Report wrenchbread's Profile

Lol man, you did not have to write down everything here (since I sent you a private message about it).

I admit my defeat about MLA already, you are a fanboy (not saying as a bad thing, btw, even if it sounds like it) after all, I can't argue with you about the veracity of some facts.

But I will reply about some other things here anyway (not really arguments, to say so, but necessary points to be mentioned, in my opinion).


1*

That is not what I meant really.
"Is it strange to have a genius of Japanese descent like Yuuko? Are you saying a genius like her can’t possibly be Japanese? Are you saying she's not worthy of being project leader of Alt IV because she is Japanese? Or that her position would realistically be filled by a European or American?"

I just said that is not really possible for Japan to survive to this kind of crysis in a possible alternative timeline of ours (even when modifying the story), and to became one of the most important countries in the world in that situation (considering all the circunstances first, btw, especially from the consequences of WWII).

Is not like I'm being racist, it's just how it is, the very same thing could happen in South America, and, for example, Brazil was the one surviving instead of Japan (if written by a brazilian). I'm not saying this exclusively for Japan, this could be applied for every single other perspective from countries that don't have the exact possibility of survival (statistically speaking) in this terms. Anyway, I did mentioned that lots of other things could change this factors drastically (especially when it comes to an altered fictional situation like MLA), but yeah, it's always the same point:
-The writer is japanese.
-Japan is essencially important for the story.
-The writer is english (let's take Rowling for example).
-England will be pretty much the country with more attention in the story.

There is nothing wrong about this, it happens constantly and in the case of Japan, is pretty much a "setting" thing for alternative versions of our world (like Code Geass for example).
And the points about Mahouka, I will write down below my answer, after all, it would be better to put in order everything about it, in my opinion. But anyway, I would like to remember that:

1- Japan is indeed the most powerful nation in Mahouka universe, and I never stated against this affirmation.
2- My point was about Japan and the Japanese people being essentially important to the world (even if I misjudge it in MLA saying that is the Mary Sue country just because of it). In this case, this is a valid similarity, even if they are not the most powerful nation (even in your image about Walken’s discourse below, he affirms its importance for the world as a “key part of the Far East defense line at a time”, and this is not even related for its importance in that moment either).

2*
"The aftereffects of G-bombs are nothing like the aftereffects of nuclear bombs; it’s a false equivalence, it’s literally comparing apples and oranges. Both are bombs and are quite destructive, yes, but their aftereffects are different from each other."

Actually no. As you said, G-Bombs made 70% of Canada into an uninhabitable nuclear wasteland. This is already evidence enough to not use them in the hives escattered all over the planet together, at least in my opinion. Of course you are right about no one guessing that it would be SO FUCKING BAD (the Day After is just tragic), but there was evidence enough that these bombs would basically destroy the entire planet and transform it in a place without life or resources.

The rest is pretty much accurate though, I have nothing to say about it.

3*
"I really don’t understand why you think Yuuko represents all of Japan. It doesn't make sense."

It was not my intention to say that she represents all of Japan (I never stated so, at least). But anyway, I was talking about the choose of sides between UN/Japan relation (Alt.IV) and UN/US relation (Alt V), not really refering Yuuko as someone representing the entire nation, but the counterpart for the other ideas in the american side.

In any case, the Global effort in the end was the last chance for Alternative IV, when everyone had acknowledged it as possible to be successful. They wanted to at least try, before appeling to Alternative V. Since it happened after the creation and use of Unit 00, it’s not really connected to the point I made.


4*
Yup, my point was kinda dull here (especially remembering these details about Total Eclipse), so I’m sorry for that. Also, I need to state again that Japan is not the “Mary Sue nation”/”most powerful nation” there (About this, in my opinion… is a bit awkward to classify nations with this categories, I don’t understand why you did it back there. I mean, a Mary Sue nation by definition would be an Utopia, right? Both are not like that at all, and this will be one of my points about Mahouka too, so I’m just letting this written here for future references).
But it about the logic behind the relation between Takeru and Yuuko/Japan/UN is the same in point “ *3 ” (at least in the way I was trying to refer it to).

5*
Yeah, don’t worry, I understand it now (with all the points you made with this reply).
And you also refuted my point (that was already non-canon anyway) logically and being exact with the facts (I took my day re-reading MLA and also reading all the points you made here, so I can really say so). Now the only thing bugging me is the ending, so thanks for this lol
But yeah, about US in the Japanese perspective here, and I made my point about it sometimes already in the thread. I could understand my point about nationalism too, right? Is not even about just the characters portrait, but the entire world vision about each country. In an American perspective, probably US would try to do things really different and would probably use Japanese characteristics as “negative” (not really, because everyone can tell by how they described Americans in other books, movies and even anime and manga outside US why this is actually pretty exact in MLA. Even with all the things about America bombing everything and/or trying to monopolize the order, Age made sure that the Nationalist themed things would be at least suppressed by coherent actions in the modified world (like you said in your reply: “ML/A, America is pretty scummy but you understand their motives”).

6*

Well, Yuuko is fucking awesome, and everything she plans or suggests is almost sure to happen.
Also: “You might be remembering things wrong with the UN General taking orders from Yuuko.”
“He basically took orders”, btw, I do know that he is not a marionette after all.

How can I say, she has limitations (she can only propose at some point, just like you said), but in most of this cases, she all goes according to her plan (that is normally the very best idea in the command post, probably).
She has the authority to do things, but you need to admit that she basically do everything there (she is the one moving the pieces, even if she is not the most important character in the base).
In somma, she is capable enough to control things that even aren’t in her hands to control (in some way, she is indeed overpowered there, but for a good reason. I did said that being overpowered is not always a negative aspect).

7*
Everything in this point is right, but you need to remember that Takeru’s opinion changes about everything he interacts to (he is stupidly well-developed, one of the most I ever saw in VN too, after all, he basically starts out as a infantile crybaby and became a real grown-up man in the end), and nationalism is not an exception.
He in fact had his doubts about the nationalism in the Coup d’état Arc, but his ideas of it started to change quite a bit after, as the story progressed. He respects and admire their profound love and dedication for their country in the end.

And now, finally, about Mahouka (And at this point, I do not think that is really necessary to us to discuss about MLA per se anymore):

1- As I said before, Mahouka is pretty much dystopian. It’s different from when they just input things about Japanese nationalism and being actually racist somehow (in this aspect, is was way more like the Japanese perspective thing I mentioned so much), the Japanese government is horrible and corrupted (and just got worse recently, and the most twisted and crazy thing is the portrait about Japan being the Martyr nation of the world and magicians being the Martyr of the society).

2- There are similarities with MLA besides world-building well-detailed infodumps and nationalistic themes (even if they are not quite the same at all). Yuuko’s character and Tatsuya’s are not just genius that explain everything for the reader with tons of detailed information about the world of the series, they are actually similar in that aspect of not caring that much for the people they really care just to not make things difficult afterwards (Yuuko doing it for the sake of not increasing the disorder caused by the causality conductor (Takeru), and Tatsuya doing it (unconsciously) for the sake of his friends and (consciously) for his sister. As the operation was not perfect, he still have affection and other feelings sometimes, to explain this).

3-From the conservative notions on dress codes (It was supposed to cover up in this society which is a direct result of a “possible” post-WW3 setting), to Japanese nationalism, to the more old world style family structures (Ten masters clans), everything is there. However it would be a mistake for people to assume that there is some sort of message or agenda. Like I said, this is nothing more just an aspect of the settings (as explained above).

4- “NIPPON STRONG, CHINA/COREA EVIL”, is not really like that, and you should read the novels to see this. Japan is not actually a good and almighty country as you may think it is.
They are the ones that are actually “evil”. Take as an example Tatsuya: He is basically an emotionally lobotomized Post-human in a family of Post-humans par excellence. Whatever the implications of the early episodes and chapters in the novel would suggest, the truth is that Tatsuya is in mind and status a slave, who happens to have a nominal master who worships him, but cannot free him.

Concluding, I think you especially, even if you dislike Mahouka so much as you do now, should at least give it a try with the novels. It is not how a lot of people are making up to be like, and I think you would understand why (you have pretty much established good points and analyzed political, psychological and sociological factors in a pretty heated-up discussion *even if we did some silly things like offending each other in every comment, but yeah :v * with me so far, after all).
And it’s not just you either, I think that everyone that showed well detailed arguments against the adaptation should give a try too and see what is that all about (it is interesting and well-written, even if it has flaws, like Tatsuya’s annoying imouto ).

Wow. That comment about Tatsuya's inhumanity was just great.

I find your posts to be truly fascinating, and very insightful. I share a lot of your thoughts regarding fanservice and LN adaptations-- it's a shame that the person you're debating with doesn't understand how a debate goes.

Props.

Keep posting those delicious comments in the news section and I'll eventually fall for you. <3

what console is it on? It seems old.

Is your profile pic from a manga? It looks creepy as fuck!

Hello, I just came back from watching some wonderful world cup matches and see you had just as much fun with Mahouka's eleventh episode as I did.

I really loved your Stockholm syndrome comment, funnily enough I was thinking long these lines as well a bit earlier. In any case, I am mildly amused by the reaction in these threads. I almost pity the fanboys a bit.

Do you have a few recommendations for me? I think our tastes are somewhat simialr and I always liek to hear other people's opinions as long as they are educated.

Thank you very much for your post regarding Aku no Hana where
you pointed out that "kusomushi" is a reference to what Nakamura
said to the teacher. That helped me to understand it. Quite
frankly, I thought that the Math teacher was abusive in the extreme
by humiliating Nakamura for her low test mark. Nakamura did not
seem unreasonable at all, and I suspect that her classmates felt the
same way even if none of them had the courage to speak out. I look
forward to more posts from you.