The Amazing World of Gumball |OT| Nobody's a Nobody

[Kangi]

Welcome to Elmore.
No, not that one. An even stranger one.

In the bizarre town of Elmore, where just about anything can come to life, there lives the Watterson family:

Gumball, a cynical and mischievous twelve-year-old catboy (no, the other kind);
Darwin, his adopted brother/former pet fish (don't ask, just watch The Origins);
Anais, their genius little sister who's nowhere near as above-it-all as she thinks she is;
Richard, their irresponsible father whom they love anyway;
and Nicole, a neurotic-yet-loving control freak mother and head of the most uncontrollable household imaginable.

(Clockwise from top-left: Gumball, Nicole, Richard, Anais, Darwin)

The first show made by Cartoon Network's European studio and headed by Ben Bocquelet, The Amazing World of Gumball is a smash hit cartoon that lasted from 2011 to 2019. Unlike other shows on its network (or on TV in general), Gumball utilized medium blending to create a style of animation like no other - that is, a style that uses ALL of the styles. 2D, CG, live action, stop motion, claymation, puppetry, old school, and more are all represented through the most diverse town full of characters you'll ever see, set upon beautiful realistic settings and backdrops.



Jaded humor mixes with wacky situations to create one of the best-written modern cartoons around. From biting sociopolitical commentary that rivals Animaniacs, to elaborate full-episode pop culture references, to rapid-fire gags and fast-talk gibes, this show hits a wavelength of comedy you usually wouldn't expect from a show of its genre, let alone its rating of Y7 (though it's definitely known to push that Y7 to its breaking point).



So join in. Watch for the spectacle that is its animation. Watch to laugh harder than you can last remember laughing. Watch because you're behind on episodes and want to binge. Watch again because you can't accept that it's over. But most of all, watch because this is a darn good show.

Addendum: If you're new and want the good stuff immediately, start with season three. You can go back to the older stuff once it hooks you.

 

[Kasai]

I love this show.

Gumball is great when he's just an asshole little kid with too much time on his hands, trying his best to corrupt Darwin.


I've been watching it a bit with my brother, and it never gets old. It's just consistently good and funny.

 

[crimsonECHIDNA]

I was watching this episode last week and it had me dying.

 

[Wiibomb]

I love this show.

Gumball is great when he's just an asshole little kid with too much time on his hands, trying his best to corrupt Darwin.


I've been watching it a bit with my brother, and it never gets old. It's just consistently good and funny.

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and for some reason even when watching episodes multiple times I still laugh at the bits, they are just really good.

this is an incredible show..

 

[Dwebble]

This show's really going from strength to strength.

The contrast between the earlier stuff, which is pleasant enough but hardly earth-shattering, to the genius cartooning they often serve up nowadays is shocking.

Also, Gumball and the family looked TERRIBLE in those early episodes.

 

[Kangi]

Also, Gumball and the family looked TERRIBLE in those early episodes.

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I both agree and disagree. Agreed in regards to Richard and Darwin (whose face was often offputting and the heavy shading on his legs and arms made it look like he was wearing tiny black clothes), but I think the others looked fine. Gumball in particular looked cuter with the season one design, which fit his gullible personality at the time.

I'm more than happy with the show's art evolution, but the S1 designs and animation remain largely charming. At least to me.

 

[AlexMeloche]

Also, Gumball and the family looked TERRIBLE in those early episodes.

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I remember, when they changed how they looked (I think it was Season 2?), i didn't like the changes at all.

Nowadays it feels weird to see them without round eyes.

 

[Kangi]

I remember, when they changed how they looked (I think it was Season 2?), i didn't like the changes at all.

Nowadays it feels weird to see them without round eyes.

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The redesigns were mostly in season 2, but some of it was a two-step process into season 3, such as the eyes (which would still be oval-shaped in neutral expressions in S2).

 

[mjc]

It's real good, I just got into it.

 

[Trojita]

Great fucking show with a crew that creatively fantastic. The mash of styles is an amazing thing to see animated.

 

[vypek]

Also, Gumball and the family looked TERRIBLE in those early episodes.

Click to shrink...

The show even jokes about the redesign when Nicole and Anais are looking at an old family photo. I enjoy the redesign.

...


The show was hit or miss for the first two seasons but really became regularly good in season 3. Love it.

 

[Kangi]

The more emotional scenes in this show have always had the condition of simultaneously being milked for comedy and therefore never hitting that hard, but it's also had a few that hit regardless. The Choices still gets to me.

 

[Kangi]

It is July 2018. We're deep into season six. We have received an update: Penny Fitzgerald is still a character. Last seen in... what, The Ex? Barely?

A followup to The Shell is very welcome, snark aside. Premieres on TV in the US on Monday. I think. I can never keep track of when this show airs new episodes on cable.

 

[vypek]

Premieres on TV in the US on Monday. I think.

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Yeah, it looks like 5 episodes are out on Monday but my DVR is catching one from season 5 as well for some reason

 

[Kangi]

Happy "simultaneous dump of five new episodes" day (well, for cable. They've been available since Friday).

Loved The Transformation especially, despite being a pretty muted episode by Gumball standards. Definitely sold me on Nicolas Cantu being at least as good as Jacob Hopkins was at delivering lines; his performance as Gumball carries episodes like these.

 

[Illusion]

Wasn't a fan until later seasons. It's such a good show I never thought I'd like.

 

[mreddie]

 

[Z-Beat]

Saw part of the Halloween episode and realized that the ice cream girl's costume was the moon from Majora's Mask.

 

[Kangi]

Saw part of the Halloween episode and realized that the ice cream girl's costume was the moon from Majora's Mask.

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This show tends to go big with its references (see: the clip right in the post above), but I enjoy some of its more subtle video game references outside of episodes like The Console or The Uncle:

 

[Mesoian]

This show tends to go big with its references (see: the clip right in the post above), but I enjoy some of its more subtle video game references outside of episodes like The Console or The Uncle:

Click to shrink...

Is that a Saint's Row 3 reference?

I'm getting caught up on this season, and it really feels like the show is getting ready to dismount. The one with Nicole's parents feels like they are tying up a story thread that's been ever-present but never truly addressed.

All these good ass shows getting ready to end...

 

[Kangi]

Is that a Saint's Row 3 reference?

I'm getting caught up on this season, and it really feels like the show is getting ready to dismount. The one with Nicole's parents feels like they are tying up a story thread that's been ever-present but never truly addressed.

All these good ass shows getting ready to end...

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Uncharted 3. (25 seconds in)


While there's no word on whether or not there will be a season 7, this season *is* the last season Bocquelet will be working on, so it makes sense that some stories are reaching conclusions. There's a chance Cartoon Network will want to avoid a Spongebob situation and let it end this season... or they'll see how much money this show makes them and keep greenlighting so long as it stays that way. I guess the drop in quality wouldn't be too bad if, say, Mic Graves took over, after all.

 

[Kangi]

New episode's out and about. "The Awareness". It's (basically) about racism. Because season six loves it some controversy.

 

[Kangi]

No sign of The Awareness airing in the US just yet (as far as I can tell...), but looks like we're getting a third Halloween episode: The Ghouls.



Love some of the costumes, like Richard as Kratos, Banana Joe as Pikachu, and Mr. Small as Sailor Moon. Will air on TV in the US on the 19th.

 

[vypek]

Ah so it seems that pretty much all the CN cartoons will be airing new stuff in October. Nice to see. I didn't realize there was an episode that didn't come over to the US. Hopefully it does soon

 

[Kangi]

New episodes en route. A "Gumbomb" is scheduled for the week of November 5th, bringing a week's worth of new episodes. These will include the two episodes that have been out and about but haven't officially aired on TV, being The Stink and The Awareness. The other three are named "The Slip", "The Drama", and "The Buddy". See promo here.

Also, looks like one of the episodes will finally focus on Darwin and Carrie's relationship, which so far has gotten even less focus than Gumball and Penny's.

 

[Kangi]

New episode available through the Cartoon Network website and app: The Silence

"When Gumball and Darwin's conversation dries up, they worry that their friendship is coming to an end. They try to find ways to get the conversation flowing again, but nothing seems to work. Maybe they have just grown apart?"

After this episode, we enter the final 13. This has been an off-balance final season, but it's had more highs than lows -- this episode being one of the former. I'll make a dedicated thread for the finale when the time comes, but for now, I'll keep updating as the last new episodes release.

 

[PSqueak]

Wow, im sad that this thread is pretty much dead, i feel like im part of the problem tho, since i pretty much neglected to catch up.

I didn't feel like making a thread for this so im gonna bump this thread instead.

Anyways, i caught "the Catfish" on tv last night and i have a honest question: Did Gumball just straight up admit to being Trans during this episode?

Context: Gumball and Darwin are pretending online to be an old lady to humor their Step Grandpa who seems to have no friends, the whole thing was Gumball's idea, at one point they suspect he might have fallen in love with the fake old lady, Darwin asks Gumball why he thought this was a good idea, Gumball says "i felt like he needed a friend", Darwin asks why did he made her a woman, to which gumball says something along the lines of "Because deep down that's what i feel like." (sorry if it's not an exact quote, i was watching the show in spanish)

In any other show this would have been just a joke, but there is joking a couple of times and there is Gumball, Gumball is constantly, consistently portrayed as very genderfluid, like seriously, i could go on for hours listing all the details of Gumball's characterization where the character expreses their gender identity in a non binary or non boy presenting manner (and this is more than just about Gumball's multiple instances of dressing like a girl), but in this episode Gumball straight up admits it the most blatantly way possible the show can without using the word Trans.

So what do this community, or what is left of it, think about it (and Gumball's characterization in general on this regard)? Was it just a joke? Was it validation? was it inappropriate?

 

[vypek]

So what do this community, or what is left of it, think about it (and Gumball's characterization in general on this regard)? Was it just a joke? Was it validation? was it inappropriate?

Click to shrink...

I thought it was supposed to be a joke but it could have been serious. It makes me think of Gene from Bob's Burgers who is referred to or refers to himself as a girl in various episodes. Was thinking it was just a joke but the consistency makes me think that might be a serious characterization. I wonder if they'll do that more for Gumball.

 

[PSqueak]

I thought it was supposed to be a joke but it could have been serious. It makes me think of Gene from Bob's Burgers who is referred to or refers to himself as a girl in various episodes. Was thinking it was just a joke but the consistency makes me think that might be a serious characterization. I wonder if they'll do that more for Gumball.

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I feel the same, like, another episode i caught recently was "the shippening", when Darwin gets angry that they spot a Gumball dating a Carrie, Gumball directs Darwin attention to another couple, completely nonchalant, unsurprised saying "yeah, i didn't stop just with women" and the camera pans to a humanized female Gumball marrying a humanized Darwin. The fact that Gumball is not shocked in the least bit pretty much is in line with their characterization

 

[Kangi]

Wow, im sad that this thread is pretty much dead, i feel like im part of the problem tho, since i pretty much neglected to catch up.

Click to shrink...

Was like this in the old place, too. The show just doesn't really generate discussion nor does it have a dedicated "fandom" so much as scattered-about fans, but that's okay. It serves its purpose as a hub for people to catch up on what's recent and people who are following it to be alerted about newly airing episodes. Won't conjure a community where there largely isn't one.

I didn't feel like making a thread for this so im gonna bump this thread instea.

Anyways, i caught "the Catfish" on tv last night an, i have a honest question: Did Gumball just straight up admit to being Trans during this episode?

Context: Gumball and Darwin are pretending online to be an old lady to humor their Step Grandpa who seems to have no friends, the whole thing was Gumball's idea, at one point they suspect he might have fallen in love with the fake old lady, Darwin asks Gumball why he thought this was a good idea, Gumball says "i felt like he needed a friend", Darwin asks why did he made her a woman, to which gumball says something along the lines of "Because deep down that's what i feel like." (sorry if it's not an exact quote, i was watching the show in spanish)

In any other show this would have been just a joke, but there is joking a couple of times and there is Gumball, Gumball is constantly, consistently portrayed as very genderfluid, like seriously, i could go on for hours listing all the details of Gumball's characterization where the character expreses their gender identity in a non binary or non boy presenting manner (and this is more than just about Gumball's multiple instances of dressing like a girl), but in this episode Gumball straight up admits it the most blatantly way possible the show can without using the word Trans.

So what do this community, or what is left of it, think about it (and Gumball's characterization in general on this regard)? Was it just a joke? Was it validation? was it inappropriate?

Click to shrink...

I interpreted it more as a "channeling your inner old lady" kind of joke. A face, a voice, and a dramatic "That's just how I feel inside" line. Kinda like how I for one will go full Blanche Devereaux sometimes. You're welcome to your interpretation, though, since he as a character is definitely in touch with his feminine side and has previously seemed disillusioned with male gender roles (like in The Worst). People love their LGBT headcanons with this show, partially since it makes it so easy; Gumball's so blatantly bisexual that episodes like The Uncle lampshade and exaggerate it. But Cartoon Network has previously suppressed this show being too direct with characters being LGBT (such as Leslie being gay), so implications and conjecture is the best we'll get.

 

[PSqueak]

I interpreted it more as a "channeling your inner old lady" kind of joke. A face, a voice, and a dramatic "That's just how I feel inside" line. Kinda like how I for one will go full Blanche Devereaux sometimes. You're welcome to your interpretation, though, since he as a character is definitely in touch with his feminine side and has previously seemed disillusioned with male gender roles (like in The Worst). People love their LGBT headcanons with this show, partially since it makes it so easy; Gumball's so blatantly bisexual that episodes like The Uncle lampshade and exaggerate it. But Cartoon Network has previously suppressed this show being too direct with characters being LGBT (such as Leslie being gay), so implications and conjecture is the best we'll get.

Click to shrink...

Pretty much all of this, they joke with gumball's characterization, but the longer the show goes it becomes more than "just a joke you're not supposed to think about" because they're straight up recourring themes that have been present since day 1 and things start piling up.

Like, remember back in season 1 (The dress) when Gumball thought he could give birth by pretending really hard to be a girl? as more and more things piled up it might be actually true, another episode has a throwaway gag about Gumball having complete control of their body and demonstrates it morphing around their face, but this was actually in line with visual humor in previous (like how Gumball and Darwin morph and mash up their bodies to humor Richard in that wand episode) and subsequent episodes where Gumball continues to morph and transform at will (giving the pay off when Gumball finally manages to turn into a super saiyan in "the parasite" after a previous episode establishing it was something Gumball had been trying before) and ultimately there was that episode where Gumball briefly turns into (among many other things) a perfect younger Nicole, which could be taken as just a throwaway joke, but it is backed by several episodes worth of characterization that makes you go "yes, this is totally a canon trait Gumball posseses".

I do know i might be thinking too much into it, but i think it's an interesting thing to explore given the seemingly non continuity nature of the show.

 

[Kangi]

Pretty much all of this, they joke with gumball's characterization, but the longer the show goes it becomes more than "just a joke you're not supposed to think about" because they're straight up recourring themes that have been present since day 1 and things start piling up.

Like, remember back in season 1 (The dress) when Gumball thought he could give birth by pretending really hard to be a girl? as more and more things piled up it might be actually true, another episode has a throwaway gag about Gumball having complete control of their body and demonstrates it morphing around their face, but this was actually in line with visual humor in previous (like how Gumball and Darwin morph and mash up their bodies to humor Richard in that wand episode) and subsequent episodes where Gumball continues to morph and transform at will (giving the pay off when Gumball finally manages to turn into a super saiyan in "the parasite" after a previous episode establishing it was something Gumball had been trying before) and ultimately there was that episode where Gumball briefly turns into (among many other things) a perfect younger Nicole, which could be taken as just a throwaway joke, but it is backed by several episodes worth of characterization that makes you go "yes, this is totally a canon trait Gumball posseses".

I do know i might be thinking too much into it, but i think it's an interesting thing to explore given the seemingly non continuity nature of the show.

Click to shrink...

What are pieces of media for if not us to over-analyze them? That's half the fun.

Anyway, starting from the third season on, this show has a sense of continuity far beyond its initial purpose, so it's worth thinking that seeming throwaway jokes can be symptomatic of a larger theme. I happen to not share in the "Gumball is trans" headcanon despite it being surprisingly popular. Perhaps only because I find Penny to be such an apt trans allegory that I tend to focus on her, and because Gumball's bisexuality takes such center stage in his character (though of course he can be both) that I lean more into the interpretation that he's just disillusioned with gender constructs as a lot of queer people are, however closeted he may be. But characters are defined to the viewer according to how they internalize them.

 

[PSqueak]

What are pieces of media for if not us to over-analyze them? That's half the fun.

Anyway, starting from the third season on, this show has a sense of continuity far beyond its initial purpose, so it's worth thinking that seeming throwaway jokes can be symptomatic of a larger theme. I happen to not share in the "Gumball is trans" headcanon despite it being surprisingly popular. Perhaps only because I find Penny to be such an apt trans allegory that I tend to focus on her, and because Gumball's bisexuality takes such center stage in his character (though of course he can be both) that I lean more into the interpretation that he's just disillusioned with gender constructs as a lot of queer people are, however closeted he may be. But characters are defined to the viewer according to how they internalize them.

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I felt Penny's arc was kept vague enough that it can properly work as an analogue for many things, coming out as Trans being one of them, which i think it ultimate works in its favor because it means much more people can relate to Penny coming out of her shell and very well might be a story they needed in their life, as opposed to more straight forward trans themes such as Steven Universe's "battle of the mind and heart" being incredibly blatantly about trans people.

I think one thing about what we're seeing in Gumball is that the character is one we can see a bit of us in, i for one will admit im still trying to figure some stuff about myself and seeing a funny cat on tv embody these things im trying to figure out made me take a liking to the character (it also helps that i instantly identified with a character that much like me was a miniature version of their mom at a young age).

Regarding Gumball's bisexuality, i don't think anybody has ever questioned that, it truly is a big part of Gumball's character traits, one of my fave jokes a bout it that is played in a mostly benign way is when Jamie confronts him about "not wanting to share her boyfriend (Darwin) with another boyfriend" and declares Gumball to also be her "boyfriend" and Gumball instantly imagines a wedding between the three of them.

 

[CopperPuppy]

First time I've seen this thread, such an amazing show.

I thought this was supposed to be continuing without Bocquelet after Season 6?

Is that not the case anymore?

 

[Kangi]

First time I've seen this thread, such an amazing show.

I thought this was supposed to be continuing without Bocquelet after Season 6?

Is that not the case anymore?

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While to my knowledge Cartoon Network still hasn't described it as such, it is indeed for all intents and purposes ending with this season, based off of everything we know. Probably preferable than to see it go on without its creator and go full Spongebob, which CN may have been very tempted to do seeing how much they milk it already; the fact that such was an option is probably why it's been so ambiguous about ending for so long.

 

[PSqueak]

They haven't officially aired the final S6 episodes yet, right?

 

[Kangi]

They haven't officially aired the final S6 episodes yet, right?

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A few of the remaining ones have leaked, but they have not officially aired. Nor have the few episodes we don't know about that yet remain. They've been taking their sweet time drawing out the airing of the latter half of this season.

 

[PSqueak]

A few of the remaining ones have leaked, but they have not officially aired. Nor have the few episodes we don't know about that yet remain. They've been taking their sweet time drawing out the airing of the latter half of this season.

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CN continues to be a trainwreck at scheduling.

Not surprising, this show has been all over the place since day 0, no wonder why wikipedia lists alot of episodes as premiering first in different countries, hell i myself caught a couple of early releases on mexican tv back in season 1-2.

 

[Fj0823]

While to my knowledge Cartoon Network still hasn't described it as such, it is indeed for all intents and purposes ending with this season, based off of everything we know. Probably preferable than to see it go on without its creator and go full Spongebob, which CN may have been very tempted to do seeing how much they milk it already; the fact that such was an option is probably why it's been so ambiguous about ending for so long.

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I really love that Modern Cartoons get to end before becoming grotesque soulless cashgrabs like Spongebob and Fairly Odd Parents

 

[TheGreatDirector]

While to my knowledge Cartoon Network still hasn't described it as such, it is indeed for all intents and purposes ending with this season, based off of everything we know. Probably preferable than to see it go on without its creator and go full Spongebob, which CN may have been very tempted to do seeing how much they milk it already; the fact that such was an option is probably why it's been so ambiguous about ending for so long.

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The creator left the previous season, right?

 

[Venture]

Very nice OT. I didn't even realize it was here. :(

I wish Hulu would hurry up and add some episodes. I found a press release saying there were supposed to be new episodes starting Feb. 9th but it looks like they never did. Still no season 6 episodes.

 

[Kangi]

The creator left the previous season, right?

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All episodes from this season are still ones he's worked on/overseen. Yes, it's taken that long for this season to air.

 

[Kangi]

Shane Rimmer, voice actor of Louie Watterson, has passed away at age 89. He accomplished a storied filmography over his long life, including starring in Thunderbirds and appearances in multiple James Bond films, and TAWOG wound up being among his last projects.

His voice certainly lent Louie a distinctive manner, and he'll be missed.

 

[Kangi]

New episode airing in the US tonight, "The Possession," 7 EDT. It's about a refrigerator.

Oh! And major spoilers out and about for the episode "The Future," so watch out on those interwebs. The countdown to the end continues.

 

[Kangi]

Newest episode is "The Master," an episode about the Wattersons playing Dungeons and Dragons... and fighting each other all the while.



Premiered last night and I missed it! I guess I'm not used to this show having a consistent schedule of airing new episodes for more than one week in a row... or any Cartoon Network show, for that matter.

 

[Raina]

Hi! I haven't been on this forum in well over a year.

I'm super happy there's a Gumball OT because I just got into it, but had some difficulties getting into the wider fandom, and I know that here everyone will be nice. I'm seriously in love with the art design and also how LGBT-positive it is. I watch it to cheer me up when I'm feeling upset about stuff, and also just because it's pretty funny. I only wish it had come out when I was younger! I'm 22 and if this had been around ten or so years ago, it would easily have been my favourite show. So I guess I'm making up for lost time.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

There is so much messed up stuff in the show.

 

[Corrie1960]

Shame season 6 is the last this is the second last show I only watch on Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network for me was

Adventure Time
Regular Show
The Amazing World of Gumball
Teen Titans Go

God I really miss Regular Show also

 

[Raina]

There is so much messed up stuff in the show.

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That's what makes it so good.

I really need to get around to watching the full episodes somehow instead of just the youtube CN clips. But it's not on UK Netflix, and while it is on amazon video you have to pay extra for it. :(

 

[Kangi]

Hi! I haven't been on this forum in well over a year.

I'm super happy there's a Gumball OT because I just got into it, but had some difficulties getting into the wider fandom, and I know that here everyone will be nice. I'm seriously in love with the art design and also how LGBT-positive it is. I watch it to cheer me up when I'm feeling upset about stuff, and also just because it's pretty funny. I only wish it had come out when I was younger! I'm 22 and if this had been around ten or so years ago, it would easily have been my favourite show. So I guess I'm making up for lost time.

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The show teaches positivity from a place of realism instead of the more standard cartoon dichotomy of "sugar-coated happiness" and "completely cynical". Basically this:



"You gotta find the good bits in this great big load of *pfft*!"

So I totally get it cheering you up, and it's great that it's managed to be a source of LGBT positivity and representation despite previously facing censorship over the issue due to its Y7 rating. Welcome to this little slice of the fandom, and welcome back to the forum!