diff --git a/gameview.py b/gameview.py
index 2326181..77e00ee 100644
--- a/gameview.py
+++ b/gameview.py
@@ -1043,6 +1043,7 @@ class GUI(QtGui.QWidget):
     m_chatmessage = []
     blank_blip = False
     chatmessage_is_empty = False
+    anim_is_empty = False
     is_additive = False
     additive_char = -1
     anim_state = 3
@@ -3019,11 +3020,14 @@ class GUI(QtGui.QWidget):
         self.text_state = 0
         self.anim_state = 0
         self.objectionview.stop()
-        self.char.stop()
         self.chat_tick_timer.stop()
         self.presentedevi.hide()
         
-        self.chatmessage_is_empty = self.m_chatmessage[CHATMSG] == " " or self.m_chatmessage[CHATMSG] == ""
+        self.chatmessage_is_empty = self.m_chatmessage[CHATMSG].strip() == ""
+        self.anim_is_empty = self.m_chatmessage[ANIM].strip() == ""
+        
+        if not self.anim_is_empty:
+            self.char.stop()
 
         if not self.m_chatmessage[SHOWNAME]:
             self.name.setText(self.m_chatmessage[CHARNAME])
@@ -3069,10 +3073,11 @@ class GUI(QtGui.QWidget):
             if hor_offset < 0 and vert_offset == 0:
                 vert_offset = -1 * hor_offset / 10
 
-        self.char.move(self.viewport_w * hor_offset / 100, self.viewport_h * vert_offset / 100)
+        if not self.anim_is_empty:
+            self.char.move(self.viewport_w * hor_offset / 100, self.viewport_h * vert_offset / 100)
 
         # check if paired
-        if not self.m_chatmessage[OTHER_CHARID]:
+        if not self.m_chatmessage[OTHER_CHARID] and not self.anim_is_empty:
             self.sidechar.hide()
             self.sidechar.move(0,0)
         else:
@@ -3131,9 +3136,10 @@ class GUI(QtGui.QWidget):
                 self.scaling[1] = get_scaling(ini.read_ini(AOpath + 'characters/' + self.m_chatmessage[OTHER_NAME] + '/char.ini', "options", "scaling").lower())
 
                 self.sidechar.set_flipped(self.m_chatmessage[OTHER_FLIP] == "1")
-                self.sidechar.play_idle(self.m_chatmessage[OTHER_NAME], self.m_chatmessage[OTHER_EMOTE], self.scaling[1])
+                if not self.anim_is_empty:
+                    self.sidechar.play_idle(self.m_chatmessage[OTHER_NAME], self.m_chatmessage[OTHER_EMOTE], self.scaling[1])
             
-            else:
+            elif not self.anim_is_empty:
                 self.sidechar.hide()
                 self.sidechar.move(0, 0)
         
@@ -3257,17 +3263,19 @@ class GUI(QtGui.QWidget):
         
         if f_anim_state <= self.anim_state:
             return
-        
-        self.char.stop()
+            
         f_char = self.m_chatmessage[CHARNAME]
         f_emote = self.m_chatmessage[ANIM]
         
-        if f_anim_state == 2:
-            self.char.play_talking(f_char, f_emote, self.scaling[0])
-            self.anim_state = 2
-        else:
-            self.char.play_idle(f_char, f_emote, self.scaling[0])
-            self.anim_state = 3
+        if not self.anim_is_empty:
+            self.char.stop()
+        
+            if f_anim_state == 2:
+                self.char.play_talking(f_char, f_emote, self.scaling[0])
+                self.anim_state = 2
+            else:
+                self.char.play_idle(f_char, f_emote, self.scaling[0])
+                self.anim_state = 3
         
         if exists(AO2XPpath+"callwords.ini"):
             with open(AO2XPpath+"callwords.ini") as f: 
@@ -3376,7 +3384,8 @@ class GUI(QtGui.QWidget):
             self.text_state = 2
             if self.anim_state != 4:
                 self.anim_state = 3
-                self.char.play_idle(self.m_chatmessage[CHARNAME], self.m_chatmessage[ANIM], self.scaling[0])
+                if not self.anim_is_empty:
+                    self.char.play_idle(self.m_chatmessage[CHARNAME], self.m_chatmessage[ANIM], self.scaling[0])
             self.inbox_timer.start(self.text_wait_time)
             
         else:
@@ -3423,7 +3432,8 @@ class GUI(QtGui.QWidget):
                 if not self.entire_message_is_blue and self.anim_state != 4:
                     f_char = self.m_chatmessage[CHARNAME]
                     f_emote = self.m_chatmessage[ANIM]
-                    self.char.play_idle(f_char, f_emote, self.scaling[0])
+                    if not self.anim_is_empty:
+                        self.char.play_idle(f_char, f_emote, self.scaling[0])
             
             elif f_character == ")" and not self.next_character_is_not_special and self.inline_color_stack:
                 if self.inline_color_stack[-1] == INLINE_BLUE: