Karifean
is a Level 30 Priest
Witch of Theatergoing

Why isn't he in 5?

Is Gumshoe in the other games :o

It's always a big part to me, and I always get mad when it's neglected by the creator (as I've noticed it's far too often the case that creators of anime just get lazy and put no effort into the looks of it all) since really, in a visual medium, the art should really be as big a storytelling or character-building element as the textual narrative.

Alrighty!~ Finished game, writing up review

So is that blowing mechanic present in the other games?

Ooh, I also love it because I look up to Arakawa as an artist, not just a storyteller. Her styles amazing - it's so simple and yet, despite that, every single character looks distinct. Not to mention very varied body shapes, both in men and women, and I like how she draws both big breasts and big muscles in a completely non-sexualized way (except when it's supposed to be sexual, like Lust ).

Haha, see? It's funny how we can have discussions and agree on many aspects of storytelling, but when it comes down to it, I love FMA, you love FFX, despite the other not enjoying it. It's beautiful

Something can be well written but still present a viewpoint you completely disagree with, which can seriously ruin your enjoyment, no matter how well-written.

Melodrama is probably the thing, yeah I still think melodrama can be done well, but I honestly think Toriyama seriously just has no idea how real human emotions and relationships work

And tropes are tools. I've never been in the camp that diss something because it's "tropey" (however infantile that notion is). You seriously cannot write anything that would be void of any tropes whatsoever. The key is utilizing the tropes skillfully, and I don't mean just by deconstruction or subversion. A good, rounded selection of tropes can make a fantastic character, even if they're all played straight. You just have to think. What I don't like is blind use of easy archetypes and stereotypes, hoping that will make your viewers relate to the characters quicker. that's just being a hack, not a writer.

On that note, I just finished FMA Brotherhood, and wow, was I blown away. This is a perfect example of a show that really doesn't do anything groundbreaking on paper, but it has an interesting premise, phenomenal characters and a plot that perhaps isn't jaw-dropping on its own, but is built-up pretty much flawlessly.

Well, it does kind of make sense. You really only spend time dwelling on and analyzing works that you find enjoyable because you are intrinsically motivated to do so. You don't really have that drive when you don't enjoy something. And you can't really spot subtleties before you dig deeper into something. Then again, it is possible to spot subtleties along the way, even if by the end of the work you are dissatisfied with it. But still, you at least need to be involved during the whole thing.

Ah, sorry, misread that a bit I'll come back with a better answer in a second