What is Maru Really Hiding?...

[@NinoKito]

Maru was very cute I just wish CA has given her a lil bit more ya know altho watching it back, the telescope heart events were very sweet and really stood out to me. Curious to know what you guys think of Maru! Also I apologise for the accent 💀

[@H4NDSOMEW3IRD0]

There’s a robin mod that lets you date Robbin you should try it :]

[@makaylasegal]

i love ur content :)

[@salem-01]

I think part of the reason that Maru’s telescope cutscenes are the nicest is because like 3 of her other cutscenes are just her interacting with another character with the the farmer off to the side, so there’s very few sweet and romantic moments

[@Mummybun]

Some ones gotta tell' em that Sebastian doesn't have a dad and that Demetrius is his stepdad cause Robin married him and had maru (also does anyone else just REALLY HATE Demetrius) ✌️

[@FenrirInFlowers]

I gotta say I find Maru way more interesting than Sebastian. The woman is building sentient robots in her basement while Seb is just typing on his computer or smoking by the lake. Lol. I would have liked to see her get more emotional complexity as a character though, yeah. I'm curious what you're going to do about Sam's three heart event when you get to him. It's the only missable heart event in the game. It can only be triggered in Year 1 (before winter), and it's his most character revealing heart event. He also has some interesting 8 heart Sunday dialogue about Jodi, and once Kent returns, 6 heart Thursday (and 6 heart summer Thursday) dialogue about Kent. Or maybe I just like digging around in all the family drama and skeletons. Lol

[@pixiedragon1697]

As a woman of color who is also in STEM I’ve always felt that Concerned Ape did Sis dirty. Her dev design was so much better and she has such a boring personality. Most geeky girls are so fun and smart. I will always be Team Maru but they did her dirty!

[@dracuzura]

i think its a bit weird that the only poc thats marriageable has obviously much less effort put in than the other marriage candidates. i wish she was expanded upon more because shes so sweet and i adore her. he def did the poc in pelican town which is like 3 people very dirty :(

[@KennyKen226]

@@dracuzuraYes exactly! And people call you crazy if you point it out, it's very upsetting

[@pixiedragon1697]

@@dracuzura Precisely! And might I add, it seems CA has a type that he definitely wanted represented well. 😅

[@iWriteWithPride]

True!!

[@NinoKito]

I’m also Team Maru! I was so excited to explore a character who I thought had a very interesting backstory with her family and STEM. Which is why I was kinda disappointed when there wasn’t a whole lot outside of the Demetrius storyline :/

[@miss_rebel]

We were robbed of Maru with curly hair. Curly-haired Maru rights!😂 (edited: darn auto-correct!)

[@NinoKito]

Straight after this stream I went looking for a mod that gives her the old portrait back lmao

[@salem-01]

@@NinoKito your so real

[@Office_chair]

I agree I feel like she should have had curly hair since she looks so much more boring with straight hair.

[@heastner]

@@NinoKito I am okay with her current design, tho.

[@dust-bunni2409]

i want cury haired maru, with glasses, overalls and a hairpin

[@AB-gh5be]

gotta love a woman in stem, but i do wish maru was given some more conflict in her storyline. it's not like you'd have to look too far, either. her 6 and 14 heart events briefly touch on loneliness, and that seems a fairly natural road to go down. she's clearly the favored child of the family, but demetrius' high expectations don't seem healthy to me, even if maru's managing to meet them-if you give her a wilted bouquet, maru all but accuses you of thinking she's "not good enough for you," which seems an odd first response from someone who feels secure in themselves. maru's also got dialogue wishing her and sebastian were closer as siblings, and it's not like they can't get along-they'll go to the movies together sometimes if you've built the theater, and they both share a common interest in technology, albeit different aspects of it. but again, i think demetrius is causing problems here; sebastian clearly feels like he's less important to the family than anyone else, but _especially_ in comparison to maru, and demitrius seems to be a large part of that-just look at the snowgoon dialogue. sebastian feels alienated and draws away from his sister to avoid more unwelcome comparison, maru doesnt understand the cause but respects his boundaries anyway, and nothing improves because there's nothing to challenge demetrius' effect on the relationship. maybe the farmer's influence could open maru's eyes to that? help give her the courage to break out of the narrow mold of "sweet little girl with a bright future," and be the person she wants, with the relationships she wants? hell, retool the 8 heart scene into maru taking the injury as a personal failure, where the farmer could reassure her that it's alright, because it's normal to make mistakes now and then. have her get properly mad at her dad's control-y dialogue in the 10 heart, have marilda's gaining sentience and freedom mirror maru's own journey towards self-determination, keep the 14 heart pretty much the same, and maybe give her some dialogue about getting along better with sebastian without demetrius hanging over both their heads all the time along the way, and boom, a more (imo) compelling storyline, only marginally altered from canon. …also maybe bring back the curly hair the curly hair was really cute.

[@RedwoodDeer]

I would love if her arc had the farmer help her realize her dad's kinda a piece of shit, then like 14 heart event show them being closer again.

[@Jess-iq1bw]

Dang, I would have simped for her if she was like that in the game. I really do wish Ape put a little more effort into her.

[@apolloinjustices]

i love the concept of maru but in practice shes so shallowly developed it makes me sad :(

[@rebeccashores2306]

Don’t be silly, at least the black representation is there. (Joke)

[@sportyzmech2104]

I feel like the main issue with maru is that she doesn't really have any flaws. She's a geek but has a good social life in town, she's confident in what she does and doesn't have any issues with work, her father is abit possessive but he ends up allowing his daughter to do whatever. Her brother is Sebastion but apart from that they never interact. You honestly care less about her schedule compared to other npcs, her events never give her any character growth or interest, more like "Heres what i can do and show you". Shes just bland, not in a good or bad way. If they made her super nerdy like always wanting to focus on work and her studies and the farmer never understanding it, she could try and tone down her lifestyle, focusing all her time building things for the future doesn't allow her to live in the present and her life is in a rush to be the best like what her father wants her to be without any distractions, but over time the farmer can teach them to slow down, enjoy the beauty of the world rather than the scientific definitions behind it, not everything in life has to be explained just enjoy it.

[@sportyzmech2104]

I cant think of any other npc that doesnt have any flaws in the game, heck even the non-marriageable ones have a flaw or two. Emily is close, but Emily is a far more interesting character, she is unique with her events and dialogue, you feel attatched to her because shes such an interesting person to be with, where as Maru is just......meh

[@Xxsorafan]

I would have loved to see her and seb interact more maybe her events trying to get her dad and him more close or something idk

[@eleanorcooke7136]

​@@Xxsorafanor maybe we could explore the idea that Maru finds it difficult to socialize with Seb.

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

I just don't like that she doesn't seem to care about her brother at all. It's sad. And her route doesn't feel romantic.

[@karawithgun8148]

My biggest issue with romancing Maru was that she's a genius in STEM who builds robots. She's clearly going to do great things in her life but if I marry her she just has to abandon all that to live on my farm with me. I guess she could do that stuff on the farm as well but it's no laboratory. Not to sound like Demitrius, but I feel like in marrying Maru we completely stifle her potential.

[@randomuser2427]

"I thought the French were supposed to be romantic" Kudos to Maru for not only breaking gender roles by being a woman in STEM, but also for breaking the various stereotypes of the French

[@F3uertrunk3n]

Wait Maru is French?

[@pyechos]

@@F3uertrunk3nshe isn't, it's not a french name at all. and if she was, that would mean demetrius is french too, which isn't the case

[@Sapphairis]

To Demetrius’ credit if you talk to him after the lab scene he apologizes.

[@NinoKito]

Yeah I did see that, I didn’t forgive him :3

[@weebmaster]

@@NinoKito Petty ngl

[@DrinksBatteryAcid]

It’s theorized that Sebastian has orange hair and dyed it purple or black to suit his look and “rebel” against his mother. His father his also thought to be a shadow figure being how his cutscene’s are at night or in the rain most of the time and his general appearance and attitude since it’s cannon that Demetrious isn’t his real father

[@cozygamergirlie]

I like Maru, but she is definitely really shallow. Her most interesting trait is her dynamic with Demetrius.

[@cozygamergirlie]

Though I do love her robot hehe

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

And she has zero interactions with her brother. I wish CA had focused more on NPCs relationships with each other, making them feel more alive. Maybe he'll do that in his next game.

[@KitKat_293]

tbh there's a whole thing where genuinely well meaning white writers will sometimes make black characters and want to make them as admirable and inoffensive as possible but then end up more bland than anything and not much of a fun person. her dad is the same way, tho his autistic biology passion is more extreme to the point it's endearing. maru feels like she's probably on the spectrum too but trying her best to seem normal so you never get to know her goofy side. i love concerned ape and this is an easy mistake to fall into. but good to put words to and know about to try to avoid

[@h.f6364]

alot of ppl hate demetrius, hes a better developed black character than maru considering people have strong opinions about him

[@WickedKatze]

thank you for putting this into words

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

Errrr as much as I want to agree with you, Demetrius is far from beloved. Most of the fandom hates him, really, and "endearing" is not a term used to describe him. Frankly, he comes off as a petty asshle more than someone with autism. The tomato cutscene is laughable in its stupidity. No person with autism would act this way. It's clear CA hasn't done much research, it's almost offensive. You're right with Maru tho. It's obvious CA was afraid of messing up with the one POC love interest, so he didn't take any risk and made her boring as a result.

[@Myrice_yes]

Him: *posts video called"Is Maru Stardews Most BORING Villager"? Me: Who is Maru???

[@Office_chair]

3:39 honestly he really is He's really overprotective about Maru and is a jerk towards Sebastian and doesn't even bother to have a relationship with him. And in some of Sebastian's dialogue he literally tells you Demetrius treats Maru better than him and antagonises him.

[@Blossom_Flower-d1q]

Yea I love Sebby and I wanna marry robin divorce dem robin he’s a bad husband

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

And don't get me started on how he treats his wife. He's always criticizing and mocking her. Yuck.

[@Office_chair]

@catscanhavelittleasalami yeah I've noticed that in most cutscenes where she's excited he isn't and ruins it for her.

[@cacaumassipanoficial6203]

I know it's not that horrible but it makes me sad to see Maru saying she wishes Sebastian was more like a brother while he's alone in the basement 😐 i mean, they live in the same house, couldn't she make an effort to at least try to see and greet her brother? It could help make him feel less like he's invisible at least...

[@stelfien1997]

I think it would be cooler when she took the robot to the farm for him to do farmwork etc lol

[@genuinelyjustJD]

I love Maru so much, her scenes are wayyy different from the others because of her fascination in technology. I don't know why people don't care for her, she deserves so much better

[@RedwoodDeer]

Personally I feel like nearly every single character has an arc, while she doesn't. The closest thing to an arc is her relationship with her dad but that's kinda bland.

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

People don't care for her because she's incredibly cliche and has no flaws, which just makes her boring. She's not relatable and her "romance" route doesn't come off as romantic at all. Tbh I always forget she exists.

[@rachelk4805]

Demetrius is so bad at boundaries his poor daughter felt like she had to build a robot to take care of them before she could be free to live her own life. 😒

[@sidoniegabrielle269]

i didn't know she used to have curly hair oh my goddd the old sprite was so much better :(

[@bourbonbiscuits8729]

Watching this while playing and when the 2 heart cutscene is happening in video I walk into the house and I get the same cutscene lmao

[@ChristyTina22]

I've seen these cutscenes before, but I just realized. Robin's house has 2 basements.

[@Checkered-ej7ty]

I love hearing what people use for there background music because the song in this is called “Train Rush” from a Hat in Time which is such a good game I am so happy I recognized it 💕💕💕

[@lu-qx9gw]

the moment they straightened her hair was the exact moment her design went downhill 😔

[@pixiedragon1697]

Facts!

[@TheNinjaNiky]

I prefer the final color, but It would've been better curly too

[@pixiedragon1697]

@@TheNinjaNiky her hair style is so disrespectful 😂 I would’ve loved the curly girl style! Why should Pam have all the fun? 🤣😂

[@TheNinjaNiky]

@@pixiedragon1697 Pam got that curl fro, just like my grandma😂

[@pixiedragon1697]

@@TheNinjaNiky 😂🤣😂

[@konoyuchilan971]

I adore Maru a ton personally. I wish we got to see her do more especially considering she's proven to be really into tech and space like me. I'm hella gay for her and will stand by that always. I hope they add more to her story and her personality eventually doe cause getting to see her do more besides chill at home or go to the docs when u get married does feel a bit boring. I mean she created a whole ass robot, would be cool seeing her tinker with a new invention sometimes.

[@katlynroseanne]

As a Maru stan this hurt me but yeah… they could’ve done a lot more with her character 😭 and we were robbed of her curly hair, I loved those old sprites.

[@halloween-jester]

I think Maru's issue is that the things she does is her character and that's pretty much it. She helps her dad with his work, has a part time job at the clinic, and does her own experiments. That doesn't give an actual personality, though. An idea I have is that her base personality is just a front, while in private she acts more maniacal, like an actual mad scientist or something. I think that would've been a more interesting take, but unfortunately not... Its a shame because she had the most potential to be awesome I think.

[@pickleslicker]

that accent you gave her is absolutely hilarious it's killing me also her curly hair was so beautiful why did CA change it💔💔💔

[@cinarynroll]

Maru doesn’t deserve this SLANDER

[@thechanneloflife924]

I wish stardew would've explored her and sebastians dynamics with their parents more. Shes obviously favored and they dont even act like sebastian is their son. I wish they'd flesh out maru more, but also explore how robin and Demetrius might not really great parents. I also wish they'd expand on her relationship with sebby. They hardly feel like siblings.

[@FelipeGames08]

The "i like how she brought the nuke with her" part makes me laugh everytime i think about it, oh god

[@salem-01]

I really wish Maru had more of a story and character, I love her design (although her old curly haired one was absolutely peak) so if she had been developed more she would probably be my number #1 marriage candidate Also, her heart events are really weird. Almost all the other characters heart events are cute moments of friendship or romance between the farmer and the character, but like half of Marus are just interactions she has with other characters like Harvey or her dad, with the farmer standing off to the side like some random third party. It’s weird

[@FlowersMakeMeHappy]

Her cut scenes are actually really fun! Huh never got the chance to romance her, something about her dad was always scary- :{

[@Urfaveeebrunette]

Omg I was in that Stream!! It’s funny to see your name in the chat lol

[@NicoDiAngeloSonOfHades]

Cool lol

[@anee.778]

If I can say something, as someone whose friends talked a lot about Stardew valley and didn't play i knew first about Leo and krobus rather than Maru when they tried to sell me the game

[@Ferroxtm]

This guy narration is an absolute banger ! 😂😮

[@danzel5764]

harvey just watching the robot fly from i his window

[@kittenjeanne777]

Seb used to be a ginger like his mom but he dyed his hair so he's not adopted. But imagining him with ginger hair......

[@bestlaidplans2024]

Maru and Leah are the two NPCs I keep forgetting exist in the game

[@Blanka767]

Maru, Harvey and Pierre are always the last NPCs that i befriend

[@TheNinjaNiky]

Harvey seems terrible but he's actually not that bad after you get to know him. We all hate Pierre though😂

[@GoldenRose116]

​@@TheNinjaNikythe issue with Harvey for me is that he closes at like 3. His house is open for only 6 hours so he is annoying to befriend if you don't go after him actively

[@TheNinjaNiky]

@Golden Rose yeah it is annoying, best bet is to catch him when he's just being werid and pacing around that little gated area to the left

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

Maru, Pierre, Demetrius and Emily for me.

[@emma_nutella58]

As French person I must say the accent is killing me. Also Maru’s heart events just prove how psychotic Demetrius is and also why I hate him in how he’s treated Sebastian and just neglecting him

[@natha.foreverybody]

3:08 I agree with Wltluvana and Rikrobat I guess you prefer that your daughter get marry with a doctor than a farmer... especially when is the same farmer that divorced before from your stepson

[@katjosephperez8772]

For a man who’s incredibly suspicious, it’s surprising Demetrius let his kids have exclusive access to basement rooms. He could’ve nailed that trap door shut before she was born

[@xoltacueponi]

i really love demitrius and maru, and i wish more love, thought, and time were put into them. they're literally the only characters of color in town, and tbh demitrius gives off big autism vibes (the getting tomatoes when being asked for fruit comes to mind). alas. that's why we have fanfiction.

[@poed75]

i memorized every single villager and heart event and schedule, even Leo's before i played the update, but i didn't even know that Maru existed.

[@asowas7802]

NOOOOO MARU IS MY FAVORITE

[@dracuzura]

MINE TOO SHES SO SWEET AND CUTE

[@NptuneDrawz]

2:20 I'm French and Manu is more of a nickname for people called Emanuel.le :)

[@peachydoodles]

The French accents are pure comedy gold

[@Prince_Paint]

Existential dread and kiss me should never be in the same sentence lol

[@ryuku2]

Don't let robots have self-awareness. You gave it anxiety and existential dread!

[@karmii_p]

I forgot Maru was a character honestly - I love the girl, and all. I was going to romance her once until I somehow got with Penny..

[@wig.snatcher]

what a downgrade

[@felipecasanga7102]

@@wig.snatcher nah maru is boring + no personality

[@wig.snatcher]

@@felipecasanga7102 why did you describe penny

[@felipecasanga7102]

@@wig.snatcher penny is better than maru

[@wig.snatcher]

@@felipecasanga7102 and you are delusional

[@intensebyassociation2434]

Tbh Maru was such a sad character to marry. When i first started with her i thought she was cute but then she legit did nothing else apart from that while everyone else was more active :(

[@derpyjane2524]

I’m here for the Demetrius slander! 😂

[@T.r.a.i.n]

she wasn't building a bomb Maru is building the Demon core

[@KatySussens]

THE FRENCH ACCENT NOOO

[@The_ZeroZ]

I always thought sebastian dyed his hair black and it was naturally ginger like Robin, I never considered him being adopted

[@LottaPox]

Nino doing French accent killed me ✋😭 This is just hiliarious

[@sillyb.swirls5155]

Does he know that Dr Harvey has a big crush on Maru

[@WickedKatze]

French government: FIRE ZE MISSILES! Maru: But I am le tired... French government: Well, have a nap. ZEN FIRE ZE MISSILES!

[@memecat9830]

Demetrias: KEEP THE DOOR OPEN THREE INCHES!!!!

[@KenshiImmortalWolf]

Maru is my favorite waifu option Because she's such a sweetheart and nerd girl. Also the nurse outfit is hot. Also I am glad i'm not the only one who found Demetrius very over bearing of a dad.

[@ItzAutumePlayzz]

Maru likes making me blow up our house accidentally

[@weebmaster]

Her heart events should’ve been her building and showing you new machines or something ngl that should also be in her character regardless yknow to make her less bland make her cartoony

[@arnand6636]

I love ninokito's "French" accent. Its just so bad.

[@clxwn1373]

Maru was the first villager I ever romanced she is one of my favourite characters in the game

[@picklericktoilet]

i honestly like that your not involved in her life and family buisness, she feels more like a person outside of your date that way.

[@BlastedBS]

Great video! 😂 Keep up the good work!

[@Kay_stardew]

Maru was my first marriage and I always thought she was underrated but never thought of her being French

[@WOWINN_1]

Honestly I forget Maru exists 😅

[@redscrunchie222]

I never really liked Maru, especially how she got pissy after I said she burnt me and it hurt real bad.

[@Livi-chan435-xq6vy]

Stardew fandom: *hates Demetrius because he’s married to Robin* Me: *hates Demetrius because of the way he treats Sebastian*

[@ForemostCrab7]

Them changing Maru reminds me of My Time At Portia when they changed Nora (the Nun) she looked similar to what Phyllis (the nurse) looks like now, but a Nun, except more sacrilege...God i miss Alpha Nora, if only someone could make a mod to restore that appearance.

[@meekomyachii]

MarILDA gives me the same vibes as that big robot that you restore in chibi robo for the gamecube

[@bunny-9201]

I was so excited when I first saw Maru, like... A pretty girl who is also a genius? Perfect But I ended up losing my interest because I don't know... She deserved more depth

[@fina_Soma]

As someone who likes maru yes, yes Demetrius did threaten me. No i did not tell maru about it.

[@oliverholmes2112]

she's the one i married in my first ever playthrough of Stardew Valley and i don't regret it. i think CA could have done better with her, given her more personality and such, but she's really sweet and a good character. 10/10 edit: i see why you apologised for the accent

[@rae5920]

Reason why Sebastian looks different from robin is because he dyed his hair he is a natural ginger 😭

[@vexywexypoo]

Maru is my wife on my first save file and I only married her bc she was smart and looked like another fictional character I have a crush on 💀

[@dudemakememes878]

Dude forgot harvey

[@Iris_COA]

One time I got Maru's 2 heart event while being married to Sebastian.

[@TheNinjaNiky]

I think he changed her hair maybe because he thought she didn't have any qualities from Robin

[@gidgetgirl7516]

Marus robot is like Bruce from Megan

[@Pfincess]

Maru built french liberty prime

[@Weenaid]

i alwayys thought she was very cute and reserved, i loveher 💕💕

[@3fps2]

Lmao this was hilarious to watch XD!

[@ewakam1586]

OMG! I love this episode!

[@Rikrobat]

I do think it’s a shame that many of Maru’s lines feel like first impressions, rather than developing over time. In my first playthrough, I did get the sense of her developing feelings (I pursued dialogue every day), but overall, her personality isn’t projected more often. She clearly has plenty of skills and passions-astronomy, biology, engineering-and yet I don’t feel like her knowledge or passion always comes through. We stan our nonbinary star systems! ❤ Had so much fun watching this stream. Nino has such commitment to a bit and it is always delightful!

[@heastner]

I think it is left to the imagination of the player…

[@Epic_stickman90]

Her sprite doesn't match with her picture, her skin color, glasses and all of that. She's a great character overall: She's sweet, caring, and also works so she doesn't sit around all day. Her story is really nice especially 6:41(idk the which heart event) and 14 heart event

[@arandomperson6368]

We need to give Maru her old hair back

[@Oikawa-Plush1]

Your videos really make my day!, they were really funny. i love the voices you give them! i would really enjoy a Yandere sam or Hayley mod, that would be awesome! Love you

[@NinoKito]

Glad you like them! Look out for more Yandere mods in the future :3

[@Oikawa-Plush1]

@@NinoKito Oh my Lord, you Repiled to me!

[@Oikawa-Plush1]

@@NinoKito Thank you :3

[@Krustykat27]

you should do a video trying to get krobus to be your roommate

[@Soyunkeso]

I speak spanish, but i speak english too, and i love see your videos but when i see them i forgot is in english and out of nowhere I remember that they are in English

[@SockOfArt]

8:53 I thought it said autistic for a second then I read it properly 😂😂😂

[@smashingmolko]

I pronounce her name as Maar-roo haha maybe it's a Kiwi/Maori thing, but I've never heard Mah-roo before 😅

[@blankyhidden8402]

I loved the stream it was cool hope I get to attend more lol

[@jocelemon]

during black history month??? 🤨📸

[@pixiedragon1697]

😂this! Lol

[@Eco-wx3jd]

The comet was her bomb

[@JuztLiz]

Dude you should play Coral island when you get the chance

[@NinoKito]

Ill look into it thank you for the recommendation :D

[@sidoniegabrielle269]

i just triggered her 2 heart cutscene in a save where i'm dating sebastian. rly doesn't help the deadbeat stepdad allegations when demetrius is threatening me over my alleged interest in his daughter when my partner is literally down the stairs. i only came in here to see him lol

[@evielovesmicefr]

THE FRENCH AINGEOAGOE