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inkycompass · 1 year ago

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I went with last option but unfortunately I feel like "what they did most recently" (Opera Omnia's cowardly way of handling it) is probably the most accurate predictor. I found that incredibly disappointing and I call it cowardly for a couple of reasons.*

(THIS IS GETTING LONG SO UNDER A READMORE IT GOES)

One, I believe FFV's writers did genuinely make a GNC character in 1992--whether that was a mistake, or whether someone sneakily did that on purpose and it flew under the radar. I know there is a lot of cross-cultural misunderstanding between Western fans & Japanese fans whenever there is a character who presents as the other gender because sexism in Japan and sexism in the West present in different ways, which results in a lot of Western fans going "this character is obviously trans" and Japanese fans going "no this character exemplifies how gender roles here are SO bad that cis people feel the need to switch even if it's not how they truly feel!" My opinion on Faris being GNC is founded on the fact that in the English translations--at least, up to Pixel Remaster, which chickened out on this--had Faris trip up when it came to using gendered terms like lad/lass and prince/princess for herself. That said, I don't know if the Japanese text does the equivalent of having Faris use masculine "I" pronouns. I also don't know if the Japanese PR script was updated at all the way the English one was.

PR also altered some of Galuf's dialogue around the Ship Graveyard scene where they discover that Faris is afab, in a way that is "we have different cultural sensitivities around this now." Given how 2010s FF titles painted the Dirty Old Man character (the tailor from the first Bravely Default** and Gramps from FF Dimensions) as still being hi-larious for committing acts of sexual harassment, that's an improvement IMO. I would feel much more confident in a remake taking that more sensitively today than they would have 10 years ago.

I would say that PR was trying to be better, but mistakenly decided that Faris having an ambiguous gender identity is a problem when it isn't. And OO was just being... I don't even know. But my opinion is that they simply did not have the guts to write a rude and abrasive female or GNC character. There are reasons for that (they did have 100+ characters to juggle, they had to market new additions like Stranger of Paradise during the game's run) but it bothers me that they decided Faris was definitely female, definitely was bad at doing something she had been doing for 15 years of her life (passing), and also, nice and emotionally open--when male characters who are rude AF were not made to be more amiable than they were in their OGs.

And that's really disappointing, because my understanding is that FF7r does have openly queer characters (I have not played so this is osmotic knowledge) so there is no reason for them to decide "yes this one can also be complicated." I think Squenix is making an effort, based on my osmotic knowledge of how they changed up the Wall Market & Honeybee Inn sequences, to portray queer people in a better way than they did in the 90's. But I think that they would likely take the "easy" way out and just make it that Faris Is Really A Woman, and It's Not Super Complicated. I would hope that they would not do that, and at least draw something from World of Final Fantasy's flavor text that states that Faris being less feminine is more genuine to Faris ("As a result, Faris has had no reason to get in touch with her feminine side. But in that sense, Grymoire has allowed her to be herself.") But I wouldn't be terribly optimistic on that front.

Cynically, I also feel like not allowing Faris to have a complex gender identity has a lot to do with fanservice marketability. Would they make a GNC amab character into a gross joke with their costuming the way it would happen in the 90's? Probably not. But would they let a GNC afab character wear clothing that actually reflects their identity? Mmmm. Faris' costumes in the OG are all over the board when it comes to "would an afab person raised as a man actually want to wear that without a HUGE argument with the ancient warrior spirit in the crystal shard" but I mean. Would Squenix make it harder for themselves to market a character as a Sexy Tough Woman. We know that they have a tendency to make the Tough Woman also be the Sexy Woman. So. Yeah. RIP Faris' dignity and gender complexity, probably.

(Also, my own personal take on Faris' gender is that "any interpretation is valid as long as you acknowledge that It's Complicated™. I personally see Faris as genderfluid and when I write Faris I don't use "they" because Faris lives in a setting that hasn't developed that kind of language yet. But I don't think anyone else is wrong to do so b/c FFV does also have canonical pizza. I don't think Faris is Definitely Trans but Faris is also Definitely Not Uncomplicatedly Cis. Faris is Faris. Gender pirate pronouns yarr/harr.)

⁎ I think OO generally did a good job on FFV's characters (especially Krile, WEH). But they made Faris too nice overall, didn't include her mutual-insults friendship with Galuf, and then later in the run they started making weird choices, like having Krile switch to calling Galuf "grandfather" instead of "grandpa." RIP OO anyway. ⁎⁎ I know it's not technically an FF but it's a crystal-focused plot with light warriors and job classes so like, c'mon. The original BDFF is an FF, at least.

this is something i wonder about all the time so sorry for the extremely specific question:

i do not mind whatever pronouns or gendered terms you decide to use for this discussion! very curious to know what people think

(do not fight or be weird on this post or i WILL turn off RBs)

#my posts #ffv #faris scherwiz #disk horse ig #I have thought about this a lot since 2006

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harukirai · 2 years ago

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Queer history of Final Fantasy

I am replaying all the old final fantasies(mostly psp psone releases), first time with english localization and not the original jp.

Now i get it.

It all make sense now.

I couldn't understand the wave of "why shove the gays in our face" backlash of 16(even though, the non homophobic felt it was lacking since they didn't want to 'push it in yall face'). Like apperantly moat of the implication or straight up fruity moments in the old game was completely removed, or changed to the point of it being a 'silly thing'.

So lets clarify -

*Cecil(iv), your homeboy- an Non-binary (language is the best indication, but yeah i think it was a decision made for both female and male players to be able to relate to them, but yeah funny outcome non the less)

*Bartz(v)- outright bisexual, they didnt even hide it- next person on this list gonna make it make sense.

*faris(v)- an ftm transgender( at least in the original version, i know in some new iterations they scrapped the whole concept, but left it in in others?)- mainly speak about himself with (ore/boku- which is conventionally usally by male speakers), after finding out soem of the cast either use a female pronounce on him, but bartz constantly either avoid it or use male pronounce(or the nonbinary version which is usually reffered to kidz) but yeah, bartz was crushing on faris where he thought he was a cis male and unlike the other guy didnt shy away.

Lets jump a bit to 8-

Irvine(viii)- even though considered very handsome to the point he could get with any girl hed want, was even flirted with by selphie i think i need to remember, but he usually brush it off.

If anything he is either asexual, or gay(its very subtle, but its what called queer coding, and well see that allot from now on cause japan caught up to westerns norm on media)

Quina Quen (ix)- literally, a nonbinary- but i think they kept it in eng as well cause they are not human, but like black mages they have no sex, but unlike black mages they are 'genderless' and dont care for human norms.

Kuja(ix)- either gay/intersex/both.

Look at him.

Seriously that character confused a whole generation sexuality.

Like sephiroth, but unlike sephiroth he also have effeminate mannerisms, and until it was revealed by text it wasnt so obvious.sephiroth in jp have a confusing language because he himself is possed by jenova, so evem though i love this headcanon, sephiroth isnt trans actually.

Auron(x)- ahh yes, your favourite broody guy and probably where im gonna get tons of hate.

Auron is very subtle, but once you notice it its hard to deny.

I think Auron is gay, unlike jecht or braska- he did not have kids, denied arranged marriage, and followed jecht to dream zanarken just to save jecht only son- it was pretty obvious that auron loved jecht. He also loved braska but not as much, and it shows- that for auron it was more than friendship. You can see it with his attitude towards yuna vs tidus- with yuna he is nicer, politer. Liem you act when you babysit your friends /cousins child.

But to tidus, he is a full father figure.In their journey together they grow, and i think if he wasnt the boy of the man he loved he wouldn't treat tidus as his own. With all the scoldinngs in mind.

Paine(X-2)- qlmost forgot her, but yeah she's pretty gay for riku

I dont remember much though because if the mission structure of the game.

Larsa(xii) - ohh i see you boy, i see u. He is sus as hell. He is a kid so its pretty innocent(and relatable to us queer kidz)

Its pretty obvios that he is crushing on basch, innocently though. I know some ppl who shipped him with penelo, but canonically by spinoffs at least she and vann are an item.

Also they made sure it was obvious cause japan have this thing that a young character is crushing on a teacher,mentor , older characters in general(aka cc sakura- her friend crushing on a teacher, syaoran & sakura crushing on yukito, also happens in tons of pop culture media at that time, so im not surprised, but im happy this time its one sided, THANK GOD)

But yeah if you reached the ending its pretty obvious.

Fang & vanille(xiii)- the first lesbians couple! Terra(VI) was supposed to be the first but they were afraid it will make her less marketable so they scrapped her gf. They made them clear, but at the same time they tried to make sure pple wont be fetishizing them(they tried, at least).

I want to explain their story more but i think ill mess it up since i tend to mix up 13's lacie, falcie and all that jazz.

So ill just say that basically there are 2 world in 13, pulse and cacoon. Pulse is basically earth and cacoon is the moon. There is a god for each world called a falcie.

Few of them but ine for each major ones. Our main gand from cacoon, branded by a falcie to be slaves(lacie) vanille and fang are from pulse, and slaves of pulse lacie, so basically they are with the task of creating Ragnarok which is like the end of time and but limw they dont know cause the gods in this game is like 'yeah imma give you a mission but wont tell you beside weird non undersandable feaver dream and you need to figure out and fast or youll become this universe version of zombie, and if you do complete it you become a ceystal living forever but like, sleeping beauty style. So lose lose situation.

The focus of them both is different from the gang, caus the falcie of cacoon is evil so he gove them focus destroying cocoon while if fang& vannile mannaged to ruin that falcie and bring ragnarok theyll become a crystal, and they used it to save coccon from falling and crushing killing all the people in it, basically became a pillar in eternal sleep when they hheld each other.

But they are saved in later game only to... Lightning return which we wont talk about cause i hate timers.

I love the story of xiii, big part of it is vanille & fang, i havent played in english yet, but i will say, their story is one of the more meaningful on this list, very well developed and i will do it disservice if id try to explain it in few sentences - so do yourself a favour and play or watch the playthrough.

Ignis& gladio(xv)- here is when localization ruimed it. I know cause i palyed on jp dub with eng sub and heard the differences live- first of all gladio and ignis are completely different in jp, as individuals and as a pair- they were supposed to be the first dion& terrence moment, but it got scrapped and they went the vannile& fang route, only that bec they are men, the localization team missed the mark.

Gladio got pissed at noctis in the train because of ignis.

In jp its clear their bond is beyond friends, and not mention the fact that their AI is always stuck together, and that gladio isnt a womenizer in jp at all, and there is no fiancee/girlfriend.

In jp he said suggested there is someone he wants to be with but bec of the state of the world and them both being constantly in the battlefront he couldnt ask.

(and ignis clear his throat when everyone is like oh great, very subtle but it was leading to that)

Every stop of the train or erea post blindness gladio was with ignis not leaving him .

Also tabata san also said that they are more than friends. So there's that too.

But its no secret 15 localization is tereible, the massacared prompto, he is so cringy in english, in jp yeah he is funny but like he says more stuff then random pop colture references, he breaks the 4th wall occasionally but not on the same level of the localization. Also, jp noctis is a little shit because he can and will, in localization he is more relatable while ignos and gladio are kimda mean. In jp its the other way around and up until chap 13 (when he is alone) noctis is a bratt. He has some moments when he is nicer, but when struggle shows he is a bratt about it- and its done purposely since he is a spoiled pronce who never done anything alone in his life.

Thats why in chap 13 he has a change of heart, because he was alone and learned to appriciate his friends when he was stuck alone in the dark with no weapons and i think it was a good call storytelling wise, but yeah the english localzation ruined it and made the whole chapter pointless .

Those are the implied/canon gays of final fantasy up to 15(we got a kiss so its obvious).

The series has always been kinda Fruity and i know some of yall will be like, 'but there's no proof'. Well, japanese speakers(who arent homophobic at least) will agree with me that we tend in media that is not specified like BL or GL to make things subtle. So what in the west is called 'queer coding' is very common in japanese media and it comes in way more shape and forms.usually implied with a desper conncetion relationship or linguistics.its funny cause in the 80's and very early 90's gay pple wasnt hidden in jp pop culture (no kisses or anything but it was straight out told to the viewer/player)

And only later 90's there was a trend of removing us completely from the media, but around that time a specific genre was created so it wasn't out completely.(like yaoi/yuri as erotic mangas existed aince the 80's but usually only love stories or main gay characters were mixed in with the straight media, kimda like what netflix does today, but around 96, 97 the shounen ai and shoujo ai genres rose in popularity(mainly cause of clamp) and things got seperated. In games- because it became a bigger deal in the west square took caution with how clear they gonna make stiff not to piss of the christians after the backlash of Pokemon (idk how it was really but through japanese media and news it seemed at the times that the american patents were pissed so game companies started sensoring their games from all things might piss off christians/monotheistics ).

*also i dont live in japan but i am mixed so i grew in a jp speaking house and family from there always sent games on holidays and birthdays+nhk was always running in the backround to check on the motherland😂

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