Skyrius

If we're going by the route I WANT to play first, that'd be Nohr. But I just have so many problems with playing through a game on an easier difficulty after I played through a harder one. It's not any sort of rational thing, it just IRKS me so badly. I have no idea way. So I'm probably playing Hoshido first. Here's hoping they're well developed and I get attached to them so I can feel all the worse when I do play through Nohr AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....

I....have somewhat mixed feelings on that. I mean, I LIKED Get Backers and Pyscho Busters. I'm pretty sure I liked Kami no Shizuku too but I stopped reading it pretty early in for whatever reason (it was a while ago, but it wasn't cause I disliked the manga). Those are his most popular works, but I think his shorts are better (I really liked Kunimitsu no Matsuri, and if we're going the line of works with more political tilts, it's probably one of his more famous) But, considering what I have read from him, most of his works are pretty bombastic and a bit all over the place in tone at times (and hanging plot threads). I had been hoping the tone for this game might be closer to what we got from FE4 or even the Tellius games, but I don't feel like Kibayashi write like that. Even Kunimitsu no Matsuri, which deals with the main character attempting to reform a corrupt government (Nohr side anyone?) reads more like a shounen than seinen. It's not a bad thing necessarily I just......nefdfdf I don't know. Anyone else familiar with any of his works want to add their thoughts? (I never actually FINISHED Get Backers or Psycho Busters though either....>_>;;)

Also on a related note, considering the context right after it, I'm 99% sure that archer dude is referring to Kamui with that line (I've been watching so much shounen and I was literally expecting the whole sentence to be the "I won't forgive you" schtick because that line ends like that probably 90% of the time). The next part has Marx telling Kamui to prove his "justice" that he believes in, so I'm pretty sure those two lines are what the opposing faction says about Kamui if he ends up betraying them.

I'm going to hijack the thread for a bit since you conveniently made a screenshot one (and I didn't want to waste a thread of my own on literally one screenshot) but I just realized: That's Kamui (look no shoes XD) standing next to the empress lady. I just noticed it myself so I thought I'd throw it out there for others who didn't see it. Although now I'm interested in seeing how they'll deal with the female MU since her outfit is different in the initial promo material.

I understand the logic behind it (and honestly wouldn't be surprised if it really is how things turn out) but it just feels like that would be a cop out, considering the themes being put out for the game in this most recent trailer about family and loyalty.

But like...if he isn't blood-related AT ALL to Hoshido...I feel like most of the motivation to actually side with them is kinda gone. Assuming Kamui was raised in Nohr most of his life, the strongest remaining link he has with Hoshido is his bloodline. He wouldn't really have a reason to choose them over Nohr otherwise, since Nohr would essentially be his family at that point (both sides are unrelated to him, but he grew up with the Nohr royal family). The only way that would sort of make sense to me is since there was a another shot in the trailer where one of the Nohr nobles(?) was calling Kamui a naive prince. Maybe his ideals are closer to those from Hoshido and clash with the popular opinion of Nohr. If it was like that, I could imagine him choosing Hoshido over Nohr. Alternatively, he just doesn't know he's not actually related until the end. But that just feels like a cop out. So many of my harem games already use that excuse I swear I read it every other game. It's kind of lost appeal for me and gotten tedious. It's just the lazy way out of the whole mess of worms that is incest.

It technically did happen already in a past game, granted one half of that equation was being mind controlled and the other wasn't aware that they were siblings, but still (unless you were being sarcastic in which case ignore me I can't pick out sarcasm well on the internet) I wouldn't be surprised if IS went the 'SURPRISE YOU AREN'T ACTUALLY RELATED TO ANY OF THEM' route a lot of harem shows go down. Since Kamui is a dragon-unicorn thing and no one else seems to be, it is possible his Hoshido family maybe just found him/adopted him/whatever? Like maybe only his 'father' knew he wasn't really related. Look, I don't know, it just happens so much in a bunch of other series I honestly wouldn't be surprised. Which, if I'm being honest, would totally KILL the whole family drama thing for me. Like, the only connection Kamui has to Hoshido (assuming he's been living with Nohr most of his life) is probably bloodline. He most likely has more actual familial ties and memories with Nohr at that point, so if he's not actually related to Hoshido....ehhhh. But at the same time, him actually being related means no husbandos/waifus from the Hoshido royal family :(

Since no one on either the Nohr or Hoshido side seems to have any manakete (or dragon-unicorn or whatever it is) traits, I'm going to assume that the whole reason Kamui was taken/kidnapped/whathaveyou was because Garon desired some special power only they had as a manakete/half-manakete. I'm more interested in whether or not Kamui was old enough to remember that event. Because if they were, and that really WAS their father, that's going to leave quite a mental scar. The idea of Kamui still being able to come to love his Nohr family despite that is really interesting. However, considering all the moral complexities that brings up and because I just feel like IS kept taking the easy path out in FE:Awakening, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they just made it so Kamui doesn't remember or doesn't know about how he was stolen from his original family. It simplifies things considerably from a moral standpoint, but man the other option would be a lot more fun. Also, it's funny because my first Fire Emblem game was the Blazing Sword (the first one released in NA) and that was just kind of the thing that stuck with me. Just chapters and maybe arenas, no world map grinding. So it'll be nice to play through Nohr like that again.

The king(?) of Nohr says "生かしてやろう、吾子としてな" ('I'll let you live as my child') which implies that Kamui was kidnapped/hostage exchange/given to the Nohr kingdom or something and that really interests me. Because how old exactly is Kamui when this happens? On one hand, yes if he's old enough for his younger siblings to remember (Hinoka might not be a childhood friend, I thought Kamui was her long lost sibling from the trailer but who knows) then it makes it really odd that Kamui was able to integrate into Nohr because that's some traumatizing shit right there. ON THE OTHER HAND, if he does remember AND still manages to think of Nohr as family that'd be really interesting. It certainly seems like the Nohr royal family members are fond of him. Also Byakuya is just what they refer to Hoshido as (the "white night" kingdom) just like Nohr is the "black night" kingdom. The MU calls them by those names in the text (when he's talking to dancer lady in the gameplay clip) SO MANY QUESTIONS. SO MANY HEADCANONS. SO LITTLE INFORMATION

I'm holding out for the "jk you're actually not related to any of them because magical dragon beast" cause that is the path all LN and harems and shitty eroge games taking the lazy path out go (or something it's late over here ok) I'm kinda hoping IS just goes for the familial loyalty and bonds perspective on both sides. Romance is cool and all but I haven't had a good family drama in FE in a while. That stuff can get nasty and intense. It's great.

I was going to joke and say it should be like the Demon Path from Soul Nomad but then I remembered that the Demon Path actually made me legitimately sad and angry at some points so never mind I want it to be a hidden true route where I can make both sides friends YES I AM SAPPY AND SACCHARINE I WANT TO SAVE BOTH MY FAMILIES TO MAKE ME BETRAY AND POSSIBLY KILL ONE OF THEM YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME NINTENDO. But yeah, I'd rather have a sort of true route type situation. Because it still doesn't sit right with me that choosing one side means inadvertantly screwing the other over.

The fact that Nintendo intends to make me choose between adorable little sisters IS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT DAMMIT. I have to see a bit more of their personalities but adorable bubbly blonde sister is pushing in the lead currently. I am curious if they'll change the voiced dialogue to onee-chan for female players though, or just like cut it out because laziness. I'd probably die of cuteness overload in the first case and set IS on fire in the second. DON'T GIVE ME DECISIONS NINTENDO BAD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE DO

I am just going to sit in a corner and agonize over the choice for like 12094832 hours because I'm going digital And apparently your choice locks you into the route on chapter 6 fml. But you know, I WANT the Nohr royal family to care about and love the MU. I want an honest to god family, with years of memories and bonds that consider the MU their brother/sister BECAUSE THAT WILL RIP MY HEART OUT ALL THE MORE WHEN I PLAY HOSHIDO because it's more interesting that way. Nohr is obviously the "evil" side right now, both in tone and character (the king(?) couldn't be exuding more cliche evil tyrant vibes if he tried) and I want to see something a bit more complex. The idea of having to revolutionize the country from within sounds pretty fun. I get Radiant Dawn vibes (or even some of the older games) and I loved the political/social intrigue and mess of alliances and betrayal of the old Fire Emblem games a lot, so here's hoping. But I'm going Hoshido first. Gotta get that traditional FE standard route out of the way first man. I'll be more surprised if they manage to put some complexity into the Hoshido side because right now they also seem like the standard, light, peace-loving, look at us we do no wrong type designated "good" side which is...well standard. BUT I AM HYPE BECAUSE FORCING ME TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ADORABLE LITTLE SISTERS IS CRUEL AND FORCING ME TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO FAMILIES THAT BOTH LOVE THE MU IS CRUEL I LOVE YOU NINTENDO.

Not to be a downer...ok, actually yes because I'm pessimistic. Wasn't there that whole fiasco in Japan about the bundle selling out because Nintendo underestimated demand and then they couldn't reprint because Japan has some of the stupidest marketing laws.

Wat. Wait, what. I can't find MUxNono anymore. What the hell, I'm sure I saw it on the 2ch thread? @_@ Maybe my brain is fried or something.