
Originally Posted by
Mercen-X
The way I see deconstructions is that they basically take tropes and invert or subvert them so that the audience, expecting one thing, is surprised to the point that their view of the topic changes. This can often be the end goal but is not a necessary intent. The Princess series by Jim C Hines can at once be considered a deconstruction as well as a hearkening back to the original tales of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White.
I don't know about Gears because I still haven't been able to obtain a copy, but I can say I agree with Wolf in that there's not much deconstruction in it. The amnesia bit would have been more deconstructive if Fei had really lost his memory due to cranial trauma rather than the psychological but then went further into the consequences of his resulting brain damage with issues such as speech impediments, memory lapses, vision impairment, hearing loss, involuntary muscle movement or the inability to use a limb. It's very uncommon to have a main character with even ONE of those problems.