#because the fact is that flat gimmick characters are just what happens in any game where the cast is too damn big

[holdharmonysacred]

Started writing a post about unit blorbofication and story depth in FE in light of the latest round of past FEs VS 3H VS Engage discourse, someone remind me to go back to writing it later when I get my brainpower back.

[crystalelemental]

...yeah. Yeah, of course I think they should've done better, and the answer to a majority of "how" was already in the post.

Easy start, make mega evolutions for the Gen 6 starters. Wrap in the Ash Greninja bullshit into a much more sound mechanic that isn't a bunch of favoritism nonsense.

Make a Pokemon Z. Failing that because your corporate overlords only give you three years to churn out an entire generation's worth of games and we shifted to the 3D models instead of sprites, at least include something on Zygarde so it's not a completely irrelevant lump in its own generation. I'm not saying it has to be a full Delta Episode kind of scenario (though that would be the ideal), but something.

Related, what about Southern Kalos? You know, the part of the region that seems very strongly like it got cut, but was supposed to have stuff to do and may have been significantly related to Volcanion? Do we want to do anything with that? How about either of Diancie or Hoopa getting, like, anything? No, flaccid time-limited distribution at competitive readiness level? Gotta love the classics.

For gen 7, how about regional varaiants that aren't Kantonian? How about committing to a different league structure, instead of "Oops, the trials are basically just gyms, and the E4 and Champion are the same as ever because we're trying to emulate Kanto." I had a friend drop the game entirely when Kukui first mentioned that, and I don't blame them. Imagine being sold how different this region was and finding out halfway through it's exactly the goddamn same.

Give signature Z-Moves actual effects. Kommo-o got one, but the others are flat damage, and the main utility in most Z-Moves was coverage. Give them added effects to make them worth using, since the majority of the time, they did nothing. In fact, drop Z-Moves entirely. They were a shitty gimmick and we should've stuck with Mega Evolution, but Gen 6 barely integrated Mega Evolution into the core gameplay, because the series started over-focusing on competitive as the endgoal of the games rather than a full experience of the main game. "What if we made this cool gimmick, reference it constantly, then make a huge chunk of it completely inaccessible until post-game for no reason?" Brilliant decision everyone, claps all around. Dunk on Dynamax all you want, but at least it was intelligently integrated.

Speaking of megas, maybe instead of focusing your resources on making two Charizard and Mewtwo, because obviously the Gen 1 options were the most important things, you could focus instead on creative efforts to actually make a Mega Flygon.

And all of this around the story issues. Gen 6's story is a whole mess. Too many interruptions for nothing, too little actual development for any characters compared to even one generation ago, poorly fleshed-out villain motivation, Champion is wholly irrelevant. Then pivot to Gen 7 where it's more of the same, but nothing outside of Lillie's story even matters. Everything about Gen 7 hinges on Lillie's story, which is why you have the tolerable one (Sun and Moon) and the one that feels like no one cared about what was happening and hand-waved the entire conflict (Ultra Sun and Moon).

I could probably keep going, but you get the idea. Gen 6 started this trend of, very likely, "we do not have the time or resources to make a truly great game," and corners got cut. Gimmicks were not properly integrated with gameplay until Gen 8. Competitive aspects started being seen as more important than core gameplay (Look at all these QoL features like hyper trainer and EV training that only matter if you're competitive). A Pokemon's general popularity was the only thing that seemed to matter, given Greninja's absurd Gen 7 buffs for literally no reason, and Gen 1 is treated as the most significant thing to ever exist, so they consistently get all the attention. The games simultaneously start having more and more dialogue and cutscenes with less and less meaning behind them, going through USUM's refusal to engage with its material, and SwSh actively writing the protagonist out of any action occurring. Gimmicks come and go with no rhyme or reason. So yes, they could have, and should have, done better. If they couldn't because of the graphics changes, then they either shouldn't have changed or extended the timeline for development. If neither was permitted, then the problem lies squarely at the feet of the administrators who refused to emphasize a quality experience over churning out something for a tight deadline.

It’s because, and I say this with malice, they stopped giving a shit in Gen 6. Gen 6 was the Nostalgia Bias Era. It’s when everything became about Gen 1 shit, and “remember this thing?” Gen 7 amped it up. But you get the sense in the 3DS era that the newer stuff just does not matter. No megas for any Gen 6 Pokemon, Gen 7’s signature Z Moves are largely useless, but constant attention is given to Kanto. Greninja got an exception because it’s the only Pokemon to ever beat Charizard. It won a popularity contest in that era. So it got attention, but no one else mattered to them. They couldn’t even give Zygarde a fucking game.

[lynneshobbydomain]

Vengeance Chapter 8

(Thank you all so much for the reblogs and the likes, you guys keep inspiring me to create this story. It’s a very intense and taxing story, and I still admire those who can write thrillers and mysteries. If you have any comments or suggestions, I’m always thrilled to listen.

Thank you @sinfulwonders for betaing me. You always manage to reign me in and point out when I get to excited and go down a plot hole I can’t get out of!)

Rated: Mature (Themes of kidnapping)

Summary: Amateur Detective Shuichi Saihara knew that searching for the “Usual 16” wasn’t going to get him anywhere. The disappearances weren’t being tracked in any news outlet, and very few families even tried to come forward to ask for help, let alone to report them missing. Yet, Shuichi can’t shake off the feeling that there’s a reason behind the disappearances, and he’s close to the answer.He just didn’t realize that the answer was going to hit close to home, in more ways than one.

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You can read this under the cut or at A03

[Seeker: Shinigami-san, I have a question I’d like to ask you, if it’s at all possible. ]

[Shinigami: I can attempt to answer. ]

[Seeker: Is it common for them to forget their names in the game? ]

Shuichi held his breath as he watched the chat log fly through different people’s opinions. He had managed to get into a DM with Shinigami, and somehow Loki managed to invite himself into the chat as well. He supposed that while he had been watching the recorded episode, something must have changed between the two users. He wasn’t about to press and pry however, he had bigger fish to fry.

[Loki: Yeah I was wondering that myself the other day. I thought it was common, so I didn’t ask. Haha. ]

Shinigami did call out Loki as a person who was new, but Shuichi wasn’t too certain about that. Maybe not new in the sense that he just got into the game, but maybe new in the sense that he had been in and out and was just recently back in? It was hard to tell. Some of these users had been around for years. Some of them griped about how different the chat log was, and how the rules were stupid about not complaining. Of course that instantly got them banned. Shuichi glanced over at the episode that was playing. Currently, Rantaro was making his rounds, checking in on the other players.

Currently, Rantaro was conversing with Yadori as they walked down an overgrown hallway. “I got into it when I was really small. I guess I just liked that I felt like I was flying, I could do anything! Every single spin and twirl, I always want to try to go higher, last for longer.” Yadori explained, as they turned a corner. “One day, I hope to be in the Olympics!”

“Sounds like you have a lot of work cut out for you, Yadori-chan.” Rantaro gave her a lazy smile, but it was full of pride. A type of smile a brother would give to a sister. “When we make it out of here, I’ll be sure to swing by one of your performances. I bet watching you would be a treat.”

“Mhm! Yes!” Yadori beamed. “I’ll have to make sure to save you a ticket.” She tugged on a strand of her hair as she smiled shyly. “It’ll be nice to have a friend support me in the stands. I’m used to it just being my parents, and people who I thought were my friends.”

Rantaro frowned, folding his arms as he spoke. “That’s not cool.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think so either. I broke off with them a long time ago. Still...it hurts thinking that they were hanging around me for my fame. Rather than because they actually cared about me. I tried teaching one of my friends how to skate once.” Yadori tugged her hair sharply. “It didn’t work.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah.” The silence was heavy between them for a moment. Shuichi could feel the tension between them. Awkward and tight. If he could leave that situation, he would’ve, but the cameras were still rolling. Clearly there was either more to say, or they were waiting for some sort of bombshell. “You know...I admire Yuya-chan.”

“Yuya-chan?” Rantaro was  bit taken aback, and Shuichi couldn’t blame him. “Why?”

“She’s fearless.” Yadori gave a nervous giggle, pulling her hair and then twirling it from left to right between her fingers. “She has this “I’m going to do what I want” type of personality. All you can do is watch her go after it. I got to go into her lab the other day. I never saw so many explosives and different fire hazards in my life. I told her she could burn that lab down so easily...she said that she knew.”

“I’m going to have to keep an eye on her.” Rantaro mused. “Last thing I want is for her to get hurt.”

“I think she’s very used to getting hurt.” Yadori commented. Rantaro sent her a look and she wilted a little. “I’m not saying that’s a good thing, Amami-kun. But I am saying that she’s used to it. Probably a bit too much.”

“Like an addiction?” Rantaro frowned. “I wonder…”

“You two!”

Both Yadori and Rantro looked away from each other to see that Ajishi was coming towards them, looking fierce and red. Her hair was a mess, her ponytail was falling apart. Her goggles were slipping off of her head and her mask was down and under her chin. “I would like to ask you to meet me in the dining hall ASAP.”

“Uh...why?” Yadori blinked.

“Just do it!” She snapped before she turned on her heel and walked off.

Shuichi blinked slowly. That wasn’t typical Ajishi behavior. Rantaro folded his arms against his chest, his eyes narrowed at Ajishi’s retreating back. “Something has her twisted.”

“That was terrifying.” Yadori pursed her lips together. “I wonder what happened...do you think everyone’s going to be there?”

“If it has something to do with the killing game, we probably should go.” Rantaro agreed. “I doubt anyone wants to go up against her wrath right now.”

“Oda-kun might.”

“Oda-kun’s reckless in his own right.”

Shuichi turned his attention away from the conversation and looked over at the chat log. He knew that when Shinigami had a lot to say, it was best to let him type it all at once, rather than trying to get a word in edgewise.

[ Shinigami: I understand that I should probably keep this brief as there is a character limit and it took me sometime to figure out what facts I should omit. Allow me to preface this with, it is not uncommon for Danganronpa to want to do something new with their series. Like I have stated before, they usually change it up by themes, but they also change it up by talents. There has been a case where a class has effectively stalled the game, only for them to wind up dead. But that is not the question you’re asking and I’m digressing. ]

[ Shinigami: Usually the gimmick is that there is a person within the group that does not know what their talent is. Their memories are usually a little more jumbled than the rest of the groups, but other than that they are in the same boat. No advantage, but plenty of disadvantage. Many times, those who have that gimmick are treated like the “mastermind” of the game. The entire reason that they are playing. Of course that has only been done once and with success. Other times, it has not been done, due to its predictability. You can imagine the ratings went down. ]

[ Shinigami: Most people again who have this gimmick can remember basic memories. Some of them can remember if they had family and friends. Some of them can remember nothing. It really depends on the person. That being said, this is the first time where they have done a gimmick where the person has no idea of their identity, but knows their talent. Not only have ratings gone up, but a lot of people are speculating over the fact that she may be the next one to die, or the next survivor. As everyone likes an underdog to win. ]

More entertainment. Shuichi frowned deeply as he read Shinigami’s words.

[Loki: We’re still not going to get a TLDR version of that are we? ]

[ Shinigami: I believe Seeker-san was the one that asked the question. ]

[ Loki: I’m calling favoritism. ]

A loud slam startled Shuichi into looking back over at the episode, jarred out of his thoughts. Everyone was seated at the long table, besides Ajishi who was looking livid standing at the front of the dining table, her hands flat on the surface. “I have a strong hypothesis as to what this is.” She said darkly, “But if you confess now, your sentence will be light, I assure you.”

“Oh no!” Oda spoke up. “Whatever are we going to do?! What’s our punishment, Ajishi?” His school uniform, aside from Shirogane’s, was plain as it possibly could be. Easily mistaken for a popular middle or high school depending on his age. The emblem of Danganronpa was on his left breast pocket. The only thing that seemed off about him was his actions and his words, they were far too comfortable in a killing game.

“I have yet to decide but it will not be pleasant.”

“I think we should know what it is we’re about to be punished for.”  Yadori spoke up, leaning back and staring at Ajishi. “You can’t just accuse people and tell us that we’re going to get hurt.”

“No that is accurate I cannot.” Ajishi took a deep breath. “Who broke into my lab to steal a valuable set of chemicals? Specifically, chemicals that if you use the wrong proportions, will turn into a hazardous gas that can kill us?”

Everyone froze.

[Shinigami: Oh that would be a new way to murder someone. I don’t think anyone has attempted a gas as of yet. Though then again, the victims are usually limited to one person until Monokuma gets bored and gives a daily double, so to speak. ]

[ Loki: Sooooo the gas would be technically breaking school rules. Right? ]

[ Shinigami: Depends on how they use it. They can use the gas and lock a room. They can use the gas in someone’s lab. It’s not illegal until someone spills their plans to Monokuma. ]

“What’s this? A gas? Wohohoho! How exciting!” Of course, speaking of the devil would make him appear. His kubs weren’t trying too hard to be a part of the show, then again, Shuichi had a feeling that they were a recent gimmick and they were trying them out slowly. Introducing it to the crowd, gauge the audience's reaction to them, before adding them more and more. “That is a way to cause a murder!”

“That is if they use the wrong proportions!” Ajishi cried out, slamming her hand against the table violently. “If you use the chemicals correctly and with care, you can knock people out instead.”

“That is interesting. So someone’s wanting to knock someone out then.” Oda spoke up. “Who here has something that they want so badly in the outside world, that they’d straight up try to kill all of us all at once?”

“Hahaha! If that happens, that’d be too boring. You’re only allowed to kill one person. One murder for you!” Momokuma spoke up. “After all, we can’t have a class trial if no one’s there to point fingers and accuse each other. That would make me a very sad bear.”

“So we have to kill one person, survive being accused, and we get out.” Chatani spoke up, her pen up against her bottom lip. She looked among her peers. “So then getting those chemicals was a worthless idea.”

“Getting, Chatani?” Oda echoed. “Do you have something to hide, sweetheart?”

“Call me that again and I may just ask whoever stole them to use them on you.” Chatani replied, her eyes narrowed at Oda. Shuichi shrunk in his chair at her gaze, knowing full well it wasn’t at him, but still feeling it’s effect. Oda, on the other hand, laughed as though she was just making a joke.

“Pupupupu! Looks like you all are in trouble! Don’t forget that you’re all underneath a time crunch.” Momokuma teased, but clearly knew that his presence was no longer needed, and disappeared as fast as he reappeared.

Shuichi pursed his lips together as he watched everyone else look at each other, or stare absently at the table. “M-maybe you should tell us how the chemicals work?” Maeji offered hesitantly, her usual chipper demeanor was subdued and hesitant. “That way if someone did grab them, and were going to use it correctly...they know how?”

“I’d much prefer to get them back.” Ajishi frowned deeply. “It is irresponsible for me to just leave it like that.”

“Don’t you think it’s irresponsible to let us play with them without knowing the instructions?” Oda asked lazily. “Because that’s what I’m thinking is happening here.”

“Well now you’re just making me hypothesis that you are the one that stole the items.” Ajishi snapped at Oda. “Where did you take them, thief?”

“I admit I am a thief, you got me there.” Oda grinned, all teeth and too wide for anyone’s comfort. Shuichi wanted to back away from the computer and away from him. He was a dangerous individual. “But giving something back ? A little naive of you don’t you think? Consider them a loss and move on. Just tell us how to use them properly so we don’t accidently kill everyone here.”

“Unless, was that the point?” Rantaro questioned and the room went still. Not a single person wanted to open their mouths, everyone once more were looking at each other with suspicion and with hesitance. Anyone could be a murderer, and now someone had the means to become one.

Ajishi whimpered, falling back away from the table. Her earlier sign of aggression disappearing at the admission. She looked around at the table, her eyes welling up with tears and her cheeks turning a bright red. “You are all awful people.” She finally said, her voice cracking. “Using chemistry to hurt people rather than to save.”

“We are in a killing game.” Ougai spoke up, his voice cold and distant. He leaned back, arms folded against his chest as he leveled his gaze at the chemist. “Not a single person here can be considered innocent. Not even a doctor. Not even you.”

“I would never kill!” Ajishi shouted.

“Says the chemist who doesn’t know that her own little hobby’s being used.” Oda taunted. “It appears that she doesn’t-”

“Half of the blue. A couple of drops of the pink!” She suddenly held her head, gripping at her strands. Tears streamed down her face as her shoulders hitched in time with her sobbing. “Just...please don’t use them to kill people! I’m begging!” She whimpered. “You don’t need a lot to knock someone out. A fast...a fast dab on a cloth will knock them out for approx-approximately ten minutes.”

“See?! Was that so hard?!” Oda beamed.

“I hate you!” She screamed. “I hate all of you! I hope you all rot in hell!” She suddenly stormed out of the dining room, slamming doors behind her as she went. The echoes rang against Shuichi’s brian.

[ Shinigami: So I was wrong in my assumption that she might be the murderer. Unless that was an act. Then that was well performed. ]

Shuichi didn’t have any words to describe how he felt about that. He was positive that Ajishi so far wouldn’t commit a murder. If she was going to, then she would clearly stay away from her hobby, which was smart. It would cast a lot of doubt off of her, and she might be able to buy herself some time. If she was good at framing people, her chances of survival just might increase.

“So.” Rantaro spoke up. His tone and the way he spoke was casual and laid-back, but Shuichi could hear the sharpness in his voice. “Does anyone really want to confess who took that set of chemicals, or are we going to be playing hard to get?”

“She might’ve misplaced them.” Yadori shifted in her seat uncomfortably, her gaze turning to the table. She didn’t look like she wanted to be there any longer than she had to. “I don’t know why she thought accusing us was going to get anywhere, or threatening us. Punishment? That’s just too cruel. We’re already being punished enough, aren’t we? Just by being here?”

“We didn’t ask her where they were stolen from.” Aki’s finger curled against her chin. “We didn’t ask her if it was from her lab or from her room.”

“Oh? And why does that matter?” Oda asked, a languid lit to the words.

Aki didn’t spare him a look. Instead, she turned her attention to Rantaro. “I think that her chemicals are taken from the lab. Her lab has a lot of ventilation going through the ceiling, so if anyone knows the pathway up in the ceiling, or even knows the keycode that she has on her door, it’s easy to get in. I know that Ougai-kun has unlimited access, but he wouldn’t steal.”

“Already striking him off from your-”

“You would though.” Aki’s attention turned to Oda. “You and I both know the air ducts. I know because I saw you go through them.”

“....” Oda’s face went carefully blank.

“I don’t know what you plan to do with them,” Aki said slowly, “or if someone begged you to steal them out of a dare. But I hope that you can live with yourself with whatever comes next.”

“Are you threatening me, pretty bird?” Oda asked, his voice low and quiet.

Shuichi’s attention turned towards Yadori who suddenly had frozen. Her eyes were wide with shock, and she was quietly trembling. He wouldn’t doubt that she was squeezing her hands into fists against her skirt underneath the table. She was sweating at the accusations that Aki was flinging. He leaned back slightly in the chair, pursuing his lips. If he didn’t know better, Oda got those chemicals for a reason. Yadori somehow knew something, or she was afraid that she was going to be the next victim. He didn’t recall Oda and Yadori conversing much through the few episodes that he saw, but at the same time, Shuichi didn’t catch most of the live-version. The edited version probably snipped all of that out. Trying to make it look more exciting than it was.

“No one is threatening anyone.” Rantaro quickly interfered. “Knock it off the both of you.”

“I dink y'all need da cool down,” Kokai said, folding his arms against the table. A lot of energy looked as though it was being drained from his very being. He slumped over the table and Shirogane who was sitting next to him this time patted his back kindly.

“I think that we all need to settle ourselves too. This is just like Detective Conan! We just have to retrace our steps and everything will work out. Besides, I don’t think any of us really have it to murder anyone.” Shirogane agreed cheerfully. “We should keep our heads up high and beat this game using peaceful measures.”

“Well. I’m done being accused of doing something I didn’t do.” Oda snipped as he stood up. “Later losers.” He walked out of the dining hall, and little by little everyone trickled out besides Rantaro, Shirogane, Aki, and Kokai.  The four of them sat in the dining hall, silent.

“What are your guys thoughts?” Shirogane asked. “I’m thinking that we should do something to lighten the mood. It’s a bit heavy right now. I wasn’t expecting that sort of confrontation. I thought I was being forced back into an EVA.”

“I have no idea what that is, but you’re right we can use a bit of a break.” Rantaro laughed. “You know a lot of anime don’t you?”

The conversation dissolved into nothing but chatter, and Shuichi’s mind was still swirling around the mystery. He knew that there was really no point in trying to solve it right now. That was their mystery. He couldn’t go through the screen and tell Aki whatever answers he came up with, even if he wanted to. God did he want to. This wasn’t her forte, this wasn’t...she wasn’t like her dad or like him. She stayed away from detective work.

Yet somehow, Dangaronpa took one look at her and thought that she was a good candidate for whatever that they were planning. He glanced at the clock in the corner of the screen and saw that it was starting to get late. Soon enough the school announcement would come on and say that it was nighttime.

[ Loki: Mayumi-chan sure has some balls on her doesn’t she? To call him out like that? Oda-chan wasn’t expecting that much was he? ]

[ Shinigami: I may have to revise my thought process on who the two survivors are going to be. She’s smart, as though she hangs around thieves often. She also explored the air ducts, something that not very many participants ever do. No one ever sees any reason to go up there unless the riddle tells them that’s where the next flashback light could be. ]

[ Loki: Want to ramble on what a flashback light is? ]

[ Shinigami: How about I make you suffer instead, and you get to find out for yourself? We’re almost at the crescendo. I have no doubt that tomorrow morning, we’ll be looking at our first class trial. Most people are probably already calling in to work as we speak, only if to get to be a part of that glory. Humanity is beautiful when faced with an adversary and I have yet to be disappointed in how the participants of the game react to it. I wonder how they will fare when faced with death and uncertainty? ]

[ Loki: Not sure, but I bet Mayumi-chan has a few tricks up her sleeve to keep her alive. ]

[ Shinigami: I see. So if you were someone that took gambling pleasure, your money would be placed on her, yes? ]

[ Loki: I’d go a bit farther and stick my life on it. ]

It was a bit strange to see that exchange. Shuichi didn’t really get the hunch as to who Loki could be. At first he thought it was Kokichi, but he again decided against that theory. It could be Takahashi, taking on some of Kokichi’s traits in hopes of throwing off suspicion, but he doubted that too. He didn’t want to bring attention that he might know someone in the chat, as he knew too well that it could be used against him.

Just because Danganronpa went after people in newspapers and local celebrities, didn’t mean that they didn’t look at the chat logs. It didn’t mean that every word Shuichi typed was a step closer to them thinking about using him, or him getting closer to Danganronpa. This was the closest he ever had gotten to closing a case. He just needed to keep his cousin alive for a bit longer, and to figure out where Danganronpa’s headquarters were.

He had to figure out how Aki went missing. Where they picked her up, and began the trail where her’s ended.

Without saying too much of a goodbye, Shuichi closed the website, and leaned back against the chair, trying to gather his wits. One thing at a time. The mystery that was happening in the school couldn’t be solved right now. That was on the participants to figure out.

Right now, Shuichi got up from his chair and grabbed his hat from the bed, tugging it down harshly. He had a trail to track.

                                                       X

The city at night was always a strange sight to be around. There were little to no people that lingered on the sidewalks or walked down the streets. The white noise of different conversations blending in together was absent, making every noise amplified. Shuichi could hear the sounds of a cat running through an alleyway, knocking things over. He was certain there were raccoons as well trying to make some mischief. The police might’ve already scoured the area that Shuichi was heading down, but he didn’t care. If his theory was correct about Danganronpa, then the investigation wasn’t as thorough as it could have been. He stuffed his hands into his pocket, unfamiliarly familiar with the route that he was going down on.

He only walked Aki to school a handful of times. Each time was strange to him, like he was going against his nature. It was new, shiny, and it made his heart race despite that there was nothing that could harm him. It went against his routine and his nature, so he was always struck dumb at the twists and turns that the path took. His school was more heart of the city, while hers took shelter away from the main streets, nestled in the outskirts of residential areas. The apartments and houses that lined the streets showed off a different spirit than the neon signs and the flashing lights of main streets and shops.

The silhouettes that were cast by the buildings made the streets feel empty and abandoned. There were some houses and apartments that still had a soft yellow light glowing from their windows, but with the curtains drawn so that no one was looking outside, and Shuichi couldn’t look in. He didn’t mind that all that much, but he still felt as though there were eyes that were lingering on his back, watching his every move as he walked through the streets, trying to keep his mind focused on what he was there for.

The moment he got to the intersection, he looked around. It was a tight spot where the cars could only go in two lanes. There were usually more people riding bicycles going down this way. He had seen cars have a few jams because of how slow the lights were to change from red to green. He watched the walk sign turn on and he ignored it.

Shuffle told him that Aki didn’t make it to school, and he knew that this was where they would have met. Shuffle just lived down the road if he turned a hard left. Widow was in the opposite direction on the right. Widow didn’t usually go their direction for school, she normally took a different route. However, with the cars going by and Aki was paranoid, he didn’t doubt that Widow woke up early to walk her and her girlfriend to their school.

Which told him that she didn’t make it to the intersection. That was fine. It was good to get familiar with the old route. To get familiar with the surroundings before he decided to dive in. He walked back towards the beginning, right where he and Aki would normally split off. He closed his eyes, he took a breath, and then he started walking, his hands still stuck into his pockets as his eyes stopped taking in the sights, and starting taking in more of the nooks and the crannies. He let his feet carry him to where he needed to go while his mind sharpened, trying to think of what could have happened that day. Aki didn’t make it to school. She had no idea that she wasn’t going to see the gates. Which means that wherever she had been taken, it was quick and it was somewhere along this stretch.

Every alleyway that he crossed, he stopped momentarily at the mouth of it, peering in the darkness like he could peel back the layers and see what happened. Usually nothing. A dumpster if he was lucky. Usually it was just clean with some vandalism that wasn’t D.I.C.E’s doing. He made mental marks that they might want to hit these spots a little more than the outlandish “let’s vandalise near a hospital” plans Kokichi sometimes put up with.

He walked up the street and then pretended to freeze. If anyone was going to be following, they would start soon after the third or fifth alleyway that he passed if not just randomly turning from a storefront or from around the corner of the houses. Instincts were ingrained in both of them to be aware of their surroundings. To check in with their vibes. A gut reaction of “something is wrong”.

Aki would use a compact mirror. She’d pretend to fix her hair. She probably saw the black car, or someone behind her that immediately turned alarm bells on. Shuichi glanced over across the street. There could be a way to get to school from that direction. He didn’t know. Aki might’ve thought. She could have taken out her phone, plugged in her school address and tried to find a new route that way, or she could have gone on whim and prayed for the best. He looked to the side, a convenient alleyway, with a turn.

She would run down here, she’d toss her bag because she would want some piece of evidence of her disappearance somewhere. The bag would land somewhere against the wall. The pursuer already knew of that plan of action, probably knew that she was going to bolt. They had been silent, trying to stalk, but she’s too observant and they took notes on that. She was going to make it hard on them if she was just kidnapped off the street. It was easy to herd someone to go down an alleyway. It was easy as making them feel as though it was their only option of escape.

She didn’t even make it to the cross section. His eyes dropped to the ground to see a broken charm bracelet. Before he picked up the charm bracelet, he took out his new phone and got to the camera section. He snapped a few pictures of the charm bracelet and the location before he bent down to make sure that it was safely back in his possession.

He looked around the alleyway, trying to envision the scruffle. Shuichi wouldn’t call himself paranoid, but Aki had her moments. She lived looking over her shoulder. Whether she was trying to run a shoplifting heist with D.I.C.E, or was dragged into tagging a wall or a building with Deuce and Kokichi, she was always on alert. Kokichi complained about it sometimes, about how she didn’t let herself go and have fun. Like everyone else was supposed to. Shuichi never saw her relaxed unless she was playing on a stage, or...if she was in the killing game.

Which was why he decided it was odd that there was no caution tape around the area. Which made him suspicious about why he found the charm bracelet, when the police should have easily spotted it first. Spurned with that idea in mind, he walked over towards the dumpster, not needing to pull it open to verify his thoughts. Aki wouldn’t throw away anything. She would hide it.

He got on his hands and knees, mindful of any glass that was shattered around him and looked to see that there was a backpack wedged tightly against the wall and the dumpster. It was being squashed, the fabric wrinkled and looked as though it was tempted to tear. He scooted himself up close against the wall and weedled his arm through the opening. His fingers brushed against the fabric a few times before he managed to catch a bit of it. With careful and patient pulling, he coaxed the backpack out from its hiding place. He could hear the wall catching onto the fabric, scraping it loudly against the silence of the alleyway. It made him wince at the sound, but he didn’t want to get distracted and lose what grip he had on it.

It popped out after a while and he made a soft noise in the back of his throat as he looked at the backpack’s fate. There were some holes, some tears. The backpack was scruffed up, the brown leather didn’t want to hold up against the weight of a heavy dumpster and the wall. He carefully unbuckled the backpack and upturned it to see that her things were still in there. Her phone, her D.I.C.E scarf that had been hastily thrown in. Sheet music scattered about along with her homework packets and notebooks. Pencils threatened to roll back underneath the dumpster, but Shuichi caught them in time. They were cutesy and usually disallowed in school, but Aki was careful to keep her head down low. Her notebooks were covered in stickers that she didn’t care for or wanted to keep. Her student I.D., her wallet with a bit of money still tucked in, it was all there.

Shinigami said that it was a gimmick. Shuichi covered his mouth with his hand thoughtfully before adjusting his hat, unsure. There were too many possibilities. He wanted to believe that it was just a gimmick, that Danganronpa was just having a little too much fun with the idea of having someone not know who they are. The other possibility is that they were using that as a cover. Just because he was having a hard time figuring out where they heard of her didn’t mean anything. Chances were, they knew exactly who they took. Whether it was to appease the police force that they were so tied up with, or whether it was for saving their own necks, they thought it was best to conceal her identity, and with it, anything that she might’ve held dear.

The second thing was that since Aki was so paranoid, she clammed up. She gave a false name to Danganronpa. She told them that they got the wrong person, and without her student I.D, they couldn’t confirm or deny her claims. Shuichi couldn’t really buy into that theory, but...if she was paranoid...she might’ve stuck with the idea to stay silent about herself anyway. He covered his mouth as his mind spun. He closed his eyes, trying to get a clearer, better picture.

It could have been all three events. Aki staying silent, Danganronpa decides to go her route because of entertainment value and it would keep the police off their back. Aki didn’t know that they were going to do that, and accidentally helped them create the perfect alibi. Her stuff was missing, which was no skin off their nose because “Aki” was missing. Everyone else in the world would look for “Aki”. With the blouse, the clean jeans, who spoke her mind but was mostly quiet.

They weren’t looking for Mayumi, with the messed up hair, the mismatched arm warmers, the torn jeans, the quick to accuse.

How much of that was Aki acting? He never thought his cousin could act, let alone keep up a facade. Kokichi could. Kokichi was a master at it. Most of D.I.C.E were. Maybe she picked it up from them?

How much of that was Danganronpa trying to make a quick buck? What was the purpose of taking these kids and putting them into a killing game? A snuff film sure, but Shuichi had his own suspicions that there was something more deep in the rabbit hole too.

There was a soft throbbing that was starting to hit just behind his right eyebrow and Shuichi winced. There were too many unknown variables, and there were too many questions that were starting to surface again. He could only go with what he knew, and that meant taking the bag with him. It meant telling his uncle what he knew about Danganronpa and seeing his thoughts about it.

Shuichi carefully gathered up the papers and the pencils and placed them inside the backpack with care. He made sure to fold the D.I.C.E scarf as well as he could and tucked it in there as well. Once he was certain that he didn’t miss anything, he slipped the charm bracelet into the bag as well. He shifted onto the balls of his feet and hauled it up and over his shoulders, putting it on. He left the alleyway behind, knowing that he was going to have to come back to it another day and see if he couldn’t figure out what direction they might’ve taken her.

[littleeyesofpallas]

BLEACH - Name Games

Here’s a neat one that works a little differently from the rest,

Suì-Fēng[砕蜂*], which is written with the furigana So-i-fo-n’[ソイフォン], indicating that it isn’t a Japanese name at all.  Indeed, Sui-Feng’s name is Chinese, matching parts of her design and her kung-fu/wushu aesthetic —right down to the classic kung-fu shoes.  In either language, the name reads,

[砕] =“Shattered/Shattering” and [蜂] = “Bee/Wasp/Swarm.”

*Technically in Chinese this probably would’ve been written [碎蜂]; but [砕] is a Japanese simplification of the character, [碎], so they mean basically the same thing.

Part of the wordplay here is that her offensive nature as a fighter is described in “Shattering Wasp,” as in “a wasp that breaks things”... but her abandonment issues with Yoruichi are described by “Shattered Swarm,” as in “a collective unit broken apart.”

So, I forget exactly where I’d heard it but back when she was still a fairly new character, I distinctly recall someone bringing up the idea that she was named after Bruce Lee.  It’s a peculiar link to make, and I’m not 100% sure it’s true, but here’s the run down...

Okay so as an aside, that I want to keep as brief as possible; Chinese is what’s considered a Tonal language, meaning the subtle differences in rising, falling, flat, and dipping tones of vowels are all distinct from one another.  For English speakers/readers that basically means a lot of words sound/look alike to us.  All those little notations in things like, mā, má, mǎ, and mà are all different sounds with different written characters, and different meanings.  Just keep this in mind as there will be a lot of different looking names here that actually all sounds pretty similar to one or more of eachother...

Bruce Lee’s actual Chinese name was Lǐ Zhènfān[李振藩] (More often romanized as Lee Jun-fan) but he worked under the name Lǐ Xiǎolóng[李小龍](alt. Lee Siu Long) meaning “Little Dragon,” and of course just Bruce Lee in English.  BUT some Chinese tradition includes giving a child a Rǔmíng[乳名]: “Milk Name” between the time of their birth and being given a lasting and legal name.  This period used to stretch as long as 100 days after birth, but more modern legal issues have limited the period to 1 month before legal documents including the lasting personal name need to be registered.

So, as it happens, Bruce Lee’s Milk Name was Xì Fèng[細鳳](but also romanized as “Sai Fon”) meaning “Slender Phoenix*.“ (Sometimes translated as “Small Phoenix” although it’s a slightly different kind of “small” than the Xiǎo[小] in his working name.)  And although it’s hard to tell from the pinyin romanization there, the actual pronunciation of Xì Fèng is roughly equatable to So-i-fo-n’[ソイフォン].  Also the name Xì Fèng seems to be a girl’s name, but that’s kind of a hard call to make because it’s not that the name is explicitly feminine, just uses characters more common in girls names.... but Milk Names by their nature more diminutive than regular names, so it’s possible that it sounds like a girl’s name because it sounds “feminine” because it sounds “cute” because it’s a baby name.  I know that’s kinda hard to follow...

ANYWAY so the idea in all this Bruce Lee referencing is that...

Xì Fèng[細鳳] was another name of Bruce Lee’s

and Xì Fèng[細鳳](Sai Fon) sounds like Soi Fon[ソイフォン]

and Soi Fon[ソイフォン] is how Kubo wrote Suì-Fēng[砕蜂]

AND Xì Fèng is a girl’s name, and Suì-Fēng is a girl

and Bruce Lee’s famous for his kung-fu flms

and Suì-Fēng has a Kung-fu/wushu gimmick

and also Bruce Lee’s super well known for his yellow and black-stripped jumpsuit from his final film, Game of Death

and bees/wasps/hornets are yellow with black stripes

and Suì-Fēng[砕蜂]’s name and sword are both wasp/hornet themed

so... yeah....  It’s kind of a round about and convoluted mess, but it does also seem like too many things lined up to be a total coincidence?  I just kind of wonder at what point Kubo was looking at Bruce Lee’s name and realized, “hey that sounds like Bees!”  And honestly most of the most hard to believe bits might really be as simple as recognizing that Kubo probably doesn’t have a very good ear for Chinese; because Xì Fèng[細鳳] and Suì-Fēng[砕蜂] do in fact sound pretty passably similar to an untrained ear.  But either way, it’s a really neat pile of factoids for one of my favorite characters in the series!  Shame she didn’t really get done justice outside of her first appearance...

Oh and her sword Suzumebachi[雀蜂] is written susume[雀] = “Sparrow” and Bachi[蜂] = “Bee/Hornet,” but also  Suzumebachi[雀蜂]: “Sparrow Hornet,” as in “Hornet the size of a small bird,” is just the name of the actual species of hornet, Vespa mandarinia. (aka the Asian Giant Hornet, aka Yak-killer Hornet.)  One of the largest species of hornets in the world, and one of the most lethal; Although not most poisonous!  It just happens to strike the perfect balance of venomous potency and sheer volume injected, via its 1/4in(6mm) long stinger, to kill more people per year than any other kind of hornet, wasp, or bee. (incidentally, these are also what the Pokemon Beedrill are based on!  Their pupal forms look exactly like Kakuna, and their larva have fat grubby bodies with a little head poking out that looks like Weedle’s little clown nose.)

*there’s a whole thing here about the use of the word “Phoenix,” but I went over it once when talking about Otouribashi Roujuurou [鳳橋 楼十郎] aka Rose[ローズ], so you can read that in the Visored post.

And since this has become a rather lengthy series now...

The Kuchiki family

The Kurosaki & Shiba families

The men of the Ishida family

The Shihouin family +Kisuke & Tessai

Renji & Ichika, Abarai

The Visored

Shunsui, Nanao, & Ukitake

The Kotetsu sisters, Kotsubaki family, & Iba family

Toushirou, Rangiku, & Momo

[helenarlett-rex]

Goosebumps Review #10

Continuing to read all those books I somehow never got around to as a kid...

(Spoilers)

One Day At Horrorland

Goosebumps (original series) #16

This was another one where I had seen the TV episode years back so I thought I already knew the story, but the book turned out to be a little different than the show. The biggest difference being that the book actually didn’t suck.

Was it a great Goosebumps book? Mmm... debatable... But at least it wasn’t a bad Goosebumps book.

The story centers around the Morris family, namely Lizzy, who serves as our point of view character... but there is also her younger brother, Luke, a somewhat annoying little brat who can’t stop screaming about special affects and enjoys pinching and punching people... Luke’s friend, Clay, the nerdy scaredy cat... Their father, who is constantly pissed off and yelling at everyone... and their mother, who tries to play the calm voice of reason. They are on vacation, lost in the middle of the desert as they try to find Zoo Gardens, which is a totally royalty free theme park that totally isn’t Busch Gardens at all... And their dad must be even worse than I am with directions if they are lost in the desert because there are only two Busch Gardens that I know of and they are in Florida and Virginia... Neither of which have deserts...

So it should be no shock to anyone that they don’t find Busch- I mean, Zoo Gardens... Instead they find a theme park they have never heard of before by the name of Horrorland. So they decide, why not? And then their car explodes.

No kidding. They don’t even make it across the parking lot before their car explodes behind them. That... kind of came out of nowhere. And seems like poor planning on the part of the monsters. I get that you don’t want them leaving, but why would you blow their car up right then and there? All you are doing is putting them on edge. It seems like you wouldn’t want your victims to be on guard before they are even in the park...

Although I guess it does get the family to split up right away, as the kids go off to enjoy the park, because what do they care if their car just exploded? Those are adult problems... While the parents go off to find a phone so they can call the police.

The park is naturally full of horror themed attractions. The Doom Slide, The Bat Barn, The Coffin Cruise, Werewolf Village, roller coasters that have out of order signs on them but are still letting people on, the only bungee jump without a cord (which I’m pretty sure is just called jumping to your death), a swimming hole full of alligators, the house of mirrors... No real horror spin on the house of mirrors. It doesn’t even have a horror themed name. It’s just a house of mirrors... Yeah, the walls try to close in on them once they are inside, but they didn’t know that was going to happen going in. So from the outside it’s just a totally out of place attraction with no effort put in to make it fit in with the rest of the park.

All of the rides have some kind of gimmick where it seems like it’s dangerous and intended to kill them, but then they come out the other side just fine and wondering if it was real or not. This is helped by the fact that a lot of the horror is unseen. They think they feel bats attacking them in the Bat Barn, but it’s too dark to see anything. They think they feel spiders crawling all over them on the Coffin Cruise but it’s too dark to see anything. They think they are sliding way too fast on the Doom Slide but it’s too dark to... Man... Most of the rides in Horrorland are done in the dark...

There are also a lot of Horrorland Horrors walking around the park. Those are the monsters that run the place. Although the kids just think they are people in costumes. They pretty much just wander around the park being dicks towards the kids. Sometimes it’s kind of funny. Like when the kids ask one monster woman if anyone has ever died in the park before and she tells them, “Only once.”

“You mean one person died here before?”

“No... I mean they only died here once. No one dies twice...”

Other times they are just flat out mean. Like telling the kids that their parents left and abandoned them there. But then, they are monsters... Being mean and scaring kids is kind of their job.

There were also two other things that kept popping up again and again, but only one of them ever came into play. The book makes a point to draw attention to the fact that every time they see other families in the park the children are always crying, and it makes a point to draw attention to the fact that they keep passing signs that say “No pinching.”

The book stays interesting and amusing the whole way through, but it doesn’t really get to the actual threat until the last few chapters. That’s when things really start to pick up. When all the monsters corner them while they are trying to find a way out of the park and tell them, surprise! You’re on a hidden camera show! Now this was the twist ending in the TV episode too, and I always thought it was kind of stupid. Yeah, we are real monsters... but this park is just a hidden camera show where we scare you for fun and other monsters watch it on TV.

Uhh... Okay...

But the book, interestingly enough, doesn’t end on that note. Instead the monsters tell them they have just won a new car to replace the one that exploded, and then they use that to lure the whole family into a monster fight pit where tons of monsters pile in and actually try to kill the family. We get an actual fight scene in a Goosebumps book where this poor family has to fight against a whole horde of weird creatures, including furry snakes... The book mentions the furry snakes a lot...

By the end the family is actually fairly bloodied but manages to survive. So the monsters congratulate them for winning the game, then tries to throw them into a purple tar pit... And this is where the no pinching sign comes into play. Through a bit of writing that was probably a bit more clever than I expect out of a Goosebumps book, Lizzy figures out the meaning of the no pinching signs and starts pinching the monsters. Which actually works... Because the monsters are living balloons and when you pinch them they deflate.

Hey... I did say calling this one a good book was debatable... So the family pinches their way out of the park, they steal a bus and drive back home, we get a silly ending that’s not even worth talking about, then end.

Honestly, I liked it, but I really wish the no pinching sign had been something else. The whole time I kept thinking they were asleep and trapped in a dream, and the reason the monsters insisted on no pinching, was because they didn’t want anyone to pinch themselves and wake up. Honestly, as silly as that is, I still feel like it would have been a better ending than living balloon animals. And what was with all the crying children. The book told me like 5 different times that any time they passed another family the kids were all crying. What was the point of telling me that so many times and then doing nothing with it?

At least give me a scene where they talk to one of the crying kids and we learn that the reason they are crying is because they have figured out what it actually going on. Maybe the kids are crying because they know that when they try to leave the monsters are going to kill them so the only way to survive is to stay in the park forever and continue being scared for the monsters’ amusement. That would have actually been a kind of scary detail. At the very least it would have been better than nothing, which is what we go...

But now that I’ve read this one... Ehh... That’s my feelings on the matter. I enjoyed it, but it’s still kind of ehh... I’m not seeing what is so great about this that it deserves its own series but Fever Swamp doesn’t.

[hikariobsessions]

I think I kind of agree with you, I'm not too fond of the sassy mc in ikesen, but she'll grow on me eventually maybe. It kind of makes me sad that people think reserved or shy characters can't be written well or be strong without being sassy/rude or without being annoying. I always see them being written as if being shy/pure is their only trait. I've met shy people in real life who are very enjoyable to be around once they open up to someone. (You don't need to reply to this by the way)

I can’t say how much this kind of ask/discussion is making me smile right now. Thank you for this (*^^*) – if you want, you can dm me and we can discuss this in a little bit more detail~ More opinions from me under the cut – but you don’t need to read it if this topic is already driving you insane (as it is me) because of how it blew up into this odd, unpleasant thing that really didn’t need to be. But I suppose, it’s Tumblr nonetheless… 

Don’t let one opinion stop you from enjoying the stuff you really admire. THIS OPINION IS JUST ME. Ignore or barrel through the commentaries, that’s up to you.

But it’s there as food for thought. For myself, and just as an answer to this asker who has been the only person so far that has responded to my call for civility when it comes to these rants. 

Again, thank you so, so much (*^^*)

[RANT] Just another one to get stuff off my chest ^^;; We all know how this goes right?

I can understand why people like the ENG MC. And here’s the thing, they’re not WRONG to like her for whatever reason they have. It’s FINE.

I’m just running my mouth with my own opinions because first of all this is my blog - LET’S JUST GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY IN CASE NO ONE HAS NOTICED. 

But also, just as someone in the minority of these opinions, I take it upon myself to try and elaborate on my own point of view because I feel like I owe it to the people who like/maybe even love this particular character, to not just give them hate and criticism, but rather a valid argument for my own views.

But so far no one has given me any fair observations/criticisms of the writing that points me in a different way of looking at and appreciating the writing in the IkeSen ENG App for what it is, flaws and all. People are just going “it’s good writing/dialogue” and I’m just like…why do you think that way? PLEASE ELABORATE. 

I am literally someone who wants my opinions challenged because I don’t want to hate on this game. Far from it. Why would anyone want to download something just to do that?

Furthermore, I don’t tag the company’s social media in my rants in particular because they are just that – RANTS. I call the localization team out on several things, definitely, but whether they change their writing is up to them.

Ever since I entered this fandom, I already knew I was in the minority when it came to opinions of the MC, just by looking through Tumblr for IkeSen content. 

But honestly, I want a more substantial reason as to why people think the writing is good apart from the fact that the MC is different (sassy, witty etc.) from other examples of MCs in otome. 

Because as you said, hun, there are other people out there who can be really shy and reserved but have their own strengths as a person/character. And they can also be rude and judgmental at their worst. This is just human. 

And you’re right, it’s a shame that they are sometimes only “written as if being shy/pure is their only trait” – that in itself is BAD WRITING.

The only bad female character, if you ask me (and you did), is one who’s flat. One who isn’t realistic. One who has no agency of her own, who only exists to define other characters (usually men).

Here’s the thing about being a damsel in distress…it’s only bad if that’s all she is. If the character’s defining characteristic is being a damsel in distress, that’s bad. - Mad Lori

I can’t stop quoting Mad Lori enough about this :’)I don’t need to tell anyone that this goes for “sassiness” as well right?? So how about this? About “progression” in the sense that women don’t have to be “strong” in order to be good, well-written characters. And they don’t have to possess a specific trait, such as ‘sassy’ just to be said - “strong” character. That they find their own strength by choosing to love, overcoming their own flaws but more importantly being someone with their own agency to achieve self-determination in the world that they’re in – but also remain down-to-earth, shy, outspoken or otherwise. 

This was never taken from the Japanese MC as a character in the JP App. This is why I remain so confused as to why the English team decided to change her.PORTRAY CHARACTERS AS HUMAN. Not as this thing trying for a convoluted cultural ideal which has its own flaws. 

This is coming from someone, who in turn watches stuff like Orange is the New Black (just watch a trailer for it (if you haven’t heard of this show) and maybe you can get why I’m referring to it). 

It’s a show which has an amazing amount of diversity in terms of its portrayal of women. But what’s good about it, is that those portrayals aren’t so much black or white, shy or sassy, strong or weak – they all have their strengths and weaknesses that make them complex and are motivated by their individual character traits and flaws as well as possessing their own agency.

In any case, the only reason, or at least the MAJOR reason I was completely turned off by the ENG MC is that in the writing, they try SOOO hard to make a point that this particular MC is different from the rest. That she is witty. That she is sassy. Oh, and look just how “strong” she is, by thinking up all these snarky comments/comebacks against the guys, even when they’re not being dickheads!! 

To me, that’s the only reason they decided to change her from the original Japanese MC (correct me if I’m wrong, PLEASE) – shoving these sentiments of “a strong woman” into this particular character just to……..what? Reach a “diverse” audience?? How diverse are we talking about exactly? 

If you can’t even look at a type of character that is shy, insecure and reserved as part of that diversity – and admiring how she becomes an exception to her own trope – you’re just kidding yourself.  And this change isn’t even the core of my problem with the writing.

Look I get that people can be frustrated because of the lack of representation of different kinds of MC and that’s a fair frustration to have. But let’s not back ourselves into a corner of thinking that women need to be portrayed as this one thing in order to be “well-written”:

Sherlock Holmes gets to be brilliant, solitary, abrasive, Bohemian, whimsical, brave, sad, manipulative, neurotic, vain, untidy, fastidious, artistic, courteous, rude, a polymath genius. Female characters get to be Strong. -Sophia McDougall, Quote take from here.

To me, this entire push to have this “sassy” MC in the ENG App is the writer or perhaps the business, literally shoving their own rant/agenda onto my face (or rather their “market research” let’s say). 

Having that happen to you as an audience/reader is seriously disengaging from the story. What I’ve seen them do, is blatantly spoon-feed information about the traits of the characters and tell audiences what to think or feel about them, instead of letting readers figure these out for themselves. 

They are literally “talking” to the reader, and that severely takes me out of the world of the story. For example, they use thought-bubbles of the MC to monologue about (Oh, how I used to be such an independent woman, but now I’m in the Sengoku…) — From my perspective, THAT IS SERIOUSLY BAD WRITING. And hence, why I think she’s not a well-written character. Not because of how they changed her to be outspoken and/or sassy, but rather their execution of conveying that in the stories.

“Show, don’t tell” anyone?? Nothing bad about applying a common writing technique preached by almost every writing mentor out there.

The thing is audiences aren’t stupid, but more often than not - when they're paying attention - they know when they’re being called “stupid”.

I have nothing against the localization team trying to change this particular MC into having a ‘sassy’ personality. My problem is that they don’t write it well. 

There’s nothing substantial added to the story by changing the MC that actually makes the development of their relationship (MC and any Warlord) stronger from the stories in the JP App. It’s possible to have done it but unfortunately no, not in this version. If anything the ‘decorative’ nature of what the English team has done with the character to “reach” audiences just made the MC unbearably annoying (to me).

But, equally bad is that everything that they’re doing, which shouldn’t be evident while reading the stories, is showing:

i.e. aiming for a goal of wanting the MC to be different, and using her thought-bubbles to deliver expository commentaries; instead of letting her stand on her own two feet as a character through her actions. 

 –  they should at least BE SUBTLE about it and make sure that they have that self-awareness as to why they’re doing it. And not just because you want to gain popularity amongst audiences who are sick of a trope. This is what I mean when I say I don’t like different for the sake of being different. It’s just sensationalist, immature and completely distracting from the actual story and relationships we’re supposed to be admiring. To quote the great screenwriting guru, Robert McKee:

Just as children break things for fun or throw tantrums to force attention on themselves, too many filmmakers [in this case writers too] use infantile gimmicks on screen to shout, “Look what I can do!” A mature artist never calls attention to himself, and a wise artist never does anything merely because it breaks convention. - Robert McKee

But, hey, like with anything else — this is just me, with my blog, voicing my opinion~ If you’ve read this, again:

Thank you so much for putting up with these rants ^^

Peace out guys, and stay kind ^_^ - Hikari

[thirdmagic]

Mm, the more I read of F/go and the more I see/read of its depiction of David, the more I get hit hard with incredibly mixed feelings about his characterization. Not about him as a character, because he's David and I stubbornly love and adore him anyway for so many reasons, but more about the way he's written...?

Because I actually very strongly get the sense that he's been hit with the 'we have no idea whatsoever what to do with his characterization or with him in general, so let's shove in a bunch of gimmicks in him, make him a gag character, and call it a day' stick, which would be one thing except the results are.... really not that... funny? 

I mean gag characters are all good and well but what they're trying to do with David in that respect kind of... falls flat, and the results are sorta inconsistent, dry, and feel sorta forced. Some of it I enjoy-- the moment he started hitting on Atlanta in Okeanos I was super endeared, and there was a lot that I really enjoyed in his appearance during the Christmas event-- plus the fact of him going 'lol what the fuck is Christmas' which made me feel pleased and mildly vindicated-- but that's more of a matter of personal taste of anything, and some of the gag elements and gimmicks of characterization can be harmless while some are just a little insulting. 

(Like, if this were a Western/American series I'd be seriously side-eyeing the fuck out of making him obsessed with money-- I wouldn't be accusing the writers of antisemitism or anything but I sure as hell would be side-eyeing it.)

And the thing is that not all of these gags are completely out of nowhere, because the David of the Torah was very much a man with a weakness for women and material/physical things, but that in itself is not a bad thing because Judaism never ever once treats a love for the physical as a vice or a sin in itself (abstinence and chastity as a virtue is a 100% Christian idea, for the record, just want to throw that out there) and overall the writing still portrays him as a flawed but good man who within the Torah's own text and depiction is depicted as a very admirable and positive but nuanced and multifaceted figure. 

His obsession with efficiency and streamlining probably stems from his nature as a pragmatic, practical war general, except this also means having to acknowledge that in the Torah he is emphasized, several times, as being a man of war-- it's a huge and integral element to his character in the Torah, and begins with his very appearance down to the reason he wasn't allowed to build the Temple-- and this element of his characterization is also removed... which makes sense on one hand since this is clearly Young Innocent Shepherd Boy Who Doesn't Like Battle David, but the fact is that the absence of it still clashes majorly with many elements of his characterization and writing.

And I mean, it's not the inaccuracies that bug me. Complaining about inaccuracies in Fate is pointless because this is a waifu game in a franchise where King Arthur is a teen girl with a big titty AU version, half the female cast are girl versions of originally male historical figures, some of which are serious, serious stretches since they don't even look vaguely like they could pass for male and no reasons are provided for why history recorded them that way, and honestly, that is the least of Fate's inaccuracies and artistic liberties/muckups. No, if it were just that, it’d be all well and good and I’d have a laugh abt it and call it a day. What bothers me is not that, but that David's character writing is just ... lazy.... It's the fact that there's so much about his writing and the gags/gimmicks that's actually true to the text in ways that I actually find surprising, even if he was clearly 100% written as a Christian figure and not a Jewish one-- but there's also so much more to him than that?

He was a lady-lover with a fondness for physical and earthly pleasures and very efficiency-minded, yes, but he was also a deeply complicated man with a strong sense of moral integrity and justice, well aware of his own mistakes and when he was blinded by them and struggling with his own sins; he was, I repeat, very much a man of war, who had blood on his hands more than just Uriah's but because his kingship and reign were very military-oriented and the prosperity he brought about came about that way. He was, among all those things, incredibly humble, modest, and truly went out of his way to attribute all his victories and successes to God and went out of his way to dedicate and devote his life to serving him.

 This is a guy who spent his youth as a tiny shepherd boy who his own father barely remembered when introducing his sons because he was busy tending to sheep somewhere in the backyard and got anointed as king as a little kid on a rooftop in a desperate time because Shaul completely dropped the ball on literally everything, and became king out of manipulation not because he was a schemer but because he was guided towards that sort of coup de tat in a time when it was necessary. And I know Fate and its writers are absolutely capable, and have in in them to write a character who has those same depths, because come on. This if Fate. There's so much about the original material that they could do with that would be right up Fate's alley and would play so well into the themes Fate, and Nasu, love to explore about heroism, modesty, kingship-- and I really get the sense that they were just lazy to do any of that despite how you'd think a character who was the father of this game's major antagonist and key character would deserve that sort of thing.

Like, this is the sort of depiction I'd find downright insulting if it were written by anyone else (see: white American Christians), but I really get the sense that the reason it turned out that way is honest to god pure laziness and because nobody involved had any idea what to do with David or how to write him so they slapped a bunch of traits on him and called it a day. And this why I can honestly say that I'm Not Mad, Just Disappointed, because Fate is totally 100% capable of NOT doing that.

Anyway, point is, Nasu should have been the one writing him. Nasu would have been able to do it. He'd have taken a whole buncha artistic liberties for sure, and some of it would still be inconsistent, inaccurate or weird, but he'd still be as rich in characterization and rounded and alive as everyone Nasu writes, and his characterization sure as hell would have more meat and life to it than it does now.

(I still love him tho. Still love him and always will. I can't have an unbiased opinion on this topic because a) Jewish bias and b) I was obsessed and fascinated with him as a kid and he has a very special place in my heart still, and despite this rant I just wrote, I still love a lot about what we do have of him. Also, he's extremely cute, adorable, and smoochable, and I'm sorry, have you heard his voice, because it's the actual song of angels, and every single fucking voiced line of his in the game makes my heart flutter, and I'm shallow as fuck.)

And for the record: despite the way this reads or some of what I’ve written, I’m not writing this in the least from a religious perspective. I’m 100% as secular and atheistic/agnostic as they come, and I don’t see the Torah as something genuinely holy or a 100% accurate record of events that actually happened exactly as described, and my relationship with religious Judaism is... complicated, at best. I’m writing this from a Jewish cultural and ethnic/national perspective-- not a religious one. Because even for the most secular and atheistic of us, there’s still a major value to the Torah and every character and figure in it, culturally and historically, and that’s the perspective I’m looking upon his characterization from.

[anxiety-trademark]

The week in review:

Raw 11/16 NXT 11/18 NXT UK 11/19 Smackdown 11/20 Survivor Series 11/22

Raw:

Appreciate Lana providing logic to the creation of this match.

“Is this a Disney movie” lmao.

Honestly Shayna works better as a henchman than as a final boss.

Love Lana’s theme btw.

rip Mandy.

Ugly kick by Asuka. Not a compliment.

hahaha Lana tagged herself into the match while Shayna had Asuka in the clutch. hahahahah.

“You suck, get out” rofl.

Asuka you’re trash for not saving Lana. Truly.

“I’m actually really proud of you, you showed a lot of courage tonight.” Nia is funny. A bitch and a bully, sure, but funny.

There’s number 9. rip.

First of all, Dana’s shaky interview was going really well, and I wish they had let her finish it cuz god knows she needs the practice.

Second, WHY IS MIA YIM ATTACKING DANA OF ALL PEOPLE?

I’m not sorry, I shamelessly love Bray and Alexa together, goodbye.

“Your word is... jackass” lmaooo why is he even doing a spelling bee to prep for this match.

rip Rambling Rabbit for the 38th time.

What makes him being killed so damn demented is not only the way he exhibits agony and suffering as he dies, but the way they STAND BY LAUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY. This is the definition of sociopathy.

“Bullseye!” “More like... Rabbit’s heart!” *continues laughing hysterically* jfc.

Really love how Alexa puts her hand beneath her chin and then waves. That goes along with her characteristics developed since the fairy gimmick in nxt back in 2014/2015, to the cosplaying mean girl in 2016/2017/2018, to the babyface in 2019/2020. Also adds another layer with her gloves. Love that.

Nikki’s wandering around looking for Alexa, when clearly she should be looking for the Firefly Funhouse. I suggest asking Seth or Randy.

“Friends never give up on each other,” they also don’t give each other ultimatums cuz that’s toxic af, but okay.

She keeps running her mouth about Fiend and I can already see Alexa demolishing her for it.

LOVE the cohesion in going from one segment to the other as Sarah runs around looking for an interview. Fitting since that’s obviously her job, but it went together smoothly. They really come off as tmz lol.

I appreciate how Miz doesn’t want to fuck with Bray cuz he knows Bray will just torment his family lol. I also appreciate his reasoning because he’s a true opportunist. he doesn’t want to exhaust himself with this match cuz he might cash in later.

Love Alexa’s remixed theme, it’s jarring af. Walking red flag btw.

Oh nooo Nikki what are you doinggg.

I’m not a fan of how Nikki sold this interaction. Didn’t feel natural at all.

OH SHIT the sound of that slap, oof.

Oh my god I love how Bray came out and glared at Nikki. FANTASTIC. Absolute gold. Then he just smiles at Alexa as she takes his arm to escort him to the ring.

And the way the camera focuses back on Miz and Morrison... Miz’s face... I can’t, this is tremendous tbh. What a great story to run throughout this week’s Raw.

lmfao the way Alexa stuck her head between the ropes to scare Morrison. Ugh this pairing is easily my favorite thing in wwe rn.

Interesting, so Bray protects her. A fair duo.

I will never not cringe at watching people pretend to break someone’s neck by twisting it to the side. If I was a wrestler, that’s a move I would NEVER allow to be done to me.

On the plus side, Alexa took out Morrison and he sold it really fucking well. On the negative, it seems that distracted Bray as he’s more concerned for her well being now.

Oh my god the way Alexa reappears from behind the barricade. Creepy as shit.

Love watching her “balance” on the barricade considering she was one hell of a gymnast in her day.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for watching Lacey progress in the ring, cuz I think her character work is just fantastic, but holy shit what a downgrade going from Mandy and Dana to Lacey and Peyton.

Why is she excited? Why is it exciting to fight Sasha? Maybe Asuka should’ve taken that match a bit more seriously, considering the outcome. But I’m jumping ahead of myself.

“No one is ready for Asuka,” except for Charlotte, Becky, Shayna, Alexa, Sasha...

I do appreciate how Lacey isn’t scared of anyone while Peyton is wary of literally everyone. That’s good. Nia has a point though, y’all could’ve used Mandy. I guess it doesn’t matter though, considering the outcome. Jumping ahead of myself again.

“Worst idea since Quibi” lmao shots fired.

*Bonus* Peyton/Lacey online exclusive: they vibe real well off script. Peyton made points saying she can’t wait to teach Lacey how to be on a team. That’s valid cuz Lacey is NOT much of a team player. Points to Lacey though, she’s funny as hell.

Highlight: Alexa Bliss

---

NXT:

Awesome hearing War Pigs during that Shotzi promo. Is that the official theme song for War Games? If so, baller to wwe for shelling that cash out.

I’m guessing Shotzi was fixing her tank? Was that the premise? Regardless, the setting was different and interesting.

I really like the fencing around nxt’s ringside. Fits with the grungy “indie” feel.

God I’m gonna have to watch Candice defeat Kayden and Kacy aren’t I?

Indi bought the Garganos a flat screen tv? :/ mk. What does she have to gain? Johnny was an AWFUL champion and Candice has never even held gold. What is she hoping to accomplish?

“Indi is gaining one of the best mentors in the nxt locker room” lmao WHAT.

omg Kacy and Kayden are so fucking entertaining, I feel like I say this every time I watch them. All tag teams need to TAKE. NOTES. Look at that cohesion and teamwork. Whew.

Hold on don’t try to retcon Tegan as leaving Candice’s side. I hate Tegan even more than I hate Candice, and she was a shite friend to Dakota by proxy of being a spineless dweeb, but do not try to paint Candice as the victim in her feud with Tegan.

I know nothing about the Dakota/Candice friendship but I’d go ahead and blame Dakota since she’s hella douchey lmao.

Imagine thinking Indi is an upgrade from Dakota. Commentary is super funny and distracting tonight lmao.

Was that not a flatliner? Sure looked like an intended flatliner.

So Kacy attempts to kill herself in the process of taking out Indi and none of the cameras caught it? :/ we still using interns looking for college credits in production? Is that what’s happening??

Vic is kind of an awful commentator in his actual calls. “Nice suplex, almost a brainbuster” better hope that was a brainbuster cuz if not, that was the saddest fucking suplex I’ve ever seen in my life.

So Kacy almost kills herself using offense against Indi and Indi was coherent first? Ugh anyway.

Why do we have to listen to Ember speak every week? What a terrible idea.

So now she’s gonna be nxt’s savior by getting rid of Dakota and Raquel? Oh for fuck’s sake.

Why does she have fucking soda tabs on her gear still.

Why is she teaming with Toni. I THOUGHT THEY WERE HEELS. Seriously, am I the dumb one? Am I the one who needs their hand held? Has Ember not been acting like a heel since she returned? Am I the only one confused about Toni’s alignment??

“We’ve fallen victim to the numbers game” WHEN have you fallen victim to the numbers game, Toni? WHO WROTE THIS.

I know nxt wants me to give a shit about Ember and Toni, but good luck making me care about anyone down there more than Dakota or Rhea.

I would really appreciate it if Dakota was moved up to the MR without actually showing any dissention from Raquel.

Dakota calls a lot of matches, I’ve noticed. Pro shit.

Toni’s German suplexes are amazing if she’s actually never hurt anyone, cuz MAN they look gnarly af.

Gorgeous tornado ddt by Ember. Nice speed, great handling by Raquel.

Don’t Dakota and Toni have quite the history? From UK?

Today in wrestling commentary: Vic cannot tell the difference between left and right.

Whoa I just noticed Dakota isn’t wearing her knee brace. That’s kind of monumental, right? Isn’t that a big deal? I feel like that’s a big deal.

Honestly I might like Toni more than Ember. She comes off as a lot more likable since her move to nxt.

Oh Christ I gotta see Candice again. 

Hi why isn’t this main eventing? Do Rhea fucking Ripley and Io fucking Shirai not deserve it?? For real???

Hate it when refs hold the title up crooked. Noob.

Holy shit Io’s speed is TOP. TIER. Whew.

And then slips on the turnbuckle, sad. Could’ve been worse, could’ve been a Shotzi wipeout (and that’s what I’m gonna call it from now on)

What Io has in speed, Rhea has in strength, these are the facts.

Why did Vic cut Beth off by saying exactly what she was in the middle of saying? Vic’s losing a lot of points tonight tbh.

oof gnarly German suplex off the second rope by Io.

Oh my, Rhea’s ear is covered in blood. Must have punctured her ear with an earring. Rough. I say this as someone who has her fair share of piercings: it BOGGLES MY MIND why any of these women wrestle with their piercings in lmao. No ma’am.

Brutal match, whew.

Rhea wiped her own blood on her face.

There are some aprons spots with Rhea obviously waiting around that needed some work.

Rhea can sell, certainly, but her screaming is way too dramatic at times. Most notably at wm in the empty arena, but this match is a close second. Almost borders on annoying.

Niiice Rhea adding a nice vortex spin on the tail end of her cloverleaf submission. Points. Keep that.

Oh that Riptide attempt countered into an armbar by Io. BEAUTIFUL.

I liked that. Io goes for the 619 in the middle rope, Rhea ducks. Io goes for the 619 on the lower rope, Rhea dodges. Io strikes her a couple times, Rhea falls to the opposite side of the ring and Io proceeds to hit the 619. Good stuff.

Lol Io’s smiling at Rhea kicking out of the missile dropkick.

Nice flip off of Rhea’s clothesline but I’m not a fan of Io landing her moonsault on her feet. That’s not really her M.O.

Fucking spiked Rhea with a ddt by countering the Riptide again. That’s a solid champion, has her opponent completely scouted.

Beautiful sunset flip powerbomb through the ropes with Rhea landing through a table. Would’ve been cool if Rhea had let go right away, though.

In kf, I give points to Rhea for dragging herself from the rubble just to eat a clean pin. Great match.

Highlight: Io vs Rhea

---

NXT UK:

Wow robbing me of KLR’s entrance. Guess Piper is officially the heel.

Quit calling her a “new” Piper Niven. A slight aggression is hardly “new”

BE CAREFUL WITH KLR’S SNAZZY COAT.

Y’all got tape out? Have we learned nothing from Bayley/Sasha hiac?

CHUCKED A FUCKING RING BELL INTO PIPER’S HEAD LMAO

Ugh headbutt that takes everyone out. Tsk.

Ric who? Charlotte’s dad??

Who do I gotta pay to see KLR vs Becky Lynch in an extreme match?!

KLR rolls away after that fisherman buster on the outside. Smart points.

Alright listen I’m on KLR’s side but WHY IS JINNY OUT HERE

Lol smacked Piper with a ‘no entry’ sign. Haha.

And Piper broke a sign over KLR’s head, followed by puns from the commentators.

rip random guitar.

Match doesn’t have any creative spots really, but they sure know how to utilize random objects.

BRO YOU CAN’T TAKE A STEEL PIPE TO HER KNEE ON CONCRETE, THAT’S HELLA RUDE. KLR lit a fire under Piper’s ass and Piper’s trying to retire her as thanks. Super, super rude.

Fuck her up fam, I don’t even feel bad.

??? Did KLR even land through the table or did she just land straight onto the fucking concrete? Jesus Christ man. No, she didn’t, she slid into the second table and just ate the floor. Oh my god. IS SHE OKAY??

Highlight: That vicious ending gained KLR a lot of respect in my eyes

---

Smackdown:

Imagine being surprised that Adam chose the longest reigning SD women’s champion as his team captain. Granted she’s probably despised by everyone, but she’s got the pedigree, come on now.

Look how good Bayley looks. Whew.

“You know what time it is? Bayley time.” she’s so annoying rofl.

Wow riveting stuff, I have zero comments about this 2 min match tbh.

Go stand in the ring with your damn captain, Bianca.

Lmao Bayley allergic to hugs now. Character progression.

It’s quite the team I’m ngl. I just wish we could’ve wrapped up this Sasha/Bayley shit like... months ago so we could enjoy captain Bayley for a bit longer. Gonna burn through this in one damn episode. It’s a bummer.

*Bonus* Nattie’s online exclusive: “I sailed through some rough waters [...] I’m smart, I’m sexy, I’m funny, I’m rich” She is funny, I will give her that.

We’re getting Asuka/Sasha face to face? For real? Okay.

Cute, Sasha’s smile toward Asuka actually looked genuine. I miss when Sasha seemed genuine. It’s like Bayley killed that part of her.

“Michael are you forgetting what time it is?” BAYLEY TI-- “It is boss time, baby!” welp my mistake.

I’ve played Asuka’s dialogue to Sasha 3x and I still have no idea what she was saying because of her ridiculous fucking dancing and animation. I’m tired. Bayley come take her title.

Omg now she’s doing “you can’t see me” SHE ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING I absolutely despise her being champion.

Actually she is ready for Asuka, and I’m gonna take great joy in watching her win this Sunday. Sasha is hella unlikeable until the moment that bell rings, then she’s a god. Is what it is.

Booo Sasha was actually doing good on the mic, how dare you ruin that, Carmella.

Asuka is awful. Even Becky and Ronda fought off common enemies once upon a time. Asuka helps legit N O B O D Y. Awful champion.

Highlight: Captain Bayley

---

Survivor Series:

Love Sasha’s gear.

Asuka kicked out at one, quick everyone cry about her selling. Oh wait she’s not Charlotte, my bad.

Beautiful attempt at an armbar by Sasha, whew.

Sasha is so good at this whole wrestling thing lol.

Nice pop up from that backstabber.

Right and in contrast, Asuka is an amazing striker.

Oh a codebreaker to Sasha as she dangles from the second rope. Gorgeous move.

Ahhhh the blue haired god got the job done. I knew she’d win but it’s so gratifying to see.

Not much to say about the match. The spots weren’t brutal or super creative/innovative, but it had GREAT back and forth and really showcased their chemistry in technical wrestling. Also might very well have been the best match they’ve had yet, seemed pretty short though. Still, an enjoyable watch. Good for Sasha.

Lol the disdain in Nia’s face as she looks at Lana.

Look, Bayley’s arm band says ‘captain’ so she’s the captain.

Love seeing how creative people get with their gear at Survivor Series, as opposed to just throwing a damn brand shirt on. Looking at you, 2016.

One thing I’ve learned about Bayley is if she calls you sister, she genuinely likes you behind the scenes. So glad to see Lacey is in her good graces.

Omg Lacey learned how to do a kip up, everybody clap.

Love how the light shines off of Nattie’s gear. Got rainbows popping.

Squatting while stalling a suplex, and synchronized kip ups. Bianca and Nattie are fun.

“Bayley and the great Becky Lynch,” Oh shit, peep that RESPECT we’re putting on her name now? She gets ‘the great’?? wwe finally seeing her on the same level as ‘the great’ Charlotte Flair??? I am shook. Good for her, fucking deserved (also poor Bayley rofl)

Lana tags herself in again lmao. Nia 5 seconds from killing her. Look, Lana tries. Let her try.

I can’t breathe. she been put in timeout.

(referring to a move by Peyton) “I give that a perfect 10“ PPPFFFFTTTT

What a bump by Bayley; a suplex off the top rope onto the entire roster on the outside, and what a great locker room leader to be checking on everyone IMMEDIATELY as if she didn’t just fucking take a massive bump. Also poor Lana standing over there watching the fun lol.

Now I already knew Peyton pinned Bayley cuz of the outrage by Bayley fans who deemed her “buried” afterward, but I think it was a poor decision to have Peyton get that pin. Peyton sucks, not sorry. Have Lacey get that pin before Peyton. Actually, have Lana get that pin before Peyton.

Not sure what Nattie was going for with that submission to Peyton, but she improvised real quick. So points.

Doesn’t Nattie usually wear wrist guards? Awkward seeing her without them.

Goes for a sharpshooter on a woman who’s not even active rn. I’m removing her points lmao.

I legit never get to see Bianca’s 450 splash and you know what? Fuck y’all.

Well Bianca’s a great partner to do a Spanish Fly with so, good on Lacey.

That’s an interesting elimination. Ruby would’ve pinned Shayna as she had rolled back and reversed the Clutch, but the ref was distracted by Nia. By the time he started counting, Ruby had passed out. Interesting.

Crucifix Bomb by Liv eliminates Lacey, fucking dope.

Having Bianca as the last survivor on her team is great for Bianca. This is a compliment from management.

BEAUTIFUL catch by Shayna into the Clutch. Wow that was nice.

Ah we redoing the spot from their Takeover match, IE my introduction to Bianca. Solid.

Oh this is good. Bianca passed out from the Clutch while on the ropes so Shayna was disqualified. Nia drug Bianca out of the ring to put her through the announce table and they started brawling until they were both counted out. 

Again, I knew Lana was the sole survivor but seeing it happen is fucking hilarious. Nice protection for Bianca though, and seeing Nia this pissed off is so cathartic.

Highlight: Bianca was the real standout imo

---

*Survivor Series shined the brightest as we had both a great technical match, and a fun, entertaining multiwoman match filled with shenanigans. If that’s a cop out, then I’ll give it to NXT this week. 

[kitsunesbooks]

Is Yuri on Ice Really Anime of the Year????

So Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards have come to a close and it is no surprise to anyone that Yuri on Ice is the winner for Anime of the Year. But why? Compared to every other nominee, besides Joker Game, Yuri on Ice does NOT have much keeping it in the competition. One does not need to watch the show to get the full gist of it. Why, you ask? Because all the fans talk about is the stellar animation, the gorgeous and catchy OP, and a homosexual romance story that is done in a tasteful and mature way. All of these things are strengths, but do they hold a candle to likes of Re:Zero, Boku no Hero Academia, and Mob Psycho 100?

Let’s get the big ol’ elephant in the room out of the way. One of the biggest complaints from critics, including myself, about the anime awards is the fact that they were voted on by viewers, not an official panel of judges. Given the amount of critics that Crunchyroll has sponsored, I find it kind of daft that they didn’t create a panel of judges consisting of people like Geoff Thew of Mother’s Basement, or Tristan Arkada of Glass Reflection. Instead of using these well versed critics that Crunchyroll has at their disposal, they gave the votes to a community of people, who quite frankly, are extremely biased. Most people who watch anime hype up whatever series in the current season is the most popular. This is why Yuri on Ice won the awards, simply because it is the most over-hyped and most popular series in recent memory. People seemed to forget that other nominees even existed. Hell, I am SURPRISED that Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu even made it on the list.

So, what exactly do the other shows nominated for Anime of the Year have going for them. First there is Erased, which isn’t the best show on the list, but for the most part it provides a simple and entertaining thriller with some drama thrown into the mix. But even then, compared to other dramas from 2016, Kiznaiver for instance, Erased falls short. It doesn’t have anything terribly mind blowing aside from a few emotional scenes.

Next on the list is Joker Game. Not even worth mentioning. Beyond that is Mob Psycho 100, a fantastic series that originated as a manga written and drawn by a man by the name of One. If you think that name is familiar, he is the man responsible for One Punch Man being a thing. However, Mob Psycho’s source material does not have a separate artist unlike its more popular counterpart. This meant that Studio Bones had to take a crap ton of creative liberties to bring One’s original art style to life. Personally, I see Mob Psycho as a miracle of animation. Through some stunning and fast cinematography, almost reminiscent of an A-1 production, they bring One’s art style to life in some of the most beautiful fight scenes I have ever seen. But Studio Bones didn’t stop with just Mob Psycho 100.

Bones was on a roll this year it seems, because they managed to crank out two major hits among the anime community. The other big series that everyone was talking about was of course Boku no Hero Academia. Bones hit it out of the ballpark with this one. Boku no Hero Academia is a lovable shounen anime with every trope in the book. But as opposed to the show being unbearable to watch, it is a refreshing sigh of relief in a time when shounen anime has some gimmick or edgy plot twist to make it unique. Boku no Hero Academia doesn’t try too hard to set itself apart and focuses solely on being a good story. Bones did another fantastic job with this series and the hype for season two is almost unbearable. Boku no Hero Academia takes great pride in classic shounen tropes and does them with more justice than the big three. It is a series I could definitely see getting very popular and maybe even becoming one of the next big three shounen series.

Other series that were included were Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, a show in which Wit Studio tried to stifle the wait for Attack on Titan season two by giving us, (Not) Attack on Titan season two. The show honestly is a great feat of animation and art, but story falls flat on its face towards the second half with some shounen tropes appearing out of nowhere. As a popcorn anime, the show is great. But it doesn’t hold a candle to Bones’ most popular shows this year.

Then there is Re:Zero, which is my personal favorite. I love the show to death and it has a very strong personal resonance with me. But it isn’t a show I want to talk about, purely because of my bias. I’ll be honest, if I could have my way, Re: Zero would be anime of the year by a landslide. But while the show has a phenomenal plot with gripping moments, especially in its third arc, and also one of my favorite episodes in all of anime, it isn’t as much of a technical marvel. Studio White Fox is not as well versed as the other studios featured in the nominees. Their list of projects is incredibly mediocre compared to studios like Wit, A-1, Mappa, and Bones. The show has a number of flaws because of this and honestly, there is probably a lot that the show got wrong in terms of adapting the source material. I love the show to death, but it is barely making it against some of these other great nominees.

With the last nominee to mention being Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, there isn’t much I can say. I only watched the first episode, but that episode was enough for me to fall in love with the show. It is definitely a work of art worth any drama fan’s time. I can tell it has the makings of Anime of the Year, but since I never finished it I can’t pass judgement.

I suppose the point I am trying to make here is that all the nominees have something new or interesting to bring to the table aside from maybe Joker Game and possibly Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress. Yuri on Ice doesn’t seem to fit the bill in a lot of critics eyes. It is a show with a lot of good about it, but it feels out of place among these other shows. If Yuri on Ice is on the list of nominees, than shouldn’t Haikyuu? Haikyuu has been going for a whole three seasons now and has dedicated a lot of time to fleshing out its characters and creating a great cast. It is a show beloved by many and is definitely a show that would easily compete with Yuri on Ice. It seems to me that Yuri on Ice is loved merely because of the hype surrounding it. I have already gone over the three things that seem to attract people to the show. The animation, the homosexual romance, and the OP. Firstly, the animation has great realism, yes. But, compare that to the amazingly beautiful Mob Psycho or even Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, which utilizes old school shading techniques for an stunning cinematic effect. Visually, Yuri on Ice doesn’t compare to either of those shows. Secondly, the homosexual love story. It is indeed handled in a mature and respectful way, but it isn’t the greatest romance story of all friggin time. Just because the couple happens to have two guys this time does not mean it is the best couple in anime. It may be one of the best romances of the year, that I will concede. But of all time, no, not by a long shot. Lastly, the OP is boring and has a catchy song. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu has an OP that is ten times better than what Yuri on Ice had to offer and is by far the sexiest OP I have ever heard.

There are a lot of reasons I could argue about why Yuri on ice doesn’t earn the number one spot of Anime of the Year. Hopefully Crunchyroll relies on their own judges next time around. What do you all think? Do you agree with me? What anime do you think is Anime of the Year? Do you think Yuri on Ice is the number one anime this year? Let your thoughts be heard!

Stay Frosty, Adam Schmidt