katsper potential you haunt me all day every day
i’ve recently been thinking a lot about this post from spookster where quite a few people talked about why they don’t like the romance subplot in the original movie.
and.. yeah. all are very good points. a lot of moments where he’s meant to be charming/bold, end up making him look more entitled and overstepping.
i can't go too deep into this criticism, because it directly connects with the movie as a whole. in short, it's kind of connected to the 90s obsession with giving characters "attitude"
nuh uh. no more of that over here >:( i have other plans
— my vision for katsper —
Casper wanted a friend before anything. That and the help of someone who claimed to have experiences with ghosts. (He shows interest when Dr Harvey is on TV, even before Kat appears.) So, the crush isn’t there yet. He’s more overcome with excitement and a glimmer of hope to meet these people. (Unrelated Note: Dr. Harvey is the calm one in my head, Kat would stay freaking out once she saw Casper for the first time.)
WHAT I’M SAYING IS I want Kat and Casper to start off as two awkward kids, then friends. Then it’s kind of ambiguous up until the halloween dance. They end up anxious and confused, trying to understand these new feelings sprouting between them. There are so many interesting moments you can get from that. Love is a difficult thing on its own, so can you imagine how much more difficult it is for kids like them?
Another smaller thing.. It would really help if they both looked more of the same age. (Which is why I tend to draw Kat as more cutesy.) Kat from the original movie has too much of the 90s snark™️ that’s more fitting for older teenagers. She can still be cynical, of course. But in a way that reminds the audience that she’s still a child. She behaves that way to feel smart and confident due to having so little control over her own life.
Another important thing, I think the best way to view their relationship is to see it as a moment in time. Especially in Kat’s life. I think it should end with Casper crossing over before he goes through the pain of watching her grow up. He leaves her in a good place. With new friends and memories, there’s so much for her to look forward to.
Their love is temporary. It has to be. But it was so deep and life-changing while it lasted. They both longed for a friend and they got so much more in each other. Casper is fulfilled by the experience.. to the point where he’s ready to depart with a smile on his face.
— huge thanks to @mpsansy for helping me put my thoughts together (◜ᴗ◝) so amazingly helpful and articulate
