#but for the love of everything please get that turtle a bigger terrarium!!!

[lazzarella]

Some thoughts on EPS 1-3 of Monster Next Door

I was thinking recently how I wish there were more movies or shows where an introverted/withdrawn/shy/whatever* character meets an extroverted/outgoing/confident/whatever** character and their disposition isn't seen as inherently flawed and that the extroverted character learns from them for a change. And then Monster Next Door comes along!

*&** I know these aren’t the same things, but they often get lumped together

I mean, I'm assuming they'll learn a little from each other, but I love that God (or Got?) adjusts his behaviour first and that it doesn't feel performative. He's not doing this solely to impress Diew and then embracing it sincerely later—he's enjoying himself from the outset (with the reading) and learning things about himself too (everything he says about wearing the mask because what Diew said made him realise he doesn't have to be who people assume he is when they see him). Diew might feel pressure from his mother, and has clearly had bad experiences in the past (as we see with his ex's friends making fun of him), but he has someone who's truly trying to understand him in God/Got, which is really lovely

And! I also like that Beer was like no I don't think it's weird that Diew's quiet, and that, while he extends the invitation to Diew to eat sushi with them, it's clearly a no pressure kind of invitation.

It's just so refreshing! (@byemambo has a much better and more detailed analysis here)

On the flipside, I like that, while Diew was annoyed by the noise etc. initially, there doesn't seem to be a lot of judgement on his side either? At least, not once God starts talking to him. Like, I find the introvert/extrovert (or similar) thing is often played as a rivals type of thing, but here it feels more like a neutral display of personality differences. Diew fears being judged because of past experiences, but he doesn't seem to have an inherentdistaste for more outgoing people. And he's doing things that are outside his comfort zone or wheelhouse, too! Like when he looks up hangover cures when he overhears God throwing up from being drunk! Or going to the concert, which I'm guessing is not his usual scene. 

There's already a give and take and mutual understanding and, while I do like other dynamics, it's nice to see a love story start this way sometimes too

(Remind me to maybe talk a little about costuming/set design and the use of masks at some point)