So I did an Emily LOVE route run for the last 90 or so minutes and I have to say that I find Ashley the game's antagonist when it comes to the MC and Emily.
Does anybody remember the movie "Platoon" with Charlie Sheen from 1986?
There's two Sergeants that are always at odds with one another; Barnes, the hard-ass prick played by Tom Berenger and Elias, the more mild-mannered balanced, sensible one, played by Willem Dafoe, and they're trying to influence Sheen's character, and the rest of the platoon, throughout the movie in one way or another.
I feel like that's what is going on with Emily here. Ashley (Barnes) is trying to keep Emily the way she wants her and likes her; hostile, angry, ready to beat up someone at the slightest push.
The MC, and maybe even Samantha, are Elias, trying to help guide Emily to not being so hostile and angry all the time.=, or influencing her to do what SHE wants and not what Ashley wants. In the movie, Sheen states it's like fighting over possession of his soul.
I was thinking about this as I was playing today and the "sphere of influence" battle made me think of Platoon. It might not fit for everyone's thinking, but it does for me.
At the end of E8, Ash is agreeing to show Emily about the makeup, whereas I'm sure the MC thinks that it's not necessary for Emily at all and thinks to himself that trouble is coming.
Ashley might be a main girl, but for right now, she is also the antagonist in my opinion on Emily's route. There's no conflict, no bad guy on her route. The only douche bad guy is Ashley's grandfather, but is Ash herself going to try to influence Emily more in the upcoming episodes in trying to get her to change and the MC has to show her it's not necessary?
Alright, enough hot air. I had to get my thoughts out.
