BradenAndEggs
Like Like
I continue to churn over and process my feelings about XC3 - and I think it's become clear to me just how important an ending is. I know that sounds like a really obvious thing to say, but reflecting on my experience, I think it's crucial to me in this circumstance.
There's two layers - the ending of XC3 as a conclusion to it's own story and the ending of XC3 as a conclusion to the Klaus Saga built up via XC and XC2.
And I think it's in being unsatisfied with the ending in both respects that I feel more disappointed in the game than I truly am when thinking about the game as a whole.
If I'd felt more fulfilled by the game's ending as a conclusion to it's own story, I think some of the issues I have surrounding the villains, the environments and late game reveals would have been easier to stomach.
On the other hand, if I felt like the game's ending served as a more meaningful conclusion to the trilogy, I'd probably be a lot less cynical about how XC3 was marketed to me and how it takes from the earlier games for flavouring.
In an ideal world, I would have gotten both, but I'd have taken one!
I'm not sure that even if the game had succeeded for me in one or both of those ways it would have been enough to square the circle on Origin - that stands alone for me as perhaps an issue that can't be resolved.
But that said, I love a lot about XC3, so much of it. I still find myself thinking about it and when I do go back to watch certain scenes... I find myself thinking, bloody hell, this game was incredible in places. I've said it before and will continue to say it, McEntire's performance as N at the start of Chapter 6 is superb.
I won't list everything I adored, but despite many of my posts being on the more negative side, I have explicitly called out a lot that I love earlier in the thread.
It's remarkable how the game was, for the longest time, trading blows with XC2 - my favourite game - and then how different I ended up feeling about the game by the time the credits began to roll.
My criticisms would have still stood, but I'd have been more sympathetic to the game overall.
Part way through the game, I had an inkling that how I felt about the game would hinge on how they wrapped it up - I said as much to a friend - but I've come to the conclusion that it's really soured me on a game I otherwise really loved.
Of course, some people will feel satisfied in both respects - and more power to ya - but not me unfortunately. I've not turned the game on for a few weeks... but part of me wants to...
One final note. I have a Bunny Girl Senpai avatar and it's kind of funny how many broad-stroke parallels there are between the end of the movie and this game.
The movie reveals that the entire events of the anime take place in a young terminally ill girl's dream. The main romantic pair choose to sacrifice themselves for the greater good in the belief that they will meet again in the real world - despite having no knowledge of their 'past lives'.
The end of the movie shows our couple very much back together and in a rather short sequence packs in a number of nods to the events of the series - suggesting that those events, despite not being totally the same as before, did pan out and those relationships did blossom again.
But due to the events they experienced in the dream, the main girl Mai - an actress - felt compelled to star in a movie about the same illness the young girl had, while the main boy Sakuta is revealed to have given money towards researching that illness.
Basically, the remnants of their 'dream lives' floating around in their subconscious influenced their real selves. In the very final minute of the movie, the pair, walking across a beach, see the young girl alive and happy with her parents.
The couple don’t recognise her.
Despite not knowing why they did what they did or what impact it has had, their joint efforts saw a donor for the young girl found. Sakuta suddenly remembers his experience with her and shouts out to her. The final shot lingers on her for some time, before she responds back with his name - showing that she remembers him as well.
Of course, the stories are very different - but for me, that's how you use a similar concept. It involves the main heroes giving up their current lives in hopes of a better future, it shows the consequences of that choice and ends on a more overtly positive note.
It wipes away the whole anime season you’ve just watched, but in about two or three minutes, it gives you the closure you need to feel satisfied with it.
I know that some people think the bittersweet part of the ending is crucial, but for me, it’s about the characters being prepared to make the choice in hope.
Started writing my wall before the tweets above - but I love them to bits. Hope we get some Mio and Rex action in the DLC.
Not to make this an Anime discussion but... (I'm totally going to though.)
Bunny Girl Spoilers:
Thank you so much for the Bunny Girl write-up! I'm now way more interested in starting this.
So much of that sounds similar to my favorite anime of all time "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya." Almost like where "Haruhi" is more interested in having fun, "Bunny Girl" seems to take the same sort of concepts to a more dramatic conclusion. I had read that the author of "Bunny Girl" was heavily inspired by "Haruhi" and this seems to be confirming it.
Interestingly, "Bunny Girl" seems to try its hand (with some success as you say) at more definitive answers that "Haruhi" knew to keep ambiguous.
LIGHT SPOILERS FOR HARUHI:
Haruhi is blissfully unaware that she is either a "distortion in space-time," "the potential for evolution," or "god herself" or all three (each of the extended cast has their own answer to this and the series never offers a definitive answer we just know something bad will happen when she gets bored) and the fact our reality may just be her unconscious creation is used for comedy first and foremost, and high stakes science/fantasy drama second.
Not that "Haruhi" didn't know when to be dramatic (and it can be), but it seems "Bunny Girl" is taking "similar" concepts to a more dramatic and emotional conclusion with its romantic pair. (Plus a more definitive ending.) I'm looking forward to seeing how this all turns out when I watch it!
At the end of the first arc, Haruhi gets so distraught with how boring her life is (and the clear lack of attention she desires from the male lead) that she unconsciously almost reboots the universe and creates a new reality with the main character being the only survivor from the old world. The main character talks her out of it by essentially giving her the romantic attention she unconsciously desires and facing his own feelings and instantly "wakes up" the next morning with everything back to normal...or is it? (My favorite episode of any anime ever by the way. lol)
From then on, other characters are aware that the universe almost ended last night, (or maybe it did end and was recreated) but they aren't sure which answer is right. It's treated as a "close call" and setting the stakes for making sure Haruhi is kept happy. (Also, confirmation that Haruhi's relationship with the main character is desired to be a romantic one and a look behind the main character's apathetic charade.) However, no definitive answers either way and I think that is fine.
Also, it seems like the shows make opposite choices when it comes to the romantic conclusion between the main romantic pairing. Where you said "Bunny Girl" elects their main pair to sacrifice their dream reality, once the main guy in "Haruhi" realizes his growing feelings for her he decides to help "defend" the universe by making sure Haruhi doesn't get bored or dissatisfied with her life. (She might accidentally end the universe without realizing it.) (I guess that would make him Moebius lol?)
END SPOILERS FOR HARUHI
Back to Xenoblade discussion! To show how subjective this all is, what you described from "Bunny Girl" feels "worse" (I guess that isn't the right word. It's more of a "feeling" than a statement on quality.) to me than Xenoblade 3's ending. To me, Xenoblade 3's ending moments secure a better future for the cast and save two universes I'm attached to. Aionios definitively wasn't a "dream" everything happened and was important to get us to that post-credit scene. Events in Aionios weren't "replaced."
In "Bunny Girl" I don't like the idea of getting too attached to what happens if it gets erased and replaced by events that are vaguely similar. Like you said, once I see the execution I'm sure I'll love it though. As you may have noticed I don't really go into stuff looking for plot holes or forming criticism. I either like it or I don't and if I'm engaging in discussion about it, it means I'm a fan lol.
Thanks for the excuse to geek out about anime! I find it funny that we have three examples of Japanese media about universe rebooting and recreation and similar broad strokes themes.
Your write-up single-handedly made me decide to start Bunny Girl soon lol.
So much of that sounds similar to my favorite anime of all time "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya." Almost like where "Haruhi" is more interested in having fun, "Bunny Girl" seems to take the same sort of concepts to a more dramatic conclusion. I had read that the author of "Bunny Girl" was heavily inspired by "Haruhi" and this seems to be confirming it.
Interestingly, "Bunny Girl" seems to try its hand (with some success as you say) at more definitive answers that "Haruhi" knew to keep ambiguous.
LIGHT SPOILERS FOR HARUHI:
Haruhi is blissfully unaware that she is either a "distortion in space-time," "the potential for evolution," or "god herself" or all three (each of the extended cast has their own answer to this and the series never offers a definitive answer we just know something bad will happen when she gets bored) and the fact our reality may just be her unconscious creation is used for comedy first and foremost, and high stakes science/fantasy drama second.
Not that "Haruhi" didn't know when to be dramatic (and it can be), but it seems "Bunny Girl" is taking "similar" concepts to a more dramatic and emotional conclusion with its romantic pair. (Plus a more definitive ending.) I'm looking forward to seeing how this all turns out when I watch it!
At the end of the first arc, Haruhi gets so distraught with how boring her life is (and the clear lack of attention she desires from the male lead) that she unconsciously almost reboots the universe and creates a new reality with the main character being the only survivor from the old world. The main character talks her out of it by essentially giving her the romantic attention she unconsciously desires and facing his own feelings and instantly "wakes up" the next morning with everything back to normal...or is it? (My favorite episode of any anime ever by the way. lol)
From then on, other characters are aware that the universe almost ended last night, (or maybe it did end and was recreated) but they aren't sure which answer is right. It's treated as a "close call" and setting the stakes for making sure Haruhi is kept happy. (Also, confirmation that Haruhi's relationship with the main character is desired to be a romantic one and a look behind the main character's apathetic charade.) However, no definitive answers either way and I think that is fine.
Also, it seems like the shows make opposite choices when it comes to the romantic conclusion between the main romantic pairing. Where you said "Bunny Girl" elects their main pair to sacrifice their dream reality, once the main guy in "Haruhi" realizes his growing feelings for her he decides to help "defend" the universe by making sure Haruhi doesn't get bored or dissatisfied with her life. (She might accidentally end the universe without realizing it.) (I guess that would make him Moebius lol?)
END SPOILERS FOR HARUHI
Back to Xenoblade discussion! To show how subjective this all is, what you described from "Bunny Girl" feels "worse" (I guess that isn't the right word. It's more of a "feeling" than a statement on quality.) to me than Xenoblade 3's ending. To me, Xenoblade 3's ending moments secure a better future for the cast and save two universes I'm attached to. Aionios definitively wasn't a "dream" everything happened and was important to get us to that post-credit scene. Events in Aionios weren't "replaced."
In "Bunny Girl" I don't like the idea of getting too attached to what happens if it gets erased and replaced by events that are vaguely similar. Like you said, once I see the execution I'm sure I'll love it though. As you may have noticed I don't really go into stuff looking for plot holes or forming criticism. I either like it or I don't and if I'm engaging in discussion about it, it means I'm a fan lol.
Thanks for the excuse to geek out about anime! I find it funny that we have three examples of Japanese media about universe rebooting and recreation and similar broad strokes themes.
Your write-up single-handedly made me decide to start Bunny Girl soon lol.
Personally for my own sanity I don’t think I’ll contribute to discussions of the nitty gritty of the ending. It worked for me thematically and emotionally and I don’t wanna tear it apart cynically until it doesn’t haha
This is probably the smartest thing. I should take your advice.
I understand criticism is necessary for the evolution of art, but personally, I prefer to engage in enthusiasm and passion. Let others' criticism inspire artists to improve without me lol