- Joined
- Jan 30, 2021
Smiling Friends - did u smile
- Thread starter hooboy
- Start date
-
Want to keep track of this thread?
Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
Create account
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2023
He is playing a Undertale mod what the hell
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2025
the TTS kinda going hard though
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2018
This is the best meta advertising I've ever seen.
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2014
Anyone got a stream of the last two episodes?
Golly Bo-Bolly
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2023
The bumpers for the Finale are playing "If this is it" by Huey lewis and the News I'm not ready for this man
Skelebro
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2021
I might finish this later but the finale weekend crept up on me so here's some of the rough outline followed by the rest of this dumb essay. No proofreading, only half done:
With the finale of Smiling Friends coming shortly I think it's the right time to dig into and show an open appreciation for the most deeply written character in the series.
With great works comes a lot of homages and parallels to contemporary literature, and Smiling Friends is no different. After peering further into things it's definitely one of those shows that award people for looking deeper, and reveal the aspects that make the characters much more impressionable even for those who aren't familiar with said contemporary works.
Smiling Friends, especially in the 3rd season so far, has been much more direct with the historical details that frames some of the characters. Details that contextualize and paint a backstory for the characters with limited details that can pan out to much more (to the detriment of the characters, in some viewpoints).
Chief among them however, is a fan-favorite that stands out among the rest.
A character whos presence is limited, yet they offered nothing short of bountiful support for the main cast.
This character of course is...
Mr. Landlord!
Despite only appearing in one episode so far, hard fans who look a little deeper find that there is much more to unpack once they begin to read between the lines and check the early concepts.
To start, we have the resolution of his conflict with Alan, where Mr. Landlord turns to a display rack of katanas on the wall to commit seppuku. While this might just come off as an exaggerated gag and a way to end the conflict, the fact that it is Mr. Landlord's response to feeling remorse upon being called a 'psycho' is actually consistent with the idea of “Wa” (和) — social harmony in Japanese society.
Wa is to demonstrate the principals of:
- Avoiding causing discomfort or disruption to others
- Awareness of being seen as disruptive or inappropriate
- Self-correcting quickly to restore harmony
At the point in the story we get to see him, Mr. Landlord hasn't realized just how far he's gone. Then, upon hearing Alan's single sobering choice of word, Mr. Landlord didn't lash out or escalate, He internalizes it. Feeling deep embarrassment and shame before quickly acting in atonement.
Suddenly the line of bringing 'great dishonor' to his ancestors feels a lot less like a throwaway line, doesn't it? If you're not convinced yet, let's get back to that after we look into Mr. Landlord further.
Next, we have some early concept information about Mr. Landlord (initially coined as Pim's landlord). Much of what is on this concept page is consistent with what we see in his episode, aside from the narrative decision to change Alan into his tenant. However one star detail that really paints the depth of this character further is the fact that he was a practicing New York City lawyer in the 80's. This is where things start to get much deeper.
This detail is where I got some of my personal estimation that Mr. Landlord was born in the early 1950s. To be a practicing and reputable lawyer requires grad school, likely starting between the ages of 21 (1974) and 25 (197８) if he immigrated all on his own before obtaining his license somewhere between 1978 (age 25) and 1982 (age 29).
At first this may just seem like a minor detail that was cut out, or perhaps left behind when the episode didn't have enough time to brush on his backstory. It may possibly just be taken as justification for how he owned an apartment complex in Pennsylvania and managed to save $750,000 for paid actors an animatronics. But there is one key detail in this seemingly simple sketch that deepens everything further.
His smooth, kept appearance. His peaceful, eased gaze. The steady expression of a collected man who approached very day and every job with earnest. It is far from the disheveled, manic state we see him in Alan's episode. Far from the man who gave up possibly everything simply to HANG out. Which connects to a second major aspect of Japanese culture: Role-identity and post-career drift
In Japan one's identity is strongly tied to their profession, role in society, and what one can contribute. It's a common experience for retirees in Japan to feel a loss of identity, social-detachment, and an existence that amounts to little more than a quiet routine once they are out of work. This of course is very detrimental to one's mental health and leans toward what we see in his behavior; suppressed emotions boiling as he made exclamations, the state of his apartment, and how far he saw fit to go just to have someone to share a belly full of DIET soda.
As for the inside of Mr. Landlord's apartment, very briefly, we can touch on the other cultural and how it connects to the narrative and his heritage both.
Next is the concept of "Wabi-Sabi" (侘び寂び). This is both the practice of intentional simplicity, joint with a core belief that the home reflects one's internal state. Here we have a nearly empty apartment, filled with only practical things and storage in the corner. But what is overlooked is the newspapers closing off the light from outside. I believe that what the viewer was meant to see here especially was the reflection of his mental state especially. Neglect, impermanence, aging, sentimental belongings stored away while the light from outside is blocked out. This paints the picture of the artists going for a distorted wabi-sabi, wanting to show the viewer these details instead of telling us outright.
I determined that his birthday was November 13th for two reasons. Mixing the connotations packed into our cultural associations with tragedy followed with a holiday just two days after. Shichi-Go-San (七五三) is a celebration centered around youth, growth, and the presence of family. Children are dressed in their finest, guided by their parents to shrines, photographed for memories. It is a ritual that marks not just continuation of the family, but belonging. While others are ushered forward into life, surrounded by warmth and recognition, Mr. Landlord’s position feels inverse. No procession, no acknowledgment, no continuation, no photos of his family. but never quite. This proximity without participation reinforces more of his quiet detachment, not loud or tragic, but persistent. It suggests a life that runs parallel to meaning without ever fully intersecting it, where the passage of time is marked not by milestones, but by absence. He accumulated wealth, but continued his life childless and distant from his parents.
Given what little he has - two chairs (one of which is almost always empty), his television, and his PS2 - we can see how important it must have been for there to be someone he could play Burnout Revenge for the PS2 with.
Now that we have the foundation of a timeline for Mr. Landlord and a clear connection to his culture, it paints quite the picture one we consider significant economic events.
The notion of him having a demanding job made me think of the story found in this music video. A man so set on his goals that he neglected everything and everyone else in his life until the losses accumulated all at once. Buildings he lost, possibly missing the funerals of his parents, and no Mrs. Landlord to help him keep it all together. I believe that he saw a younger version of himself in Alan. Someone who is distinctly too absorbed in their work with little taken to unwind and HANG out.
Then after the end credits is when we get his resurrection. But within moments we can see that his appearance is much more disheveled, eyes glassy, and his obsession for Alan deepened To me this appears to be a lot like how resurrection is depicted in George R.R. Martin's 'A Story of Ice and Fire', where instead of being a renewal of the person it is a pivot toward an aspect of them. Often one that was repressed.
With the finale of Smiling Friends coming shortly I think it's the right time to dig into and show an open appreciation for the most deeply written character in the series.
With great works comes a lot of homages and parallels to contemporary literature, and Smiling Friends is no different. After peering further into things it's definitely one of those shows that award people for looking deeper, and reveal the aspects that make the characters much more impressionable even for those who aren't familiar with said contemporary works.
Smiling Friends, especially in the 3rd season so far, has been much more direct with the historical details that frames some of the characters. Details that contextualize and paint a backstory for the characters with limited details that can pan out to much more (to the detriment of the characters, in some viewpoints).
Chief among them however, is a fan-favorite that stands out among the rest.
A character whos presence is limited, yet they offered nothing short of bountiful support for the main cast.
This character of course is...
Mr. Landlord!
Despite only appearing in one episode so far, hard fans who look a little deeper find that there is much more to unpack once they begin to read between the lines and check the early concepts.
To start, we have the resolution of his conflict with Alan, where Mr. Landlord turns to a display rack of katanas on the wall to commit seppuku. While this might just come off as an exaggerated gag and a way to end the conflict, the fact that it is Mr. Landlord's response to feeling remorse upon being called a 'psycho' is actually consistent with the idea of “Wa” (和) — social harmony in Japanese society.
Wa is to demonstrate the principals of:
- Avoiding causing discomfort or disruption to others
- Awareness of being seen as disruptive or inappropriate
- Self-correcting quickly to restore harmony
At the point in the story we get to see him, Mr. Landlord hasn't realized just how far he's gone. Then, upon hearing Alan's single sobering choice of word, Mr. Landlord didn't lash out or escalate, He internalizes it. Feeling deep embarrassment and shame before quickly acting in atonement.
Suddenly the line of bringing 'great dishonor' to his ancestors feels a lot less like a throwaway line, doesn't it? If you're not convinced yet, let's get back to that after we look into Mr. Landlord further.
Next, we have some early concept information about Mr. Landlord (initially coined as Pim's landlord). Much of what is on this concept page is consistent with what we see in his episode, aside from the narrative decision to change Alan into his tenant. However one star detail that really paints the depth of this character further is the fact that he was a practicing New York City lawyer in the 80's. This is where things start to get much deeper.
This detail is where I got some of my personal estimation that Mr. Landlord was born in the early 1950s. To be a practicing and reputable lawyer requires grad school, likely starting between the ages of 21 (1974) and 25 (197８) if he immigrated all on his own before obtaining his license somewhere between 1978 (age 25) and 1982 (age 29).
At first this may just seem like a minor detail that was cut out, or perhaps left behind when the episode didn't have enough time to brush on his backstory. It may possibly just be taken as justification for how he owned an apartment complex in Pennsylvania and managed to save $750,000 for paid actors an animatronics. But there is one key detail in this seemingly simple sketch that deepens everything further.
His smooth, kept appearance. His peaceful, eased gaze. The steady expression of a collected man who approached very day and every job with earnest. It is far from the disheveled, manic state we see him in Alan's episode. Far from the man who gave up possibly everything simply to HANG out. Which connects to a second major aspect of Japanese culture: Role-identity and post-career drift
In Japan one's identity is strongly tied to their profession, role in society, and what one can contribute. It's a common experience for retirees in Japan to feel a loss of identity, social-detachment, and an existence that amounts to little more than a quiet routine once they are out of work. This of course is very detrimental to one's mental health and leans toward what we see in his behavior; suppressed emotions boiling as he made exclamations, the state of his apartment, and how far he saw fit to go just to have someone to share a belly full of DIET soda.
As for the inside of Mr. Landlord's apartment, very briefly, we can touch on the other cultural and how it connects to the narrative and his heritage both.
Next is the concept of "Wabi-Sabi" (侘び寂び). This is both the practice of intentional simplicity, joint with a core belief that the home reflects one's internal state. Here we have a nearly empty apartment, filled with only practical things and storage in the corner. But what is overlooked is the newspapers closing off the light from outside. I believe that what the viewer was meant to see here especially was the reflection of his mental state especially. Neglect, impermanence, aging, sentimental belongings stored away while the light from outside is blocked out. This paints the picture of the artists going for a distorted wabi-sabi, wanting to show the viewer these details instead of telling us outright.
I determined that his birthday was November 13th for two reasons. Mixing the connotations packed into our cultural associations with tragedy followed with a holiday just two days after. Shichi-Go-San (七五三) is a celebration centered around youth, growth, and the presence of family. Children are dressed in their finest, guided by their parents to shrines, photographed for memories. It is a ritual that marks not just continuation of the family, but belonging. While others are ushered forward into life, surrounded by warmth and recognition, Mr. Landlord’s position feels inverse. No procession, no acknowledgment, no continuation, no photos of his family. but never quite. This proximity without participation reinforces more of his quiet detachment, not loud or tragic, but persistent. It suggests a life that runs parallel to meaning without ever fully intersecting it, where the passage of time is marked not by milestones, but by absence. He accumulated wealth, but continued his life childless and distant from his parents.
Given what little he has - two chairs (one of which is almost always empty), his television, and his PS2 - we can see how important it must have been for there to be someone he could play Burnout Revenge for the PS2 with.
Now that we have the foundation of a timeline for Mr. Landlord and a clear connection to his culture, it paints quite the picture one we consider significant economic events.
- 1953 – Born in Japan during the difficult postwar recovery.
- 1973 – Experiences oil crisis as young adult, prompting him to move to the US and potentially send money to his family
- ~1974 – Approximate arrival in the USA where he begins grad school
- ~1978 – Becomes NYC lawyer, taking on a demanding job that requires a lot of attention
- 1980s–90s – Builds wealth (~$750K in savings)
- ~1998–2005 – Transitions into landlord/property ownership
- 2008 – Hit by housing crisis → financial + potential psychological decline
- 2010s–2020s – Lives modest, eccentric landlord life in Pennsylvania
The notion of him having a demanding job made me think of the story found in this music video. A man so set on his goals that he neglected everything and everyone else in his life until the losses accumulated all at once. Buildings he lost, possibly missing the funerals of his parents, and no Mrs. Landlord to help him keep it all together. I believe that he saw a younger version of himself in Alan. Someone who is distinctly too absorbed in their work with little taken to unwind and HANG out.
Then after the end credits is when we get his resurrection. But within moments we can see that his appearance is much more disheveled, eyes glassy, and his obsession for Alan deepened To me this appears to be a lot like how resurrection is depicted in George R.R. Martin's 'A Story of Ice and Fire', where instead of being a renewal of the person it is a pivot toward an aspect of them. Often one that was repressed.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2022
They aired a suicide hotline bumper before the episode aired unfortunately I didn't grab it.
Shell Shocked Zoomer
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2024
I wonder how all the libtards will react to the AI Robot being an Actual Indian
Skelebro
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2021
Best Dio Dindu Nuffin
I'm trapped in the McDonald's PlayPlace HELP MEEEE
True & Honest Fan
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2019
At this point the episodes are basically about to air so I don't care about protecting this info anymore, so here's some good news: I know someone who worked on the show and I've seen animatics of the last two episodes, and
the landlord appears at the end of one of the two. Can't remember for certain but I think it's the friendbot one.
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2025
the girl was the landlord in disguise
Last edited by a moderator:
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2025
DSP outlives another.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2025
It's probably because of the "Suicide Spaghetti" Rick and Morty episode that played right before it.
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2022
Bittersweet feelings. I'm happy I shilled for this show since the pilot dropped on YouTube, to see it come to an ending where it wasn't dragged out for too long. I can't wait to see what silly cartoon Zach makes next.
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2022
The chick who the landlord was skinwalking as is based on that chick that made a life size plushie of Allan.
