Rock Candy Reviews

Spoilers for Helluva Boss

Depending on the type of story one wants to tell, writing shorts for an animated show can be easy or hard. It can be difficult to please the fans, because some will be expecting plot progression, and others will simply want to see more of their favorite character. If this is the case, how can the writers and animators create shorts that feel worthwhile for both parties? Helluva Boss demonstrates the do’s and don’ts of writing these type of shorts, and it’s taught me that shorts must have a balance of conflict and character development. Both types of viewers need these two things in order to have a good experience.

Conflict

Without conflict of some kind, a short will end up feeling like wasted potential, even if a viewer’s favorite character is featured. This is not to be confused with grand stakes, because conflict and stakes are not the same thing. A short doesn’t need to have world changing stakes to be worthwhile. However, it does need some form of conflict. Whether it is a pair of character’s relationship, or an obstacle to completing a goal, the characters have to struggle with something.

If the characters are not facing a challenge, the writing will fall back onto repetitive gags or random events to fill the time. This is what makes both types of fans feel like their time was wasted. A person could easily get the same amount of comedy from a ten second video if all they were looking for was one joke or bit. Shorts, on the other hand need more depth and more of a clear story to be understood as meaningful content.

Character Development

Secondly, the characters have to go through a change in mindset or goals. Something has to be gained or lost for the character to feel like they went on an adventure, and didn’t just perform a skit. This doesn’t always have to be something serious, and can be used for comedy as well. Characters will end up feeling one dimensional or lacking in purpose if no arc is taking place. The development doesn’t even have to pertain to the main show, it just has explore the character in a new way.

Once again, this character development can be in any direction. As we have discussed on this blog before, character development is not always the same thing as learning a lesson or becoming a better person. Characters can regress and progress at different times, and this can create interesting dynamics and plot points. Even if it is not always fun to see your favorite character going through a rough patch.

Examples

The most recent short as of writing this demonstrates that there can be funny jokes, along with worthwhile character interaction. The I.M.P training video short brought back some familiar background characters. It also showed the conflict of Blitz trying to be an impressive boss figure, while struggling with his anger management and unorganized nature.

On the other hand, we have shorts like Chaz’s funeral. This short brought back characters, but didn’t incorporate them into the main characters’ dynamic. They have no reason to be there, other than to fawn over Chaz in an out of character fashion. The jokes were very surface level, and the conflict did not provide any meaningful commentary on the characters. It ultimately feels like a waste of time, because nothing new is learned and the conflict relies on other characters being unreasonably shallow.

All in all, the shorts are a mixed bag. Finding a balance between fun concepts and moments of sincerity is what can make the shorts fun. If this balance is not struck, fans will be unsatisfied. Simply seeing one’s favorite character on screen is not enough to have a good experience.