Such is the question that plagues my mind when I come across many anime, manga, and videogames that many have praised but I don't enjoy. And, honesty, the fact that I may not care about a stories' characters, world, and motivations there-of is often the main reason why I don't like a particular manga, anime, or game.
For example, the main reason why I didn't enjoy Final Fantasy X was simply because I didn't care at all about the characters, and whenever they acted so dramatic about certain events, I just couldn't get investd because I simply didn't care. And, basically, if you didn't care about Yuna, then you probably didn't enjoy FFX.
Another case is with Gainax anime. I can never get into Gaianax anime or their stories because I never care about the characters or their struggles; simple as that. Many would find that to be crazy, especially concerning something like EVA, but I suppose I just have different standards, or perhaps I'm just looking for something else.
For example, two anime/manga where I find myself truly caring about the characters and events of the story are One Piece and Astro Boy. In these two anime series I have found myself crying on more than one occasion, and its because I really care about the characters. When I care, I feel. When I don't care, I shrug it off.
So what does it take to make me care? Well, I'm rather picky in this case I think. Less so in terms of the situation, and more-so in terms of writing and structure. For example, Astro Boy's world of humans and robots living side-by-side is ripe for drama revolving around what it means to live and think. And in One Piece, the central focus is on the theme of friendship, and how deep those feelings can drive a person. I really like these types of themes, as it hits home stronger than others themes like romance, drug abuse, living in poverty, etc. Which makes sense considering we all have our own lives and we've all lived through different events, and depending on what you've gone through, it could effect how much you care about specific characters and specific stories.
That's not to say I can't care about a story involving someone who lived in poverty simply because I haven't, but that's where good writing has to come in. A writer can't simply rely on a stories' themes create the majority of an impact a story has (something I think Gainax is very guilty of); a story requires well written characters and scenarios to bring about those themes. It's in this careful structure where the writer makes me care, rather than me caring just because of a certain theme being present in the story. For example, just because you have a woman die in your story doesn't make the story suddenly "heavy" and suddenly make me care for the woman; there has to be an arc to that woman's story. Does it need to be an expansive arc? No. But it has to be well written and executed. The best example of this being Belle-mere in One Piece, or Pluto in Astro Boy. Both characters were only present for a short time, but their execution within the story was so well done that when they died, I couldn't help but cry for them, because I cared for them.
I know it sounds strange to speak about caring for fictional characters, but that's the magic of story-telling. A great story can engross a person, so much so, that the line between real and fake becomes blurred, and you feel as if you're reading/watching real people within their own conflicts. That is the might of the story.
And, you know what, I find the most engrossing stories to always be the ones aimed at younger children. I wonder why? Perhaps I just have a child's mind-set, and thus I enjoy them more? Or maybe, when writers create stories for an older audience, they know how much more difficult it will be to engross a well-lived adult, so they don't try as hard because they can't take on the challenge? Well, whatever the reason, I can see myself still reading Shonen manga long into my adulthood, and reading One Piece and Astro Boy to my children; because that's where the heart of storytelling lies: in the creative and wild mind of children and the stories made for them.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
My Thoughts on Sonic and What I Would've Done Different
Sonic the Hedgehog is a huge part of my videogame upbringing. The very first videogame I remember playing was Sonic the Hedgehog for Genesis; I could never get past the second level, but the challenge and bright atmosphere of the game kept me coming back even at a young age when I was normally easily frustrated. Skip ahead 8 years to the birth of the Dreamcast, which brought about Sonic Adventure 1 and 2; two games that would make me an even bigger Sonic fan and really show me how invested in a game I could get.
I bring this up because I am one of those people who believe Sonic has lost a lot of the magic that he had in the past. Now, I won't say that the Sonic games to come after Sonic Heroes are bad (yes, I consider Sonic Heroes to be the last great Sonic game), but I will say that they've lost focus. The blame for this mainly goes to SEGA and Sonic Team.
You see, I don't believe that developers should listen to their fans. Lately, Sonic Team has been so focused on trying to please fans by creating different types of Sonic game, but really they're just adding gimmicks to some solid formulas. It's as if Sonic Team (ST) really want to make a more simple, straight-forward Sonic game, but finds that its not enough. I find this to be a huge fault in their judgement, if it's the case, for straight-forward design was what Sonic was all about, even in the Dreamcast era. The player was given a goal and the abilities to achieve the goal, and then sent on their way. Adding gimmicks is just hurting the formula.
Now, I know what your thinking, if straight-forward game design is what I want, then why wasn't I pleased with Sonic Generations? Well, because SG didn't have good level design. You see, Sonic, like Mario, was a master of the fundamentals back on the Genesis. Level design was top notch, the difficulty was balanced, and it was always fun. SG sacrificed fun and good level design for fanservice; and that's no good.
To be honest, there isn't much more to say when it comes to criticizing modern Sonic games that hasn't already been said, so I'll just say what I would've done if I was running the show over at SEGA:
First, after Sonic Heroes, I would have made 3 main lines of Sonic games: Sonic Adventure, Sonic Advance, and Sonic Heroes.
The Sonic Adventure formula was perfected in Sonic Adventure 2, and I would have kept the series going with more numbered iterations that would continue the stories of Sonic and his friends. I honestly don't get the hate for the Sonic family of characters; some can be annoying, but they all have their charm; in fact, my two favorite Sonic characters aren't the main three, but Shadow and Rouge. I say keep the Sonic family growing; though there would be limits, heh. Still, the various gameplay styles brought about by the multiple playable characters was a major part of what made the Adventure games so great; that would be the main draw of the series. Also, console-specific control gimmicks could be added to certain characters if the big guys upstairs demanded it; though these would be small or added to new characters in order to keep Sonic running and Knuckles fighting.
The Sonic Advance series developed by Dimps was fantastic, and I would have kept it going, adding elements like more playable characters and more dynamic bosses. Sonic Rush was a great follow up to Advance, but its a shame these games didn't keep going. This series would be for those who desired the "classic" Sonic experience.
The Sonic Heroes games wouldn't have as many iterations as the others, as they would mainly be fanservice-y team-up games. Perhaps in the second Heroes game, Sonic, Shadow, and Silver would be a team, and Rouge, Amy, and Cream could make up another. As the series went on, fans would get excited just to see who was going to team up with who. The gameplay style would remain the same, but Heroes would have its own story canon outside of the Adventure series.
So, there you go, that's what I'd do with Sonic if I had the power. Honestly, the newer Sonic games haven't even been that bad, after all, they're still well made games. It's just that when it comes to gameplay, Sonic either is given gimmicky gameplay styles or runs so fast that its impossible to provide good level design.
I think SEGA can go two ways: either keep doing what they're doing, and constantly trying new things to get the fans back (after all, they're trying, and the games are never terrible), or reboot Sonic (again) with a new game a la Sonic Adventure or Sonic Advance. I know that they've already tried this with Sonic 4 and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), but I think they should really pour their money into a big project. Sonic Unleashed was really close, but suffered from a poor overworld style, so-so level design, and the werehog (which wasn't terrible, but still felt unnecessary).
Also, SEGA has to get Sonic music back to Genesis days. It's not terrible in the modern Sonic games, but I want a return of legendary music in my Sonic games.
I bring this up because I am one of those people who believe Sonic has lost a lot of the magic that he had in the past. Now, I won't say that the Sonic games to come after Sonic Heroes are bad (yes, I consider Sonic Heroes to be the last great Sonic game), but I will say that they've lost focus. The blame for this mainly goes to SEGA and Sonic Team.
You see, I don't believe that developers should listen to their fans. Lately, Sonic Team has been so focused on trying to please fans by creating different types of Sonic game, but really they're just adding gimmicks to some solid formulas. It's as if Sonic Team (ST) really want to make a more simple, straight-forward Sonic game, but finds that its not enough. I find this to be a huge fault in their judgement, if it's the case, for straight-forward design was what Sonic was all about, even in the Dreamcast era. The player was given a goal and the abilities to achieve the goal, and then sent on their way. Adding gimmicks is just hurting the formula.
Now, I know what your thinking, if straight-forward game design is what I want, then why wasn't I pleased with Sonic Generations? Well, because SG didn't have good level design. You see, Sonic, like Mario, was a master of the fundamentals back on the Genesis. Level design was top notch, the difficulty was balanced, and it was always fun. SG sacrificed fun and good level design for fanservice; and that's no good.
To be honest, there isn't much more to say when it comes to criticizing modern Sonic games that hasn't already been said, so I'll just say what I would've done if I was running the show over at SEGA:
First, after Sonic Heroes, I would have made 3 main lines of Sonic games: Sonic Adventure, Sonic Advance, and Sonic Heroes.
The Sonic Adventure formula was perfected in Sonic Adventure 2, and I would have kept the series going with more numbered iterations that would continue the stories of Sonic and his friends. I honestly don't get the hate for the Sonic family of characters; some can be annoying, but they all have their charm; in fact, my two favorite Sonic characters aren't the main three, but Shadow and Rouge. I say keep the Sonic family growing; though there would be limits, heh. Still, the various gameplay styles brought about by the multiple playable characters was a major part of what made the Adventure games so great; that would be the main draw of the series. Also, console-specific control gimmicks could be added to certain characters if the big guys upstairs demanded it; though these would be small or added to new characters in order to keep Sonic running and Knuckles fighting.
The Sonic Advance series developed by Dimps was fantastic, and I would have kept it going, adding elements like more playable characters and more dynamic bosses. Sonic Rush was a great follow up to Advance, but its a shame these games didn't keep going. This series would be for those who desired the "classic" Sonic experience.
The Sonic Heroes games wouldn't have as many iterations as the others, as they would mainly be fanservice-y team-up games. Perhaps in the second Heroes game, Sonic, Shadow, and Silver would be a team, and Rouge, Amy, and Cream could make up another. As the series went on, fans would get excited just to see who was going to team up with who. The gameplay style would remain the same, but Heroes would have its own story canon outside of the Adventure series.
So, there you go, that's what I'd do with Sonic if I had the power. Honestly, the newer Sonic games haven't even been that bad, after all, they're still well made games. It's just that when it comes to gameplay, Sonic either is given gimmicky gameplay styles or runs so fast that its impossible to provide good level design.
I think SEGA can go two ways: either keep doing what they're doing, and constantly trying new things to get the fans back (after all, they're trying, and the games are never terrible), or reboot Sonic (again) with a new game a la Sonic Adventure or Sonic Advance. I know that they've already tried this with Sonic 4 and Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), but I think they should really pour their money into a big project. Sonic Unleashed was really close, but suffered from a poor overworld style, so-so level design, and the werehog (which wasn't terrible, but still felt unnecessary).
Also, SEGA has to get Sonic music back to Genesis days. It's not terrible in the modern Sonic games, but I want a return of legendary music in my Sonic games.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Rating the Queen's Blade Characters - Part 2
Just to make a note: for this series of posts, I'm rating the character solely on their roles in the original Queen's Blade story, heir Rebellion roles will be rated later on with the other Rebellion characters. Also, my "overall" score is not an average of the first two scores; it's simply my choice for the overall rating, because sometimes little things matter. And with that said, let's begin with one of my personal favorite characters ...
Risty
- Story (6/10) - Most of Risty's story is told simply by her appearance and title: she is a bandit of the wilderness outside the confines of the small kingdoms spread throughout the continent; to put it simply, Risty is the Robin Hood of the QB world. However, what keeps Risty from feeling like the generic Robin Hood character found in many stories is her humanity. Risty's money is given to an old church that takes in orphans from the conflicts that occur throughout the continent, Risty once being one of them, and she truly cares about these kids and will go to great lengths to protect them, even attempting to take on the Queen outside of the tournament. She also has a large group of fellow bandits who look up to her as a great leader. Risty's psuedo-friendship with Leina which switched between master-student, friend, and "bad friend" was always interesting too see evolve. Furthermore, Risty is one of the strongest fighters in the QB world, thus making her Leina's "goal" a satisfying story element. What wasn't so satisfying, however, was the anime mainly using Risty as a plot device more than an actual character, this is especially the case in the second season where Risty is brainwashed for 95% of the story; well, despite that it was a cliche story tactic, brainwashed Risty did bring about some interesting story elements so I can't criticize it too much. In the end, Risty is a character that didn't get the spotlight much, but her presence as Leina's ultimate goal and the anti-hero to Leina's heroine role made her a likable character.
- Design (8/10) - Risty's design was the first done by Eiwa for the QB character line-up, and while it can be a bit plain, she still has a strong presence due to one critical element: her body. Risty is one of several characters whose body is more the main draw of her design than her armor/clothes. First to note is Risty's wild red hair, which goes a long way to giving her that "amazon warrior" look, and working even more towards the amazon look is Risty's very well-sculpted body. Perhaps second only to Cattleya, Risty is the most, for lack of a better term, "ripped" of the QB cast (this can be seen more in Eiwa's original art than Rin-Sin's more slender design). Risty's red color scheme and morning star weapon round out the package to give her a strong presence. A simple yet effective design.
- Overall (7/10) - Risty may not be the most memorable character in the cast, but when she's on screen, she demands attention.
Ymir
- Story (5/10) - Ymir's story has a fair amount of details: she's the princess of the dwarven kingdom, her goal is to show the world that dwarven weapons are stronger than those made by the newly rising alchemy methods, she finds a rival in Cattleya, and she's much older than she actually looks. The end result is a character that may not have much bearing on the story, but does a lot to show what the world of QB is like and that it's filled with more than just humans. Ymir acts as a benefactor to Leina in the second season by giving her good advice and reforging her sword. The highlight of Ymir is easily her personality and her interactions with Leina, Cattleya, and Rana. You'll either find Ymir to be amusing or annoying; I personally love Ymir's personality. She may not be the most important character to tell, but in an alternate universe, Ymir could have been the main character of QB, on a journey to save her people and show the strength of her weapons.
- Design (7/10) - I'm not sure what Ymir's clothing is supposed to be: a maid costume, maybe? But the pink and white color scheme works very will with her platinum-blonde hair, so no complaints there. The standout factor of Ymir's design is easily her weapon and massive gauntlet. A small-bodied person using a large weapon is always cool, and Ymir makes it even cooler. Her giant red axe gives Ymir a strong presence and her huge gauntlet is just awesome looking. Ymir's design really stands out in the anime during her fight scenes; Ymir in motion looks great. However, I feel that Ymir's weapon has more presence than she, herself, does, and thus can't rate her design to high.
- Overall (7/10) - Ymir gets a boost in score mainly due to her personality. In the anime, the manga, even the online chapters, Ymir always stands out thanks to the humor she provide; resulting in a very charming character despite having some flaws.
Cattleya
- Story (5/10) - Like Ymir, Cattelya's story doesn't have much bearing on the story at all, but the little details of her story help bring the QB world into a brighter light. Cattelya was once a famous adventurer who traveled the world with her future husband, Owen. They were known as the "dragon slayers", and Cattleya alongside her giant sword became legends, until both Cattleya and Owen retired to become blacksmiths and raise their son, Rana. In an episode of the anime, Leina, in a flashback, can be seen reading a book chronicling Cattleya's adventures. It's this presence as a legend from a time long past that gives Cattleya a strong bearing in Leina's story when they meet each other. To Leina, Cattleya represents what she can become one day, as both a strong warrior and a knowledgeable person. So, while Cattelya may not have much bearing on the main story, she still has a notable presence within it. My favorite aspect of Cattelya is that she is perhaps the strongest fighter in the QB world, but because she chooses to fight with Rana, it gives her a handicap and significantly lowers her strength as a fighter; I love that detail.
- Design (6/10) - Surprised my Cattleya pic doesn't feature her massive breasts? Well that's because I find it a bit disheartening that her character has become known for just her breasts; though I can understand why considering her design doesn't have much else going for it. After all, did you recognize Cattleya right away when looking at the above pic? Anyway, Cattelya's design is meant to be a big hyperbolic symbol of motherhood: she wears an apron (with almost nothing underneath), her large breasts, she's kinda chubby, and she fights alongside her son, Rana. Cattleya's huge sword does make her look pretty cool, and the fact that Rana is just as much part of her as her sword is makes for an interesting character visually, especially in battle. Still, Cattleya's design is rather uninteresting; there's just nothing that really stands out other than her curves, which is a shame. Also, to note, I find Rin-Sin's more slender looking Cattleya design to be better than her original in the combat book.
- Overall (5/10) - Cattleya will always have a place in the QB world, whether its in her in-world legacy or her physique, but none of that really changes that her character and personality don't standout much at all.
Rana
- Story (7/10) - So, why am I rating Rana alongside the other QB characters? Because, in the anime, this little kid was great! Right from the start, Rana acted as a catalyst for Cattelya's decisions as well as a strong moral supporter to his mother. Then in the second season, Rana came into his own as a strong little boy who stood alongside his mother in her time of grief and befriended an enemy. Rana, himself, showed some great character growth by showing a lot of courage in the dangerous world around him (pic related), and even fighting for his loved ones. Rana may have been more of a catalyst for certain plot elements, but his presence in the story was definitely known; something some of the other bitoushi cannot even say.
- Design (6/10) - He's adorable. He may not have much more going for him other than that, but it's definitely enough.
- Overall (6/10) - He may not have weapon or defeated any big foe, but he did a lot for Cattleya and Airi within the story, and the end result was a very likable character, even more-so than his own mother.
Aldra
- Story (8/10) - making deals with the devil a story element found in many dark fairy tales, and Queen's Blade is no exception with the character of Aldra. The dark backstory of Aldra and her sister, both half-demons, is one filled with strife, which makes the decisions Aldra makes and the extremes she goes through feel a little sympathetic, though still not enough to make her a villain worthy of compassion. This story strikes a good balance between sympathy and hate for the character of Aldra. And while she may be redeemed at the end of the story, her goals are still not met, thus avoiding the all too common story element of a sympathetic villain being rewarded for no good reason. Aldra's main flaw is her reliance on the powers of the demon within her; as a result, we never get a really good look at what Aldra can do on her own in terms of strength.
- Design (9/10) - Aldra's design is the opposite of plain. She has so much going on in her design, that it is both a good and bad thing, but mostly good. The beauty of Aldra is in the little details, such as the many belts, the metal eye patch, and small armor pieces spread around her, as well as clothing that covers only specific parts of her body, thus making Aldra have an almost battle-damaged look to her. Her "secret weapon" is also a nice touch, despite its obvious phallic implications. Aldra's sword is also a well designed weapon that looks less like a sword and more like a sword incarnate of violence itself, with its many spikes and awkward shape and handle. I never understood the "cat-ears", perhaps an ornamental crown would have been more fitting.
- Overall (8.5/10) - A great villain with a strong presence both in terms of story and design. It's also worth noting that its very nice that the QB designers avoided making cliche story choices with her.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Appreciation of the Past - Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
Klonoa 2 was the very first game I owned for my PS2. I bought it because I was a huge Sonic fan at the time, and I thought Klonoa looked a lot like Sonic. Little did I know that the game I was about to play wouldn't be a Sonic clone, nor a simple platformer; rather, the game I was about to play would be one of the best gaming experiences of my life, and go a long way in forging the way I see videogames.
Prior to Klonoa 2, the games that I played that I would call charming experiences were limited to those made by Nintendo and Rare. Klonoa 2 changed all that. Similar to Okami, Klonoa took an existing concept and game design from a classic Nintendo franchise and expanded upon it. With Okami it was Zelda, with Klonoa it was Kirby. The game design of using enemies as weapons against other enemies, and the concept of using cute character in a fantastical world to tell a dark story both come from Kirby, and while the game design of Klonoa may not outshine Kirby's, Klonoa truly took its story to amazing heights.
To get the basics out of the way: Klonoa 2 is a superb game in every facet of design. The gameplay is varied and fun, controls are tight, music is excellent and of high caliber, the graphics and art direction are still impressive to this day, and the story is excellent. But what makes Klonoa 2 really stand out is how incredibly focused it's direction is. No level feels like fodder, no cutscene feels unnecessary, and every location and accompanying music feels like it was done with true passion. And that's what Klonoa 2 truly feels like: a work of passion; a term that is very hard to use nowadays on videogames.
The end result of the passionate direction of Klonoa 2 is its greatest strength: its charm. Klonoa 2 tells a fantastic story, accompanied by fantastic music, and superb graphics and art direction. There is nothing numerical or by-the-books with Klonoa 2. It is simply an amazing work of art that not only tells a great story worthy of being told, but plays great music worthy of being heard, in a world worthy of being seen, all on the foundation of gameplay worthy of being played.
Nowadays, so many games feel like chores to play. Videogames people play simply because they don't want to let go of one of their favorite hobbies of their childhood, and developers make simple because they know people will buy them if they put x and y in it. Videogames nowadays are suffering because there is simply little to no passion put into most of them.
Klonoa 2: Lunetea's Veil is not only a classic of videogame history, but it is also a true symbol of how increidbly charming and impactful videogames can be as not just a hobby, but as an art medium. I truly hope the days of games like Klonoa 2 will come again; where videogames are works of passion and not simply a business. If that day never comes, then I can take a note from Klonoa 2's story and remember the sorrow of the moment when passionately made videogames died so that I may remember those happy days of a bygone era forever.
And now to wrap up, one of the stand-out tracks from the superb Klonoa 2 soundtrack:
Thanks Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. Thanks for starting off my PS2's life with a bang, and giving me one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had.
Prior to Klonoa 2, the games that I played that I would call charming experiences were limited to those made by Nintendo and Rare. Klonoa 2 changed all that. Similar to Okami, Klonoa took an existing concept and game design from a classic Nintendo franchise and expanded upon it. With Okami it was Zelda, with Klonoa it was Kirby. The game design of using enemies as weapons against other enemies, and the concept of using cute character in a fantastical world to tell a dark story both come from Kirby, and while the game design of Klonoa may not outshine Kirby's, Klonoa truly took its story to amazing heights.
To get the basics out of the way: Klonoa 2 is a superb game in every facet of design. The gameplay is varied and fun, controls are tight, music is excellent and of high caliber, the graphics and art direction are still impressive to this day, and the story is excellent. But what makes Klonoa 2 really stand out is how incredibly focused it's direction is. No level feels like fodder, no cutscene feels unnecessary, and every location and accompanying music feels like it was done with true passion. And that's what Klonoa 2 truly feels like: a work of passion; a term that is very hard to use nowadays on videogames.
The end result of the passionate direction of Klonoa 2 is its greatest strength: its charm. Klonoa 2 tells a fantastic story, accompanied by fantastic music, and superb graphics and art direction. There is nothing numerical or by-the-books with Klonoa 2. It is simply an amazing work of art that not only tells a great story worthy of being told, but plays great music worthy of being heard, in a world worthy of being seen, all on the foundation of gameplay worthy of being played.
Nowadays, so many games feel like chores to play. Videogames people play simply because they don't want to let go of one of their favorite hobbies of their childhood, and developers make simple because they know people will buy them if they put x and y in it. Videogames nowadays are suffering because there is simply little to no passion put into most of them.
Klonoa 2: Lunetea's Veil is not only a classic of videogame history, but it is also a true symbol of how increidbly charming and impactful videogames can be as not just a hobby, but as an art medium. I truly hope the days of games like Klonoa 2 will come again; where videogames are works of passion and not simply a business. If that day never comes, then I can take a note from Klonoa 2's story and remember the sorrow of the moment when passionately made videogames died so that I may remember those happy days of a bygone era forever.
And now to wrap up, one of the stand-out tracks from the superb Klonoa 2 soundtrack:
Thanks Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil. Thanks for starting off my PS2's life with a bang, and giving me one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Rating the Queen's Blade Characters - Part 1
Just as the title says, I will be rating the many characters of Queen's Blade. The rating I give will be based upon character design and story. The character design is judged upon both the original seen within the combat books and Rin-Sin's designs in the anime, and the story portion will be based upon all forms of canon, mostly the anime, but I will also include the various manga and HobbyJapan storyline. I will try my best to keep this concise, as I could go on and on about just one character, heh.
And with all that said, let's begin ...
Leina
- Story (6/10) - Leina is a character that gets a lot of hate, but I find it to be undeserved. Her main flaw, and why she gets a lot of hate, is because, well, she's kinda boring. Leina is the main protagonist (in most of the stories), and thus begins as basically an empty slate of a warrior so that she can grow and learn. The problem is that the people she learns so much from are more experienced and "cooler" than she is, so she tends to get out-shined a lot. Regardless, Leina is good character due to her having a good heart and a strong will to become stronger. At first it was odd how Leina's one goal was simply to get stronger, but as we learn more about her upbringing and her love for her mother, it makes a lot more sense. In the finale, Leina was a bit annoying in the plot due to her plot-armor (thus inability to lose), but it was nice seeing her grow throughout the series.
- Design (7/10) - Leina's design is deceptively simple at first glance, but when taking notice of the little details like the belt wrapped around her body, her unique shield, and decorative breast-plate, it makes for a design that may show a fair amount of skin, but is still powerful in appearance.
- Overall (6.5/10) - a good character who doesn't stand-out much other than being the main character; nothing bad about her, but nothing great either.
And with all that said, let's begin ...
Leina
- Story (6/10) - Leina is a character that gets a lot of hate, but I find it to be undeserved. Her main flaw, and why she gets a lot of hate, is because, well, she's kinda boring. Leina is the main protagonist (in most of the stories), and thus begins as basically an empty slate of a warrior so that she can grow and learn. The problem is that the people she learns so much from are more experienced and "cooler" than she is, so she tends to get out-shined a lot. Regardless, Leina is good character due to her having a good heart and a strong will to become stronger. At first it was odd how Leina's one goal was simply to get stronger, but as we learn more about her upbringing and her love for her mother, it makes a lot more sense. In the finale, Leina was a bit annoying in the plot due to her plot-armor (thus inability to lose), but it was nice seeing her grow throughout the series.
- Design (7/10) - Leina's design is deceptively simple at first glance, but when taking notice of the little details like the belt wrapped around her body, her unique shield, and decorative breast-plate, it makes for a design that may show a fair amount of skin, but is still powerful in appearance.
- Overall (6.5/10) - a good character who doesn't stand-out much other than being the main character; nothing bad about her, but nothing great either.
Elina
- Story (8/10) - You either love or hate Elina. It is very true that Elina is an overall bad person; she looks down on anyone that isn't her sisters and treats them like trash. This attitude was created by Elina's upbringing as an aristocrat and her natural strength as a warrior; this led her to feel she was superior to everyone who wasn't a member of her family. When you think about it, it makes sense; after all, not everyone can be as humble as Leina. Speaking of Leina, she is always the catalyst of anything Elina does as a result of Elina's deep infatuation for her sister, one of Elina's most endearing traits. The story of why she loves Leina so much is great, and really helps forge her character, and it also helps bring about Elina's inner struggle where she contemplates if Leina returns her deep feelings or not, and if Claudette, perhaps, will giver her the love she desires. All-in-all, Elina, despite her evil nature, is a complex and interesting character, as well as the star of my favorite episode of the QB anime series.
- Design (8/10) - Elina's design has a playful cat theme, and it works superbly alongside her personality and fighting style. Her hook-spear is also a very unique weapon, which she uses to great effect. The fur on her collar also helps set the pompous attitude she has towards most people; a nice touch. A great design all-around.
- Overall (8/10) - a great character with a great backstory, interesting, if not sometimes humorous, personal inner struggle, and dynamic interactions with the other characters around her.
- Overall (8/10) - a great character with a great backstory, interesting, if not sometimes humorous, personal inner struggle, and dynamic interactions with the other characters around her.
Claudette - (9/10)
- Story (9/10) - One of the more complex characters in the series, Claudette is one of the few characters with a strong arc throughout the story. She begins as an antagonist, but slowly grows into a powerful benefactor for both her sisters, but especially Leina. Her complex relationship with Leina, Elina, her father, and Maria (Leina and Elina's mother), make for a very interesting story. It was great seeing Leina and Claudette have a happy ending to their plight and both of them moving forward in their personal goals, even if everything didn't turn out perfectly. In the end, Claudette's character arc is one of the most interesting in the QB series, and it was always exciting to see just what decisions she would make as a knight, a sister, and a person.
- Design (9/10) - In terms of design, Claudette's more stern and imposing design by rin-sin in the anime stands out stronger than her original design; even if they are very similar. Claudette easily has one of the stronger designs in the series, thanks to her red hair, unique ornamental crown, powerful physique, huge sword, and lightning powers. Her design alone shows that she is one of the most powerful warriors in the series, and I love that about her design.
- Overall (9/10) - A really stand-out character in the QB cast thanks to a powerful design and an equally powerful story that may begin in an atypical fashion but eventually comes to a good conclusion that ends Claudette's character evolution in a great way. A character with true presence.
WARNING: Tomoe and Shizuka's entries contain a major story spoiler.
- Overall (9/10) - A really stand-out character in the QB cast thanks to a powerful design and an equally powerful story that may begin in an atypical fashion but eventually comes to a good conclusion that ends Claudette's character evolution in a great way. A character with true presence.
WARNING: Tomoe and Shizuka's entries contain a major story spoiler.
Tomoe -
- Story (9/10) - one of the major reasons Leina gets heavily criticized is because of how Tomoe tends to outshine her at every turn. A foreigner in a strange land, Tomoe's journey is one of discovery and desperation, and, as a result, Tomoe's journey is equally a light-hearted journey of self-discovery and a dark fight against her own weaknesses. And it's in her weaknesses that Tomoe's character really shines, for Tomoe is, simply put, too nice. She is a great warrior, but she is a pacifist at the same time. This leads her to make many hard decisions, eventually leading to her ultimate test of fighting her true love, Shizuka, in a battle to the death, and the way Shizuka's death effects Tomoe is very well executed in the story. Tomoe's story arc may not end in the best way, but it's still a satisfying end to one of QB's most stand-out characters. "Complete" is the word that comes to mind when thinking about Tomoe's story arc.
- Design (8/10) - "Simple yet effective" is the the phrase that comes to mind when thinking of Tomoe's design. The strong contrast between red and white colors of her clothing are great, and really give her design a strong presence despite being rather simple; combine this with her long black hair and the color pallete of Tomoe's design is beautiful. Overall, a strong design that demands attention.
- Overall (9/10) - Tomoe is a character truly defined by her character arc and strong relationship with Tomoe. Her conversation with Elina during their fight is one of the standout moments of the anime, as Elina brings up the major character flaw that character's like Tomoe have: they fight and kill while still speaking of pacifism, thus making Tomoe a powerful hypocrite. Such development of character really makes Tomoe standout in terms of story, and her simple design, ironically, helps her standout as well. A great character overall.
Shizuka
- Story (8/10) - even though she may not be an "official" character in the QB cast, Shizuka is given prominent roles in both the anime and manga. She was originally Shizuka's enemy, but after being defeated by her and hearing her ideals, Shizuka decides to become Tomoe's servant and always stay by her side. Shizuka's aloof attitude and more down-to-earth way of thinking act as a foil to Tomoe, making them a great pair. Shizuka mostly acts as a supporting character for Tomoe throughout their journey, but her character arc comes to a powerful close with her death at the hands of Tomoe. The lead-in and outcome of their fight is superbly executed, making Shizuka's death one of the best-handled I've seen. Shizuka and Tomoe's relationship is one of deep affection and would most likely have become romantic if Shizuka had lived. That said, Shizuka only dies in the anime, in all of the manga storylines Shizuka lives, and her and Tomoe have a happy ending together. Would I have preferred if Shizuka lived? Yes, definitely. But her death was not poorly executed, so I'm OK with it.
- Design (9/10) - In terms of design, Shizuka has one of the best designs in the series. Her one long bang in her hair is my favorite aspect about her design. Her purple color scheme is distinctive and works well with her hair color; and, of course, her trademark horns became a major symbol within the series thanks to her powerful death.
- Overall (8/10) - In the end, Shizuka was mainly a supporting character, thus she didn't really standout on her own much, but she was a very important part of Tomoe's character, not just in the anime but in the manga as well. She's a fun and lively character and acts as a great foil to Tomoe. Combine all of this with a great design, it's no wonder she's a fan favorite of many, and her and Tomoe are constantly seen as one of the better couples of the series. It's also worthy to note that unlike many characters like her, Shizuka is not defined by her death, it is impactful, yes, but it is far from what most remember most about her; and I think that's shows how great of a character Shizuka is.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Thought Venting - Vol. 2
- I hate how whenever I say I like Queen's Blade or explain why I like QB so much, I always feel like whoever is reading it thinks I'm joking or setting up for some punch-line. Not much I can do about it, but it's still kinda annoying. Luckily there are some folks out there who also watch Queen's Blade for the plot and characters like I do, so the whole situation doesn't bother me too much.
- Am I the only person who thinks the Jak series is much, much better than the Uncharted series on almost every level. I wish Naughty Dog continued the series on the PS3 like Insomniac did with the Ratchet series.
- I am really sick of Metroid: Other M still getting hate from people. I understand that the game was a lot of change to take in at once, but I wish people would at least respect the game for what it did so well, which was nearly everything. You don't have to like a product, but at least respect the product and those who made it when the product is so well made.
- I don't care what people say, The Fairly Oddparents is funnier than its ever been. I love nostalgia as much as the next guy, but its not so hard to admit when something new is better than it used to be.
- I hate what the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show on Nickelodeon looks like. It could still end up having some good writing and stories, but the visuals of that show are terrible, imo.
- The sports genre is SO perfect for shonen manga. The underdog rising up to beat the tougher opponent, the intensity of the "battle", and the emotional friendships among the colorful people you meet; all of it meets with the sports genre so well. Nothing gets me pumped like a great sports manga.
- I really wish great games weren't so rare these days. I won't go and say "videogames suck now", because we still get some stellar stuff, though it is mainly from Nintendo. Regardless, I miss the N64, PS1, GC, and PS2 days when there was a lot more options for a gamer to sink their teeth into; nowadays, you either have to really expand your tastes or wait 6 months or more for a game perfectly suited to your tastes.
- If Dragon's Crown does not have a trailer and an info dump at Toyko Game Show, I am going to rage pretty hard. On that note, after TGS, expect either a raging post or a fanboy post from me on the subject of Dragon's Crown.
- I'm listening to the Queen's Blade Rebellion soundtrack right now, and it is truly superb; seriously, its movie-level stuff. Masaru Yokoyama is a genius.
- I'm happy that the fighting genre has come back in full force, but I hope we see more unique stuff like P4A and Skullgirls in the future instead of just Street Fighter and Vs. style fighters.
- I really like Skullgirls, and I'm not entirely sure why. I feel like I've known these characters for a long time and yet it's only been a little over 6 months since SG came out. Maybe because SG characters and style remind me so much of Batman: The Animated Series, and I get a strong sense of nostalgia from it. Well, whatever it is, I like every aspect about SG, and I hope to see a lot more of these characters in the future.
- So, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was just announced, and I actually don't have too much to say about it. I'm really intrigued by the new gameplay ideas and how Square will execute them, and the focus on Lightning makes me relieved after FFXIII-2. Of course, we don't know too much at the moment, so I won't make too many assumptions. At the moment, I'm excited to see what happens, but I won't get my hopes too high.
Well, here's hoping this year's Tokyo Game show is gonna be amazing. And to wrap up, here's a beautiful track from the Queen's Blade OST:
I love this track because it really reminds me of how character-driven the story of QB was and how there were many highs and lows to the character's relationships with one another without ever getting cliche or angtsy; it was just good, straight-forward story-telling.
- Am I the only person who thinks the Jak series is much, much better than the Uncharted series on almost every level. I wish Naughty Dog continued the series on the PS3 like Insomniac did with the Ratchet series.
- I am really sick of Metroid: Other M still getting hate from people. I understand that the game was a lot of change to take in at once, but I wish people would at least respect the game for what it did so well, which was nearly everything. You don't have to like a product, but at least respect the product and those who made it when the product is so well made.
- I don't care what people say, The Fairly Oddparents is funnier than its ever been. I love nostalgia as much as the next guy, but its not so hard to admit when something new is better than it used to be.
- I hate what the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show on Nickelodeon looks like. It could still end up having some good writing and stories, but the visuals of that show are terrible, imo.
- The sports genre is SO perfect for shonen manga. The underdog rising up to beat the tougher opponent, the intensity of the "battle", and the emotional friendships among the colorful people you meet; all of it meets with the sports genre so well. Nothing gets me pumped like a great sports manga.
- I really wish great games weren't so rare these days. I won't go and say "videogames suck now", because we still get some stellar stuff, though it is mainly from Nintendo. Regardless, I miss the N64, PS1, GC, and PS2 days when there was a lot more options for a gamer to sink their teeth into; nowadays, you either have to really expand your tastes or wait 6 months or more for a game perfectly suited to your tastes.
- If Dragon's Crown does not have a trailer and an info dump at Toyko Game Show, I am going to rage pretty hard. On that note, after TGS, expect either a raging post or a fanboy post from me on the subject of Dragon's Crown.
- I'm listening to the Queen's Blade Rebellion soundtrack right now, and it is truly superb; seriously, its movie-level stuff. Masaru Yokoyama is a genius.
- I'm happy that the fighting genre has come back in full force, but I hope we see more unique stuff like P4A and Skullgirls in the future instead of just Street Fighter and Vs. style fighters.
- I really like Skullgirls, and I'm not entirely sure why. I feel like I've known these characters for a long time and yet it's only been a little over 6 months since SG came out. Maybe because SG characters and style remind me so much of Batman: The Animated Series, and I get a strong sense of nostalgia from it. Well, whatever it is, I like every aspect about SG, and I hope to see a lot more of these characters in the future.
- So, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was just announced, and I actually don't have too much to say about it. I'm really intrigued by the new gameplay ideas and how Square will execute them, and the focus on Lightning makes me relieved after FFXIII-2. Of course, we don't know too much at the moment, so I won't make too many assumptions. At the moment, I'm excited to see what happens, but I won't get my hopes too high.
Well, here's hoping this year's Tokyo Game show is gonna be amazing. And to wrap up, here's a beautiful track from the Queen's Blade OST:
I love this track because it really reminds me of how character-driven the story of QB was and how there were many highs and lows to the character's relationships with one another without ever getting cliche or angtsy; it was just good, straight-forward story-telling.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Let's talk about Queen's Blade
Warning: this is basically a useless post; I just vent my thoughts on Queen's Blade at the moment.
So, a new series has been added to the Queen's Blade saga called "Queen's Blade Grimoire". And, that got me thinking: the Queen's Blade IP has lasted quite a while, covered many mediums, and doesn't look to slowdown anytime soon. So what has made QB such a successful franchise? Is it the fanservice/ecchi element? I don't think so; while it is definitely part of the series' popularity, a series can't survive on ecchi alone. Rather, I think what has made the series last is my favorite aspect of the series: the characters. Each character in the QB series is designed by a different artist, with a few exceptions like F.S and Eiwa who have designed several characters. Because of this the characters all have very distinct looks, and combine this with distinct personalities and stories for each character, and you've got a melting pot for some great character interaction. And that's where the series shines the most: the way the characters interact is superb and makes for some interesting, fun, and dramatic interactions. So, in many ways, QB's popularity works in a similar fashion to fighting games and how they become popular.
Another interesting aspect of the QB series is how it encompasses many different mediums, beginning as a combat book game alongside stories written on the main website, then an anime, then several manga series, and then videogames; and that's just the first series. But, I won't ramble much on what QB is; rather I'll just get to why I love the series (in all its forms) so much, despite being someone who usually hates fanservicey/ecchi anime/manga.
It's the characters. I love character-focused stories. From slice-of-lifes to grand personal oddyseys; I love when a stories main drive and entertainment comes from a large cast of characters, and QB's cast is one of the best I've ever come across, thanks heavily in part to all of the artists who created the characters and writers who write the stories that bring all of these characters together. The fact that the entire cast consists of women is also a big reason why I enjoy QB so much, more specifically, it's why I enjoy the character interaction so much. For you see, in mediums of entertainment, when men and women are put into the same group it is almost mandatory that romance has to occur, and often times it is full of angst and takes away from what it good about character interaction and just sours the entire experience (see The Legend of Korra). Queen's Blade has none of that. All of the character interaction in QB is golden; characters have clashing ideals, form rivalries, are sworn enemies, love each other, and fight each other. Much of the anticipation that comes from an upcoming event in the story comes from the simple fact that x is going to meet y. With such a diverse cast, the simple act of two QB character simply meeting constitutes excitement, and I love that about the series.
In all honesty, I wish the series didn't have such ecchi content to it, because then perhaps more people would watch/read it, but, then again, the fanservice probably brings in as many people as it does scare off, so I suppose it's a double-edged sword. Honestly, I don't have much of a problem with the ecchi factor, as I find it to be well executed most of the time, as it is mainly used as a way of showing physical damage on a character during battle, and the more clothes that are ripped, the more damage has been put upon a character, and if blood is actually slipped, then that brings about an even more extreme situation. I find this type of execution to battles welcome, as it allows the characters to all use weapons and fight without restraint while still keeping the show from getting very violent, thus keeping it enjoyable to watch in a Saturday morning cartoon kinda way. And that's a big reason why I love QB: it's light-hearted. The stories of some characters can get pretty dark, but it never goes too far, nor does it become so light-hearted that serious situations cannot be taken seriously. The most obvious situation to point out being the death of Shizuka, which is one of the most well handled deaths of a main character I've ever seen in anime, manga, or any other medium. Whether it was a good idea to kill off Shizuka or not is something I still think about, but the way it was executed and why it occurred were very well written and executed visually; as it is a very sad moment, and for an ecchi show to create such a moment truly convinced me that QB was not an ecchi anime, rather it was an adventure anime that happened to have ecchi in it. And I think that's how the people behind QB see it as well, because the QB series continues to expand its world setting, develop its characters, and have a pretty great plot to flow alongside the characters.
In the end, I think QB is a series that deserves respect alongside the judging glances it gets. And, you know, it actually gets both. There are many out there like myself who enjoy QB for its plot and characters, while there are those who enjoy it just for the fanservice, and I'm fine with that. I look forward to Queen's Blade's future and the characters and stories to come.
So, a new series has been added to the Queen's Blade saga called "Queen's Blade Grimoire". And, that got me thinking: the Queen's Blade IP has lasted quite a while, covered many mediums, and doesn't look to slowdown anytime soon. So what has made QB such a successful franchise? Is it the fanservice/ecchi element? I don't think so; while it is definitely part of the series' popularity, a series can't survive on ecchi alone. Rather, I think what has made the series last is my favorite aspect of the series: the characters. Each character in the QB series is designed by a different artist, with a few exceptions like F.S and Eiwa who have designed several characters. Because of this the characters all have very distinct looks, and combine this with distinct personalities and stories for each character, and you've got a melting pot for some great character interaction. And that's where the series shines the most: the way the characters interact is superb and makes for some interesting, fun, and dramatic interactions. So, in many ways, QB's popularity works in a similar fashion to fighting games and how they become popular.
Another interesting aspect of the QB series is how it encompasses many different mediums, beginning as a combat book game alongside stories written on the main website, then an anime, then several manga series, and then videogames; and that's just the first series. But, I won't ramble much on what QB is; rather I'll just get to why I love the series (in all its forms) so much, despite being someone who usually hates fanservicey/ecchi anime/manga.
It's the characters. I love character-focused stories. From slice-of-lifes to grand personal oddyseys; I love when a stories main drive and entertainment comes from a large cast of characters, and QB's cast is one of the best I've ever come across, thanks heavily in part to all of the artists who created the characters and writers who write the stories that bring all of these characters together. The fact that the entire cast consists of women is also a big reason why I enjoy QB so much, more specifically, it's why I enjoy the character interaction so much. For you see, in mediums of entertainment, when men and women are put into the same group it is almost mandatory that romance has to occur, and often times it is full of angst and takes away from what it good about character interaction and just sours the entire experience (see The Legend of Korra). Queen's Blade has none of that. All of the character interaction in QB is golden; characters have clashing ideals, form rivalries, are sworn enemies, love each other, and fight each other. Much of the anticipation that comes from an upcoming event in the story comes from the simple fact that x is going to meet y. With such a diverse cast, the simple act of two QB character simply meeting constitutes excitement, and I love that about the series.
In all honesty, I wish the series didn't have such ecchi content to it, because then perhaps more people would watch/read it, but, then again, the fanservice probably brings in as many people as it does scare off, so I suppose it's a double-edged sword. Honestly, I don't have much of a problem with the ecchi factor, as I find it to be well executed most of the time, as it is mainly used as a way of showing physical damage on a character during battle, and the more clothes that are ripped, the more damage has been put upon a character, and if blood is actually slipped, then that brings about an even more extreme situation. I find this type of execution to battles welcome, as it allows the characters to all use weapons and fight without restraint while still keeping the show from getting very violent, thus keeping it enjoyable to watch in a Saturday morning cartoon kinda way. And that's a big reason why I love QB: it's light-hearted. The stories of some characters can get pretty dark, but it never goes too far, nor does it become so light-hearted that serious situations cannot be taken seriously. The most obvious situation to point out being the death of Shizuka, which is one of the most well handled deaths of a main character I've ever seen in anime, manga, or any other medium. Whether it was a good idea to kill off Shizuka or not is something I still think about, but the way it was executed and why it occurred were very well written and executed visually; as it is a very sad moment, and for an ecchi show to create such a moment truly convinced me that QB was not an ecchi anime, rather it was an adventure anime that happened to have ecchi in it. And I think that's how the people behind QB see it as well, because the QB series continues to expand its world setting, develop its characters, and have a pretty great plot to flow alongside the characters.
In the end, I think QB is a series that deserves respect alongside the judging glances it gets. And, you know, it actually gets both. There are many out there like myself who enjoy QB for its plot and characters, while there are those who enjoy it just for the fanservice, and I'm fine with that. I look forward to Queen's Blade's future and the characters and stories to come.
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