Breaking All Barriers 012 – Outtake
└ posted on Friday, 22 January 2016, by Novil
Here you can see the only fully sketched Gaia page which was scrapped entirely before publication. I came to the conclusion that this page was slowing down the action too much during the already slow start of the current chapter. So I decided to only use the next page with the photographs to show how Viviana and her new friends had a good time at the party.
I used Viviana’s line from the 5th panel just one page ago so I didn’t want to post this page earlier. I’m also still fond of the characters’ funny facial expressions in this page, especially of Lilith’s in the last panel. The joke doesn’t work that well, though, which was another reason to scrap the page.
I agree with your decision to pick the pace up, but still thoroughly enjoyed this strip anyhow!
Personally this dialogue seems weird to me coming from Lilith, so I’m glad this was cut.
Had this joke been in, the recent joke would have been weakened. So, I also think it cutting it out was a good idea. Sometimes a small amount of fun can get in the way of a greater amount of fun.
That Guy wrote:
Well of our three girls, Lilith is the one who has a boyfriend …
And in this scene there seem to be no males anywhere near …
clickbait wrote:
I agree. Remember back in Red Hall 003:
Alissa: On second thought, you may not want to read the minds of all those men who see your charming visage and well-shaped body…
Lilith: …? ………ewwww.
Lili doesn’t strike me as a person who is comfortable with suggestive jokes.
I think it is completely ok to have some “anime-style over the top flirty jokes” once in a while to lighten the mood, however, it is always hard to find the limit where you rub your point too much into the face of the readers. I think the decision to cut this page was a good one. A good story should never lecture the reader or try to constantly be funny. Right now, I think there is enough romance and more of it should be reserved to additional volumes of gaia, or maybe the ending where some of the main characters marry and “live happily ever after”. If readers want to go there, they can do fanart or write fanfiction.
Would’ve loved this page becoming real; I think this is a side of Lilith that we haven’t seen much of due to the settings she’s been in.
I guess the first few pages of Gaia supports the opposite – with how Lilith reacts to Alissas somewhat dirty joke, but oh well. Still, it was a good call to take it out at a time when the pace was already slow. Still, maybe a colored version as some Patreon reward?
Hmm… That page explains a lot, but I wonder if Vivi liked her sausage in BAB-137… =P~
@ WoW Paladin:
Ehh, for me it’s more Lilith might not be comfortable about suggestive jokes made about her.
Another problem I see is that in the previous page, Lilith was exhausted and unsociable. Now she’s suddenly exchanging flirty banter over breakfast, with no explanation of the transition.
@ DonDueed:
This page was planned to take place after Breaking All Barriers 011 (Lili saying prayer), so she’s not ‘exhausted and unsociable’.
@ Arent:
A good story should not rely on fanfiction. And “happily ever after” is so extremely cliché and boring. I really like how they manage to tie in the romance and social aspects of the story in the more “adventurous” parts.
Still I agree that the joke would not have warranted a whole page and that it was a good idea to cut it.
I find it somewhat funny how it is a very similar quality of joke compared to BAB139, but still I like the latter far better because of the context it plays out in.
I have little problem with Lilith occasionally using a little double entendre in her jokes, but there is a time and place for everything. This sort of joke would work privately among girl friends, but this is a very public party celebrating the new Queen-elect of Ileasaar. It would be in extremely poor taste and show Lilith to be totally lacking of any class.
Novil was right to spike it. It just didn’t fit the circumstances.
Lilith is left handed? Interesting.
Lightweaver wrote:
As far as I can see (though the line art is not very clear in this regard), she’s not using any hand at all while writing. Magical self-writing dictaphone diary and all that.
@ Sob:
You may have a point there.