Riona (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rionaleonhart) wrote2022-10-16 12:22 pm
rionaleonhart) wrote2022-10-16 12:22 pm
Entry tags:
I Didn't Turn Out Okay At All.
I'm early in the third disc of Final Fantasy VIII; I've just reached Esthar! I feel Final Fantasy VIII becomes weaker after disc two, but I'm still enjoying my replay.
Squall's matter-of-fact 'I don't think I was adopted because of the way I am' breaks my heart.
I like Irvine's argument that they might as well fight the sorceress because 'hey, at least it'll keep us together a little longer'.
'The save point is up and running, sir!' Balamb Garden students... canonically set up a temporary save point for the battle against Galbadia Garden? I have so many questions about the function of save points in-universe.
Zell offering to make Rinoa a replica of Squall's ring is very cute. The party dynamics that don't involve Squall are a little underexplored, with the possible exception of Irvine and Selphie, but I really like what we see of Zell and Rinoa's friendship.
(One of my favourite things about Final Fantasy XIII was the amount of attention it paid to fleshing out different relationships within the party. The sequences where characters travel in pairs aren't great from a gameplay perspective, as the battle system is at its best with three fighters, but they're excellent for strengthening party dynamics.)
Can't believe anyone ever looked at Laguna and went 'yes, you seem like the right person to lead us.' I suppose he's good-hearted and likeable, if not competent, and kindness might be your main priority if you want someone to replace Adel.
Wait, why did the Esthar soldiers let Laguna keep his machine gun if he's their prisoner? I feel it would make more sense if he was able to defeat them because Squall's presence let him use magic and GFs.
I have to wonder whether Squall would have concluded he was in love with any of his comrades if they'd fallen unconscious in Rinoa's place. I think he'd have had similarly intense emotions about suddenly losing any of them.
Except possibly Irvine; he's strangely dismissive of Irvine sometimes. I definitely think he'd have been upset if Irvine had been the one in the coma, but I don't think he'd have reached the conclusion that he was in love with Irvine, whereas I could definitely see that happening with, say, Zell.
Of course, the fact that other characters might have triggered the same feelings doesn't necessarily mean that Squall's feelings for Rinoa aren't real. Perhaps a universe exists where Squall/Zell happened instead, but that doesn't invalidate the Squall/Rinoa in this universe. The coma may have been the catalyst for Squall's feelings, but the fact remains that the coma happened and therefore Squall experienced those feelings.
Sometimes, people fall in love on account of the things that happen to them. I don't want to imply that the only 'true' love is some magical, immutable feeling that is guaranteed to exist between two specific people regardless of their experiences; I don't think that's how life works. There's an NPC couple at Trabia Garden who got together because they happened to be sitting next to each other in class on the day the missiles hit; I'm not going to go 'hey, your relationship's not real because it wouldn't have happened if nobody had fired missiles at your school'.
In conclusion, Squall/Rinoa is valid, but Squall/Zell is equally valid. Thank you for attending my lecture. Disclaimer: my argument is highly suspect because I know nothing about romance and I love Squall/Zell.
Squall's matter-of-fact 'I don't think I was adopted because of the way I am' breaks my heart.
I like Irvine's argument that they might as well fight the sorceress because 'hey, at least it'll keep us together a little longer'.
'The save point is up and running, sir!' Balamb Garden students... canonically set up a temporary save point for the battle against Galbadia Garden? I have so many questions about the function of save points in-universe.
Zell offering to make Rinoa a replica of Squall's ring is very cute. The party dynamics that don't involve Squall are a little underexplored, with the possible exception of Irvine and Selphie, but I really like what we see of Zell and Rinoa's friendship.
(One of my favourite things about Final Fantasy XIII was the amount of attention it paid to fleshing out different relationships within the party. The sequences where characters travel in pairs aren't great from a gameplay perspective, as the battle system is at its best with three fighters, but they're excellent for strengthening party dynamics.)
Can't believe anyone ever looked at Laguna and went 'yes, you seem like the right person to lead us.' I suppose he's good-hearted and likeable, if not competent, and kindness might be your main priority if you want someone to replace Adel.
Wait, why did the Esthar soldiers let Laguna keep his machine gun if he's their prisoner? I feel it would make more sense if he was able to defeat them because Squall's presence let him use magic and GFs.
I have to wonder whether Squall would have concluded he was in love with any of his comrades if they'd fallen unconscious in Rinoa's place. I think he'd have had similarly intense emotions about suddenly losing any of them.
Except possibly Irvine; he's strangely dismissive of Irvine sometimes. I definitely think he'd have been upset if Irvine had been the one in the coma, but I don't think he'd have reached the conclusion that he was in love with Irvine, whereas I could definitely see that happening with, say, Zell.
Of course, the fact that other characters might have triggered the same feelings doesn't necessarily mean that Squall's feelings for Rinoa aren't real. Perhaps a universe exists where Squall/Zell happened instead, but that doesn't invalidate the Squall/Rinoa in this universe. The coma may have been the catalyst for Squall's feelings, but the fact remains that the coma happened and therefore Squall experienced those feelings.
Sometimes, people fall in love on account of the things that happen to them. I don't want to imply that the only 'true' love is some magical, immutable feeling that is guaranteed to exist between two specific people regardless of their experiences; I don't think that's how life works. There's an NPC couple at Trabia Garden who got together because they happened to be sitting next to each other in class on the day the missiles hit; I'm not going to go 'hey, your relationship's not real because it wouldn't have happened if nobody had fired missiles at your school'.
In conclusion, Squall/Rinoa is valid, but Squall/Zell is equally valid. Thank you for attending my lecture. Disclaimer: my argument is highly suspect because I know nothing about romance and I love Squall/Zell.
no subject
No.