Yo, fellow fan! Nice to see ya again~! Love how we keep meeting up like this, lmao. (Side-note: I totally LOVE your icon of Iggy and Genzou kissing... YES, A FELLOW COMRADE IN OTPs!!! 🤝)
Ah, to clarify what I meant by "only aware of what's important to you"... I think we actually are agreeing upon the same thing? When I wrote that, it does imply that Genzou IS the occasional asshole because he's too focused on his emotional priorities to imagine things from Orlam's POV. (Or if he ever does, it's likely done in bad faith to end as the butt of some joke.). Genzou probably wrote Orlam off as just a one-dimensional "loser", and forgot that Orlam is just a messy human being like Genzou is, with his own share of very real, very valid feelings. It's so human to assign people as the Other and feel very self-justified for it--and yes, Orlam is no "angel" (cannibalism, anyone?) but Genzou's reactions to this can real disproportionate, real fast... oof.
The fact you brought up how Iggy sheepishly went along Genzou's antics also brings up a good point. Since none of Genzou's friends ever really went against his bullying in the past, he likely experienced hard whiplash: it's only after all these years that his bullying is now seen as a "problem". [Cue his likely internal eye-rolling, at first]. And like you said earlier, "it's complicated, and the "what ifs" are hard to realize" given all of the underlying in-fighting and insecurities within all of the characters. Combined altogether, they friendship is like a chemical reaction that can synergize well...or explode when shaken too hard.
But hey, the fact that Genzou somehow still keeps his temper when Iggy calls him out at least hints at something. Hopefully Genzou, like Iggy, can take his knowledge of multiple timelines and use them for Character Development. They're probably both kicking themselves over all of the "mistakes" they made in all their timelines. Oof, normal humans already struggle with self-loathing/trauma in the one known timeline they already have (makes me rethink about wanting to be conscious of my multiverses, LOL).
Regardless, what's done is done. Although some past actions cannot be made up for or easily forgiven (as "Save the Last Dance" illustrates when Genzou asks Orlam if there's anything he can do to fix things now) ... Genzou can at least do the Right Thing for it's own sake. Not to impress others. Not to earn forgiveness, or to clean his conscience.
Just doing the Right Thing, just because.
The fact that Genzou is capable of feeling guilt, shock, and tenderness (esp. in not expecting Iggy to do anything he's uncomfortable with) at least gives Genzou some foundation of finding a fresh direction. Orlam and Genzou don't have to be BFFs understandably, but I imagine it'd be healthier for both of them if they could find other things & people to focus on instead of...each other. Intense hatred is just the twin to intense love. 😅
If my memory is not utter shite, the "prom night scene" I mentioned had Gidget "redirect" Orlam with a follow-up scene showing Gidget sitting with Iggy on the gym bleachers to talk. It's when Iggy's careless words about Gidget's beauty that leads into their perfectionist streak of becoming the "perfect angel" starts, even if it means suppressing their genuine self (oof).
Now that I think of it...
Outside of the surreal/gore elements that make "Our Wonderland" a horror game, I feel like it's a horror game in the sense that the world of relationships can be horrifying. Ah yeah, the horrifying of ordeal Being Known and knowing others...
For instance, you have no real idea if what you just said--even with the best of intentions--ends up seriously f*cking somebody years down the road (eg. Gidget, Bucks); or, if a certain action you chose will truly be good for you or the person you're doing it for (eg. Genzou, Orlam). The fact that you can also be doing something wrong for years and not realize it yourself (like Genzou's bullying or Iggy's habit of closing himself off from others) is also mortifying.
I like how all of the characters' backgrounds indirectly helps the story highlight that theme, cause being part of any social minority (eg. being LGBTQIA+, disabled, mental health, eetc.) adds another layer to relationships feeling "scary."
It's real easy to get suck into a muck of constant ruminating over one's mistakes, or to feel like giving up after every "mistake" follows your every attempt to make things better (ah, Iggy... how you try).
But, I'm glad The Wonderland isn't giving Iggy the option to give up--cause you can only improve at relationships by throwing yourself back into them. Feel your feels, feel other people's feelings, and just keep doing your best from there.
...Relationships. Are. Messy. 'Nuff said. They're messy, but they're one of the few things in the world that'll pull you out of the dark pit that comes with being human + yourself, sometimes. Humans are social creatures, and we all just have to muddle our way through the dark together the best that we can.
At least, that's the kind of message I get from playing this game thus far. I imagine other people's interpretations will be different, and that's okay too! I'd be curious to see what others take away from the storyline~ :3 Any thoughts you have thus far, or are you waiting for the whole game to finish before you let yourself loose? :D
I like discussing these sort of ideas with you!!! Thank you for giving me this chance by sending me your awesome comment! (^o^)/ <3
