I really enjoy Liam O'Brien's voice work, especially in villain/smug roles, and his performance as Dist is great. Dist brings some excellent humor, but on a more thematic level, he really ties Jade's childhood into the narrative, moreso than Nephry and even Peony. I like that there's a sense that Jade could be like him, just as obsessed with the past, not caring about who he has to hurt to achieve his goal of restoring the professor. In fact, Jade has been like him, so in that way Dist gives an indirect look at a younger, more immature Jade. Just another reason to wish the game employed more flashbacks. On that note, I also like seeing him as a kid in the anime – I feel sorry for the little guy.
His treatment in-game feels homophobic at times, and I feel like the game doesn't go far enough to humanize him. He's an object of pity, and we feel the weight of Jade's remorse on his, “Farewell, Saphir” line. But the game hasn't really allowed us to see that serious side of their past/relationship. I also wish the game had Dist piloting his machines when you fight them, because it would feel more direct and personal.
Maybe when he kidnaps Noelle? It's such a flip to suddenly see him as a credible villain, one who's even backed Jade into a corner.
Oh, there's lots of good ones – “You're all just jealous of my beauty!”, him calling the team the Jade Gang, him referencing his revenge journal. But I'm a sap for melodramatic moments, I like the sort of sad vainglory in his “Professor Nebilim, I'm coming,” delivery.
Has he gotten any other outfits in the escort titles? I think he's wearing a Malkuth uniform in some art, but I have to give the win to his sharp suit and feather collar.
I don't have an otp for him, but when it comes to shipping him, who would I pick? I wasn't ever really on board with JadeDist because Jade always seemed to be completely dead-set against him. And not in a I'm trying to cover something up, baka sort of way, just a disgusted way. But then I read your ship manifesto and I realized that, in the words of Mrs Potts, there may be something there that wasn't there before. You make a really good case for Jade's treatment of him being singular and hinting at something deeper.
That being said, were I writing Dist and pairing him up, I think I'd probably lean towards a male OC who was fairly sweet and low-key because I feel like I'd want to see Dist being nurtured and taken care of after his messed-up twenties and thirties. But this unknown guy would also, like, have to be capable of not budging an inch, because Dist may end up reforming himself post-game, but he's still going to need some supervision.
We never really get any sense of what Peony's and Dist's dynamic is, so I'd love to see that explored. They both have rather showy, theatrical sides (and a disregard for convention), so I think they might get up to lots of wacky, potentially politically unsound hijinks.
I haven't developed any, but I like the idea of him getting better after the game and helping with moving fomicry forward (in a more humane way).
I think the guy needs to be taken care of. He needs a person, or people. I think he, like Luke and Natalia, desperately wants a feeling of permanence and connection, of being accepted and of knowing he's loved. For a long time, he got those feelings from Nebilim, and when she died, that was a huge psychological break. But he also got that from Jade, so he presumably was able to cope. But then Jade (in his mind) betrayed him, and then he's right off the deep end, prepared to kill most of humanity just to further his scientific (but mostly personal) goals. I think it's really sad that he probably thinks his best days are behind him in his childhood, so I want him to push on and be better and make good connections with people.
...leave him alone to freeze into a popsicle at Keterberg?
obsessive, grandiose, innovative, fragile, lonely
None. At least I don't call him Dist the Runny.
