The side comic begins here.
Magical Mishaps is a humorous non-canon side comic posted on Patreon for free (patrons see new pages a week early). The first story, about the transformation collar featured in many sketches, finished today. This thread is to discuss the content.
Overall, I found it very funny and very fanservice-y. I'd like some other people to talk a bit about it first, because the things I could write the most about are things I found squicky and I don't want to start the thread with a downer.
Magical Mishaps Story 1 Discussion
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MuonNeutrino
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Re: Magical Mishaps Story 1 Discussion
Well, I won't be able to see the last page for another week (so please mark any spoilers), but I likewise found it mostly funny but had mixed feelings about some parts of it. I suspect we probably have similar concerns.
To the plus, Nibs is, as usual, adorable. Her innocent reactions to everything really feel quite natural and are very cute, and the little things like her not knowing how to walk on two legs and still being confused by the actions of those around her are nice touches. Sythe's predicament, while making me wince in sympathy a bit, is also very well portrayed. Honestly he comes across looking like exactly what Maren calls him - a good man. And, similar to how Keith is often portrayed, we get to see enough of his thoughts and struggles that he doesn't seem like a boring idealized character for it. Someone who *is* a mere mortal, with flaws and temptations, yet still chooses to do the right thing is a much more interesting character than someone who always acts correctly because they're never tempted. The page with Sythe talking to Maren outside the room in the morning is probably my favorite in the comic, due to how well it illustrates both of those aspects of Sythe's character. And, of course, I'm never going to complain about getting to see Rose, particularly when she's being snarky.
As for my reservations, well, they mostly come down to the meta issue of this comic being about this subject in the first place. It's true that there does seem to be something mysterious about Nibs, and we don't know exactly what her deal is. However, whether she really is just a squirrel or is actually a baby dragon or whatever, it seems quite apparent from her depiction throughout this comic that she's still of more-or-less animal intelligence and understanding. To put it bluntly, she's either a non-sapient animal or extremely underage, and either way isn't competent to consent to any adult activities, which the characters in the comic quite correctly note. As a result, I feel deeply uncomfortable about seeing her depicted in a fanservice-y manner. In-comic, I would be disappointed in the behavior of Kat, Maddie, and Karen (the first two of whom at least should really have known better) in the middle sections of the comic in terms of their actions both making things worse and, frankly, being disrespectful of Sythe and Nibs' wellbeing. Out-of-comic, it just feels wrong to have a character who is incapable of understanding or consenting to adult behavior depicted like this, particularly in the more gratuitously fanservice-y scenes (e.g. pages 5/12/13). It more or less makes sense on an in-universe level, but on a meta level it comes across as a bit... unfortunate. To be honest, this is the sort of thing that can act as ammo for the crowd that regards 'furry' as synonymous with 'deviant'. I'm not necessarily saying it actually *is*, but it could all too easily be interpreted that way by those with axes to grind.
To the plus, Nibs is, as usual, adorable. Her innocent reactions to everything really feel quite natural and are very cute, and the little things like her not knowing how to walk on two legs and still being confused by the actions of those around her are nice touches. Sythe's predicament, while making me wince in sympathy a bit, is also very well portrayed. Honestly he comes across looking like exactly what Maren calls him - a good man. And, similar to how Keith is often portrayed, we get to see enough of his thoughts and struggles that he doesn't seem like a boring idealized character for it. Someone who *is* a mere mortal, with flaws and temptations, yet still chooses to do the right thing is a much more interesting character than someone who always acts correctly because they're never tempted. The page with Sythe talking to Maren outside the room in the morning is probably my favorite in the comic, due to how well it illustrates both of those aspects of Sythe's character. And, of course, I'm never going to complain about getting to see Rose, particularly when she's being snarky.
As for my reservations, well, they mostly come down to the meta issue of this comic being about this subject in the first place. It's true that there does seem to be something mysterious about Nibs, and we don't know exactly what her deal is. However, whether she really is just a squirrel or is actually a baby dragon or whatever, it seems quite apparent from her depiction throughout this comic that she's still of more-or-less animal intelligence and understanding. To put it bluntly, she's either a non-sapient animal or extremely underage, and either way isn't competent to consent to any adult activities, which the characters in the comic quite correctly note. As a result, I feel deeply uncomfortable about seeing her depicted in a fanservice-y manner. In-comic, I would be disappointed in the behavior of Kat, Maddie, and Karen (the first two of whom at least should really have known better) in the middle sections of the comic in terms of their actions both making things worse and, frankly, being disrespectful of Sythe and Nibs' wellbeing. Out-of-comic, it just feels wrong to have a character who is incapable of understanding or consenting to adult behavior depicted like this, particularly in the more gratuitously fanservice-y scenes (e.g. pages 5/12/13). It more or less makes sense on an in-universe level, but on a meta level it comes across as a bit... unfortunate. To be honest, this is the sort of thing that can act as ammo for the crowd that regards 'furry' as synonymous with 'deviant'. I'm not necessarily saying it actually *is*, but it could all too easily be interpreted that way by those with axes to grind.
Re: Magical Mishaps Story 1 Discussion
Well, haters gonna hate… I agree this side comic is more or less easy cheesy fanservice. Understandable, you could love it, hate it or simply be …meh… Personally, I don’t care too much. If someone must really go chasing pervert furry stuff on the Net, there is plenty of better choice.
It is great to have spotlights on minor characters, Sythe and Raine being prominent ones. Unfortunately this also means no Floras, Natanis or Keiths whatsoever. Hardly any Trace, who is even more clueless than usual. Definitely, we cannot possibly have enough Flora, can we?
I love to see a great self-confident, magic aware Raine. She and Trace are two of the most powerful magic wielding characters. To have one mentoring the other on magic would be quite a feat indeed.
Some great lines: Rose, p.8: "Hard as it may be for you to believe (… ) shocking, I know."
And p. 21, Maren/Sythe dialog. “you are a decent man, for a wolf” and “how far up does the fur go?”… Simply brilliant!
Finally, (where are my nerd glasses)... minor timeline glitch.
At page 1 we know it is 7pm. At page 21-23 it is morning, probably mid-to-late morning given that Trace and Raine had had the time to go through notes and work out the solution. However both Sythe and Raine tell that Nibbly has worn the collar for (slightly less than) 24h.
It is great to have spotlights on minor characters, Sythe and Raine being prominent ones. Unfortunately this also means no Floras, Natanis or Keiths whatsoever. Hardly any Trace, who is even more clueless than usual. Definitely, we cannot possibly have enough Flora, can we?
I love to see a great self-confident, magic aware Raine. She and Trace are two of the most powerful magic wielding characters. To have one mentoring the other on magic would be quite a feat indeed.
Some great lines: Rose, p.8: "Hard as it may be for you to believe (… ) shocking, I know."
And p. 21, Maren/Sythe dialog. “you are a decent man, for a wolf” and “how far up does the fur go?”… Simply brilliant!
Finally, (where are my nerd glasses)... minor timeline glitch.
At page 1 we know it is 7pm. At page 21-23 it is morning, probably mid-to-late morning given that Trace and Raine had had the time to go through notes and work out the solution. However both Sythe and Raine tell that Nibbly has worn the collar for (slightly less than) 24h.