#kazama had like. The BEST SET UP and the the writers were like “what if we chuck it all out to the window and make his route go downhill”

[dearcharms]

i normally dont replay routes but i think i will replay asagi.... i get why ppl dont like it bcs tbh it is POORLY executed and honestly.. objectively speaking i should have hated it bcs his route was so shit. But somehow he became my 2nd fave overall watdahell it doesnt help that i wouldnt exactly rank lp high in my list either....... asagi sensei what did u do to me

[demonsfate]

This is kind of a Hot Take, but I don't care about Miguel, and I don't get why people (mainly on the tek subreddit) are fascinated by the idea of Miguel showing up to beat Jin. I stumbled upon ANOTHER post about this yesterday and saw people saying that they would love to see Miguel face the "villain turned messiah", as opposed to the other characters that supported Jin. Which is funny, because I don't think Miguel would last a fight against Jin in his current canon state. Also, this is a result of the horrible writing on 6 so not addressing the whole thing with Miguel's sister is mainly on the writers. Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine if there's a character that is against Jin and still can't forgive him. Tek8 didn't do a good job on addressing the issues 6 left behind, (it was an "Okay" job tbh but anyway, I take it). Still can't help but think the "Miguel should come back to murder Jin now that he's happy" crowd is mostly made of Anti-Jin than Miguel stans

I'm always conflicted with Miguel lmao. The thing is... I do like his design a lot. In fact, outta all the Tek6 characters, he may have the best design. He's the one that I could see being in like the older games (Tek4 or older) than I did the other Tek6 designs. And I seem to have a thing to hot - headed characters lol. But like... obvs the main problem with him is his story. LIKE. It's hard to like a character whose story is perhaps the biggest insult to your favorite character.

I'm sorry, but other than Tek6 itself, Miguel's existence is the biggest insult to Jin's character. Like the whole purpose of Jin's character is that he was indeed the first Good Mishima (sorry fans who actually fell for the "ALL Mishimas are bad!! That's the point!!" Y'all just fell for the lazy and obviously inaccurate excuse they made to justify his sudden turn in Tek6.) Kazuya was created to be the anti-Ryu, to be an unconventional protagonist for a fighting game 'cos that hadn't happened yet. But after Kazuya was done with being the protagonist, they went on to give us one that was actually good, therefore to be different from Kazuya. They even said the point of Jin was that he was supposed to be Kazuya's OPPOSITE. A possibility of what Kazuya might've been had he been raised by somebody who loved him. The Tekken 4 endings even hammered in the idea that Jin woiuld never be like Kazuya and Heihachi. Because every one of the trio's endings were all set during the same time (Jin's kidnapping in Hon-Maru), however - both Heihachi and Kazuya would've ended with them killing everyone. It's only Jin's ending where nobody dies. This is because Jin will always be a better person than them. Anyway, my point I'm gonna make is that Tekken 6 ruined everything that Jin was supposed to be. And Miguel is, perhaps, one of the biggest insults by being a victim of Jin. Jin lost his family to a monster, in Miguel's story - Jin is the monster who took Miguel's family member. That is fucked up, and no, it's not poetic nor clever. It just further destroys Jin's character and everything that was good about him. Jin should've NEVER hurt anyone else in the way he's been hurt.

And yeah... I mean, Jin has defeated Gods, he's defeated Heihachi and Kazuya (defeating Kazuya TWICE now). Miguel... hasn't really reached any of those feats, and plus... there's nothing really special about Miguel. (He's no Mishima, he's no Kazama, he's no devil gene carrier). And like, people are just talking as if Miguel would ONLY be going against Jin alone somehow???? As if... y'know, Lars, Lee, Alisa, Leo, Eddy, Xiaoyu, or many of the OTHER allies would let that shit fly. If some RANDOM GUY tried to kill Jin, they're not.... they're not gonna let it happen lmao, they're gonna stop it. Like sorry, but with Jin having accomplished these incredible feats, and has a ton of powerful friends, I don't see how Miguel can even be seen as much of a threat lol.

Imo, Tekken 8 did a horrific job at addressing Tekken 6. They didn't even inform the player as to why Jin did the War in the first place (which was for complicated reasons, but supposedly "good" ones). They just had characters say "YOU KILLED THOUSANDS" and then Jin says "shut up!!! I feel bad about it so that's something!!!" And like... who's to say that Miguel would even hate Jin if he were in Tekken 8? I mean, think about it. In Tekken 7, Lars wanted to kill Jin. He only stopped the Narrator from brutally killing Jin with a screwdriver simply because they needed Jin, and that's it. Yet suddenly in TK8, Lars is pals with Jin, and might as well be his cheerleader. The thought of what Jin did to Alisa was enough to bring her to tears in TK7, yet in TK8... she's also buddies with him, now holding his hands and everything. Eddy acted like he wanted to oppose Jin in his TK6 ending, yet... that was retconned to have him be mad at G-Corp / Kazuya instead??? Hell, Lee KILLS Jin in his TK6 and Tag 2 endings!!!! Although they've never canonically interacted prior, Lee still hated Jin in the noncanon moments. Like I get they needed Jin, but them being buddies with him was never properly addressed either and just came from nowhere. So, who's the say they wouldn't do something similar with Miguel???? Like, Eddy, he suddenly decides to drop the Revenge Plot off screen because uhhh revenge darkens the soul and isn't worth it man!!!!

Honestly yeah. Jin seems to have a lot of haters. I mean, Hell, it's hard to even look at Jin posts without seeing someone hating him or joking about him being a war criminal. It's been a while since I used Reddit last but MY GOD, before TK8 came out, there were a PLETHORA of people who were saying Kazuya should be the True Good Guy, that Kazuya is in the right, that Kazuya has never done anything wrong, that they hope Jin is revealed to be the main bad guy and is killed by Kazuya in the end. And like, this isn't an opinion of only a few ppl. After the demo came out, there was legit a post that said Kazuya is only a bad guy because he has the devil gene that Jin hates and that post had almost 100 upvotes!!!! With people agreeing!!! Completely ignoring EVERYTHING Kazuya has done. Like I made a post in my drafts but deleted it 'cos I thought it sounded too emotional, but it was me pretty much saying that people hate Jin for things they praise other characters for. Or the things they hate him for, they ignore the same in other characters. (Seriously, what makes Kazuya worthy of redemption but not Jin?) It really does feel like that. I understand some people may find Jin boring due to his stoicism, or may be critical of him due to his inconsistent writing (and character assassination) but I wish people would just be frank about that instead of hating him for every small thing. So yeah, I do believe that a lot of the "we wanna see Jin get beaten to death by Miguel" crowd really are just Jin haters. They get fucking wild at times. It's quite exhausting.

[100wordanime]

Overview:

Tsukishi Tsukamoto doesn’t really have friends and doesn’t really have much going on but he’s a nice guy. One day, after starting high school, Kazama invites him on a whim to play and soon after Tsukamoto decides he wants to join the Seiseki Soccer team. Problem is, they are a really good team and Tsukamoto has never played before. Can raw enthusiasm and determination really help him overcome his weaknesses and allow him to become part of the team? I reviewed this week to week if you want to check out those thoughts.

Review:

I’d be lying if I said the story of Days isn’t trite and overly generic drivel that’s been the basis of about a million stories before. I’m not even a fan of sports movies and shows and even I know the one about the loser who becomes the star player of the team. Something about hard work overcoming all difficulties or some such nonsense that writers seem to think is inspiring. Not that some people don’t have their hard work rewarded but there are plenty of others who will put in the time and effort and still get a big fat nothing for their efforts.

Despite this set up which sounds like it should make me want to roll my eyes right outside of my skull, and a main character who normally I would call a pathetic doormat and find truly irritating, and being based on a sport I could not care less about, I really enjoyed watching Days. I found it genuinely charming and at times vaguely inspirational until my usual cynical self kicked in. That didn’t stop me wanting to call out with Tsukamoto as he cheered on his team mates and it didn’t stop me smiling when he finally intercepted the ball or realised what he should be doing on the field and it didn’t stop me nearly crying when he failed and felt the utter and complete devastation of that failure. It also didn’t stop that big cheesy grin spreading over my face when he got right back up again and continued to try his hardest.

It would be great if  I could say that there was a single concrete reason for this show working for me and yet that would also be a lie. There are pacing issues, animation issues, at times characterization is an issue as someone we barely know is suddenly important and you’re left rummaging through your head for any information you remember about them (large cast of soccer players from main team and competitors). From any objective standpoint this show is average at best.

But maybe that’s enough. It’s a story we all know so they don’t waste time trying to be clever about the premise. There are no real unexpected twists and turns in the story and while there is a large cast this works in the show’s favour as we never really get sick of any one character and even those with obnoxious personalities aren’t around long enough to bring down the overall show.

Besides, there are some fun characters in this show. Mizuki (the Captain), the other first year players, Kimishita, the manager, and many of the opponents really shine in their moments before fading back into the background. This is Tsukamoto’s story and we are seldom allowed to forget that but that doesn’t stop us learning about these characters and falling in love with them as Tsukamoto really wants to be included in their world.

The animation isn’t amazing but were we tuning in to watch animated soccer or were we watching Tsukamoto and how he develops as a character. There’s a clear correlation between his improvement on the field and his mental state and yet even at the end he is riddled with insecurities about whether he ‘deserves’ to be part of the team.

Probably my real criticism of this show would be Kazama. He is the one who leads Tsukamoto into the world of soccer and at times it looks like his journey should be significant as well but we get so few glances at this other side of the story. Kazama is talented and confident but has some real issues with trusting a team. He’s the opposite of Tsukamoto and giving their stories equal time so the moments where they intersect and help each other could have had more meaning. Instead Kazama ends up almost like a fairy god-mother hovering around the edges of the story and giving Tsukamoto the tiniest of pushes when needed. The one moment of conflict between the two was resolved almost instantly. This is probably the weakest part of the series in my opinion.

So if you want to watch a trite (wondrous) journey of a wimpy (driven) character going from nothing to vaguely competent but still developing this first season of Days will probably be a fun watch. It’s full of warmth and heart and by the end you really will support this team in their push for Nationals – which of course we still need season 2 to find out what happens next.

Yep, season 1 leaves us without even knowing if they got to Nationals. I expected them to qualify and then if we got another season to see the Nationals but instead we still have the finals to qualify to go before we get there. Fortunately season 2 has already been announced and this one I’ll be continuing because as much as this review probably seems needlessly critical, this show made me smile and made me care about whether the ball went into the net at least for twenty minutes each week.

Days series review - a whole lot of heart in a predictable package. #anime Overview: Tsukishi Tsukamoto doesn't really have friends and doesn't really have much going on but he's a nice guy.

[impracticaldemon]

Hakuouki Pairings

In the wake of the release of Kyoto Winds, there have been lots of questions and discussions on pairings, OTPs, NOTPs and more. 

Since I’ve had a couple of questions on my pairing preferences, I thought I’d just do a general post. I base my comments on canon interactions (i.e., within the main games, and to a lesser extent in the anime and movies), but I freely admit to bias (i.e., my personal reaction to canon characters and interactions).  

I think everyone is biased towards what appeals to them on a personal level. I’ve watched too many discussions where everyone has great examples, and I don’t want to make this into that kind of post. I enjoy hearing other points of view (which has greatly improved my understanding of characters I don’t relate to personally as well).

Saitou has been my favourite just about since I picked up the box for the PS3 Stories of the Shinsengumi (I know myself quite well). In a way I regret that, since I found out quite a bit later that he was a popular character, with the inevitable fandom fatigue that goes with it.  But reserved, geeky, dedicated and dependable is my thing; this is just the first time the related character has been so popular (Kent from Amnesia: Memories is the least popular character in that game, which is more common for my character/OTP choices!). 

Saitou-Chizuru is my OTP (as most people know).  My reasons may or may not be same as for other SaiChi fans.  I mention a couple of them below, but I’ll leave a better discussion for another time or post.  I owe @kurokiorya at least some analysis at some point since she shared her thoughts on Okita with me and was kind enough to ask my thoughts on Saitou.

Yamazaki, Souma:  I really loved both of these guys in Kyoto Winds, although I was already a fan of Yamazaki as a character long before. YamaChi and SouChi are both great ships. I’ve put them together here because although the stories and people are quite different, I love the ships for similar reasons.

Harada will always be a favourite of mine - given the personalities of the characters involved, I have always found this a very believable ship. Harada is one of the few characters who would ultimately put Chizuru above the Shinsengumi and his own plans (there are very few partners willing to do that in any context, including real life).  Yes, he struggles with it; but only saints are capable of absolute selflessness.

Note:  I’m sorry, my discussion on Hijikata got much longer than intended.

Hijikata is another character that I like a lot personally for various reasons. However, his relationship with Chizuru is more difficult for me to sort out.  As Sannan points out, he makes the decision not to kill Chizuru pretty much immediately, despite his threats. My take on Hijikata is probably best set out in Twelfth Night; the story isn’t perfect, by any means, but it explains a little of both why I find him attractive as a character and why I struggle with him as a partner for Chizuru.

In some ways, Hijikata is an awkward midpoint between Okita and Saitou.  Okita is harsh, but he constantly interacts with Chizuru through the teasing (and is ultimately drawn in by her absolute fidelity) - he keeps her at a distance in terms of what he is saying (calling her useless, a free-loader, and so on), but once he is forced to accept that she’s staying, he does pay attention to her.  Saitou is cool, but he is willing to accept and respect her willingness to be useful in a way that most of them don’t (such as defending her usefulness to Sannan re going to the Hamaguri Gate).  He doesn’t initiate contact like Okita, but as Chizuru says at one point, he’s the one she counts on to answer her questions and he will take time for her if she asks and he is available. Note: Harada, Heisuke and Saitou are the three who always make a point of checking to make sure Chizuru is “okay” at any given time, regardless of route (and if they’re present).  

In contrast to Okita’s “harsh interactiveness” and Saitou’s “reserved acceptance”, Hijikata wants to keep Chizuru alive and safe, but preferably ignore her existence as much as possible.  He has a soft spot for her that only increases as he gets to know her - but he does his best not to get to know her (for perfectly valid reasons, but still).  He is protective, but not for nothing do we call him “Hiji-mama”.  The question is at what point his general characteristics of empathy (which he keeps trying to stamp out - total fail) and protectiveness become something more personal (i.e., attraction/romantic love).

Ultimately, I prefer Saitou (however unhappily) giving Chizuru a chance to convince him that she wants to risk her life with him, to Hijikata making the decision to leave her behind when he goes to Ezo.  One could argue that Hijikata makes the greater sacrifice here - that’s a valid argument - but it doesn’t appeal to me.

Ships that I’m not really a fan of (mostly personal preference, since obviously these are canon ships).  For the record:  I don’t have a problem with people enjoying or being excited about any of these ships.  😊

Okita: Just not a ship I’m comfortable with for reasons I’ve explained before; oddly enough, I could see Chizuru and Okita becoming close friends over the years as he learns to trust her and she literally cares for him (but I know that’s an unpopular opinion).

Heisuke: I like and enjoy Heisuke as a character, and I think he’s a good and caring person, but I never really sensed Chizuru’s romantic love for him - he seemed to have a one-way crush on her.  This could truly be personal bias; for what it’s worth, I find that Chizuru’s romantic interest seems to be for more serious or more mature men.  This could also reflect the bias of the writers toward Hijikata, Okita and Saitou - I don’t know.  Bottom line:  HeiChi is cute, I can see it, and I can write it; it’s just not a personal favourite. 

Kazama:  Again, I’ve explained before why I don’t find KazaChi convincing until the very end-game.  Even then, I would only write it with a Kazama who has already changed and matured to some extent, and a Chizuru who has matured and toughened.  Both are feasible and even canon, but limited.  Personal bias factors in because I’m not a fan of arrogance, especially of Kazama’s variety.

Sakamoto:  Not my type and I struggled to see him as Chizuru’s type.  I’m glad they were creative enough to come up with the story - I do appreciate that - but my personal bias seriously got in the way of enjoying the ship. Happily, I’m sure others will pick up the slack for me - gambatte!

Iba:  Should have been Chizuru’s type.  Seriously, this should have worked.  For some reason, his being good at literally everything (swords, diplomacy, honour, personal relationships, public relationships) got under my skin.  What I don’t understand is that I swear Chizuru struggled to fall for him as well - I don’t know exactly how to explain it.  At some point I need to give this guy another chance.

Sannan:  Hung jury.  I don’t know how I feel about this ship.  It’s intriguing in it’s improbability and the angst that surrounds it.  On the flip side it truly is creepy.  Can’t wait for Part 2 - I’m not sure I buy into the ship, but I’m interested.

Other pairings:  There is very little canon about the Oni.  Kazama x Sen is clearly a possibility (and ofc @shenanigumi has a fascinating take on it).  Amagiri x Sen is another one that has also come up before (some like it, some don’t - I think it has potential, given Amagiri’s behaviour in the games).  I thought Amagiri x Kimigiku had come up before as well, but again, Shenanigumi has given it a lot more shape.  I personally head-canon Kimigiku as quite likely to prefer women, presenting a major problem for her unless she’s more open-minded about humans or less-than-purebloods.  Shiranui strikes me as bi, but I haven’t seen anything written about him other than the obvious possibility of Shiranui x Harada (and although it’s a great concept and would write well, I still think Harada is strongly hetero in canon).

My own crack pairing of choice is Harada x Sen - this is in part how my story works and in part because I really think they work well together.  There is no real canon basis, but at least I can honestly say that Sen seemed to admire Harada when she and Chizuru were out for dango together.  😅

So... on the off chance you’ve bothered to read this far, thank you for your time and hope you go on enjoying the game!  😊