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I have been reading comics since I was a young age and fell in love with the medium ever since. I read all kinds of comics from all over the world, though manga is my main diet, but that's simply because Japan is the biggest producer of comics in the world.
I also used to watch anime a lot, but I've burned out since around 2010 because there isn't a lot of variety in anime especially compared to manga. Also because a lot of anime is an adaptation of manga, which proved redundant to me since I like to read more than to watch. I'm still keeping tabs on the latest anime though in the few cases something interests me.
I read all kinds of manga so I can't accurately summarize what I find appealing. A simplified vague answer is perhaps a combination of awesome art, great characters, and mastery of sequential graphics storytelling. I do have a soft spot for generic action and gory manga though, perhaps because they're very visual-based so they're easily fast to read. My least favorite genre is perhaps shoujo romance manga because it tends to have a lot of dialogue and glacial pacing.
And to anyone who bother to read all of this and interested in a conversation with me, do note that I have a lot of problem with the concept of viewing a fictional character as an object of personal romantic and/or carnal desire. It's the concept I have problems the most related to anime/manga fandom, and while it's understandable to an extent, I believe one shouldn't wallow in it.
That said, I always welcome a conversation about manga (as I've said, I don't really watch much anime to be able to hold a good conversation about it), especially if it's about overlooked manga, just don't ask me about best girl or something like that.
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All Comments (17) Comments
I can see where you’re coming from on really enjoying and appreciating Chrono Trigger, but not getting emotionally caught up in it. I actually only checked it out because I knew it is one of Chris Avellone’s favorite games, and was still surprised at how much I enjoy it.
What got me caught up in CT was how everything worked together without any excess—the mechanics are really refined and can make for some exciting fights, grinding is not needed at all, no random encounters (something which has always turned me off from JRPGs), great pacing with dungeons and “open world areas,” lot of variety and party possibility with different enemies, etc. The freedom in the second half of the game is a real bonus—it’s certainly nowhere at the level of the best CPRGs, but it’s really fun to see your actions have actual consequences, with one actions in a given quest affecting another, and how it is literally non-linear in what order you approach the quests. The various endings are also cool—I like that a fail state is a genuine ending—and the “canon”/best endings provide a satisfying sendoff for a simple but effective story.
One mistake that a lot of video game designers and writers make is overwriting characters and plots. Frankly the writing in most video games in terrible. Unless they’re actually talented (see: Chris Avellone and other Black Isle-related staff, etc.), stories should be stripped to their core, because more lines and scenes given to characters only remind me of how bland, cliche, etc. they are. CT’s are pretty much stereotypes with a little bit of depth, pulled from almost archetypal depictions of fantasy stories. But the story never dwells too much on any given moment or character, and even in moments of reflection they’re not highlighted to the point where their lack of depth is a problem. Less is more, after all—Team Ico and Miyazaki’s Souls series understand this. It’s a nice contrast compared to the “cinematic” games which are the trend nowadays. I think it’s stupid and really misses the point of the whole medium…
Additionally, CT’s music really helps add an emotional dimension to the game. I’m not gonna make this too long—have enough of a bad habit as it is—so I’m just gonna link to this part of an analysis that dissects why CT is such a success: http://thegamedesignforum.com/features/reverse_design_CT_7.html
The whole thing is worth reading, but that last section on that page highlights why CT’s music is so complimentary and vital to game. The lack of obvious and telling cues for emotions in traditional soundtracks gives it an added dimension for the player to fill in themselves. Tracks like “Schala’s Theme,” “The Day the World Revived” and “To Far Away Times” are probably the best examples of this.
Anyway, as for AJ: I seriously do look forward to hearing your thoughts about my (ridiculously long) rewrite ideas! And don’t worry about not being able to write that much in an hour. I mean damn, for your secondary language, your handle of English is way better than the average American. I’m the freak here—my girlfriend would more than agree with that. Whenever I get a real impulse to start really analyzing a work, I jump in the deep end.
I will add that with those revisions, one of the consequences would be not just a clean finish with Phoenix’s story, but Maya’s and Edgeworth’s, as well. Throughout the trilogy Phoenix has to save both at them at one point or another. This would be a nice reversal from those games—while Phoenix would do his own digging, there would be explicit examples of Maya and Edgeworth playing their part not just for Phoenix’s case, but also showing the success of their own maturation and development. One constant flaw for Maya in the trilogy is her channelling: it’s never consistent, and her occasional failures have created serious problems for her and others. In addition, Kurain is obviously in need of some changes in traditions and societal views. We could certainly be witness to those changes in an incidental manner (Apollo, having learned about the place years ago when reading up on Phoenix's old cases, could notice that there are a lot more men around and actively helping than he had read about). Additionally, Maya’s own channelling of the characters would further show how her confidence and skill has grown in her time becoming the Master of the Kurain. Edgeworth would also finally show the fruits of his own labor pay off. Issues and allegations of corruption plagued him throughout his career, with a real uncertainty of his own purpose in law being a near-constant before JFA. Seeing him rise to become Chief Prosecutor and explicitly enact real reform for the judiciary system would be a real mark of his influence, and finally enacting his own changed views on prosecution and the truth in a much more larger, tangible way.
Here we would have two characters who frequently suffered through bouts of feeling useless and doubts about their own roles and relationships. Now they’ve become truly strong people. They’ve begun revolutionizing the systems they work in precisely because of what they’ve gone through. It’s the kind of development that is both satisfying and brings a sense of finality. On top of that, we see how they are living their own lives, but also have them naturally intersect with and continue to support Phoenix after all of this time. We get to learn of this and experience it all through Apollo, and we feel the emotional weight of their actions because of this. This approach would be much stronger compared to DD’s, where we just have Edgeworth making a small reference to helping Phoenix get his badge back, and Phoenix being immediately uplifted by receiving a letter from Maya when he is completely distraught and lost. Show, don’t tell.
With those kind of character arcs, I would be fine with closing the book on Edgeworth, Maya and Pearl as major characters in the future. It should be Apollo’s story, anyway, and I think this game also helps with that. (Fun fact: a popularity poll was taken in Japan after DD was released. Apollo was #1, presumably due to the game giving him more development and a greater focus. Edgeworth was #2, Phoenix #3, and Maya #4. Fulbright rounded out the top five.) The biggest mistake was not having a previously established character succeed Phoenix’s role. I think that’s why Apollo seemed to have gotten a lot of hate from fans with AJ. With this, you have shown the consequences of Maya and Edgeworth at last succeeding in their own roles and lives, as well as how they still interact with Phoenix. This rewrite effectively balances the game more between Phoenix and Apollo, making it more transitional than it currently is (giving Apollo more agency while learning about Phoenix's AND the Gramarye's pasts, as well as his interactions with the Gavins). It sets up Apollo as the franchise's future. Phoenix would obviously continue as Apollo’s boss, but as a pure mentor—what Mia would have been had she not been killed. Apollo would take over, and continue his own development with the expanded Gramarye storyline in my rewrite that could continue into future games. After all, Phoenix himself was not the well-developed character he was after just the first game. Apollo would still have to learn of his father, and, thinking about it, I would probably hold off on having Thalassa come to him and Trucy at the end. I would definitely include her and the revelation about them in the next game, though.
Speaking of Trucy, I would at least keep her from holding up a cheerful facade throughout the entire game. Hearing Phoenix just reference her hiding her pain doesn’t emotionally register—again, show, don’t tell. Illusions and tricks are a constant in the game, and Trucy embodies this. Still, you cannot keep up that facade forever, and it would have really helped her character dropping it to show that pain—stronger hints here and there, with a real look through the curtains where she would talk to Zak when Maya would channel him.
One last thing: I would emphasize Kristoph a lot more. His relationship with Apollo is something left unsaid in the game. He was Apollo’s mentor, and I would think there would be more anxiety surrounding Apollo throughout the game. Having Apollo handle the investigations instead of dropping Phoenix in to visit Kristoph in the MASON System would certainly add to this. Additionally, even if they don’t have the best relationship, I can’t imagine Klavier being indifferent about Kristoph being found guilty of murder. Having him act more hostile to Apollo should be an obvious character conflict throughout the game, and I’m surprised Takumi didn’t do that considering how it could be implemented without changing anything else about the game as it currently stands… As far as the black psyche-locks go, I dunno if I would break them. Could be something Maya and Pearl look into (as it also happens in DD), but they’re unable to find out what Kristoph’s secrets are… I suppose I’m okay with DD’s explanation about them, but fully explaining Kristoph’s rationale and history probably wouldn’t help his character. Overwriting, and all that.
Anyway, if you’re able to find a cheap, used PS3 like I was, I would definitely jump on Demon’s Souls. There’s other good PS3 exclusives out there. The HD remaster of the Team Ico games is very good. Haven’t played it yet, but the HD version of Okami is also supposedly great. Heard good things about Dragon’s Dogma. I also like the availability of older Playstation titles.
I’ll try to see if Thermae Romae is available at any libraries. As for Igarashi’s Little Forest, is it more of an catalogue of various foods and dishes in a rural setting, or are there stories organically (hurr hurr) integrated with the focus on cooking?
I find that a lot of the more overtly emotional tracks and ending themes in Japanese games can really tug at the heart strings. Moreso than a lot of American video games, which don’t often don’t go down that path. I don’t really play a lot of Japanese games, but stuff like AA, Ghost Trick, Earthbound, Dark Souls, the Team Ico games, etc. all really pull this off well. You can add Chrono Trigger to that list, which I actually played for the first time a short while ago. You ever play it?
As for Apollo Justice, yeah, I think the themes and problems it alludes to are far, far more substantial than the naive silliness the Dual Destinies team made. I could be wrong, but I think Takumi had something very different in mind with AJ, and I’m disappointed that the jurist system isn’t even mentioned in DD. I think it could have been an amazing mechanic if applied right, but the DD didn’t even try… Well, despite all that, you’re also right in that while I admire what Takumi attempted to do in AJ, the writing wasn’t there due to a combination of Capcom meddling and Takumi not being able to adjust.
Now, if I had the ability to time travel, instantly speak Japanese and have influence over Takumi as a story editor/consultant, this is how I would probably reshape the cases:
4-1: Wouldn’t change a thing. There might be some specifics I’d adjust—it’s been a while since I’ve played any of the non-DD cases—but they’re all minor. I think it’s perfect for setting the tone, background and plot of what’s to follow, and is easily my favorite introductory case in the whole series.
4-2: I like the two Elder Kitakis, and the concept of the case is pretty solid. Where I think it falls short, though, is with Wocky himself (he’s not Regina or Ben & Trilo levels of annoying, but I don’t find his schtick or eventual turnaround that interesting), and also not highlighting the idea of corruption that I think Takumi wanted to stress. The closest you get is with the doctor working with the mob. What I would have tried—and might have been risky—is introducing the rival mob/yazuka family. You do run the chance of having too many characters for a given case—particularly for the second one in a game—but having two additional characters gives a bit more flexibility when it comes to misdirections. One of the two Rivales family members introduced could be played up as a potential suspect who Apollo could pursue. At the same time, Takumi could also start delving even more into corruption by referencing potential mob/yazkua ties to the court, stressing conflicts between the Kitakis and Rivales even more, etc. All of these back and forths, changing loyalties and suspicions would be apiece with the story and themes Takumi has written.
I would also modify Klavier a bit, as well as some of Trucy’s interactions with him. Klavier is a bit of fresh hair in the series, as far as prosecutors go—he’s arrogant, but isn’t as narrow-minded in his focus in beating the defense attorney. That’s pretty much his defining trait. I think Takumi might have wanted to do more with him, as I recall some line by him in the final case talking about how he was always bothered by Phoenix’s supposed forgery years ago.* I think this should be stressed a lot more and earlier, showing someone who is in doubt but still being a bit full of himself and thinking he was right most of the time. As for Trucy, I would dial back the sort of fangirling she does and present a bit of unease around Klavier. After all, even if he didn’t do anything wrong (tho Trucy doesn’t have to know this for sure, as I’ll talk about later), he’s still the prosecutor that basically destroyed her father’s career. It would give more of an edge and depth to Trucy’s character that is otherwise lacking… which I think is true of all of the non-Maya assistants in the series, save maybe a few moments with Athena (though I haven’t played the second Edgeworth game yet).
On the subject of Maya, I’d probably make the Steel Samurai DVDs she sends to Phoenix a “mandatory” observation on Apollo’s part. It wouldn’t something strictly forced upon the player, but I would at least have Apollo explicitly notice the DVDs, as I don’t recall him doing that in the game (though I could be misremembering). Even something offhand like Apollo thinking about why “Mr. Wright has all of those Steel Samurai DVDs…” to point the player into examining/asking about them. It would set up something important later without the player missing vital plot content (something which is always a delicate balance to achieve with game design).
I might also have Ema alluding to Edgeworth, although this could take place in the next case. Speaking of…
4-3: Scrap everything!
…
Well, nearly everything.
This is where a rewrite becomes difficult, because it’s no longer just modifying content with some small but significant additions. I really don’t like this. Earlier third cases have at least some aspects that redeemed them: 1-3 has the introduction of the Steel Samurai, Will Powers and, most importantly, Oldbag; 2-3 has Moe, his jokes, and an interesting if fucked up story with Acro; and 3-3 has Maya in a maid outfit, more of Godot’s craziness and one of the most satisfying breakdowns with Furio Tigre. I suppose you could say that least Valant and Thalassa are introduced here, but their stories proper aren’t delved into until 4-4. The series has never had consistently air-tight logic, but here it just gets stupid with the characters’ actions.
The idea of performance and illusions fits well, and I would probably move it to a different setting. Something more magic oriented, where the Gramarye would be introduced a bit more thoroughly. Perhaps even as a set-up for a Gavinners’ concert, if you wanted to emphasize Klavier’s eccentricity by not having a conventional opening act band… Machi Tobaye doesn’t exist and thus isn’t one of the dumbest possible suspects ever, LeTouse doesn’t make a really roundabout and frankly moronic reference to his real killer, the smuggling plot as a whole in scrapped, etc. I also don’t find Daryan to be that interesting beyond two conceits: he’s one of the few characters in the game that’s a blatant asshole, and he presents another example of corruption in law. His character is just annoying though, barely a step up from Furio Tigre. Replace all of that with more compelling characters that might have some more relevance to the Gramaryes (and, by extension, Trucy and Apollo), and suddenly you have something more connected to the plot while being able to stand on its own (something which 5-3 wants to do, kinda succeeds, but loses me on with the cheesy as shit anime scenes of FRIENDSHIP and the juvenile messages with Professor Means and the Dark Age of the Law).
In general I would really want this case to start correcting the most frustrating flaw in the game: how Trucy and Apollo receive little to no depth and development. DD sorta kinda maybe tries to fix this, but only with Apollo, and doesn’t go all the way. This case would really start to give them more of an overt connection to their past, some real agency in investigating it with Valant and Lamiroir/Thalassa being triggers whether overt (Valant) or subtle (Thalassa), and in the right context (that of magic and trickery to emphasize one of the game’s major themes, as opposed to the lone disappearing act we get with Valant in the game). You can pull some machinations right out of The Prestige, have it focused on stage direction and setting (both of which Trucy and Klavier would have knowledge and experience of) with Apollo and Trucy finding hints of their past while investigating.
Ema’s reference to Edgeworth and his relationship with Wright could also be dropped here. This would set up the player nicely, because further emphasizing bits and pieces of Phoenix’s past would prepare them for…
4-4: So this is where I bit worried about repeating the structure of Trials and Tribulations. 3-1 and 4-1 aren’t obvious mirrors, but they do present similar premises: an unfamiliar characterization of Phoenix being accused of murder, having to be defended by a new lawyer, who in turn encounters the game’s final villain with obvious foreshadowing. 4-4 would drop us back in the past like 3-4 did, although this time I would include an investigation section. This would basically be a more extended and linear depiction of that fateful trial of forgery that we experience with the MASON System. Rearranging and rewriting those portions into their own case solves a few things for me:
1) The “prologue” thrown in the middle of the original 4-4, and the general hopping around of the MASON System. I think the idea has a lot of potential, but it feels ridiculously incomplete here, and may not totally fit the kind of game the AA series is (a linear point and click with some “puzzle” elements). The kind of cause and effect with the characters and evidence also doesn’t follow any strict logic, which makes the whole experience very strange and frustrating as a gameplay mechanic, even if the story it’s telling is compelling. I do wonder why Takumi included this, anyway. The optimist would like to think this was another new mechanic that was introduced and ultimately fell short due to a lack of refinement and time. The cynic believes this was a last-minute stop-gap to cover for Capcom’s demands and Takumi having no idea how to tie it all together into a more conventional case for Apollo to investigate (which would have been a lot more satisfying, made the final trial day less anti-climatic, and given Apollo some more agency on his part).
2) Set up Edgeworth and Maya (and, by extension, Pearl) for the final case. You would already have allusions to them earlier (Maya in 4-2, Edgeworth in 4-3). Their earlier references wouldn’t overshadow the characters and stories of the two cases, which is the balance to be concerned with here, especially with the greater focus on trying to develop Apollo, Trucy and Klavier. (Ema’s character has already seen development, but could see her cynicism/bitterness diminished a bit in the finale, as I’ll hopefully remember to mention later…) Here they are edged in more appropriately than the cameos we get of nearly all of the characters in the Edgeworth game and DD. Their presence would only occur after the trial, however. Maya and Pearl would rushing to support Phoenix after losing his badge, with Maya suggesting that they channel Mia for advice but Phoenix declining at the time in shame of her finding out. (This would satisfy a sense of character conflict and development, as well inform new players unfamiliar with the original trilogy about the Feys’ relationship with Phoenix and their own channeling powers.) You might also have some substantial interaction between the Feys and Trucy—it’s something that undoubtedly happened during the seven year stretch, and even DD backs this up with Pearl and Phoenix’s conversation about Maya visiting. One more scene and day later, and we have Edgeworth meeting Phoenix again, having returned urgently after hearing the news (this is the same guy that chartered a plane when Phoenix fell into a freezing river). In addition to some general support, the discussion would revolve around the legal side of things—suspicions about what happened, who caused it, and possible solutions. The idea of a jurist system is also something that could referenced here, if it’s something that could ultimately be implemented, refined and kept in future games (instead of being straight-up dropped in DD).
Even with all this, these returning characters wouldn’t overshadow the new cast, due to…
3) … a focus on the Gramaryes’ history and conflict during the investigations portion. With no Maya and Pearl, it would be an interesting step away for Phoenix to do investigations on his own. In fact, I don’t think there’s been any solo investigations since 1-2, unless it happened in 1-5 when Ema was accused (I don’t remember the timeline for that case very well). A lot of key information would be withheld, of course, with some serious deflections and denials. Everything occupying them would effectively take up at least 75%—maybe more if you include Trucy’s presence in the aftermath. 4-4 in general would be pretty short—investigation with Gumshoe’s occasional interactions, the trial, and then the fallout referenced above. This would set up everything for the final case.
4-5: One of the problems with the original game’s final case once the Mason System kicks in is that there’s no real suspense once it happens. Any kind of rising and falling action mainly surrounds Kristoph eventually realizing that he’s about to be destroyed. The final trial day is merely a formality. You didn’t discover these things through Apollo, and so his role in the whole thing is merely another cog to keep the machine of Phoenix’s revenge in motion. The only “surprising” revelation is something that we don’t even investigate ourselves: that Apollo is a Gramarye, and he and Trucy are siblings. It’s something that I feel should be led up to and discovered by the player, rather than dropped out of the sky as it is with the game.
The first investigation and trial I remember having fewer issues with. Obviously accommodations would have to be made with any specific changes that would occur in the structural differences I’ve made so far. Where things would immediately change is what happens after. Nearly all of what is discovered with the MASON System would be collapsed in the following investigation. The only thing that would have been definitively placed in the reimagined 4-4 would by Phoenix’s discussion with Trucy about creating the Talent Agency. What remains would essentially be either moved here with few changes, with Apollo investigating instead with some important hints and bits of evidence from Phoenix, as well as some other serious rewrites of scenes that could have only occurred in the past.
In particular, those scenes in the past could be reconstructed in a couple different way, one of which would be talking to the dead. This is obviously where Maya and Pearl enter the picture. Channeling the dead probably wouldn’t be sustainable for the trial, although it could possibly be worked in considering the judge has seen such shenanigans before. The primary focus would be on the investigations side of things. This would provide a few key benefits.
1) On a personal level, Apollo meeting Maya. Apollo is really susceptible to teasing with a nice range of responses, and I always have felt that any interactions he’d have with Maya would be hilarious.
2) More importantly, creating a substantial reason for the Feys to be involved, and to also have to participate in the development (and eventual closure!) of the focus on Phoenix’s storyline. I’ve already mentioned this before, but one of the more annoying traits of the some of the later AA/AI games are the mostly pointless cameos. Giving characters actual roles and real involvement is critical. At this point in time, I dunno how sustainable or realistic that’s gonna be for future games because of a hole Takumi and Yamazaki have dug the series in (which I’ll go on about later).
3) Interactions with the Gramaryes’ spirits, for example, gives a lot of potential for Trucy and Apollo. Could you imagine a discussion between Trucy and Zak? Or hints being dropped about Apollo’s powers, causing him to further investigate what it could mean? It gives an added emotional dimension that shifts this from being a story about Phoenix to something more evenly shared between him and Apollo’s generation. You could also have Drew Misham involved here, or in the next investigations portion.
We then return to day two of the trial. Further shenanigans with Brushel and new ones with Valant. Another break.
Edgeworth stepping into the picture, crucial evidence or clues from him and Phoenix, more investigations. The pieces have been set for the experiment with the jurist system, and Edgeworth has a personal interest in seeing this fixed now that Kristoph’s involvement has come to light based on Phoenix’s off-screen investigations and Apollo’s own sleuthing. Apollo goes to face his old boss—whooooo, that could be a real doozy right there (and I would love it for more Kristoph, anyway! He’s easily my favorite villain in the whole series). Maya and Pearl take further involvement, as they, like Edgeworth, have their own personal interest in the outcome of the case. Trucy asks about them possibly channeling their mother—to which they cannot find her, indicating that she’s likely alive (HMMMMMM). Klavier shows a lot more tension and unease as it becomes clear how intertwined this case likely is to the forgery case of seven years ago. More investigating and a sense of finality approaching.
Last day of the trial. More of a satisfying finish with Kristoph due to Apollo’s own personal involvement in investigating, amassing new bits of evidence and facts about his former boss, the Gramaryes and Mishams. Klavier stands far more resolute and skeptical at upending his brother when it’s clear what has happened. Kristoph is undone by the masses.
And so we are no longer on the darkest timeline. We get a real sense of closure and relief of Phoenix being vindicated after all of these years with Maya, Pearl and Edgeworth, especially with their own involvement. Phoenix entertains the idea of going back into law after witnessing Apollo’s efforts and reminding him of those days gone by. Ema is particularly moved and inspired—the temptation to try to get into forensics rises. Despite these difficulties and constant issues of corruption and illusions, substantial, positive change can be made, and it’s not too late to do so… which could lead into one very special, final change, with Thalassa coming forward to Trucy and Apollo as the credits start to roll…
…
So.
Uh, I wrote a lot—hopefully it was interesting! What would you think of those changes? There’s a few wildcard ideas I had in the back of my mind—for example, I think it would be appropriate if Gumshoe were involved in 4-5 somehow, after being introduced and playing a somewhat significant role in 4-4—but am not sure how I’d quite fit them. My primary concerns with thinking up these revisions (which took me about an hour to think of and put to paper, or monitor, rather) were:
- Rounding out Trucy and Apollo’s characters, and in particular giving the latter an actual, real focus in his own freakin’ game. Giving Klavier some added dimension would also be a benefit in how he, too, would be more obviously bothered by the events of seven years ago, while also trying to pass it off, instead of the lone reference we get in the current game. This resolution also sets up Apollo getting a cleaner focus in the sequel—DD or whatever it would be—while Phoenix could take on a more clearer support role rather than splitting screen time as much as he does, or even putting Apollo out there to create more of his own path.
- The revisions with Maya, Pearl and Edgeworth would go a long way towards filling in some narrative gaps that I feel didn’t need to be created in AJ as it currently is. There are plenty of fans who would love to just be pandered to and want to see the same characters in every single game from here on out or some variation thereof—that’s terrible for obvious reasons. But the gaps with the Feys and Edgeworth don’t make much sense to me in not depicting their relations to Phoenix’s life. This can be excused to a degree by saying Apollo’s time and view with Phoenix is limited, as it what Phoenix selectively shows in the MASON System, but both of those are not real solutions, but problems for other reasons. If the game is about Phoenix’s story, then consider: two references to Maya and none to Edgeworth—both of whom, along with Pearl, are the three most important (living) people to him—is completely lacking compared to the picture painted consistently with the previous entries in the series. Additionally, we see a part of the consequences of his disbarment, but not the full picture, and so Kristoph’s eventual fate is just something that happens without the same emotional and thematic gravitas of the finales in the first three games. (I feel that the ending credits reinforce that feeling—more of a “huh”—but that’s probably more of a coincidence.)
- Likewise, this also circumvents some issues that I feel crept up with DD and will definitely be an issue for Yamazaki’s team to overcome with future AA games. While there is a real sense of closure with the original trilogy, you could achieve it again, and perhaps to a better effect with this focus in AJ. Fans will still want to know what happened with Franziska, Godot, etc. I suppose, but I also think the developers are smart enough to know that they can’t include cameos of everyone—the difference between AAI and DD is clear enough. What I feel less confident in is how they handle cameos without making them feel like fan pandering, or if they have more substantial roles, not overshadowing new characters that deserve development. With this revised AJ, I think fans could accept a cleaner break in shifting the focus from Phoenix to Apollo without any dangling threads—as much as I love them, I would be fine with seeing little to nothing of Edgeworth, Maya and Pearl in future titles. As it stands now, though, that’s certainly not the case. Considering her popularity in the fandom, Maya is likely to be featured in the next AA, but I can only hope that it’s not merely fan pandering, and also doesn’t overtake any new characters. Additionally, Trucy’s whole character became a bit repetitive and little more than a joke in DD, and her relationship with Apollo was not even alluded to by Phoenix in DD. Then you have Ema being referenced solely in the DLC case when she was a huge factor in AJ… I worry about these characters being brought back and mishandled or just ignored beyond a mention. Not out of wanting them to continue appearing in all future games or something asinine, but rather allowing them to have a clean break out of it. For the narrative’s sake, the game should shift to Apollo (frankly I have no idea what they’re gonna do with Athena, as her character, while fun, isn’t very dynamic unlike Phoenix in the original trilogy or Apollo), but I don’t think that will happen.
I’d love to be wrong and see them all beautifully sort out those dangling threads, among other issues, while making Apollo the primary focus, but I’m skeptical.
… Anyway, I’m rambling right now. So yeah, again, lemme know what you think!
I think I would like 2-3 more if Ben and Trilo were replaced by far more likable characters, Regina’s naivety was far less stupid, and Acro wasn’t clearly the culprit the moment you met him (or even before that, really). I know other fans hate the case cuz of Moe, but honestly I like him and his dad jokes. Acro is also a cool culprit—more sadistic than I think a lot of fans realize, but his story continues the theme of selfish vengeance he showed in 2-2.** Aside from that and the stupidity of 2-1, I like the second game a lot, and it might be my favorite game of the series despite the lows being worse than any of the others in the trilogy (save for maybe 3-3 and 4-3). It doesn’t suffer from being a full-on introduction to the series like the first game, and doesn’t suffer from filler case bloat and contrived Fey Clan drama in the third game (mind you, I like that drama, and the characters in 3-2). It benefits from fully concentrating on its own ideas and characters without burdening itself to a larger narrative like the subsequent games, has some really nice evolutions from the main characters, and handles returning characters perfectly. Plus, like you mention, the fourth case presents a really interesting moral dilemma. If this were some C&C RPG, it would honestly be a heartbreaking choice. That kind of tension, along with the grey actions done by Phoenix in AJ, would be awesome to see return to the franchise.
Playing as a glass canon in Demon’s Souls is very dangerous, although you can get around it on a new play through by casting a spell called “Warding” which reduces a ton of physical damage (I think about 70%). I didn’t get it till the late game, and by that point I only used it for what I later find it is technically the final stage of the game. The blue and red eyed knights in that level are far more intimidating than the black and silver knights in Dark Souls, and Old King Allant is a far, far scarier boss than anything in DaS. I’ll admit that I’ve never soloed Pikachu and Snorlax, but going through DaS in NG+ was really easy. I think the most telling difference for me was that it only took me two tries to beat Artorias, whereas my first encounter in NG took a couple dozen. Once you’ve mastered rolling you’ve REALLY got the game down—shields are almost just useful for that passive effects once you “git gud.” Parrying was also something I’ve figured out, thanks to a mixture of PvP and just doing it more consistently. I just parried my way to beat every single one in the game.
… Anyway, all of that is to say that I think the Old King Allant fight in DeS is a far more difficult fight than anything in DaS. (On the flip side, I can easily solo the Maneaters, whereas Oreos and Creme made me nope the one time I did try to solo them.) Aside from getting blind-sided by his soul level drain, he’s very selectively aggressive, does a lot of damage, and is really, really fast. His A.I. is less exploitable compared to other bosses in DeS and DaS. Imagine if Gwyn could not be parried, Artorias’s buff was actually a stupidly powerful AoE with absurd range, with faster reactions than either to punish you. That’s Old King Allant in a nutshell.
Otherwise, I’d say the environments/individual levels are a lot harder in DeS, even if the bosses (excepting Allant, Flamelurker and Maneater) are easier. If you intend to explore everything, the Valley of Defilement laughs at anyone who’s ever complained about Blighttown (there is no enemy in the series scarier than Giant Depraved Ones)… At least there is one boss that’s just as, if not more emotional than fighting Sif after the DLC.
I fell out of playing video games seriously for a few years. I would do multiplayer stuff with friends, but anime, manga, American and European comics, films, novels, etc. just grabbed my attention more for my “me time.” What got me back into gaming was when my girlfriend recommended I tried playing Fallout: New Vegas. I got it for her as a Christmas present when it came out, so I played it a good few months afterwards, and was super fucking impressed at the writing, reactivity and sheer amount of choices and options you had. I thought that video games had really advanced a lot on consoles to be this mature! Oh how naive I was…
Anyway, thanks for the manga recommendations! A few of those have been on my radar for a while—Rose of Versailles and Ashita no Joe, for sure, and I’ve been on the fence about buying Thermae Romae since Japanese comedy can be really hit-or-miss with me. Definitely gonna add others to the list that I haven’t already.
I had a lot more clear thoughts on Isobe’s transformation when reading it, so of course my forgetful memory struggles a while after the fact… I do at least remember thinking that the titular “girl by the sea” essentially replaced the obsession he had with his brother and, to a degree, Koume. He’s an anti-social type that needs at least one person to anchor him in his life. His brother presented that for a while, then he lost that. I think he wanted that with Koume, but the insanity of their relationship at times made him too hesitant to fully invest himself in her (whereas the longevity just made Koume care more). The girl by the sea is abstract enough for Isobe to idolize her without much concern for loss or rejection. Of course it’s the idea that he’s attracted to, rather than the girl herself, which makes for interesting contradictory goals when he plans to go to the same university, meet her, etc. I don’t think he’s actually changed that much. Of course, he’s no longer suicidal, which is, uh, good, but he’s still the same narrow-minded individual whose desires are relatively selfish.
Is the kiss your referring to between Koume and her new boyfriend introduced in the final chapter? I think it just signifies a new evolution in her character, and how this is more open and honest compared to her relationship with Isobe (if the dialogue didn’t hammer that home).
I think of the manga as a less fantastical, more “masculine” version of Paradise Kiss. Nice breath of fresh air from the usual romance. Tonally it’s also closer to Solanin than Asano’s more recent, bleak stories while still holding a nasty edge (which is fine for Nijigahara Holograph, but God I got tired of Punpun).
*I would also have Klavier be the prosecutor in DD’s DLC case. While Blackquill somewhat fits with his love of animals, this is barely referenced in the case itself. I think it would have made the case more poetic—and probably one of my favorite cases in the series—if Klavier had been in his place. Phoenix’s first case back would be against the last prosecutor he stood against eight years ago, Klavier would have more relevance to the musical aspect of the case, and it would have given him some real development that is otherwise lacking. (The cameos in DD are thankfully fewer and less pointless than what happened in that first Miles Edgeworth game, although Klavier’s is still relatively pointless, and Pearl’s in the fifth case is nice for Phoenix, but doesn’t add much to the case itself.) One other potential change to the DLC case is including Ema as the detective. Fulbright is tied to Blackquill, and I would wager most players play this one after finishing 5-5, making things a bit… awkward when seeing him. The one issue this would create is that Pearl’s use of the forensics becomes redundant, but that’s something that could be worked around. I would do a lot of things differently with DD, anyway…
**I think the DLC case of DD is a superior remake of 2-3, anyway.
I’m a a bit of a sucker for characters who are truly isolated and abandoned from the rest of the world, who suffer with no way to voice their pain.* Yomiel loses everything: his job and life are both stolen from him, and he is helpless as his fiancee dies. He has only a cat to provide him comfort, and is otherwise stuck in his head for over ten years. (That montage of him walking past the characters still sticks with me.) So it’s understandable why he’s so malicious, but, as you note, there’s still an important part of humanity left because of Sissel. When Sissel asks him why Yomiel didn’t try to stop him, he says that he couldn’t, because he can’t control time and change someone’s death—if he could, he would have saved Sissel and his fiancee.
And of course this fucking music has to play when he says that, just in case you were holding back your tears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUGlC8WOQt0. It’s easily one of the best tracks in any of the Shu Takumi games. It’s oozing with a kind of wistfulness and lost innocence that really personifies the game’s obsession with regret.
There’s a lot of emotional things like that without even mentioning Missle’s whole story. It’s one of the few times I’ve seen animals actually done right in a video game. Usually pets are just cheap, manipulative plot parts (“Will the dog run to safety in time from the explosion?!” Independence Day asks its audience), or else they’re given voices that don’t quite fit (I love Neil Gaiman, but I dunno if I buy his interpretation of cats in that one short story). Missle and Sissel are perfectly characterized—you can’t put too many complex thoughts or emotions for pets, but you can add dimension to them and highlight how their experience differs from humans. Ghost Trick does this wonderfully.
So, uh, yeah, definitely agree with you on Ghost Trick. It basically undid any concerns I had about the writing in Apollo Justice, which seems even clearer now that a lot of the problems in that game and the story are a result of Capcom’s meddling… While I do enjoy the cases more in Dual Destinies than in AJ, the message and focus of the new team in DD seems kinda trite and anime-ish compared to some of the more difficult issues Takumi grapples with in AJ. It makes me wonder what Takumi’s original plans were, because the disillusionment with law, aging and traditional concepts of family is really dark in AJ. While they’re ideas he alludes to in the original trilogy, you still have the good guys more or less come out of it victorious, with a clear hope of things getting better, and the makeshift family of Phoenix, Maya and Pearl persevering. The blurred lines of corruptibility is something I think Takumi wanted to tackle, and it comes through the game most obviously with Phoenix landing Kristoph in prison based on false evidence after Kristoph destroyed his career and life by doing the same. Then you have whole issues of a fucked up family with the Gramarye’s and their history (sadly I don’t think this is gonna be followed up, considering Thalassa wasn’t referenced and Trucy is strictly a joke character now). Top that off with the general cynicism of Ema, Phoenix, etc. and AJ is a surprisingly dark game in a series that’s more FMA-like than anything else (the manga, not the 2003 anime, which is too emotionally narrow for me to even enjoy anymore).
I have a nostalgic fondness for the first few cases and other “filler” cases of the AA trilogy, but yeah, I don’t think I would love the games like I do if it weren’t for cases like 1-4, 1-5, 2-2, 2-4 and 3-5. My two favorite “non-finale” cases (ugh terrible wording) would probably be 4-1 and the DLC case for DD. Aside from 2-4 being my all-time favorite case, it’s tough to decide after that. I would wanna say 1-4 or 3-5, but 4-1 is really, really concise and sharp—I think it being a tutorial case helps, and it doesn’t feel awkwardly shoe-horned in like a lot of the others do. The back and forth between Phoenix and Kristoph is fantastic, and I think the opening with Apollo really sets the tone perfectly: http://youtu.be/DuItzW2v-L0?t=1m24s
Anyhow, onto non-Takumi things: I actually see your point about favoring the different approach of STR vs DEX. I think if you’re actually really good at the game, STR weapons might be preferable if you can nail dead-angled, the timing of your strikes, etc. It’s something I wanna try, maybe when I get Dark Souls 2 (since I dunno how weapons are gonna handle in Bloodborne, but I imagine faster ones will suit the gameplay better). I actually tried being a mage in Demon’s Souls when I played that recently after getting a refurbished PS3 for cheap (great game, btw! Still prefer Dark Souls, but there’s a lot to love about it). On one hand, magic felt really OP a lot of the time, but being a glass cannon also has its drawbacks. I was usually able to compensate for this by using a Sharp 5+ Estoc to compliment my parries or rolls when ranged spells wouldn’t work, but sometimes I had to resort to Warding towards the end of the game when one fuck up otherwise meant game over (Old King Allant, holy shit what a fight).
I haven’t read much new manga lately for a couple reasons. I usually go through phases in my interests and obsessions—recently it’s video games, before that it was television series, before that it was novels, etc. I still keep up with any and everything, but sometimes I can neglect them. The other reason is that it’s harder for me to keep up with releases of mature and artsy manga. Following groups like Mangascreener and Kotonoha was always great and reliable, and the seinen community seemed to be more active in promoting that stuff, with a nice mix of josei and alternative stuff, as well. Nowadays it just feels like these aggregate sites seem to mainly focus on action-y shonen-masquerading-as-seinen nonsense, with the aforementioned groups either being inactive or barely releasing much of anything. So for me, it’s harder to discover new manga titles or artists compared to the mid to late 2000s (although I was not aware of the new Igarashi manga!), partially cause the old guard is mostly gone, partially cause I’m not aware of where to find and track new manga titles and artists outside of a couple places (e.g. Hox and Manga Underground), and lastly because I do think there’s been a shift in the scanlations community—if not in what’s scanlated, then at least in what is being promoted (since MangaScreener, Kotonoha, Hawks, etc. are now all gone).
Speaking of, after installing and using IRC for the first time since high school, I’ve discovered that I can’t find any of Gantz Waiting Room’s releases. Is the only way to download The World is Mine and their other releases through registering and posting on that jCafe site? If so, that’s really frustrating.
*Did you ever read Johnny Got His Gun? This is literal embodiment of this premise. It’s one of the saddest things I’ve ever read—fiction or non-fiction—and was apparently inspired by an actual soldier Dalton Trumbo encountered.
The gameplay for F:NV is far from ideal, but play it with hardcore mode—I also need to try out J.E. Sawyer's own mod for the game—and I don't think it's that bad. Actually have to use resources! But yeah, the writing and reactivity is why the game works so well.
I'm actually tempted to just go with a FTH/DEX build after your comments lol. I really wanna try to use STR tho, if only cuz it's so easy to fall back on DEX due to the sheer versatility of weapons. I'm someone that loves having reach and range, and a lot of STR weapons are difficult to use—and I'd really like to expand my experience to those beyond the claymore and zweihander, since I've mainly use DEX and quality build weapons.
If I ever build a sorcerer, I would need to mix in pyromancy. Aside from the occasional fuck-up with rolls, it's way too easy to dodge sorceries in PVP. Even pursuers while getting ganked are manageable. Of course, the lightning bolts suffer the same issue for FTH builds, but I've barely encountered those—most seem to use the enchanments, Force/WotG, and fucking TWoP (i.e. time to turtle up and up your stamina regeneration is better than your opponent's). Of course, I still need to git gud cuz half of my deaths result from dead-angle backstabs and the occasional stun lock. Might help if I played the game more consistently, as I'm guessing a lot of PvPers do.
As for the games:
- I agree with you to an extent about Ghost Trick being superior in many ways to Ace Attorney. I think it's gameplay has a lot more potential for variety than AA's (as fun as it is), and the overall story is better than anything Takumi has written for AA. I also like every single named character in GT, which I can't say for any AA game (Regina, Ben & Trillo, Furio Tigre, Wocky...). I don't think it quite reaches the highs with any of its characters due to its duration compared to AA (Edgeworth and Maya, for example), but its emotional twists and conceits are just as earned as they are in those games. Takumi has a talent for making his brand of melodrama and goofiness gel together well, all for very satisfying finales (well, except for AJ, but that was out of his hands). Part of it was probably me being in the right mood, as well as dealing with some issues that resonated with the ending, but I actually cried at the final chapter. I never do that with any video game.
I really am excited to see what he's doing with the upcoming spin-off, and if he'll ever get involved with the main series again. While I enjoyed DD, the only case that really felt like the better parts of the original trilogy was the DLC case. Of course, I might be more trusting of the new staff after I play the second Edgeworth game, which got a fan patch recently. Need to play that eventually.
- I really can't think of Fallout: New Vegas as Bethesda's work at all. Obsidian—which has a lot of the original developers of the first two Fallout games—developed it with Bethesda's Gamebryo engine, and I would say most of the faults in the game lie with that. Where people—including myself—praise NV over something like Bethesda's take on the franchise with 3 lies with the writing and quest designs. 3 is defined by a black and white, disconnected theme park world of 3 with some cringe-worthy dialogue and plothole-filled storytelling. NV has the goofiness, but not in a juvenile way, and also deals with more shades of grey (which isn't to say everything is morally the same). Characters have more memorable lines, as well as their own views and backgrounds on different factions and events—that is the kind of sophistication you find in novels, rather than something comparable to a Michael Bay film. As a result of these different characters and groups, you also have an INCREDIBLY reactive world as a result. There are multiple ways you can go about finishing numerous quests, and for different characters. It gets the RPG element of the game perfectly, and as a result benefits from multiple playthroughs. The whole thing is more dialectical* than some cheap allegory about sacrifice that is just shoved down your throat.
*Speaking of, they even have Caesar reference Hegelian dialectics when talking to him, as he uses it and his supposed intellect to justify his actions (and consequently, his ego). That it also dovetails nicely into the general themes of the game—and the series—about how history is formed, civilizations rises and persist, and how humans become preoccupied with the past... that's one of many touches, both obvious and subtle, that really add to the experience.
- I was familiar with the "cake is a lie" meme, but wasn't exposed to it enough to get annoyed by it, so playing the game was more of, "Oh, so that's where it's from." While I do love the sequel, as well, it's a case of subtraction by addition—the background of the facility doesn't really add much, and the awkward origin story of GLaDOS shoved in your face towards the end actually takes away from her character. The more minimalist but menacing environment of the first one really sticks with me more. While certainly not an action horror game like System Shock 2, it definitely seems influenced by it. It's not "scary" in a conventional sense, but the atmosphere is really, really creepy.
- Bioshock: Infinite should really be low on your priorities. It has great art direction, some superficially enjoyable interactions between Booker and Elizabeth, and some cool (if completely unexplored and contradicting) ideas at the end. Still, it's a mess of a story, it relies on mob enemies with some occasional bullet sponges for fights, and shows that it went through way too many changes in development with the constant delays. I would have really preferred something closer to the 2011 E3 trailer, which seemed far more reactive, sensible in its handling of NPCs and enemies, as well as coherency in the setting and story.
It makes sense that the level one run isn't that difficult, although I imagine that would stop somewhere in one of the NG+ iterations—somewhere after Anor Londo, I would guess.
I'm personally torn on going down a spellsword (mix of dex and sorceries) and a cleric build (with strength, as I'd wanna use the weapon from Seath's tail). I'm gonna do both eventually, but I dunno which one to play first. What would you suggest?
And of course Priscilla was made moe by Japanese fans lol. The build-up to the song of the Dragonborn was hilarious, though.
Seriously I had given up all hope on The World is Mine ever being completely scanlated. I know one of the members in the group loves the series and had wanted to finish it, but that was years ago. This is amazing. This even tops Nijigahara Holograph and Helter Skelter getting licensed! (Now if only someone could take a chance and license The World is Mine or Kiichi!!
And yeah, after soaking up the experience, consuming lore videos and texts, and seeing the still active community, Dark Souls has easily climbed up there as one of my favorite video games (maybe my all-time...?). It literally embodies "show, don't tell," which is something you don't find much outside of the Ico/Shadow of the Colossus games you mention (and maybe the first Portal). I can equally appreciate wordy games—I love Fallout: New Vegas, I adore anything Shu Takumi writes (especially Ghost Trick, which I finished recently), and I plan on diving in to Planescape: Torment very soon—but I think video games really should attempt to explore more visually-focused and contextual storytelling. I think either option is preferable to the more "cinematic" aesthetic—and I say that as someone who lives and breathes film and video. It's far too easy to use that as a crutch for "legitimacy," and gives the mistaken impression of refinement and art when they can be anything but (I overall enjoyed Bioshock Infinite, but fuck that was a mess on so many levels that I can't look back on it too fondly).
Dark Souls is just a perfect synthesis with that kind of storytelling complimented with challenging but very fun gameplay, and beautiful but deadly ruins of a once thriving civilization. It's terrifying, gorgeous, fun and emotional all at once.
I understand where you're coming from on wanting to complete it. It's not usually the case for me, but Dark Souls is something I really wanna finish now that I've set aside NG+ for a while and wanna play through with some more builds. I actually didn't kill Priscilla on my playthrough—on top of the character I had built up in my head for roleplaying purposes, I was stunned to encounter a non-hostile boss. Even if her words were a bit... naive or misleading at best (those bonewheels sure as fuck aren't kind!), I didn't want to fight if I could avoid it. I also gave Artorias's soul to Ciarin when she asked. Might be able to justify it in a playthrough where I'm aiming to side with Kaathe...
And how far have you gotten in your level one run?
So the keyword is mature, ne? No fuwaafuwaa-ness and shoujo-kind of romance, and from what you said about liking Fumi Yoshinaga-sensei's and est em's works, perhaps I can safely say Slice of Life too, right? Well then, I'd recommend Usotsuki wa Shinshi no Hajimari then. Also, Complex, Doushitemo Furetakunai, and perhaps Basso's work (Natsume Ono's BL penname).
But if it's not particularly Slice of Life, as long as it's kind of mature, I'd recommend Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai (and its prequel "Don't Stay Gold" and "Tadayoedo Shizumazu, Saredo Naki mo Sezu", which are now deemed as oneshots in Saezuru). And also Hyakujitsu no Bara. The later one is kind of a hard yaoi (meaning that there would be a few heavy sex scenes, but not too much that I'd consider it PWP), so if you're not really comfortable with that yet, I think you should try the ones I mentioned in the previous paragraph first. :) But Hyakujitsu no Bara is very great, imo.
I don't know if you'll like them, tho'. They are actually my favorite BLs. :)
OOT, I like the ending paragraph in your info, btw. ;)
I actually really like old skool shojo art work -- Moto Hagio is one of my favorite comic artists -- so if it's comparable to the work of, say, the 49ers, then I'm all for it.
I totally agree with your assessment of Kanon, and I would say these are very good reasons why the show would still fail even if I were to have nothing against moe at all. They have less to do with arbitrary preferences for or against certain character archetypes and more to do with principle: I have always considered emotional realism to be compulsory for any show with even the slightest degree of serious aspirations. Why? Because a good show should immerse the viewer -- feel real enough to suspend his disbelief -- and unrealistic characters render such an immersion impossible. In short, since it is inconceivable that a character like Ayu could possibly exist in real life, it follows that any drama built around her would be incredulous and unconvincing as well. Just because you like a certain sort of character doesn’t mean that it is always good for the story.
Well, I think it’s pretty clear by now that I don’t subscribe to that “it’s all subjective opinion” garbage. I mean, why would I bother to engage you* in discussion otherwise? For that matter whose moronic idea is it to say that all opinions are equal? Opinions are not made equal. On one hand there are informed opinions, backed by logical reasoning or empirical evidence, and on the other hand there are opinions based on mere gut feel -- will you take all of them equally seriously? Oh, I respect your right to hold even the most ignorant opinion of course, and I’m not going to force you to rethink your opinion when you never ask for it because I respect your freedom, even if it is the freedom to be ignorant, but don’t expect me to give you my time of the day just because you have an “opinion”.
Regarding your sister, I think I should made it clear first that what I’m going to say here is only meant as a general suggestion. I don’t know your exact circumstances here, whether it is really apathy, or just teenage hormones at work, or there is some deeper problem at hand -- say, resentment at being neglected by her parents or problems with friends at school or whatever. It’s something that you should find out for yourself. And obviously I’m not familiar with your sister’s personality.
I can tell you, however, that the absolute worst thing you can do right now is to leave her alone. You need to respect her space, of course, but at the same time you should do whatever you can to engage her. I think the most important thing in a young adolescent’s mind is not necessarily freedom for freedom’s sake, but the desire to be taken seriously. I know when I was that age it felt incredibly frustrating when grown-ups treated me like a kid who didn’t know anything and dismissed everything I said for that reason. Instead of giving advice, then, drop the preachiness and ask for advice -- or at least opinions -- instead, and show a genuine interest in what she has to say. This would make her feel appreciated, as well as stimulate thought without putting her on the defensive. Also, put her in a position where she has to take responsibility and make her own choices.
What I’m telling you here is basically to make it clear -- with your actions -- that you’re going to start respecting her as an adult, and that she should reciprocate by actually behaving like an adult. You would still need to be firm, and I suppose you have no choice but to get your parents’ help on this, since she obviously doesn’t respect you enough as an authority at this time. Above all, be patient: You have what, twelve years of bad parenting to undo? Things are not going to change overnight.
Are your parents both working, by the way? And you have a maid at home, I suppose?
*I am not personally referring to you here.
Ah, that settles it then! A joke explained ceases to be a joke, and if I want more of Shinbo’s art direction I could just watch the new season of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, which has jokes I could actually understand. Thanks, I can drop Bakemonogatari with no regret now. I’m not going to hold it against the show though -- it’s something that just can’t be helped. But yes, it’s curious that people who don’t understand Japanese would find it very appealing. Unless their sense of humour is numbed already from watching too much ‘comedies’ which rely on references but no actual jokes.
It’s good to hear that there’s somebody out there who is interested in Indonesian classic culture. I try to keep in touch with my own culture as far as possible, but the younger generation is just not all that interested in it. Heck, my kids, nephews, and nieces -- none of them are even able to speak our native dialect anymore. Ironically they all know English to a certain extent. Even I’m getting a little rusty at it -- got a little too used to speaking Indonesian I suppose.
No, I haven’t made much attempt to promote anime and manga to people outside the fandom. You understand, of course, that given my age it’s not terribly good PR for me to go around advertising something that is still widely considered to be kids’ entertainment. Nobody outside of the extended family knows about my hobby, in fact. Some of them were curious enough to ask me about it -- especially since I don’t have a reputation for engaging in frivolities *cough* -- so I show them what I thought would be respectable viewing for a normal adult, and quite inevitably they would leave with a newfound respect for the medium. But hardly anybody shows any interest in exploring further.
In the end the difference between the attitude of a hardened anime fan and someone with no experience with the medium to specific works can be traced to the concept of ‘comfort zone’ I mentioned. Of course the inexperienced viewer has his own comfort zone as well, but it is very different from that of an otaku. And when a person has settled comfortably into his comfort zone, it is very hard to make him change his mind. In the case of Buddha, there is an additional hurdle to overcome: This is the most populous Muslim country in the world after all… (I suppose you aren’t one, then?)
I think anime fans often have a very odd sort of misguided respect for the people who create anime and manga, essentially considering them somehow above criticism (That’s where both the hateful comments and the lack of criticism are coming from). But when someone comes along with something genuine and new to say -- and this is where respect is truly due -- they just don’t want to listen.
I agree that there are lot of ‘invisible’ anime fans out there who actually care about the medium, but I wouldn’t consider Miyazaki’s works as a good gauge of their presence at all. That man’s oeuvre occupies a very unique position both within the medium and within public consciousness. There are many people out there who watch Miyazaki’s movies but would never watch any other anime in their lives. Does the person who wrote that Tempo article actually keep up with the anime scene? I bet you my hat he doesn’t -- if I am wrong, I’ll allow you to eat it. :D
Frankly speaking I have never considered Texhnolyze and Shigurui to be all that comparable beyond certain similarities in pacing and directorial style. Texhnolyze is an experimental work conceived from bottom-up, allegorical and intellectually rarefied; Shigurui is a pretty standard samurai tale, designed for maximum visceral impact. Not that there is anything wrong with that -- but, as you said, it is too exploitative in my opinion. Yes, I understand that they are trying to portray a harsh, dog-eats-dog world, but shows like Now and Then, Here and There manages to portray the same thing with equal if not greater impact, and does it with a lot more dignity. Most importantly, in NTHT, no matter how bad things get, there isn’t a single moment in its 13 episodes which leaves me in doubt of the sheer humanism of the creators. All Shigurui succeeds in doing is convince me that its writer is not quite right in the head. The thing is a show can’t be both a honest portrayal of the uglier side of humanity and violent porn at the same time -- it’s an either/or situation. In the end exploitation is a matter of intent: So you’re mucking around in the ugly and the disturbing, but to what end? As an end in itself?
I also think the characters in Shigurui are atrocious. I don’t know why the writers even bother to give them names, since most of them are just clones of each other -- they are all one-dimensional violent and sadistic monsters in equal measure. The women exist only to stand around getting abused. None of them have any real motivation apart from obedience and a very cliched and flimsy concept of honour. If there is any, then I don’t remember it -- I suppose that says everything about how convincing these motivations are. If you have ever watched the movies of Akira Kurosawa -- which is a much better comparison than Texhnolyze -- you would realize how reductive Shigurui’s treatment of samurai culture is.
Phew. Sorry for the little rant, got a little carried away there. My domicile… Well, I can tell you that it’s not anywhere near Surabaya. Not anywhere within Java, in fact. I’m usually very open and self-revealing, but I draw the line at any sort of actual personal information, sorry. Let’s just say that it’s somewhere between Sabang and Merauke and leave it at that. Oh, will you try to convince that female friend of yours to come back here? I’ll be happy to be able to have a discussion with her -- of course keeping clear of the kitschy parts of anime/manga. ;)
By the way, what do you think of Bakemonogatari? I watched the first episode and despite all the visual craziness I really don’t feel like continuing that show…