Happy Happy, Joy Joy, Mani Mani
So back in Onett, there’s this guy who lives on the big hill named Lier X. Agerate, Treasure Hunter and self-described “billboard guy”.
At first I thought Agerate might be a stand-in for Shigesato Itoi, or rather the kind of person Itoi was or met as an ad man in the 80s. He calls himself a Treasure Hunter, but actually, he just advertises that he’s a treasure hunter.
He’s also really really friendly with Ness, despite being an older gentleman who isn’t part of his family. Kind of awkwardly forced, a bit creepy, in the way I’ve noticed other Japanese auteurs represent themselves in their own work. I guess I’m mostly thinking of Akira Toriyama.
He also initiates a very important sub-plot when he actually finds treasure. (0:34 in the video)
The thing he finds is creepy, and gives a very peculiar sound cue when examined. But that’s it, at least for now. In fact, you don’t HAVE to do ANY of this, which is why I didn’t mention it before.
ANYWAY, once you get through Peaceful Rest Valley, you’ll reach Happy Happy Village. Happy Happy Village, I think, is a unique result of Japanese minds recreating a particular aspect of American culture.
The villagers all follow a man called Carpainter who believes that happiness can be found once everything is painted blue. They all praise the color blue, assert how happy they are, and some even suggest their strong distaste for any who disagree with their viewpoint.
On one side of the village there is a woman who requests donations from you, follows you around and insults you if you don’t comply, and if you DO comply, gives you a postcard, which, in terms of resale value, is the most worthless item in the game. On the other side of town there is a market where you can name your own price for the items on sale. If you don’t pay anything and talk to the man keeping surveillance behind the bush, he will fight you.
Religious extremism is everywhere in the world, but the hypocritcal nature of the Happy Happyists seems distinctly American to me. Evangelical in practice, Mormon in origin, Scientologist under scrutiny. Also, fucking look at these guys.
These cultists appear at random throughout the town. The rest of the villagers are polite enough, but they do not take responsibility for these violent crazies. The little Santa Claus pom-pom at the end of their hoods were added in the American version. There also used to be a little “HH” on the forehead, as though the Ku Klux Klan komparision wasn’t close enough already.
Around the same time as Earthbound’s development, the Aum Shinrikyo cult would carry out a Sarin gas attack in Tokyo. In creating the Happy Happists, maybe Itoi was casting a wider net than just Christian extremism. (The cult even published a magazine called Enjoy Happiness)
With enough scouting around, you’ll find out that Paula – who may have contacted you telepathically in your sleep by now – is locked in a cabin somewhere in Peaceful Rest Valley, being sweated out until she agrees to become Carpainter’s right-hand priestess. Carpainter has the key to her cell, but if you visit her she’ll give you the Franklin Badge as protection from Carpainter’s power over lightning.
Yeah, what, lightning? Wait. Shut up.
When you exit, you’re greeted by Happy Happyist cronies and… Pokey?! He’s a high priest with the cult now, and based on accounts in Twoson, he may have been in charge of Paula’s kidnapping. He sics the Happyists on you. Pokey, what are you up to?
The next place to be is the Happy Happyist HQ in the middle of the village. So this is where they’re all coming from! I can’t stress enough how funny and weird and clever this place is. The only way through the throngs of chanting followers is to find the stand-outs and ask them to move out of your way – though some will fight you.
And then you’re face to face with Carpainter. No, wait, first you meet this… receptionist.
Because I didn’t know what else to do!
Then, up the stairs, you’re face to face with Carpatiner and,
HEY that other thing! Agerate’s statue that he found. First you have to overcome Carpainter in battle. Which is very easy! Because the Franklin Badge reflects all of his Crashing Bang Boom lightning attacks. It’s kind of a joke, and it feels great. Yeah, take that, asshole!
Oh, but he’s not a real asshole. Once defeated, much like Frank Fly back in Onett, Carpainter comes to his senses right away. He says that the statue had been making him do peculiar things since he obtained it. He promises to get rid of it and return the village to normal.
Carpainter is a weird guy. His name is a pretty half-hearted pun, and he seems to be wearing something like a yarmulke. Maybe Itoi just wanted to use Happy Happy Village to include religions predomninantly practiced in America? Or some kind of statement about how, despite the percentage of Christians in the country, the Jews seem to run everything?? I don’t believe that by the way. His design is just so peculiar to me.
The statue, which Carpainter reveals is called the Mani Mani statue, is also pretty weird, but a little easier to break down. It definitely looks like an Oscar statuette with devil horns – a pretty natural symbol for the corrupting nature of power and fame. Also, not only does “Mani” sound a little like “money”, the statue also functions as an evil and powerful MacGuffin in the same way the Mammon Machine does in Chrono Trigger. “Mani” kind of sounds like “Mammon”, and Mammon also basically means wealth as a result of avarice.
For now, we take Carpainter’s word for it, and the statue just kind of hangs out. Carpainter also gives us the key to Paula’s cell. Let’s go get her!