[warning for suicidal ideation and self-harm in my analysis]
Here's the results of me and my sister's bingo <3 we actually got one line!!!! That's a win in my books.
Now let's address the biggest criticism of this chapter first.
"Chapter 5's lack of answers and story progression is unforgivable!" I do not agree with it, but I understand why a good chunk of people are upset. But I also think it's a nonissue, and I say this as someone who had multiple kneejerk instances of thinking to myself while playing that "Is this okay? What is Toby Fox going to do? This might feel better played as a whole later without waiting but what of us who play it by chapter release? Holy pacing issue? How are we going to fit in Dess, Asriel, Gaster, whatever else mystery into the last two chapters of the game? Why am I fighting purple attacks for the nth time?! What's with the difficulty spike also, I just want to cheese the fight and get to the Answers!--"
Okay that last part's probably just skill issue and sleep deprivation.
But I don't think it's right to say. I saw a comment that says the criticism reads like "saying the CORE and Mettaton stuff in UNDERTALE we're useless filler". Correct, it is like that. Chapter 5 is exactly like that. UNDERTALE was extremely backloaded where the only real answers you get are from the moment Undertale (the soundtrack) plays in Asgore's Home and the True Lab, and the final 4 boss fights. That's only a handful of sequences! Yet could we say the rest of the game was unimportant filler? Well no! It endeared us to all the characters which is imperative and just like Toby Fox's writing. The goofy moments matter as much as the lore dump nihilistic exposition stuff.
So I do not mind this Chapter. It actually gave us so many answers.
Like confirming Asgore had nothing to do with the conspiracy, that Ralsei doesn't know shit about the past (in the clear...?) and really solidifying more Dess stuff for the casual players who know nothing about secret bosses or lore or eggs and whatnot!!!! Not everyone's a completionist so this Chapter is an absolutely acceptable entry to the series.
At first I felt upset we didn't get more stuff with the corkboard... oh, so conveniently all the words are jumbled up? Asgore fucking trails off about that Fateful Day? Gimme a break...!!!! I really, really wanted to know about Dess. She's like my top 3 favorite character of this game.
Until I remembered why she's my top 3 favorite. It's because Dess is a Laura Palmer. WHY would Asgore recount the tragedy to a clearly traumatized Kris who probably knows the events all too well. He himself who's gotten his life wrecked from it. He wouldn't tell Susie who was there either because she's a stranger.
Why the jumbled up words? The mystery is a part of it. It's frustrating but worth the wait I think. I know it to be true.
So in fact this chapter the most gut-wrenching. Which speaking of...
I won't mince words here. All the main characters are so fucking suicidal. These kids are not okay.
In the Normal Route, the festival dialogue from Susie can read as a person who knows she's going to die soon making the best of her life while she still can. Whatever the prophecy said, it gave Susie a wake up call. But you know who else operates with this much certainty and decisiveness usually? Terminal illness patients who know they have like a week left to live. They get courage to marry their partners bc of it. This is why the scene where Susie romances Noelle is conveying to me. Susie has the more optimistic behavior.
In the Weird Route, the festival dialogue from Noelle reads 100% like someone who's resolved to do something insane. Jump off a building. Grow wings and fly. Go over the other side of the lake and drown drown drown. Fucking chills. The hints were there since last chapter when she told her babysitter she's "not scared of him anymore", and Noelle just overall being more assertive and fearless in a way that's too much. This is almost the exact opposite of Susie's behavior yet they're on the same coin here.
Kris is actually just suicidal baseline. The chapter starts with them basically self-harming. The way in an (semi)-aborted Weird Route they just throw themselves in the hot spring to avoid telling Susie what we told them to. It's horrifying. Genuinely what is up with Kris. Definitely someone we want to save but doesn't want to be saved...
Ralsei is transfem coded. Peak. I'm fully behind it now. The hints are all there and were since the last few chapters too, but "Princess", too...! Honestly this could be a plot device that averts the prophecy too, who knows. Excited to see where it goes.
This chapter also gave our main and side characters needed flaws! I'm actually stunned at how realistic the writing's gotten like. Nicepants for example dude fuck it. they didn't go on a cute yaoi date like we thought!! it ended in like 3 breakups in one sequence and was hard to watch!!!!!! it was similarly also very hard to watch Ralsei keep making fun of Orange to the point where SUSIE got uncomfortable..!! Kris is a fucking MENACE putting their dad in danger like that? Lying to Susie THREE times over, wanting to rip the code to shreds. They're all kinda annoying in this chapter and I love it.
Seven flowers/humans are basically all I've ever wanted and more. Holy shit. I love old man yaoi Yellow x Blue the most!!!!!!!!!
what the fuck man
That's all for my first thoughts!!!!!!! :) definitely big contender for favorite chapter but i need to let it sit... I love deltarooooon....
small rant: before this chapter i read a comment on a theory vid that criticized the chapter by chapter release by saying 'i would sacrifice every fanart for a complete deltarune, none of the wait in between chapters' and the theorist agreeing like..... What a bold and arrogant statement...!!
Imagine. having an opinion so antithetical to the author's wishes. Toby has said he's more interested in the fanworks and what people make out of inspiration for other's beloved works than expanding every lore detail. He's said this multiple times in multiple other permutations. the character Gerson in Deltarune says this.
I think whoever and wherever those people are right now, they must haaaaaaate Chapter 5 the most. well, this is what we got. and I for one like what we got. this game is amazing. not everything is theories and mysteries and answers all the time. there is something more important. and this is it. if they can't see it it's their loss...! make an OC, fangame, fanfic, fanart of their perfect version, then...! that's ultimately all Toby wants, anyway.
not to be insane about the remielle sunday fanart but HOOOLY MOLY. omg. im. speechless woah. your art is so pretty ooouuuuuhhh never die be forever prosperous
HEHEEEE IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT ANON <3 i need to get over myself and draw sunday more and more revealing and beautiful!!!!! rahhh
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