#but nintendo would never be so brave

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

So recently with Peach's portrayal in the movie and the announcement of Princess Peach Showtime a certain brand of individuals have had problems with her portrayal in this year 2023. While you have basic reactionary outrage content farmers in all this, some of which have probably never even picked up a controller in their life like a certain knight obsessed one. There is still a certain amount of people in the Mario fandom that have been taking issue with her recent portrayal, believing anything between "Nintendo is changing Peach" to "Nintendo has ruined Peach's character." However, I am going to go against this notion and not only point out that her character hasn't been ruined but she has always meant to be this way. To start off I would like to bring up the fact this not the first time Peach has been depicted this way, looking back to the non canon Super Show and Adventures Comics Peach is depicted very similar manner to what we see in this movie. It could be argued even more so in her comic depiction as she chases down Bowser herself without either of the Bros. She manages to escape the grasp of the Koopalings by outsmarting them and even goes back to rescue Mario in his failed attempt rescue her only finally being put out of commission through magic. This depiction her character has been considered by many fans to be one of her greatest portrayals. Moving on to the games the Princess has joined in on Adventures as well such as Super Mario Bros 2 yes it did happen, Super Mario USA, Super Mario RPG, Super Paper Mario, Super Mario 3D World, while non canon Mario+Rabbids, and Super Princess Peach keep a pin on that one. However, some people may say they don't care about her being playable and say she is no longer "bubbly like she used to be," and that she is "too masculine" or stealing Daisy's character. This doesn't make sense, Peach and still is bubbly and does stereotypically feminine things and can still do what is considered stereotypically masculine things or act in such manner. In fact she is always a playable character in every sports game since the start, and we can't forget how sports is often seen as a masculine thing. Mario Strikers stands out the most having her depicted as sassy and competitive. Her Mario Party description has her described as brave which is also noteworthy, and we can't forget she is a Princess and by extension a leader. The few people demanding she and Daisy fit into boxes as characters only brings down both characters, and for certain ones I dare say it's misogynistic on how they want these 2 characters to only act in specific stereotypical ways. A character like Peach doesn't have just to act in what is considered a feminine way she can still act in a way that is considered masculine as well, and vice versa for Daisy. Finally you have those people who just want her to only be the damsel in distress, and just no. Many of us fans were sick of her always being kidnapped in the 2D games, and have been wanting for so long for her to playable character in 2d game again and not just a Macguffin. So with Super Mario Wonder being announced, us fans especially us female gamers, are all glad that we can finally play as not just Peach but Daisy as well in a 2D game once again. Especially after Peachette, and the stale formula of Princess gets kidnapped. Now with the Princess Peach Showtime on it's way giving us another solo Peach game I would like to rewind the clock to share a little piece of Peach's character that not everyone knows about, which will serve as the nail in the coffin Peach not being changed/ruined. In 2005 with Super Princess Peach being the first solo Peach game by Nintendo, and it being the 20th Anniversary of Mario Miyamoto was interviewed by Nintendo Online Monthly. In this interview Miyamoto said the following about Princess Peach, "she has never seen herself as 'protected' by Mario. Our image of her is one of strength. Many of the developers came from homes where the Mother wears the boots, you know. (laughs) We hope to keep using Peach in different games in the future."

[floatingcatacombs]

It’s the Tar Taking Over That Came Unexpected

12 Days of Aniblogging 2023, Day 2

Back when it was a frustratingly rare Wii exclusive, I braved a storm to hunt down a used copy of Xenoblade Chronicles, and it still surpassed my every expectation. So finally sinking my teeth into Xenoblade Chronicles X earlier this year felt right.

This was a Wii U game and it’s still nuts that this was a Wii U game. The only change I made when emulating it was bumping up the internal rendering resolution, and it’s crazy how good it still looks. The highest-fidelity games I play are FromSoft so my frame of reference is busted, but even still, it’s frequently breathtaking. Monolith Soft has always had a reputation for building impressive open worlds on underpowered hardware, and their first foray into HD might be their greatest feat. Or maybe I’m just easily impressed by pretty skies. Emulated at 1080p 60FPS, the experience really clicks, with snappy menus, fast loading times, and the ability to alt-tab to the map on the gamepad. For once I didn't feel like I was missing out at all by not playing on original hardware.  

After starting a new game you're immediately dumped into a character creation screen, which means I already have to navigate an old stupid censorship debate. See, there was a whole internet shitstorm back in 2015 when this game released stateside because the English version removed the bust slider from the character creator. This was the era of GamerGate and “localization versus translation” and Fire Emblem Fates taking out a waifu-touching minigame and everything surrounding Tokyo Mirage Sessions – things got really heated for a second! In hindsight, it was weird mixture of niche game publishers misreading their target audiences and hypervigilant right-wing provocateurs gearing up for larger culture wars, using titty games as a nexus for radicalizing nerds.

Things have cooled down a lot since then, as Japanese games generally release unaltered these days, rendering it a non-issue. When controversies do happen, it’s not in Nintendo's court anymore, it’s usually Valve removing Japanese visual novels from their store page in an act of laughable double standards. Anyways, thanks to the wonders of PC emulation and memory editors, I was able to restore the boob slider to Xenoblade Chronicles X, and valiantly used it to make my character flat.

XCX’s design sensibilities are a pretty sharp contrast from the direction the series went afterwards, instead dealing in guns, gritty sci-fi, and a more realistic color palette. The storms and forlorn mecha on the box art tell you all you need to know. It’s all very western, with the designers definitely taking cues from Halo and Mass Effect in a lot of places. The hub city is also based on Los Angeles, further cementing the American influence in everything but the mechas.

Ultimately, I think this all worked out well. The original Wii release of Xenoblade Chronicles isn’t particularly “anime”, after all. Its aesthetic sensibilities are closer to Final Fantasy X than, say, any given Tales. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3, as well as the Switch remake of the first game, hew much closer to games like Genshin in terms of colors and character proportions, but Xenoblade X takes the original’s artstyle and places it in a more serious context. I’m glad the series didn’t commit to this direction (it would have gotten bland fast), but it’s cool that we got it exactly once. Despite the more western stylings though, this is still fundamentally a niche anime game, much more so than the first Xenoblade. There’s titty armor and fanservice outfits as quest rewards, a young moe girl in the main cast, and the occasional pervy sidequest. A lot of the localization conflict may have been Nintendo attempting to clean up Xenoblade X in order to pitch it as a mainstream release at a time when the Wii U really needed a hit. While it’s a solid game, it was never going to be able to appeal to a very large audience.

Also, the story’s a bit of a mess. The tone is all over the place, with both comic relief and serious moments frequently failing to land. What starts off as a surprisingly grimdark sci-fi about the last remaining humans trying to survive on an alien planet as their crashed generation ship-city runs out of power quickly morphs into Star Wars levels of goofy aliens. Plot twist after plot twist ensues, defusing a lot of the tension because you know that they’re just going to pull something even crazier out next. Though the main story struggles, the emergent narrative of New Los Angeles is actually pretty good. A lot of the player’s side questing is dedicated to resolving interpersonal conflicts and helping make the city feel like a real home for everyone. Gradually, NLA begins taking on alien immigrants and the mutual fish-out-of-water situation between human and alien refugees leads to some funny moments and the occasional surprisingly thoughtful quest about cultural tolerance.

But for the most part, the story takes a backseat to exploring planet Mira. Through the gameplay loop I’ve come to understand Xenoblade X as something of a single-player MMO. The combat system is based around positioning, auto-attacks, skills that go on cooldown, and extremely customizable character classes. There’s a nightmarish amount of skill trees to keep track off, to the point where I’d forget about them alone until I was having trouble with a fight, and then remember an entire system I’d forgotten to take advantage of. There are item collections to fill out and side quests of all flavors and secret areas and difficult raid bosses yada yada yada…

Okay I can’t hold off from discussing the music any longer. The combat theme for Xenoblade X is the stuff of legends. Terrible, terrible legends.

Putting vocals in your RPG’s regular battle music is a bold move. You really have to make sure you knocked it out of the park, because singing is going to grate on the player far more quickly than any instrumental. Because of this, the battle themes of Persona 5, The World Ends With You, and Get In The Car, Loser! are all something of a flex. Black Tar is not that. I’m just going to link the song, because it really has to heard to be understood.

Xenoblade X’s battle theme starts off strong, the grim sci-fi tone clearly communicated through the moody synths. Soon enough the guitars come crashing in, giving way to a distinctly nu metal sound. That stylistic choice alone pissed people off in 2015, to which I say grow up, it’s great. But if you let the battle run on for 50 seconds, someone starts rapping.

Black Tar has some of the most nonsensical lyrics ever put to pen, delivered in the jankiest way possible, with words just kind of crammed in without any regard to flow. It’s not even a case of “non-proficient English speaker comes up with shoddy lyrics” as occasionally happens with Japanese songs. Every single word of this is an act of malicious fluency, and if I singled out all the lines I had questions about, I’d be here all day. Opening the first verse with “We’re stuck on a whole different planet” tricks the listener into thinking that the lyrics will to tie into the game’s events and setting, but this is a fool’s errand. The titular tar has no in-game corollary, so to make any sense of it you have to go metaphorical and claim that maybe it stands for losing your squadmates and giving up hope. That's still pretty flimsy! Maybe it really is just be about heroin.

Eventually though, we reach the chorus, and it’s actually a great hook! Except for the fact that it’s sung by a Japanese singer in English. The lyrics were clearly written with no regard for which syllables he’d have difficulty with, and making this guy utter the phrase “Black tar’lll” was an open act of cruelty.

In a 2015 interview, Black Tar rapper and lyricist David Whittaker brings up that the he wrote the words for his first video game song in about two hours, going for “just foolishness”. I imagine his work here was a similar situation.

It’s so, so easy to harp on Black Tar. Everyone did at release, and everyone who hasn’t played the game still does. The thing is, it’s impossible to keep that antagonism up when you’ve got an 80-hour game ahead of you where this is the standard battle theme the whole way through. For the sake of your own sanity, you have to learn to love Black Tar, and pretty much everyone who finishes the game comes around to it. Much to the chagrin of my girlfriend, I quote Black Tar constantly, with less of a sense of irony each time. Eventually, you too will find yourself shouting along with David Whittaker as he raps about being on a sea of dark matter. And of course, the instrumental was always a banger if you weren’t a coward. The theme for New LA also gets a lot of flak for its gibberish vocal samples and St. Anger snares, but I’ve always been a fan and think it holds up great as an endless-looping hub area theme. It’s so…. Sawano zeitgeisty.

The entire soundtrack is actually a Hiroyuki Sawano joint, and he does a pretty good job. It very much all sounds like the kind of music he’s known for, with the exception of the overworld themes, which instead try to mimic the compositions of the first Xenoblade Chronicles. Primordia’s theme is an excellent response to the first game’s Gaur Plain, with a more techy and ominous tone that nevertheless still evokes the sense of grand exploration ahead.

The edgy atmosphere, the washed out palette, the Sawano tunes….Xenoblade Chronicles X is extremely of its time, in a way that comes across as deeply charming 8 years later. It’s kind of terrifying that something can already be an early 2010s period piece! The Sawano music alone will shoot you back to the days of Kill La Kill and Aldnoah Zero, when Gen Urobuchi was absolutely everywhere and the default crap anime genre was magic school instead of isekai. The mere idea of early 2010s nostalgia sets off alarms in my head, but it’s definitely real, and will only become more of a thing in the next few years. Brace yourselves for the flow of time.

Last, but certainly not least, the mechas! They’re one of the main reasons I tried the game out in the first place. Giant robots are often part of Xenoblade worldbuilding, but they don’t really factor into the gameplay. X is the exception. From the first preview trailers to the title screen to their first step into New LA, the player is made to want a Skell. They’re so cute! The Skells were designed by Takayuki Yanase, one of the people who worked on Gundam 00, and I can see the similarities in the combination of curves and blocky elements. There’s quite a few mecha otaku who work at the NLA hangar out of love for the Skells. Most of them are women, a detail that made me really happy!

Adding even more to the player’s desire is the fact that Xenoblade X withholds Skells for a very long time. You have to make it more than halfway through the story and substantially explore the first three continents on foot before receiving your piloting license. And it’s Xenoblade, so these places are massive. Even with an extremely generous jump, you’ll run into countless clifftops out of reach. They really make you work for it, but at least the core gameplay loop of exploring to setting up waypoints and mining devices is a lot of fun on its own (I was curious if the plot would ever get around to problematizing the resource-extraction gameplay loop, but no dice).

party members next to the Skell for scale purposes

When you finally get a Skell about forty hours into the game, everything changes. One of the major challenges facing mecha games is getting the scale right –it’s pretty easy for the giant robot to feel human-sized if all the player is ever doing is piloting. Xenoblade X avoids this by making your human pace painfully clear before giving you a ten-meter robot to traverse those same landscapes. It’s night and day how much more quickly you can navigate. Skells are also wildly stronger than characters on the ground, and being able to take on behemoth creatures as well as pulverize the human-scale enemies you’ve been fighting all this time keeps the scale relevant. It provides a real power fantasy and makes them feel believable in-setting. Being able to get in and out of your Skell at will goes a long way towards making it truly feel like yours, and this mechanic also acts as something of an on-the-fly difficulty modifier for the remainder of the game. A few chapters later you get a flight pack for your Skell, and the world opens up all over again.

not pictured: the j-pop earworm that plays every time you start flying

After spending so much time hanging out with the mecha pervert mechanic girlies in the NLA hangar, the back half of Xenoblade Chronicles X finally lets you be one of the mecha pervert girlies. Customization is on the lighter side, as you can’t mix and match body parts like in Armored Core, but there’s still plenty of color customization and weapons fine-tuning to do. I totally fell in love with my robots, and that alone makes it a victory of a mecha game.

A new song plays during Skell combat, and it’s…. more verses of Black Tar!! There truly is no escape. The backing has more of an EDM sound to it, and the lyrics are even more laughable than before. “Shoot them with your guns” still gets me every time. And yet, I would be lying if I said I’ve never headbanged to the part about being stuck on a different planet. You learn to love these things.

So that’s Xenoblade X. It’s a weird-ass game, a real triumph but also absolutely the wrong thing for Nintendo to have to put out in 2015. It’s easily the most impressive Wii U exclusive and I’m glad Monolith Soft took this detour. You’d be disappointed in it if you went in with purely the expectation of a mecha game, but as a Xenoblade fan who’s been gradually falling deeper into mecha, it was a great genre blend. Xenoblade X’s servers will shut down next year, and while I didn’t partake in any of that (the multiplayer elements seem fairly minor anyways), it will be the end of an era for sure. Just in time to start fondly reminiscing.

[randomnameless]

The phrase “we have been aware of the high levels of competency from KT's writers, especially with their work for 3H” is worrying; i'm not going to shit-talk them just for thinking that 3H has a good story, especially when someone's standards for what makes a story good or not is subjective and could be different from ours, but KT's story-telling skills are never going to improve if people keep only telling them that Three Houses' deeply-flawed story was actually a narrative masterpiece, instead of a self-contradicting mess with plot points it introduces solely as gotchas and has no intention of ever following up on in any meaningful way, characters getting assassinated left and right to try and argue that female Ashnard might actually be right and not so different from them in terms of morality and goals (while they're in the middle of fighting for their lives and watching their friends die in battle because she decided to invade their home unprovoked and solely for a landgrab), and an over-powered villain group that should have ended the story long before it even started because the writers decided to give them a stockpile of magic nukes they can launch at anywhere in the world, which was also introduced solely for shock value and without them realizing how much of the story is ruined by making it so that the villains who want to kill everyone and take over the world can just nuke anyone they want (that isn't inside Garreg Mach when they launch it) with no consequences.

I just don't like what it means for the future of FE stories if the worst story in the series keeps getting praised as one of the best, even by separate developers, is all.

Wait and see anon!

For what it's worth, while Engage's sales are apparently not as stellar as Houses in the same timeframe (like House after month 1 and Engage after month 1?), Nopes totally crashed.

Amazon isn't the only market in the world, but in some places in the world (tfw not for amazon.fr) Nopes is now sold at around 15 bucks, which is ridiculous considering older games released on consoles still being in circulation are more expensive than this thing that is barely 1 year old(even the first FEW?).

Also, Engage was supposed to have been released earlier but Covid and Houses being released later than planned meant it was delayed, but Engage was supposed to be Fodlan's antithesis, at least writing wise - you'd think IS would have tried to retrofit more Fodlan themes (maybe more uwu maybe some villains aren't BaD and earl grey because they luf u) but they didn't.

Imo, fwiw, while KT apparently loved how Fodlan was received, IS is aghast and doesn't want to touch it within a 10 meters radius, only if it means selling units in FEH and even there, they sometimes retcon Fodlan units (hello F!Billy/Sothis) or challenge them in various FB (Brave!Supreme Leader, but also in the most recent one, Sylvain harping on his Crust being BaD...) clearly showing how they don't really want to follow KT's direction regarding those units - at times, it's almost as if the CoS receives more development in Heroes than in both Fodlan games!

So I'd like to see what IS has in store for the next FE games (or the next non remake FE game), even if in my opinion, given how Heroes has to retcon/finish the writing (Mercedes reveals more about her Adrestian family in FEH than in two of her games!) for characters just to sell them in the gacha game ffs, speaks volumes on what they think of Fodlan's writing.

On top of that, FE16 was the first game where people received surveys/mails from Nintendo/IS asking them if they understood the game... - so despite Fodlan selling well (better than expected?), imo it's clear the writing isn't to praise, at least for IS, and they don't want anything to do with it (Nopes' DLC was scrapped, when shiny!Rhea's sprite was datamined, so either they made an useless sprite, either this sprite might have been used in a future DLC?)

They can still butcher a future remake (plz no jugdral) by adding pointless supports between units and trying to uwu more than needed the red emperor - or add an OC waifu du jour who will sell merchs and try to uwu her if she is on the side of the red emperor - but I feel like we will see where they will go with a brand new game (since Heroes's writing is... as consistent as a fog and basically circles around "women sad'n'lonely*, men evyl", female playable OC simps after the avatar and is useless in the resolution of the plot because Alfonse will finally find a mc guffin way to defeat the villain of the year).

*i truly hope Vero isn't any indication to what the writing of the future games will be, like heavy retcons from her first apparition to "i was brainwashed and akshually everyone supports me from my home even if i send them to death against askr because the voice in my head told me to do it" because that'd suck, but vero is a young woman, thus she could be monetised for alts, figurines and even DLC content in a main game!

[yanderefairyangel]

Hello! Thanks for the quick response. Sorry that the link didn't seem to work. If you're still interested, the YouTube video is titled: "When Art Becomes an Obligation: a Critique of Fire Emblem Engage"

Thanks. So I did watched the video and thanks for asking my point of view.

Under the cut

I must say they do make good arguments and I found their retelling interesting. I appreciate that someone tried to voice what they dislike in Engage. That she also never used 3H as an example. And what she did around Lumera's death. I was impressed by how they took this scene to make it the center of the story.

However, when it comes to the critique itself, there are point were I agree, but I disagree with her on a whole. Allow me to explain.

First thing ... the summary she made is full of mistakes. She said that Alear learned from Lumera they were a Divine dragon when it's from Vander, said we "get rewarded with 2 rings" when in reality Alear and co have to get the second one from Bandits, forgot to mention that Alear in chapter 10 commited a grave strategical mistake and didn't knew Sombron was in until Marth warned them etc.

I agree that " a simple story that isn't mean to be taken seriously" is a bad argument to defend Engage... because it's literaly showing an insecure fan not capable of handling this sort of criticism even though a deep reading into the game story can give any fan actual arguments to answer to video essays like the one you quote me. So I'll try my best to stay as polite as possible.

So about Showing and not telling in Engage.... it's false but I'll come back on this as I actually express my point of view on them thinking the story just tell us that Alear is scared/coward and not showing. I also have a problem with her quoting how Nintendo had to intervene with Alear's writing subduing their fear and not taking that as an important piece of info because it is. It is. Anyway, currtently. Her first example is the first scene were we fight the Corrupted with the famous "let's run". I agree that this scene is weak because it was played for laugh rather then treating what turns out to be a deep trauma for what it is. The manga does a better job at showing Alear's fears and cowardice.

game :

Manga :

However, in both manga and game Alear "bravely fight the Corrupted anyway" because.. what did you wanted Alear to do ? Framme and Clanne were in danger. At the begining of the game, Framme has weaker stats then Clanne and he lost his weapon. Vander would not have been able to save them alone. The map cinematic shows Alear rejoining Vander, meaning that unlike Vander who was already on the map, Alear was left behind and decide to join them. Vander even warn them. In the manga too, despite being literaly to the point of fainting and being dragged by followers of Lumera to safety, Alear still fight to help a little girl that would have been killed by the Corrupted. With the difference that in the manga he gets his as beaten up. And in the game, it's a regular fight. I do think that maybe having added a dialogue of injuried Alear to remind us that they were asleep and thus weaker could have intensified the scene but calling it a contrivance when it was Alear having to put up a face to help people in need is... not a good arguments at all.

Also "if it was a side of his character, we would see him fail at least one at being brave"... while SHOWING clips of Chapter 10... you know chapter 10 ? That one time where Alear committed a GRAVE mistake ? Yes... this one time. That's WHY I disagree so strongly and have a bit of a problem taking this entire critique seriously. This is where Alear learns a lesson. Because this entire thing was a disaster and it's surprising she missed that when the entire Internet made fun of Alear's reaction. For context, Alear did not listen to Marth's advice and went into the Cathedral too confident. What happened ? Not only do they fail to save King Morion, but Veyle managed to steal their rings. ALL OF THEM. They lost all of their rings, and it's been shown multiple times that Alear is stronger with the Emblem, that's even what is giving them courage. In that scene, Alear is livid. They are literally having a mental breakdown. I though they were going to break into tears. And that's no wonder : Sombron literaly had half of the necessary ring to have his plan fufilled and Sombron is a threat to this world. Imagine that the big villain just managed to steal all the mac guffin you spend hours collecting and that are half the ammount of the number necessary to destroy the world. And I am surprised she did not realized how much of a mistake this was considering that the following maps without Emblems rings are brutal. I still recal that map in chapter 11, that was painful. And this shows that the gameplay took this incident seriously because it is. It's also on this occassion that Alear learns that while they do have to put a face and being brave, there is limit to being brave since it can lead to disaster like that. Lyn and Lucina even have a talk with Alear where Alear says that Lumera taught them to never run away, and Lyn and Lucina teach Alear there is a difference between running away in front of the enemy and retreating. That shows that Alear has consequences and does makes terrible mistakes and they do try to grow on it because, gets what ? Several maps later, when they return to Elusia... they say the EXACT same words Marth told them before the Cathedral flop. In chapter 20. The same words that Alear took lightly in chapter 10, they are now the one saying them, 10 chapters later. If that is not learning from a grave mistake, I don't know what it is. You can argue however you want that the game did not insisted enough on this, fact is that it is still there.

And again, this point is about Alear not growing. They do grow and they are actually failing at being mature once they lost the rings.

Moreover, speaking of Alear being scared of the Corrupted, the reason why it comes often is because of Alear's trauma. She herself acknowledge later in the video that Alear has a subconsious memory, and that's it. It's when playing the chapter 24 that we learn why Alear was so scared of the Corrupted and it's indeed shown. People will say "it's a support conversation and it's told" but no. Support conversation in Fire emblem are part of the storytelling and characterization. Alear and Diamant support. I have to say it but show don't tell in media doesn't manifest itself the same way depending on which media. The difference between the manga and the game is speaking on that. In a video game like Fire Emblem, you have to use dialogue and rely on the voice acting, whle keeping in mind that most of the earlier game were NOT FULLY VOICED leaving it to the dialogue to show. And yes, you can show through dialogue. How do you show that someone is scared ? easy, have them scream for help and run away. Which is what Alear did in the C support with Diamant.

Besides, when bringing up the Diamant and Alear support.... did she not realize it was precisely about how Alear doesn''t show sign of fear on the battlefield and that they explained to Diamant they mentally prepare themselves for it hence why it doesn't show ? The first moment of the story were about establishing that Alear is scared of the Corrupted, there are tons of dialogue about it. But in the rest of the story this support shows that Alear is actually pushing themselves in order to be able to fight as the Divine dragon to honor the promise they made with Lumera. Take it as this. Imagine you are very tired but you have a big essays to write. Even if you are tired, you are going to pull yourself along and write it. Alear does the same : even though they are scared, they push themselves so that they can actually help others as expected of them.

That side of them also appears in the cutscene, in the Veyle introduction, Alear was paralyzed by a Corrupted surprised attack and was getting on their guard when Veyle helped them. When they meet Lumera's creature, their first reaction is to scream "The Corrupted" indicating fear. I get that having Alear only says that they are scared doesnt give the impression that they show this but in Fire Emblem that's how things are. Cutscene and CG art are precious ressources that have to be used cleverly, they cannot do this for the entire game. The only ressort is to tell or to show through telling. Another problem is that they don't seem to take into account Alear's past live as a Fell child and while I get it due to Alear not regaining their entire memory... it still not a good arguments since Alear's body still remember the Corrupted. In fact, the music theme for the Corrupted being this unsettling and threatning is showing how Alear feals facing them. What's more, Alear's "cowardice" is even more striking when you compare their attitude to Veyle's. veyle openly defy Sombron many times and even fight the Corrupted. Alear was so emotionally broken that they could not defy Sombron. At all. Until they meet Lumera. They are also the only Fell child to fear them. Veyle fight them no problem. Rafal can make hundred of those and Nel even have them as a snack. Alear however ? They are scared to death.

Also, Timera in chapter 15 teases Alear with the story of the woman that talks in the ruin and they are so scared they don't even think "oh ! it must be the Emblem ring" instead they say "You did not needed to make sounds so real !!" indicating they were scared.

She also showed clips of Alear and Veyle's drama in chapter 15 and insist that Alear doesnt learn anything ? Really ? The one chapter where the player as the impression that Alear learns from their mistakes of having trust Veyle ? Because it is a character growth moment. Alear used to bound with Veyle, then they discover she is their mother's murderer, and the anger is vissible on their face which is a rare occassion fo the regualr model looking good for once and not bland. That's also a moment striking into the Veyle conflict since it reminds us that Alear has complicated feeling for Veyle when in chapter 17, they learn that she was manipulated and with the xenologue out, this makes the whole Rafal deal worse when you know that the xenologue is implied to take place somewhere after chapter 17. Yes, no.

I'll give you a bright example of the game showing and not telling and using telling as a form of showing. Past Alear. When we meet them in chapter 24, and in the jpn version, Past Alear speaks in hiragana. This is a speech used by child character. In the Fell xenologue, Young Nil and Nel speaks in hiragana too. They are like 10. Past Alear, a 17 year old teenager, speaks like they are 10. While delivering the lines emotionlessly, it creates an unsettling feeling as the hiragana makes them even more devoided of emotion but implies that Alear's mind is broken and was broken to a young state. When they meet our Alear, they mentioned their dead siblings. Past Alear knowing how each one died is a proof that they SAW their siblings dying and the fact they have the same speeches as a 10 year old child indicates it must have happened when they were very young and that it's the moment they got broken. Compare this to the cutscene in chapter 21-22. Alear greats Lumera with a bright smile, their voice is full of expression, their tone is tender, their eyes are sparkling, here the use of the hiragana shows Alear as the innocent child that was hidden behind the cold facaed they put. As a matter of fact, Alear was always forced into the story as well to put a facade since they had to help Alfred without having had the time to properly mourn her. In fact, they kept their head lowered until Alfred said something that caught their attention, if you recall. And it's also this one scene that is used to show how much Lumera was important to Alear, that makes the tears of chapter 3 make sense. Similarily, the fear of the Corrupted makes sense when you unlock chapter 24 (sadly). This is also what makes Alear accepting to become a Corrupted to safe the world striking. It's when you learn about that in chapter 24 that this decision in chapter 22 becomes, in retrospective, a sign of growth and a major character developpement on Alear's part. I don't care if someone goes "but they were amnesica so it doesn't count'. IT. DOES. Alear's past live is part of them, that's why in the game it's explored unlike Robin whose past live did not mattered compared to the new identity they forged. That's something that cannot be ignored when speaking of Alear. That's why they remain with red hair and red eyes. Their past is still an important part of their identity. Heck if chapter 24 occurs after the reviving as a Corrupted and Emblem it's for us and Alear to realize how far they have come by literaly seeing how they were before.

As for the Sombron child conflict, it's not resolved right on the spot. What ? I am not sure what she mean exactly but let's put thing back into context. Alear spend 10 chapter struggling to find rings and try to be worth as Divine dragon to honor Lumera and protect the world despite being amnesiac and a scared cat that is afraid of ghost stories. Alfred told them that they finally seemed to have achieved what they were looking for. They are confident and then what happens ? Griss bombed them with the nuke that they are Sombron's child and even provided an evidence. The invocations. And if you recall, in chapter 2, Lumera mentions that too, and her silence after that was telling as the reason why. It was a foreshadowing. REPLAYING the game 's story makes it clear that being Sombron's child was an important part of Alear's character, from the concept design to the little foreshadowing at the begining of the game. It's not there just to decoy, it was there from the START. That's why it felt like a natural progression to learn about it. As for the "yeah but it's resolved right away" yea... Alear was literaly gonna leave because they thought they were an impostor. The momen Sigurd told them they still had the power of Divine dragon, they face got lighted up like someone losing a heavy weight place on their chest. And when they ask the others if they will still follow Alear after learning the truth, all others still follows Alear but not because they are the Divine dragon unlike in the begining, but because they are Alear. And that Alear gained their trust and become what connected them, heck it's even a foreshadowing for the ring of the Connector !!!!!!

I can agree on that scene could have hit much harder but... that twist was always a thing (look at Alear's concept art, again)

Other point. The first cinematics. I repeat. In my full review, I mentionned how in this scene, Alear was fighting Sombron alone and that this was an idealized version of the same cutscene that occures later in chapter 22 with Alear fighting Sombron. @bluescreenl has observed that Alear was fighting Sombron all alone, @fayesdiary as observed that Alear's past self was stronger then our Alear because they had to rely all alone and on strengh alone to survive whereas our Alear has to gain their strengh from their allies, a strengh through bound. Past Alear live with Sombron's philosphoy vs Alear living thorugh their own philosophy. This cause Past Alear to commit a terrible mistake that would have taken their live. Whereas our Alear thorught the power of bound, becomes stronger then relying on strengh alone, and defeat Sombron successfully this time. I honestly think that the DLC shows this too since IsekaiAlear committed the same mistake as Past Alear, in a world where they died and could not come back. The tutorial fight is meant to parallel with the boss final fight with Alear fighting alone with Marth vs Alear fighting with all their friends and allies. This shows that Alear has learn the meaning of strengh through bound being stronger then strengh alone and the fact that this resonated through the gameplay yet that not once this video seems to adress it and is a missed opportunity.

Also, I know she jokes about not knowing why Zephia helped Alear and Veyle... she was joking right ? Zephia told Griss why she did it... to get back at Lord Sombron....that's it. Zephia also never "dropped the nuke" that she can control time. She nevers says what is the power of the crystal she gave Alear and Veyle. Just that it would help them get to the shard. It's only in playing chapter 24 of the hell that we discover that our teams traveled back 1 000 ago. That is inaccurate. She also did not seemed to realize that there is a difference between Hortensia's mind manipulation and Veyle's. Hortensia manipulated has no agency, deprived of her own free will. In Mauvier and Rosado's support, Mauvier reveals that the follower of Sombron would ressort to brainwashing, and in Hortensia's case, she is just using that technique. Veyle however, is victim of a spell that is amplifying her dragonic pulse in order to create a "fitting personality" for her since her current personality makes her disobeying Sombron. The difference lies into the fact that Veyle is meant to be used on a long term whereas Hortensia was momentary. From what is said about that spell when it comes to Veyle is that those dragonic impulse are from her Mage dragon side as Veyle is part mage dragon and that Zelestia and Mauvier's support revealed that Zephia destroyed her home because of her dragonic impulse being too poweful, like Veyle, and Zephia claim that she is using part of Sombron's power in chapter 17 to achieve this result. I do think that if the game could have explained a bit more the magic Zephia used, it would be more clear however there is no occasion plot wise to do that since Zephia never joins our part and that Zelestia's magic is weak... oh boi is it weak. She also acts like she doesn't know the difference between time rewind and time travel. To put it short, Time rewind is the same power as Byleth's Divine impulse and in Engage too, it is limited whereas Time travel allows the person's body to travel too and that' where the whole past double thing come in play. Why would Zephia use it knowing that even if she time traveled, she would still be bleeding ? To warn her past double while dying on the spot ? Moreover, it's obvious that Zephia wanted to die since to quote Griss, she could have turned her back on Sombron sooner but she did not, she choose to give up on her life and to die here since she would not have her baby, and therfore the undeying love and how am I suppose to take this seriously when it's yet another person that thinks Zephia is being redeemed here ? Her death scene insist on how she messed up and Alear and Veyle are not here which is pointed out so how am I supposed to think Zephia is being redeemed just because she realize she had the family she dreamed of right under her nose ? God, it's fire emblem. Only when it turns out that the female villain was brainwashed and manipulated and end up shoehorning her way into joining your party can you say they are being redeemed.

Also, it's from there that the "why didn't Alear killed Sombron criticism" comes from and many others bad takes !!! Well, because if Alear kills Sombron then their past self will never meet Lumera and therefore Alear will never become a Divine/Fell dragon hybrid and therfore our Alear will disappear nullifying the entire story ? Isn't that chanigng too much of history ??? No just me ?? Never heard of time paradox ?! ok.

Just saying : the entire reason why Awakening, other FE title that involved time travel had to rely on the multiverse was because they knew that logical conclusion of the grandfather paradox : Lucina and friends killing Grima would result in the destruction of their future and lead them to disappear because butterfly effect (lucina's animal spirit). Other example in Pandora Hearts, the hero have to stop the main antagonist from going back in time and changing one event else it will rewrite the entirety of history.

Well anyway, while I hate time loops and I hate that it's how they explained Alear and Lumera's meeting, Alear killing Sombron in going back in time is actually dumb since they would erase their current existence in the process seeing how changing past rewrites future. Besides that's completely useless to kill him in the past since Sombron is supposed to be killed in the past either way and is brough back to life at the begining of the game! So all it would cause is Alear to destroy their own past while Sombron would still come back to life later on !

On the Sombron bringing back Gradlon, i had to ask myself the question so I replayed the game and... yeah, he needed it to open the portals to other world.

Throwing the Emblems ... are you kidding me ? Sombron killed Alear, the only person that could summon Emblems to purge them of the evil power. Sombron also think her absorbed all of the Emblem power since no one knew that they had the Miracle power even though the game foreshadowed it and then explicitely told about it. But Sombron though he had absorbed their millenia power so once he had that, there was no utility for the rings. Alear dead, rings having no more power and then Veyle becoming evil again. Why do you think Sombron pulls a pikachu face upon seeing that not only Alear came back to life but that they became an Emblem ? That was a mistake on Sombron's part due to him being arrogant but also due to him seeing no reason to do so. He had what he wanted, Alear is dead and Veyle would get rid of Alear's friend even if Sombron still tasked Zephia, a guardian and a barried just in case.... but clearly, it's not like the game proved him wrong since when Alear came back as a Corrupted, they vanish due to having lost their life energy in the process, so if it were not for the miracle, Alear would have wasted their life just to summon Emblem again and that's it... Heck, when Sombron threw them, not only did we had to summon them again while fighting Veyle's Corrupted army, but we also had to collect them since they were scattered around and that the Emblems need to be reunited on the same spot to perform the Miracle. It was reckless of Sombron, but ... if I were in his shoes, I kinda get why I would have acted the same. The fact that the scene explain itself is....*sight* this really doesn't need to be rationalize because it was obvious. Alear dead, what could humans that can't summon Emblems do with it anyway, especially when Sombron got to absorb their powers ? His only mistake was to not know that the Miracle, a secret power, would be used to save Alear and Alear had to came back so summon Emblems for them to do it anyway

She also complains about the Emblem not being summoned outside of Elyos but the game does acknowledge this ? Marth, upon hearing about 0Emblem, says that they are surprised to hear about an Emblem being summoned in another world, because of how strange it is. But that's the point. That 0 Emblem was able to do that... what's confusing exactly ? And the Alear can summon Emblem anyway is explained... Marth said that when the portal would close, Emblems would disappear. When Alear tried to summon back the Emblems, they said that the portal is still open meaning that they are still opened enough to give them the possibility to do this. Sombron even opens more portal to summon dark Emblems for the others world like... pay attention to what the game says ?

And I am being frank but when she said "I didn't knew we could drive this thing" that where I stopped taking anything from this video seriously. Vander literaly explained it. Why do you think we can return to the Somniel at any moment. Divine Dragon control the Somniel. Pay attention to what the game says please.

The putting the ring in the Somniel is a weird point. It's invalidated by the fact that Lumera mentions how this was done for centuries by Divine dragon before her, so you could say it's just a tradition that is perpetuated an was never proven to be flawed. In short, since it always worked up until the game's event, Lumera saw no reason why in particular, this year, it would turn out to be a bad idea. It's like people assuming all swans are white until they meet a black swan. Lumera wa used to it and there was no problem when the other dragons did it, so how could she expect that someone woul try to attack her ... in a surprised attack that took place at night and was the first one Lythos castle had to face, dear God....also Lumera spend like 5 minutes explaining that the castle is safe and there was peace for like 1000 years so really, why putting them in the Somniel when Lythos castle is just as safe ? Maybe you'll know that...if you didn't bragged about how her exposition dump was boring

And that's this video that is the origins of "Why doesn't Veyle ressurect Marni or other character as Corrupted huh ?" BECAUSE HAVE YOU SEEN KING MORION?! Moreover Veyle has been crystal clear that the Corrupted all ends up fading anyway. Alear fasten the process of losing life energy due to the sumoning Emblem session. If Veyle were to bring back Marni as a Corrupted, she might not last long. As a matter of fact, Sombron having to make kids rather then relying on the Corrupted alone to have solider should prove it. When they are killed, they disappear right away. If they waste too much energy, they disappear right away. She also seems to forget that the Emblems, many times, discuss about ressurecting Lumera throught the Miracle but don't agree and could not do it anyway since only after Alear proved Corrupted don't last long when they do thing that waste life energy after summoning the 12 Emblems finally reunited for the first time ever during the entire game. You could argue the DLC contradicts that but I remind you we don't know how much time gap there is between Alear's death and Alear' arrival. We don't know if the Corrupted Roylas were there for days or weeks. Even then, Rafal is more powerful then Veyle and our Sombron since he can corrupt animal. I do think trying to explain more about how the Corrupted works would help, but the part about them disapperaing when they use too much energy was stated by Veyle and Veyle even states that the Emblem summoning only fastened the process.

Also... the peak performance about Veyle is just... *sight*. Veyle can already make Corrupted in a sophisticated way yk ? That's how she is able to bring back Alear as themselves. Rafal can do so too as a matter of fact. The reason why Sombron turned Morion into a lower grade Corrupted is because he just recovered. Remember ? Half of the game, he could not move because he had to feed on blood. Once he regained full energy and with the power of Emblems, he was able to make them better then when we see him in the game and the fact I am literaly quoting the game script to type this answer is all you need to know about it. The whole dragonic pulse isn't there to explain the Corrupted, but is at the core of Veyle's storyline into accomplishing herself in what she wants to be. The Helmet isn't there to make her being at her peak perfomance, but to kill her personality permanetly. That's why she ended up in the after life, and that if she decided to give up, she would have stayed there permantely. Only her consiousness was dying, not her soul so she could fight back since there was still time. I am wondering how can you manage to miss something this obvious, and the fact it's not the only obvious thing she missed is...depressing to say the least.

"The only reason why alear died again was because he summoned all the Emblem--" NO, precisley NO. Corrupted all ends up dying again if they waste their life energy, this was establsihed by Veyle herself in this very scene. Alear summoning the Emblem only fastened the process. God.... tell me it's not true.

SO THAT IS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOCKING ALEAR'S DENIAL IN CHAPTER 10 WITH THE VEYLE TWIST!!! Cinemasins ways of saying you ignore the context of the scene... Alear is in denial and I already explained in this post that it was a localization thing. In this scene, in jpn, Veyle speaks differently. Usual Veyle speaks in a rather immature way although she uses kanji. Evil Veyle's speech makes her sound more dignified and ressembles that of Nel and Céline. It's more obvious in japanese due to the difference in language. I repeat but how a character speak is part of characterization. I already adressed this when mentioning Marni using boku or Rafal changing prounons. And I really feel bad for M!Alear's Eng VA for being this harsly criticized when he literaly reached peak performance in chapter 10. Poor guy

AND NO WAIT IT'S THERE THAT COMES FROM THE WHY NO ONE KNOWS ALEAR ?! Oh my God... BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T WORSHIP ALEAR BUT DIVINE DRAGONS AS A WHOLE... It's been established several times. Zephia's surprise upon learning that Lumera had a child or Hortensia's dialogue... because when you learn that Alear was adopted, of course it makes sense that no one knows what they look like since they aren't a divine dragon, but a fell one and stayed asleep into the Somniel for 1 000 years. Was any member of our cast around 1 000 ago ? I don't think so. Lumera was busy watching over them as they sleep what ceremony do you want them to have ? Divine dragons are all worshipped because of their species, not because of their person. So it does makes sense that even if they don't know Alear, they would rever them anyway, because to them Alear is a divine dragon. That's it. In 3H, people have the exact same relationship to Sothis, where despite having portraits, no one knows how she looks like.. that's.. really not a good point at all, and Alear isn't even a god. Vander explained it : Dragon are revered as such because of their power but they are treated like the royalty that they are. Except people can make offering to them or pray to them and I already addressed that... The game is clear on who knew how Alear looked like and who didn't. Those who lived in Lythos and visited knows, those who didn't ignore how Alear lookd like, heck Elusian didn't even knew there were 2 Divine dragon and for good reasons. Alcryst didn't because he never went into Lythos. Firene is a pious country so both Royals would go. But in Brodia, only Diamant went to visit Alear as the First Prince. Alcryst did not. Why ? idk. The game doesn't explain why some characters did not visited, it only speficied those who had the occasion to do that and those who did not and we decuded that if they don't know Alear, they did not get to visit them. It's easier to specify which one visited into Lythos rather then the opposite because there isn't much of Engage cast who got the opportunity vs the few that could. It's likely that Alcryst was too young since Diamant said he went vist when he was a child. And also.. why does Alcryst not know what the neighboring prince looks like.. because Alfred took some time to recognize Alcryst as well ??? It's been established several times that the kingdom have little communication between each other. Alcryst and Alfred must have met like twice or thrice, it's not like they were best friends and Alfred said it was some time ago, Céline for instance said she was a child when this happen.... Why didn't Queen Eve told Alear how they look like... hm... because... who does that ? Just... this.. this argument is so ... bizare ??? Queen Eve had no idea that Alear and Alfred would took a delay and that Alcryst would get attacked by bandits and monster in the mean time but who who makes a detailled portrailed of someone who is supposed to be a guest ? Alear isn't a war prisonner or a criminal ?! Why aren't they walking with guards ?! Fire Emblemness aside, because Alfred and Alear were in allied territory, they didn't expected to be attacked by Alcryst

Also... my favorite part of the video was that she asked why Alcryst attacked them and did not checked first... while showing minutes ago a piece of dialogue of Alcryst explaining why. Because he was tensed from waiting and having crossed only bandits and beast to be honest Alcryst's reaction made more sense then people believing Alear right away when claming that they are the Divine dragon but welp, let that sink. And again, they were miles away when Alcryst shooted. And I really like how she says it's OOC of Alcryst even though many supports established that when necessary he has to act as the prince he is and knowing Alcryst, even if he did not shoot Alear (nearly) but simply asked them in a rather threatning way to identify themselves, Alcryst would have apologized anyway for having being too rude... And the next scene on the bridge, Alcryst is literaly standing against Hortensia and saying he will protect everyone

I could see on Alear's support being too repetetive but disagree with the take that because Alear is amnesiac they should not have a moral ground. Robin is all evidence needed. Amnesia is also part of memory loss, not entirely else I might ask myself why Alear can speaks. Besides some of those support takes place long after Alear already experienced quite a lot of events, such as the Hortensia one taking place after chapter 10. Great moment of grow from them. Moreover, Nel's support with Timerra (and seeing the video date, it's after the DLC so) establish as well as Zephia's dying moments that dragon due to their long live forgets stuff almost naturally. A little like us who cannot remember what happened before we were 3, and even then it's hard. Alear simply forget about what happened 1 000 ago but remained the same person, sole difference is that unlike 1 000 they are allowed to express it. About worshipp, what the game is saying... is that the character are heeds over Alear because they are a divine dragon but that they end up liking them and treating them as a friend after learning that Alear is normal because else, people would not appreciate Alear for who they are. And choosing Lindon who is the SOLE recruitable map ennemy when we know Lindon isn't happy with how Elusia become and wanted to rejoin Ivy and Hortensia to make a point is really a bad idea to so many level. It's dismissing Lindon's character. And what does that mean by "giving other character the spotlight" that already the case ?? Alear and Alfred's support shows Alfred's reckless side when it comes to helping his friends, with Framme we learn that faith is an important part of her life that helped her in sad moments, Hortensia did learn something since she genuinely thinks that cute stuff are important due to being spoiled, Citrinne is a rich kid and you even quote the one line showcasing that in the main story I...

(Slight edit on my part, but after checking ALL of Alear's support turns out that only 4 of them in reality involves worshipp. 2 if you consider that Merrin, Chloé and Citrinne acts like this with everyone)

Hnng, my head is starting to spin....

And the mercenary thing confuse me ? In their support with Yunaka didn't Alear ask them if she was a mercenary too ? Writers wat ?

Ahh, anyway, about Alear not knowing some things and knowing others, I would not blame it only on the amnesia.

I mean, when you realize that Alear was a Fell child, you might as well ask yourself if the actual reason why Alear was so ignorant about the world whereas only Fell world related things seems familiar might be that they were never taught anything in the first place. After all, Past Alear speak like a child. And Nel herself even though she comes from a different world mention several time that she isn't familiar with the humans, even in her world with comments such as in her gym session or when eating... so I don't see why I would blame it on Alear's amnesia in particular when addtional data seems to infer that Alear did not knew a lot of things even before memory loss.

Besides I don't recall us ever meeting a merc in the main story

I also have an impression that the author of the video doesn't accept the writing à rebours as a valid method of narration even though it's at the core of the thing. Bragging about Lumera's exposition being boring when it's full of foreshadowing showing the game knew it's ending and who is also an example of showing through telling is an example of that. I repeat. How a character speaks is part of showing and of their characterization. Despite the little time we have to know Lumera, she speaks and say those expostion dumping like a MOTHER so it does make me care which is why Engage is considered to have handled better the knowing mama then Fates and they are right because Mikoto got really easily forgotten when Lumera and Alear never having had to spend time together when they reunited is made more tragic by the later revelations. What happens after shows that Lumera was this important for Alear. The manga may not kill lumera but it still gave Alear a literal depression ... over a woman he doesn't know, confirming what I said about the writers intending for those moments to hit with full context. But God, for once we will agree that Lumera's first death should not be so long.

Also I haven't played Octopath Traveler 2, nor any of the series so I would not be able to give my thought but given that my searches lead me to a traditional RPG game a la Bravely Default... bad comparision. Really bad. Engage and Fire Emblem are SRPG. The gameplay is important in the story. Classic standards fire Emblem uses everthing they have to convey the story including the gameplay since the major part of FE is on the chess battlefield and not doing world hub even if Engage managed to balance it compared to 3H....brrr.... I get monastery flashback I HATE IT. But yeah, comparing game who have different gameplay is not good at all, because it's not taking into account that Units are here to expand the story to the battlefield. In my Engage analysis, I had to analyse not only support and story moments, but class choice, name of personal skills, the stats, the name of the freaking weapon and the fact that not once this video tackled on Engage's localization is also a problem, because at least THRICE I had to point out that thing that fans complained did not existed into the japanese text and just to give an example of how localization can ruin this. Rafal's weapon is Revanche, but the french localization decide to name it Vengeance even though those are different thing. Revanche is the act of giving back what someone did to you to the exact same amount by wining, for example, you lost a battle against an enemy and win against same enemy, which is part of his characterization as trying to take his revenge against the world that mocked him then against Sombron when he switched sides. Vengeance means that you are actively making someone pay for the bad that was done to a degree that is not proportional to that offense, but is more intense. For someone giving you a slap, you puch them 20 times. Which is complely missing out his character arc.

And oh boi she does mention the dream cutscense but fail to notice it is meant to parallel with the boss fight in order to show Alear's evolution ???? I... but she does say clever thing, however, it feels like she did not replay the game enough time nor tried to immerse herself into the story to get that....when the answer is just under your nose...

For the design... Well, I already shared my thoughts on it and I do wish I could redesign some but the fact that some of them do their job at communicating is even more saddening as to the design being a missed opportunity. Alfred and Celine's palette works but Celine's design isn't Fire emblem. So people are going to focus on that rather then the fact it makes sense in narrative. Like her being a princess from a rich country that has little experienence for war = rococo desgin. And impractical outfit on purpose. However, Engage does uses visual symbolism to get it's point across. Alear's story is felt in the design for Lythos vs Gradlon and in the music. For instance, I made that in one of my draft post, but the complentary between white for Lumera and Dark for Sombron also shows Alear's psyche of seeing Lumera has an angelic mother and Sombron as his worst fear and trauma.

I swear that if the author of the video had to force themselves into going through the story, I had to force myself for 4 hours (again, I watched it twice to make SURE I wouldn't miss any of her points) into hearing things that are either subjective, either blantalty showing they did not payed attention even if the last minutes about the rewriting was very refreshing but also showed that they missed some point about why some scene don't happen with Alear here or that the thematic of the game was already there...

I also have a problem with them complaining about contrivance and pointing things that aren't contrivance since game itself explains it. I can give you an example of actual plot hole in Engage. Elusia. Why did Lumera gave a ring to a country that worship her worst ennemy ? Seeing what the game says, it can only be attributed to the background of how Sombron became Gradlon's king and Elusia's deity, which is saddly never explained. That was right there, the FIRST THING I asked myself when Alfred told us about Elusia being Engage's Plegia and not ONCE DOES THIS VIDEO MENTIONS IT ??? Instead it nitcpicks stuff that can already be explained reasonably enough. And it started a trend of people repeating the thing she said without even thinking twice about it. God. And it's not even one that destroys the story since Elusia steals Byleth, Lucina and the Renais twins ring anyway, so them having other ring from the start felt just like an uncessary contradicting info.

( Edit : After checking the interviews for Engage's release turns out that it's explained Elusia got a ring because it used to worship the Divine dragon tribe)

And I am gonna be honest, as the video went on I started to doubt on their genuinety... I replayed the game enough time to knows how to answer to any of those critics because they base themselves on things that seems obvious. Sombron letting the rings because Alear is dead ? Obvious ! The game only mentioning the rare people that got to meet Alear and not those who never did because they are more of them ? Obvious ! And not even taking into account that design like Veyle and Alear are plot relevant and part of the characterization to generalize aroung the design that feels off or blatantly ignoring the music when gems like the Hound theme and the Corrupted theme exist, showing how those people feels to our character is just unbelievable.

Sorry if it took long... I really wrote all that. Thanks for asking me my thoughts. But honestly, even if Engage does need a bit of polish, there is really few thing in that video that would be relevant. It seems like there is a bad understanding of everything in the story like... saying that the dream cutscene never happened when this scene and the custscene in chapter 3 are actually 2 different vision from the same individual of the Chapter 22 scene that was cut out of it's context and seeing how the author admitted liking 3H's story, I am surprised she did not recognized that it was the same narrative tool as the main one used in 3H. I won't repeat myself. Engage is not a master piece, it has flaws, a clumsy writing, and a lot of things that need poilishing but really, no ammount of video critique will manage to convice me into thinking that this story is SO bad when it's at worst, mediocre and I strees that I mean it as in generic. Really. And probably too generic to be this bad.

Engage's story can be improved but every story can.

And also, there is nothing wrong with liking a game whose story is bad. I like Fates and sheet on it's story everyday. Same with Awakening and I did the same with Engage but there is no denying Engage does a better job at telling it's story then the last game we had and as more assets to it. I'll go deeper into all of this but I already made a too long answer for tumblr standards and I could still do it later or already did it in my previous posts. I am not even trying to say Engage is a well written*pasterpiece, because it's not... but it still does a good job a telling it's stories and is funnier to analyze.

But you should not feel ashamed of liking the game just because some people will make a point into explaining why they dislike it and other people enjoyed its story too. Anyway, I hope I did not sounded rude towards the author of the video (I also like to make the disclaim that i am a ESL so I might have expressed myself in a clusmy way) but there is just too many elements that feels like a superificial reading into the story and as someone who always ends up making deep dive into Engage trust me...there is reason why I named it "Fire Emblem Emotional damage" and even if it's a silly looking game with heavy handed writing at some parts, I loved it and enjoyed it's story a lot and I'll always maintain it's actually much deeper and passionate then this "obligation" nonsense. You can clearly feel that were was a ton of love put into that story.

[pastrydragon]

Fixing Yona from TOTK

We can redeem her in the DLC she just needs some tweaking

And by tweaking I mean I'm totally retconning her personality but in a way that makes sense so bare with me here:

I want to make Yona protagonistically and enjoyably Evil

What does that mean? you ask. It means I want her to be a ruthless, conniving bitch of the first degree but completely on Sidon and Link's side!

I want all that "I'm just here to help" "My Darling Sidon!" bullshit to have been an act. Not that she doesn't care about Sidon, she does, but more like "This is my pet Himbo, isn't he adorable?" than "Love of my life" kinda thing. How she acted in game was just, so saccharine and fake. Like this is a crafted person, not a real one. AND I CAN SPIN THAT INTO AN ADVANTAGE WITH THIS DLC.

Because the Zora are so used to their utterly benevolent and optimistic royal family that Yona slipping in even a little of her own personality could threaten her crown. The Zora are used to their prince and princess being helpful and likable so Yona needs to pretend to be those things too in order to earn enough approval to become queen.

And she's a good fucking choice for queen for them! I love Sidon, I do, he's best boy. The guy is honorable and kind and brave. That's the problem. He's too soft to what other people want and doesn't want to see the bad in people. He was obviously uncomfortable with the idea of marrying Yona but went along with it because it's what others wanted from him, and he was immediately trusting of link in BOTW and let the guy fire shock arrows from his back. shock arrows that could kill him almost immediately if he gets hit. Sidon isn't stupid, but he is undeniably a little naive to be king to a kingdom that will suddenly be reintroduced to international diplomacy and proper trade after 100ish years.

And while I think he's perfect for face to face diplomacy, the actual minutia of international dealings will probably be a bit too much for him. Yona, as his Evil Royal Advisor™ would be sitting there smiling sweetly while going over written trade proposals with a red pen. And I do think Evil Royal Advisor™ is the right dynamic here. They do NOT have chemistry, but she absolutely wants Sidon to succeed at any cost. And you need someone like that in your corner when you're made of marshmallow and want everyone else to succeed first.

Of course Sidon carries Yona through this just as much. Yona being in Queen mode is probably exhausting and Sidon would be able to spirit her away from any conversation or event with the excuse of needing her advice or attention and then stand in the hallway with her for ten minutes while she vents before she has to glide back in and put her game face back on. He tells her how well she's doing, how much she's improving things and how much he values her. Evil Royal Advisor™ unit requires regular feeding of ego to function properly.

And her being evil EXPLAINS WHY SIDON NEVER MENTIONED HER IN BOTW! Because she probably didn't pretend around him back then and he remembers her as a horrible little demon, fuck she probably bullied his ass a little(Out of affection) when they were babies. And Sidon wouldn't want to talk about her because he'd have to skip over too much stuff to still be honest. Or talk about the time Yona put frogs in his sleeping pond during the night and he was so surprised when he woke up to them that he shrieked like a banshee and everyone came running to find him freaking out over a damn frog. That shit is embarrassing.

Note: I'm writing this DLC quest to be like something I think Nintendo would seriously write, so dialogue might seem a little over the top or silly at times.

Stage 1:

For the DLC reveal I'd have the quest line "Bride In Black" start with her asking you during the day cycle to get her 15 thunderwing butterflies. She's stockpiling shock resistant potions for emergencies you see. Afterward she'll give you 100 rupees and tell you to go visit Sidon since "He's been stressed lately and would love to see his best friend!" how thoughtful!

Stage 2:

Speak to Sidon who will be searching for something by the big waterfall. He'll explain after some prodding that Yona has been disappearing at night and he's only been able to follow her as far as here before she seems to disappear. He's tried talking to her about it but she always manages to change the subject or be needed elsewhere when he brings it up. He's concerned for her safety and wellbeing as monsters still roam around the domain's borders. At the end of the dialogue he decides to let it go and trust she knows what she's doing. Link gets his quest updated anyway.

Stage 3:

If Link goes to the bottom of the big waterfall at the beginning of the night cycle and crouches in the bushes then Yona will appear mumbling to herself. Equip the stealth set and follow her as quietly as possible, making sure you don't get too loud or too close or she'll realize she's being followed and disappear, the player will then have to wait for the next night cycle to try again. this stage is very similar to the side quest where you follow Mila around in Zelda Windwaker. Except near the end of the following Yona is briefly attacked by a lazalfos, she calmly kills it by throwing a purple bottle at it that causes it to die in a puff of acrid smoke. Yona casually continues on with a "Fufufufu~" speech bubble above her head. Soon she approaches an odd tree which she pours a potion on, the tree shrivels away and a hidden cave is revealed! she enters.

Stage 4:

Link enters after her "Yona's Lair" appears on the screen announcing it as the area's name. inside the cave the player can hear Yona's new theme(Which is her old theme backwards and played on what sounds like a pipe organ and a synthesizer). there's a short hallway before the cave opens up into a big circular room with a cauldron in the middle, filled with suspicious purple ooze. the walls are decorated with what appear to be tacked up potion recipes and detailed drawings of dissected monster parts. Some recipes have the classic skull and crossbones on them for aesthetic. Link approaches Yona (who is writing at an oddly stained desk with another "Fufufufu~" speech bubble above her head.) Press A while close to start a cutscene.

Cutscene:

Yona turns around, shocked to see Link and begins to scream at him "HOW DID YOU FIND ME YOU DIRTY GOBLIN!?" she tries switching back to Queen mode for a few seconds "I-I mean how ever did you find me Link?" she sighs resignedly after a few moments and says "Oh, no point now. You've seen my hobby, there's no fooling you anymore." Yona's character animations change so she's standing with a hand on her hip and her mouth in a toothy grin as opposed to her old demure idle animation. Her green and purple aesthetic looks more at home among the dark and potion bottles, and her devil/parasite horns look much more natural with her head held high and teeth on display. "I almost wish I were dumb enough to try and fight you, but I know I'd lose once I ran out of ammo. And I can't bribe someone like you to stay quiet, so, I suppose this might be it for my little stint as queen. Just do me a favor? Give Sidon the yellow potions on the table for me? I do care about the dumb lummox, and I just know he's going to throw himself in front of some lightning shooting monster one of these days and get himself killed."

"I KNEW IT!" Sidon has appears seemingly angry at the entrance to the lair to shock animations from Link and Yona "I knew you were faking! I thought I was going crazy misremembering our friendship, but you've just gotten better at that act of yours." Sidon laughs "You have no idea how relieved I am, I felt like I was talking to a stranger all these months, it's wonderful you haven't actually changed. I think... Well I'm happy to have my old friend back, even if you do start throwing bugs at me again."

Yona returns to her new idle animation from her shocked one. "You CANNOT be serious Crydon, I knew you were sappy but letting someone like me stick around is just silly! You really are going to go and get yourself killed with all that blind optimism."

Sidon laughs again "I knew I remembered that nickname too! And why wouldn't I let you stick around? Sure, you're a bit... Abrasive at times, and we certainly don't always agree on how to do things, but you're my friend and I care for you! Just because you act in odd ways, or show your affection differently doesn't mean I'm going to get rid of you. You may have teased me when we were little, but you were always there for me when I needed someone to help me or tell me the truth. I remember you called me stupid for losing my favorite toy then you spent all night looking for it while I cried myself to sleep. And I remember you telling me Mipha needed to heal soldiers and couldn't spend time with me instead of telling me she'd be coming back any minute. Then you'd be the one to heal me when I got hurt and you tried to do all the other things I did with Mipha to cheer me up, even though you hated most of those games." Sidon now looks much sadder. "But I don't want you to be Mipha, I want my old friend back. The one that knew when to tell me I was being reckless and when I wasn't believing in myself enough. The one that would steal my sweets then give me her salty snacks later because she knew I liked those better anyway. The one that solved problems, and did the jobs no one else wanted to do but needed to be done. I miss that friend, and I would very much like her back."

Yona is silent for a moment before the player hears a "Fufufufu~" sound effect. "Fufufufu~ my new husband sure knows how to make a girl feel special." Sidon has a brief embarrassed animation before Yona starts speaking again "I'm just teasing you Crydon, I'll stay to keep you from from selling the kingdom for magic beans or whatever nonsense you'd have gotten up to without me." Yona turns to face Link "Assuming this silent menace can keep my hobby, and my charming personality, to himself?"

At this point the player gets the dialogue options of

"Of course!"

Or

"Fine, but I'm watching you!"

Depending on the players choice Yona will either comment on Link's similarity to Sidon, or commend him for being sensible about the situation.

"In any case, you need to buzz off for a while so I can finish my potion and so Crydon and I have a chance to catch up for real. But come back tomorrow night and I'll have something to help you on your little adventure."

At this the cutscene ends and the screen goes dark before Link is transported to the front of the cave at the beginning of the day cycle. Yona's Lair cannot be accessed during the day.

Stage 5:

Talking to Sidon during the day cycle after the cutscene will trigger some thankful flavor dialogue and Sidon will reveal he was following Link the entire time last night after seeing him follow Yona past the waterfall. Link wasn't focused on not being spotted from behind after all.

Talking to Yona during the day cycle will not get new dialogue and she will have changed back to her original animations during the day.

Going back to Yona's Lair at night will result in a short dialogue where Yona thanks Link for "Being a nosy little creep I guess." The player will then have access to Yona's potion shop. The shop sells some randomized normal potions that vary in duration every night. It will also have Poison Bottles. Poison bottles can be thrown at enemies or attached to arrows and will do damage over time to any enemy it hits for 60 seconds. low level monsters will be killed instantly and mid level will likely die on their own in the 60 seconds. But the potions best use is against high HP enemies that don't give the player a lot of opportunity to get a hit in. The poison bottle require both money and monster parts to make so they really should be saved for when Link is in a pinch.

[chloecherrysip]

Hey.....remember when I said I wasn't gonna go see the Mario movie in theaters again? WHAT IF, HYPOTHETICALLY, THAT WAS A FLATOUT LIE AND I WENT AGAIN EARLIER TODAY???

AND what if I had more thoughts to share somehow, even though I could have sworn I was tapped out and would never do another longform post like this?? Wouldn't that be so very silly of me????

WELL, FUNNY THING

LOOK, I just really wanted to get out of the house and there was a showing in 3D five minutes away from me and I hadn't seen it in 3D! I have seen maybe ONE movie in 3D in my whole life and it was several years ago so I'm not too used to what that's like - and honestly, the effect is pretty cool! Maybe I'm easy to please but I liked the way the rain/ocean spray/ice in the beginning/etc actually seemed like it was in the air around me! (Also, I got a legitimate jolt when the Dry Bones popped out of the ground, I just didn't expect it to seem so CLOSE lololol)

Also, it was pretty delightful that we are several weeks into this movie's release and there was still someone dressed up fully as Mario in the theatre who walked by me. I love people! :D

I am at the point where just NINTENDO'S OPENING LOGO ANIMATION makes me emotional, with Mario and Luigi together and Luigi hopping playfully on Mario's head before running off with Mario jumping after him. They're just the LITTLE RETRO SPRITES and still!!! Brothers!!!!!!!!

During this viewing, I got really into thinking about the lore of the movie!universe specifically and the history of Bowser and his and Peach's conflict. My main question: what is UP with that castle in the Dark Lands? From the brief glimpse we get of the inside, it looks pretty abandoned with stuff littered all over the ground, not like Bowser just left it to go on his crusade. And yet, everyone talks about the Dark Lands as though that is where Bowser currently is and it's also where he lives when he's NOT in a floating airship. Maybe he abandoned that smaller castle years ago and the airship is actually his new and improved castle and it was a part of the Dark Lands before Kamek/magic in general just lifted it into the air at some point? But then why are there Shy Guys actively living in and/or patrolling the old castle still??? HMM

Also, Bowser says he had to spend YEARS searching for the super star! That's a lot of time!!! Have the penguins hidden it away from everyone all this time just to keep it safe? Has Peach known about it all along/done anything to help protect it herself? Is there only one star in existence? Does it regenerate after being used and if so, how long does that take??? I like thinking about all these little details, haha.

ALSO x 2, I'm just interested in Bowser and Peach's interactions before the movie in general. Bowser mentions that they've been "sworn enemies" for quite some time and the way he says "Princess Peach! Brave as ever!" just feels like something you say to someone you've spoken with before/have a little familiarity with that ISN'T just creepy spying/pining from afar, lol. Has Bowser tried to invade in the past? I almost wonder if, in the beginning, Peach was her charitable self who tried very hard to reason with him/strike up a peace treaty but it's just always gone wrong or she's VERY MUCH MISREAD all attempts at flirting on Bowser's part or she has just seen too much evidence of him being cruel/willing to kill to get what he wants in the process and that's why she's like "nah fam we're gonna annihilate this monster and leave not a trace behind, i'm DONE with all that peace stuff" now. She is NOT HAVING IT any longer and honestly? I respect that. Bowser is the worst.

(Slightly related: someone remind me that once I'm done with my fic, I need to go into more detail about another alternative movie scenario I've been thinking about where Mario is able to get rid of the Bomber Bill without the Brooklyn stuff ever happening and a furious Bowser grabs both Peach and Luigi (because every time I'm reminded that they never pay off Bowser's threat to use Luigi to hurt Mario, I become a little more insane) and flees in a smaller airship back to the Dark Lands with Mario & company in hot pursuit, and it's basically a more traditional Mario game finale but maybe there's BOWSER BACKSTORY regarding the Dark Lands castle and also Peach & Luigi being kidnapped together lets them bond and eventually become Breakout Buddies and look, it would be a fun time and I want to flesh it out more, OK)

This movie has GOT to come out on digital soon because I NEED to gif so many things (and I don't want to use camrips!!!) and one of those things is every instance of Mario awkwardly waving hello to strangers. HE DOES IT LIKE 5-6 TIMES, HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. IT'S SO CUTE

Also, I love that Mario calls Cranky Kong "sir" when agreeing to the DK fight. THE MOST POLITE MAN IN THE WORLDDDD

I adore how genuinely touched Mario seems by Peach saying that him not knowing when to quit is a great thing. His little, gentle "thanks" in return makes my heart SOFT. Just makes me think about the vibe of him being the "impulsive" son, the "troublemaker" son in the family and how people like his dad have maybe been tough on him about that quality, and for Peach to just be so excited and look so HAPPY at the concept is so surprising to him -maybe she's the first person outside of Luigi to act like that!

me to me: you have seen this SO many times, do NOT tear up again when Mario sees the commercial on the cracked TV!!!

also me to me: CAN'T HEAR YOU, ALREADY TEARING UP

Also forever emotional about the fact that Mario and Luigi have absolutely NO context for what the star is or what it can do when they decide to grab it together - Peach told Mario to go for it, and that's ALL the information available. But the manhole cover is melting and Bowser's flames are literal seconds away from engulfing them. And even so, they're not afraid, because they're together again and whatever happens next, they'll face hand in hand, side by side, and it's that trust, that unbreakable bond that truly makes them invincible at the end of the day, and DON'T MIND ME, I'LL JUST SOFTLY WEEP OVER HERE

LUIGI WIPING A HAPPY TEAR AWAY AS HE AND MARIO HOLD ONTO EACH OTHER AT THE VERY END ;_______; HE MUST FEEL SO RELIEVED ;_______; PROTECT HIM ALWAYS

I made myself laugh as I was leaving the theater by thinking about the person that had to write that newspaper article at the end about what happened. What must that article read like???? How would you ever begin to be able to describe the events that took place here without sounding like an insane person???? Are the people who didn't see it in person reading this like "uhhhh is this April Fool's Day???" I WOULD HAVE THAT REACTION. I DON'T ENVY THAT PERSON'S POSITION lolol

[yanderes-galore]

can i request yandere luigi to go with ur yandere mario concept?

Yeah, awhile ago I had a draft for it then I didn't feel like doing Nintendo- Let me give my favorite Mario bro what he deserves.

Yandere! Luigi Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Clingy behavior, Worship Yandere, Manipulation, Deception, Self esteem issues, Fear of abandonment, Forced relationship, Sabotage, Protective behavior, Delusional behavior, Stalking implied.

- Most of the time Luigi is very timid, emotional, and cares what people think of him.

- He's used to always being number two, staying in Mario's shadow most of the time.

- Mario gets all the attention.

- While Luigi has been getting more popularity recently, he is still pretty overlooked.

- A fear of his is that, because he's the least popular brother, he may never earn your affections.

- Which causes Luigi to be anxious and self conscious.

- Luigi would also be somewhat of a worship Yandere, treating you like the best thing since sliced bread.

- He goes on and on about you to his brother, which Mario may either be happy for him or annoyed.

- He'd also be sort of clingy towards you once he finds he loves you.

- Luigi would be Obsessive, Manipulative, Overprotective, Self conscious, Worshipping, Deceptive, and Childish.

- Luigi seems like the type to fixate heavily on a crush of his when he meets you.

- He's full on head-over-heels towards you, swooning and daydreaming childishly.

- It's cute for awhile, but it can get creepy or annoying if he makes it a big deal.

- Would definitely be the one most likely to practice love letters out of both the brothers.

- He pours his heart into them in hopes he can someday have the courage to give them to you.

- He has to be careful Polterpup doesn't find out about them, that pup may expose him.

- His letters are a way he vents his obsession, another way is writing in a diary all about you.

- It helps him not reveal his feelings too early.

- He'd die if you found out too soon.

- Luigi's manipulative like his brother, yet he doesn't do it as much.

- He's mostly the type to guilt trip you rather than plan elaborately.

- Totally the type to do puppy-eyes at you to spend time with him.

- How could you say no to him?

- Luigi would also attempt to be overprotective.

- He's a coward but he can be brave when he feels he has to protect those he loves.

- He may also like you because you give him bravery at times.

- He feels if he's to be perfect for you he needs to prove he can protect you.

- So while he may have trouble hitting overprotective at points, he's certainly at least protective.

- Luigi's incredibly self conscious due to always being overlooked.

- He may rely on you to help him feel like he's wanted.

- Which makes him a worship Yandere, as he feels you can't leave him if he piles on the affection.

- He's unaware of the fact he may come off as suffocating.

- He's too focused in hugs, praises, and soft kisses to notice.

- You may as well put him down as delusional, too.

- He doesn't see his own red flags and why you may not like him as much as he does you.

- It's like he blocks out anything that would go against his fantasy.

- He thinks the relationship between you is all sunshine and rainbows!

- When in reality, it's much darker than that.

- Polterpup probably feeds into your compliance with Luigi's affection.

- The ghost is incredibly loyal to his owner.

- If you resist Luigi's attempt at hugging you for example, you're given a growl or bark.

- Luigi just wants to make you happy!

- Why resist him?

- It's said on the wiki that Luigi lied in some of the games, mostly the RPGs, so Luigi may be more deceptive than you think.

- He seems like the person to play the victim card as he cries easily.

- May even explain the situation to Mario for help, leaving things out to set you up as the bad guy.

- Luigi is also very childish in his obsession.

- He treats it like a crush a young child would have for the most part, rather naive to it all.

- He also cries and gets jealous easily.

- Which makes you have to console him with the affection he desires....

- Luigi would be a domestic Yandere, too.

- He'd want to be part of a family with you.

- He thinks the whole fantasy of living with you is dreamy.

- Luigi doesn't seem like the type for fatal violence, but he'd sabotage.

- He'd make people around you look bad or get hurt to keep your heart for himself.

- He also doesn't seem like the type to kidnap.

- He prefers to just hover around you for attention.

- Overall, Luigi is timid and obsessive over you.

- That doesn't mean his obsession is innocent, however.

[illcamp]

As someone who got slightly noticed by the Zelda community for drawing Zelda x Ghibli fanart I have to say I don't think Zelda would fit Ghibli's standards.

I love tloz and I love ghibli movies probably with the same intensity and because of that I keep thinking that Ghibli is too serious and arsty for Zelda lol like, besides the aesthetics, there's nothing in tloz franchise that resemblance a Ghibli movie, Miyazaki and Takahata (may rest in peace) are well known for portray their views in politics and society through their films, Miyazaki loves to talk about anti capitalistic, anti war and pro environmental consciousness topics in his stories, while Takahata liked to explore the every day life of common people, the humanity in his characters and usually portrays deep, strong female characters going through a coming of age/growth journey (also had anti war messages with Grave of the Fireflies and fictional stories with The tale of princess Kaguya, both with a strong focusing in their main characters and their personal journey, with a very sad ending I must say)

On the other hand, despite Zelda's lore being a little confusing lol I like the overall construction of its universe but at the end the overall lesson of its stories is kinda bland, there's nothing wrong with a good old fashioned tale about the chosen one, good vs evil and the brave knight saving the princess, but it's like… pretty much all? I don't think Zelda's development team ever wanted to focus in go deeper than that, like questioning the role in the monarchy like with the clan Yiga there were just a bunch of losers being annoying in your traveling, they told you they rebelled against the Sheikahs and the royal family but why? Did they have a valid motive? There was nuance there that made you think "well… I get their point, I don't think their actions have justification but I understand where they come from"? Idk give me complexity!!! I want to reflex, I want to see not only a villain and a hero but complex people that make choices and make mistakes and you see the complexity of their decisions. The only moment similar to that in the history of Zelda that I can think of is in Wind Waker where Ganondorf told us why he want Hyrule, it was for his people, it was the wind that he coveted, THAT WAS DEPTH, THAT WAS AN ACTUAL CHARACTER WITH ACTUAL MOTIVATIONS, what he did was wrong, but you get to actually empathize with his feelings of just wanting a dignified life for his people, I can't think of any other moment like that in Zelda…

Sadly, I see how Nintendo is really focused on get the money (that's why they carefully chose to make a live action instead of an animated movie) so even if there was a slightly interest in Ghibli to make a Zelda movie Nintendo would have to let the creative direction entirely to Ghibli so Miyazaki would do the thing he knows how to do which is got slightly inspired by a story of other author and then just do whatever he wants with that, and of course Nintendo would never agree to do that.

Basically what I am trying to say is that a Ghibli x Zelda movie was a dream that it born dead

[lyndonriggall]

Tea and Coffee on a Winter’s Night: Psalm for the Wild Built, Legends and Lattes and the Welcome Rise of Cosy Fiction

Narrative structures in fiction have traditionally been fairly straightforward: give your audience stakes, the higher the better. If the entire world (or even universe) isn’t in peril, you’re probably not trying hard enough.

That said, as we reach the winter months here in Australia, like a lot of people I have begun to wonder if there isn’t demand for worlds in which the intensity level is set a little lower. During the lockdowns of Covid I sought solace from my fears in the world of the Nintendo videogame Animal Crossing, in which players are thrust into a new life on an idyllic tropical island, making friends with the creatures that live there and gradually improving the infrastructure of the town around them. Those who ask how to “win” the game have to be content with a non-committal shrug: Animal Crossing offers things to do and achieve, certainly, but the concept of ultimate victory is at odds with its essential nature. It is a safe place—all of the pressure of outcome washing away on a gentle tide. Similarly, for years the concept of “escapism” in literature has been a term of derision: a label that implies that both reader and writer are sharing a delusion in order to hide from their own realities. It is intriguing, then, that the genres of science fiction and fantasy—most commonly attacked with this charge—have embraced a recent turn towards an intensified version of this feeling. In “cosy” fiction, the danger is dramatically lowered, the tone is introspective and internally transformative, rather than externally so, and there is a focus on comfort: heart, hearth, armchair and hot beverage.

Cosy novels are cottagecore. They are the kinds of books you might read upon waking from a nightmare, the literary equivalent of a hot drink by the fire on a cold night.

I would love to introduce two of my favourites to you.

A Cup of Tea:

Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Becky Chambers’ glorious science fiction story (winner of the Hugo Award for Best novella) is the story of Dex, a non-binary tea monk who travels from town to town, composing bespoke blends and listening to the problems of the citizens that live in the places they visit. Dex always feels that something is missing, and one day they decide to brave the forbidden wilderness surrounding the urban areas. The wild is home to the world’s robots, who generations ago gained sentience and requested release from human society. One of them, Mosscap, finds and greets Dex. Together they continue their exploration and shared mission of helping soothe the ills of the troubled while finding purpose in their own lives.

Chamber’s book can be read in only a couple of hours, but its effect is longer-lasting. It is a tale that reminds us that acts of kindness may seem small, but their impact has echoes. Tea is the perfect symbol and metaphor for Psalm for the Wild-Built, a novella that is by turns soothing, meditative, and which never fails to warm some small forgotten corner of the human soul.

A Cup of Coffee: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Travis Baldree’s offering to the genre of cosy fiction takes readers to a very different landscape: the fantasy city of Thune. Here we meet Viv, an orc swordswoman and mercenary who has become weary of a life of violence and is captivated by an obsessive new vision: the possibility of starting a coffee shop. Her first hurdle, of course, is that no-one even knows what coffee is, but that is the least of her problems… her old life insists on trying to find a way to squeeze back in and drag her back to battle.

Like coffee, Legends and Lattes is similarly thawing but with a little more intensity of energy and a slightly sharper edge. Baldree creates a sense of community that is perhaps the book’s greatest asset, and both Viv and the reader form deep and enthusiastic connections with the novel’s diverse cast of characters: the hob Cal, the succubus Tandri, Thimble the baker, Pendry the bard and Amity the dire-cat. Watching Viv’s coffee-house gradually develop its menu, popularity and personality is a joy to behold. Quite simply, it allows for the reader to inhabit the part of living in a fantasy world that is lost to so many distant quests for forgotten treasures: community. If in most fantasy novels the reader finds a band of companion warriors, in Legends & Lattes they find friends: the kind that will sit with you quietly by the fire in an armchair, talking about nothing, with a freshly-baked cinnamon scroll to share between you. It is a story about friendship, love, and also about the fact that often in life it is the simplest of dreams that bring us the most satisfaction.

I love cosy fiction. As I explore the genre more, cosy books remind me, fundamentally, that it is okay for a story to just make us happy. We do not owe it to ourselves or anyone else that our literature is always an instrument and metaphor for struggle, personal improvement or academic deconstruction. What books can do—just as importantly—is give us a haven of respite from a chaotic world. A book can alleviate a small moment of human suffering. A book can heal a wound that you can’t see.

Many of us go to a cup of tea or coffee for a brief retreat and a touch of warmth in our bones.

If that’s the direction that fiction is heading in, pour me another.

[coffeecat1983]

"Speechless" (Mario Bros GAME universe fic)

"Weege?"

Mario winced slightly; his voice louder than he wanted as he called out into the quiet air. He was searching the castle library. He knew his brother would be here, he liked this unused game area, often hiding out here. The game developers had found it charming and had put in hundreds of real books for him and the others to read. There had been a shift in the Nintendo game world. Video game (and cartoon characters as well) relied on their voice actors to 'loan' their voices to them. As long as the actor was alive, the character could speak in the voice given to them and make new games, new cartoons, and so on. But should an actor die or retire, the character could only use the given voice outside of new media until an actor stepped up to replace the other.

It wasn't always easy. Voices came and went, several one after another sometimes. Mario had seen it with Shaggy, and it had hit the Scooby-Doo character hard, tossed from voice to voice until he had finally settled with Matthew Lillard. Characters couldn't pick which voice to use from a variety, either. They were stuck with whomever had been recorded last. And, after so many years, the change had finally come to the Mario's little corner of the world. "Luigi!" he dared to be louder. No one else was in the library at the moment, so he felt it acceptable to call out. A soft sound reached him. Turning a corner, he found Luigi on the floor, knees drawn to his chest as he hid against one of the bookcases. A flashlight and a few books lay around him. He looked up at Mario, sadness in his sapphire eyes. Mario sat beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I thought I'd find you here. You okay?" Luigi shook his head, a sniffle escaping him. Mario moved, his arm wrapping protectively around him. "I know it's hard, but Weege, he'll still be around, remember?" Luigi pulled away and his hands moved swiftly as he signed. 'It's not the same!' A few years ago, the Bros had been taught sign-language with the idea of maybe using it in a game. While this had never come to fruition, both enjoyed learning and still used it around each other. 'It hurts a lot, having to change.' Mario signed back. 'But just give them a chance, our new voice actors are really nice from what I heard. Papa likes them, too.' The game Bros often affectionately called Shigeru Miyamoto "Papa". 'I don't even know their names!' Luigi signed furiously. A sob shook his thin frame. 'How can I speak with their voice?! Charles W-A-S my voice!' he spelled out 'was' to drive home his point. "Weege…" 'I'm not brave like you, Mario!' Luigi trembled, tears streaming down his face. "I can't do this!" he cried out in his new voice before slapping his hands over his mouth. He backed up, shaking with sobs.

Mario sat beside him again, this time pulling his little brother into his arms. His thoughts drifted back. The day he had met Charles, that amazing feeling of finally being able to speak with his own voice, the joy he felt when he heard Luigi speak for the first time, along with Wario and Waluigi, and their baby selves. It was all so incredible. Then came the announcement. He had never really considered it before, their voice retiring, leaving them to get used to new voices. While jealousy had never really bothered him, he admitted it tugged at his heart when he realized Wario and Waluigi still had their voices for now. He knew that would eventually change, and he would be there for his friends when they needed him. But underneath it all, it hurt. Mario wrapped his arms around Luigi, holding him tighter as tears of his own fell, his new voice seizing in his throat. For the first time in years, he was speechless.

By "CC"

[fireemblems24]

"[...] this denial that a mainstream Japanese company wrote a female character who you can romance with men in mind and not LGBTQ+. " especially since the game was directed by Toshiyuki "Cowmilla" Kusakihara, who is also the one behind the art of Brave Marianne, Summer Noire, and Rinkah, art which all recieved severe backlash for being grossly oversexualized. Not exactly the type of person I would point to as evidence that Edelgard was totally not made with straight men in mind.

Sorry this took me so long to respond to, but yes the idea that Nintendo is this uber progressive company is hilarious.

Honestly, any company as large as Nintendo should never be assumed to have your best interests at heart. They want to make money, that's it. Hell, the only reason we get good stories is because, right now at least, that's a necessity to make money. If they could sell us pet rocks or drinks with addictive drugs in them they would - and actually have in the past (not Nintendo, but you get the idea).

While I think it's great that society is in a place where, especially in the West, putting rainbow flags up as their PFP and talking about all the trees they planted is great - because that means society is starting to demand representation, sustainable practices, etc - no corporation is really your friend. If supporting these things wasn't profitable, they'd stop doing it, and Edelgard is only allowed to romance both Byleths because straight Japanese men find w/w hot and it's also supported in the West. This is also the reason Dimitri and Claude didn't get to - m/m is far more threatening to Nintendo's largest buyer base than w/w. The second this gets reversed, they'd reverse that too.

[snowliss]

Oh, hi!

I'm Snowliss! Nice to meet you! This is my first post, so why not introduce myself by giving some random facts about me?

At a very young age I started drawing.

My first ever handheld console was actually the Game Boy Advanced Micro! I can't remember what was my first game... 😞

First Mario game was Mario Kart on the Nintendo DS - LOOOOVED the Mission Mode, disappointed that it was never brought back... 😭

Pokémon Pearl was the very first Pokémon game I have ever played (though we don't talk about that time because I did the unforgivable... 😣)

Then, my knowledge of Nintendo characters, games, etc. was expanded through playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl! I mained the angel from Kid Icarus Pit (to the point where I did developed anime/video game husbando crush so I created an OC named "Blair", just for me to put her and him together😳)

Because of my imaginations and such, I began to write some stories (though I never published them because I didn't have a phone or laptop back then)

And then a good few years later I was given a Nintendo 3DS during one of my summer holidays, with Fire Emblem Fates being my very first game ever.

A follow-up on the last point; I played as Male Corrin, regretted everything because I hated Takumi at the very beginning, but after I saw the supports I regretted everything, so jump ship to playing as Female Corrin (and also created a new OC) and married Takumi. Who knew that he was such a sweetheart? 😍

My main OC's name went from "Eyra" to "Blair", then to "Asha" to "Kagura" and then now to "Kaori". Quite a huge jump of names just for one original character, don't you think? 🤔

I also have Fire Emblem Heroes - huge Takumi fan, and really wanting a Brave and Legendary Takumi alt! 🤩

Speaking of Fire Emblem spinoffs, I also have Fire Emblem Warriors, and of course I main Takumi as always, no surprise. 😏

I also am the writer of Fire Emblem: Fated Elements, which is an afterstory of Fire Emblem Fates with my OCs being involved. This was rewritten too many times during the making of it, to the point where I had to completely abandon the book/idea, until around a month ago, due to personal reasons.

So yeah, that's all about me so far, I'm open to ask any questions but anything personal I will have to decline. I'll also throw in some of snippets/chapters of Fire Emblem: Fated Elements into this, and would probably make some silly polls based on Fire Emblem, and maybe complain about life lol so... I hope I'll be able to get to know you more as you know me!

[fallen-gabrielle]

The Mario movie review (spoilers)

I want to talk about the movie because I really liked it! So spoilers below!

First of all, I watched the movie in french, so I won't talk about the VA's performances, it's strictly about the story and characterization.

In general

The plot is pretty generic, nothing too mindblowing nor revolutionary. What did you expect for an origin movie about a very famous video game franchise ? Honestly it was extremely fun to watch it, there was a lot of references that didn't feel too shoehorned in. People who don't know shit about the franchise can still enjoy the movie as much as people who are avid fans of it. And that's a big good point for the movie. Because it wasn't done for the fans... well, maybe that was the case but everyone else can still have good times watching it!

My 7 years old inner self almost got a panic attack for the underwater scene, BECAUSE OF THAT GODDAMN FUCKING EEL, MAN. I got TRAUMATIZED of that thing back in Super Mario 64 and in the theatre i was like "is that the eel? that's gotta be the damn eel, isn't it?" AND BOY I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. I loved it and hated it at the same time, you know what I mean? I liked how they intergrated the nightmare™ in the movie, but I still hate that thing.

When Luigi landed in the dark land (or whatever its name is in english), I was expecting a few boos. It was still a kinda scary scene with the dry bones all over the place, if I was a child I know this would have terrified me to my core. Still not over the fucking eel.

I think I never fangirled so much than during the kart making scene. I don't know why, I'm really not a big fan of vehicles and engines in general, but this scene? Seeing the karts being personalized was such a god tier moment for me, idk I just loved it! Then you have Toad with the biggest ass kart ever xD

They were quite vague about Peach's origin story, they're probably keeping it for a sequel, but it seems she is from the same world as Mario. Either way, it's a nice explaination as to why a human woman is ruling the Mushroom Kingdom full of Toads. The movie ended nicely, without too much sequel baiting, because as a standalone movie it's really fine if Nintendo won't make another one.

If I have to say one negative about the movie storywise, it's that no one dropped a penguin over the cliff, biggest disappointment of my life. My day is ruined 😂

The characters

I'll start with the cameos because people have a tendency to forget them. And I want to keep the best for last. Nice to see Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong in the crowd, they weren't forgotten by the writers! King Bob-Omb and King Boo were also cameos during the wedding scene, it was awesome. I freaking LOVED the blue shell koopa, he was such a fucking maniac, down for murder and completely insane. AND THEN HE DID THE THING!!! You know what I'm talking about, he went full kamikaze mode and was like "I'll take you down with me", best highlight of the movie (that was not about the brothers. more about them later). The luma was such a mood. His childlike voice saying the most disturbing things was hilarious xD Same, bro, same. Toad was... well he was just there. I liked his adventurous/brave personality.

I loved Peach, she was great. Both cute and badass as well as down to heart character. Liked how she was like "nobody gets it right the first time", nice reference to the video games (i also felt personally attacked by this statement, cuz i can suck at video games sometimes xD). She was grace, she was gentle, she was a true princess. Also, I liked how they didn't force too much romance between her and Mario. I mean sure, they are each other's love interest in canon so I wouldn't be mad if they have romantic moments in a possible sequel, but the movie didn't focus on that.

Bowser was truely funny. And menacing. It's the kind of characters who can do both and that's why we all love him. Loved all of his facial expressions. It was a blast everytime he was on screen. I don't know what else to say about him, he was such entertaining. His little musical number was 10/10.

Donky Kong was cool. I loved his interactons with Mario, worst enemies at first sight, and I liked how the writers kept their antigonistic relationship because duh, DK was Mario's first enemy. Liked how they almost had a bonding moment for having disappointed dads. But nope, DK was too prideful to admit he could relate to the guy who beat him xD

And now, make way for the best part of the movie: the brothers.

You have NO IDEA how much I loved them. They were so wholesome and protective of each others, it's so heartwarming, guys. Everything about them was ✨perfection✨. I knew they were going to get separated while watching the first trailer and still got shocked to see it happening in the second trailer. I don't know why. It was going to be expected. So going in the movie, I was waiting for this moment again, because with more build up to it I knew it would break me. And it did. Mainly with that one line : "Nothing can hurt us as long as we're together." Man. Fucking man. That line DESTROYED me.

The bros are protective of each other and it's everything I wanted to see onscreen. I can be a heartless bitch sometimes, but I'm extremely emotional when I see fictional brothers and sisters having wholesome moments between them. It's everything for me. Mario defending Luigi everytime was awesome. During the worksite scene, Mario was opening the way for Luigi and that's adorable as fuck, man. He knows Luigi can't jump or do parkour so he makes sure Luigi can still follow him. Love love love love!!!!!! Then you have the disappointed dad. Telling Mario that he's bringing down his brother with him. Mario goes sulking in his room, thinking he's made a mistake or a bad decision. AND THEN Luigi comes into the room reassuring Mario it's not the case. Amazing. Emotional support bro for the win.

Luigi saying that Mario is the best guy in the world is so great to me. He loves deeply his big brother and I'm just sobbing softly in my corner thinking about them. I cried like a baby watching them reuniting, I am not joking. Their hug was everything. AND THEN!!!! LUIGI COMES IN THE WAY OF BOWSER'S FLAMES TO SAVE HIS BIG BRO AND THROWS THE LINE™ BACK AT MARIO, I JUST- I CAN'T- I- !!!!!!

Everything about them was amazing. Their relationship was cute, wholesome, heartwarming, so pure... A lot of people arleady talked about them in details so I feel like i would repeat what has already been said. The Mario brothers were extremely sweet to watch from the beginning to the end. That was the best part of the movie: their relationship. Brothers loving each other is important to see onscreen. Fraternal love is a beatiful love that needs more attention from the medias.

To conclude, the movie was great, the characters awesome and the worldbuilding was perfect.

[desudog]

And tropes aren't necessarily bad, it's just refusing to establish a character beyond them that sucks. Tropes are old storytelling tools and aren't inherently a sin. In fact, I'd argue that in franchises like Fire Emblem, having tropes especially surrounding characters like the main lords or royalty and those surrounding them is pretty normal and warranted as medival royalty is not really something most readers are going to go "oh I see enough of these people every day in my life. So really, I expect something unique." I've never been mad that a lord is chivalrous and brave and kind. I do get mad when that's all they are and they have the charisma of a pizza box. (COUGHROYCOUGH)

I never hated Xander for being loyal to his country and bullheaded. It's a totally fine trope to put a broad shouldered and strong brow'd prince heir to a kingdom of conquest in. He fit it there. I wasn't mad when he was stubborn or slow to believe the people he loved could hurt him, because it was "tropey" or "predictable." I think even, predicting what some characters will feel emotionally just means you understand them.

I hated Xander for being written poorly. I hated that he was a wildly different person in supports than he was in actual main novel points. I hated that Xander could tell us that harming civilians was never okay in one scene and then randomly say in another that it's simply a price of war. It wasn't the fault of the trope. If anything, if they stuck more heavily to the trope, he'd have less issues.

I never hated Camilla for being overbearing and mothering, I never hated Leo for being bratty and insecure, I never hated Elise for being optimistic.

I hated when Camilla's attachment to Corrin made the writers never let her drop it and therefore gave her very few chances to exist as an independent character. I hated when Leo was reduced to comedy or treated as if he was asking too much when asking for clarity or kindness. I hated when Elise was sidelined because they didn't know how to write her interacting with harder subjects.

I don't think tropes are bad. I still feel like there's a difference between just any "romantic guy who sucks at flirting" and Laslow/Inigo. There's a dividing line between using tropes because you don't want to write a character, and using tropes to help the reader feel more like they already know characters (which Corrin /does/. Xander playing into a sometimes gullible and dogmatic nobleman of war, as well as being a mentoring older brother, makes us go "ok, I feel like I can predict how he will act towards me." It allows the reader to feel more like Corrin, who has known Xander before we start playing. It allows them to skip a lot of this "showing us who he is" phase and skip to more advanced portrayal of this character type to make him stand out as his own character, which is sadly, often underutilized in fates.

Of course

At the end of the day, Fates is an unfinished paper snowflake of its original script which overshot and got too in love with its story to be portrayed in a DS game Nintendo only half cared about

Engage was fully finished and always intended to be... shit. So much that Nintendo stepped in and told them Alear was a bad character.

At the end of the day Xander was designed to be a prince. Corrin was designed to be a youth who was heavily sheltered. Alear was designed to be an isekai protagonist. Genuinely.

I dont hate tropes. I think blaming tropes is barking up the wrong tree. The DS games didn't overrely on tropes more than the GBA and Famicom games did. They arguably often relied less on them. When characters are lacking depth and it becomes apparent they were never intended to have depth so that they would sell easier, it's a major problem. That's the problem. Not recognizable tropes

[angeliczelda444]

Hi yall! I wrote another one shot fanfic. This time, it's about a fan kid I made for Rauru and Sonia. Their daughter, Iyana, is the Zelda of the Ancient Hero's time. Please don't come at me for lore inconsistencies for this is just a sweet little fanfic I wrote because ugh, I wish Nintendo would give us more content for this game!!! 😭 Alight, enough chit chat here is a little love story I wrote about Iyana and Ancient Hero Link. Enjoy!!!

Sweet Sundelion

Word count: 1,439

A love story between Ancient Hero Link and my original character, Iyana. Daughter of Rauru and Sonia.

The events of the demon king back in ancient Hyrule were tragic. A tragedy that left the young kingdom without their beloved rulers, King Rauru and Queen Sonia. When they passed on, their people; thier world stopped. Hyrule's beloved rulers have fallen.

There is, however, a beakon of hope for the young kingdom. Before the King and Queen left this world, they left behind a gift. Their firstborn and only child. Their daughter Iyana. When she came to this world, her parents loved her to the moon and back.

Iyana is a 19 year old young lady who radiated beauty and grace wherever she went. She had such a charm, just like her mother Sonia possessed. And her natural born leadership were like father like daughter. Her physical features are mostly Hylian like. Most of these features she inherits from her mother, however, she has Rauru's silver, thick hair and Zonai ears. Lastly, she has her father's eyes that are blue as the sky.

During the events of the imprisoning war, she was away on a pilgrimage. She has inherited Rauru's light powers and has gone away to strengthen her a ilities without the help of her father. Sadly, she was trying to make her way home when she first heard the news of her fallen mother. She wanted to help......but it was too late. She couldn't reach her father. Her parents had left the world and she never got to say goodbye to them.

So much. So much Inara has missed. She never met Zelda when she had stayed here. Oh how she would have killed for one last moment with Rauru and Sonia. She never knew when saying goodbye to her parents before she left would be the last she ever see them. With all of this grief and to take on the role as queen at a young age was all too much.

But Iyana? As much as she was grieving, she still stood resilient. She became a great leader for her people and was loved by many. However, tragedy suddenly strikes again and the calamity hits. It is up to her to use her light powers to seal the calamity away. And she did this all with a brave hero; one of the last living Zonai. The Anicent Hero. The Link of her era.

During the preparation of the Calamity, Iyana was charmed by AH Link. Noble, handsome, never backs down from an adventure. At first she never thought she would catch feelings for him since they were such polar opposites. But eventually, Iyana realized that she loves it this way and AH Link would give his life for her.

One late afternoon as the sun was setting, they both were in a field of Sundelions by the castle. The golden hour had shined on the flowers creating such a golden, illuminating glow. Iyana was working with her light powers while AH Link was swinging the Master Sword haphazardly. He is practicing with these construct dummies that he made with some old Zonai parts, however, is swinging his sword a little too carelessly due to AH Link having much energy.

"Careful now!" Iyana exclaims as she looks at him with slight annoyance. "You're going to ruin these precious flowers if you keep over working yourself like this!"

"Haha, sorry Iyana. I just have so much energy today! Could be within these flowers." He then puts his sword away to touch a few Sundelions on the ground. "So, did you say that these were called Sundelions?" AH Link asks.

"Yes. They are indeed." Iyana then picks on and holds it up. "They were my mother's favorite. They're not only beautiful, but they served many healing properties! I remember my parents making these precious flowers into medicines thst could help our people. Haha, I even recall the one time where my father made my mother and I flower crowns with these."

AH Link looks at her with interest. "Wow! I never knew such a flower could hold many memories for you Iyana! Its pretty neat!"

Iyana then chuckles a little "It sure is. So many great times." She then sighs with a bit of sadness. As nostalgic as these memories get, she is also reminded of her late parents.

"Iyana..." AH Link then puts a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I am. I just......" She takes a deep breath and then sighs again. "I....never got to say goodbye to my parents before I could reach them. Ever since their passing I had to take on the role as queen. Don't get me wrong, I love taking care of my people, but all of this responsibility; the preparations for the Calamity Ganon......I must have my sacred power of light ready for this."

AH Link looks at Iyana with empathy. "Iyana......"

She then looks at him tenderly "Link, I know I can do this with your help. You hold a sacred blade that seals the darkness. And with my power light, I can seal him away."

AH Link then smiles at Iyana and holds both of her hands. "Iyana, I promise you that I will fight by your side to the very end. We will not let the calamity come between us nor our kingdom. To fight alongside you, well, it truly is a dream come true to me."

Iyana then blushes hearing these words. She has.....been catching feelings for this young man for a while. She then confesses "Link.......I love nothing more than for you to fight along side me. To be honest, I never knew I would meet someone who understands me. Who cherishes me and....."

Iyana gets flustered with feelings. She wants to confess her feelings but is scared that he may not like her back. However, AH Link catches on and leans in closer to her. He feels the same "Iyana, do you love me?"

"Ok yes! I......love you Link. More than anything in this world. At first, I thought our personalities clashed too much. I overthink, and you dive head first into things, and we both serve different roles in this Kingdom! How could my people see me with a knight? What would you think of me? I...I....ugh look forget I said anything alright?! I could just be overthinking like usual-"

She is obviously getting lost into her head. Just like her father Rauru would. Before this poor young queen spirals into an anxiety attack, AH Link then pulls her in for a tight hug and gazes into her ocean eyes. She then blushes as her ears perked up.

"L....Link"

"Iyana, you worry too much. When I laid eyes on you, you were blinding me with your beauty and grace. You have a charm like no other and your love for your people is infectious. You.....are my sweet Sundelion."

Still blushing, Iyana then holds AH Link close. "Does this mean.....you love me too?"

"Iyana, I will love you until I can no longer breathe. Hah, even beyond the siritual realms I will keep loving you! With your light and my blade, we can seal way this Calamity. Tell me, my queen, do wish to be mine?"

Iyana then look at AH Link tenderly "Link, when this is all over, I will make you my king. I will make you my light!"

As the two come close and closer together, AH Link speaks softly and geness "It would be an honor. And just know, your parents would be proud of you. For fighting for your people and finding someone who makes you happy."

Iyana, being a tease, pulls away and grabs some sundelion petals. "Yes! And we shall have a ceremony!" She then takes the petals and throws the up for them to land on his hair. She then giggles. Despite her being queen, she knows how to have fun here and there.

AH Link brushes off the petals and looks at Iyana with a playful, devious look. When she notices, she becomes wide eyed.

"Oh that's it!" Link teases. "You better run!"

AH Link then chases Iyana down the field to catch her. As she is running she is squealing of laughter. As he catches her, he tickles her sides slightly causing her to laugh. He then picks her up and spins her around as the sun sets, creating a beautiful background of the sun and the field of Sundelions.

He sets her down, and the two come in for a passionate and loving kiss. Oh yes, Iyana worries have faded. She doesn't have to rule this Kingdom alone anymore. She has found her sweet Sundelion. Rauru and Sonia would be proud.

[thebleedingeffect]

I feel that both SS and botw/totk zelink aren't toxic but that they have very good potential for it. The potential is rife for co-dependency, impostor syndrome, obsession, strong separation anxiety, goddess-related trauma, etc. "I don't know who I am without you" type beat. Love so deep it swallows you whole. Pre-calamity also has fantastic drama potential in the need to keep secrets, etc.

YEAH THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN I UNDERSTAND YOU!! Canonly? Yeah they're not toxic at all cause I very much doubt nintendo would ever be brave enough to make Link's and Zelda’s relationship questionable in any way lmao. But like... the potential is there, there's so much of it, and the worst thing is that it's not unbelievable at all to interpret that they could very easily slip into toxic tendencies. I also agree with you I think sksw and botw/totk zelink are the two with the biggest risk of becoming toxic lmao.

I made that joke post thinking about sksw zelink cause I just could not thinking about of the sheer amount of implications about their relationship in that game. Surface level? Yeah it's pretty sweet, very much classic 'gotta save my love from evil' sorta deal, but there's SO MUCH going on besides just that!! There's an entire conversation where sksw Zelda straight up says 'I emotionally used you and purposely stayed away from you because I and this world needed a hero. Hylia decided this for you and I'm currently experiencing an identity crisis because I'm not sure if I just fabricated your love for me, but either way I must take advantage of it.' LIKE WHAT THE HELL??? HI??

Like just fucking, personally I think Link would be a more victim of the codependency, separation anxiety, and maybe obsession? Idk I see that as something that I think Zelda would go through actually, along with goddess-imposter syndrome, and severe trauma towards fate and all that. What's even worse is that once you start digging into sksw and botw/totk zelink's relationship there are so many things that are borderline concerming if anyone decided to expand on them. Tbh I also completely agree with you about the pre-calamity thing I think they would hide SOOOOOOOO MUCH SHIT FROM EACH OTHER !!!

Personally I really like to imagine that botw Link actually did hold some resentment for Zelda because he was jealous over the fact that she was able to avoid her fate for so long. From what we're told in botw it's very heavily implied that the opposite happened to Link, the goddesses had chosen him when he was just a kid. Also the idea that Link had been purposely given extremely difficult and near-abusive training for years to prepare him for being Zelda’s guard and Zelda never knew <333 and he never told her <333 so he has even MORE buried resentment <333

But those are just my ideas cause my favorite zelink relationships are when they're emotionally MESSY and FASCINATING TO ME sjsidjd they don't even need to be romantic, platonic is actually totally fine for me, I just love messy bitches.

But yeah I totally agree, I think while they're not toxic in the text itself, I think they very much have the potential to be. The potential for being so intertwined with destiny that it becomes as much of a slowly corroding force as much as salvation. You love them so much, you can't imagine a world without them, you hate them, you resent them, you wonder if they actually love you or just what purpose you serve, you wonder if they love you or if they've just been broken down and told to. You panic if they're not by their side, your skin itches with the need to run away, you can't look at each other in the eye, did you ever love each other if you were never given a choice?

I think zelink has a ton of potential, BUT I think it's more toxic flavor just deserves to be explored way more cause there's no way sksw/botw/totk are HEALTHY in the SLIGHTEST