#although they sure are after a mcguffin that has not been established yet

[thecartridgedoodles]

Mary Sue Analysis: Marie

This has bothered me for a while. I've analysed the plot as much as I could and at points, common sense is thrown out of the window just to get the plot rolling...all because Marie exists. You know the story... Phantom R, an art thief that "Steals paintings from the Louvre then puts them back the next day.". His father was arrested or something some years ago and all he left for Raphael to later find him was a coin with a symbol on it that looks like a similar symbol to the legend of Zelda...anyway, one day he steals an artifact from the Louvre with the same symbol on it, thinking it will help lead him closer to his father. Now a crime like this will have all kinds of factions after you, right? You'd be correct. 3 to be exact: The police, fake Napoleon's army of Chevaliers and a family of detectives that have way too much beef with him (although they partly count in the police division but a lot of the time they operate on their own grounds so-). Anyway, as he's getting chased at one instance...he takes a break from running to listen to a girl playing the violin. He sees the same symbol on her violin as his objects and pretty much kidnaps her, she does not object. This girl is Marie, our plot device. Not to mention she's got an annoying British accent. Anyway, Raphael reveals all his secrets to her just because her violin has a symbol that matches a symbol he's trying to use to find his father. She hasn't proven to be 100% trustworthy yet (but she is and she's so good at keeping secrets you guys). His secrets being that all the paintings he steals are actually fakes and he's in the possession of the real ones because his father painted fakes of them pretty much...yes, even the Mona Lisa. But, this man is probably the same guy that used some sort of black magic to revive napoleon so we can look past that. Anyway she just so happens to have a magical violin and this magical song to go along with it and they go a place and she plays the song and they get another object to move the plot along I guess... Skip a bunch of scenes that can be counted as filler if you really want to, and then we get to the part where there is a villainous reveal...also they've captured Marie last time I checked. (Spoilers from here on in) They need Marie and her Violin to...summon babalyon garden or something I don't remember exactly okay? Either way, this is when she becomes the McGuffin for real. But here's the best part: Literally everyone tries to protect her and ends up getting hurt more often than not in the process. Even when she's in the care of the kidnappers, they don't do anything to her! Sure you need her alive but at least try brainwashing her or whipping her until she pleads to stop or something! None of that happens. I mean, the game is too scared to show blood but gag her or something so she can't talk back! I'd love that to happen. Also please note: The Bracelet Raphael stole has pretty much no plot relevance at this point anymore. Remember that thing? Me either. Anyway, they're all gathered at the top of the Eiffel tower that's been closed apparently because literally no one else is on there and they're going to try and sort out a deal to see if Phantom R can get Marie back...anyway, Phantom fights off some Chevaliers before getting shot and falling off, Charlie coming to his rescue by flying on a hang-glider and getting him to Safety. Marie is then eventually used to play 'Moon Princess', the song that 'awakens' Babylon garden. What got her to play it? The villains threaten to kill off her mother. At this point, she actually doesn't know she's her mother...that will be gone into detail in the net part. Earlier in the story, Phantom sneaks into a mansion of this rich lady and finds out secret documents having to do with Marie and her instruments and a plan to summon a bunch of bulls***. In these files and notes and such, it's revealed that Marie is the old lady's daughter (even though Marie is like 17 and the old lady is at least 60...I wish I could say 'who in their right mind has kids in their 40s?!' but my parents did and that kid was me gfd) and what the song 'Moon Princess' combine with Marie's specific violin can do...and what it can do is pretty much doom all of Paris which will in turn doom France, then likely Europe and the only countries that have any chance of surviving the wrath are the Americas, Africas, Oceanics and Japan and maybe Iceland and probably a bunch of Islands but whatever, it means doomsday. Now...here is why Marie is a Mary Sue in my eyes: Her character story throws common sense out the window just so she can be used in the way she wants to be used. She's given these doomsday weapons as she's put into an orphanage in hopes she won't fall into the wrong hands. While the song Moon Princess is passed down in the family and an easy way for the mother to recognise her daughter if she learns how to play the song, but...what about the Violin? I'm 99% sure that Marie's violin is the only magical one that can do certain things. Why would they give it to her? She could break it, or accidentally use it to summon satan or something...keep that thing locked up if you know it's power which you most likely do! Give her a normal violin that won't put Paris in danger for god sakes. And here's the best part: You can play the song on that Violin...but unless you're Marie, you won't trigger anything. Why? Because of her royal blood bulls***! Her mother and father are from two different lines of royalty or something and since Marie has both bits of blood, she is the only one that can do the summoning of Babylon garden! Why? BECAUSE SHE HAS TO BE THAT SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE NOW DOESN'T SHE? Not only does she almost cause the destruction of Paris and France and probably Europe too, she also SAVES it because of her Violin and she was somehow escorted into the deep chambers even though it took some serious parkour for Phantom to even get there by himself WHILE HAVING TO FEND OFF DEADLY ROBOTIC WEAPONS AND EVEN THEN HE NEEDED HELP FROM THE DETECTIVE FAMILY JUST TO GET RID OF THEM ALL. While Marie can't fight for s***, she can sure leg it to safety and be perfectly unharmed in any situation, win over the trust of pretty much anyone in seconds, is a goddamn McGuffin and she's just overall very bright and nice and all that... I'd say Marie ranks pretty high on the Mary Sue scale, with her inability to really fight back dragging her down a bit. And, I actually have a bit of a theory to do with the story and inclusion of Marie, and it ties to the established plot early on, including that bracelet... Marie was originally never in the plot. At first, major focus is put on Raphael trying to find his lost father using the symbol to guide him, and the bracelet he steals looks very important. But it's quickly dismissed in favour for Marie's Violin. I am pretty sure Napoleon was at first after Raphael for the bracelet too, but the deeper into the story it gets, the more it feels like Napoleon fighting Raphael just because he runs into Raphael at what almost seems purposefully...the beginning feels a little strange in that way, almost like a remnant of an older script they decided to keep in. The bracelet might be important in that hinted sequel we're never going to get tho. Pls do it Sega I haven't played through the game in a while so I might be inaccurate or have forgotten some things but this is generally it.

[rohirric-hunter]

Okay, credit where credit is due, "On your feet, boy. You can't set the world ablaze on your ass," is an amazing line and I kind of want it on a T-shirt