Unicorn of War (Thomas Vaccaro)

My Dream Avatar Game: A Tales-Style JRPG Adventure

Intro:

It’s no secret that Avatar: The Last Airbender games… aren’t very good. Licensed games have an underwhelming reputation at best, with only a few managing to defy expectations and become cult classics. Most… are only there to further entrench the brands of their franchises, and aren’t very good. They’re not made for the sake of introducing their franchises to new audiences, or translating what makes them great into another medium to let them shine in a whole new light. They’re there to print money for very little investment.

Sadly, Avatar games have largely fallen into this trap. Most are standard beat ‘em ups that follows traditional level structures, poorly rehashing plot beats from the show, and only being memorable for just… how shoddily they’re made. Ironically, the game that stands out the most to me would be the very first one, based on Book 1… in that it’s not actually retelling Book 1’s story.

No, this game does something none of its successors did: create an original story set between Books 1 and 2, and allow you to explore various locations from the show freely. It’s not quite open world, but the free exploration is something I’d come to expect from a world as sprawling as Avatar’s. It’s still not great, but I at least have more respect for it than any of the other Avatar games.

And it got me thinking - what kind of Avatar game do we want? My answer… an RPG where you get to freely explore the world. Perhaps it’d retell the story of the show, or tell an original story, but either way, I wanna follow the cast on globetrotting adventures, and there’s one other series of games that comes to mind which fits the bill: the Tales series.

Tales games are kinda the ugly, unloved stepsister of the likes of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. They’re beloved, but incredibly niche, yet feature lovable, memorable casts in even their dullest entries. With real-time action combat, large casts of characters, skits which allow characters to interact outside of the plot, entire worlds to explore, and 40-hour stories that are basically playable animes, I think using this model as a basis for an Avatar game could capture the show’s magic perfectly.

Hell, Platinum Games made a Korra game, and while I personally don’t have interest in it, I do know it’s considered a cult classic within the fandom. Maybe we could all do some collective internet praying that maybe Namco Bandai ends up making one? Although the ever-present reality of licensed game hell would probably wind up killing it anyhow.

Still, I think it’d be fun pitching a dream Avatar game. And so today, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna explain what makes a Tales game a Tales game, and how the best elements of the series could be synthesized in order to create my ideal Avatar game - Avatar: Tales of the Last Airbender. Sidenote: if this crack dream somehow becomes real, I totally give permission for the use of that title cuz it slaps.

What Is Tales?:

Beginning with Tales of Phantasia in 1995 (that’s Phantasia with a “Ph,” so Disney can’t sue us), the Tales franchise is an anthological JRPG video game series, meaning each game has its own cast, and tells its own story - provided it’s not a numbered sequel, of course.

Tales games are most notable for two features: their real-time, action-focused combat, and their diverse casts, used to tell largely character-driven stories. The combat’s self explanatory. Rather than using the traditional turn-based combat you’d find in other series, Tales games usually allow you to run around the battlefield and attack or defend in real time, to your button-mashing heart’s content.

The exact details change with each game. Tales has a few staples for their mainline entries, but it’s always trying new things to keep the battle systems fresh… for better or for worse. Newbies will probably be familiar with Tales of Arise, the most recent Tales game, and my arch-fucking-nemesis.

Traditionally, since moving into the 3D era, Tales games would have you in a fully 3D arena for battles, but you’d move along a 2D line towards your target, with a dedicated button you would hold down to free run. Tales of Berseria axed that for fully-free movement, and Arise fully went in, ditching the Linear Motion Battle System, or LMBS, the series had always relied upon. In truth, they only ditched it in name only, but for this, I’d prefer looking at some of the  older entries, as I feel they had more robust combat systems.

Now you might ask why even keep the straight line approach in a 3D game. Full 3D movement seems a lot more intuitive. And I would agree, especially because that would mean also being able to control the camera with your right analog stick (I’m sorry, I’m a controller girlie, I’d rather eat my hands than play with a mouse and keyboard).

However, because most Tales games have battle arenas separate from field environments, they’re designed without any obtrusive walls or awkward angles for the camera to get caught on, so there’s never any need to actually control it, outside from minor adjustments you can make in your battle menu. Zestiria kinda ruined that by having battles take place directly in the field itself, which… gurl why? Why would anyone ever wanna fight this way?

And as for artes, those rely on directional inputs from both analog sticks. Usually, you’d have one face button for blocking, one for your battle menu, one for basic attacks, and one for stronger attacks or spells called artes, with the directional buttons reserved for shortcuts or swapping party members.

With artes on only one button, emphasizing directional input on your analog sticks determines which arte you use. Immediately, that’s five artes you can map to your analog stick: one for keeping it still, one for tilting it up, one down, and two for left and right.

Some Tales games add to this, by altering your Artes by holding one of the shoulder buttons, or mapping to the right analog stick, allowing the use of up to 15 artes just on one button. That’s a lot of versatility, and a lot of mileage you’re getting out of just one button, freeing the other buttons up for other vital battle actions.

Some games change this up, like Berseria, where blocking is now a shoulder button, and all the face buttons are an arte, scattered into four distinct arte trees based on where they are in your combo. And yes, you can customize them, and I very much appreciate that, but again, I prefer the older systems. Personally, Tales of Xillia 1 and 2 are my favorites, and are the definitive versions of the LMBS system for me.

In Tales games, your special attacks and spells are referred to as artes (with an “e,” so you know we’re fancy). Basic attacks were free, albeit with a meter limiting your combos that operated on a cooldown system. Each game refers to it as something different; in Tales of Xillia, this would be the AC System.

Your artes, meanwhile, were much stronger, or were spells that you would cast, which would draw from your Tech Points, or TP. You could replenish TP through specific items, or by using basic attacks, encouraging you to switch up your tactics, and not just spam either option.

Certain games, such as Tales of Graces, Zestiria, Berseria, and Arise ditched the TP system, instead having all your attacks be artes, and having everything function like the combo-focused AC system. And personally, while it can be cathartic to have such a combo-focused approach, I tend to prefer the old TP systems. They never felt nearly as frantic or button-mashy to me, and this is coming from a Kingdom Hearts girlie who will happily button mash ‘til the end times.

As for the rest of gameplay, it’s pretty standard exploration of your environments. Older games featured the traditional overworld, with towns and dungeons represented on the map through field icons. But the more the games have tried veering into realism, the more they’ve had to sacrifice this for corridor-style field environments… to varying levels of success.

Now as for the emphasis on characters, that’s most prominent in what are called skits. During the game, you’ll get a little button in the corner, and when you press it, portraits of the characters appear onscreen. Traditionally, Tales games use a blend of 2D and 3D assets to help sell that anime aesthetic, and also to let the artwork speak when the 3D models just wouldn’t cut it.

These portraits will then let the characters have conversations about… literally anything. Sometimes they’ll talk about their current predicament and how it makes them feel. Other times, they’ll talk about what they should make for dinner, and who’s the worst cook who will give them all food poisoning. Sometimes it’s them gossipping about each other, sometimes it’s weird shenanigans about cleaning or having fun. Skits can be anything, so long as it’s the characters talking.

This helps to not only connect you with the cast, but also make them feel real. To help flesh them out as people in ways that the main story might not have the time to. And it’s these skits that help fans to identify with and remember their favorite casts. Oftentimes, these interactions alone will determine a person’s favorite Tales game, regardless of its gameplay or story. It adds to that feeling of going on an epic adventure with a ragtag bunch of friends who become your found family.

Now, everybody has their own favorite Tales game, but for me, I’d have to say my personal favorites are Berseria, Xillia, Abyss, and Vesperia, yes in that order from best to worst. And for that record, that’s Xillia 1 and 2, they must go together, always and forever.

Combat Gameplay:

I can understand hack-&-slash style gameplay for Avatar, given its fight scenes have been one of its major selling points. In Avatar, characters can manipulate one of the four elements through bending, with each bending style based on a real-life school of martial arts.

However, given the show also focuses on character and our big globetrotting adventure, I don’t think having linear levels with nothing but barren environments and enemies to punch would suffice. In an RPG setup, you’d be free to explore the world of Avatar, and after encountering an enemy on the field, you’d be taken to a separate arena designed around the environment you were already in.

Now for Avatar, while I do prefer the TP system of most Tales games, bending itself doesn’t seem like it’d lend itself well to separating basic attacks from artes, and I’m not exactly sure how casting spells would work since… ya know, Avatar characters don’t use spells. Maybe it could be a charge-up attack or healing move?

But maybe a system more akin to Graces could work, with an emphasis on combos and cooldowns. Either way, this fast-paced action could definitely translate into showing off each character’s bending style, or even for nonbenders, could emphasize their own fighting styles and weaponry.

For a similar example, the characters in Slayers, to my understanding, have been featured in some of the mobile Tales games, with their spells and attacks being translated into the Tales arte system. And it LOOKS SO COOL. Seeing Lina Inverse’s Dragon Slave as a Mystic Arte? Thank you, Cepheid.

And speaking of which, each character has a Mystic Arte: their most powerful move which is shown in a cinematic. Sometimes they have two, one being far stronger, but I’d love seeing the Avatar characters using Mystic Artes, and seeing how it shows off their strongest bending techniques.

Exploring the World (Overworld plz):

Now, as for exploration, I’d be most excited at the chance to freely explore the world of Avatar. I don’t need massive, open-world environments where every building is overly detailed, but I’d love being able to visit all the different towns and cities.

And rather than the hallway-setup of fields, I’d much prefer the overworld approach of older Tales games. Imagine with me literally flying on Appa across the overworld. Of course, that begs the question of preventing you from accessing places you shouldn’t by that part of the story, since most JRPGs avoid this by only giving your air travel by endgame.

My response would be two options: one being having obstacles on the world map that restrict you from going to certain areas. Say a fleet of Fire Navy ships keeping you out of the Fire Nation, or storms that keep Appa away from certain regions. The other option? Letting you go, but immediately having you get your ass kicked by enemies or monsters 30 levels or higher than you.

For dungeon design, I’m not exactly sure how field navigation would work here. Tales games are usually pretty limited when you’re out of battle, using contextual prompts to have you interact with the environment. That goes for puzzles, too, with you lighting lanterns or breaking boulders. Something a bit more… sophisticated would be nice, but I don’t need it to be a full-on platformer.

The most important part, for me, is being able to explore the world of Avatar, and making it truly feel like a world rather than a series of lifeless levels. Imagine losing Appa in the Si Wong Desert, and having to actually go across the map on foot to get to safety. Getting to explore the different rings of Ba Sing Se, the dark depths of the swamp, or the fortress city of Omashu.

Skits & Character Interaction:

Now, this is what I’d love to see - using skits to let the characters quip and bond during their journey. Avatar already does a great job in making the characters actually feel like a found family, but I think skits would allow them even more freedom to just… ramble about things the show couldn’t manage in 20-minute episodes.

Say, if Aang and Sokka wound up debating the pros and cons of vegetarianism, with Katara being forced to break the tie. Or the characters wondering what Appa and Momo really think of all of them. Even skits about the characters sharing fun or embarrassing stories from their childhoods, you could have these idiots talk about literally anything for hours upon hours, like it’s an audio fanfiction come to life.

Tales has really made me come to love things that would be considered excessive fluff in most other media, because it helps to strengthen the most important part of any story: the characters. Specifically, I think having some skits to let Zuko further bond with Team Avatar would really help, considering he’s actually part of the team for a very small sliver of the actual show.

Telling the Story of the Whole Show:

Now as for the story, it could be an original story set after the show. Though I’d also be down for a retelling of the main show. Since Tales games are… 500 years long, I could easily see the game covering Books 1, 2, and 3, maybe dividing them into separate acts. So long as it gives us the chance to spend more time with the characters and explore the world, I’m down.

Though it would be cool seeing moments from the show recreated as boss fights or puzzles. And if it’s an episode not considered as important to the plot, maybe it could be a sidequest during your journey, rewarding those familiar with the show.

New Game Plus:

And of course… New Game Plus. Because Tales has some of the best New Game Plus features for losers like me who wanna experience the game over and over… and over. In most Tales games, you’re rewarded for your performance in battle with Grade, which you can use in the Grade Shop for extra perks and rewards in your New Game Plus.

Things like carrying over fashion items and attachments from your previous save, or double, sometimes even up to six-times experience, for those who wanna feel like a god. And that can especially help for those who hate themselves and play on the hardest difficulties, and brave the treacherous bonus dungeons. What would a bonus Avatar dungeon look like? I’m not sure. Perhaps a forbidden part of the spirit world? A place from one of the comics? Your guess is as good as mine, but it’d be fun.

Conclusion & Outro:

So… yeah. That’s my dream Avatar game. It shall never come to pass, I know, but I can enjoy it within the dark recesses of my heart. What about y’all? Do you have an idea as to what kind of Avatar game you’d like to see? Yell about it in the comments. Get in fights over your ideas in the comments. Do engagement.

RWBY V2 Commentary, Chapter 7

Dance Dance Defenstration

Ranking the Tales Series script

Intro:

Ah, the Tales series - the awkward, dorky, far less popular cousin of Final Fantasy. While it’s been steadily gaining popularity in the west over the last couple decades, it’s still not one most people are aware of. Which breaks my heart, cuz this series has some of the best, more enthralling character writing I’ve ever seen. Even if the plot is kinda basic, the casts are still comprised of relatable dumpster fires you can’t help but root for… most of the time.

The Tales series is one that entirely owns my heart and soul, and best believe me when I say that these characters have given me severe brain rot. Even my least favorite games in this series usually have something to enjoy. And so today, we’re gonna rank the Tales games I’ve played.

I should say this isn’t gonna be comprehensive by any means. I’ll be giving my overall thoughts on each entry, and y’all should know I’m a  characters and story girlie, so those always get priority over gameplay. But if you feel differently… good for you. This is my video. Deal with it.

Now, since this list consists of the games I’ve played and finished, there will be exclusions. The two notable ones I wanna get outta the way now are… Symphonia and Graces. Yes, I know, Symphonia is THE fan favorite Tales. I’ve tried playing it, and admittedly, it’s difficult to get into because I’m so used to all the recent entries. However, I am determined to finish it one day… but that day is not today.

And Graces… I might get killed for this. I couldn’t finish it. I just didn’t care for the cast at all. Yes, I know, y’all love her gameplay, but as I said, if I don’t care about the cast and/or story, I’m out. So… there we are.

Number 7, Tales of Hearts R:

Yeah, I don’t think this one’s all that surprising. Released for the PSVita in Japan in 2013, and western regions a year later, Tales of Hearts R is a remake of a DS game. If you were wondering what the “R” stood for… yeah, it’s for “remake.”

Set in the world of Organica, the story follows local loser Kor Meteor… or Shing Meteoryte, depending on who you ask - more on that later. Kor lives in the coastal village of Seaville with his grandfather, and is training to wield a soma: a device which allows the wielder to enter the hearts of others, called spiria, and purify them of spiria-eating monsters called xerom.

One day, a young girl named Kohaku washes up on shore, and she and her brother Hisui are being pursued by a psycho robot lady named Incarose. During Incarose’s attack, Kor’s grandfather dies, and in an attempt to help Kohaku, Kor accidentally shatters her spiria, sending out shards of each of her emotions across the world.

So now, Kor must venture out with Kohaku and Hisui to help restore Kohaku’s spiria, in the process discovering who Incarose is, why she’s after Kohaku, and how all of this will of course lead to the end of the world. JRPGs gonna JRPG, after all.

I very much enjoyed this game when I initially played it, but upon revisiting it last year… yeah, it’s safe to say my standards have risen. That’s not to say Hearts has a bad story; rather, it’s one that is incredibly… trite. I have seen this premise and these archetypes done better, often in other Tales games, and there’s not enough uniqueness here in this cast to make Hearts an entry I truly love.

Plus, there’s a weird amount of casual misogyny here I don’t usually find in the Tales series. Like, Kohaku continually getting kidnapped, benched, and tortured for the sake of Kor’s journey and ego. Still not as bad as Kairi in Kingdom Hearts, but that bar wasn’t very high to begin with.

Perhaps it also doesn’t help that Hearts suffered due to peculiar localization. I assume because Namco was assuming this game wouldn’t sell well, one because it was an era Tales was still considered niche, and also because the Vita was owned by a collective five people and a toaster, they decided that rather than dub the game, they’d simply translate the text.

What makes this odd is the choice to not only water down dialogue to try and inject more personality into the characters, but also to change character names. Shing Meteorite was renamed to be Kor Meteor, which is odd, cuz you can still hear the Japanese voices referring to him as Shing. A few other name changes were made, and lord knows why.

I get choosing Kor as a name, since it comes from the Latin word for heart, “Cor,” but… why do this if you’re not dubbing it? And why then leave Kohaku and Hisui’s names, instead of changing them to Amber and Jadeite? This game does have a gemstone motif, after all.

In terms of gameplay, Hearts is also fine. It’s nothing special, but it is made a little bit worse for me thanks to the random encounters. I just… I’m sorry, I hate random encounters. It makes me ultra paranoid about every single step I take on the map, and want to actively avoid exploring the environment. That’s just who I am.

All in all, not a terrible tale, but a deeply forgettable one, hence Tales of Hearts R falling to the very bottom of the list.

Number 6, Tales of Arise:

This will also not shock any of you, given me yelling about my disappointments with Tales of Arise for 11 fucking hours. It’s a talent to keep talking for that long, okay?

Set in the world of Dahna, Arise follows the story of Alphen, a masked man who cannot remember his past. He and the other Dahnans are enslaved by the colonizing Renans, whose leaders are currently competing to become the next Sovereign of their homeworld Rena. Things change when Alphen comes across a Renan woman named Shionne, who’s being pursued by other Renans after she steals a precious relic from one of the Renan lords.

Alphen can’t feel pain, while Shionne suffers from the Curse of Thorns, which causes incredible pain to any who touch her. Together, these two work to liberate Dahna from Renan rule, along the way learning the truth behind Shionne’s curse, and behind the real reason for Renan occupation. Spoilers: it’s incredibly stupid, and boils down to faceless aliens inventing racism and brainwashing Renans.

Oddly, while most Tales games feel like ensembles, with attention given to protagonists, antagonists, and the supporting cast, Arise really only seems to care for its protagonists. All but maybe one or two supporting cast members are entirely forgettable, and the ones that aren’t are only memorable because of their tragic deaths.

Because of that, combined with how the world is laid out for the player, Arise feels particularly hollow and lifeless compared to other Tales entries. All its effort went into its graphics via the new Atmos Shader, and while it is beautiful, there’s more to a good story and a good game than just good graphics.

The protagonists are… fine. I like most of them, but any chances at depth are stolen from most of them being given nothing to do but stand around and monologue about the game’s themes, rather than actually being allowed to have their own arcs, or moments to be proactive in the story.

Antagonists are incredibly shallow and forgettable, which is a crime in a series rich with fantastic villains. Each is disconnected from the others, and only gets to shine for a handful of scenes in each arc of the game before being switched out for the next boring baddie. The true big bad, Vholran, is by far the worst of the bunch, due to an underwhelming presence, and a lacking motivation and backstory that you don’t even get to witness. You just read about it in optional walls of text before the cast yells it at you.

And sadly, when you have weak antagonists, that comes at the cost of your protagonists, because the dynamics between these groups not only provides interesting conflict, but helps you to understand the flaws and virtues of everyone involved.

The final quarter of the game kicks all these problems into overdrive. There’s no actual antagonist in this section, but rather, faceless aliens that serve a big dumb alien monster, which are the real cause of all our problems, rather than actual named characters we might have any kind of real relationship with. There are interesting ideas here, but it’s all so abstract that it holds no weight. I’m just ready for the game to end.

That’s also compounded by the gameplay. Initially, I very much enjoyed Arise’s gameplay, but over time, it’s definitely soured on me, especially replaying older Tales entries. There’s hardly any thought or strategy beyond waiting out your combo cooldown, the combo attacks get old real quick, as they’re the same cinematics over and over with no cost to the player, and enemies take FOREVER to kill.

I’ll probably be murdered for this, considering Arise’s popularity when it dropped back in 2021, but I must speak my truth: I dislike Tales of Arise. I at least respect the ambition behind this title, and I can see the skeleton of a great story within, but potential isn’t enough. That said, if you love Arise, cool. Good for you. Please let other people feel differently.

Number 5, Tales of Zestiria:

Ah, Zestiria - one of the series’ black sheeps. But one that fascinates me to no end, as I continue to revisit its story and characters. Like Arise, I find Zestiria incredibly disappointing, but I feel a bit more… soul behind this one. This one haunts me in a far more pleasant way, where I can’t help but imagine what could’ve been.

Released in 2015, Zestiria is set in a medieval fantasy world, where the dark emotions of mankind transform them, animals, and even spirits into horrible beasts called hellions. Because of this, the spirits of the land - the seraphim - keep their distance from humans, not that humans would be able to perceive them anyway, as most humans believe their existence to be mere legend.

Our hero is Sorey: a sweet cinnamon roll who is the only human raised in a mountain village of seraphim. He’s a big ol’ nerd who loves exploring ancient ruins with his best bud and definitely not boyfriend Mikleo. One day, they meet a young knight who stumbles inside the mountain ruins near their home, and curious about the world she comes from, Sorey and Mikleo descend into the human world.

What’s most compelling about Zestiria, at least to me, is its world. I usually love the worlds the Tales series creates, and I absolutely love this fusion of Japanese shinto with Arthurian lore, even if the Arthurian bits are quite superficial. The inclusion of malevolence likewise could make for an interesting exploration of human nature, but Zestiria doesn’t quite deliver. This one’s really proof that cool worldbuilding is no replacement for a compelling story.

The cast is quite lacking here. It’s far better than Arise, in the sense that I remember most of the names of villains and supporting characters, but that’s not a very high bar to clear. Most of the protagonists don’t really feel like they have a reason to be here, nor do they have upfront arcs that help you to get to know them better. Most of their character work is subtle to the point of being buried under skits upon skits about equipment skills and equipment fusion.

Sorey himself is… fine, and while his archetype has been done to death, I at least feel his love for history and his earnesty make him endearing enough to work for me. But the rest of the cast… eh. Mikleo’s got nothing really going on other than supporting Sorey, Zaveid feels like a cameo character with no reason to be here, and while Rose, Lailah, Edna, and Dezel all feel like cool premises for characters, that’s all the feel like at the end of the day: cool premises.

The most complex of the bunch, Princess Alisha - that knight I mentioned earlier - is written out of the story a third of the way through the game. Her struggles in finding her place in a kingdom that resents her feel glossed over, as while we know her mother was a commoner, we don’t know anything else about her family to help us understand her better.

The villains suffer even more. It’s similar to Arise, in that most of them are disconnected from each other, even if they’re supposedly working together offscreen. Some are interesting, like the holier-than-thou Cardinal Forton, or Symonne, an illusionist seraph whose curse of death has plunged her into self-hatred and loneliness, but their lack of presence in the story prevents them from living up to their potential.

Other villains, such as the fox assassin Lunarre, also severely lack in presence, but also have barely anything beyond the barest of archetypes. The main villain, Heldalf, is the Lord of Calamity, and he’s… one of the most boring, underwhelming villains I’ve ever seen. He has no real connection to the protagonists, hardly any presence, and even when you learn about how he became what he is now, you’re just like, “... Okay? And?”

The story, structurally, feels solid enough, but like it’s missing a lot of the fluff and connective tissue that would help fully flesh out its cast. Even so, at its core, Zestiria is a stock-standard story of good versus evil that flirts with the idea of complexity, but ultimately, doesn’t feel like it quite knows what it wants to say.

And gameplay-wise… Zestiria’s not much fun to play either. A lot of ambition was put into creating a large scope and deeper immersion, but both backfired. Fields are large, barren wastelands that take far too long to traverse, battles no longer have separate arenas, causing many a camera issues because these places were not designed for close-quarters combat, and basic copy-paste ruins and caves that have no character whatsoever.

At the end of the day, Zestiria feels incomplete. Even with a cliche story, if more effort was put into giving the characters things to do, creating more interesting, active antagonists, and fixing the goddamn gameplay, this could’ve been a solid entry. But as it stands, Zestiria is… meh. It’s pretty much just there for you to daydream about the cool worldbuilding that a cooler story might exist in… FORESHADOWING IS A NARRATIVE DEVICE--

Number 4, Tales of Vesperia:

This one’s a fan favorite, so I gotta be careful, in case this one also gets me killed. Not to say I dislike Vesperia. I never got to play it, since it released on the Xbox 360 in 2008, and I was never an Xbox girlie. But when the game got remastered, I finally was able to give it a chance, and while it didn’t become an all-time favorite, I still very much enjoyed my time with it.

Set in the world of Terca Lumireis, humans live in… the Empire. Yeah, it’s just the Empire. Okay. But most humans rely on the protection of the Empire from monsters, primarily through the use of technology called blastia to perform magic.

Our hero, Yuri Lowell, isn’t a teenager. I know, it’s so rare for anime-adjacent stories to acknowledge anyone between the ages of 18 and 80. Yuri used to be an Imperial Knight, but left because they were corrupt sons of bitches, and he was too cool for school. He now lives in the neglected slums of the capital city of Zaphias.

Some asshat steals the blastia that powers the slums’ fountain, causing severe flooding, and Yuri then goes on a quest to get it back. Along the journey, he and his fighting dog Repede meet Princess Estelle, who takes far too long in the game to reveal she is in fact the princess, and after escaping the castle, they go to find Yuri’s bff and possible ex Flynn… for reasons Estelle will not discuss.

From here, the story continues to expand in scope and change direction, which often gave me insane amounts of whiplash. And it all culminates, of course, with our heroes trying to stop climate change… okay, sure, why not?

I adore Vesperia’s main cast. Collectively, it’s giving a band of misfit nerds and dorks who don’t always get along, but that just means more chaotic fireworks to enjoy. Yuri’s a bad boi who means well, but his chaotic good nature often puts him at odds with the law, especially when he takes matters into his own hands.

Estelle is a princess and a healer, and though she is quite sheltered, she can still handle herself, and easily keep up with Yuri’s nonsense. Flynn’s a good bean who’s very much still lawful good, but he means well. Even if he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. I expected to hate Karol as the obligatory kid character, but he’s quite endearing, trying to find his place in the world and prove himself.

Rita’s definitely a favorite for her misanthropy and quick wit, especially as she has to reevaluate her love of blastia when their destructive nature is discovered. Judith, though, takes the cake, because not only are her motivations intriguing, but I adore the way she manages to be both unhinged and chill at the same time.

Raven and Patty are… fine. I didn’t really start to care about Raven until the big twist with his character (if you know, you know), but he’s still my least favorite member of the cast, alongside Patty. Patty’s understandable, since she was introduced to the game when it got ported over to PS3. For the most part, her inclusion is pretty seamless, but I can’t help but wish she felt less… irrelevant? Also the details of her backstory still deeply confuse me, but that’s for another time.

Sadly, my enthusiasm doesn’t extend to the antagonists. I’m noticing I tend not to like it when antagonists are all disconnected from each other, but at the very least, Vesperia antagonists are a bit more fun compared to those from Arise and Zestiria. Like, Zagi, the Tumblr assassin whose love for Yuri makes him wanna kill him real bad. Deeply irrelevant, but I commend his efforts to try and be relevant. We stan.

Alexei, our pretend big bad, suffers from both lack of presence and being boring as sin, but at least his bad voice acting makes him a bit… funnier? And the real big bad, Duke, has a killer design, but… that’s about it. His misanthropy and backstory are interesting, but he’s basically just a cameo for 90% of the game ‘til he becomes the final boss.

Ultimately, what holds Vesperia back for me is its disjointed story and theming. While I do love the protagonists, and the chill vibe of their journey, their stories don’t coalesce into a greater whole. The debate between Yuri and Flynn about whether to do murder for the sake of justice, Estelle reckoning with the inherent destruction brought by her existence, and the whole “Oh no, blastia is destroying the world” thing?

These all could feed into each other, but don’t. They feel like separate stories and separate themes all haphazardly stitched together, so it never feels like Vesperia is building to this one thing it’s trying to say. Instead, it feels like it has far too many things to say, and no idea how to weave them all together. Ironically, Xillia 1 shares a lot of similar themes and elements, and feels like a more refined version of Vesperia’s story.

At the very least, the gameplay is fun. The combat’s a bit slow for my liking, especially compared to more recent entries, but at least this one doesn’t actively irritate me like Arise and Zestiria? At the end of the day, Vesperia is good for the vibes, even if its story is lowkey a mess… highkey a mess.

Number 3, Tales of the Abyss:

Ah, my first Tales game… but not the PS2 version. Nah, I didn’t get to experience this one ‘til its 3DS port. The 3D feature was awful, yes, but I never used that to begin with, so who cares? The point is that when I played Abyss, I was hooked, and it’s been a Tales spiral ever since.

Taking place in the world of Auldrant, the people here live by an ancient prophecy known as Yulia’s Score. It’s said that to live by the Score guarantees prosperity, but since its conclusion is missing, the nations of Kimlasca and Malkuth have been warring over it for centuries, with the Order of Lorelei, a theocracy built around the Score, acting as a middle man.

Our story follows Luke fon Fabre, the scion of one of Kimlasca’s most prominent noble families. Luke was kidnapped, allegedly by Malkuth, when he was young, and since his return, he’s developed amnesia. He can’t remember anything from before his kidnapping, but he also had to re-learn how to walk and talk. Because of that, his parents have forbidden him from leaving their manor, much to his chagrin.

One day, while training with his swordmaster Van Grants, a highly esteemed member of the Order of Lorelei, an assassin breaks into the manner to try and kill him. Trying to save Van, Luke jumps in the middle, and as a result of he and the assassin’s powers clashing, they’re teleported halfway across the world.

The assassin, revealed to be Tear, the younger sister of Van, has no beef with Luke, and so offers to take him home, but of course, they accidentally wind up deep in Malkuth territory. And in that journey to get Luke back home, our leading dumbasses wind up becoming ambassadors for peace, working against an insidious scheme to incite war.

Abyss takes so much care to make you understand its entire cast, be they a hero, villain, or even a minor character. Luke’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance, going from a spoiled brat to a humble hero, is one of my favorite character arcs… pretty much of all time.

And the villains in Abyss? Dare I say? They’re probably the best set of villains in the entire Tales series, because the game takes the effort to not only provide them with plenty of screentime and presence, but also to make sure you understand their motivations and goals. They are people first, antagonists second.

I don’t even wanna get that deep into the story, because it is that engaging, and probably the heaviest on plot twists the series has ever been, but holy moly does this one throw you for a loop. Can this one get a remaster please? With voiced skits, perhaps?

There are a few hiccups holding it back from the top spots, though. The last quarter of the game features a lot of backtracking. You’ll be going from one town to another for cutscenes, with not much action in-between. Not an issue for me, but it can get grating.

But the real killer… is the lexicon. It’s no secret fantasy stories and JRPGs will use a lot of made-up words, but Abyss takes it to another level: fonon, seventh fonons, seventh fonists, isofon, fon slots, aggregate sentience, hyperresonance, fomicry, Planet Storm, memory particles, Sephiroth (no not that one…).

The game does explain these terms, but it can still be very difficult to follow, and when I hear about criticisms for Abyss, it usually has to do with how much of the script gets dogged down by the sci-fi word salads. I still love it, but I do realize that if I were to introduce this one to newbies, I’d have to do a lot of leg work to translate this into normal people speech.

Number 2, Tales of Xillia 1 & 2:

Yeah, these two have to go together. They just do. Regular viewers, you probably know I already made a video about my love for the Xillias. If you don’t… GO WATCH IT NOW. Or you’re grounded. But suffice to say, I loved the Xillias when they came out, and my love for them has continued to age like a fine wine.

But tldr, Xillia 1 is set in the world of Rieze Maxia, where our dual leads are Milla Maxwell, the enigmatic Lord of Spirits, and Jude Mathis, a 15-year-old medical student. Still not over that. Milla’s out to destroy a weapon of war that also kills spirits, and Jude ends up getting mixed up in her mission. And Xillia 2, set one year later, follows Ludger Kresnik as he’s tasked with destroying alternate timelines to save his own. Yes, they are related, and yes, they share a cast, and yes, it is wild.

I love the story, I love the cast, and these are arguably the most chill entries of the series. Xillia 2 specifically really gives the vibes of trying to navigate adult friendship while also saving the world… and destroying it? It’s complicated, much like adulthood.

Xillia 1 feels a bit rushed towards the end, and Xillia 2 is definitely far more convoluted, but the theming and character work is just so good, the pacing’s great, the fantasy terms aren’t too overwhelming, and the gameplay SLAPS. Highkey, Xillia 1 and 2 have my favorite combat systems in the entire series, being both fast and robust.

Number 1, Tales of Berseria:

Surprising no one, Tales of Berseria is absolutely my favorite Tales game, and one of my favorite games of all time. Every time I replay this one, I find new things to love, and I cry. Like… waterfall cry. Every hour. On the hour.

Set in the same world as Zestiria, but a thousand years prior, our story follows Velvet Crowe, a girl from the small, rustic village of Aball. She lost her older sister Celica seven years ago during the Scarlet Night, where a disease known as daemonblight began turning people into bloodthirsty monsters called… well, daemons. Since then, Velvet has been taking care of her sickly younger brother Laphicet, albeit with the help of her older brother-in-law Arthur.

Another Scarlet Night occurs, during which, Arthur sacrifices Laphicet in a ritual to try and counter the daemonblight. Velvet tries to stop him, in the process becoming a daemon herself. But not just any daemon - one that devours other daemons with a massive claw for a left hand. Arthur, now Artorius, has imprisoned her, and become known as the world’s savior. Three years later, Velvet breaks out, and will stop at nothing to kill Artorius and avenge her brother.

Unlike most other entries, Berseria leans hard into most of our cast this time around being anti-heroes… if you can even call them that. They’re not out to save the world, but rather, only end up doing so pursuing their own individual agendas. Selfish coexistence, you could say.

But ultimately, that winds up working perfectly in service of this game’s themes about human nature, morality, and emotion versus reason. And as a queer person surviving the 2020s… yeah, the idea of fighting back against institutions, especially heavily church-coded ones, that are hellbent on stamping out your existence? Yeah, it shouldn’t be a shock I’m very much down for burning the Abbey to the ground.

Berseria’s complexity, aided in its perfect pacing, its resonant emotional storytelling combined with great conveyance, and its willingness to lean into the inherent messiness of human emotion all conspire to make this the perfect entry for me. The combat may be very… button mashy, especially compared to other entries, but it’s smooth and cathartic enough to work for me. Especially compared to its predecessor.

Conclusion & Outro:

So… yeah. There’s my ranking, as of right now, of the Tales series! How about y’all? What’s your favorite Tales, or your least favorite? How much do you want me dead for dissing your beloved? Be sure to let me know in the comments for that sweet, sweet engagement, because unlike Magilou, I care far too fucking much.

RWBY V2 Commentary, Chapter 6

Will Yang ever matter? (no)

RWBY V2 Commentary, Chapter 5

We're not really concerned with their extracurriculars, though...

ATLA Commentary, Book 1 Chapter 14

Katara WHY DID YOU ASK ABOUT A PAPAYA IF YOU DISLIKE PAPAYAS

Thoughts on the Winx Reboot Transformations script

Intro:

When it comes to Winx Club transformations, the ones that stick with me are the ones that… think outside the box. That are more than just floating around and putting on sparkly outfits. They’re novel and original, trying new things, and also put in the effort to communicate the unique power and personality of each girl.

Sadly, that was slowly lost in the newer seasons of the original show, and with my hesitancy towards the reboot growing the more I learn about it, I was deeply concerned the new transformations would suffer as well. And… they didn’t? But they also kinda still did. It’s complicated.

I’m still not big on the outfits themselves. Originally, Rainbow would have actual fashion designers and consultants help to design the girls’ outfits, to make sure they would actually resemble things you’d see on runways. But these outfits… are not giving fashion model. Not at all.

The sequences, meanwhile, are hit and miss. It does feel like a significant chunk of effort’s been put into… some of them. I at least appreciate the attempt to clearly communicate each girl’s power, and for the ones who go outside the box, they actually do a great job at standing apart from the crowd. But the girls who don’t… well, just be prepared for a lot of aimless floating and spinning.

So today, we’re gonna talk about the new transformation song, as well as each girl’s sequence in their order of release. What I like, what I hate, and how I have absolutely no hope whatsoever. Sound fun? Cool.

The Song:

So when I first heard this song… I kinda hated it. While hearing it on repeat as I rewatch the transformations, “Forever Winx” has grown on me, but it still doesn’t quite feel like a Winx Club song. From jump, it sounded like a generic pop song that, if you remove any reference to Winx, wouldn’t feel out of place in any other show or soundtrack.

It’s not bad by any means. I like Virginia Bocelli’s performance, and the lyrics are… about on par with any post-season 5 transformation song. I think my main issue is the stock-standard synth-pop production. That’s the element that makes it sound super generic.

“Siamo Noi Le Winx” featured a kickass guitar that wasn’t trying to follow musical trends, but just focused on sounding like a bad-bitch anthem. Not to mention using the girls’ names to punctuate the rhythm, often in tandem when they were onscreen.

“Forever Winx” just doesn’t really have that same unique energy, which feels like a microcosm of all my issues with what we’ve seen of the reboot: watering down Winx to try and make it more similar to its modern competitors, instead of leaning into its unique qualities that made it such a powerhouse of a brand back in the 2000s.

I’m also not quite sure why the back half of the song sounds like it’s a remix… of itself? It’s fine, but it’s deeply confusing.

Flora:

So, nice things first: I’m always a sucker for Flora emerging from a flower. I loved it in Enchantix, I loved it in the one-hour specials and in the 3D Believix sequences, and I love it here. Each sequence starts with the girls emerging from some kind of sphere, but I wish the rest of them got more unique intros like Flora.

So I dig the wind carrying her out, and I kinda like the idea they’re going for here. She’s soaring around on vines like she’s Tarzan, donning her outfit through gymnastics. It’s way more action-oriented than I’d expect from Flora, and admittedly, that kinda put me off initially. It just doesn’t feel like the Flora I’ve always known, since I’d associate these kinds of acrobatics more with Aisha or Tecna. Still, it’s a novel concept that’s so much better than just float, spin, and bam you’re transformed.

I will say, I’m not a big fan with when the sequences speed up, as it can easily become overwhelming visual noise where it’s hard to follow the motion. Flora’s isn’t too bad, with her spinning around in the vines as her wings form and she strikes her final pose, but it does kinda feel like they’re trying to rush her to the end of the sequence.

As for design… yeah, I’m gonna be that bitch again: she’s significantly lighter skinned than she was in the original. This has always been an issue for Flora, specifically in 3D, and I understand it can result from the lighting engines used in 3D. To which I say… adjust the model so it matches her original skin tone. Even if you have dynamic lighting, you’re still in control of a model’s colors.

As for her outfit… it’s fine. There’s been lots of accusations of Rainbow using generative AI for their concept art and designs, and while I’m gonna emphasize these are alleged, I wouldn’t be shocked if that were the case, because so many details of these outfits feel like something only an unthinking algorithm would cook up. Namely, the overabundance of detail that becomes visual noise.

3D designs tend to be a bit busier than 2D ones, since you don’t have to draw them over and over in each frame, but I feel like these reboot designs come across as overly busy without actually giving us anything that warrants these excess details. Flora’s is just her original Magic Winx look, but… more, with less contrast. The shades of pink are much closer to each other here, and far lighter.

I’m not a fan of all the layers on her skirt. I get the petal shape they’re going for, but the original design had that too with only one layer just through its unique shape. All of this feels like far too much. I will say, I do like the braid providing her a more unique silhouette, and I like all the flowers across her design: on her torso, her arms, and in her hair. It gives her a very flower child kinda energy.

I do miss her arm warmers though, and I’m still not a fan of these wings. I hope they don’t look like solid plastic like they did in the trailers when the show finally drops, but design-wise, I miss the simple green, leaf-shaped wings.

Tecna:

Tecna’s… yeah, not a big fan. I like how it starts with her emerging from this hexagonal sphere (hexagons are bestagons). And it’s cute seeing Tecna customize her look with all these virtual menus and keyboards, which are very reminiscent to the holographic menus she’d make in the original show. I think that’s a neat way of communicating her powers, even though it also kinda makes Tecna feel more like a gamer girl than a science geek.

I’m not big on the rest of the sequence though. It’s a lot of spinning that doesn’t have much to do with her power or personality, all just to don her wings. I dig all the circuit backgrounds, at least. I’m just kinda shocked they dropped her whole martial arts shtick, since she’d do those kinds of moves constantly. It was a nice addition to help her stand out beyond just the techy stuff.

And while I do like all the blue, purple, and pink, it also feels odd that green is missing? Tecna’s main color was purple, but green was her secondary accent color, often used for her magic; more yellowish, lime greens compared to Flora’s softer spring greens. It reminds me of her Bloomix, where yes, the blue looks great with Tecna, but it feels odd to have most of the Winx rely on it, since she also has to share blue with Bloom and Aisha.

The outfit though… I do not like it. A lot of folks like to make fun of her old catsuit with the pointy helmet, but silhouette-wise, it was PERFECT. This… just gives athleisure wear. Nothing about it screams Tecna or technology, aside from the light-up trims. The wings are an unimpressive shape with circuit patterns just thrown overtop. God, I miss the laser hang glider wings.

The hair… is fine. I only accept it because it gives lesbian, potentially nonbinary fringe, and it is the only solace I can find in how much I dislike this look for her. This doesn’t feel like Tecna. This feels like an imposter.

Musa:

Musa’s transformation… slays. She always gets screwed in terms of having her music powers represented, both in spells and transformations, so it’s incredibly refreshing to see it on full display here. Her being distracted as she blasts music through her headphones at the beginning, strumming the musical staff like a guitar, and her hitting the dance floor? I live for all of it.

I only have two critiques. Firstly, and this one admittedly really bothered me at first, is the lack of a focus on key poses and slowdown. It feels like Musa’s moving at one constant speed with no time to emphasize certain poses or rhythm. It’s the kind of thing that can still be finely tuned by messing with keyframes in animation software, probably some kinda dope sheet or graph editor, but it’s not the end of the world.

Secondly, the number of different color backgrounds can feel quite… chaotic. Like, the colors are all over the place. I get that it could be a way to visualize the music, the way rave lights change colors at a club, but it feels like a bit much. Especially that weird red, white, and blue ceiling as she dances. That’s… very unfortunate, especially with that country bumpkin hairstyle they stuck her in.

I’m sorry, I just, I HATE these down pigtails for her. They really kill her silhouette and just do not suit her personality at all. The outfit… is fine. Again, an overcomplicated version of her original look. I like the added purple, but we don’t need the pink, and the wavy cutouts along the torso feel unnecessary too. The only improvement for me are the laced boots.

Her wings… I’m torn. On the one hand, I think it’s neat that they resemble piano keys, but at a first glance, they share that over-complicated design problem, where I don’t think you’d really get the piano visual unless you looked closely.

Stella:

Stella… my girl Stella got robbed. Like Tecna, it starts impressively, then quickly devolves into “Wow, they did not try.” I like her starting in this orb of light, shielding her eyes, then putting on a whole-ass light show in the night sky. But from there, it’s all just generic spinning and waving. It feels far too short, especially compared to the other girls’ transformations.

I do dig her turning it from night to day, especially because it communicates the sun and moon theme of her magic (we’ll ignore the Shining Sun debacle for right now, because otherwise we’ll be here all day). I’m just really disappointed with how lacking this sequence is.

Her scepter isn’t even here? What a missed opportunity. Even her swimming across the sun’s surface can’t save this. Also, the animation of her turning it from night to day… very unimpressive. It’s lacking in punch, except in Iginio’s hatred of the moon.

And the outfit… okay, imma be so real: I hate Stella’s pigtails in 3D. In the original, her hair was usually down in her casual outfit, and then she got pigtails when she transformed, and it made for a nice switch-up that communicated she was putting herself together to kick some ass. Not to mention it also differentiated her silhouette from Bloom and Flora’s.

This… I don’t know why they switched them, and I don’t know how they made her 3D pigtails look so ugly. There’s just something about them, combined with her face shape, expressions, and body language, that’s giving Despicable Me - and I do mean that as an insult. On the bright side, her hair down actually looks great, and fixes that entirely.

The outfit itself… eh. I get that we’re going for more modest outfits, so Stella’s original look with the shorts isn’t gonna fly this time. I do like the cut of the top, with separated straps over the shoulders, and I genuinely love this shade of orange. It feels very warm and like it’s crafted by the sun.

But I’m noticing now it doesn’t have any blue accents. The blue accents not only tied Stella to the moon, but also helped to cool down her look and complement the orange, since… ya know, those are complementary colors. Instead, it’s all orange, with the only accent being… pink thigh highs?! Gurl, why? I get these are like the pinks you see in a sunrise or a sunset, but why only in the shoes? They just stand out so badly.

The wings… are fine. I get the idea of them looking like a sunrise mosaic, but they don’t look refined or elegant - they look cheap and tacky. They’re giving toyetic to the max.

Aisha:

Aisha highkey got the best sequence. It seems they’re really leaning into her power over water, but without sacrificing her Morphix, which I appreciate. The contrast of the blue water and pink Morphix looks really good, especially with the pink sky against the sea.

Having Aisha swim to transform, breaking through the water with her hair flip, and then SURFING?! Oh it fucking eats. It DEVOURS. When I ask for unique sequences, this is the kinda out-of-the-box shit I have in mind. I especially love using the water droplets to transition between shots.

Her outfit… is cute. I dig the shorts with the open skirt to look a bit more athletic, and I LOVE this turquoise she’s in. It reminds me of her Believix color palette. I do wish it was more on the green side to stand apart from Bloom’s outfit, but this still looks great. I think my only issue is that the cuts don’t look all that unique, and I miss all the jewelry present in her original outfit. Her wings… are also fine. They don’t scream “water fairy,” but they do look better than most of the other girls’ wings, so I’ll take it.

I’m not sure on Aisha’s hair though. I do like the idea of her having braids and leaning more into natural black hairstyles, as not only is it important in terms of representation, but also, there’s so much variety when it comes to black hair. Genuinely, look up lists of black hairstyle ideas - that shit is GORGEOUS.

But I’m not quite sure about the braids in her fairy outfit. I kinda like the idea of them being segmented, with this higher layer behind her head almost kinda giving the image of a crown, but I have to admit, I do miss the original ocean-wave hair. It felt voluminous and beautiful, and even the shape of it echoed her connection to the sea.

Imma leave this one to the girlies in the audience who have natural black hair. How do y’all feel about Aisha’s hair here? Did Rainbow do our girl justice, or did they fuck up? Cuz like… with Rainbow’s track record, I think we all know which side to air on.

Bloom:

And now, the last for last… Bloom. Weirdly, as clear as it is that she’s the most important character, I feel like that’s also led to her having the most unimpressive transformation. My friend described her flying around on the flames as very wannabe-Starfire coded, and I have to agree. Starfire would’ve done a much better job at this.

It suffers from a similar issue I have with her Believix sequence, where it’s just Bloom floating around as her transformation happens to her. The only advantage is that Bloom is actually using fire to don her outfit, so you know what her magic is. I do like the idea they were going for as she’s in awe of what she can do, and I appreciate the heart imagery, but that’s about it. And truth be told… the butterflies should’ve been fireflies. Just saying.

Honestly, I would’ve preferred them incorporating Bloom’s love of drawing here. Maybe she draws her outfit in flames, and then it manifests? Show off her unique interests and skills as she’s transforming, the way y’all did with Musa and Aisha, and even Flora and Tecna to some extent.

And… oh god, Bloom’s outfit. I hate it so much. This one is really not beating the AI allegations, cuz only an AI would make such a hideous pair of shorts with that hideous-ass skirt. Like, it’s trying to be both a full and half skirt, half of it is sorta wavy, and then the other half is overly frilled?! Why?! It looks like it was being forged, not woven, and it melted before it could be properly shaped.

I hate the pink accents. Yes, Bloom can be cute in pink, but does it have to be her main accent color? Why not yellow? I don’t like the gradient on her shoes, which are very ugly by the way, and I hate this weird top that looks like it wants to be armor with the pauldrons? Gurl stop it. Stop it right now.

And the hair… oh god. Admittedly, I’ve never liked the high-ponytail look for Bloom, but this is crossing a line. This doesn’t look like Bloom. She lacks her iconic face-framing bangs, her silhouette is ruined, and these braids on either side of her face have got to go. Right. Now. Her wings don’t even look good. They look like a worse version of Aisha’s wings.

It’s just… so insane that Bloom looks the worst here. Usually they try so hard to make her look more important, and in the process, she looks like she’s been fed through an AI slop machine the most times. Like her outfit is just… so ridiculous and hideous, that it’s broken reality itself.

Conclusion & Outro:

So… these transformations were very hit and miss. Overall, they’re definitely leaning on the overly busy side, but it’s so strange to see the characters Rainbow usually ignores fare far better than the screenhogs. The designs are on the whole worse than their originals, giving over-designed costumes rather than Italian high fashion. And perhaps that is the biggest crime of all.

ATLA Commentary, Book 1 Chapter 13

Someone help the frogs.

Tomb Raider video preview - TR1 (1996 section)

Rest in pieces dinosaurs.

Winx 7 Commentary, Episode 10

Whatever.

Winx 7 Commentary, Episode 9

Musa will never get nice things.

RWBY V2 Commentary, Chapter 4

RWBY V2 Commentary, Chapter 3

THESE OUTFITS SLAY THO

RWBY V2 Commentary, Chapter 2

Blake said "WE DO PLOT NOW."

ATLA Commentary, Book 1 Chapter 12

Trauma.

RWBY V2 Commentary, Chapter 1

I can't believe Weiss got Anita Bryant'd.

ATLA Commentary, Book 1 Chapter 11

Idk how I got a Cow & Chicken reference in here BUT I DID

Specialists in Winx Club: WTF Are They Again?

Intro:

So… what is a specialist? Winx fans tend to take it for granted, but when you speak to… well, normal people, and you tell them about the three magic schools at the series’ forefront, note the confusion in their eyes when you mention how the third school Redfountain teaches not wizards, but… specialists? What do they specialize in - dating?

Winx Club is quite unconventional in terms of worldbuilding, and the specialists are a prime example. With all their tools and technology, they’re arguably the strongest reminder of the show’s sci-fi, space opera vibes, but is that enough to justify their inclusion? Are they more than just arm candy for the leading ladies? And where are the magical men?

Today, we’re gonna talk about the specialists. What do they do, are they worth including, and what does Winx Club do with more conventional roles like sorcerers and wizards?

What Is A Specialist Anyway?:

Most of the series takes place in the Magic Dimension: an endless assortment of worlds that, you guessed it, are all filled with magic. Think Star Wars, but with magical creatures. Everyone born in the Magic Dimension has magic within them, but not everyone taps into it. For most folks, it’s just used for everyday conveniences, like powering their technomagic phones or devices, or warping reality to make themselves a parking spot on the fly.

There are many magic schools and colleges across the Magic Dimension, but three stand above the rest: Alfea College for Fairies, Cloudtower College for Witches, and Redfountain College for Specialists, all found on the planet of Magix, the capital of the Magic Dimension. Alumni from these colleges will go on to protect the realms, though to be real with you, the show only cares about fairies.

Fairies get all their worldbuilding fleshed out, with an assortment of different transformations, a… less flimsy syllabus, and a game plan for becoming Guardian Fairies of their homeworlds. Witches and specialists, meanwhile, get none of this. They’re basically just there to provide love interests and conflict.

Specialists don’t rely on magic like fairies and witches. Instead, they use technomagic weapons, which, you guessed it again, are advanced technology powered by magic. They primarily use phantoblades: holographic weapons of any kind, and they have a shocking variety. From every kind of sword, to bolas and guns, and even Wolverine claws, if you can imagine wielding it, there’s a phantoblade equivalent. Again, think lightsabers from Star Wars, but more varied… and gayer.

The Cinelume dub did confuse me a bit on this, since they refer to the Redfountain students as magicians, but it turns out this is a mistranslation. In the original Italian, Faragonda refers to them as, “maghi cavalieri,” which means “wizard knights.” Though the wizard part is a bit of a misnomer. I’d say they’re more “magic knights,” cuz really, that’s kinda the best way to describe specialists. They’re knights, but with a… futuristic fantasy flair.

While they can definitely help in combat, especially in the first three seasons, the specialists are mostly useful through their transportation. They’re sci-fi Uber drivers, basically. Because the Magic Dimension is filled with different worlds, we have to use either magical items to teleport between them, or travel across space in starships.

There’s a whole system here for the specialists. For simple travel, we’ve got hoverbikes, called wind riders. Large starships, meanwhile, are named for birds, such as the Hawk, the Owl, and the Crow. The Hawk is the largest of the starships used for transporting a large number of people. The Owl is mid-range, better for dangerous missions that require more agility, and the Crow is a single-person fighter ship.

In the first three seasons, the specialists routinely come in clutch for our transportation needs. If we’re in a situation where Stella can’t teleport us with her scepter, the specialists can take us to other worlds - or other parts of the world - on one of their ships. And they’re incredibly useful for missions requiring the whole crew.

The specialists also have dragons, because why not? There are many types of dragons in the franchise, and the Redfountain ones seem to have a more eastern influence, being a bit more serpentine in design. Naturally, each specialist’s dragon is color coded, they can breathe fire, and they’re good for monster fighting… please don’t make this weird. Oh, also there’s a weird psychic link between the specialists and their dragons? Neat.

They’ve got a few other gadgets that come in handy, such as bombs, or thingies that let you phase through solid matter. All of this often gets forgotten since the specialists are kept on the backburner, but I’d argue that’s a good thing, as it keeps them from overshadowing the real stars of the show: the fairies. The specialists aren’t here to save the fairies from danger - they’re here to provide some backup. Make sure their glittery girlies have all they need to save the day.

That said, I do wish the franchise wasn’t so… cisnormative. Like, if you’re a man, you’re not gonna be a fairy or a witch, and if you’re a woman, you’re not gonna be a specialist. And if you’re nonbinary, you don’t exist, I guess. Personally, I’d like if anyone of any gender could be anything they like. Give us some boy fairies, some lady specialists, and some enby witches.

So the specialists are pretty neat. Could use a bit more work, but they function well enough, and definitely deserve more respect. At least, in those first three seasons, before they become totally irrelevant. But what about wizards, or paladins, or any of the other magical men of this series? What about them?

What About Wizards?:

So, that whole thing of Winx Club not caring if you’re not a fairy? That goes doubly so if you’re anything other than a witch or a specialist. Wizards are never really defined in the show, and there’s not many of them. Aside from Saladin and Nabu, they’re mostly villains, like Valtor or the Black Circle… and other terrible villains I refuse to acknowledge. And for the sake of our sanity, let’s just assume the terms wizard, sorcerer, and magician are interchangeable.

So, a lot of this is gonna rely on my own interpretations, so please take all this with a grain of salt, and don’t get mad at me… unless you’re gonna sit through the ads. I think the main point of confusion is what, aside from gender, separates a wizard from a witch? And are there any sorceresses? Well, yes, in the comics I haven’t read, but fundamentally, how is their magic different from each other?

Witches, like fairies, have unique sources of power. Icy is the Witch of… well, Ice, Darcy is the Witch of Darkness, and Stormy’s the Witch of Storms. Like fairies, witches can do general magic, but for the most part stick to their very specific power source. Wizards, meanwhile, don’t seem to have this. They’re more… jacks of all trades.

Valtor may be made from the Dragon Flame like Bloom, but he doesn’t appear to be the Wizard of the Dragon Flame. Nabu isn’t shown to have a specific power source, and neither is Saladin. The Black Circle each have their own unique power, but I don’t think Gantlos having super strength and the ability to make shock waves is the same as Musa being the Fairy of Music.

I’m assuming this is, again, to keep the focus on fairies. Plus if you keep it vague enough, you can pretty much have your one-off wizard characters do whatever you want without contradicting yourself. And there are colleges for wizards in later seasons and supplemental material, but none with the same prestige as the three main schools.

“Wait,” I hear you ask, “What about paladins?” To which I respond… do you mean season 2 paladins, or season 6 paladins? Cuz those are very different. So, for the sweet summer children, season 5 and onward of Winx Club is… corporate fanfiction, to put it nicely. The fandom tends to not consider them canon because Rainbow treats canon like a roadblock to break through for the sake of lazy writing and merchandising tie-ins.

In season 2, we only have one paladin: Professor Avalon. He can do magic, which seems to be incredibly advanced, reciting incantations which use presumably ancient magical languages. For the most part, his magic seems to be light-based, and he even has retractable angel wings made of light. Aesthetically, this helps him fit in with all the other holographic magic seen in the show, while still carrying a clear angel motif.

So paladins are light-based magic wielders. I’d say they’re holy knights, but holy would kinda refer to a god… like, Abrahamic God, and as we all know, the true god of the Magic Dimension is the Great Dragon herself hey how are you. But you catch my drift.

But in season 6, we meet two new paladins: Thoren and Nex. And… they’re basically just specialists in red. Same hoverbikes, same technomagic weapons. Well, in this case, they’re nature-themed weapons? They’re just low-budget, generic-brand versions of the phantoblades, let’s be real. They don’t even say what school they attend, they don’t use magic or have wings, and they’re always hanging out with the specialists, so there’s really no difference between them. So… why call them paladins?! So, let’s just ignore paladins in season 6 altogether, yeah?

But hold on… if Redfountain teaches specialists, then why the fuck is their headmaster a wizard? That… I do not have an answer for. Maybe it’s to make Saladin more impressive, and also have his magic be cohesive with that of Faragonda and Griffin? I guess Codatorta being the second-in-command makes it less egregious, since he’s a specialist.

Maybe we could’ve avoided this by finding a different name for specialists. 4Kids kept the name, but also called them… heroes. Okay, sure. I guess that’s not wrong, and I do dig the cheesiness. But I think magic knights would’ve been the best route here. Makes it a bit clearer at a glance what they do, and how they fit into the world of Winx.

Winx 7 Commentary, Episode 8

Musa will never have nice things...

Winx 7 Commentary, Episode 7

Why is Musa suddenly so slay?

RWBY V1 Commentary, Chapter 16

Black, White, and in pain all over.

Xillia video, section 1

This is an incomplete version of my Tales of Xillia video, omitting the later sections covering gameplay and Xillia 2.

I've also yet to add a couple clips toward the end, and the background music, but I figured I'd share my progress (heh) thus far.

RWBY V1 Commentary, Chapter 15

We've strayed into dangerous waters.

RWBY V1 Commentary, Chapters 13 & 14

Forever Fall into madness...

RWBY V1 Commentary, Chapters 11 & 12

Why does Jaune even have a team when none of them matter lmfao

ATLA Commentary, Book 1 Chapter 10

I support Katara wrongs.

A Far-Too-Long Script About Tomb Raider

Intro:

When you hear the name Lara Crof

Winx 7 Commentary, Episode 6

We lost to MUSHROOMS???

RWBY V1 Commentary, Chapters 9 & 10

Will Yang ever matter?

Winx 7 Commentary, Episode 5

Squonk is me.