the first time i watched kiki’s delivery service was unforgettable not only because i truly related to Kiki hardcore, but also because my mom barged in the middle of it and changed the channel to the news to show me tanks in the streets. she told me there was a coup d’etat going on and i didn’t know what that was and i couldn’t do anything about it because i was 9, and I resented the interruption.

they had gay people, trans people, general weirdos, autistic people, etc and it had a kinda early 2000s optimism that was a counterpoint to my extreme tween cynicism. weirdly, i found out we both have the same “first draft” method (ink on yellow legal paper) and i think i also share the same problem where most of my characters “sound like they were written by a writer”. that said, because there was uh, “early” queer representation, i’m kind of hesitant to go back and re-experience those shows lest the reality of the show sully my memories of watching it.