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Fanfic Review: Billie and Seve's Adventures in Love and Friendship

Before anything is said, let it be known that this review contains spoilers for more effective critiquing and to better help decide if you'd be interested. Let it also be known that if you don't care for stories that involve...

*Gore or violence

*Billie ("Bille Bust Up") being in a romantic relationship

*Character Death

*Horror

*Major Differences from the Source Material ("Billie Bust Up" hadn't officially arrived yet and the author had to be creative)

*Original Character Involvement

*Crossovers

... then you should skip this review because this is certainly not your preferred content, no matter how positive the final rating is. Also, do NOT harass the creator for "aroace erasure" regarding Billie nor any other story-related reason… Billie will remain the same in her official media and it’s random online fanfiction; it’s nothing meant to groom, be propagandic nor do anything other than entertain. Now, onto the tale in question…

***

Overall Story:

“Ah, young love…,” they often sigh. Generally, something gazed upon fondly, due to the innocence and warmth that can be felt when two souls feel a strong connection. Being at quite a young age also adds a bit of sweetness. However, this love involves more than a union between boy and girl, but also their battle against a world-destroying demon who threatens more than just them. Suffice to say, “Billie and Seve’s Adventures” is not your typical romance fiction. For starters, our young duo aren’t even in the same world!

One night, Billie the goat finds herself whisked away into the dream of another: pulled into it by Seve the one-horned goat, a young man of a less fantastical world but no less magical than Billie himself. During their time together, Seve and Billie would grow from friends into lovers; but there certainly is trouble in paradise, namely what is both caused and somehow not created by the demonic “Vadrigar.” He is an entity of hatred and anger, pleased in his sadistic nature by the suffering of all mortals-- and he seeks to victimize both Seve’s and Billie’s worlds, and all others. Needless to say, you will be offered a conflict beyond: “Will they, won’t they?” or “Will they stay together forever?.” It’s something for those who may not be too fond of the “romance” genre: if you’re not too interested in Billie and Seve’s shared feelings, you’ll at least keep reading for the suspense of defeating this vile Vadrigar-- if not simply surviving him! --or because there’s generally enough amusement and action among the characters to desire following them further. There’s also plenty of “less fun” times outside of any romantic drama, such as struggles faced otherwise: Seve repairing his broken family life, Billie reforming foes or healing her “kidnapped” father of all wounds Vadrigar laid to him… All in all, it’s no tale of pure joy, but that helps make those actually cheerier bits all the more rewarding and satisfying.

However, events aren’t just limited to Seve and Billie’s side of things: there will be points where other characters have their spotlight, independent of the two. Even some characters have their own “episodes” or stories within the overall epic! Arthur, Fantoccio and Dutch are the biggest examples-- Arthur himself even taking the protagonistic role from Billie in the “Ballad of the White Mage” installment. Speaking of Billie and her game’s characters, I must apologize to “Corn Kidz 64” fans: Billie’s side of things will be seeing the most action, whether more innocent one-shot stories or their own multi-chaptered “episodes.” However, Seve’s stories don’t have less quality alongside quantity, there’s just less going on in the life of an aging buck who’s of a less magical and more mundane world. Yes, “aging”: the overall story doesn’t stay focused on Seve and Billie in their canonical teenage ages, but involves them reaching adulthood and ending the series in their re-united 30’s. As the playground rhyme goes: “First comes love, then comes marriage,” and no one marries in their mid-teens. Speaking of “teens,” you can expect the other known goat-kids of either game to appear: Lewis and Lily are still there beside Billie, as Alexis is (somewhat) alongside Seve.

There’s also Aristotle, Belle, Elaine, Percy, Scrimshaw-- even Ally (“Final Freekend”) and more, especially when comes the final installment: “Dreams Come True.” Throughout the epic, many faces will be alongside Seve and Billie, during their quest to finally be together and defeat the villainous Vadrigar.

****

Writing Aspects:

There’s not much that can be said about the grammar and spelling, other than doing their job: making the story readable, even if some sentences break the rule, “No more than 4 commas per sentence.” Although, it’s not like it’s one giant run-on line from page 1 to the chapter’s end. There’s also the chance of finding a missing punctuation mark or the odd word, but they’re no mistake different than what most online-posters without an actual editor can create-- and certainly nothing story-ruining.

As for the qualities outside of “readability,” let’s start with the characters. It makes sense to begin with our leading and loving duo: Billie and Seve, both in adult and teenage form. Billie is the same adventure-loving and magical goat expected from the game, she’s just a tad more romantically interested. Billie navigates her world-- alongside the likes of her personal cast, especially Aristotle, Lewis, Lily and Oscar --while learning how to become a “white mage” and how to wield magic in general. Her stories range from the more serious, including encounters with the main antagonist, to lighthearted endeavors, such as her time spent bonding with Barnaby the ghost. As an adult, Billie becomes a successful bounty hunter, wielding an angelic sword gifted to her by said ghost-turned-angel, and develops more of a motherly and “white mage” demeanor indeed. As for Seve, he’s not the aggressive and rebellious young lad that his game and its concept art make him seem: Alexis herself describes him as “more tepid” in the series, where he’s much calmer and friendlier in nature-- but will still knock some deserving blocks off. Then again, becoming a year older can make all the difference for some people. Seve’s just as badass an adult as Billie, even without a living of hunting magical fiends.

Their overall characters have what people need from protagonists: characters who are likeable enough to enjoy following and especially root for, they’re able to hold their own but also able to be overpowered, and they have their human moments. There are times where they’re imperfect: Billie forcing her friends to remain at Barnaby’s latest (and thankfully non-lethal) party, or when Seve abandons Alexis and his loving father to be in Billie’s world after an argument with said dad. Yes, Alexis reveals her family planned to move, but Seve planned his own “moving” beforehand. Flaws that can be understood and thus are forgivable when surfaced, the willingness to be heroes for more than just glory… Not to mention, their ability to kick butt-- but avoid absolutely dominating others, without the slightest sweat broken? These two are how one should make a character jump from video game protagonist to story protagonist: likeable, relatable and understandable, and still vulnerable enough to warrant concern and really make you bite your nails.

As stated before, Billie and Seve aren’t the only ones to ever see the spotlight nor just their romance. Lewis and Lily have their own romantic feelings and union explored, even producing a family in the series’ final installment, when they’re not simply tagging alongside Billie. Dutch has an arc about switching away from a civilized and rich life, returning to his original roots as a “wild” wolf of the frozen tundra. Fantoccio handles life as an “inanimate” object born with a new soul, navigating life as part of the once-proud city of entertainment and learning to overcome loneliness by PROPERLY making new friends (no kidnapping nor detainment this time). Arthur has his own story in the mentioned “Ballad” tale, where he must learn to overcome the scars Vadrigar left on his mind and very soul-- as the demon destroys their entire world before them. Elaine, when becoming Oscar’s new temporary owner, evolves from cruel “Pirate Queen” to noble mage and pursuing a more benevolent existence. Even Alexis will have her own arc of learning to overcome her inner darkness, though few in appearances she is within the overall series, and eventually helping with the downfall of Vadrigar. Everyone has something to do-- no matter whom it is you’re reading about, chances are they'll undergo some personal arc and growth. Even Seve’s nerdy donkey college dormmate does, and all that involves is escaping controlling parents. Everyone is alive with their own existence and journey outside of the leads, helping the worlds feel more alive-- and “world,” when every last one in existence unites into the future “Terra Nova.”

Of course, it’s not just canon characters but original ones who share the story, but there’s nothing to fear. Gabrielle doesn’t single handedly rescue the other magic-users every single time nor even once, Lyle and Lucy make for an amusing version of your quarreling sibling trope and the kids don’t already surpass the mentoring Billie with their magic’s capabilities… You also needn’t worry about them hogging the spotlight from the canon characters most may prefer to see, everyone gets their fair share of the limelight here and it’s mostly reserved for the titular (and canonical) doe and buck. Continuing on “original characters,” there’s none of them more important than the driving force of conflict himself, Vadrigar.

If you’re hoping for a more “in-depth” villain, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere: Vadrigar is really your general “evil for evil’s sake” villain, just a demon born from the discarded flesh of Satan himself. He’s not your complex fiend acting on some engaging reason nor has anything else character-wise to give him an extra dimension, he’s just your standard Saturday morning cartoon villain-- but without any TV censors to limit his heinous deeds. However, his role isn’t meant to be a redeemable anti-villain and he’s supposed to be a sadistic beast that wants nothing more than Billie and Seve, and everyone else, to suffer eternally. It would be odd for the tale to demand we ever weep for him or see his “appealing” qualities, when he’s trying to kill and torture everyone. Vadrigar is simply a villain who does his job well, even if it’s all he offers: an obstacle for the heroes to overcome and make their eventual reunion feel all the more satisfying, and also provide a satisfying sense of catharsis by simply paying for every last of his crimes.

I will admit, Vadrigar and his injected conflict could be argued as “unnecessary,” when the main idea is two goats falling in love and seeking to remain together. In fact, some may argue the “vice versa”: Vadrigar’s presence is enough of a conflict for the overall tale, so the romance aspect could be argued as “unnecessary” itself. But as was said before, this story is able to offer interesting conflict for those who aren’t too interested in romance and those who are interested, and Vadrigar certainly raises the stakes to a far more heartracing degree. With Vadrigar to terrorize and the personal conflict Seve and Billie’s relationship faces, it helps have something for everyone-- and when appealing to “everyone” doesn’t result in appealing to no one. If anything, both Vadrigar and the titular romance combine into something more interesting than if just a tale of either or. Neither romantic nor world-dependent conflict takes a backseat to the other: Seve and Billie will know when it’s time to focus on action rather than hand-holding and lip-locking, and the action will know when to back off for breathing room and to develop the protagonists’ relationship further. You’ll even get your fill of comedy at points, even if it’s definitely more focused on two other genres (or three, if you recall “horror”).

Vadrigar also helps make things quite gory for that “horror” aspect-- in fact, this can sometimes be the goriest and most violent tale you’ve ever read. Foes are constantly slain, there are graphic descriptions of “Rat Queens” decomposing during their post-defeat rant, even Seve and Billie themselves will bleed or be maimed otherwise-- including as kids. There’s no sexual violence (otherwise it’d appear in the disclaimer above), but it will be “graphic” in all other senses. However, it’s not morbidity for morbidness’ sake: the violence only happens when it’s meant to be a scene of action or horror, and within reason. You won’t read about little toddler Daisy screaming and crying, as her Vadrigar-possessed father eviscerates her and rips her limbs off in gruesome detail for simple shock value-- nor at all, relax. However, you will read about Dutch getting his eye gouged in battle or demons disintegrating from white magic, or how the final battle sees everyone rip Vadrigar apart limb-by-limb and innard-by-innard.

Speaking of the actual story’s ending, there’s no loose ends left to tie up when it arrives: if a conflict shows up or is mentioned, it gets resolved. There’s no issue that’s just forgotten about or “solved offscreen, we guess.” The resolutions also feel warranted and properly paced: for one, you won’t have teenage Seve resolve things with his estranged mother by just waltzing up to her door and knocking, then she simply agrees to be a part of his life again when asked. Don’t forget his father happily remarrying the moment she returns, even though she wanted to abort and thus kill his child before even birth! No, if there’s proper pacing and character discussion toward Seve’s family reuniting after that whole, “Serra causing a divorce and abandoning her family, after she tried to abort the believed second coming of Satan” ordeal; then you can guarantee there’s proper pacing and the like to make other conflicts feel appropriate and satisfying when solved.

Regarding that ending, it will be a long trek to get there… There are multiple stories, with some of them, again, being of multiple chapters. Those chapters can also be on the longer side, myself even needing to read in segments, or just use a text-to-speech reader while doing other things. However, you aren’t required to also familiarize yourself with “Billie Bust Up” nor “Corn Kidz 64” in general: you simply need to know who’s who in either game, or who’s who in whichever franchise appears in “Dreams Come True.” Remember, this story involved the author getting creative with limited information from both games: “Billie Bust Up” is still not fully released at the time of this review, while “Corn Kidz 64” only focuses on Seve and Alexis adventuring in Seve’s odd dream (which also is the main dream-setting of “Goat of My Dreams”). Even Ally needed a little creativity, when “Final Freekend” (the “Corn Kidz 64” prototype) was never actually completed and is just a permanent beta model for literally playing around in. Yet, that’s another advantage of this series: you can go in without any knowledge of either franchise, and you’ll still be able to follow along and enjoy everything. It’s all its own universe-- a “universe,” that manages to keep track of itself and will never cause people who read straight through to wonder: “Wait, who’s this?” or “Wait, what happened with that?.” Remember, all things introduced get resolved and so forth.

There’s also songs written into the stories, whether meant as the characters themselves singing or sometimes general “background music” to compliment the scene. They’re easy enough to skip over if you’re not interested, but can offer more character insight if you’re intrigued enough. They also don’t appear every chapter nor in every story, just when most appropriate.

*******

Positives, Negatives and Conclusions:

Let’s start positively, by reiterating the mentioned positives and introducing any that may have gone unmentioned…

*Proper Protagonists:

Seve and Billie aren’t unchallengeable “Mary-Sues” and avoid being too unlikeable to follow, with conflicts that are actual problems and even some relatably sympathetic plights at times. They also gather the necessary skills and knowledge for overcoming their issues over time, rather than just snap their fingers and erasing whatever troubles them. When interacting with others, they get no special treatment and only make friends when they actually do something worth winning favor-- and they’re only already friends and allies with someone if they were beforehand. They’re also sympathetic at a fair level, with issues like growing up without one of their parents, so there’s no “likeability” forced from being made to pity them. They’re also able to stand up to their challenges and shine, without being obnoxious about how well they can kick demon butt and so on. They’ve also been given interests and hobbies to shape them into characters of greater dimension: whether Seve’s interests of reading and love of animals, or Billie taking up guitar lessons and showing insecurity when desiring Barnaby’s approval.

*Fleshed-Out Side Characters:

No one else is “just there.” If they have a name, they have a role to play-- and they’re more than just a named role-player. They have their own conflicts and emotional turmoil to overcome. Case in point, Alexis: although Seve has his romantic problems, Alexis suffers worse from her beloved buck choosing a different girl, and her jealousy and hatred of Billie poses a problem-- and not just for the leads. She even causes Steve’s conflict in revealing him to be nothing but a clone she made in desperation to remain with Seve, forcing them both to deal with that reveal’s aftermath-- and these are just two of the side characters offering themselves as more than just helpful sidekicks. Whether canon or original, these other faces will bring a smile to yours when they’re “onscreen” and especially when they overcome what personally troubles them. They also have their own interests, hobbies and whatever else helps them feel more alive, like Belle’s habit of singing and song-writing.

*No “Prior Knowledge” Required:

As said before, it’s possible to go in “blind” and still enjoy the story. You really do just need to know who’s who, while being spoonfed the lore of this particular universe.

*Satisfying Chapter Length:

Some people do prefer longer chapters, so they won’t mind how far the scrollbar has to descend. Plus, you feel like you actually have read enough, instead of the author just trying to have the highest chapter quantity and length ever.

*Plot Armor is Non-Existent or “Invisible” Enough:

Characters will get hurt, one even dies in the final story. You will believe people are in actual danger, and not just the nameless cannon fodder. You will worry for them, even if you didn’t know someone’s destined to die.

*Genre Inclusive:

If you’re not fond of romance, there’s plenty of horror, action and adventure to suit you instead.

*Senses Appealed to:

The story will tell you what to see, feel and so on, making it feel more immersive and realistic. You’ll even get an idea of what “dreem soda” may taste like in its actual game of “Corn Kidz 64.”

*All Wrapped up:

EVERYTHING gets resolved. There’s even a nice ending about how everyone’s lives are after Vadrigar’s defeat.

Now then, onto where the story may be lacking, the “negatives”...

*Chapter Length:

As I said, I had to take breaks at times because of chapter lengths. This could be an issue for some, but “breaking” and text-to-speech during other activities can remedy that; although, I know some do prefer reading it themselves.

*Not the Most Original Villain:

Oh, a bad guy who’s just plain evil, and was simply born that way as a sadistic demon…? You’ll likely be more intrigued by Vadrigar in the sense of: wondering what he’ll do next, his abilities, seeing how he’ll eventually be brought down, and other things related to his actions than himself. Yes, he’s doing his job quite well, but some people may still find him a boring villain for not offering much else.

*Source Material Inconsistencies:

I only mention them because I know some people will have gripes about that; but again, remember that this was made BEFORE “Billie Bust Up’s” official release and information on it was limited. We also were never shown anything of Seve’s and Alexis’ waking lives in “Corn Kidz 64.”

*Gatekeeping Emotional Turmoil:

This is NOT a purely pleasant tale. You will not enjoy the story if you cannot handle the extreme emotional and horror-filled aspects of it. It will get really uncomfortable at times. Arthur will breakdown into a horrified panic and tears-- to the point of needing restraints! --when he’s finally freed from Vadrigar, and he even tries to KILL himself during the journey to the white mages’ monastery. Seve will break down himself and run away into homelessness, when his father reveals Serra’s plan to originally abort him. Then, the boy will have another breakdown when crying over what he must’ve done to not deserve ANY kind females in his life-- not his new girlfriend, not his mother, not Alexis… --right as Billie and others are returning him to his lonelier life in his world. This story will hit you with uncomfortable subjects and moments that generally make you want to stop reading, so it limits what kind of people may actually enjoy it.

*Sorry, Alexis Fans:

In “Corn Kidz 64,” it wasn’t just Seve we loved but also Alexis. Unfortunately, our dear doe only plays an active role in “Goat of My Dreams” and “Dreams Come True,” and it’s still mostly Seve representing their game. In the other stories, she only gets a mentioned update in her life. If you’re only into “Corn Kidz 64” fanfictions that involve the duo adventuring and playing off each other as usual, this won’t be it…

Time for the conclusion…

“Seve and Billie’s Adventures” is the ideal tale for those who want it all: action, romance, drama, adventure, horror… As long as you’re prepared to get the full emotional weight that comes with it. As a genuine epic between two lovers and a battle against a threatening demon, everyone will be there to contribute and get their own happy ending. It may be a longer read, but a little time is a worthwhile investment when the story has what you may seek. With canon and original characters getting along fine and fighting alongside even better, it may just be a “Corn Kidz 64” and “Billie Bust Up” fan’s crossover dream come true.

Therefore, it gets the final rating…

…

9/10: “An Absolute ‘Must Read’”

With downsides mostly consisting of what may chase some readers away or a cookie-cutter villain, the upsides are far more prevalent: story consistency, everyone having something to do and sharing the spotlight, the world feeling alive outside its protagonists, not being afraid to avoid pulling punches… If you’re into the mentioned games and don’t care about canonical character sexualities, this is the fanfiction you’ve been looking for.

To the story, if interested after all:

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