Mouthwashing

(SPOILERS)

Just finished watching a full playthrough of Mouthwashing, initally thinking it was probably going to be an overrated game..but after watching it all the way through for the first time..I am very impressed with the visuals and storytelling.

I wasn't expecting the game to play out the way it did but It was a very sad but satisfying story.

"All characters failed their parts in a way, apparently Curly was a great captain, but in the end he was too soft to get rid of Jimmy, he valued his friendship more than the safety of the crew, and that ended up killing everyone.

Anya the medic was too scared to care for Curly. The mechanic fell to his addiction. The apprentice was too naive. They all fell to their flaws."

The pacing was just great, it told the story very well. The placement of foreshadowing and quotes is so well done it actually tastes delicious.

I particularly loved the dynamic between Swansea and Daisuke, while subtle, I loved the way their story played out as well. It was really cool how they tried to lay it out like Swansea was the villain, when he was one of the better characters all along. Also, the possible symbolism of Swansea putting Daisuke out of his misery, but Jimmy keeping Curly alive, almost in a torturous way.

I also love how the developers took the narrative of a group of people stuck in space, and instead of everyone going crazy, really it was one person who caused all of the problems. The main villain, hate that guy, was written out very well. A total delusional scumbag to the very end. Not only was it his fault Curly ended up the way he did, but he assaulted Anya causing her to get pregnant (and only saw it as a problem to himself), he also had a hand in Swansea turning back to alcohol, and he pressured Daisuke into doing something obviously dangerous that essentially caused his death. Jimmy, wanted the glory Curly had, and was clearly jealous of him. At the same time, he was so incredibly lousy as a person/worker. He clearly doesn't listen,(evidenced by how he used the Mouthwash on Daisuke after Anya said it wouldn't work as a disinfectant.) and he is a total coward.

Miraculously, while being the only immobile and incapable character...Curly is the only one who survives in the end, but that doesn't make this a good ending for him either. He watched everything play out, with absolutely no say or control, and if he is ever found from the cryopod (which isn't guranteed either) he will be left with the guilt. What's worse, is that in the beginning of the game, he was ALREADY feeling guilty because of the promotion he got.

"Anya was the most patient with Jimmy, even trying to be kind to Curly who she thought crashed the ship. She tries so hard to be kind to Jimmy, and everything she asks of him is for the gain of the crew. It's ironic how Jimmy says he wants to "make things better," but when he's given orders to, he takes out his anger on someone who just wants to help. And for those who don't know, your mental state can deteriorate a lot when you're pregnant. You can experienced heightened emotions and heavy anxiety. And it's heavily implied that Jimmy was verbally abusive and sexually abusive towards Anya. So Anya was definitely scared the entire time, and Jimmy snapping at her was the final straw. Even her famous "Our worst moments don't make us monsters" line, is a trauma response with how abuse victims try to see good in their abusers. Anya's breakdown is what causes Jimmy to force Daisuke into the vent, and for Swansea to go after Jimmy which gets him shot. Because of that, it would be so easy for Jimmy to blame Anya, a helpless traumatized woman, for his actions. 

Daisuke's family wasn't the greatest. Sure, they lived well financially but they have ben degrading and him and calling him lazy. And he looks up to Swansea. He tries his best to be a good worker, even if he gets scolded by him. When he's drinking the mouthwash, which I interpret as a metaphor for alcohol, Jimmy doesn't try to help him. Jimmy doesn't ask to take the bottle away from him, Daisuke had to ask him himself. And a VERY important fact everyone should know is to NEVER leave a person under the influence of alcohol on the floor. You have to help put them in a sitting position so they don't choke on their vomit, which is a common way to die. But Jimmy didn't do that, he got Anya to do that for him.

 Swansea is the definition of a dad friend. He isn't perfect, but he tries. His dreams are so simple, which is so sad. All he wanted was a loving family and to be rid of alcoholism. Daisuke was probably the closest thing he had to a son, and Swansea was the best father figure Daisuke could get. Daisuke's parents willingly sent him on a dangerous trip, and Swansea wanted Daisuke to be OFF the ship because Swansea's whole thing IS SAFETY. He practically yells Daisuke's ear off when he goes into the vent, not because Daisuke disobeyed him, but the fact he got himself hurt. Swansea became a father to Daisuke with open arms, while Jimmy ran away from being one. Swansea was the perfect red herring because he is a villain in Jimmy's eyes, but he's truly one of the nice deep inside.

In this story, Curly is a genuinely kind human being. He tries his best to help Anya out, and even ruins his own birthday party because he knew keeping a secret would be wrong. He tries to help Jimmy with his issues too. He's respected as a leader because he earned that respect. He is the poor man in this situation. Jimmy is cruel, and he experiences delusions. He truly believes he can earn that same respect by fixing a problem HE CAUSED. The crash and the aftermath is the same as the rich man breaking the bird's wing just to heal it. He doesn't care for what's good for his crew, he cares about looking like a hero. Not once does he apologize to Anya for what he did. When he feeds Curly his own meat, he says "I hope he one day thanks me for this." And it is so selfish because no one would thank a person for "fixing" a problem they created. He makes other people do his heroic actions. He's thinner than Swansea (sorry, man), he could've fit in that vent. But he didn't listen, he let a kid risk his life. He keeps having "take responsibility" being said to him, but he never does.

And all of this could've been prevented if he were swapped by Curly. If Jimmy was in the hospital bed and Curly was fully healthy, Anya wouldn't have that mental breakdown, the idea of Daisuke going in the vent wouldn't have crossed his mind whatsoever, and Swansea would be alive. Maybe they'd realize they're doomed and put Daisuke in the pod while they spend their last days together. In short, Jimmy was envious which caused him to bring down others for the sake of his own benefit. Mouthwash is something that makes your breath fresh, but it doesn't clean your teeth as proper as brushing does. It's to get rid of the bad taste in your mouth, which is exactly what Jimmy did." - A Youtube comment

After all this, Everytime I use mouthwash I will be reminded of this game.

Excellent tragic story.