Exactly ten years ago on this day, I saw HTTYD 1 in its entirety for the first time, marking the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I'm not exaggerating! I truly consider this day as the start of a new era. There was the period before HTTYD and the one after it! Yes... This wonderful animated film had such a great impact on me! Although it wasn't today, I still vividly remember almost everything.
In this post, I'd like to indulge in a bit of nostalgia and share stories about the main experiences I've gained over the past ten years and how the world of HTTYD has influenced and continues to influence my life.
If you're curious about what were the most memorable stories, click "Read more."
As always, let's start from the beginning.
For those who read my blog, some of the significant events and stories might sound familiar, but I’ll try to delve deeper into them now, as I usually only touched on these topics briefly before.
So...
I've always had a reptilian inclination for as long as I can remember. Nothing influenced me in this regard; I’ve always been this way. It's something I was born with. Over time, however, I realized that I was different from the average person. By this, I don’t mean to say that I’m better than anyone else, because this alone doesn’t make anyone better or worse, but it certainly affects one thing: it makes you different from others. You can't identify with the things an average person does, which makes things like socializing quite challenging. And this is where human society comes into play. Unless you want to end up in a mental institution, you have to try to assimilate somehow. However, this is quite difficult for someone like me. In elementary school, I didn’t hide my love for reptiles and how much I was into them (especially dinosaurs back then), and since kids are kids, I was ostracized for this and became the class clown... Because, of course, if someone is even a little different, they must be outcast rather than understood. This society is still too immature for that. But what happened is in the past, though it did cultivate a significant amount of misanthropy in me. I segregated myself from society to spare myself from similar “experiences.” However, I continued down the path that truly interested me and which I considered my true path. And that was for the better! I got to know my inner world and developed my own culture in this regard. It took a long time, but at least I can say that I really know myself! Looking back, I now understand why things happened the way they did and why they had to happen. Everything happened for a reason and not by chance!
Unfortunately, many people don't start this self-diagnosis in time and, in their early adulthood, are full of doubts and uncertainties because they don't know the world or even themselves!
But... What does this have to do with HTTYD? Quite a lot! As you can see, I didn’t choose to be a dragon person; I always was one! Unfortunately, if not outside, but definitely inside!
Once the picture came together (this was around 2013), everything went on its course. However, after a while, I started to reach my emotional limits. I felt a wall that I couldn’t break through no matter what. If you’ve read my posts, you probably know what I mean by this. Over time, I resigned myself to the idea that I had reached the final destination and from then on, it would only stagnate. I had experienced everything, and now only the downhill remained... The stagnation indeed came, but by the time I realized it, it was already 2014. And although I wouldn't have believed it, this was the year that brought radical changes!
On June 15, 2014, I saw the trailer for HTTYD 2, which started to pique my curiosity about HTTYD. Then came July 31, when I watched the first film... The rest is history, but I also wrote an exhaustive post about the event, which you can read if you click on this link (it opens in a separate tab). If you haven’t read it yet, now is a great opportunity because I will continue with the topics discussed there even further.
Well... As I wrote in the post, the first film had a huge impact on me! My attention and interest very quickly shifted and focused solely on HTTYD. For me, it’s not just a mainstream movie with a boring world with undeveloped characters, but quite the opposite! It has a very interesting, complex, and unique atmosphere! Its message is also deeply thought-provoking. And it was mainly the latter that set me on a path that eventually allowed me to break down a wall I had been trying to protect and build with tooth and nail for 10 years or so.
Speaking of the characters, I haven’t really delved into this much before, but it’s worth clarifying here as well.
Hiccup from the first movie reminds me exactly of my elementary school self! I received the same treatment as him from the other members of the Hooligan tribe. He didn’t have real friends and didn’t believe he ever would. I felt the same way! How ironic that his first real friend wasn’t a human but a dragon. This says a lot... His friendship with Toothless, however, made him realize that there was nothing wrong with himself because they became such good buddies. He just had to find the group that truly suited him in a non-traditional way. He was genuinely different from the others, and here I would bring up one of the most important quotes from the film, which Gobber said at the beginning: "Stop trying so hard to be something you're not."
And how true that is! I thought about this statement a lot and realized that I had been doing everything that I wasn’t, and almost nothing that I truly wanted or aspired to be. So yes, that’s what I'm talking about when I say this movie have a capital MESSAGE.
And of course, there’s dear Toothless! Yes indeed... If anyone made the biggest impression on me, it was truly him! But why? Well, as I mentioned, I have always identified the most with reptilian characters. I could say that my essence is truly reptilian. (No, I didn’t make this up or convince myself of it, it’s a fact. I have 25 years of experience behind me, and all signs have pointed to this.) Well, Toothless indeed epitomizes the concept of a reptile for me! He has everything needed, both externally and internally! (That’s why I find it insulting when someone calls him a cat... -.- It's like calling Einstein an ape... pfff.) Although looking back, he was indeed destined for me by fate, but at the beginning, there were only signs of it. It’s hard to admit, but I was the one keeping my distance from him and not the other way around. Not because he wasn’t likable to me because he certainly was from the start, but because I was afraid he might do something in the series that I wouldn’t be able to reconcile with, and I didn’t want to be greatly disappointed in him. But of course, Toothless proved himself in every episode, continually impressing me. Eventually, he absolutely convinced me that I could trust him and that he would never disappoint me! And yes, this is where I started to break through my boundaries. He went further than my previous two characters, precisely because I could identify with him completely, and in every way!
He is incredibly beautiful and handsome, not to mention his personality! Complex, deep, unique, special, and mysterious. Toothless is an amazing, interesting, fascinating, and wonderful dragon! ❤
And here, I would like to bring up another very important quote from the film: "I looked at him, and I saw myself." This is it! Toothless perfectly describes my inner reptilian self! Everything that truly resides within me! That’s why I can identify with him so much and feel soooo close to him. Toothless reached into my core and had the greatest influence there! He convinced me of many things I was uncertain about until then. He was my mentor in this regard and continues to be to this day. Somehow, he always has something new to show, even after all this time! This might sound very strange to an average person, but it’s like when someone finds a person who gives the exact answer to all their questions. Something like that. No human could have really helped me with this, so... And yes, this is where the fandom came into the picture...
Well… This was the other thing that was new to me. My previous characters who reached level 2 in my esteem were characters from movies that barely had any fandom (if they had one at all, it had long since dissolved or was kept alive by a few people). Here, the situation was different. The first major fandom hub I found was Berk's Grapevine. To be honest, I couldn't have found a better place! There, I first encountered true HTTYD maniacs! When I first browsed the site and saw the level of dedication represented by many people there… I quickly felt very embarrassed! They went to great lengths when it came to HTTYD, and the quality was impeccable! There were no trolls, perverts, or other disruptive entities who didn’t belong in a true fandom. If there were any, the fandom quickly cast them out! Ahhh yes. The good old days! That was indeed the golden age! (circa 2010-2017) I can only speculate about the four years before 2014, but even then, there were already many enthusiasts, and I saw their work and their dedication were incredible! I set my standards there, and the experiences I had resonate with me the most to this day. There was respect, loyalty, honor, and dedication! Oh yes… I wish it were still like that, but unfortunately, it isn’t the case anymore…
At the beginning, I didn’t dare to interact with the fandom; I was just lurking. But then I made my move, because and I didn’t want to miss out. On February 29, 2016, I finally wrote my first comment on a post on Disqus (which they used at the time), and to my great surprise, one of the main admins (IcelandicEel) welcomed me! I was stunned! I was literally in shock that one of the most respected enthusiast (alongside Hictooth) greeted and accepted me into the fandom! Wow! It was incredibly honorable! Of course, I aimed to contribute to and build the fandom, which was one of the main reasons I started my projects afterward! For 2-3 years, all I did was check Grapevine and follow the blogs, podcasts, and writings of the true fanatics there. Day and night, it was just HTTYD and nothing else!
However, nothing lasts forever… After a while, the fandom unfortunately started to disband and lose its quality. Sigh... Posts became less frequent, and some members started to disappear. Another problem was that there wasn’t a single Hungarian fan, though I wish there had been… This was around 2017, and it led to one of my internal conflicts. It began to bother me that no one knew about my HTTYD mania and my dragon self. This was the result of 15 years of taboos. And it was really serious! I was truly starting to go crazy (this can be taken literally(!) also nearly cost my life!). I needed someone to share my thoughts with in person. An honest reaction says and means much more than a text message, right? After much difficulty, I found a Hungarian fan, but it later turned out that he never was really, and later he met a guy, became friends with him and they both started to defile and disgrace HTTYD and continue to this day, for their own pleasure, and even worst, they even encourage others to do so... But I don’t want to talk about it. It’s still painful to this day…
Around 2018, the fandom was no longer what it used to be. There were impostors everywhere. The true, dedicated fans also started to leave the sinking ship, which I understand, because those who truly cared about HTTYD only found pain... General topics, small talk, "what did you have for breakfast" type of discussions, and very undeserving opinions about the movies cluttered the Grapevine message boards. Eventually, I couldn’t bear to see what it had become... Better to keep the memories of the good times alive than witness its downfall.
When the third movie was released, the fandom surged again, but I knew it would mostly be flooded by a horde of normies and impostors, so I didn’t dive in. Moreover, I had my own issues with the third film (quite a few actually), so I didn’t want to see how the fans tore it apart (or each other). Hence, I chose hermitage once again. I started making unboxing videos and focused on my own projects. The fandom was no longer a fandom for me, at best, just a community, so I stopped interacting with it.
In 2022, fortunately, fate brought me together with a German enthusiast (let’s call him Kelvin) who still represented the old values and continues to do so to this day! He’s a dragon inside, just like me! He was the first person I met who was the same in this regard! So, I wasn’t crazy, there are others like me, though very rare. I should add, I’m not talking about an average wannabee or an impostor, but a real, genuine dragon! He went through the same experiences as I did! I let him proceed naturally and I didn’t influence him in any way. Moreover, he is extremely intelligent and emotionally deep! So, there is hope! After many conversations, I genuinely recognized him as a true Night Fury! He has proven himself in many ways and is worthy of the title!
But then another miracle happened! On December 20, 2023, I've met *Toothless*! I’ve already written about him in the HTTYD concert post and the catalog, but I want to mention him here too. We met in a Facebook group, and what I saw about him, well, it was clear to me that he was at least as obsessed as I am and showed many signs of how much HTTYD and especially Toothless mean to him! Moreover, he is Hungarian! The only problem is that we live quite far from each other, but we always manage to meet up for a weekend when we can. He is a truly devoted fan of the highest tier! Many people could take an example from him! I wish the fans would follow this direction instead how to further desecrate or make fun what they are "fans" of... I hope those who can read between the lines recognize themselves!
But back to the topic. These two individuals are exactly who I’ve always waited for! *Toothless* has truly become my everlasting friend, and in every way, he embodies the essence of a true enthusiast! Of course, it’s not just because of his passion for HTTYD, but also because his core personality resonates with me deeply! (And incidentally, he quite resembles to Toothless's!)
So, in a nutshell, these are the significant events that have happened in the past decade regarding HTTYD. This is a highly condensed summary, as a lot has been left out, but if I had to highlight the most memorable moments, these would be them!
To this day, I am completely obsessed with Toothless and HTTYD, and I guarantee that won’t change! Although I have neglected the blog recently, there are several reasons for that. One reason is that HTTYD projects are passion projects for me! I can’t mass-produce them. Nor would I, as that would kill their magic. However, when I have the urge or feel now it's a good time, I work on them and make progress! There have been a few over the past period, but I didn’t make posts about them because they were mostly just updates.
However, there’s something here that is not just an update, but a brand-new project! (What a segue!)
I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and now is a great opportunity to finally start it, and I feel that the time has come to take the first step! Since not many people read my blog (sadly), I won’t make you guess what it might be; instead, I’ll reveal everything now.
I’ve recently started exploring the Unity editor. It’s similar to Unreal Engine but less complicated and much more streamlined. Although it’s not simple! Since I haven’t had much experience with it so far, initial stumbling is almost guaranteed! Those who enjoy reading about my mishaps will be excited, especially if they are HTTYD fans, because I’m going to create nothing other than the Cove!
“But NightFury! You already did that in Unreal Tournament 3!” you might reasonably say, but my answer is, yes, but not in VR! Hahaaa! So, yes. My next project will be a VR Chat world, to be more specific a precise recreation of the Cove! You will be able to explore every corner, and it will be a fantastic place to relax! I don’t know if anyone has done it before (I didn’t dare to check), but even if they have, I don’t care. This is something I HAVE to do, period! The Unreal version turned out quite good, but technical limitations were a major issue. (At that time, the GeForce 1070 was considered an incredibly good graphics card). I’ve only just started with the basics, so I can’t provide many images yet, but I’ll give you a hint: initially, there will be many similarities with the Unreal version. This is simply because the technique I used there worked very well, and there’s no point in changing what worked. Of course, it will still be a huge amount of work, and it will take several months to complete, but since it’s a HTTYD project and a very honorable one, I know it’s worth it! In the upcoming posts, you will mainly see WIPs again, as I will continue to keep everyone updated on the details and my progress with the world from time to time.
But I need to wrap up my thoughts soon, or else I’ll get that that my post is too long again. There is some truth to that, and perhaps I should write shorter posts more frequently... hmm... I’m still pondering how to resolve this, but over the past 10 years, there have indeed been events and stories that deserve individual entries!
In summary, what can I say about the past 10 years? One thing is for sure, it has been eventful! It had everything (and more).
- I witnessed and experienced the rise, golden age, and then a slow, painful decline of a wonderful fandom... *Sigh* (Grapevine);
- How it feels to be captivated by a world and become a lifelong devotee (HTTYD);
- I found my other half, the one fate truly intended for me, and to whom I’ve committed for life (Toothless);
- I discovered who I really am and what I am not (my reptilian self);
- I found true and everlasting friends (Kelvin, *Toothless*);
- But I also learned what it’s like to be betrayed and spat in the eye... (I won’t mention names... Those who recognize themselves should reflect on what they did and consider that they might one day face the consequences. “Many love betrayal, but no one loves betrayers.”);
- Enjoying passions that truly interest me and working on them or setting goals for projects that seemed impossible at the beginning, but somehow come together. (My Toothless Ark mod and my HTTYD collection);
- And the list goes on...
So, HTTYD has influenced a lot in my life, and it certainly affects my daily routine as well. Nowadays, I am no longer afraid to show my enthusiasm for it and proudly embrace my obsession! But, of course, only to those who are interested. I still don’t convert or persuade anyone to become a fan because it doesn’t work that way. However, I ask everyone to please not harm HTTYD! The fandom is already in ruins, and unfortunately, it has mainly received only negativity lately (yes, I’m thinking of that damn meme... Grrrr...). Although it will never be less in my eyes, unfortunately, that’s not true for non-fans, and such harmful content means that no one will take it seriously, which is quite sad because this film is much deeper and richer than its current reception "thanks" to the impostors! (Hmm... and then why do I despise their kind...).
I will be an enthusiast forever, and I guarantee I will NEVER turn to the dark side! HTTYD is my life, and it will remain FOREVER! ❤
Let the next 10 years begin! Less go!
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