I’m curious to know your thoughts on the idea that Broppy feels one-sided? I personally think an argument could be made against that, but I want to know what you think.
Thank you so much for the ask!!!
While I can sort of see why some people might interpret Broppy to be one-sided, I also agree that I also don’t see it that way either. That’s primarily due to me headcanoning her as demiromantic and relating to that though.
From my own interpretation of the films and even T.V. Shows, Poppy is someone who struggles when to switch the label from platonic to romantic affection. She cares for her platonic friends so deeply, and is very openly physically affectionate, so trying to figure out when someone passes that threshold can be confusing, even if she thinks they’re physically attractive. To her, finding a friend physically attractive is normal, but trying to figure out if she likes someone romantically can be a doozy.
Even with Creek, when she showed a bit more affection for him, also labeled him as a friend.
While the films don’t explicitly show it, it’s still very clear that the first film’s journey has affected her and her actions in the second. Who’s to say she isn’t being more careful with whom she trusts her heart with? I also think part of the reason she stayed within the safe label for Branch, is she’s at least somewhat aware she hasn’t been the greatest with respecting his boundaries in the past, and is choosing to play it safe atm to not ruin their current bond. That, and her laser focusing on succeeding in her mission in TWT made it hard for her to think critically about liking Branch like that. It’s something I as a demi person also have a hard time with. It takes a big moment for me to realise I like someone as more than a friend, and that doesn’t happen until after the argument.
While Branch was definitely a jerk in the first film, in the second he’s genuinely trying to be gentler about his disagreements. Despite this, Poppy is defensive about his criticism in the campfire scene and misinterprets it as him not trusting her. It isn’t until after their big argument, that she realises how wrong she was. Here was someone who was going out of their way to support her, and she stomped on it.
Despite this, Branch still comes back and tries to rescue her. Even going as far as shielding her from Barb’s blast. He had no idea what that would do to him, only that he didn’t want Poppy to get hurt. In turn, Poppy smashed the guitar, not thinking of the negative consequences, just knowing she had to free everyone. And who does she immediately go to check on? Branch.
In the end, Poppy doesn’t say I love you back simply because Branch said it and she felt obligated, it’s because she genuinely loved him. It just took her a bit of time to fully realise it. Love for her isn’t miles away from being best friends with someone. It’s a hop, skip, and a jump. She knows she can trust Branch with her heart, and him trusting her means everything.
During the third movie, they’re still able to hold onto their friendship, them being a couple is just a fun addition to the dynamic. That’s one of the reasons I love them so much.
While I do think the second film could’ve done a better job showing Poppy’s reciprocation, I’m not entirely upset about it because I like interesting dynamics. It’s definitely nice to see the guy chase after the girl instead of vise versa while still having the guy be mindful about the goal and mission.
Broppy to me isn’t just a simple friends to lovers (though I do die for that troupe), it’s about two complex individuals learning to change their world views because of each other, and growing to fit perfectly against each other.
