Everyone knows the basic storyline to “The Phantom of the Opera.” It’s probably one of the most well-known unrequited love stories out there due to its massive popularity—even with those not inclined to sitting through musicals. However, I find one error in the masterful work of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s masterpiece—Christine choosing Raoul over the Phantom. There are obvious red flags—you know the whole “hanging people” thing, but I think the Phantom’s love is more pure and is fueled with more passion than the copy-and-pasted “Prince Charming” of Raoul.

Not saying Raoul is a scumbag—I like him—it’s just he’s a character I’ve seen reproduced dozens of times. The Phantom is a breath of fresh air—he’s different in the fact he finds no beauty in himself physically that he completely ignores his inner beauty and genius. Plus, dude, your face isn’t that bad! I mean, you still look pretty dang nice for having a partially deformed face. I’m sure Weber romanticized the Phantom’s ghastly appearance, but girls—who doesn’t fall for the wounded and broken male characters?

I think when we’re younger we are sort of immediately doused with the perfect princes coming in to sweep us from our toils and take us off to a land of no misfortune, and upon growing up we learn that no one’s that perfect. We all possess imperfections, and while others may be bigger or more obvious, we’re all humans in the end. The Phantom is not perfect, he’s far from it, and I don’t condone some of the choices he makes, but he didn’t do them purely out of malice. I mean, the poor guy never had a single person love him his entire life, until at the very end of the musical, and then even she leaves him behind in the isolating darkness.

Christine ultimately ends up with Raoul, but I have to believe that half of her heart remains in the Phantom’s lair. She obviously felt something more than pity for him. She gives him her engagement ring and, in the movie version, Raoul has the opportunity to kill the Phantom, but Christine intervenes. There’s something there and I think even Raoul knows that.

I get it. Christine and Raoul are childhood sweethearts that are destined to end up with each other, but their love story remains sort of stagnant throughout the musical, sort of stale. Raoul has his moments where he beams with his love for Christine, but the Phantom’s love shines from his first appearance to the final curtain. He oozes it. He did everything in his power to impress Christine to bring him to love her, but at the same time his love blinded him, enraged him to do terrible things.

In a perfect world, the Phantom would’ve never had to hide in the bowels of the opera house and he’d have a name (which is Erik by the way), and then perhaps he’d have acted on stage or been a stage hand and met Christine without all the super stalking and murder.

He realizes too late he just needed to be himself. Christine is a sweetheart and she felt sorry for the Phantom right away upon seeing his deformity and she regrets having to expose him in front of everyone. She knows how it feels to be an outcast and she is one of the few that can see the beauty inside him. Christine shows the Phantom this and it’s because of this he has to let her go.

Raoul, nothing against you bro, but the Phantom is way more deeply in love with Christine than you. I have no doubt you care for her immensely, but it’s so standard and kind of boring.