(Also on the off chance the author reads this: that is a genuine thank-you, also I introduced my sibling to the World of the White Rat recently and they're having a great time!)

Help I'm being radicalized by the sale of Trendmasters in the aughts

Don't get me wrong. I love superhero and princess etc stuff for kids (my own gets so much Pokemon stuff). But when they are overwhelmingly the ONLY option and there are fewer open ended toys without the licensed character baggage attached... what are we doing?

AND there's a lot more polyester fabric instead of cotton, and poly blends are *worse* in terms of how they wash, how easily they strain, etc. compared to cotton clothes. Good luck keeping your toddler clothes in decent shape for hand me downs!

AND all the baseline kids' clothes brands (Carter's, Children's Place, etc) use licensed art or AI for graphic tees once you get up to toddler sizes. There's no care at all?

Don't get me started on Melissa&Doug. I love a lot of their toys but have noted a decline in quality in the past year. And I am about 95% sure they're using AI now, ugh.

He was so KIND and GENTLE when she was absolutely emotionally wrecked. Sometimes Buffy was very very good, ugh.

The bit right after, when Giles comforts Buffy and is all "no wait why do you think I'd be upset with you?" Broke me, a little bit, as someone who very much went through the typical "boy I loved became totally different after he got what he wanted" arc IRL, but without a Giles in my corner.

This is so wholesome

Call it the "Trump Mamdani BFF plan" and he'll try to sign it twice

No T_T

But aaaaaa you get to discover so much still! There is just so much to this game on repeat runs.

GET HER ASS JENN

YOU DIIIIIID