Ya know something laddies? I was having a lil talk with me fellow crusader about a show that I had immense distaste fo’, and ya know when I was giving an idea of a sho’ dat be far mo’ entertaining than that darn boring dumpsta of a sho’ we was watchin’, ya know what my fello’ man said? He said dat would be boring! Now to ya, this might seem like mindless banter, and that is prolly what it is, but this got me to think about media: the shows, movies, games, and books I have experienced throughout my short lifetime and got me thinking: What makes good media? I s’pose many of ya have retrospected upon this short thought, but this has been swirling to my mind till I came to a conclusion: It’s the humanity within these stories that draws us in. But to explore this detail, let’s return to the garbage sho’ in question that I discussed with me fello’, a sho’ by the name of “Komi can’t communicate”. 

This darn sho’ is absolutely pathetic! But lemme give ya lil bit of context. The sho’ “Komi can’t communicate” is about a highschooler named Komi, and if ya couldn’t infer at this point, this girl can’t communicate! The plot itself seems very mundane, but it’s the execution of the plot that absolutely drives me up a wall, but I don’t think ya wee lads understand how shoddy it is; watching paint dry is far more entertaining than this smuck.

  To start off, for a comedy show, it didn’t make me laugh. All the humor is reactionary humor and for short form content, it’s serviceable and punchy if pulled off well, but for 20 minutes of exaggerated reactions the characters become drawn out, and worst of all, it’s nonsensical within the context! For example, there’s this scene where a classmate is being harassed by a bully then Komi somehow gets the attention of the bully as she fails to communicate in an attempt to help, but guess what? Somehow an emotionless stare scares off the big bully because he jumps to the assumptions that a school girl is about to assassinate him. Ya lads might be thinking to yourselves, this context sounds preposterous, but is it at least executed well? That’s the thing, the context and the twist being so stupid I had no expectations and that’s the problem, when there are no rules, anything ridiculous becomes ordinary within the bounds of that universe. It’s not funny because the plot of the show implies that she has a conflict, yet the universe rewards her for not overcoming it and a show without conflict is boring. Her “anxiety” doesn’t bar her from popularity. Her “anxiety” doesn’t prevent her from achieving ordinary tasks such as shopping and the most she gets is the wrong drink for free because the barista somehow assumed that this ordinary highschool girl was an influencer. Ya see the problem with this brainless storytelling? It’s incredibly boring. She has no consequences for her inhibitions such as lack of friends, in which she already made two in two days, getting humiliated for her inability to speak, or not being shut in. Simply put, this sho’ is a goddamn liar and that is the crime. We’re not watching a comedy about a person struggling through life, we’re watching a darn goddess have an easy life, where nobody reacts to her flaws.

I’m not saying that it’s boring to watch gods do things, but what is boring is when their god-like status is without consequence or logic. Let’s take a look at a different comedy sho’; a far better one by the name of One Punch Man. It’s a story ‘bout a man so strong that any physical conflict has become dull. On its own, it doesn’t appear to be a very interesting show, but it’s about the main character, Saitama, and how he affects the world around him. In the show, he’s struggling to make a living because he isn’t a certified hero in the beginning despite doing it for years, yet his morals keep him from raising a fit. But, being a god doesn’t stop him from being human as he lives like a normal guy even having difficulty with the most ordinary of things like killing mosquitoes or catching sales, and it’s his reactions to the world around him that make him interesting. The characters have self agency when compared to the characters of Komi that constantly get on both knees for her. The characters of One Punch Man have their own goals and own reactions to his strength and it also causes a lot of interpersonal conflicts that he can’t resolve with his strength. From his handling of the conflicts is where the comedy comes from, but most importantly, it maintains a coherent and interesting story. Where One Punch Man succeeds where Komi fails is ultimately keeping the characters at heart human. It’s the humanity of these stories that draws us in, not the caricatures. That’s why the best stories usually involve people overcoming conflict because people aren’t perfect, life doesn’t come easy.

Komi simply lacks the conflict, the logic, or the discipline to be a show entertaining for those who are constantly thinking. For me, when I watch shows, it’s really hard for me to turn off my brain as my fellow crusader suggests as turning off my brain will result in a coma. Even if I could, does that mean I am even paying mind to the show? I don’t think the show is neither heartwarming or funny. It’s a show that will be forgotten for its lack of story that the writer lacked discipline to make great. When we look at shows such as “Seinfeld”, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Las Vegas”, “Dexter”, “Breaking Bad”, etcetera, there’s always conflict, cause and effect, and motivations that make logical sense within their respective contexts, and without them they wouldn’t have as high ratings or be remembered by the general populous because they ultimately represent humanity whether it be in the best or worst light. My idea of fixing this show would be putting Komi in a really bad place, and from there she would have to build herself up and actually  do things on her own instead of being a cardboard cutout on a trolley being pushed along. My fellow crusader said it would be boring because it would be “too” realistic, but I beg to differ. I believe that the characters that feel the realest are the best. Tony Stark may not be real, but his reactions and mannerisms make him seem real, making for great movies. Captain America’s morality may seem unachievable, but it’s his firmness in his beliefs even with the limitations upon him that make him entertaining. Fiction slaps when it hits too close to home and manages to make us believe in their actions.

As a crusader, I find film and media to be very important as it can influence our very lives. Just think about the bible and how much it affects the very course of history. Though this was a very angry and probably dumb rant about a stupid show, it makes me angry because of it’s populartiy among weak minded individuals that encourage fecal matter such as this because it only encourages more of the same to be made. Remember wee lads, your dollars speak louder than words, so laddies, do you want to throw your money in the trash or use it to raise gems? Just know, your investments will follow you back.