Messages

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 42: Discussion

« on: December 10, 2014, 04:21:48 pm »

Ugh, it's not just Polly who's getting frustrated. This is going at such a snail's pace, I feel like they should just get on with it. So many panels are filled up by ellipses and "You know what to do!" "No you know what I know I won't!" again and again.
I'm also just getting really annoyed with Bern's naivety. This whole thing started because she tried to use violence to her advantage, forcing the healer to heal her father. If she's such a pacifist, she shouldn't have done that. But now that she's being forced to pay for her crime, she'd rather be maimed than harm someone who deserves it (despite already harming or threatening to harm someone who was kind of a dick but didn't deserve it as much as someone who she'd lash.)
She's being so unbelievably selfish. She goes on and on about doing anything for Maytag (enough of that already, geez) and then won't actually do anything. She won't fight, she won't get her hands dirty, and she's so close to losing an eye for no reason (because Polly's right, she won't win the fight with one lost eye and so she'll be exactly where she is, minus an eye.) If she was actually any semblance of a capable character, she should have just fought properly the first time around. Or in any of the actual matches. Why does she think she'll be any better in a rank-up match after suffering some kind of physical or psychological trauma than she was to start with?

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 30: Discussion

« on: July 25, 2011, 09:59:52 am »

Actually yeah I'd have to agree, I wouldn't have liked Abigail either. I like all the names that aren't actually names in the real world, but just names made for comics or shows or things. Maytag is a perfect example. Don't know anyone named Crest, or Glyph. Mayweather and Taggert, obviously. Although Bernadette is a real name, it's uncommon enough to still feel unique. And of course, I agree that it's entirely up to the author and what sounds right for them. I just don't like Polly. '~'
By the way, is there a guest artist right now, or is it a different drawing style that's being experimented with?

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 30: Discussion

« on: July 22, 2011, 10:46:33 am »

I just...I can't get over the name Polly. That Blackbird looks so tough and cool, badass and running the town. But "Polly" is the equivalent of that same cool girl falling on her face. I can't stop thinking of "Polly wanna cracker," Polly-O string cheese, and of course Basil Fawlty's manic raving "POLLY! Polly!...MANUEL!!" from the British comedy Fawlty Towers. I've been having trouble with Regina (just because that's my mom's name, so it's kind of weird for me >_>) but...Polly...Why not something like Abigail, and her nickname would be like Nightingale/gail?

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Mistake Thread

« on: June 29, 2011, 12:34:26 pm »

Chapter 30, Page 10, I believe you meant "Those girls were really tough" as opposed to "Those girls we're really tough."

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 30: Discussion

« on: June 25, 2011, 06:22:54 pm »

The thing is, Maytag really doesn't seem like she'd at all care if Bern cheated on her. She didn't show a single flash of jealousy when that other girl (I forget her name, but Moby's friend) expressed an interest in Bern, and even encouraged it. So if Maytag ended up hearing that Bern had cheated on her, she'd most likely be all "Hey, yeah, good for you being adventurous, wasn't that a lot of fun, now let's have a threesome."
On the other hand, one thing I'd be interested in seeing (and I strongly doubt it'll ever come up, but still) is the girlfriend who cheated on Crest, resulting in his unflinching attitude toward Maytag when she wants to cheat. I think that might add an interesting dynamic, if only for a chapter or so.

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Flipside Discussion / Re: The Criticism Thread

« on: June 16, 2011, 05:25:35 pm »

Hey, I made a comment on the discussion thread about Moby's comment and how the developing character sort of annoyed me, so I thought I'd bring my side of the debate here. And just so you know, I'm not trying to be super critical or anything, it's just my current opinions on the characterization in the comic. My two cents. I think the thing that kind of gets to me is that, despite the minutia, there are really only two types of characters in the comic right now when it comes to sexual philosophy: the standards and the deviants. People like Bern are the standards, who like monogamy and aren't necessarily very adventurous (obviously natural gender preferences like Bern's aren't being a maverick.) And then the deviants are the types like Maytag, Moby, and Fata Morgana, the three of whom I think make a good example. Between them is a broad spectrum, as you've done a good job of explaining. Moby is probably the least deviant of the three, at least as far as experimentation goes, her disbelief in the value of relationships being so far just about the only "unusual" (in terms of general societal norms and expectations) thing so far. Maytag is a good middle point, in that she shares enough of the "usual" ideas such as belief in relationships and all, while being deviant in the aspects of her bisexuality, cheating/polygamy/open relationship policies, and what-have-you. And then Fata Morgana, from what little we've seen of her, has described herself as having done every possible sexual act, so one can draw one's own conclusions. As I say, that is a good spectrum. However, my point is that it all seems to boil down to either you're plain, or there's a distinct something different. As portrayed in the comic so far, it doesn't matter how much of a deviant a character is, the only real important thing is that they are a deviant. And regardless, they are something. There's no character that you're not really sure "Hm, I'm not really sure if they're surprising or not." I think the reason this glares out to me is the obvious overemphasis on sex and sexual philosophy. Of course, I understand that it's a main theme of the comic, and I'm not saying you should either abandon or even stray away from it. It's a good issue. But imagine this, if the entire world was colored red, exactly what meaning would the word red have? Because everyone has some view on sex, the entire unspoken debate has become too saturated by these opinions. There are too few characters who simply don't care about sex at all. This doesn't mean they absolutely don't have sex, because their opinions would be conspicuous by their absence, like in Lucient's case for instance. One such character who's refreshing for me is Moss, actually, since so far he hasn't seemed to have any opinion on sex at all. He'll make fun of Maytag for it, but it's her he's making fun of, not the idea of her lack of chastity. I suppose beyond what he was pushed into by Maytag in earlier chapters, Crest is quite like this too, more neutral. The key to these characters is that sex and sexual philosophy isn't an intrinsic part of their lives, unlike...just about everyone else. Which isn't to say that no character should have their life dictated or at least strongly influenced by their sexual philosophy, since there are people like that in real life. But there are also people who aren't, and it's that contrast that I think would bring a little fresh air into these characterizations.

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 30: Discussion

« on: June 16, 2011, 07:03:13 am »

I don't know what everyone else thinks about this, but what Moby said kind of irritates me. I don't believe in relationships, we're just sex buddies...Is EVERY new character in this strip like that? I know that a recurring theme in this comic is to be surprising, breaking away from conventional societal norms, and such freedom of sexual expression is one of the best, most efficient ways to bring that across, but there comes a time when it just becomes boring. I mean, on the very first page Maytag is spinning that out to us. That point of view is a fairly intrinsic part of Maytag's personality, and it works well in that context. When you contrast it with Bern, who's super faithful and strongly believes in relationships, it makes for a good kind of disturbance that builds plot-developing tension. Thus, because it's already a part of Maytag so strongly, the only reinforcement it needs is the sort that comes from a more minor character like Umber, which just provides the sort of "devil on the shoulder" for Maytag. But now, again and again and again we meet characters who may be quite different, with different upbringings and different views on life, but their sexual philosophies are remarkable similar. Especially when sexual philosophy has very little to do with the given situation. I know that the comic is meant to be a little raunchy and fanservice-y, but I also know that the author is talented enough to subtly slip it in without cramming it down our throats. Between Fata Morgana going on about how society perceives all but select types of sex disgusting, and now Moby saying she doesn't believe in relationships...It just gets the point where I stop caring about what anyone says. Am I in the minority about this, or does anyone feel the same way?

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 30: Discussion

« on: June 10, 2011, 09:17:18 pm »

Oh so wait, is this a flashback or the present? For a moment, following the super-short flashback of cute lil Bern asking to learn the Split Rose, I thought we were moving into a midpoint flashback. For some reason, Bern looked younger to me here than she usually does. But this is happening in the present day, isn't it?

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 29: Discussion

« on: May 29, 2011, 03:22:14 pm »

Nah, remember she said she spent everything she had left on that new one, and NOW she's 3000 gold in debt to Glyph. It's going to be Moby to the "rescue," but depending on Moby's style the new costume may be even more detrimental to Maytag's spirit than losing her old one. OR, Moby's secret inner talent will shine through and...and...it'll be a disaster.

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Flipside Discussion / Re: And now, for something completely different...

« on: May 25, 2011, 11:18:58 am »

Huh. That makes pretty good sense. I was confused, since I'm pretty ignorant of the different kinds of poker. The only one I'm vaguely familiar with is the kind where you're dealt five cards, you choose a number to put back into the deck, and then you're dealt those back. What other kinds of poker are there?

When it comes to betting, what about calling and raising and folding and all that? I don't really get what those mean either. And then when it comes to the whole "betting thin" or aggressively or...well, those are the only two that you distinctly mentioned, so those are the only two I'm aware of.

To make this not totally un-Flipside related, could there be a connection between "Betting Thin" and "The Thin Man?" Perhaps Galdur IS the Thin Man, the Betting Thin Man! Or not.

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Should I feel bad for thinking Crest is the most interesting?

« on: May 25, 2011, 04:59:50 am »

I completely agree with Robochocobo, and I'm in awe for their ability to phrase their argument and opinions so eloquently. To be honest, I'm really hoping for Bern and Maytag to break up at some point. I can sort of see it happening for drama's sake, and then I expect they'll come back together later on, even though personally I'd prefer them not to. All these hints and suggestions and foreshadowings about how a relationship built upon conflicting opinions and philosophies is doomed to fail make me anxious for May and Bern's to fall apart. It just seems too impossible. The way there's always some conflict between the two opposing ideologies. Obviously some of the major ones were such like in the earlier chapters, or in the caravan with Nagelring, but even seemingly lesser ones (which I anticipate may play a larger role in the near future) like Bernadette and Maytag's discussion about the new girl Vennice, and whether or not Bern should go out with her. Not only has the fidelity/hedonism thing been done and beaten to death, but Bern is kind of starting to seem like a one-dimensional character. Unlike the spontaneous Maytag, you can really predict how Bern is going to react to any given situation. That, coupled with the sort of doting supporter that we see when Maytag proclaims her desire for a soundshow, and Bern replies "I'll support you however I can, May!" makes the whole May/Bern (Berntag?) shipping kind of cloying.

In contrast to that, I'm a big fan of Crestag shipping. Yes, I'm making up fandom terms. Brick me. Based on what we saw in the first few chapters, Crest has the capacity to be a very dynamic character. He's fairly neutral for the time being, and he seems like he can be more easily swayed to different (non-knight) viewpoints. He's also adorable in his spluttering, highschoolish attempts at asking Maytag out. One of my favorite scenes in the whole comic so far is in the first chapter, only a few pages in, when Crest is turned down by Maytag and he laughs it off, but then pulls his goggles over his crying eyes. Very touching! It's these components that I think make Crest a perfect foil for Maytag, and if Maytag must be the central character then I think those two are much more complementary. While Crest is far too introverted and needs to come out of his shell, Maytag is a little too outgoing with herself and needs to be reigned in. This is what it seems Suspira and Bernadette are doing, to their respective characters. But both of these trials of character development could be seen working so much better in those first few chapters, during Crest and Maytag's mini-fake-date. Already, Crest was becoming more outspoken as Maytag was coaching him (and he was, again, adorable in everything he did.) And then on Maytag's side, when she told him she "had a boyfriend" but was willing to cheat, it really struck a chord with her when Crest reacted so strongly. THAT'S why I think they'd be a better pair than Maytag and Bernadette. Bern's upset whenever Maytag does things like that, but she said herself that she likes when Maytag's content and just kind of lets it happen, to which Maytag protests and says she shouldn't. Crest actually asserted himself about how he felt, even though in that situation it was not in his most self-fulfilling interest. So while we continue to see the Berntagging continue on long into the later chapters, hugging and kissing and talking to each other through magic rings, I agree with the OP that Crest is the most interesting character and to me, those first few exposition chapters are my favorite.

(Why do I feel like I've just written a school paper analyzing works?)

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Flipside Discussion / And now, for something completely different...

« on: May 25, 2011, 04:36:50 am »

Hey all. I wasn't sure if this should go in Flipside Discussion or in something else like Free Chat or Hall of Games, but considering how it does impact on the path of the story several times, has been featured frequently in intermissions, and seems to be a recurring motif, I'd like to start a topic where we discuss poker in depth. Frankly, I am completely ignorant as to how it works. I have no idea what Maytag is doing or saying when she talks about the flop and the river. I read the descriptive intermissions, but those seem geared toward an intermediate player looking to become advanced. I'd be interested in learning about first the actual mechanics of the game, the way in which cards are played and bets are made, and then about the finer points and how to be a good player. Is anyone in my same boat, or on the other side (the flipside, as it were) and know so much that it'd be a breeze for them to teach me?

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Vote Incentive Request Thread

« on: May 24, 2011, 08:07:31 am »

Hey, is there anywhere to view the past voter incentive pics? I know that would kind of defeat the purpose since you'd be able to see them without voting, but I'd like to see some of them again even though I did vote! They're all so good and entertaining.

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 29: Discussion

« on: May 24, 2011, 08:02:11 am »

Sorry for my ignorance, but who's Blackbird? I read Book 0, but some of the names are still a little disconnected in my head.

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Vote Incentive Request Thread

« on: May 21, 2011, 03:17:45 pm »

I really love these voter incentives. They're all so cute and silly and cool, and they do their job well as an incentive. My suggestion would be something along the lines of Suspira styling a very reluctant Moss' hair. He can't keep it in his eyes forever!

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 29: Discussion

« on: May 18, 2011, 02:35:38 pm »

Hmm, Kiran, I like the idea of Bern being seduced somehow. That would be an interesting, hitherto unprecedented development. Especially if she falls to temptation, and the sound-transmitting rings are still active. 0_o

Two questions here. One, does May actually love Regina? There were instances in Book 0 where she seemed more-than-friendly (especially at the end) but more with either admiration of Regina's efforts, or generally smitten with the cuteness, or maybe it was just Maytag's trademarked libido acting up. If anything, I'd say Maytag views Regina as a very close gal pal, while Regina might be the first one to take it further. And on that note, my second question...How's Regina going to react to Bern's existence?

Also, non-comic related, but how do I edit my profile pic and signature and all that? I'm new here, and the profile tab only asks me if I want to delete my account...

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Flipside Discussion / Re: Chapter 29: Discussion

« on: May 18, 2011, 03:43:14 am »

Didn't Fata already pretend to be Regina that one time in the Bed and Breakfast? I doubt we'd be seeing her pull the same stunt again. Plus we wouldn't have seen her face shadowed out, looking at the entry list and saying "Maytag, could it really be you?" or something like that.

Just a silly thought, but I realize that Regina's new life as a jester was foreshadowed back in one of the very early intermissions! Just as a little joke, but it's amusing to note nonetheless. On a more topic-related discussion, what's the consensus here? Did Regina fall for Maytag after what the latter said to her while she was unconscious (maybe she could hear after all, or at least felt the kiss) in Book 0, and is now emulating the jester's life is a very stalkerish sort of way?

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Flipside Discussion / Re: The Criticism Thread

« on: May 15, 2011, 11:19:28 am »

Hi all, newcomer to the forum here. I stumbled onto Flipside yesterday, and read all non-Book 0 material through the night. This is an absolutely incredible comic. The quality of the characters, plot, setting, and development of all of the above goes far beyond the majority of the official manga series that are mass-produced these days. There is nothing wrong with this webcomic. In a hyperbole sense I am absolutely in love with just about every character, and in a literal sense I'm a little smitten with some of them. Which is really, really pathetic when I think about it. Anyway, considering that this is the character I relate to the most (unfortunately without the latent potential), I was wondering how much more development and involvement in the story we're going to see with Crest. Judging by the comments on this thread already, that seems like a hot topic. With the beginning of the comic I thought that Crest was going to be the real main character, with Maytag being more of a constant companion and instrumental component. Like...if anyone here reads/watches Fullmetal Alchemist, the way Ed is the main character while Al is an extremely important character alongside. I thought that tensions between the differing philosophies of Bern and Maytag would split the two up earlier on (though of course that can still happen) and as Crest remarked on that instance at camp, he'd be there to pick up the pieces. I really enjoyed all the character exposition in the first few chapters, learning about Maytag and Bern's relationship and Crest's varying attitude toward Maytag depending on her circumstances. But it really seems now that Crest is an ancillary character if anything, thrown into the ranks of supporting cast of someone of the same level as Glyph, while the relationship of Maytag and Bernadette takes the spotlight. It could have been my misinterpretation of the characters (I have yet to read Book 0, so perhaps I'll see more of how those two are undeniably the central focus there) but from my personal perspective, I'd like to see more of Crest making his presence known within this love trian...spiderweb that's going on here.