#I know it’s kinda based on the marriage scene from prince of Egypt so I keep hearing Through Heavens Eyes

[takaraphoenix]

Hello! I noticed that you aren't a fan of HiccupxAstrid (neither am I) but I would love to hear your analysis of the pairing, because I love how you analyze stuff

*laughs* I’m afraid I don’t have a lot to analyze there though.

Look, the main reason I don’t like it is because she used to be his bully.

Just like Snotlout and the twins, she used to pick on him. But as soon as he turns out to be useful, her interest is picked and I just… I don’t really like that. Sure, it’s a hypocritical thing to say considering I ship Clarisse/Percy in the PJatO fandom and it’s literally the same scheme there.

So.

That’s why I don’t have a lot to analyze there. This is really mainly a matter of me not seeing any chemistry between the characters and thus not liking them together.

The second movie and the show are not helping with the case, because there is literally no romance at all between them. Aside from mentioning that they are engaged and like… I think there was one kiss scene, there was nothing that indicated that they were dating in the second movie and the show completely blindsided me with the sudden engagement after they had literally only gotten together three episodes prior. And even after that, there is no romance between them.

I’m literally not sold on them being canon.

And I don’t need them to smooch every second scene or give each other lovey-dovey petnames. But just… gentle glances, holding hands, maybe even just being in touching distance to each other.

Disney movies make it work too, to convey that There Are Feelings Here, without having romance be, ah, let’s call it not fit for children as in more than a peck on the lips. But DreamWorks is being really very awkward about it.

They don’t do a lot of romance, if you have noticed. Shrek is… a weird thing through and through and due to comedy, the romance kinda just works. Road to El Dorado is a “romance” that is very, very sexual and literally just physical attraction. Prince of Egypt has the marriage as A Thing That Exists but devotes no time to that due to the religious theme. Rise of the Guardians straight up nopes out of a romantic sub-plot in total. Just, you know, to name a few examples. I think that in that aspect, where Disney has always right from the get-go known where they stand, DreamWorks is still kind of figuring out their footing.

Now back to Hiccup and Astrid!

They have a very professional boss and second in command relationship and they make that work really well, but they don’t have a romantic relationship.

Not to mention, I still got zero idea where Hiccup’s interest for her came from beyond “She’s pretty and there are literally only two dating options for me on this island and the other girl is a package deal with her crazy twin” (a plot-problem that was nicely driven home by the second movie where Snotlout and Fishlegs are suddenly chasing Ruffnut without any base from show or first movie solemnly based on “Well, we got no other options, I guess”).

So yeah, I can buy Hiccup and Astrid as a logical conclusion for simple lack of other options and him being the future leader and thus requiring future heirs.

If I’m being perfectly honest, I think that canon!Hiccup is asexual. He never looks at a woman with real actual interest, not just Astrid but them all. He sees and perceives them all as just… human beings. He is far more interested in his inventions and in dragons and his dragon studies than he is in women. I mean, every guy noticed that Heather is smoking hot, only Hiccup just treated her as a regular human being and was never fazed by her looks.

And Queen Mala, who honestly I think might emotionally and intellectually be a better fit for Hiccup, doesn’t register as a woman either. Additionally, he kind of doesn’t try to stop Snotlout from his plans of marrying her and becoming king, even though normally Hiccup is the loudest voice when it comes to stopping his team from doing something Really Very Weird. That felt, to me, more like him knowing it was a logical conclusion that Mala would pick her king this way and that he was not to interfer because in a way, he’s in the same situation and he doesn’t quite have a grasp on the concept of romance/desire so he just files that away as “If it’s for the best for their people, so be it”.

I legit think that Astrid is just who Hiccup picked because he has to have a wife and he cherishes her opinions and strength and knows she does make a good leader and would be the best choice for Berk, while in reality, he really just… doesn’t want any partner.