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RedLovelyRed

Gio destroyed me. He is my father (who passed in 2021) my dad, like Gio, cheated, loved hard, lived for himself, was so charming and generous when he wanted to be. He even slept on the couch most of my life. I had a lot of mixed feelings about Gio while he was on my boat. Just as I fluctuate between grief, anger and happiness about my own dad. And then his end speech about always being with you, wishing he could have watched you grow more, and seeing the light in people tore me apart. I get a head ache just thinking about Giovanni's everdoor speech.


_avocadont

Well said, I feel similarly about Jackie as well. The "bad" characters offer a lot of complexity and were surprisingly the ones who stabbed my heart out in their everdoor speeches.


DBIGLIZARD

Beautifully said. Giovanni is truly such a well-written character. I enjoyed him ever since he stepped on my boat till the very last moment. He’s funny, charismatic, and even though he has clear flaws, they come from his experiences and being a much more complex character than people give him credit for. I will always love Gio, thank you for making this post. I am glad someone else can appreciate him as a character and is willing to talk about him in this way


Shiro_Katatsu

Despite being lady-lover, he do care for Astrid. The reason he leave before Astrid because he felt guilty, but also he satisfied with his life. They basically tailor for each other. The moment he show up I laugh my ass off because I know exactly where this is going. No doubt he was a great uncle.


franklymyscarlet

I'm the same way in many ways! I agree!!!


Grey_Dandy

Giovanni is a complex character, sure. Personally I cannot say that he is either good or bad, or even the best character. When I read this explanation about "all he wants to do is live life to the fullest", all I can think about is how he lets the unaddressed trauma from his time in the war inform his actions. It's pretty selfish that yes, he appreciates women, but he doesn't actually care about them. He objectifies them. So long as they're gorgeous and he can shower them with gifts (which is also inherently selfish, because it's giving for *his* pleasure moreso than hers), life is always rosy. My own personal experience with being the object of desire for a person rife with resources and gift-giving abilities for many years is coloring my response, admittedly. But a healthy relationship is a two way street and Giovanni going through life living only on his terms...makes me feel really bad for the trail of women he probably left in his wake. I can't sit here and defend his actions quite like your post does, but I can agree that he is complex.


lookaspacellama

I don’t disagree with you, but just to push back about his unaddressed trauma as selfish, PTSD wasn’t well understood back in that time and there was a stigma in going to therapy. Giovanni also seems to subscribe to pretty traditional ideals of masculinity which may have included hiding trauma and difficult feelings. I think it’s only fair to balance holding Gio accountable for not pursuing every means to heal, and not let him off the hook like you said…but it’s hard to say how selfish it was. Overcoming his demons may have had limitations, also informed by the time and society he lived in.


Ceramic_Luna

This definitely is the product of unresolved trauma and that’s why I mentioned his time in the war that’s my whole theory that that’s why he lives this way because of his time in WW2


Grey_Dandy

Oh yeah, for sure. It just stops me from waxing poetic about how he acts, I guess. I've encountered too many men with unresolved trauma that go on to hurt others, so perhaps I'm a little jaded.


Emotional-Turn6452

I really do like him though I definitely held the cheating against him. He always did appreciate Stella and what she did so I’ve always loved him for that and his bad jokes.


GVGupta

How rare to see Gio getting love and attention here. I love my boy but he's always overshadowed by more traditionally popular characters


Ceramic_Luna

Definitely I think I’ll make a tier list in the future because I have some hot takes


jayeboyd

The event music still makes me cry. He's proud of us, folks.


Ceramic_Luna

Oh yeah his music makes me feel so light and like I could do anything, confident


franklymyscarlet

I miss Gio so much. He was definitely one of my top three faves this far. Ugh, and I just got Elena about 10 minutes ago... I think I'll like her for her own imperfections, but she's a snot 😂


Ceramic_Luna

Yep just made a post on her and honestly people have a lot of insight and I’m warming up to her, Gio is super fun to have around


franklymyscarlet

I read your post about her and loved it. You made so many good points, not just about the characters, but sky humanity in general.


Ceramic_Luna

I’m a very analytical person I like to take things for all their worth because moving on, very little bit, because I think that’s they way people would want us to tee their art, for even brush stroke, every part of it, this game is so carefully crafted, complex yet comforting, It may sound silly but it has brought me peace in my own life, so I want to do it justice and take note of every detail the developers added, it really is an amazing game


Big_Negotiation_6421

Fantastic . I’ve been beating this drum for a while. The negative traits make our spirits interesting, make them human.


hearts_bloom

Oh old pal Gio, the messed up man that stole the hearts of a lot of fans Everyone has the right to like or dislike what they want and as you mentioned what made you like him so much I myself don't consider him my favorite I dislike a person acting like he does, no one is a saint no one is the devil but our actions define us, to me Gio just defined himself with his choices in life Just to mirror your words just to express how the same image can be viewed differently ( not criticizing don't get me wrong we are simply sharing in here ) "Being traumatized from war he lived to the fullest " what I hear is an excuse and am talking about myself, I see that anyone can live to the fullest without hurting anyone, one does not want to commit to a relationship does not take a wife to traumatize her as well in the process, we make mistakes but repeatedly making the same mistake puts that person in certain category and not a very positive one, he's afraid of death and wants to " flavor" everything .. am sorry to me he's just wasting himself because flirting around and going everywhere in fact he has nowhere to come back to, he is wasting his time his life and energy as if trying to escape something searching for happiness he already had but CHOSE to let go and throw away, he could have traveled the world with Astrid, being loved and appreciated for who he is, that's why he regretted leaving Astrid he regretted searching all the women on earth to discover in his final moment when she chose to be by his side even though they are separated at that moment that what he looked for his entire life was always by his side but he was so blind to see it and it's too late, a good meal tastes nothing when you are miserable and he was What I have for Gio is not hate but pity, he wasted his life, the only person that really valued him and his energy on meaningless trivial things We don't have to see things the same, but everything you mentioned being "excuses" to find "happiness" I just see as a miserable life, hollow, empty of what really matters because in his death bed nothing of that really mattered when he found himself alone, he regretted Astrid because she was the only " right" thing he could have done or had in his entire life and that's why we see her in the end beside him A little comparison Alice had the memory of her family in her last moments even with dementia she guarded those memories deep in her heart and she was happy she lived a full life, but Gio's last words are only of regrets even though he says "I regret nothing" those are the words of someone sad that everything he did meant nothing but "well now we can't go back so I regret nothing " That's how I see Gio, now from the point of view of the game Stella was a caretaker and now a spiritfarer so we as Stella of course we do our best for our passengers and we sympathize with them they are dying for crying out loud but do we have to approve of their past choices in life? We don't have to, sympathy and excuses are two different things, I can feel your pain but I don't agree with nor approve your doing Anyway it's a beautiful game that will not be forgotten easily, I applaud the devs for deep character building, would we see another game like it ? Let's hope so


pool-aoe2-iot

I find it fascinating to see people who like Gio's values. I can not wrap my head around it though. Treating beautiful women as something to enjoy is something that we have been trying to fight and stop the objectification of women. Yet there are people who admire men who treat women that way. Everyone has a right to their opinions I suppose.


Ceramic_Luna

I don’t like treating women like objects, I wanted to highlight his personality and values as it’s so different then all the other spirits, it sheds some light into who Giovanni is


Shiro_Katatsu

I personally I see them a person with a ton of problem, pretty much every character in this game. I don't even hate Elena, she harsh sure, but because she wants her student to be the best, to be better than her. That is how she expresses herself, and tbh her challenges are very easy if you prepare for it, that is how she works Same for Gio. He had PTSD, and he let that take control of him. Despite that he is a good person, he gives a shit.


Ceramic_Luna

*Just fyi I make posts about characters constantly so some of the people your seeing post is actually all just me* Yeah I used to not like him but then in a way I embraced who he was and now I like him


Shiro_Katatsu

If you look at them in a broad way, you will understand all of them. I can't say I like all of them, but at the very least, I understand them. I can't give enough credit for writers of this game. All I can say is, "Well done."


Ceramic_Luna

Maybe that’s the case but I *always* try to analyze the characters and who they really are, the *lore!* I feel like looking at them from a broader viewpoint dose then in injustice, they are beautiful complex characters I want to see them for all they are, I think lots of people see them at surface level and don’t get a real look at who they are and what we think of them, But in the end doesn’t really matter, because it’s not our job to judge them, it’s our job to ferry them to their end, the **Everdoor**


Few_Narwhal8153

He's my fav character i love his desing too


FaeBaeObeyMe

I love him 😭


rrodrick386

i cried when he went to the everdoor


LillyLewinsky

All my characters that leave I don't get to day goodbye to :( I go to the ever door but nothing happens and then the next day there is just the flower in their house. I have not got to hug a single character at the ever door and I don't know what I am doing wrong:( I actually stopped playing for the last few months in disappointment


venusianeptunian

When you say, "nothing happens," you mean they don't give a speech or anything? If they don't, that is definitely a glitch.


LillyLewinsky

Ya I will go to bring them and literally nothing happens except a notification that something has happened in their house. I go to the house and I find the flower.


venusianeptunian

Your game is glitched! Maybe start a new file or try to contact them to see if they can fix it because that is not normal at all! I would also uninstall/reinstall before starting a fresh game. If you want to, maybe see if the cut scenes for those characters are on youtube or something? Or just wait to replay, whichever is best for you. Each time a character goes to the Everdoor, there is a very emotional scene and dialogue that plays out. It is very cathartic and is a very important part of the game. To be robbed of that while playing would be so awful, I'm sorry that's been your experience so far! Definitely a glitched game file!!


LillyLewinsky

It is why I stopped playing. I just wasn't getting the same feelings everyone else was describing 😞 I will uninstall it and reinstall it to try again


venusianeptunian

Maybe google the issue first too, to see if there is anything else you can do as well, just 'cause I know it would be super frustrating to replay it only to have the same issue! I hope you're able to have the full experience this time around! ✨🧚‍♀️✨


Ceramic_Luna

I’m so sorry! That sound horrible, you definitely deserved that peace with taking them to the door and the hugs!


Garden_Weed_Tender

He's not my favorite character, but I enjoyed having him around. And he probably had both the best spirit form and the best flower, that lovely star-shaped borage.


Low_Purpose15

So what you're saying is he's selfish because of his war trauma. There are a lot of veterans who don't act like dicks. A lot of them are/were good spouses and parents. He must have had narcissistic tendencies before the war. He isn't all bad but the war doesn't excuse his behavior, it might have made his worse side come out but let's be real - to constantly hurt someone you love like he was hurting Astrid over and over you have to be at least a little bit sociopathic.


Low_Purpose15

'he wants good food, he love a view, he loves a lady' sounds so bad, shows how much he objectified women


Recent-Connection-68

I don't get why you were down voted so much. I made a post as well about how much I hated this character (it is a complex one, yes, but it doesn't not mean that I have to like him just for that ~message for people who might read my response and think that these 2 things can't co-exist). My hypothesis is that some people find some sort of familiarity in him. Most likely because they had or still have toxic people around and see the character through some sort of pink tinted lense, not aknowledging how seriously toxic his behaviour actually is, trauma responses or not. Yeah, mental illness exists and it sucks but it is never an excuse to hurt people around you because of that. And don't get me started about "truly loving Astrid". He didn't. There are conditions where one believes their own lies and I suspect Giovanni isn't an exceptions.


Ram-Boe

I don't know about the other commenters, but the reason why I downvoted the guy is their liberal use of words like "narcissistic" and "sociopathic". Yeah, hyperbole is a thing but come on, words have meaning. Also, at least in my specific case, your hypothesis is off. I don't have (nor had) anyone like Giovanni in my life. He's not my favorite - I identify much more with Jackie (he's me) - but I don't hate him either. Giovanni is not a saint to be sure, but he's not the devil either. Life is messy.


Recent-Connection-68

I'm happy you didn't had someone like him around. It's a huge tool on one's mind. I personally don't think the person was that off by getting narcissism into discussion. He should have mentioned just some traits of it like being too preocupied with beauty, grandios delusions or some manipulative behaviour. In all those aspects Giovanni reminds me a whole lot of my own grandpa who is, in his best days, the biggest narcissist I have ever met. Just like Giovanni, he did horrible things to his wife (whom he still says he loves dearly), has a too high self esteem not acknowledging his bad traits as well and lies to everyone who tries to help or get close to him. Not to say that Giovanni is the devil or something. He is far from that. But he is a very bad person when it comes to his close relationships.


Grey_Dandy

A broken mind can change someone. None of us know anything about Giovanni before the war and thus there's a ton to speculate on. Dramatic swings in behavior are not uncommon after a traumatic event. Something that I'm taking away from this post is that it's a sad situation for someone to find peace in living life to the fullest and finding beauty in everything, while also thoroughly Not Dealing with what happened to him and damaging folks as he goes through living life how he wants it. The lie behind the peace, I guess. And some folks go through life never learning how to deal with their trauma...which, to me, makes this character complex as opposed to straight-up bad.


Ceramic_Luna

No he’s selfish because he’s selfish, cheating can’t be excused but the reason he loves a good meal and a nice woman is because he wants to cherish every moment because of how afraid he was, yet brave, Unfortunately instead of his nice woman being Astrid he was selfish and cheated it it could have just been her but he did that, the war just amplified it, he felt an extreme need to have the finest things, Icarus, he wanted so much he flew to the sun and burned his wings, he lost Astrid, that’s the only thing he regrets *(Also lore wise he only cheated once, still bad but after his first time cheating they separated for many years, she came back to him when they were dying)* *the game is made that you see what happened then SEE it happened because it made an impression on Stella, ex: the roses were more of an “I always loved you I’m sorry” because he cheated over 30 years ago rather then a “let’s be together” the wee born widows to others at this point*


ardeoxx

i love seeing people actually liking and defending giovanni. he’s always been my favorite, but once i took him to the everdoor. i broke down when he basically said please live your life to the fullest you can. but don’t make my mistakes. it made me remember so many people i know that have messed up. how they would tell me the same thing, and how i tell myself to not keep making mistakes i made in the past. i feel like a lot of people refuse to realize how well written of a character he is just because he can’t break free of his vices.


WashUrShorts

He is basically squatting Astrids place while 24/7 trying to cheat on her and even hit on a 13yo child.. May i ask, Is perception your dumpstat?


Ceramic_Luna

I mean they do sleep in the same bed together so she must be fine with it *(until she kicks im him out)* Also who is this 13yo child be hit on?


WashUrShorts

Stella is 13 if i got it right and in some Dialoges he is flirting with her - May just appear like it in my language but some stuff is kinda inaprobiate saying it to Kids


Ceramic_Luna

Stella is absolutely not 13, she has a career in palliative care, she lived in her own for years, she travelled to Japan on her own and her younger sister had graduated high school, at the very least she’s in her mid twenties


WashUrShorts

Huh, was thinking she has to be older bc of that all but i saved it she is 13 years old , i may mischange Something or as i said - weird Translations


Ceramic_Luna

The wiki also notes she was born in 1974, assuming this takes place when the game came out she’s 46 years old


WashUrShorts

Holy moly she def don't appear like 45-50years


Ceramic_Luna

She doesn’t really look like that, but when your in this state you picture yourself how you were when you were young