ScorpiusNox

Being a rather peaceful individual myself, I would certainly side with the Senju in theory. Where they lose me is at the point when it becomes apparent than they don’t really have a plan that differs from that of the Uchiha. To quote Madara, “Thinking of peace whilst spilling blood is something only humans can do.” The Senju’s message of love and understanding is cheapened by their prolific wartime activities. It’d be like Gandhi preaching his philosophies while leading a militia.

Maybe I’m the most naive of all for thinking it should be all or nothing, that one cannot honestly expect to be taken seriously as a proponent for peace when that one is one consistently engages in violence. If your methods are the same as those of the people you call evil or hateful, do you really have a leg to stand on?

I wouldn’t say so, but I’ve already made that argument, haven’t it? Thanks for reading and commenting =) !

Mmmhmmm, Zelda. It wasn’t until now that I realized how mixed my feelings on the series are. I remember Ocarina of Time being the first really epic game that I ever owned. It came out when I was around ten, and being the same age as the protagonist formed an instant point of connection. He did and does represent my ultimate fantasy: that of the misplaced outsider who finds out that everything that made him a pariah before is everything that will make him a hero going forward.

But, I don’t quite agree that he’s the hero we ALL wish we could be. Even I, having become somewhat more cynical since those days, would not likely follow his course, and I don’t think most would. Throughout his adventures, Link ends up a glorified errand boy, the Intern of Destiny. In between slaying beasts and saving lives, he runs about performing menial tasks for any number of citizens, seldom receiving any real recognition for even his greatest acts. The reason that the series is The Legend of Zelda rather than the Legend of Link is because, in the conflict of good vs. evil, Link is the instrument of fate, not a true actor. Zelda, the deities, or the sages are always the ones to make the plans and set things in motion. Link just does as he’s told.

I don’t think that’s “wrong,” per se, particularly if it ends in the greatest good for the most people; however, if recurring themes in modern media are any indication, people frequently balk at the idea of living life at anyone’s beck and call. There are many who might do so happily and willingly fade into obscurity after the fact as Link does, but there are perhaps many more who would rather pursue a more proactive and, yes, more rewarding heroism.

I hope that wasn’t too disjointed =P . I enjoyed reading this article!

Ah, Dragon Ball Z. It will always hold a very special place in my heart. You make some very good points here in my opinion, but I am inclined to be a bit more forgiving myself, if for no other reason than because I’ve often heard that Toriyama intended to end the manga after the Frieza Saga. That fact alone covers a large reason why this character or that character didn’t really get his/her due; up until that point, they’d all been about as relevant as they could be, with Goku, as the protagonist, being entitled to the most screen time and the greatest victories.

But, you keep extending a tale beyond its intended life span, and you end up flying by the seat of your pants. Suddenly, Gohan doesn’t just have a ton of untapped potential, but nothing less than the MOST POTENTIAL EVER =O !!! Serial escalation calls for more and more powerful enemies, but if all of the characters all power up, they’d just gang up on the new villain unless you make a bunch of new villains every time. So, to keep it simple, some settle down or simply can’t keep up.

I could go on, but long story short, there are probably a lot of legitimate reasons beyond bias or prejudice that keeps most of these characters down, not least of which is the fact that giving all of them their due would require either a much longer series or numerous spin-offs. Even so, I agree that it would have been nice to see much more done with them. If only manga were like American comics. Then the stories could go on forever…and ever…and ever @_@ .

Great article!

I’ve not read this book, but I’ve heard of it before. It sounds like an interesting read. Your analysis here, though brief, was rather compelling, and I was actually kinda disappointed when it ended =P . Good way of tempting someone to read the book, I suppose.

Two major factors that sound like they’re missing here (and perhaps they aren’t, but just didn’t get a mention in this article): family and friends. If Lewis didn’t include a relative of one of the ghosts in this story, he skipped out on a powerful opportunity; I’ve always said that heaven wouldn’t be heaven for me if certain people weren’t there, and I’m sure I’m not the only one to ever feel that way (“What Dreams My Come” comes to mind, actually). I feel like the choice would become a lot clearer for any given “ghost” if they encountered one of their loved ones on the other side.

Of course, that could be good or bad depending on which side said loved one exists. That’s a factor of the afterlife I’ve always wondered about. How can anyone possibly enjoy heaven if they know that even one person they care about is in hell?

On the contrary, I did not at all intend to portray the conflict as black and white, and if I was unclear on that, I apologize. While I do express that the Uchiha Clan are a largely misrepresented bunch, I also acknowledge that the methods their most prominent members have used to achieve their ends are often morally dubious at best. I only mean to claim that the philosophies of their enemies–the “heroes”–are no less harmful in a world torn by war.

Whether either side is truly right or just is something I can’t claim to know for sure. I agree that it’s very gray, and one could reasonably go either way. I just hoped to speak for a viewpoint that is seldom taken for what it is.

Thanks for commenting!

I hadn’t really imagined that there were such positive conceptions of the GameCube. I owned one myself, but had I been able to afford it, I likely would have gone with a PS2 or Xbox, as I had begun to find Nintendo’s library of games growing stale since the N64. Aside from the gems from the Mario and Zelda franchises, plus a couple of others, I really just wasn’t feeling it.

Nintendo has led the industry nearly since its inception, aside from the down periods it’s seen in the past few decades, and I would very much like to see it return to form. I’ve always considered them the company most dedicated to creating fun over building profits, and it would be a shame for the industry to lose that.

Oh yeah, he’s a treat. As I recall, there was a scene back in the day where he went and literally pimp-slapped Doctor Doom (yes, THAT Doctor Doom) over $200 xD .

I think you’re on point with the idea that it’s easier character development. Whereas comics can (and do) go on forever, movies only have so long to tell a story. Better to go with characters with whom the audience can easily empathize than try to make them connect with someone with more nebulous motivations.

Ouch. What a morbid, painful article…I love it!

Not because it’s morbid and painful (that would be eerie <_<), but because you've provided an excellent analysis of the show's central theme. Frankly, I hadn't totally picked up on it before. I got that the characters were all kinda sucky; even the superhero archetype ("Captain Rainbow"?) turns out to be a half-insane emotional wreck, and possible a pedophile besides. The show goes out of its way to subvert a crap-ton of common tropes, which is a large part of the humor. I just hadn't thought to take a more serious look at it.

I don't know if it's fair to claim that escapism is this massive, looming aspect of our culture in which all people indulge when consuming media, as there are plenty of stories out there that have bittersweet endings at best. But, it is true that most of the stories end on unrealistically optimistic terms. I go back and forth on whether or not that's a good thing, but for what it's worth, I hope to contribute to the numbers of more "realistic" tales =P .