Dear Fire Emblem fandom (Or, Yet Another Unreadable Wall of Text) (Or, On Suikoden)
When I met you,
I received life;
When I lost you,
I learned of death.
I have officially been seduced away by Suikoden.
Haha. Not really. I haven't committed to fic. Yet. (Don't want to until I finish playing through the remaining games and understanding the world a little better. And even then... eh lazy. Since when was the last time I even wrote anything fannish? .... And honestly speaking, this is one of those fandoms I think I don't even want to read fic for or participate in because I suspect it will just piss me off.)
It all started with the DS game Tierkreis, which is actually a standalone (unlike the rest of the games, which take place in a single core universe with a expansive, epic plot). No wait actually back up a little. It all started because I knew a bunch of people whose tastes I like and respect who were Suikoden fans. And I was intrigued (have been intrigued for a few years in fact) because I'm somewhat familiar with the base story (Water Margin -- it's not so much the video game version as it is "inspired by" however), but also intimidated because
1.) 108+ recruitable characters per game. Despite being a tactics RPG and in particular a Fire Emblem fan and enjoying sweeping historical/fantasy epics (for which gigantic casts are standard)... come on. XD
2.) I got spoiled really early on about one particular death in the original game (oh boy do characters kick the bucket in this franchise -- of course, with such large casts they can "afford" to, but these are not minor deaths either) that made me really wary about the franchise's attitude toward female characters.
... Now that I've played through three games, I actually think it's more progressive than Fire Emblem.
3.) Silent heroes. Meh.
Anyway, #1 & 3 were not HUGE problems but since I've had a lot of other stuff on my plate (and on my to-play list) I was pretty reluctant to make the commitment. And #2 made me really annoyed... until I saw how it played out in context, and while I still think it's slightly problematic (and there are two other characters who bug me also in Suikoden 2, one for similar reasons and the other for a slightly different reason), the franchise more than makes up for it in other women. And again, context makes at least two of those instances work for me. I'm especially willing to give it the benefit of the doubt because the translation for these games is super uneven. Some of the wittier exchanges are great, but other sections are pretty blatantly "nobody even bothered to proofread this" (among other issues: some dialogue is attributed to the wrong characters entirely, even worse name consistency than FE7, a few completely bizarro lines that read like they were babelfished, and a few instances of just plain laziness that I suspect only the most anal of players -- like me -- would catch)
So, Tierkreis (which had a mostly better translation, though still with a handful of typos and at least one blatant error I'm aware of that I only noticed because I patched Japanese voice acting onto it). Picked it up because
1.) Bored
2.) Figured it would be easier to test the waters with a standalone game. Especially a DS entry. Actually I was wary it would turn out to suck (or to be fair, appeal to a completely different demographic than my own). If I liked it, I'd move on to the core games. If not, no big loss.
And well....
Love. At. First. Sight. (Play?)
I knew going in that a lot of longterm Suikoden fans hated or at least didn't like Tierkreis for what seemed to be similar reasons to why I didn't much care for Pokemon Black and FE12. I was quite pleasantly surprised though, when the storyline played out in a way I very much approved of. (I have minor issues with how it all ties together in the end, but while it lasted, it was great.)
Other things I loved (about Tierkreis specifically):
1.) Chrodechild. CHRODECHILD. (And the rest of her crew. And Asad. <333333)
2.) Worldbuilding. Oh cultural mashups that actually work (CHINESE ELVES. LOL), complete with gorgeous background art and clever and often lovely soundtrack, be still my heart.
3.) "Portal fantasy" the way I would do it man.
4.) THE CASTLE. *______*
Around this time I saw/heard the OP of Suikoden 3 and fell in mad mad love. Like NEED THIS NAO love.
Soooooo then I picked up Suikoden 1 & 2. Because I'm anal and need to see stories in order. (Also because save data ports between games 1-3 I believe.) And now that I've finished both games, I know why Tierkreis fell flat for a lot of hardcore fans (because really, it does NOT even begin to compare), but I still think it's a fabulous game in its own right.
- - -
So... thoughts on canon Suikoden. (The first two games.)
First, the gameplay. Is pretty much. Almost exactly my "ideal".
1.) Scaled XP. No irritating level grinding. No handholding either though, at the same time.
2.) You're forced to spread out your usage of characters instead of picking favorites. (forced is perhaps not the best word, as I think this is a GOOD thing)
3.) Locked weapons (not in Tierkreis though). Instead of buying upgrades, you "sharpen" them.
4.) A combination of FF-style monster battles, one-on-one duels, tactics, and even rudimentary strategy -- all implemented with a very natural flow. (Not in Tierkreis, alas. Though Tierkreis implemented other things I really liked, like a season system.) THIS. This is what I have always wanted out of a game. The ability to live through the story both on a broader scale as well as at a very personal level.
5.) Interesting magic system that is not frustrating. FFVIII also had an interesting magic system but it was so annoying to use. The magic system here is a bit like the one FFVII used (Materia = Runes), except loads more fun (especially in Suikoden 2). And the Runes are much more interesting to me as a story device than Materia was.
6.) Exploration is encouraged. Game has both linear sections as well as lengthy periods where you have near-complete freedom. You can spend hours wandering around and talking to people... and yes, I do in fact enjoy talking to NPCs more than I enjoy level grinding, so sue me.
I haven't been this tickled by gameplay since... Thracia 776. Oh, I loved how TearRing Saga built on that and FE Gaiden, but Thracia was the really impressive one.
Oh, and I guess Bahamut Lagoon and Romancing SaGa 3 were the other two games that I found more entertainingly innovative though both games felt sadly rushed/incomplete in some ways.
Now all I need is a game that does everything Suikoden does... and adds dating sim/relationship value type stuff. LOLOLOL
7.) Minor and not really gameplay but: most expressive 2d sprites EVER. (<3s sprites)
8.) I actually don't think the music overall is in-your-face impressive compared to, say, anything Uematsu. HOWEVER. It is music that really pulls its weight in terms of establishing the world, the characters, the atmosphere... but never draws too much attention to itself. i.e. most of the tracks are easy to listen to for hours on end and always exist in service to the story first and foremost.
And there are some amazing tracks that work primarily due to context.
And for Suiko2 they got the Warsaw Philharmonic so yeah <3
I love that the vocal tracks (La Passione Commuove la Storia. Part of the ending. Haunting and uplifting at once. Truly a song of weary triumph after a long and bitter struggle; also La Mia Tristezza, which is a lovely revisit of an already beautiful instrumental track from the first game) -- at least, the non-choral ones -- are so raw and "amateur" and unpolished rather than the overly-polished J-poppy sound of a lot of modern games. Verisimilitude man.
Other standout track for me is THIS (the Suikogaiden OP, which is actually a vocal version of two variations on a theme in game 2: here and here). Likewise the Suikogaiden 2 OP which is a take on this track. And of course Suikoden 3's OP is what I first fell in love with (link way above). Suikoden 2's OP is also EPIC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f4eGQ9MIWM
The various war music themes also: #1, #2
Just for good measure, two lovely tracks from the first game: Forgotten Days ("Celtic" version), Dragon Fortress Theme ("Celtic" version)
And perhaps above all, this beautiful piano track, which pretty much sums up both games perfectly in its sense of regret, the loss of innocence... the underlying hope: Reminiscence
- - -
As for non-gameplay stuff...
1.) The worldbuilding. There are definite European influences scattered throughout, but as in Tierkreis, the overall mashup is lovely and I especially LOVE that the heroes of both Suikoden 1 & 2 are not swordsmen. (Hero 1 uses a staff, Hero 2 uses tonfa; two other prominent characters in the second game wield staff/nunchucks.) And the music!111.
And the castles/headquarters. YESYESYES
2.) The choices you make actually make a difference. This is especially apparent in Suikoden 2, in which you, as the hero, can actually run away and give up the fight at one point (and no the world doesn't end, because it's not that kind of a game, nor is it in any way your standard "bad ending"). Least obvious in Tierkreis though, which is pretty linear aside from the character recruitment.
3.) Incredibly thematically complex. Tying into point one, unlike most fantasy RPGs, in which saving-the-world is your destiny, the destiny in these games is far more of a karmic destiny. i.e. not set in stone. Dependent on will and on the bonds and connections between people.
These are games that are aware of how the smallest things affect the tide of history.
And the examination of power and responsibility is just incredible -- one of the areas where it really triumphs over Fire Emblem, and indeed pretty much everything ever. FE does some interesting things with divine right and various ideologies/breeds of loyalty but it does not come anywhere near this. Of course, power does not manifest in quite so obvious a manner in FE (except perhaps in terms of Holy Blood), but still.
4.) This is a set of games that values friendship and duty over romance, without dismissing romantic love entirely. Love in all its forms is given its due, in fact. And it is AMAZING.
5.) NPCs who Matter. This is one of my... game kinks. The incredibly immersive world that arises when NPCs aren't just there to spout out information or serve as red shirts, but are affected by and affect/react to the ongoing story. Suikoden 2 in particular is like, Holy Traumatic Batman. Though Tierkreis had a couple of its own Holy Crap moments, and even the first Suikoden had them (though the horrific and/or shocking moments of Suikoden are more personal, or only hinted at rather than shown).
6.) Despite not talking, the heroes do in fact receive an awful lot of characterization simply through the types of dialogue choices they're given, and the way other characters respond to them or interact with them.
And they lose things that are truly dear to them. They must truly sacrifice. (And I don't mean "blabla bad guy killed my parents and friends and destroyed my village bawwwww".) Truly question their choices.
And the really interesting thing is, although they technically are the ones driving the story -- it's really the characters around them that make the games come to life. And I think this is done very deliberately. This de-emphasizing of the central hero, who serves primarily as a unifying figurehead or a beacon. As a history nerd, this really, really appeals to me in ways I don't know if I can quite articulate.
7.) Actual strategy and tactics! Mostly ripped off from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and other classical Chinese history-tales, but still. <33333333333
8.) There is no good and evil. Even the most horrific villain of the games is human. Psychotic. But human. There is no such thing as an Entity of Pure Evil.
.... Well, maybe Neclord. But not even him, in the end.
And the games don't pussyfoot around the fact that even the heroes' hands are stained. And that theirs are perhaps the most stained of all. And they must live with the consequences of their own actions.
Even FE has its gods and ancient evils, some distant, some more immediate. (Granted, the fact that they're technically dragons does throw an interesting wrench into it all.) All Suikoden features is power, and the people who are bestowed with it, deliberately or through accident. "How" doesn't matter -- fate has its limits. What does matter is what they then choose to do with that power.
9.) Tying together points 8 and 3 -- where FE tends to makes loyalty a shorthand for "good" and "noble" (even in the grayer or more tragic characters like Camus) -- Suikoden has no qualms over upending that notion entirely and portraying loyalty as complex: sometimes selfish, sometimes irresponsible, sometimes truly noble and admirable, sometimes a strength, sometimes a weakness, sometimes all of the above at the same time. There are loyal men and women on all sides of a conflict, all of whom fiercely believe they are doing the right thing, or know that what they are doing is wrong but choose to value their loyalty above their righteousness anyway. And it is tragic and amazing and painfully human.
These are games that understand that loyalty between friends, loyalty between family, loyalty to an ideal, loyalty to a cause, loyalty to a nation -- nothing is black and white. Nothing is set in stone.
- -
Now for the spoilery type stuff.
1.) VIKTOR AND FLIK. VIKTOR AND THE TALKING SWORD. VIKTOR. FLIK. <33333333333333333
Oh man. Viktor made me chuckle from the start (especially as he's clearly more intelligent than he lets on), but it was really Flik who grew on me, surprisingly. I actually didn't like him in the first game, but by the end of the game I was all That Guy <3 <3 and then the second game rolled around and I was like <3333333333. The two of them and their interactions are priceless, but it's not just his relationship with Viktor that makes me adore him, but the fact that he grew up. For serious. And though he regrets, and clearly will Never Love Again, and is in fact really sensitive in that regard -- he does not BROOD. He is not Dark and Mysterious and Angsty. He's just a young man who has made mistakes and finds himself angry at his younger self for being such a fool. Who regrets what he's lost, has been profoundly changed by his loss, and yet will always keep an eye toward the future instead of dwelling in the past, because it would be a disservice to those who gave up their lives already otherwise. Who is constantly striving to better himself. To live up to his lover's legacy and whatever faith she had in him. And it's that contemplative side of him that really gets to me.
2.) And that eased a lot of my annoyance over the fridging of Odessa. Even knowing it was coming... I was actually surprised at how *quickly* and relatively early on she was killed off. It was at least not a horribly senseless death, but man, knowing that her death was going to trigger Character Development for her hothead boyfriend AND give the game an excuse to introduce her awesome strategist brother Mathiu... it just did not sit well with me at all.
Until I realized that she had not just passively accepted death. Rather, she knew her time was limited -- whether due to an understanding of her own personal limitations, or just a very pragmatic understanding of how the world worked -- and she essentially planned around it.
It's not so obvious thanks to the shoddy translation*, but more or less, imo, Odessa was not a Silverberg in name only. She may not have possessed her brother's melancholy genius, nor even the brilliance and daring of Shu, or the decisive ruthlessness of Leon. But she alone of all the strategists in the games (and I do consider her one of them) saw the big picture, I think. Viewed things in the long run. (Leon, too, I think saw the big picture, but what he worked for was always the immediate future. He's very much a "seize the reins now"/ends justifies the means kind of guy, while I get the impression that Odessa was very aware of how transient everything could be. How gradually and deeply change must take root in order for it to last.)
* It's possible I'm just reading what I want into this but whatever. This is the interpretation that makes me feel better about it all. I like what some of the supplementary canon (novelizations, manga) seem to imply as well but not willing to comment or take them as support for my own arguments until I confirm with my own eyes.
What interests me is that although the games paint her as an idealistic martyr (or do they? too much of what we see of her is in hindsight, from people who loved and/or idolized her) -- I actually think Mathiu was the true idealist of the family (and probably the only real idealist).
And in the end, he won his battles, won the war even -- but at what cost? What he wanted was peace, but he ended up sacrificing that for victory (his political maneuvering re: the City-State may not be a direct cause but it is definitely one of the major underlying factors of the conflict in the second game). And I think it's telling that the game kills him off with an ambiguous ending scene, with him wondering whether or not he truly made the right choice(s). Odessa died knowing that she had taken care of what she could, and that others would carry on her work. Mathiu died painfully aware that he would no longer be around to keep in check all the new problems he had unleashed.
Mathiuuuu. :(
3.) BTW Shu is hot. (IMO he strikes just the right balance between Mathiu's idealism and Leon's pragmatism.) And I ship Shu/Apple. Although I also support the theory that Sheena's the one she married and divorced (yep I spoiled myself slightly re: her role in Suikoden 3). There are little hints of Apple/Sheena in Suiko2, they're about the same age, I believe Suikogaiden has even more evidence of a potential relationship between them, and it is not exactly a stretch of imagination for Sheena to have ended up cheating on her. In my headcanon she eventually finds her way back to Shu though. And Sheena (who I am also fond of despite myself) eventually grows up, also. IMO the marriage was likely a disastrous match from the start. I doubt it was only Sheena's fault (though of course I'm not excusing him for cheating) -- it seems to me Apple has serious self-esteem issues and she's also really insecure...
In fact her constant Fail in game 2 is one of the three things I mentioned that bugged me (the other being Odessa). Except in context it makes a painful amount of sense. She's 18. Shu's 26 at the time of the game. And she canonically met Shu when she was 11. i.e. she only had four years of tutelage under Mathiu at most (probably something more like 2-3 given the fact that she was actually supposedly in Harmonia before she joined up during the Gate Rune Wars). And she's always worshiped Mathiu (and, to a lesser extent, Shu) -- even though Mathiu was really perhaps not the best role model (as much as I love the poor man) -- and yet even disregarding Mathiu's very real flaws (in particular his inability to take decisive action due to his moral and ethical quandaries, which also completely blindsided him to the fact that sometimes individuals can act out of utterly irrational motives and convictions without being held back by the same issues that weighed so deeply on him. i.e. Sanchez), both Mathiu and Shu are pretty tough figures to live up to. Shu I think was much more clearsighted re: their mentor (he had known him longer and was also far more cynical about the world, hence their ultimate rift), and therefore much less afraid to think outside the box. Also Shu was better at keeping a mask over his true emotions and thus at protecting himself -- probably the best of them all at it in fact, even Leon.
But yeah, Apple. :( Girl you don't suck. You're just young and inexperienced and trying too hard.
I need a banner that reads: I <3 the Suikoden strategists.
I mean, I <3 the Silverbergs, but that would leave out Shu and Apple and Klaus, all three of whom I do adore as well. (Poor Apple doesn't notice or remember that Klaus -- who is also around her age, and more experienced -- was outmaneuvered just as easily as she was.)
I just absolutely love how all of them are these incredibly intelligent and yet incredibly distinct individuals with their own strategic styles. And the game doesn't paint any of them as "right" or "wrong" despite their broad range of personalities and beliefs.
4.) So the last thing that did bug me was Anabelle's death. I know why it had to happen (and boy did it have to), but arghhhhhhhhhhh. Also bawwwwwwwwwww. (I was shipping Viktor/Anabelle even before the drinking scene and after that I knew it was doomed.) I do like the way she handled Jowy (or tried to). It's just that, after Odessa and Apple... it was kind of like. -_-
And yet on the other hand we have Teresa. And the other badass ladies of Toran. But especially Teresa, and Lucia. And the Teresa/Lucia antagonism is pitch perfect.
5.) Luca Blight sure is one riveting villain. I think he really works as a polarizing figure in the games. And normally psychotically bloodthirsty villains who revel in their own evilness don't work for me, but Luca is just human enough that... well, he reminds me a little of Heath Ledger's Joker, perhaps even Kefka (both of whom are some of the most effective villains ever imo), though I don't like making the comparison because there are very distinct nuances between the three. There's just something about men who just want to watch the world burn. Of the three, Luca is the most human though, and in a way that also makes him the most terrifying.
Windy falls short compared to him, though they had more or less the same motivation. But there's something very powerful, also, about that final scene on the rooftop garden with Barbarossa. A sense of decadence. Love and obsession and loneliness and decay, all embodied in that private space where flowers bloom in the night.
And it's just perfect the way neither game features the main villain as the Final Boss. (Luca is killed surprisingly early and yet the game does not become anticlimactic at all.)
Speaking of which, the Kill Luca sequence is all sorts of amazing and incredible choreography and poeticism.
I am btw fascinated by the relationship between Luca and Jillia, which we don't really get to see much of in the game.
6.) I want to say SOMETHING about dualism/polarity in these games. But not sure I can articulate it yet. But Windy/Leknaat, Riou/Jowy (and their predecessors), Yuber/Pesmerga... there's a bit of a yin-yang thing going on thematically but it's not that simple, either. As evidenced in the multiple endings of game #2. Something about it really fascinates me.
7.) I think Tai Ho, Yam Koo, and Kimberley should all just shack up as a threesome. #justsayin
8.) Also Elza/Clive/Kelley. Canon OT3s for the win.
9.) One of my favorite moments in the game (aside from Kill Luca) has got to be Camus and Miklotov tossing away their emblems. (Haha yes, another knight named Camus. This one much more sensible than FE Camus though and in fact kind of adorably sneaky (but just as noble), to the point where I almost wonder if he wasn't named as a "take that" response to THAT CAMUS.) Although really, pretty much all the Viktor&Flik scenes in this game are AMAZING. XD
And also Shu vs. Leon in the burning forest. And Apple. Poor Apple.
10.) Knowing what eventually happens to Luc (sort of) makes me a sad panda. I mean, yah, he's a jerkass, but I think he genuinely cared for both heroes in the end (his tone of sympathy for Riou after a certain Major Event; his subtle concern for Tir that we hear about secondhand from Kasumi). Also his snark in the pretending-to-be-students arc cracks me up.
11.) I actually don't like Nanami. She is incredibly unabashedly selfish and singleminded and thoughtless. And yet it's a testament to how excellent the writing is that I don't think she's wrong to feel the way she does, either. And she is self-aware enough to ultimately take herself out of the picture. Basically, unlike most other RPG heroines (annoying sisters, helpless love interests, etc.) she is a really impressive character. I think it's amazing how the game sets up the depth of her emotions -- and that she is allowed to feel so strongly about something without romance coming into the picture at all. And they aren't even related by blood, which just slays me.
12.) I didn't much care for Gremio either, tbh. And yet his death scene is just horrifying. It's a horrible way to die. It's utterly necessary. It is, despite everything, utterly heartwrenching.
His subsequent resurrection seemed underplayed to me.... but also made sense and did not feel as cheap as it could have, given the circumstances.
13.) I love the Teo/Sonya relationship like I cannot even explain it man. Even though we barely see any of it in the games. But I mean... a game acknowledging that second relationships exist... no wayyyyy
From that angle in plays into one of the same reasons I adore Locke/Celes.
14.) Normally I wouldn't care much for a (seriously underdeveloped) character like Ted, but I think I have a real soft spot for characters out of step with time or place. In themes of loneliness and belonging. This is only hammered in further with Windy (ironically).
15.) TBH, Tir kinda breaks my heart. To return to the subject of the characterization of silent heroes -- I think that despite the parallels, Tir and Riou were ultimately very different people. Tir was born into privilege, son of a famed and respected general, surrounded by people who loved and doted on him and even perhaps spoiled him. He starts out far more immature than Riou does (and is evidently a bit of a scamp), and is forced to grow up, fast. And the burden he bears is far heavier.
Riou strikes me as a more grounded, thoughtful young man to begin with. He's a poor orphan with a cobbled-together family, who starts the game as a common soldier grunt. Nothing more, nothing less. And throughout the game I felt that one of his fundamental defining traits is that he is a kind person. I don't mean typical fantasy hero "nice guy"/do-gooder syndrome -- but a kindness born of compassion and empathy and the ability to see all people as equals. It is that kindness that draws people to him. That Jowy admired and yearned for and envied. I think it's really telling that the rune he obtained was the Shield Rune: the power to protect and to heal -- a far cry from the typical fantasy hero powers. (Even more telling is the name of his final power: Forgiver Sign.) And even before he receives the rune -- his chosen weapon is the tonfa, which is primarily a weapon of self-defense.
I get less of a sense of what drew people to Tir (who receives an equally unique fantasy hero power in the devastating Soul Eater), although the games imply it was something similar. But with Tir I think it was less kindness and more an intensely passionate, instinctive sense of justice. It is that sense of justice that allows him to spare even those whom he ought most desire vengeance against (in the best ending), and allows him to break away from his father and everything he's ever known in order to follow his own convictions. And it is his growing understanding and fear of power and responsibility and consequences that leads him to retreat from the world post-game. I find it sad that the boy who was once surrounded with love now fears to get too close to others in his newfound understanding of the influence he wields -- which is manifested in a rather literal fashion with his rune. Soul Eater. One who bends the fates of those around him, whether for good or ill.
If anything I think Jowy is almost more similar to Tir than Riou is. (Note that both Jowy and Tir are staff wielders. And actually I think the three of them together present a really interesting spectrum.) I think the game presents an interesting conundrum actually: people are drawn to Jowy just as they are drawn to Riou, just for different reasons. I mean obviously, as they are intended as foils. But one wonders what exactly set apart Jowy from Riou that Riou was able to gather the "108 Stars" to him, where Jowy ultimately only had Seed&Culgan, Jillia, Pilika, and Leon Silverberg. (Is Jowy a failed Tenkai Star in that sense? Can two Tenkai stars exist at the same time? The implication is that they can't... only one tablet seems to exist at a time, after all. Although we also know that stars are not set in stone, no pun intended -- we get to choose between Valeria and Kasumi in game 2, for one example, and for another example if Ridley is killed his son takes over his position and star. Tierkreis gives a somewhat clearer "definition" or theory behind how the stars work, but so far I'm not sure if the canon games have an explanation. And Leknaat's not telling.)
Jowy kind of fascinates me I guess because the game never does make it quite clear what game he was playing, though it does give copious hints. I think the thing is though, even Jowy himself was unsure of his ultimate goal. On one hand he pretty much admits that he wanted the power to unite the land and establish peace through force. On the other hand, it's clear that deep down he was expecting to lose to Riou in the end and had therefore been planning to take advantage of the evil king vs. pure hero narrative right from the start (much like Rudolf in FE Gaiden). At the same time, I wonder if he would have chosen to act differently if it hadn't been for the existence of the Beast Rune. (Leon's goal was clearly to take down Luca and the Beast Rune asap by working from the inside. Seed and Culgan seemed to support him for similar reasons but for the sake of Highland specifically. Jowy's own goals are left far more ambiguous imo.)
And to add to all that, by ultimately tossing away that narrative, by understanding and accepting the complicated (and often self-contradictory) truth(s) within Jowy's heart, all the things even Jowy himself cannot fully articulate... Riou proves that unlike their predecessors (who were ultimately unable to communicate their true hearts to each other) he and Jowy are able to truly join their powers in the way they were always meant to. Destroyer and Protector. Life and Death. Two halves of a whole.
The Han/Genkaku backstory really gets to me, for the record. They came so close to understanding -- these two different men, from the same village, yes. But from two different countries, cultural backgrounds, class -- but in the end, just could not breach that final barrier. There's something immensely, quietly tragic about that, even though no blood is shed and they even reach enough of a reconciliation to agree to seal away their runes in the aftermath of their duel.
And one final comment on Tir vs. Riou -- I love the contrast inherent in their sense of identity. Both must ultimately question who they are, what they are -- but Tir starts with the stronger sense of identity and even after breaking away from it is still highly aware of his place in the world. Riou, on the other hand, is never quite certain. (As Nanami lampshades for us.) Is he a citizen of the City-States, to which his hometown originally belonged? Is he a Highlander, as he believed himself to be while growing up, and as most of his hometown now considers themselves? And yet the man who raised him was from the City-States, was in fact a former hero of that land. And yet he himself was a loyal Highlander soldier. And yet he was driven from his home, accused of being a spy. And yet, while in the States, his accent gives away his true origins.
(It is this kind of complexity and heartbreaking realism that surprisingly few if any other video games even attempt to tackle.)
Riou cannot hate the invading Highlanders just as he cannot hate the Statesmen whom he has believed to be his enemies all his life and yet are now his dearest allies. And his struggles are mirrored in Jowy -- who is a chameleon, moving between worlds, adjusting himself to whatever circumstances he finds himself in. Riou's best friend and fellow soldier. An Atreides. A traitor. A disowned Atreides. A Blight. A ruthless king. A loving husband.
And at the end, when neither of them are entirely sure who they are anymore, if they ever did -- still one thing remains.
Their friendship.
- - -
I can't wait for a chance to pick up games 3 & 5... (I've read what exists of the manga for 3 online and am now on a mission to hunt down physical copies (if I can, as this was a Tokyopop series). But would really like to play through myself at some point.) And I also want to play through the Suikogaidens. (Contemplating whether I should wait for the translation patch or attempt reading myself, since they are essentially visual novels. Sooooo tempting... but I haven't finished TearRing Saga yet either, and the existing translation project for Suikogaiden 1 looks like it will be done soonish so I might as well wait.)
Oh yes, I am in full on obsession mode. Haha. It's a great time to be getting into the franchise as they just announced a new game as well -- although honestly I am going to be cynical and assume it's going to end up more like Tierkreis (i.e. standalone universe) than the core franchise. In fact Tierkreis featured quite a bit of blatant sequel bait so I even wouldn't be surprised if this is a direct sequel to Tierkreis and they've decided to abandon the original universe altogether (or because Tierkreis did better commercially, which I dunno if that's true tbh).
Then again the PSP choice is a bit odd to me, so who knows. But I must confess I feel much more hopeful about the new Suikoden than I do about the new FE if only because Tierkreis was a pretty damn good game in its own right.
This post brought to you by several weeks of insanity. Bye again until November or so. I think. (It'll probably take you that long to read this anyway :P)
I received life;
When I lost you,
I learned of death.
I have officially been seduced away by Suikoden.
Haha. Not really. I haven't committed to fic. Yet. (Don't want to until I finish playing through the remaining games and understanding the world a little better. And even then... eh lazy. Since when was the last time I even wrote anything fannish? .... And honestly speaking, this is one of those fandoms I think I don't even want to read fic for or participate in because I suspect it will just piss me off.)
It all started with the DS game Tierkreis, which is actually a standalone (unlike the rest of the games, which take place in a single core universe with a expansive, epic plot). No wait actually back up a little. It all started because I knew a bunch of people whose tastes I like and respect who were Suikoden fans. And I was intrigued (have been intrigued for a few years in fact) because I'm somewhat familiar with the base story (Water Margin -- it's not so much the video game version as it is "inspired by" however), but also intimidated because
1.) 108+ recruitable characters per game. Despite being a tactics RPG and in particular a Fire Emblem fan and enjoying sweeping historical/fantasy epics (for which gigantic casts are standard)... come on. XD
2.) I got spoiled really early on about one particular death in the original game (oh boy do characters kick the bucket in this franchise -- of course, with such large casts they can "afford" to, but these are not minor deaths either) that made me really wary about the franchise's attitude toward female characters.
... Now that I've played through three games, I actually think it's more progressive than Fire Emblem.
3.) Silent heroes. Meh.
Anyway, #1 & 3 were not HUGE problems but since I've had a lot of other stuff on my plate (and on my to-play list) I was pretty reluctant to make the commitment. And #2 made me really annoyed... until I saw how it played out in context, and while I still think it's slightly problematic (and there are two other characters who bug me also in Suikoden 2, one for similar reasons and the other for a slightly different reason), the franchise more than makes up for it in other women. And again, context makes at least two of those instances work for me. I'm especially willing to give it the benefit of the doubt because the translation for these games is super uneven. Some of the wittier exchanges are great, but other sections are pretty blatantly "nobody even bothered to proofread this" (among other issues: some dialogue is attributed to the wrong characters entirely, even worse name consistency than FE7, a few completely bizarro lines that read like they were babelfished, and a few instances of just plain laziness that I suspect only the most anal of players -- like me -- would catch)
So, Tierkreis (which had a mostly better translation, though still with a handful of typos and at least one blatant error I'm aware of that I only noticed because I patched Japanese voice acting onto it). Picked it up because
1.) Bored
2.) Figured it would be easier to test the waters with a standalone game. Especially a DS entry. Actually I was wary it would turn out to suck (or to be fair, appeal to a completely different demographic than my own). If I liked it, I'd move on to the core games. If not, no big loss.
And well....
Love. At. First. Sight. (Play?)
I knew going in that a lot of longterm Suikoden fans hated or at least didn't like Tierkreis for what seemed to be similar reasons to why I didn't much care for Pokemon Black and FE12. I was quite pleasantly surprised though, when the storyline played out in a way I very much approved of. (I have minor issues with how it all ties together in the end, but while it lasted, it was great.)
Other things I loved (about Tierkreis specifically):
1.) Chrodechild. CHRODECHILD. (And the rest of her crew. And Asad. <333333)
2.) Worldbuilding. Oh cultural mashups that actually work (CHINESE ELVES. LOL), complete with gorgeous background art and clever and often lovely soundtrack, be still my heart.
3.) "Portal fantasy" the way I would do it man.
4.) THE CASTLE. *______*
Around this time I saw/heard the OP of Suikoden 3 and fell in mad mad love. Like NEED THIS NAO love.
Soooooo then I picked up Suikoden 1 & 2. Because I'm anal and need to see stories in order. (Also because save data ports between games 1-3 I believe.) And now that I've finished both games, I know why Tierkreis fell flat for a lot of hardcore fans (because really, it does NOT even begin to compare), but I still think it's a fabulous game in its own right.
- - -
So... thoughts on canon Suikoden. (The first two games.)
First, the gameplay. Is pretty much. Almost exactly my "ideal".
1.) Scaled XP. No irritating level grinding. No handholding either though, at the same time.
2.) You're forced to spread out your usage of characters instead of picking favorites. (forced is perhaps not the best word, as I think this is a GOOD thing)
3.) Locked weapons (not in Tierkreis though). Instead of buying upgrades, you "sharpen" them.
4.) A combination of FF-style monster battles, one-on-one duels, tactics, and even rudimentary strategy -- all implemented with a very natural flow. (Not in Tierkreis, alas. Though Tierkreis implemented other things I really liked, like a season system.) THIS. This is what I have always wanted out of a game. The ability to live through the story both on a broader scale as well as at a very personal level.
5.) Interesting magic system that is not frustrating. FFVIII also had an interesting magic system but it was so annoying to use. The magic system here is a bit like the one FFVII used (Materia = Runes), except loads more fun (especially in Suikoden 2). And the Runes are much more interesting to me as a story device than Materia was.
6.) Exploration is encouraged. Game has both linear sections as well as lengthy periods where you have near-complete freedom. You can spend hours wandering around and talking to people... and yes, I do in fact enjoy talking to NPCs more than I enjoy level grinding, so sue me.
I haven't been this tickled by gameplay since... Thracia 776. Oh, I loved how TearRing Saga built on that and FE Gaiden, but Thracia was the really impressive one.
Oh, and I guess Bahamut Lagoon and Romancing SaGa 3 were the other two games that I found more entertainingly innovative though both games felt sadly rushed/incomplete in some ways.
Now all I need is a game that does everything Suikoden does... and adds dating sim/relationship value type stuff. LOLOLOL
7.) Minor and not really gameplay but: most expressive 2d sprites EVER. (<3s sprites)
8.) I actually don't think the music overall is in-your-face impressive compared to, say, anything Uematsu. HOWEVER. It is music that really pulls its weight in terms of establishing the world, the characters, the atmosphere... but never draws too much attention to itself. i.e. most of the tracks are easy to listen to for hours on end and always exist in service to the story first and foremost.
And there are some amazing tracks that work primarily due to context.
And for Suiko2 they got the Warsaw Philharmonic so yeah <3
I love that the vocal tracks (La Passione Commuove la Storia. Part of the ending. Haunting and uplifting at once. Truly a song of weary triumph after a long and bitter struggle; also La Mia Tristezza, which is a lovely revisit of an already beautiful instrumental track from the first game) -- at least, the non-choral ones -- are so raw and "amateur" and unpolished rather than the overly-polished J-poppy sound of a lot of modern games. Verisimilitude man.
Other standout track for me is THIS (the Suikogaiden OP, which is actually a vocal version of two variations on a theme in game 2: here and here). Likewise the Suikogaiden 2 OP which is a take on this track. And of course Suikoden 3's OP is what I first fell in love with (link way above). Suikoden 2's OP is also EPIC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f4eGQ9MIWM
The various war music themes also: #1, #2
Just for good measure, two lovely tracks from the first game: Forgotten Days ("Celtic" version), Dragon Fortress Theme ("Celtic" version)
And perhaps above all, this beautiful piano track, which pretty much sums up both games perfectly in its sense of regret, the loss of innocence... the underlying hope: Reminiscence
- - -
As for non-gameplay stuff...
1.) The worldbuilding. There are definite European influences scattered throughout, but as in Tierkreis, the overall mashup is lovely and I especially LOVE that the heroes of both Suikoden 1 & 2 are not swordsmen. (Hero 1 uses a staff, Hero 2 uses tonfa; two other prominent characters in the second game wield staff/nunchucks.) And the music!111.
And the castles/headquarters. YESYESYES
2.) The choices you make actually make a difference. This is especially apparent in Suikoden 2, in which you, as the hero, can actually run away and give up the fight at one point (and no the world doesn't end, because it's not that kind of a game, nor is it in any way your standard "bad ending"). Least obvious in Tierkreis though, which is pretty linear aside from the character recruitment.
3.) Incredibly thematically complex. Tying into point one, unlike most fantasy RPGs, in which saving-the-world is your destiny, the destiny in these games is far more of a karmic destiny. i.e. not set in stone. Dependent on will and on the bonds and connections between people.
These are games that are aware of how the smallest things affect the tide of history.
And the examination of power and responsibility is just incredible -- one of the areas where it really triumphs over Fire Emblem, and indeed pretty much everything ever. FE does some interesting things with divine right and various ideologies/breeds of loyalty but it does not come anywhere near this. Of course, power does not manifest in quite so obvious a manner in FE (except perhaps in terms of Holy Blood), but still.
4.) This is a set of games that values friendship and duty over romance, without dismissing romantic love entirely. Love in all its forms is given its due, in fact. And it is AMAZING.
5.) NPCs who Matter. This is one of my... game kinks. The incredibly immersive world that arises when NPCs aren't just there to spout out information or serve as red shirts, but are affected by and affect/react to the ongoing story. Suikoden 2 in particular is like, Holy Traumatic Batman. Though Tierkreis had a couple of its own Holy Crap moments, and even the first Suikoden had them (though the horrific and/or shocking moments of Suikoden are more personal, or only hinted at rather than shown).
6.) Despite not talking, the heroes do in fact receive an awful lot of characterization simply through the types of dialogue choices they're given, and the way other characters respond to them or interact with them.
And they lose things that are truly dear to them. They must truly sacrifice. (And I don't mean "blabla bad guy killed my parents and friends and destroyed my village bawwwww".) Truly question their choices.
And the really interesting thing is, although they technically are the ones driving the story -- it's really the characters around them that make the games come to life. And I think this is done very deliberately. This de-emphasizing of the central hero, who serves primarily as a unifying figurehead or a beacon. As a history nerd, this really, really appeals to me in ways I don't know if I can quite articulate.
7.) Actual strategy and tactics! Mostly ripped off from Romance of the Three Kingdoms and other classical Chinese history-tales, but still. <33333333333
8.) There is no good and evil. Even the most horrific villain of the games is human. Psychotic. But human. There is no such thing as an Entity of Pure Evil.
.... Well, maybe Neclord. But not even him, in the end.
And the games don't pussyfoot around the fact that even the heroes' hands are stained. And that theirs are perhaps the most stained of all. And they must live with the consequences of their own actions.
Even FE has its gods and ancient evils, some distant, some more immediate. (Granted, the fact that they're technically dragons does throw an interesting wrench into it all.) All Suikoden features is power, and the people who are bestowed with it, deliberately or through accident. "How" doesn't matter -- fate has its limits. What does matter is what they then choose to do with that power.
9.) Tying together points 8 and 3 -- where FE tends to makes loyalty a shorthand for "good" and "noble" (even in the grayer or more tragic characters like Camus) -- Suikoden has no qualms over upending that notion entirely and portraying loyalty as complex: sometimes selfish, sometimes irresponsible, sometimes truly noble and admirable, sometimes a strength, sometimes a weakness, sometimes all of the above at the same time. There are loyal men and women on all sides of a conflict, all of whom fiercely believe they are doing the right thing, or know that what they are doing is wrong but choose to value their loyalty above their righteousness anyway. And it is tragic and amazing and painfully human.
These are games that understand that loyalty between friends, loyalty between family, loyalty to an ideal, loyalty to a cause, loyalty to a nation -- nothing is black and white. Nothing is set in stone.
- -
Now for the spoilery type stuff.
1.) VIKTOR AND FLIK. VIKTOR AND THE TALKING SWORD. VIKTOR. FLIK. <33333333333333333
Oh man. Viktor made me chuckle from the start (especially as he's clearly more intelligent than he lets on), but it was really Flik who grew on me, surprisingly. I actually didn't like him in the first game, but by the end of the game I was all That Guy <3 <3 and then the second game rolled around and I was like <3333333333. The two of them and their interactions are priceless, but it's not just his relationship with Viktor that makes me adore him, but the fact that he grew up. For serious. And though he regrets, and clearly will Never Love Again, and is in fact really sensitive in that regard -- he does not BROOD. He is not Dark and Mysterious and Angsty. He's just a young man who has made mistakes and finds himself angry at his younger self for being such a fool. Who regrets what he's lost, has been profoundly changed by his loss, and yet will always keep an eye toward the future instead of dwelling in the past, because it would be a disservice to those who gave up their lives already otherwise. Who is constantly striving to better himself. To live up to his lover's legacy and whatever faith she had in him. And it's that contemplative side of him that really gets to me.
2.) And that eased a lot of my annoyance over the fridging of Odessa. Even knowing it was coming... I was actually surprised at how *quickly* and relatively early on she was killed off. It was at least not a horribly senseless death, but man, knowing that her death was going to trigger Character Development for her hothead boyfriend AND give the game an excuse to introduce her awesome strategist brother Mathiu... it just did not sit well with me at all.
Until I realized that she had not just passively accepted death. Rather, she knew her time was limited -- whether due to an understanding of her own personal limitations, or just a very pragmatic understanding of how the world worked -- and she essentially planned around it.
It's not so obvious thanks to the shoddy translation*, but more or less, imo, Odessa was not a Silverberg in name only. She may not have possessed her brother's melancholy genius, nor even the brilliance and daring of Shu, or the decisive ruthlessness of Leon. But she alone of all the strategists in the games (and I do consider her one of them) saw the big picture, I think. Viewed things in the long run. (Leon, too, I think saw the big picture, but what he worked for was always the immediate future. He's very much a "seize the reins now"/ends justifies the means kind of guy, while I get the impression that Odessa was very aware of how transient everything could be. How gradually and deeply change must take root in order for it to last.)
* It's possible I'm just reading what I want into this but whatever. This is the interpretation that makes me feel better about it all. I like what some of the supplementary canon (novelizations, manga) seem to imply as well but not willing to comment or take them as support for my own arguments until I confirm with my own eyes.
What interests me is that although the games paint her as an idealistic martyr (or do they? too much of what we see of her is in hindsight, from people who loved and/or idolized her) -- I actually think Mathiu was the true idealist of the family (and probably the only real idealist).
And in the end, he won his battles, won the war even -- but at what cost? What he wanted was peace, but he ended up sacrificing that for victory (his political maneuvering re: the City-State may not be a direct cause but it is definitely one of the major underlying factors of the conflict in the second game). And I think it's telling that the game kills him off with an ambiguous ending scene, with him wondering whether or not he truly made the right choice(s). Odessa died knowing that she had taken care of what she could, and that others would carry on her work. Mathiu died painfully aware that he would no longer be around to keep in check all the new problems he had unleashed.
Mathiuuuu. :(
3.) BTW Shu is hot. (IMO he strikes just the right balance between Mathiu's idealism and Leon's pragmatism.) And I ship Shu/Apple. Although I also support the theory that Sheena's the one she married and divorced (yep I spoiled myself slightly re: her role in Suikoden 3). There are little hints of Apple/Sheena in Suiko2, they're about the same age, I believe Suikogaiden has even more evidence of a potential relationship between them, and it is not exactly a stretch of imagination for Sheena to have ended up cheating on her. In my headcanon she eventually finds her way back to Shu though. And Sheena (who I am also fond of despite myself) eventually grows up, also. IMO the marriage was likely a disastrous match from the start. I doubt it was only Sheena's fault (though of course I'm not excusing him for cheating) -- it seems to me Apple has serious self-esteem issues and she's also really insecure...
In fact her constant Fail in game 2 is one of the three things I mentioned that bugged me (the other being Odessa). Except in context it makes a painful amount of sense. She's 18. Shu's 26 at the time of the game. And she canonically met Shu when she was 11. i.e. she only had four years of tutelage under Mathiu at most (probably something more like 2-3 given the fact that she was actually supposedly in Harmonia before she joined up during the Gate Rune Wars). And she's always worshiped Mathiu (and, to a lesser extent, Shu) -- even though Mathiu was really perhaps not the best role model (as much as I love the poor man) -- and yet even disregarding Mathiu's very real flaws (in particular his inability to take decisive action due to his moral and ethical quandaries, which also completely blindsided him to the fact that sometimes individuals can act out of utterly irrational motives and convictions without being held back by the same issues that weighed so deeply on him. i.e. Sanchez), both Mathiu and Shu are pretty tough figures to live up to. Shu I think was much more clearsighted re: their mentor (he had known him longer and was also far more cynical about the world, hence their ultimate rift), and therefore much less afraid to think outside the box. Also Shu was better at keeping a mask over his true emotions and thus at protecting himself -- probably the best of them all at it in fact, even Leon.
But yeah, Apple. :( Girl you don't suck. You're just young and inexperienced and trying too hard.
I need a banner that reads: I <3 the Suikoden strategists.
I mean, I <3 the Silverbergs, but that would leave out Shu and Apple and Klaus, all three of whom I do adore as well. (Poor Apple doesn't notice or remember that Klaus -- who is also around her age, and more experienced -- was outmaneuvered just as easily as she was.)
I just absolutely love how all of them are these incredibly intelligent and yet incredibly distinct individuals with their own strategic styles. And the game doesn't paint any of them as "right" or "wrong" despite their broad range of personalities and beliefs.
4.) So the last thing that did bug me was Anabelle's death. I know why it had to happen (and boy did it have to), but arghhhhhhhhhhh. Also bawwwwwwwwwww. (I was shipping Viktor/Anabelle even before the drinking scene and after that I knew it was doomed.) I do like the way she handled Jowy (or tried to). It's just that, after Odessa and Apple... it was kind of like. -_-
And yet on the other hand we have Teresa. And the other badass ladies of Toran. But especially Teresa, and Lucia. And the Teresa/Lucia antagonism is pitch perfect.
5.) Luca Blight sure is one riveting villain. I think he really works as a polarizing figure in the games. And normally psychotically bloodthirsty villains who revel in their own evilness don't work for me, but Luca is just human enough that... well, he reminds me a little of Heath Ledger's Joker, perhaps even Kefka (both of whom are some of the most effective villains ever imo), though I don't like making the comparison because there are very distinct nuances between the three. There's just something about men who just want to watch the world burn. Of the three, Luca is the most human though, and in a way that also makes him the most terrifying.
Windy falls short compared to him, though they had more or less the same motivation. But there's something very powerful, also, about that final scene on the rooftop garden with Barbarossa. A sense of decadence. Love and obsession and loneliness and decay, all embodied in that private space where flowers bloom in the night.
And it's just perfect the way neither game features the main villain as the Final Boss. (Luca is killed surprisingly early and yet the game does not become anticlimactic at all.)
Speaking of which, the Kill Luca sequence is all sorts of amazing and incredible choreography and poeticism.
I am btw fascinated by the relationship between Luca and Jillia, which we don't really get to see much of in the game.
6.) I want to say SOMETHING about dualism/polarity in these games. But not sure I can articulate it yet. But Windy/Leknaat, Riou/Jowy (and their predecessors), Yuber/Pesmerga... there's a bit of a yin-yang thing going on thematically but it's not that simple, either. As evidenced in the multiple endings of game #2. Something about it really fascinates me.
7.) I think Tai Ho, Yam Koo, and Kimberley should all just shack up as a threesome. #justsayin
8.) Also Elza/Clive/Kelley. Canon OT3s for the win.
9.) One of my favorite moments in the game (aside from Kill Luca) has got to be Camus and Miklotov tossing away their emblems. (Haha yes, another knight named Camus. This one much more sensible than FE Camus though and in fact kind of adorably sneaky (but just as noble), to the point where I almost wonder if he wasn't named as a "take that" response to THAT CAMUS.) Although really, pretty much all the Viktor&Flik scenes in this game are AMAZING. XD
And also Shu vs. Leon in the burning forest. And Apple. Poor Apple.
10.) Knowing what eventually happens to Luc (sort of) makes me a sad panda. I mean, yah, he's a jerkass, but I think he genuinely cared for both heroes in the end (his tone of sympathy for Riou after a certain Major Event; his subtle concern for Tir that we hear about secondhand from Kasumi). Also his snark in the pretending-to-be-students arc cracks me up.
11.) I actually don't like Nanami. She is incredibly unabashedly selfish and singleminded and thoughtless. And yet it's a testament to how excellent the writing is that I don't think she's wrong to feel the way she does, either. And she is self-aware enough to ultimately take herself out of the picture. Basically, unlike most other RPG heroines (annoying sisters, helpless love interests, etc.) she is a really impressive character. I think it's amazing how the game sets up the depth of her emotions -- and that she is allowed to feel so strongly about something without romance coming into the picture at all. And they aren't even related by blood, which just slays me.
12.) I didn't much care for Gremio either, tbh. And yet his death scene is just horrifying. It's a horrible way to die. It's utterly necessary. It is, despite everything, utterly heartwrenching.
His subsequent resurrection seemed underplayed to me.... but also made sense and did not feel as cheap as it could have, given the circumstances.
13.) I love the Teo/Sonya relationship like I cannot even explain it man. Even though we barely see any of it in the games. But I mean... a game acknowledging that second relationships exist... no wayyyyy
From that angle in plays into one of the same reasons I adore Locke/Celes.
14.) Normally I wouldn't care much for a (seriously underdeveloped) character like Ted, but I think I have a real soft spot for characters out of step with time or place. In themes of loneliness and belonging. This is only hammered in further with Windy (ironically).
15.) TBH, Tir kinda breaks my heart. To return to the subject of the characterization of silent heroes -- I think that despite the parallels, Tir and Riou were ultimately very different people. Tir was born into privilege, son of a famed and respected general, surrounded by people who loved and doted on him and even perhaps spoiled him. He starts out far more immature than Riou does (and is evidently a bit of a scamp), and is forced to grow up, fast. And the burden he bears is far heavier.
Riou strikes me as a more grounded, thoughtful young man to begin with. He's a poor orphan with a cobbled-together family, who starts the game as a common soldier grunt. Nothing more, nothing less. And throughout the game I felt that one of his fundamental defining traits is that he is a kind person. I don't mean typical fantasy hero "nice guy"/do-gooder syndrome -- but a kindness born of compassion and empathy and the ability to see all people as equals. It is that kindness that draws people to him. That Jowy admired and yearned for and envied. I think it's really telling that the rune he obtained was the Shield Rune: the power to protect and to heal -- a far cry from the typical fantasy hero powers. (Even more telling is the name of his final power: Forgiver Sign.) And even before he receives the rune -- his chosen weapon is the tonfa, which is primarily a weapon of self-defense.
I get less of a sense of what drew people to Tir (who receives an equally unique fantasy hero power in the devastating Soul Eater), although the games imply it was something similar. But with Tir I think it was less kindness and more an intensely passionate, instinctive sense of justice. It is that sense of justice that allows him to spare even those whom he ought most desire vengeance against (in the best ending), and allows him to break away from his father and everything he's ever known in order to follow his own convictions. And it is his growing understanding and fear of power and responsibility and consequences that leads him to retreat from the world post-game. I find it sad that the boy who was once surrounded with love now fears to get too close to others in his newfound understanding of the influence he wields -- which is manifested in a rather literal fashion with his rune. Soul Eater. One who bends the fates of those around him, whether for good or ill.
If anything I think Jowy is almost more similar to Tir than Riou is. (Note that both Jowy and Tir are staff wielders. And actually I think the three of them together present a really interesting spectrum.) I think the game presents an interesting conundrum actually: people are drawn to Jowy just as they are drawn to Riou, just for different reasons. I mean obviously, as they are intended as foils. But one wonders what exactly set apart Jowy from Riou that Riou was able to gather the "108 Stars" to him, where Jowy ultimately only had Seed&Culgan, Jillia, Pilika, and Leon Silverberg. (Is Jowy a failed Tenkai Star in that sense? Can two Tenkai stars exist at the same time? The implication is that they can't... only one tablet seems to exist at a time, after all. Although we also know that stars are not set in stone, no pun intended -- we get to choose between Valeria and Kasumi in game 2, for one example, and for another example if Ridley is killed his son takes over his position and star. Tierkreis gives a somewhat clearer "definition" or theory behind how the stars work, but so far I'm not sure if the canon games have an explanation. And Leknaat's not telling.)
Jowy kind of fascinates me I guess because the game never does make it quite clear what game he was playing, though it does give copious hints. I think the thing is though, even Jowy himself was unsure of his ultimate goal. On one hand he pretty much admits that he wanted the power to unite the land and establish peace through force. On the other hand, it's clear that deep down he was expecting to lose to Riou in the end and had therefore been planning to take advantage of the evil king vs. pure hero narrative right from the start (much like Rudolf in FE Gaiden). At the same time, I wonder if he would have chosen to act differently if it hadn't been for the existence of the Beast Rune. (Leon's goal was clearly to take down Luca and the Beast Rune asap by working from the inside. Seed and Culgan seemed to support him for similar reasons but for the sake of Highland specifically. Jowy's own goals are left far more ambiguous imo.)
And to add to all that, by ultimately tossing away that narrative, by understanding and accepting the complicated (and often self-contradictory) truth(s) within Jowy's heart, all the things even Jowy himself cannot fully articulate... Riou proves that unlike their predecessors (who were ultimately unable to communicate their true hearts to each other) he and Jowy are able to truly join their powers in the way they were always meant to. Destroyer and Protector. Life and Death. Two halves of a whole.
The Han/Genkaku backstory really gets to me, for the record. They came so close to understanding -- these two different men, from the same village, yes. But from two different countries, cultural backgrounds, class -- but in the end, just could not breach that final barrier. There's something immensely, quietly tragic about that, even though no blood is shed and they even reach enough of a reconciliation to agree to seal away their runes in the aftermath of their duel.
And one final comment on Tir vs. Riou -- I love the contrast inherent in their sense of identity. Both must ultimately question who they are, what they are -- but Tir starts with the stronger sense of identity and even after breaking away from it is still highly aware of his place in the world. Riou, on the other hand, is never quite certain. (As Nanami lampshades for us.) Is he a citizen of the City-States, to which his hometown originally belonged? Is he a Highlander, as he believed himself to be while growing up, and as most of his hometown now considers themselves? And yet the man who raised him was from the City-States, was in fact a former hero of that land. And yet he himself was a loyal Highlander soldier. And yet he was driven from his home, accused of being a spy. And yet, while in the States, his accent gives away his true origins.
(It is this kind of complexity and heartbreaking realism that surprisingly few if any other video games even attempt to tackle.)
Riou cannot hate the invading Highlanders just as he cannot hate the Statesmen whom he has believed to be his enemies all his life and yet are now his dearest allies. And his struggles are mirrored in Jowy -- who is a chameleon, moving between worlds, adjusting himself to whatever circumstances he finds himself in. Riou's best friend and fellow soldier. An Atreides. A traitor. A disowned Atreides. A Blight. A ruthless king. A loving husband.
And at the end, when neither of them are entirely sure who they are anymore, if they ever did -- still one thing remains.
Their friendship.
- - -
I can't wait for a chance to pick up games 3 & 5... (I've read what exists of the manga for 3 online and am now on a mission to hunt down physical copies (if I can, as this was a Tokyopop series). But would really like to play through myself at some point.) And I also want to play through the Suikogaidens. (Contemplating whether I should wait for the translation patch or attempt reading myself, since they are essentially visual novels. Sooooo tempting... but I haven't finished TearRing Saga yet either, and the existing translation project for Suikogaiden 1 looks like it will be done soonish so I might as well wait.)
Oh yes, I am in full on obsession mode. Haha. It's a great time to be getting into the franchise as they just announced a new game as well -- although honestly I am going to be cynical and assume it's going to end up more like Tierkreis (i.e. standalone universe) than the core franchise. In fact Tierkreis featured quite a bit of blatant sequel bait so I even wouldn't be surprised if this is a direct sequel to Tierkreis and they've decided to abandon the original universe altogether (or because Tierkreis did better commercially, which I dunno if that's true tbh).
Then again the PSP choice is a bit odd to me, so who knows. But I must confess I feel much more hopeful about the new Suikoden than I do about the new FE if only because Tierkreis was a pretty damn good game in its own right.
This post brought to you by several weeks of insanity. Bye again until November or so. I think. (It'll probably take you that long to read this anyway :P)