Subverting Expectations: The Megathread - Or How Baby Dick Creators ‘Sort of Forgot’ What an Anti-Climax Is

[wtfNeedSignUp]

I know I am bumping up a dead thread but I want to address something that is annoying when it comes to the topic of subversion.

I may be a fool if it was addressed already but the idea of "You're just mad because it didn't go the way you wanted it too"

That argument is a common one fans use to strawman people into whining babies for not liking the thing they like. There are many issues with this fallacy that I want to bring up.

1. The story leads you onto expect things so of course it would be annoying if the subversion makes the story go in the way that the audience didn't expect which leads into the next point:

2. If the subversion leads to something inferior to what was expected, then of course it would piss someone off, to use food analogies it's like replacing a good meal with a lower quality one.

3. It is also natural to have expectations going into watch something, to get rid of the idea of expectations and just accept content just for the sake of it is fundamentally not human.

I think the problem with the idea of subverting expectations is that it implies what actually happens is not something the audience expected but hoped will not come to pass. For example, Ned's death or the Red Wedding in aSoIaF aren't some impossible twists, but are entirely logical in-universe (somewhat).

 

[Thiletonomics]

Would the newest Chapter of the Chainsaw Man manga count as Subverting Expecations? People (in the West at least, I don't know how the Japanese reacted to it) are losing their minds, thinking it's going to be another repeat of Attack on Titan's infamous ending again.

The trend as a whole also remind me of this quote from WWE:

“It’s like the last page in a 500-page book. All of us would really have to fuck it up for that last page to ruin the 499.” – John Cena

“Ehhh, there’s a way.” – Triple H

And ironically, everyone knows how John Cena's retirement turned out.

 

[Berrakh]

Would the newest Chapter of the Chainsaw Man manga count as Subverting Expecations? People (in the West at least, I don't know how the Japanese reacted to it) are losing their minds, thinking it's going to be another repeat of Attack on Titan's infamous ending again.

The trend as a whole also remind me of this quote from WWE:



And ironically, everyone knows how John Cena's retirement turned out.

What is it?