Character Study Angel Dust and Valentino Relationship
This will be a post will be a look on Vizepopβs newest music video for Hazbin Hotel βaddict as well as a deep dive of Angel Dust and Valentino Relationship!
Alright full disclosure Hazbin Hotel is an adult cartoon meant for a mature audience and the subject matter is very dark despite itβs cheery outlook so Β if youβre very sensitive to this type of subject or under age please think before you watch the video and also this post will contain dark subject matter on abuse as well. Okay with all that out of the way please enjoy itβs review time!
First of all this music video is incredible but whatβs even more amazing is the character building for Angel Dust and for Valentino. It shows how toxic and abusive Val is to Angel but it showcase his friendship with Cherri. At the start of the dance Angelβs face is not just looking towards the audience, heβs clearly looking at someone specifically, in the audience making. Especially with that hair flip he does. Heβs doing this for someone oneβ¦ and then we get a fantastic cut away to Valentino and it is bone chilling.
Heβs doing this for Val he wants to be special to him; the way Valβs sun glasses frame Angel silhouette shows how heβs trapped because wants to be loved by him. It should also be noted during this part of the song βI think I deserve some praiseβ¦β Also alludes how starved for affection Angel Dust is and wants that praise from Val specifically. But this is how Val keeps Angel Dust under his control in a sense of that heβll receive it if heβs βgoodβ and does what he says. We get more symbolism of this when Valentino blows smoke towards Angel Dust. And itβs in the shape of a heart thatβs being blown towards Angel and is wrapped around him.Β
In a sense heβs kind of blowing Angel a kissβ¦
Not only that but the fact that itβs smoke also shows how fickle Valβs love is for Angel Dust is. It can disappear and go away at any moment, and thatβs why Angel so desperate and tries so hard to obtain it. And the way the smoke wraps around Angel shows Valβs love itβs more like a chain and leash. Though it makes us wonder βwhy does he love Valβ, and how did he end up working for him. Though we actually get an answer during his song Angel Dust when starts he sings about his past and how he got to hell.
Β This scene in the when Angel Dust sings βDespite having overdose and ending up coma-toastedβ¦β giving backstory on how Angel dust died. From Vivziepop (and the Hazbin Hotel wiki) we know he has comes from a Mafia family and has a bad relationship with most of his family members (who are in hell). Which may have been the reason why he started doing drugs (so he had a rough life). Initial he looks distraught and saddened about mentioning but itβs only when the smoke wraps around him and point his towards Val he smiles continues to ββ¦I donβt give a damn~βΒ locks eyes on to Val which cuts away to Val wickedly smiling being very pleased.Β
What this sequence tells us is Angel while being very sad about his past he doesnβt care about it now because he has Val; he made him forgot about his sorrows! Β Right there is where we have our answer, he views as his savior. It implies that Valentino maybe the one that found Angel Dust and βsaved himβ but in reality to take advantage of him in a weakened state. Thatβs why Val has an evil grin when he hears Angel sing that, he knows this and as long as he has that card to play heβll always have a reason to have Angel stay. Which is a real thing an actually abuser does; they use things theyβve done for you as a trump card when there is an argument or guilt trip you into staying with them or forgiving them. Maybe the reason he has stayed with Val for so longβ¦
Why does he seem unimpressedβ¦
I donβt want to go over every piece of lyrics but he basically goes on singing he gives up on the idea of trying to be good and sober accepting that this is his the rest of his life. Ready and very willing live his live like this as he is now to gestures out to Valentino βyour playing with now til the end of the nightβ as he looks confused to this (Iβll get to why I pointed this out). Willing to live on thisΒ βheaven and hell highβ going on to sing β heβs addicted to the madnessβ¦βand then it then flashes to him in a crying being comforted by Cherri in his room.Β I believe this is a flash forward after the show when Angel went home. It is clear heβs sad but also angry at himselfβ¦ Not only that but Valentino may have done something awful to himβ¦Β
Earlier I pointed out he was gesturing to Valentino because heβs willing to give Val everything because Angel actually love Val during itβ¦ and thatβs what angers him (Val doesnβt want to be an item with Angel).Β And during those moments flashing of with Cherri it shows that heβs going to regret that choice,Β foreshadowing somethings going to happen leading up to thisβ¦ Angelβs not addicted to his life style and I think deep down he doesnβt want it in realityΒ heβs saying heβsΒ addicted to Valentino. And he knows very well heβs not treating him right and heβs bad for him. Thatβs the scary thing about being in an abusive relationship despite being poorly treated you and wanting to leave you canβt. You canβt help but remember the good moments where they show you affection that makes you think its worth saying. And this next scene I think happened before Angel went home with Val (I assume that heβs the one driving Angel Dust home in this scene). This scene just show how much of a scumbag Val and how he really sees Angel.Β Β
What heβs really cares about is the money that Angel Dust makes not Angel himself, heβs clearly an after thought not even giving him a second glance. Angel is obviously upset at waiting in the wing for Val to pay attention to him. The two girls making out (yes theyβre important) Angel canβt even look at them and makes sure heβs looking the other wayβ¦ Because Angel was hoping that Val would show him some love too but no the first thing he does is check how much he made. And he put in so much effort in the show just for Val and impress him too. Youβd assume heβd thank and praise him the amazing show he put on and that performance was especially for Valentino. Though the way heβs just calmly containing his disappointment and anger shows that this is not the first time heβs done this to him just leaving him on the back burner. Just in a sighing slouch and in his head heβs probably thinking βwhat the hell was I to expectβ or βwhy the hell am I not surprisedβ¦Β β
βOh Angel didnβt see you thereβ¦β
And only when Val finishes counting all the money does he pull in Angel for a kiss, this pretty much saying βOh Angel, you made me so much money I can reward you nowβ¦β making his love very conditional. And the way he snaps his neck up βoh sorry didnβt see you thereβ¦β as if he just remembered him now. He doesnβt love Angel he only loves that money that he brings in. I have think that Angel Dust only tries to be βthe bestβ in porn studios so that he can stay on Valβs radar. But I think at this point in the relationship Angel just experience so much of the abuse and neglect from Val he just expects it. He is just unimpressed and he just drained from all of this. Which tells us two things one Angel Dust may have been under Vals thumb for years and Angel is at his wits end. The expression on Angel Dust face is practically saying βOh you notice me nowβ when Val finally starts paying attention to him and Angel just wants to be special to him. And clearly wants to be something more to him than one of his hoesβ¦ heβs coming to the realization that may not never get that. Heβs just a toy to him something that he can play with and toss out.
This scene just makes me so sadβ¦ when Val forces Angel into the kiss seconds before (if you look carefully) you can see Angel he really was leaning in for the kiss and closing his eyes so he can enjoy it. Showing apart of him really loved Valentino and he wanted this so badly; for his love & affection this just breaks my heart. Val managed to manipulate him to the point that where he thinks he truly loves him. The reason why Val wants to kiss Angel Dust because he thinks one kiss is all he needs to make Angel stay with him. You can see the gears slowly turning in his head, heβs catching onβ¦ aware of his mistreatmentβ¦this kiss is damage control. But you can see in Angel Dustβs eye heβs questioningΒ βis it worth itβ¦β now Angel starting to get the full picture, even if Val wants him he doesnβt care for him and tries to stop Val before he gets sucked in again. Heβs had enough and this maybe the first time Angel rejected his advancements, thatβs why Valentino is angry in a sense βyouβve never disobeyed me beforeβ, and when an abuser loses control thatβs when they start getting physically violent; this maybe the tipping point of when the abuse started to escalate. And we donβt know what happened after it just flashes them going to the Porn Studio.Β
Which cuts to him throwing fitβ¦ after something happens and itβs so heartbreaking cause he clearly blames himself.Β And just sinks down on to the floor and cries into his hands. We donβt know hat happened but we get our answerβ¦ near the end of the song we have Angel Dust at the Hazbin Hotel to now. Where he smoking just like Val he smokes a heart but itβs a broken one and it saying heβs addicted to the sorrow. Meaning he has given up on the idea of Valentino really loving him with him singingΒ ββ¦when the buzz ends by tomorrowβ and heβs singing about the love he had for Valentino is gone it was good for a while he had itΒ but now he has to deal with the price of beingΒ βaddicted to that drugβ¦or getting involved with Val in this case.β
Now he deal βwith the poison in his vainβ talking about the trauma he received from Valentinoβ¦ That night he raped Angel Dust in the studio I had a screen shot of the shot of him with Valentino but I though it would be too dark. And heβs clearly dealing with aftermath of the pain and trauma of the relationship and dealing with the scars of it. Which is why thereβs a flash of seeing Val in the mirror for a second. But βheβs dependent on Valentinoβ and has nothing but fear for him now; blames himself and his naivety believing that Val would love him. Before Valβs love was Angelβs drug, it made him feel happy and forget his troubles but eventually that high went down. Loving Valentino ended up hurting and damaging him even more.. and has a new pain thatβs hurting him. Itβs sad because this is what victims do sometimes they blame themselves. Angel did nothing wrong the poor guy he was manipulated and heβs to the point where Val had made him trapped now.Β
Which shows the real reason why he wants to stay in the hotel so he wonβt have to be so dependent of Val. Slowly but surely try to get better because in the Hazbin Hotel he still working for Val but it living in the hotel. Though the way he pushes of Charlie heβs clearly trying to hide the pain he suffer especially with how he cares himself. Pretending to be carefree and cheerful which makes it so painful to watch him force himself to be happy. I just love Angel Dust so much heβs just so precious!Β
PLEASE SAVE HIM ALREADY!
Okay hope you all enjoy the post
