Live Blogs The Great Nitpicky Live Blog of El Goonish Shive

MrAHR

e X:

Great reasoning there Elliot, but did you forget that Nanase has absolutely no connection to her whatsoever? She just broke up with you a few days earlier because she doesn't actually has any feelings for you. That would make a bad person for Ellen to talk to. Also, at this point she isn't out of the closet, not even to herself, so what makes her better than Justin in term of attraction to boys? And for that, Ellen has to come to term with her existence as a being without a life, I am sure her sex life can take a beak seat for now. Yeah, Elliot, you should talk to her, because she is you, so you are the best person in the whole fucking world to talk to her. You are only own who can give her any reassurance, any acceptance at this point.

The only reason for the those two two to talk to each other is blunt shipping. If you can tell it only happens for the plot and not as a logical result of their characterization, it is bad writing. This why I don't like EGS. Almost everything concerning relationships and characterization sucks. Is Ellen her own person now, or is she Elliot in a female body? Because this last few strips tell us that she is the latter, while the comic itself treats it as if it were the former.

..and what the hell is the point of this machine, outside of making the entire arc '''completely pointless?!

Gilphon:

Um. I didn't realize Nanase and Ellen were being shipped together until a little while from now, the first time round…

AHR:

@e X: Thank you, e X, I was trying to think of a logical reason Nanase would not be a good idea, but for the life of me could not think of it.

@Gilphon: Well, I assumed it would be obvious judging by Justin's teasing, Nanase being a lesbian, and Ellen being the one available girl. But I went into the comic knowing full well, so I might be biased. What do you think? Do you think your judgement was the norm, perceptive, or ignorant in this case?

Gilphon:

Well, I certainly wouldn't say my view on it is particularly perceptive. Enough signs are there, in retrospect, that I can say Shive probably did have the ship planned at this point. But I honestly can't whether most people would've gotten it. Just… from my point of view, it hadn't yet become clear whether Nanase really was gay, or if Justin /Shive was just making jokes to that effect at her expense, and I really wasn't thinking about possible Nanase ships at all.

Certainly, if I'd gone into it with the knowledge that there was a Lesbian ship in the works, I'd have figured it out by now. So… I don't know what I'm getting at here. Just airing my thoughts, I guess.

AHR:

And I appreciate your thoughts. I don't want to make claims that are BS.

e X:

Yes, when I first read the comic, I just thought that Elliot's reasoning why Nanase, of all people, should comfort Ellen was really blund, badly writing exposition. It felt incredible unrealistic.

The real problem here isn't the scene between Nanase and Ellen, it's Elliot's monologue! If you would cut it without substitution, it would greatly improve the scene.

Just have Nanase, searching for a bathroom, or another excuse, stumble upon a crying Grace, and just like that, the scene is a lot less narmy and a lot more subtle, shipping wise. That would have made this situation much more natural and even better in establishing and characterization, and even shipping, because she would have comforted Ellen out of her own free will instead of being ordered to do it.

Noxilicious:

On the topic of crying guys, I am pretty sure that Tedd cries at the end of Painted Black.

Cakman:

251

• X-Files reference. Sort of pointless. I mean... It's not even a clever reference or anything. Just Tedd's father saying "Mulder". Because there was a guy named Mulder on X-files. That's not so much a joke as much as it is a fact.
• Oh. And look. Grace is sexually clueless again.
• Is this the first time we've heard Tedd's last name? Or anyone's last name, for that matter? Not a critisicm. Just a question.
• What are the benefits to being large? What was Tedd's dad going to do? Exterminate him to ensure no witnesses were present?
• I like the third panel though. The art reminds me of Daymare Town.
• More to the point though, what the hell is Elliot talking about?! HE'S supposed to be the real one! Otherwise this ENTIRE plot makes no sense! That means he's a toe stub and a traffic jam away from snapping and going insane! MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

252

• I think I would have liked this strip more if Shive replaced all the character dialogue with "ELLIOT IS AWESOME. ELLIOT IS AWESOME." At least the point would have been more clear.
• And there is no reason for Grace to be nude here other than Shive wanting to show off his pet character's tits.
• Yeah, why does anyone think that he wants to lock her up? After all, she hasn't done anything illegal. She disrespected her teacher. That's about it.

253

• Once again, there is no reason for Grace to not have her shirt zippered here. And the final panel doesn't even make sense, because if it were real, Tedd's father would clearly see the zipper.
• I kinda like the Jeremy drawing. Not gonna lie. But I sorta just like Jeremy.
• First panel annoys me once again, because there is still zero chemistry between Grace and Tedd. There is nothing. Tedd barely even shows affection for Grace.

254

• First panel Nanase looks like she's making the "dat ass" face.
• And in the second panel, either Tedd's father's head is far too small, or Sarah's head is far too big.
• And LAWL THEY SWITCHED SHIRTS!
• TEDD IS A PERRVVVVEEERRRRRRT
• EL GOONISH SHIVE PORN! COLORED IN THIS TIME!◊
• Also, AHR, considering that I posted a picture of a pregnant Fem Tedd having anal sex with a male Grace, I don't think the idea of them groping will be too shocking here.

255

• Justin seems to have taken the same steroids that the goo did in the last panel.
• And elves are commonly associated with homosexuality in jokes. You know what this means? Justin is GAAAAAY!
• Also! I call plot hole! Why is Nanase's outfit not covered in muck in the last panel? She doesn't have multiple sets of it- we know in one of the future strips that she has to wear something else.
• Elliot wasn't too nervous of being seen when he was hitchhiking. What's the big deal now? And if anything, even if people saw it, they would just think it was a guy with a costume on.
• And I don't want to make it NSFW or anything, but I think from now on, I'll just post my favorite pictures of horses whenever Justin reminds us that he's gay. If he tells us that he finds Elliot attractive, I'll post pictures of men kissing. And if he suggests that Nanase go out with Ellen, women kissing it is.
• JUSTIN IS GAY!◊

256

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257

• Eh. I guess I could understand, taking the idea of making it realistic into consideration, that someone might get scared by that picture. As is, it's not scary, but it could be if it were an actual picture.
• Then again, if Elliot were an actual person, he'd be looking really scary right now.
• Also note that if Tedd were an actual person, he would be Edmania.
• ...Is the joke implying that Tedd's father is going to walk in on Ellen? What the fuck?

258

• Eh. I am a fan of animal humor, however cheap it may be, so I give this strip a thumbs up. Whoo-hoo.
• Though I think Shive could have taken the extra three minutes to draw another Jeremy face in the fourth panel rather than using the one from the third.

259

• Yeah! Because girls without gigantic tits and wide hips lead completely unhappy lives!
• And yes. Now that Elliot has transformed into a girl, he now takes a really long time when he's in the bathroom. BECAUSE YA'LL KNOW HOW THEM GIRLS DO THAT! THANK YOU FOLKS I'M HERE ALL WEEK!
• And why does the beam make her hair grow longer? Doesn't all human hair grow like that, and it's only because women don't cut it that it looks like that? Why would the beam have anything to do with it?
• And speaking of which, I still don't fucking get why Ellen turns into a whore when she shoots herself with the beam. What's the message? All girls are like that deep down?

260

• THEM CRAZY WOMEN AND THE BATHROOM!
• So why were those clothes over at Justin's house.

Meh. I'll do the other ten tomorrow.

AHR:

@Cakman: I wasn't trying to shock them entirely. It was more of me just kinda...I dunno. Making a non joke.

And I don't approve of making fun of tropers that do not read this blog. Much.

Goggle Fox:

I'd forgotten about that machine. There is no reason for this machine to exist except to make everything that much more idiotic.

Cakman:

261

• Why would Nanase laugh at Ellen? I get why Ellen would laugh, but Nanase would just see Ellen as looking like... Ellen.
• And is it really a big deal that she's wearing TEDD'S clothes? I'm sure a lot of people have the same shirts that Tedd does.

262

• WHAT IS THE GOD DAMN POINT OF CHILLER FONT HERE. IS SHE SUPPOSED TO BE "scary"?!
• Okay, so naturally, this should cause a major identity crisis and confusion regarding Ellen's self esteem, sexual identity, and life outlook, right? RIGHT?!
• The punchline isn't too bad here. But the chiller font. It's just my pet peeve, like comic sans is for some other people.

263

• Hey Ellen. You know how I broke up with you because I said we weren't right for each other? Well, you see, now that you've grown a vagina, I have decided differently. WE CAN MASH THEM TOGETHER NOW~!
• "And being attracted to guys is probably still weird for her." What the fuck? Sexuality doesn't work like that! YOU SAY IN THE SAME BREATH THAT SHE'S STILL ATTRACTED TO SARAH.

264

• I see no difference, AHR.
• And now that I think about it, why can't Nanase dress like this all the time? It would make it much more bearable.

265

• Your own work should never make you cry, Dan. That means that reality is beginning to blur for you.
• I can kinda see a bit of inking here, but not much. I'm not even sure what inking is, though. Whatever about this comic that is different.
• And pardon my asking, but did you say "catgirl"? He... He doesn't do that, does he?

266

• THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO PEOPLE OTHER THAN CLOTHES.
• And hair color, I suppose. NOT THAT WE WOULD KNOW THAT.
• Whatever happened to being under the table? Just blank, empty, whiteness surrounds them now.

267

• Ugg. These strips say so much about what Dan Shive thinks about women.
• Also, screaming "Anyone who laughs is in for a beating" makes it sound even more humiliating, because it implies that the people need to be prevented from laughing.
• The third panel just looks like Nanase has Tedd's father's moustache.

268

• Who the fuck wanted to laugh? What heartless dick in the group thinks the situation is funny?
• Why's Grace still wearing glasses?
• Also note the plothole being covered up by a "joke" bandage.

269

• He does? Then what was the point of the whole strip tease thing?! He was acting as though it were his first time ever seeing himself as a girl.
• WHY IS EVERY GOD DAMN SHIRT FORM-FITTING?!

270

• OH MY GOD!!!! SHE LOOKS...
• Exactly like Grace, with different skin and hair. How terrifying.
• Good appearance, Justin. You added something. It had nothing remotely to do with the plot, but you added something.