Repository for all my Twisted Wonderland thoughts. I'm currently writing
A Million and One Minutia, which will be crossposted here. My main blog is grayathena.
Welcome! This blog is going to be a repository for my various thoughts on the mobile game Twisted Wonderland, from reblogs from others to my own thoughts on the game to my Twisted Wonderland fic A Million and One Minutia.
What is A Million and One Minutia?
A Million and One Minutia is my fanfiction centering on my TWST Yuusona, Gray, and her interactions with the other main boys as they learn about the differences between their worlds. Sound interesting? The AO3 link is here, and I will be gradually crossposting chapters to tumblr.
Help me decide: I can pull for ONE card on the Lord of Malevolence banners. I could pull for General Lilia (very tough card, but I already have a Lilia SSR) or I could pull for Ivory Cliff Ruggie (not as strong but I don't have a Ruggie SSR).
Help me decide: I can pull for ONE card on the Lord of Malevolence banners. I could pull for General Lilia (very tough card, but I already have a Lilia SSR) or I could pull for Ivory Cliff Ruggie (not as strong but I don't have a Ruggie SSR).
Back in June 2025, a question occurred to me: âDo people with certain personality traits gravitate to certain OB boys?â This led me to create a survey to try and get to the bottom of things.
Now we have results of our findings!! The Tumblr post you're currently reading only includes our findings, discussion, and credits. Some graphs, tables, and charts are included here, but not all of them, since Tumblr posts have a 30 image maximum. To read the full paper (which is ~50 pages), please see this Google Document.
Summary Statistics
Total number of responses: 1263
By Gender:
67.6% female
6.7% male
16.0% non-binary
9.7% other
By Age:
40.9% are between 13-18 years of age
40.3% are between 19-24 years of age
15.8% are between 25-30 years og age
2.4% are between 31-36 years of age
0.6% are older than 37, with the highest age noted being 42
By Region:
54.9% from North America
20.0% from Europe and Central Asia
14.1% from East Asia and Pacific
8.7% from Latin America and Caribbean
1.1% from Middle East and North Africa
0.8% from South Asia
0.4% from Sub-Saharan Africa.
By Keeping up with JP:
64.5% play EN
26.3% play both EN and JP
9.2% play JP
By Knowledge of Japanese:
96.4% do not know Japanese
3.6% know Japanese
By Main Source of Translation:
35.3% use video translations
32.5% use the EN game
21.0% use written translations
5.5% use summary threads
3.0% use machine translations
2.6% use word of mouth
By Years Playing:
12.6% five years
7.9% four years
32.5% three years
21.5% 2 years
13.8% 1 year
11.8% less than 1 year
By Story Quality:
34.1% rate it Excellent
53.9% rate it Good
11.8% rate it Okay
0.2% rate it Poor
By Relatability (to OB boy):
72.6% say yes, OB boy is relatable
27.4% say no, OB boy is not relatable
Most frequently selected favorite OB boy:
Leona (18.4%)
Riddle (17.4%)
Malleus (16.8%)
Idia (16.3%)
Azul (11.6%)
Vil (10.5%)
Jamil (9.0%)
Most frequently selected LEAST favorite OB boy:
Leona (17.5%)
Jamil (16.3%)
Azul (16.0%)
Malleus (15.3%)
Vil (13.3%)
Idia (11.5%)
Riddle (10.0%)
When evaluating our data, we must keep in mind that it is largely representative of:
self-identified women (~68%)
those aged 13-18 (~41%) and 19-24 (40%)
those from North America (~55%) and Europe + Central Asia (20%)
those who play EN (~65%) or both EN and JP (~26%)
those who overwhelmingly do not know Japanese (~96%)
those who mostly use video translations of the JP game (~35%) or play the EN game (~33%)
those who mostly keep up with JP updates (60%)
those who have played Twst for two (~22%) to three years (~33%)
those who rate the Twst main story âgoodâ (~54%) or âexcellentâ (~34%)
those who say the OB boys are relatable (~73%)
In other words, this survey is NOT representative of the Twst JP fanbase or even of the international fanbase; it is concentrated on the lens taken by the young English-speaking women of North America and Europe/Central Asia.
Methods, Results + Discussion (Personality of Respondents vs Favorite OB Boy(s))
The method of collecting responses we used is known as convenience sampling, which gathers data from participants who are the easiest to reach. We, the researchers, sacrifice random and representative selection for speed and cost-efficiency.
To measure personality traits, we asked that each participant take the Big 5 or Five Factor Model (FFM) personality assessment and provide their resulting overall scores across 5 dimensions. Those 5 dimensions, commonly referred to by the acronym OCEAN and each existing on a spectrum, are as follows:Â
Openness (to experience) â measures imagination, curiosity, and willingness to try new things.
Conscientiousness â measures goal-directed behavior, planning, and self-discipline.
Extroversion â measures how much an individual is energized by social interactions.
Agreeableness â measures empathy, willingness to cooperate, and ability to trust in others
Neuroticism â measures emotional instability, such as anxiety, hostility, and impulsivity.
We chose to use the Big 5 because it is widely accessible (i.e. free to the general public), widely recognized, and, most importantly, widely researched. Many languages and cultures use this test, leading to Big 5âs validity and reliability to be demonstrated many times over in several peer-reviewed studies. It is considered the âgold standardâ in personality psychology.
For the purposes of this report, we will be using a significance value of 0.05. In hypothesis testing, the p-value is used to determine whether an observed result is likely due to chance or a true effect. 0.05 will be our marker, or threshold. In this case, a p-value HIGHER than 0.05 means the results are not statistically significant (i.e. these results are due to random chance). A p-value LOWER than 0.05 means the results are statistically significant (ie these results are due to a true effect, NOT random chance).
We determined that this data set has homogeneity of variance and for normality. For the oneway ANOVAs, we only considered the characters that respondents marked as their favorite (1). This was done for every dimension. Where relevant, Fisherâs LSD multiple comparison test was used to determine if the difference between two scores within the same dimension were statistically significant.
Openness:
The Openness scores were not significantly different from each other (p-value=0.2858). The scores were generally clustered together without one being an outlier.Â
Those who ranked Jamil as (1) were the highest in terms of Openness (mean=89.98, sd=8.79)
Those who ranked Riddle as (1) were the lowest (mean=87.50, sd=8.97).
Using Fisherâs LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Jamil likers and Riddle likers were significantly different from each other in terms of Openness scores (p-value=0.0271).
Since the Openness scores were not statistically significant, this means fans of all OB boys were roughly the same in terms of Openness. This makes sense, as the concept of Twisted Wonderland itself invites curiosity and imagination for a world that reinterprets classic Disney characters. Those attracted to Twstâs world and characters would have to be open to a decent degree to get invested and stay invested.
If we examine the two characters who are notably different from one another, Jamil likers were the most open and Riddle likers were the least open. This reflects the personalities of the two OB boys. Jamil desires his freedom and can act unhinged when he lets himself cut loose, whereas Riddle is notoriously uptight. Fans of these respective characters may share these charactersâ respective traits, which would explain the scores.
Neuroticism:
The Neuroticism scores were statistically significant from one another (p-value=0.0074). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Idia as (1) were the highest in terms of Neuroticism (mean=90.96, sd=13.83).
Those who ranked Leona as (1) were the lowest (mean=86.13, sd=13.91).
Using Fisherâs LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Idia likers were significantly different from Vil (p-value=0.0464), Azul (p-value=0.0130), and Leona (p-value=0.0003) likers in terms of Neuroticism scores.
Leona likers were significantly different from Idia, Riddle (p-value=0.0033), and Malleus (p-value=0.0366) likers.
Idia likers scored the highest in Neuroticism, whereas Leona likers scored the lowest. Again, I believe this reflects the tendency for fans to gravitate to characters that are similar to themselves. Idia is extremely anxious but can swing between periods of extreme confidence and extreme meekness. Leona, on the other hand, can usually keep his cool and does not act impulsively; he plans for the long term.
Agreeableness:
The Agreeableness scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0449). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Malleus as (1) were the highest in terms of agreeableness (mean=89.80, sd=11.87).
Those who ranked Jamil as (1) were the lowest (mean=86.14, sd=12.04).
Using Fisherâs LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Malleus likers were significantly different from Riddle (p-value=0.0087), Vil (p-value=0.0099), Idia (p-value=0.0052), and Jamil (p-value=0.0122) likers in terms of agreeableness scores.
Jamil likers were only significantly different from Malleus likers.
Malleus likers scored the highest in agreeableness, meaning they are the most empathetic and willing to cooperate and trust in others. Jamil likers are the opposite, having scored the lowest. This, too, reflects the characters, whom the fans may see themselves in. Jamil is highly distrustful of others and assumes the worst of them. On the other hand, Malleus can be on the naive side and thereâs a whole subplot in the main story about how he overcomes loneliness, learns to be more open with others, and makes new friends. He is also shown to be empathetic, especially when he relates to othersâ loneliness (like in Endless Halloween Night; he was sad for the ghosts who had missed the party).
Extraversion:
The Extraversion scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0142). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Vil as (1) were the highest in terms of Extraversion (mean=63.52, sd=13.41)
Those who ranked Idia as (1) were the lowest (mean=59.32, sd=13.17).
Using Fisherâs LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Vil likers were significantly different from Azul (p-value=0.0218) and Idia (p-value=0.0031) likers in terms of Extraversion scores.
Idia likers were significantly different from Vil, Riddle (p-value=0.0056), Malleus (p-value=0.0135), and Leona (p-value=0.0141).
Riddle likers were significantly different from Azul (p-value=0.0437).
Vil likers scored the highest in Extraversion, while Idia likers scored the lowest. Vil, being a celebrity, is constantly in the public eye and interacting with fans, whether indirectly (social media, films, etc.) or directly (in-person events). Additionally, his character revolves around the idea of beauty, being seen, and being confident in outward expression of his gender. I could see this pulling fans who similarly want to be seen or to express themselves in the same ways that Vil does. Idia, meanwhile, tends to keep to himself and be a loner, which may attract fans who behave similarly.
Conscientiousness:
The Conscientiousness scores were significantly different from each other (p-value=0.0142). At least one of the scores was different enough from the rest.
Those who ranked Azul as (1) were the highest in terms of conscientiousness (mean=76.94, sd=13.68), while those who ranked Idia as (1) were the lowest (mean=71.98, sd=14.30).
Using Fisherâs LSD multiple comparison test, we can see that Azul likers were significantly different from Riddle (p-value=0.0428), Leona (p-value=0.0308), Vil (p-value=0.0188), and Idia (p-value=0.0009) likers in terms of conscientiousness scores.
Idia likers were significantly different from Azul and Malleus (p-value=0.0229) likers.
The conscientiousness scores were statistically significant, meaning respondents are different in their goal-directed behavior, planning, and self-discipline. Twisted Wonderland is a free-to-play gacha game, in which players can earn currency to roll on banners by completing various tasks. However, there are limited ways for players to earn this currency, especially if they have been playing for years. This incentivizes paying money to acquire more rolls, which funds the game. Because bannersâparticularly event banners and birthday bannersâare limited time, this feeds into FOMO (fear of missing out), furthering the pressure to not save or plan for future banners, but to spend on the current one. This data seems to suggest that fans of some OB characters (such as Azul) are better at long-term planning, including saving rolls for gacha banners, than fans of other characters (such as Idia).
Azul likers having the highest conscientiousness score makes sense, given that this is also true of the character. Azul often schemes and prepares for situations far in advance, and a perfect example of this is his ascension to dorm leadership. He implies that he worked hard to get into the good graces of his previous dorm leader to earn the recommendation to succeed him.
Idia likers are the least conscientious, but my best guess as to why this is the case⊠maybe his explosive and sudden anger? Or his ability to tackle any problem on-the-spot with the skills currently at his disposal? Perhaps itâs that he prefers to maximize efficiency?
By highest percentage:
15% of Jamil likers ranked Riddle as their least favorite OB boy
28.4% of Riddle likers ranked Leona as their least favorite OB boy
22.9% of Vil likers ranked Azul as their least favorite OB boy
23.3% of Malleus likers ranked Jamil as their least favorite OB boy
19.1% of Idia likers ranked Vil as their least favorite OB boy
17% of Leona likers ranked Idia as their least favorite OB boy
28.3% of Jamil likers ranked Malleus as their least favorite OB boy
Most common rankings
When Riddle was ranked 1 (n=218), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Azul (22.5%)
3: Azul (19.3%)
4: Idia (21.1%)
5: Vil (21.1%)
6: Malleus (22.5%)
7: Leona (28.4%)
When Leona as ranked 1 (n=230), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Jamil (23.5%)
3: Malleus (20.0%)
4: Riddle (20.0%)
5: Riddle (22.2%)
6: Azul (21.3%)
7: Azul and Malleus (19.1% each)
When Azul as ranked 1 (n=145), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Riddle (24.8%)
3: Vil (20.7%)
4: Malleus (22.8%)
5: Vil (20.0%)
6: Leona (22.1%)
7: Leona (27.6%)
When Jamil as ranked 1 (n=113), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Leona (22.1%)
3: Riddle (27.4%)
4: Leona (23%)
5: Idia (21.2%)
6: Idia (23%)
7: Malleus (28.3%)
When Vil as ranked 1 (n=131), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Riddle (26.7%)
3: Malleus (21.4%)
4: Leona (22.1%)
5: Azul (21.4%)
6: Idia (22.1%)
7: Azul (22.9%)
When Idia was ranked 1 (n=204), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Malleus (26.5%)
3: Azul and Vil (19.6% each)
4: Riddle (20.1%)
5: Azul (20.6%)
6: Jamil (23.0%)
7: Leona (21.6%)
When Malleus was ranked 1 (n=210), the most common OB Boy chosen at each other rank was:
2: Idia (26.7%)
3: Riddle (24.3%)
4: Vil (21.4%)
5: Jamil (22.9%)
6: Jamil (24.3%)
7: Jamil (23.3%)
The trends observed are:
Riddle likers usually also liked AzulÂ
Riddle likers usually disliked Malleus or Leona
Leona likers usually also liked Jamil
Leona likers usually disliked Azul
Leona likers are conflicted about Malleus; some like Malleus while others consider him to be their least favorite of the OB boys
Azul likers usually also liked Riddle
Azul likers usually disliked Leona
Jamil likers usually also liked LeonaÂ
Jamil likers usually disliked Malleus or Idia
Vil likers usually also liked Riddle or Malleus
Vil likers usually disliked Azul or Idia
Idia likers usually also liked Malleus or Vil
Idia likers usually disliked Jamil or Leona
Malleus likers usually also liked Idia or Riddle
Malleus likers usually disliked Jamil
Overall comments on personality + favorite OB boy:
Noting the important differences between highest and lowest scores:
Jamil likers scored high in Openness
Riddle likers scored low in Openness
Idia likers scored high in Neuroticism
Leona likers scored low in Neuroticism
Malleus likers scored high in Agreeableness
Jamil likers scored low in Agreeableness
Vil likers scored high in Extraversion
Idia likers scored low in Extraversion
Azul likers scored high in Conscientiousness
Idia likers scored low in Conscientiousness
The trend seems to be that oneâs favorite OB boy correlates with shared personality traits. This is observed over 4 (Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Extraversion, conscientiousness) of the 5 dimensions of the Big 5 personality test, with the remaining 1 (Openness) being insignificant, as the concept of Twst itself depends on the fans to have an open mind to begin with.
Leona was most often chosen as the favorite OB boy, and Jamil was the least often chosen as the favorite OB boy. Itâs ironic, because both Leona and Jamil are the top two most often cited as the LEAST favorite OB boy(s). Leona seems to be a point of contention among respondents; he is simultaneously liked and disliked.
Results + Discussion (by Other Metrics)
Favorite OB boy by time spent playing Twst:
Those who have been playing for 5 years or more showed a preference for Idia
Those who have been playing up to 4 years showed a preference for Riddle
Those who have been playing up to 3 years showed a preference for Leona
Those who have been playing up to 2 years showed a preference for Malleus
Those who have been playing up to 1 year showed a preference for Malleus
Those who have been playing less than 1 year showed a preference for Leona
Inexperienced players seemed to like Leona or Malleus, which is interesting given that Leona notoriously has a disliked main story book early on and Malleus has little relevance early in the story. Based on the word analysis, it seems like many people were initially drawn to Twst due to the visual appeal of Malleus and Leona.
Fans of 2-3 years have been playing for about the same length of time as EN has been out. This is around when weâd anticipate the preference for Malleus and Leona transforming into more of an appreciation for their characters, as 2-3 years is time to acclimate to the latter parts of the story.
Players of 4 and 5 years like Riddle and Idia, respectively. This may be because, deep in the story, they are very important characters. Riddle has a substantial segment towards the end which adds more depth to the nature of his family, earning him much attention and empathy from fans. Idia plays a pivotal role in saving the day in book 7.
Favorite OB boy by region:
East Asia and Pacific: Idia with 18.7%
Europe and Central Asia: Malleus with 20.8%
Latin America and Caribbean: Leona and Idia with 18.9% each (color only reflects Leona)
Middle East and North Africa: Vil with 28.6% (small sample size 4/14)
North America: Riddle with 19.2%
South Asia: Leona with 30% (very small sample size 3/10)
Sub-Saharan Africa: Malleus with 40% (very small sample size 2/5)
The most popular character varies by region due to cultural values and traditions differing. For example, Europe + Central Asia have lore about spirits, fae, and/or dragons, which may boost Malleusâs popularity, since he is a dragon fae.
By age:
The most popular OB boy for ages 13-18 is Riddle
The least popular OB boy for ages 13-18 is Jamil
The most popular OB boy for ages 19-24 is Leona
The least popular OB boy for ages 19-24 is Jamil
The most popular OB boy for ages 25-30 is Leona
The least popular OB boy for ages 25-30 is a tie between Jamil and Vil
The most popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is Azul
The least popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is a tie between Jamil and Vil
The most popular OB boy for ages 37-42 is Riddle
The least popular OB boy for ages 31-36 is a tie between Leona, Azul, Jamil, Vil, and Malleus.
Itâs possible that minor fans (13-18) like Riddle due to relatability; children may relate to not enjoying having a helicopter parent micromanage their life (preferring to rebel or leave the situation) and may sympathize with Riddleâs situation.
Leona is liked by ages 19-24 and 25-30, and that may indicate a âmaturationâ of the fan. He has ambitions and the skill/talent to realize them, like the fans who are now adults and are preparing for or have careers at this point. These adult fans may also relate to his stance on children (as studies show that adults are now having families later and later in life) or respect his involvement in politics, as they are now at the age where they are actively thinking about how it affects them.
Jamil in general may not be liked because (given that most responses come from the west), the ideas of filial piety + carrying on the family legacy and staying trapped in an abusive system are a challenge for westerners to understand. These are more normalized concepts and practices in the east.
Vil may not be liked by 25-30 year olds because this age group is aging and/or getting to a point where they do not care as much for aesthetics (which Vil is big on). They are generally more focused on adult responsibilities rather than putting all their energy and effort into looks like Vil does.
I will not comment on ages 31-36 and 37-42, since the sample sizes for those were too small.
By relatability:
All the OB boys were viewed as more relatable than not relatable. However, Jamil (63 vs 50) and Vil (75 vs 56) have the smallest gaps between ârelatableâ and ânot relatableâ. This may be because not many fans can relate on a literal or direct level to being trapped in servitude or being a famous but typecasted actor/model/celebrity. Idia was rated the most relatable, with a gap of 181 vs 23 (relatable vs not relatable). This may be because fans relate to his anxiety, which, as youâll see in the word analysis portion, frequently comes up in reference to him.
Results + Discussion (Word Analysis)
Frequently cited reasons as to why respondents liked or disliked certain OB characters include:
Characterâs personality/arc/background
Characterâs design
Personal attachment for a particular Disney film
Relatability
Like more/less compared to the other OB boy options
First exposure
Factors unique to each OB boy were:
Riddle:
+ Likes Alice in Wonderland/Heartslabyul aestheticÂ
+ Relatable relationship (with mother)
- Preferred calmer characters
- Boring (compared to the others)
Leona:
+ Complexity; need to be able to read between the lines
+ Actually cares about others
- Book 2 makes him look bad
Azul:
+ Fun to watch his interactions with others
+ Love glasses and/or moles
Jamil:
+ His dynamic with Kalim
+ Enjoy his dynamic with others
+ Interesting/well-written
+ Voice
- Donât like manipulative people
- Dislike his OB design
Vil:
+ Well-written
+ Resonate with him always being in second place
+ Breaks gender norms
+ His ethics and dedication
- âRubs me the wrong wayâ
- Dislike the way he treats others and/or Epel
Idia:
+ Social anxiety (is relatable)
+ Fun to draw
+ Love his relationship with Ortho
- Cringe
- Not into otaku characters
- Boring
Malleus:
+ Relate to his fear of losing people and/or change
+ Like dragon and/or fae characters
+ Relationship/dynamic with Yuu/MC/Player
- Not interested in his role in the main story
- First Halloween event (I assume Endless Halloween Night, which is actually the second event?) made him look bad
Key Recurring Phrases
Depression
Leona: 29 mentions
Idia: 11 mentions
Anxiety
Azul: 1 mention
Idia: 24 mentions
Autism
Vil: 1 mention
Idia: 2 mentions
Malleus: 10 mentions
Yuu/MC/Player
Riddle: 4 mentions
Leona: 11 mentions
Azul: 3 mentions
Vil: 5 mentions
Idia: 6 mentions
Malleus: 24 mentions
(Gap) Moe
Riddle: 1 mention
Leona: 2 mentions
Malleus: 2 mentions
Cute
Riddle: 20 mentions
Leona: 5 mentions
Azul: 7 mentions
Jamil: 2 mentions
Idia: 12 mentions
Malleus: 18 mentions
*PLEASE SEE THE FULL RESEARCH DOCUMENT TO SEE CHARACTER WORD CLOUDS (and other charts/graphs/tables); Tumblr posts have a max image limit of 30 so it is not possible for us to include all images.
Specific points in the main story and/or events weighted Leona and Malleus down. Certain character dynamics enhanced or tore down a few OB boys (for Vil, itâs Epel; for Jamil, itâs Kalim, for Idia, itâs Ortho). Some most unique character traits were a big pro or con as well. For example, Vilâs breaking of gender norms was loved.
Yuu/MC/Player was often mentioned as a reason for liking Malleus. Malleus likers placed high weight on Malleusâs involvement and acknowledgement of Yuu in the main story.
Notably, diagnostic terms such as âdepressionâ, âanxietyâ, and âautismâ (or variations therein) were frequently recurring for certain characters. Fans attributed these diagnoses to certain characters and cited relatability. For example, Leona had the most mentions with âdepressionâ, Idia had the most mentions with "anxiety", and Malleus had the most mentions with âautismâ.
Riddle was most frequently described as âcuteâ, but Malleus was a close second (2 less mentions). No one called Vil cute.
By maximum/highest word count in open-ended questions section:
FAVORITE
Malleus (963)
Leona (642)
Idia (606)
Jamil (599)
Azul (391)
Riddle (261)
Vil (231)
LEAST FAVORITE
Malleus (587)
Jamil (479)
Vil (460)
Azul (266)
Leona (167)
Riddle (149)
Idia (143)
By average word count in open-ended questions section:
FAVORITE
Jamil (61)
Leona (57)
Vil (48)
Azul (45)
Riddle (44)
Idia (44)
Malleus (43)
LEAST FAVORITE
Malleus (55)
Vil (44)
Jamil (39)
Leona (34)
Azul (33)
Idia (31)
Riddle (25)
Jamil likers had the average highest word count (61) when explaining why responders like him, followed by Leona likersâ average (57). Malleus likers had the average lowest word count (43) when explaining why responders like him.
Malleus dislikers had the highest average word count (55) when explaining why responders dislike him. Riddle dislikers had the lowest average word count (25) when explaining why responders dislike him.
In terms of individual responses with the highest maximum word count for favorite character, that distinction goes to a Malleus liker (963), followed by a Leona liker (642), an Idia liker (606), and a Jamil liker (599). A Vil liker had the lowest maximum word count at 231.
The characters with the highest maximum word count for least favorite character, the top three are a Malleus disliker (587), a Jamil disliker (479), and a Vil disliker (460). An Idia liker had the lowest maximum word count at 143.
We can conclude that:
Jamil likers talk the most on average to explain why they like him
Malleus likers talk the least on average to explain why they like him
Malleus dislikers talk the most on average to explain why they dislike him
Riddle dislikers had the lowest average word count when explaining why responders dislike him.
Malleus likers can yap for the longest to explain why they like him
Vil likers can yap the least to explain why they like him
Malleus dislikers can yap for the longest to explain why they dislike him
Idia likers can yap the least to explain why they dislike him
Weaknesses and the Future
Please see the full document for the complete list. No research project is perfect, and certainly not this one! If we were to do another project like this in the future, we'd take the limitations of this one into consideration.
We rag constantly on the NRC boys for being little jerks a lot of the time, but I do have to say that, considering most of them are rich and are attending an elite school that seems to cater to the wealthy, they are not actually even close to as bad as they could be.
I was thinking about something in terms of Grim today. How long has he been on Sage's Island?
He's vaguely implied to be kind of old, if Idia saying he's under an ancient curse is anything to go by. Sage's Island is also pretty remote and hard to get to. Did Grim make his way to the island recently? Did he, like, hitch a ride on a boat when he learned about NRC and decided to go there?
Alternately, does Sage's Island just have a rumor like, 'Yeah, if you don't secure your garbage cans really well on pickup day, a raccoon with magical fire will rummage through them for scraps.'
Okay, actually thank you @wyvernslovecake for these tags bc it actually made me think about my own theory for Grim, which is that he's got memory problems.
Think about it: Grim's under the effects of an ancient curse, canonically doesn't remember where he comes from or what happened prior to coming to NRC, and he's oddly naive about the world around him despite having basic knowledge that someone must have taught him (he can read and write, though possibly not well).
He also disposes of blot stones. What organization do we know of that would be interested in such a thing and has (well, had) access to a device that could wipe people's memories?
That's right. STYX. Perhaps Grim is a direbeast created or modified by magic in order to be a perfect containment vessel for blot. One that repeatedly had his memory wiped by STYX to prevent him from getting out of their control. Eventually he escaped (or was freed), but was still suffering from the effects of the Lethe program, enough that he has scraps of memory and knows things that are important, but lacks any personal memories of his life.
(This could also tie him in to Crowley if the 'Crowley is Raverne' theory is true- maybe Raverne somehow got caught up in this and had his memory wiped).
I was thinking about something in terms of Grim today. How long has he been on Sage's Island?
He's vaguely implied to be kind of old, if Idia saying he's under an ancient curse is anything to go by. Sage's Island is also pretty remote and hard to get to. Did Grim make his way to the island recently? Did he, like, hitch a ride on a boat when he learned about NRC and decided to go there?
Alternately, does Sage's Island just have a rumor like, 'Yeah, if you don't secure your garbage cans really well on pickup day, a raccoon with magical fire will rummage through them for scraps.'
One of the fascinating things about Spalink Stars (yeah sorry yapping about it on this blog now) is that for the Monster's Inc team picked Mike, Sully, and Roz as their people to ikemen-ify, leaving out the much more obvious choice of Randal. Now, I initially assumed this was to avoid stepping on Twst's toes, like, maybe they want to avoid doing their own interpretations of ANY Disney villains because they don't want to be seen as copying Twst or taking up characters Twst might want to use in the future. Except I'm pretty sure one of the characters on the new Beauty and the Beast team is going to be Gaston. So now the choice to include Roz but not Randal looks completely insane.
i've been looking at the designs for sparklink stars -- i was going to be like "if you guys will indulge me a moment to post about something that isn't twst on my twst blog" but i mean where else would i post about this -- which if you haven't been in the loop on this sparklink stars is disney's upcoming joseimuke mobage where the boys in it are disney characters, but like different disney characters from the ones in twst, and also instead of wizard school they are in boy bands or something i think.
anyway these are the designs they've revealed so far and today i realised what's bothering me about these and it's that none of them have any eyeshadow on
isn't that sad ?? don't they look kind of bare.
obviously this is a whole different game with a whole different artistic direction but man there's really not a whiff of the potent drag vibes that make twst so special. this really highlights for me the fact that twst only ended up being compelling because for some reason yana toboso was afflicted with Inspiration like some kind of evil status effect by the experience of watching disney's mid 2014 film maleficent. there's absolutely no way they'll get that lucky twice, especially if they don't put any of these guys in high heels
Iâve been thinking about writing my own little ârewriteâ with my Yuu ocs, and I was just wondering if there are any must read events whether itâs for character development or any sort of worldbuilding. I tend to get overwhelmed with content and Iâm not the best at keeping track of things with a big cast so I was wondering if you could offer some advice or recommendations đ
I donât think reading any event (or even vignettes) are âmust-readsâ to understand the main story. However, a significant amount of character expansion + development and world building occurs in this ancillary content to the point where Iâd say it would help read as much as possible instead of picking and choosing a few things. Youâre never going to get the full scope of the world or a good grasp on the characters if your aim is just to hit âwhatâs necessaryâ, because many key bits of lore are scattered around. For example, we first got the â10% of humans can use magicâ statistic from the light novel, we know NRCâs student population via a Halloween event, more character relationships are detailed in voice lines and vignettes, etc. But even if you somehow absorbed all this information, it doesnât guarantee your writing will be good. Just because you read a characterâs dialogue or know about a location doesnât mean you can replicate it well or paint a setting in your own voice.
Itâs unrealistic to read all that content (especially since you said you can get easily overwhelmed + are not good at keeping track of large casts), so I would advise against trying to cram. Iâm honestly not even sure if a rewrite (I assume of the main story?) is the ideal project to pursue, given it would take a long time and involves many moving parts. It doesnât sound particularly well-aligned with your individual strengths and weaknesses.
I wonât discourage you from creating what you wish to, but I advise that you think about what you want to do vs what is realistic for you to achieve. A rewrite is a huge long/term commitment and, based on your wording, you donât sound entirely sure if this is something youâd pursue; it seems like an idea that hasnât fully manifested yet. (âIâm thinking ofâŠâ) If you abandon a fic, lose interest in writing, donât have a clue of how to start, etc. then thereâs no shame in that! However, you may still feed bad in the moment and thatâs something you have to come to terms with, should it happen. Writing isnât smooth even for a seasoned writer; itâs a journey of stumbles, stops, and struggles.
Maybe starting small and focusing on a shorter, more contained work may be a good way to start out and dip your toes in? Pick a prompt that fits your interests and try to work on those skills you arenât strong in via smaller projects. This would also be a good time to learn the lore and try to put it into practice. Then you can use those skills later for a larger project, if your heart is really set on making that larger project the best it can be!! You can try rewriting an event and see how you feel about that before committing to the full main story. Writing, worldbuilding, characterization, etc. are not things youâre going to magically be good at; they have to be practiced and honed.
Remember though: at the end of the day, writing fics is for fun and they donât need to be top quality or 100% accurate to the canon lore so long as you fulfill that initial goal of having fun. If you want to make that main story rewrite, then no oneâs stopping you from doing it with as much or as little information as you want.
Why are some overblots considered âless validâ by the fandom, and what assumptions are behind those judgments? Since the early chapters of TWST, fans have debated whether certain overblots were âvalid.â In fact, according to this X post, there was a poll on the most and least valid overblots. While characters like Riddle or Jamil often receive widespread sympathy, Leona and Vil are frequently criticized for having âunreasonableâ motivations. But what does it actually mean for an overblot to be âvalid?â
I don't think this is because some characters suffered more. Instead, I think the background behind some overblots are clearly explained, while others ask the player to interpret motivations that aren't stated as explicitly. Not every overblot is equally easy to understand, but that doesn't make some more or less valid.
When a story explains a character's emotional logic explicitly, most players arrive at a similar interpretation. When that emotional logic is implied rather than explained, players are more likely to fill in the gaps with their own assumptions.
In this blog, Iâve divided the overblots into two categories:
Explicit emotional narratives: The game clearly explains the connection between upbringing, worldview, and overblot (Riddle, Jamil, Malleus).
Implicit emotional narratives: The game gives you piecesâdialogue, symbolism, recurring behaviorsâbut expects the player to connect them (Leona, Vil, Azul).
This isn't a ranking of complexity or writing quality. Every overblot contains multiple layers, but some communicate their central conflict more explicitly than others. (Idia sits in the middle ground)
What fans usually mean by âvalidâ
Before I delve into the overblots, Iâd like to explore what fans often mean by how they are âvalid.â
Trauma tends to receive more sympathy than jealousy. Structural discrimination gets more sympathy than personal insecurity. Long-term suffering feels âearned.â A single incident feels âpetty.â
Based on the discourse, I think the overblots that wear their emotions on their sleeves are considered as more âvalid.â The ones often considered as âinvalidâ reveal themselves piece by piece.
Explicit emotional narratives
The overblots below contain stories that are easier to grasp.
đčRiddle
The trigger of the overblot was the Heartslabyul students' repeated rule-breaking. Each time Riddle collared the students, his stress and blot accumulated.
The underlying issue is his motherâs strict upbringing and his belief that rules create order. In Riddleâs flashback, it was explicitly shown that his mother connected rules with safety.
Nearly every player understands Riddle's breaking point even on a first playthrough.
đJamil
The trigger of the overblot was years of serving Kalim. Jamil explicitly states his stress from his servitude before his overblot.
The underlying issue is the lack of freedom and suppressed resentment due to his servitude. This was clearly shown in his flashbacks with how he had to suppress his abilities to never overshadow Kalim and the surrounding adults saying heâd âunderstandâ why he has to do so.
Again, the game directly tells us this.
đMalleus
The trigger is losing Lilia, the person he loves. He explicitly says that he would give the endless dreams as his gift because he wouldnât lose Lilia.
The underlying issue is his fear of abandonment and loneliness. His flashbacks show how he was feared by those around him and how that led to his loneliness since his youth.
Players don't have to infer much because the story repeatedly emphasizes isolation.
The middle ground
đIdia
Idia sits somewhere between these categories.
His grief is obvious. His tone is sad when he talks about human Ortho.
But understanding why he blames himself requires thinking about survivor's guilt and how he's spent years avoiding the world. He never explicitly states the link between losing Ortho and how he spent a long time in isolation. Itâs implied in how he created humanoid Ortho and his social anxiety.
Implicit emotional narratives
These are the overblots that encourage deeper reading in order to understand them.
đŠLeona
The surface reading is that heâs jealous because heâs the second prince.
But underneath that are questions about inherited identity, learned helplessness, expectations, and what happens when someone believes that no amount of effort can overcome the role society has assigned them. His resentment isn't born overnightâit's the accumulation of years spent believing his future was decided before he had any agency.
His dialogue right before his overblot (Book 2, Chapter 26) stood out to me.
The dialogue itself often signals that there's something deeper, but it doesn't necessarily spell out what that deeper issue is. The player has to ask what his disappointment and pain are, or what he implied when he said how anyone could possibly understand. That's why some people stop at âhe's jealous,â while others read it as a crisis of identity and learned helplessness.
đAzul
The surface reading is that Azul is a bullied kid that wants power.
What can be interpreted deeper is his transactional worldview, fear of vulnerability, self-worth becoming dependent on competence and contracts, and belief that if he stops being useful, people won't value him. There's a lot beneath âbullied as a child.â
His overblot isn't framed around one emotionally revealing line. His characterization is spread across Book 3, like constantly referencing contracts, wanting to obtain everyoneâs strength, and hiding his octopus form. Rather than confessing his insecurities outright, Azul consistently expresses them through contracts, negotiations, and the pursuit of power. The player has to infer that these behaviors stem from a fear of becoming powerless and vulnerable again.
đVil
The surface reading is that he was jealous of Neige.
On a deeper level, there's the entertainment industry, where Vil has spent years being cast as the villain despite his relentless effort. There's his perfectionism, which leads him to believe that any flaw is unacceptable. And there's the symbolic role of Neige, who represents effortless success; he represents the idea that natural charm can trump over years of disciplined work.
His dialogue about him unable to forgive himself after his attempt to poison Neige (Book 5, Chapter 62) is one of the biggest clues that Vil's overblot isn't just about jealousy.
If the issue were simply âI wanted to beat Neige,â that line wouldn't carry as much weight. Instead, it reveals a contradiction: Vil spent his entire life pursuing beauty, not just physical beauty, but elegance, dignity, discipline, professionalism. Then, in one moment, he becomes the very thing he despises. His breakdown isn't only that he lost. It's also the fact that he betrayed the ideals heâs lived by. That adds another emotional layer.
Why fandom sympathizes differently
People often sympathize with stories they understand immediately. Interpretive stories leave room for assumptions.
Fans may fill in those gaps differently. For example, maybe Leona is just lazy. Maybe Azul just likes manipulating people. And maybe Vil is just jealous. These aren't necessarily wrong observations. They're just incomplete because they stop at the catalyst of the overblots.
On the other hand, some fans may mistake difficulty of interpretation for weakness of writing. Readers naturally sympathize with stories they immediately understand. If a story requires more interpretation, some people stop at the surface-level explanation.
Conclusion
After revisiting each overblot, I don't think âvalidityâ depends on how dramatic a character's suffering is. Instead, I think it often depends on how easily we can understand their emotional logic. Some overblots hand us that logic directly, while others ask us to uncover it ourselves.
Perhaps asking whether an overblot is âvalidâ isn't the most interesting question. A more interesting question might be why certain overblots feel immediately understandable while others divide the fandom. Is it because of the writing itself? Our own experiences? Or the way we interpret each character's motivations?
I didnât read into the deeper levels of some of the overblots immediately. When I first read Vil's overblot, I understood it as jealousy toward Neige. It wasn't until I revisited the chapter that I started noticing how much of his breakdown stemmed from perfectionism, industry expectations, and the pressure he placed on himself.
Feel free to share your opinions about the overblots in the comments! Which overblot did you sympathize with immediately, and which one took longer to understand? Has your opinion on any overblot changed over time? If so, what changed it? The comments donât have to answer these questions. Please share your thoughts!
