Well, Maurice was all for them getting together early on in the movie if I'm remembering right so it isn't hard to imagine him being happy to ask Belle to give Gaston a shot.

It would probably be pretty much the same, just with less him having to deal with his temper and more him having to learn that being smart is sexy (At least for Belle)

Not hard to imagine her being curious though once she realizes he's not a complete plank of wood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwZEcdBMLLU

Well lets see
>Dinner Scene
Totally makes sense with Gaston
>Snow Scene
NO ONE HOLDS TINY BIRDS LIKE GASTON
>Snow ball fight
Also works totally fine, both characters take themselves seriously to start with until Belle cracks the shell.

It pretty much boils down to opportunity, Beast had her imprisoned in his rape dungeon, Gaston didn't (Not for lack of trying)

>>81558938

Yeah, I always found it extremely hipocrytical from people that prefer Beast because "MUH SUFFERING WOOBIE" when he was as much of a fucking jerk as Gaston was, and Belle falling in love with him is practically Stockolm's Syndrome

Not only could it work, it would probably be a happier ending overall. Gaston was basically the most popular dude around. Everyone would have been devastated after he died. Sure Belle gets her prince, but the town lost their hero. If Belle tamed Gaston instead, then the story would end happily for more people than just her.

>Gaston saves Maurice
>Asks him to put in a good word with his daughter in turn, convince her to spend just a week with him at a hunting lodge
>She arrives expecting him to be a pig and talk about how she's his the entire time with it just being the two of them
>He arrives bow and gun in hand and shows her around along with a few of his friends
>Shows her around the lodge which they built themselves outside the village limits and have filled with the Hunting equivalent of Ariels treasure trove (I got Hoooooooooorns and Hides glaooooooooore)
>Slightly adorable in how enthusiastic he is about hunting and how he has a real passion for it
>Cooks the shit outta some veal for her personally
>A few scenes in which she learns of the brave things he's done to earn his friends respect ('e saoived me from a Bear wot was This Big)
>Eventually when the others have gone to bed or wandered off to hunt she finally asks "So, why did you bring me here if you're just going to bring all your friends along?"
>He looks surprised and replies something like "I thought you'd be less worried this way, instead of being alone together."

Plus Deer Hunter Belle would be a pretty fantastic waifu.

>>81559796
>One of his friends gets hurt hunting because Gaston is busy impressing Belle
>Straight up blames himself and carries the guy home with open fear on his face since he doesn't know how to get him back to the village in his current condition
>Belle stitches the guy up (And Gastons wounds gained saving him)
>During which they have a sweet scene in which he admits that its difficult being the person everyone relies on all the time and constantly blames himself for what happened (After all *he's* the competent one in the village, ect, ect)
>Finally, quietly admits that he's glad Belle was there to help and he isn't sure what he would have done without her

And end scene, its easy to make Gaston sympathetic

>>81559614
You are forgetting about the innocent servants

>Beasts Initial crime(s)
Throwing an old woman out into the snow on the coldest night of winter because fuck hospitality and Noblesse Oblige this is my castle
Then trying to kick an old man into the snow for the exact same reason followed by demanding his daughter in return for not doing so because why learn your lesson the first time around?

>Gaston initial crime
'Man, Belle is pretty attractive, there's a girl I could live with happily the rest of my life!' while being a bit conceited about it.
Being interested in hunting.

>>81559796
>Deer Hunter Belle
That would be amazing, Belle doesn't actually learn anything through the movie when you think about it.
Meanwhile Deer Hunter Belle would learn that enjoying things apart from reading (Physical activity, hunting, so on) and living somewhere rural doesn't make you a complete stod.
There must be more than this provincial life becoming There's so much more to this provincial life.

>>81560006
Lefou gets injured.
Gaston refuses to leave his side until he wakes up, then plays it off and pretends he hasn't been keeping an eye on him, claiming the meat basket (Because fruit is for scrubs) was from someone else before calling him a nerd for getting hurt.

>>81558938
>What would Beauty and the Beast be like if Gaston were actually the hero and it was about taming him?
So like Gaston is Belle and he would tame the beast? That would give the story an interesting new, if a bit gay, twist.

ITT: people missing the entire point of the story.

>>81559473
Man, every time I see Beauty and the Beast in motion I'm surprised by how bad the animation is for a Disney movie.

>>81560354
Lefou would be the candle basically, exposition and insight into Gaston as a person:
>Belle: He's only interested in me because I'm beautiful, that arrogant-
>Lefou: Hey! That's not true! That's not all he likes aboutcha
>Belle: Well if it isn't, what else is there?
>Lefou: You scare him
>Belle: What?
>Lefou: Well, no one else has ever said no to him an-
>Belle: I'm just a challenge to him then?!
>Lefou: No! No-no-no. Everyone likes Gaston. They always have. All the guys wanna be him, all the girls want him...except you. You're the only one in the whole village that doesn't treat him like he's better than you. I think he likes that. A lot. He likes that you think for yourself, even if he pretends he doesn't.

>>81560465
Well the original point of the story was 'all men are beasts in the eyes of a girl until she becomes a woman'
That works just as well with Gaston as Beast, as does 'Hidden depths are sexy'

>>81560688
Your conversation does highlight the fact that Belle gave chase. Gaston was a pompous ass who only desired Belle as a trophy, not as an individual who needs to be approached differently than any of his past conquests.

>>81561016
Well, so did the Beast to start with. That's the point.
The Beast only wanted her so he could be human again, his attitude was pretty much 'Bitch'll do'

>>81561016
>Gaston was a pompous ass who only desired Belle as a trophy, not as an individual who needs to be approached differently than any of his past conquests.
>trophy
>conquests

Meanwhile the Beast literally owned her by feudal law... hell he owned everyone in the locale as the rightful lord of the land. Hence him not needing to 'conquer' her at all... instead he had the benefit of already moving past that step to realizing that just possessing her, or possessing anything material at all didn't make him happy.

It's like being surprised that the runner with a 50 meter benefit over fellow runners is going to win the 500 meter race.

>>81561295
Beast also nearly tore her apart over the Rose.
Gaston, while a massive dick, never threatens to harm Belle directly even at his worst. He threatens to kill the Beast and locks Belle away (Not in his private sex dungeon either)

So, Gaston has traditional views towards women, they should be quiet, but he won't harm them.
Beast is pretty much an animal and totes fine with pimp handing a bitch that steps outta line.

Which is more violent really?

Gaston is a top tier villain and wouldn't work as a "good guy." His jerkiness is 100% of his appeal.

No because Gaston doesn't have dat knot.

>>81561770
You can be a dick and a hero.
In fact, the best heroes are often dicks, look at every classic greek hero.
And find a single one that isn't a dick.

>>81561770
Have you never seen a piece of fiction set in the western genre

>>81562002
>>81562024

I'm speaking in the context of him being Belle's romantic interest, the "Beast" of her story. His character traits would have to change both to make the romance and main theme of the story work.

Him having his own story where he's the hero would be different.