When Caesar is faced with increased amounts of insubordination and desertions in his army, his chief medical officer Isivertuus suggests improving the army’s morale via "The White Iris", a positive thinking and healthy eating regimen. Caesar orders Isivertuus to prove the effectiveness of his teachings by having his legionaries conquer the Gaulish village. Isivertuus travels to the village and spreads the White Iris to the Romans and Gauls alike. However, when Asterix starts to push back on the village's new way of life, Isivertuus finds himself taking more drastic measures...
Tropes:
- Berserk Button: Isivertuus may preach positivity to everyone, but he can’t stand getting criticized himself. When Asterix tells Isivertuus they won’t need his services anymore and even compares him to weeds, Isivertuus loses his cool in front of all the Gauls and verbally lashes out at Asterix.
- The Bus Came Back: Impedimenta's wealthy brother Homeopathix and his wife Tapioca return for the first time since Asterix and the Laurel Wreath.
- Comic-Book Fantasy Casting:
- Isivertuus was drawn to resemble intellectual Bernard-Henri Lévy.
- One of the Roman tribunes sitting on Caesar's right side looks like businessman Denis Olivennes.
- The stage actor of the Comédie Gauloise (Comédie-Française spoof) looks like Jean Rochefort.
- The chariots-for-hire guy looks like actor Vincent Lacoste, who portrayed Justforkix in Asterix & Obelix: God Save Britannia.
- Continuity Nod: When Asterix and Obelix need to get into the Lutetian amphitheater, Obelix is reluctant as the place brings back bad memories, referring to their time working in a theater in Asterix and the Cauldron.
- I Have Your Wife: When Asterix begins to undermine Isivertuus, Isivertuus uses his influence over Impedimenta to trick her into coming to Luteatia with him, where he plans to give her to Caesar to force the Gauls to surrender.
- Fed to the Beast: Per usual for Caesar, he threatens Isivertuus with being fed to the lions if he fails. He comes close to sentencing Isivertuus to this fate after witnessing his failure, but Asterix convinces Ceasar to be gracious. Caesar instead makes Isivertuus a galley slave for some time.
- No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: With the boars losing their fear of the Gauls, it becomes child's play to catch them. Obelix however is not happy as he prefers the hunt, stating that hunting boars is now even easier than picking mushrooms.
- Not Afraid of You Anymore: Due to Isivertuus’ teachings the Gauls become so placid the Romans and boars lose their fear of them.
- Ripped from the Headlines: Isivertuus is clearly a parody of modern online wellness influencers.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- Asterix, Vitalstatistix, and Getafix begin to worry about Isivertuus’ influence when their fellow Gauls suddenly stop arguing and fighting all the time, trade wild boar for healthy food, and even start exercising. But what truly terrifies Asterix is that even Cacofonix’ singing no longer gets the Gauls mad enough to fight.
- Vitalstatistix himself gets hit with this after Impedimenta leaves him. He becomes so depressed he doesn’t even want to fight the Romans anymore. Asterix has to actively convince him to take some magic potion, and throughout the fight it’s clear Vitalstatistix’ heart is not truly in it.
- Performance Anxiety: Obelix gets the shakes when he has to fight Romans in the amphitheater, in front of an audience.
- Shout-Out:
- When Asterix tells Obelix how everybody is switching to fish instead of boar due to Isivertuus’ advice, Obelix wonders what is next; raw fish wrapped in seaweed? Asterix finds the idea ridiculous.
- During the fight between Asterix and Obelix and the Romans in the camp of Totorum, one of the soldiers says “May the force be with us”.
- Something Only They Would Say: When Impedimenta goes to Lutetia with Isivertuus and leaves a note for Vitalstatistix, he knows it is truly her note because in it she calls him by her affectionate nickname for him: Piggywiggy.
- This Is Gonna Suck: When Getafix agrees with Asterix that Isivertuus is undermining the Gauls' vigilance and states they need to give their fellow Gauls a good wake-up call, Asterix suggests using Cacofonix. Vitalstatistix immediately laments that this idea sounds bad already.
- You Have Failed Me: Discussed; when Caesar asks his military leaders for advice on how to deal with the mutinies, one suggests using decimation note . Caesar points out how that tactic never solved anything and only resulted in the loss of their own forces.
