***SPOILER ALERT FURTHER DOWN…You’ve been warned***

I’ve read the 6 Scott Pilgrim graphic novels completely twice now, in order, panel by panel, and skimmed through individual volumes quite a bit lately. I’ve only owned them for maybe 2 or 3 weeks now…

I’ve found the world of Scott Pilgrim to be hilarious and entertaining, I love the references to a number (at least 5) of Toronto places that are actually within a 15 minute walk from where I live. It’s awesome. I played the PS3 8-bit Scott Pilgrim game for 2 nights, beat it on all 4 characters and got them $9999.99 each. I’ve yet to see the movie, waiting for Z to read the volumes before we see it….but I may have to see it despite her lack of motivation to be a perfectionist and witness the universe in the chronological order that the products were released. Yeah….I’m the odd one, I know.

Anyways, the 6 volumes are a masterpiece. There are some parts where I’m totally like Scott Pilgrim.

and other parts where I’m intrigued about his character. He’s mysterious, as are many of the characters in the graphic novel. I find him innocent and charming (in his way), trying to forget the bad decisions he’s made the the bad parts of the person he is. Trying to do right despite being a bit of an idiot, trying to be good and change for Ramona. It’s really a “coming of age” story for Scott Pilgrim when you get past all the sillyness, video games, and hilarious absurdities.

I remember reading this (below) in Volume 1 in literally LOLing. I mean, I say “lol” a lot but I’d say that I rarely do it when I’m alone..but this…this is when I knew this Scott Pilgrim thing was just for someone like me:

Again. Sooo me. Even the way he speaks…

What I find somewhat perplexing is the love of all these women in his world. Despite being a bit of a goof, he’s got the adoration of Knives Chau, the long time infatuation of Lisa Miller, a previous relationship with Kim Pine, a previous relationship with Envy Adams, and a relationship with Ramona Flowers. Maybe he’s just really handsome/cute looking “in real life” though not artistically captured in the graphic volume…which I realize is an absurd statement in itself because…you know, everything’s fictional and (until the movie), everything existed in the graphic novel.

I can understand why the girls all like him:
Scott Pilgrim shows Knives a world she’s not accustomed too, much like the Aladdin-Jasmine relationship from Disney’s Aladdin (1992). Man I’m such a girl. Anyways, Knives is just…intrigued by the crazy world Scott’s from and wants to experience this whole new world with him. Again, I’m such a girl.

Lisa Miller is best friends with Scott only to have him fall for another girl, Kim Pine. He’s completely unaware of these deep feelings she has and he never really realizes what he means to her. Years later, Lisa’s probably thinking how Scott was “the one that got away”….well, not quite, it’s high school. But I can understand her wish to have an unrequited love return her feelings, even after so many years.

Kim Pine obviously had/has a connection with Scott when they were young but probably became a bit bitter and angry regarding how her relationship with Scott ended. Again, it’s Scott being an idiot…selfish and a child…but he was young. And stupid. Honestly, I didn’t care for her character much until her departure in chapter 5 as well as her support in chapter 6. Of all the characters…well, women…in the series, I like her the best. Realistic and grounded, sarcastic, brutally honest, intelligent….she looks like she hates the world but I can see a very warm character in her, albeit a bit bitter given some of her life experiences. Wait a sec…I just realized (after proof-reading) that I described liking her for reasons and characteristics that describe me! That must be a form of…self incest or something…Maybe I like her because I see similarities…I’ll have to give this character more thought…

Envy Adam. He might be the only one that really knew the original her. The Natalie V. in her and not the public Envy that the world knows. Well, he should know her…it seems his memory is, as always, a bit of a failing of his. His interpretation of events clearly bias themselves towards his benefit. She’s still attracted to him because he’s the ground in her high flying world.

Ramona Flowers. She’s obviously had some bad experiences with boys in the past, they’ve treated her poorly though she’s treated them equally as bad. Cheated on some of them, left them for other guys that “walk by”. She’s looking for someone who will stick with her mess of a life, someone who won’t hurt her, a nice guy. She’s a bit annoyed when she finds out Scott cheated on her…or…specifically on Knives for her. She expected better and that’s why she’s with him. And that’s why they stay together…because by the end of the volumes, Scott’s more mature and still genuinely a nice guy…

Now, why he likes them. Or why he should. Or shouldn’t.
Knives. Shouldn’t. Rebound girlfriend. Not real…Scott’s an idiot here.
Lisa Miller. Should. His teenage best friend. She’s totally in love with him, he’s just too stupid to realize it. There probably should have been something there. Or specifically, there should be (kudos to you if you got that).
Envy Adams. Should. She’s hot now. Shouldn’t. But a celebrity…don’t do it Scott, it’s a trap! Too much hassle.
Ramona Flowers. Should…NOT. She’s mysterious…I liked her a lot too but the more you read, the more high maintenance she becomes, the more baggage she has, and the better…
Kim Pine turns out to be. Scott SHOULD be with Kim Pine. That’s the girl I’d choose. <3 Honestly, I'm bit more intrigued by the personalities of the girls, their point of view, personalities and character. Well Scott's fun and similar to me, I'm afraid he's simply a bit too unrealistic as a human to empathize with. The girls are different though, they're realistic, well developed, they each have their own spot light and defining moments. I love Scott Pilgrim's precious little life (kudos to you if you got that too). I’m envious for all the amazing women in his life that love his stupid ass. He’s a socially retarded, socially stunted, immature, forgetful, selfish, boy. But he’s genuinely nice (or, he tries to be), he’s childish, innocent, believes smoking is evil, doesn’t drink (or claims not to). There are similarities as well as differences with his character and my own. I find it easy to be placed in his shoes and make the decisions he’s made but difficult to understand them. It’s…confusing. Identifiable but not identifiable at the same time.

What can I say about this graphic novel…it’s like a video game-highschool-Dawson’s Creek/One Tree Hill/Gilmore Girls/The O.C./<insert other highschool show I’ve watched and enjoyed>

I’m a sucker for love stories. I love realistic ones. Well, realistic characters. I enjoy empathizing with them. Being sucked in their world and watching/analyzing their decisions. Characters like these are as believable as any real person to me if I can understand their feelings. The moment I can’t understand them or their decisions, I dislike them. They aren’t realistic. And that’s when I stop being interested. Note: It’s okay to disagree with their decisions, as long as they’re made somewhat rationally. When a relationship simply does not make any sense <insert random O.C. relationship>, and I can’t even understand it, much less agree with it, that’s when I stop watching/reading.

/wrote so much on Scott Pilgrim….I really really hearted this book (kudos to you if you got that too). I think it changed the way I wrote the last two posts. I felt passion again, after so long and wrote a post worthy of my site.