The ending with Ballister stopping Nimona from her attempt and giving her the will to live is the hardest I've cried at a movie in a while. Their bond in general is so beautiful.
For me it was her reverting to teen punk shape and seeing how beaten up she was that got to me. A kid, so tired, so beat up by everyone, loved ones, society, the system, to the point of preferring death. Hit a little too close to home. And the visual of it just hit so fucking hard as well.
I think the fact that the little kid voice kills the intensity is the point there. This entire time, for a thousand years, the kingdom has built up Gloreth in the image of a glorious hero (an adult one at that) Holding a mighty sword and defeating the big bad monster, and then we see that the reality is just a scared kid, acting on the only guidance the adults have given her, holding a toy sword and banishing her friend. The truth falls so short of the legendary fight that it was always built up to be and that's the point of the little kid voice.
That's how I read it too. 'Go Back To The Shadows From Whence You Came' is not a declaration by a powerful warrior, but a comfort phrase from a brainwashed kid.
Furthermore, there is no implication that the shadows are anything bad, the way they are in the modern version of the city. She literally met Nimona in the shadows. What she said was exclusionary and hurtful, but it got twisted into something even darker over a thousand years.
@@falconeshieldlet's not forget either that as best as we can tell none of the bible was actually written by the titular people. Or even from first hand experience. It's essentially a mythology written by someone about what they think someone else's life was like. Or, an oral tradition that was written down eventually.
Oh god the metaphor is too much for me, my trans heart hurts so godamn bad. The ending when you view it from the trans perspective is also insanely spot-on and incredibly depressing. It sucks we’re quite literally seen as non-human, like we’re a parasite working our way into “normal” (cis) society somehow, when two-spirit people and other gender identities have existed since pretty much the beginning of humanity. It feels good to see a movie tell our stories wrapped up into one so perfectly, I’m very grateful Nimona exists despite all the behind the scenes bullshit. I needed this
I didn’t even see that but I literally said to the person I was watching with that it was a clear metaphor for being trans (not just me being biased as a trans guy). Validated haha
It has to be in your face. Like Chaplin at the heart of the war. People aren't getting that evil is rising again. And we have to notice it or else we'll lose the ones we love
In fairness, he WAS intended to be obnoxious and hateable (at least at first) in the comic. The name was meant to highlight it. buuuuuuut he got to learn his lessons much younger and less obnoxious than comic!Loin. XD
I thought he was gonna be a terrible, snooty, stuck-up guy but he actually has the personality of a Golden Retriever! Meanwhile, Bal is more like Brutus the German Shepherd from "Pixie and Brutus."
"Being sneaky got us stuck in a closet. Let's destroy some shit" Basically Nimona's whole vibe and I couldn't be happier about it. It's such a beautiful film.
i think of nimona's darkness form as like a manifestation of her depression and s***dal ideation. she doesn't have teeth or claws, she doesn't attack, doesn't defend herself, even her roar is a scream. she's literally lost in darkness, gone to the world around her, no longer interested in breaking stuff or revenge or even survival.
Thank you for this beautiful comment. I’ve got goosebumps everywhere and I’m sniffling, especially since I distinctly remember having to pause the movie after hearing Nimona’s final “roar” for the first time because it was heart-wrenching as all heck.
Also in her trauma induced state she turned from colorful to black and white. I don’t know if that was explicitly intended but it is a powerful message of how we are forced into one or another view point rather than the diversity that keeps us alive.
The whole movie is so queer, it's magnificent! It's just what I needed to cheer me up in a time when not being cis/het is becoming increasingly more dangerous.
I was almost SO MAD at the end when it looked like they were going to pull the whole "she has to sacrifice everything, even her life to get people to accept her" BS. I was very relieved when they brought her back
In any other situation I'd feel the opposite - that too many movies fake out the sacrifice and won't let a character’s death mean something. But in this case it feels neessary for Nimona to live. Even more overdone than fake-out sacrifices, and far more damaging as well, is refusing to let obviously queer-coded characters have their happy ending.
I personally really liked the kid voice for Golorith, I think it really highlighted the exaggeration of the event; Their whole society is built around idolizing this grand story of a mature hero slaying an epic beast when in truth it was just a child pointing a toy sword at another child because of what an adult said, all over a misunderstanding. I also think this really hammers in the extremism of the director; All of this murder, willing to kill her own people, firing a fucking laser cannon into a child with such vitriol and righteous anger as she quotes that child like it's a biblical phrase, because of just one nightmare about an exaggerated untrue story that made her delude herself into thinking she has some kind of hero's destiny (edit: grammar)
It reminded me of Iron Giant General: THAT MISSILE IS AIMED AT THE GIANT'S CURRENT POSITION. *WHERE'S THE GIANT, MANSLEY?!* Except there at least that dense MFer realized he screwed up. _If only because HE was also in the blast radius himself._ Some people are like that, and won't realize the damage they're causing to innocents until it backfires hard enough to hit themselves.
I don’t think that moment is the legend. How would they know about Nimona’s kaiju form? I think the animosity just increased from there until the anger and sadness made Nimona transform and adult Gloreth standing against her and defeating her.
@@fightingfaerie valid point, but consider this: Nimona can become anything she wants. It's very possible that they've never actually turned into that "kaiju" form before the movie, and that the depiction in the scroll was simply artistic liberty. It's possible she *chose* to become the monster they all saw her as.
@ninjapotatolorf6237 To be honest, I always interpreted it this way. We never see Nimona become a giant creature in any of her flashbacks, and it's made clear in those same flashbacks that EVERYTHING about the Gloreth story was made up. Gloreth wasn't a mature knight fighting a giant monster to protect her people. Gloreth was a child with a toy sword who told a small, shapeshifting child to leave. Even the fire in the exaggerated story is said to come from Nimona, but it was really started by the villagers in an accident and got out of hand AFTER they attacked Nimona out of fear. She only became a "menace to society" when they treated her like one, and she only became a giant monster after being inspired to become one. It was the representation of her grief, a physical manifestation of the way she knows everyone else views her. Thus she sought to destroy herself.
Fun fact: Nate Stevenson, the person who wrote the graphic novel the movie is based on, is also the creator of the She-Ra reboot! The voice actress of Shadow Weaver, Lorraine Toussaint, also voices the queen.
@@Marcieishereandqueeryeah, they’re trans. Nimona was basically their way of expressing their feelings of being trans before they realised they were trans and came out as trans
@@JR-yo8ob It’s like how the movie Persepolis is slightly different to the original graphic novel because the creator realised how important some things in her childhood were in the 5 years between the comic and the movie.
21:10 What hurts the most is hearing Ballister's voice among those in her head there, a harsh reminder of the damage we can do even when it's not on purpose.
God, I’m a straight cis girl and I’m just wrecked by this. The absolute rejection, when Nimona was a good person who was just looking to belong somewhere, is gut-wrenching. I have a lot of friends in the queer community who do feel like this, who feel like it’s really hard to find their place, and I think the world needs more Ballisters who are willing to listen and open up. Also I just love that at the end he goes back to the “lair” and opens it up. Makes it more warm and comfortable, making it a safe space for Nimona, even if they never come back, it’ll always be there. Respect.
It totally wrecked me too! It's been (historically) impossible for me to cry to a RE-watch of ANYthing... but THIS movie got me EIGHT times in one week!!! Totally unheard of for me. I am still amazed by this movie. At one point I legit thought I was going to accidentally break or pull something with how hard I was sobbing.
@@beth_m It totally wrecked me too! It's been (historically) impossible for me to cry to a RE-watch of ANYthing... but THIS movie got me EIGHT times in one week!!! Totally unheard of for me. I am still amazed by this movie. At one point I legit thought I was going to accidentally break or pull something with how hard I was sobbing.
I can't explain it but like- Nimona's wailing during the final act as "a monster" just hits so hard. Just the way it's portrayed and how it's Nimona just screaming out in agony but the way the sound design echoes makes it sound like the hundreds of thousands of voices of trans individuals feeling that same level of pain from society. I've seen this movie three times now and it STILL makes me tear up, even just hitting that bit in your reaction made it happen again. I'm so happy this movie was able to be finished, it means so much.
Having someone who's at least partially a metaphor for queer suffering under the current system cry out in pain during an attempt is unfortunately resonant with many people.
@@falconeshield I love that quote, but I don’t think that’s the message Nimona’s story was tryna tell with that scene. Nimona didn’t even try to actively destroy the city that had continuously rejected her. She was so hurt and dejected that all she wanted was for all of it to just end.
"I don't know what's scarier. The fact that everyone in this kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes I just wanna let 'em." Not gonna lie, that line broke me.:_Sobbing: I did not expect them to go that deep. This movie is an absolute masterpiece. I'm so glad Annapurna saved it and gave what was going to be Blue Sky's magnum opus a second chance. Another victory for the And a perfect way to end Pride Month.
YEAH! and the squire trying to show him the video before being cut off by the director. maybe it’s just me but i didnt catch any of that my first watch, it was so subtle and clever
@@beesoda7095You're not alone on that, this movie has SO MANY hidden/symbolic things, watched another reactor who literally pinpointed so many other details I was surprised I didn't see! Like there was one where you can literally see Nimona in the beginning of the movie casually transform into a mouse, it happens so fast and I'm amazed at the stuff they put in this movie! 👀
A nice information about this movie outside of the US; In the french subs they use inclusive language whenever a word is used by Nimonoa to describe herself and it's not phonetically gendered. I just like that detail because they didn't have to because Nimona isn't clearly stated as a nonbinary character and they could have just use feminine for her but they added this in the french sub anyway!
Holy shit I'm french and i didn't notice! We have a long way to go as far as inclusive language goes, so cool that the translator was careful about this for once
@@rontheron4807 I know right?! I am even happier because I have translation class in France and we've never been encourage to use inclusive language when the texts were ambiguous we had to choose a gender and stick to it 😭. So seeing that actual translators went "nah we need inclusive language for this one otherwise we loose subtext" is so heartwarming
theres a lot of really good moments people talk about (for good reason) but i really love when ballister removes the arrow from her leg. it's such a small moment but he's so gentle with her there and nimona softens and just. THATS HER DAD. and then again when they're playing the board game. she expects fear and hatred, but instead gets acceptance and understanding, and she's so happy. nimona has two dads and they are so happy together forever. peace and love on earth
@@CristinMcKee Yeah, she seems like she really is not expecting any kind of care or compassion and doesn't really know what to do with it. But also she wants it, when Ballister tucks her in and tells her she's safe, that's when she's totally completely content and relaxed and happy. She wants someone so badly.
Personally, I really enjoyed the Gloreth kid-voice inclusion because throughout the movie, it has been fed to us that Gloreth was a knight who as a grown woman defeated a great evil. But in actuality she was a full child whose feelings towards her best friend were poisoned by a grown-up's words. It illustrates a phenomenon in life where parents instill their own prejudices in their children. Hearing adult-Gloreth, then kid-Gloreth, and finally the director say "Go back to the shadows from whence you came" is a different experience not only because of the delivery, but also because there is a clear difference in experience and age within the voices. The juxtaposition between a Knight vs Monster fight and two kids being pulled apart by prejudice is incredible
I don’t think that’s the moment though. How would they know about Nimona’s kaiju form? I think the animosity built from there until Nimona went full kaiju monster from the rage and sadness and loneliness. And then the now adult Gloreth stood against her and defeated her.
Well done. I didn't immediately make the connection between the torch bouncing off Bear Nimona setting the village on fire being the villager's fault, but I did notice that when "empty" Nimona was headed to the statue, Nimona wasn't the reason the city was being destroyed. The damage was caused by the people attacking Nimona. They do it to themselves.
When she was “attacking” I suddenly realized she wasn’t actually actively hurting anyone. Any destruction was because of everyone else’s attacks on her and her reacting to the hate around her. Ex: the monster killing game commercial. And then I realized all the other fights, even if she joked about killing people, she never actually did.
@@fightingfaerie Yeah, she walks through the streets, and if they hadn't been throwing bombs at her she would probably not have caused any damage. The one thing she damages is a screen, all the rest is bombs that miss her and hitting buildings or Nimona falling into buildings after being hit.
One thing I noticed was the whole twist of Gloreth actually just being an overwhelmed child the entire time. Like the whole movie she's depicted as the brave warrior woman who vanquished the villain, only for it be revealed that she was just some kid who was friends with Nimona. She didn't actually hate Nimona, but in the midst of the chaos she sided with her village because it's what she was taught to do (just like goldenloin), and from that point forward she was used as an example. She didn't defeat Nimona, Nimona ran away because she felt betrayed, and Gloreth was praised for conforming. And yet despite all of that, they decided to depict Gloreth as a noble warrior, because that's a more convenient story for them.
Something I noticed too but I could be wrong, but during the whole movie Nimona is really the only one with unnaturally colored hair, but at the very end we see a lot of people with different hair. More people are comfortable with being themselves. Also the slums of the city is the only place we see pride flags i think.
I watched it this morning and I wasn't expecting the part where she nearly impaled herself with the sword. Just the idea that the world has given her so much cruelty that she would rather die by the sword of the first person that felt like home to her rather than continue feeling like an outcast and monster. That shit hurts
I haven't read the original comic in a long time, but I think the ending was a bit more depressing. The day was saved, but Nimona lost confidence and went into hiding again. Ballister sees the error of his ways and searches for Nimona, but can only ever see red animals and people with red hair that could be Nimona from a distance. Ambrosius, by the way, is badly wounded in the comic at the end and needs Ballister's support. The discremination of the disabled is also a big theme in the comic. In the comic, Ballister becomes a villain because he is no longer allowed to be a knight after he lost his arm in an accident.
Yeah. I read the comic, and the arcs of the characters were EXTREMELY different, but that’s because the theme that the writer was exploring was different too. The book’s ending hit me so hard because Blackheart only wanted to save the part of Nimona that was acceptable in society, the sweet little girl. But the dragon isn’t just something she can take away, it was always a part of her and always would be, and Blackheart didn’t get to change that no matter how much he loved her. Both the book and the movie made me cry 👍.
Yeah, it was a lot darker and Nimona was a lot more violent - she killed a lot of people during her rampage, and was only stopped by Ballister nearly killing her and then leaving her behind in the self-destructing institute.
Ballister didn’t lose his arm in an accident in the comic, or at least not really; Ambrosius got competitive in a joust with Ballister and after losing the match shot him from behind with-of all things-a jousting lance that had been secretly fitted with a button to fire an explosive projectile, provided to him by the Director with instructions for him to use it to win. And then Ambrosius suffered no consequences, but Ballister was barred from being a knight because of his disability, and was told that the only role left available to him was villain. I find it so fascinating how the comic and the movie are such different stories, but somehow absolutely still have the same soul in so many ways. They complement each other so well!
I got confused at first about Nimona’s goals, (kill or not kill) but then I realized she only wanted to be Bal’s sidekick. She didn’t care if he was a villain or the good guy trying to prove his innocence. She was willing to do whatever he wanted because she saw he was an outcast and she just wanted a friend.
Yeah, like she was willing to mould herself into a sidekick for a murderer because she wanted someone so badly. And a bit of revenge. Though, her revenge seems mostly petty vandalism (spraypainting 'dumb' on a poster).
In the audio description (mostly used by blind people) they use they/them pronouns for nimona!🎉 My message to my friend when i realized. The line "they hand ballister his metal arm" was just spoken 🙌
THIS MOVIE WAS SO GENDER I loved it so so so so so so much and happy that it's finally out. it hits so hard and looks amazing, show it to everyone you know.
I cried at the end of this movie. Really thought nimona was gone. Also i love the way nimona grins - it’s such a perfect use of animation. You could never make that smile in live action.
Baymax, Big Hero 6. Boo, Monsters Inc. Gandalf, Lord of The Rings. The Iron Giant. fucking Space Jam 2. " omg they died?? Are they really gone?! " You'd have to look hard to get ab animated movie that kills off or pretends to permanently remove a main character near the end of the movie and actually stick to it, either that, or you just haven't watched a lot of movies, lmao and Nimona is OP as fuck this would've been like a punch in the stomach at best
@@mickmons3267 well i did not look into the movie before watching it. Just watched it blindly. They already killed the queen on screen so I thought mayby it's this type of animation. Not to mention that they made us wait for her to come back a lot longer than usually in kids films. Not only that but it let's you have a moment to think about what it would be like if nimona really died and that made me think of people in history that died for the cause of acceptance for others before they could feel the acceptance for themselves. That aside I watch a lot of animation for adults where things can get gruesome or characters die. And honestly your reply to me is not nice. So what if I got emotional because of the usual twist? At least that made me enjoy it 10x more than if I was sitting rolling my eyes like "fucking space jam 2 even had this twist - can she just come back - I know she's gonna come back".
@@deismuarti sorry to burst your bubble, I walked into this movie blind too and I just wasn't really impressed with any of it, honestly a very mediocre movie overall. obvs it has a huge emotional reaction to lgbtq people who can see the bits specifically written for 'em to jump on in the movie, to me it just didn't have much of a lasting impact the more I thought about the set-up and details. And it's hard for me to feel sorry for a character that revels in killing guards just doing their jobs early in the movie. The setting of mixing modern and medieval is interesting, but that's about it. For an animated movie handling the "treated differently sparks hate and fear" message I'd recommend Paranorman.
@@deismuarti sure, im just saying the movie itself objectively just wasn't that grand. funny of you to mention how you watch a lot of adult movies, and then pressume a recent kids movie for 10 year olds would let a main character die, especially when it's so lgbtq pandering.
29:51 “rise like a phoenix”, that’s a pretty apt way to describe what happened to her & it’s prolly the closest thing to describe her: a phoenix, she burns, disintegrates into fiery embers, & then her “embers” are shown on the side reuniting with Bal in the end. I deduce she’s a being of light that’s capable of manipulating light into matter & not only have mass but change SPECIFICALLY HOW SHE WANTS TO LOOK: fur, fish, even armor/clothing of people just fine. Overall not unlike the crystal gems in Steven Universe. And ironically/ sadly enough, she’s a being of light that constantly hiding herself in the shadows instead of letting herself shine…
I also noticed she shifts not just what species she looks like and different body parts, but also her clothes and armor, including her piercings! (None of her animal forms have them, but her humanoid form does. Edit: I stand corrected, her Kwispy cereal dragon form has a nose ring.) Especially how she's canonically genderfluid (and I think nonbinary??? sorry if I'm wrong) and the Gems are all canonically sexless and yet most of them go by she/her pronouns like Nimona does (without spoiling it, some of the Gems don't use she/her, depending on whether they're fusions or just present differently. LMK if you want more info on which Gems use different pronouns!)
@@aliyahpulido953 that is true with the gems from SU, a lot of em go by she/they but Amethyst with her shapeshifting shenanigans transformed into Greg, a guy, for a short time so they are basically gender-fluid
23:04 another lil rant: I’d like to think this punk “human” form Nimona takes is obviously a way to express her rebelliousness & anger onto the kingdom without outright killing them, but also she wanted a different human form that’s not her first one made to look disarming (cuz of trauma ✨) that she melded/made for herself that doesn’t comply with the kingdom/with society to not repeat her mistakes with the first one. 😢
Something I really love about Nimona's flashback is that people were ALREADY afraid of her back then. Gloreth didn't start it. I think it ties into what Goldenloins says near the end: "What if we were ALWAYS wrong?" You'd like to think there's some Big Bad like Gloreth who is responsible for starting all this, made up some big lie. But go back 1000 years and that Big Bad was acting how they were brought up, and how THEIR parents were brought up, and THEIR parents. There's no "Beginning" to People's fear of what's different. No villain who started it. People were always that way.
Well, no, they weren’t always that way. They become that way because of what their parents tell them, or by what they hear in there environment. Fear like this is learned. They were already afraid of her, not cause they were always like that, but cause they were taught that as kids.
The thing that fucks with me in the finale is that this teenaged girl has turned into the monster she's been called... and she still doesn't *hurt anyone*. Despite her violent streak, the danger everyone's in is from THE KNIGHTS TRYING TO KILL HER not from Nimona herself. Definitely look into the graphic novel, I'd love to see your thoughts on it! (also yes, Nimona uses she/her.)
The two lines "I dont know whats worse. That the whole kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart....or that I sometimes I just want to let them...." and "I SEE you nimona. Youre not alone." made me UGLY cry. They knew full well what they were doing...and I feel every queer person out there will resonate. Absolutely amazing....
Fun Facts: Sir Goldenloin's hair was changed from the novel's design towards his voice actor's style. When Ballister and Nimona are talking with the Squire in the trunk, in the background there's a Rainbow flag behind Ballister and a Trans flag behind Nimona. About the 34 min mark in the film. at 10:58 in the reaction. Kwipy, the cereal commercial dragon is voiced by the book's author, ND Stevenson. Blue Sky Studio's crew are also listed in the credits. As they completed about 75% of this before the got shut down in April 2021.
I’m not sure if the creators meant for this, but i find it beautiful and a little poetic that when Nimona is trapped in her pain and wants to be unalive, she takes the form of a shadow beast thing, but when Ballister finds her and stays with her, she realizes she can be a hero and becomes a phoenix, which is a being of light
I’ve watched like five or six reactions to this show now. Two of them were full length unedited. I am still actively seeking more. It’s such a great movie.
I just realized this movie reminds me heavily of wolfwalkers! Another beautifully animated movie with a kind of similar premise. Even nimonas teeth grin is similar to one of the main characters and they both have the red hair and are outside the walls. Won't spoil any further in case u want to check it out. In case of wolf walkers the animation is 2d and is so beautiful!
Also the "civilized/socially-accepted" blonde girl befriends the red-haired, "wild/dangerous" girl who can shapeshift themes are there! I won't give more info than that, but because I know how Wolfwalkers goes, the way Nimona's relationship with Gloreth went in this movie hurt even more because that was a major, heartbreaking difference...
I'm so happy knowing I'm not the only grown ass man who cried like a child when she stood at the sword... That scream... God, I felt that in my -soul-. I loved this movie so much, and I need to get another copy of the comic. First vid of yours I've seen, but I'll definitely be sticking around.
I heard a reviewer call Nimona's kaiju form a "trauma monster," and I think it really fits. Trauma hurts the person who experienced it, but the repercussions can look scary to other people, and can even hurt others without the person meaning to. And her screams of anguish just resonate with the traumatic feelings of rejection.
I think as much as the little kid voice takes a little bit away from the tension, its also effective in being disturbing. Its a little kid pointing a toy sword to her friend and saying awful things to her because that's what she was taught to do, that's the hate that her caretakers taught her. And that hate coming from someone as innocent as a little child is scary in its own way
I think the reason they're both kids in that scene is to show this stuff isn't born into people. Its taught. And even young kids can be made into vile bigots if they were raised by terrible parents. And the fact everyone shows her as an adult with destroying the monster, using her sword, when in reality they were children.. and it was just her words. It makes the scene all the more powerful "Sticks and Stones may break my bones but Words always cut me deeper"
I think it ties into what Goldenloins says near the end: "What if we were ALWAYS wrong?" You'd like to think there's some Big Bad who is responsible for starting all this. But go back 1000 years and that Big Bad was acting how they were brought up, and how THEIR parents were brought up, and THEIR parents. There's no "Beginning" to People's fear of what's different. No villain who started it. People were always that way. And maybe they always will be.
I don’t think that’s the moment from the legend though. How would they know about her kaiju form? It probably happened later after the animosity and hate built until she transformed into that
@@fightingfaerie She's literally a shape shifter, how do you not know she turned INTO the monster they made her FEEL like. That's quite often what happens in the real world, people are told they're evil, monsters, bad people and eventually when they snap, they turn into the monsters theyve been told they are their whole lives. We never see any evidence of that black monster form through the main film, only when she is destructive/suicidal do we see it. "If this is what you see me as, this is what I'll give you"
@@DecoyZ what are talking about. I’m confused where you are getting any of this from my comment. I know she’s a shapeshifter, I know how she turns into the “kaiju monster.” What I’m saying is they found an old scroll showing her dark form. In the flashback we are shown she doesn’t turn into that, the biggest thing she transforms into is a bear. So how did they know what she/it looks like? And even if she became that right after the flashback ends I really don’t see how a little kid with a wooden sword drove her back. Like I said, I think the hate and animosity built up, until the dark emotions took over, like we see in the movie. Then at that point Gloreth had grown up and was the one that stopped Nimona and defeated her.
@@fightingfaerie "Defeated her" how? she's in the kingdom she's not harmed in any major way Also im saying that the beast on the scroll is made up Nimona never looked like that, this is commentary on how people refuse to accept they're wrong. Just like Queer people, Nimona was publicised as evil, as a monster whats easier to get people on your side then to tell about this great beast I mean how do you think we got real life legends of sea snakes? someone saw something and over the years the idea became more important then the truth. That was a depiction of a monster, she turned into said monster to fulfill their hateful wishes. Also, it was said Gloreth cast the beast out with "go back to the shadows from whence you came" if Gloreth said that multiple times why not show the actual moment it happened when she was an adult? I think the point of the scene it so show Gloreth didnt defeat Nimona with swords or combat but with words. those words as a child, hurt Nimona so badly she fled. because realistically Gloreth wouldn't be able to actually physically defeat Nimona. she only got hurt cause she literally wanted to kill herself/sacrifice herself and even then she still didnt die I think the point is the ENTIRE history is false the scroll is nothing but stories of old It also shows how this hate is not inherent, its taught you arent born homophobic, you're taught it Gloreth was not born to hate Nimona she was taught it
a lot of my friends live in the us, and most of them are trans. it scares me, a lot. this movie is a perfect reflection of those fears, but even more importantly it gives me hope for the future, which is exactly what i need right now. not only that but being genderfluid i found a lot of myself in nimona even though she is so radically different from me. the way she talked about being nimona, the things she got told by others (like ballister telling her that it would be easier if she just was a girl), it is so blatantly trans and so painfully relatable even for someone who grew up in a fairly progressive area like me. she's someone i strive to be more like, if only because i'm trying to learn how to be angry and how to let myself be less than kind to bigots and assholes. powerful movie and i spent probably over half of it sobbing.
the form at the end she takes on is like the physical embodiment of a trauma response. its scary, its intense, and it shows how in pain nimona is to have a form like that. and the fact that after balister tells her he sees her and she shifts into that human form again, the form she takes up after that is a pheonix. she literally rose up from her trauma and was reborn because she was accepted. its so beautifully done!
This movie almost 100% described how I feel with my own gender identity, doesn’t matter what I look like, I’m just me. And the itchy feeling if it doesn’t happen, I always describe my dysphoria as an itchy sweater. I wish we had more balistars in this world, people who might not 100% understand people like me, but who will stand with us regardless, and try to learn and try to understand. I’m very privileged to be living as my true self, and irl I’m very accepted by my circle of people… but there’s so many who don’t have that, and I try to be some else’s balistar, just to be there and say “I see you”. More balistars and less Todds lol
I'm not usually the type to actually cry at media (I tear up! just tears never really *fall*) but the scene with Gloreth's statue at the end DEVISTATED ME for real. Watching you react to it, I said out loud "Oh no, I'm so sorry dude." because it's soul crushingly emotional. This movie is genuinely fantastic, I'm so glad you got to see such an awesome movie so soon.
I cried so hard at the end of this movie because all I could think about was how everyone called Nimona a monster up until she saved their lives and were finally willing to give her that love and acceptance that she wanted all her life but only after Nimona was 'dead' and wasnt there to even experience it.
I like that you talked about the complexities of this movie as others said that this movie is simplified from the more morally grey characters in the source material. They still probably simplified it (I haven’t read the story myself), but not the extent that I thought from what other people said about the movie. Also, I don’t get that emotional in movies often. The most I get is teary eyed, so watching your reaction was refreshing and enjoyable in its own sense. I had to fight some negative reactions with it as well, so I appreciate your reaction in that angle, too. Being emotional about a movie like this shouldn’t be a bad thing 😊. I think being self conscious about that stuff is the reason why I don’t react to movies like most people would, as when I see others reactions I tend to mirror those emotions at the time but not watching it on my own. I really love the way Nimona describes the feeling of shape shifting and her decision on saying it when Ballister showed an interest. It’s like, she refused to answer any questions until she felt that it came from a place to try to understand her rather than change her. Also, the love language thing was hilarious to me. I have a huge thing with found family :D so fun watching Ballister and Nimona.
She _wanted_ a job, but now she has a _father._ /ref Seriously though, I kind of need to cosplay as Nimona now. I have no idea how I'd get the wig to work, but it needs to happen. Being able to cosplay a character with the same hips that I have while still being able to bind and look "source accurate" at the same time is gonna feel AMAZING. Her whole description of what it feels like to not shapeshift also feels very Autistic or just ND to me in general. "Like my insides are itchy" is a really good way of describing what it's like to need to stim but to be somewhere where you can't so you just have to _not._ It didn't sink in for me initially when I was watching the movie (I was too busy having fun to actually be reflective or super analytical lol) but like... I relate to Nimona a lot. I do all my cosplaying and roleplaying and acting stuff because I just have too much _me_ for it all to just be one thing all the time. I do need to look how I normally look just to regain that kind of energy since it's exhausting and not sustainable to play pretend _ALL THE TIME,_ but if I wasn't allowed or able to dress up in my costumes, or pretend to be a talking dog, or talk using exclusively someone else's words ever... I honestly would just be functionally dead. It wouldn't feel good to be alive anymore. I'd just be surviving, and nobody should _just_ be surviving. As someone who was Frankenstein'd as a kid despite my parents' and friends' best efforts for things that I legit cannot help, I totally get Nimona. They really are just like me for real. Also I never doubted for one second that Nimona wasn't actually dead. If Nimona _had_ died, then I would've been seeing a lot more anger from queer and trans viewers surrounding this film than I did. The writers would be getting their asses handed to them on silver platters. There would have been a whole "This movie actually _HATES_ trans people!!!" thing going on if they had died. Like... come on. We all know it's true.
❤ This movie lets our main characters learn and be unperfect while still being VALID. They get to be messy like everyone else. Not perfect examples of what to be/not to be. ❤ Great film
Ngl nimona literally made me cry. It’s like the best movie I’ve ever seen since spider verse (1) came out. I’m still balling my eyes out lol. I highly recommend it. It’s absolutely incredible and definitely worth a watch. Also the lgbt representation is fantastic and the animation is flawless. The story is fantastic. A bit cliche at the end but it was yet again done flawlessly. I REALLY hope you guys enjoyed it too. Also Balister is British gay at its peak
When I saw that you was gonna do this movie I knew it was gonna destroy you. I really wish they do another movie of Nimona. It was super good, watched it twice and will probably watch it for a third
@@moistwrmonastring1017 I mean they did leave it open-ended so maybe but I did hear that ND is going to work on another series of books that he did around the same time but it’s for Max. Called the Lumberjanes.
Even ignoring the themes (which are GREAT), the story telling is on point! Twist villain? Revealed within 45 minutes, and not dragged out. Tricking then into confessing? Turns out having a shapeshifter on your team does NOT do much for crediting your evidence! This movie does great what a lot of movies do badly! Not sure if it's the next Spiderverse, but it absolutely deserves 2nd or 3rd place this year!
Man the way the dialogue in the flashback returned only to speak very key lines that had already been spoken in the movie ??? "She's my friend" "she's a monster" "go back to the shadows from whence you came" like it all just Screamed ptsd flashback to me. It feels Real And constructed somehow
I picked up Nimona at a bookstore years ago and it kick-started my love of graphic novels, tbh! Especially anything by ND Stevenson, he worked on Lumberjanes as well which is an absolute joy of a series. Comics were a great way for me to find queer stories when not a lot of them were on the screen, so seeing Nimona *finally* adapted and playing on a major streaming service is just AMAZING!! screw Disney for canning it, but also I'm glad it found a home on Netflix.
I wasnt going to watch it but my friend (literally the one who introduced me to your channel) told me it was by ND Stevenson and i immediately downloaded it lol. I loved the movie, it was so funny, Nimona was so chaotic, such a gremlin, i loved her so much as soon as i saw her lol. The animation was awesome, at first i didnt like how they animated some movements of the characters cause it reminded me of old badly animated movies, but i got over that pretty quick.
Bill thank you so much for this reaction! I first read Nimona back in 2013 when it was just a webcomic and to see it here today as a movie that can resonate so much with others just like it did with me is incredible. This story got me through such a dark time when I was confused about my sexuality, who I was, and who I wanted to be, and for me and so many others to see themselves in these characters, to be truly seen, is the greatest feeling of all. Much love and thank you for spreading love
PLSSS the amount of times I’ve been on the verge of crying and then just burst out giggling at your emotional angry commentary 😭😭 “there are no daddies in this movie” “yeah up your fucking b-hole, lady, fuck you eat shit” being my favourites lol. Gahh this movie is so emotional and so so good
I read this graphic novel years ago and it moved me then, this movie moves me now, and I’m so thrilled with it. It’s truly a queer movie for the ages and I adore. Years later after coming out myself, Nimona’s whole character is something I relate to so much. The story telling is fun and great, the animation and art is gorgeous, and voices are incredibly fitting. I’m still feeling the feels days after watching it. Also, love that on the Nimona memorial wall is a picture of her in the original graphic novel art style, makes me wanna re read again and again and again, so good…
Oh god, I missed the iron giant "you are not a gun, self sacrifice" feels the first time watching but totally see it now. ❤️😭❤️ The fact that this movie is a new Iron Giant AND Shrek makes me so happy and I just hope it gets the same love as those classics. The shadow at the end gave me full depression and dysphoria vibes, it wasn't a representation of death but "it certainly ain't living". And I think that was achieved beautifully by constantly giving Nimona this salmon pink colour until she was forced to the very extremes, and forced to the simplicity people wanted: black and white. ❤️😭❤️ Stunning. The team that made this did such a good job ❤
I wonder if Nimona’s wishing well story was partially true and she wished for her powers or wished to be immortal, or it’s just a metaphor for her wishing for a friend, and she found Gloreth. Either way, I think she’s immortal unless her heart gets injured. Hence why she she was able to survive the cannon. She protected her heart because she had the will to live.
I find it astoundingly ironic that The Queen, who shares a voice actress with Shadow Weaver, was indirectly assassinated by what is for all intents and purposes the original prototype version of Shadow Weaver.
Nimona is a film that balances action, humor, suspense and emotion well, I hope it gets (at least) a nomination for the Oscar's 2024; overall, it's a 10 out of 10 movie for me. 🥰 METAL!!!!!!! ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥
I've been struggling with identity for a long while.. late last year I came out as genderfluid, yet even though I said I was genderfluid.. I still didn't feel it. in the sense that I still hid myself, I still hated my body, no matter what gender my brain asked me to be I wasn't happy because I didn't let myself express it. this pride month I kinda felt.. empty because I know who I am.. but I can't BE who I am, there's all this stuff in the way, I couldn't be happy with who I was because I didn't wanna show others. figuring out that Nimona was about genderfluidity was such a powerful moment for me that I burst into tears. The "I'm me, no matter what form i take im still me" is such a powerful message and I think this film is singlehandedly making me rethink how much I hide myself in fear of not being palatable to others.. I wanna be seen.. I wanna be me. Thank you for the video Bill, and I wish to thank everyone who worked on Nimona individually hehe
I think it's clear that Disney never wanted to make this or be associated with it. At least, at the time. Fox got the rights to adapt Nimona in 2015 and the movie had already been in development when Disney bought them. They delayed Nimona several times before finally just closing Blue Sky altogether in 2021. Part of me thinks the "this animation studio was redundant because we're Disney" excuse was to try and get rid of Nimona with less backlash by coming up with a more reasonable explanation for cancelling it. Anyway, it was great to see all of Blue Sky credited by name at the end! Also, props to Fox for trying to make this in the first place.
Literally watched this movie like 2 days ago- and it was definitely one of my new top favorite The character development and challenges they face that are illustrated beautifully!! And the way they capture irl issues. And plus the animation style is very cute and well made/interesting!! Glad you enjoyed this amazing movie!!
"What some old ass book that's probably misinterpreted and corroded over time?" yes, exactly that, actually. Well, a scroll if you wanna get really technical with it, but you know.
I absolutely loved Nimona and You reaction to it honestly made my whole day! Another great Netflix movie came out a little bit ago but it’s still one of my favorites. It’s called The Sea Beast and has similar themes of fighting an oppressive system just with more swash-buckling!
i'm so glad you watched this!! my algorithm is so queer focused and i've been in the try guys corner of the internet forever so i couldn't really gage how much traction this movie was getting but it's really awesome to see you react to it and see all the comments of people who loved it! i love family movies with queer storylines and representation so much because it means more kids growing up to be more accepting and loving people, queer kids feeling seen and maybe help them figure themselves out, and families of queer kids who didn't grow up with this kind of representation being introduced to it and hopefully being more open minded :) also 19:29 the little bit of pink at the bottom is peak comedy thanks as always for the thoughtful and wholesome video, hope you have an amazing day :D
as always, i LOVE your thoughts and analysis and reactions!!!! thank you so much for taking the time to watch this and sharing your vulnerability with us!!
I also bawled watching this movie. As someone who resonates very heavily with Nimona for many reasons, that end - I also felt overpowered, and I wish they would've shown Nimona back with Ballister and possibly Ambrosius. After how deeply triggering that climax was (triggering not entirely in a bad way, but cutting very deep), I needed something to soothe me and get me out of that flashback, and I (similarly to you) was barely able to process, let alone appreciate what happened after her disappearance. Her describing the urge to shapeshift as a "sneeze" makes me think of ticcs, which I don't experience myself but have heard described in the exact same way. It's hard to pick favourite moments, but the quiet moment where they play monopoly and she breathes fire and instantly shrinks into herself - and how Ballister just accepts her without question - is so, so precious to me. It is something I deeply needed and still need as someone who has a gaping lack of being allowed to be myself and be loved for that. I am now slowly starting to fill that with my actual found family/deep friendships, but still. What a movie.
"Pillage a village, lie low until they forget about you, then rise like a phoenix to overthrow the government!" Nimona really just summarized her entire story.
i love the returning motif of pointing a sword at a character being oppressed. little kids do it throughout the movie toward Nimona and Ballinger, and it's implied when Bal first draws his sword in the confrontation scene that he may have done the same to her. this even includes the Director pointing the weapon at Nimona. the only time that this idea is challenged is when the queen hands Bal his sword, knighting him and handing it to him as a merit of respect. she is the only one who doesn't use the sword to accuse, and having her die for it at the very beginning sets a very clear boundary for the audience of how powerful that imagery is.
21:13 a lil theory from someone in tumblr suggested that the kingdom NEVER ACTUALLY HAD ANOTHER MONSTER ATTACK other than supposedly Nimona being the “first”, & it kinda makes sense. Rant time: This kingdom is super damn advanced like if there “regular” monster attacks as they so proclaim (again more of the historical inaccuracy cuz it’s been a thousand years info can get misinterpreted) this kingdom would’ve looked drastically different; tech would’ve teetered between being obsolete for years & very rare bouts of new tech, especially the kind to fight “monsters”. In this “world” that’s being cultivated inside the wall, EVERYTHING is advanced from phones to flying chariots(?) that’s overall improved the wellbeing of their lives so drastically, it’s the director’s “way of life” she’s been protecting but only under the pretense of a “threat” that was never there in the first place that she wants to upkeep the status quo
It probably means nothing to anyone else, but I just found out Nimona has Swedish subtitles and dubbing, ans I am so hype that I can use this to study while also enjoying it and also supporting the creators. I'll be watching it at least 10x now.
Some small things that I find really neat in this movie: 1. The squire’s “Let me go ahead and pass this problem onto someone else” remark isn’t just a very funny line; it also completely encapsulates the decisions that he made at the beginning of the film. He witnessed the director do something shady, and tried to quietly let Ballister know, but he didn’t want to jeopardize his position by making too much of a fuss about it. Even after the queen was murdered and he realized that he had the evidence of who really did it, he chose to just stay quiet and continue with his life, until Ballister showed up and he once again had the opportunity to pass the problem (the evidence) onto him. 2. When Nimona first makes a friend, one of the earliest hints that we get that it’s Glorith is when she throws a rock into a stump and celebrates by shouting “Woo!” The trademark exclamation of Ambrosius Goldenloin, descendant of Glorith. 3. In the rooftop scene, after Ambrosius draws his sword on Ballister and before he says “Arrest them”, there’s a side camera shot where if you look at Ambrosius’ eyes, he’s clearly looking all around at the knights surrounding them. He’s not trying to arrest Ballister because he believes he’s done anything wrong; he’s doing it because he thinks it’s the only way to save him from getting hurt. It’s the exact same thing he does earlier, when Todd offers to lead the charge catching Ballister and Ambrosius interrupts to say that he’ll do it, because he knows that Todd would use all the powers given to him to hurt Ballister. 4. Throughout the entire movie the go-to expletive is “Glorith”, in reference to a holy figure akin to saying “Oh my God.” Except at the very end of the movie, when Nimona comes back, Ballister doesn’t say “Glorith”, he says “Holy shi-“. Because Glorith is no longer a figure of reverence to him.
I’m an afab genderfluid person. This movie absolutely broke me. I’ve never ever cried so hard for a piece of media in my life. Like yeah, if it’s extra sad I might shudder and tear up a little, but with Nimona, I full on *sobbed* from the point where Ballister kept her from the sword all the way to an hour and a half after the movie was over. I cried so hard that my eyes were literally almost swollen shut I’m so fr. I haven’t let myself cry out loud like that in who knows how long, and it felt so bad but also really good at the same time to finally let out all the emotions I was keeping in. This movie really made me feel seen (because genderfluid rep is so rare in media) and honestly helped me really grasp everything that’s happening to the community. TL;DR I’m a Nimona kinnie and I’m not okay right now, but hopefully sometime in the future I will be.
24:43 my one problem with the movie. There' no way Todd survived that crash. That speed with no helmet? Not a chance. Ask any biker. oh, the city's reaction to Ballister killing the queen? To quote Storm from the 90's X-Men cartoon: "The has people frightened. They're looking for someone to blame. We're* an easy target." *Mutants in that show, in this movie it's Ballister.
This was a thoughtful and engaging reaction and review. Its so cathartic to see someone have very similar reactions to this movie as I did. And yes, I cried again watching this reaction.
I don't cry at scenes twice, like I'm a crier, but only once. I sob and I'm done and I don't let stuff get me again. But EVERYTIME. EVERYTIME. "I don't know what's scarier-" AGH. I've never cried so darn fast!!
![I watched Nimona because WHY NOT HUH WHY DO YOU CARE - [Reaction]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vR3pAWrU8TE/mqdefault.jpg)
The ending with Ballister stopping Nimona from her attempt and giving her the will to live is the hardest I've cried at a movie in a while. Their bond in general is so beautiful.
It was too much for me, I’ve been crying on and off for the past hour after watching it for myself and then some reaction videos, my eyes are so sore
For me it was her reverting to teen punk shape and seeing how beaten up she was that got to me. A kid, so tired, so beat up by everyone, loved ones, society, the system, to the point of preferring death. Hit a little too close to home. And the visual of it just hit so fucking hard as well.
He LITERALLY touched her heart
I've never expected a kids' movie to literally portray an attempt. I was not ready for that amount of feels
That scream Nimona makes before going for it just hurts.
I think the fact that the little kid voice kills the intensity is the point there. This entire time, for a thousand years, the kingdom has built up Gloreth in the image of a glorious hero (an adult one at that) Holding a mighty sword and defeating the big bad monster, and then we see that the reality is just a scared kid, acting on the only guidance the adults have given her, holding a toy sword and banishing her friend. The truth falls so short of the legendary fight that it was always built up to be and that's the point of the little kid voice.
At least that's how I read it
Reminds me of the Bible. Who knows what's really real with all those rewrites by different people and a homophobic roman?
That's how I read it too. 'Go Back To The Shadows From Whence You Came' is not a declaration by a powerful warrior, but a comfort phrase from a brainwashed kid.
Furthermore, there is no implication that the shadows are anything bad, the way they are in the modern version of the city. She literally met Nimona in the shadows. What she said was exclusionary and hurtful, but it got twisted into something even darker over a thousand years.
@@falconeshieldlet's not forget either that as best as we can tell none of the bible was actually written by the titular people. Or even from first hand experience. It's essentially a mythology written by someone about what they think someone else's life was like. Or, an oral tradition that was written down eventually.
"did golden daddy just weaponize gay?" Is my favorite sentence of all time
Every time he calls Goldenloin daddy, I chuckled.
9:07
Oh gosh I laughed so hard at that part 😂 Just had to go back and rewatch it!
Omg I just noticed the trans flag behind Nimona when she says “sure wouldn’t be living”😭😭🏳️⚧️
Oh god the metaphor is too much for me, my trans heart hurts so godamn bad. The ending when you view it from the trans perspective is also insanely spot-on and incredibly depressing.
It sucks we’re quite literally seen as non-human, like we’re a parasite working our way into “normal” (cis) society somehow, when two-spirit people and other gender identities have existed since pretty much the beginning of humanity.
It feels good to see a movie tell our stories wrapped up into one so perfectly, I’m very grateful Nimona exists despite all the behind the scenes bullshit. I needed this
@@moistwrmonastring1017 well said😌😌
oh my god i just saw that too!!!!!! that's litterly amazing i love this movie
I didn’t even see that but I literally said to the person I was watching with that it was a clear metaphor for being trans (not just me being biased as a trans guy). Validated haha
It has to be in your face. Like Chaplin at the heart of the war. People aren't getting that evil is rising again. And we have to notice it or else we'll lose the ones we love
Goldenloin gave me whiplash. The absolute fastest I've ever gone from "Oh I'm gonna hate this guy..." to "Aww I love this guy!"
I had that exact response, to seeing him.
In fairness, he WAS intended to be obnoxious and hateable (at least at first) in the comic. The name was meant to highlight it. buuuuuuut he got to learn his lessons much younger and less obnoxious than comic!Loin. XD
I thought he was gonna be a terrible, snooty, stuck-up guy but he actually has the personality of a Golden Retriever! Meanwhile, Bal is more like Brutus the German Shepherd from "Pixie and Brutus."
Especially with a name like that 😂
Yeah it made me think up until his internal freakout halfway through that he was going to be the secret bad guy trying to covertly backstab poor Bal.
"Being sneaky got us stuck in a closet. Let's destroy some shit"
Basically Nimona's whole vibe and I couldn't be happier about it. It's such a beautiful film.
Huh.
Interesting that they chose a closet
“Hiding who you are just keeps you closeted. Let’s destroy some shit.”
a coincidence, surely
i think of nimona's darkness form as like a manifestation of her depression and s***dal ideation. she doesn't have teeth or claws, she doesn't attack, doesn't defend herself, even her roar is a scream. she's literally lost in darkness, gone to the world around her, no longer interested in breaking stuff or revenge or even survival.
Thank you for this beautiful comment. I’ve got goosebumps everywhere and I’m sniffling, especially since I distinctly remember having to pause the movie after hearing Nimona’s final “roar” for the first time because it was heart-wrenching as all heck.
it’s just pure trauma, so heartbreaking
Also in her trauma induced state she turned from colorful to black and white. I don’t know if that was explicitly intended but it is a powerful message of how we are forced into one or another view point rather than the diversity that keeps us alive.
The whole movie is so queer, it's magnificent! It's just what I needed to cheer me up in a time when not being cis/het is becoming increasingly more dangerous.
Agreed! Same!❤
the story was originally made by a genderfluid person btw! Which is why the story itself is intrinsically queer
@@maxskellington910no such thing as gender fluid your either a man or a woman
@@maxskellington910umm is nimona gender-fluid
@kitzyye
I mean...being a shape shifter, it would almost be weird NOT to be.
I was almost SO MAD at the end when it looked like they were going to pull the whole "she has to sacrifice everything, even her life to get people to accept her" BS. I was very relieved when they brought her back
In any other situation I'd feel the opposite - that too many movies fake out the sacrifice and won't let a character’s death mean something. But in this case it feels neessary for Nimona to live. Even more overdone than fake-out sacrifices, and far more damaging as well, is refusing to let obviously queer-coded characters have their happy ending.
@@FabbrizioPlays absolutely, I couldn't have said it better myself!!
@FabbrizioPlays Yeah, same. It didn't feel right for Nimona to die after she had just found a reason to live.
Someone else pointed out that she specifically shifted into a phoenix 😭
@@ladynoluck ooh, I didn't notice that! ❤️😭
I personally really liked the kid voice for Golorith, I think it really highlighted the exaggeration of the event; Their whole society is built around idolizing this grand story of a mature hero slaying an epic beast when in truth it was just a child pointing a toy sword at another child because of what an adult said, all over a misunderstanding.
I also think this really hammers in the extremism of the director; All of this murder, willing to kill her own people, firing a fucking laser cannon into a child with such vitriol and righteous anger as she quotes that child like it's a biblical phrase, because of just one nightmare about an exaggerated untrue story that made her delude herself into thinking she has some kind of hero's destiny
(edit: grammar)
It reminded me of Iron Giant
General: THAT MISSILE IS AIMED AT THE GIANT'S CURRENT POSITION. *WHERE'S THE GIANT, MANSLEY?!*
Except there at least that dense MFer realized he screwed up. _If only because HE was also in the blast radius himself._ Some people are like that, and won't realize the damage they're causing to innocents until it backfires hard enough to hit themselves.
I don’t think that moment is the legend. How would they know about Nimona’s kaiju form? I think the animosity just increased from there until the anger and sadness made Nimona transform and adult Gloreth standing against her and defeating her.
@@fightingfaerie valid point, but consider this: Nimona can become anything she wants.
It's very possible that they've never actually turned into that "kaiju" form before the movie, and that the depiction in the scroll was simply artistic liberty.
It's possible she *chose* to become the monster they all saw her as.
@ninjapotatolorf6237 To be honest, I always interpreted it this way. We never see Nimona become a giant creature in any of her flashbacks, and it's made clear in those same flashbacks that EVERYTHING about the Gloreth story was made up. Gloreth wasn't a mature knight fighting a giant monster to protect her people. Gloreth was a child with a toy sword who told a small, shapeshifting child to leave. Even the fire in the exaggerated story is said to come from Nimona, but it was really started by the villagers in an accident and got out of hand AFTER they attacked Nimona out of fear. She only became a "menace to society" when they treated her like one, and she only became a giant monster after being inspired to become one. It was the representation of her grief, a physical manifestation of the way she knows everyone else views her. Thus she sought to destroy herself.
Fun fact: Nate Stevenson, the person who wrote the graphic novel the movie is based on, is also the creator of the She-Ra reboot! The voice actress of Shadow Weaver, Lorraine Toussaint, also voices the queen.
Noelle is a Nate now? Huh. I didn’t know that
@@Marcieishereandqueeryeah, they’re trans. Nimona was basically their way of expressing their feelings of being trans before they realised they were trans and came out as trans
It's also part of the reason why the graphic novel is a bit different from the movie - bc the two were made in different stages of Nate's life.
@@JR-yo8ob It’s like how the movie Persepolis is slightly different to the original graphic novel because the creator realised how important some things in her childhood were in the 5 years between the comic and the movie.
So that's where I heard that voice!
21:10 What hurts the most is hearing Ballister's voice among those in her head there, a harsh reminder of the damage we can do even when it's not on purpose.
God, I’m a straight cis girl and I’m just wrecked by this. The absolute rejection, when Nimona was a good person who was just looking to belong somewhere, is gut-wrenching.
I have a lot of friends in the queer community who do feel like this, who feel like it’s really hard to find their place, and I think the world needs more Ballisters who are willing to listen and open up.
Also I just love that at the end he goes back to the “lair” and opens it up. Makes it more warm and comfortable, making it a safe space for Nimona, even if they never come back, it’ll always be there. Respect.
Me too! I am also a straight cis girl and completely agree!!!
Absolutely agreed! This was so powerful and important for so many people!
It totally wrecked me too! It's been (historically) impossible for me to cry to a RE-watch of ANYthing... but THIS movie got me EIGHT times in one week!!! Totally unheard of for me. I am still amazed by this movie.
At one point I legit thought I was going to accidentally break or pull something with how hard I was sobbing.
@@beth_m It totally wrecked me too! It's been (historically) impossible for me to cry to a RE-watch of ANYthing... but THIS movie got me EIGHT times in one week!!! Totally unheard of for me. I am still amazed by this movie.
At one point I legit thought I was going to accidentally break or pull something with how hard I was sobbing.
@@sathvamp1 same!! 😭
I can't explain it but like- Nimona's wailing during the final act as "a monster" just hits so hard. Just the way it's portrayed and how it's Nimona just screaming out in agony but the way the sound design echoes makes it sound like the hundreds of thousands of voices of trans individuals feeling that same level of pain from society. I've seen this movie three times now and it STILL makes me tear up, even just hitting that bit in your reaction made it happen again. I'm so happy this movie was able to be finished, it means so much.
The kid abandoned by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth. - African proverb
God, that legitimately gave me goosebumps. Hundreds of thousands of voices of trans individuals. That hit
Having someone who's at least partially a metaphor for queer suffering under the current system cry out in pain during an attempt is unfortunately resonant with many people.
@@falconeshield I love that quote, but I don’t think that’s the message Nimona’s story was tryna tell with that scene. Nimona didn’t even try to actively destroy the city that had continuously rejected her. She was so hurt and dejected that all she wanted was for all of it to just end.
"I don't know what's scarier. The fact that everyone in this kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart, or that sometimes I just wanna let 'em." Not gonna lie, that line broke me.:_Sobbing: I did not expect them to go that deep.
This movie is an absolute masterpiece. I'm so glad Annapurna saved it and gave what was going to be Blue Sky's magnum opus a second chance. Another victory for the And a perfect way to end Pride Month.
I've watched the movie twice and this is the third reaction I've seen, and I don't think that part is ever going to stop hitting hard.
The third act of the film it is extremely shocking😱 and heartbreaking. 😭
Some monsters want to be loved too
Also Ballister immediately noticed something was off with his sword the second he held it.
YEAH! and the squire trying to show him the video before being cut off by the director. maybe it’s just me but i didnt catch any of that my first watch, it was so subtle and clever
@@beesoda7095You're not alone on that, this movie has SO MANY hidden/symbolic things, watched another reactor who literally pinpointed so many other details I was surprised I didn't see!
Like there was one where you can literally see Nimona in the beginning of the movie casually transform into a mouse, it happens so fast and I'm amazed at the stuff they put in this movie! 👀
A nice information about this movie outside of the US; In the french subs they use inclusive language whenever a word is used by Nimonoa to describe herself and it's not phonetically gendered. I just like that detail because they didn't have to because Nimona isn't clearly stated as a nonbinary character and they could have just use feminine for her but they added this in the french sub anyway!
That makes me incredibly happy
Vive La France!
Better than Italy, they made Spinny and Netty partners rather than wives in Shera S5
Holy shit I'm french and i didn't notice! We have a long way to go as far as inclusive language goes, so cool that the translator was careful about this for once
@@rontheron4807 I know right?! I am even happier because I have translation class in France and we've never been encourage to use inclusive language when the texts were ambiguous we had to choose a gender and stick to it 😭. So seeing that actual translators went "nah we need inclusive language for this one otherwise we loose subtext" is so heartwarming
Uhm.... That's not possible. French doesn't have a genderneutral pronoun.
theres a lot of really good moments people talk about (for good reason) but i really love when ballister removes the arrow from her leg. it's such a small moment but he's so gentle with her there and nimona softens and just. THATS HER DAD. and then again when they're playing the board game. she expects fear and hatred, but instead gets acceptance and understanding, and she's so happy.
nimona has two dads and they are so happy together forever. peace and love on earth
The creator of the comic has a bunch of artwork they made of Nimona and their two dad's. 🥰
I think this is maybe the first time anyone has taken care of her. 😥
If you notice her facial expressions, it (imo) ALWAYS kill me because she just looks SO CONFUSED 😭
@@CristinMcKee Yeah, she seems like she really is not expecting any kind of care or compassion and doesn't really know what to do with it. But also she wants it, when Ballister tucks her in and tells her she's safe, that's when she's totally completely content and relaxed and happy. She wants someone so badly.
I was an animator on this movie and you are spot on. That’s how the directors told the animators to approach her acting.
Personally, I really enjoyed the Gloreth kid-voice inclusion because throughout the movie, it has been fed to us that Gloreth was a knight who as a grown woman defeated a great evil. But in actuality she was a full child whose feelings towards her best friend were poisoned by a grown-up's words. It illustrates a phenomenon in life where parents instill their own prejudices in their children. Hearing adult-Gloreth, then kid-Gloreth, and finally the director say "Go back to the shadows from whence you came" is a different experience not only because of the delivery, but also because there is a clear difference in experience and age within the voices. The juxtaposition between a Knight vs Monster fight and two kids being pulled apart by prejudice is incredible
I don’t think that’s the moment though. How would they know about Nimona’s kaiju form? I think the animosity built from there until Nimona went full kaiju monster from the rage and sadness and loneliness. And then the now adult Gloreth stood against her and defeated her.
Well done. I didn't immediately make the connection between the torch bouncing off Bear Nimona setting the village on fire being the villager's fault, but I did notice that when "empty" Nimona was headed to the statue, Nimona wasn't the reason the city was being destroyed. The damage was caused by the people attacking Nimona. They do it to themselves.
When she was “attacking” I suddenly realized she wasn’t actually actively hurting anyone. Any destruction was because of everyone else’s attacks on her and her reacting to the hate around her. Ex: the monster killing game commercial.
And then I realized all the other fights, even if she joked about killing people, she never actually did.
@@fightingfaerieShe actually only breaks stuff that delivers bad crap to innocent lives or stuff that invokes her PTSD.
@@fightingfaerie Yeah, she walks through the streets, and if they hadn't been throwing bombs at her she would probably not have caused any damage. The one thing she damages is a screen, all the rest is bombs that miss her and hitting buildings or Nimona falling into buildings after being hit.
One thing I noticed was the whole twist of Gloreth actually just being an overwhelmed child the entire time.
Like the whole movie she's depicted as the brave warrior woman who vanquished the villain, only for it be revealed that she was just some kid who was friends with Nimona. She didn't actually hate Nimona, but in the midst of the chaos she sided with her village because it's what she was taught to do (just like goldenloin), and from that point forward she was used as an example. She didn't defeat Nimona, Nimona ran away because she felt betrayed, and Gloreth was praised for conforming. And yet despite all of that, they decided to depict Gloreth as a noble warrior, because that's a more convenient story for them.
Something I noticed too but I could be wrong, but during the whole movie Nimona is really the only one with unnaturally colored hair, but at the very end we see a lot of people with different hair. More people are comfortable with being themselves. Also the slums of the city is the only place we see pride flags i think.
I watched it this morning and I wasn't expecting the part where she nearly impaled herself with the sword. Just the idea that the world has given her so much cruelty that she would rather die by the sword of the first person that felt like home to her rather than continue feeling like an outcast and monster. That shit hurts
I haven't read the original comic in a long time, but I think the ending was a bit more depressing.
The day was saved, but Nimona lost confidence and went into hiding again. Ballister sees the error of his ways and searches for Nimona, but can only ever see red animals and people with red hair that could be Nimona from a distance. Ambrosius, by the way, is badly wounded in the comic at the end and needs Ballister's support. The discremination of the disabled is also a big theme in the comic. In the comic, Ballister becomes a villain because he is no longer allowed to be a knight after he lost his arm in an accident.
Yeah. I read the comic, and the arcs of the characters were EXTREMELY different, but that’s because the theme that the writer was exploring was different too. The book’s ending hit me so hard because Blackheart only wanted to save the part of Nimona that was acceptable in society, the sweet little girl. But the dragon isn’t just something she can take away, it was always a part of her and always would be, and Blackheart didn’t get to change that no matter how much he loved her.
Both the book and the movie made me cry 👍.
Yeah, it was a lot darker and Nimona was a lot more violent - she killed a lot of people during her rampage, and was only stopped by Ballister nearly killing her and then leaving her behind in the self-destructing institute.
Ballister didn’t lose his arm in an accident in the comic, or at least not really; Ambrosius got competitive in a joust with Ballister and after losing the match shot him from behind with-of all things-a jousting lance that had been secretly fitted with a button to fire an explosive projectile, provided to him by the Director with instructions for him to use it to win. And then Ambrosius suffered no consequences, but Ballister was barred from being a knight because of his disability, and was told that the only role left available to him was villain.
I find it so fascinating how the comic and the movie are such different stories, but somehow absolutely still have the same soul in so many ways. They complement each other so well!
I got confused at first about Nimona’s goals, (kill or not kill) but then I realized she only wanted to be Bal’s sidekick. She didn’t care if he was a villain or the good guy trying to prove his innocence. She was willing to do whatever he wanted because she saw he was an outcast and she just wanted a friend.
Yeah, like she was willing to mould herself into a sidekick for a murderer because she wanted someone so badly. And a bit of revenge. Though, her revenge seems mostly petty vandalism (spraypainting 'dumb' on a poster).
In the audio description (mostly used by blind people) they use they/them pronouns for nimona!🎉
My message to my friend when i realized. The line "they hand ballister his metal arm" was just spoken 🙌
"Keith's my favorite try guy now" WILD. I respect it
THIS MOVIE WAS SO GENDER
I loved it so so so so so so much and happy that it's finally out.
it hits so hard and looks amazing, show it to everyone you know.
I have to start saying something is so gender!!
Riz, Eugene, and Chloe are amazing in this.
They're all talented (I loved the cameo of Razz visually and Weaver audioably) but Chloe NAILED this part
I cried at the end of this movie. Really thought nimona was gone. Also i love the way nimona grins - it’s such a perfect use of animation. You could never make that smile in live action.
Baymax, Big Hero 6.
Boo, Monsters Inc.
Gandalf, Lord of The Rings.
The Iron Giant.
fucking Space Jam 2.
" omg they died?? Are they really gone?! "
You'd have to look hard to get ab animated movie that kills off or pretends to permanently remove a main character near the end of the movie and actually stick to it, either that, or you just haven't watched a lot of movies, lmao and Nimona is OP as fuck this would've been like a punch in the stomach at best
@@mickmons3267 well i did not look into the movie before watching it. Just watched it blindly. They already killed the queen on screen so I thought mayby it's this type of animation. Not to mention that they made us wait for her to come back a lot longer than usually in kids films. Not only that but it let's you have a moment to think about what it would be like if nimona really died and that made me think of people in history that died for the cause of acceptance for others before they could feel the acceptance for themselves. That aside I watch a lot of animation for adults where things can get gruesome or characters die.
And honestly your reply to me is not nice. So what if I got emotional because of the usual twist? At least that made me enjoy it 10x more than if I was sitting rolling my eyes like "fucking space jam 2 even had this twist - can she just come back - I know she's gonna come back".
@@deismuarti sorry to burst your bubble, I walked into this movie blind too and I just wasn't really impressed with any of it, honestly a very mediocre movie overall. obvs it has a huge emotional reaction to lgbtq people who can see the bits specifically written for 'em to jump on in the movie, to me it just didn't have much of a lasting impact the more I thought about the set-up and details.
And it's hard for me to feel sorry for a character that revels in killing guards just doing their jobs early in the movie.
The setting of mixing modern and medieval is interesting, but that's about it.
For an animated movie handling the "treated differently sparks hate and fear" message I'd recommend Paranorman.
@@mickmons3267 you're not bursting my bubble. You can have your own opinion and I can have mine.
@@deismuarti sure, im just saying the movie itself objectively just wasn't that grand.
funny of you to mention how you watch a lot of adult movies, and then pressume a recent kids movie for 10 year olds would let a main character die, especially when it's so lgbtq pandering.
I see the black mass as more of an expression of Nimona's overwhelming grief more than anything else
29:51 “rise like a phoenix”, that’s a pretty apt way to describe what happened to her & it’s prolly the closest thing to describe her: a phoenix, she burns, disintegrates into fiery embers, & then her “embers” are shown on the side reuniting with Bal in the end. I deduce she’s a being of light that’s capable of manipulating light into matter & not only have mass but change SPECIFICALLY HOW SHE WANTS TO LOOK: fur, fish, even armor/clothing of people just fine. Overall not unlike the crystal gems in Steven Universe. And ironically/ sadly enough, she’s a being of light that constantly hiding herself in the shadows instead of letting herself shine…
My favorite theory💖
I also noticed she shifts not just what species she looks like and different body parts, but also her clothes and armor, including her piercings! (None of her animal forms have them, but her humanoid form does. Edit: I stand corrected, her Kwispy cereal dragon form has a nose ring.) Especially how she's canonically genderfluid (and I think nonbinary??? sorry if I'm wrong) and the Gems are all canonically sexless and yet most of them go by she/her pronouns like Nimona does (without spoiling it, some of the Gems don't use she/her, depending on whether they're fusions or just present differently. LMK if you want more info on which Gems use different pronouns!)
@@aliyahpulido953 that is true with the gems from SU, a lot of em go by she/they but Amethyst with her shapeshifting shenanigans transformed into Greg, a guy, for a short time so they are basically gender-fluid
23:04 another lil rant: I’d like to think this punk “human” form Nimona takes is obviously a way to express her rebelliousness & anger onto the kingdom without outright killing them, but also she wanted a different human form that’s not her first one made to look disarming (cuz of trauma ✨) that she melded/made for herself that doesn’t comply with the kingdom/with society to not repeat her mistakes with the first one. 😢
I'm like 90% sure that's just scars from getting missiles and cannons shot at her.
Something I really love about Nimona's flashback is that people were ALREADY afraid of her back then.
Gloreth didn't start it.
I think it ties into what Goldenloins says near the end: "What if we were ALWAYS wrong?"
You'd like to think there's some Big Bad like Gloreth who is responsible for starting all this, made up some big lie. But go back 1000 years and that Big Bad was acting how they were brought up, and how THEIR parents were brought up, and THEIR parents.
There's no "Beginning" to People's fear of what's different. No villain who started it. People were always that way.
Well, no, they weren’t always that way. They become that way because of what their parents tell them, or by what they hear in there environment. Fear like this is learned. They were already afraid of her, not cause they were always like that, but cause they were taught that as kids.
@@alexschaffer1500 You missed the point, it's not that individual humans are always that way, it's that humanity as a whole is always that way.
The thing that fucks with me in the finale is that this teenaged girl has turned into the monster she's been called... and she still doesn't *hurt anyone*. Despite her violent streak, the danger everyone's in is from THE KNIGHTS TRYING TO KILL HER not from Nimona herself.
Definitely look into the graphic novel, I'd love to see your thoughts on it! (also yes, Nimona uses she/her.)
The two lines "I dont know whats worse. That the whole kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart....or that I sometimes I just want to let them...."
and "I SEE you nimona. Youre not alone."
made me UGLY cry. They knew full well what they were doing...and I feel every queer person out there will resonate. Absolutely amazing....
Fun Facts:
Sir Goldenloin's hair was changed from the novel's design towards his voice actor's style.
When Ballister and Nimona are talking with the Squire in the trunk, in the background there's a Rainbow flag behind Ballister and a Trans flag behind Nimona. About the 34 min mark in the film. at 10:58 in the reaction.
Kwipy, the cereal commercial dragon is voiced by the book's author, ND Stevenson.
Blue Sky Studio's crew are also listed in the credits. As they completed about 75% of this before the got shut down in April 2021.
Nice catch with the flags in the background!
Also at the end of the main/animated credits you dive into a heart that is literally the progress flag
Some of the scenes/dialogue are pulled straight from the comic, which is really cool
I’m not sure if the creators meant for this, but i find it beautiful and a little poetic that when Nimona is trapped in her pain and wants to be unalive, she takes the form of a shadow beast thing, but when Ballister finds her and stays with her, she realizes she can be a hero and becomes a phoenix, which is a being of light
I’ve watched like five or six reactions to this show now. Two of them were full length unedited. I am still actively seeking more. It’s such a great movie.
I just realized this movie reminds me heavily of wolfwalkers! Another beautifully animated movie with a kind of similar premise. Even nimonas teeth grin is similar to one of the main characters and they both have the red hair and are outside the walls. Won't spoil any further in case u want to check it out.
In case of wolf walkers the animation is 2d and is so beautiful!
Also the "civilized/socially-accepted" blonde girl befriends the red-haired, "wild/dangerous" girl who can shapeshift themes are there! I won't give more info than that, but because I know how Wolfwalkers goes, the way Nimona's relationship with Gloreth went in this movie hurt even more because that was a major, heartbreaking difference...
Alsooo…
“But I’m not a girl. I’m a shark!”
“I’m not a girl - I’m a _Wolfwalker!”_
I'm so happy knowing I'm not the only grown ass man who cried like a child when she stood at the sword... That scream... God, I felt that in my -soul-. I loved this movie so much, and I need to get another copy of the comic. First vid of yours I've seen, but I'll definitely be sticking around.
I heard a reviewer call Nimona's kaiju form a "trauma monster," and I think it really fits. Trauma hurts the person who experienced it, but the repercussions can look scary to other people, and can even hurt others without the person meaning to. And her screams of anguish just resonate with the traumatic feelings of rejection.
I think as much as the little kid voice takes a little bit away from the tension, its also effective in being disturbing. Its a little kid pointing a toy sword to her friend and saying awful things to her because that's what she was taught to do, that's the hate that her caretakers taught her. And that hate coming from someone as innocent as a little child is scary in its own way
I think the reason they're both kids in that scene is to show this stuff isn't born into people. Its taught. And even young kids can be made into vile bigots if they were raised by terrible parents.
And the fact everyone shows her as an adult with destroying the monster, using her sword, when in reality they were children.. and it was just her words.
It makes the scene all the more powerful
"Sticks and Stones may break my bones but Words always cut me deeper"
I think it ties into what Goldenloins says near the end: "What if we were ALWAYS wrong?"
You'd like to think there's some Big Bad who is responsible for starting all this. But go back 1000 years and that Big Bad was acting how they were brought up, and how THEIR parents were brought up, and THEIR parents.
There's no "Beginning" to People's fear of what's different. No villain who started it. People were always that way. And maybe they always will be.
I don’t think that’s the moment from the legend though. How would they know about her kaiju form? It probably happened later after the animosity and hate built until she transformed into that
@@fightingfaerie She's literally a shape shifter, how do you not know she turned INTO the monster they made her FEEL like.
That's quite often what happens in the real world, people are told they're evil, monsters, bad people
and eventually when they snap, they turn into the monsters theyve been told they are their whole lives.
We never see any evidence of that black monster form through the main film, only when she is destructive/suicidal do we see it.
"If this is what you see me as, this is what I'll give you"
@@DecoyZ what are talking about. I’m confused where you are getting any of this from my comment.
I know she’s a shapeshifter, I know how she turns into the “kaiju monster.”
What I’m saying is they found an old scroll showing her dark form. In the flashback we are shown she doesn’t turn into that, the biggest thing she transforms into is a bear. So how did they know what she/it looks like? And even if she became that right after the flashback ends I really don’t see how a little kid with a wooden sword drove her back.
Like I said, I think the hate and animosity built up, until the dark emotions took over, like we see in the movie. Then at that point Gloreth had grown up and was the one that stopped Nimona and defeated her.
@@fightingfaerie "Defeated her" how?
she's in the kingdom
she's not harmed in any major way
Also im saying that the beast on the scroll is made up
Nimona never looked like that, this is commentary on how people refuse to accept they're wrong.
Just like Queer people, Nimona was publicised as evil, as a monster
whats easier to get people on your side then to tell about this great beast
I mean how do you think we got real life legends of sea snakes? someone saw something and over the years the idea became more important then the truth.
That was a depiction of a monster, she turned into said monster to fulfill their hateful wishes.
Also, it was said Gloreth cast the beast out with "go back to the shadows from whence you came"
if Gloreth said that multiple times why not show the actual moment it happened when she was an adult?
I think the point of the scene it so show Gloreth didnt defeat Nimona with swords or combat
but with words.
those words as a child, hurt Nimona so badly she fled.
because realistically Gloreth wouldn't be able to actually physically defeat Nimona.
she only got hurt cause she literally wanted to kill herself/sacrifice herself
and even then
she still didnt die
I think the point is the ENTIRE history is false
the scroll is nothing but stories of old
It also shows how this hate is not inherent, its taught
you arent born homophobic, you're taught it
Gloreth was not born to hate Nimona
she was taught it
a lot of my friends live in the us, and most of them are trans. it scares me, a lot. this movie is a perfect reflection of those fears, but even more importantly it gives me hope for the future, which is exactly what i need right now. not only that but being genderfluid i found a lot of myself in nimona even though she is so radically different from me. the way she talked about being nimona, the things she got told by others (like ballister telling her that it would be easier if she just was a girl), it is so blatantly trans and so painfully relatable even for someone who grew up in a fairly progressive area like me. she's someone i strive to be more like, if only because i'm trying to learn how to be angry and how to let myself be less than kind to bigots and assholes. powerful movie and i spent probably over half of it sobbing.
the form at the end she takes on is like the physical embodiment of a trauma response. its scary, its intense, and it shows how in pain nimona is to have a form like that. and the fact that after balister tells her he sees her and she shifts into that human form again, the form she takes up after that is a pheonix. she literally rose up from her trauma and was reborn because she was accepted. its so beautifully done!
I'm starting to believe when Bill says "breakdown" in his titles he doesn't mean it in an analytical way.
This movie almost 100% described how I feel with my own gender identity, doesn’t matter what I look like, I’m just me. And the itchy feeling if it doesn’t happen, I always describe my dysphoria as an itchy sweater. I wish we had more balistars in this world, people who might not 100% understand people like me, but who will stand with us regardless, and try to learn and try to understand. I’m very privileged to be living as my true self, and irl I’m very accepted by my circle of people… but there’s so many who don’t have that, and I try to be some else’s balistar, just to be there and say “I see you”. More balistars and less Todds lol
I'm not usually the type to actually cry at media (I tear up! just tears never really *fall*) but the scene with Gloreth's statue at the end DEVISTATED ME for real. Watching you react to it, I said out loud "Oh no, I'm so sorry dude." because it's soul crushingly emotional. This movie is genuinely fantastic, I'm so glad you got to see such an awesome movie so soon.
I cried so hard at the end of this movie because all I could think about was how everyone called Nimona a monster up until she saved their lives and were finally willing to give her that love and acceptance that she wanted all her life but only after Nimona was 'dead' and wasnt there to even experience it.
"Did Golden Daddy just weaponize gay?!" 🤣🤣🤣 I'm absolutely dying right now!
i'm trans and the "it would be easier if you were a girl" "easier for who?" exchange hit me so hard. no one should exist to be easy. easy is so small.
“Disney had its Gay Panic… and not in a Fun way✨”
😂😂😂 that I will quote forever
I like that you talked about the complexities of this movie as others said that this movie is simplified from the more morally grey characters in the source material. They still probably simplified it (I haven’t read the story myself), but not the extent that I thought from what other people said about the movie.
Also, I don’t get that emotional in movies often. The most I get is teary eyed, so watching your reaction was refreshing and enjoyable in its own sense. I had to fight some negative reactions with it as well, so I appreciate your reaction in that angle, too. Being emotional about a movie like this shouldn’t be a bad thing 😊. I think being self conscious about that stuff is the reason why I don’t react to movies like most people would, as when I see others reactions I tend to mirror those emotions at the time but not watching it on my own.
I really love the way Nimona describes the feeling of shape shifting and her decision on saying it when Ballister showed an interest. It’s like, she refused to answer any questions until she felt that it came from a place to try to understand her rather than change her. Also, the love language thing was hilarious to me.
I have a huge thing with found family :D so fun watching Ballister and Nimona.
i watched this and legit couldn't stop audibly sobbing for like 20 minutes
She _wanted_ a job, but now she has a _father._ /ref
Seriously though, I kind of need to cosplay as Nimona now. I have no idea how I'd get the wig to work, but it needs to happen. Being able to cosplay a character with the same hips that I have while still being able to bind and look "source accurate" at the same time is gonna feel AMAZING. Her whole description of what it feels like to not shapeshift also feels very Autistic or just ND to me in general. "Like my insides are itchy" is a really good way of describing what it's like to need to stim but to be somewhere where you can't so you just have to _not._ It didn't sink in for me initially when I was watching the movie (I was too busy having fun to actually be reflective or super analytical lol) but like... I relate to Nimona a lot. I do all my cosplaying and roleplaying and acting stuff because I just have too much _me_ for it all to just be one thing all the time. I do need to look how I normally look just to regain that kind of energy since it's exhausting and not sustainable to play pretend _ALL THE TIME,_ but if I wasn't allowed or able to dress up in my costumes, or pretend to be a talking dog, or talk using exclusively someone else's words ever... I honestly would just be functionally dead. It wouldn't feel good to be alive anymore. I'd just be surviving, and nobody should _just_ be surviving. As someone who was Frankenstein'd as a kid despite my parents' and friends' best efforts for things that I legit cannot help, I totally get Nimona. They really are just like me for real.
Also I never doubted for one second that Nimona wasn't actually dead. If Nimona _had_ died, then I would've been seeing a lot more anger from queer and trans viewers surrounding this film than I did. The writers would be getting their asses handed to them on silver platters. There would have been a whole "This movie actually _HATES_ trans people!!!" thing going on if they had died. Like... come on. We all know it's true.
❤ This movie lets our main characters learn and be unperfect while still being VALID. They get to be messy like everyone else. Not perfect examples of what to be/not to be. ❤ Great film
Ngl nimona literally made me cry.
It’s like the best movie I’ve ever seen since spider verse (1) came out.
I’m still balling my eyes out lol.
I highly recommend it.
It’s absolutely incredible and definitely worth a watch.
Also the lgbt representation is fantastic and the animation is flawless. The story is fantastic. A bit cliche at the end but it was yet again done flawlessly. I REALLY hope you guys enjoyed it too.
Also Balister is British gay at its peak
When I saw that you was gonna do this movie I knew it was gonna destroy you. I really wish they do another movie of Nimona. It was super good, watched it twice and will probably watch it for a third
I’m hoping they at least do a little spin off series or something, it’s far too good to leave it where it’s been left!
@@moistwrmonastring1017 I mean they did leave it open-ended so maybe but I did hear that ND is going to work on another series of books that he did around the same time but it’s for Max. Called the Lumberjanes.
@@Chlorine5572 interesting!
Even ignoring the themes (which are GREAT), the story telling is on point!
Twist villain? Revealed within 45 minutes, and not dragged out.
Tricking then into confessing? Turns out having a shapeshifter on your team does NOT do much for crediting your evidence!
This movie does great what a lot of movies do badly! Not sure if it's the next Spiderverse, but it absolutely deserves 2nd or 3rd place this year!
Man the way the dialogue in the flashback returned only to speak very key lines that had already been spoken in the movie ??? "She's my friend" "she's a monster" "go back to the shadows from whence you came" like it all just Screamed ptsd flashback to me. It feels Real And constructed somehow
I picked up Nimona at a bookstore years ago and it kick-started my love of graphic novels, tbh! Especially anything by ND Stevenson, he worked on Lumberjanes as well which is an absolute joy of a series. Comics were a great way for me to find queer stories when not a lot of them were on the screen, so seeing Nimona *finally* adapted and playing on a major streaming service is just AMAZING!! screw Disney for canning it, but also I'm glad it found a home on Netflix.
I wasnt going to watch it but my friend (literally the one who introduced me to your channel) told me it was by ND Stevenson and i immediately downloaded it lol. I loved the movie, it was so funny, Nimona was so chaotic, such a gremlin, i loved her so much as soon as i saw her lol. The animation was awesome, at first i didnt like how they animated some movements of the characters cause it reminded me of old badly animated movies, but i got over that pretty quick.
Bill thank you so much for this reaction! I first read Nimona back in 2013 when it was just a webcomic and to see it here today as a movie that can resonate so much with others just like it did with me is incredible. This story got me through such a dark time when I was confused about my sexuality, who I was, and who I wanted to be, and for me and so many others to see themselves in these characters, to be truly seen, is the greatest feeling of all. Much love and thank you for spreading love
PLSSS the amount of times I’ve been on the verge of crying and then just burst out giggling at your emotional angry commentary 😭😭 “there are no daddies in this movie” “yeah up your fucking b-hole, lady, fuck you eat shit” being my favourites lol. Gahh this movie is so emotional and so so good
Checking our the Nimona comic would definitely be worth it! It's a lot more raw than the movie and a lot more heartwrenching, but it's also very good
I read this graphic novel years ago and it moved me then, this movie moves me now, and I’m so thrilled with it. It’s truly a queer movie for the ages and I adore.
Years later after coming out myself, Nimona’s whole character is something I relate to so much.
The story telling is fun and great, the animation and art is gorgeous, and voices are incredibly fitting.
I’m still feeling the feels days after watching it.
Also, love that on the Nimona memorial wall is a picture of her in the original graphic novel art style, makes me wanna re read again and again and again, so good…
Oh god, I missed the iron giant "you are not a gun, self sacrifice" feels the first time watching but totally see it now. ❤️😭❤️ The fact that this movie is a new Iron Giant AND Shrek makes me so happy and I just hope it gets the same love as those classics. The shadow at the end gave me full depression and dysphoria vibes, it wasn't a representation of death but "it certainly ain't living". And I think that was achieved beautifully by constantly giving Nimona this salmon pink colour until she was forced to the very extremes, and forced to the simplicity people wanted: black and white. ❤️😭❤️ Stunning. The team that made this did such a good job ❤
Watching you cry through this movie made my night thank you
“Apology song”
Bro I’m DYING
I wonder if Nimona’s wishing well story was partially true and she wished for her powers or wished to be immortal, or it’s just a metaphor for her wishing for a friend, and she found Gloreth. Either way, I think she’s immortal unless her heart gets injured. Hence why she she was able to survive the cannon. She protected her heart because she had the will to live.
loved this reaction!! So glad that so many of my favourite reactors are not sleeping on this movie
I find it astoundingly ironic that The Queen, who shares a voice actress with Shadow Weaver, was indirectly assassinated by what is for all intents and purposes the original prototype version of Shadow Weaver.
One of my first thoughts watching Nimona was "I wonder when Bill's going to cover this".
Wasn't expecting it this soon but still happy to see it lol.
Nimona is a film that balances action, humor, suspense and emotion well, I hope it gets (at least) a nomination for the Oscar's 2024; overall, it's a 10 out of 10 movie for me. 🥰
METAL!!!!!!! ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥
I've been struggling with identity for a long while.. late last year I came out as genderfluid, yet even though I said I was genderfluid.. I still didn't feel it. in the sense that I still hid myself, I still hated my body, no matter what gender my brain asked me to be I wasn't happy because I didn't let myself express it.
this pride month I kinda felt.. empty because I know who I am.. but I can't BE who I am, there's all this stuff in the way, I couldn't be happy with who I was because I didn't wanna show others.
figuring out that Nimona was about genderfluidity was such a powerful moment for me that I burst into tears.
The "I'm me, no matter what form i take im still me" is such a powerful message and I think this film is singlehandedly making me rethink how much I hide myself in fear of not being palatable to others..
I wanna be seen.. I wanna be me.
Thank you for the video Bill, and I wish to thank everyone who worked on Nimona individually hehe
I think it's clear that Disney never wanted to make this or be associated with it. At least, at the time. Fox got the rights to adapt Nimona in 2015 and the movie had already been in development when Disney bought them. They delayed Nimona several times before finally just closing Blue Sky altogether in 2021. Part of me thinks the "this animation studio was redundant because we're Disney" excuse was to try and get rid of Nimona with less backlash by coming up with a more reasonable explanation for cancelling it. Anyway, it was great to see all of Blue Sky credited by name at the end!
Also, props to Fox for trying to make this in the first place.
Literally watched this movie like 2 days ago- and it was definitely one of my new top favorite
The character development and challenges they face that are illustrated beautifully!! And the way they capture irl issues. And plus the animation style is very cute and well made/interesting!! Glad you enjoyed this amazing movie!!
"What some old ass book that's probably misinterpreted and corroded over time?" yes, exactly that, actually. Well, a scroll if you wanna get really technical with it, but you know.
I love the very last scene, Bal is looking directly at the audience!
Looking at us! We are Nimona!
I absolutely loved Nimona and You reaction to it honestly made my whole day! Another great Netflix movie came out a little bit ago but it’s still one of my favorites. It’s called The Sea Beast and has similar themes of fighting an oppressive system just with more swash-buckling!
Yes. I loved the OG comic and I love the movie. Im glad the movie is getting a bunch of people into this story.
"Keith's my favorite try guy now." HAAAA
i'm so glad you watched this!! my algorithm is so queer focused and i've been in the try guys corner of the internet forever so i couldn't really gage how much traction this movie was getting but it's really awesome to see you react to it and see all the comments of people who loved it!
i love family movies with queer storylines and representation so much because it means more kids growing up to be more accepting and loving people, queer kids feeling seen and maybe help them figure themselves out, and families of queer kids who didn't grow up with this kind of representation being introduced to it and hopefully being more open minded :)
also 19:29 the little bit of pink at the bottom is peak comedy
thanks as always for the thoughtful and wholesome video, hope you have an amazing day :D
as always, i LOVE your thoughts and analysis and reactions!!!! thank you so much for taking the time to watch this and sharing your vulnerability with us!!
rewatching this and i must say: your meme and pop culture knowledge and connection-making is ELITE!!
I also bawled watching this movie. As someone who resonates very heavily with Nimona for many reasons, that end - I also felt overpowered, and I wish they would've shown Nimona back with Ballister and possibly Ambrosius. After how deeply triggering that climax was (triggering not entirely in a bad way, but cutting very deep), I needed something to soothe me and get me out of that flashback, and I (similarly to you) was barely able to process, let alone appreciate what happened after her disappearance.
Her describing the urge to shapeshift as a "sneeze" makes me think of ticcs, which I don't experience myself but have heard described in the exact same way. It's hard to pick favourite moments, but the quiet moment where they play monopoly and she breathes fire and instantly shrinks into herself - and how Ballister just accepts her without question - is so, so precious to me. It is something I deeply needed and still need as someone who has a gaping lack of being allowed to be myself and be loved for that. I am now slowly starting to fill that with my actual found family/deep friendships, but still.
What a movie.
ARM CHOPING IS NOT A LOVE LANGUAGE
raneda: 👁️👄👁️ um actually
Sigil removing is a love language
@@thethirdbill omg thank you so much for responding 🥹
And true lol 😂
"Pillage a village, lie low until they forget about you, then rise like a phoenix to overthrow the government!"
Nimona really just summarized her entire story.
i love the returning motif of pointing a sword at a character being oppressed. little kids do it throughout the movie toward Nimona and Ballinger, and it's implied when Bal first draws his sword in the confrontation scene that he may have done the same to her. this even includes the Director pointing the weapon at Nimona. the only time that this idea is challenged is when the queen hands Bal his sword, knighting him and handing it to him as a merit of respect. she is the only one who doesn't use the sword to accuse, and having her die for it at the very beginning sets a very clear boundary for the audience of how powerful that imagery is.
21:13 a lil theory from someone in tumblr suggested that the kingdom NEVER ACTUALLY HAD ANOTHER MONSTER ATTACK other than supposedly Nimona being the “first”, & it kinda makes sense.
Rant time:
This kingdom is super damn advanced like if there “regular” monster attacks as they so proclaim (again more of the historical inaccuracy cuz it’s been a thousand years info can get misinterpreted) this kingdom would’ve looked drastically different; tech would’ve teetered between being obsolete for years & very rare bouts of new tech, especially the kind to fight “monsters”. In this “world” that’s being cultivated inside the wall, EVERYTHING is advanced from phones to flying chariots(?) that’s overall improved the wellbeing of their lives so drastically, it’s the director’s “way of life” she’s been protecting but only under the pretense of a “threat” that was never there in the first place that she wants to upkeep the status quo
It probably means nothing to anyone else, but I just found out Nimona has Swedish subtitles and dubbing, ans I am so hype that I can use this to study while also enjoying it and also supporting the creators. I'll be watching it at least 10x now.
I was so excited for your reaction!!! Nimona is such a good comic and such a good movie and I'm just so
Some small things that I find really neat in this movie:
1. The squire’s “Let me go ahead and pass this problem onto someone else” remark isn’t just a very funny line; it also completely encapsulates the decisions that he made at the beginning of the film. He witnessed the director do something shady, and tried to quietly let Ballister know, but he didn’t want to jeopardize his position by making too much of a fuss about it. Even after the queen was murdered and he realized that he had the evidence of who really did it, he chose to just stay quiet and continue with his life, until Ballister showed up and he once again had the opportunity to pass the problem (the evidence) onto him.
2. When Nimona first makes a friend, one of the earliest hints that we get that it’s Glorith is when she throws a rock into a stump and celebrates by shouting “Woo!” The trademark exclamation of Ambrosius Goldenloin, descendant of Glorith.
3. In the rooftop scene, after Ambrosius draws his sword on Ballister and before he says “Arrest them”, there’s a side camera shot where if you look at Ambrosius’ eyes, he’s clearly looking all around at the knights surrounding them. He’s not trying to arrest Ballister because he believes he’s done anything wrong; he’s doing it because he thinks it’s the only way to save him from getting hurt. It’s the exact same thing he does earlier, when Todd offers to lead the charge catching Ballister and Ambrosius interrupts to say that he’ll do it, because he knows that Todd would use all the powers given to him to hurt Ballister.
4. Throughout the entire movie the go-to expletive is “Glorith”, in reference to a holy figure akin to saying “Oh my God.” Except at the very end of the movie, when Nimona comes back, Ballister doesn’t say “Glorith”, he says “Holy shi-“. Because Glorith is no longer a figure of reverence to him.
I’m an afab genderfluid person. This movie absolutely broke me. I’ve never ever cried so hard for a piece of media in my life. Like yeah, if it’s extra sad I might shudder and tear up a little, but with Nimona, I full on *sobbed* from the point where Ballister kept her from the sword all the way to an hour and a half after the movie was over. I cried so hard that my eyes were literally almost swollen shut I’m so fr. I haven’t let myself cry out loud like that in who knows how long, and it felt so bad but also really good at the same time to finally let out all the emotions I was keeping in. This movie really made me feel seen (because genderfluid rep is so rare in media) and honestly helped me really grasp everything that’s happening to the community.
TL;DR I’m a Nimona kinnie and I’m not okay right now, but hopefully sometime in the future I will be.
24:43 my one problem with the movie. There' no way Todd survived that crash. That speed with no helmet? Not a chance. Ask any biker.
oh, the city's reaction to Ballister killing the queen? To quote Storm from the 90's X-Men cartoon: "The has people frightened. They're looking for someone to blame. We're* an easy target."
*Mutants in that show, in this movie it's Ballister.
This was a thoughtful and engaging reaction and review. Its so cathartic to see someone have very similar reactions to this movie as I did. And yes, I cried again watching this reaction.
I don't cry at scenes twice, like I'm a crier, but only once. I sob and I'm done and I don't let stuff get me again.
But EVERYTIME.
EVERYTIME.
"I don't know what's scarier-" AGH. I've never cried so darn fast!!
I'm so glad to see Soren from The Dragon Prince found love.
“Go back to the shadows from whence you came…”
Nimona becomes a sad shadow monster. 😢