I caught a segment on NPR last week about how Amazon's top-rated products are often boosted by fake reviews. It's hilarious that we'll drop hundreds on a blender because it has 4.5 stars from strangers who might have gotten it for free. Same with restaurant apps, where a few negative reviews can tank a place even if the food is decent. We've outsourced our judgment to algorithms and influencers, and half the time they're just shilling for clicks. Remember when people actually used to try things based on word of mouth from friends? Now it's all about the aggregate score, even if it's fabricated.

betty_taylor's comparison to a strained friendship over repeated debates makes sense, but I actually find value in those eternal threads because they let fans test new perspectives against a familiar framework. It's not really about settling who's strongest, it's a way for the community to constantly re-engage with the themes and character growth that define the genre. Every time someone brings up Luffy or Ichigo again, there's a chance for a newcomer to jump in and add something we've all missed, keeping the whole conversation alive. These rituals, as you call them, build a shared language that helps people connect over stories they love, even if the surface argument seems circular.