Line #126 WebVideo/TheAwkwardCompilation


1	[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/awkwardcompilation_7799.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:305:[-"That's my favourite part, you know."-] ]]
3
4	-->''Sunflowers always look to the sky.''
5
6	''Awkward'', known also as ''The Awkward Compilation'', is a self-proclaimed "love letter to pop culture" -- a video series about the trials and tribulations of an awkward group of Asian-Canadian university students trying to find their own happy endings and getting in each others' way in the process. Geeky humour, occasional randomness, and the odd spontaneous musical number ensue. Prepare to laugh until you pee a little.
7
8	Lester and Alex are housemates and friends. One day Lester walks in on Alex making time with his hand and a video of Lester on the toilet, and it becomes apparent that Alex's feelings for him are [[HoYay a little more than "friendly"]]. In fact, a little more like [[StalkerWithACrush "stalkerish and obsessive"]]. This makes things rough for everyone involved when Lester meets Steph...
9
10	Meanwhile their friend Kevin has a problem. See, Kevin likes this girl in his class, but he's not really sure how to let her know. After all, they've only met online. Moreover, she already has [[RomanticFalseLead a romantic interest]], and he's a bit of a [[{{Jerkass}} douchebag]]. Luck is not on his side, but he's not one to quit without trying.
11
12	Written, directed by, and starring Lester Calleja and Alex Chung. Also featuring a bunch of people they know, pretty much playing themselves. Takes place predominantly in and around Lester's house and [[UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} York University campus]].
13
14	It spans six main segments and two interludes (three if you count the post-series retrospective). The Heroic Melon Collective website provides [[http://www.heroicmelon.com/awkward.html links to each installation]] and their Website/YouTube channel has [[https://www.youtube.com/user/HeroicMelon#grid/user/578FC0CD6DD75074 a convenient playlist]]. Go forth and [[ArchiveBinge binge]].
15
16	A second season (''AwkwardAgain'') is impending. Check out the first season retrospective/second season teaser [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXN87IQgbas here]].
17
18	Not to be confused with the MTV series ''Series/{{Awkward}}''
19	----
20	!!This series provides examples of:
21
22	* AbortedArc: Lester recognizing Ernie's name was supposed to go somewhere, but was left unexplained when his actor bailed.
23	* ActionGirl: Steph [[spoiler: hands Alex's ass to him]] in Awkward 6. Of course [[spoiler: he's already done a HeelFaceTurn at this point, but better late than never, right?]]
24	* AlmostKiss: [[spoiler: Lester and Alex]] in Awkward 5. It's uncomfortable for them, unlucky bystander Kevin, the viewer...
25	* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Jermaine, for Lester. It's why Jermaine hangs around with him.
26	-->'''Jermaine:''' I win all the games, get all the girls, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking do all the dishes]]... I'll always beat you. You'll never be able to surpass my level of-- YOU SUCK AT LIFE.
27	-->'''Jermaine:''' Lester's such a great friend. I'm better than him at everything. Man, what would I do without him?
28	* BadassBoast: Lester can beat [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda the running man]]. [[spoiler: Except he can't.]]
29	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Basically Kevin's reaction when [[spoiler: Lester starts hitting on Alex.]]
30	-->'''Alex:''' Kevin! [[spoiler: There's something wrong with Lester!]]
31	-->'''Kevin:''' Isn't this what you've always wanted?
32	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Lester will put up with a lot, but when Alex interferes with his relationship with Steph...
33	* BlandNameProduct: Usually averted, with the exception of [[Website/{{Facebook}} Facenovel]], a [[ShoutOut carry-over]] from cinematographer Philbert's previous work [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR80206V78o Book Of A Million Faces]] that places them in the same universe. [[ShrugOfGod Probably.]]
34	* BlatantLies: A lot of what Alex says. "Makin' a video. For school. Yeah, it's a documentary about, um... kitchen life."
35	** Lester is not immune either.
36	--->'''Lester:''' Why don't you just sleep with Alex?
37	--->'''Kevin:''' Really? He's not gonna do anything funny or creepy, is he?
38	--->'''Lester:''' {{Beat}} ABSOLUTELY NOT.
39	* BookEnds: The first half of Awkward 1 and the last scene of Awkward 6 include the same dialogue at the same table, with the roles and context changed.
40	* BreadEggsMilkSquick: "Teacher said, uh, make variety with camera angles. Like I wanna make a high shot, y'know, low shot... cumshot..."
41	* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: Alex]] isn't your typical "cutie", but he's thoroughly woobified after [[spoiler: his fight with Lester]] at the end of Awkward 5 nonetheless. [[spoiler: He gets better.]]
42	* ButtMonkey: Alex, to the point that it's a vicious cycle ''and'' he's addicted to it. Woah.
43	* CatapultNightmare: Alex wakes up screaming... minus the 'waking up' part. Kevin is appropriately freaked out. Lester likewise wakes up screaming after dreaming of Alex watching him sleep while muttering creepily. Kevin is again freaked out, but this time it's mutual.
44	* CaughtWithYourPantsDown: Lester walking in on Alex is what kicks off everything. Flipped with Alex walking in on Lester at the start of the Christmas installment, though it's much milder and immediately dismissed.
45	* CerebusRetcon: Alex reading ''[[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Twilight]]'' was supposed to be a one-off joke, but it ended up becoming integral to his characterization.
46	* CerebusSyndrome: What starts as pure grossout humour turns very dramatic by Awkward 5.
47	* ChekhovsGun: My Sassy Girl can be seen next to the video camera on Alex's shelf in Awkward 2.
48	** Dexter holds a [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokeball]] while doing tai chi. He later uses it to [[spoiler: take out Jermaine]].
49	* ChristmasSpecial: Awkward Christmas.
50	* CrazyPrepared: Real life example: The dress Alex wears during the Miss Brighteyes bit? It's his. Apparently he owns it in case he should ever require a dress. Fair enough.
51	* CriticalPsychoanalysisFailure: Alex's gay dream is enough to make Henry throw in the towel.
52	-->'''Alex:''' Woah woah woah wait! I thought you said you'd help me.
53	-->'''Henry:''' You know what? I thought so too, buuut it turns out I was wrong.
54	* CursedWithAwesome: Karen's "different". Enough so to [[spoiler: get her dumped]], but Kevin digs it.
55	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: "It's 2AM in the fucking morning!"
56	* DescriptionCut: "I was reading a ''very'' intellectual book." Cut to Lester reading ''Manga/TheLegendOfZelda'' manga.
57	* DeusExMachina: [[spoiler: Kevin and Dexter's sudden appearances during the showdown against Jermaine.]]
58	* DiggingYourselfDeeper: Lester upon first meeting Steph -- "He's very green!" -- luckily he manages to stop before he digs himself too deep.
59	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: "I like it, it's all white and bubbly." And about half of everything Alex says.
60	-->'''Alex:''' You know it's all about finding the right key. The one that fits... just right. The one that you insert deep into the ''back door''...
61	* DoggedNiceGuy: Kevin.
62	* DrivenToSuicide: Alex, in Awkward Origins. The scene is straight out of ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}''.
63	* DyeingForYourArt: Jermaine got his hair cut before filming specifically to look like a douche. He had to keep it that way for two months.
64	* EarlyBirdCameo: Literally -- Sigfried the duck can be seen beside Lester's VCR in Awkward 1.
65	* EvilLaugh: Jermaine has a particularly douchey one.
66	* FakeVideoCameraView: Alex's hidden cameras, such as the Hero Cam a.k.a. [[spoiler: the [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] plush doll]].
67	* FreudianCouch: Seen in Alex's "therapy" sessions.
68	* GroinAttack: Awkward 2 has two in quick succession; first Alex on Lester as part of a staged fight -- "How could I forget? It's like a cat tried to suck my dick." -- then Henry takes a run at Kevin.
69	-->'''Henry:''' I'LL SHOW YOU GLASSES FUCK MOTHERFUCKER! '''KICK''' YEAAAAHH!!!
70	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Alex, just in time for a BigDamnHeroes moment.]]
71	* ImStandingRightHere
72	-->'''Kevin:''' You said he doesn't talk when he eats.
73	-->'''Alex:''' Hey, I'm right here, you know.
74	-->'''Lester:''' He's insecure.
75	-->'''Alex:''' Hey, I just said I'm right here!
76	* IronicEchoCut: Not precisely, but pretty close with
77	-->'''Kevin:''' It's a surprise.
78	-->'''Lester:''' I fucking hate surprises. {{Beat}} I'm kidding.
79	-->''[soon thereafter]''
80	-->'''Kevin:''' It's a surprise.
81	-->'''Alex:''' Lester ''hates'' surprises.
82	-->'''Lester:''' Yeah, I do.
83	* KickTheDog: Alex telling Lester to give up on Steph because "everybody knows you're just going to mess it up like last time".
84	** We only hear the story secondhand, but apparently [[spoiler: Ernie dumps Karen, calling her "worthless".]] What a dick!
85	* LampshadedDoubleEntendre: In Awkward 1, "Little Bow Wow... yeah, I hate that little guy." "He's not all little, if you know what I mean." And later in Awkward 4, "I'm gonna go all [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} Doctor Manhattan]] on everybody and just walk around naked with my dong hanging out and explode people -- if you know what I mean."
86	* {{Leitmotif}}: Not a particular song, but Steph's scenes tend to be accompanied by [[RecycledSoundtrack songs from Taiyou no Uta]].
87	* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: How Lester tries to bring things to a close in Awkward 1. It doesn't exactly work.
88	* LoveDodecahedron: Alex lusts after Lester, who wants none of it. Lester likes Steph, and maybe it's mutual. And [[spoiler: Jermaine thinks he and Steph have something going on... but she doesn't even know who he is.]]
89	%%* LoveTriangle: Kevin, Karen, and Ernie are in a love triangle.
90	* MoodWhiplash: The series swings back and forth between funny and serious throughout, but Awkward 5 in particular jumps from one to the other and back again so fast you'll need a neck brace.
91	* MomentKiller: Alex. It's entirely intentional, and Lester does ''not'' take it well.
92	-->'''Lester:''' I have a confession to make.
93	-->'''Steph:''' Tell me.
94	-->'''Lester:''' I, um... I have butterflies.
95	-->'''Alex:''' (bursting in) Lester! Wanna watch a movie?
96	* NoodleImplements: Kevin fumbles and spills a box marked "KAREN". Its contents: [[spoiler: fruit and condoms]]. It's probably best not to wonder.
97	* PerverseSexualLust: Lester and his [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Tifa]] action figure. Ahem.
98	* POVSequel: Sort of. Awkward 4 has two scenes from Awkward 3 redone from the perspective of a character who was out of the room at the time, witnessing the previously shown scene on surveilance, and Awkward 5 has a scene from Awkward 2 from the perspective of a character the audience didn't even know was there.
99	* PowerTrio: Lester, Alex, and Kevin. Especially evident toward the end.
100	* RaceForYourLove: Lester, in one of the final scenes of Awkward 6.
101	* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Henry and Ernie's departure from the project following Awkward 4 resulted in their characters' disappearances and the appearance of some [[SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute similar character types]] -- Henry (the therapist) is replaced with Dexter (the sage), and Ernie (the douche) with Jermaine (the mega-douche).
102	* RealMenWearPink: Lester's favourite movie is Korean RomanticComedy ''My Sassy Girl''.
103	-->'''Lester:''' Aww, isn't that the cutest fucking thing you've ever seen?
104	* RomanticFalseLead: Ernie, who Kevin describes as "a cockblocking bastard of a man".
105	* SeinfeldianConversation: The 'who's your favourite [[Anime/SailorMoon Sailor Scout]]?' conversation.
106	* SingleTargetSexuality: Alex is a [[DepravedHomosexual Depraved Lestersexual]].
107	* ShoutOut: In spades, like the scores of references to ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', ''Franchise/AceAttorney'', and ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', trademark favourite series of Alex, Kevin, and Lester respectively.
108	** Kevin acts out scenes as [[Franchise/AceAttorney Phoenix Wright]] and [[Manga/DeathNote L]].
109	* SingleIssuePsychology: Flashbacks show Alex lost it after [[spoiler: being rejected one too many times.]] Possibly justified in that [[spoiler: he was shot down for not being enough like [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga Edward]].]]
110	* StalkerWithACrush: Alex, Alex, ALEX.
111	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Dexter for Henry, Jermaine for Ernie. See RealLifeWritesThePlot, above.
112	* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial
113	-->'''Lester:''' Home so soon?
114	-->'''Alex:''' I didn't come from anywhere suspicious.
115	* TheDanza: Every character has their actor's name. How much of this is a case of AsHimself depends on the character, ranging from 'well kind of' to 'InNameOnly'.
116	* ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet: Kevin admits he hasn't even seen a picture of the female classmate he met online. Alex and Lester immediately question whether she actually exists.
117	* ThereAreNoTherapists: Played straight or averted, depending on how legit you consider Henry.
118	* ThrowItIn: Kevin's 'permanent laxative' ramblings were intended to be a blooper, but got included to explain why the scene went nowhere after Ernie left the project and had to be written out. More generally, the entire post-credits kitchen handycam scene from Awkward 1 was entirely adlibbed, pieced together from around 10 minutes of footage, and nearly left on the cutting room floor for being too gross.
119	* TitleDrop: The last word in the series proper, courtesy of the ever observant Kevin.
120	* ToplessnessFromTheBack: Alex attempts something along these lines during the Miss Brighteyes number.
121	* UnderTheMistletoe: Alex attempts this with Lester, using... mistletoe lotion. It's a no go.
122	* UnsettlingGenderReveal: One of Alex's Internet blind dates in the Awkward 4 flashback is a guy who apparently expected Alex to be short for Alexandra.
123	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Discussed. Kevin refers to a fixation on "what could have been" as Saved Game Syndrome.
124	* WhatWouldXDo
125	-->'''Lester:''' When times get tough and I don't know what to do, I think to myself... what would [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] do?

Context WebVideo / TheAwkwardCompilation