fuyu | (no subject)

So I've managed to get back to FF12 after a long period of being distracted from it by other things. I've just entered the Golmore Jungle, but I think I'm critically under-equipped so I may have to level up and loot-farm in Ozmone for a while, and possibly even retreat to Rabanastre to buy gambits and technicks. (I invariably spend all my cash on bazaar goods and new weapons. Sigh.)

- I continue to love Balthier. He is exactly my type of charming rogue - shades of Setzer, really, only without the gambling - and moreover, he won me with language. I could listen to him talk all day for his voice, his delivery, and the way he uses words. Linguistic prowess is sexy!

- I... I hang my head in shame to admit this, but I don't really like Fran. Don't get me wrong, she's cool to look at and her voice is fascinating, but at the point where I'm at, it seems like that's all that's there. I just haven't gotten anything from her yet beyond "Sexy bunny lady! Sexy mysterious bunny lady who knows stuff about the Mist! Plus she hangs out with Balthier! Did we mention sexy bunny lady?" She's just - she's not accessible. It seems like she's there to be Cool and Exotic and Sexy and Don't You Wish You Could Have Her, Gamer Boy?

(Plus, the viera piss me off on principle, which is another rant, and kind of a shame because I want to like them.)

Honestly, I'm not even interested in the Balthier-Fran teamup so much as I'm interested in Balthier and accept Fran as part of the package.

Please, someone tell me I'm wrong. Tell me Fran is about to get awesome and interesting and be compelling as a character, instead of a bunnygirl fetish that can flip out and kill shit.

- Ashe, on the other hand, I can't get enough of. She's like the antithesis of everything that ticks me off about Fran - to the point where I can completely ignore her ridiculous costume because she is just so fucking cool. A strong-willed, self-determined royal who takes no shit, devoted to her kingdom and her people, making decisions with the weight of Dalmasca on her shoulders? Yes, I'll have that and a side of fries.

It's even better that no point is really made of her gender one way or another. She's neither sexualized (would lessen the impact of the Cool) nor desexualized (too far in the other direction) - she's just an awesome royal doing her damned best in an awful situation where thousands of people depend on her, who is also an attractive woman. I can't begin to say how much I appreciate that.

(Also, she's the only one in my party who got to the HP +500 augment on my board, so she currently has more HP than anyone. So I have gameplay bias too! XD)

- Basch. Oh, Basch. Oh, oh, Basch.

I - he falls into a couple of the character types that are guaranteed to hit my YES buttons. Oh, Basch. Sorry, can't be coherent here.

- v-vossler

- I squeed a lot when Larsa showed up again. HAHAHA YEY TINY ANDROGYNOUS NON-SUCKY BROTHER OF VAYNE

no seriously I thought he was a girl at first. there was a moment of severe cognitive dissonance when I learned otherwise. but either way dfghjkfjkh yay larsa!

- ... oh, Vaan.

I dunno, I really like Vaan. He's a cute scruffy dork, and we all know I love the dorks.

- It's weird, but I so far have no interest in any pairings. At all. I'm just not interested in any of these characters as sexual beings. This might be related to the fact that I could not write for this fandom, ever. But it might not. I dunno. As it stands, I just wanna see how their story plays out and I'm not interested in seeing any sex or romance. (Well, I mean, other than Ashe/Rasler, which may not entirely count. sfjkghfjk oh god Ashe I hurt for you)

- The little details in this game continue to thrill me. One that's sticking in my head right now is the conversation with the "Vexed Father" in Lowtown whose daughter won't listen to him. (Oh god poor Basch.)

- The Garifs are fucking cool.

- It's weird to see Ivalice moogles and how different they are from all other moogles, but they're so cute and awesome I don't mind a bit.

- Quickenings are AWESOME.

Threaded | Flat

I ... actually, I'm the opposite of you; I really like Fran, but I'm ... honestly a bit indifferent on Ashe. XD; Which is a shame, because I DO want to like Ashe, it's just that she seems to push all the character-buttons that turn me off her, rather than on.

As for Fran, I will confess one of the main reasons I like her is that she reminds me of Zoe from Firefly -- taciturn, no-nonsense, kill-you-with-a-shooty thing that keeps her captain from getting killed when he hares off into the idiotic situations. (Which is to say, I always picture it as: Balthier comes up with the dashing and cool ideas, Fran makes sure they happen without them getting killed.) ... really, it's the Zoe analogy, though Balthier's not really much of Mal or Wash. XD

Ashe on the other hand ... is Princess McTormented; this may just be how the game is doling her out, but at the point where I am (I'm about three or four plot points ahead of you), it seems like everyone is telling her: BY THE WAY, POWER TO CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES MAY NOT BE A GOOD IDEA. THINK ABOUT IT -- and she does, but I've yet to see her really hit a conclusion that makes me feel like she's really considered it. I don't feel like she's really growing as a character, for all that's invested in her -- she seems really stuck on her One Path.

I will admit, she's gotten a bit better; one of the scenes I recently got through made me go "good for you!" at her, but ... she's the Surly Little Toaster ~~my friend and I, we've named the whole party toasters except for Balthier and Fran~~ and unfortunately, she and Balthier still haven't broken out of their "stereotypical fantasy characters" schticks in my head.

(That's not to say I DISLIKE them; I just like the others more! Like Vaan. For the spunky street-rat type, he's refreshingly practical for the most part, even as he's idealistic.)

...Part of the reason I like Fran is that she reminds me of Chewbacca. Which. Probably doesn't help anyone but me. XD

But yes. With you on loving Ashe and Basch (and Vossler) and dorky Vaan, and the Tiny Smooth Imperial. (I assume he's so androgynous because he's twelve and has not yet actually completed puberty, but that's easy to overlook because, dude, he's so freaking mature-acting for a twelve-year-old.)

Well, Fran gets some more character development in Golmore, but if you don't like her after that, then her characterization's pretty much a wasteland until really close to the end of the game.

Fran is both TRAGIC and INACCESSIBLE. It kind of sucks for her.

I'll never like Ashe again after a part further in the game when I was basically just sobbing and headflooring (I play video games sitting on the floor usually) and going GODDAMMIT YOU IDIOT for like an hour. IT TURNED ME OFF OF ASHE. >: She did pull through buuuuut...yeah, don't like her for some of the reasons

nekokoban fleshed out, too.

Everyone else I love. I'm not a picky person with my character favorities 8D. ~~Except that I pretty much die whenever Larsa comes onscreen. LARSAAAA. *hearts;~~

If you're at Golmore Jungle now, then you're getting to the viera village soon, where you'll find you'll probably either love the viera or hate them even more. I find it's kind of love-to-dislike thing for them, but afterwards Fran's character both makes more sense and gets more mysterious. If that...makes any sense. XD; I just love Fran and Balthier as a duo.

LARSA = ♥♥ So much love for the kid and his endless supply of hi-potions. XD

Really, I love all of the characters in this game so far. ~~Which may be why I'm avoiding the fandom for now...~~

I like all the characters in FFXII a little, but Fran and Ashe are two of my least favorites. Which is weird, I guess, but whatever. Fran for the most part is just a sex symbol, though her story is okay, but there's not nearly enough of it. They don't really give her leg room to grow and her story is one of those barely-touched-on-for-one-part-of-the-game deals. She's supposed to be the wise elder, mist sensing member of the group, and she fails at doing it. I mean, they shorthand it to little quips and random bits of knowledge. I would have liked to delve into her mystery...

The one thing that redeems her is the fact that she delivers the best line in the game at the end of the game. Seriously, the line makes me squee. Also, paired with Balthier, she is awesome in my opinion because they're like two halves of the same person. I explained this ages ago during that interview thing, but it still stands. XD

Ashe just gets to me. I mean, I like strong women and all, but I just can't get into her character as much as I can with the others. Like I can't even think of a reason. She just repels me.

And, for your information, the game gets better and better as it goes on, so expect to be wowed. :]

...hell, I still haven't even done all the hunts or anything yet and I'm over 100 hours in. Easily.

Reading this made me want to go do that. XD