Informal Review #17: Let’s Play - is it worth the read?
[I do not own any of the images, gifs, or videos used in my posts; these visuals are used only for entertainment.]
Since I’m on a roll, I’ve got another review. This one is long overdue, and it’s something I’ve been reading for a while. Multiple youtubers have reviewed it too, so it’s gained a nice following. It’s been a little over a year since I started looking through webcomics (starting with Tower of God), and I’ve been scouring for good ones in that time, or at least ones that seem interesting. The one comic I always saw but never started until a couple months ago was this masterpiece, Let’s Play by Mongie. Time to dive in!
Just like Bastard, this was something I should’ve started sooner, since it’s amazing.
The story goes like so; Sam Young, pictured on the right, wants to create games, starting with “Ruminate”, a puzzle game she released on a site where indie game developers can try to make it to the big leagues. Problems befall her as her rating drastically plummets, no thanks to known Viewtuber Marshall Law, who played her game and trashed it publicly in his filmed Viewtube recording. Naturally, she hates him now for being arguably the sole reason her game isn’t doing well, but she won’t be rid of him anytime soon; now, they’re neighbours.
What does this wonderful comic do right? Strangely enough, I won’t be discussing many categories to showcase the plus sides of this comic.
Characters: The synopsis is the lift-off point for the story, in which we follow Sam and her days with Marshall as her neighbour. Nothing is the same for her, now that he’s there.
This goes without saying, but it’s a character-driven story, so like other things I’ve reviewed, it makes a huge impact if the characters are excellent drivers. Mongie essentially nails this, because everyone is so human.
First is Sam. I adore her, and loved her character almost instantly. She’s a bit awkward, shy, only enthusiastic around close friends, and not very assertive. Her dream to be a game developer is paralleled by her mundane routine working at a software company, run by her father. She’s good at what she does, but it’s not her passion (I’ll get into this more in my second category). She’s a realistic protagonist, relatable in many ways, and it’s worth noting that lots of video game references center around her character; a cat named Bowser, and a friend named Link among other things. There’s tons of wonderfully placed Easter eggs, but the point is, Sam is awesome.
Marshall Law, for me, was interesting. I don’t hate him or like him, but I empathize with him. That’s a personal opinion, but without a doubt, he is entertaining. He’s extroverted, friendly on the outside, and caring, depending on who he’s with. As a popular person on Viewtube, he is acutely conscious of the slippery slope of his career. Initially, it seemed as if Marshall, being the male lead, meant that him and Sam would have romantic relations, but that’s not the case. It’s refreshing, because the way the two protagonists are written, Mongie could’ve easily made them an item BUT DIDN’T. There are many comedic moments with his character, usually between him and Sam. Here’s one of my favourite scenes:
Normally I usually cover just the protagonists, but I would like to briefly go over a couple honourable mentions.
Link- a barista at a coffee shop. Tall, fit, and friendly, he’s probably the only man Sam interacted with before Marshall (I don’t really count Link’s younger brother since he’s a teenager and immature, but aside from him and Link you get the point); this isn’t the case now as the story progresses, but Link is great.
Angela - An energetic, hot-headed red-head, Angela is usually a source of embarrassment for Sam, but always looks out for her when it boils down it.
Vikki - The more mellow, level-headed of the main girls, Vikki is calm, usually mediates Angela’s brash personality, and is a voice of reason (on a side note, her, Sam, and Angela are so attractive. They’re all so charming in their own ways, and I love it).
Commentary/“Deconstruction”: this is the important part. It’s not like we read or watch things to become philosophers or answer greater questions, but the truth is that depending on the creative piece, it does speak to something about the human condition, society, world issues, the list goes on. Storytelling, in whatever medium it appears, is meant to speak to topics like the ones I mentioned. This goes for the good and bad stories out there, so it can be selective where the more representative stories appear. Let’s Play, a simple romantic comedy, is still grounded in reality, firmly rooted in the current zeitgeist. The current zeitgeist is one dominated by social media, viewing and streaming platforms like YouTube, etc. Not only does this comic show real problems of someone trying to accomplish their dream, but also comment on the nature of online popularity. Sam’s dream is predicated on people enjoying her game, providing feedback, and giving her a good rating; Marshall’s video of him doing an LP of her game is almost like a be-all end-all for Sam’s dream, since his fans agreed with him (based on his conclusions after an unsuccessful playthrough), whether they played the game or not. Additionally, on Marshall’s side, if he does not regularly upload, maintain a life outside of his public persona, or present himself in a certain way, his popularity and career could also go down the drain. Their contrasting experiences reflect something that’s prominent now; I’m sure, for those who know gaming youtubers and indie game developers, this is a realistic theme to convey, as well as the depiction of a fanbase; how quickly someone can bash something because they idolize the person, or how quickly someone can turn on the person they watch after something misconstrued and/or controversial happens (while scandals and such that are proven true regarding online personalities should not be defended, there are cases of misunderstandings).
I’m titling this part “Deconstruction” because I’m going to look through certain tropes and themes Let’s Play not only deconstructs, but repurposes to make for an engaging story.
- Portrayal of characters: None of the core characters fulfill any particular trope, which helps humanize them. This is prominent with characters like Marshall; with an outer persona to maintain, he can seem like a trope at face value, but is still characterized to have moments of doubt, hints at a backstory that make him who he is, etc. This particular characterization is what makes me empathize with him, even if I don’t adore his character. As I mentioned before, Sam has a job, but it’s not the one she particularly wants. Being good at something is different than liking something, a theme constantly surrounding Sam’s characterization and development. It’s easier said than done, and unfortunately too real, but we would all prefer the nice life where we do what we want, not what’s expected or something you’re just ‘good’ at. The harsh critiques Sam receives on her game is also disheartening, but realistic.
- The girls: I won’t say who, but the female characters are all very refreshing, in that they aren’t objectified for the sake of comedy, show strength as people with agency, and I won’t say who, but aside from Sam, there are notable girl gamers. I know that there’s a particular view on girls who, let’s say, stream on Twitch, or just gaming in general; it’s that they’re there for reasons I won’t describe, but are generalized to play video games with ulterior motives. Each of the female characters introduced (that do play video games) have lives outside of gaming, so they’re not defined by it. However, like drawing, reading, writing, or any other hobby you can name, they play games for fun, bringing characters together and bonding over a common interest.
- Age matters: As a segue from the previous points, these are all characters in their twenties (with some exceptions). They have jobs, daily routines, social outings with friends, and sometimes stress with what their work is on. These are not teenage protagonists, but young adults trying to make a living, while still trying to enjoy doing things they like. I’ve mentioned multiple times that this comic is grounded in reality, this being one of those reasons. It’s in the romance genre, so there’s no reason it could’ve been framed in the lens of teenagers. It’s important these are young adults navigating through life, not having experienced everything, but still possessing more wisdom and knowledge than your stock teenage protagonist. This isn’t to bash another favourite of mine, I love Yoo, which possesses similar themes but is still focused on high schoolers. That’s why this point matters.
I’m not saying this the best comic I have ever read, or that all these subtleties make it 20x more complex than other stories out there. This is still a simple, rom-com comic. The reason I recommend this comic so strongly is because of these subtleties, themes, and engaging characters, it’s worthy of praise and fun to analyze. This story is not necessarily for everyone, and there certainly are moments when circumstantial tropes commonly attributed to the genre occur. Even with that said, the characters and their experiences are interesting, entertaining, and engaging all the same. I always keep up with this comic, and I hope you do as well, should you decide to read it.
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