The relationship between Quote and Curly

Is there anything in the story where you see Q & C making out?

Well Quote can find Curly's panties and keep them in his inventory which doesn't imply anything at all. Also that may be completely one-sided, but the *iron-bond* item also implies a romantic relationship (what with that heart on it). So Pixel seems to be implying that they have something going on, hence why in the good ending they go somewhere and live together forever.

 

Well Quote can find Curly's panties and keep them in his inventory which doesn't imply anything at all. Also that may be completely one-sided, but the *iron-bond* item also implies a romantic relationship (what with that heart on it). So Pixel seems to be implying that they have something going on, hence why in the good ending they go somewhere and live together forever.

I think it's more like the kind of bond two war soldiers would have after fighting together in many battles and seeing it all through together.

Can't bond like that with another person in civil life.

 

Well Quote can find Curly's panties and keep them in his inventory which doesn't imply anything at all. Also that may be completely one-sided, but the *iron-bond* item also implies a romantic relationship (what with that heart on it). So Pixel seems to be implying that they have something going on, hence why in the good ending they go somewhere and live together forever.

While you do have a point I don't really see it this way. The Iron bond does have a heart on it however I think it is more of a friendship rather than anything else. It's like girls on Facebook or text where they have to do 50 billion kiss symbols (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) or <3. It doesn't mean they actually love each other it just means they are good friends.

After the good ending they go and live somewhere together. So what? Lots of people live together and don't have to be in love. However with the build up of things and an unknown past your reasoning is completley understandable even though I think it is a load of bs.

 

So what? This doesn't mean they have to be in love.

Robots can't have emotions or feelings by the way, so how could they BE in love?

You really didn't pay much attention to the game did you?

So even a robot can care for another...

One of the last parts of her dialog, said right before the undead core fight. You stepped away from sue to save her life, you have saved Curly several times over and she has done the same for you. They may not be in love, but it's sure as heck possible.

 

As I pretty much said before there is of evidence for both.

I'm probably thinking about this to much, but when Quote leaves her or doesn't in the Core room, it's the players choice.

And while I realize that this was really just to determine the ending of the game, most of the time, when you do something nice for someone, the game either does it for you (in the case of backing away to try to save Sue), or there is no other way to proceed except to help out which made clear. (Jenka's puppies, saving Kazuma)

What is the only other time you really have a choice?

That would be giving Curly the Ma Pignon, () and previnting her from, as Cthulhu puts it, being "scrap metal".

 

Agreed.



Actually, no, Quote demonstrates his desire to help others on a regular basis. Getting Jenka's puppies, saving Kazuma, backing away from Misery to try and save Sue, helping Momorin make a rocket, etc.

ok.

I don't understand what you're trying to say here.

I try to say that I did not read the dialog or whatever the hell the TS is saying.

Did you even play Cave Story? That was practically the entire point of the storyline. If you're going off of real life for your judgement, robots can't actually walk or jump or make cognitive decisions or talk, so I guess Quote and Curly aren't real, since robots can only do things in a video game that they do in real life, and video games are always 100% accurate all the time.

Hey, I had an idea for a game that has robots in them, it's called Factory Assembly Line! Robots put together the same single piece of plastic 10,000 times a day, just like in real life!

Ok you're right here, but don't act like an asshole about it.

 

It is how you interpret the game and the interaction between players that lets you decide whether they are in love or not.

 

It is how you interpret the game and the interaction between players that lets you decide whether they are in love or not.

One of the smartest things I've heard all day.

 

It is how you interpret the game and the interaction between players that lets you decide whether they are in love or not.

I dunno, what is there to interpret?
You can interpret something when it is brought up yet left unanswered with only very vague hints suggesting a possible answer.

Throughout the game I never saw Quote and Curly do anything but fight together and watch each other's back.

They're pretty much for average soldiers.

Unless "Would you like to exchange that Polar Star for my Machine Gun?" actually means "Would you like to insert your ethernet cable into my port and exchange information in that room while the dog watches?"

But hey, that's interpretation for ya.

 

I dunno, what is there to interpret?
You can interpret something when it is brought up yet left unanswered with only very vague hints suggesting a possible answer.

Throughout the game I never saw Quote and Curly do anything but fight together and watch each other's back.

They're pretty much for average soldiers.

Unless "Would you like to exchange that Polar Star for my Machine Gun?" actually means "Would you like to insert your ethernet cable into my port and exchange information in that room while the dog watches?"

But hey, that's interpretation for ya.

Actually, there's quite a bit, more than this actually.

I'm probably thinking about this to much, but when Quote leaves her or doesn't in the Core room, it's the players choice.

And while I realize that this was really just to determine the ending of the game, most of the time, when you do something nice for someone, the game either does it for you (in the case of backing away to try to save Sue), or there is no other way to proceed except to help out which made clear. (Jenka's puppies, saving Kazuma)

What is the only other time you really have a choice?

That would be giving Curly the Ma Pignon, () and previnting her from, as Cthulhu puts it, being "scrap metal".

 

xD. Well how do you come to a conclusion on this unless you interpret what goes on between the characters. I'm with you that they aren't all lovey dovey, I think they are just friends. They are after all combat robots. So we interpret that they are friends, or they are just fighting robots... correct? So you have to make these assumptions or whatever based on the gameplay which heavily involved scripting. Cave story isn't some crazy bloody shoot-up game. It actually has a plot, you know this from scripting. Average soldiers? They are built to be sophisticated combat robots, they think for themselves to a certain extent. If they are just robots then why do they do more than there primary objective. Like curly protecting the Koron children, Quote helping others. Even though you have to do these tasks to let the game continue Pixel, I assume, is wanting you to see friendship and kindness from the game. This all happens through the plot of Cave Story (which is one of the best ever!).

 

Actually, there's quite a bit, more than this actually.

Well then show it to me.

So far, what Quote has done for Curly is nothing a normal person wouldn't do.
Saving Curly or not is more of a limitation than a choice.

But yea Kickass fair enough, I understand what you were trying to say now.

 

Fine, not lots. But here's some.

Arguments for Quote X Curly:

#Curly is the only other Quote-type robot. If not her, who else? (I mean long term, not one-night stands)

#Curly sacrifices her life for Quote. Quote returns the favor by risking his life in saving her.

#The "you and I..." dialogue I mentioned somewhere before.

#Quote steals her undies. What kind of a brother does that?

Honestly though, as the title of the board says, this is a theory either way, which will mean opinions.

2 opinions. (Or more I guess)

If either is proven, in Cave Story 3D or some other official media, it would become canon, and the opposite would happen to the other.

 

So what? Just because there is only one that doesn't mean anything. Curly sacrifices her life for quote as a good friend. You and I? That means they are the only ones left. They were designed to destroy the crown. True they are much better designed than other robots meaning possibly they are now more human but it doesn't mean they have to love each other.

Anyway none of us are going to agree....

 

Anyway none of us are going to agree....

Exactly, this could go around and around, but chances are, we'll still disagree on this.

 

Exactly, this could go around and around, but chances are, we'll still disagree on this.

As long as this doesn't get out of hand the conversation can go on as much as it pleases.

 

Although none of us are going to agree it is still fun arguing about this!

 

A courteous bump because there's one huge, overarching matter that no one has discussed over the course of the last 23 pages.

From the outset, I'll state that I'm like 90% sure a Quote/Curly romantic relationship is canon and intentional. However, I am willing to bend to the "best friends/comrades who have been together through a lot" side of the argument, but in my eyes, that's still love -- albeit a different kind of love.

When assessing a work, it is usually helpful to assess the culture, mindset and personal experiences of the creator in attempting to ascertain meaning, context etc. What you guys have to understand is that you're viewing "love/romance" through a predominately Western lens. The Japanese -- and I'm sure GIR can come in to back me up on this if needed -- have very different ideas about how love is/should be expressed. Assuming you aren't playing H games/dating sims and you actually read other Japanese works/play games/watch films, you should realize this. There is a powerful emphasis on showing love through positive acts rather than physical contact or expressions of love (and in fact, outright saying "I love you" is usually considered obscene, even though as I understand it, it's slowly becoming more commonplace).

What this means in practical terms is that Curly saying nothing to definitively prove that a romantic love exists means literally nothing in the eyes of a Japanese onlooker, it has no bearing either way. And, similarly, there are plenty of those "positive acts" I mentioned -- Quote getting the pill, Curly's sacrifice, Quote saving her and spending a night (I assume) draining her out, and Ma Pignon to restore her memories. I'm sure that on their own, these things can be ascribed to a very strong and reciprocal friendship, but in conjunction with the Iron Bond item and it's description, it would seem that Pixel's intention was to imply some form of coupledom.

A few other arguments I want to address.

1) They're robots, unless they're programmed to, they can't feel love!

There are plenty of counterarguments that have been addressed, but here's one that hasn't been mentioned.

Don't forget that Misery comments on the fact that you (Quote) seem to have a heart/soul. This again is another very Japanese ideal, having crept into general consciousness from Shinto and Buddhist ideals. Bearing in mind what I said earlier about thinking about what the creator might have intended, it is highly likely that Pixel created the characters of Quote and Curly Brace with the capacity to feel love and form romantic feelings (whether or not they actually have is a separate issue).

2) They can't be in a romantic relationship because they're more like siblings and probably had the same creator/company create them, and incest is bad and wrong!!!1/// (you probably say whilst being neutral to/in support of same sex marriage, not even realizing the extreme hypocrisy)

I will have to go with WoC on this one... In the absence of blood parents, they can't really be called "siblings".

You could make the argument that the term "romance" doesn't really apply to robots either because they can't have sex (although that might be a false assumption in the case of Q and C because of how human-like they are). I would argue that that is flawed logic, and that, if a romantic relationship is strong enough, then it will transcend the physical, and the people involved will continue to love each other even without being able to have sex. In other words, a romantic relationship can occur between any two conscious, free-willed individuals.

Not directly related to the discussion, but as much as I fully endorse the idea of the two being a couple even if they aren't able to actually have sex, I think it's highly possible that they can because:

- Chaco (Take it or leave it, but the steam achievement for this being "ladies man" is pretty fucking suggestive)
- Curly's Panties (What would be the point of underwear without genitalia?)
- The fact that Curly swallowed the cure-all and Ma Pignon would suggest that they somehow have working digestive systems, which does naturally suggest genitals
- Japan