Author Topic: Chapter 51: Discussion  (Read 20334 times)

bulmabriefs144

  • Kinky
  • ***
  • Posts: 556
  • Wielder of the Sword of Sorrow
    • View Profile
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #120 on: December 03, 2018, 09:21:43 pm »
I agree wholehearted... this Web comic has not solely been about just Maytag... or Bernadette... but all three of the main characters, May, Bern, AND Crest! It has consistantly and in my opinion given equal screen time to all three of the main characters. Bern got her power up so has Crest... I'm kinda waiting for Maytag to get hers but she has proven time and again... that she is a remarkable woman of substance who takes on ALL challenges head on and her Cummings and insightfulNess ARE her greatest power...and as yet have proven Matchless!  I cannot wait to see Maytag, Bernadette, Polly, Crest and Suspira all together again fighting against the threats of the world!!!

So you have my vote of confidence, Brion...keep up the great writing!!

I thought Eye and CS3 were her powerup. May's power has always been social not combat so it follows her "power" is gaining strong allies.
"この世界の悪があれば本当に、それは人類の心の内にあります."
(Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind)
—Edward D. Morrison

bulmabriefs144

  • Kinky
  • ***
  • Posts: 556
  • Wielder of the Sword of Sorrow
    • View Profile
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #121 on: December 03, 2018, 09:35:00 pm »
@Kiran: Stories with characters like Suspiria in them are difficult to tell without giving a Deus Ex Machina impression. I've stated it above:

Suspiria has been shaping the world like a god, so as a writer it must be really difficult to not make something look like a Deus Ex Machina. I mean, the characters are currently dealing with someone who has the powers to create random Deus Ex Machinas all over the place as if they were in the Matrix and they need to figure out how to deal with someone like that. I think it's legit to assume that Crest's sword received an ultimate attack because of that.

While I do prefer Maytag and Bernadette over Crest, I also do prefer Mary and Suspiria over the others, so I'm perfectly happy with this arc. :) Okay, Mopey is still alive, but you can't have everything. At least Glyph died. 8)

@bulma:
Regarding OP characters, I am currently watching The Disastrous Life of Saiki K on Netflix. That guy is more OP than One Punch Man, but the series is hilarious. They deal with it mostly by giving him weaknesses and silly characters to interact with.

Yeah he is, I know the show. Yet despite him being much more OP they handle it by making it character-driven like you say. The problem with One Punch Man is that the story is basically all about him trying to find a worthy ally so it basically highlights just how overpowered he is. Whereas, Saiki K is about Saiki trying to entertain himself and slowly gaining friends despite himself. Pffft Teruhashi's literal glowing personality and Kaido's theme song literally kept me watching an entire first season in like three days.
"この世界の悪があれば本当に、それは人類の心の内にあります."
(Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind)
—Edward D. Morrison

sunphoenix

  • Kinky
  • ***
  • Posts: 505
  • "..you have to give love to get love." -Wendy Pini
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #122 on: December 03, 2018, 10:08:33 pm »
... I'm kinda waiting for Maytag to get hers but she has proven time and again... that she is a remarkable woman of substance who takes on ALL challenges head on and her cunning and insightfulness ARE her greatest power...

Edit 1# GRRR.. I HATE the uber-aggressive auto-complete on my phone... this post was made from my phone and the grammatical and spelling errors are Damned annoying when I wanted a completely different word!

@ Bulma :  Hmmm...possibly?  But I don't think Maytag is the type to use people like personal tools... when I say powerup.. I mean 'personal' self-possessed power... like Bern and Crest's swords and increased training.  But Honestly... I agree.. May's power has always been her social skills not only in reading people but being so unpredictable and unfathomly determined regardless of the personal cost to succeed... she will do things most sane people would never consider...

Deadshot 'Speaking to Harley Quin' - "So.. your power is ~ you're basically crazy?!?"
Harley Quin 'Smiling' - "Yep!"
Deadshot 'shaking head' - "I'm NOT getting paid enough for this shit..."

"...no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free.  No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything - you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is Kill him." - Robert A. Heinlein

bulmabriefs144

  • Kinky
  • ***
  • Posts: 556
  • Wielder of the Sword of Sorrow
    • View Profile
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #123 on: December 04, 2018, 05:05:57 am »
I think "use people" is the wrong word.

Maytag has three special skills:
  • Psychological resistance to pain
  • Natural charisma, bluff ability, and poker face
  • Her bag of tricks

CS3 is basically a bag of tricks, able to summon up stuff. And her charisma nets her some friends. Of course, them staying depends on earning CS3's trust, as that cat plans to take Eye and run.

I guess I'd compare her to a character like Kingpin. Except she weighs a little less. She has her personal strengths, but no powers except durability. But Kingpin is  attached to both Hydra and the Hand, both of which have a huge number of super-powered allies, to say nothing of his common thugs. Now, I don't see her as a crime lord, but let's consider. Maytag used to be alone. Then she found Bern. Then Crest. Then Glyph. Then Glyph's friends, and now she Suspiria in her party. She is not exactly party leader, but despite having Thin Man hunt her for her abilities, for awhile she had a regular entourage, all of which were pretty special.
"この世界の悪があれば本当に、それは人類の心の内にあります."
(Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind)
—Edward D. Morrison

SAGG

  • Red Light Worker
  • **
  • Posts: 256
    • View Profile
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #124 on: December 05, 2018, 02:22:26 am »
? What just happened? 😶

SAGG

  • Red Light Worker
  • **
  • Posts: 256
    • View Profile
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #125 on: December 05, 2018, 08:26:27 pm »
I think I kind of see what's going on, with some characters now still alive, but aren't we missing someone, the blond haired guy? 🤔

SirBananaPie

  • Rose Petal Acolyte
  • **
  • Posts: 116
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #126 on: December 05, 2018, 11:55:57 pm »
Oh, now I get it when I read somewhere in this forum that the ability might be something Suspiria used earlier already. Was the "No Spoilers" thing something Brion put into that post? Also that post seems to be gone now.

To clarify: The Instant Karma ability is closely related to the Retribution Doll Suspiria used to kill the Conclave. So when Crest got killed while the sword was inside his enemy, the ability was triggered.

I like that outcome! ^^ It was well thought-out.

sunphoenix

  • Kinky
  • ***
  • Posts: 505
  • "..you have to give love to get love." -Wendy Pini
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #127 on: December 06, 2018, 12:44:54 am »
"This is the END!
Here’s where You’ll DIE…
Legends should Scatter,
So Just say good bye!

No one will miss you,
When you’re fin’lly Gone.
At your conclusion ~
Sing your Swan Song!

Murder Unkindness Conspiracy,
Embers Extinguished In Effigy…

Black out The sky~
All Things MUST Die~"


heh.  'nuff said.
"...no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free.  No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything - you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is Kill him." - Robert A. Heinlein

bulmabriefs144

  • Kinky
  • ***
  • Posts: 556
  • Wielder of the Sword of Sorrow
    • View Profile
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #128 on: December 06, 2018, 05:00:21 am »
Oh, now I get it when I read somewhere in this forum that the ability might be something Suspiria used earlier already. Was the "No Spoilers" thing something Brion put into that post? Also that post seems to be gone now.

To clarify: The Instant Karma ability is closely related to the Retribution Doll Suspiria used to kill the Conclave. So when Crest got killed while the sword was inside his enemy, the ability was triggered.

I like that outcome! ^^ It was well thought-out.

It was probably one of my posts. I tend to analyze every frame of anime and webcomics, and as a result sometimes figure out some of why characters are able to do stuff before it is officially announced. I don't sweat it.

Oh, I didn't realize it came from that moment. I just figured since Suspiria is adding power to the sword, that's probably part of it. 
"この世界の悪があれば本当に、それは人類の心の内にあります."
(Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind)
—Edward D. Morrison

Kiran

  • Cage Dancer
  • **
  • Posts: 330
    • View Profile
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #129 on: December 07, 2018, 10:00:47 am »
Let's be frank.
What was the reason I started reaing this comic more than 9 years ago and why I'm keeping reading it till now?
It was an advert on some webcomic list about a comic about nymphomaniac jester girl and her loyal female knight.
I expected some cheap erotic/porn and instead I got deep psychological comic about the couple struggles which as for everyone it can't be easy if the characters definition of what they want is completely different for life, but then, hey they love each other so they stay together anyway, like most of married/partners poeple...
And imagine my negative surprise when I'm start reading it in the past and I got some boring teenage poor boy as MC in that first chapter, thanks God there were more chapters to read then where I learned May and Bern are indeed the MCs of the story, if not I suppose would drop it right there if there wouldn't be shift to their perspective and finally taking over the comic like it should be :P
I don't much like or care about Crest but again having 3 full chapters of his adventure updated by 60 pages each which took over whole year of comic updates while completely sidelining Bern and May turn made me cranky about this issue. For me as being over 30 now, there's nothing worse than story with teenage boy MC being the lamest thing ever existing, hell I even more prefare a story about girl finding her jerkish prince she wants to change plot going and that would say a lot ;)
I simply think Crest if he is indeed the MC too on the same right as the girls he didn't suffer enough like other two girls just for being a guy reason and he has it easier on the abuse or sexual assault or similiar themes compared to female MCs.
Did we see Crest mouth getting raped in magical bath by Glyph by magic excuse reason?
No.
Did we see Crest getting his eyes ripped off (imaginery) or getting chewed on by cannibal monster like other woman?
No.
His serious arc was about being assaulted by a sexy girl he would normally like anyway in normal circumstances, and if we would compare that what Polly had to go through to save herself and Bern, or May in the past, it's just not fair.
Sorry I had to say it.
And in the end we now see Suspiria saved him.
I really hope some next chapter will get a bit even more into the comic lore and why such kind of magic fueled by qualia/nanomachines even exist in such technological level of a world and why some can communicate with qualia better to bend them to their will to change the world and some not.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2018, 10:07:19 am by Kiran »

Brion Foulke

  • Administrator
  • Experimental
  • *****
  • Posts: 827
    • AOL Instant Messenger - flipsider99
    • View Profile
    • www.flipsidecomics.com
    • Email
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #130 on: December 07, 2018, 12:48:47 pm »
You're allowed to like what characters you want to like, but your complaints leave a bad taste in my mouth.  Crest WAS sexually assaulted, you can't call that invalid just because Moby is "sexy."  That's not cool.  For that matter, so was Glyph in that bath since he was actually being possessed, and forced to do something against his will.  There's this whole double standard where guys being sexually assaulted is trivialized because "they'd probably like it anyway" or "they should feel grateful," which was exactly the excuse Moby used in that scene.

You have a point that the amount Crest suffered is not really equal with Bernadette.  For that matter, Maytag also doesn't "suffer" on an equal level, even though she probably goes through the most traumatic events.  That's because each character is different, with different planned arcs.  Maybe it would have been cool to take Crest's character in a different direction, and have him "suffer" more.   But people are always saying they want to see Crest get stronger, that's the direction people always seem to ask for.  So I thought it would be cool to fulfill that, but in a way that is subtly subversive.  I agree it would be boring to simply have him power up Dragon Ball Z style in an arc that amounts to a simply power fantasy, (not that I mind that kind of thing) so I wanted to do something with a few more layers underneath.  As a writer, it would be tacky for me to explain exactly what those are, but suffice to say that if you aren't seeing that, all I can really say is sorry.  Maybe I did a bad job, but hopefully others will see what I'm going for (or get something else out of it.)

Also these last 3 chapters are meant to allow me to have some fun adding more horror and Lynchian elements to the comic, since I'm a huge fan of those elements.  If that's not your bag, as I know it isn't for some people.... well, all I can really say is sorry!  We're pretty much done with that stuff for now, anyway.

I can totally see how it would be a drag how the comic has focused on him for the last year, but that's simply a factor of how webcomics work... time moves slow when it's a page at a time.  If it's any consolation, May and Bern are both planned to be getting a LOT more screentime in the near future.

SirBananaPie

  • Rose Petal Acolyte
  • **
  • Posts: 116
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Chapter 51: Discussion
« Reply #131 on: December 08, 2018, 11:13:23 am »
Oh, now I get it when I read somewhere in this forum that the ability might be something Suspiria used earlier already. Was the "No Spoilers" thing something Brion put into that post? Also that post seems to be gone now.

To clarify: The Instant Karma ability is closely related to the Retribution Doll Suspiria used to kill the Conclave. So when Crest got killed while the sword was inside his enemy, the ability was triggered.

I like that outcome! ^^ It was well thought-out.

It was probably one of my posts. I tend to analyze every frame of anime and webcomics, and as a result sometimes figure out some of why characters are able to do stuff before it is officially announced. I don't sweat it.

Oh, I didn't realize it came from that moment. I just figured since Suspiria is adding power to the sword, that's probably part of it.


Ah, so it wasn't Brion who added the "No spoilers" part then? It just meant that you were taking a wild guess and didn't actually refer to any actual power she used before?  :o Wow, that's a new experience for me. ;D