#when... no?

this is also why i don't understand why people are against soma/cloned consciousness theory on the basis of it making them less "real". even if they aren't the originals, even if they are just copies, they're still real people because they have genuine emotions and experiences together.

it doesn't detract from the story at all. being human isn't the only way to be alive. it doesn't mean they can't mourn what they'll never get to have. maybe it's just the nonhumanity in myself shining through, but i just think people have an oversimplified way of viewing personhood.

if you think, then you are.

i won't say i necessarily follow this theory, by the way, because i feel like the finale will probably whack us all upside the head with something crazier, this is just something that personally irks me about the way people are discussing it. i'm not an analyst or a theorist or anything!

It seems I’m the one in the wrong/minority here?

People actually measure a character’s “likeability” based on whether they, personally, like a character or not in any given story. As opposed to whether, by at the very least basic societal standards, they would be someone easy to like and/or get along with

Which feels like a gross disservice to unlikeable characters?

What about asshole enjoyers (like me)? What about the joy of being fascinated by a horrible character not because ‘they did nothing wrong’ but because ‘they did everything wrong and that’s what’s entertaining’? What about liking villains without need of them being redeemed or having some type of tragic back story to excuse/support their attitude?

With so many great characters I love, what makes them so interesting is precisely the fact that they ARE unlikeable. Which is not the same as flawed btw. Every character should be flawed, regardless if they're likeable or not. Unlikeability, for me, goes beyond that

To me this all sounds as wild as saying the only characters that should ever die or have something horrible happen to them in a piece of media are the characters you personally find annoying/reproachable/etc. Does that make sense? I don't think I'm expressing myself right here

It's just, all this time apparently what people have been refering to as likeable is closer to what I label a compelling character or an enjoyable character. Like, we should not forget that we're consuming a story some else made. Everything, good or bad, was a concious or unconcious choice by the creator of said story. Presumably, to a particular end beyond whether the reader will like or not like a particular choice.