The Fall of the House of Contiello: Squigly's Origin Story

[ROTHY]

Didn't see a thread despite the origin dropping a while ago. What did y'all think of it?

 

[BallotBoxer]

I liked it. I wasn't has hyped as I was for Filia's origin, which was fueled by the giant mystery of her amnesia, but what other story could they tell for Squigly other than the last day of her life and the first day of her unlife? But in the retelling of a story already told, some things stood out.

There are a ton of positives, like plenty of insight into the Contiello, Medici, and Renoir feud (Lev calls the Renoir usurpers!), and guest star cameos (everyone needs more screen time!). A lot of questions got answered. For example, Big Band and Panzerfaust saving Squigly from the labs:

Big Band
After that, Panzer and I decided to keep what happened a secret from the labs. Squigly and Leviathan deserved to rest in peace - not to be dissected for their secrets.​

(nice, but what about saving them from a Medici show funeral where she was dressed in a skull costume and her lips sewn as a message to the other families? And then being stored in their weird skyscraper morgue vault...)

Three issues:

RECAST ADJUSTMENT
Selene and Roberto are drawn different from how they appear in the non-mobile version of Skullgirls. Not drawn badly, just a difference that takes some time getting used to.

SHOTS FIRED
Retelling Squigly's story mode weaken's the original's impact. For instance, Black Dhalia feels more like a gun-happy heckler rather than a menacing murderer as she appears in 2nd Encore. Her entrance has her opening fire to create a rude noise that Roberto scolds:

Roberto:
Dahlia?! What is the meaning of this?
Gunfire? In our house?! Lorenzo will hear about this!​

While in the story mode Dahlia and the Medici thugs in bunny-girl costumes enter and machine gun down the Contiello family and friends.

Story mode: Dhalia grabs Squigly like a hostage and point blank executes her
Origin story: Dhalia takes a potshot at Squigly when she talks back
The result is the same (shot Squigly), but one is more vicious and purposeful.

ENOUGH PUNS TO MAKE MS. FORTUNE PROUD
Throughout the origin story all characters are making theater, singer, and music puns. Witty banter from the heroes and Lorenzo is fine, but having Selene pile them on might have been too much:

Skullgirl Selene:
What's this? A muse speaks to me...
Yes! Can you not hear it? A symphony of screams, an aria of anguish, a dirge of despair!

Skullgirl Selene:
Lorenzo Medici. Your family's era is in its final act.
Come, it is time for you join my rondo of blood. Embrace your oblivion.​

Felt a little Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze to me (i.e. compare the campy goofball in that movie to the somber psychopath in the animated TV series).

Yeah, she transformed into the crazy Skullgirl, she can say whatever, but we get so few chances to observe the Skullgirls the series is named after, so I'm left wanting more than supervillain liners.

 

[Brawlitup99]

Squigly's story mode has to be one of the best ones yet imo. There's a lot of appearances from other characters, designating who's where during the Skullgirl's attack, and it opens up the universe a bit more. I honestly hope we get to see another origin story with Big Band and the rest of ASG right before/after Selene, because now I'm just imagining an Avengers-like series where they all go and beat up bad guys.