Omg, I haven’t talked about it, but I did notice that. I did notice the parallels in Juls and Val defending their girls, and Juls tried to step in when Lucho went after Val, but god, Val is the immediate target so often. I thought that might have been one of the reasons they zoomed in on her during the Lupe scene, but she didn’t seem to be reacting to it in the end.
She’s been through so much and it’s kind of impressive that she gets to show it? I’ve mentioned before how Juliantina seems so separate in how natural it is, even from the other AAM stories, but it shows even in this. Lucia gets kidnapped like it’s her job and she bounces back, while Val literally had panic attacks, didn’t want to leave the house, was still spooked by every little noise, still feared the cartel, her family held multiple worried conversations about her, Camilo had to come talk to her, she needed meds to calm down. How often does that happen?
And yes, the presence and thoughts of Juls eventually took over and maybe that’s a bit too TV romantic, but it’s not like it was an instant thing, she even hung up on her initially. It was actually her defense of Juls, during the talk with Lucia, and the niggling thought that their relationship might not be real, that actually distracted her. That’s fair enough. And if it led to sitting on top of Juls while looking at her jawline as Camilo babbled about transmigration, well, we’ve seen Barbara Lopez, that’s actually pretty realistic.
The way Lucho approached that conversation was him saying that until Juls took advantage of Val, Val was fine and happy with Lucho. That if it hadn’t been for Juls interfering, Val would be in love with and satisfied with Lucho.
Val was basically saying, nope, it wasn’t her pursuing me and taking me from you, I went after her, implying how little she felt for Lucho.
I never blame Val for her Juls thirst. It’s the most understandable thing on this show, tbh.
But Juls, wearing that jacket, politely laughing at Camilo’s weird ass explanations, ultimately confirming that no, she had no idea what was going on with Jacobo and hadn’t lied to Val and their relationship was all real, and providing the absolute best distraction for her traumatized thoughts? I really cannot blame Val for that last whole minute even a little.
Don’t really understand the aggression, anon, but I dunno, I guess people read this interviews and press releases? I was confused about the Sunday thing too but was told that that’s how some finales work.
And another anon:
Something important in this fandom is a lot of people is trying to learn and polite ask for translations, subs and meanings. With menesis there was a lot of not-Spanish that just demand translations and subs. And they got mad because they weren’t.
I wasn’t actively in that fandom but I think a lot of f/f fandoms are made up of similar type people, if not actually the same people. The difference here might be so many willing translators? It’s easier to be nicer when things are going your way. When the content is so good and so much that people are jumping to share it. Which brings me to…
And another anon:
Hey i just wanna voice out that its getting really tiring when people here start saying shit like “this ship is the new (old popular ship)!” Or like “oh this ship is so much like this old ship in fact theyre even better bc they didnt die” cant people just appreciate the new ships theyre in and not compare or contrast the old ones bc theyre entirely different shows.
It’s natural to compare feelings and experiences. I wouldn’t take it to heart. I would even say that most people saying that shipped both, and shipped the previous one to an incredibly intense degree. Perhaps it makes them feel better to be able to take this as an improvement on what was, in the end, a pretty traumatic experience. Like I said, it’s easier to be positive when things are going well. People aren’t necessarily comparing the ships, they’re comparing the feelings they inspire within them. And it’s common to get caught up in a wave of enthusiasm and feel reassured about participating in something that’s doing well.
Listen. My mom has a phrase for this: mahal kaayo ang iyang pahiyom.
Roughly translated, it means “her smiles are very expensive.”
See, Juls has had a hard life. In Texas, she lived below the poverty line, in a trailer park. Her dad was a deadbeat who never really treated her like his daughter – and it got worse when he turned out to be a hitman, which she only discovered before he was arrested and sentenced to death for murder. In the last month she’s been shot at, attacked, threatened with rape by Alacran and forced to flee to Mexico to hide for who knows how long.
She doesn’t trust or like most people, because they have shown her the worst that humanity has to offer. She’s hard because she’s had to be, because people have always looked down on her, because she’s always been told by everyone, except maybe Lupe, that she isn’t good enough. She didn’t even begin to dream about becoming a fashion designer until she met Val; Lupe had to convince just to aim for going to school instead of working. That kind of oppressive thought weighs down a person, and if you are to have any hope, you have to have your guard up.
But Juls as a person? She is kind, generous, and loving in a way that, if you can get her to trust you, is effortless and giving. Lupe is the only one we have ever seen her smile for, encouragingly and happily because that’s actually the kind of person Juls is. Her joy is so hard earned, that she gifts smiles to the people she loves when they are feeling down. But given her life? Juls really has to dig deep to find something to be happy about, so it costs a lot to get her to really smile, the kind of smile that shines in your eyes.
Her smiles are expensive because her happiness is so rare.
Until she meets Val.
And it’s like she lights up the freaking ROOM, because it’s so easy with Val. It is easy to trust Valentina because she’s so open with her feelings, there isn’t a lying, malicious bone in her body. Juls can afford to be soft and tender around her, mostly because when they first met, Val was the one who already was so vulnerable and sad. And Juls couldn’t bear to see that because she’s a kind person, so she lowered her walls and let her joy out, just to so Valentina could match her smile. It’s par the course with her M.O. to use her own joy to lighten others’ spirits.
But then, Val opened up to her and suddenly, someone else was making her smile.
A LOT.
EFFORTLESSLY
INCANDESCENTLY.
And so she gives her smiles freely. Generosity begets generosity. Val is so generous with her love, that tenderness just pours out of Juls as a result, without her consent. She couldn’t help it if she tried. (To be fair, she doesn’t try very hard at all).
And for Valentina? All she has ever known is a soft and open Juls, who looks at her with warm, kind eyes. Who only gets hard and angry when she’s hurt or scared. A sad and hard Juls is abnormal to her. She associates warmth and tenderness with Juls so much, she can’t even fathom the idea of her beloved Chivis not loving and cherishing Juls the way she does. Because Juls is only ever soft around her. Because just being around Valentina makes Juls feel safe. Settled. Secure.
These kids are the softest OTP I have ever seen. All they want is to eat their breakfast in peace and make out. They are the sane, soft, healthy, giving core of this INSANE telenovela, and they are just better together.
(In fact the show’s plot depends on it, since they function as the lynchpin/bridge of the entire damn show. There’s a reason why the plot lives and dies on their together status: they’re the only ones who have met players and influenced all seven major storylines. Between the two of them, they have all the pieces to break the premise of the show, and they have for a while now. But, another post for another time).
