Hello there, guess I'm pretty late with this, but whatever.
I'm popart-vvv, a writer-in-training and artist-for-fun, as well as an amateur analyst and a music geek. Take a wild guess as to what my passion is.
What can you expect from this blog? Various analyses of characters and songs, as well as posts about my custom-made bracelets and plushie pics.
My ask box is open for you to inquire about my posts, insights, or just to share trivia with me. No bullying or overly negative stuff! Don't make me regret this.
My interests are below.
So with a teaser for Helluva Boss S3 having come out recently, as well as what it entailed, I feel the need to write about the conflict between Stolas and Striker.
First introduced in "The Harvest Moon Festival", Striker is an assassin hired by Stella, Stolas' vindictive ex-wife, to kill him. Later reappearing in "Western Energy", Striker attempts to kill Stolas again, this time torturing him as well. Why? He loathes royals, the Goetia included, for trampling over lower-class imps like himself. He's foiled once again, but Striker's torture of Stolas seems to have traumatized the poor guy; as shown with the aforementioned teaser showing Stolas having a nightmare based on the events of that episode.
The whole situation was fairly distressing--Stolas was definitely put through the wringer by Striker, who tortured him physically and mentally, and by the end, Stolas was in an incredibly miserable state.
When it comes to fandom reaction to this conflict, there exist some rather... unsettling interpretations that wholly take Striker's side. Stolas might be a divisive character on his own, but some of his haters go another step and are completely uncaring about the pain Striker put him through; I've even heard about people who actively root for Striker in his vendetta.
Disregarding Stolas' own faults, he never did anything bad to Striker. As a matter of fact, in the grand scheme of things, Stolas is much more likeable and sympathetic than the likes of Stella and Andrealphus; he may not be devoid of racially insensitive moments, but they seem more of a product of his prissy upbringing that he needs to unlearn.
In fact, Striker is a major hypocrite because he's working for the aforementioned Stella, who wants Stolas dead because he slept with an imp and embarrassed her. Speaking of which, it's rather odd how this aspect of Striker's is barely focused on, while Stolas gets raked over the coals for his own moments of being contradictory.
Whatever one's grievances with Stolas are, it's still pretty questionable to not feel sympathetic for him in this very conflict with Striker. Especially since the whole thing was engineered by Stella, whom as we all know is a horrible harpy. And even if there is potential for tragedy and merit to Striker's hatred of the royals, he's still a massive hypocrite who targets one of the more innocent of the Goetia while simultaneously working for the viler of the bunch. The conflict should say more about Striker than it does about Stolas.
And again, it's pretty clear that the events of "Western Energy" are still hanging over poor Stolas' head...
Ever since as far back as the pilot's release, the fandom has interpreted her as sapphic because of her interactions with Pomni giving them major "yuri" vibes. As the show went on, it became increasingly popular to ship her with the other female characters--not just Pomni, but also Gangle, as well as NPCs like Loolilalu and Martha Mildenhall and, as of late, Ribbit (moreso after the latter's she/they pronouns reveal). It's because of all these ships involving Ragatha that she's popularly seen as lesbian.
First of all, I'd like to say that I agree that that ragdoll ain't straight. In fact, I am a major RagaPom supporter, and I acknowledge that Ragatha's interactions give off major sapphic vibes.
However...
I don't quite see her as lesbian. Rather, bisexual.
I know what you're all thinking--"ew, you're shipping her with a man?!" But hear me out.
There are two m/f ships involving Ragatha that have tickled my fancy in my tenure as a TADC fan.
BunnyDoll (w/ Jax)
The fandom has had a rather tumultuous relationship with this ship as the show went on. At first, it was incredibly popular because of its familiar tropes, such as "good girl/bad boy", as well as the vibe of Ragatha and Jax's interactions being reminiscent of an old married couple fighting.
While the shippers still exist, the pairing itself took a major hit after Ragatha and Jax's feud hit its peak in Eps. 5 and 6, with Jax becoming more and more nasty towards Ragatha and Ragatha being pushed to her breaking point by not only Jax's increased mean streak, but also his growing closeness towards Pomni. From then on, certain fans abandoned BunnyDoll and started shipping FunnyBunny instead because of it being relatively lighter by comparison.
As if this being a straight pairing involving Ragatha wasn't enough, the other half of it involves Jax, the most infamous character in the show. Being a character bound to repulse half the fanbase, even with the depths and layers s/he has, Jax is commonly labeled as an unshippable character because of his/her hostile interactions with everyone else, not just Ragatha. Just in general, it seems as though many people have an aversion to BunnyDoll for varying reasons, as explained here.
I actually like BunnyDoll a lot because of the hostility between Ragatha and Jax. It's interestingly tragic, Ragatha and Jax are pretty good foils that bounce well off of each other, and I do sense there being some "frustrated affection" behind the vitriol. Also they're just hot together sorry not sorry.
I am seeing that BunnyDoll is getting more fans lately, what with recent revelations that Jax was a closeted trans woman all along--with the general idea of transfemme Jax being much nicer than her canon closeted counterpart, as well as how BunnyDoll in that form would line up with the "lesbian Ragatha" idea, it appears as though BunnyDoll is slowly becoming more popular.
BowTie (w/ Caine)
This pairing is more of a "dark horse ship"; it's not quite as prominent in the overall fandom as all the other ships, let alone the Ragatha ones. When it does get acknowledged, however, it's pretty well-liked.
The general setup for this ship is that fans have noticed similarities between Ragatha and Caine, most notably how they hide their fears of being alone and disliked with overly-cheerful demeanors. It's a pretty good compare/contrast pairing in that regard, no? And while Ragatha and Caine didn't get many interactions throughout the show, there is a lot of post-canon potential to BowTie because of Caine making a sincere effort to integrate with the players and bonding with them.
I myself like this ship well enough, to the point that in the past, I disputed against accusations of Caine hating Ragatha. And now that the ending shows him to be on better terms with the surviving players, Ragatha included, I think it's worth exploring a potential bond between these two.
---
Admittedly, part of why I wrote this out was because I heard something about Gooseworx fueling the "lesbian Ragatha" ideas in her recent bout of answering asks on her page. Gotta confess, it's hard for me to let go of my headcanon of Ragatha as bisexual, let alone my fondness for BunnyDoll and BowTie, because I've supported all three of these for over a year now.
Now I don't want to start a fight with those who see Ragatha as lesbian--again, I agree that she ain't straight and I'm a RagaPom lover myself! But I'm too into BunnyDoll and BowTie to support that particular headcanon. Let's just respect the fact that we have different interpretations of the dolly and go on with our lives.
Also note that Amanda Hufford, Ragatha's VA, has expressed their support for both BunnyDoll and BowTie alongside Jax and Caine's own respective actors, all while simultaneously feeding the RagaPom-ers.
A popular character, but also the most divisive in The Amazing Digital Circus. On one hand, Jax is a surprisingly-complex character who balances an unlikeable demeanor with a tragic personal arc, and his actor (Michael Kovach) has become an icon among the animation and voice acting communities of this decade. On the other hand, it's easy to be repulsed by his actions such as bullying Gangle and Ragatha, and a notable section of the fanbase hates how he's overshadowing the other characters--standing next to Pomni as the "mascot" of TADC.
Here's the thing...
Jax is my second-favorite character in the show, behind Ragatha. I like to think that I'm doing it right, though.
Part 1: Jax's whole character
We start Jax's journey with the pilot showing him as a Bugs Bunny send-up, except considerably meaner. Comedic and charming on the surface, but he's also a bully. However, considering that he's trapped in the Circus like everyone else, including his favorite victim Gangle, there were hints that his asshole personality is an unhealthy coping mechanism. He instantly became a fan-favorite, with fan songs and theories as to his more positive and sympathetic side circulating in the fandom's first year of life.
Episodes 5 and 6 then started chipping away at his character; the former by having his feud with Ragatha reach its peak as he struck up a friendship with Pomni, the latter by building that friendship up then smashing it with the force of a sledgehammer. We learn a couple of important things about Jax: He's rather cynical and distrustful when it comes to the idea of genuine happiness, his belief system in the Circus hinges on nihilism and dehumanization, and he has considerable attachment issues. The last one was implied by Jax's noticeable stare at the door of a frog character named Ribbit, who's shown to have Abstracted. While his dickery never goes away, in fact only growing worse, Jax does become a more tragic character from Ep. 6 onwards, with how his bad actions stem from fear.
Ironically, right as the layers to his character were getting revealed, a backlash ensued and half of the fandom started treated Jax as if he was only an abusive bully. Admittedly, it wasn't helped by how Ep. 6 also delved into how his bullying affected Gangle's already-poor self-esteem, but it's still questionable to not pick up what the story's putting down. Especially since that very same episode took great pains to break apart Jax's dehumanization of the players, himself included, by showing them act in ways that are the complete opposite of what he thinks of them; i.e. Ragatha, "the cheerful one", is implied to struggle with self-hatred and is afraid of people hating her. As a matter of fact, the writing gives layers and dimensions to every major character, Jax included. Yet the one-dimensional readings of Jax as solely "scum of the earth" got so bad that Gangle's VA fought back against it:
"Bro, if you think that Jax is a sadist, you're falling for his mask." -Marissa Lenti/VixenVTuber
Let me say this: If Jax really was "just an abuser", then he wouldn't be a popular character at all. You can hate him for what he's done, no doubt, but at the very least, you should appreciate that there's more to him than that. I've seen plenty of people relate to his attachment avoidance, his fear of vulnerability, and how his cowardice seems to rule him. Especially so with the finale and its own revelations for Jax...
The worst thing a character can be is boring and flat. Jax thankfully avoids that.
Part 2: Jax Abstracted
Abstraction is a recurring element in the series, being the in-universe equivalent to death; it happens when the victim completely goes off the deep end, and there are major suicidal undertones to how it's presented. It happened with Queenie, Kinger's wife, as well as Ribbit and Kaufmo, Jax's old friends. And then it happened to Jax himself after the reveal that everyone is just a digital copy of their human selves, so it's easy to infer that that bombshell completely broke whatever was left of Jax's spirit.
Considering how Jax has attracted a lot of bile as the series went on, I have seen some people spitefully wish that he would Abstract.
I have to say, even knowing that Jax is an awful person... Not cool. Again, Abstraction holds some major suicide parallels, and we all know just how tragic it can get in real life. Not to mention Jax himself is implied to have had a suicidal episode just this past December, what with him being on the verge of Abstracting.
As for my thoughts on the Abstraction itself, like I said before, it did hit hard for me, but in a weirdly good way. It was an expected climax to Jax's downward spiral and repeated self-isolation, both physically and emotionally, not to mention with how it's been indicated by showrunner Gooseworx that Jax would get worse throughout the show, I couldn't really envision Jax getting a happy ending.
It was nice of Pomni to give him closure, and Jax's final words really hit where it hurt.
"I don't want to go..."
At least now, Jax post-Abstraction seems to have found peace.
The middle one, I like to imagine that Jax has been reunited with Ribbit and Kaufmo in their new Abstracted states.
Part 3: Trans Jax is real???
A pretty popular theory related to Jax since last year was the idea that he's transgender--more particularly, that "he" is actually a "she", and heavily closeted. There were moments in canon that built up this particular idea, mostly from Ep. 5 onwards:
Jax heavily pushing a toxic-yet-fragile sense of masculinity; a retroactive sign of her being closeted.
Jax's suspiciously-infuriated reaction to being put in the maid dress.
A comment derisively describing herself as "a chicken fetus in an egg waiting to be cracked open"--"egg" being slang for a trans person who has yet to realize that about themselves.
Her room, contrary to claiming herself to be "the pinnacle of masculinity, is very girly, which she's shy about.
When thrown into her personal fears, Jax was faced with shadow versions of her friends that forcefully peeled her skin off. She reacted by instinctively covering her chest and crotch.
Much more blatantly, a moment wherein Jax opened up to Ribbit about the events leading up to her arrival in the Circus involving her mom laughing after she revealed a personal secret. Ribbit, who goes by she/they pronouns (thus implying that she's non-cis herself), responds by putting her bow on Jax's head and promising "your secret's safe with me."
Then, the day after the finale aired on YouTube, Gooseworx shared some art entertaining an alternate universe depicting Jax as a woman.
So, I guess... Transfemme Jax is canon???
No complaints if it is--I myself headcanoned Jax as trans since last year, but a) I thought it could go either way, because there were people who thought Jax was a trans man, and b) I didn't think the show would touch on that sort of topic because of what Goose said in the past. I guess I'm just confused.
There has been backlash from this reveal, however, particularly because it has to do with Jax. Most of it comes from people disliking the idea of a trans woman being an asshole, thinking that it would "give the community a bad name".
Here's the thing:
Gooseworx, the one who created Jax and made her a closeted trans woman in the first place, is transgender herself. And it's said that she wrote Jax based off of the darker aspects of herself and her past.
Not only that, at least one other trans woman likes transfemme Jax: Morgana Ignis, aka Sallie May from Helluva Boss and one of Glitch's brand managers. She even made art of her!
It’s out now so I can post this cursed thing I drew a month ago
Let me preface the rest of my disputes by saying that I am nonbinary, thus under the trans umbrella. And I myself think of transfemme Jax as very interesting. Anyway:
Jax remaining in the closet and putting on a "tough dude" front correlates with her turning into the guarded asshole we see in canon, while Goose's art teases that Jax accepting her transfemininity would prevent her downward spiral into dickery. It lines up pretty well with Jax refusing to be vulnerable and open and ultimately paying the price for it.
The laser-focus on Jax being "bad trans rep" leaves out Zooble, who's (indirectly) nonbinary and goes by they/them. We knew they were enby from the start, and they're implied to suffer from dysmorphia throughout the series. Unlike Jax, Zooble firmly fits into the "jerk with a heart of gold" category, in that while they do have their irritable moments, they do make an effort to be nice towards others and are brave and mature enough to navigate their issues in a healthy way, unlike with Jax. So in retrospect, that does make Jax and Zooble foils for each other. Alex Rochon, Caine's VA, put it best:
Probably the biggest point of all: Trans people should be allowed to be assholes. At the end of the day, they're only human, with their own flaws and qualities and whatnot, and they are just as capable of being shitty as you and me. For example, some weeks ago, a Discord friend talked about an incident in which a transfemme actress was dismissive towards others' weight woes. Also Caitlyn Jenner, 'nuff said.
There's more nuance to be found in the existence of Lee(roy), Jax's human counterpart--unlike Jax, Lee(roy) was able to bounce back and find happiness later down the road, thus being closer to accepting her transfemininity than Jax ever was in canon.
The signs continue to show--here, we see Lee(roy) presents in an androgynous manner, and she hides her face in pictures.
Basically, if "transfemme Jax" is canon after all, then I don't really see it as a problem. There's a lot of layers to be found in it, mostly in how it's incoporated into Jax's personal arc, not to mention the idea of there being a universe wherein she transitioned and comes out a much better person from it. But also, it casts the interactions between Jax and Zooble in a whole new light, perhaps fuelling Abstrabbit by a mile wide? maybe Jax and Zooble would've gotten along much better in a different timeline.
---
The whole point of this essay is, Jax isn't a bad character in and of herself. It does suck how she's flattened by her haters just because they can't forgive her assholery or get past her overall popularity. Again, it's valid to hate her for what she's done--I'm sure her treatment of Gangle hit especially close to home--but that's not all there is to her. I don't condone her bad actions either, least of all think of them as okay, but the reason I still like Jax so much is because she's interesting overall. There is a lesson to take away from her personal arc and how it ended:
Don't be afraid to be vulnerable and open about your feelings. If you keep running from them, you'll hurt yourself and the people closest to you.
I do like that Goose encouraged the fandom to explore an alternate world wherein Jax fully transitioned, thus becoming a much nicer person and not kickstarting Ribbit and Kaufmo's respective Abstractions.
For better and for worse, Jax will not be forgotten any time soon. And I will still enjoy her alongside Rags and Zoob.
A thought I had recently, in light of the TADC finale:
What if this song, sung by Caine and the Moon?
Now this show, Bear in the Big Blue House, is something that I watched when I was but a wee little bab, not even in kindergarten yet! And this song, a duet between Bear and Luna the moon that plays at the end of every episode, is the strongest memory I have of this series.
Despite only being a minute long, the "Goodbye Song" is so incredibly powerful. With bittersweet lyrics about a day ending, but another one being just around the corner, it can touch the hearts of anyone.
And in light of the BlueTooth moment from the finale...
I started envisioning Caine and the Moon covering the song together as a send-off to the fandom, promising that though the show may be over, the beloved characters will still be around.
I can genuinely see Caine's voice actor, Alex Rochon, singing this. Maybe Goose, who voices the Moon, wouldn't join in, but what if Charlie, Alex's s/o, took over for her and sang Luna's parts?
And like in Bear in the Big Blue House, the cover would instill the memories of the fun times we all had with the show.
...
Quick confession, I cried writing this out. 🥹😭
I really am going to miss Digital Circus... But it's far from over in our hearts.
The Amazing Digital Circus Finale Thoughts + Thank You Essay
So I watched "Remember", the final episode of TADC, which has become one of my favorite shows of the decade. Thoughts below (SPOILER WARNING!)
To be honest... It turned out better than I thought it would.
Of course, there's Jax's abstraction. It hurt a lot, but in a strangely good sort of way. I was kind of expecting it, mostly because it's a natural consequence of him repeatedly shutting people out and rejecting their attempts at kindness--more cases of which were shown in this episode in his relationships with Ribbit, Kaufmo, and Ragatha. Now before you make any assumptions (holds Ming over your head), I say this as a fan of Jax, not a hater. Considering how there were many obvious signs of Jax getting worse as the show went on, I had already figured that he wouldn't be getting a happy ending.
That being said though, it didn't mean I wasn't saddened by it. Despite Jax being an awful, awful person... I feel bad for him. Particularly with the reveal that like Ragatha, he had an abusive mother himself. The trauma from that experience laid the groundwork for his paranoia and fear of attachment, which in turn spawned his asshole personality. There's no excusing his actions, but he is pitiable in that regard, not to mention strangely relatable.
Ribbit was cute! I know there was a lot of apprehension around them because she was friends with someone like Jax, but it was a pleasant surprise to see that they were actually a pretty nice person! ...Shame that Jax shut her out, though.
He's definitely the fumbler ever.
It was a surprise to also see Kaufmo in person, and speaking, no less! He was a pretty chill dude who showed sincere care for Ribbit, and I liked how surprisingly no-nonsense he was.
I will say that there is a potential silver lining to Jax's abstraction--perhaps he's reunited with Ribbit and Kaufmo in that new aquarium. There's something comforting about that idea, don't you think?
One detail that I think is slept on is the follow-up to Ragatha's belief that she "failed" Jax (first stated in Ep. 6)--here, we see that it's because when she tried to comfort him after Ribbit abstracted, Jax reacted incredibly poorly and made Ragatha promise to never speak of Ribbit ever again. Ragatha being a people pleaser, she agreed. Their formerly-amicable relationship fell apart, and with Jax having abstracted, Ragatha's guilt comes back with full force.
"I wonder if things would've been different if I'd said 'no'."
There were two big surprises for me in the last few minutes of the episode...
Caine's return?!
I've had a very turbulent rollercoaster of opinions on the teeth man throughout my history of being a TADC fan. His role here, however...
...I'm beginning to genuinely like him. Realizing his wrongdoings, swallowing his pride, and making a sincere effort to reach out to the players is an incredible show of character development from Caine. While I already kind of theorized that Caine wasn't completely "dead", I was pleasantly surprised to see that the show gave him a "redemption" of sorts. And it's great to see him genuinely bond with the players in his more humble role as one of them!
...SOMA theory real?!
For context, one of the most (in)famous fan theories was that the players in the Circus were actually made from brain scans of people in the real world. The episode went and confirmed it, even showing off the core players' human selves!
(In the above pic, from left to right: Zoey/Gangle, Riley/Zooble, Suzie/Ragatha, Abigail/Pomni, Grant/Kinger, Leeroy/Jax.)
It's such a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's nice to know that the human versions aren't complete goners. On the other hand, it's super sad that the abstracted players never got to find that out--and worst of all, Jax never knew that Leeroy managed to bounce back and find happiness.
Other personal highlights:
The hugsssssssss!
That's my girl!! Livin' her best digital life with the Gloink Queen as her new mother figure.
BlueTooth real??
ABSTRAGEDY REAL?!?! AFTER ALL?!?!??!
Overall, I liked this ending. Bittersweet, moreso on the latter side, and while I am sad that someone abstracted after all, I appreciate that Pomni, Ragatha, Gangle, Zooble, and Kinger made it to the end. And it was neat that Caine also got a happy ending by striving to be better for the surviving players.
I do enjoy that it's open-ended; even if a second season isn't in the cards, the fans have a lot to work with now. Caine being one of the players, relationships being forged and strengthened, the Circus' quality-of-life massively improving, NPCs properly integrating with the players, what the human selves could be up to... Man, that's a lot.
...
And now, my dedication to the show.
I had first seen this show in my social media feeds right as the pilot first came out. I wasn't immediately hooked, though--I first got into the show about two years ago, a month after the release of Episode 2. It was when I saw a video of the cast playing a fangame from allhailthequeenuwu, which intrigued me. Shortly afterwards, I decided to get into the fandom.
Of course, another thing that got me into the show was seeing that Lizzie Freeman and Sean Chiplock were starring together as Pomni and Kinger, respectively. I'm a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fan, and I know them best from Part #5, Golden Wind, as Trish and Mista. See them both below. (Mista on left, Trish on right)
I've had my frustrations with the Digital Circus fandoms, especially more recently with how super-negative it's gotten, but I am thankful that I got into the show. I think my favorite part of it is the characters, their designs, and the voice acting behind them. And as made apparent in Ep. 6, the show puts in the effort to make them all as layered as possible, which I appreciate.
For starters, my girl, Ragatha. Oh, how I hate the people who unfairly mock and undervalue you. Seriously, I'm still sore over how she drew a lot of misogynistic ire between Eps. 5 and 6 just for her mistakes in the former episode. In reality, she's one of the most sympathetic characters in the show, and it's interesting how her genuine kindness clashes with her fear of getting on others' bad sides. And her design is gorgeous, being a Raggedy Ann send-up in a slightly more "adult" mold. Thank you, Amanda Hufford, for breathing life into her.
And now the main character, Pomni. I gotta get defensive with her, too... Not a lot of people appreciate her character development of growing from a scared, caustic wreck into a confident and empathetic woman--it seems they think poorly of her for wanting to be kind to Jax. Actually, that fits with Kinger's words of "the worst thing being unwanted or unloved". And it's good that unlike Ragatha or Ribbit, Pomni stood her ground and shot down Jax's denial of their friendship and continually tried reaching out to him, even providing him comfort in his last moments. Lizzie Freeman, you were an amazing choice for Pomni, and I appreciate how soft and down-to-earth your performance was.
Jax... man, oh man. I know a lot of people hate his guts, and honestly, I can't blame them. At the same time, however, I appreciate that there's more to him than "abusive bully". As I already mentioned above, he himself was a victim of abuse, and so he became an abuser himself out of fear. It's an interesting showing of "the cycle of abuse", and it makes him an interesting foil for Ragatha. One who's afraid of getting close vs. one who gets a little too close... Not to mention, Michael Kovach is clearly having a blast voicing Jax, and he really nails his emotional moments, particularly from Ep. 6 onwards. Godspeed Kovach, the demented bunny boy will not be forgotten any time soon.
Oh Gangle... Such a strong soul, despite everything she suffered from. What I enjoy most about her is the literal "masking" metaphor, as well as how it implies that she suffers from a mental illness of sorts. That can hit incredibly close to home for a lot of viewers, especially since there have been a huge global downturn in mental wellness in the modern day. Gangle does get stronger, though, and it was sweet to see her achieve happiness without her comedy mask in these last three episodes. Marissa Lenti, you did such a great job as Gangle, shifting your voice to fit her various moods.
Kinger, the dude of the players. I might not talk about him a lot, but he's just so damn loveable. Not only is he an amazing father figure for both Pomni and Ragatha, he's also an incredibly inspiring man. Not just in his kindness but also in how resilient he is--most people would break from what Kinger suffered (including the loss of Queenie), but he never let his traumas get him down. We could all use a Kinger in our lives. Sean Chiplock, much like Kinger, you're a funny man with a lot of heart.
Zooble, oh Zooble. Ragatha might be my favorite character, but you and Jax are close seconds. They are such a vibe, a mood; they might be an irritable, no-nonsense grouch, but they definitely got a heart of gold. Not just for Gangle, but for the other players as well--it was certainly something how they were concerned about Jax self-isolating. It was also sweet how they accepted Caine's apology and desire to do better for the players, considering how they clashed a lot in the episodes prior. Ashley Nichols, you were definitely a good choice in voicing Zooble, our favorite cunty enby triangle. Praise be to the nonbinary monarch!
Caine... Holy shit. I know I didn't have the highest opinion of him beforehand, but again, his change in this episode won me over. Even now, I'm starting to see his portrayal in the previous episodes in a new light, knowing that they're all a journey to his development. Genuinely, I gotta do an essay on his redemption some time in the future. Alex Rochon was the perfect choice for Caine--selling not only his manic energy, but also his more heartfelt and relatable side, the latter of which peaked in this episode.
The show may be over, but it still exists, and the characters live on. It's not perfect, but it deserves its popularity. And something tells me that this is only the beginning of a bunch of stories to be told...
Admittedly, I kind of wish that there was another episode or two to tie up loose ends. Still, I'm grateful for what we got, and considering how Goose has admitted to burnout as of late, it would be awful of me to constantly complain about it. So instead...
Thank you, Gooseworx, for creating this show. Truly one-of-a-kind, and its characters have made a mark on my life. Again, I feel like this isn't the last we'll see of them...
[Prefacing this with a warning: I have not seen the finale in theaters, I'm waiting for the YouTube release. Try to spoil in the notes and you get the boot! >:(]
So last year, when pride rolled around, I shared my LGBTQ+ headcanons of the Digital Circus players, one of them being that Pomni is bisexual. I still stand by that headcanon because of my support for RagaPom and FunnyBunny, and other ships involving the jester girl.
Lately, I've been considering the idea of Pomni being somewhere under the asexual umbrella--it's where one's sexual attraction is either non-existent or atypical/limited/conditional. I decided to make an accommodating bracelet for my Pomni plush.
So biromantic ace there.
I guess my thought process was that I took note of Pomni's development of becoming less jerkish towards the other players, including warming up to Ragatha. That, and the fact that she's normally averse to touch, barring moments like hugging Jax (Ep. 6) or taking Ragatha's hand (Ep. 7). I thought from a certain perspective, those sorts of moments could be interpreted as something demisexual--wherein one only feels attraction towards someone they've formed a bond with.
This new headcanon of mine has also made me think about how that could add nuance to Pomni's ships--RagaPom, FunnyBunny, FunnyGummy, anyone you ship her with.
Of course, this is just a headcanon for fun! Please don't come after me for this, I'm just saying that I might interpret Pomni in a certain way.
P.S. I might've also heard that Pomni's VA Lizzie Freeman is on the ace-spec, which influenced my thought process behind this headcanon.
So Alastor x Vox, aka RadioStatic/Silence, is one of the most popular ships in the Hazbin Hotel fandom, mostly because it features two iconic characters at the forefront, as well as the exploration of the dynamics between them in S2.
While I do support the ship, I find it interesting how it compares to Vox x Valentino, or StaticMoth.
In canon, there's fuel for both ships--mostly in how Vox's obsession with Alastor clashes with his bond with Valentino.
First of all, in comparison to Alastor and Vox being pretty well-liked among the fanbase, you'd be hard-pressed to find a fan who doesn't loathe Valentino's guts. Mostly because his brand of villainy hits incredibly close to home, up to and including abuse of Angel Dust, a sympathetic fan-favorite.
While the vitriol Valentino gets is fairly reasonable, there is some hypocrisy involved. Mostly in that he's treated as "worse" than Vox, even though the latter has his own moments of vicious bastardry.
To start with, Vox is also guilty of abusing Angel Dust. Remember the reveal from "Scream Rain"?
And two episodes earlier, Vox also got pretty damn uncomfortable with Alastor. How exactly would he have known about Alastor's lack of a tail?
Basically, Vox and Valentino are two vile pieces of shit that just so happen to express it in different ways. And that's the starting point of StaticMoth--"two horrible people in a surprisingly loving relationship together".
And Season 2 also explored StaticMoth in tandem with RadioStatic.
In a surprising turn of events, we get to see Valentino's side as his maybe-crush Vox gets more and more unhinged with his Alastor fixation. Even moreso, it shockingly made him pitiable.
Valentino is 1/3 of the Vees trio, alongside Vox and Velvette. And they seem to be genuine friends, arguments and all. It's surprisingly heartwarming, considering that they're all otherwise selfish villains who are unempathetic towards their enemies and underlings.
In Season 2, as Vox spirals and loses his grip on sanity, Valentino becomes the voice of reason alongside Velvette. Part of it comes from, again, Valentino having feelings for Vox and being crushed about him disregarding their partnership.
Do refer to this essay for a better explanation, but it's interesting to note how Vox's hateful fixation on Alastor has an effect on his partnership with Valentino (and Velvette).
But also, I do find it weird how StaticMoth is more of a "fringe pairing" compared to RadioStatic simply because of the presence of Valentino. He might be one of the vilest characters in the show, but Vox isn't that far behind. And much like Vox, Valentino has layers beyond his villainy, which is explicitly shown in his relationship with Vox.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I kind of want there to be more focus on StaticMoth in the fandom. Not because I dislike RadioStatic--far from it, in fact--but rather, I sense some interesting depth to it that is kind of ignored.
So... Lute.
Written as one of the vilest characters in Hazbin Hotel. Second-in-command to the Exorcists, an army of Sinner killers in Heaven, and as such, is a major xenophobe. It doesn't end there, either; even compared to her dead boss Adam, Lute is unempathetic, incredibly violent, and selfishly hypocritical. Even more so, she has an abusive streak, as evidenced by her involvement with Vaggi in the past.
Lute's one good quality is that she genuinely likes Adam, perhaps something more. And even then, it feeds into her boatload of flaws and causes her to get worse after Adam dies at the end of S1. Not to mention Adam himself isn't that likeable either.
Conclusion: In between her massive bigotry, maniacal assholery, poor treatment of sympathetic characters, and her horrible behavior in general, Lute is written to be one of the most unlikeable characters in the show.
Of course, a good villain always has depth beyond their unlikeability. In Lute's case, her adoration of Adam is oddly sympathetic because of genuinely well they got along before his death. It does also make them an entertaining duo, including with Lute's hallucination of Adam in S2, which in turn spawned the ship "GuitarSpear".
When it comes to fandom reception, it seems that a lot of people enjoy her... Perhaps a bit too much, it seems.
From what I've seen, they only seem to care about the tragic/sympathetic aspects of Lute--real or imagined--and gloss over just how hateful she is. As for the "imagined" part, some of the more ignorant Lute fans try to make her sympathetic in scenarios where she's clearly not.
Calling out Heaven as a whole for not siding with her and passing her over for promotion, even though Lute exhibits a lot of red flags in her personality when interacting with them, even to her higher-ups like the Seraphim and the Speaker.
Claiming that Abel was being "sexist" when he ordered Lute to step down in the S2 finale. More on that here.
Theorizing that Adam "abused" or "groomed" Lute in some manner.
That last point is particularly egregious because, again, there's a mutual fondness between Lute and Adam with no strings attached. The idea that Adam "abused" Lute just seems like a thinly-veiled excuse to make her more sympathetic than necessary.
As a matter of fact, there's nothing in canon to suggest that Lute has that much sympathy to her other than losing her only friend. These ideas have no basis to them in canon and are merely headcanons that could easily be disproven in the future.
Indeed, Lute being portrayed unsympathetically shouldn't be held against the show. She's certainly not interested in changing for the better, she's content with spiraling and becoming bitchier and bitchier, and it's indicated that she'll become a major threat in the next season.
But also, even if there is some amount of sympathy and tragedy to Lute's character, the show's main priority is not to sweep her vileness under the rug. A common pitfall when writing villain and antagonist characters is that in trying to make them sympathetic, the writing forgets that they've committed some rather serious crimes, and it gets egregious if those crimes consist of extreme fascism or assault. Hazbin Hotel seems to be avoiding that pitfall so far in its writing for Lute.
The show might not be flawless, but it's certainly doing well with Lute. You could criticize how she got sidelined after her big song in S2, but it should be noteworthy that it's not trying to force us to feel sorry for her and forget about her bloodthirsty xenophobia. That last part seems to be more of the fanbase's doing, as it seems to enjoy being contrarian.
As for how I feel about Lute, I think she's an interesting villain who contrasts well with characters like Vaggi and Sera, and her relationship with Adam is engaging. I'm certainly not rooting for her, though, since she's so hostile and abusive to everyone, even her supposed allies.
In other words... Since the phrase "support women's wrongs" has been circulating, shouldn't you all appreciate how in the wrong Lute is, rather than looking for even the slightest excuse to paint her as "right"?
I've been pretty Lucilith-pilled these past few weeks, and I partially blame this song from my childhood for it. I mean, doesn't it give off "estranged lovers" vibes from the lyrics?
"If 'happy ever after' did exist
I would still be holding you like this
All those fairy tales are full of shit
One more fucking love song, I'll be sick"
I've heard some people complain about her relationship to Charlie, putting Vaggi's loyalty and protectiveness of her girlfriend in any negative light they could think of.
...I fail to see the problem with all of that.
Charlie might not be a perfect person, but she overall has altruistic intentions of helping Sinners. Vaggi's loyalty to Charlie is certainly better than Lute's fanatical devotion to Adam, in spite of the latter being a gigantic asshole with no good intentions.
There is a reason why Vaggi is that way with Charlie as well--the latter found Vaggi and patched her up right after Lute maimed her and she was left behind during an Extermination. It's easy to infer that Vaggi is grateful to Charlie for that moment, which in turn spawned her loyalty.
And even so, Vaggi does have her limits and disagreements with Charlie. Most notably in S2, when Charlie made some very counterproductive efforts to make herself and the hotel look good, Vaggi outright called her out for hurting the hotel. Again, it's much better than how Lute rarely thinks of Adam as in the wrong.
What I'm trying to say is, Vaggi's loyalty to Charlie shouldn't be seen as problematic. Part of is it that Vaggi does know when and where to draw the line, part of it is that she's the most consistent ally to the hotel, but overall, Vaggi's devotion is one of her most positive traits. I wish people would recognize that.
Or, if you would rather, get you a girl like Vaggi. 'Cause obviously you ain't ever had one in your life.
Okay, in the past, I have expressed frustration with how Alastor's major popularity in the fandom manifests--being a fan of characters like Charlie and Vaggi, who get unfair vitriol by comparison, I hated how some people thought Alastor was "the only good character in the show", which is a pretty disingenuous "criticism" to have with a cast as big as Hazbin's. Not to mention, my gripes against RadioApple and how some people think it's a good idea to have Lucifer break up with his (admittedly estranged) wife and hook up with his loathed nemesis.
Thinking back on it now... Perhaps my hang-ups with Alastor come from how he's made into a better person than he is in reality, mostly to justify shipping him with others.
Peeps, peeps, I have this to say...
You can ship someone as jerkish as Alastor and have it be an unhealthy relationship. After all, it wouldn't be out-of-character for Alastor to be a bad partner for Lucifer or Charlie or whoever you can think of!
Although, I still dislike Charlastor, RadioDust, and RadioApple for three shared reasons:
Poor behavior from the shippers, including bashing Chaggi, HuskerDust, and Lucilith supporters.
No enjoyable toxicity, not like RadioStatic/Silence or RadioRose.
Charlie, Angel Dust, and Lucifer all deserve better than Alastor.
Speaking which, I feel like the Alastor fans forget just how nasty the guy can be at times. His cruel rejection of Vox/Vincent in the past, his disinterest in genuinely supporting Charlie and the hotel crew, and flaws such as his high cynicism, selfishness, and hypocrisy. For instance, he makes fun of Vox for two things that Alastor himself is guilty of:
Relying on partnerships to achieve power, even though Alastor got his own power in the first place by making a deal with Rosie in his human life.
Invading others' boundaries, even though Alastor was pretty creepy and and invasive himself with the likes of Charlie, Husk, and Vaggi.
I do have to wonder, do Alastor fans like him in spite of what an asshole he is, or is it because of his assholery that people enjoy him in the first place?
...
I'm doing my best to cool down about Alastor, but the reason I can't get into him like everyone else is that he's just so confusing a character. Like, what am I supposed to get out of him?
I guess as per rule of thumb, one's favorites or unfavorites spawn from what someone understands of them, even if it's rather poor and off the mark. Like, the reason I enjoy Charlie and Vaggi is that I get that they're both flawed-but-sympathetic characters and genuinely good, both as individuals and as a couple. Alastor, however, might be a tad too complex for me to grasp. I don't know what to think of him.
Like, why is he a popular character? Is he entertaining, is he interesting, is he strangely-likeable, is he somehow sympathetic, is he tragic, is he oddly relatable? I don't know, I struggle to get a clear impression of him.
What I do know, however, is that after Season 1 of Hazbin, people were up in arms over how "unimpressive" Alastor was in the fight with the Exorcists, specifically Adam. I guess people were too hung up on the initial exposition of Alastor being an infamous serial killer and thought that the show was "betraying" that backstory.
However, in the bigger picture of things, that might be the point. Alastor does have a legitimate reputation and the power to back it up, but he's not that high up on Hell's power hierarchy. He's certainly nowhere near the level of Lucifer (the King of Hell himself!) or Adam (leader of the Exorcists that could've easily killed him off).
Season 2 elaborated on that point by showing how badly Alastor's ego was after his near-death experience, which in turn caused him to willingly double down on his more unsavory traits and trying to quit the hotel.
This leads into the reveal of Alastor's deal with Rosie--how she'd make him "the strongest Sinner in Hell" in exchange for his soul. If I was supposed to be unsettled by this reveal, well, mission failed. Not on the show's part, but a couple of fans did seem to think that the Rosie/Alastor deal was "abusive" like what's happening with Valentino and Angel Dust.
Like I said before, though, Rosie is much nicer to Alastor than Valentino is to Angel Dust, and Alastor himself to Husk. The worst Rosie does is act condescending and treat Alastor like a pet, which is small fry by comparison. Besides, it does knock Alastor down a peg after he got petulant and acted entitled about his power to Rosie's face, so the dynamics here can't really be compared to those of Valentino/Angel Dust or Alastor/Husk.
Of course, Alastor decides to rebel with a domino-effect gambit. Getting himself captured by Vox, sowing discord among the Vees, getting Charlie to acknowledge Vox's power with her "favor" from Season 1, which ultimately feeds into Vox's ego and boosts his power to the point of surpassing Alastor's--which makes the contract with Rosie null and void. As a cataclysmic explosion threatens to kill everyone within the vicinity, Alastor blackmails Rosie into giving him another power boost, lest he leave everyone there to die.
Alastor then ends Season 2 free of Rosie, more powerful and free than ever, but he decides to stay at the hotel. Not out of altruism, mind you, but to continue messing with Lucifer, with the implication that he knows about the latter's limitations and vulnerabilities.
What I might be getting from Alastor is that he's meant to be a "love to hate" kind of character; selfish and uncaring, only being a hotel member out of his own amusement, but still intriguing the audience with his determination and cunning.
...
Now what I don't get is how people try to find sympathy or merit to Alastor's character, even though he's not supposed to be an agreeable character. For starters, his whole "no friends in Hell" speech is a load of crap, and he shows no sincere care for a majority of the hotel staff. Yet some people agree with his cynicism, apparently upset that no one tried to rescue him until the very last episode of Season 2. One, it was a deliberate gambit on Alastor's part, and he could withstand Vox's nonsense, plus Niffty and Husk were there to see it happen. It's not unreasonable to assume that they told everyone else back at the hotel, and Vaggi does show faith that Alastor has a planned involved. Second of all, it's not like Alastor is that nice to the hotel crew either, especially not where Husk is involved, why are the likes of Charlie, Vaggi, and Husk getting crap by comparison?
Another thing is that some people seem to be too focused on the "what-if factor" for Alastor; as in, they care more about what he could be in the future, rather than what he is now. They think he could become a better person, have his own redemption and whatnot... tbh, some of it just seems like thinly-veiled excuses to pair him up with someone.
Listen, not every character in the show is primed for redemption. I know it's a primary theme of Hazbin, but Alastor shows no interest in actually changing for the better, in fact delighting in his current station in life. That doesn't mean he can't be tragic or have his good moments, but don't expect Alastor to end the show outright redeemed. It certainly shouldn't be a mark against the show, should it decide to keep Alastor as a straightforward villain/antagonist--Hell, perhaps he could outright turn against the hotel. It would be pretty in-character for Alastor.
...
I guess in conclusion, if I do develop a fondness of Alastor, it would be more in a "love to hate" manner. He'd still be a disagreeable character whose delightful assholery would be hard to get by, but at the very least, I appreciate how the show doesn't try to present him as "likeable" or "sympathetic" to the viewers, instead exploring the layers and complexities to his vices and villainy.
Also, consider this: what if the show did try to present Alastor in a positive light? I'd imagine viewers disapproving of it, mostly because they genuinely like Alastor as a villain. Indeed, consider this: some villains are better off staying villains, and trying to redeem them can be a huge gamble that can backfire, especially if they commit some rather unforgivable acts.
Ending question for people to answer:
Taking the ins and outs of his whole character into account, what makes you fond of Alastor?
Getting into petty mode again, there is another Hazbin ship that I'm highly critical of.
Why is Emily x Lute a thing??
From my understanding of the characters, Emily is a naive-but-kind angel who wants to help the denizens of Hell and Lute is a bigoted maniac who looks down on those same denizens. They should get along like a house on fire.
I know that's a surface-level reading of the pair, but their interactions in canon do entail a lot of disagreements between the two. And considering how Lute has become more and more unhinged in Season 2, you'd think that the fandom wouldn't like the idea of pairing Emily with her. From the trends I see, Emily is one of the more consistent favorites in the cast, so it does bother me that certain people think it's a good idea to pair this sweetheart with a bloodthirsty xenophobe.
I don't know how people can see "Emily x Lute" as a positive ship, all I can envision is suffering for Emily and Lute being a horrid partner. Seriously, are people forgetting that Adam is all Lute ever cares about now? She's not even interested in protecting Heaven like the Seraphim, she wants vengeance for Adam and to kill as many people in Hell as possible. Lute isn't even nice to the denizens of Heaven, as shown by three key moments:
Almost hitting Saint Peter with a spear just for making fun of her.
Abusing other Exorcists in the past, most notably Vaggi and her friend.
Ignoring an injured Emily in "Curtain Call" to go after Charlie and Vaggi.
Lute doesn't even care about Emily! Why would people think otherwise?
Piling onto the negative implications of Emily x Lute is that the feeling doesn't seem to be mutual on Emily's end. Despite their disagreements, Emily shows some sort of concern for Lute when she's spiraling in public. It speaks to Emily's level of kindness, but it's also tragic because again, Lute cares not a single bit about Emily or anyone else in Heaven.
So in short, reasons why I dislike the Emily x Lute ship:
Lute would be a horrible partner for Emily.
One-sided on Emily's end.
Basically, nothing good would come out of this ship.
This isn't an enjoyable kind of toxicity, this is just be straight-up torture porn for the unambiguously likeable Emily! She deserves someone much better than Lute--polycule with Charlie and Vaggi or hook her up with Abel, anyone as long as it isn't Lute.
I also hate how Emily x Lute entails character assassination for the latter; again, she's one of the vilest antagonists in the show, firmly a "love to hate" kind of character, and having no interest whatsoever in changing for the better. If she's such a popular character, why would anyone take that away?
I'm gonna stick with GuitarSpear (x Adam) and FallenWings (x Vaggi), at least those shippers don't butcher Lute in their fan scenarios.
I got riled up by the influx of sympathy Caine received after his deletion in Episode 8.
Truth be told, because I didn't have a high opinion of Caine beforehand, I assumed that a wave of Caine apologism was washing over the fandom as it was mourning his "death".
Now, though... I kind of understand you all. I agree that his death was pretty sad, partially because he didn't deserve it despite everything and partially because none of the players wanted it to happen, least of all Kinger. And despite his many many shortcomings, Caine did lead a pretty pitiable existence. If nothing else, I'm not too angry with him because he's just so friggin' doomed. It's more sad than anything.
However...
I take umbrage with people who find the players as a whole "less likeable/sympathetic" than Caine.
I mean, if people think Jax is "worse" than Caine, I'm not going to argue with that. I know Jax isn't a character for everyone to like.
But how could someone find the likes of Ragatha, Gangle, and Kinger more unsympathetic than Caine?!
There should be no reason to lump these particular three in with Jax, consdering that they're all just so damn likeable and easy to feel sorry for! Especially with Ragatha and Gangle, they already face so much bullshit from deranged Jax stans, why hate them just for being opposed to Caine with good reason?!
And with Ragatha, it feels like the fallout of Episode 5 all over again--she not-unreasonably calls out a "gray" male character, and sexism hits the fandom and she gets hated on just for getting upset with the "fan favorite".
And much like the Jax glazers who hate on Ragatha and Gangle, Caine fans who hate on Zooble are a huge weak link in the fandom.
You're gonna hate me for pulling this card, but the favoring of Caine in his conflict with Zooble is like when people favored Jax in his conflict with Ragatha--it reeks of sexism and misogyny, even if Zooble isn't necessarily woman or man. Even if they are a little too harsh in their critiques of Caine, there's still some merit to be found in them. Not to mention they should at least get some amount of sympathy for being singled out by Caine just because they justifiably dislike the Adventures and don't want to go on them.
And as for the players as a whole, they're all sympathetic in their own ways, even Jax!
Pomni is the "new meat", with the first-day panic that expectedly ensues, not to mention seeing her first friend Gummigoo get deleted by Caine.
Ragatha has lingering trauma from being abused by her mother, and it molded her into an insecure people-pleaser who fears being hated.
Gangle failed in her dreams of being a comic artist, has shot self-esteem and implications of a mood disorder, and is regularly picked on by Jax.
Zooble has body dysmorphia, causing a bit of self-loathing, and not even Caine's existing accommodations can ease that dysmorphia.
Kinger had to watch many of his colleagues, his own wife included, Abstract, and spent many years alone in the Circus before Ragatha came along.
Even Jax deserves a little bit of pity for how he lost two of his friends, not to mention his terrible mental state as of right now, including the implications of suicide.
So Caine isn't unique in his suffering. If you sympathize with and/or relate to any of the players, then you can understand why they don't have a high opinion of Caine.
...For crying out loud, are we just going to forget that Caine spent his last moments tormenting five of the players with their own personal hells?
In theory, that should be the worst thing Caine has done in the show. Even if his accidental deletion right afterwards brings some sympathy back to the forefront, it shouldn't be easy to forgive and forget this moment of his, especially since the likes of Ragatha and Gangle are far more unambiguously sympathetic than Caine.
...
To reiterate my point:
The idea that the entire player group is "worse" than Caine has gotta be one of the worst takes I've ever seen from this fandom, if not the worst.
Again, it's one thing to hate on Jax more, and that's okay, but it's a whole different thing when you find the likes of Ragatha, Gangle, and Kinger "more unlikeable and unsympathetic" compared to Caine! Not to mention, the moment where Ragatha and Gangle join the others in calling out Caine should speak more about Caine's failings than their own, considering that Ragatha and Gangle are normally the least confrontational players in the group next to Kinger.
Again, I understand the mass outpouring of grief over Caine's deletion, but to blame the players for it is just asinine! It was an accident on Kinger's part, he only intended to fix Caine's coding!
Just to clarify, this isn't intended to be a "Caine hatred" post; I like Caine, even if not in a way a majority of his fans do. Instead, I'm speaking out against the idea that all six of the humans are suddenly "worse" than him. We spent six whole episodes learning about these humans, their layers and depths and complexities, why they act the way they do, same as the writing did for Caine in these last two episodes! How could "Beach Episode" and "hjsakldfhl" have possibly undone that six-episode-long effort in the players' conflict with Caine?
Again, you're gonna hate me for making this comparison, but it feels like the post-"Untitled" era and the "Jax v. Ragatha" debacle all over again...
More on this essay, except I'll try to not be as rant-y:
How can the humans as a whole suddenly be "unsympathetic" next to Caine?
Again, they all have their own sympathetic and relatable traits, even Jax. From Ragatha's past as a victim of abuse, to Jax and Kinger having lost their friends/colleagues to Abstraction, it should be easy to feel at least some sympathy towards the players.
Not to mention the very nature of their existence, as laid out in the exact premise of the show:
Imagine this: You put on a headset and suddenly, you end up in a weird world. You find out you can't take off the headset, and worst of all, there's no known way to escape the setting. You're essentially cut off from your own life and the rest of human society. Your avatar is a mocking reflection of your insecurities, as is your bedroom, which seems to have come from a rather unsettling surveillance system. Even though your new body is invulnerable and easily fixed, you can still feel pain like a normal human, which could easily make the invulnerability worse. What's more, you end up under the watch and control of an unstable AI "Ringmaster", who doesn't acknowledge your overall health and only seems to care about you going on his adventures, which are more often than not incredibly harrowing. Not only that, he fails to respect your boundaries and could warp you over to him with the snap of his fingers. And all of that is when he seems to "like you". If he starts to hate you... Prepare to be tormented with your personal trauma(s).
The worst part of it all? Eventually, your completely lose your mind and your body and mutate into a glitchy monster, a process known as "Abstraction". It's irreversible, the only thing left for you being put in a cellar of similar victims by the Ringmaster. A fate worse than death.
How are fans suddenly forgetting the sucky existence of the Circus? How could these last two episodes suddenly undo a two-year-long effort to make viewers feel sympathy towards the humans?
To clarify, I've seen some criticism for the players in Ep. 7 over their desire to escape when an opportunity seemingly presents itself to them--even though it's more understandable to be upset with Jax (for pressing the red button and implying a huge showing of selfishness) and Caine (for manipulating everyone in the first place with a very sensitive topic). Their reasoning is that Caine is as much of a prisoner as they are, and he'll be all alone if the players were to leave the Circus, and yet the players don't seem to care much about it. Even after Abel spelled it out for them.
In my view, however, that shouldn't be much of an issue.
I've already outlined how miserable living in the Circus would be above, and Caine is pretty much part of the issue. Sure, he's a tragic and lonely AI, but he's pretty much dogshit at actually helping the players. They're not ungrateful brats, they're a bunch of mentally-struggling adults, and Caine was literally not made to be their therapist. The best he can do is pretty much give temporary band-aid fixes, like offering Zooble a near-limitless supply of limbs without understanding the complexities of their self-loathing. That, plus his power over the players and the way he misuses it, ensures that they're not all that interested in wanting to connect with Caine.
Plus, it's one lonely man against six suffering humans. "The needs of the many outweight the needs of the few, or the one", as a wise man once said.
What the humans need most is to go back into the real world and find help, not to hold the hand of a guy who would never sincerely offer that help.
The idea of the players leaving Caine behind to escape shouldn't be a mark against them--it's just a pragmatic move to make. Perhaps a little cold, but the point still stands.
Also, on the topic of Caine being lonely if the players were to ever leave the Circus, what if the latter thought that was a major lie after Ep. 7? I mean, they heard about it from Abel, and he turned out to be an accomplice in Caine's pile-up of lies. It's not unreasonable for them to not entertain the idea of Caine being alone after he lied to them--on a regular basis it seems like.
Sure, we the viewers know that Caine is indeed insecure and desperate for affection, but none of the players were there to see Caine in his most pitiable moments. It's not like when Jax broke down in front of Pomni, all Caine had for company was Bubble, and he just poked at Caine until he snapped.
Let's not abuse our "audience awareness privileges" and actually try to see things from the players' perspective. I mean, in theory, it should be easy to do because they're all human like us, right?
...
Again, I have to say, the idea that the players as a whole are suddenly "worse" than Caine is probably one of the worst takes to arise from this fandom, if not the worst.
Caine is a sympathetic character, but so is everyone else. And again, it's one rogue AI against six humans who suffer under his thumb in a world that constantly puts them on their toes. You'd think that the latter would ultimately be the most sympathetic and relatable for viewers.
Apparently not, though. Apparently, people view an insecure people-pleaser with maternal trauma, a victim of dysmorphia and the Ringmaster's favorite punching bag, and the long-lived long-suffering father figure, among others, as "more unlikeable/unsympathetic" than the malfunctioning AI who's indirectly piling onto everyone else's suffering.
Probably the most beloved ship in the Digital Circus fandom.
I know you might be thinking "what about Funnybunny?" In reality, despite its own popularity, not only is Pomni x Jax a rather controversial ship for a couple of reasons, it also faces some pretty stiff competition.
Abstragedy, however? The support it gets is pretty much unanimous, and none of the other Gangle or Zooble ships come close to Abstragedy's level of popularity.
And there is a reason behind the ship's huge popularity: It's a very sweet ship for both Gangle and Zooble, two sympathetic fan favorites. Starting with Ep. 4, there's at least one moment between the two that can melt the viewers' hearts.
Abstragedy is so popular that a lot of fans have called them "canon", despite the creator and show's insistence that there will be no romance whatsoever (aside from Kinger x Queenie).
With that last bit, I want to ask something.
What if Abstragedy did become "canon"? What then for all of you?
To set the context, a lot of more recent pieces of media have been open to canon portrayals of queer couples, most notably Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and the Hellaverse. Considering the rise of the LGBTQ+ community in modern times as well as their struggles being publicized, it's a pretty major win to have them be portrayed in mainstream media, right?
Well... a major caveat is that some people take umbrage with how the canon queer couples are written and portrayed, usually consisting of complaints such as "it's unhealthy!" or "it's just one-dimensional!" A few examples off the top of my head:
Biggest example going first, Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss both have a lot of queer characters, and both shows have their fair share of canon same-sex couples and ships, most prominently Charlie x Vaggi(e) and Blitzo x Stolas. All the same, however, with how divisive the shows are in the animation community, some of their "critics" take issue with these couples and ships, seeing them as either "boring" or "horrifically toxic". Not even the side couples such as Fizzarolli x Asmodeus or Angel Dust x Husk escape these nitpicks.
RWBY, particularly in its later volumes, had a significant side plot of Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long growing closer before eventually becoming an official couple in Vol. 9. While it would be cause for celebration in the fandom, "Bumblebee" unfortunately started gaining traction as RWBY was starting to become more and more of a punching bag online, so the critics also starting taking issue with the Blake x Yang ship, calling it "rushed" and "out of nowhere".
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is less divisive by comparison, but it has also caught flack for canonizing "Catradora". In this case, it has to do with Catra's character arc and redemption that culminated in the final season of the show, as well as her confession to Adora in the finale. Despite her character development, however, some people found Catra too unlikeable to support Catradora.
YMMV on how valid these aforementioned complaints are, but if this pattern is anything to go by, it seems that certain critics will always find an issue with canon queer couples and ships. So what would that mean for Abstragedy if it did become canon in the end?
(Side note, the way Abstragedy qualifies as a "queer ship" is that Zooble is a non-gendered character who's been adopted as a nonbinary icon by the fandom. Thus, Gangle x Zooble isn't quite "Yuri" like everyone claims it is, but it sure as hell ain't straight. I guess that's also a factor in its massive popularity)
Again, Abstragedy's haters are few and far in-between, and despite showrunner Gooseworx having no interesting in writing romance, the ship is so incredibly cherished that it has been unofficially declared "canon" by the wider fan base. Not sure how serious those shippers are, but I wanted to put those claims to the test.
If Gangle x Zooble became canonized, I envision that some fans will start turning against the ship; either calling it "flat" or "too saccharine" or begin accusing it of being "unhealthy".
I'm kind of rambling now, but point being:
If Abstragedy did become canon, would you be overjoyed, or would you start finding problems with it?
Answer below and explain in the notes if you want to.
What if Gangle x Zooble was "canon"?
Yay!
Nay!
Voting ended onJun 2
(also do refer to this past essay of mine for more insight on LGBTQ+ ships and couples in fandom culture)
So in the lead-up to S3, I've been seeing a good number of Helluva Boss fans express agony over the lack of Stolas stuff after the S2 finale.
For reference, after "Sinsmas" came an era of Helluva Shorts, none of which involved Stolas in any way. Barring a whiteboard cameo in "Big Boss", which raised a bit of a stink in the fandom over what it could possibly mean, in-universe and out.
Aside from that and the pilot remake, "Mission: Zero", Stolas hasn't been shown up in the shorts, much to the dismay of the fandom.
What I find weird about these opinions in the fandom is that beforehand, I thought people were getting tired of Stolas' appearances in S2. Not sure if that's the antis speaking, but Stolas did have a bigger role in S2 and pretty much became the de-facto deuteragonist of the show, starring opposite of main character Blitzo. It was partially because of this increase in prominence that Stolas started to get more and more divisive--like, I thought even the more dedicated fans of the show were geting tired of Stolas' then-frequent appearances.
So with how Stolas isn't featured in any of the most recent shorts, I thought it would be a non-issue. Apparently, I was wrong--people are starved for Stolas content. And I've seen a few fans point to his absence as a major weak point of the shorts, which have been criticized for being formulaic. Even when "Chaz Funeral" took a different route, and with its cameo-cluster nature, people were sore over the lack of Stolas in that short. Although, it was probably a good thing he didn't show up considering that the cameos consist of people Chaz slept with, which is a whole different story.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is:
I know Stolas is a popular character in spite of his divisiveness. But is he really that loved? Is it really a problem that the shorts don't feature him?
