The Ugly Duckling — an Analog Horror

I present the Ugly Duckling reimagined as an analog horror. Subscribe to my channel if you enjoyed as there will be more to come :)
Thanks again pals, —Bug

[tooth_bug]

Hey viewers!! Thankyou so much for all the support over the past year, I just wanted to ask you guys if you could let Cory know about this video!!
I’ve been a fan of Cory since I was 9 years old and that’s a whole decade ago 😭❤️❤️❤️ I’ve loved and watched everyone of his videos spare a few, and it kinda got me to where I am today- If I could end up on one of his spooky scary Sunday videos when/if he returns, I could die happy (actual fulfilment pls fellow samurai help me

I’m currently directing a psych horror short film as of now to keep you updated, and I can’t wait to release more content for you too ❤️❤️

[joseconstanza]

This is such a treat to watch, the fact that because of the abuse this family gave the duckling it made him into the monster that they always called him

[bzao]

My favorite part was when the duckling reminded the mother how they made fun of him
"You are a freak, an ugly freak. Look at your feathers, look at your beak"
The fact that it rhymes makes it feel even more like a children's story.

[faintduch]

This feels like a genre of it's own, it's like a children's tale that's been corrupted by hatred and evil but it still retains its original message somehow

[alejandrotello]

I understand the message about no discrimination and that, but damn having a duck with human hands as a brother must be at least somewhat uncomfortable.

[OmniX]

Lil bro didn’t even look that bad, they were just racist 😭

[MrMiller-tryq]

“Besides, what good does caring do now?”

For some reason, that line hit me a bit harder than everything else. Sylvie may regret how she treated her sibling, but the damage has already been done. Also the fact that the swans start cursing and talking more casually at this point makes me subconsciously associate them with real people rather than swans in a story

[UatwSnakeLol]

4:40 “No one came looking for me when I disappeared. And now, no one will come looking for you.” No doubt, this is the rawest line I have ever heard. Absolutely amazing work.

[ShatteredDream-wwhp]

Writing "If you suffer from derealisation keep in mind this is a work of fiction." before having Ugly Duckling's eyes appear has got to be the most vile thing imaginable.

I love it.

[therealglosetik]

2:33
I love how she actually feels regret for what she did, but the Duckling just doesn't care anymore, she's irredeemable in his eyes.

[Blue-gyit]

the fact that when Sylvie said “where is everyone” in a red text, (A.K.A. the same color as the ugly duckling’s subtitles when he talks) which means that when the ugly duckling left, it was _him_ wondering “where is everyone” when he left, because he wanted his family to come looking for him. but they never did.

there’s a probability that the reason the story went corrupted and glitched is because before the hypothetical “good ending” happened, his pain overtook his thoughts and he broke the fourth wall, glitching out the video to how he desires.

[The-Koolest-Bean]

That was the most twisted but also most badass line I’ve ever heard in an analog horror
“No one came looking for me when I disappeared… and now no one will come looking for you.”
That really hit me hard tho.

[essakim]

2:50 bro Simons honk made me laugh fr😭

[trout.WCUE.]

I absolutely love the portrayal of humanity in this, the fact that Sylvia regrets doing what can’t be undone, and still being killed for it, then the duckling going for the main source: Mother, is so fascinating!

[LolaTheEskimo]

See, what I love so much about this is just how "direct' it is. There *ARE* no hidden meanings. There *ARE* no other interpretations other than literally the original lesson. It's told in such a good way that even though the story *seems* okay if you disregard the weird "glitches" or cuts to the distorted faces, it still reflects the original story. But as you go further, it starts to get darker and darker, while still having the children's story vibe.

I think another thing that gives this such life is the fact that it's a classic story. You already *know* the story, and you *know* what becomes of it, so it starts to get creepy with some kind of "knowing" what MAY come of it. Seeing "analog horror" in the title, I was subconsciously thinking the whole time: "How can this story be twisted?" and "The duckling is going to get revenge on them somehow I bet.", but like I normally do, I went in with an empty mind and watched it for what it was, not expecting anything to be cliché or overly spooky, and just watched it. I really enjoyed it, and watching it over and over, I start seeing things I didn't see before that makes the whole thing even better.

One of those things I discovered while literally writing this comment is that the roles are *switched.* I could be wrong, but I believe that the original story had a mother *duck* with *ducklings* hatching a baby *swan*. The story was almost a play on words because it was called "The Ugly Duckling" when the duckling wasn't even a duckling at all. Here, he IS a duckling, and with the stereotype that swans are more beautiful than ducks, it just makes it all the more creepy and uncanny.

This is probably one of the best animated analog horror things I've come across. the art style is perfect, the expressions (even while limited) played out perfectly, and the story flowed so naturally that you would think it happened in real life. I've watched like probably like 20 times at this point, and I'm definitely going to watch it many more times.

(Also, forgive me for asking after such a long paragraph, but where did you find those text to speech voices? [specifically Kathy] They are such uncanny voices and they're perfect for analog horror.)

[skrungle]

2:12 - 2:56 for some reason. Feels like we’re being taken out of the story and seeing a representation of something that happened to these siblings. Not as swans. But as people. It’s actually kinda scary if you think about it a little. Like the story is a facade of a story of someone who went mad for being different and slaughtering the people who wronged him. All shown in an old kids story.




Now to scrounge out possible lore lol lmao.

[HaitaoWang-wzqs]

BRO I just realized that those "red texts" were the ugly duckings thoughts. I think because of the pain and the abuse he went through, he literally glitched the video and basically had done something like a "revenge ending" instead of the "good ending" we all know and love as kids.

[SomeAutomaton]

I can say one thing for sure, he was no chicken, he was a bit too foul to be one.

[UndeadGhostGirl]

Sometimes, it's not about whether or not you can predict how the story will end. Sometimes, it's about how the story itself gets there.

[emiliajones]

As much as it hurts to admit, Simon was right. "What good does caring do now?", now that all of their fates are sealed and no amounts of guilt will change it.

When abusive family members or bullies realize their mistakes and feel guilt, it is mostly way after their actions happened. The immediate and long-term impact of their damage will always remain inside their victim. While Sylvie genuinely feels remorse for what the duckling experienced, it does not erase the fact that she was an active participant in the shaming and ridicule.

I also wanna praise the way the creator subverted the "bully feels remorse" story. In most children stories, bullies see their actions were wrong and end up forgiven by/spared by the main character. During the conversation, you can see the shadow of the duckling very close to them, maybe close enough to hear Sylvie feeling bad about him leaving and what she did to him... but he kills her anyways. To the duckling, Sylvie's remorse means absolutely nothing to him, just as she and the others thought of him.

Finally, I wanna comment on the "corupted" title screen. I absolutely love the twist version of the original title, it sounds very sinnister and... wrong, for some reason. Because the text is the same color of the duckling's text, it is easy to assume that he is responsible of this corruption, and I would go as far as to theorize that it is his voice we hear whispering during the corrupted parts. Back to the title, assuming it is the duckling, the "you" could mean his family. After my second rewach, I realized the feathers he has in his body are swan feathers, which helped him to finally become "beautiful". So, in a sinnister way, "The beautiful swan" was created by them ("you").

So glad and excited to hear that there are more to come in the video's description. These, along with Lacey Games, are my favorite analog/digital horror video series!

(I made a comment before, but I couldn't find it to edit so I made a new extended one, sorry if it is way too long)