Achewood/YMMV

• Alternate Character Interpretation: Was Roast Beef's mom merely a poor unfortunate soul who was beaten down by life to the point that she couldn't be a good mother even if she tried, or was she just naturally an abusive bitch who never really loved her children? Did she shoot Roast Beef's dad because he was violent and threatening, or did she do it just because she was full of hate and rage?
  • Is Cartilage Head a master of performance art, molded by his hideous appearance into an artist of emotion and expectation... or is he just a deformed asshole who delights in fucking with people?
• Angst Dissonance: While clinical depression is a serious condition, those who don't have it or haven't experienced it first hand can sometimes find Roast Beef tiresome. He has a loving wife who accepts all his faults and dedicated friends. He's depressed because that's what the disease does, regardless of cirumstances -- but often he has nothing to legitimately be depressed about.
  • There are, however, times where it's clear he's wallowing in his depression just for the sake of it, and these times are where it becomes most tiresome. The main problem with blaming all of Roast Beef's behavior on clinical depression is that we've seen he can function normally if he really wants to, and even force himself out of his behaviors when sufficiently motivated. So in scenes like the one where he's discussing his idea for his own funeral, and it's mostly a strange and rambling mess of self-indulgent melodrama, it's easier to empathize with Ray (who would clearly like to smack Roast Beef upside the head).
• Arc Fatigue: When combined with Schedule Slip, it's a nasty combination. Some arcs wouldn't be so bad if they didn't go two weeks between updates.
• Archive Binge, Archive Panic: It's been running a long time, and the fact that each strip tends to be an extremely long one with multiple jokes, scenes and panels doesn't help matters. It probably takes twice as long to get through as a similarly long-running strip.
  • Since it now seems to be abandoned, however, at least the archive isn't growing larger and is easier to catch up to.
• Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: "Is he really that much of my dogg?"
• Fan Community Nicknames: 'Acheheads', 'Assetbarians'.
• Freud Was Right: A very direct example.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • Zell and Cory. Survivors of a fire and sufferers of fourth degree burns ("no dude uh with fourth-degree burns you're considered unlucky if you *live*)... all over their bodies. You only see them in silhouette, but Cory's ruined face is... deeply disturbing. Zell's cryptic reference to "collecting" before wheeling away into the darkness also makes one wonder what on earth they could be collecting...
    • Probably just trash, considering. They're probably picking up tin cans and potentially useful objects, which is only sinister if you're Phillipe and don't know that's typical for homeless people.
  • Speaking of creepy duos, Trouble Man and No No. "All souls did burn" indeed.
• Tear Jerker: The "what is the saddest thing" strips are clearly trying to get this reaction, and they certainly do from Philippe. Special mention goes to the arc where Phillipe got some of Ray's Born Lucky qualities and made several million dollars as a result. Teodor used some of the money to send him back to his mother, only to find that his old home has changed so much that its not really home to him any more. This eventually ends with Phillipe being visited by the spirit of his father:

"Home, she is . . . la grande illusion. She a time, no a place, an' you time here was over. Pack you bag an' go back to thees life you already 'ave. You maman she will cry . . . but that is what a maman mus' do. Life ees cruel . . . but at least eet is life, at least for a while."

• • At the time, because he (and the entire strip) was so underdeveloped, Roast Beef's reasons flying into space wasn't that sad. But, rereading it now... Seeing Beef say goodbye in that last panel tugs the heartstrings something fierce. His reply to Pat asking if he would be returning the spaceship soon was also quite melancholy.
• Wangst: Played for Laughs with Phillipe, who has typically childish melodramatic reactions to things such as getting scolded, imagining himself dying from being yelled at and becoming sad.
  • Roast Beef's depression can come off as this sometimes, when he seems to be actively resisting any attempts to make him feel better or see reason.
• What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?: A cartoon strip about talking animals ... who are sometimes abusive alcoholics. Yay!
• The Woobie: Roast Beef. May be the entire point of his existence.