FF ramblings

[ria_oaks]

I happened to check Rpgamer.com a few minutes ago and noticed that FFIII:DS comes out today (I haven't really been keeping track...). I'm probably just being too over-emotional, but this day feels rather historic in the RPG world - the last Final Fantasy that wasn't released in the US is finally here. I checked, and it's been approximately 16.5 years since FFIII was released in Japan - well, better late than never, I guess. XD I mean sure, I played it years ago on a translated ROM and I won't be buying this version anytime soon (lack of a DS... and lack of time to play. woe.), but it's still cool to think that it's here. It's sort of a pity that the original version of the game will never make it here, most likely (how hard would it have been to include the orignal version in the new game, really...?), but the new version looks pretty spiffy. Hopefully I'll get to play it someday.

3 FF games in the past 2 weeks, 2 of which are new to the US (FFXII and FFIII:DS) and one of which only ever made it here in a mangled fashion (FFV Advance) - makes me miss the days when I could play all the time... I haven't really been into gaming as much the last few years, largely because of a. lack of time during school, b. other interests take up my free time, and c. i'm lazy., but I still get excited hearing about games and still want to play when I get the chance. I'm way behind on all the games I'm playing, but I still plan to ask for either FFXII or Disgaea 2 for Christmas (leaning towards the latter - FFXII will be easy enough to find for years to come, and it'll get cheap fairly quickly, whereas Disgaea 2 will start disappearing soon...). I am sorely tempted by FFXII, though - it's been getting fantastic reviews, and hell, it's FFXII! We've been waiting for this game for years, and it's finally here... and I really can't justify the time or money to get it. Part of me, too, is still a bit uncertain about it - but most of the reviews have said that the game is nothing like (and much better than) anything we've seen of it to this point, including the demo. I plan to give it a chance eventually, but can't do it yet.

And... I'm procrastinating. Back to my Farscape paper... it's due tomorrow at 9, so I need to get moving. Up to 5 pages, need about 12 - and I'm still blathering on about the context, haven't even gotten to analysing the series itself! Ehehehe. baaack to work.

Comments

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, true...

Indeed, it was awesome when he shot Ruby.

And Sam being called princess by the other bar tender. XD

Ooh, priest is evil... damn, I liked him.

[bk635.livejournal.com]

I love this talk Dean is having with that bartender demon.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Plus she's really hot. *cough*

Ooooh, Sammy, you are baddass and dark... killing both the demons without batting an eyelash or pausing to try to exorcise them? That's cold, man. And I was hoping we'd get to see the real bartender and priest...

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

And hmm... yellow eyes gets a name (what was it, again? Didn't really catch it) and more talk of Sammy being the leader of the army which granted we already knew... even so, though. Our little anti-christ slash boy-king. ;)

I liked the bartender demon talking about Lucifer and how she has faith in him just like humans have faith in god. And how she suggested that demons and humans aren't that different, considering the evil that humans also do. And when you look at what humans do, well, she's got a point... as she said, just look at the world wars last century.

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Azazel. I love demon lore

Ruby is Lucifer. That fallen angel comment gave it away.

Dean shows compassion for demons. Win. That conversation, also made of win.

Dean also realizing that something may be wrong with Sam: finally.

This is looking to be an awesome season.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Nifty.

Hmm, I wonder... I find it hard to believe that Lucifer is actually real and is possessing Ruby. I like the idea of him just being an idea, like God, that may or may not exist. Though it's true that her comment does suggest it. Interesting...

Oh yes, I really liked Dean showing some compassion for her and maybe starting to recognize some of the greys. Although maybe that's more just because he knows that that was a real person underneath the demon?

And yes, it's nice to see Dean finally realize that something's wrong with Sam. I'm really looking forward to seeing where they go with this - sounds like we're really going to get a sense of dark!Sam this season. They've hinted at it before, but looks like they're going to go all out with it this season. Though a thought - maybe Sam's actually the same as he's always been, the difference is that everyone thinks he's different? So it's like an excuse for what he has to do, but in reality it's really him... I like that better than him coming back 'wrong'. Like Buffy s6 - she didn't come back wrong; she was just dealing with her feelings about coming back from the dead and everything that was happening to her. She tried to use it as an excuse for sleeping with Spike, but it was really just her.

[bk635.livejournal.com]

I think it would be kind of awkward.. I think the show would jump the shark if they started bringing in characters like Lucifer, Saint Michael, and even God/Jesus himself. It would just be..; you can refer to such characters, but not use them, because it's almost never done well.

Nah, I think he began recognizing the greys. He started opening up to her.

I'd rather see something new. Joss has already done that. But I think it's going to be more superficial than that. Just by connecting the dots, I speculate that it's that whole thing with Sam having demon blood in him; it's probably the Yellow-Eyed Demon's (can't get used to his real name yet) contingency plan, or something. He probably predicted his death and put a part of himself into Sam (the special child with the ability he likes most), and will posess him from within, at one point. Death was probably the trigger to start the gradual transformation.

Lame, I know. But I could see them doing it. :\

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree. It's great to have him there as an idea, like God, but not as an actual being. It's more effective to leave angels and God and the Devil as concepts based in faith that may be real but may not. Otoh, demons are of course the flipside of angels and they're obviously real, so why wouldn't angels be? Anyway though, even if angels and demons are real, I don't want God or Lucifer to be confirmed as real... that'd be kinda lame. I just like the idea of demons having faith in Lucifer, it's neat. :)

Maybe... well, I'm not thinking of it being exactly like Buffy; I just prefer the idea of Sam becoming colder and darker being character-based, not demon-based. It's more interesting, imo. Though I suppose it'd be interesting, too, if he becomes darker because of the demon blood. Maybe it'll be a bit of both - the demon blood is the catalyst for the things he's going to do, and it enhanced those character traits that he already possessed.

[bk635.livejournal.com]

I think it would be scarier if there was no Holy side to the spectrum; just people and demons. Maybe demons could be manifestations of humanity's evils? Having Heaven and all of that is kind of like a safety-net and could be a potential DEM (last episode: We see angels pouring down from the sky to fight demons *rolls eyes*).

But the ending of Season 2 more or less nulled all of that, since we saw John ascending. Plus, way at the beginning of Season 1 (second episode?) we briefly saw Jessica in white, watching over Sam. Would be kind of cool if they expanded on that..

I actually like how they're fleshing out demons this season. They've thus far showed that they can be civil, rational, and caring for each other and humans; that they have beliefs of the own; and that they have names.

Also, what if Ruby was really Meg? They have similar attitudes. Going by my theory, maybe she is in on the Yellow-Eyed Demon's plans and is just watching over Sam to make sure they go through? God that would be so lame. >.>

Your idea is better, honestly.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

That might be interesting... otoh, often these types of things are about balance - you can't have good without evil and vice versa. I'm not sure that SPN is actually saying that, but I also don't think that it's saying that there's only evil in the world. It indicates that the evil is strong, and is within humans as well as demons, but that humans have good in them to combat that. Therefore, we can perhaps presume that a higher power for good exists, as well. Maybe. I tend to think that it'd be more interesting for the series to show that not all spirits are evil (demons are, perhaps, but not spirits and ghosts) and that good spirits exist, ergo some greater power for good must exist. Which ultimately I think it has shown - the show is increasingly suggesting that the fight isn't as black and white as it seems, and I hope they go further with that.

That said, demons as a manifestation of humanity's evils is good. :) And I agree that I don't want actual angels or some shit. Maybe it's more of a sense of goodness in general, that we have to tap into to combat the evil both within and outside of ourselves.

Oh god, I hope she's not Meg. o.o How boring and lame... anyway, didn't Meg-demon die? I thought she/it did... though I can't really recall. Maybe not, actually - we last saw her in 2.14 when she possessed Sam, right? I think?

And thanks. ;)

[bk635.livejournal.com]

Meg was exorcised from Sam, I think, so she went back to Hell. But Hell's Gate was open, so you never know. :|

Like I said, I think the show already established the presence of a Heaven. The best thing they could probably do is leave God as an idea (just like Lucifer). They should leave angels out, though I wouldn't mind seeing Jessica as a guardian angel, or something.