Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT 2887-2891 (2-6 February 2015)
Aziraphale:
--- Quote from: Emperor Norton on 05 Feb 2015, 16:47 ---By the art, the only possible explanation is that is his bedroom door. Or possibly another door in their small apartment that we have never seen (I don't think we've ever seen the wall the the left of the couch), but that option seems unlikely. (maybe its the rumpus room).
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ASB84:
--- Quote from: A Duck on 05 Feb 2015, 09:48 ---I'm honestly surprised by how many people here have complained about Claire and Marten's "saccharine" relationship.
It's a different kind of relationshio Marten's ever had, yes. I say let the man be happy, I don't think we've ever seen him in a relationship that good. Neither has he ever started another relationship without major drama (Dora and Padma). This time, the problem is elsewhere.
In a similar, although MUCH smaller, situation of Marten helping Faye, Dora freaked out. Claire is giving him complete support. That right there is what an awesome relationship is.
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As part of the minority who has expressed that opinion, I'll try to elaborate, though I obviously can't speak for my fellow posters who do hold similar views.
I don't disagree that the relationship is different. I think that it makes perfect sense, is true to the characters and the situation, and it's nice to see these two characters happy. No argument here.
What I'm referring to is my tastes as a reader. I don't like to think of myself as jaded, and I can appreciate some cuteness and heartwarming moments as much as the next person, but in the case of the date arc...it was just a bit too much. Too cutesy-poo, a bit too corny and saccharine. I'm not saying it's wrong or that others can't enjoy that, but it's a matter of taste, and for some of us, it Tastes Like Diabetes (to borrow the title TV Tropes has coined).
It's not about not wanting Marten to be happy, or thinking that it's inappropriate, or anything like that. I can certainly appreciate the context and why the arc was like that, but I still found it off-putting because it was just too cutesy for me. AprilArcus also used the word "tedious", and I'd be inclined to agree with that, too. Like I said, not every conversation has to be deep, not every arc needs to be serious and dramatic, but that arc - which ran for over a week - seemed to eschew any meaningful character development or humour in favour of cute picture after cute picture. And a lot of people loved that, so fair enough. I acknowledge that I'm in the minority here. But nevertheless, it was too much cutesy for my tastes.
To sum up, it's not about the relationship itself, but the presentation and storytelling, and personal tastes/preferences as a reader. It's the same as other readers not liking the Yelling Bird strips, or being more annoyed than amused by Pintsize's antics, or having an aversion to Faye and/or Dora. While I enjoy the fact that comedic works can be heartwarming, profound, and provide interesting commentary in addition to being funny, there needs to be balance and above all, humour should be used to cut through the treacle lest it become too sappy. For me, the date arc ended up feeling too sappy and (to borrow April's word once again), tedious. Not because it didn't make sense or because it dared to show the characters being happy, but because the way it played out didn't suit my tastes as a reader.
For the majority who loved it, fantastic. By all means love the hell out of it. For those of us who it didn't appeal to or wanted something more substantial, it wasn't our favourite arc. Can't please everyone.
hedgie:
I think that I'm finally willing to properly weigh-in on whether or not they're "moving too fast". Granted, when they got together, they said that they'd be taking it slow, and one or both may have hesitation as to it being Claire's first time. But really, they have the right to change their minds, same as any real people.
Now, there would be some amusement if Pintsize hung the "Happy Arbor Day" banner prematurely, but I just hope that the next time we see them, there is either squee, or character-growth, or both.
Aziraphale:
Likewise not speaking for everyone on the forum who liked it, but at least for me their relationship rings true in some respects. I've had relationships where I fell irrationally hard for people I knew probably about as well as Claire and Marten know each other (and some where I fell for someone I knew much less than that). In the early going, sometimes it is saccharine, because you're still at the stage where there's things you don't know, and the things that will eventually drive you nuts are still endearingly quirky. They'll have their bumps in the road soon enough, I'd wager. But just like couples in my day-to-day life -- whether they've just gotten together and are still in the honeymoon phase, or they've been together for donkey's years but still haven't forgotten what they love about each other and can still be silly/saccharine/dopey around each other from time to time -- if I see somebody who's happy where they are, with whomever makes 'em happy, I figure why not roll with the punches? Life's too damn short to be serious all the time, or to begrudge someone else whatever happiness, joy, or simple contentment they can find.
Just my $.02 worth.
ASB84:
--- Quote from: Aziraphale on 05 Feb 2015, 17:21 ---Likewise not speaking for everyone on the forum who liked it, but at least for me their relationship rings true in some respects. I've had relationships where I fell irrationally hard for people I knew probably about as well as Claire and Marten know each other (and some where I fell for someone I knew much less than that). In the early going, sometimes it is saccharine, because you're still at the stage where there's things you don't know, and the things that will eventually drive you nuts are still endearingly quirky. They'll have their bumps in the road soon enough, I'd wager. But just like couples in my day-to-day life -- whether they've just gotten together and are still in the honeymoon phase, or they've been together for donkey's years but still haven't forgotten what they love about each other and can still be silly/saccharine/dopey around each other from time to time -- if I see somebody who's happy where they are, with whomever makes 'em happy, I figure why not roll with the punches? Life's too damn short to be serious all the time, or to begrudge someone else whatever happiness, joy, or simple contentment they can find.
Just my $.02 worth.
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Absolutely, and I don't dispute the realism of the situation. I just have a different take on whether that arc was enjoyable to read, based on my personal taste.
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