"Shooting Star" is the most brilliant Overwatch short movie so far!
And here is why:
D.va’s lore and character was an example of poor/lazy writing. While most heroes had personalities with depth, motivations and a backstory (some over two or more decades…), D.va’s story was: “Oh, she is a gamer girl that now is a mech pilot because of… …reasons! And she is sexy and cute and cool and funny and awesome and flawless because of… …she is just awesome!!!”
It always felt like a 13 year old came up with this concept. She was a “Mary Sue” (google it). It was not total garbage though. From a “ironical, thrashy B-Movie” kind of view, her personality was quite entertaining. But it surely didn’t feel like there wasn’t much effort or thought involved. when her story was written…
"Shooting Star" changed that. It is a movie about Hana Song, not about D.Va! And it is great!!!
Here is my interpretation of what happens in this short movie. And why this is brilliant. It is based on the following assumptions, that I will try to elaborate:
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South Korea needs D.Va
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D.Va is a media invention
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Hana Song is not D.Va (anymore)
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Hana Song tries to be D.Va…
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…and it is destroying her!
SOUTH KOREA NEEDS D.VA
The South Korean people are scared. Almost every day, the omnics can attack and kill thousand of people. Maybe even wipe out whole cities! Scared people
want to feel save. They want someone to say: “Everything is going to be okay!”
Like a small kid, that can’t sleep in the night because “Monsters will come and eat me!”. Then their mother will buy a plush toy and say: “This is Captain Awesome. He will fight the monsters! You are save now.”
D.va is this plush toy. And the goverment/media is the mother. The kid will feel save, be thankful and absolutly admire this plush toy.
D.VA IS A MEDIA INVENTION
I guess, I have to elaborate this one. Hana Song really was a gamer girl and streamer, invented the name D.va and won tournaments. The boasting, funky, “Is this ez mode”-crap talking personality was her personality as long, as she was a gamer. At least, it was her “online personality” when she streamed. She was a famous popstar, before she became a mech pilot. And then media took over that image and made it larger then live. It was the media, that said: “Here is D.va! She is a gamer girl that now is a mech pilot because of… …reasons! And she is sexy and cute and cool and funny and awesome and flawless because of… …she is just awesome!!!”
That is, what the people wanted to hear. D.va was their little, perfect plush toy. She has to be perfect. If she wasn’t perfect, maybe they are not as save as they thought?
This is why media is constantly lying about her:
- 0:38 -> news guy: “She is eating the finest foods”; we see her eating a “Dorito”
- 0:40 -> news guy: “…then hanging out with other superstars”; we see her mechanic/friend
- 6:36 -> news girl: “…she emerged, without a scratch”; we see her heavily wounded
- 6:40 -> news girl: “She is currently taking some time off”; we see her working…
- 0:23 -> news guy: "The MEKA squad took a few hits; 1:33 Hana: “We barely won last time”
(…)
HANA SONG IS NOT D.VA (ANYMORE)
“We barely won last time”. This is a sentence D.Va would never say. It is not in her vocabulary. Because D.va is not a human, but a one dimensional image of perfection.
There is more evidence, that we never see D.va in this short movie, but Hana Song:
- The media always calls her “D.va”, her friend always calls her “Hana”
- The “original” D.va has open hair and pink triangles in her face (= fancy popstar).
- Hana Song has a bun and a dirt streak in her face (= hard working).
- The only time we see the “original D.va” is in the news… …and always as a 2d drawing, not a 3d model (= she is lacking a dimension).
- We also see “original D.Va” on the products and advertisements…
- D.va is a gamer, Hana is never shown gaming or playing, but always working
- D.va uses much “gamer lingo”, Hana not a single time… …not even saying “Nerf this” in the end.
- D.va is a popstar and glamour girl, Hana seams to despise glamour
- a “diva” is usually considered to be egocentric / egoistic; Hana is pretty altruistic
- Hana’s two main topics are “work” and “responsibility”… …which is pretty much the opposite of a game.
- They even make jokes about the difference of her public image (D.Va) and her actual self (Hana) -> 7:07 “How about getting me on the VIP list of the fancy restaurants you ALWAYS go to?” - “I think you have seen to much holovids” -> On media (holovids) D.va is going to fancy restaurants, Hana would never do that and would rather be alone, working and eating junk food… …Hana is pretty much the opposite of a diva.
HANA SONG TRIES TO BE D.VA
Hana knows, that South Korea needs “their D.va”. She plays along. You see her smling and posing for the cameras at the press conference (0:29). She tries to become the incarnation of perfection, that “D.va” is.
You actually see “original D.va” for 3 seconds as a 3d-model in the game: 1:20 - 1:23. Pause at 1:23, when D.mon screams “I’m hit”. What you see is the face of a shocked, terrified gamer girl, that suddenly recognizes that this is not a game. That her teammate is about to die.
A few moments after this flashback she is basicly saying: “I have to be perfect. When I make a mistake, people will die!”
And she sincerly believes that. That can’t be good for your mental health, which brings me to…
…AND IT IS DESTROYING HER
When Daehyun tells her “You need a break”, she doesn’t answer “I don’t”. She answers “I can’t”. That is pretty much a definition of a addiction (to work). The question triggers a flashback and she is then honest and sincere for 20 seconds. Not only to Daehyun, but also to herself.
She talks about her biggest fears: Not being perfect. Making a mistake. Disappoint all the hope that is put into her. Not being able to defend her country. Letting team mates die. Failing…
How does she cope with that fears? She don’t. Before Daehyun can say anything, she shuts him down with “I need to finish the tests”. As long, as she keeps working, she has no time for her fears. And she plays little miss perfect again.
When Daehyun says “It’s okay to ask for help!” she is like: “Nah, everything is fine. I’m good. I got this.” When you clearly just saw it isn’t a few seconds ago.
And she keeps repeating this:
0:50 -> “Why are we not with the rest of the squad?” -> “Nah, being alone and working is cooler! Like in the old time, when…”
6:48 -> “This time-off is great, isn’t it?” -> “What’s not to like?”
It is almost like the “this is fine” meme in the burning house.
When in the “solution” of the final fight scene:
Deahyun: “You will blow up, when…”
Hana: “Blow up? Great idea! This will save others!”
She doesn’t even hesitate a split second. She doesn’t even think, what this will do to her. It is not even a decision. It is an instinct. It is “Others are important, I am not”. In not a single frame of this 8 minute clip she is thinking about herself… …or even caring about herself.
And the end? It maybe feels like a happy end, but actually it is pretty sad. Because it is getting worse. I mean she barely survived (you actually see a defibrilator in 6:14). A few days later, she is working again. With 2-3 broken limbs. Not even able to hold her tool, but working.
Pause a few seconds later at 6:50. You may think “Okay, Dorito, Mountain Dew, Ramen-D.va… …it is a funny meme”. There is actually six ramen cups. She hasn’t eaten any “real” food for days. And it is laying on the ground. She probably hasn’t left her workshop for days. Or just for a few minutes to get hot water for the ramen. It is not just an “unhealthy life style”. It is deeply concerning. Imagine visiting a family member and seeing this.
Did you ever ask yourself, why this short movie is called “Shooting Star”?
A shooting star shines bright, but then burns out fast.
And I think this is happening to her…
CONCLUSION
When you play Overwatch, you play D.va. D.va really is a one-dimensional character. She is an image. A online persona. A little miss perfect without any flaws. She really is a Mary Sue, invented by a little girl, that wanted to be cool - Hana Song. And it worked pretty well, as long as she was a gamer and nothing was serious.
But this short movie shows you the girl behind this mask. And she is not perfect. She has flaws. The kind of flaws you have, when you don’t allow yourself to have any.
