2019/03/13 - Full Frontal Honesty

[Gameb18oy]

I find the first panel to be creepy. How they're looking right at the screen, right at me and smiling. I find it very unsettling.

I love it how everyone looks at a comic strips, which could be entirely played for laughs, and directly thinks "Yup, they're going to break up."

It is funny how we shifted from Peanut and Tarot are going to split to Max and Grape are going to break up. My master plan is working. It's only a matter of time before Res shows up to pick up the pieces.

I think the main reason is because, aside from Bino and Sasha (who have broken up), and Bino and Duchess (who are meant to be a bad relationship + the cuddle suggests it’s not as one sided as we thought) TarotxPeanut and GrapexMax have always had the weakest dynamic. Max and Grape have never felt like more than friends, and Peanut and Tarot both seem to not understand how relationship should work, though in different ways. They all like each other, but honestly, it’s hard to believe they are romantically interested in each other. I’ll be fine with a breakup surprisingly for either group, just feels like odd timing for both groups, especially Grape and Max considering the previous arc. Still, Rick does seem to think we don’t know where an arc is gonna go in most cases, so perhaps are predictions have no actual basis. Still, he clearly knows how it looks, so if nothing else, the breakup hints are intentional I think

[Cesco]

Nice comic page and nice lesson from Max. I agree with him. Yeah, Grape has always a weakness for muscles and hunks, and she never lost it... Poor Max once again... Well, Max, if Grape is still with you, it means that she wants only you, and in the way you are. Isn't there another bathrobe for Mungo?
Cute curly tail by Grape in the forth panel.

[fenrirblack]

I think the main reason is because, aside from Bino and Sasha (who have broken up), and Bino and Duchess (who are meant to be a bad relationship + the cuddle suggests it’s not as one sided as we thought) TarotxPeanut and GrapexMax have always had the weakest dynamic. Max and Grape have never felt like more than friends, and Peanut and Tarot both seem to not understand how relationship should work, though in different ways. They all like each other, but honestly, it’s hard to believe they are romantically interested in each other. I’ll be fine with a breakup surprisingly for either group, just feels like odd timing for both groups, especially Grape and Max considering the previous arc. Still, Rick does seem to think we don’t know where an arc is gonna go in most cases, so perhaps are predictions have no actual basis. Still, he clearly knows how it looks, so if nothing else, the breakup hints are intentional I think

It definitely does feel like we're being played with. Honestly, the last arc might be a good reason for Grape and Max to break up. Rufus put the idea of them have kids in their heads so depending on how they both take that could be a trigger for a serious heart to heart. Neither one has ever struck me as the parental type but with Max being more vulnerable he may decide that he wants to try to live up to Rufus's example and strive to be a father to his own son like Rufus was to him. Even if not right away but down the road and who knows if Grape will ever be ready for children or if she does, does she want to have them with Max? Her relationship with Max always felt like one of convenience. Considering how few cat characters there are in the neighborhood there are not a lot of options when Grape decided to start dating. Who would her other options be, one of the Mr. Bigglesworths (and that's if she can tell which ones are male), Jasper, Delusional Steve? Let's be more honest with ourselves, if Res was around full time, she would dump Max in a heartbeat. When he is around Max is completely cut from the picture whether that be for his own good or not. That doesn't apply to just Res. There have been plenty of examples where a hotter guy appeared and suddenly Grape's attention was focused solely on them without any regard for Max's feelings. Example this strip.

[Titanium Dragon]

TBH I think that the Res situation is more illustrative of the issues with their relationship than Grape's cat-crushes.

As Grape once said:



Grape does swoon over hunks, but that's not what's most important to her.

But whenever Res is around, Max very much ends up playing second fiddle to him. While her passing crushes are kind of terrible in that regard and can make Max feel bad, she does seem to have some regard for Max's feelings (like when she talks to Max about her cat-crush on Satau). But when Res is around, she seems to genuinely kind of try and keep Res to herself, and isolated from Max (something that Max even called her out on).

I think that's really the main issue with Grape - the hunks aren't really the problem, it's more that they seem like they're just more illustration that Max is her "safe guy".

[GameCobra]

I find the first panel to be creepy. How they're looking right at the screen, right at me and smiling. I find it very unsettling.

I love it how everyone looks at a comic strips, which could be entirely played for laughs, and directly thinks "Yup, they're going to break up."

It is funny how we shifted from Peanut and Tarot are going to split to Max and Grape are going to break up. My master plan is working. It's only a matter of time before Res shows up to pick up the pieces.

I think the main reason is because, aside from Bino and Sasha (who have broken up), and Bino and Duchess (who are meant to be a bad relationship + the cuddle suggests it’s not as one sided as we thought) TarotxPeanut and GrapexMax have always had the weakest dynamic. Max and Grape have never felt like more than friends, and Peanut and Tarot both seem to not understand how relationship should work, though in different ways. They all like each other, but honestly, it’s hard to believe they are romantically interested in each other. I’ll be fine with a breakup surprisingly for either group, just feels like odd timing for both groups, especially Grape and Max considering the previous arc. Still, Rick does seem to think we don’t know where an arc is gonna go in most cases, so perhaps are predictions have no actual basis. Still, he clearly knows how it looks, so if nothing else, the breakup hints are intentional I think

I don't think they have weak dynamic. We just don't see it as much. When we do see it, it's usually as a Wham moment, which is fine. We just never have long, drawn-out f focus on them such as the previous and this arc. Also, no break-ups! I waited too long for this! D:

@TitaniumDragon: I look at it as she thinks she's specially connected with Res because of Pridelands and forgets about Max. Forgetting about Max has happened to her before and it's played for laughs. The poor guy x3

To be fair, though ~ he did get her back with that sandwich. Something tells me he gets her back off-panel like that at times. x3

On a final note since I can't seem to remember saying this: I'm pretty confident since Grape and Max started this arc they are here to try teaching Peanut and Tarot how they define a relationship. How that goes is anyone's guess.

[Argent]

I find the first panel to be creepy. How they're looking right at the screen, right at me and smiling. I find it very unsettling.

The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I honestly thought I was the only one. I was half-ready to throw a blunt object at their heads.

[GameCobra]

These panels are just ripping with T-Shirt potential. x3

[Amazee Dayzee]

Yeah, the first panel could be "Don't try to control your boyfriend. We watch you all the time."

[Tappy Too]

Okay sorry but I just HAVE to give my input here.

You could argue that Tarot and Peanut are incompatible. I've evaluated all of the couples in HP and I've put them at second worst before Bino and Duchess. They're not hopeless by any means, they just need some work. It's not that they don't appreciate each other or should break up, it's more that neither of them really care a whole lot. Tarot does seem to be rather annoyed by Peanut, however just because that's what we know "on-screen" doesn't mean that's all that is there.

But now people are speculating the break up of Grape and Max? This literally makes no sense to me. I rated Grape and Max as the third MOST compatible couple in the entire series. (Granted this was before the most recent info about Kevin and Sasha's relationship, but I still think they just tie) Grape and Max are good for each other. I know Max may not be the "eye-candy" ideal she dreams of, but honestly if he were the relationship between them might actually falter! If she did date someone who "satisfied her desires" she would be more likely to relate less with them in exchange for just being infatuated by them. Infatuation isn't love.

Also, Grape and Max I believe, are a better than Zach and Jessica, King and Bailey, or Joey and Squeak. But I'm going to be talking about the latter one. Joey and Squeak seem to be the exact opposite kind of relationship than Grape and Max. They got together presumably SOLELY to "satisfy a desire", specifically Squeak's "desire" of getting stomped. I still don't know if Joey gets a "kick" out their relationship though. (Maybe he likes feeling big and imposing?) Their relationship in terms of basic compatibility doesn't seem relatively strong. Especially when compared to Grape and Max. Most of the more recent times they've been shown, it was in an arguement or disagreement of sorts. Does this mean THEY should break up? Not necessarily.
No couple is going to be completely perfect. One reason I like Housepets is because the characters (or at least their personalities(for the most part)) feel so realistic. And I think their relationships should also be realistic instead of idealistic just because they're fake.

In addition, after King and Bailey's wedding, Grape suggested they get married sometime. If Grape were as problematic to the relationship as some of you guys seem to think, she wouldn't put that idea forward. She cares greatly for Max and is always there for him. Not even Fido and Sabrina put forward the idea of getting married and I've ranked them higher than Grape and Max. Fido stopped a wedding, but he never said anything about starting another one. (Also, going back to Peanut and Tarot, wasn't she the one who caught the bouquet?...) This is a single gag in a comedic comic series, which I feel is being WAY too overanalyzed.

But hey, somehow, if they do end up breaking up after all, i guess i get to eat my words.

[GameCobra]

Okay sorry but I just HAVE to give my input here.

You could argue that Tarot and Peanut are incompatible. I've evaluated all of the couples in HP and I've put them at second worst before Bino and Duchess. They're not hopeless by any means, they just need some work. It's not that they don't appreciate each other or should break up, it's more that neither of them really care a whole lot. Tarot does seem to be rather annoyed by Peanut, however just because that's what we know "on-screen" doesn't mean that's all that is there.

But now people are speculating the break up of Grape and Max? This literally makes no sense to me. I rated Grape and Max as the third MOST compatible couple in the entire series. (Granted this was before the most recent info about Kevin and Sasha's relationship, but I still think they just tie) Grape and Max are good for each other. I know Max may not be the "eye-candy" ideal she dreams of, but honestly if he were the relationship between them might actually falter! If she did date someone who "satisfied her desires" she would be more likely to relate less with them in exchange for just being infatuated by them. Infatuation isn't love.

Also, Grape and Max I believe, are a better than Zach and Jessica, King and Bailey, or Joey and Squeak. But I'm going to be talking about the latter one. Joey and Squeak seem to be the exact opposite kind of relationship than Grape and Max. They got together presumably SOLELY to "satisfy a desire", specifically Squeak's "desire" of getting stomped. I still don't know if Joey gets a "kick" out their relationship though. (Maybe he likes feeling big and imposing?) Their relationship in terms of basic compatibility doesn't seem relatively strong. Especially when compared to Grape and Max. Most of the more recent times they've been shown, it was in an arguement or disagreement of sorts. Does this mean THEY should break up? Not necessarily.
No couple is going to be completely perfect. One reason I like Housepets is because the characters (or at least their personalities(for the most part)) feel so realistic. And I think their relationships should also be realistic instead of idealistic just because they're fake.

In addition, after King and Bailey's wedding, Grape suggested they get married sometime. If Grape were as problematic to the relationship as some of you guys seem to think, she wouldn't put that idea forward. She cares greatly for Max and is always there for him. Not even Fido and Sabrina put forward the idea of getting married and I've ranked them higher than Grape and Max. Fido stopped a wedding, but he never said anything about starting another one. (Also, going back to Peanut and Tarot, wasn't she the one who caught the bouquet?...) This is a single gag in a comedic comic series, which I feel is being WAY too overanalyzed.

But hey, somehow, if they do end up breaking up after all, i guess i get to eat my words.

Well said. I like you <3

And just to add extra sauce to the topic - Rufus seems confident enough to suggest if they do have kittens to name one after him, so that faith goes a mile away.

[fenrirblack]

BUT on the other hand, it’s really fun to speculate and try to force a breakup because sometimes you want to watch them.......undergo meaningful change.

[Gameb18oy]

Okay sorry but I just HAVE to give my input here.

You could argue that Tarot and Peanut are incompatible. I've evaluated all of the couples in HP and I've put them at second worst before Bino and Duchess. They're not hopeless by any means, they just need some work. It's not that they don't appreciate each other or should break up, it's more that neither of them really care a whole lot. Tarot does seem to be rather annoyed by Peanut, however just because that's what we know "on-screen" doesn't mean that's all that is there.

But now people are speculating the break up of Grape and Max? This literally makes no sense to me. I rated Grape and Max as the third MOST compatible couple in the entire series. (Granted this was before the most recent info about Kevin and Sasha's relationship, but I still think they just tie) Grape and Max are good for each other. I know Max may not be the "eye-candy" ideal she dreams of, but honestly if he were the relationship between them might actually falter! If she did date someone who "satisfied her desires" she would be more likely to relate less with them in exchange for just being infatuated by them. Infatuation isn't love.

Also, Grape and Max I believe, are a better than Zach and Jessica, King and Bailey, or Joey and Squeak. But I'm going to be talking about the latter one. Joey and Squeak seem to be the exact opposite kind of relationship than Grape and Max. They got together presumably SOLELY to "satisfy a desire", specifically Squeak's "desire" of getting stomped. I still don't know if Joey gets a "kick" out their relationship though. (Maybe he likes feeling big and imposing?) Their relationship in terms of basic compatibility doesn't seem relatively strong. Especially when compared to Grape and Max. Most of the more recent times they've been shown, it was in an arguement or disagreement of sorts. Does this mean THEY should break up? Not necessarily.
No couple is going to be completely perfect. One reason I like Housepets is because the characters (or at least their personalities(for the most part)) feel so realistic. And I think their relationships should also be realistic instead of idealistic just because they're fake.

In addition, after King and Bailey's wedding, Grape suggested they get married sometime. If Grape were as problematic to the relationship as some of you guys seem to think, she wouldn't put that idea forward. She cares greatly for Max and is always there for him. Not even Fido and Sabrina put forward the idea of getting married and I've ranked them higher than Grape and Max. Fido stopped a wedding, but he never said anything about starting another one. (Also, going back to Peanut and Tarot, wasn't she the one who caught the bouquet?...) This is a single gag in a comedic comic series, which I feel is being WAY too overanalyzed.

But hey, somehow, if they do end up breaking up after all, i guess i get to eat my words.

Gonna be perfectly honest, that while I do agree with you that Grape and Max have a fairly good relationship, heck I kinda think it be a bad time for a breakup right after Max’s backstory being disregarded by his friends, but you’re kinda forgetting one unique element that’s likely contributing a little, the love triangle. While most of the time, Grape clearly is only superficially interested in other guys, Rick has made it pretty clear she likes Res for his personality, and while Max and Grape have never been bad for each other, assuming Grape doesn’t have the option to date both of them (which being honest, I’m strangely not against Grape being the female version of Archie Andrews) people who want or are worried that Rick is gonna allow Res to be the boyfriend when he finally moves Res out of Canada probably are jumping the gun on this as well... you’re on high alert when you see warning signs of a ship sinking

[GameCobra]

Okay sorry but I just HAVE to give my input here.

You could argue that Tarot and Peanut are incompatible. I've evaluated all of the couples in HP and I've put them at second worst before Bino and Duchess. They're not hopeless by any means, they just need some work. It's not that they don't appreciate each other or should break up, it's more that neither of them really care a whole lot. Tarot does seem to be rather annoyed by Peanut, however just because that's what we know "on-screen" doesn't mean that's all that is there.

But now people are speculating the break up of Grape and Max? This literally makes no sense to me. I rated Grape and Max as the third MOST compatible couple in the entire series. (Granted this was before the most recent info about Kevin and Sasha's relationship, but I still think they just tie) Grape and Max are good for each other. I know Max may not be the "eye-candy" ideal she dreams of, but honestly if he were the relationship between them might actually falter! If she did date someone who "satisfied her desires" she would be more likely to relate less with them in exchange for just being infatuated by them. Infatuation isn't love.

Also, Grape and Max I believe, are a better than Zach and Jessica, King and Bailey, or Joey and Squeak. But I'm going to be talking about the latter one. Joey and Squeak seem to be the exact opposite kind of relationship than Grape and Max. They got together presumably SOLELY to "satisfy a desire", specifically Squeak's "desire" of getting stomped. I still don't know if Joey gets a "kick" out their relationship though. (Maybe he likes feeling big and imposing?) Their relationship in terms of basic compatibility doesn't seem relatively strong. Especially when compared to Grape and Max. Most of the more recent times they've been shown, it was in an arguement or disagreement of sorts. Does this mean THEY should break up? Not necessarily.
No couple is going to be completely perfect. One reason I like Housepets is because the characters (or at least their personalities(for the most part)) feel so realistic. And I think their relationships should also be realistic instead of idealistic just because they're fake.

In addition, after King and Bailey's wedding, Grape suggested they get married sometime. If Grape were as problematic to the relationship as some of you guys seem to think, she wouldn't put that idea forward. She cares greatly for Max and is always there for him. Not even Fido and Sabrina put forward the idea of getting married and I've ranked them higher than Grape and Max. Fido stopped a wedding, but he never said anything about starting another one. (Also, going back to Peanut and Tarot, wasn't she the one who caught the bouquet?...) This is a single gag in a comedic comic series, which I feel is being WAY too overanalyzed.

But hey, somehow, if they do end up breaking up after all, i guess i get to eat my words.

Gonna be perfectly honest, that while I do agree with you that Grape and Max have a fairly good relationship, heck I kinda think it be a bad time for a breakup right after Max’s backstory being disregarded by his friends, but you’re kinda forgetting one unique element that’s likely contributing a little, the love triangle. While most of the time, Grape clearly is only superficially interested in other guys, Rick has made it pretty clear she likes Res for his personality, and while Max and Grape have never been bad for each other, assuming Grape doesn’t have the option to date both of them (which being honest, I’m strangely not against Grape being the female version of Archie Andrews) people who want or are worried that Rick is gonna allow Res to be the boyfriend when he finally moves Res out of Canada probably are jumping the gun on this as well... you’re on high alert when you see warning signs of a ship sinking

Maybe so, but it's gotten old by the time Res came back. Sure, seeing Res buffed up was very teasing, but I also can't see any reason why Max would break up with Grape at this point. Unless Rick really wants to drop an anvil on us...

Speaking of love triangle, I'm pretty sure it's a love square. Peanut never left it x3

[Gameb18oy]

Okay sorry but I just HAVE to give my input here.

You could argue that Tarot and Peanut are incompatible. I've evaluated all of the couples in HP and I've put them at second worst before Bino and Duchess. They're not hopeless by any means, they just need some work. It's not that they don't appreciate each other or should break up, it's more that neither of them really care a whole lot. Tarot does seem to be rather annoyed by Peanut, however just because that's what we know "on-screen" doesn't mean that's all that is there.

But now people are speculating the break up of Grape and Max? This literally makes no sense to me. I rated Grape and Max as the third MOST compatible couple in the entire series. (Granted this was before the most recent info about Kevin and Sasha's relationship, but I still think they just tie) Grape and Max are good for each other. I know Max may not be the "eye-candy" ideal she dreams of, but honestly if he were the relationship between them might actually falter! If she did date someone who "satisfied her desires" she would be more likely to relate less with them in exchange for just being infatuated by them. Infatuation isn't love.

Also, Grape and Max I believe, are a better than Zach and Jessica, King and Bailey, or Joey and Squeak. But I'm going to be talking about the latter one. Joey and Squeak seem to be the exact opposite kind of relationship than Grape and Max. They got together presumably SOLELY to "satisfy a desire", specifically Squeak's "desire" of getting stomped. I still don't know if Joey gets a "kick" out their relationship though. (Maybe he likes feeling big and imposing?) Their relationship in terms of basic compatibility doesn't seem relatively strong. Especially when compared to Grape and Max. Most of the more recent times they've been shown, it was in an arguement or disagreement of sorts. Does this mean THEY should break up? Not necessarily.
No couple is going to be completely perfect. One reason I like Housepets is because the characters (or at least their personalities(for the most part)) feel so realistic. And I think their relationships should also be realistic instead of idealistic just because they're fake.

In addition, after King and Bailey's wedding, Grape suggested they get married sometime. If Grape were as problematic to the relationship as some of you guys seem to think, she wouldn't put that idea forward. She cares greatly for Max and is always there for him. Not even Fido and Sabrina put forward the idea of getting married and I've ranked them higher than Grape and Max. Fido stopped a wedding, but he never said anything about starting another one. (Also, going back to Peanut and Tarot, wasn't she the one who caught the bouquet?...) This is a single gag in a comedic comic series, which I feel is being WAY too overanalyzed.

But hey, somehow, if they do end up breaking up after all, i guess i get to eat my words.

Gonna be perfectly honest, that while I do agree with you that Grape and Max have a fairly good relationship, heck I kinda think it be a bad time for a breakup right after Max’s backstory being disregarded by his friends, but you’re kinda forgetting one unique element that’s likely contributing a little, the love triangle. While most of the time, Grape clearly is only superficially interested in other guys, Rick has made it pretty clear she likes Res for his personality, and while Max and Grape have never been bad for each other, assuming Grape doesn’t have the option to date both of them (which being honest, I’m strangely not against Grape being the female version of Archie Andrews) people who want or are worried that Rick is gonna allow Res to be the boyfriend when he finally moves Res out of Canada probably are jumping the gun on this as well... you’re on high alert when you see warning signs of a ship sinking

Maybe so, but it's gotten old by the time Res came back. Sure, seeing Res buffed up was very teasing, but I also can't see any reason why Max would break up with Grape at this point. Unless Rick really wants to drop an anvil on us...

Speaking of love triangle, I'm pretty sure it's a love square. Peanut never left it x3

Considering Grapenut is shipping what are basically a brother and sister, while I understand why the pairing is there, I am not the least bit upset that the most the fandom has gotten in awhile is that Peanut still has a mild crush

[fenrirblack]

Gonna be perfectly honest, that while I do agree with you that Grape and Max have a fairly good relationship, heck I kinda think it be a bad time for a breakup right after Max’s backstory being disregarded by his friends, but you’re kinda forgetting one unique element that’s likely contributing a little, the love triangle. While most of the time, Grape clearly is only superficially interested in other guys, Rick has made it pretty clear she likes Res for his personality, and while Max and Grape have never been bad for each other, assuming Grape doesn’t have the option to date both of them (which being honest, I’m strangely not against Grape being the female version of Archie Andrews) people who want or are worried that Rick is gonna allow Res to be the boyfriend when he finally moves Res out of Canada probably are jumping the gun on this as well... you’re on high alert when you see warning signs of a ship sinking

Maybe so, but it's gotten old by the time Res came back. Sure, seeing Res buffed up was very teasing, but I also can't see any reason why Max would break up with Grape at this point. Unless Rick really wants to drop an anvil on us...

Speaking of love triangle, I'm pretty sure it's a love square. Peanut never left it x3

Considering Grapenut is shipping what are basically a brother and sister, while I understand why the pairing is there, I am not the least bit upset that the most the fandom has gotten in awhile is that Peanut still has a mild crush

It may be that Grape is the one who breaks up with Max. They may simply have a heart to heart and decide that they want different things. Who knows I'm just basing this on every TV show I've ever watched. It is entirely possible for Max to find a new relationship if Rick introduces a new female cat character to the comic. Clearly we only assume Max is secure in his relationship based on what he said in this strip but it is worth noting that he admitted that he has experienced jealously and most likely annoyance with Grape's "interests" so it may reach a breaking point if Max does decide he wants a serious relationship or more from Grape like I stated earlier. It is hard not to assume he is in denial about their relationship. Gag or not it was based on a serious issue that could topple their relationship or "sink their ship."
This is still doesn't factor Res into the mix. Right now he's in Canada for (whatever reason) but here's my idea (I think I've said this before): Res needs a new series now that Pridelands is finished. He "temporarily" stays in Babylon Gardens (not unlike a foreign exchange student) to write a new series based on the wacky and supernatural forces that reside there. Now IF Res does come to Babylon Gardens for an extended period of time then that can and will throw a huge bomb on Grape and Max's relationship. Of course right now since Res is not in the picture there is no reason to assume that Grape and Max would split especially since neither one seem to want a deeper relationship. Again that could change depending on one this arc ends. It is worth noting, again, that Grape and Max have been together since Year 2. So for the sake of breaking the monotony of the story Rick could choose to break them up in an attempt to make the story more interesting.

[GameCobra]

-It may be that Grape is the one who breaks up with Max. They may simply have a heart to heart and decide that they want different things. Who knows I'm just basing this on every TV show I've ever watched. It is entirely possible for Max to find a new relationship if Rick introduces a new female cat character to the comic. Clearly we only assume Max is secure in his relationship based on what he said in this strip but it is worth noting that he admitted that he has experienced jealously and most likely annoyance with Grape's "interests" so it may reach a breaking point if Max does decide he wants a serious relationship or more from Grape like I stated earlier. It is hard not to assume he is in denial about their relationship. Gag or not it was based on a serious issue that could topple their relationship or "sink their ship."
This is still doesn't factor Res into the mix. Right now he's in Canada for (whatever reason) but here's my idea (I think I've said this before): Res needs a new series now that Pridelands is finished. He "temporarily" stays in Babylon Gardens (not unlike a foreign exchange student) to write a new series based on the wacky and supernatural forces that reside there. Now IF Res does come to Babylon Gardens for an extended period of time then that can and will throw a huge bomb on Grape and Max's relationship. Of course right now since Res is not in the picture there is no reason to assume that Grape and Max would split especially since neither one seem to want a deeper relationship. Again that could change depending on one this arc ends. It is worth noting, again, that Grape and Max have been together since Year 2. So for the sake of breaking the monotony of the story Rick could choose to break them up in an attempt to make the story more interesting.

If you look back at the whole Ptah thing, It's becoming more clear this was the moment where Max stopped worrying about Grape's man-chasing behavior. I'm also certain he is putting all of his chips in with Grape at this point and vice versa with her since the whole Rufus thing. Res isn't a factor I find anymore, but the fact Grape and Res are close leads to some more touching details for the future. While we can still assume something might happen, my chips are down at this point: Grape and Max i'm certain are going to stick. Prove me wrong!

[Obbl]

I'm really confused by the weight people keep giving to the Grape-Res relationship. I mean, she certainly likes him, but I don't think it's ever been implied as more than friendship. Even with his weretiger form, she makes like one passing comment?
And don't let me step on your dreams or anything. Headcanon is beautiful
That said, I really can't see enough textual evidence to support breaking up Max and Grape over Res

[Gameb18oy]

I'm really confused by the weight people keep giving to the Grape-Res relationship. I mean, she certainly likes him, but I don't think it's ever been implied as more than friendship. Even with his weretiger form, she makes like one passing comment?
And don't let me step on your dreams or anything. Headcanon is beautiful
That said, I really can't see enough textual evidence to support breaking up Max and Grape over Res

https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/20 ... ce-hustle/ Explain this if Grape only sees them as a friend. That being said, I agree on there not being a major reason for the cat couple to break up, and even if they did, Rick couldn’t rush the Res relationship... now I brought this up before, but honestly I wouldn’t mind Grape dating them both.

[D-Rock]

Oh, it's obvious. She couldn't see.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Would Max be OK with sharing Grape with Res though? I mean Res IS the one who stopped that demon from entering their dimension while Max just poofed himself to comfort. That alone could cause Max to have some self-esteem issues.

[GameCobra]

I'm really confused by the weight people keep giving to the Grape-Res relationship. I mean, she certainly likes him, but I don't think it's ever been implied as more than friendship. Even with his weretiger form, she makes like one passing comment?
And don't let me step on your dreams or anything. Headcanon is beautiful
That said, I really can't see enough textual evidence to support breaking up Max and Grape over Res

https://www.housepetscomic.com/comic/20 ... ce-hustle/ Explain this if Grape only sees them as a friend. That being said, I agree on there not being a major reason for the cat couple to break up, and even if they did, Rick couldn’t rush the Res relationship... now I brought this up before, but honestly I wouldn’t mind Grape dating them both.

Can't worry about your friends? x3

As for Res dating Grape - that's up for them to decide. It's difficult to know if Res has any kind of romantic feelings for Grape, but judging the way things are between them up until now, I look at Grape's reason for liking Res not only as a friend, but admiration. Afterall, he wrote her childhood book.

Would Max be OK with sharing Grape with Res though? I mean Res IS the one who stopped that demon from entering their dimension while Max just poofed himself to comfort. That alone could cause Max to have some self-esteem issues.

Seems to me he doesn't consider Res any sort of threat from what the Temple Crasher arc has shown. Before and after.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I'm also thinking of it as more admiration plus their ship name kind of sounds like something you would say when you are vomiting. GREEEEEEEEES! :3

[fenrirblack]

Can't worry about your friends? x3

As for Res dating Grape - that's up for them to decide. It's difficult to know if Res has any kind of romantic feelings for Grape, but judging the way things are between them up until now, I look at Grape's reason for liking Res not only as a friend, but admiration. Afterall, he wrote her childhood book.

I will make Res+Grape happen through sheer willpower.

[GameCobra]

Can't worry about your friends? x3

As for Res dating Grape - that's up for them to decide. It's difficult to know if Res has any kind of romantic feelings for Grape, but judging the way things are between them up until now, I look at Grape's reason for liking Res not only as a friend, but admiration. Afterall, he wrote her childhood book.

I will make Res+Grape happen through sheer willpower.

Pfft. Feel the might of the Grapewell kittens. *sends out the nerdy kittens* <3

[Zesortinge]

I tried combining Grape and Res like how most ships are done. The best that came out of it was Gres and Gras. The first attempt was not good. As for my third idea, I don't think people would want to call them Grapes. Grares might work, but it doesn't seem like the best choice.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I'm gonna need to get a shirt that says I'm the official ship namer of the forum soon.

[Postcard]

Did you e-mail or PM Rick about it, which would be useful?

Is that the best course of action if we notice any spelling or drawing errors?

[Amazee Dayzee]

Well it would be nice if Rick could know about it so he has a chance to fix any errors if need be.

[Champion Wallace]

Depends on your definition of “swole” or what qualifies as “swole”. Anyway she hasn’t shown interest in Mungo until now. Honestly it was long overdue.

Also when has she been shown to have an interest in werewolves. I mean it’s obvious and I don’t blame her but it’s never been mentioned.

I believe the only mention of werewolves was in If Only In My Dreams, though given how muscular Miles is, just imagine how buff the professional wolf actor would be. But seriously, I think Max was just giving an example of a fantasy creature for Grapes fantasies. I don't think he was referencing any specific event with the werewolf line.

Honestly, I don’t think jealously is the emotion Max is feeling, he’s never been upset about Grape giving other guys attention, the few times he’s brought it up, it sounds more like he’s just upset by Grape not considering how he’d feel when she does it, and honestly, as fun as it is to watch Grape fawn over the hunks (and she tends to have excellent taste), I can understand how it could hurt to have your significant other always doing so. It definitely would make you wonder if they even think of you as anything special, and and with how insecure Max already is, that question likely pains him worse than most

Well he did go to gym to work out in an attempt to get more buff after Jata showed up. Plus those with low self esteem tend to experience jealousy compared to those with a strong sense of self esteem.

Yes, he did. That was back then. The third panel is Max admitting that he didn't like Grape's hunk chasing, and that was hard to get over for him, but he did get over it.

I think the main reason is because, aside from Bino and Sasha (who have broken up), and Bino and Duchess (who are meant to be a bad relationship + the cuddle suggests it’s not as one sided as we thought) TarotxPeanut and GrapexMax have always had the weakest dynamic. Max and Grape have never felt like more than friends, and Peanut and Tarot both seem to not understand how relationship should work, though in different ways. They all like each other, but honestly, it’s hard to believe they are romantically interested in each other. I’ll be fine with a breakup surprisingly for either group, just feels like odd timing for both groups, especially Grape and Max considering the previous arc. Still, Rick does seem to think we don’t know where an arc is gonna go in most cases, so perhaps are predictions have no actual basis. Still, he clearly knows how it looks, so if nothing else, the breakup hints are intentional I think

It definitely does feel like we're being played with. Honestly, the last arc might be a good reason for Grape and Max to break up. Rufus put the idea of them have kids in their heads so depending on how they both take that could be a trigger for a serious heart to heart. Neither one has ever struck me as the parental type but with Max being more vulnerable he may decide that he wants to try to live up to Rufus's example and strive to be a father to his own son like Rufus was to him. Even if not right away but down the road and who knows if Grape will ever be ready for children or if she does, does she want to have them with Max? Her relationship with Max always felt like one of convenience. Considering how few cat characters there are in the neighborhood there are not a lot of options when Grape decided to start dating. Who would her other options be, one of the Mr. Bigglesworths (and that's if she can tell which ones are male), Jasper, Delusional Steve? Let's be more honest with ourselves, if Res was around full time, she would dump Max in a heartbeat. When he is around Max is completely cut from the picture whether that be for his own good or not. That doesn't apply to just Res. There have been plenty of examples where a hotter guy appeared and suddenly Grape's attention was focused solely on them without any regard for Max's feelings. Example this strip.

There are a lot of neighborhood cats in Babylon Gardens. It's not unprecedented for Rick Griffin to promote a background character in an old strip and give them an name and an incredibly important role in the comic. I don't think it will come to that, however, I'm just pointing out her dating pool isn't as shallow as it looks.

[Amazee Dayzee]

So Bailey was a background character before she was promoted? Keep in mind this was so long ago and I read every single comic in 2014 in two weeks so I can't remember it all. X.X

[fenrirblack]

She was never really a background character. She was originally introduced during the first Christmas as Fox's cousin so she already had a leg up compared to the "neighborhood cats."

[Gameb18oy]

She was never really a background character. She was originally introduced during the first Christmas as Fox's cousin so she already had a leg up compared to the "neighborhood cats."

I think that tag was put in after she actually had a name

[fenrirblack]

She was never really a background character. She was originally introduced during the first Christmas as Fox's cousin so she already had a leg up compared to the "neighborhood cats."

I think that tag was put in after she actually had a name

Name or not she was still established as Fox’s cousin so she still had a edge.

[Champion Wallace]

She was never really a background character. She was originally introduced during the first Christmas as Fox's cousin so she already had a leg up compared to the "neighborhood cats."

Depends on your definition of background character I guess, as she did have a leg up on other background characters because she had a line and a relation to a character. However:

I think that tag was put in after she actually had a name

Gameb18oy's right (here's a version before the tag was added: https://web.archive.org/web/20110917135 ... s-edition/). She still only had one appearance then disappeared for almost three years. It's not as applicable as an example, but another fan favorite, Mungo, was tagged with the rest of the K-9 Unit in Here Come Here Come Da Bride until Real Stories of the K9PD.

[fenrirblack]

I wouldn’t have called her a background character but she also wasn’t significant enough to be a tertiary character either. I don’t know what she would be called back then. Mungo on the other hand was by all definition a background character so he is a more prominent example of a background character being pulled from the stands and given a major roll.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I count Mungo more as a background character because well, he was ACTUALLY in the background. XD

[RandomGeekNamedBrent]

I wouldn’t have called her a background character but she also wasn’t significant enough to be a tertiary character

I'd just say side or minor character.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Hey! That is actually what I would call her also at that point!