Well, from what I've seen so far (yeah, I haven't finished the game yet), not even the Shadows give you the complete picture of who the person is. They're often twisted and darkly exaggerated, especially when they're about to go One-Winged Angel.

They are also about twisting your seemingly innocous or altruistic motivations into something negative.

Their based on the most repressed feeling, though. So they don't give you a complete picture(Indeed, while the game makes a point that the shadow is a part of who you are, it's far from the only part, and the persona is every bit as real as the shadow), they are still representative of the character feelings - if, yes, perverted and bitter.

For example Kanji's repressed homosexuality and not traditionally masculine interests, and in general the frustration with the fact that his self-imagine will never match what society thinks he should be takes the form of a fop who rebels against social norms. Chie's guilt of using Yukiko as a Living Emotional Crutch for her low self-esteem(or at least the fear that's what she'd doing) takes the form of a domineering, abusive slave-driver.

The shadow's represent, as their original concept in jungian philosophy, the feelings that we bury deep and hide away. In jungian philosophy if we don't accept those feelings they'l begin to fester, and just grow worse and worse until they break out on their own.

edited 12th Aug '13 7:25:33 AM by kegisak

At least they don't normally end up hanging your dead body upside-down on a foggy night... right?

Speaking of Kanji, I am honestly finding it hard to tell whether he's actually gay (or possibly bi), or just Sweet on Polly Oliver for Naoto.

edited 12th Aug '13 7:33:41 AM by KylerThatch

Post of the Day #466

I'm watching Flash Gordon.

Admittedly no.

As for Kanji... the Japanese version apparently makes it clear he's gay(though how I'm not exaclty sure, probably just different dialogue on his social path), while the american version deliberately leaves it vague. If you want to regard the american and japanese versions as different canon, which is valid, then you can say it kinda depends on whether or not you think Naoto is actually transexxual or simply wants respect.

For my part, if he fell in love with someone who looks like a guy, sounds like a guy, acts like a guy and who he believed was a guy, well...

BTW, google+ fixed the detection scripts for Firefox version :D

On the other hand if he still felt attracted to said person when it became obvious she was a girl? Actually I'm not sure if he actually was still attracted as opposed to just holding out hope that he just likes his girls a little boyish looking.

edited 12th Aug '13 7:43:09 AM by Mio

Bonnie Zacherle reacts to the brony phenomenon

That's why I suggested he might be bi.

That, or Naoto-sexual.

So they watered it down in the English version? That kind of sucks. Then again, the ambiguity also makes it kind of interesting, in my opinion.

edited 12th Aug '13 7:46:24 AM by KylerThatch

It is a tricky issue, yeah.

I mean, I do feel that Naoto is a transsexual, so it's a non-issue for me. But if she is indeed a she, well... it's hard to say. It's wholly possible that there could be emotional investment even if there isn't sexual interest, and they might fall into a sibling-esque relationship. Or. it's possible that Kanji is bisexual, and not out-and-out gay.

I'm not sure I'd say watered down, necessarily. I mean, it's still pretty obvious, they just never outright say it. Kanji does say, however, "That other me, is me", which speaks to a lot, if you ask me. But there were probably a lot of very good reasons for dialing it back a bit, and the rest of the game is still intact enough that Yukiko's deep dark secret still makes no damn sense to me as a westerner(Though I do understand it intellectually, as far as I know about japanese culture).

edited 12th Aug '13 7:47:54 AM by kegisak

I hope Flash Gordon gives me tone ideas.

Loud and high-pitched?

FLASH! AH-AAAAAAH, SAVIOUR OF THE UNIVERSE! AH-AAAAAAAAH!

What's that?

FLASH! A-AAAAAAHHH! HE'LL SAVE EVERY ONE OF US!

It would be easy to make shadows based on the mane 6. especially since they let out some fears and hidden feelings (thought Rarity's case would prolly be a rehash to Nightmarity)

@Story: Basically, that she objects to being forced to take over her parents hotel. This is her deep dark secret that she oppresses: That she doesn't like having her future forced onto her.

From a japanese perspective, I can see why this would be an issue. They focus on community and family before the self, and the hotel has been in her family for generations, so of course it would be taken for granted she'd take it over.

From a western perspective though, I wouldn't want to have a career chosen for me either, and I'd be within my rights to tell whoever tried where they could stick it.

edited 12th Aug '13 7:55:47 AM by kegisak

Re: Yukiko

Yeah, I think it has to do with how Eastern cultures tend to put a lot of value on helping the family. For Yukiko to want to do her own thing when she's supposed to inherit the family business may not seem like a big deal for a culture that prizes personal independence. But in that context, it could very well be closer to betrayal.

All of which reminds me of how often I or my siblings get asked whether we're going to become doctors like my dad. I don't think any of us are, actually.

Button's Mom gets too into gaming

Wait why does Button not know what the Dovahkiin is

Because he's a noob.

(Seriously, though, I might not have recognized either, without the FUS ROH DAH.)

@Kyler: I hear the personal independenve vs family and community thing being framed in an East vs West fashion, but frankly I've seen plenty of western cultures with a greater emphasis on family and community. If anything I think the personal independence is specifically more of a germanic, or even more specifically, anglo-saxon thing. The fact that that is the current dominant culture in the west probably does lead to that sort of misconception.

His mom is starting him on a healthy diet of retro platformers and old-school RP Gs.

As for pony shadows, I think the most difficult part of them would be differentiating them from one another. Many of the ponies issues seem to come down to worrying aout their value and wether they're good enough to have friends, it seems. Twilight seems terribly worried that she doesn't live up to Celestia's standards, Pinkie is worried that ponies will tire of her parties and, by proxy, her, Dash seems to have the idea that her worth is tied to being the best... if we follow the comic then Rarity also seems to worry she's just buying her friends' attention.

Fluttershy and Applejack, at least, seem to be unique. Fluttershy has her repressed anger issues to deal with, and AJ seems alarmingly close to nihilism at times - especially the comment from her focus comic about wondering just who IS in charge of making sure everything turns out fine.

It might not be so hard to break the chunk of 'I'm not good enough' apart, though. Pinkie's fear is foundedi n the belief that nopony really knows her on a personal level(Shed actually make a decent protagonist for a Persona crossover in that her fear is founded in personae themselves). Twilight's fear can be said to stem from the fact that she essentially got where she is by accident, and doesn't know if she can pull it off on purpose. Dash's problems seem to be at their worst when she's in danger of being left alone, which speaks to abandonment issue(Which would explain her need for attention being far more present and real than Pinkie's or even Rarity's), and Rarity herself, well... she seems to be fully aware of her faults, and so is probably worried that ponies just think she's a bitch.

In all honesty they are similar ideas, so...

FANCY!!! AAH-HAA! HE'LL SAVE EVERY ONE OF US!!!

So... Shadow Teddie?