For the character ask: Razputin Aquato!!! :D
First impression:
This is a hard one bc my first impression was from 2009, but I thiiiiiink beyond the initial "WOW ITS INVADER ZIM" hype my impression must have been something like thinking Raz is cool and funny? One of the earliest drawings I can remember doodling of him were Raz surrounded by the hand of galochio and Raz reading his camp pamphlet while sittin on a lev ball so I can assume my fascination with him did start at "he's got some interesting issues going on" even if I wasn't particularly good at expressing these thoughts or thinking too hard about him at the time.
Impression now:
What a fun, stellar kid character. He's funny, he's a little stinker, he's dedicated to what he believes in, he makes mistakes, he both acts wise beyond his years and just like a 10 year old. He's a wonderful protagonist and I think he's truly the heart of what makes the game shine, he has a heart and humor he brings into the levels that I think the games would be lacking without.
Favorite moment:
There's soooo many great moments with Raz... hard to pick a favorite! But I think a moment where Raz, the boy, shines is when he's first meeting the mote of light. Here he is standing in front of the remnants of this person that to him is some random nobody from Otto's brain bin, and his first instinct is to talk gently, and follow him around, and figure out a way he could help. He isn't even actively trying to in that moment, but he exemplifies the qualities of a true psychonaut (in Hollis' terms) there quite wonderfully.
Plus that moment really lets the character animation shine because all there is to work with is Raz, a Light Source, and a big Empty Black Box. His character animation is absolutely spectacular.
Idea for a story:
I think Raz bonding with his family could make for some sweet post-game story material!
Unpopular opinion:
I don't think Raz would ever unlock a maligula type fight or flight complex unless some INCREDIBLY non-canonical shit happened to him. Raz has insane mental defenses, which I'm sure will only get better with age, while Lucy's major weakness was that she had the mental defenses of a wet tissue due to her time opening her mind with her friends. It also just feels like it in some way misses the point of what an utter, huge and personally specific tragedy Maligula is for Lucy. Maligula is a part of her, not just anybody.
Favorite relationship:
Raz and his Father's bond has always gotten me to go 🥺 I've thought about the ending to the first game a lot and what it meant for a game to take Raz's dad and say "he's not evil, he's just a parent who's made some mistakes that Raz is justified in being mad about but they're still mistakes that can be rectified with time"
Augustus' dialogue with Raz in the second game is also all incredibly sincere and cute, "we psychics understand each other, right?" hits me good
Favorite headcanon:
His goggles help block out bright lights and his helmet blocks out sound because he's got sensory issues
