#xillia drama

[judemathisdaily]

Day 14: Omelette verse Jude… who i just call Omelette

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

CHLOE BOURGEOIS (MIRACULOUS LADYBUG) (CW: Child Abuse)

1.) Girl was done so dirty… She was starting to develop and could've had a redemption arc and then they made her even more one-dimensional than she was at the start, dumbed her down, and the creator on twitter claimed she was never abused and that she never cared about her childhood friend, only his status. And in a scene that thankfully got cut by editors, her father was going to disown her, adopt her sister instead (who is like a "nicer" replacement for her) and pass Chloe onto her abusive mother.

And then a male character gets introduced who is also at first an antagonist with a backstory that gets revealed later, also a childhood friend of the same character, but it's acknowledged that he got abused by his parent and he gets a redemption arc and a romantic subplot and a spot on the hero team (which Chloe was excluded from because she was irresponsible with her power and revealed her identity publicly… Except he also did that)

This show is about girl power btw.

2.) Chloe was done so fucking dirty. So basically, the creator of the show (Thomas Astruc) created the character in the first place as a stand-in for his childhood bully (red flag no.1) Because of this, any development that she as a character got from the other writers (and it was a lot) got retconned, just because he hated her. Other, objectively much more evil, (male) characters (the main villain!) were portrayed as more sympathetic than her, because god forbid a hurt, abused, emotionally immature, unloved little girl be portrayed as anything other than an unlovable, unforgiveable unchangeable demon. Also she's obsessed with clothes, shoes and handbags, because she's a mean girl, don't you see, so obviously the nice girls (who don't wear makeup while Chloe does) are better than her.

3.) Stuck up spoiled rich girl is treated as worse than the actual villains of the show. At some point we get a glimpse into her awful traumatizing home life and she starts to be redeemed, but the second something doesn't go her way she backslides and is suddenly even more evil and dumb. Also her father is incredibly neglectful but it's portrayed as her somehow abusing him into doing what she wants and he's so sad about his awful evil daughter. He gets a redemption arc but never actually becomes a better father. She's seen as unfixable.

MILLA MAXWELL (TALES OF XILLIA) (CW: Inappropriate Age Gaps)

1.) Milla was the first female MC in a Tales game. Xillia actually has dual protagonists; Milla is a female demigod on a mission to stop global warming, while the other one, Jude, is a male med student who gets dragged into her quest. The game says that you can play as Jude or Milla… except it’s extremely obvious you are meant to play Jude’s route, and play it first. Why? Because Milla dies at the end of act 2. The plot continues in Jude’s route. If you’re on Milla’s route, you do not get to see it. Instead, you wander around heaven for a while until you’re booted back into the world of the living as a deus ex machina. It is impossible to follow. Milla doesn’t get to reckon with her own death, while her friends all get to reckon with it offscreen. All of this character drama is conveyed to her through two skippable conversations. Playing this was completely infuriating, not to mention confusing. Even in her own route she’s written as the cool, mysterious hyper-competent woman.

I have a lot of issues with the plot of this game (it’s bad!) but that’s the bitterest.

2.) 1.) If you decide to play Milla’s route, and not Jude’s route, there is a part of the game where Milla has her spine broken by the villain, and you are forced to play as Jude anyway. Her paralysis is resolved with little fanfare (the important part of this life-altering injury was Jude fighting to defend her honour, of course).

2.) (CW: inappropriate age gaps) Milla is 20, but she’s teased as a ship with the other PC Jude, who is 15 (despite being a university student? I have no idea why they did this; most Tales protagonists are 17-21). You might say “hey wait, it would be extremely inappropriate for her to be interested in him, as he is a teenager and she is an adult!” Well, first of all, it never actually seems like she is interested in him, like at all. This plot is solely about the fantasy of having a hot older woman attracted to you, presented for the presumed male audience, presumed to be playing as Jude. If you’re playing as Milla it is a totally bizarre informed plot that comes out of nowhere. Also, I guess to get around any objections to the age gap, the game pulls a “born sexy yesterday” type dynamic with Milla, where she might be a 20-year-old demigod but really she knows nothing about human society and Jude the prodigy has to teach her. Everything about this is extremely terrible from every angle—I don’t think the writers even thought of “teenage boy shipped with adult woman” as much of a problem because of the genders. And from Milla’s end the relationship is totally incomprehensible. They didn’t think about why she would be interested in Jude, because what’s important is that Jude has women who are interested in him (she’s one of 3+).

In the sequel, there’s an alternate universe version of Milla whose love interest is the PC of that game, a guy the same age as her. I was so relieved! They actually “are both adults” and “have anything in common”! Unfortunately this hint of a relationship ends when the alternate Milla is sent to super hell (not only dead but her soul erased from existence) for contrived plot reasons. We are supposed to be okay with this, because she believes she deserves to die. Why? Because her actions in this universe apparently indirectly caused Jude’s death as a baby. Even though she barely knows Jude, he is, of course, the most important person in the universe, and so the only moral option is for her to die by suicide. ARGH.

Again, I can’t emphasize this enough: she was presented as the groundbreaking first female PC of a Tales game. And we were let down SO BAD.

3.) Since you’re looking for propaganda, Milla Maxwell. Very skimpy outfit. Their justification? She has a handmaid that designed and created her clothes. But the handmaid is a 16 year old boy who’s in love with her. And she has no idea about human society, so she’s just like. Ivar put in so much effort, I’ve been assured this is fashionable. She spends a 2 hour section of the game in another plane of existence, in a skin tight white body suit with cut outs at the boobs and inner thighs

In the sequel, her outfit is almost as bad, but this time she chose it and they don’t even discuss it 🙃

[mcalhenwrites]

I'm eventually going to put at least Seasons (and its side stories) back on AO3. I want it to remain free-to-read. First, though, I have to get through this Geckos edit and self-publish that. Once that's finished, I have some other stories I want to tackle and rewrite - some will be published in ebook/paperback format - but I do want to tackle my edits for Seasons and its side stories over time. I've already added new chapters, so the main story of Seasons will likely be reposted entirely. I'm also on the fence about renaming it. I know "Seasons" matches well enough, but I can't help but wish the name didn't seem like a lazy placeholder. (And it sort of was, it just... fit. Really well.) I can't predict when this reposting will occur, is what I'm saying. I just ask people to be patient with me. As for other stories I don't think can be self-published due to the content, I'm not sure. I'm wondering if I can self-publish some of it. Yes, that means a paywall for my writing. But... I also need to learn that I'm allowed to live, allowed to make money for my work, etc. Not on fanfiction. All that is free. I just probably won't post any for a good long while, and tbh, the two Xillia fics and two FFXV fics I want to finish, I'm probably going to rewrite most of the chapters and heavily edit the rest. Don't know where that might lead to reposting on AO3 or if I will swap out chapters with fixed ones. Depends on if I end up adding chapters, bc that gets messy fast with subs already thinking they read chapters x-y. (tbh I avoid one of those fandoms religiously and haven't met a person in it who hasn't been hurt by its drama, so I really hate posting any writing I make for it. And yes, I do still write for it, I still love my OTP.)

[yume-x-hanabi]

Okay, so the actual OTP meme: 3, 8 but specifically NO Xillia ships, 11 for Gaiwin bc how could I possibly deny you a chance to talk about the one and only OTP? ;P

3. What is something you look for in an otp?

Characters' chemistry and dynamics. They need to work well together in a variety of ways, and their interactions (or the potential of them in case of ships with few canon moments) must be compelling.

After that, what brings a ship to OTP status depends on the specific characters and dynamics involved, as well as fandoms (I need to be obsessed with the source material to some degree to develop OTPs, otherwise it's just 'ship I enjoy from show/game I enjoyed' but doesn't occupy all my thoughts. That's why I have relatively few actual OTPs, and they're all in my biggest fandoms (big as in the ones I was into the most).

8. Do you have any ot3’s? If so, who are they?

I actually don't really have Xillia OT3's lol so it'll be easy to exclude Xillia ships.

I think my main one is Tanuma/Natsume/Taki from Natsume Yuujinchou. TaNatsu is my main OTP for the fandom (and one of my top OTPs in general), but adding Taki to the mix is fun. They work well as a trio.

Other ones I like (but don't ship super actively tbh cuz not main fandoms) are Ruca/Iria/Spada from ToI, Hong-joo/Jae-chan/Woo-tak from WYWS (I'm still salty it's not canon :p)

11. If they went to high school, what trope would they be?

Jock x Nerd but they're actually a bit of both at the same time lmao. They're both competing for class leadership, too. And Gaius starts a revolution at some point, probably. That high school is full of drama, that's for sure.

[maboroshi-no]

Hi ! I unfortuality just saw a little of your work but I already love it ! Thank you for all, and if you don't mind me asking, what are you going to translate next ?

Hello anon,

Umm... "unfortuality"? 😅

Well, the next translation I will post will probably be the upcoming Hamefura manga chapter that will be out this weekend, but aside from this, I work on several translations at the same time

video of Hamefura Pirates: the scene where Katarina overeats at the party and joins Keith at the sick bay

audio drama of the Hamefura Magical Girls AU

final part of the Hamefura LN11 extra story

summary of chapter 3 of Geordo's route in Hamefura pirates

new version of the video of Nicol's route in Fortune Lover

anthology comic of Tales of Xillia 2

[etrobeauty]

Intend to return around. Been on a binge of games, anime, manga and light novels so it sparks the muse up and possible potential of a new blog upcoming. In the mean time, some few things to share.

- I don't cry very often on the "most saddest" stuff. Never cried in Your Lie in April, Angel Beats and just saw Suzume which did not make me cry at all. I will say the biggest water works will always be FFX and Xillia 2. My last cry was Eighty-Six.

- Playing Vesperia makes me realize how very relatable Yuri is. I dig the no BS just tell it like it is. Maybe cause I'm older and just don't tolerate it. I feel if I played this on the OG on Xbox 360, I wouldn't really cringe much. I adore the characters, but sometimes it makes me go STFU. (Don't even get me started with Trails of Cold Steel... Love it, but the stfu mood exists there too.)

- Watched Oshi No Ko thinking it was gonna be a cringe idol show, until that. Which I dig since ya'll know I'm in for the dark genres.

- I got asked to be a bridesmaid. Something about that feeling makes me feel honored. We were coworkers 10 years ago and now here we are. Her and her brother got me some things from S.Korea (Skincare products are spectacular. Also Banana Milk is a must try).

- Last one is muse related, but wanna consider a Lightning villain Era AU.... inspired by the dramas I've been watching on netflix. I don't even know how I would even portray this, it would basically be first XIII Lightning. Lol. Kind of like too late to save the world kind or succumb to corruption of an altered??

Thank you for your time. Anyways I'm around in lurk mode. Discord provided upon request.

[mistbow]

Some stuff here and there regarding Zestiria lore and characters from the Complete Guide interview with Yamamoto Naoki (head writer). Not the entire interview, by the way.

Regarding the setting and characters in general

――シリーズ20周年記念タイトルの制作にあたり、意識したことはありましたか。 山本　『テイルズオブ』シリーズは毎回必ず新しい挑戦をしているのですが、今回は大きな節目になるタイトルということで、次の世代に繋げる挑戦をしようと思いました。まずシステム的な新しいアイデアがあって、それに対してどういうシナリオ、キャラクターを乗せていくのかという形でシナリオチームの制作がスタートしました。

――Was there anything you conscious of when creating a title to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series?

YAMAMOTO: “Tales of” series always presents new challenges in each of its entry, but this time, as a title that marks a major milestone, we decided to take on a challenge that would connect to the next generation. First, we had a new idea for the system, then from that, the scenario team started working on what kind of scenario and characters to put on top of it.

――本作でもっともこだわった点はどこですか。 山本　今回は王道のものを作ろうと思いました。これは『エクシリア２』は多少現実的な描写だったことと、初代『ファンタジア』のような正統なファンタジーをイメージしたからです。『テイルズオブ』シリーズには毎回機械の要素が入っていたりするので、本当にファンタジーらしいファンタジーは意外と新しいのではないか、ということから今回は王道ファンタジーに挑戦しようという思いがありました。そのなかで、キャラクターとしては新しいけれど、『テイルズオブ』らしさもある主人公ってどういうキャラクターだろうと考えて。その結果、熱い気持ちをもっているけれど、理性的に物事を判断できたり、仲間たちを思いやることができるスレイという主人公を最初に立てたんです。そして、スレイの悩みを受け止めたり、一緒に悩んだり、また、それに対して別の方向からアプローチをかけるようなキャラクターを作っていきました。本当にお互いを思いやるパーティなので、そういう心情ドラマというか、キャラクターの優しさに注目してもらえればと思います。

――What was the most important aspect of this work? YAMAMOTO: This time, we decided to make something orthodox. This is because “Xillia 2″ had a somewhat modern portrayal, and because we imagined a traditional fantasy like “Phantasia”, the first title. “Tales of” series has always included mechanical elements in their settings, so I thought that a truly fantasy-like fantasy might be surprisingly fresh, so we decided to try to do an orthodox fantasy setting this time. I thought about what kind of character would be a protagonist who feels new as a character, but who also still has a “Tales of” feel to them. As a result, we first chose a protagonist named Sorey, who has passionate feelings but is also able to make rational decisions and care for his friends. We then created characters who would take on Sorey’s problems, shared his worries, and also characters who would approach his problems from a different direction. It is a party where everyone really cares for each other, so I hope that people will pay attention to that kind of emotional drama, or rather, the kindness of the characters.

――どのキャラクターも強い個性をもっていますね。 山本　シナリオチームには「物事でドラマを描くのではなく、キャラクターの心情を繋げていくドラマを作ろう」という大きなテーマがありました。勢いだけで動くのではなく、互いを思いやる部分やそのときの心情によってキャラクターからどういう言葉が出てくるのか、というのをリアルかつていねいに描こうと。なので、その言動から、スレイたちが何を考えているのかを読み取っていただけるとありがたいです。

――Every character has a strong personality. YAMAMOTO: The scenario team had a major theme, “Rather than a drama based on certain things, let’s create a drama that connects the emotions of the characters.” We do not want the characters to only act because of the momentum, but to realistically and carefully depict what kind of words the characters would say depending on their emotions and how they care for one another at the time.

――それぞれのやりたいことを貫いた結果、アリーシャもスレイとは違う道を選びました。 山本　アリーシャ関連については、スレイのひとつの挫折というか、いくら特殊な力を持っていても越えられない壁があるということを描きました。アリーシャが思っていることは純粋なのですが、現実の壁が立ちはたがることによる別れですね。ただ、あのときでもスレイは重い別れにはしなかったんです。お互いに別れの意味がわかっているからこそ、前向きな言葉をかけている。ここではベタな展開や物事自体を描くのではなく、彼らの心情を出していこうと思いました。だから、そこまで突き詰めた言葉を出さずに、「また会えるよ」とか「お互いの信じることをやろうね」と言って別れていく。そういう意味ではおとなしい主人公に見えるかもしれませんが、熱い思いはちゃんと持っていて、叫んだりノリや勢いだけで解決しようとはしないキャラクターにしたんです。代わりに、ミクリオをストレートに感情表現するキャラクターにして、2人で1人の主人公のような言動をとるように工夫しました。

――As a result of following what each of them wanted to do, Alisha also chose a different path from Sorey’s. YAMAMOTO: Regarding Alisha, I depicted one of Sorey’s setbacks, or rather, the fact that there are barriers that cannot be overcome no matter how he has special powers or not. Alisha’s thoughts were pure; however, it was a parting due to the barriers of reality that stands in the way. But even then, Sorey didn’t make it a heavy farewell. They both knew the meaning of their parting, and that is why they were saying forward-looking words to each other. Here, I tried to bring out their feelings rather than depicting a cliched development. So, instead of anything broody, they said “We’ll see each other again,” or “Let’s do what each of us believe in,” and part ways. In that sense, he may seem like a calm protagonist, but he has passionate feelings, yet does not try to solve problems by shouting or just going with his spirit or momentum. Instead, we made Mikleo a character who expresses his emotions in a straightforward manner, so that the two of them act and speak as if they are one protagonist.

――ストーリーを作るにあたって、特に苦労した部分がありましたら教えてください。 山本　やはりその心情ドラマが非常に難しくて、何度も修正しました。RPGとしては目的を提示したり、これはこういうことですよ、と書くほうが楽なんですね。事件でストーリーを繋げていくという。ただ、今回はそれよりもキャラクターの性格との整合性を重視して何度も書き直しました。セリフの収録でも、役者さんにキャラクターの細かい心情を大切にして録ってもらったので、後半になると役者さんのほうから「このセリフってこのキャラクターだと言い方が違うんじゃないですか？」という意見も出てきました。「じゃあ先に行こうぜ」と言うのか、それとも「ここにいてもしかたないよね」という語りかけにするのか、といったちょっとしたニュアンスの違いなのですが、そういうセリフひとつでもキャラクターらしさを重視していました。

――Please tell us if there were any particular challenges in creating the story. YAMAMOTO: That emotional drama was very difficult, after all, that I had to revise it many times. As an RPG, it is easier to present a goal, and write based on “this is what it is all about.” Something like connecting the plot beats with certain incidents. This time, however, I rewrote it many times, focusing more on consistency with the characters’ personalities. In the recording of the dialogue, we asked the voice actors to record their lines with the importance of the detailed feelings of their characters, and in the latter half of the production, the voice actors instead would suggest, “This line would be said differently by this character, wouldn’t it?” It may be a small difference in nuance, such as whether to say, “Let’s go ahead then!” or “I don’t think we should stay here,” and even in such a single line, we focused on the character’s personality.

――あくまでキャラクターが言いたいことを言っているということですね。 山本　そのあたりのリアリティを追求しようということと、今回はイベントがシームレスに繋がっていくことがウリだったので、キャラクターの演技も没入感を引き出��ようなものであるべきだろうと。今までチャットは別に作って、あとで収録して差し込んでいたのですが、今回はメインシナリオのなかで出てくるものは、一連で書いているんです。そうすることによって、役者さんもその流れにあるものはすべて録れるようにしました。

――So the characters are saying what they want to say. YAMAMOTO: We wanted to pursue a sense of reality in this regard, and since the events being seamlessly connected was a selling point of this work, we thought that the character acting should also bring out a sense of immersion. In past works, skits were created separately and recorded and inserted later, but this time, everything that appears in the main scenario was written in one go. By doing so, we made it possible for the voice actors to record everyhing that was part of that flow.

Specific lore stuff

――天族について詳しく教えてください。 山本　人から転生したという天族がいたり、いくつかの方則側はあきらかになっていますが、明確にこういう種族だよ、ということはできません。どちらかというと、神霊のような存在となっています。だから、天族たちは自分はこうなんですとか転生したんですと言っていますけど、実は何をどうしたらそうなるかという部分は非常にあいまいだったり、ケースバイケースだったりします。そういう、ルールで割り切れない部分を持った種族ですね。

――Please tell us about the seraphim. YAMAMOTO: There are some seraphim who were reincarnated from humans, and some rules about it have been revealed, but it is not possible to say clearly what kind of race they are. If anything, they are more like divine spirits. That’s why, the seraphim are saying that they are like this or that they are reincarnated, but the truth is, the part about what to do to become like that can be very ambiguous or in a case-by-case basis. They are the kind of race that cannot be comprehended by mere rules.

――ライラは契約をしていますが、人間にも契約はできるんですね。 山本　そうですね。ミューズが結界を張っていたのも契約によるもので、術としては人間も使える。でも、そういう魔法体系があるというよりは、呪いに近いようなものだと考えています。怨念のようなものをかけることで、そこまでの強い力を引き出したという。それこそミケルがやったことも呪いとはいっていますが、あれも契約なのかもしれないですね。

――Lailah has an oath, but humans can have oaths too, can’t they? YAMAMOTO: That’s right. Muse’s seal was also a product of an oath, and as an arte, it can also be used by humans. But I like to think of it more like a curse than something like how a magic system like that exists. Something like, by applying something like a deep-seated grudge, one is able to draw out such a strong force. That’s exactly what Michael did, and although it was said to be a curse, it might have been an oath as well.

――スレイは導師として特殊な終わり方を迎えましたが、従来の導師は最後的にどうなるのでしょうか？ 山本　かつてさまざまな導師がいたといううえでライラが一番心配していたことが、導師の使命にスレイが縛られてしまうことです。自分の限界とぶつかり、下手をしたら彼が穢れて、契約している陪神ごとドラゴンになる恐れがあったのです。それがおそらく過去に何回も起こってきたのでしょう。ミケルも典型的な例で、やはりそうなってしまう人が多いということなのですが、必ずしも失敗するとはかぎらないし、今までも人知れず人に尽くしてきたり、世界を救ったり、もしくはドラゴンを生んでしまった人たちがいたのだと思います。ライラがあそこまでスレイを心配するのも、導師の使命をまっとうすることが難しいとわかっているからなんです。

――As a Shepherd, Sorey had a unique end, but what happened to the Shepherds up until now in the end? YAMAMOTO: Lailah’s biggest concern, based on the fact that there used to be many kinds of Shepherds, was that Sorey would be restricted by the Shepherd’s calling. There was a fear that he would bump into his own limitations and if he did poorly, he would be tainted and every Sub Lord with whom he had a pact with would turn into a dragon. This has probably happened many times in the past. Michael is a typical example, which means that many still end up like that, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they fail, and there have been some who have done things for others without being noticed, saved the world, or even given birth to dragons. The reason why Lailah was so concerned about Sorey was because she knew that it would be difficult for him to fulfill his duty as the Shepherd.

――天族になる導師もいますね。 山本　試練の神殿にいる上位天族たちがそうですね。ただ、導師は天族に生まれ変われるとか、転生するために修行をしているのではありません。明確なシステムがあるわけではなく、純粋な心を持っているから生まれ変わることもある、とかこのあたりも神霊的な話ですね。だから、実際に導師から転生した人はいたんだろうけど、必ずしも方法があったり、それが目的なわけではなく、結果として天族になった導師も歴代のなかには何人かいた、ということです。

――There are Shepherds who become seraphim too. YAMAMOTO: Like the higher-ranking seraphim in the Trial Shrines. However, the Shepherds are not training in order to be reborn or reincarnated as seraphim. It’s not like there’s a clear system, but rather, it’s a spiritual matter, such that some of them are reborn because they have pure hearts. So there are probably those who are actually reincarnated from Shepherds, but not necessarily in a way or for the purpose of doing so, and that there are a number of Shepherds who have become seraphim in history as a result.

――エンディングでスレイが眠りにつくのが印象的でした。 山本　毎回『テイルズオブ』シリーズにはあるのですが、理想を純粋に追いかけていく主人公には、どれだけリスクが伴うのかということを描かないと、決意の重さや意味が���わってこないんです。スレイは仲間の命の危険計算に入れたうえでヘルダルフと戦うことを選び、自分の時間を犠牲にすることによって、世界が救われる可能性というものに預けた。それがスレイの答えで、人の善性や可能性を信じるとか、純粋すぎるものをまっとうするために差し出したものが、自分の時間だったんです。それから、スレイの夢は遺跡を巡ることで、実はそれには時間が関係ないということがあります。だから、自分の時間を失ってしまっても、また目が覚めたときに遺跡を探すであろうと。スレイは夢をあきらめたわけではないし、導師としての使命を投げ出したわけでもない。ちゃんと両方ともとることができた、ということを表現したつもりです。

――The way Sorey went to sleep in the ending left an impression. YAMAMOTO: As is the case in every entry in “Tales of” series, the weight and meaning of the decision cannot be conveyed unless we depict how much risk is involved for the protagonist who purely pursues his ideals. Sorey chose to fight Heldalf, risking the lives of his friends, and by sacrificing his own time, he entrusted the possibility that the world could be saved. That is Sorey’s answer, and to believe in the goodness and potential of humans, what he offered to fulfill something so pure was his own time. Then there is the fact that Sorey’s dream is to visit ruins, and actually, it doesn’t have anything to do with time at all. So, even though he lost his time, he would search for the ruins when he woke up again. Sorey has not given up on his dream, nor has he abandoned his duty as the Shepherd. I tried to depict that he was able to properly do both of those.

――最後にミクリオが遺跡を巡る場面が描かれていますが、あれは何年後のことなのでしょうか？ 山本　数百年くらいかけないと浄化できないだろうな、と言っていたのでそのくらいの時間が過ぎているのではないかと。エンディングではロゼが亡くなっていますが、ロゼは彼女なりの生き方を貫いて、スレイの跡を継いだということではなく、ロゼらしい導師をやったのだろうと私は思っています。その結果、スレイと同じ時間は過ごせなかったという事実はあるので、数十年以上は経っている。ミクリオも成長しているので、天族がそこまで成長するだけの時間は経っているのだろうと。だけど、新しい世界があって変わらないスレイがいるよ、というのを最後に見せたかったんです。

――The last scene depicts Mikleo traveling around the ruins, but how many years later is that? YAMAMOTO: It was said that it would take several hundred years or so to purify, so that’s how much time has passed. In the ending, Rose has died, but I believed that Rose followed her own way of life and did not follow in Sorey’s steps, but rather becoming the Shepherd in the manner that was Rose-like. As a result, since there is the fact that she didn’t spend the same time as Sorey, more than a few decades have passed. Mikleo has also grown up, so I thought it must have been enough time for a seraph to grow up to that extent. However, we wanted to show that, at the end, there is a new world, yet an unchanged Sorey.

――天族の成長は自身の思いにかかわってくるのですか？ 山本　自分の力の強い時期まで成長するんじゃないかという推測はありますが、ここも実は法則性はないんです。ミクリオはスレイと一緒に育ってきたので、スレイと同じ年齢までは成長してきた。その後どういう成長をしたかというのは、ミクリオの意志が働いてるんじゃないでしょうか。そして、またスレイと会ったときに、自分だとわからないと困るからこれくらいにしておこう、とミクリオが願ったのだったら、そういうふうに成長したのではないかと思います。

――Is the growth of seraphim related to their own thoughts? YAMAMOTO: There is a conjecture that they will grow until they reach the peak of their own strength, but again, there are really no strict rules here. Mikleo had grown up with Sorey, so he grew up until the same age as Sorey. I think Mikleo’s will is at work in what kind of growth he has achieved since then. And if Mikleo wished that he would only change a bit because he didn’t want Sorey to not recognize him when they met, I think he would have grown up that way.

――霊応力の高いロゼは死後、天族になるのでしょうか？ 山本　エンディング後のことについてはユーザーさんのご想像にお任せします。

――Will Rose, who has a high resonance, become a seraph after her death? YAMAMOTO: As for what happens after the ending, we leave that to the player’s imagination.

[sage-nebula]

Persona 4 thoughts so far:

— If anything bad happens to Nanako (that she can't recover from) I'm suing Atlus

— I wish so much that they had gotten someone besides Erin Fitzgerald to voice Chie in the English version . . . her voice is so annoying considering she yells half her lines. This is fine when she's voicing a character that's meant to be annoying, like Teepo in Tales of Xillia, but Chie is a character we're meant to like. Hhhhhhh

— I still like Yosuke so far. Points in his favor are that Yuri Lowenthal is his voice actor and he has an appealing design. Honestly, with the headphones he looks more the part of a Persona protagonist than Yuu does, lol

— Speaking of Yuu, I don't care for his design at all, lol. Like it's not hideous (especially compared to the teachers, wtf is wrong with the teachers in this game, why do they look like that), but it's just really bland, even with his silver hair. I can't really get a feel on what his personality is supposed to be as a result

— I'm fond of Yukiko, though I don't know her too well so far (she only just came back to school after her rescue)

— I really hope the "no, don't say it!" "YOU'RE NOT ME!!!" bit is dropped soon, because it's happened with both Chie and Yukiko so far and it's really old. At least change up the phrasing a bit ffs

— I hate Teddie so much, I hope he ends up being a villain so I can murder him and shut him up forever

— Still a bit boring, though at least I can do stuff like drama club and part time jobs after school now so it's not too bad

[darkenforcer]

8 and 13!

canon questionnaire || accepting !

8. What’s the worst thing about the canon you are writing?

that's a tough one since i'm not too nitpicky or critical unless i'm forced to be, actually (despite my degree literally being in communication studies but SHHH)!! i guess in terms of the game's story, the last act does seem... weirdly rushed compared to the other acts? acts 1 and 2 are AMAZING and i love the "forced road trip where everything goes Wrong" thing going on for most of it, but then the 3rd act becomes very "ok guys let's go to point A, now point B, point etc.". i guess the sidequests and extra dungeons make it less obvious, especially in ng+, but it's still noticeable.

this is just me being silly, but i'll never get over how they mention flynn was absolutely losing it over yuri's disappearance at the end of act 2 and then when they reunite it's like . never talked about by anyone??? njjng it's not even brought up by estelle again or anything. small dropped plot details like that confuse me -- imagine the potential DRAMA!!!

OH, also considering it's a game that focuses a lot on corruption and political bs, i think it would've been nice to see more commentary on stuff like that from a systemic POV instead of placing most of it on specific individuals! but the hints are there, so i guess i can't complain too much lol.

13. Are there any other characters from the franchise you’d like to play?

YES OMG!!! not really any other characters from vesperia, but definitely characters from other tales games. i have, like, a list i've been keeping track of in my brain for years:

pascal from graces (she'd be my #1 choice <3) or richard, mayhaps

leia from xillia (fun fact: i rp'd milla for like 2 weeks back in middle school)

sorey from zestiria

genis from symphonia (but i'd have to finish the duology first...)

i also haven't gotten more than ~3 hours into abyss because i lost all my data from the totally legal method i was using to do so, but i think i'd wanna play guy !!!

[taleslations]

Drama CD Tales Ring Xillia C86

Track #3: The Chimeriad and the Hot Springs Inn (3)

The party enjoy their stay while the Chimeriad work hard.

Script under read more.

Rowen: These hot springs live up to the rumors. I am in heaven. Alvin: Wouldn't you be happier if they were mixed baths, Jude? Jude: Stop teasing me. Rowen: I must say I was surprised to run into the Chimeriad in a place we visited to rest. Jude: They seem to be on some mission, but I wonder what it is. They didn't seem dangerous. Alvin: Isn't that because you always try to see the good in people? Jude: That's not it! Anyway, it didn't seem like they were here to cause trouble. Rowen: Maybe they actually came here to rest as well. Alvin: In that case, they would have come as customers. Rowen: I don't think they would have chosen their current lifestyle if they could just do that on a whim. Alvin: Poor them. Jude: Are you done? Alvin: No, I'm just gonna check out the open-air bath. You two can just relax here. Jude: I didn't know Alvin liked hot springs so much. Rowen: Or maybe he has a reason he wants to be alone.

Alvin: Excuse me. Presa: How can I help you? Alvin: There's something I'd like to ask. Presa: I won't answer. Alvin: Hey now, I'm the customer here. You should hear me out. Presa: Stop joking. Alvin: I'm not. We're just passing guests and inn staff, remember? Let's be friends, like the old man said. Presa: What do you want? Alvin: How can I get to the open-air bath? Presa: Go down this hallway and take the last door to the left. Alvin: Thanks. By the way, this yukata is a bit small... Don't you have a bigger one? Presa: Understood, I will bring a larger one to the changing area. Alvin: Please do, oh rumored pretty waitress. Presa: As you wish.

Alvin: That was nice. Open-air baths are fun to use from time to time. Oh, Presa did bring me a new yukata. EHH!? What the heck is that?

Agria: Why are they here? Milla: Agria! Do you have a moment? Agria: What? If it isn't old granny Maxwell! Milla: Aren't we supposed to be employees and customers? Agria: Lady Maxwell... Do you need something? Milla: Yes. I see many intriguing objects in this room. I don't understand what they are for. I'd like you to tell me what this thing is. Agria: You don't even know that? Milla: Alvin told me he was going to teach me fun things to do here, so I was waiting for him, but... I saw him run off wearing a floral yukata. Agria: What the heck? Milla: He looked very angry. Well, he is a man with many secrets; he must have his reasons. I was thinking of going back to my room, but will you teach me instead? Agria: No way. Who would... No, wait. Okay, I'll teach you. Milla: Really? Thank you. Agria: This is a game you play with this ball and paddle. Milla: Oh? So all I have to do is hit the ball back, right? Agria: Yes. If you can. *serves ball* Milla: Wind Blade! Agria: AAAAAH!!! What the heck are you doing? Milla: I just hit the ball back... was that wrong? Agria: I told you to use the paddle! Were you listening? Milla: Oh, right. I forgot. Let's try again. *serves ball, which hits Agria's forehead* So we have to defeat the opponent with the ball, right? Agria: Of course not. Why did you aim it straight at me? You're supposed to make it bounce on the other side of the net. Milla: I see. I didn't know about that rule. Humans come up with the most interesting things. All right. Like this? Agria: You're slow on the uptake!

Jude: Hey, Rowen... Rowen: What is it, Jude? Jude: Look at Milla and Agria... Rowen: Oh my, that's quite the match. Jiao: Oh, you two. Good timing! Jude: Jiao? Jiao: We offer cold milk to guests who come out of the baths. Would you like some? It's refreshing when drunk in one go with a hand on your hip. Jude: Thank you. Jiao: We also have coffee milk and fruits milk. Rowen: Milk is the best after a hot bath. Thank you very much. Jiao: Put your hand on your hip and gulp it on one go. Here. Jude: It's like Jiao is really an employee of this inn. Rowen: Let's drink, Jude. Milk has a special taste after a bath.

Milla: Is that all? Agria: Damn it! One more! I won't let you run!

Elize: Leia, eavesdropping is bad. Leia: I know, but Agria and the others are probably planning something. I'm worried. Teepo: Leia's the most worrisome here. Elize: Teepo! Leia: Okay, this is the room. Juuust a bit.

Agria: I'm beat. Why did I have to play with Maxwell? Presa: Don't complain. That's part of your job. Jiao: By the way, I saw Alvin running around wearing a woman's yukata. He has strange hobbies... Presa: Don't worry about him. He's like that when he goes to hot springs. Jiao: Really? Wingul: Let's begin the meeting. The new menu Jiao came up with when he joined the kitchen staff is very popular. Presa: That's true. A lot of women have been ordering it. Wingul: Even the regulars are excited about it. Jiao: I'm glad. Wingul: And sales for the sweets menu Agria proposed are steadily increasing. Agria: Naturally. Presa: That was a good idea. Besides, the names you chose are very cute. Jiao: Agria's good at picking up cute names. Agria: Shut up, twit. Presa: I've been wondering, wouldn't it be possible to give people who don't spend the night access to the hot springs? If they enjoy it, they might book a room next time. Jiao: I see. In that case, how about offering an option with lunch? Agria: Like just a footbath? Wingul: Good idea. I will submit a new plan to the owner.

Elize: They're all talking about their job seriously. Teepo: They work better than Leia. Leia: It's frustrating, but I can't argue. Elize: Maybe they could even work at your inn. Teepo: It'd be like a dream competition. Leia: All right! But I won't lose! Teepo: She's serious about it. Elize: That would be really nice.

[aurantia-ignis]

Earlier today I was looking at the old Tales subs on my translation channel, and feeling kind of nostalgic.... Apparently I started translating for Tales more than 11 years ago 8′D  I kind of want to get back into them again... Is anyone still interested in subs for the drama CDs? Symphonia’s Rodeo Ride Tour, Vesperia’s anthology drama CDs, Abyss’ animation fondisks, Graces’ anthology drama CDs... Or has everyone moved on to newer games ;w;

[lecliss]

Tales of Crestoria is making me want to play Xillia or Zestiria again for the millionth time. I'm having so much fun.

[xiomeebo]

currently rotating Jude, Ludger and Victor in my brain like a microwave

[fontasticcrablettes]

I wish more Tales games had gone the Symphonia route of “choose your own deuteragonist.”  I suppose they never did because of all the extra writing it would require, but that’s one of my favourite things about Symphonia.  You can play it eight times and have a different experience.  One of those endings, the Kratos ending, is even a significant difference.

And if you’re one of those people who gets attached to side characters, well fuck it! Regal is Lloyd’s number one person now!  Like Colloyd? You can make them soulmates.  Prefer Zelloyd? You can shove Colette aside and send Lloyd and Zelos on an exsphere collecting mission together as their end game. 

It’s so liberating to get to decide which character all the drama focuses on in the end, because if the game writers pick a character you aren’t invested in, well your investment in saving them at all costs is limited too.

Xillia 2 made a big deal about choices, but the choices in that game were all pretty shallow.  The ending you got only came down to three choices right at the end.  Compare that to Symphonia, where you can spend the entire game making decisions that boost or lower your scores, what cut-scenes you view, which sidequests you do, what food you cook - all choices that impact Lloyd’s relationship with others and affect which character will takes centre stage in the finale. 

I imagine they didn’t do it again because of how much extra work it was to write, animate, and direct unique scenes for each party member.  The illusions in Welgaia also had to be written in such a way that Colette could be stuck into any of them and still have it make sense. And because the didn’t know which character would be paired off with Lloyd, their pre-finale scenes had to be 7 scenes one-on-one with Lloyd, rather than four scenes with the 8 characters paired up.  They unique Flanoir scenes for each character, the different dialogues that appear in Rodyle’s ranch, the Zelos version of the Kratos reveal scenes, etc.  Lots more work! 

But man was it ever worth it.

[yume-x-hanabi]

1 for b²tsm, 4, and 13! And on the last two, I'm actually curious about this over separate media, ie listing a book/manga, then a show, then a video game? Very curious to see what all comes up for both those last two numbers as well. :)

1. Favorite character from B²TSM

Mozart, that little gremlin. Look at him: this is the face of someone who knows he's starting a fandom war and is absolutely proud of himself. He's a menace, I love him.

4. Favorite show/ book/ fandom/ etc?

Show: Gunshi Kanbee. The day it's no longer my favorite drama ever is the day I die (or something exceptional comes out i guess...)

Anime/manga: Natsume Yuujinchou. I love it so much, so many warm feels and endearing characters. When is season 7, it's been so long 😭

Book: I haven't read actual books in so long I'm not really sure what to answer. It used to be that wizard book that shall not be named, but, well, I can't look at it the same now. Can I name Rascal? It's not actual published book but it's original fiction, so it should count, right? Cute kinky couple shenanigans is good for the soul, also I'm a sucker for mystery, ALSO it has one of my favorite female characters of all times, so. I say it counts :p

Video game: Tales of Xillia (do I even need to say it XD). It's consumed my life for 11 years so far, it can do so for 11 more.

13. Any show/ book/ fandom/ etc you’ve been meaning to get into?

Show: I've been considering watching Arcane because Ray Chen apparently has a small cameo in it and I'm a desperate fangirl (yes i know my priorities are all in order)

Anime/manga: idk, I haven't really kept up with what's been and gonna be released these days, so I have no idea. Only ones I'm really looking forward to are remakes/sequels of anime I already love.

Book: probably that new (probably not so new by now lmao) book by Joel Dicker that my brother got me a couple years ago and I haven't read yet because I suck at picking up books. So I should start with that, yeah 😂

Video game: I'm still like five games behind on Pokémon, and haven't finished the Link's Awakening remake. Do I look like I have time for new games? 😅 (jk, I wanna catch up my backlog one day. but still...)

Please anyone feel free to recommend anything for any of these categories, as you can see I suck at getting into new things.

[hungrydolphin91]

Tales titles described in exactly 10 words

(Ones with *** are games I haven't played/completed yet so they're just my impressions)

Phantasia: First title, time travel, flying horse. Impossible crab treasure. INDIGNATION!

***Destiny: Talking swords, fate. Cast is huge? Grumpy pretty boy Leon.

***Eternia: I wanna go back home. She speaks another language? Squirrel.

***Destiny 2: Boruto. Time travel? What if good guys were actually bad?

Symphonia: Everyone's having a rough time. Ride a big dog. Coffee.

***Rebirth: Protagonist as cold as ice. Let's stop furry racism. CLAAAAAAIRE!!!

***Legendia: Grumpy punchy guy argues with sister on a big boat.

Abyss: Soap opera drama with amnesia and identity crises for all.

***Tempest: In all levels including physical, I am a wolf. Awoo.

***Innocence: So much bullying. Stop it, he's baby. Also war god.

DotNW: Unnecssary flashbacks. Sassy dog. Emil is baby too okay??

Vesperia: Vigilante justice and sky whales and sad birds and lesbians.

Graces f: Lovesick teens, space robot daughter. Need to PROTECT my FRIENDS.

Xillia: Med student and a god. Chronic backstabber. There's TWO worlds.

Xillia 2: Lost child. Go commit genocide to pay your medical bills.

Hearts r: Sorry your soul broke. There's people and bugs in them.

Zestiria: Gay history nerd is also Jesus. Invisible pocket friends. Puns.

Berseria: Found family of anarchists. Revenge, bad luck, identifying beetles.