💬 1 🔁 1 ❤️ 15 · Armand pisses me off because he could've been a good character... you want him being secretly jealous of amalia thing? yo
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Tbh, I think their whole rivalry over their dad's approval is a pretty weak setup for character depth. Not the best choice imo.
On one hand, sibling jealousy and fighting over a parent's attention is a pretty relatable theme. It doesn't need much explaining, a lot of people have been there.
On the other hand, I think ToT just handles family dynamics badly in general. So the whole thing ended up feeling forced.
My issue is more like:
1. Armand still lets his jealousy get the better of him even as an adult. And honestly? It looks pretty pathetic.
2. Amalia isn't really an active participant in this conflict.
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I would've preferred it if the show had actually focused on real, justified grievances Armand had against his sister. So that they'd at least have something to actually talk about by their father's grave!
Like, Amalia has valid reasons to be upset with her brother, he has a difficult personality, he was never really gentle with her. And Armand has plenty of issues with her too, things that were hinted at throughout the series, but we never got any real resolution.
For example:
In season 3, we see Amalia sitting by a sick Oakheart's side. From the dialogue, it's implied she's spending a lot of time there, supporting their father. And Armand isn't happy about it. He's pretty harsh when he tries to drill it into her head that she needs to prepare for the worst and start acting like a queen. But Amalia is still young and yeah, she's emotional, and the thought of their father dying is really weighing on her.
Amalia keeps denying it until the very end, while Armand is already bracing for the worst and expecting her to be just as composed and accepting. Amalia ends up lashing out at him, accusing him of having «You'be just been waiting for your time to come!»
And that's what I'd call a good conflict.
In that moment, both characters are being fleshed out — they're trading grievances equally, hitting each other where it hurts, and each of them sees the situation differently. I would've loved to see season 4 resolve that conflict in particular — where they acknowledge the differences in their experiences, personalities, and perspectives, and decide that despite everything, they'll still support each other and actually listen.
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And here's why I think the final version of their reconciliation at their father's grave feels so undercooked:
Their conversation is completely one-sided. Armand talks a lot. He acknowledges his feelings and jealousy, throws in the whole "I also dreamed of adventures" thing, and offers his sister support. Meanwhile, Amalia barely gets to say anything in such an important scene. She has like two short lines! First she tells him to leave, then she just listens in silence, and then she says she "reeks of adventures."
I get that they were trying to quickly flesh out Armand before killing him off. But the conversation just goes in the wrong direction. And I can think of so many ways they could've written that dialogue — with both of them actually having a say!
Amalia stays underdeveloped. Essentially, she's just the one receiving an apology from her brother. And honestly, what is she even supposed to say in that scene? Her brother's fragile male ego isn't really her problem to deal with. Something like:
«Good for you, bro! You finally stopped acting like a five‑year‑old over daddy's attention. Now go fuck yourself!»
Armand, on the other hand, gets to show us that his only issue his whole life was jealousy toward his sister, even though he had plenty of other things to worry about! And honestly, it feels kinda humiliating. He's still the most fleshed out in this particular theme... but it's better than nothing, I guess. ──────────────•──────────────
And if they were going to tear down his "fragile" feelings like that, I would've preferred to see them really go all the way with it.
1. Armand has every right to be upset with Amalia. Watching your parent die and knowing your sister is off somewhere with her friends instead of being there with you... that has to hurt like hell.
2. Armand has every right to be angry at Amalia. She left the kingdom multiple times, mostly without warning or permission, completely sure of her own priorities.
And I think it's stupid to throw in that "Armand also dreamed of adventures" bit. Why would he even need that? They already covered that with Amalia back in season 1, when it was all about her dream of escaping her golden cage.
3. It would've made a lot more sense if Armand's anger toward Amalia's "adventures" came from the fact that she keeps putting herself in danger. Which is just not acceptable behavior for a future queen. She's risking leaving her people without an heir and their beloved princess, and her father without a daughter.
We know from season 1 how badly Armand worried about her when the guards lost her trail. And we know how angrily he reacted in the manga when she disappeared without a word for an entire year to help Yugo save his little brothers.
4. We know Armand married out of duty. And later, in the Great Wave, we find out it wasn't even his own decision (which pisses me the hell off). He tries to support Aurora, even at the risk of damaging his relationship with his sister. He puts politics above his sister's feelings and that makes perfect sense from his perspective. Armand has every reason to be frustrated with Amalia, since she doesn't share his sense of priorities.
So yeah, there are plenty of things that could show who Armand really is as a person, while still letting Amalia be an active part of the conflict.
And honestly, I think his jealousy, even if it's part of who he is (and I do love his character), shouldn't have been treated as his main issue.
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