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I see what you mean, and I guess I might agree. One answer might be that Gary has really not had very long to absorb his lessons, in comics time (but damn, the boy's non-absorbent); another might be that Ma3 character development comes in random fits and st... brief, intense moments of epiphany, and maybe Gary will have one of those when the writers get bo... see fit.

We'll just have to wait and see.

I know Zii's relationship with Erik is somewhat controversial. It hasn't come up in any of the discussions I'd taken part in, so I'd like to share my thoughts with it here.

I do like what it's done for Zii. I like that she's actually trying to be a better and more faithful person. But at the same time, I don't see what's so special about Erik. There's nothing about him that makes me believe that he'd be the one to make an honest woman out of Zii.

Basically, even though I like how it's given Zii some character development, the relationship wasn't written in a way that I found believable.

Honestly I always saw Erik as only a Relationship Sue for Zii and nothing more which is why I find their relationship kinda annoying. I get the feeling that this might also apply to Kiley as well with her hooking up with Matt because they didn't want Kiley to walk away from Gary empty handed.

Was it the relationship that wasn't believable, or was it Erik?

Not that he's implausible. He's just a bit ... blah. He's just the nice rich guy who showed up in Zii's life. Which at worst makes it look like Zii might just love him for his money. Which doesn't really fit her behaviour, but - well, what's the alternative to cynicism there?

Funnily enough, though, I have acquired a little more sense of Erik's personality over time. His main characteristic seems to be one he shares with Sonya and, to a lesser extent, with Zii; he wants a bit (or a lot) of excitement in his life. Zii is this wild and crazy rock chick who dragged him into a drunken bisexual adventure - which might not have been especially to his taste, but never mind, it was new and different for him, and hence exciting. He then offered to underwrite and manage her rock career, because "rock manager" is doubtless more exciting than managing his family's businesses or whatever other jobs were on his horizon; then, when the trio trashed an expensive rehearsal room and set of instruments, he was happy, because that was proper rock and roll. He implied to Sonya that he thinks that Zii sees this as an open relationship, though he'd like it to be otherwise - because hey, that's how wild and crazy rock chicks do things, isn't it?

Which is at least a bit of characterisation, though it doesn't actually lead to much apart from a willingness to put up with unlimited amounts of stupidity from the band, so long as it's rock and roll. However, it does suggest one small possibility; although he'd probably forgive Zii a drunken fling with Sonya, if she actually manages to calm down a bit for his sake, he might start to get bored with her.

I wonder is it possible that so many find Erik boring because he is supposed to be boring? I mean it's not the most entertaining personality to have for a comic book character but maybe just as Spidrift pointed out that Zii is Erik's "crazy" rocker girl (I don't agree with every point he makes but that's human and I don't find anything worth arguing over as it mostly makes sense to me), Erik is Zii's normal guy. He gives Zii a chance to settle down and try a monogamous relationship because there isn't anything extreme about him. He's not like Yuki who can at times be dangerously obsessed or like Sonya or many others she's been with who have been forbidden lovers. Erik actually gives her that chance to settle into a "normal relationship".

Now long run, I don't think they're gonna work out. This may even be the nail in the coffin. I would like Zii to grow into a character who can have a faithful monogamous relationship with someone or at least a relationship with serious emotional connection (as in the past she's been quite dense about emotional attachment) but I don't think Erik has to be the person who does that for her nor do I think he should be. He's boring and intentionally so or not, I'd rather Zii get into a relationship with someone a little more interesting. In fact it would be fun to see Zii at least temporarily commit herself (like honestly commit herself) to a relationship in which she's the calm one. Ultimately I think Zii is going to come to the conclusion that she can have a deep emotional (probably even monogamous) relationship with someone and still be wild and fun.

That and I actually like the dynamic between her and Sonya.

zaprzapb wrote: I used to find Gary's character sympathetic but now I just see him as pathetic

THIS.

Minor observation in passing: Peggy's newly-ex boyfriend now has a name (Jim) and a tag on today's page. Logically, that tag should now also be applied to the couple of previous strips in which he appeared.

(And as I've noted elsewhere, he's now a named heterosexual male character - something from which the comic suffers a slight relative dearth. One suspects that he might stick around, if only to provide some kind of extra relationship option for some of the female characters, who otherwise have to fight with each other too much, even given how many of them are bi. Of course, he'll have to be educated out of his rather repressed attitudes if he's going to fit in round here... But one can imagine that happening. Fnah fnah.)

Well, if we're going to tag him, we need to trank him first.

Horrible thought occurs; he's unsuccessful in his heterosexual relationship because he has an aversion to the sight of female genitals...

Let's just hope he's not really a massively repressed gay guy, shall we? I'm sure that Ma3 has quite enough sources of yaoi already.

Optimus Kate's prediction is coming true with a vengeance...

I was really hoping Zii would stick with the relationship. Now that she's cheated like she has she matches all the signs of a common sociopath

I'm sorry, but how do you figure that? Making a drunken mistake (which she's no doubt going to be agonizing over when she's sobered up) is hardly grounds to label Zii as a sociopath.

If anyone is more prone to fit that label, it would be Didi.

jazzbuddah wrote:I was really hoping Zii would stick with the relationship. Now that she's cheated like she has she matches all the signs of a common sociopath

Being horny and drunk is a bad combination.

jazzbuddah wrote:I was really hoping Zii would stick with the relationship. Now that she's cheated like she has she matches all the signs of a common sociopath

She broke up with him, remember?

Yes, she did - when she was utterly shitfaced.

Do you really think that Zii would have thought Sonya's idiotic idea was genius is she was anywhere near sober? I somehow doubt it.