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nyxravessnow · 1 year

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I just want to clarify that I meant from what I've heard, Koujaku's and Mink's are better than Ren's, not that all three score equally low. I meant: out of all of the routes including Koujaku's and Mink's, Ren's is the least good. Sorry if it was unclear.

2023 Dramatical Murder Stage Flashback Report

Long time no see Tumblr!

I am finally back in Japan, and I am coming back with maybe a controversial post.

Back in 2019 I think I was the primary one on Tumblr talking about the stage play and I saw it twice live.

This time I managed to see it 5 times live and I have so many thoughts.

I have not seen the livestreams yet so these are all my thoughts based on seeing it live and on the Ren, Clear, Noiz, and Vitri routes which I saw. I will also not be putting in screenshots as I don't have any from the livestream.

Recast

Before I get into the report I just felt like I should deal with the recast I understand was hard for some people.

I just wanna put out a few thoughts i had on this.

No.1: Your feelings of being sad to not see Seiichan back are completely valid

No.2: Seiichan himself decided to step back and the fact that Nao was announced so soon shows that he was the understudy, and Seiichan knew about this. Therefore, Nao being there as an understudy allowed Seiichan to prioritize his health and not worry about the show his friends were so excited to return to was canceled and feel pressure to perform for them or fans.

No.3: Tsuchiya Naotake had less than a month to prepare everything for the character and yet developed such a deep and close bond with the cast, the character of Aoba, and the stage. He improved so much as the show continued and poured his heart and soul into this role. He respected the character that Seiichan set up for him and took care of the role very well.

I want to emphasize that Seiichan was not in this show and still made money from all the merchandise that had been prepared, however Nao had barely any merch, which is often the bulk of their pay for stages in Japan, and yet never once complained about the amount of work he was putting in. In the final show he even said that he has never once had negative thoughts about the show or thought it was to hard, he just loves it so much.

P.S. I am not saying Seiichan doesn't deserve to get money from merch, I am just pointing out that it is slightly unfair on Nao.

Tsuchiya Naotake

Since I've been talking about him, I will start my thoughts on the play by talking about the man playing the lead.

I will say that I liked Nao before this role in something else and was very excited to see him, however I feel like he still won me over as the show went on and I discovered trepidations about his performance I didn't know I had. I just want to highlight my thoughts by specifically talking about 3 shows that I saw.

Additionally, this is a bad situation that was not Nao's fault and this is probably the worst situation to get cast in your first main role but Nao never showed any negativity towards Aoba or the fans for this.

5/2 - Ren's Route

The first show I saw him in was Ren's route on the 2nd. I immediately knew he was very good for the role, but overall was not wowed by his performance. I think a big part of this was his chemistry with Shogo which I will get back to later.

5/5 - Clear’s Route

I could not have been more shocked by the difference only a couple of days made to Nao's performance. While on the 2nd he still seemed extremely nervous and to be holding himself back, on the 5th he was throwing himself as hard as he could into the role. My friend and I had spoken before the show about how we believed Seiichan had been better at screaming in Mink's SA scene in the first half and that night Nao performed that scene and put every ounce of himself into it. His chemistry with Yuuki was off the charts and when Yuuki (Clear) was giving him 100% of that Clear love he was giving it back 100%. Clear's route is also had bc it has 4 adlib sections for Aoba and Shogo (Ren) was being a bad senpai and not helping at all. His adlibs were so funny and really got Aoba. My favourite being 'I wonder what Clear’s face is gonna be like. Well, he has to be good looking as no one with an ass that good has a bad face.' Overall in this show he felt more relaxed and at ease with the show.

5/6 - Vitri Route

Nothing in heaven or earth could have prepared me for this route. I did ask my friend not to spoil me and I'm glad I went in blind but wow it went so much harder than I expected and Nao performed so incredibly. This route would be nothing without Nao's acting and the fact that it was so good is predominantly down to him. He was willing to go quite far to deliver a performance as game accurate as possible. His subtle changes from blank, to fear, to sadness, to anger, to pleasure were incredible to see and I was genuinely moved by his acting.

He gave himself freely to his costars and trusted in them to look after him and simply immersed himself in the performance which is difficult to do, especially for a show such as that.

I am so glad he got a route all of his own where he cannot be compared to anyone else as I feel this took the pressure off him and relaxed into it.

P.S. Also if you see any post show pics around curtain call of Nao looking blank they are most likely from Vitri route as in all the other curtain calls he was smiling so widely and was so happy, and the contrast with Vitri's was amazing.

He put his whole heart into this show, did so much research and loves this show and every character truly so much

He could have acted the exact same without the same love for the show and he still would have been excellent

But the amount of positive things he said about the other actors, characters, rehearsals, all the routes, and the play in general really showed a deep love and appreciation for the original and the fans. He even was constantly positive about the Vitri route, shocking even their actors, as he poured out his love for every single one in an effort to make the audience love it even a little bit more

He had to, rather quickly, learn a really difficult script and choreography (created for another actor with acrobatic talents that he did not possess prior to this show) And by the final shows there was no way you could have known any of that from just watching the show

Aoba is truly one of the hardest roles in not just 2.5D, not just Japanese theatre, but theatre in general bc you basically have to learn 6 separate scripts, hard dance and fight choreography, be on stage for like 2 hours straight and in every scene, do all of the sex scenes too

But this never once dampened his love or spirit.

In the first show for Noiz route, he forgot two of his lines and had a couple of seconds of silence before he remembered them and he was crying at curtain call.

He put so much pressure onto himself and delivered to us I think some of the best acting in 2.5D, especially from a relatively new actor

As a result of this role, it would not be an exaggeration to say he is among my favourite actors.

I also appreciate how, despite this being his first ever experience of anything BL (yaoi is a term used exclusively in the west), he approached it with 0 judgement to the genre or fans. He said he once believed it was a genre where men fell in love with men, but through dmmd has discovered it is rather about a love that gender is not dependent on, or someone you fall in love with that happens to be a man.

Also, he is an absolute Koujaku simp and it was so sweet to see his eyes glitter every time Koujaku did anything. (This made me want to see Koujaku's route so much as my friend said it was their best one and Nao even added an extra kiss in the final performance)

Whatever you think about Nao and the recast, he has now played Aoba for the same amount of time as Seiichan and has made the role as much his own as Seiichan did. Aoba belongs to Seiichan and he now belongs to Nao too.

Routes

I now want to finally give my thoughts on some of the routes and the show in general. The only order I have put them in is how much I have to say about them.

5/2-5/5-5/6-5/7-5/7 First Half, 'Mizuki's route'

Unofficially dubbed Mizuki's route by some of the cast, which is incorrect pls give us actual Mizuki route, the first half of the play is a simple improvement on the original. The group has different dynamics, acting choices are different, and there are parts I prefer with Nao and parts I prefer with Seiichan but overall as a show, it is an improvement on the original and the blocking and staging sees little change. Naoya (Mizuki) screams his heart after scrap and he is truly the mvp of the first half.

5/7 - Noiz's route

I will start with the show I have the least to say about. It was good! Nao and Rikiya (Noiz) have good chemistry and the show felt very true to the original. Personally Noiz and his route isn't for me and I think some of the jumps they make in the story can be a bit jarring but overall is very good. The hospital sex scene is still really weird in its choreography and I don't necessarily vibe with it. If you liked it before l, good bc it is exactly the same XD

5/2-5/7 - Ren's Route

I'm not gonna say too much about this route bc I don't want to be negative but I do think this is the worst route on stage, including Koujaku's and Mink's too from what I have heard about them. Nao and Shogo have fantastic chemistry...as brothers. They never give off the vibe of lovers and first day I saw the sex scene they barely looked at each other. Nao is a very reciprocal actor and it was clear that there were not really any romantic sparks flying from either side for the route. This is the only route I will say, and ever say, that I wish we'd had Seiichan instead of Nao for. Shogo felt like he was holding himself back with Nao and, with how well he knows Seiichan, I can't see him doing that with him. Whenever not with Ren, Nao was excellent but I was left wanting a bit more from their dynamic.

5/5 - Clear’s Route

This was beautiful and heartbreaking in all the right ways. On the final night of Clear’s Route, Yuuki poured every single ounce of love he has for Clear into the role and Nao answered this in kind. During their final sex scene there was not a dry eye around me.

Yuuki delivered the cutest Clear but also showed how mature Clear could be when speaking to his brothers or Toue. Despite not having much to work with as Toue not having an official actor to play off, Yuuki screamed, shouted, and showed us the human heart that Clear has. His kindness, his love, and his maturity.

Like I said above Nao's adlibs during Clear’s various dressing scenes were also very amusing, and it contrasted well with the heartbreaking moments in Clear’s Route.

5/6 - Vitri's route

So, where to begin. I do want to say, in my very personal opinion, this route would have been very different either Seiichan and I don't know that he would have been comfortable with going as far as Nao did for parts. This is purely speculation and is not meant to demean Seiichan as an actor. It is a hard thing to do and we are not owed him feeling comfortable with it.

Sections that are covered in this route are:

- Beginning of Ren's route

- Aoba abduction

- Introduction of Aoba in Vitri's house

- Shower scene

- How Vitri became fans of Aoba

- Picking a hand

- Virus' room

- The box

- Trip's room

- Being taken from the box and back to Virus' room

- Vitri past

- Vitri and Aoba scene

- Ending with Aoba's situation after half a year with them

We did also get to see them talking to Mizuki about Dry Juice and Morphine but I cannot remember where this slotted in.

Whereas other routes had 2-3 min sex scenes, Vitri route had 3 seperate scenes, not including force feeding, all about 2-3 mins.

It was weirdly moving(?) to watch? Nao's acting was just phenomenal and was incredible to see three completely different sides to Aoba. Modern Aoba, past Aoba, and Vitri route Aoba, within a short span of time and acted so differently.

Also, Nao's dancing without a shirt on to Masculine Devil is something that has to be witnessed.

I love how before the curtain call for every show Nao was smiling ear to ear in every route as he looked at the character Aoba had fallen for, but in Vitri, he removed all expression from his face and just looked empty.

There was a lot of hilarity about the fact that when the dancing starts Aoba is just lying on the ground as everyone claps their hands and waves their ringlights.

Overall

If you are thinking of which one to buy, this is my ranking of the ones I've seen:

- Vitri (mainly for Nao's acting) 9/10

- Clear 8.5/10

- Noiz 7/10

- Ren 6.5/10

This show was a fantastic Rerun that showcased many actors improvements from the years they've been away and an amazing performance from a new Aoba.

I can only hope that we get another stage soon and get to see more of these actors and characters.

Let me know if you have any questions or what me to expand on anything!

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nyxravessnow · 1 year

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2023 Dramatical Murder Stage Flashback Report

Long time no see Tumblr!

I am finally back in Japan, and I am coming back with maybe a controversial post.

Back in 2019 I think I was the primary one on Tumblr talking about the stage play and I saw it twice live.

This time I managed to see it 5 times live and I have so many thoughts.

Recast

Before I get into the report I just felt like I should deal with the recast I understand was hard for some people.

I just wanna put out a few thoughts i had on this.

No.1: Your feelings of being sad to not see Seiichan back are completely valid

P.S. I am not saying Seiichan doesn't deserve to get money from merch, I am just pointing out that it is slightly unfair on Nao.

Tsuchiya Naotake

Since I've been talking about him, I will start my thoughts on the play by talking about the man playing the lead.

5/2 - Ren's Route

5/5 - Clear’s Route

5/6 - Vitri Route

He gave himself freely to his costars and trusted in them to look after him and simply immersed himself in the performance which is difficult to do, especially for a show such as that.

I am so glad he got a route all of his own where he cannot be compared to anyone else as I feel this took the pressure off him and relaxed into it.

He put his whole heart into this show, did so much research and loves this show and every character truly so much

He could have acted the exact same without the same love for the show and he still would have been excellent

But this never once dampened his love or spirit.

In the first show for Noiz route, he forgot two of his lines and had a couple of seconds of silence before he remembered them and he was crying at curtain call.

He put so much pressure onto himself and delivered to us I think some of the best acting in 2.5D, especially from a relatively new actor

As a result of this role, it would not be an exaggeration to say he is among my favourite actors.

Routes

I now want to finally give my thoughts on some of the routes and the show in general. The only order I have put them in is how much I have to say about them.

5/2-5/5-5/6-5/7-5/7 First Half, 'Mizuki's route'

5/7 - Noiz's route

5/2-5/7 - Ren's Route

5/5 - Clear’s Route

Like I said above Nao's adlibs during Clear’s various dressing scenes were also very amusing, and it contrasted well with the heartbreaking moments in Clear’s Route.

5/6 - Vitri's route

Sections that are covered in this route are:

- Beginning of Ren's route

- Aoba abduction

- Introduction of Aoba in Vitri's house

- Shower scene

- How Vitri became fans of Aoba

- Picking a hand

- Virus' room

- The box

- Trip's room

- Being taken from the box and back to Virus' room

- Vitri past

- Vitri and Aoba scene

- Ending with Aoba's situation after half a year with them

We did also get to see them talking to Mizuki about Dry Juice and Morphine but I cannot remember where this slotted in.

Whereas other routes had 2-3 min sex scenes, Vitri route had 3 seperate scenes, not including force feeding, all about 2-3 mins.

Also, Nao's dancing without a shirt on to Masculine Devil is something that has to be witnessed.

There was a lot of hilarity about the fact that when the dancing starts Aoba is just lying on the ground as everyone claps their hands and waves their ringlights.

Overall

If you are thinking of which one to buy, this is my ranking of the ones I've seen:

- Vitri (mainly for Nao's acting) 9/10

- Clear 8.5/10

- Noiz 7/10

- Ren 6.5/10

This show was a fantastic Rerun that showcased many actors improvements from the years they've been away and an amazing performance from a new Aoba.

I can only hope that we get another stage soon and get to see more of these actors and characters.

Let me know if you have any questions or what me to expand on anything!

#dramatical murder #dmmd #dramatical murder stage play #dmmd stageplay #dmmd flashback #tsuchiya naotake

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nyxravessnow · 2 years

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Hi, I wanna buy some old 2.5 stages, wonder where I can reach you, since the discord link I have has been invalid now. Thanks in advance!

Sorry anon I no longer offer that service anywhere but if you want to buy stages Animate International, CDJapan, and amazon.jp might be your best bet. Not all of them ship abroad on amazon.jp but a surprising amount do

#Answer

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nyxravessnow · 2 years

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this is so sweet 🥺🥺🥺

#godzilla #trans rights #pride month

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nyxravessnow · 2 years

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Nothing feels more free than the realization that canon, fanon, and headcanon are all 1000% fake and made up and therefore all equally true and equally false. None are better or worse than the other. They just either appeal to you or they don't.

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nyxravessnow · 2 years

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[Announcement] ミュージカル『青春-AOHARU-鉄道』～誰が為にのぞみは走る～ (musical aoharu tetsudou ~ta ga tame ni nozomi wa hashiru~)

the show will be running from August 18th, 2022 to August 28th, 2022 (Tokyo) @ 品川プリンスホテルステラボール (Shinagawa Prince Hotel Stella Hall)

Keep reading

#my beloved #Musical Aoharu Tetsudou #PRINCE HOTEL

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nyxravessnow · 2 years

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the real test of what you were like as a kid

1. which barbie movie was your favourite

2. what period of history were you obsessed with

3. which book/series you have the most distinct memories of reading for the first time

#barbie princess charm school #tudor #percy jackson and the olympians

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nyxravessnow · 2 years

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youtube

mischief discord my beloved <3

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nyxravessnow · 2 years

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Exploring the Foundations of Relationships: An Angstronauts Analysis

Ah yes, my favorite group of mentally ill teenagers. Today we're gonna be looking at the inner machinations of the characters in Angstronauts.

(no this didn't take over a month to write. i have no idea what you're talking about /s)

We're mainly looking at the characters rather than the story because while I love it as much as Ipswitch it Up, it doesn't have as much symbolism or parallelism. The plot isn't quite as complicated either; however, the characters are. Thus, instead of a section for songs or specific characters, we're mostly going to be looking at the relationships, since it's very tightly intertwined with the other elements.

The following sections are as follows:

Setup and Execution

Establishing Relationships

Developmental Relationships

Conclusion

Also, for discernment's sake, Henry Lewis' character will be referred to as "Wolliam" while Henry Shields' character will be called "Walliam". While it's very amusing that the two actors who share a name also share one in the show, it would be a pain in the ass to do that here, so different vowels it is.

Now, without further ado, let us take a deep dive into the characters of Angstronauts.

Setup and Execution

This is one of the two main reasons I wanted to write this analysis. It's no secret that the relationships here are a very interesting topic. So, let's look at the three canon romantic relationships in this show and branch from there: Karen + Wolliam, Molly + Walliam, and Susan + Billy.

Queerly enough, pretty much everyone I've talked to (hi mischief discord) about these couples have the same opinion: that two of them aren't quite convincing. And knowing that people have also said Karen and Wolliam are cute together, it's easy to guess which two couples those are.

(Before we continue I must disclaim, I am by no means a professional lmao. Any technical stuff I say here is picked up purely from the internet or from my own observations. I am but a nerdy teenager.)

What's even more intriguing is that people like to pair Susan with Molly, and Billy with Walliam. Now, you can just argue that this is the gay agenda kicking in, but it's really not (just) that. There's logic to the shipping! And I think I can pinpoint a couple of factors that contribute to this. Starting with:

Time limit

Of course, trying to flesh out three romances in one hour is hard, much less so including the platonic and familial relationships. The fact that there's six main characters alone provides a struggle. There's inevitably going to be elements that get more fleshed out than others. Heck, you can even argue that some characters already get more focus than others; perhaps Susan and Billy, as they're the ones who go through the most drama, conflict, and drastic character growth, with everyone else supporting them. Therefore, to make sure that everyone else is close to the par, it's important that they use their screen time wisely and make the most of it.

Susan and Billy's one-on-one interactions include only the first scene where they meet and their confrontation in the rocket ship at the end. Their other scenes together are shared with the rest of the ensemble, where they don't get as much focus. What we do see shows that they're not the... best relationship to root for, as it's actually quite detrimental. Molly even sings a whole song about that. It doesn't help that Billy's the last of the teens to learn his lesson, right at the climax. The "I love you"s are exchanged immediately after; understandable considering they're very emotional teenagers, but it can feel a little rushed. We don't see enough build-up to it, making it basically a victim of pacing.

Then there's Molly and Walliam. Their one-on-one conversations include their meeting, the 15 seconds before everyone meets up to go to space (I'm not kidding– I counted from the moment Walliam walks on to when the others arrive. Fifteen seconds.), and the exchange of compliments after they save Billy's dad. Again, other interactions are shared with the ensemble. What's more, any romantic attraction they show is very subtle, so subtle that you could even take it as platonic. Which would be fine for a two-hour runtime, because then there'd be time to slow burn, but it's not favorable for one hour. One hour that you're sharing with five other people. You can get away with clear admissions of attraction at the very start to get it over with and move on with the pursuit/navigation of an actual romantic relationship, like Karen and Susan with their crushes. Molly and Walliam are just eternally in that... wink wink nudge nudge first stage, especially since, again, they literally only have about five minutes together. So we really don't form that much of a connection to this romance, if at all.

(The Virgins Molly "you remind me of books" and Walliam "you remind me of my dead mother" vs. the Chads Susan "I like you so much" and Karen "just wait 'til you're my lover")

However, I actually think this is the least important factor, because while time does contribute significant limitations, there is the fact that Karen and Wolliam do have as little, if not lesser screen time than the other couples, and yet they're considered the most convincing of the bunch. What's more, the pairings that the fandom likes so much only get one scene each! So, what else could be the reason?

Development

Conflict is the heart of many stories, and arcs more so. Of course, you can have static characters or relationships, but changes, struggles, and impact on one another are what suck an audience in and makes them engaged. Overall, development is what makes something interesting. If an element doesn't develop well, or doesn't develop at all without reason, then it'll fall flat.

Karen + Wolliam have development with Karen assuring Wolliam that he's worthy of being loved and that his disability and difference doesn't make him less of a person (which is a really nice message btw, man we need more of that gahh) and overall providing the message that being different is what makes us whole and great. We see them overcome insecurities and mutually benefit each other, all while being relevant to the theme and plot! Great!

Meanwhile, we see the two other pairs fall victim to the two problems I mentioned: Billy and Susan don't develop super well, and Molly and Walliam don't develop at all.

Arguably though, the former at least is interesting, because they have conflict and do reform eventually in the end, however rushed; Molly and Walliam are just. There. There's no conflict or anything learnt. Sure, there's the theme of fitting in, but Karen and Wolliam kind of got that in the bag. I'd say they even did it better, specifically because of the last factor, which we'll get to in a bit.

With both these couples, attraction is established or implied, they spend their character arcs away from each other, and then hug and compliment each other at the end.

If we look at the other relationships, we see that they have their own developments too. Billy and his dad of course have their conflict, Billy and Walliam have a rivalry that starts to mend as Walliam realizes what Billy's going through, and though Susan pushes Molly back, Molly helps her look past her low self-esteem. Thus, we start to understand why fans may latch onto these duos more, and this is further emphasized by the final factor.

Songs

This may sound strange at first, but here's the thing with musicals. Songs are the core, of course, and with songs, emotions tend to be amplified. Putting feelings and lessons in rhyme and music makes them more impactful. And because of that, songs are very efficient for getting a point across in a short amount of time. So songs are a combination of the two other factors: time efficiency and development.

You can have someone spill out their feelings in a purely spoken way, sure, but at the end of the day you will probably be more connected with the characters who sing their heart out rather than the characters who don't. It's the same with relationships.

If we count, Karen + Wolliam get 1 1/2 songs that focus on them (the half coming from Show You Around), Molly + Walliam get 1/2, and Susan + Billy get 1 (or 2, if you count Space Facts separately. I didn't only because it's kind of continuing from You're Rad).

But we also have to look at the content of the songs. In You're Rad/Space Facts, aside from expressing attraction to one another, Susan and Billy aren't that vulnerable, keeping up the cool unbothered persona. Which is fine, this is their first encounter. But then again, that's it. That's all the songs we get from them, which is the most emotional connection we get.

In Show You Around, let's compare Molly's verse to Karen's:

Molly: Let me show you around Welcome to Space School There's labs and test tubes and telescopes You can see into the clouds, there's so far to go

Karen: Let me show you around There's so many things to discover And you might think that you've seen it all But just wait 'til you are my lover

And Walliam to Wolliam's:

Walliam: You can show me around I feel like I'm falling I'm being swept away on a rocket ship right now

Wolliam: I've seen very little From my life up to this point I'd love to meet new people, but I'm scared I might disappoint.

Molly and Walliam talk about looking around the school and becoming familiar with each other, while Karen reiterates her attraction to Wolliam and he opens up to her about his insecurities. We can see that the latter's duet is considerably more vulnerable than the other, and thus, we're more attached to them. What's more, Karen and Wolliam get another adorable duet together later on about a valuable lesson, so that automatically puts them miles ahead of the other romances lmfao.

The other pairings even get their own songs! Billy and his dad + Billy and Walliam get Why Does My Dad Hate Me, and Molly and Susan get You Know Your Name. And guess what: these two songs and Might Be Different nail all the factors on the head! They happen during points of development, the amplified emotion as songs hits harder, and therefore makes up for the limited screen time!! Would you look at that!!!

So, yeah, that's my working theory on why the fandom is more drawn to Walliam/Billy and Susan/Molly rather than their canon partners. Now, let's look at the relationships themselves, their places in the story, and what they do for it.

Establishing Relationships

Why do I call these "establishing relationships"? Well simply put, they are the relationships that, while not as integral to the story and character growths, do establish characters and their personalities. It might seem a little... biased, but I swear there's a reason I'm partitioning certain ones off. And it's not like these relationships don't have their merit! So, let's start with:

Molly & Walliam

Sigh, these two. Given more focus, more clear declarations of attraction, and declarations of attraction that are not just "You remind me of my mother", these two could've been just as nice of a romantic couple as Karen and Wolliam, or as interesting as Susan and Billy. Alas, considering their actual presence in the story, this isn't the case.

But that isn't necessarily a bad thing! It is through them that we learn their base characteristics: Molly's affinity for books and foreign exotic lands such as England, and Walliam's posh politeness. We get their beliefs too: Molly thinks everyone at Space School is cooler than her and Walliam thinks fulfilling his mother's wish is of utmost importance. Molly offers to help him get accustomed; thus, we get the impression that she's the more confident of the two, which comes into play later. And because of Walliam's protectiveness over Molly, he forms a conflict with Billy, which then leads into his character development.

Looking at the interactions they do have, they are a constant comfort for each other in the story: see Molly asking if Walliam is ready for the mission, for example. Though they eventually fall flat in the romance department, at the very least, they do have the vibe of best friends. They are each other's starting point in their journeys, as well as each other's checkpoints.

Susan & Billy

These two are interesting cases. Individually, they might seem contradictory at first: Susan reads books, as implied by Molly when she returns one to her, but is not considered smart enough to get into the school without bribery; Billy still wanted Susan to recite Space Facts to prove she's smart enough even though he later says books are for nerds.

But for Susan, it becomes a lot more understandable if you consider that she may have low self-esteem. She truly believes she's not smart, but does spend time reading books. Though, that can't be acceptable, because she's got a facade of coolness and not nerdiness to hold up. Furthermore, she's attracted to Billy because he's (seemingly) everything she wants to emulate: confident, carefree, and cool, but he doesn't seem to approve of reading either. So, why should she?

Meanwhile Billy does this thing I like to call ✨~projection~✨, where he imposes his father's expectations of him onto others. Susan in his shadow emulates Billy in his dad's shadow, and he probably sees that, though maybe subconsciously. So while he expects her to be knowledgeable, he still belittles her to feel superior. And again, he has a reputation of being rad and chill, to look cool in front of other people in general. His dad, though an astronaut, doesn't really seem like a nerd anyways.

At the end of the day though, their cool personas are very, very, shallow.

This further feeds into the theme of "fitting in".

Billy: If you don't like space, you're not going to fit in with space school.

This is Billy imposing his dad's (and the whole school's as well, considering Mr. Madison is a teacher) expectations onto Susan, who also wants to receive validation. They both want to fit in.

Now, they were a rather... unsteady relationship. Billy was chill to the point of apathy, and Susan ended up abandoning her identity to please him. Billy put her down to feel higher than someone for once, and Susan allowed it to make up for her low self-esteem. Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, this is an example of trauma festering like mold and staining a relationship!

What makes it sadder is that these two do seem to care for each other; they have reason to, anyways. Though the vulnerability in their song was minimal, it was still there, especially with Billy:

Billy: Wait, sometimes it takes years to get somewhere?... That's what my dad's always saying! He's always saying it's gonna take you years, Billy, because you're good for nothing!... My dad, you know, he's the biggest astronaut in space, in the world, in history. And I need to make him proud, alright? So, I got a reputation here.

Plus, of course, the flirting. And because of that, they were attracted to each other through familiarity and sort of wish fulfillment.

However, their complicated natures does lead us to rooting for them to overcome their issues so they can treat each other better. Or to get with other people who will. Either way, the harm does dampen the unfortunately rushed resolution at the end, as mentioned, but like with Molly and Walliam, we get a good idea for their characters because of this pairing. Both putting on an extremely shallow front of rebellion, apathy, and coolness, yet craving for validation, going to opposite extremes to get it, and both crumbling under some sort of authority.

Wolliam & Walliam

Wolliam is introduced by Walliam and we do get some of his establishing traits through that, though on a more surface-level way. We technically learn more about Wolliam through Karen, but we'll get to that later. Really, this does set up a bit about Walliam: how close and caring he is with his family. Though he bluntly mentions Wolliam's shortcomings, he looks after him. Him mentioning that it was also his mother's wish to bring Wolliam to space school alludes to how dedicated Walliam is to fulfilling it. He's very protective, further shown when that protectiveness extends to Molly, and tries to make sure Wolliam doesn't get into trouble and hurt himself. Though to be fair, that's just kind of decent human behavior lmao, but it's still telling what kind of guy he is. Just a caring person when it comes to loved ones, though that kindness does not extend to people who hurt said loved ones. More on that later.

Billy & Mr. Madison

These two are sort of a mix of establishing and developmental, so I'll put them right smack dab in the middle. In the scenes between them, we learn what kind of person Mr. Madison is (a horrible one) and why exactly Billy is the way he is (pressure and need for validation). Billy thinks that being cool at school would help impress his dad, and tries his best to do well in the mission. Mr. Madison, meanwhile, doesn't really care much for his son, much less his emotional well-being, and reminds him constantly that he's a disappointment. Though it's not outright confirmed, one could assume this is also to keep up his own reputation. The only thing that shakes Mr. Madison out of this mindset is when Billy nearly dies trying to save him. Which is concerning that it had to go that far. But this is the developmental part: Mr. Madison realizes the error of his ways and the dangerous ideals he's pushed Billy into, and Billy in turn fully sees what he's capable of.

Developmental Relationships

Onto these pairs! I call them "developmental relationships" because these ones directly impact a character's arc; they are the reason why the characters learn and grow. Because of that, they usually add the most to the plot and theme. Starting with:

Susan & Molly

guys... they're gay guys they're so gay okay just trust m

Anyways. Molly is established as a nerd, and views other kids at school as "cooler" than herself. She is stereotypically nervous, though not unfriendly, fascinated with the fictional world of Britain (/j), and therefore fascinated with Walliam.

But first and foremost, it must be said, Molly is a reader. She reads not just books, but people. She often proves how observational she is: she saw through Susan's facade easily and correctly stated the reason why Mr. Madison changed his name (because he didn't want to be associated with his son). Molly is analytical. She may be a little insecure but she is smart, and that is the one thing she is confident about, if not anything else. And though it does not seem obvious at first, she does go through development, and it revolves around this very trait.

As mentioned, Molly feels like she doesn't fit in with the rest of the school because they're "cooler" than her. For most of the scene with Billy and Susan, she's quiet too, not speaking much. But with Susan, Molly overcame that nervousness and confronted her easily. Which might seem strange as it comes out of nowhere, but there's a reason for this. Molly sees a fellow woman being put down, and she can't possibly stand for that. So here, Molly finds a good use for her knowledge and wisdom; she knows something about Susan that she herself doesn't know, and who's going to help her realize that if not Molly? Who cares if she isn't as cool? Susan needs help, and Molly has got to be the person to provide it.

Molly: I hear you, and I see you, Susan.

Thus, Molly finds her equal footing through helping Susan, someone she considers much cooler than her, and becomes more confident through that.

Susan is the other reason why I wanted to write this analysis. She puts on the impression of being cool and chill, like Billy, while also being rebellious. However, we learn she isn't quite any of these. At first I wasn't sure what exactly her motivations were, but then I realized: she has low self-esteem. She genuinely doesn't believe she's smart, further backed up by the fact that her dad paid for her to attend. Furthermore, she craves validation, as seen by her acting dumb for Billy.

Later on, Susan reveals that she's picked up a lot of her behavior from magazines and TV, specifically the more rigid socially-acceptable image of women and femininity. Note that she doesn't seem to trust herself with making decisions either– again, self-esteem issues:

Susan: But I'm only 18 and what do I know... I've got magazines telling me / how to be / When really I’m listening to it and ingesting it and I’m seeing it on TV / And on my phone / It's really bad (It's really bad!) / And like, there's a lot of constraints on my body!

Susan is the unfortunate victim of performative feminism: sure, be cool and rebellious, it is a progressive world after all (/s), but do everything in your womanly power to please men and not dominate them!

Of course, when one internalizes all of that and then some, they tend to lose sense of who they really are. Thus Susan's journey circles around identity and reclaiming the agency she's shoved in a box to appease a boy she likes. And if Karen is Wolliam's rock, then Molly is Susan's. Molly is the one who guides Susan to realizing her true worth. And man, if the resulting song isn't one of the most empowering bops ever, then I don't know what is.

Molly: You know your name, you know your name / It's not what another man calls you.

(can I just mention that tend to act completely different than their normal self around their crushes? outgoing people become shy and meek people become more confident. so like. i dunno haha crazy)

Note how the song happens during this point of development that proved effective in providing growth and attachment through fleshing out their characters and relationships. We learn why Susan acts the way she is, her starting to overcome that, and we see Molly be confident.

Thereafter, Molly ensures that they'll see each other again, in the casual way that confirms they're all good now (ah yes, "I'll see you at 6AM", the classic gay code /j), and walks off just as Susan realizes she's gay. Anyways,

Walliam & Billy

they're gay they're so gay guys listen to m

Walliam is an interesting character. Not gonna lie, I even find him quite compelling. Our first impression of him is a meek, posh stereotype of a British man, supposed to impersonate a Bronte character. He takes a shine to Molly, saying she reminds him of his poor dead mother who died of consumption ten years ago (I can never take this seriously I'm sorry idk how you express attraction but that's Not It), so he becomes rather protective of her. However it is because of this protectiveness that we see the other side of him: when Billy proves to be a disrespectful jerk, Walliam is more snarky and even a little mean, not letting up the jabs even after they all witness Mr. Cleaver call Billy a disappointment. But considering his motivation we can guess why.

Walliam was advised by his dying mother on her deathbed to follow his dreams. He seems very intent on fulfilling that request, and if Molly truly reminds him of her, then his protectiveness is also telling.

(Trust me, I am not comfortable with comparing his supposed love interest with his mother, but this is what they give us, and I must use it. Just... keep in mind he most probably didn't feel romantic attraction towards his mother. I certainly wouldn't want it to be the case. You could also say he doesn't feel romantic attraction towards Molly at all. Both are acceptable and encouraged.)

Walliam has a sense of self-righteousness, plus he also views Billy as an obstacle between him and achieving his goals of going to space. We can even see this dislike through his lines in The Pressure is Mounting (where you can even see his own thing with worth):

Walliam: I'm gonna show what I'm worth / You're gonna pay for what you said.

and Why Does My Dad Hate Me:

Walliam: How did I end up in this stupid race?

The choice of words, "stupid race", reveals that Walliam did truly see the mission as more of a competition, an "us vs. them" scenario. While he's more confident in his identity, he tends to other himself and ostracize Billy, who's far from the definition of a posh respectable man. If Billy's gonna be mean and not help out, then Walliam will be mean right back. So he acts hostile towards Billy with his British Snark, thinking it deserved. If you squint, you'll realize that it's probably a trait spawned from his own self-esteem issues. He'll go to such extents to prove himself and rise above the rest so as to not disappoint his dead mother. As such, Walliam is someone who does not take kindly to having his and his loved ones' dignity desecrated.

Meanwhile Billy over here is one hell of a self-deprecating little man. He's got it all: greaser vibes, sad boy vibes, a dad who constantly reiterates how disappointing he is, a chill facade, self-hatred, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. He likes Susan because she understands him and never makes him feel bad. He talks about getting a tattoo of his dad shitting but never actually talks back to him. He prefers to be a lone wolf of sorts, initially disliking everyone except Susan (though he still treats her badly), and pushing away any help, probably in fear of feeling inferior. He has it drilled into his head that he alone must make his father proud, and that asking for help makes him weak. Here we can see him lashing out after being shown a sliver of kindness:

Billy: What pressure man, I'm under no pressure! Mary Poppins. And I don't need any sympathy from some jackass like you.

Now, here's the kicker. Karen helped Wolliam, and Molly helped Susan. Here, Walliam helps Billy. When Walliam walks into the scene between Billy and his dad, he sees the full extent of what Billy's going through without the bias of emotional justice like earlier. And he shows this realization through song!

Walliam: Why did I think that Billy was such a bad guy...

Walliam gains sympathy for Billy, realizing that although he should try to achieve his dream of going to space, he shouldn't put down others in the process, even if they're assholes. Especially if they're assholes even, because they might be going through some shit that causes them to act like they do. Instead, Walliam learns to extend help, to comfort and to improve Billy, so that he becomes better and help out the rest of the crew. Though Billy pushes him away and bites back once more, Walliam still offers a sliver of advice, an olive branch:

Walliam: Maybe one day Billy, you'll see... it's okay to let people in.

He then gives that iconic phrase ("I'll see you at 6AM 🏳️‍🌈") before walking off, leaving us to see Billy soften in regret and try to call after Walliam– proving he was struck by his words– before his dad interrupts.

And we see Walliam go through with what he's learned, encouraging Billy later on to treat Susan like a decent human being! Truly a gentleman he becomes during this show. And of course, because of this, Billy listens to Susan and feels regret when she finally calls him out.

Again, a scene with a song that happens as a point of development and fleshens out characters and relationships! It establishes just how Billy and his dad interact and Walliam's realization that Billy wasn't really a bad guy. This and the last song really helps these scenes stick with us.

Wolliam & Karen

There's a reason I've saved these two for last. Out of all the canon couples, they are the ones I'm most touched by, and not just because of how well-executed they were, but also because of what they represent.

I'm starting with Wolliam first because he's probably the least developed of the characters; yet despite this, we do actually know quite a bit about him. Wolliam has a wish to be social but seems insecure about his ability to impress

Wolliam: I wish to meet new people, but / I'm afraid I might disappoint.

He's well aware of the fact that people think he's weird and believes that no one wants to hang out with him; until, that is, he meets Karen.

Karen, for the most part, is a static character. She doesn't undergo much development or learn anything new; sure, she mentions having anxiety and even shows that from time to time (her hands sweating when she's hanging out with Wolliam, jumping when Mr. Madison sets his helmet down), but she seems to have already learned how to deal with it before the story started, as she's peppy and outgoing. She doesn't encounter any challenges at all. However, this does not mean she's a bad character! She does have a personality (however simplistic; again, time limit) as well as a clear motivation: to get together with Wolliam. And when it comes to static characters, their purpose is often not to develop, but to develop others. They're meant to impact, to be the rock that everyone relies and builds upon. And this is seen in Karen's role as the glue of the group.

Karen is the one who introduces Molly to Walliam, and by proxy Wolliam. Then when Susan and Billy show up, she's the only person who is overtly friendly towards them, throwing her hands around them at one point and excitedly calling them all a team. She humors Billy in Pressure is Mounting, saying "I get you, of course I do" (which, knowing how Billy often feels like no one gets him and pushes others away, especially his dad, feels very important. It's a small detail but one I appreciate). She quite literally is the thing keeping the group together with her friendliness and openness.

With these two, Karen most directly impacts Wolliam, guiding him to self-acceptance through their bonding and sympathy. She's the reason why Wolliam's personality is established as well, because their trust lets him open up and talk about his insecurities. She's his rock, the one least wary or scared of him and the only one who truly befriends him, and she's the one to teach him that he deserves to be treated like anyone else, that there is comfort in being different because it's what makes each person unique and whole.

Here's the thing. Karen and Wolliam, in a way, encompass all the themes of Angstronauts. They're almost like a summary, a showcase of what the others go through, especially considering that they go through the least drastic development and their song comes after everyone else's. What's more, Wolliam is one of the reasons they all come together at the end, in order to retrieve his helmet; a helmet he gives up in a moment of self-sacrifice to help Billy. It's the most drastic example of compassion. Showing compassion and sympathy, embracing one's own difference, and realizing your own inherent self-worth are all themes the crew encounters, and Karen and Wolliam sum it up perfectly in their scene together.

Karen & Wolliam: Because you might be different, but I might be different / and that's what makes us whole.

So. Now that we've analyzed all that, what exactly is Angstronauts about?

Conclusion

Over the course of the movie, we see each character interacting with each other, struggling and learning to work together. With each new bond formed, this circle of students link together to form a fully-realized group of friends, to the point where they literally link together to save someone despite his shitty behavior. Throughout all of this, we see several crucial factors that guided these teenagers through their journeys.

Well, of course, the main theme here is compassion. Compassion for those who are struggling, compassion for those who are deemed "different" by society, compassion that is expected of good parents for their children, compassion for people who may not even fully deserve it. It is through other people's compassion that certain characters grow and/or learn from their mistakes. Molly makes Susan realize her own identity and worth, as does Karen with Wolliam, Walliam softly tells Billy that it's okay to ask for help and encourages him to be a better boyfriend, and Billy saving his dad shows him how competent his son really is and how shitty of a father he's been. Extending kindness is how we as people grow.

The secondary theme we can take from this show is the need to fit in, or lack thereof. The other character developments involve them embracing their "weirdness" and individuality, overcoming it or even using it to help others. Molly confronts Susan with her observations, Walliam stops othering himself from Billy to offer advice, and Karen uses her experiences to make Wolliam feel better. One must value their inherent self-worth, as well as others'. As such, it's encouraged to be yourself, as expressed by Susan in the last song:

Susan: There's no point in being someone you're not / whether it's your outfit, makeup, or your attitude / Just change it up and be yourself / and trust me, you'll be happy!

TL;DR Angstronauts is about compassion, fitting in, and working that through one's relationships. Though one may hurt and be hurt, human connection can heal.

So yeah !! That is my analysis of Angstronauts and its relationships. This took a good while to write man, but I'm happy I got to delve into this neat little show I love :D. Now back to working on Croydonosaurus 2 :)

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