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crazy-fangirl2524 · 1 year

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Why all for the game series got us all so hooked

An attempt at combining everything I’ve read on tumblr and recent (re)discovery I have from rereading the books for the fourth time:

We all know it’s the characters. But why? Yeah they are real and raw and resonant with us. Neil and Andrew and Kevin and foxes story captivated us. Let’s start with Neil:

Neil Josten. A runaway that stated so many times how alone and lonely he is. How he is a nobody. He insisted on all that and couldn’t care more or less for his teammates throughout the first book. But his character development is astounding. We can see him actually choosing to stay in the end of the first book. When he decided to strike a deal with Andrew who he didn’t trust at all to stay. He rationalised it at Andrew letting him stay because Andrew was the main antagonist throughout the first book even though we have been hinted throughout the book that the real threat to Neil’s life is his father. So he deal with the easier one first.

Then in the second book, we can see glimpse of how he is becoming “real” and how his teammates treat him as a friend but he didn’t even realise and in just less than half a year he managed to have friends and by the end of the second book he is literally willing to die for them. He cares for them. His teammates care for him. And most importantly andrew.

Yeah Andrew is the main focus and let’s just say all of us were as shocked as Neil at his confession in the third book (unless we all knew from the start but) even after reading the books multiple times. It is actually not that obvious that Andrew likes Neil. Because neil himself didn’t notice.

Here is a sidetracked paragraph about the narration. The narration is flawless. The pov is strictly neil and it is so neil that all he cares about is exy and survival and so that’s all we cared about in the first book. But as his priorities shift in the second book. We begin to care for the others too. He doesn’t waste his time describing the setting of places or cloths or people. There are barely any descriptions except for the court and during the exy games. Until the third book when neil begin describing Andrew when he realised his feelings. The narration got us hooked from the start when he didn’t even tell us his real name until riko said it. And the narration allow us to feel his fear and confusion and apathy and did it so seamlessly that we can’t help but fall in love with exy as neil did and slowly for Andrew and the foxes and of course neil himself.

People talked about the plot holes and ridiculous plot of yakuza and a fake sport and shit but is the plot really that ridiculous? There are books about faeries and vampires and romances where it literally would never happen in real life and people want to argue that a make up sport and yakuza is plot holes??? The fast pace plot itself is what got me hooked first and not the characters (but the characters are what made me stay) the pacing and narration is perfect and I don’t know why people cant see it. Everything make sense and it is all possible just because it’s not the usual thing that is written in books and do I have to remind you all this is an entirely fictional series??

Now onto Andrew. Andrew minyard is first presented as the antagonist and one of the threats and then into a teammate Neil valued and then suddenly boom he is the freaking love interest. We were as shock as Neil at first but rereading for the nth time it is so obvious from the way neil can understand Andrew whereas even his family and those closest to him couldn’t. Not for the lack of trying though (yes they all tried, just maybe not hard enough but I’ll say it is also because it’s impossible for them)

Andrew minyard is impossible. He didn’t let anyone in. He doesn’t explain himself at all or anything or his actions. Neil josten is just smart enough and on the same wave length as him. Nicky and Aaron and Kevin and the rest of the foxes couldn’t understand Andrew because they don’t think like him. Neil josten came to the conclusion that Andrew killed his mother for Aaron because he cared for him. Nicky cannot because he could never kill anyone so he cannot imagine why Andrew will do it for someone even though it’s his brother and to his mother of all people. Neil understand because he understand how Andrew works. Yes you can argue others can try harder and try to ask but will you still ask if you never get straight answers? Why is it only renee ever got close with Andrew? Because renee is the same as Andrew and she understands. No of course I’m not blaming Andrew for not explaining himself because god knows he doesn’t have to to people that he know won’t understand him. But I’m also not going to blame the people that doesn’t understand him. Yes we can say the foxes are wrong for always calling Andrew soulless and a monster but what else are they suppose to do? They see Andrew as violent and Andrew never bothered to correct them and Andrew is violent but they just cannot see the reasoning behind it.

Andrew minyard has been through so much and after the foxes realised just what he had been through (they don’t even know about his childhood only know about drake they don’t know it was since seven years old they don’t know it’s more than one person) they begin to understand his boundaries more and that’s when they get closer.

Andrew minyard is so strong for surviving all that. Imagine since a baby, since you are seven. It’s a miracle that he hasn’t killed more people or killed himself. It makes perfect sense why he is the way he is and yeah people get mad that why in the EC Nora was like Andrew will never heal and stuff but that’s just EC you can interpret and imagine after the books yourself. In just the last book you can see how much Andrew has opened up once someone truly truly understands him and see all of him without flinching away.

It can’t be anyone else. Of course it is Neil josten because Neil is the only other person that understands protecting yourself. Using whatever means. And Neil josten understands the possessive claim Andrew has because Andrew never had control over anything in his entire life (just like how Neil runs all the time) and Neil josten is just as possessive of his people as Andrew minyard are (Neil holds on so tightly too. He is willing to die for the foxes by book two already) yeah renee understands Andrew but she was saved whereas Andrew was dammed even more. Wymack has already been there and done that so it is different for him. Bee is still just a psychiatrist she can only understand so much. So of course it is Neil. Neil who can challenge and understand and push andrews buttons just right.

Now Aaron minyard. For as long as I remember the fandom has make Aaron minyard into someone that has always hated Neil josten. That isn’t the case. Aaron didn’t hate Neil josten. He just didn’t care for any of the foxes. He only hates Neil josten when he gets with his brother and justifiably so. He hates Neil josten becaude Aaron minyard tried so hard to get to know his brother and all he got in return is a dead mother and a brother that is not willing to speak to him. Imagine you are Aaron. You are desperate and then you found out you have a brother and you tried with him but he rejected you again and again and then last straw was when he seemingly killed your mother. The one thing you have always had. And then your brother doesn’t talk to you again. Aaron’s grief of course won’t allow him to see it how Neil as an outsider can see. And then this fucking outsider come in and wreck the team got one of the teammates killed even and he’s the fucking son of the butcher and he lies and lies and lies and he gets with your brother. Your brother who has been a sexually assaulted victim for who knows how long. And this liar and mafia kid comes in and get with your brother. Your brother and entire family and team love and trust this guy even though all he does is lie and make trouble for your team. (Yes Aaron understand neil is not really the bad guy and Aaron literally did not care about Neil even after everything until Baltimore and neil and Andrew is obviously a thing) so yeah Aaron justifiably hates Neil because his brother that apparently killed his mother for him and saved him from rapists but is more willing to trust someone he met less than a year ago than Aaron himself.

Now Kevin day. I’ll be honest and say I didn’t care for him at all in my first read. After rereading again and all the tumblr post I’m literally in love with the man. People say he is a coward but we all know he isnt. The way he manage to relearn an entire sport with his nondominant is not only impressive but also nearly impossible. He did it through sheer determination and spite and fear. Exy is all he has and he’s so goddamn good at it. His relationship with Andrew is so precious. He is the first one to see something in Andrew and actually try to give Andrew something. He is andrews first friend that isn’t related by blood that isn’t forced to be by Andrew’s side through any family obligation or whatever. And Andrew trusts Kevin enough with his medicine. Kevin trusts Andrew to protect him from his biggest fear and nightmare and abuser. Kevin is willing to teach Neil even when he knows Neil doesn’t have a future. He is willing to waste time and effort in neil because Neil cares about exy as much as he does. Neil chose to sign with the foxes because of kevin. Neil wants kevin to make it. When he realised kevin hasn’t escaped either he does his damn best to get kevin out of it through winning exy games and trying his best to get them to championship. The book doesn’t end with Neil beating his father. The book ends with the foxes beating the ravens. Ends with kevin winning against riko. All for the game. Neil played and survived all for exy and half of it is also for kevin. All for the game. These two are like twin flames that their lives are nothing compare to their love for exy and obsession for each other.

Nicky hemmick. The guy that doesn’t have to take care of his cousins and were under absolute no obligation to help them and provide them a home and drop his entire life in Germany and leave his boyfriend and get treated like shit by them and as a joke by everyone on his team. Yeah nicky assaulted neil and that’s no excuse and it’s not justified at all. Andrew minyard assaulted neil and drugged him too. All the monsters assaulted neil. Just because Nicky’s assaults are different from Andrew doesn’t make them more wrong. It’s all wrong. And if we are going to hold accountability to the characters every single one of the foxes including wymack are all wrong and should go to jail. So yes I don’t condone nicky on kissing Neil but I don’t think that’s what the fandom should always hold against nicky. If nicky had punched Neil instead yall wouldn’t have this big of a reaction. (And yes of course I understand why the fandom is more freaked out over Nicky’s sexual assault but I don’t think we should all hate nicky for it) nicky knows it’s wrong and yeah his commenst are too much but he toned it down and even stopped after Andrew said so and after he can see how Neil is genuinely not interested. If nicky is really the predator yall make him to be Andrew minyard will be the first one to kill him.

Also about exy. The way neil describes it oh my gods how can you NOT be obsess with exy as well? And the way Andrew Kevin and neil is so so good at exy that you just feel it like most of us aren’t sport fans but exy makes us into one. Imagine being the FASTEST STRIKER like you don’t get it the fastest fucking striker and then you earn 3 MILLION per year on average as a pro exy player like. And and. Andrew minyard shutting down the goal. Someone recently calculated that remember the 150 goals shot and he only let in 13??? The games are 90 minutes. That’s more than one goal per minute. No wonder Andrew couldn’t lift his arms afterwards. And they were playing against the “best” college team. Andrew minyard doesn’t even train. It’s all raw talent. And Kevin day. Already drafted to court before he even graduated university. Exy stadium seats (at least the foxhole court one) has 65k seats. It’s Taylor Swift concert seats. Imagine that many people watching and obsessing over exy. And remember Neil’s awe when he first practiced with the cousins and he’s like you guys are so good. Every single one of the foxes are so so good at exy. How can you not love them and they genuinely love and care for the sport and that makes you care for exy too.

And they are all so fucking smart. Everyone hates dumb characters. Not a single one of the characters are dumb. They are all smart as fuck. Aaron studies med alongside with fucking exy (and all the mafia and trauma and a gf). Andrew minyard has an eidetic memory. Neil josten survived on the run for eight years. He is fluent in three languages and know at least five. Kevin day is a history major.

And you know how good a series has to be one the author hasn’t given us any content since 2016? It’s 2023 right now it’s been seven years and this fandom is THRIVING. I have genuinely never seen a fandom where there’s no more content yet it is still this active. Yeah some people leave. But most don’t. And there’s always new people. New content. Yeah maybe this fandom can sometimes get toxic but most of it is so so amazing. We genuinely has amazing edits and fanarts and the fanfictions oh my gods and just you guys are amazing.

In conclusion if you have make it this far congratulations I just love aftg too much this is literally just a love letter to aftg. I’m so tempted to write an actual thesis on aftg with quotations and sources but I’m too lazy and yeah maybe I’m just repeating everything people had already said and pointed out before but I just want to remind everyone again why we love this series it’s because of the characters and how real they are and how they show us that there are second and third and fourth and fifth chances and that we all deserve it and that we will make it we can survive and if even the foxes can then why can’t we?

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