Seven Days of Creation Meme 6/7
Day 1. Discuss something old
Day 2. Discuss something new
Day 3. Discuss something made for someone else
Day 4. Discuss something made just for yourself
Day 5. Discuss something for a large fandom/pairing/character
Day 6. Discuss something for a small fandom/pairing/character
Day 7. Discuss something you're just really proud of
This post could also be titled, "My Love Letter to Vagrant Story." Since I haven't made anything for Prison Break yet, I guess the next smallest fandom I'm in would be Vagrant Story. So small, that probably nobody on my flist will know or care about it, beyond my previous ramblings! It's a JRPG released by Squaresoft--now Square-Enix--for the Playstation in the 1990s. It was met with very favourable critical reviews, and strangely enough for a Japanese game of that era, the Western release was possibly even better than the original, due to the stunning translation by Alexander O. Smith. The game was also gorgeous for its time, and the comic-book inspired, stylized graphics stand up even on today's HDTVs. Vagrant Story could've been great. It should've been great. Sadly, the game's complex battle system and steep learning curve worked against it. For those who took the time to learn the intricacies of the game, it was rewarding. But for those who wanted to sail through the game, it was brutally difficult.
I don't even remember how I first learned about the game, but from the first moment I started the game, I was enchanted by the style, the atmosphere, and one Sydney Losstarot. Ashley might've been the player character, but Sydney was the star. Sydney was powerful, broken, manipulative, loving, and twisted. Simply put, everything that I appreciate in a character. Not to mention, the TATTOO (and damn but I'm seeing the parallels to Prison Break now, and now wonder I fell for the show as hard as I did. I wonder what it says about me that certain themes pop up in my fandoms as much as they do). Add to that the haunting soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto and gorgeously detailed character art by Akihiko Yoshida, and Vagrant Story had a permanent place in my heart.
Strangely enough, I think this fandom was also the first fandom where I really got into slash. I mean, I'd come across slash before for other things like Gundam Wing and Naruto (although that was back in the FF.net days, so it would've been yaoi lemons or something like that). But I think Sydney/Hardin was the first slash pairing that I actively shipped. Although strangely enough, I haven't ever done any Sydney/Hardin art. Actually, I haven't done a lot of VS art, period. Maybe it's because by the time I got into the fandom, it was already pretty dead (like Prison Break... *sniff*).
But I have warm fuzzies about the ones I have done.
Wee!Sydney, because of my love for tragic backstories and pre-canon/flashbacks/seeing the main characters as kids.
The Hanged Man. I am far from an expert in tarot, but I think I did this back when making fandom tarot decks were a *thing*, and The Hanged Man seemed to fit Sydney to a 'T'. Beyond the obvious traitor/heretic imagery, The Hanged Man, IIRC, symbolizes sacrifice and new perspectives, which I think is apt for Sydney.
And last but not least, the WTF-ery of Vagrant Story costume design. I mean, I love you, Akihiko Yoshida, but what were you thinking? Sydney's shirtless-ness I can see for showing-off-the-tattoo and pure Sydney being an exhibitionist reasons, but what's Ashley's excuse for wearing a thong and... a blacksmith's apron? Why is Hardin all covered except for that one patch of skin above his ass? And WTF is Rosencrantz wearing (although, again, that could due to... Rosencrantz being Rosencrantz). I appreciate the fact that the women in this game are, for the most part, dressed more sensibly than the men, but wow. That is some seriously out-there costume design. It's nice to see that Yoshida toned it down somewhat for FFXII, but there are definitely still some... odd choices.
Day 2. Discuss something new
Day 3. Discuss something made for someone else
Day 4. Discuss something made just for yourself
Day 5. Discuss something for a large fandom/pairing/character
Day 6. Discuss something for a small fandom/pairing/character
Day 7. Discuss something you're just really proud of
This post could also be titled, "My Love Letter to Vagrant Story." Since I haven't made anything for Prison Break yet, I guess the next smallest fandom I'm in would be Vagrant Story. So small, that probably nobody on my flist will know or care about it, beyond my previous ramblings! It's a JRPG released by Squaresoft--now Square-Enix--for the Playstation in the 1990s. It was met with very favourable critical reviews, and strangely enough for a Japanese game of that era, the Western release was possibly even better than the original, due to the stunning translation by Alexander O. Smith. The game was also gorgeous for its time, and the comic-book inspired, stylized graphics stand up even on today's HDTVs. Vagrant Story could've been great. It should've been great. Sadly, the game's complex battle system and steep learning curve worked against it. For those who took the time to learn the intricacies of the game, it was rewarding. But for those who wanted to sail through the game, it was brutally difficult.
I don't even remember how I first learned about the game, but from the first moment I started the game, I was enchanted by the style, the atmosphere, and one Sydney Losstarot. Ashley might've been the player character, but Sydney was the star. Sydney was powerful, broken, manipulative, loving, and twisted. Simply put, everything that I appreciate in a character. Not to mention, the TATTOO (and damn but I'm seeing the parallels to Prison Break now, and now wonder I fell for the show as hard as I did. I wonder what it says about me that certain themes pop up in my fandoms as much as they do). Add to that the haunting soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto and gorgeously detailed character art by Akihiko Yoshida, and Vagrant Story had a permanent place in my heart.
Strangely enough, I think this fandom was also the first fandom where I really got into slash. I mean, I'd come across slash before for other things like Gundam Wing and Naruto (although that was back in the FF.net days, so it would've been yaoi lemons or something like that). But I think Sydney/Hardin was the first slash pairing that I actively shipped. Although strangely enough, I haven't ever done any Sydney/Hardin art. Actually, I haven't done a lot of VS art, period. Maybe it's because by the time I got into the fandom, it was already pretty dead (like Prison Break... *sniff*).
But I have warm fuzzies about the ones I have done.
Wee!Sydney, because of my love for tragic backstories and pre-canon/flashbacks/seeing the main characters as kids.
The Hanged Man. I am far from an expert in tarot, but I think I did this back when making fandom tarot decks were a *thing*, and The Hanged Man seemed to fit Sydney to a 'T'. Beyond the obvious traitor/heretic imagery, The Hanged Man, IIRC, symbolizes sacrifice and new perspectives, which I think is apt for Sydney.
And last but not least, the WTF-ery of Vagrant Story costume design. I mean, I love you, Akihiko Yoshida, but what were you thinking? Sydney's shirtless-ness I can see for showing-off-the-tattoo and pure Sydney being an exhibitionist reasons, but what's Ashley's excuse for wearing a thong and... a blacksmith's apron? Why is Hardin all covered except for that one patch of skin above his ass? And WTF is Rosencrantz wearing (although, again, that could due to... Rosencrantz being Rosencrantz). I appreciate the fact that the women in this game are, for the most part, dressed more sensibly than the men, but wow. That is some seriously out-there costume design. It's nice to see that Yoshida toned it down somewhat for FFXII, but there are definitely still some... odd choices.