Good news for the week of February 23
Good News is a weekly collection of stories from this week about things that were actually pretty nice. From pop culture to maybe even some politics, we all deserve a dose of good news.
Sometimes, good news comes late. But the good news does indeed arrive eventually.
Stores which backtracked on DEI are feeling the consequences
Trump’s attack on DEI initiatives is nightmarish. What’s even more telling is the companies which have elected to follow Trump’s example, withdrawing their DEI initiatives of their own free will—companies like Disney, Walmart, Amazon, McDonald’s, and Target.
It’s dark, but the good news here is that consumers are not only paying attention, but are harnessing their purchasing power accordingly. This week, multiple studies came out which showed that a huge portion of American consumers are changing their shopping habits.
According to The Guardian, 24% of Americans have “stopped shopping at their favorite stores because of their politics.” 36% of Americans are even trying to “opt out” of participating in the economy altogether, cutting down on spending entirely.
Retailbrew also found that Target and Walmart, two prominent stores which dropped DEI initiatives, saw a notable fall in foot traffic at the same time. Conversely, Costco—which explicitly pledged not to end its DEI initiatives—saw an increase in foot traffic in the same window.
Long story short: America’s love affair with capitalism means that you, as a consumer, have power. Where you spend—or don’t spend—your dollar matters. It’s hard to know where to feel empowered nowadays, but we can definitely feel empowered in our ability to choose where we spend our money.
Cynthia Ervio is playing Jesus
Cynthia Ervio was already a Tony Award-winner before she starred as Elphaba in the film adaptation of Wicked. But thanks to her stellar performance, she’s now a household name. That newfound star power led to particularly delightful announcement this week: Ervio will be playing Jesus. In Jesus Christ Superstar, that is.
The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles will be hosting a short run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic from August 1st through 3rd, with Ervio as its (super)star. Ervio has previously played Mary Magdalene, but this is the first time she’s played Jesus. She’s certainly deserving of the role.
The best anime is getting a second season
When it premiered in fall 2022, Bocchi the Rock was the dark horse of the season. Bocchi was a completely unknown entity, arising from a small 4-panel comic. But Cloverworks’ incredible anime immediately turned heads. It poignantly and humorously spoke to the struggles of shy people and to the existential challenges of the modern world.
Those 12 episodes snowballed in popularity to an unbelievable degree, both in Japan and across the globe. The album by the show’s band charted in Japan for months. Shimokitazawa, the Tokyo neighborhood where Bocchi takes place, became a hotbed of Bocchi-specific tourism. When a Bocchi the Rock panel was hosted at Anime Expo 2024, it had the most excited, raucous crowd of the convention.
But although a compilation film came out in 2024, for years, there was absolutely no talk of season 2. Hope for a second season was beginning to fade—until this week, when Cloverworks announced a second season is indeed in the works. I literally screamed.
Visionary anime director opens new studio
Ever since I joined The Mary Sue, I have been very vocal about my love for the work of director Maasaki Yuasa. His style and vision is arguably one of the most unique in the world of animation, which is immediately apparent when you list his works: Keep Your Hands Off Eizoken!, Mind Game, Devilman Crybaby, Inu-Oh, and Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, to name a few.
Yuasa also founded Science Saru, the studio which would go on to make remarkable shows like Dan Da Dan and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. But Yuasa left Science Saru before either of those series were made and went into semi-retirement for a few years.
This week, Yuasa came out of retirement to announce he’s forming a new studio: Ame Pippin. That means more new work from Yuasa is on the horizon. Which is truly wonderful news.
World’s smallest sled dog gets a big profile
Doomscrolling has become all too common in this day and age. But sometimes, social media brings to your attention something utterly delightful. In other words, I am now obsessed with Muppy, the world’s smallest sled dog.
Blair Braverman’s profile on Muppy for Outside Online, published on February 18, blew up on social media this week. Muppy is an 18-pound dachshund mix with 4 inch-long legs, but that did not stop her from wanting to go fast.
The best part of this story is that becoming a sled dog was entirely Muppy’s idea. Her own tried to take her running, and then took her biking, but Muppy just wanted to go faster. She eventually realized Muppy wanted to pull the bike herself and had to get custom harnesses made—after all, most sled dogs are large breeds like huskies.
Muppy is a delight. Muppy is my hero. Long live Muppy.
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