Where I Overanalyze

But that raises the question, if RK’s encounter in chapter 3 is an optional fight, surely at some point we’ll get a required fight with RK that we have to win, right? And won’t that fight be easier than their Ch. 3 encounter to play into how the secret bosses are the hardest fights?

So is our final confrontation with the knight gonna be easier? That seems anti-climatic. Maybe the idea is that our heroes will be empowered (being given shadow mantle protection will help), thus evening the odds. But will the knight’s attack patterns still remain the same? Or will Toby change them to avoid redundancy? Will the knight get a powered up form as well to create some sort of change?

I think of how chapter 4 brought in the climbing mechanic, and then kept it even for chapter 5. 5 gave us the 2D platforming mechanic, complete with actual boss fights and enemies. It even incorporates this into the segments where you run forward endlessly, a fun way of foreshadowing the orange soul mechanic against Flowery at the end.

Maybe this is how we’ll do our second, required boss fight with the knight near the end? We switch to 2D platforming, and the knight winds up easier because they’re not used to fighting in 2D (There’s a foreshadowing bit about Dess being really bad at platformers or Smashing Fighters). Or they just are easier idk. It could be a way to avoid repeating the fight that players already succeeded in while still being a required and thus viable win. And it’d be a fun twist on a fight some players have already won, where we see the knight’s attack patterns translated to a platforming format.

And when you think of Susie chasing the knight up those stairs in ch. 4, maybe we’ll get a callback with those Torii gates where we have a whole chase segment in which we can use Susie’s Rude Buster against the knight as they hurl attacks at us.

She didn’t even meaningfully participate in the story until the halfway point and didn’t have any real agency nor initiative, compared to Pomni at least exploring the cast members or Ragatha vying for her affection; She just reacts to what happens. Jax is the only stagnant character yet gets all this focus and runtime a developing character would actually need, which leaves arcs feeling underdeveloped. If the show revolves around Jax and we had to sacrifice other storylines to suddenly focus on Jax then her story needs to be really good to make up for it but alas.

Honestly I have to consider that maybe episode 7 should’ve been about Jax abstracting, go through with that whole tease. The others feel sad about it and then after making their peace are galvanized to confront Caine over his neglect claiming another victim. Caine is in denial that he’s the problem here (tbf it really was Jax’s fault) and snaps, leading to his breakdown that ends with his deletion.

Then the finale’s first half is about exploring the emotional ramifications of everyone being clones as well as Kinger causing this BS. And then the second half is Caine’s return.

But that makes Ragatha stand out more as does the way this actual goal of hers (something most other characters lack) is tied to this new arrival. She’s the only character who’s adjusting to Pomni being here.

Gangle, Zooble, and Kinger briefly check it out and then just go back to what their lives have always been. Both in the pilot and afterwards.

Caine takes a bit more interest in introducing Pomni but then does the same. It’s kind of a plot point in the pilot even that he’s not paying attention.

Jax takes an initial interest in the pilot but then goes back to her routine for a solid third of the show where she doesn’t meaningfully acknowledge Pomni’s existence or even meaningfully participate in the story tbh.

Ragatha wants Pomni to be her friend, that’s her goal; In fact she wants everyone to be her friend but Pomni is interesting because she’s new and so she’s a fresh start. There’s tension there with Ragatha being clingy and Pomni finding her off-putting. She’s the only person who’s been affected by the inciting incident outside of our main protagonist!

You’re showing that Jax is mentally unwell? She was about to abstract earlier in the episode.

Jax is gonna push everyone away? They just don’t care about it.

The others care for Jax despite everything? When episode 6 has Zooble understand how much Jax hurts Gangle as Pomni is hurt by Jax, we already see how they get over this just to be there for Jax throughout episode 7 anyway.

Jax is an asshole? See above.

Jax prefers the circus over real life? Episode 6 already had her go on a spiel about how circus is great because nothing matters, and then shortly before the button press Zooble’s question alludes to Jax having nobody to go back to.

Not to mention we have the finale backstory to clarify why Jax doesn’t want to go back, and further clarify how much Jax sucks.

You’d think that Caine would obsess over this, over the confirmation that someone does prefer what he has to provide over real life but then the rest of the show just drops that idea. This validation is meant to be Caine’s entire motivation and he just ignores it. Sure Jax was mad right after, but she still chose to press that button.

But of course if Gooseworx clumsily insists that the button press doesn’t matter because it was a scam (that’s not really how this works but okay) then sure she can ignore this angle. But if the button press truly doesn’t matter then why include it???

It reminds me of this review I watched of TADC where they surmised that she’s good at making individual emotional moments in isolation but struggles to make a connecting narrative out of them that naturally leads up to and follows off of these things, some of it can be unearned sometimes. Jax pressing the button feels like that where it was meant to be shocking but Gooseworx didn’t think about it any further than that.

It’s like how a good chunk of Jax’s mindscape sequence is kinda filler; Like it’s neat on paper to explore how Jax would feel about a certain cast member dying but realistically it doesn’t actually add anything to the main narrative about Jax’s backstory and Pomni losing someone she tried really hard to save.

And then the rest of the show came out and uh huh. I see it now.

Like. This show is so amateurly-written with a teenager’s nuance which wouldn’t be as frustrating if both the fans and even the creator herself didn’t get mad at you for pointing out flaws in the writing and insisting TADC is avant-garde art for “intellectual queers” and that there’s something brilliant and clever about. The animation improving over time.

Lbr the show actively falls apart if you try to examine it any further but then fans accuse you of engaging in kiddie show discourse for kidz despite earlier claiming it’s for adults or whatever. Or defend it as just an amateur indie project but like okay which is it, you gotta pick one? There is such a “lady doth protests too much” vibe to the fandom throwing around how you don’t have Media Literacy.

But it does make me think of how only three cast members, arguably two, have goals throughout the show. Jax, Gangle, Zooble, and Kinger don’t really have goals beyond existing and hoping their problems don’t make them anymore miserable. They’re just kinda repeating the same things.

Pomni sorta had goals at one point, she started off with escaping the circus but this was immediately lost after the pilot. And then it was just a general sense of adjusting to the circus and then being whatever people needed her to be, but it wasn’t really an active goal it was just something she sorta did. Same with being Jax’s stooge.

Caine and Ragatha actually had goals, Caine was trying to earn everyone’s approval and the way he unravels over not achieving this is interesting to watch. Ragatha was also interesting for a similar reason; She wanted Pomni’s approval and she wanted to get everyone else to also like her by being as good as possible. She’s the only character who’s actively responding to Pomni’s introduction to the narrative, who engages with this being a new arrival instead of going back to business.

But that’s another reason why her resolution isn’t satisfying. There isn’t a big emotional messy climax like other characters like Caine or Jax get. Ragatha just gets bummed about it and gives up and then Kinger neatly conveniently resolves her problems with some advice. And then Ragatha’s baggage with Pomni is resolved off-screen and then the show stops talking about it for two whole episodes and then hastily slaps on an unearned hug between the two when Pomni is never actually seen being a friend to Ragatha specifically nor apologizing for that.

Ragatha apologizing to Jax despite Jax being the one who’s been making her miserable and been doing consistently shitty things to her, even being the one to ruin that original group dynamic and drive Ribbit to suicide while kickstarting Kaufmo’s?

Zooble being upset over Jax’s betrayal and the characters immediately disputing this because Jax’s feelings are more important despite the fact that Jax is the one jeopardizing other people’s health, and as it turns out has actually driven people to abstraction before?

Gangle has a brief bit where she’s struggling to cry over Jax’s death but then gets over it and cries anyway.

Just. The general attitude of everyone overlooking everything because Jax is Sad like it isn’t always her own fault??? Pomni feeling the need to be friendly to Jax in episode 7 even though she already confirmed that Zooble is there for her and that Jax is partaking in the alleged exit? The fact that she never has a moment where she can be real with Jax in the finale about how Jax caused all of that, it’s nothing but pure saccharine sympathy?

The show actively discourages anyone from getting upset at Jax because Jax might abstract for it, as if it isn’t proven that Jax’s behavior can also make people abstract and literally has.

Keep in mind that Caine’s story is right there. He’s an actual example of nuance where the show weighs the conflicting obligations of wanting compassion for Caine, while recognizing that he is jeopardizing other people’s wellbeing and that this is the greater priority.

If you look at Zooble it’s like. Aside from minor bits or gags all of their arc is just a B-plot in which they lazily exposition dump their baggage without really showing us or causing a conflict from it. And then they pivot to trying to be Caine’s therapist. And then they give Gangle the perfect advice she needs to hear. And then try to be supportive of Gangle as her partner and push her to stand up to Jax. And then tell Gangle what she needs to hear in the next episode. And then is supportive to Jax. And then we have one scene showing actual emotional intrigue that is immediately nipped in the bud. And then the finale is just Zooble repeating the exact same “We’re human” spiel to Gangle like twice and it’s supposed to be a nice callback but it just feels like the show couldn’t think of anything new to say.

Kinger is okay-ish comedic relief and then his focus episode is just him giving Pomni perfect advice. And then he gives Ragatha perfect advice. He briefly seems a bit concerned in 7 about Abel and then goes back to telling everyone the lore they need to hear and how to defeat Caine. And outside from a brief bit of tension at the start of the finale goes back to being the perfect mentor and that’s it.

Like. I guessed after episode 3 that Kinger might have a problem with being too perfect of a character without any conflict whatsoever and what’s crazy is not only am I right but the show foregoes a really interesting potential for conflict by having nobody care about Kinger helping create this entire mess to begin with.