Narrowing

Instructions

Boisvert is an animated surreal web series created by artist Parker Boisvert. The story revolves around the titular character, who is an antler-headed person who suffers from mental illness and is struggling to control it so he can become the social fellow he wants to be. But he also has to fight various cryptic monsters that are trying to possess him. It is often up to debate about what every video means and what this series message is, though many have established it is centered around mental health. “Take Care” is the most famous video of all. The series began on May 23, 2020, and is available on Youtube. Tropes in Boisvert include: Ambiguous Situation: It is unknown if this is all a figment of Boisvert's imagination due to being depressed during and after the lockdowns of the COVID-19 Pandemic or if these entities that he becomes are real. Given their paranormal nature, it’s left to your own interpretation. Arc Words: The word "Complex" is often used in the sense of the concept, a location and the name of a character. Bilingual Bonus Boisvert's name. Though a common surname, actually translates to “critical” in French. Defied. In “My Beloved” during Room’s dialogue, it shows the French word for fear, which is “Peur” before captioning it with “Love” instead. Break the Cutie: Poor Boisvert goes insane from being under quarantine by turning into Room. Therefore completely forgetting who he was. But Thou Must!: In-Universe. In “[Continue?]” when Dogtooth sets out to fight our demons, there is a screen that says either “Quit” or “Continue” which the continue text becomes “Not a chance” when Dogtooth tries to select it. Cryptic Conversation: The entire series is told through vague and mysterious dialogue, making it difficult to tell what exactly is happening. The one time a character directly tells viewers they won't be talking in riddles is to ask a philosophical question — when does a "complex" become a "home" and when does a "home" become a "complex"? The Dog Bites Back: In “Zoning Ordinance” Boisvert finally beats the odds by ripping the face off and then strangling The Complex. Making it's head explode and finally returning back to his old self again. Enemy Without: In "Take Care", Boisvert vizualizes Room as an entity supressed down in the "basement" that he tries to ignore and yet can't live without. In "Burning", Room is then portrayed as an Enemy Within who consumes Boisvert to berate him for rotting and burning away in the basement. Freeze-Frame Bonus: There are many QR codes that lead to unlisted videos which further tell the story. Fun with Subtitles: The subtitles often provide hidden text or alternate readings to dialogue. Hope Is Scary: By the time our character becomes Inner-Room, he now hates the idea of optimism, and love and compassion. I Just Want to Have Friends: Boisvert's mission is to get back out into the world and meet people which he was prevented from doing so for quite a long time. Immediate Self-Contradiction: In "Take Care", Boisvert states he's ignoring the "noises downstairs" while looking at the stairs leading to the basement. He then goes over to "stay productive" by drawing... Room in a piece of paper. The camera promptly rushes into Room at the basement as "ignoring the noises downstairs" fades from the screen. In the Back: Dogtooth begrudingly stabs Room in the back to kill him and free him from the Complex, stating he loves him after the deed is done. Ironic Echo: In "Burning", Boisvert despairs over being unable to work on anything and Room states he's "decaying" while "wreathed in flames". In "www.blind", Covenant echoes this metaphor, telling someone who's likely Boisvert that "all you've ever been is burning". However, he believes "it is nothing short of beautiful". Kill the Ones You Love: Dogtooth attempts to kill Room in order to deliver him from the Complex, but repeatedly states he loved Room and hated having to do it. The still living Room is tasked, for some reason, with "killing the Saint" and moves on to do so, using his arm to impale him during a Deadly Hug. Room then immediately collapses in despair for what he has done. Medium Blending: The episodes often mix animation with live action. No Name Given: Characters like Room, The Complex and Covenant are clearly named as such at multiple points, while other characters are left unnamed. The antler-headed white man is never formally named, and is called "Boisvert" here after the series title for convenience's sake. "Dogtooth" is seemingly never named either, but is associated with the aliases "Ouriel", "Continue" and simply "...". Not Quite Dead: Dogtooth assassinating Room is accompained by an eulogy by the author about what Room meant to his art and why he had to be killed, giving a sense that the character was truly dead. However, the Angel remarks to an angry Covenant that something is still around, watching. In "0", Room is revealed to be alive and in hiding, taking on a three-armed