A few thoughts about Rinoa
Now. Admittedly, I am somewhat of a Rinoa (from Final Fantasy 8) fan. Admittedly, however, she has gotten on my nerves at points. And I understand why some people dislike her. Really.
But some of the things I've heard bashing her are just ridiculous.
The most common complaints I hear about Rinoa:
Apparently, Rinoa is a two-timing whore.
Most of this comes solely from the fact that she danced with Squall at the SeeD ball, which Seifer had obviously invited her to.
Oh, what. So let's say I got a boyfriend, and I decided to dance with somebody he knew for the hell of it. OMG I AM SUCH A TWO-TIMING HO. Because I laid eyes on someone other than my one true love.
Excuse me, what?
Besides that, I don't think she and Seifer were "together" anymore as of then. I mean, they were probably still on close terms, but she actually seemed kind of worried about facing Seifer at other points in the game. For example, when you first meet her on the train, she actually seems more worried about Seifer being there than excited to see him if he is. Then again, that is a personal thought, so pay me no mind.
Also, she is repeatedly accused of using Squall.
In what way does she "use" Squall? By having a contract he's employed under? Well, say Squall had gotten hired by someone else. They'd be using him too under that logic, wouldn't they? Squall is a mercenary. He's paid to be under contract. By saying that Squall was being used by Rinoa since he was under contract, it's like saying that I was being used by the fast food place that I worked at during the summer.
Not only that but apparently bonding to Squall as Sorceress to Knight is also using him. As far as I know, Squall was free to make his own decision as to whether he wanted to be her knight or not.
In fact, on a side note, if you look at the script, it is Squall who says "I will be your knight," not Rinoa who falls over him, begging him to PLEASE BE MY KNIGHT SQUALLY-POO as so many Rinoa-bashers like to think.
Not to mention that she's incredibly self-absorbed.
OK, let's take a look at the reasons people say this--because she hates her father, because she doesn't "care" when the others get locked in her room, because she is scared when Squall saves her from the Iguions, because she is scared when she's alone in space about to die, because she's scared when she's about to be sealed away in Esthar and she is SCARED SCARED SCARED OH SQUALLY-POO SAVE ME says the Rinoa-basher.
First off, her father. From all appearances, her father is naught but a puppet in the schemes of President Deling and eventually Edea. He and Rinoa have apparently not been on good terms since she was young, and he thinks she should just give up the Timber Resistance ideas because they are silly.
Well, I know I get pretty angry at my father when he suggests that I should give up anime and video games because they are just silly and I am too old and mature for them. I imagine I'd probably not be on good terms with him if he suggested I give up something that meant even more to me, something I had poured my life into. If he continually told me that I should not bother with writing because there were so many better things I could be doing, I imagine I might act like Rinoa toward him. Actually, I think most people would if they received that treatment all the time.
The locked room business--she didn't even know they were in there. End of story.
As for being scared.
She nearly died each one of those three main "scared" times. The Iguions could have killed her. She nearly DID die all alone in the middle of space, and dying alone and in the middle of nowhere has to be pretty terrifying. And then in Esthar--for all she knows, being sealed IS dying. She quite likely would never see the world again had the sealing been completed. I think she had pretty good excuse to be afraid. After all, most people fear death.
And let's not forget that she thinks she can do no wrong.
The point I see Rinoa-bashers drawing this most from is when she decides to try and give Edea the Odine Bangle to suppress her powers. Rinoa should have known it wouldn't work, right?
Well, Rinoa has never dealt with a Sorceress before.
I see the reply coming now--well, neither have Squall, Quistis, Selpie, Zell, or Irvine--
Hold off. They're in SeeD. A military organization. Rinoa is not.
Oh? Since her father's a general, she should know how the military works, cry the Rinoa-bashers.
Not so. She's never actually been involved in the military. She spends most of her time in Timber, attempting to fight for resistance--most of what she knows as far as tactics go, she has learned from Zone, Watts, and the other resistance leaders. It can't be very much information or very good, as Timber has been fighting for independence for years and nothing has come of it.
If you look at it, her plan to abduct Deling was actually a very good one.
But it didn't work, you say?
Well, how was she supposed to plan for an Evil Zombie Decoy? Who plans for that sort of thing?
The plan was actually a very good one, it just didn't follow through. As for "why couldn't she do it on her own," look at who she's got for partners. Plus, may I remind you, she is not a soldier like the other characters in the game are. She's never had an ounce of military training in her life, so she knows she can't carry out the job alone.
But what about her transforming Squall like she did? That doesn't really happen.
Well, I never saw Squall as going completely fluffbunnies and sunshine. Softer, yes, but not throwing daisies about like many people imagine.
And that's just a personal perception, so, whatever.
But let me get a bit personal here. I don't want to sound dramatic or moralistic here, but a couple years ago I practically was Squall. Introverted, antisocial, caring more for myself than for others.
And then I got some very good friends.
And now I'm more like Laguna. Outgoing, smiling all the time, willing to make friends, basically cheerful and kind.
Consider: Maybe it wasn't only Rinoa who changed him. One person in the life of another can make a difference, but it's rare. A group of people, though, well, they can make differences in the lives of others all the time. It wasn't only Rinoa who changed Squall--his relationships with Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Selphie, Ellone, and even Laguna changed him. His relationship with Seifer over the course of the game forced him to change, to become someone who could beat Seifer and lead his team against the sorceress.
It wasn't just Rinoa, and even if it had been just Rinoa, I don't see what exactly is the complaint here.
And what about her stats?
Whining about stats is, IMO, a stupid reason to hate a character. You'll never see me bash Marcus from Fire Emblem or Aeris from FF7 because of their low stats. In my books, what counts is character, and you're just being lame by saying stats=character.
She tries to force herself into Squall's life too much.
Pardon? How does she "force" herself into his life?
By wishing that she "fit in" with him and the others when they figured out they were all from the same orphanage?
That is honestly the only reason I've ever been able to figure out for this one. That, and possibly the fact that if you take her to Garden instead of sending her to the missile base, she insists on following Squall around.
The orphanage thing--well, frankly, I would feel a bit left out too if all my friends grew up together and I was the odd one out (to borrow from anime, a riceball doesn't belong in a fruits basket). And in Garden, she honestly had no idea where she was going or what she was doing; it's only natural that she would want to be around someone who knew their way around the place.
Well, she gets SQUALL. That's not fair.
Oh, I saw this one coming. Yes, I know Squall is a hot piece of manflesh. I drool over him myself consistently.
But bashing Rinoa to the point of no return over it is silly.
Want to put your Mary Sue in? Fine. I won't read your fic, but whatever. Want to slash him with Seifer? Or Zell? Irvine? Or, heaven forbid, Laguna? All right, go right on ahead. Your kink, not mine.
But if you don't like Rinoa, there is a simple solution to this:
Leave her out.
It's entirely possible to do and still stay in canon. She could be off in Timber with the resistance when Squall finds Mary Sue. She could be trying to work things out with her father while Squall and Seifer argue over who gets to top this time. You could write a fic that happens before they even meet Rinoa.
But calling her names, like Rin-ho-a, and having her go OH SQUALLYPOO SAVE ME and making Squall get mysteriously aggravated whenever she opens her mouth is not only out-of-canon, it's out-of-character. Rinoa knows Squall doesn't like being treated like a kid, and knows that he doesn't like it when she's overly clingy. She understands how he thinks. And she's not likely to annoy the hell out of him just so she can get laid or whatever.
Once again, not so much a rant/defense as a big jumble of thoughts put together, but I have just had it with Rinoa-bashing.
So if someone makes me a Rinoa defense banner, I will love you forever.
[[x-posted to empress_dots]]
But some of the things I've heard bashing her are just ridiculous.
The most common complaints I hear about Rinoa:
Apparently, Rinoa is a two-timing whore.
Most of this comes solely from the fact that she danced with Squall at the SeeD ball, which Seifer had obviously invited her to.
Oh, what. So let's say I got a boyfriend, and I decided to dance with somebody he knew for the hell of it. OMG I AM SUCH A TWO-TIMING HO. Because I laid eyes on someone other than my one true love.
Excuse me, what?
Besides that, I don't think she and Seifer were "together" anymore as of then. I mean, they were probably still on close terms, but she actually seemed kind of worried about facing Seifer at other points in the game. For example, when you first meet her on the train, she actually seems more worried about Seifer being there than excited to see him if he is. Then again, that is a personal thought, so pay me no mind.
Also, she is repeatedly accused of using Squall.
In what way does she "use" Squall? By having a contract he's employed under? Well, say Squall had gotten hired by someone else. They'd be using him too under that logic, wouldn't they? Squall is a mercenary. He's paid to be under contract. By saying that Squall was being used by Rinoa since he was under contract, it's like saying that I was being used by the fast food place that I worked at during the summer.
Not only that but apparently bonding to Squall as Sorceress to Knight is also using him. As far as I know, Squall was free to make his own decision as to whether he wanted to be her knight or not.
In fact, on a side note, if you look at the script, it is Squall who says "I will be your knight," not Rinoa who falls over him, begging him to PLEASE BE MY KNIGHT SQUALLY-POO as so many Rinoa-bashers like to think.
Not to mention that she's incredibly self-absorbed.
OK, let's take a look at the reasons people say this--because she hates her father, because she doesn't "care" when the others get locked in her room, because she is scared when Squall saves her from the Iguions, because she is scared when she's alone in space about to die, because she's scared when she's about to be sealed away in Esthar and she is SCARED SCARED SCARED OH SQUALLY-POO SAVE ME says the Rinoa-basher.
First off, her father. From all appearances, her father is naught but a puppet in the schemes of President Deling and eventually Edea. He and Rinoa have apparently not been on good terms since she was young, and he thinks she should just give up the Timber Resistance ideas because they are silly.
Well, I know I get pretty angry at my father when he suggests that I should give up anime and video games because they are just silly and I am too old and mature for them. I imagine I'd probably not be on good terms with him if he suggested I give up something that meant even more to me, something I had poured my life into. If he continually told me that I should not bother with writing because there were so many better things I could be doing, I imagine I might act like Rinoa toward him. Actually, I think most people would if they received that treatment all the time.
The locked room business--she didn't even know they were in there. End of story.
As for being scared.
She nearly died each one of those three main "scared" times. The Iguions could have killed her. She nearly DID die all alone in the middle of space, and dying alone and in the middle of nowhere has to be pretty terrifying. And then in Esthar--for all she knows, being sealed IS dying. She quite likely would never see the world again had the sealing been completed. I think she had pretty good excuse to be afraid. After all, most people fear death.
And let's not forget that she thinks she can do no wrong.
The point I see Rinoa-bashers drawing this most from is when she decides to try and give Edea the Odine Bangle to suppress her powers. Rinoa should have known it wouldn't work, right?
Well, Rinoa has never dealt with a Sorceress before.
I see the reply coming now--well, neither have Squall, Quistis, Selpie, Zell, or Irvine--
Hold off. They're in SeeD. A military organization. Rinoa is not.
Oh? Since her father's a general, she should know how the military works, cry the Rinoa-bashers.
Not so. She's never actually been involved in the military. She spends most of her time in Timber, attempting to fight for resistance--most of what she knows as far as tactics go, she has learned from Zone, Watts, and the other resistance leaders. It can't be very much information or very good, as Timber has been fighting for independence for years and nothing has come of it.
If you look at it, her plan to abduct Deling was actually a very good one.
But it didn't work, you say?
Well, how was she supposed to plan for an Evil Zombie Decoy? Who plans for that sort of thing?
The plan was actually a very good one, it just didn't follow through. As for "why couldn't she do it on her own," look at who she's got for partners. Plus, may I remind you, she is not a soldier like the other characters in the game are. She's never had an ounce of military training in her life, so she knows she can't carry out the job alone.
But what about her transforming Squall like she did? That doesn't really happen.
Well, I never saw Squall as going completely fluffbunnies and sunshine. Softer, yes, but not throwing daisies about like many people imagine.
And that's just a personal perception, so, whatever.
But let me get a bit personal here. I don't want to sound dramatic or moralistic here, but a couple years ago I practically was Squall. Introverted, antisocial, caring more for myself than for others.
And then I got some very good friends.
And now I'm more like Laguna. Outgoing, smiling all the time, willing to make friends, basically cheerful and kind.
Consider: Maybe it wasn't only Rinoa who changed him. One person in the life of another can make a difference, but it's rare. A group of people, though, well, they can make differences in the lives of others all the time. It wasn't only Rinoa who changed Squall--his relationships with Zell, Irvine, Quistis, Selphie, Ellone, and even Laguna changed him. His relationship with Seifer over the course of the game forced him to change, to become someone who could beat Seifer and lead his team against the sorceress.
It wasn't just Rinoa, and even if it had been just Rinoa, I don't see what exactly is the complaint here.
And what about her stats?
Whining about stats is, IMO, a stupid reason to hate a character. You'll never see me bash Marcus from Fire Emblem or Aeris from FF7 because of their low stats. In my books, what counts is character, and you're just being lame by saying stats=character.
She tries to force herself into Squall's life too much.
Pardon? How does she "force" herself into his life?
By wishing that she "fit in" with him and the others when they figured out they were all from the same orphanage?
That is honestly the only reason I've ever been able to figure out for this one. That, and possibly the fact that if you take her to Garden instead of sending her to the missile base, she insists on following Squall around.
The orphanage thing--well, frankly, I would feel a bit left out too if all my friends grew up together and I was the odd one out (to borrow from anime, a riceball doesn't belong in a fruits basket). And in Garden, she honestly had no idea where she was going or what she was doing; it's only natural that she would want to be around someone who knew their way around the place.
Well, she gets SQUALL. That's not fair.
Oh, I saw this one coming. Yes, I know Squall is a hot piece of manflesh. I drool over him myself consistently.
But bashing Rinoa to the point of no return over it is silly.
Want to put your Mary Sue in? Fine. I won't read your fic, but whatever. Want to slash him with Seifer? Or Zell? Irvine? Or, heaven forbid, Laguna? All right, go right on ahead. Your kink, not mine.
But if you don't like Rinoa, there is a simple solution to this:
Leave her out.
It's entirely possible to do and still stay in canon. She could be off in Timber with the resistance when Squall finds Mary Sue. She could be trying to work things out with her father while Squall and Seifer argue over who gets to top this time. You could write a fic that happens before they even meet Rinoa.
But calling her names, like Rin-ho-a, and having her go OH SQUALLYPOO SAVE ME and making Squall get mysteriously aggravated whenever she opens her mouth is not only out-of-canon, it's out-of-character. Rinoa knows Squall doesn't like being treated like a kid, and knows that he doesn't like it when she's overly clingy. She understands how he thinks. And she's not likely to annoy the hell out of him just so she can get laid or whatever.
Once again, not so much a rant/defense as a big jumble of thoughts put together, but I have just had it with Rinoa-bashing.
So if someone makes me a Rinoa defense banner, I will love you forever.
[[x-posted to empress_dots]]