This has been bothering me for a while. But Lou is actually such a well-thought-out character I need to rant about him. Honestly, at times, he reminds me of myself, not in the way we act. Nowhere are complete polar opposites. But in the way how he struggles with emotions. With feeling like a person. For me, the whole point of his character is to show how much an environment with no one there for you can impact you. This can be shown with some of the other characters in CoD as well, but I'm biased.
Both in the prince's path and in his consort's path we can see his own struggle. More so in his consort's path than in the prince's path but my point remains the same. What really hits hard for me is the fact that at times throughout the story you can see him express his own genuine emotions. Not as much as a normal person would but it's still there. Yet he doesn't notice this himself half the time. And continuously tells himself he truly is just a husk of a being. He was raised to be a disposable tool just like all the other Vanans in Sekitopia. From what we saw in his consorts path chapter 17, he truly was raised without anyone there for him emotionally and physically. It seems that without someone there he didn't know how to feel. And was either secluded from the rest or an even sadder prospect excluded himself feeling as though he didn't belong. While still just a small child. That doesn't work in favor of anyone's development and all in all, just made things worse. As we see from the Lou we meet at the begging of his consort path and the beginning of the prince's path. What we do know is that he was alone while not being alone. And that's one of the worst feelings you could ever feel, coming from someone who knows it quite well. Eventually, he was given a chance to be free of that awful environment, sure he'd still be a pawn but it would be some semblance of freedom no other Vanan people could get. So of course when he got the chance he became the Headmaster/Governor and a more useful pawn for Iritium.
So of course when the proposed 'descendant' of Vane shows up. He will immediately tell the organization. If I was in his shoes, devoid of most emotions from a cold uprising. But given some freedom to be a loyal dog that could be taken away easily, I'd be a loyal dog too. As his route progress, voltage does a decent job of portraying the inward struggle of actually trying to figure out your own emotions. Especially ones that are prompted that you've never felt or rarely felt until someone in your life begins to show them to you. On purpose or accidentally. Now that I'm re-reading his path after just completing his romantic route and now attempting his mischief route. I feel like I'm appreciating the little details in the way his consort perspectives our written more and more. He's such a sad character to me because as much of an asshole as he is. There's a reason he's like that. He's truly an example of villains that are that way because they were the victim. He isn't heartless and manipulative without a reason, while he doesn't have a purpose for himself or a reason for himself. There's reasoning as to his character. It doesn't at all excuse what he did and if given the chance id strangle him while aggressively shaking him. But at the same time, I just want to hug him and tell him it's all okay now. Just like how MC is portrayed to have wished to be there for him in his childhood in Lou's consort path, I hold the same sentiments. Because if things were different so many things could have changed.
His character arc throughout his own route is well done from feeling devoid to having more and more emotions. While still struggling to give them a name, because that's just how it works. You struggle with trying to grasp your own emotions and name them when you finally start a journey to self-betterment from something like that. It's something I'm still struggling with myself. But not as extreme as he is. Like most otome games it is a bit too fast-paced for what would happen in reality. But it's a dating sim, they have to pack it all in there quickly to provide for the consumers. But it's still well done considering that. They also handled the reincarnated lovers trope fairly well. Since the flashback he has isn't what changes him. No in both the prince's path and his consort's path you see him slowly changing. The flashback is what helps him finally realize. Like when you finally get a reality check after so long. Or when you have a depressive episode for weeks on end and someone finally points out how far you've come. In his consort path, it helped him realize his built-up feelings for the mc, which helped him also realize some of his other feelings. And while he wasn't able to just suddenly understand them all he was able to get a gist of it. And that's one of the biggest steps to improvement you can take. When you start to understand the gist of it but still struggle you truly feel more like a person than just an empty shell. And this helped him realize some of the bare minimum of his own morals of right and wrong. Allowing him to take action to save the Vanans on his own accord and then go to MC. Because of course, that's something you'd realize was wrong immediately after gaining some semblance of morals. Since that's something to such an extreme point.
Lou's character is honestly beautifully written, and I really hope that in his BK 2, we get to see him still struggling. But trying his damned hardest with MC by his side. Near the end of his path, we get to see more and more of the man he can be. Mischievous, honest, thoughtful, and kind to extremes for the people he cares for; (looking at the summer event where he fucking changed the weather to unbearable heat just for MC) As well as him begging completely open about his feelings even if he doesn't quite know what they are or what spurred them on. Just that he knows he feels this to a degree/or wants to do this. I can't help but love this man for who he can become. He's done dreadful things but if I was in MC's place. I would somewhat hate him if it was the prince's path but be willing to give him a chance. He did quite literally kidnap and use MC in the prince's path so there not be me falling ln love. But I'd be willing to not forgive but try and make a better relationship from that point onward. And if it was the consort's path I'd see what he had gone through and help him every step of the way. In this path since he didn't kidnap us and when he finally began to see his own emotions and immediately acted on that. Yeah no he has my heart. I'll be there to support that funky little evil man turned good all the way. He may be a snow white rip off but he'd be my snow white rip off.
All in all, I think Lou is a beautifully written character. There's more I would like to say but it's hard for me to put to words. And it's nice to see someone that is going through a similar struggle as me, in media. One that is actually well done and not just yeah he doesn't feel jack shit. But I have a sad backstory so you should feel bad for me. He's actually well thought out and it's great. I love him and he's so interesting.
Also, someone actually asked me to write something. I didn't think this through oh god. Anon asker I will write your thing after I post something I've been wanting to write for a bit.
