people can relate to being suicidal and other hurtful things that happened and they just didn’t handle it well

[@average_atlas5038]

ugh YES. I wish they dived into Lances struggles and we could see him overcome them. Like the near death experience, that could totally mess a person up! Or his insecurities about being on the team, we could have totally seen him grow as a person and overcome that! But it never gets brought up again :) I honestly just wish someone could remake the show, and actually know how to handle good characters

[@okkelly6207]

wait what episode is keith suicidal

[@rosaforest642]

s4 finale

[@Moonstar79]

To summarize: They had us in the first half.

[@hahahelp3725]

yea :,)

[@uberlephrad8218]

Why does this happen so much with modern cartoons

[@icarus9340]

@@uberlephrad8218 Because showrunners don't know when to end their shows

[@cutvdo4775]

@@uberlephrad8218 because the show runners think "yes we hooked are audiences after 2 seasons. now we can stop trying."

[@slevinchannel7589]

I have to say though: Just dont support Netflix. Its not something people should support.

[@jaysailsthesea]

You: talking about Lance and his significant introduction alongside Blue in episode one Me, internally: they did him so dirty they did him so dirty they did him so-

[@jaysailsthesea]

Paola Rodriguez SAME! and he would’ve been such a compelling one, too. In the end it felt like none of the characters mattered at all.

[@imogenbowers171]

Lance was probably one of my least favourite characters but the entire series I was still waiting for Lance to get any kind of development,oh he has low self esteem and uses humour and bravado to cover it,too bad we're gonna ignore it,oh he loved this character from the first episode,let's make him the rebound and then make him lose her and forever have a physical reminder of her.Like bruh,give the dude a break.

[@nox4539]

People were also extremely attatched to him because he was the most relatable of the characters. Many people arent extreme tech wizzes or are angsty sword fighters but a comical teen dude with some self confidence issues and a few character flaws? Theres an ambiguity to lance's character that people related to and drew people in and then the show just stopped his character arch. It was so disappointing and theres a reason so many people loved lance was bc they all saw a little bit of themselves in him in a show thats completely fantastical and thats why they loved him. Same goes for me thats why im so mad that they screwed him over so badly.

[@jaysailsthesea]

Ahhh Ahhh my thoughts exactly. lance was so close to my heart and his treatment by the show was a huge blow

[@ashketchup1850]

dear god I was so angry with lance's role in voltron I swear- they use him as comic relief and like the person they can bully. While lance is funny and he does really funny things, he also has another side to him I love that I also feel that wasn't explored enough. Yes, he does have a character development but I feel it to be smaller than the others and also the creators of the show completely brush over some major things that happen with lance that would have been a fun plot to see. He gets the sword upgrade in his bayard in ONE SCENE, and then it's brushed away and doesn't appear again. He basically hecking DIES and it's all brushed off once Allura revives him. Remember the game show episode? he's the dumb one in the show and that gets me so angry because lance is my favorite character and I want the other paladins to appreciate him more instead of just treating him like some annoying person they know. Also, lance is the strongest swimmer of the group and we get one episode where he swims. I would've liked to see more of that. Sorry about the paragraph, I'm just so mad that people can't recognize a valuable character in voltron and I love lance to death.

[@yerijen]

Pidge and her family had an arc that lasted several seasons about the importance of family... yet Lance’s only arc was his relationship with Allura. Wondering how they never stopped and focused on his insecurities with the team that he expressed several times throughout the show..

[@pilummurialis6490]

You should see how terrible of a person Bex is (Pidges VA)

[@NKC228]

Bruh they literally skipped Lance's insecurities and dealt with them "OFF SCREEN", same how allura got over lotor "off screen"

[@yerijen]

Space Emo Cosplay lol i know they were the worst and they were so rude to some fans when they shopped kl

[@pilummurialis6490]

@@yerijen they're a complete hypocrite

[@Valentine-jo7ls]

Space Emo Cosplay could you give some more details? i remember hearing about things bex did but i don’t remember what.

[@aweckzs]

"THE ISSUE ISNT THAT THESE GAY CODED SCENES EXIST, ITS THAT THEY ARE NOT GAY ENOUGH" BEST QUOTE THANK U

[@ladygrey4113]

+

[@chailaatea]

truer words have never been spoken

[@thewingedcheetahwolf2615]

I LOVE THIS QUOTE SO MUCH OML

[@Pinkhitman]

After hearing it i was like... “someone had got to quote this.. i bet its close to top comment.” And i was right

[@min_nad]

Literally half the show in a nutshell

[@Nomarura]

I am still not over how Keith literally attempts to kamikaze himself at one point and? No one ever brings it up a single time again? You’d think that kind of thing would come up, worry the other paladins, but no?? They don’t bring it up again??? Way to be a family guys

[@ladymimi2873]

Exactly! I would've expected at least Matt to say SOMETHING, since he seemed to be the only one who noticed that Keith was going to kill himself? But it's like Keith never bring it up again

[@joudmasaad6402]

EXACTLY. that made me so mad, he was about to kill himself. that’s a BIG deal! like- the chemistry and the relationship between the paladins are so bland and bad. family my ass. its like they weren’t even friends

[@sara-vf5xz]

The whole found family idea they set up in the first couple episodes was just completely fumbled imo. They're suggested to be extremely close but lack real substance in their individual and group relationships. The only exception is like... Shiro and Keith I think. He touches on this at 1:08:59.

[@marymohr2799]

They act more like extended family that begrudgingly meet up every thanksgiving and inevitably end up arguing, or at least giving each other pointed stares while someone has a break down. Not at all like an actual, loving found family.

[@m_y_o_j_o]

Wait- which episode did that almost happen in?! It’s been so long I can’t remember that happening

[@kyischaotic]

Really love the life lessons I got from this show! Like: 1. Solve abandonment issues by reuniting with your mom, becoming distant with the friends you DID kind of make, then never addressing them ever again! 2. Insecure? Feel like you're the weakest link on the team? Express this to your team on MULTIPLE OCCASIONS only to have it be completely ignored and never worked through in a healthy manner!!! 3. Someone you KNOW is insecure? Totally abandon them in by leaving the team to magically solve the problem!!! 4. Scared of asking out the person you've loved since you met them? Confess to them, start dating, all so they can go on to DIE and leave you mourning for the rest of your life instead of ever moving on from someone who never showed an interest in you in the first place!!! 5. Homesick? Bottle it all up inside and tell no one! 6. So your homie just MC FUCKIN DIED huh? UNEXPLAINED ALIEN MAGIC WILL BRING THEM BACK! 7. It's totally okay to attempt to recklessly sacrifice yourself! Don't worry! No one will call you out on it after! Or ever mention for that matter! 8. Treat PTSD by DYING then having your consciousness transferred into a new clone body! and of course... 9. KILL YOUR GAYS. BECAUSE FUCK THEM AMIRITE?!?!

[@hirahiro2331]

Beautiful

[@throneisbed7833]

Can confirm no. 8 works like a charm! Ever since I died and transferred my consciousness into a clone body, my ptsd hasn't bothered me since! I definitely don't have violent panic attacks when I so much as hear that one particular name any more, highly recommend, better than any other coping mechanism. Become a clone today!

[@Yassified_Shoto_Todoroki_]

@@throneisbed7833 I can back this up too! My ptsd has disappeared ever since I died and had my consciousness transferred!

[@darkmatter9651]

can we get a ten just to make it even? 10. Do you know that someone has been severely traumatised and abused by their father figure? Compare them to their abuser then kill them with fire! (literally)

[@kyischaotic]

@@darkmatter9651 how could i have forgotten that beautiful life lesson, thank you :’)

[@beausodemann1451]

on the topic of the "poorly handled gay Shiro" topic, you mentioned a viewer who hadn't heard of the gay Shiro confirmation wouldn't have any way to know he and Adam were in a relationship. I can prove this for you because, while I would consider myself a pretty big fan of voltron at the time, I didn't use any social media at the time and didn't watch voltron videos online, and I did just assume that Shiro and Adam were friends because there was no romance in the two scenes that involved Shiro and Adam. I also stopped watching season 8 after episode 1 so I didn't even find out Shiro was supposed to be gay until a youtuber I was subscribed to made a video about how voltron's ending was terrible. point is, I'm living proof everything you said about the execution of Shiro's sexuality was right

[@sayeedatosinowo5951]

I agree with you so much here. I literally had the same experience, I thought that shiro and Adam were friends and then at the end of season 8 when he got married to that guy, (who I think should have gotten a name, but whatever 🤷🏾‍♀️) I was SHOOK. Like I was thinking about it for days! There were no signs that he was gay whatsoever!!

[@chailaatea]

And you know, beyond that, Adam wasn't just Shiro's boyfriend... Adam was Shiro's fiance. The show handled that relationship really poorly and to think that a detail as big and significant and revolutionary as an LGBTQA+ engagement, in one of the main cast being added on as an additional "plot" point was, just awful to see. Not only that but the show could have made the death waay more significant then it did by, in the scene where Shiro did his whole speech about the lives they were going to save and the people we lost in the show they flashed an image of the general and didn't even have the decency to flash an image of Adam... It just makes that whole arc feel really undeserved, and I feel like the writers gave up on the show because of the whole Klance thing (which was just wrong in every sense of the word, but I was still routing for klance, but that's not relevant) and as a result, we got a "patchy at best" rendition of an LGBTQA+ relationship. ~also the video was amazing and it was soooo nice to see another more factual (rightfully leading into anger) viewing of the show because I completely agree with everything that you said, amazing job :)

[@fictthecreator7083]

Beau Sodemann Same here. I wasn’t on a lot of social media at the time, though I had heard some shipping him with Keith, I didn’t take any of it seriously, especially since people seemed to be ignoring the fact that Shiro was much older than Keith. Even so, as I was watching, I thought it was such a goddamn shame to kill of Adam in the flashback. We get to see ALL of the other paladins interact with their family, especially during the Earth arc, but Shiro (and admittedly Allura, post ship-destruction) is the ONLY one who doesn’t have anyone waiting for him back home! Just think about it! It could have been such a great character moment, with this man who always has to be the adult of the team, always has to be strong and stable, finally able to relax and show a bit of emotional vulnerability...but NOPE. Adam is just DEAD. No emotional development for Shiro here!

[@ladygrey4113]

@@sayeedatosinowo5951 Seriously, you wouldn't know Shiro was gay if you didn't have outside info until literally the last seconds of the show. Listening to die-hard fans not acknowledging the crappy writing with "oh don't you want him to be happy?" is so annoying.

[@ladygrey4113]

@@chailaatea They were engaged? How would we have known this from the TEXT of the show? Now I really am annoyed with the creators.

[@GamerSlyRatchet1]

In terms of how they handled LGBTAQ representation, I was baffled by how they handled Zethrid and Ezor. Like, the show gives them a couple of scenes where they're affectionate with each other, then they seemingly kill them off, which is already in bad taste because of what happened with Adam. Then we get an episode where Zehtrid apparently survived and tries to get revenge on the heroes...except it's because Ezor left her? And then they get back together with barely a word from Ezor? It felt like they kept Ezor dead, but then retconned her into life at the last minute as part of their "olive branch" to the LGBTAQ fanbase. It was so clumsy and poorly handled.

[@littlebears]

that, my friend, is called the 'bury your gays' trope and it's absolutely disgusting

[@stariate6215]

They didn't even have the right voice actor for Ezor in s8

[@strawberryspikes]

GamerSlyRatchet1 yeah!! Isnt she only there for like ..... one still frame? Like she’s not even moving as far as I remember but I could be wrong

[@marshplaylist]

they did it for money n brownie points. lm and jds didnt care abt proper rep at all lmao

[@cheddarchee8438]

I actually forgot they made them gay until I read this comment.

[@idigamstudios7463]

"Pidge, best girl." Ah a man of taste and culture.

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

Idigam Studios, yes!

[@nati614]

Indeed

[@11mkfame42]

This is true

[@shelbysnow1288]

Pidge is my favorite because I'm non-binary and I have no idea what to refer to Pidge as and I love it.

[@Monie71793]

@@shelbysnow1288 She's a girl. They literally say "she" many times after she tells the truth.

[@Moonstar79]

*Allura:* The red lion will not easily bond with you! *Keith: bonds completely with the lion in two minutes* *Allura: also later bonds with the lion without doing anything*

[@Nopeasaurus]

Allura: "The bond between you and your lion is unique." Season 3: Everyone swaps lions like its no big deal.

[@adamchristopher6917]

Green and Yellow: lol, yeah no.

[@oldmoneyglory]

@@Nopeasaurusfr it felt so forced

[@androdino5074]

I don’t think I’ll ever get over how they literally just shoved Hunk aside and made him a fat joke. Like, I really, really loved Hunk at first. He seemed like an interesting and sympathetic character and I loved the whole balmara arc. But seeing how they treated him afterwards, it feels like they kinda just forgot about what he was about and just turned him into a comic relief character. I will never stop being angry about this.

[@justjoannak]

Agreed

[@fridafg7280]

Coran is the best character, they never changed him

[@Vivigreeny25]

"Coran, Coran, the gorgeous man!"

[@odie0225]

Seriously. I stopped watching after the episode in season 4 where he takes the brain drug thing that makes him obsessive over the Voltron talent shows or whatever. I knew it was just a temporary drug but at that point I realized that the writers had fucked with every single character that I liked, and if Coran wasn't safe, no one was

[@OReily08080]

Sydney Mabry I kinda disliked Coran for that mainly bc of the accent

[@joudmasaad6402]

yes! and the fact that he never got to say goodbye to allura is just

[@artbysarf]

Also not to be all "aS A wOmAn!!" but as a woman, watching Allura seemingly unwillingly agree to date, then go out with, a guy who she clearly hadn't been interested in for 7 seasons was...kinda...gross? I dunno it felt like she was a reward for Lance's "character development"

[@Krossxc]

Yeah, I wish I had mentioned this. She gets so much romantic coding with so many characters that she feels less like a person and more like an object. Her death did not help this.

[@RoyalKnightVIII]

Exactly and it's pretty clear in rewatch is that the date was supposed to reveal that they are not a romantic couple, just friends and that's how it should be. Allura is clearly not over Lotor & Lance has clearly never actually considered how Allura might feel or want. There's even a mock patriarchal interview that's setting up that this will Fail. Hell Pidge is hinted that she's starting to realize that she has romantic feelings for Lance as she's weirded out by their date and even gives up a videogame that means the world to her... and Lance, since they bonded over it. Notice that it's her robot that spies on the two. Woof

[@stella_le]

i feel like this is a bit of a mischaracterization of allura and lance's relationship - he started out weirding her out with cheesy pickup lines, grew out of that come third season, and then genuinely connected with her, resulting in her consistently going to him to vent or be cheered up. their romance was badly written, because the whole show is, but to write him off as a patriarchal fuckboy and allura as a Strong Independent Wonan does a disservice to both their characters and plays into a lot of racist tropes about black and latino characters.

[@RoyalKnightVIII]

@@stella_le Sure he started to have more genuine feelings but they never grew beyond his own desires. Allura was clearly never interested in him in that way so having her just get with him at the end comes off as weird, it made more sense when it was intended that he get over his possessiveness over her. The way that episode is set up it's clear that the writers were subverting the expectation that he "get" the girl. Hell Allura was still not over Lotor, and who can blame her ;)? That storyline was also derailed since the writers clearly had something planned for Lotor's hidden colony that just never went anywhere. He was supposed to come back and then he and allura would've come to terms I'll argue that there as no romance between Allura and Lance until the date subversion episode that got rewritten by the execs. Hell Pidge was hinted at developing romantic feelings for Lance in that episode.

[@Krossxc]

@@stella_le Who are you replying to?

[@violetviruss]

I gaurentee 98% of actual lgbt+ fans saw the queer rep as offensive and lackluster. I saw no praise for it especially when it first came out. I loved this video, you have an amazing knack for critique and I was engaged 100% throughout. Amazing job :)

[@fandomenthusiast6441]

As a bi person who watched every single season of this while it was coming out, I definitely thought so :/. If anything, I saw more criticism about it than praise, especially because of Adam's death a few minutes of screentime later

[@HawaiianGirl808232]

As somebody who saw the response on Tumblr when the show was airing, you are right.

[@fandomenthusiast6441]

@@HawaiianGirl808232 same lol, I was on tumblr a lot when watching the show

[@KariIzumi1]

I initially thought it was all toss invented by bitter antis if I'm going to be quite honest. But a year later, when entirely new fans that -blessedly- somehow missed the wank and drama are coming into the fandom and missing that Adam and Shiro were engaged, I can admit my anger with that side of the fanbase with the harrassment campaigns and completely inexcusable death threats colored my perspective. I'd also hoped that perhaps younger kids could take something away from Shiro, if only for those measley 5 seconds at the end of the series, but so far, it doesn't appear to be the case. I did give the writers the benefit of the doubt because I assumed there'd be no way they would open themselves up to that criticism without any kind of payoff at the end. If not for the absolute howls of anger out of the fanbase, we wouldn't even have gotten that token five seconds in the epilogue. And I'm so very sorry I didn't hold these assholes' feet to the fire because that marketing around Adam _was_ shitty bait and gays have all the right to be angry about that.

[@fandomenthusiast6441]

@@KariIzumi1 Exactly lmao. I think personally the death threats made by people were... Wayyy too over the top for anything, let alone because two characters didn't end up together. I've heard Keith and Lance were supposed to get together- just because, looking at official art and hints here and there, it just.. Makes sense to me, I can see it. A lot of people could, but I guess they didn't take it there, so in the end it did definitely feel like they baited us, though I can understand that that was not their intention. I've seen others argue that "Shiro being gay has nothing to do with the story", and how "we don't need rep in a kids sow about space robots", but when it's only confirmed outside the show, they missed an opportunity (both for LGBT and not) to have characters form a healthy relationship and grow together. Looking into how JK Rowling messed up Harry Potter, it just.. Gives that vibe at this point, looking back at it.

[@diyagore1784]

I wish you had talked about the implications of lotor and his arc. You know, the part where he was a survivor of abuse, then turned into a villain then DIRECTLY COMPARED TO HIS ABUSER, all of which was treated without even a HINT of irony. WHAT THE FUCK

[@hirahiro2331]

lol Yeah, I was offened by that...

[@katara_grayson]

They wasted all of lotors potential. It could have been a zuko redemption arc but instead he's used, killed off, and forced to be a pawn by the one who birthed him

[@darkmatter9651]

To be honest, Lotor is a very complex character. He is my favourite for a variety of reasons, but mainly because his whole character and relationship with zarkon, his short lived relationship with allura, the episode white lion in which he fails to fight the lion are all a mix of abuse, self-hatred, finding comfort in others to cope with your problem who understands you and the way that you feel, hating your ways but still subconsciously reverting back to your same mistakes, and season 6 practically undid everything that was building up for a shitty plot twist which only barely had shock value and that's all? Not to mention how allura compares him to his father - she KNOWS that thats his weakest point, and uses it against him willingly, pointing directly at his trauma. The thing that I noticed too, or rather the way I interpreted the whole thing is that he was in for an alliance perhaps to manipulate voltron in the begging, but he then got attached to allura and that backfired when shitty plot twist for shock value happened. In conclusion, He was then brought down to 'hes like zarkon' when his character could have been something like 'no, hes not like zarkon, even if its his son' the whole thing about not judging someone by their parents, but for their actions which is funny because HE SAYS IT. LITERALLY.

[@darkmatter9651]

@@katara_grayson Literally. That is exactly what I felt like should've happened

[@johnnygyro2295]

I personally prefer Lotor as a villain, but it might've made more sense/ flow better if Team Voltron worked with him first to kill Zarkon and put Lotor on the Galra throne, then he betrays them on his terms to make it more painful and threatening. Whether he dies or redeems after that, I'm not sure. Somewhat off-topic, I'm surprised the Altean Empire from the other universe never showed up again. TLDR: If I were to do a Voltron show, I'd only do 3 or 4 seasons. It'd be shorter but flow better in theory.

[@KokeshiAudrey]

Dude, that graveyard scene with Pidge broke me. Every time that scene played (I've watched the show 10 times over now), I cried just as hard as the first time I saw it. Even knowing what was going to happen and knowing her brother was alive, seeing her absolute devastation of finding out someone she loves is....gone forever. It hits on a very personal level, which adds to your point of Pidge being the best character (for me as well) because of her relatability and the raw emotions/reactions shown through her character arc. And I agree, it seems the writers had a missed opportunity not going into her agency as a Paladin of Voltron being greatly affected from the death of her brother. I don't see enough shows that properly convey or even discuss the process of of struggling with grief from losing a loved one and how it can change one so negatively, sending them into a depression and losing their sense of purpose for anything in life. But that's a different rant. Pidge is best girl

[@veesbian]

Dude, Agreed. I usually don't cry on shows, but I teared up the first time I watched that scene, even though I could tell there'd be a twist.

[@isaacstevenson2960]

Me too. First time I watched that episode, I felt so damn bad for her that I just wanted to leap through my tv and give her a hug. Thank god the show threw a curve ball because the scenes and episodes with Pidge Matt and Sam are some of my favorites of the whole show.

[@SeaMarble]

yes I BAWLED, you could even have pidge THINK he was dead then figure out he was alive through the resistance later... something she might have not learned if she stayed in her rut, OR she could have gotten more focused on saving her dad cause' she failed saving her brother. a bit like a darker version of Appa being taken in avatar the last airbender.

[@queenberuthiel5469]

This is literally me. That scene sticked with me. It's just...raw.

[@KariIzumi1]

NGL, this was one of the very few things I've ever seen the fandom unite around was how heartbreaking that scene actually was, and Bex Taylor-Klaus really did a great job in their performance. It's a shame Pidge stopped developing as a character from that point, but it was absolutely an S+ tier moment for this show.

[@yuvias8999]

Pidge was literally the only character with a satisfying character arc. Change my mind.

[@littlebears]

i personally think if explored further, lance would've had the best arc of them all. pidge annoys me predominantly because she (and keith) had too much character development and hunk and lance had little to none.

[@yuvias8999]

@@littlebears I mean I love both Keith and Pidge's characters, but I know what you mean. They all deserved to have good arcs, but sadly legit nobody did besides Pidge.

[@JHayes-lh7uv]

Personally, hers was the least satisfying to me because of how everyone else’s character arc was handled. I don’t think she even had an arc? Just a goal to reach. And she reaches it, but she doesn’t exactly learn anything in the process. She gets both her brother and dad back from the vacuum of space, and then they are dropped like hot rocks. Pidge never becomes less prideful, less self serving, or even a nicer person (she’s pretty rude and awkward to everyone) and get everything works out for her in the end. She never even struggles with her technical knowledge even though she shouldn’t know anything about alien technology or how it works. She just picks it up on the fly. After she gets her family back, she becomes boring, and kinda just there in case the castle shuts down or something. I don’t know. I think what would have made it better is if she had lost one of her family member in this whole thing. Yeah sure, yay she gets a happy ending but look at everyone else. Shiro is just tortured and has no family outside of the one guy he married at the end. Hunks parents get sent to a camp. Lance loses his grandmother and girlfriend. Keith well....had his character butchered. It just bothers me that even though Pidge had an “arc”, she’s not the least bit interesting to me.

[@littlebears]

J. Hayes that’s exactly why i dislike canon pidge

[@stariate6215]

To me, HUnk had the most recognizable and canonically fleshed out character arc, he went from being hesitant and afraid to become a courageous leader.

[@sutyet]

you just make me realize that the thing that frustrate me the most about voltron is that they take my adored family-found trope and ripped it apart and spit on it :(

[@Valentine-jo7ls]

Exactly. The whole theme was about found family and it ends with all of them separated.

[@marichatismynameandladynoi1990]

Fr the chemistry between the character slowly fades throughout the show

[@BatdadIsBestDad]

You have recommendations for the trope? :"D

[@sutyet]

@@BatdadIsBestDad She-ra or Kipo in netflix to forget the pain :'D and if you are into anime watch natsume and the book of friends, mob psycho or gintama, I swear the last one invented the found family trope, I don't have proof but neither doubt.

[@fudgesolo6352]

I am honestly way too excited to find a 2 and half hour long analysis of a children's cartoon a year after the show's initial end Thank you for blessing me with your content

[@Krossxc]

Your reaction is exactly what I hoped to generate in people while making this video. Thank you for assuring me that I have accomplished my goal.

[@fudgesolo6352]

@@Krossxc No problem! Your analysis was awesome. I love these style videos and I was pretty bummed to see that there weren't too many videos like this for Voltron, and the ones that do exist are rather short for me. So I really enjoyed listening to the entire thing.

[@nati614]

Kross I mean this appeared in my recommendations on KZbin a year and a half after the ending and heck I’m here, I really enjoyed the video!

[@min_nad]

Tbh same

[@PJ-jb5bm]

Funny enough your analysis of Allura helped me appreciate Aang a little bit more. Just remembering how he befriended and saved so many fire nation villagers, despite the for nation literally genociding his race.

[@sebaschan-uwu]

But that was because aang had been to the fire nation before the war, and had made friends there so he knows/believes that the fire nation are normal people too who are under bad leadership. Allura didn't really have that so she has no idea whether or not every single galra is as bad as zarkon. She would probably like to believe they aren't but since most of her and the group's interactions with galra are bad, she can't bring herself to trust any of them. So keith being half galra actually works out well for her arc because keith is already someone she trusts. Then she has to come to grips with the fact that she can trust someone who is galra and that they must not all be loyal to zarkon, therefore not all evil. Her initial negative reaction to keith makes sense, because all this time she thought he was a human, but turns out he comes from the enemy, it would feel like some sort of betrayal or like information was kept from her. But I'm glad it only lasted like 3 scenes because it would be stupid if she didn't immediately get over herself. And this eventually leads her to be able to trust galra people like the blades of marmora and lotor

[@vic6091]

I feel like alluras reaction to initially learning about the death of altea was calmer only for it to shift in the next scene having her alone and finally dealing with the grief. It would help to bolster her status of a princess who would have been trained to handle things diplomatically but isn't immune to the feelings

[@maya1675]

Voltron; the Legendary Offender

[@min_nad]

HAHAJSHS OMG THIS IS GOLD

[@ShayanneNicholas]

this comment deserves a gold medal

[@zzz43344]

Ba dum tsss

[@ratticusthewinion]

someone get this man a medal.

[@azulBjort_1406]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣....................PREACH🤚

[@kou7191]

Allura's death was questionable to me because not only did she recreated all realities but was even able to manipulate time so Altea was never even destroyed in their own reality, at that point she was essentially God and - taking into account all the 'bs magic' she has already done, like you pointed out - couldn't do something simple like reincarnating herself and/or her dad and the original paladins. She literally revived every single being in the multiverse so 'you can't revive the dead' was long thrown out the window. The finale was drama for the sake of drama.

[@nyabis8044]

Kou Also the fact she said “You can’t revive the dead” despite doing it twice on screen!! Shiro was dead. Lance was dead. Now they’re both alive because they’re Allura. It’s almost like it’s Fullmetal Alchemist but at the end of the series Edward revives everyone who died along the way and they survived happily ever after.

[@Guess-ky2ir]

Allura is a Mary Sue confirmed

[@gustavopereira4924]

My Theory... : ik it's gonna sound kinda funny... But who brought Dalbazai and Altea back was the witch(since it was in her "wishes" thing)... The only bs Allura did was Altean Lance.... ;/

[@calamaria9221]

It's even worse when you learn that the writing team hated Shiro and originally planned to not bring him back

[@Krossxc]

I mean, if they were able to go through with their original plan, as The Sin Squad mentions in the video I'm sure you're referencing, both he and Keith would have been WAY better characters

[@thevarietychannelofyoutube4769]

I also hated Shiro

[@min_nad]

Wait what

[@Valentine-jo7ls]

Tbh I wish Shiro stayed a real part of Voltron because once Allura started piloting the blue lion everything kind of feel a part

[@Lunabell-thecatlover]

(Controversial opinion alert!) I don't think Shiro should have been brought back, it ended up feeling like Keith finally got some character development, but then he immediately gets an out and takes it. We got what, like, five episodes of Keith in charge? I just feel like they could have done a lot with him in charge, but just, didn't.

[@HeyItsNovalee]

Holy fuck can you imagine how great it would have been if each of the lions and/or paladins had their own personalized theme? Or better yet if each lion and Paladin duo had a theme individually but they were scored in such a way that they clearly sound better together and that could be played in the moments when the bond between them is at its strongest. One of my favourite things ever is when a show or game or movie gives its characters specific themes or even sounds that belong to them, like how in Steven universe piano and a classical style is associated with Pearl and only Pearl, and Steven gets 8-bit and old school video gamey sounds. This works beautifully during the fusion scenes when the themes are a mix of both gems’ associated musical style. Voltron’s soundtrack would have been a perfect place to do something like this.

[@Nopeasaurus]

I know this comment is 2 years old but I appreciate how you chose to point out something literally no one here in the comments have mentioned. It would have been so cool to hear a special soundtrack for each of the characters. Keith's theme could been loud and rebellious, Shiro's could have been serious and contemplative (maybe a little dark for Clone Shiro), Allura's could be sweet sounding and a little whimsical, Pidge's could be energetic and upbeat, Lance's could be playful and bold, and Hunk's could be cheerful and hopeful. And then when they combine into Voltron, each of their musical themes contribute to the transformation. It would have been genius.

[@HeyItsNovalee]

@@Nopeasaurus haha omg thanks for responding! I totally agree, it would have made that voltron transformation scene that got so repetitive and annoying feel so epic every time. Especially when characters got swapped around into new lions, they could have done that character’s theme but in the new lion’s sound font. Also changing up shiro’s theme ever so slightly once he came back as clone shiro would have been such a cool detail that would have had people theorizing even more. Like putting it in a minor key or giving it a new harmony or something. So that it’s the same melody but just darker, like you said. Man what a missed opportunity honestly 🥲

[@this.is.fine.]

​@@HeyItsNovalee woah, this such an amazing idea! i never even thought about this til i read your comment, but now it really feels like a missed opportunity. You already brought up an example, and I can add one: the How To Train Your Dragon score did this too (In case you're interested, the channel Sideways posted a pretty cool video about this, just analyzing and dissecting the music)

[@louisecamillesauvageblanch6994]

I totally agree !!! I'm a big fan of OST (I literally listen to my favourites without context) because when well done, they're actually the heart of the series/movie/whatever. I mean, Star Wars is just as famous for its music than for its plot ! Besides, if you're not motivated, you can have one theme, and decline it for all emotions ! Come on, guys !

[@kaydreamer]

I am one of those people who has never watched Voltron, who just sat through two-and-a-half hours of you talking about Voltron, because I like your breakdowns of animated media THAT MUCH and could feast on them forever. It’s also brain food for an aspiring graphic novel writer who wants her work to NOT fall into any of the writing traps you describe. Please keep doing what you’re doing.

[@kaydreamer]

Something I’d like to add - I feel the chaos and vitriol in the fandom HAD to have played into the drop in quality Voltron experienced. Being screamed at and threatened by fans watching your show, told you’re an unforgivable pedophile because of romantic tension between two adult characters... (Which probably played into the distance you mentioned between Keith and Shiro in later seasons...) That has to take an emotional toll. I know if I were faced with that level of hatred and bile, I’d just want the show I was writing to be over already so I could move on. The passion for writing it well would be so much harder to summon.

[@salamatusuleiman2393]

I guess we're in the same boat then as amateur in writing

[@cheddarcheezit2647]

Same tbh

[@allurajane4979]

“This is the final product we ended up with and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Me: What? I definitely would “Okay that was a lie but it makes for a good ending line okay?” Lmaooo

[@KariIzumi1]

Allura Jane 😭😂😭😂😭🤣

[@Azurephoenix13x]

Yeah, that was like the one joke that actually landed for me. It definitely deserves a chuckle.

[@svnrosie2418]

most of the original writers (allegedly) left voltron between the end of s2 and the beginning of s3, and i actually think it is true. the characters just become so inconsistent with their personalities in prior seasons, like they are being written of basic descriptions like "the funny one" or "the serious one". the most clear example of this i think is allura, who as you mentioned, started off as the leader and strategy-creator of team voltron, and ended up just... basically losing most of her matureness,dedication to defending what's left of her legacy and common sense. she really be doin whatever the hell the writers thought would come off as "clever magical bs explanation and solution". as to why the original writers left... well that is a whole another story of accusations of mistreat against lm and jds. i have to applaud your final work though, i just finished hearing the whole thing and there was not a moment where i wouldn't scream "I KNOWWWW". i subbed, and look forward to more analitic content!! :)

[@pheela]

It's not even allegedly, we know from credits that a good chunk of experienced writers and crew left after s2 and then almost EVERYONE ELSE also left after s6. The executive producers also wanted to leave due to burnout like everyone else but decided to not be quitters. There are several interviews where they describe begging and bribing for one or two original other crew members to stay post s6 with them. What is hearsay is that they threw out the series bible at some point and documentation was very threadbare throughout the show. They have also described dreamworks executives coming in several times demanding that shiro be brought back and then coming back and demanding shrio return in like 3 episodes, not 4 seasons like the second plan dictated. No wonder everyone burned out and character arcs fell apart.

[@strawberryspikes]

At some point recently I made a realization that the reason I love these characters so much isn’t because of the writing, it’s because of the fans who breathed life into their friendships. Comics, fanfics, art, etc. Onscreen they hardly act like a close group of friends past like.... s2 or 3. I love the versions of these characters that fans came up with rather than the actual canon show lol

[@marymohr2799]

Imma be honest, I've seen complete strangers treat each other with more genuine interest, compassion, and general goodness then the Voltron characters in the end

[@tuopsy]

you know your show is bad when your fans are the ones hard carrying the story 😬

[@blueberrycrepes]

Voltron and Rwby fall into the “carried by fans” category of fandom

[@r1cklain]

@@tuopsy on god man, but the concept had so much potential!

[@queenberuthiel5469]

@@r1cklain That's what I've been saying about these shows that didn't aged well but I still genuinely like. The potential and the concepts not utilized at best. Ugh.. It's all sayang/wasted.

[@whispers342]

im just gonna say it, lance was EASILY my favorite character. easily. i love the idea that there were layers to him beyond the stupid pick-up lines and ego, and if the groundwork that was laid for him was elaborated on later in the show, he could have been a killer character. i think he was done so dirty by this show and I will literally never forgive this show simply because of how they handled lance. i of course have tons of other problems with voltron, but this will always stand out to me as the worst because of how the message that lance's character could convey was totally trashed and forgotten by inconsistencies and bad writing :(

[@mirza8857]

THIS. lance was set up to be one of the most relatable characters of the show; the majority people in the target audience couldnt relate to losing their family, being imprisoned and forcibly becoming an amputee, etc. but they COULD relate to self-esteem issues, depression, and using arrogance as a coping mechanism. so, so many teenagers could latch on to him, and project their feelings on to this character the fact that they didnt develop his issues properly, and never even addressed them beyond isolated incidents, really destroyed his potential.

[@unirorgage819]

I get you , Lance is a great person and deserved the whole world BUT I hated how he really didn't have so much screen time , cause if he did the show would have been more wholesome.

[@Scarlettt343]

Im really upset about what they did with Lance. They didn't do anything with how he uses humor as a mask, hell I see FANFICTION do better. They treated him as a joke, a f boy, Someone who is just stupid and sexist and Nothing else, yet over the series he grew as a character and became Someone KEITH relied on, only to again be treated as a joke and be given a pointless relationship just for the purpose of hurting him. I loved seeing his relationship with Keith grow over time, they started out hating eachother but slowly started to confide in eachother and Lance showed his people skills. They never fully addressed this. Its upsetting

[@graysoncarter3017]

Does anyone else genuinely learn a lot about storytelling, plot, and characterization from these types of videos? Like I feel like I took a lot out of this and it will definitely effect my writing. I subbed

[@whalesharko4465]

Yeah, I could go anywhere for hate on a show, I come here for ideas and to fault my own writing whilst getting constructive feedback on mistakes I share with Voltron y'know?

[@graysoncarter3017]

@@whalesharko4465 exactly. Same thing with the character analysis videos. There's a really good one on Azula from Avatar the last Airbender thats absolutely genius, I don't know if this is the same guy that made it, but if your trying to write villians/people with extreme trauma I would recommend it 100%

[@whalesharko4465]

@@graysoncarter3017 is that the one called the phycology of azula? I LOVE that one

[@graysoncarter3017]

@@whalesharko4465 YES oh my God it's such a good video I watched it twice

[@chloevaughn9755]

Lol makes me feel like a show writer

[@kayhaych05]

They sidelined Shiro. They sidelined the best character in the show. They sidelined the main character in the show. I’ll never get over it. I’ll always be angry about how they treated him. After all he’d been through, all the trauma and suffering. He still came out the other side a good person and he was easily my favourite character. Bsudhejeje they did him so dirty

[@teasis2309]

periodtttt 😭

[@Valentine-jo7ls]

They screwed over all the other characters besides sort of Pidge just to do some writing gymnastics to make Keith the new main character

[@lilliespianoprog]

They also sidelined Lance, in season one he was actually like interacting, now he's just at the side and filling in whatever random things they're doing.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Shire was suppose to die originally.

[@haleywing3444]

Shiro was actually Supposed to die to my knowlegde after season 2, when he disappeared but there was some people jn production who wouldn't let them kill him permanently. So the writers "sidelined" him because he wasn't supposed to be there. He was never supposed to come back but because he had become a fan favorite. He was forced to be rewritten into the show.

[@gnufnagem3942]

this video is 2 hours long. this probably took you months. and you aren't even charging people to watch it. its free, on youtube. thank you so much. coming from someone who loves voltron too, I don't even think about clicking on videos like this that are recommended to me. I will certainly watch this entire video. because we are in a time of quarantine, this video really made me happy. thank you so much :)

[@Guess-ky2ir]

The fact that this comment is from a month ago scares me, I forgot that we’ve been in quarantine for this long

[@gnufnagem3942]

@@Guess-ky2ir LMAOO ikr like i've been in online school/quarantine/social distancing since january. i haven't seen any of my friends in 4 months. wow. hope your staying safe:)

[@humanperson2775]

@@gnufnagem3942 my school stopped in march but my friends are already hanging out with other friends bc yay murica freedom. I'm kinda upset at their ignorance while I'm still stuck at home.

[@gnufnagem3942]

@@humanperson2775 aww yea i do think that people who continuously go out at times like these just for fun is a bit selfish. i honestly loved it at home. i started quarantine school around end of january and just started school again two weeks ago. felt so weird omg. hope your okay. stay safe:)

[@humanperson2775]

@@gnufnagem3942 My school starts up again in august and it probably won't be safe to go to school even 2 months from now, but I'm scared that school will open back up anyway and I'll end up catching corona. I'm in Texas where most people disagree with the quarantine 0.o

[@MeBeCreepy]

Voltron walked and stumbled so shows like She-ra, The Dragon Prince, and Kipo could run

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Except shows already walked and ran before voltron.

[@louisecaron2500]

and avatar

[@sthirukk]

@@louisecaron2500 no Avatar was literally soaring by the time voltron came out

[@Gemstones1000]

She-Ra do be the G.O.A.T

[@BatdadIsBestDad]

Okay but saying voltron walked is kinda gentle, voltron never left the ground 😂😂😂😂

[@joudmasaad6402]

The saddest part is that this show had SO MUCH POTENTIAL, such a tragedy tbh

[@luxurylune]

Hi, I’m late, but I also wanted to bring up the point of the missed potential between Lance and Shiro. Shiro is literally Lance’s IDOL, and one of the best moments in the show in my opinion is in the pilot where Lance hesitates before shaking Shiro’s hand as he realises that his arm is cyberkinetic, since it says so much with so little. During the whole Kuron situation, I would’ve seriously appreciated it if Lance was suspicious of Shiro because of his behaviour, if he had to question someone who made him want to be a pilot in the first place. Honestly one of the most unexplored dynamics in the show and one that seriously deserved WAY more attention and development.

[@miatorres964]

Oh my god yes!!! When I rewatched it I realized they interacted so much more in the first couple seasons (before Shiro just completely stopped acknowledging him in exchange for Keith) and I had completely forgot!! Bc the show just abandoned their dynamic at the top of season 3

[@slevinchannel7589]

Though: Netflix? Millions unsubscribed; and that obviously not for no reason.

[@notbubblystarters05]

I honestly thought Lance would end up becoming like his idol. As in this would be a good show for the underdogs in the very first episode proving everyone wrong and he becomes a fighter pilot instructor so now HE'S the one kids look up to in the next generation. Learning from Shiro and all. TvT WHYTF IS HE A FARMER??? You got one cow and a favorite flower and suddenly that's your destiny??? WHAT!???

[@Miles_Phantasmagoria]

I dipped prior to season 3, but I feel like there’s a decent enough story beat where Keith, who knows Shiro best as a person, & Lance, who idolizes him the most, put their heads together & figured it out. A mystery arc, since the show wanted to be so serialized. Again, don't know whats going on, simply basing off of S1 & most of S2 dynamics & plot

[@annabellek3813]

"Kurtis" Me: He has a name?

[@SandyTheDesertFox]

Only in the credits 😂

[@donnamitsuki281]

Yup

[@annabellek3813]

SKLADJSDFH MY KZbin IS CRAP SO I DONT HAVE NOTIFICATIONS BUT THIS IS THE MOST ATTENTION IVE EVER GOTTEN LMFAOFDKSDFK

[@antonio_090]

My same reaction 😂😂

[@lightish3754]

Yeah and it's spelled 'Curtis' which just goes to show how little information was given to the audience. I only know that bc of his entry on the wiki which is barely a paragraph long btw

[@Pooky1991]

I love how fanfic writers can tell better story arcs than the creators of some properties

[@Kakuyawolf3456]

MLB*cough cough* Chat Noir\Adrien, Alya Ceasere( I don't know her last name) Nino Laffie Marinette HERSELF!

[@JamesSchulte]

It's how shows like RWBY stay alive

[@sharkygum2221]

I strongly feel that one of the reasons Keith manages to be a fan favorite while disappearing for practically half the show is because besides pidge he’s one of the only characters that’s emotionally written well. He’s seen as hot-headed and lonely within the show, but that aspect of him shows his emotions and struggles. seeing a character in Voltron struggle with emotions and seeing his reasons for said emotions is refreshing when half of the other characters that are supposedly important don’t get a well shown emotional struggle. He may not be as relatable as Pidge since Pidge not only has a relatable problem but also shows “fun” and “positive” emotions. Within humans comedy and problems are common themes, but Keith sometimes is only his problems. But he at least has more emotional moments than Lance, Hunk, or even Allura. and sure Allura has her moments, but like you said in the video they don’t let her focus on the fact that her whole race (besides coran) is gone. sorry if any of this is incorrect, i first watched voltron 3-4 years ago and im just now starting to rewatch it lol

[@FaithBetta]

You totally brushed over the fact that Keith was going to kill himself for everyone but Lotor came just in time. And then it was never mentioned after that.

[@Krossxc]

I literally forgot that happened when making this video just like the show

[@xiaorina]

can someone explain the context like what is this about and why do I not remember this

[@ShawntyL]

My dad used to watch Voltron with me, and when Shiro married some rando at the end he was like, "When was that supposed to happen?" He hasn't seen any fanart, interviews, fanfic (obviously), or any fan-made theories, so if an oblivious audience member can't tell if a character is gay then I don't think you can state that they're gay. My dad didn't even know who the heck Adam was, and why Shiro was mourning over a plaque of him, how can you write a character that is so inconsequential that an audience member can't even remember a seemly "important" part of someone's character?

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

Shawnty L. , I LOVED that your dad watched the show with you. I understand his confusion. Man I didn’t even know Adam died and that plaque was Adam’s until I saw a fan make a review after that episode about how abruptly they killed off Adam. Here I was waiting on their reunion and they made their relationship so forgettable.

[@Nomarura]

Shawnty L. My dad also used to watch Voltron with me, but toward the end of the show I had him stop watching. He was still in season 3 or something but I figured I’d shield him from the pain of how far it deteriorated

[@aisha5156]

Wow your dads actually normally talk you you guys and are involved? Lucky.

[@OReily08080]

Shawnty L. I saw my dad watching it, and the I started after him. I was goin to ask how he liked the show, but I’m glad I didn’t

[@Fun-K-Board]

I wanted to introduce my parents to more shows I like, after showing them Avatar, but, I figured that they might get annoyed if I refused to show them the later seasons. And, my parents are big supporters of the LGBTQ+ community (especially since both me and my eldest sister are apart of it), so they would probably be really pissed at it.

[@spooperdedooper]

This was the perfect video to listen to while drawing. I especially loved the part where you analyzed the presentation, because i had never actually noticed how boring the scenes look until now. Also how the hell did you sit through this entire show 3 times over you madman

[@Krossxc]

This comment made me pump my fist in the air and go "yes!" because this is exactly what I hoped people would get out of the video.

[@allurajane4979]

Fr I’ve heard of ppl rewatching seasons like season 3 and 4 together to see what it was like to watch what was supposed to be only one season and I couldn’t do it

[@Lunabell-thecatlover]

I hadn't noticed how boring the presentation was until the later seasons. There's a new show on Netflix though, the animation is just sooooo good. It's called "Glitch Techs" you should really check it out, very interesting premise.

[@spooperdedooper]

Cali Swan Oh, I’ve seen Glitch Techs! It’s super good, and the animation is awesome! I love how expressive Miko is!

[@chloevaughn9755]

Omg same!! I literally was drawing Korra kissing a cabbage,,, don’t ask,,,,,,, Okay, I found the image accidentally and I had to draw it.. Sksk

[@Kamarazalmanx]

god the relationship between lance and allura was so horrible and i was disappointed because i SAW IT COMING, they are th types of characters i would've loved to see in a relationship, but they were so horribly written, the fact that lance kept confessing his undying love 4 her only to be left on read until that last scene where she preferred to go die for no reason was the cringiest thing ever, and both characters deserved better, all did

[@min_nad]

YESYESYESYESYESYES

[@Guess-ky2ir]

Also, I wish they had a slow burn of Allura slowly falling for Lance (let’s be fr, the thing came out of no where), I feel that it would’ve been a lot more accepted and loved by the audience. And they should’ve killed Shiro off in s2 and if they wanted to kill of Allura, they could’ve had her sacrifice her life for someone, idk

[@Valentine-jo7ls]

Like they had development for Lance and Keith that was already well received. They could have literally just taken that wedding still frame and made it Lance and Keith and they would have gotten way less backlash for the weird writing since at least they would make the endgame between characters who had some screentime and development together

[@royalcryptid9983]

​@@Valentine-jo7ls Honestly, this. They could have subverted expectations with Keith and Lance, it was all laid out. From a story telling point of view its appalling how they didnt catch the undertones that THEY themselves were writing. And along with the querbaiting, killing off Allura and Adam, redeeming abusive characters, etc, well....they really dug their own graves

[@Valentine-jo7ls]

royal cryptid exactly, it’s like they hated their own characters

[@Espy-Ninja]

Another thing that bugged me with Keith so much was similar to what you talked about with PIdge and 'kid showers'. The fact is a lot of kids have missing, or absent families. A lot of kids feel abandoned by their parents for one reason or another. I didn't like how Keith just kind of kind seemed to bond with his mom...granted it was over '2 years' but it felt so FORCED since it didn't feel like 2 years for us the viewer. Not to even bring up, the problems Keith had shouldn't just go away. Nor should his mom just be forgiven. She might have left for a good reason but that douse not change the pain Keith went through because of that chose.

[@alyssamarie8124]

One thing I want to say about Shiro's queer "representation". I feel it would be better for the creators to say to fans, "We won't be writing a character that has not been shown as queer for SIX SEASONS, because it wouldn't be proper representation." I feel that is less offensive than the crap that went down.

[@pheela]

@Renai Circular Motion Did you reply to a wrong comment?

[@PlagueBunny]

It’s pretty amazing how a show you use to love so much, becomes nothing to you. All because somebody forgot how to write.

[@fandomenthusiast6441]

The characters still hold a special place in my heart. But the show itself upset me.

[@gremlininblue2601]

Same

[@greenleafelliot6585]

I agree. I loved the show so much in the first 3 seasons but soon after that I started to see more and more problems until season 8 where I realized that the show had become something I wasn’t enjoying anymore and wasn’t good.

[@gremlininblue2601]

@@greenleafelliot6585 Yeah, I really liked the first few seasons but it declined sharp and it declined fast

[@NeonGearbox]

Good God yes

[@molinagrn65]

To see more analysis videos trying to look at Klance legitimately instead of brushing it off with short sentences means a lot to me, as well as analyzing the controversy with Shiro and Adam. I salute you good sir.

[@jakeswierdfriend7204]

*SEES TITLE* *VIETNAM FLASHBACKS* Oh this is gonna be just great

[@MsWinxmusa]

_Here we go again_

[@miyukinaara7306]

Lotor had so much potential and it hurts me how dirty they did him. It was an incredible premise and we watched, like Kross said, 3 seasons of Lotor devolving into what he never wanted to be, his father,only to be slapped with ‘he only wants power’ BS. Having Lotor realize that he was falling and begin to gain everyone’s trust back would’ve been incredible

[@purcios]

im so devastated abt how they treated lance and hunk.....i usually gravitate towards comedy relief characters because they're the ones i relate to the most so it's flat out disappointing when they get little to no character development :(

[@unirorgage819]

If they had more screen time , the show would have been more wholesome and funny.

[@Sesshimy]

Not gonna lie I can't find a point i disagree with. Especially with the way Lotor was handled. They set him up like Zuko almost (abused prince hated by his father, banished for whats really a non issue like talking out of turn/running a colony without being a total dick, at some point is trying to be a better person) then go full "lmao no hes actually evil" via being in the throws of a mental breakdown after Allura said he was more like his abusive father than she thought ( which is a total dick move imo considering he literally told her about a massively traumatic experience caused by Zarkon). They then proceed to constantly try to push that he was totally an asshole while simultaneously showcasing how he was neglected and abused literally from the day he was born onward. It was confusing and honestly made me more angry that that's the way they chose to end him. If they wanted Lotor to be evil they could have shown more of when he was doing those experiments and nOT show him as an precious little child who gets punished for just wanting to know about his mom or getting punished for being a decent person instead of a tyrant via being forced to watch his colony and friends get MURDERED. With the final fight with Lotor they straight up caused the war to get worse because Team Voltron couldn't cool their shit for a second and think about what the consequences may be despite the multiple times Lotor tries to be diplomatic. Allura shot first. (I also don't recall them ever putting it together that Honerva may hate them because they literally kILLED HER SON) An utter crap ton of people died as a result and they didn't seem to fully grasp that for a while. Whenever I think back on the writing it makes me honestly sad.

[@Krossxc]

It's weird how I legitimately feel bad for Lotor not because I sympathize with what his intentions ended up being, but because he was essentially corrupted by Zarkon and especially by the writers. He didn't deserve that.

[@AcuTWST]

I'm happy to see someone actually standing up for Lotor instead of shitting on him because he "hurt Allura"

[@Sesshimy]

Lotor *does a kinda fucked up thing for the sake of the universe while simultaneously saving the altean race. The race people forget hes half of Lookin at you allura* Allura: so anyway I started blasting I do think the colony plot was stupid though and I by no means condone sucking the life out of people. But it felt like they just wanted a twist to stir the drama pot and a last ditch attempt to go "oh ye hes the villain" I will die on this hill for this specific purple space elf ;w;

[@SandyTheDesertFox]

Lotor as a character makes me so mad. It's like they set up all this potential and went 'haha but wouldn't you rather see Allura make out with Laaance thooouughh??'

[@fightingmedialounge519]

To be fair the writers seem to think he was still complex even after the reveal.

[@nuggetwings5932]

Fam don't get me STARTED on the awful lesson Allura and Lance teaches to young kids. Lance throughout the show is constantly flirting with Allura being blatantly unconsiderate of her feelings. She is consistantly uninterested and rejects him. And then she just.... ends up in a relationship with him??? What???? Lesson tought: If you keep pushing something even when you've been told no multiple times, it'll eventually work ("Hi I like you wanna date?" "No" "please? Im a nice guy" "no!" "But im sad and not like other people! Here's a pun! "Ive said no" "now I am asking in a public location where people force you to agree. Will you date me?" "I guess I have no choice!" These're some rapey vibes tbh-)

[@fightingmedialounge519]

But blue lion.

[@mixafx]

And they always play Allura to be a “strong female character.” If that was the case then as a strong female character she should have told lance no . And told him to stop . Bc it’s so fricking clear from the beginning that she does not like lance .

[@fightingmedialounge519]

@Cp.Raspberry the bad message is not stopping when ask you to period. That's definently something you shouldn't display in a relationship story.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

@Cp.Raspberry I never said it had an obligation, just ufourtanate implication. You can make a story about a hero rapist. Doesn't mean they wanted that to be the message, but it still looks bad.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

@Cp.Raspberry just like a show, or it's fans shouldn't be suprised when other people find its attempts at romance to be creepy depending on how it's handled. It's all matter of your own personal boundaries.

[@hisoka4595]

Lance was done so dirty. Not only did he never get a good character ark like the rest of the characters, he was also treated like crap the entire team. It seems like in every episode the team always calls him "stupid" and or "dumb". Not only that, but they barely tried to show him overcoming his insecurities and becoming more confident. Not to mention he freaking DIED for Allura, and the event was completely unaddressed and Lance was acting completely fine after. It just made no sense. This all made me mad, but the season that got me the most fired up was season 8. He had dreams and aspirations to become a great pilot, and they made a FARMER. Of course, the young Hispanic boy is left to be a farmer, because his only use in the show was comic relief and to be a love interest to Allura. How stereotypical is that??? Everyone else on the show gets a badass, cool ending (excluding Hunk of course :() and Lance gets to be a FREAKING FARMER! I'm still in shock over it, I thought Voltron would be a more progressive show, but it wasn't. To me, it only seemed like Pidge, Keith, and Shiro had a good ending. It wasn't perfect, but it was still good. Hunk was left to be a cook (literally what was the point of him going to the Garrison?) and Lance, the Hispanic boy, is left to be a farmer. Great job, Voltron writers!!!

[@yerijen]

honestly hunk still got a good ending since he ended up a chef and that’s what he enjoyed doing! so really only lance got an ending that’s out of character and doesn’t make any sense! truly deserved better

[@hisoka4595]

@@yerijen Oh yeah, you're right! Hunk loved being a cook so I guess Lance was the only one to have a bad ending D: and Lotor of course 😔

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Except gun wanted to be a mechanic not a chef.

[@daddy_.rome0]

I believe the reason he wasn't a pilot any longer and decided to become a farmer was because being a pilot led him to voltron, to allura and after she's gone maybe he didn't want to be that curious explorer anymore. Just a theory, still doesn't change the fact that he was treated like shit throughout

[@fightingmedialounge519]

@@daddy_.rome0 that makes krosses point even worse.

[@perkuu6937]

MLP did “friendship defeats all” better than voltron did.

[@crystallion1269]

Screw that, MLP did FOUND FAMILY miles better than anything Voltron could’ve ever dreamed of. Granted we’re talking about a show that’s literally got friendship in the name, but I always loved how their friendship was genuine, realistic and nuanced (and emotional issues are ADDRESSED, unlike Voltron, who treated anything traumatic like mild nuisances past S4 I’d say) and they got to pass on what they learned to others. MLPFIM was legitimately goat (even if it drew out a bit long and had its respective flaws) and I will fight people on this. Thank god a show genuinely handled friendship well in the last decade

[@AkizukiSakura16]

The hardest part of all of this is on a completely personal level for me: my father and I watched the original when I was little (I'm thirty) and he passed away recently, unexpectedly, at 54. The original went well beyond being a staple of my childhood, and watching the reboot start so strongly and then devolve into that mess hits hard on a completely biased, personal level. I agree with every point made here, and have watched this video at least four times now. I was never able to put my finger on WHY the remake upset me so much, and now I can, thanks to you.

[@alyssal.3300]

I don’t think anyone actually remembered Curtis’ name. Like, the Wiki Fandom page literally says that his name was only mentioned once in the subtitles. And it makes me so sad every time I make the mistake of rewatching the last episode.

[@e.k.o5412]

1:22:24 i was surprised you were going at Klance with a charitable angle and even implying they were intending to imply romance but then i remembered that before the show took off that the storyboard team were posting their Klance fan art looool

[@NKC228]

Lmao if klance were a hetero couple nobody would've doubted that they're romantically coded Their relationship is more gay than Shiro

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Most shippers assume rivalries are coded with romance.

[@NKC228]

@@fightingmedialounge519 Bruh they literally mirrored allurances "romantic" scene but were even more romantic lol But yes there are many hetero couples in shows who start as rivals > friends > lovers

[@fightingmedialounge519]

Bruh, characters having close moments together doesn't mean romance. The klance people are more then likely the same people who ship iron and cap, naruto and sasuke, or any other foil dynamic.

[@NKC228]

@@fightingmedialounge519 In that case shay/hunk and allura/lance lose few of their romantic scenes. Because the same shit happened to klance but klances "isnt romantic" because they are two guys and not hetero

[@nickjobs8637]

I’m surprised for how high quality your content is for how many subscribers you have. It’s very entertaining. I hope you continue to make more in the future.

[@Krossxc]

I plan to. Thank you

[@vildeaadnevik1446]

I find the relationship between Lance and Alura so lackluster and almost disturbing. Thats because i though this was a Luke and Jessie situation. A jokester younger boy having a harmless crush(not love) and flirting. Allura was almost the boss and a role-model and generally more mature. I feel like the relationship went from harmless flirting to real love in a matter of seconds and i was left confused. It went from 0-100 way to quick and they generally don’t fit together. More like a older sister younger brother relationship.

[@chipsleftwing]

1:38:48 Hi, instrumental performance major here, yes the main theme is a pretty good orchestral song both in sound and in theory, but I can confirm it gets *so annoying after the 10th time played.* You're absolutely correct with the LoZ Guardian theme example, by the way. If they saved the Voltron theme for special epic moments, the tune would leave much more of an impact. And this is more of a personal preference, but I think the show could've benefited from a more prominent soundtrack with a more 'spacey feel', stuff like custom synthesizers.

[@rkart221]

I’m not even a fan of this show, I’ve watched the first episode and enjoyed some fanart but it ends there. Despite knowing barley anything about it I have to say this was an easy watch for me and I’m sitting through it very well. This is due to your amazing entertainment factors you included while making this. The well thought out points, the subtle jokes and just quality of voice and structure made it so even someone who knows nothing about the show can find vast enjoyment, good job!

[@Krossxc]

It's super nice to hear that people are enjoying my content not just for what I'm talking about, but for what I personally bring to the experience.

[@rkart221]

Kross mhmm I know they must take a long time but these are the exact kind of well structured rants I, and many other artists (not to say I’m much of an artist but still) find amazing to watch and listen into through drawing. I’ll certainly share this sort of stuff dsgdhjs

[@randmsextra5066]

Season eight was practically my death, so I watched theories, summaries, and crack vids to support my life

[@fandomenthusiast6441]

same

[@hobbedgoblin10]

so i kinda had an epiphany, since i was exposed to voltron when it first came out at the tender age of 12 (i’m almost 16 now) and steven universe at even younger, 9, i can see why i used to wallow in sadness instead of actively doing things to improve myself and feel better, because that’s exactly what my favourite characters were doing uh oh

[@whalesharko4465]

Oh, shit, I had the same thing, that's awful, I can only hope the films I watch will teach me otherwise

[@Hikares_Draws]

I honestly was so disappointed with Lance's Arc because if you notice on the first season it seemed like he was gonna have a pretty important character developing throughout the series with how much attention they put on him since he was the first one to find the blue lio but as the seasons passed on we barely got to see anything from Lance. They throw some stuff here and there but idk I felt like it was kind of eh. he started as this boy who was chosen to be a pilot out of luck (even though he didnt really acknowledged it) and they could have done so much just with this. I really wanted to see more of Lance in a more serious matter and yeah Imma go ahead and throw out the Avatar comparison with Sokka xD Sokka was one of the main characters in Avatar as well and while we got some parts about him we managed to see his growth in such a nice way, struggles and insecurities when it came to be a nonbeinder feeling useless sometimes or when he was doubting himself during the eclipse when he started to compare himself with his father. Meanwhile on with Lance: when he kinds of connects with Shiro's soul but for some weird reason nothing happens and they kind of left that on thin air. I felt like they would had deleted that and it wouldnt had affect the plot in anyway. It was kind of frustrating specially with the ending they did for him. This kind of threw me off because it's so out of character for someone like Lance. I understand the whole thing of loosing someone you love and relieving the pain by somehow commiting to what they left behind but it shouldn't have just stayed there. It felt like Lance abandoned everything else he's been trying to prove since season 1. But yeah i want to believe that he got over allura'sdeath and he came back to be a recognized pilot xD

[@Kakuyawolf3456]

I was so pissed at Lances Chacterazaton....MY BABY

[@lily_quaun9676]

I don’t think that The real Shiro would have let Keith go in season 4

[@verdantyrd7728]

Came for the steven universe bad writing video and staying for the in-depth, passionate analysis you’ve shown for this one. Can’t wait to catch up on the past videos you’ve done, and looking forward to those in the future!! You really deserve more subscribers man

[@cutiepie120048]

Same

[@ysodora8030]

Me, still crying about the lack of emotion on Keith’s departure and reunion in s6, more likely than you think. Also that clip where he walks right past lance who has his arms open for a hug!!! 😭😭😭it just kills me. GIVE THE BOI A HUG!!!!! Both of those emotionally repressed bois need lots of hugs stat.

[@gray6117]

Everyone in that show needs a hug I swear to god they did al of them so dirty

[@chloejohnson3230]

Dude it literally pains me. Especially after the emotional development both of them had together, the fact that he totally walked past lance as if he hadn’t been gone for like two years is insane to me. The writing makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever and I can’t believe it

[@sophiehelena6737]

one thing that has always bothered me: HOW DOES CONTROLLING VOLTRON WORK? like are they doing a hivemind thing bc never in hell are the coordinated enough in the beginning also imagine being in any lion that is not the head id throw up theres that

[@MakiraKotsubaki]

Sophie Helena oh god yes, I’ve had the same question since S1. How does green and red lion even work for the pilots?? They’re literally staring right at the ground half the whole time????

[@Valentine-jo7ls]

Exactly. And past Voltron and the show Symbiotic Titan could have been easy inspo for them to take from since they explain that but they just never do?

[@Aurora-313]

Whenever I tinker with writing Voltron, I change it that they're five humanoid mechs, sort of bastard babies between Gundam and Evangelions. They're powerful on their own, but faction controlling all five can conquer the galaxy. Cause honestly, Voltron as a unit makes no sense. If it was a series of mech models that could conquer the galaxy - THAT makes more sense to me.

[@ziimulhah3223]

I think it's something to do with the fact that the Lions are already somewhat sapient, and bond with their Paladins, so when forming Voltron, it extends to every member of the group at once, biological or technological.

[@benjaminhaines7145]

if I had a nickel for every time the best character was green and short I'd have two nickels - Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[@Krossxc]

if you know, you know

[@Kakuyawolf3456]

I laughed XD

[@tamannashaikh2865]

Wait, what other character is green and short?

[@dipdop7262]

@@tamannashaikh2865 Peridot from SU

[@tamannashaikh2865]

@@dipdop7262 oh.

[@milaclaus5413]

i am so tired after watching this because i've just been screaming "YES, THAT'S EXACTLY IT, THANK YOU" to the screen for the past two hours. this show used to be a big thing for me a few years back and it still pains me how much they fucked it up. great analysis!

[@samcresp5440]

Shiro was my favourite character to begin with. I know most people prefer Keith/Lance, but Shiro struck me as the one character with real emotional depth watching the first two seasons. I was coping with a lot of my own abuse at the time so I instantly connected and recognised the subtle PTSD references. I’m deeply sad though that they never continued or approached the topic after the first few seasons as they tried to bury Shiro as the main character. When the team interactions and general sense of comradeship disintegrated with all the side plots and nonsense, so did Shiro’s role as an effective character. I will forever hate the show for burying his weak sexuality reveal, for burying the serious themes of PoWs, PTSD and loss of bodily parts, and chronic illness. Shiro would’ve been the character I wanted to look up to if I were a kid, and they buried him harder than they buried Adam. Also Coran is a fantastic character and y’all be sleeping on him

[@cutiepie120048]

An overly long analysis of a show that I like? Heck yeah! Seriously, the longer the better. And I'm _extremely_ impressed w/ how thoroughly you've described both your research and your feelings towards the show to a point where we, the audience, can understand. Masterful. Simply masterful 💕

[@xiaxiyan6158]

Literally how cool would it have been if Keith had fought for the Galran throne?????? Like?????????? Or any sort of interaction w/ Lotor tbh...

[@luckyscarabs7263]

Why did the writers even include Shiro’s terminal illness if they never did anything with it? Like, it never affected Shiro before he got cloned, besides him and Adam having an argument. I do get not wanting a character to be defined by a disability, and praise the writers for not making it (for lack of better term) inspiration p*rn. But his illness would effect how Shiro fights at least. It really gives me the feeling that it was an afterthought. I really don’t think Shiro was originally intended to have a terminal illness, especially when it’s only brought up twice in flashbacks in the second to last season and is not mentioned before or since.

[@hexgirlveronica]

Around 1:45:00 when you start talking about how VLD didn't have enough episodes about people affected by the Galra or people outside the main cast, I really agree and I always wanted to articulate that but it always came out as VLD's world being both too big and too small--too big in the sense that it's literally the entire universe, and too small in the way it never expands to show more of the Galra's destruction to other aliens or planets

[@sleepyclaus3750]

I remember watching the show and being like, why are yall so mean to keith? they're like that for no reason at all, even before the galra revelation! and it stays that way for most of all the seasons. Look, I know Keith's character is basically a hot-tempered but still sensitive loner forced to take the leader's role (with mommy issues on the side); but this could make for so many interesting relationships - but instead, team voltron feels all superficial. I have a similar problem with Lance and his insecurities; which is why I liked their interactions; they touch each other's character insecurities so unlike the rest of the team. Regardless of if Klance should have happened or not, their relationship is probs one of the most consistent that develops along the story. (They 'promised' us better development for Lance but aside 'Klance', is all 'Allurance' related instead of himself. I can't forget the 'ShiroXAllura, KeithXLance' S1 vs now 'AlluraXLance', the theory that they couldn't decide between the ships due to staff conflicts). Say what you want about this but, they did Lotor dirty by wanting him out of the show. Also that, despite the poor writing, the animators made a really good job saving the show. Edit: Also, off-topic, but Pidge shippers can be quite annoying about being biased with Plance/Kidge. Same with some Sheith and Klance shippers.

[@NKC228]

Even the showrunners themselves agreed that keith and lances relationship is the most developed one. I liked season 3 bc we got to see them both grow and we saw lance mature and quit bickering eith keith and instead be his good friend (i mean, he is keiths stability and his right hand man, and keith is his reassurance) In s7 it was SO out of character for keith to be randomly mean at lance (while they did the quiz) because he never really started the bickering and they stopped bickering after s3??? And yeah i HATE that they juggled allura between keith, lance and shiro (which proves shiro was never meant to be the gay rep anyways, i mean, the guy was supposed to die, but the showrunners still said there might be lgbt rep, so i wonder who wouldve been the lgbt rep)

[@geniusface]

I wasn't even satisfied with Pidge's character arc tbh. I'm trying to figure out why... I think it's partly that she's the only one with a strong motivation to be in space, so she's this weird outlier, sticking out like a sore thumb & also highlighting how dumb it is that the other four moved to space to fight a war for no reason. Plus, as you mentioned, her arc is four seasons long, and it's repetitive. By season 4, it's basically the same as season 1, and I was tired of hearing about her damn dad lol. Plus they frame her as wrong for placing her family's lives above everyone in the universe, but she never really learns her lesson? Like sure she gets tricked, but nobody gets hurt as a result of her selfishness. Strong motivation but a weak arc

[@strawberryspikes]

Rachel I feel like there also wasn’t much pay-off for her arc either, like as soon as she finds matt and her dad they’re gone again just episodes later :/

[@Lunabell-thecatlover]

@@strawberryspikes I totally agree! And Rachel, that's a great point! I hated that Pidge GETTING an arc was such a weird thing, and I wish the other characters had an actual reason to be there.

[@julciareza1530]

ya true abt the last part, its not bad to protect your family--especially in a show that supposed to be about love and the power of friendship and caring for others? kinda upsetting that they frame her for being wrong for wanting to be w them

[@SolitareHeartz]

Idk. Pidge wanted to sell out Lotor no hesitation for her dad to Zarkon. Like no plan or anything. Sure he is galra and enemy but he is their ally at that moment. It made me sick that she didn't really learn anything and was rewarded her dad and bro. That killed for Pidges character. I get that she is the youngest and to have anything cruel happen wouldn't be good. Nothing wrong with family and wanting them. But Pigde was so so lucky that Shiro gave Lotor a weapon.

[@KariIzumi1]

@@strawberryspikes yep, this. Why was this solved mid-way into the series' run if there wasn't going to be anything done with it? It would be like if Fullmetal Alchemist had Ed get his limbs and Al's body in episode 30 of Brotherhood and then spent another episode futzing around.

[@gazza80uk]

Shiro’s arc is really depressing and it’s take-away message is slightly hurtful to the LGBT community: You can be an active hero, or you can be gay. Not both. Turns out that Adam was right all along. Shiro gave up his career for his love life.

[@rubenv0531]

And shiro is a robot. Which makes it even weirder for me. Not tryna hate it's just they didn't even hint that shiro was gay. They just threw it at us like we were expecting it. At first I thought Adam was like his best friend then my cousin came in right as shiro was kissing his groom like that made me so uncomfortable.

[@jaxinh.4399]

I'm glad you spoke on motivation. Pidge, Shiro, and Keith are the only original paladins that show any clear motivation for being in the war/staying in space at any point in the entire series. Hunk and Lance have no reason to stay and fight. Not throughout the entire show

[@didbdidobdidoo7479]

54:43 - I can now confidently and proudly say that we finally got characters who fit this description, Amity and Luz from The Owl House and Benson from Kipo, I think a lot of characters from She-Ra can fit it too, but I didn't watch it for long

[@woafofbread]

the way you ended the Keith section hurt my hearttt. The scene where he was left alone and everyone was fighting the old paladins really should be talked about more because it really related to how he feels that everyone he loves will leave him and he has to leave them first in order to avoid being hurt. It still really frustrates me on how many opportunities the show had but never took and by the end, it seemed like they forgot all about their characters because there was nothing but fight scenes no one cared about. This video is really great and you did a fantastic job. Thank you!

[@her7]

kind of disappointing this show only had 2 seasons.... had so much potential

[@nataliesolondz4304]

helen back. Wdym only 2?! It has 8! 8!

[@gray6117]

@@nataliesolondz4304 we dont talk about the rest ✨💫

[@ladymimi2873]

smh chase I actually kind of enjoyed season 6

[@nataliesolondz4304]

Wdym we don't talk about the rest? Season 8 was the disaster one

[@ladymimi2873]

Natalie’s Crazy Universe most People didn't enjoy season 7 either

[@morgan5772]

I really feel like Lance's arc about accepting himself would have been fulfilled so much more by realizing that maybe Alura wasn't the one for him, and ending up with someone he never thought that he would, like Keith, because if their relationship developed further, it would have been the perfect enemies-acquaintances-friends-lovers arc, and it would have helped both of their developments. And just the fact that he spends all this time being ignored by Alura angers me because she suddenly wants to be friends and lovers?? What??? Anyways, this video was amazing. Thank you so much :)

[@ladymimi2873]

I would've liked it better if Lance's "endgame" was himself, if that makes sense? Like he learns that he's valid and just as important as the other paladins and has a newfound sense of self-worth and pride in his capabilities. His self-love is his endgame.

[@fightingmedialounge519]

The Keith would suffer greatly do to them also not showing interest in each other.

[@lookatthiscutekittyc2903]

Hell, I would have been fine with Lance ending up with Keith, Pidge, Hunk, or even Matt. He had more chemistry with those characters than with Allura.

[@BabyGirlTiny]

Just say you’re a Klance shipper and stop trying to create something than never existed in canon.

[@youraverageguy1270]

Therapist: “swirly lance isn’t real, he can’t hurt you.” Swirly lance: 21:37

[@zoinksman8565]

When you talked abt the music it got me thinking about avatar the last airbender. Like you can distinctly hear music when thinking abt Azula: she has her own theme that sets the mood whenever she enters a scene Same with fire lord soldiers in general or Zuko, he’s got a theme song And Aang! And like, probably Appa! Voltron ain’t got nothing like that :(

[@novarose714]

i love the show in all, but i feel like both pidge and keith were the only one's who had an actual backstory, sure we have cuts of hunk playing with his cousins/siblings but thats it. no feelings. no character development from the past. and i would say allura had a background as well but it was basically her and her father during that chaotic scene. lance had no backstory clips, nothing to evolve from. and shiro, he was in keiths backstory alot, but nothing about his childhood. was he bullied for being gay when he was a child (if he was yet) how did he deal with it? did his parents approve? when/how did he accept himself? i wish we could have gotten more backstory on characters

[@wedielikejasontodd2625]

i liked one thing about season eight and that’s in clear day when keith and hunk get stuck on the ride and that had no relevance to the plot whatsoever, i just loved seeing keith slowly lose his shit

[@Krossxc]

*(TIMESTAMPS ARE IN THE DESCRIPTION)* Below is some stuff I've wanted to say since uploading this video. (This comment will be routinely updated as I think of more stuff that I want to say) I appreciate every single comment I've gotten of people describing how much they love this video. I would heart all of them but then hearting comments on this video would become meaningless so I'm saving them for the ones that truly stand out. Just know that I love you all. I am more proud of this video than any other on my channel. Thank you so very much for watching. Now then... I think the section of this analysis about Episode 1 wasn't very good. I don't think any of my points about it were terrible but looking back, I think I spent way too much time on it and ended up nit-picking a lot of stuff that wasn't important. It also just feels very disconnected from the rest of the analysis since a lot of my criticisms of it are either made irrelevant or continue on into the rest of the show in which case I should have just talked about the entire show instead of only applying my criticisms to the first episode. 1:07:46 Here's the fanfic: www.fanfiction.net/s/12856347/1/Purple-fire 1:22:35 I revoke this. I think there is enough proof that Keith and Lance are attracted to each other to win the hypothetical argument. 54:42 Apparently Benson from Kipo and Rosa from Brooklyn 99 are good examples (haven't seen either show) Part of the point about Lance never learning his lesson was supposed to touch on the fact that he hits on Allura for 7 seasons straight even though she is clearly not interested. Somehow I forgot to talk about this completely. The message of Lance's arc up until the last episode felt like it was telling viewers that if you're in a one-sided relationship, you should just keep trying until the other person caves. Some people have said it gives off a rapie vibe though I don't see it as that extreme. Okay, I've now watched Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts and I can confidently say that Benson indeed fits as a character that applies at 54:42. Around 1:26:20 I basically said that it's a bad thing that Shiro's sexuality doesn't influence any of his decisions and I can see how this comes across as stereotyping queer people so I'll elaborate here. You can absolutely make a character queer and not have it change the story at all and I think this is actually a really good thing to have in media. It illustrates that queer people are not defined by their sexuality or gender identity. Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts does this very well with Benson. He is characterized by his love of music and his being gay is very much a tertiary characteristic. The thing is that in kataow, Benson's sexuality is revealed in episode 6 whereas Shiro's is revealed... a little later. You'd think it would have come up at some point during the entire 8 season-long run but instead, the creators injected Shiro being gay into the show at the last possible second. On top of this, kataow has a natural (if pretty rushed) reason for Benson to come out in the narrative. Kipo gets a crush on him and confesses her feelings, so Benson responds that he's gay. It's a completely realistic and relatable character interaction that made me like Kipo and Benson a lot more. Watch the section of my kataow analysis wherein I talk about Benson being gay for more detail. In Voltron's case, there is no buildup to Shiro's wedding. No narrative reason we have to be shown this. Yeah, it's nice to know he lived happily ever after but that would have been obvious anyway because, again, it comes at the very end of the show which is what I meant by "Shiro's 'arc' is already concluded." This all makes it feel like the creators made Shiro gay for all the wrong reasons: To score representation points with the queer fanbase, not to actually represent queer people and when all you give your queer followers is table scraps and expect applause because it's "better than nothing," it ironically shows how little of an ally you are to that community. I think I mentioned this somewhere else but when I said "influence any of his relationships," I also should have elaborated. I was imagining some sort of arc Shiro could have had relating to common adversities that queer people face or be a part of another character's arc relating to a similar subject. The obvious example would be Shiro helping Keith and/or Lance become confident in themselves, both because the don't feel like their contributions to the team enough but also because they are in the closet (see the Fictional Crystals videos). Personally, I would have liked to see Shiro have a similar relationship with Pidge before she revealed herself as a girl. She could have talked to him about how she's scared the others will think of her differently or something and Shiro could be like, "I know how you feel because I felt the same way before I came out as gay" In that one scene where Shiro lets her know that he knows she's a girl. That would have immediately given them something to connect over and improved both of their arcs tremendously. Pidge deciding that she values the other paladins like family would be a lot more powerful if we actually got to see some landmark moments in her relationships with them which get her to care so much about them and this could have been one and it could have given the fanbase a canonically gay character as early as episode 3. Holy shit, I had a lot more to say about this than I thought. I can't believe I didn't include this in the video. Eh, whatever. Damn. 100k views. Based. A few people have said that me calling Hagar retarded is insulting to mentally handicapped people and I'd like to make it clear that the point of that section was to describe why the developments that Hagar underwent in the last couple episodes were incredibly narratively unsatisfying and made her seem unbelievably stupid to the point that she would have to have a mental disorder for her actions to make sense. It's not an insult of her character, it's a criticism of how lazy the writing of season 8 was. It seems I went over the character limit with my response to people who have an issue with my last addition to this comment. I've made a google doc that contains those additions: docs.google.com/document/d/1PDJhTzBxKKlK4U1LbUy4r8if6gr6BHSYaHp6TTQyV8c/edit?usp=sharing It looks like this long-ass comment might be coming to a final close in the near future. I'm not going to use this comment to further any sorts of conversations to preserve the characters I have yet to use and will only edit it to correct mistakes that I either realize or have pointed out to me. Thankfully, I think I've addressed everything relevant to this video that I likely will. If this is the last edit I make, I would like to remind you all that I am very grateful for the time you have spent watching and enjoying my content. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[@KariIzumi1]

@Sven Tempest does he just "swoop in," though? Lotor was outed in the tail end of season 6 and as of the beginning of season 8--months and months later--he still hasn't asked her out and had to be pushed into it by Hunk. I'll agree that Allurance was not very well written or cohesive, but the argument that he wore her out until she said yes doesn't wash, even with this show's poor writing of the pair overall. I will say if they wanted to make it clear Lance learned that lesson, they really could have articulated that more clearly than they did to drive the point across.

[@KariIzumi1]

@Sven Tempest honestly, this is one of the most calm, measured and well-thought out takes on this that didn't just come across someone being mad that their Lance or Allura ship didn't happen. Thank you for this, it's given me some perspective to think about. The only thing I disagree with this whole fixation the fandom at large has about Allura needing to mourn Lotor. For what? As far as she is aware, he literally colonized her people and slaughtered them, then went after her team. I can argue all day about how nonsensical his entire story was and the show did nothing to hint at this deception but from what was presented on the text, I can't see any reason she'd shed more years for a man she apparently knew nothing about. Indeed, her cultural identity was the one thing Allura really was defined by, for better or worse, and it would take a far more talented team to salvage that relationship than the clowns we had. I liked Lotura, but I guess I never saw it as being that deep. And even if it were, some things in relationships are gonna be dealbreakers. Genocide is a no-go for most people ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@KariIzumi1]

@Sven Tempest I'm only just now reading this so I never saw the typos. Season 8 was so all over the place. A friend of mine who worked on the Star Wars sequal told me there was too many hands in the pot and the higher ups wanting to fuck over Abrams and brought in Rian Johnson until *he* fucked up, then let Abrams hold the bag to salvage what was left. From the completely scattershot storytelling in season 8, it's not hard to believe something similar happened behind the scenes. And then, there were other small things, like Pidge's weird reaction to hearing that Lance asked Allura out. I am a Plance shipper in the interest of full disclosure, but there were other non shippers who thought that scene read as jealousy. Like, if it wasn't gonna add to anything, why keep it in there? Ugh. VLD's ending was so bad, it defies logic. It's the HIMYM of cartoon finales.

[@ladygrey4113]

@@KariIzumi1 Honestly I felt like Abrams was good with the first film setting things up, but he seems a little too obsessed with nostalgia to really give something different and he messed up the ending of Star Wars (seriously Palpatine just shows up?). Personally, I liked the direction Johnson was taking Star Wars, it usurped some of the power fantasy tropes that after the third star wars movie I watched from the original films, started to annoy me and made the franchise at times something I wanted to make a drinking game out of to at least increase my enjoyment of some really annoying scenes and characters.

[@KariIzumi1]

Lady Grey even as someone who is okay with Reylo, knowing who Rian Johnson is as a person and how nearly everyone hated working with the guy has tainted episode 8 for me. He really does not care for Star Wars or any of its lore. That’s all I can say on that without getting into specifics that might out ppl on the project. I will say he’s close friends to most big Hollywood reviewers, and you’ll notice there’s not an insignificant number of them whose reviews for episode 9 are more about the bad blood between Johnson and Abrams than about the movie itself.

[@Milktea_yo]

As someone who ships Keith x Lance, I've been terrified of shipping Klance. (mostly due to toxic fanbase) ((honestly even admitting publicly this is terrifying)) - And for some reason I began to think that I was unjust in thinking that they would've worked so well and had really beautiful scenes together that seemed so much more natural as a romantically invested set of characters. Anyway I just want to say that after two and a half years of this bitter and sad taste in my mouth over a ship that literally saved my life, I have never felt more relieved and more valid in this. You made me realize that I wasn't delusional or I wasn't overreacting or I wasn't just stupidly sad for no reason or even that I wasn't just following the pack like sheep when nothing happened between them. You pointing out, from a logical and unbiased standpoint, that Keith and Lance's relationship was much more than they made it in the end, has honestly really made me feel validated. Thank you for validating me, and probably many others. After four long, loyal years to this ship, It just feels indescribably nice. Thank you again. And to point out more than just the Klance aspect of your video, holy shit, I had a blast watching this and literally being validated in everything else too?? Like wtf idk what rock I was under because I really did think I was overreacting, or in some places underreacting. So again - thank you so much for making this, even though it took me a while to get the confidence to watch the whole thing and not be scared of getting too emotional. But man, I am glad I did. Thank you again.

[@royalcryptid9983]

I felt this. It is quite cathartic. Now that no one is on the exec. producers side after their many fuck ups, people seem to be acknowledging that, "yeah, you know what, maybe they were right". I started watching this show because I really thought we were going to have something special, that they were going to break some barriers and become sort of the new atla but with gay, bi, and nonbinary trans representation, along with strong female characters and a decent plotline...but it quickly became the complete opposite (i stopped watching at s6 and only kept updated through friends) and it really got me messed up for a while. Im not really looking forward to an adaptation or a reboot of this show in the future, i think im done with this franchise for at least a good decade lmao but who knows...Shera restored my faith in showrunners, maybe Voltron will get the chance to be redeemed as well.

[@KariIzumi1]

@@royalcryptid9983 while there does seem to be movement on that front, the sad reality is the people creatives like Noelle and Montsantos report to are anything but. Some will fight harder than otherd but they sometimes lose (see also: the perpetual salt about keeping Shiro on). What I'm getting at here is to say you (and by you, I mean the larger fandom as a whole) don't need canon to validate yourself and your shipping choices. I was shipping slash pairings for Shounen anime in the 2000s...no one expected any such ship to be canon and NGL, that part of fandom was way more fun than the het shippers who were too busy writing up essays that canon torpedoed harder than a German U-Boat to be petty and spiteful. We had to canon expectations: it was ours and we had fun doing what we wish. I miss those days... :(

[@trinityw3964]

Now you need a publisher to publish the novel you just wrote

[@lookatthiscutekittyc2903]

@@KariIzumi1 The problem with shounen is that they are kinda sexist. I mean, the girls in those shows almost never hold the same weight in terms of development and characterization as the male characters do. So it's quite obvious that girls (because men don't seem to look at it the same way) ship male characters with other male characters, because 9 out of 10 times, those characters are the ones that hold more weight in the narrative and are the ones that have deeper and more meaningful relationships between each other.

[@katara_grayson]

The fan base was what ruined klance for me. I would have probably like it if it wasn't for the fact that people would tag other characters in their fanart a hcs of klance. Even if those fanart and hcs didn't show/mention the other characters. This especially affected me because I was hyperfixated on pidge and every time I tried to find fanart of just her, or ships with her in it, I was bombarded with klance.

[@voidsongs]

i know this video is 3 years old now but i just have to say. i was so absolutely shell shocked by the idea of keith fighting for the galra throne like lotor that i literally had to pause the video to take a second. absolutely GENIUS. i WISH they had done this with all my heart; it would have tied up so many of the issues i've had with the way his development (cough cough, him disappearing from the main team for long stretches of time when they were the heart of the progression of his arc) was handled.

[@shelbyg.8867]

Even if Lance and Allura's relationship were fleshed out and a decent one, she still ends up dying in the end almost like every love interest does in a story. Medias are almost always afraid to explore what a healthy relationship is like after the two people declare their love for each other, whether it be by killing off one or both of them, or by ending the story AFTER they finally becoming a couple (or even having the two break up). We can never see how a relationship is like after the first or even second stage. It's always just the cute beginning phase and then something to stop it from developing, which is why I can almost always know something crappy is about to happen when two characters who ACTUALLY love each other begin to date (EX: The series ending, their screen time being cut off, one of them dying, etc.). That's another reason why the finale was ruined for me is because I pretty much knew something terrible was going to happen. (Another example of this trope while being a poor one, is how Shiro got married when the series ENDED. Honestly, I don't even remember Shiro interacting with the guy he marries at the end of the series, which makes it even worse of a conclusion for him. Every other character was worried about their family when they got back to Earth, but all Shiro was worried about was Adam. What about his family? His parents? Did he have siblings? Why does he never even talk about his family? This is why I hate that his character just kinda froze in season 8 development wise) (Wow, I just realized how much of a tangent I went on while writing this. Sorry for wasting your time to whoever reads this, but I just wanted to get my opinion out there. Okay, bye now)

[@frizz5200]

i think this was a tumblr post but i remember seeing someone say “imagine all the little black girls watching alluras death” and that hit hard

[@johnynoway9127]

explain?

[@iremerdik3645]

I literally fall asleep listening to this, you explain things really easy to follow then I watched again and realized you really made some points. I mean I felt the character animation was a little static but I never realized how boring it made the show. I feel like overall Voltron was a wasted potential, I watched it since season 1 I counted days for new airing seasons I watched comic con videos, followed everything there is to be so thank you. This video felt like a closure to all the love I gave to this show and how they threw it away

[@razorvdashii]

nice pfp btw-

[@iremerdik3645]

huni buugs thanks 😄

[@Dani-uj2cv]

I started laughing when you described Shiro's trauma about halfway through the video because parts of that almost sounded like what happened to Bucky Barnes in the Marvel movies

[@unirorgage819]

Why did I laugh when I saw this comment cause it is so true ?

[@YowLife]

43:42 This argument of ""It's just a kid's show" is a dumb argument" is constantly brought up and criticized in animation reviews. Do others really say it that much? I've only ever heard the claim "It's just a kid's show" in reviews where they want to criticize it. And in case you wanted to know, I do agree with the idea that "kid shows" still need great writing to hook in kids.

[@Krossxc]

It's a less common sentiment in the circles that discuss shows like this for obvious reasons. The people who make the "it's just a kids show" are more often people in real life, in my experience.