i kind of agree with anon

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Schism_989@reddit

I mean, I feel like Smiling Friends gets away with it somewhat because a LOT of the characters are built in their own unique way. You have shrimps, you have actual people greenscreened into the show, human beings who either look appealing or horrifying, the Devil is a stop motion figure. I don' mind it that much because every character is designed differently, and is drawn/animated differently.

Shit like Big Mouth where the ENTIRE SHOW is horrific on purpose absolutely sucks though.

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LizzieMiles@reddit

This reminds me of that one guy on twitter or something that edits his own OC character into the show that looks nothing like any of the other characters, and a lot of people just actually believe she’s a real character lmao

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A-BOMB_NOT-REAL@reddit

Marc m is a treasure, fuck you

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lessthanthreebleeps@reddit

This! When I heard Zach and Chris were doing Smiling Friends, I thought it was cool. When I heard they got Marc M. to do a major recurring character, I got way too excited. Plus, I'm hungry for shit.

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Lord_Voltan@reddit

Bout to do a smash n grab!

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Gr4pe_Soda@reddit

he just looks like an old man to me

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Reading_username@reddit

Nah, i'm with Anon.

When animators first started making disgusting stills and stuff, like in early Spongebob, it was a larf. But it's come so far that actual characters are unpleasant to look at sometimes and I don't like it, turns me off from watching a show.

It's possible to animate 'ugly' , 'unattractive' characters without making them grotesque

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mrhaluko23@reddit

You always do takes this bad?

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tacozombie741@reddit

if people are drawing unattractive characters purposefully, they're always going to go over the top with it because they're having fun. being middling with ugliness just makes the design even worse because of your cowardice

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Reading_username@reddit

Disagree. Counterpoint -- Grunkle stan, Soos from Gravity Falls. Both are mid ugly and excellent characters.

2nd counterpoint - Dale Gribble + Bill from KOTH.

Third - Lenny and many other Simpsons characters.

Not a single "grotesque", over-the-top ugly character, all "mid" ugly, all excellent additions to the shows.

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SpasticCastle@reddit

Sure, and Mike Judge drew exactly what he wanted for his style, and the smiling friends guys drew exactly what they wanted for their style. Dunno about gravity falls but I know it's respected for its design and writing.

That's the cool thing about good art, it's an expression of the creator's vision. All of these properties have very strong character / personality, and it comes from a very focused and strong creative presence. The artists and writers have a real idea, and the balls to see it through with artistic Integrity

And then you have the Johnny Tests of the world. Weak, sanitized, limp-wristed. Just immensely forgettable. The off brand Kelloggs corn flakes of the Animation world

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Jwkaoc@reddit

immensely forgettable

The internet never shuts up about it.

Remember watching it as a kid and thinking it was fine. Learn decades later that an inexplicable number of adults have a seething hatred for this show.

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ShitImBadAtThis@reddit

Counterpoint to your counterpoint:

Big Mouth

Not overly grotesque, but clearly they were going for the style. Instead, it just looks... really bad

There's a difference with your examples because the overarching style is not "middling grotesque," it's just individual characters that're disheveled.

If you lean into the visual style of middling-grotesque, that's when it gets uncomfortable

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leastemployableman@reddit

Everyone knows at least one guy who actually looks like Bill

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Champigne@reddit

If you can't understand why the character designs in Smiling Friends would be different than Gravity Falls idk what to tell you bro. One is a literal Disney Channel show.

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TinyM101@reddit

Why can't both be true? Some shows do good having over the top ugly designs cause theyre normal characters are goofy over the top designs, just like how in koh it's supposed to be a hyper realistic style so it wouldn't make much sense to include a over the top ugly character.

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KaszualKartofel@reddit

I mean Mr. Boss is groutesque and also a great character so what’s your point?

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HelpMeGetAGoodName@reddit

Those shows have a very different theme and purpose than Smiling Friends.

In The Simpsons the plot usually have some kind of connection to reality, characters are often based on a "stereotype" of people that actually exist in real life. If all characthers in The Simpsons would look like grotesque monsters it would take away from the point of the show, whereas characters being so grotesque in Smiling Friends adds to the absuridty of the show.

While i have not watched the other shows you menioned im willing to bet its the same case; they are relativly normal unassuming characters, them looking like models as well as grotesque monsters would distract from their purpose.

Smiling friends do not really have a clear lesson or point they want to teach. It is all about the absurd world and their nonsensical adventures in it.

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Jenkinswarlock@reddit

Jimbo and Ned from southpark, Hermes from futurama, all are mid ugly but great additions to the show, maybe they just aren’t my type but I don’t find them aesthetically pleasing to look at? Idk maybe I’m just the wrong kind of gay

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ResponsibleStep8725@reddit

Fr, Meatcanyon character designs are peak.

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Teract@reddit

That it draws a strong, almost visceral reaction is a good thing, and high praise. Animators are artists. Art is supposed to make you feel something. If it doesn't evoke an emotion, it's failed. Disgust isn't often the emotion we associate with art, but using an atypical emotional reaction is creative in itself

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opposite_singularity@reddit

It’s also very much Zach Hadels art style of which he has used for a lot of his stuff previous to smiling friends

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EMNOx2@reddit

How do both these comment have so much upvotes, Im with you though

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Okaoka_12@reddit (OP)

Ah ok i see your point in this one, you changed my mind

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Rikkushin@reddit

You should award a !delta for le gem he gave you

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TechnicallyLegit@reddit

gif

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-esperanto-@reddit

They’ve been doing this with live action shows and movies too and it’s become tiresome. Basically every movie that forces Zendaya in it. Without makeup she looks like a starved teenage boy

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YoungDiscord@reddit

The first cartoon to do this was ren & stimpy way back in the 90s

By the time spongebob came around this was already a thing for a while

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onarainyafternoon@reddit

By the time spongebob came

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diabloenfuego@reddit

I was always put off by the gross-ups and a lot of the creepiness as a kid, but that was the price of admission for all-time fucking greats like Log.

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magicarnival@reddit

I never watched Ren & Stimpy because they were so ugly and disgusting that it was off-putting to me. I felt similarly about Cow & Chicken, but it was more tolerable so I'd watch it if it was on instead of changing the channel, but never actively wanted to watch it.

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SyntheticDuckFlavour@reddit

Ren & Stimpy was gross mostly when stills and close-ups were shown that were deliberately drawn in meticulous detail. These were just a very small part of the total running time (but boy were they memorable). By far and large the animation style in Ren & Stimpy was not any more gross than Bucks Bunny. I think the more disturbing aspect of Ren & Stimpy is the neurotic and psycho themes.

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Lobster_fest@reddit

Ren & Stimpy definitely invented the "Gross Up", the close up still drawn with disgusting detail.

Spongebob didn't really start hitting it until season 4.

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airfryerfuntime@reddit

This is why I can't watch that Smiling Friends show, the character artwork is just so awful.

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Peecem@reddit

Comparing smiling friends animation to big mouth animation is unironically one of the most dogshit takes on animation ive ever seen lmao

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airfryerfuntime@reddit

They're both shit.

I swear, Smiling Friends is the new Rick and Morty. The fans are insufferable.

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Hugar34@reddit

The Smiling friends fans are genuinely some of the chillest people in terms of adult animation fandoms lol. I have no idea where you got that opinion from.

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PhD_in_MEMES@reddit

If Marc M is involved, I don't care wtf it looks like. I will consume anything that dude makes or is involved with. Yeah, the character is weird. But, Marc.

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IudexJudy@reddit

Mr. Boss doesn’t even look that bad lmfao

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Meewelyne@reddit

Honestly being ugly af was my reason why I didn't watch Rugarts or Beavis&Butthead. They plainly disgust me, even if they're great shows.

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AnDanDan@reddit

And yet the show Mr Pickles exists.

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Pupulauls9000@reddit

gif

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Hugar34@reddit

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anoppinionatedbunny@reddit

I think the Boss's design is very intentional and it's completely in line with his characterization. he's weird, he's unsettling, he should be an uncomfortable presence in every scene he's in. I think they nailed it.

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My_Diet_DrKelp@reddit

He's also the funniest character so it helps him become a little more palatable

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Fire_tempest890@reddit

Boss is an ugly character, but not grotesque

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Werner_Zieglerr@reddit

Who the fuck says larf

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Reading_username@reddit

gif

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Hyperversum@reddit

But the point here is it to be grotesque lmao

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Res_Novae17@reddit

Legit the only reason I have never given Big Mouth a try. I don't care how well written it is. I cannot stand the thought of having to look at it for 24 minutes.

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MacchuPicchu55@reddit

Haven't watched it, I thought the image was from a MeatCanyon video

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KHTheDestroyer911@reddit

Pretty sure MeatCanyon designed him for the show.

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eat_my_bowls92@reddit

This is from the show “Smiling Friends”. I do believe Meat Canyon/ Papa Meat is friends with Zach Hadel (co-creator of the show) so it wouldn’t surprise me for them to have similar styles.

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Reading_username@reddit

No one said it wasnt

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Okaoka_12@reddit (OP)

Right? I do like when characters look a little off, makes them unique in a way but keeping their faces that way the entire time just makes it a bit unpleasant

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GargamelLeNoir@reddit

There are so many cartoons I won't even give a try because looking at it is stomach turning. I'm amazed people enjoy that visual diarrhea so much.

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EbmocwenHsimah@reddit

This is exactly why I don’t want to touch Big Mouth with a ten-foot pole. I don’t care about how many talented people are involved with it, the art style’s just so hideous to me, it’s an instant turn off.

I don’t give a shit if it’s on purpose, because puberty is awkward and gross, that doesn’t mean I’m suddenly more inclined to watch it. I’ll gladly and shamelessly judge a book by its cover here, and I’ll do it again.

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EngineStraight@reddit

dodging a bullet because you don't like 9mm

big mouth is awful, but the artstyle is probably the least egregious part of it (seriously). you're saving yourself on a lot by not watching it, but the problems with the show get a lot worse as you watch it

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astralcalculus@reddit

Why are people hating on big mouth? I found it entertaining because it reminded me of the times when I was that age even though I'm way older now.

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Aluminium-Fail@reddit

I agree, bigmouth hate is so forced.

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potatoesarenotcool@reddit

It's not forced, it's just shit. "Forced" hate usually means it's just popular to do so. I watched it without ever hearing about it, it just appeared on Netflix and I though "fuck yeah, I love adult animation"

Total fucking trash, not funny lowest common denominator yank humour. I didnt even make it through episode 2. Just totally unfunny and ugly to look at.

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Aluminium-Fail@reddit

of you didn't find it funny, that's ok. I found it decently funny and representative of the awkwardness of puberty, and I felt that the art style enhanced that awkwardness.

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potatoesarenotcool@reddit

It would probably appeal to americans more than anyone else, that unsubtle obvious rude out joke type humour. It isnt clever, it doesnt do anything new with puberty. It's flat, its bubblegum for your tv.

But I am glad you enjoyed it, taste is subjective.

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Aluminium-Fail@reddit

I'm not gonna pretend it was the greatest show in the world. it was just nice to watch with my girlfriend while we ate dinner. kinda brain off ya know?

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Silver_Shelter_5153@reddit

gif

Mr boss is far better than this dude woman

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Global-Sea7453@reddit

dfssdf

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Global-Sea7453@reddit

sdfsf

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SQUIDY-P@reddit

100% Big Mouth

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Jerrygarciasnipple@reddit

Smiling friends was definitely an acquired taste for sure. But Big mouth makes me physically ill.

I’ll never be able to get over that

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NuggetWarrior09@reddit

I don’t wanna watch a show about little kids talking about cranking the hog and being nasty and provocative, tried the first season years ago and it’s literally just garbage

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Trevski@reddit

I mean its got some gross moments but honestly the most realistic take on middle school life, fantasy element notwithstanding

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NuggetWarrior09@reddit

If you wanna watch a 12 year old boy beat off to a cat clock, go ahead but I won’t do it

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Trevski@reddit

I don't even remember that lol to me its just another way to get some Nick Kroll, John Mulaney and Maya Rudolph into the media diet

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potatoesarenotcool@reddit

Holy consumer goy

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Jerrygarciasnipple@reddit

That is a part of my life I have literally zero interest in re exploring

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Trevski@reddit

That's fine. Nobody is gonna cut your finger off for not watching the show.

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Desert_Aficionado@reddit

Maybe they made the characters grotesque specifically because it was a show about kids discovering their sexuality? Imagine if they made them attractive - that would be a problem.

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AlphaMassDeBeta@reddit

They made it look like that so cant be classed as CP by the government.

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AlphaMassDeBeta@reddit

I watched it when I was 14 so im in the clear.

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Ill-Initial-@reddit

Still cant believe the creator of bojack horseman abandoned the show, made a hastily put together shit ending for it just so he can go work on the garbage that is big mouth.

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JimothyJollyphant@reddit

Please elaborate

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dabutte@reddit

yeah, this is a wild take on the finale of that show

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JimothyJollyphant@reddit

Fairly sure that he (Raphael Bob-Waksberg) had nothing to do with either Big Mouth, nor the "cancellation" of Bojack. Bojack was a legit S-Tier show and clearly a passion project for everyone involved. And speaking of the cancellation, the last season still was great and offered satisfying closure. Pretty exceptional for Netflix.

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dabutte@reddit

I would even go so far as to say after Breaking Bad it’s one of the best endings to any show ever, it’s incredible what that final season managed to pull off despite the sudden cancellation

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soupmale@reddit

i dont think he looks unpleasent, i think hes rather handsome for his age

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Plastic_Mongoose_390@reddit

I like him he's cute

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Noblecheesehead@reddit

I agree with this actually. There's several cartoons like Steven Universe that I'm never gonna get into just because I think the characters are hideous from what I've seen online. And I'll probably never watch Smiling Friends either because it's just ugly af. I think a lot of people have this mindset, and it's one of the reasons why anime has gotten as big as it has.

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DiabeticRhino97@reddit

He's not designed to be unpleasant, he's designed to be funny. And he is.

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wolverineczech@reddit

I want to sidetrack a bit and mention the game Cruelty Squad - it is allegedly an excellent immersive sim, but I refuse to play it, because the game is visually absolutely disgusting. I know it's purpose, but it doesn't change the fact that it makes me unwell to look at it.

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SouLfullMoon_On@reddit

Wagie mindset, you gotta play this submersive masterpiece and turn into a CEO MINDSET.

Jokes aside, Cruelty Squad EXCELS at making you kinda... Forget about the graphics after one or two levels. It's a hitman assassination type game, you have a target, kill it, extract. Easy as. The level design is open and with many secrets, unlockables feel great and the power fantasy escalates to speed runners taking mere seconds.

Tldr, while the game is known to look like shit, it's not it's main selling point.

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RawardHoikes91@reddit

I hated the way it looks. I still do.

But that's the thing - you will stop noticing it as soon as you actually start playing. It's mind-boggling what you can get used to when you just get along with it.

I actually completed it. Teeth with teeth with teeth, fifteen trillion microtransactions a nanosecond, the value of life is negative, and after eons the onion is peeled.

Just turn off the music, the music is unapologetically a bowel-emptying neural cascade.

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BigHourTech@reddit

I like the level where the soundtrack is just shit sounds

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BoTheDoggo@reddit

sounds like a you problem

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OrangeHairedTwink@reddit

Idk he doesn't really look that bad. It's like that one Roald Dahl quote about how goodness shines through. He may look a bit weird, but there's a kindness to him that softens the grotesque design and makes it easy to look at.

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somany5s@reddit

You guys are mean, mr boss is doing the best he can

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will-o-tron@reddit

gif

Yeah Anon is silly Mr Boss is awesome.

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Early_Power_5366@reddit

That's an Xbox or Nintendo 64 controller plugged into a GameCube

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will-o-tron@reddit

Nah man those are definitely the supple round nubs of a GC Controller.

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Unironicfan@reddit

Needs more impact frames

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will-o-tron@reddit

gif

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Unironicfan@reddit

That’s more like it

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kmmck@reddit

I disagree. The "le on purpose" attack only works when the entire cast is ugly as fuck and dogshit to watch. In this show, Mr Boss is funny because everyone else in the cast looks cute. The out of place-ness plus his really friendly personality makes it good

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ChaosWeeb@reddit

I- I mean, you already gave it to him, but... it's your gift, man, do whatever you want with it.... wanna- yeah

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apalapan@reddit

Mr. Boss' design always reminded me of that "I train at the library" meme

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starberryslay@reddit

love this form of logic. Next time I create a character or draw something bad I can just say "don't you get it? It's intentional" and I'll be completely void of all criticism.

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OzzRamirez@reddit

I mean, if you made it specifically to be ugly, yeah them being ugly is an invalid, or rather, an unnecessary criticism.

It would be like criticizing Homer Simpson for being bald, and thinking, "Why did the artist gave him no hair? Is he stupid?"

That doesn't mean other things cannot be criticized.

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ur_moms_boy-toy@reddit

So you can't criticize the intention itself, only the degree to which an artist fulfilled it? Yeah that's not fucking stupid at all, makes total sense.

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OzzRamirez@reddit

I think there are very few cases where you can criticize the intention of the art itself. Namely manipulative media / propaganda.

Like, I don't care if Birth of a Nation is very well made and fulfilled its intention perfectly. It's still a dangerous and insidious work and should be treated as such.

But otherwise, if your intention isn't harmful, how can someone criticize it really? Like if you knew Yoshito Usui and he told you, yeah I have this idea called Crayon Shin Chan, it's a comedy and the drawings are crude, would you tell him that he's wrong? That the art should be like Kentaro Miuras Berserk instead? Or worse yet, would you tell him not to make a comedy in the first place? That the intention of manga should be serious or whatever?

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starberryslay@reddit

when people say "I don't like the fact the character is ugly", they're not saying the artist did a bad job drawing it, the criticism is they didn't like the choice the artist made, to make them ugly.

Homer Simpson being bald is an incomparable example. The point is that things like genuine ugliness is hard to watch, so even if it's intentional, people do say "why is the creator intentionally making me watch something I don't want to look at?". This may still be doubly intentional, they want to make their viewer uncomfortable, but then people complaining about it and being uncomfortable with it is literally he desired effect.

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OzzRamirez@reddit

I'm sorry, I think I misunderstood you. Your comment gave me the impression that you agreed with the OOP

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Jumper2002@reddit

Mr boss isnt even that ugly/bizarre looking

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j0shman@reddit

Ever since Ren and Stimpy in the 90s there’s been this trend, nothing new

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kfish5050@reddit

I'm not a fan of smiling friends but not because of the uggos. I kinda like the contrast between the cartoony people and the horribly disfigured ones, alongside normal-looking background characters. I just don't think the show does well at keeping my attention, it's kinda crappy writing/storylines and has too much cringe

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QueenOfTheNorth1944@reddit

Yeah

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Ferrarileite@reddit

wait wtf he seems completely normal to me, nothing particularly grotesque in his design

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mentina_@reddit

They won

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Physical_Noise123@reddit

Yeh because thats what you see daily in the mirror

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beegproblemzzz@reddit

That wasn't very nice

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FR05TY14@reddit

Just like their reflection.

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InitialSwitch6803@reddit

I agree, but we’re on greentext

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PointsOfXP@reddit

gif

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Tommy2255@reddit

I suspect that his behavior, which really is bizarre, biases people against him. He isn't really that gross looking, but combined with his behavior and contrasted with the more simple and cartoon-y main character designs, I see why he gives a negative impression.

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Invulnerablility@reddit

I will not stand for this Mr. GOAT SLANDER!

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Domenakoi@reddit

I could not for the life of me give a fuck about big mouth. Fact aside its a dogshit show anyway, those characters are unbearably disgusting to look at, done on purpose or not

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