Fang’s romance left me emotionally empty… am I the only one? 😂 [SPOILERS]
Coming here to get this off my chest for the sake of my emotional stability 😂 and to find out if anyone else felt the same, or if I’m just being dramatic. 🤣
First of all, let me make something VERY clear: I absolutely LOVE Fang. 😂❤️ He is easily one of my favorite characters, and honestly, he might be the most beautiful man I have ever seen in a video game. It was basically love at first sight. 🤣
So this is not a “I don’t like Fang” rant.
Quite the opposite. I love this man so much that apparently I needed to write an emotional dissertation about his romance. 😂
I really enjoyed his romance route, but after finishing it, I was left feeling like there was still SO much more they could have done with the relationship.
I’ve always loved characters who have a hard time opening up, especially lonely or emotionally guarded characters. There is something REALLY 🔥 about seeing someone slowly open up to you, allow themselves to be vulnerable, and eventually show you who they really are.
And it’s not because I want to “fix” or protect them. What I love is understanding that vulnerability, relating to it, and seeing two people figure things out together and make each other feel safe enough to be themselves.
That’s why Fang’s romance left me feeling a little empty. 😭 I often felt like I was the one who had to protect him, reassure him, or take the initiative. I wanted more reciprocity and more of a sense that Fang was also actively choosing and pursuing the relationship.
I also tried Logan’s romance, and honestly, it made me realize what I was missing with Fang. Logan actively shows that he loves the Builder and chooses her, and while I was playing his route I kept thinking, “THIS is what I wanted from Fang!” 😂
And then, five minutes later, I’d still be like, “Okay, but I want Fang to do this.” 😂 So apparently my heart had already made its decision. 🤣
I DID NOT want Fang to become Logan.
😂 I wanted Fang to be flirty and affectionate in his own Fang way.
The train scene is a perfect example of why I love his vulnerability. I actually tried both choices because apparently I enjoy emotional suffering. 😂 If you don’t stop Fang, he leaves. But then you can immediately give him the Heart Knot again and he basically responds with, “You want to be with me? I’m so happy you said yes!”
EXCUSE ME?! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO JUST LEFT! 😂
And if you DO try to stop him, he still leaves anyway, but then comes back, runs to you, and hugs you while crying. Both versions hurt in completely different ways. 😭
Then there’s the herb-gathering scene. Fang is worried about the Builder getting enough rest, you go gather herbs together, and eventually he shyly kisses her on the cheek. 🥹
And then the Builder basically throws herself at him, kisses him, and knocks him onto the grass. 😂 Fang just lies there letting her kiss him and barely puts an arm around her waist.
And I was sitting there like:
FANG. MY MAN. I AM GIVING YOU EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY HERE. 😂
I loved how shy and tender he was, because it felt very Fang. But I wanted to see that evolve. I wanted him to gradually become more comfortable with affection and take more initiative as the relationship developed.
I also REALLY wish there had been an inverse proposal option for Fang, both for the romance and for marriage. Seeing someone as emotionally guarded as Fang actually take the initiative and confess his feelings or propose would have been SO meaningful.
It wouldn’t require turning him into Logan. I just wanted to see Fang choose me in his own Fang way.
And then came the infamous 500 Hyacinth Orchids. 🪻😂
Yes, I know the townspeople help with most of them. I KNOW. But seeing 500 on that quest still made my soul leave my body. 😂 And I still spent several in-game days running around looking for the remaining ones while the game was basically telling me they were “everywhere” and “grow all the time.”
Sure. 😂🪻
And after all that, I still wanted more romantic progression, more affection, more reciprocity, and more evidence that the relationship itself was changing Fang and that he was becoming more comfortable being vulnerable with the Builder.
I also have to mention the romance DLC, because apparently the game was determined to tease me and then leave me suffering. 😂
I basically only got to appreciate Fang’s beautiful body during Pablo’s fashion show and then again in the DLC. There’s the jacuzzi scene where the Builder gets to see him half-dressed… but he’s still wearing pants AND SHOES. 😂
At least let the man wear shorts?! 🤣
And then we get this beautiful vulnerable conversation about his scars, which I actually loved… and after all that emotional intimacy, I was expecting at least a passionate kiss.
Instead, we got: A HUG.
Fang. My beautiful man. We have been through so much. Please. 😂😭
I finished his romance feeling shocked, bewildered, emotionally devastated, and frankly, emptier than a stray dog. 🤣😭
So, in summary: Fang’s romance already takes SO much effort and emotional suffering that you reach a point where you think, “Okay, after everything I went through, surely now I get to see this man actually choose me and show me how he feels too.”
And then… nope. 😂
Apparently, even after all that, you still have to suffer in the marriage. 🤣😭
What about my Builder’s feelings?! Do they mean nothing?! 😂
I love Fang. I love his personality, his vulnerability, his character development, and yes, I also think he is ridiculously beautiful. 😂 But after everything it takes to get close to him, I just wanted the relationship itself to feel more mutual and emotionally rewarding.
That’s it. That’s my emotional dissertation. 😂
Did anyone else feel this way about Fang’s romance, or am I just overthinking a fictional man again? 🤣🦙