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Precisely. Rtte's plot was very detailed and had tons of loopholes they failed to fill but the messaging was kinda different. That's why as much as I love the show, I can't say it was the best. It had potential to be more and have to messaging of the movies behind it. But since Dean Deblois wasn't the one directing it I think it fits more of a parallel than a direct connection from RoB and DoB to the second movie
Thoughts About RTTE
I feel like I’ll regret posting this later but it’s been on my mind for a year now and I need to get it out (RTTE criticism ahead btw, just my opinion, you can share yours and tell me I’m wrong)
This is how I categorize the two HTTYD shows for some background. R/DOB is about how society changed with the dragons and RTTE is about the characters individual relationships with each other. Neither one is superior, I just prefer one over the other.
I haven’t rewatched ROB in full in a while but every episode from what I remember tends to have a conflict that Hiccup has to resolve with the dragons. Whether it’s Mildew being the worst person alive and wanting Toothless gone, a Flightmare wanting to “attack” them, animals being scared of dragons and not producing, it’s all connected to how society has had to change because of Hiccup’s actions.
Hiccup’s relationship with Toothless is ALWAYS the core of the story and shown in scenes. It’s tested often, with Hiccup trying to please everyone all the time but also keep Toothless happy and accepted on Berk. Of course there’s the larger story of Alvin and if I’m being honest I don’t remember much of it, but the story always comes back to how Berk has needed to change and how Hiccup and Toothless’ relationship has affected/been effected by it. Hiccup and Toothless regularly interact, talk with each other, and act like friends. It’s about them, and the rest of the cast is there to create barriers or to provide support.
I think this is because it comes after HTTYD and you need to see how Berk went from Berk in the first movie to Berk in HTTYD2 (even though HTTYD2 came out after it). It’s what makes logical sense on what to come next.
There’s some episodes that don’t follow this trend, like “Portrait of a Buff Man” and “Thawfest”, which are both my favorites, and that follow Hiccup’s arc more solely, and this could be totally inaccurate, but my overall impression is that this story is mainly about Hiccup, Toothless, and Berk (plus Outcasts), and how each of these things impact the other. Again, I need to rewatch these ASAP because I love them so much and I forget a lot about them.
RTTE is very different to me. It breaks apart from Berk totally, focusing on a war that is more central to the plot and themes. The kids are alone, and because of this, threats are from new places, and there is more time to expand on relationships among the gang. And Hiccup and Toothless are not the central relationship any longer.
You could argue any way you want for the main relationship. I’d argue it’s the core six together as a whole, or even Hiccup and Dagur/Hiccup and Viggo.
Either way, very, very few episodes focus on how the world has changed because of Toothless, or even have Hiccup and Toothless interacting much. Hiccup is fighting dragon hunters, and I’m pretty sure that once Dagur was usurped they would have left Hiccup alone if he didn’t attack them and try to free captured dragons. Dagur was the one who cared that Hiccup “betrayed Viking way” or however he put it. I honestly don’t think Viggo cared that Hiccup had a peaceful life with dragons as friends if he allowed dragon hunting to continue. Toothless being found and changing Berk isn’t a massive impact on the rest of the archipelago and beyond until Hiccup starts freeing captured dragons in the events of RTTE.
This still makes logical sense on what to come after we see an expanded world in HTTYD2 and Hiccup exploring. I like this aspect of RTTE
But my main criticism and the reason I prefer ROB more is because I love HTTYD for Hiccup and Toothless’ friendship, but in RTTE Toothless is used as a war machine.
It makes sense, since there’s a larger plot in this show, and Hiccup needs something to get him from point A to B, and something to help him fight off the villains. But Toothless and Hiccup don’t have much time together. The only moments I can pick out are when Hiccup pushes him away in “Darkest Night”, when Viggo pretends to poison him in his last episode, and…well, that’s pretty much it. (Forgive me, I just started rewatching it after taking months off because I knew the episodes too well! But the point still stands, Hiccup and Toothless moments were abundant in ROB/DOB, but in RTTE there were very, very few that didn’t have massive impacts on me tbh)
While in ROB Hiccup is constantly fighting against forces that want Toothless gone and showing us how much their friendship means to him, other relationships are shown in RTTE. And I love ALL of them, Hiccup and Astrid’s friendship to something more was a major incentive for me to keep watching because I’m such a character driven consumer, and I loved how every season had an episode focused on each main 6 character. Snotlout got way more fleshed out than I would have expected, and Fishlegs and Meatlug have a real relationship that seemed more authentic than Toothless and Hiccup’s.
My overall impression of RTTE is that it’s about Hiccup and his friends growing and gaining independence together. Toothless was a tool for the writers to help them get there, while the other dragons got fleshed out because they were something new.
I love RTTE, don’t get me wrong. It’s funny, it has a really interesting plot and antagonist, the character arcs are so satisfying, and every episode has that little moment of payoff where everything comes together. But I feel like it lost Hiccup and Toothless’ relationship along the way to include more things, which is a shame, because that’s what HTTYD was originally about.
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Hey batsy I’m pregnant with your child!