(Copied and pasted from my letterboxd review of “Is It College Yet?” as it contains plenty of notes on the rest of the series) Okay, so first and foremost, I'm leaving for college in a Literal week, so if there's a time in my life where it's going to be fitting for me to give this a 5/5, it's right now. Like all of Daria, it really snuck up on me in how acutely it deals with the very specific emotions of its characters in this very specific stage of life, and tho I guess I could complain about the depth in which those emotions are explored, that's never been what this series is about; it finds the truth and the depth is filled in with your own experiences. And that's all I need right now if I'm being honest, not to make it sound like the show is slight in its ideas in any way bc it's definitely not. I guess what I mean is that I've developed a really close relationship with the particular mode of developing themes, emotions, and characters that it takes on, which is often pretty minimal or show-don't-tell, and I now find it more comforting and Real abt what it tackles than any other piece of media. The complex feelings and realistic interactions build up until, at least in my experience, it feels just like home. So, this movie is great on its own, but taken as the capstone of the series - a way to close off each character's ideas and conflicts while making it clearer than ever what the thesis of the show is as each character moves into the next stage of life in their own ways and all of these difficult feelings are finally, in some way, put to rest - it's really something special. It's healing and it's helpful, idk how else to put it. To expand into notes on the series as a whole, though, looking back on it, it's just... overwhelming. I keep talking about how genuine it is in how it approaches its characters, but nothing I can verbalize atm will actually capture the feeling that certain sections of this show brought out of me. Ig it's just hard to look in the mirror, so many moments and interpersonal dynamics that hit so close to home portrayed in such blunt and straightforward ways. It's just so hard to find media that's this instantly meaningful. It's all based on tropes and caricatures, but the gestures towards a deeper, more grounded understanding of the world than the presence of those tropes/caricatures suggest are infinite. It's obvious why so many long-time fans rewatch this so endlessly (and why I'll undoubtedly find myself doing the same)... there's a wisdom, an unprecedented honesty to every creative decision that went into it, and if you've ever identified with its main characters in any way, then there will always be a place for you in it. It finds you where you are and doesn't try to change you. It lets you accept a better existence without thinking you're fooling yourself into taking it. It sees through you, but it still lets you sit down and have some rest. It's my new favorite TV show, and one of the most personally important Things In Existence for me rn. I'm a bit of a wreck tbh. "My advice is: stand firm for what you believe in, until and unless logic and experience prove you wrong; remember, when the emperor looks naked, the emperor is naked; the truth and a lie are not "sort of the same thing"; and there is no aspect, no facet, no moment of life that can't be improved with pizza. Thank you."